Human Resource Management And Their Day Today Functions - 2750 Words

Human Resource Management And Their Day Today Functions (Essay Sample) Content: Human Resource ManagementUniversitys NameSubmitted by Names:Tutor:Date:HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENTIntroductionA critical component of any organizational structure, human resource management is a requirement in virtually all organizations. It is a key component in the operational framework of any business entity or organization that involves strategically managing the workforce employed in a business entity (Walker, 2013). The management of human resource in organizations guides the relationship that employees in any given organization have with the organization. This aspect of an organization is vital in attracting and selecting new employees, managing and retaining the existing employees while developing their capabilities toward achieving organizational goals and objectives. As Huselid, Becker Beatty (2015) note, in the present day marketplace that is fuelled by intangible assets, optimal workforce is critical to a firms ultimate survival and success. In the present economic set up, external factors and social conditions influence the way work is done, thereby shaping a new future for human resource management (Walker, 2013). To understand these changes and their influence, it is important to first establish the functions played by human resource management in an organization.Functions of Human resource managementThe process of managing human capital is meant to first of all maximize the performance of a company by appropriating the most suitable labor for its requisite job. This, Ulrich (2013) observes, goes into the final achievement of an organizations strategic objectives. The management of human resource as a process involves designing employee benefits, undertaking employee recruitment, overseeing the training and development of employees, appraising the performance of employees and managing industrial relations (Ulrich, 2013). As such, therefore, the human resource department in any organization plays a critical role in the operations of such entities, supplying, appraising, retaining, disciplining and replacing the most important of all the factors of production.External Factors Influencing Human ResourceThe external factors that influence human resource and its management refer to those aspects of business operations that exert an influence on business processes but are from outside of the organization. These factors are usually outside the sphere of the organizations control (Bamberger, Biron Meshoulam, 2014). Since the organization cannot influence these aspects, the best way of managing such influences is to constantly change the process of human resource management.Government RegulationsAmong the external influences of human resource are government regulations. Government regulations refer to the policies and statutes established by the government to guide the process of human resource management. The regulations imposed by governments go a long way in informing the future for HR management. As the ultimate regulatory bodies, all governments are tasked with the creation of policies to safeguard citizens from exploitation or unfair treatment, most of which affect human resource and its management. Governments therefore create legislations to guide the employment of its citizens.Among the legislations created by governments is the minimum wage legislation. These legislations spell out the minimum statutory wages that organizations can pay their employees. Also stipulated in these minimum wage legislations are the basic working conditions for employees (Budhwar Debrah, 2014). All these stipulations end up affecting the process of human resource management in an organization. Each organization has to adhere to these stipulations or risk facing legal actions and punitive measures leveled on them by the responsible governments. Though external, the minimum wage and basic working condition legislations passed by governments affect the number, remuneration, and treatment of employees in any o rganization; the core functions of human resource management practitioners (Budhwar Debrah, 2014).Government regulations may also involve such benevolent policies as statutory contributions to various retirement benefit schemes and certain hospital insurance funds. These policies usually serve to stipulate the proportion of periodic contributions to such schemes that employers must contribute, as well as the proportions that are to be footed by the individual worker. The governments legislations on retirement benefits and health insurance help safeguard the wellbeing of employees (Boonstra, 2008). These policies, enforceable through statues, act as an influence on the human resource of an organization, and exert an influence on the management of such human resource.Governments may also put in place laws and regulations to help in governing the health and safety standards in the workplace. Organizations have to adhere to such workplace health and safety standards and regulations in the process of their operations or face punitive actions from the government. In the implementation of these standards and regulations, the human resource department has to be at the forefront. The process of governmental regulation may also affect the policies on education within a given jurisdiction. These policies may affect the talent pool to which organizations have access and therefore directly influence their human resource, and the management of such human resource.In some countries, the government formulates such laws as the Equal