Expanding Medicare to Include Prescription Drug Coverage :: essays papers

Expanding Medicare to Include Prescription Drug Coverage Introduction Throughout the past year of presidential campaigning, one of the top issues for both candidates has been that of whether or not there should be a prescription-drug benefit added to Medicare. Both George W. Bush and Al Gore have proposed a plan to expand Medicare to include full prescription-drug coverage for senior citizens receiving Medicare, at the expense of taxpayers. It is obvious why this issue has been such a priority for both candidates. Senior citizens vote at a much higher rate than other age groups. Both candidates know the importance of these senior citizen votes and believe that the proposal of adding a prescription-drug benefit is something that will appeal to a vast number of senior citizens. Both candidates have portrayed the issue as being very critical and as a serious problem that needs to be addressed. The question, however, is whether or not such drug coverage is a worthwhile project to undertake. Is the problem indeed serious enough to call for the type of reform that the candidates are proposing? Medicare is already a very costly program to keep up, and adding prescription-drug coverage would increase these costs even more. In order to fund this project, there will need to be a tax hike. Should taxpayers subsidize this prescription-drug benefit? Is there a good reason why this redistribution should take place? What are the benefits and costs of this proposal? These and other questions will be addressed in this paper as we examine the following topics: the need for senior citizens to have prescription-drug coverage, the political rhetoric involved with this issue, the projected shortfall in the budget of the Medicare program, and who really would benefit if a prescription-drug benefit was added to Medicare. Need for Prescription-Drug Coverage Many people argue that the lack of a prescription-drug benefit is the major shortcoming of the Medicare program. But are Medicare recipients really in need of such a benefit? According to a study done by the AARP Public Policy Institute, about 25.6 million, or 65 percent, of noninstitutionalized Medicare beneficiaries already receive some type of prescription-drug coverage, whether it is through employer-sponsored health plans or individually purchased private health policies. This leaves about 13.5 million Medicare beneficiaries who are without prescription-drug coverage.

Learning Knowledge for Effective Performance Essay

It instills organizations with new ideas and information which is a essential component of learning organization. Peter Senge’s 5 disciplines are essential for a learning organization. Systems Thinking is the crucial discipline which brings all the other factors together into a balanced theory and practice. Figure 1: The 5 Basic disciplines of a learning Figure 2: â€Å"The Fifth Discipline† by Peter organization Senge It allows organizations to see the big picture and differentiate learning patterns within the organization. Using this principles, organizations can work with a system to create solutions to challenging problems in every field as Senge believes that current problems are results of solutions that were applied in the past. Systems thinking involve learning to distinguish general behaviours and create new ones to familiarize with special terms and tools that aid decision making and also allow employees to participate in decision making. It also helps managers to detect repetitive patterns such as common ways of solving problems, present goals and policies that restricts the growth of the organization. It is similar to single-loop learning. Although it takes time to be implemented, it promises a wide range of benefits to companies and improve overall achievement (Delio, 1998). Toyota For example, TPS (Toyota Production System) is an approach created by the founder of Toyota, his son and his engineer that manages logistics, manufacturing and interactions between customer and supplier. TPS was created to bring consistency to the system and enable an effective production process, which eliminates waste. As a result, TPS worked well and has increased production and improved quality of cars. The system has made what Toyota is today: a leader in the automotive manufacturing and production industry.   Personal mastery is the discipline that describes personal growth and learning. Individuals who have a high degree of personal mastery are continuously seeking learning opportunities because they â€Å"are acutely aware of their ignorance, their incompetence and their growth areas† (Senge, 1990). Their self-improvement and self-discovery abilities motivate a learning organization as they are self confident and have great commitment and responsibility towards work. Personal mastery allows one to distinguish what is important and picture the real world more clearly. Therefore, managers must help to create the environment to change by creating an atmosphere that promotes personal mastery within organization where employees should feel comfortable to create personal visions. Managers who are serious in delivering personal growth will send a powerful message to his or her employees. Disney At Disney, successful films are not made only from the ideas of managers. In fact, the top management attends an event called ‘Gong Show’ three times a year where an employee at any level is encouraged to throw ideas and story lines. Employees at Disney feel comfortable to create their personal vision. Managers then respond immediately and reward the employee. The results would be an extraordinary concept of animated film.   Ã¢â‚¬Å"Mental models are deeply held internal images of how the world works, images that limit us to familiar ways of thinking and acting† (Senge, 1990). Mental models are the way how one sees things, learn and react to situations on a daily basis. Generally, people do not do what they say but they behave according to their mental models. Mental models are very important in an organization because it is relates to consequences that occur. It is rather difficult to develop systems thinking if mental model is fixed in past experiences. For example, a manager will find it difficult to handle with interpersonal problem in the organization if he or she has a different perception on an employee. Many organizational learning fail when managers ignore the power of mental models. When managers in an organization develop the ability to work with mental models, it will be necessary for employees to learn new skills and orientations. Both systems thinking and mental models fit together as systems thinking concentrates on how to modify assumptions in order to show causes of problems and mental models look at revealing our hidden assumptions (Taggart. J, 2009). Therefore, it is worthless for managers to engage in systems thinking until their mental models change. Apple Japan Apple introduced the concept of learning organization into their workplace. Apple was advised to embark upon the Five Disciplines which are important to a learning organization. Each employee had a mental model of the way the organization operates. The learning process was more efficient when each employee’s mental model was brought in-line with the rest. Managers at Apple also encouraged Personal Mastery to staffs to place reasonable goals. The essential discipline was Systems Thinking, where it facilitated each employee to make decisions, taking the whole system into account, instead of analyzing specifically on their own problems. All the 5 disciplines were implemented through a program of education and it marked improvement in sales and growth. (Adapted from: Case Studies of the Learning Organization, n. d. ) SHARED VISION Senge’s (1990) shared vision is not an idea but a deeply embedded belief shared by many that provides focus and is a vital part