Understanding Organisations and the Role of Human Resources Essay Example for Free

Understanding Organisations and the Role of Human Resources Essay Human Resources are the most vital resource for any organization. It is responsible for each and every decision taken, each and every work done and each and every result. Employees should be managed properly and motivated by providing best of their abilities as per the industry standards. There are many activities in HR that the employee’s working in the HR department needs to partake in to support an organisation. Below are three that I have decided to focus on Recruitment and selection: When it comes to recruiting for an organisation, an HR employee has a lot to get involved in. They are the ones that arrange, or provide assistance in posting vacancies, developing and implementing recruitment strategies, identifying and selecting candidates, assuring all pre-employment requirements are met, and confirming job offers. Advertising the job role is something an HR employee has to do. They can advertise job roles in many different ways such as internal emails. Most companies start out emailing internal employees about current job vacancies incase another employee would like to apply for the role or a friend or family member would. This is cost effective as no money is spent on advertising publicly; therefore if they are working within a budget, this is a good way to save money. Advertising publicly can become an expense. If an HR employee does choose to advertise publicly such as in the local paper, then they will have to work on writing the advertisement and sending the advertisement to the local papers. One way of advertising publicly without affecting any budget is by advertising on social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin, and posting the advertisement on job websites such as Reed.co.uk, indeed.co.uk, and totaljob.co.uk. This is a good way to advertise a job vacancy as no costs are incurred and it is guaranteed to be viewed by many possible applicants. Other ways in which an HR employee advertises for vacancies is through a Recruitment Agency. This can become quite expensive, but it’s down to the agency to find the suitable candidates and notify the HR employee about the prospective clients. If a large number of applications are received, this will prevent the interviewing of all applicants by the HR employee, even though all applications are reviewed and applicants whose qualifications and experience seem most appropriate to the opening for which they have applied  are generally selected for screening interviews with the HR employee and possibly another member involved in the recruitment process such as a Team Leader, Manager, or Director. If successful, the HR employee will notify all the applicants interviewed for the specific vacancy, and they will also notify them of the outcome of the selection process. Before conducting an interview, an HR employee has to be aware of the following †¢Familiarising with the duties and requirements of the position they are looking to fill. †¢Making sure they can answer general questions about the organisation and the benefits provided. †¢Formulate questions that will focus on job-related issues such as asking the can didates how they would deal with real life, job-related situations. †¢Write down and organize the questions in the order you will be asking them. †¢Review applicant’s CV and application. †¢Put the applicant at ease with introductory and welcoming remarks. †¢Ask open-ended questions which require behavioral descriptions rather than simply â€Å"yes† or â€Å"no† answers (i.e., have them describe a work situation in which they handled stress well rather than just asking if they can â€Å"handle stress well†). †¢Stay away from questions that have more to do with personal lifestyle than job experience. Phrase the question so that the answer will describe on-the-job qualities instead of personal qualities. If the question is not related to performance on the job, it should not be asked. General Administration of the employees Another aspect an HR employee has to deal with is the general admin of their employees. The HR department with have every employee’s personal details such as address details for sending out letters, pay-slips, or any other documentation. Bank details to make sure the employees wages go into the employees account. Passports, any qualification certificates, birth certificates, right to work, sickness forms, medical information, etc. Any of this information is liable to change in which case, it is down to the employee to notify the HR employee and it is the HR employee’s job to correct, amend and store away this information. Part of the admin is making sure the filing system is maintained and up to date, Supporting with training development administration including updating training records, and other ad hoc duties that support the smooth running of the office and  the HR department Payroll and compensation: Another aspect on an HR employee’s job is to ensure that all staff receives their wages accurately and on time, usually on a monthly basis. Most of the time, when dealing with payroll, producing the pay