Opportunity Act to ensure that all citizens, regardless of belonging to a minority faction of the population, have access to similar opporutinites (Shields et al, 2015). Such regulations affect the human resource policies adopted by an organization. At times, the human resource managers of an organization may have no choice but to hire a candidate out of their comfort zone just to avoid costly suits that have a basis in such a regulation. These re gulations aim to reduce discrimination on the basis of ones origin, race or affiliation and therefore level the competition.TechnologyTechnology refers to the knowhow used in the production of goods and services. The use of technology affects the production process in organizations, determines the cost and efficiency of such production and guides the resources utilized in the process. Advancements in technology may affect the human resource of a company in several ways. For one, such an advancement would render certain human labor moribund. In essence, certain technological advancements would eliminate the need for human labor. This creates a situation referred to as structural unemployment, thereby informing the future of the human resource management process, note Buller McEvoy (2012).Certain technologies may create efficiencies in production and hence free up resources that would then be used elsewhere. The increase in efficiency, coupled with a reduction in costs may allow huma n resources practitioners to offer better packages to existing workers. Advancements in technology, therefore, may, in such a way, prove beneficial to human resource practitioners. The increased efficiency leads to cheaper ways of carrying out tasks and thereby leads to internal cost saving advantages which may in turn translate to better working conditions for the existing human resource (Buller McEvoy, 2012).EconomyThe shape of the economy tends to affect human resource and shape both its present and future. According to Jiang, Lepak, Hu Baer (2012) the economic cycles such as troughs and peaks affect the demand of organizations for human labor. During high seasons, peaks, organizations tend to produce more commodities and therefore need more labor to achieve this end. As such, human resource managers hire more and more workers to fill the demand for labor. Similarly, during low seasons, troughs, economic activities slow down; production of commodities by businesses slackens and the labor required for the process is reduced. This leads to dismissal of laborers by business organizations and hence increases the unemployment levels in the economy (Jiang, Lepak, Hu Baer, 2012).DemographicsDemography refers to the composition of a given population in terms of varied aspects such as among others, race, age, sex, class and standard of education. These aspects influence human resource in a variety of ways. The age component of demography, for instance, determines the workforce of a population. In a population where there are more seniors than youths, the pool of labor is severely constrained, and labor as a factor of production then tends to be more expensive (Punnett, 2015). In such a scenario, the human resource managers in an organization are then forced to offer competitive packages in order to entice labor to join their organizations. On the flip side, populations that have more youths than seniors will have a bigger pool of labor hence the cost of the facto r of production may be lower (Punnett, 2015).Populations with younger people may, however, not always be attractive to human resource management practitioners. Empirical research of workplace behavior shows that young workers, especially Millennials tend to be more restless in general. This fact has led to lots of organizations preferring to employ more individuals from Generation X and Generation Y. The restlessness of millennials can be construed as poor workmanship (Solomon, Russell-Bennett Previte, 2012). These individuals tend to be more mobile due to their restlessness, making investing in them a risky prospect. Practitioners in the field of human management are therefore reluctant to deal with this group of individuals; a decision informed by the age aspect o...

Denying the Truth and Passing the Blame - Free Essay Example

The truth is hard to admit, especially to ourselves. The way we as humans deal with it, is by blaming others and finding scapegoats with or without reason. Whether it is blaming our parents for ruining our weekend and not letting us go out because we havent cleaned our room in a month, or a manager blaming his or her their employees team members because they lost the million dollar contract due to the managers lack of communication, these are common aspects of our lives in which we let our fear of criticism blame others. Sophocles play, Oedipus the King, embodies this exact mindset within the main character Oedipus. The play revolves around the mystery of the murder of the previous king of Thebes, Laius. While Oedipus, the new king of Thebes, is trying to find the murderer of King Laius, he uncovers that the person he is searching for is himself. Throughout the play, Oedipus displays hubris. After talking to the blind prophet, Tiresias, he is told that the murderer is himself. In denial, he accuses his brother-in-law Creon, the man who met with the prophet earlier. Confronting Creon, he is repeatedly found ignoring Creons explanations of the situations and blaming him without cognizance. Creon notices Oedipus disregard and comments, if he thinks, stubbornness without sense is a good gift [he is] not wise (Sophocles 140). Creon explains that for Oedipus to think he is justified to make such a grave