of generative learning. Shared vision is derived from personal vision. Therefore, managers should encourage employees to develop personal vision so that organization’s vision succeeds as both vision are engaged. It provides the focus and energy for learning making it an important component of a learning organization. Shared visions encourage new ideas and concepts within organization while encouraging experimentation. Senge claims that managers should understand that their high position in an organization does not mean that their personal vision is also the organization’s vision. Although visions are mostly visualized by top management, it is not consider a shared vision until others in the organization connect it with their personal vision. General Motors In General Motors (GM), a group of executives decided to implement a new approach in automobile manufacturing as well as a new friendly working environment. Pfeffer and Sutton (2000), discuss creating an organizational learning environment with a shared vision in a case study based on Saturn. The Saturn employees were labeled as risk takers. Later, these staffs sought and embraced a systemic change in Total Quality Management . As a result, Saturn developed into a successful car company due to its shared vision among employees. TEAM LEARNING Team learning is where a group of people work together to create results that they truly desire. Team learning is built on the discipline of personal mastery and shared visions but these alone are not enough to act wholly. Team learning involves two primary ways of communication among members which are dialogue and conflict. These are essential ingredient for learning. Dialogue among members in a team creates a language that helps deal with difficult situations and focus on structural issues. It helps members to learn how to recognize the patterns of interaction which provides an opportunity for members to interact with one another and discover possibilities. Conflicts is a norm in team and teams must know how to deal with disagreements well. A well handled conflict is important in a team as t often leads to effective brainstorming and problem solving matters. According to Senge, 1990 â€Å"the difference between great teams and mediocre teams lies in how they face conflict and deal with the defensiveness that invariably surrounds conflict. † General Electrics An example here is Jack Welch, CEO of General Electrics ( GE) came up with a solution call the Work-Out program to ‘clean upâ€℠¢ GE and improve productivity. It got every employee to get involved in challenges and problems. It has adapted a learning culture among employees which make GE a learning organization. As a result, GE increased its market share from $13 billion in 1981 to $500 billion in 2000. Figure 3: The Work-Out program implemented in 1981 increased Market capitalization by $487 billion.   Figure 4: Kolb’s Cycle of Experiential LearningDEFINITION Concrete experienceConcerned with something that has happened to you or that you have done. Concerned with adopting your new ideas into practice. Reflective ObservationConcerned with reviewing the event or experience in your mind or exploring what you did and how you, and others feel about it. Abstract ConceptualizationConcerned with developing an understanding of what happened by seeking more information and forming new ideas about ways of doing things in future. Active ExperimentationConcerned with trying out the new ideas as a result of the learning from earlier experience. Table1: Brief definitions of Kolb’s cycle of Experiential Learning. Figure 4 and Table 1 adapted from ‘Reflection on and in the workplace by L Allin and C Turnock, 2007. One may begin at any stage, but must follow each other in the sequence: †¢concrete experience (or â€Å"DO†) †¢reflective observation (or â€Å"OBSERVE†) †¢abstract conceptualization (or â€Å"THINK†) active experimentation (or â€Å"PLAN†) Kolb, an American educational theorist explains how experience is translated through reflection into concepts, which is then used as a guide for current and new experimentation. This can be applied in the several forms of informal and formal learning in the organization where learning becomes more effective as employees gets hands on experience on the knowledge they have gained. It also improves performance at workplace and influences the behavior of the learner and as such employees can enhance their performance as they are able to understand and learn better. Learning increases ability to contribute to the organization’s success. It also contributes to a better understanding, increases communication, improves quality of decision making within organization. Organizational learning is essential for innovation ( Laundry, 1992). Innovation is vital for organizations to survive in the competitive world today. Organizations are required to think out of the box and practice continuous learning to remain top in the market. Organizational learning has affected performance of individuals as well as organization as a whole in a positive way. Most firms these days are categorized as learning systems. Organizations such as Fiat, Toyota, Motorola and a few others have improved tremendously after learning took place. They had both formal and informal ways of knowledge acquisition, sharing and implementation of knowledge and skills. Motorolo today is a well developed organization because of its learning processes and culture where employees are fully committed to total quality management. Organizational learning fosters a great opportunity for meeting goals, visions and values. Here, a manager plays a huge role not only as a charismatic leader but also as a motivator that guides employees towards change, shapes the design and structures of the organization and overall creates a positive impact on the organization. The factors that add to effective performance through organizational learning are the skills developed by employees, resources that are available in helping them learn, reward system given by employers, environment and culture. Competitive advantage is a strength a company has over their rival firms. It is an bility to operate at minimum cost, produce quality goods, and invest in Research and Development. Through organizational learning, a firm can develop the necessary knowledge that is vital for effective performance. Intrinsic knowledge can also be applied in organizational learning. Intrinsic knowledge is the knowledge which resides within the organization in terms of work relationships, attitudes and behavior. They are difficult to transfer f rom one to another. Employees in a company which has developed strong intrinsic knowledge will be able to use them in the operations and gain productive performance. It will help them to show a higher proactive personality together with commitment. It becomes a competitive advantage to the firm as it will be hard for competitors to follow. Federal Express’s efforts and approach of investing heavily on team learning among employees has enhanced quality and gained success. It is the ability of the firm to practice continuous learning that made it what it has become today. Although learning is a slow process, once initiated, it feeds on itself and will continue to grow and improve efficiency of employees. Today, more organizations are realizing the importance of learning to be successful in their respective markets. Knowledge within learning organizations must be discovered and shared among employees so they can work in a team to enhance problem solving, decision making and response to challenges. Therefore, managers in organizations should take the necessary steps to shift from organizational learning to a learning organization. Organizations such as Totoya, GE, Disney and others are clear examples of how learning efforts have helped these firms to achieve high performance and compete against competitors in the 21st century.