slips is the most important part of pay roll. The HR employee has close communication with managers and other employee’s such as Team Leaders to find out about any new recruits, promotions, benefits, and any other aspects that need to be considered when dealing with an employee’s wage. Compensation is the reward received by the employee’s in return for their contributions to the organisation. It is an organised practice that involves balancing the work-employee relation by providing monetary and non-monetary benefits to employees. Compensation is an integral part of human resource management which helps in motivating the employees and improving organisational effectiveness. Other compensation is determining and providing the compensation packages to the employees that are aligned with the business goals and objectives. In some cases, organisations have to take special measures regarding compensation of the employees so that the organisations retain the valuable employees. The compensation systems have changed from traditional ones to strategic compensation systems. Ways HR professional support Line Managers and their staff Building Relationships with employees The primary reason human resources and line managers should work together is because both parties have a vested interest in ensuring the company achieves success. Through working together, line management becomes more proficient in tactical human resources functions. This frees up time for human resources professionals to devote more time to strategic HR management. Everybody working in an organisation should develop the right culture and behaviours between everybody working for the organisation. HR employees do this by coaching and working with line managers to help them to better understand the range of tools at their disposal to help develop and train the employees of the organisation. This can range from linking specific performance measures such as behavioral, attitude, willingness, and quality  of an employee’s work, and if needed, making exceptions and goals for an employee to work towards. When HR is working with line managers, the HR employee should posses the ability to build effective relationships with other employee’s in their organisation. This will enable the HR employee to communicate the translation of the HR and business objectives in a language that both sides understand. Only then can the relationship be built on a platform of mutual respect and trust where both sides work as a team. HR employees need to make line managers aware of the support that is available to help them to develop their talent management capability. Line Managers recognise that it is up to HR employee to raise their profile in terms of what they can offer and bring to a business making them a more reputable employee for the organisation Conflict Resolution Workplace conflict is inevitable whenever department employees represent different cultures, work styles and personalities. When conflicts arise, line managers typically seek the advice of HR in resolving issues between employees or issues between employees and their managers. If there is already tension between HR and a member of the management team, it can be difficult for HR to determine what underlies the conflict and how to resolve it. A positive working relationship between HR and any employee in a management status will make it easier when handling workplace investigations and solving the differences between staff. When HR and line management work together, it’s easier for HR to investigate workplace issues because the human resource staff may have greater confidence that line managers document their employment actions and decisions appropriately and according to company policy. Department Staffing The human resource department’s main function is to support the workforce needs of the organisation. HR and line managers should communicate regularly and frequently to determine the skills and qualifications that are required to make sure that department functions are running smoothly. Whenever there’s a vacancy in a line manager’s department, an HR recruiter or employment specialist and the line manager review the job description to  determine who might be suitable for the roll internally. During the recruitment and selection process, HR advises line managers on how to identify qualified candidates and existing department staff capabilities. Performance Management Training and development is an HR function that prepares line managers for a number of leadership tasks. One task is conducting employee performance appraisals. Human resources practitioners develop learning objectives based on line managers’ understanding of the organisation’s coaching philosophy. Leadership training topics include how to provide employees with constructive feedback and how to conduct fair and unbiased assessments of employee performance. HR and line managers should therefore work together to ensure the organisation maintains a consistent approach to performance management. Inconsistencies within an organisation’s performance management system negatively impact employee job satisfaction, which is another reason HR and line managers, should work collaboratively.