accusation without any proof or reason, is foolish. Even so, Creon still gives him the benefit of the doubt and advises him in answer to [his] words hear a fair replay, and then judge for [himself] on knowledge (Sophocles 140). No innocent person would blame his brother in law of treason without evidence, but Oedipus was refuting the truth. Towards the end of the play, Oedipus begins to confront the truth. The herdsman is on the dre aded brink of speech while he tells Oedipus the truth. Oedipus responds, and I am of hearing; yet must I hear (Sophocles 157). At this point, Oedipus has finally agreed to listen to the truth no matter what it maybe: in opposition towards him or for him. Denying the truth and blaming others was wrong; either way he was forced to confront the truth. He was still burdened and tormented by it to the point where he blinded himself due to his incapability of looking at his wrongdoings. This aspect of the play has even occured in my own life and has the same foolishness to it. My family was about to leave from vacation, and my sister could not find her Beats headphones, after claiming that she has checked everywhere. She persisted that she had left the headphones on the bed side table before the housekeeping ladies came and that they must have stolen it. After reporting a lost item, the hotel security came in to talk to us and take a final check of our luggage as a part of their protocol. Ironically enough, the headphones were hidden between the clothes in her messy suitcase. Similar to Oedipus, my sister was stubborn and believed she could not possibly be wrong. She assumed someone had stolen her headphones without any proof and did not thoroughly look through her suitcase. All the commotion could have been avoided if she had just been more mindful of her headphones and less stubborn to think she may have been the problem. Within social media, everyone knows the name Jake Paul. He is a Youtuber, and his channel consists of doing crazy things that you wouldnt see any normal person doing for views: losing a $100,000 watch, getting arrested, destroying his neighbors and his own house. His audience being between the ages of 8 to 16 are definitely influenced by him and his antics. He believes that his content on Youtube inspires kids to stand up to their bullies and think positively about negative situations, but contrarily tells them that teachers are bad and conveys that his viewers should force their parents to buy them his merchandise. Jake Pauls denial of his deceitful power and influence over his millions of subscribers is wrong and to tell skeptical parents that they dont necessarily understand his movement if they havent really looked into and researched what [he] is doing and just kinda reading headlines, is far from the truth. Obviously, the headlines is what people pay attention to and not so muc h to the hidden positive messages in the videos. The kids who watch his video want to be him and if doing exactly what he tells them to do is what it takes that is what will happen. To blame the parents for not understanding their movement is just a cover up for what his videos actually mean. Just as Oedipus blames Creon for his mistakes, Jake Paul blames the parents of his views for not understanding his videos. Confronting the truth is something we all have to do during our lives. No matter how much better we feel after transferring the blame onto someone else, ultimately it wont help us learn from the ramifications of our mistakes. Oedipus denied the truth, blamed Creon without any proof and seemed foolish because of it. In the end he was forced to face the truth and dealt with the consequences. Ironically, Oedipus trying to pass the blame onto Creon for wanting the throne, gave it to him anyway after being banished.

Gangs In America - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 7 Words: 2235 Downloads: 4 Date added: 2019/04/12 Category Society Essay Level High school Tags: Gang Violence Essay Did you like this example? Introduction In this paper, there will be a summary of three movies; Crips and Blood: Made in America, Gran Torino, and A Better Life which showcases the issues that young minorities from three different ethnic backgrounds experience. Next, the youths’ experiences and difficulties will be compared and contrasted. Lastly, criminological theories will be used to explain the issues among juveniles and what support would be necessary in order for the juveniles to stay away from any further criminal involvement. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Gangs In America" essay for you Create order Summary of Movies Crips and Blood: Made in America was a film that was shot in 2008 in the South of Los Angeles. It sends us back in time as we head through the migration of the North and the West of the freed slaves, to the cotton fields of the South, and through industrialization in an attempt to educate viewers on the strain that African Americans went through that essentially created the gangs, Crips and Blood. In Los Angeles, the African American youth were unable to partake in the activities and groups of of White Americans, such as Boys Scouts. The racial discrimination and barriers drove them to form their own clubs, or as society calls them, gangs. This allowed African American teens to establish their own identity and sense of belonging. Furthermore, It gave the African American men of Los Angeles a sense of empowerment, which is something outsiders tend to overlook when looking into why so many young teens joined gangs. There are many people like Scrap, a 32-year-old male who feels like they were born into gangs. Scrap grew up in a household where everyone was selling drugs. For he states that â€Å"If crack would’ve never came, we’d still probably have nice little homes and nice little families.