Financing Of The Small And Medium Sized Finance Essay - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 9 Words: 2753 Downloads: 4 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Finance Essay Type Narrative essay Did you like this example? With the deepening of marketing economy and reform in China, small-and-medium-size enterprises have accounted for half of the total economy. Unfortunate, they are facing many difficulties nowadays, such as shortage of capital, scant innovations, lack of human resources and nonstandard manganese so an and so forth, financing problems, in particular, has become a bottle neck, which severely hinders the economy. Essentially, financing ways are systematically arranged, especially under marketing economy, the financing modes will not only be confined with the enterprise itself, but be bounded on economically financial circumstances and financial system of a country. This paper mainly analyse the presenting conditions and the causes of financing plight from the following three aspects: National macro-policyÃÆ' £Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ Financial systemÃÆ' £Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ quality of the enterprises itself, then we come to the conclusion. They are the principal factors which make the small-medium sized enterprises hard to finance, such as the imperfection social financing systemÃÆ' £Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ immaturity of credit warrantyÃÆ' £Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ asymmetric information of the enterprisesÃÆ' £Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ unsound system of enterprises themselvesÃÆ' £Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ the low credits and so on. On the bases of benefiting from foreign experiences and fundamental realities of our country, we will get down to improve the quality of their own. At the same time, we also accelerate to build multi-levels, all- dimensional, perfect supportive financing system and improve the macro-policy environment . In this case, we can ensure the quick and healthy development of small-medium sized enterprises and even our whole national economy. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Financing Of The Small And Medium Sized Finance Essay" essay for you Create order Introduction Since Chinas socialist market economy system and its multiple coexisting forms of ownership were established, many small and medium enterprises have sprung up, in particular privately owned small and medium enterprises. In every countrys national economy, small and medium enterprises numerically make up over 90% of companies, accounting for around 60% of employment and over half of output. They play an irreplaceable role in a nations economy. In China, however, owing to historical and systemic reasons, small and medium enterprises cannot be compared to large scale enterprises in terms of financing, tax take and market competitiveness, and are at a clear disadvantage. In order to promote the stable and healthy growth of small and medium enterprises, the central government along with local governments have given them great support both in legislation and in policy. The Law of the Peoples Republic of China on Promotion of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, which came into force on Janu ary 1, 2003, designates general regulations for support given to small and medium enterprises in financing and setting up enterprises, technological innovation, market development and service to the community. However, according to media reports, the Financing Climate Index for small and medium enterprises fell to 68.8 in the second quarter of 2004, which is classified as unfavourable and marks a fall of 3.7 points on the last quarter. The figure is 44.2 points lower than that for large-scale enterprises. 38.2% of small and medium enterprises felt that access to financing was a problem. The increase in the difficulty of obtaining financing for enterprises has aggravated the already severe strains on liquid funds in small and medium enterprises. Barriers to access to financing are without a doubt on of the main impediments to the development of enterprises, and in particular small and medium enterprises. From the analysis of this survey, we can see that the difficulty in getting acce ss to financing has created a bottleneck in the development of small and medium enterprises, and that to some degree, the financing of small and medium enterprises has become a constraining factor on the development of Chinas national economy. In China, there are three main factors that affect the financing problem of small-and-medium-size enterprises, namely, enterprises themselves, financing organization and Government of which high managing risks, poor profitability and shortage of fixed assets are the interior reason, more important is that the information between bank and enterprises is not on the basis of reciprocity and the loans are cut down, the financial circles in China are being integrated. The financial circumstances and systems led by the government are the deeper reasons. Countermeasures to solve the financing problem of SMEs Research Part I. A self-building to strengthen SMEs SMEs in financing problems are not caused by one or two factors, but the role of various factors in the above formed. So both the source of SME financing or external sources, including the financing issues, not just rely on one or two efforts can be fully resolved, its solution requires medium itself, the central and local government agencies and banks and other Financial institutions can better work together to solve them. (A)Regulate the internal management of SMEs, improve their overall quality. Generally start from the following three aspects: first, to clarify property rights of enterprises, the establishment of stock cooperative system. Actively and steadily promote the reform of property right system, only the property rights of enterprises, operators of fishes and their behavior is responsible for the future development of enterprises, corporate credit be possible to set up. According to the requirements of modern enterprise system and the characteristics of SMEs themselves, and vigorously promote the stock cooperative system, and promote the reform of small and medium enterprises. Through the transfer of property rights, joint-stock reform, leasing, auctions and other means to accelerate the pace of reform enliven small and medium enterprises. Encourage employees to volunteer in the reform of shares, increase the concerns of the staff of the degree of enterprise assets, for the development of e nterprises to open up new financing channels. Second, standardized enterprise financial systems, improve financial management. According to relevant national regulations, establish and improve the financial and accounting systems do not do cooking the books, the establishment of sound financial reporting system to improve the transparency of corporate financial position and financial statements of credibility. Positive settlement of bank debt and payables, the establishment of the credit system, and improving the confidence level. Finally, strengthening internal management, improve enterprise credit rating. Typically, a grade credit rating over the enterprises and financial institutions to consider the financing application, so enterprises should establish a good corporate image, to eliminate bad credit records, and improving the credibility level of repayment, vigorously develop the market. While also establishing a set of indicators of credit rating system and actively cooperate w ith relevant government departments, build a credit system as soon as possible. (B)Clearly the role of credit guarantee SME credit guarantees to clear the nature and role, to play the correct effect. The establishment of SME credit guarantee system should be followed to provide credit guarantees, to promote SME financing purposes, then assist the healthy development of SMEs to economic growth and social stability, the purpose of clarifying its nature is not for profit, but a kinds of mutual aid the public good nature, its role is to guide social capital, especially the flow of bank funds for SMEs, and promote economic development. (C)To correctly handle the relationship between financial institutions First, the government and the relationship between security agencies, SME credit guarantee institutions, while a policy-oriented organizations, but security agencies are engaged in the business market, should reflect a certain degree of independence, the implementation of corporate management, so arrangements should be separated from the government know, market selection. The government set the identity of the major shareholders of policy guidance and external oversight. Followed by the security relationship between institutions and banks, guarantee agencies and banks have been the two interests is the relationship between the divisions of work. First, the guarantee agency business is the admissibility of a large bank that the credit risk business, these guarantee agencies to convince the banks have a risk management measures, credit rating and to maintain a certain degree of transparency of banks to increase the banks trust degrees. Secondly, in terms of banks, guarantee agencies involved, the banks moral hazard the enterprise, business risk onto the security company. Therefore, the banks and guarantee agencies should strengthen the ties of mutual understanding, the initiative to undertake part of the loan