The Climax of I Want You Women Up North to Know :: Want You Women Up North to Know

Lines 85-97 of Tillie Olsen's first published poem "I Want You Women Up North to Know" contain the climactic turning point of this poem, and the language and form reflect this change. Instead of being humble and disjointed victims who remain mostly anonymous, the workers are transformed into an angry and unified group of distinct individuals. This shift in mood is accomplished by three devices: imagery, grouping, and capitalization of proper names. The imagery in this passage helps turn the tone of the poem from victimization to anger. In addition to fire images, the overall language is completely stripped down to bare ugliness. In previous lines, the sordidness has been intermixed with cheerful euphemisms: the agonizing work is an "exquisite dance" (24); the trembling hands are "white gulls" (22); the cough is "gay" (25). But in these later lines, all aesthetically pleasing terms vanish, leaving "sweet and †¦blood" (85), "naked†¦ [and]†¦bony children" (89), and a "skeleton body" (95). Another way this passage turns the mood of the poem is by using grouping and form to link the workers together, both in inference and appearance. Previously, each worker’s situation has been treated as an isolated story, literally separated from the others by a blank line. However, lines 85-97 are crowded together without spaces, suggesting unity by the very appearance of the lines. All of the grievances are briefly repeated, and then a sequence of "ands" binds the one-sentence recaps together. Yet in spite of this sense of solidarity, each person’s story is given its own sentence with a period boundary, subtly emphasizing their individual importance: solidarity is acceptable, but anonymity is not. A final significant device in this passage is the use of capitalization. The proper names of the workers have been sporadically capitalized earlier in the poem, but here they are all consistent and correct. Again, this is an emphasis on individual importance, an insistence that each of these people deserves a unique proper name. The earlier all-lowercase names like "catalina rodiguez" (16) actually blend into the lines of poetry, suggesting crouching and obscurity, but here the uppercase letters in their names stand out clearly from other words. Interestingly, although the personal names are capitalized, "christ" (96) is left in lowercase, similar to the previous treatment of "god" (57, 60, 62). This contrast with the capitalization of the worker’ names implies that God and Christ have failed the workers and are now overshadowed by a budding self-confidence in the workers.

Fool Chapter 4

FOUR THE DRAGON AND HIS WRATH[18] â€Å"Don't despair, lad,† I said to Taster. â€Å"It's not as grim as it looks. The bastard will stay Edgar and I'm relatively sure that France and Burgundy are buggering each other and would never let a princess come between them – although I'll wager they'd borrow her wardrobe were it not guarded – so the day is saved. Cordelia will remain in the White Tower to torment me as always.† We were in an antechamber off the great hall. Taster sat, head in hands, looking paler than normal, a mountain of food piled before him on the table. â€Å"The king doesn't like dates, does he?† asked Taster. â€Å"Not likely he'll eat any of the dates that were brought as gifts, right?† â€Å"Did Goneril or Regan gift them?† â€Å"Aye, a whole larder they brought with them.† â€Å"Sorry, lad, you've work ahead, then. How it is you're not as fat as a friar, with all you're required to eat, is beyond me.† â€Å"Bubble says I must have a city of worms living up my bum, but that ain't it. I've a secret, if you won't tell anyone – â€Å" â€Å"Go on lad, I'm hardly paying attention.† â€Å"What about him?† He nodded to Drool, who was sitting in the corner petting one of the castle cats. â€Å"Drool,† I called, â€Å"is Taster's secret safe with you?† â€Å"As dim as a snuffed candle, he is,† said the git in my voice. â€Å"Telling a secret to Drool is like casting ink in the night sea.† â€Å"See there,† said I. â€Å"Well,† said Taster, looking around as if anyone would want to be in our miserable company. â€Å"I'm sick a lot.† â€Å"Of course you are, it's the bloody Dark Ages, everyone has the plague or the pox. It's not like you're leprous and dropping fingers and toes like rose petals, is it?