† More often than not, these teens were born into families and environments like this or got pressured into it at such a young age, that finding a way out is easier said than done. Law enforcement viewed gangs negatively and made it seem like young African American teens were the center of all crimes. From 1950 to 1966, the Police department in Los Angeles was commanded by Chief William Parker who instituted harsh policies against the African Americans. The department prevented African Americans from crossing the Alameda Street, or the White Curtain, which leads to white neighborhoods. This was very demoralizing but it, unfortunately, was a social barrier that was protected by the police department. The delinquents lacked direction and as mentioned earlier, it was all they ever knew. The youth were left on their own, and in the late 1960s was the first signs of the Crips, which was lead by Raymond Washington. As a result, the gang formed an alliance and called themselves Blood. The Crips and the Blood are a product of the poor treatment of the disadvantaged. A Better Life also takes place in Los Angeles which shows Carlos, an undocumented Mexican immigrant, and his 15-year-old son, Luis. Carlos works as a gardener for another Hispanic Immigrant, Blasco Martinez, catering to Los Angeles residents. Luis’s mother is not in his life as she wanted more than what Carlos could offer her. As a result, this left a young man coming from a broken home all alone, which led him into delinquent acts and gangs. Luis is a young juvenile that influenced by his girlfriend Ruthie Valdez and friend Ramon. The plot shows that Blasco finally has enough money to return to Mexico, so he offers Carlos his truck, tools, and everything to do with the business. Carlos can’t get a drivers license and if he got stopped by the police, that could possibly mean deportation. Carlos employs another immigrant to help him with the business, however, the employee robs the truck. Carlos and Luis then go look for the man that robbed the truck. They eventually locate the thief. Instead of thanking Luis, Carlos beats Luis. Undoubtedly, Luis felt betrayed that his father attacked him and not the thief, so he runs away to Ramons home. Luis meets Carlos and enters the shop to get their truck. As a result of the excitement of not being shot while retrieving the truck, they forget to put their seatbelts on. A police pulls them over and discovers Carlos is an undocumented immigrant, so he is deported and Luis is pla ced with his aunt. Carlos tells Luis that he wants him to succeed and achieve where he could not. Luis last moments with his father made him motivated into making this father proudof him. As a result. Luis cut his affiliations Ramon and Ruthie to pursue a positive lifestyle away from negative influences. Gran Torino is a film focused on Hmong American juveniles and it takes place in Kowalski’s neighborhood. Thao is confronted by a Latino gang member as he is walking through a less fortunate and underkept neighborhood. Thaos cousin, Fong, who is known as Spider in the film, comes to help Thao by scaring the rival away with a weapon. In this sense, Spider is protecting him from other gangs and gives him the chance to feel safe and join his gang. Although Thao is pressured to join but he has to prove that he is worthy to stay. In order to do this, Thaos robbed Kowalskis 1972 Gran Torino. Kowalski catches Thao attempting to rob the car. As a result, he fails at the robbery. Spider and his gang decide to give Thao another chance but Thao refuses. As a result, the gang becomes aggressive and attempts to take him by force. Thaos neighbors try to save him and get him out of trouble, but are unsuccessful. However, Kowalski saves him and stops the gang by threatening to shoot them. Later on, Thao’s mother and sister talk with Kowalski so they can all agree on a way that Thao can repay him for trying to steal his car. Kowalski decides to be repaid by leading Thao in a positive direction through social capital. Kowalski provides Thao with a construction job, which will give him the opportunity to provide for him and his family. Spiders gang was humiliated that Thao did not join them, so they are planning on doing a drive-by shooting on his house and kill his sister, Sue. The people in the neighborhood were too scared to say who did the shooting, so as always, Kowalski has to take action. Kowalski is planning how to get revenge on the gang, but his plan excludes Thao completely by protecting him and locking him in a basement. Kowalski went unarmed into their home, which is very risky as he was shot dead. He sacrificed himself so both Thao and Sue would be safe from the harm future gangs could cause them. Spider and his gang as they were arrested soon after for murder. Similarities and Differences The three movies took place in areas with high gang activity and little to no boundaries set by the communities as well as neighborhoods that were located in the less fortunate side of town. Poverty was also present in the movies as the culture of poverty was definitely a recurring theme as well as several culture clashes. In Crips in Bloods: Made In America (2008), the South Los Angeles community experienced the culture shock of trying to fit into the White people of LA, but that didn’t go so well, so that led to gangs being formed and it escalated from there. The White culture was not to keen on welcoming the African American culture of freedom and rights in the community. In the film