risk, the formation of risk and profit sharing relationships. Finally, security agencies and the relationship between SMEs, the credit guarantees and pays off the secured and the associated relationships. To handle the relationship between the two, first of all, the process of cooperation between the two should be kept in the utmost good faith, the enterprise should faithfully reflect the actual situation, strict compliance; Second, properly handle the issue the guarantee fee, guarantee fee income is the main security agencies sources to maintain the balance of payments, while small and medium enterprises are looking to lower financing costs, therefore, to reasonably determine the guaranteed rate to form a win-win situation. (D)The development of special legal rules and norms of credit Development of specialized credit and the legal system of rules as soon as possible to guide credit guarantee industry. The rapid development of credit guarantee, but due to lack of necessary legal protection and restraint, and our Guarantee Law is not really a credit security law, it is the behavior of the NPC enacted the Basic Law guarantees adjustment, which implement the general Civil and Commercial Law the principle of equal protection of the civil subject, and transaction security and interests of creditors, credit guarantee and credit guarantee for the industry not covered by law. In view of this, the credit as soon as possible to develop specific legislation to regulate and guide the credit guarantees industry. Part II. To create a favorable financing environment of SMEs To develop support policies targeted (A)The reason why small and medium enterprises in China is still in the early stages of development, management system and management were very irregular, a very important reason is that our Government has not paid attention to the development of SMEs, the relevant preferential policies tilted only to large enterprises. Therefore, the state should be in accordance with the rules of market economy, the introduction of more support for SMEs on the development of policies to guide SMEs to participate in fair competition, promote small and medium enterprises to standardize direction. Meanwhile, the states fiscal policy should be to improve the small and medium enterprises, governments at all levels should be increased investment in small and medium enterprises, to solve the debt problems of some of the history of small and medium enterprises; clean up the different nature of the existing preferential tax policies for enterprises of different ownership enterprises must equal treatment; le vels of administration should not be arbitrary charges and fines for small and medium enterprises to effectively reduce the burden on SMEs. (B)Establish and improve the financial system Co-ordinate the overall national small and medium enterprises should set up government agencies, the State Economic and Trade Commission recently established by the Secretary should support small and medium enterprises, to know and regulate the development of SMEs play a central leadership role. Same time the country as soon as possible a clear focus on providing financial services to small and medium financial institutions system. The first state-owned commercial banks to set up a dedicated SME credit department, expand deposit and loan services for small and medium enterprises; the second is a reasonable adjustment of city commercial banks, urban credit cooperatives and rural credit flow of credit designed to highlight the focus of support for local SMEs, small and medium financial institutions to give full play the main role in support of SMEs; third is properly established for the individual and private economy, SMEs and small financial institutions. (C)Capital Market Direct financing of enterprises has to be non-reimbursable financing of external ownership, improve corporate asset and liability structure, the effective allocation of social resources and other advantages; this is to solve the financing difficulties of SMEs, financing channels for a single approach to this important issue. The government should encourage SMEs to engage in direct financing put the appropriate policies and measures, the establishment of foreign products targeted at small-scale, high technology and market potential of high-tech SMEs in the capital market financing services, to encourage qualified enterprises to enter the securities market financing, both to help SMEs to solve this problem, reduce financing costs, but also to spread the concentration of investment risk, and change society for the production of personal consumption fund development and construction funds, but also conducive to improving Chinas capital market has become increasingly strong. (D) The establishment of SME credit guarantees system Financing difficulties of small and medium business to a large extent is due to greater credit risk, banks are reluctant to provide loans to them. If the Government can guarantee loans to SMEs or insurance, it will be able to relieve the difficulty. Therefore, the Government must set up appropriate security and insurance institutions, financial intermediation for SMEs and provide a strong backing. Located in Guangdong Province, the Guangdong Ronsen Super Micro-Wire Co, Ltd. (previously known as the Zhuhai Ronsen Electrical Manufacturing Co. Ltd) is a specialized manufacturer of electronics, mechanical equipment, and power supplies using enameled wires. The company was incorporated in Zhuhai in 1991, with a registered capital of 1.5 million RMB. Shareholder investment came from the Sichuan Southwestern Electronics Factory, the Zhuhai Special Economic Zone Development Corporation, and the Hong Kong Everbest Machinery Industry Co Ltd. Following more than ten years of hard work, in 2002 the company was recognized as a high-tech enterprise by the Department of Science and Technology of Guangdong Province. The main business is production and sale of fine enameled wire, fine enameled raw materials for the production of micro-inductors, micro relays, micro motors, magnetic heads, headphones, micro speakers, and other electronic components. Production development is mainly focused on m icro type, heat resistance, composite coating, white coating, straight welding, and suitability for high-speed winding machines. Total annual demand for enameled wire in China is around 300,000 tons. In June 2005, to adapt to market trends and meet customer demand for high quality fine enameled wiring, Ronsen proposed a plan for expansion of production of fine wire and industrialized production of special enameled wire. An increase in the proportion of technologically advanced products enables increased economic efficiency and enhanced competitiveness. Many years of effort have enabled Ronsen to reach its current scale, with total annual sales of around fifty million RMB. However, the company lacked the capacity to quickly meet market demand and expand the manufacturer of high-level products. Therefore, they needed new strategic investors. Seeking strategic cooperation with a venture capital company, in early 2006, Ronsen requested a strategic partnership with the Guangdong Provincial Science and Technology Venture Capital Co. The strategic alliance aimed to speed up the companys expansion plans, and establish a more standardized corporate governance and internal management mechanism. After a thorough investigation, evaluation, and exchange with the companys management and business philosophy, the venture capital company decided to proceed with the investment. In November 2006, the Guangdong Provincial Science and Technology Venture Capital Co. invested 10 million RMB, taking a 25% stake in the business. The alliance with the venture capital company drove technological advances. In 2007, the Ronsen fine enameled wire industrialization project won the top scientific and technological progress prize in Zhuhai City. Joint-stock reform ensured even greater progress. Alliance with the Guangdong Provincial Science and Technology Venture Capital Co. was enhanced with regular exchange and communication between corporate management and shareholders on strategy for future development, as well as strengthened cooperation with intermediaries. In order to promote the standardized operation of the business, and meet the future requirements for securing financing on the stock market, the company has promoted a joint-stock reform process. On October 10, 2006, the joint-stock reform was formally completed, and the company changed its name to the Guangdong Ronsen Super Micro-Wire Co, Ltd. Following the joint-stock reform, the companys registered capital was forty-two million RMB. After its accession to the WTO, China has gradually emerged as the worlds major processing center. Ronsen has drawn up a new development plan to establish a new modern production base in Zhuhai, doubling existing production capacity within two to three years, while continuing the research and development of high-quality products that meet the requirements of high-end customers. High quality products, good service, standardized management will create a first-class enterprise. Ronsens ability to bring in a venture capital company at the right time enabled a rapid development in a short few years that would otherwise have taken much longer. This case shows that investment by venture capital companies is a suitable development strategy for SMEs. This type of investment can improve investment efficiency and broaden the scope of the development, having a profound impact on enterprise breakthrough.