† â€Å"No, not sick like that. I just vomit nearly every time I eat.† â€Å"So you're a little chunder-monkey. Not to worry, Taster, you keep it down long enough for it to kill you, don't you?† â€Å"I reckon.† He nibbled at a stuffed date. â€Å"Duty done, then. All's well that ends well. But back to my concerns: Do you think France and Burgundy are poofters,[19] or are they, you know, just fucking French?† â€Å"I've never even seen them,† Taster said. â€Å"Oh, quite right. What about you, Drool? Drool? Stop that!† Drool pulled the damp kitten out of his mouth. â€Å"But it were licking me first. You said it was only proper manners – â€Å" â€Å"I was talking about something completely different. Put the cat down.† The heavy door creaked open and the Earl of Kent slipped into the room, as stealthy as a church bell rolling down stairs. Kent's a broad-shouldered bull of a fellow, and while he moves with great strength for his grandfather years, Grace and Subtlety remain blushing virgins in his retinue. â€Å"There you are, boy.† â€Å"What boy?† said I. â€Å"I see no boy here.† True, I only stand to Kent's shoulder, and it would take two of me and a suckling pig to balance him on a scale, but even a fool requires some respect, except from the king, of course. â€Å"Fine, fine. I just wanted to tell you not to make sport of feebleness nor age tonight. The king's been brooding all week about ‘crawling unburdened to the grave.' I think it's the weight of his sins.† â€Å"Well, if he weren't so dog-fuckingly old there would be no temptation toward mirth, would there? Not my fault, that.† Kent grinned then. â€Å"Pocket, you would not willfully hurt your master.† â€Å"Aye, Kent, and with Goneril and Regan and their lords in the hall there'll be no need to jest geriatric. Is that why the king has kept company only with you this week, brooding upon his years? He hasn't been planning on marrying off Cordelia then?† â€Å"He's spoken of it, but only as part of his entire legacy, of property and history. He seemed set on a course to hold the kingdom steady when I last left him. He bade me leave while he gave private audience to the bastard, Edmund.† â€Å"He's talking to Edmund? Alone?† â€Å"Aye. The bastard drew on his father's years of service for the favor.† â€Å"I must go to the king. Kent, stay here with Drool, if you would. There's food and drink to hold you. Taster, show good Kent the best of those dates. Taster? Taster? Drool, shake Taster, he appears to have fallen asleep.† Fanfare sounded then, a single anemic trumpet, the other three trumpeters having recently succumbed to herpes. (A sore on the lip is as bad as an arrow in the eye to a trumpeter. The chancellor had them put down, or maybe they'd just been made drummers. They weren't blowing bloody fanfare, that's all I'm saying.) Drool put down his kitten and climbed to his feet. â€Å"With grave offense to daughters three, Alas, the king a fool shall be,† said the giant in a lilting female voice. â€Å"Where did you hear that, Drool? Who said that?† â€Å"Pretty,† said Drool, massaging the air with his great meaty paws as if caressing a woman's breasts. â€Å"Time to go,† said Kent. The old warrior threw open the door into the hall. They stood all around the great table – round after the tradition of some long forgotten king – the center open to the floor where servants served, orators orated, and Drool and I performed. Kent took his place near the king's throne. I stood with some yeomen to the side of the fire and motioned for Drool to find a place to hide behind one of the stone pillars that supported the vault. Fools do not have a place at the table. Most times I served at the foot of the king, providing quips, criticisms, and brilliant observations through the meal, but only after he had called for me. Lear had not called for a week. He came into the room head up, scowling at each of his guests until his eye lit on Cordelia and he smiled. He motioned for everyone to sit and they did. â€Å"Edmund,† said the king, â€Å"fetch the princes of France and Burgundy.