Gran Torino (2008), the main clash occurred between Kowalski and the Hmong community. The Hmong culture differed from Kowalski’s views. In A Better Life, the values of culture clash with the norm here so that led to a big divide and distance between immigrant families and society. The immigrant father Carlos struggled to provide for his only son Luis. Luis saw being in a gang as an opportunity for growth since he was living in poverty, but this all changed when his father Carlos promised to be able to provide a better life with the business. Other similarities the young delinquents experienced was peer pressure. African American juveniles were either born into it or expected to join a gang at a young age because if they did not join a gang, they had a higher chance of being victimized. The Hmong juveniles from Gran Torino peer pressured Thao into joining to increase their status and power. When the Hmong juveniles were no longer able to pressure Thao, they became a ggressive. Ruthie from A Better Life pressured Luis that joining a gang is a good idea, so he doesn’t end up like his father. When Carlos offered him a better life after the business was handed off to him, Luis was able to get out of going down the wrong path. Young juveniles are easily swayed and always under constant peer pressure from gangs by offering protection and financial stability when all it does is put them in danger. The differences between the three minority groups were that African American groups experienced a lot more discrimination from authorities, like cops, as opposed to all the other groups. African American delinquents underwent years of discrimination from not authorities but from the public. The development of gangs was the result of the White society that denied African Americans entry into their social group. Kowalski from Gran Torino provided Thao with a father figure and a sense of direction while the people in Crips and Bloods had no sense of direction. Kowalski did a big favor for Thao by finding him work and powerful connections. Kowalskis kindness gave Thao a sense of worth and belonging which in turn led to positive behavior from Thao. In A Better Life, Luis also experienced a turning point which led him in the right direction like Thao from Gran Torino. Luis got placed with his aunt where he got to partake in extracurricular activities and get involved in community events, which helped steer him away from trouble. Criminological theory A criminological theory that is relevant throughout the three movies is the choice theory. Choice theory states the view that crime is function of a decision-making process in which the potential offender weighs the potential costs and benefits of an illegal act. Which implies that the choices made by the youth are choices that they made after caref ully evaluating their decison. Life is about making decisions and each individual in the movies had made delinquent choices since their future was uncertain and they all wanted a sense of security, as anyone would. Bill McCarthy states that outcomes are uncertain; there is typically no guarantee that they will be realized. As a result, peoples attitudes toward risk and uncertaintyaffect their preference (McCarthy, 2002, p. 419). Young children want to know that they are safe and stable but if they do not feel this way, they will more than likely make delinquent choices. These choices are the cause of a future that seems empty to delinquents. This is very relevant in Crips and Bloods because the view of life affected their choices and the way they were treated by authorities and people around them. Society can improve the situation of these through community gatherings so everyone feels like he or she has a safe space and a group of people they can go to. This will help the delinquents be exposed to people who care for them and their future, which will do nothing but good for them. The young juveniles need to be re-educated on how to not fall back into the same path. A recurring issue in these films was the fact that there were a lot of broken homes and single parents. considerable emphasis has been placed upon the family both as a preventive agency and as a contributing factor in the development of delinquent tendencies among children (Shaw McKay, 1932, p.514). Shaw and McKay believe that a healthy home plays a major factor on if teens become delinquents or not. If the family has a stable home environment and both parents are in the child’s life, the less likely it is for the child to get into juvenile behavior. The same applies to broken homes that promote a negative and toxic environment. Summary The three movies capture the lives of disadvantaged youths who are desperately searching for alternative means for survival in an environment where they find it hard to fit in. The gangs had a similar social and economic disadvantage. Delinquents joined gangs for protection, financial stability, and others were just born into it. Changing the foundation of the disadvantaged youths through community involvement and reeducating can help. It is important to emphasize the importance of education in youth so they are less likely to avoid quick monetary gains because more often than not, it is also illegal. The children that come from broken homes should be provided with counseling as they have gone through emotional trauma and need to feel loved once more. Gangs are the byproduct of a failed system that resulted in a life of crime for the youth. Effective community planning which included organizing activities for the youth to engage in will keep them too busy to fall into trouble and will significantly improve their outlook on life.