Story Analysis of Hills Like White Elephants - 723 Words

Hills Like White Elephants Erich Auerbach wrote Mimesis in 1953 and used his theories about foreground and background to help in his analysis and understanding of the story of Odysseus. His analysis is appropriate for this one story but can also be applied to other stories wherein the truth of the tale is not expressed directly (Auerbach 3). Authors can instill additional meaning through the text by the tone that is set and the way dialogue is written. Background and foreground in this context refers to what is explicitly stated by the author and what is only implied and must be understood through careful reading of the viewer. Hills like White Elephants is about a despondent woman. A man and a woman are in a foreign land and stop at a small cafe while they wait for a train. It is evident from the dialogue that the two are not getting along. When the young woman says that the hills look like the elephants of the title, the man responds that he wouldnt know. I might have, the man said. Just because you say I wo uldnt have doesnt prove anything (Hemingway). Immediately the girl changes the subject, unwilling or unable to disagree with him about anything. This antagonistic relationship is made evident because even an off-hand remark about the scenery is taken by the man as an insult. This is what is explicitly stated. Jig (the woman) is in a relationship with a man who is angry. Additional information is provided regarding this couples relationship. AfterShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Story Of An Hour And Hills Like White Elephants1493 Words   |  6 Pagesshort stories, â€Å"The Story of an Hour† and â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants†, a symbolic setting representing the characters feelings, two themes- time and life decisions, and a feministic approach. The setting embodies the stories principal aspect contributing to why men and women have different perspectives and emotions. Revolving around the setting, both themes of time and life decisions support the idea that gender impacts our outlook in the world; however, the main characters in the short stories wereRead MoreCritical Analysis of the Short Story ‘Hills Like White Elephants’ by Ernest Hemingway.1497 Words   |  6 PagesCritical Analysis of the short story ‘Hills like White Elephants’ by Ernest Hemingway. Word Count: 1367 Hills like White Elephants – Ernest Hemingway â€Å"Will Jig have the abortion and stay with the man; will Jig have the abortion and leave the man; or will Jig not have the abortion and win the man over to her point of view?† (Hashmi, N, 2003). These are the three different scenarios that have been seriously considered in Ernest Hemingway’s short story, â€Å"Hills like White Elephants†. ErnestRead MoreEvaluation Argument Hills Like White Elephants1388 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿ Ernest Hemingway: Hills Like White Elephants A white elephant is an idiom for a valuable but burdensome possession, but also it means a rare and sacred creature. In Ernest Hemingway’s short story Hills Like White Elephants, Hemingway uses an unborn child as a white elephant. This short story depicts a couple of an American man and young women at a train station somewhere in Spain. Hemingway tells the story from watching the couple from across the bar and listening to their troublesome conversationRead Moreâ€Å"the Lottery† and â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants† Essay881 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"The Lottery† and â€Å"Hills like White Elephants† Regardless of the type of society people live in controversial topics and cowardly individuals can create conflict. 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Lastly, it willRead MoreMoving to the Girl’s Side of â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants†1697 Words   |  7 PagesMoving to the Girl’s Side of â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants† In the article, â€Å"Moving to the Girl’s Side of ‘Hills Like White Elephants†, Stanley Renner carefully analyzes the movements of the female character and argues the different view from the general conclusion while still pondering on the open-end question the writer, Ernest Hemmingway, has left with the readers. Renner is left unsatisfied with the unresolved ending of the story. Although the majority of critics conclude that the girl will haveRead More Symbolism in Hills Like White Elephants, by Ernest Hemingway1687 Words   |  7 Pagesshort story, different literary elements and terms are incorporated into the story by the author. Ernest Hemingway frequently uses various literary elements in his writing to entice the reader and enhance each piece that he writes. In Hills Like White Elephants, Hemingway uses symbols to teach the reader certain things that one may encounter during daily life. Symbolism may be defined as relating to, using, or proceeding by mean s of symbols (Princeton). The use of symbols in Hills Like White ElephantsRead MoreErnest Hemingway s `` Indian Camp `` And Hills Like White Elephants ``928 Words   |  4 Pageswas well-known to scholars to have his short stories filled with male-chauvinist characters either abusing or disregarding weak and helpless women. However, Bauer, a professor of English and women’s studies, believes that the characterization of Hemingway as an abuser and having a blatant disregard of women is almost entirely created by the scholars and readers of his stories. With an analysis of Hemingway’s â€Å"Indian Camp† and â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants†, Bauer attempts to bring her own feminist perspectiveRead MoreCritical Analysis of Hills Like White Elephants923 Words   |  4 PagesMikhail Shimonov Professor Kaufman March 28, 2011 Critical Analysis of Hills like White Elephants At first glance, Hills like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway, may allude to many interpretations, however, the short story has a clear purpose. Set in the Ebro River valley in Spain, the story looms around the issue brought forth by Jig and the American, who is nameless throughout the whole story. The issue here being the ‘simple operation’ that Jig is about to undergo which happens to be anRead MoreHedonism in Hills Like White Elephants, by Ernest Hemingway Essay1588 Words   |  7 Pagesnature. The roaring twenties witnessed the uprising of a society that extolled such desire through the creation of a culture solely dedicated to consume. Ernest Hemingway analyses the behavioral patterns of such culture in his short story Hills Like White Elephants, where the concept of Hedonism- fathomed as an egotistical action whose only purpose is to bestow pleasure- and its consequences on the individual is explored. Through the characters dialogue in which they avoid a substa ntial conversation

The Character of Sebastian in Shakespeares Twelfth...