† Edmund bowed to the king and backed toward the main entrance of the hall, then looked to me, winked, and motioned for me to come join him. Dread rose in my chest like a black serpent. What had the bastard done? I should have cut his throat when I'd had the chance. I sidled down the side wall, the bells on the tips of my shoes conspicuously unhelpful in concealing my movement. The king looked to me, then away, as if the sight of me might cause rot on his eye. Once through the door Edmund pulled me roughly aside. The big yeoman at the threshold lowered the blade of his halberd an inch and frowned at the bastard. Edmund released me and looked bewildered, as if his own hand had betrayed him. (I bring food and drink to the guards when they are on post during feasts. I believe it is written in the Obfuscations of St. Pesto: â€Å"In nine cases out of ten, a large friend with a poleax shall truly a blessing be.†) â€Å"What have you wrought, bastard?† I whispered with great fury and no little spit. â€Å"Only what you wanted, fool. Your princess will have no husband, that I can assure, but even your sorceries won't keep you safe if you reveal my strategy.† â€Å"My sorceries? What? Oh, the ghost.† â€Å"Yes, the ghost, and the bird. When I was crossing the battlement, a raven called me a tosser and shat on my shoulder.† â€Å"Right, my minions are everywhere,† said I, â€Å"and you're right to fear my canny mastery of the heavenly orbs and command of spirits and whatnot. But lest I unleash something unpleasant upon you, tell me, what did you say to the king?† Edmund smiled then, which I found more unsettling than his blade. â€Å"I heard the princesses speaking amongst themselves about their affections for their father earlier in the day, and was enlightened to their character. I merely hinted to the king that he might ease his burden with the same knowledge.† â€Å"What knowledge?† â€Å"Go find out, fool. I'm off to fetch Cordelia's suitors.† And he was away. The guard held the door and I slipped back into the hall and to a spot near the table. The king, it seemed, had only then finished a roll call of sorts, naming each of his friends and family at court, proclaiming his affection for each, and in the cases of Kent and Gloucester, recalling their long history of battles and conquests together. Bent, white-haired, and slight is the king, but there is a cold fire in his eye still – his visage puts one in mind of a hunting bird fresh unhooded and set for its kill. â€Å"I am old, and my burdens of responsibility and property weigh heavily on me, so to avoid conflict in the future, I propose to divide my kingdom among younger strengths now, so I may crawl to the grave light of heart.† â€Å"What better than a light-hearted grave crawl?† I said softly to Cornwall, villainous twat that he is. I crouched between him and his duchess, Regan. Princess Regan: tall, fair, raven-haired, with a weakness for plunging red velvet gowns and another for rascals, both grievous faults had they not played out so pleasurably for this teller of tales. â€Å"Oh, Pocket, did you get the stuffed dates I sent you?† Regan asked. And generous to a fault as well. â€Å"Shhhhhh, bunny cunny,† I shushed. â€Å"Father is speaking.† Cornwall drew his dagger and I moved along the table to Goneril's side. Lear went on: â€Å"These properties and powers I will divide between my sons-in-law, the Duke of Albany and the Duke of Cornwall, and that suitor who takes the hand of my beloved Cordelia, but so I may determine who shall have the most bounteous share, I ask of my daughters: Which of you loves me most? Goneril, my eldest born, speak first.† â€Å"No pressure, pumpkin,† I whispered. â€Å"I have this, fool,† she snapped, and with a great smile and no little grace, she made her way around the outside of the round table and to the opening at the center, bowing to each of the guests as she went. She is shorter and rather more round than her sisters, more generously padded in bosom and bustle, her eyes a grey sky short of emerald, her hair a yellow sun short of ginger. Her smile falls on the eye like water on the tongue of a thirst-mad sailor. I slid into her chair. â€Å"A handsome creature is she,† I said to the Duke of Albany. â€Å"That one breast, the way it juts a bit to the side – when she's naked, I mean – does that bother you at all? Make you wonder what it's looking at over there – bit like a wall-eyed man you think is always talkin' to someone else?† â€Å"Hush, fool,† Albany said. He is nearly a score years older than Goneril, goatish and dull, methinks, but somewhat less of a scoundrel than the average noble. I do not loathe him. â€Å"Mind you, it's obviously part of the pair, not some breast-errant off on a quest of its own. I like a bit of asymmetry in a woman – makes me suspicious when Nature's too evenhanded – fearful symmetry and all. But it's not like you're shaggin' a hunchback or anything – I mean, once she's on ‘er back it's hard to get either one of them to look you in the eye, innit?