Too Naïve for Marriage Essays - 994 Words

When my parents were my age, it was normal to get married because they were not stupid enough to get married just because they wanted to. Nowadays young adults get married just because they feel lonely and they want somebody to cuddle with at night. Our generation is so messed up that some of them get married just because they think that if they have someone special that is going to make them happy. Some people get married just because they think they are going to last forever and live happy for their rest of their lives. They think that is a fairy tale like how they make it look in the movies shown on the Disney channel. People should really think about what they are going to do because marriage is a huge step. Although there is no law†¦show more content†¦He knew that he needed more money and the only way for him to get more money was if he marries someone. So he married a Jamaican girl that needed the United States citizenship so she could stay in the United States. Both of them are going to benefit from having an arranged marriage, but they did not think about the consequences of their decision. Marriage is a big decision and the couple got married because they were going to get something in exchange of their deal. Lester and his wife only lasted about a year; after that they filed for divorce and his wife went back to her country. Also twenty-five-year olds are unstable financially, and they should not get married younger. Maybe they have not accomplished their goals or the dreams they have. Getting married could slow a couple down from accomplishing their goals; they could also get distracted and lose focus of what they need to be doing in order for them to get where they need to be. Some do not graduate from college right away or maybe they drop out because they decided to get married. Some just chose to start working and oftentimes they can only work at a fast food restaurant that pays minimum wage. Working at a restaurant would not take them anywhere and being stable is important because it makes life easier and smoother. If a couple decides to get married in the middle of college, it is not a good idea. That is not a good idea because it would make life harder forShow MoreRelatedThe Importance of Truth in A Doll’s House, by Henrik Ibsen Essay1057 Words   |  5 PagesThough unknown to the outsid e world, many seemingly perfect relationships are dark moral places to investigate. We constantly see idealistic relationships that appear flawless at first glance; however, we are too taken aback when we discover such relationships are based on deception. 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Tattoos As A Form Of Decoration And Communication

There is a long list of cultures that utilised tattoos as a form of decoration and communication (Swami, 2011). That said, within some western societies, that historical connection to the tattoo is not that strong. However the art of tattooing has seen a steady growth of its popularity and acceptance, and since the early 1990s, that growth has accelerated dramatically (Caplan, 2000; Cash, 2011; DeMello, 2000; Swami, 2011). The current estimated incidence of tattooing amongst the populations of North America and Europe is approximately 25 percent (Laumann Derick, 2006; Swami, 2011), with one researcher suggesting those rates could continue to increase to as much as 40 percent of the population (Anderson, 2006). Tattoos are no longer†¦show more content†¦However, although tattoos are progressively seen as a prosocial rational method of communicating ones identity to others within their societal group and the wider society (Atkinson, 2003), research (e.g. Mun, Janigo Johnson, 2012) is consistently highlighting the possibility that obtaining an tattoo can lead to changes in how tattoo wearers view themselves and their behaviour. Individuals with tattoos transform their skin in to a social billboard, expressing both explicit and implicit aspects of their identity (Atkinson, 2003), using or acquiring tattoos to communicate known attributes about themselves (Livesley Bromley, 1973) or attributes that they do not possess but have a desire (Schouten McAlexander, 1995). For example, riders of Harley Davidson motorcycles may view that brand’s attributes as consistent with their own (actual self) and therefore an individual may decide to acquire a tattoo which is linked to that brand (Schouten McAlexander, 1995). On the other hand, an individual may aspire to be a Harley rider or aspire to link oneself to the traits of the Harley brand, and therefore an individual may obtain a Harley based tattoo to communicate an attribute of their ideal self (Schouten McAlexander, 1995). Mun, Janigo and Johnson (2012) take that idea one step further by suggesting the only reason individuals desire specific tattoos is because

Analysis Of `` Girl `` By Jamaica Kincaid And The Birth Mark