The Character of Sebastian in Shakespeares Twelfth Night: Sebastians presence in William Shakespeares Twelfth Night: or What You Will is a vexation. More pointedly, it is his sudden marriage to Olivia which troubles me so. Was he written in to give a parallel storyline between Olivia and Viola? Was he a convenient way to have a double wedding, which Shakespeare seemed to prefer for his happy endings? Or, could there be some other meaning to Sebastian? The last day of the Christmas season is January 6, the feast of the Epiphany, when Christ was revealed to the world in the personage of the Magi. The evening before is called Twelfth Night, the most riotous holiday of the year for Elizabethans (Singman†¦show more content†¦He leaves the next day still looking for his sister. After Apollonius finds out that it is Silla/Silvio for whom Julina spurned him, he imprisons her. When Julina eventually comes looking for Silla/Silvio, telling Apollonius that she is pregnant, Silla must confess that she is a girl and could not have made Julina pregnant, and that she was in love with Apollonius. He rewards her love by marrying her. Her brother finds out about the marriage, returns to Constantinople, learns that Julina is pregnant with his child, and discovers the reason for the mix-up. Silvio then marries Julina. Although some time passes between their one-nighter and their marriage, one understands the sudden marriage of Silvio and Julina. He at least knows her name and knows her in the biblical sense before they marry. In Twelfth Night, Sebastian marries Olivia without knowing her name or having even seen her previous to this day!-unless something has happened between them after Olivia broke up the duel. Harold Bloom, while calling Viola a repressed vitalist, thinks she is so constrained because she mingles her identity with that of her twin brother, Sebastian(232). He says that although Viola is vibrant, she has taken on her brothers more subdued personality. Has one twin gotten all the passion, while the other is a Milquetoast? That might explain how a strong personality like Olivia so easily marries Sebastian without question orShow MoreRelatedWilliam Shakespeare s Twelfth Night1221 Words   |  5 PagesShakespeare’s Twelfth Night is a widely known romantic comedy that was first published in 1623. Twelfth Night is one of Shakespeare’s finest works and it tends to have an affinity to modern romantic comedy films and stories. The play has love triangles, unrequited love, lies and deceit, playful comedic relief, and obstacles that interfere with characters’ goals. Many of Shakespeare’s plays were turned into film adaptations and many were used very loosely as source material. Hamlet had Lion King (veryRead MoreThe Twelfth Night: A Happy Ending? Essay1501 Words   |  7 Pagesdifficulties appear within the play, by the end these will be resolved and the play will have a traditional happy-ending with a marriage or a celebration in the final scene. The â€Å"Twelfth Night† is no exception to this rule. Despite problems of confused identities and sexualities, the play ends with marriage for the major characters because they â€Å"have learned enough about their own foolishness to accept it wisely, and their reward, as it sho uld be, is marriage.†(Schwartz 5140). There is a resolution ofRead Moretwelfth night Essay952 Words   |  4 Pages Twelfth Night Essay While many will agree that Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night is critically acclaimed to be one of the most entertaining and well-liked pieces that he has written, there tends to be a discrepancy over how the characters in the play are portrayed when it comes to the importance of gender roles. After reading James C Bulman’s article over the Globe’s more recent performance of Twelfth Night and Shakespeare’s original written version, I realized that there are many ways that this famousRead MoreThemes Of Social Mobility Through Marriage1655 Words   |  7 PagesThis paper critically analyses the theme of social mobility through marriage in Shakespeare’s play ‘Twelfth Night’. In addition, the paper highlights how different characters in the play got into higher social classes or desired to be in higher social classes through marriage. This paper holds that in a highly stratified society such as that presented in the Shakespeare’s play; ma rriage plays a significant role in in social class mobility. As opposed to some traditional society where marriage wasRead MoreEssay about Mistaken Identity for Twelfth Night786 Words   |  4 Pagescomedy Twelfth Night, creates a plot that revolves around mistaken identity and deception. Mistaken identity, along with disguises, rules the play and affects the lives of several of the characters. Shakespeares techniques involve mistaken identity to bring humor, mystery, and complication to the play. Many characters in Twelfth Night assume disguises, beginning with Viola who is disguised as a eunuch, Maria who writes a letter to Malvolio as Olivia, and then the mix-up between Sebastian and ViolaRead More The Use of Deception in William Shakespeares Twelfth Night Essay694 Words   |  3 PagesThe Use of Deception in William Shakespeares Twelfth Night   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Deception is a key theme in William Shakespeares Twelfth Night. The characters must use deception to obtain good things, escape bad situations, or to play cruel hilarious ticks on other people. One example of deception is when Viola clothes herself in mens clothing in order to obtain a job under the Duke of Illyria, Orsino. During another scene Sir Andrew, Fabian, Maria, and Sir Toby Belch trick Malvolio into making a foolRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Life Experiences997 Words   |  4 Pages Kemal 1 Ayesha Kemal Mrs. Holcombe Period: 7 10/05/14 Shakespeare’s Life Experiences William Shakespeare was born on April 26, 1564 to John and Mary Shakespeare. As a child Shakespeare grew up in the town of Stratford-upon-Avon in the United Kingdom. He grew up attending a school called King Edward VI School, where he learned to read, write, and use proper grammar. He continued to attend school until his family had some economic hardships and he was unable to attend university. Instead he got marriedRead More The Purpose of Disguise in Twelfth Night Essay1154 Words   |  5 PagesTheme of Disguise in Twelfth Night The notion of disguise is very important theme within Twelfth Night.   From my point of view I feel that the crux of the play is primarily based on this concept.   Indeed theres something in it that is deceivable summarizes this point precisely.   Disguise runs like a thread through the play from start to end and holds it all together just as tightly as thread would fabric.   