† â€Å"Shut up!† barked Goneril, having turned her back on her father – which one is never supposed to do – in order to scold me. Bloody clumsy etiquette that. â€Å"Sorry. Go on,† said I, waving her on with Jones, who jingled gaily. â€Å"Sir,† she addressed the king, â€Å"I love you more than words can say. I love you more than eyesight, space, and liberty. I love you beyond anything that can be valued, rich or rare. No less than life itself, with grace, health, beauty, and honor. As much as any child or father has loved, so I love thee. A love that takes my breath away and makes me scarcely able to speak. I love you above all things, even pie.† â€Å"Oh bollocks!† Who had said it? I was relatively sure it was not my voice, as it hadn't come from the normal hole in my face, and Jones had been silent as well. Cordelia? I scooted out of Goneril's chair and scampered to the junior princess's side, staying low to avoid attention or flying cutlery. â€Å"Bloody buggering bollocks!† said Cordelia. Lear, refreshed from his shower of flowered bullshit, said, â€Å"What?† I stood then. â€Å"Well, sirrah, lovable as thou art, the lady's profession strains credibility. It's no secret how much the bitch loves pie.† I crouched again quickly. â€Å"Silence, fool! Chamberlain, bring me the map.† The distraction had worked, the king's ire had turned from Cordelia to me. She took the opportunity to poke me in the ear-lobe with her fork. â€Å"Ouch!† Whispered, yet emphatic. â€Å"Tart.† â€Å"Knave.† â€Å"Harpy.† â€Å"Rodent.† â€Å"Whore.† â€Å"Whoremonger.† â€Å"Do you have to pay to be a whoremonger? Because strictly speaking – â€Å" â€Å"Shhh,† she said, grinning. She poked me in the ear again, then nodded toward the king, that we should pay attention. The king pointed to the map with a bejeweled dagger. â€Å"All these lands, from here to here, with rich farmlands, bounteous rivers, and deep forests, I do grant to Goneril and her husband, Albany, and to their offspring in perpetuity. Now, we must hear from our second daughter. Dearest Regan, wife to Cornwall. Speak.† Regan made her way to the center floor, looking down at her older sister, Goneril, as she passed, as if to say, â€Å"I'll show you.† She raised her arms out to her sides, trailing the long, velvet sleeves down to the floor so she described the shape of a grand and bosomy crucifix. She looked to the ceiling as if drawing inspiration from the heavenly orbs themselves, then pronounced: â€Å"What she said.† â€Å"Huh?† said the king, and verily â€Å"huh† was echoed around the room. Regan seemed to realize that she should probably go on. â€Å"My sister has expressed my thoughts exactly – as if she may have looked at my notes even before we here entered. Except I love thee more. In the list of all senses, all fall short, and I am touched by nothing but your love.† She bowed then, looking up a bit to see if anyone was buying it. â€Å"I'm going to be sick,† said Cordelia, probably louder than was really necessary, as were the coughing and gagging noises she perpetrated thereafter. Deflecting, I stood and said, â€Å"She's been touched by a bit more than his majesty's love, I dare say. I mean, in this very room I can name – â€Å" The king shot me his best Must I chop off your head? look and I fell silent. He nodded and looked to the map. â€Å"To Regan and Cornwall I leave this third of the kingdom, no smaller or less valuable than that bestowed upon Goneril. Now, Cordelia, our joy, who is courted by so many eligible young nobles, what can you say to receive a third more opulent than your sisters?† Cordelia stood at her chair, not making her way to the middle of the room as her sisters had. â€Å"Nothing,† she said. â€Å"Nothing?† asked the king. â€Å"Nothing.† â€Å"You'll get nothing for nothing,† said Lear. â€Å"Speak again.† â€Å"Well, you can't blame her, really, can you?† I interjected. â€Å"I mean you've given all the good bits to Goneril and Regan, haven't you? What's left, a bit of Scotland rocky enough to starve a sheep and this poxy river near Newcastle?† I'd taken the liberty of going over to the map. â€Å"I'd say nothing is a fair start for bargaining. You should counter with Spain, majesty.