Before analyzing â€Å"Girl† by Jamaica Kincaid and â€Å"The Birth-Mark† by Nathanial Hawthorne, it is important to understand the role that women played in society during the time the short stories were written. In each of the stories the theme relates directly to the expectations that women were held to during that time in history. After reading both of the stories, it is clear that there were several literary elements used to portray the domestic responsibilities of women in society at the time. Analyzing theme, symbols and point of view allowed me to understand how utilizing several different literary devices can make the moral of the story even more understandable. In â€Å"Girl† by Jamaica Kincaid, the mother is adamant that her daughter’s reputation essentially defines the value of her life within society. She endlessly reprimands her daughter for her behavior and persistently mentions the importance of respectability in all facets of her life. I agree with Lauren Czosek in her electronic discussion where she states, I think that her mother is preparing her for her future [. . .] I don t think all this stress of the responsibilities should be thrown at a child, [ . . .] (Czosek). Sexuality, according to the mother’s advice, is something to be veiled and protected in order for her daughter to be considered a valued woman within society. The continuous highlighting of the theme by the mother demonstrates how much it means to her that her daughter understands the roles andShow MoreRelatedLiterary Criticism : The Free Encyclopedia 7351 Words   |  30 Pagesit in 1905.[1] [6] The genre is further characterized by a number o f formal, topical, and thematic features.[7] The term coming-of-age novel is sometimes used interchangeably with Bildungsroman, but its use is usually wider and less technical. The birth of the Bildungsroman is normally dated to the publication of Wilhelm Meister s Apprenticeship by Johann Wolfgang Goethe in 1795–96,[8] or, sometimes, to Christoph Martin Wieland s Geschichte des Agathon of 1767.[9] Although the Bildungsroman arose

Literary Criticism for John Updike AP free essay sample

His father was a school teacher and his mother was an aspiring writer. He excelled in school, and worked for his local newspaper. Updike was granted a scholarship to Harvard, and went on to study at Oxford in England. He was first published in 1958, and released a book of poetry. He continued to be published, and in 1963 he received the National Book Award for his book entitled The Centaur. The next year he became the youngest person ever elected to the National Institute of Arts and Letters. Updike consistently wrote throughout the 60s and 70s. He won the Pulitzer Prize in 1981 for his novel Rabbit is Rich, and again in 1991 for Rabbit at Rest. He continued to write into his later years. John Updike died in Massachusetts at the age of 76 due to lung cancer (http://www. achievement. org/autodoc/page/updobio-l). The following series of published literary criticisms focus on John Updikes short story AP. It is one of his more famous short stories. The selected critiques analyze the story in terms of its style, theme, or literary devices. Subsequent to the article responses is a literary criticism based on a personal reflection to the story and its ties to modern society using evidence from the original text. Title of Source: The art of John Updikes AP Author: Toni Saldivar Search Engine: ProQuest Literature Module Website: ProQuest Web Address: http://search. proquest. com. ezproxy. barry. edu Abstract: Toni Saldivars essay entitled, The art of John Updikes AP, is a literary criticism allusions to art in order to increase the romanticism of the story, and that dramatic irony is significant to the construction of the meaning of plot for a reader. The introduction emphasizes the importance of this short story in terms of American literature. The piece was first published in The New Yorker, and therefore assumes that the reader has a certain amount of knowledge that is required to fully appreciate the writing. The next section gives a synopsis of the story and an explanation of the main character, Sammy, a nineteen year old boy. According to Saldivar, the overall focus of the essay is to show how Sammy is not only starting to come to terms with the reality of modern society, but also his own cultural role, including his sexuality. In relation to this assertion, the article argues that the reader can only understand Sammy, and truly enjoy the story if they are able to sense the dramatic irony and romanticism of the plot. The story is full of metaphors, but the most important one is not explicitly written in the original text. The reader is supposed to make the connection between Sammys description of the young girl and Botticellis Venus. The dramatic irony comes from how Sammy is able to allude to things that are beyond his scope of knowledge. He knows there is a world beyond his suburban bubble, but he knows nothing about it. Evaluation of Criticism: This literary criticism is very abstract in nature, but provides strong textual evidence to support its claims. Once it is understood that Updike