Yet, paradoxically as the plot progresses there are many problems, deceptions andRead MoreThe Limitations Of Frye s Green World 1729 Words   |  7 PagesWhat are the limitations of Frye’s ‘Green World’ model as applied to ‘Twelfth Night’ by William Shakespeare? Twelfth Night was thought to be written in 1600-1. The play – known for adhering to a genre of romantic comedy by utilising pathos combined with humour – is listed under comedies in the First Folio of 1623 with another of Shakespeare’s works As You Like It. Twelfth Night adheres to Frye’s theory to some extent. The old world, one of repression, is conveyed through the puritanical beliefs ofRead MoreTwelfth Night Love Essay1610 Words   |  7 Pagescomedies. Twelfth Night is one of the finest comedies of the author. Shakespeare is driven by Viola’s decision to voluntarily conceal her identity and go to work as a servant for the lovesick Orsino.This disguise and gender confusion are there in the beginning of the play and finishes with happy ending. This paper tries to ascertain how Viola in Twelfth Night perform her disguise and become an ideal woman of Shakespeare’s own concept. There may be many reasons why, he keeps his female characters in disguise

Island of the Sequined Love Nun Chapter 29~31 Free Essays

string(44) " her as if noticing her for the first time\." 29 Safe in the Hands of Medicine â€Å"How are you feeling today?† Sebastian Curtis pulled the sheet down to Tuck’s knees and lifted the pilot’s hospital gown. Tucker flinched when the doctor touched the catheter. â€Å"Better,† Tuck said. We will write a custom essay sample on Island of the Sequined Love Nun Chapter 29~31 or any similar topic only for you Order Now â€Å"That thing is itching, though.† â€Å"It’s healing.† The doctor palpated the lymph nodes in Tucker’s crotch. His hands were cold and Tuck shivered at the touch. â€Å"The infection is subsiding. This happened to you in the plane crash?† â€Å"I fell back on some levers while I was trying to get a passenger out of the plane.† â€Å"The hooker?† The doctor didn’t look up from his work. Tuck wanted to throw the sheets over his head and hide. Instead, he said, â€Å"I don’t suppose it would make a difference if I said I didn’t know she was a hooker.† Sebastian Curtis looked up and smiled; his eyes were light gray flecked with orange. With his gray hair and tropical tan, he could have been a re-tired general, Rommel maybe. â€Å"I’m not really concerned with what the woman was doing there. What does concern me is that you had been drinking. We can’t have that here, Mr. Case. You may have to fly on a moment’s notice, so you won’t be able to drink or indulge in any other chemical diversions. I assume that won’t pose a problem.† â€Å"No. None,† Tuck said, but he felt like he’d been hit with a bag of sand. He’d been craving a drink since he’d regained consciousness. â€Å"By the way, Doc, since we’re going to be doing business together, maybe you should call me Tucker.† â€Å"Tucker it is,† Curtis said. â€Å"And you can call me Dr. Curtis.† He smiled again. â€Å"Swell. And your wife’s name is?† â€Å"Mrs. Curtis.† â€Å"Of course.† The doctor finished his examination and pulled the sheet back up to Tuck’s waist. â€Å"You should be on your feet in a few days. We’ll move you to your bungalow this afternoon. I think you’ll find everything you need there, but if you do need anything, please let us know.† A gin and tonic, Tuck thought. â€Å"I’d like to find out what happened to the guy who was piloting my boat.† â€Å"As I told you, the islanders found you and a few pieces of your boat.† There was a finality in his voice that made it clear that he didn’t want to talk about Kimi or the boat. Tuck pressed on. Respect for authority had never been his long suit. â€Å"I guess I’ll ask around when I get out of here. Maybe he washed up on a different part of the island. I remember being hung in a tree with him by an old cannibal.† Tuck saw a frown cross the doctor’s face like a fleeting shadow, then the professional smile was back. â€Å"Mr. Case, there haven’t been any cannibals in these islands for a hundred years. Besides, I will have to ask you to stay inside the compound while you are here. You’ll have access to beaches and there’s plenty of room to roam, but you won’t be having any contact with the islanders.† â€Å"Why, I mean if they saved me?† â€Å"The Shark People have a very closed society. We try not to intrude on that any more than is necessary for us to do our work.† â€Å"The Shark People? Why the Shark People?† â€Å"I’ll explain it all to you when you are feeling better. Right now you need to rest.† The doctor took a syringe from a metal drawer by the wall and filled it from a vial of clear fluid, then injected it into Tuck’s IV. â€Å"When do you think you’ll be ready to fly?† Tuck felt as if a veil of gauze had been thrown over his mind. Everything in the room went soft and fuzzy. â€Å"Not real soon if you keep giving me that stuff. Wow, what was that? Hey, you’re a doctor. Do you think we taste like Spam?† He was going to ask another question, but somehow it didn’t seem to matter anymore. The Sorcerer stormed into the Sky Priestess’s bungalow, stripped off his lab coat, and threw it into the corner. He went to the open kitchen, ripped open the freezer, pulled out a frosty fifth of Absolut, and poured a triple shot into a water glass that froze and steamed like dry ice in the humidity. â€Å"Malink lied,† he said. Then he tossed back half the glass and grabbed his temples when the cold hit his brain. The Sky Priestess looked up from her magazine. â€Å"A little stressed, darling?† She was lying out on the lanai, naked except for a wide-brimmed straw hat, her white skin shining in the sun like pearl. The Sorcerer joined her and fell onto a chaise lounge, a hand still clamped on his temples. â€Å"Case says there was another man with him on the island. He said an old cannibal hung them in a tree.† â€Å"I heard him,† the Sky Priestess said. â€Å"He’s delirious?† â€Å"I don’t think so. I think Malink lied. That they found the boat pilot and didn’t tell us.† She moved next to him on the chaise lounge and pried the glass of vodka out of his hand. â€Å"So send the ninjas on a search mission. You’re paying them. They might as well do something.† â€Å"That’s not an option and you know it.† â€Å"Well, then go yourself. Or call Malink on it. Tell him that you know there was another man and you want him brought here chop-chop.† â€Å"I think we’re losing them, Beth. Malink wouldn’t have dared lie to me a month ago. It’s that dream. He dreams that Vincent is sending them a pilot, then you tell him it’s not true, then a pilot washes up on the reef.† The Sky Priestess drained the glass of vodka and handed it back to him empty. â€Å"Yeah, nothing fucks up a good religion like the intervention of a real god.† â€Å"I wish you wouldn’t talk that way.† â€Å"So what are you going to do, after you get a refill, I mean?