† Now Cordelia moved to the center of the room. â€Å"I'm sorry, Father, that I can't heave my heart into my mouth like my sisters. I love you according to my bond as a daughter, no more, no less.† â€Å"Be careful what you say, Cordelia,† said Lear. â€Å"Your dowry is draining away with every word.† â€Å"My lord, you have sired me, raised me, and loved me. I return those duties back, as is proper: I obey you, love you, and most honor you. But how can my sisters say they love you above all? They have husbands. Don't they have to reserve some love for them?† â€Å"Yes, but have you met their husbands?† said I. There was growling from various points around the table. How can you call yourself a noble if you'll just start growling for no reason. Uncivilized, it is. â€Å"When I shall marry, you can rest assured that my husband will get at least half my care and half my love as well. To say anything else I'd be lying to you.† This was Edmund's doing, I was sure of it. Somehow he'd known that Cordelia would answer this way and had convinced the king to ask the question. And she did not know that her father had been wrestling with his own mortality and worth for the week. I hopped over to the princess and whispered, â€Å"Lying now would be the better part of valor. Repent later. Throw the old gent a bone, lass.† â€Å"So this is how you feel?† asked the king. â€Å"Aye, my lord. It is.† â€Å"So young and so untender,† said Lear. â€Å"So young, my lord, and true,† said Cordelia. â€Å"So young, and so bloody stupid,† said the puppet Jones. â€Å"Fine, child. So be it. Let your truth be your dowry, then. For by the radiance of the sun, the dark of the night, all the saints, the Holy Mother, the orbs of the sky, and Nature herself, I disown you.† In his spirituality Lear is – well – flexible. When pressed for a curse or a blessing he will sometimes invoke gods from a half-dozen pantheons, just to be sure to catch the ear of whichever might be on watch that day. â€Å"No property, land, or title shall be yours. Cannibals of darkest Merica, who would sell their own young in the meat market, shall be closer to me than you, my used-to-be daughter.† I wondered about that. No one had ever seen a Merican, being as they are mythical. Legend goes that in the name of profit they did sell the limbs of their own children as food – that was before they burned the world, of course. Since I didn't expect a state visit from the merchant cannibals of the apocalypse anytime soon, it appeared my liege was either herniating the metaphor or speaking the tongue of a frothing nutter. Kent stood then. â€Å"My liege!† â€Å"Sit down, Kent!† the king barked. â€Å"Come not between the dragon and his wrath. I loved her the best, and hoped that she would take care of me in my dotage, but since she doesn't love me enough, only in the grave will there be peace for Lear.† Cordelia looked more confused than hurt. â€Å"But, Father – â€Å" â€Å"Out of my sight! Where is France? Where is Burgundy? Finish this business! Goneril, Regan, your younger sister's share of the kingdom shall be divided between you. Let Cordelia marry her own pride. Cornwall and Albany shall divide the power and property of a king evenly. I shall retain only my title and enough of a stipend to maintain one hundred knights and their carriers. You shall keep me from month to month in your own castles, but the kingdom shall be yours.† â€Å"Royal Lear, this is madness!† Kent again, now making his way around the table to the center floor. â€Å"Careful, Kent,† said Lear. â€Å"The bow of my anger is bent, don't make me loose the arrow.† â€Å"Loose it if you must. You'd kill me for being bold enough to tell you that you're mad? The best of loyalty is that a loyal man has the courage to speak plainly when his leader moves to folly. Reverse your decision, sir. Your youngest daughter doesn't love you least because she's quiet, any more than those who speak loudest are the most sincere.† The older sisters and their husbands were on their feet at that. Kent glared at them. â€Å"No more, Kent,† the king warned. â€Å"On your life, not another word.† â€Å"What has my life ever been, but a thing I risked in service for you? Protecting you? Threaten my life as you will, it will not stop me from telling you that you do wrong, sir!