wrote the story for an intended audience, it makes sense that the plot contains elements that connect to classic art and also relies on subtle dramatic irony. However, the article is long- winded in its explanation of the connection. It provides numerous examples from the original text, and also uses art criticism of the Venus for further evidence. It also repeats its thesis statement in various places and in numerous ways. The driving point is that understanding the allusion to Botticelli, and grasping the elements of Sammy that can only be read between the lines is essential to appreciating the story for all that it is worth. This literary criticism is useful because it illustrates how the arts are connected, in this case, writing and painting. The arts are fluid and can translate between different mediums. The story is considered modern, but the painting is a classic. The character of Sammy is also meant to be relatable, even to future generations. The essay is well researched and soundly written; it is a good example of what a published literary criticism should look like. Title of Source: Irony and Innocence in John Updikes AP Author: Lawrence Jay Dessner Search Engine: Literature Resource Center Website: Gale Web Address: http://go. galegroup. com The critical essay by Lawrence Jay Dessner explains the importance of the themes f irony and innocence in John Updikes short story AP. The essay begins with a short summary of the story, and introduces the character of Sammy. Dessner argues that the story depends on irony. The reader expects a certain action and reaction from Sammy, but instead he does the opposite. This irony provides an innocent air of humor due to Sammys lack of world knowledge and youthful outlook on life. The remainder of this literary criticism analyzes Sammys interactions with the other characters in the book, including the difficult customer, the girls, and the grumpy manager. This particular literary criticism is short, but also very clear. It does not waste time explaining every detail of the plot because it assumes the reader is already familiar with it. The purpose of the essay is to provide a meaning to the story that goes beyond the original text. The argument is that the story relies on the irony and innocence of Sammys character. The author makes his assertions, and provides textual evidence to back up each claim. Although the story itself has a tone of vagueness in terms of its characters, the author of this essay gets very specific when analyzing the meaning behind the characters actions. The arguments in this criticism are concrete, and provide good insight to John Updikes influential story. Title of Source: Sammys Erotic Experience: Subjectivity and Sexual Difference in John Updikes A P Author: Greg W. Bentley The essay begins with an introduction of the story, and a short summary of the plot. This literary criticism reveals its argument right away, and that is that the storys popularity stems from its sexual nature, and that it portrays a feminist message through the perspective of a male. The argument also goes on to say that this message creates a distinct type of irony. The main character of the story, Sammy, has an erotic experience, but it is not inappropriate, simply a rite of passage. Citing an expert in feminism, the author argues that men and women are not very physically different in terms of sexuality, but are biologically different. Textual evidence is also used to prove this claim. The essay points out that Sammys struggle comes from the reactions of the other men in the story. The other men provide an example of conventional masculinity, but Sammy has his own feelings and opinions of women that differ from the other men. The article focuses on the sexuality and eroticism of he story, but makes sure to present these themes in an intellectual and healthy way. Greg W. Bentleys critical essay takes a controversial theme of Updikes short story, introduce and explain the feminist theories that are essential to essays argument. Citing a credible expert and using evidence from the original text make the essay easy to follow and understand. At first glance the essay may seem abstract, but to the contrary, it is very realistic. This literary criticism points out that America responds to sex. The setting of this short story is a microcosm in the macrocosm that is American ulture, and sex plays a large role in that culture. This piece also explains the difference between girls and women by using the girls in the story as an example. Updike wrote this story during a time of great change in American culture; things were loosening up. Sex was something that was once never spoken about, but now is accepted as a rite of passage. The author is right in saying that sex appeals to Americans, that is what makes this story so relevant to even the modern reader. Works Cited Bentley, Greg W.. Sammys Erotic Experience: Subjectivity and Sexual Difference in John Updikes A P. Journal of the Short Story In English 43 (2004): 121-141. Gale Group.