† Lear started to draw his sword then and I knew he had truly lost all sense of judgment, if turning on his favorite daughter and closest advisor and friend hadn't shown it already. If Kent decided to defend himself he'd go through the old man like a scythe through a wheat straw. It was unfolding too fast, even for a fool to stay the king's blade with wit. I could only watch. But Albany moved quickly down the table and stayed the king's hand, pushing his sword back down into the scabbard. Kent grinned then, the old bear, and I saw that he wouldn't have drawn blade on the old man at all. He would have died to make his point to the king. What's more, Lear knew it, too, but there was no mercy in his eye and the madness had gone cold. He shook himself free of Albany's grasp, and the duke backed away. When Lear spoke again his voice was low, restrained, but palsied with hate: â€Å"Hear me, thou traitorous ferret. No one challenges my authority, my decisions, or my vows – to do so on British land is death, and in the rest of the known world is war. I'll not have it. Your years of service noted, I give you your life, but only your life, and never again in my sight. You have five days, Kent, to provision yourself, and on the sixth day, turn your back on our kingdom forever. If twelve days pass and you are still in the land, your life is forfeit. Now go, this is my decree and it shall not be revoked.† Kent was shaken. This was not the blade he had braced for. He bowed then. â€Å"Fare thee well, king. I go, for I dare to question a power so high that you give it away for a flattering tongue.† He turned to Cordelia then: â€Å"Take heart, girl, you've spoken truly and done nothing wrong. May the gods protect you.† He turned on a heel, putting his back to the king, something I'd never seen him do before, and marched out, pausing only a second to look at Regan and Goneril. â€Å"Well lied, you spiteful bitches.† I wanted to cheer the old brute, write a poem for him, but the hall had fallen silent and the sound of the great oaken door closing behind Kent echoed through the hall like the first thunder of a world-breaking storm. â€Å"Well,† said I, dancing to the middle of the floor. â€Å"I think that went about as well as could be expected.†

Literal vs. Figurative Blindness Essay example - 1176 Words

Many people make an assumption they are not blind to life itself whether ignorance plays a part or pride. In Cathedral by Raymond Carver, it describes a few myths that society has portrayed and opinions of the visual impaired. The main focus is getting to know the person before drawing a conclusion. Its not fair to anyone to be neglected whether you are visual impaired or have the functionality of what is considered to be a normal human being. Exposing people to literal and figurative blindness is a true eye-opener. In Raymond Carver’s story, Cathedral, depicts a charismatic twist as the husband, protagonist does not care to define the previous men that shared pivotal moments in his wife’s life, a name. He is irritated that his†¦show more content†¦Not what you as a person have experienced. When not allowing the blind to participate in events, educating them, or even producing some kind of program to assist presents a form of rejection. Also, to raise people’s awareness is that everyone deserves and have an opportunity to education, but disempowering the visual impaired and denying them the opportunity to direct and control their own learning (Doake) is far from justice. The husband in the story can not express what he means because of his one of the five senses is off as he sarcastically comments to his wife â€Å"maybe I could take him bowling† (Carver 212) in a comical way. This shows you how insensitive he was to others disabilities. He hides behind a glass of liquor in most of the story. Which brings this story to the figurative blindness. Figuratively speaking means â€Å"metaphoric† (Agnes 528). You can be blind to love, substance abuse or many things until its brought to your attention. Its up to you to decide if its perusable or remain ignorant to the cause. If you never want a challenge in your life, do not try to change a thing. Because â€Å"ignorance is always afraid of change† (Nehru). If you never change anything it becomes a part of you like a parasite. Saps the strength, knowledge, wisdom, feelings, and affects others around you that are trying to improve life. The negativity filters and you began to form certain habits that you are no longer aware of . Some emotional