† The Sorcerer looked up at her as if noticing her for the first time. You read "Island of the Sequined Love Nun Chapter 29~31" in category "Essay examples" â€Å"Beth, what are you doing out here? The Priestess of the Sky does not have a tan.† She reached under the chaise lounge and came up with a plastic bottle of lotion. â€Å"SPF 90. Relax, ‘Bastian, this stuff would keep me creamy white in a nuclear flare. You want to rub some on me?† She pushed her hat back on her head so he could see the predator seriousness in her eyes. â€Å"Beth, please. I’m on the cusp of a crisis here.† â€Å"It’s not a crisis. It’s obvious why the Shark People are getting restless.† â€Å"It is?† â€Å"No one has been chosen in over two months, ‘Bastian.† He shook his head. â€Å"Case isn’t ready to fly.† â€Å"Well, get him ready.† 30 Fashion Statements Kimi sat under a coconut palm outside of the bachelors’ house sulking. His flowered dress was gone and he wore a blue thu, the long saronglike loin-cloth worn by the Shark men. Gone too was his blond wig, his high heels, and his best friend, Roberto, who he had not seen since the cannibal tree. Now it looked as if he had no place to sleep. Sepie had thrown him out. Sepie came out of the bachelors’ house wearing Kimi’s floral dress and glared at him. She paused on the coral pathway. â€Å"I am not a monkey,† she said. Then she picked up a stone from the path and hurled it at him, barely missing his head. Kimi scuffled to the leeward side of the tree and peeked around. â€Å"I didn’t say you were a monkey. I said that if you didn’t shave your legs, you would soon look like a monkey.† A rock whizzed by his face so close he could feel the wind of it. She was getting more accurate with each throw. â€Å"You know nothing,† she said. â€Å"You are just a girl-man.† Kimi dug a stone from the sand at his feet and hurled it at her, but his heart wasn’t in it and it missed her by five feet. In English he said, â€Å"You just a poxy oar with a big mouth.† He hoped this verbal missile hit closer to home. They were the last words of Malcolme, Kimi’s pimp back in Ma-nila. In retrospect, Malcolme’s mistake had been one of memory. He had forgotten that the overly made-up little girl standing in front of him with a machete was, in fact, a wiry young man with the anger of hundreds of beatings burning in his memory. â€Å"I no have the pox,† Kimi said to Malcolme, whose look of surprise remained fixed even as his head rolled into the corner of the hotel room, where a rat darted out and gently licked his shortened neck. â€Å"I no have the pox,† Sepie said in English, punctuating her statement with a thrown lump of coral. â€Å"I know,† Kimi said. â€Å"I’m sorry I say that.† He skulked off down the beach. Sepie stood outside the bachelors’ house watching him, totally disarmed. No man had ever apologized to her before. Kimi hadn’t meant to hurt her feelings. Sometimes it takes a thick skin to trade beauty tips with a girlfriend. Sepie was naturally pretty, but she didn’t understand fashion. Why bother to put on a pretty dress if you’re going to have monkey legs and tufts of hair hanging out from under your arms making it look like bats hanging there? Bats. Kimi missed Roberto. The Shark men wouldn’t talk to him, the women ignored him, except for Sepie, who was angry at him now, and even Tucker had been taken away to the other side of the island. Kimi was lonely. And as he walked down the beach, past the children playing with a trained frigate bird, past the men lounging in the shade of an empty boathouse, his loneliness turned to anger. He turned up the beach and took a path into the village to look for a weapon. It was time to go see the old cannibal. Outside each of the houses, near the cook sheds, stood an iron spike – a pick head that was driven into the ground and used to husk coconuts. Kimi stopped at one house and yanked on the spike, but it wouldn’t budge. He moved between the houses, vacant now in the early morning, the women working in the taro field, the men lounging in various patches of shade. He peeked into a cook shed, and there, by the pot that held the crust of this morning’s rice, he found a long chef’s knife. He looked around to make sure that no one was watching, then bolted into the shed and snatched the knife, fitting it into his thu so that only the handle protruded at the small of his back. Ten minutes later he was hiding in a patch of giant ferns, watching the old cannibal roll coconut husk fibers into rope on his leathery old thighs. He sat with his back against a palm tree, his legs straight out in front of him, pulling the fibers that had been soaked and separated out of a basket and measuring by feel the right amount to add to the coil of cord that was building on the ground beside him. From time to time he stopped and took a drink from a jar of milky liquid that Kimi was sure was alcoholic tuba. Good, he was drunk. Kimi moved slowly around the house, staying in the undergrowth of ferns and elephant ears, careful not to kick up any of the coral gravel that rang like broken glass if you didn’t place your feet carefully. Once he was behind the old man, he drew the knife from the small of his back and moved forward to kill that man who had eaten his friend. From the window of his new quarters Tucker Case watched the Japanese guards move through the compound carrying palm fronds and broken branches, detritus of the typhoon, which they piled in an open space at the side of the hangar to dry in the sun. They were dressed like a police SWAT team, in black coveralls with baseball caps and paratrooper boots, and if he squinted, they looked like giant worker ants cleaning out the nest. From time to time one of the guards would look toward his bungalow, then quickly turn away when he saw Tucker standing in the window in his pajamas. He had given up waving to them after the first hour of being ignored. He’d been in the one-room bungalow for four days now, but this was the first time he’d felt well enough to get up and move around, other than to use the bathroom, which to his surprise, had hot and cold running water, a flush toilet, and a shower stall made of galvanized metal. The walls were tightly woven grass between a sturdy frame of teak and mahogany logs; the floor was unfinished teak, sanded smooth and pink; and the furniture was wicker with brightly colored cushions. A ceiling fan spun languidly above a double bed that was draped with a canopy of mosquito netting. The windows looked out on the compound and hangar on one side and through a grove of palm trees to the ocean on the other. He could see sev-eral bungalows perched near the beach, a small dock, and the cinderblock hospital building, its tin roof arrayed with antennae, solar electric panels, and a massive satellite dish. Tuck backed away from the window and sat down on the wicker couch. A few minutes on his feet and he felt exhausted. He was twenty pounds lighter than when he had left Houston and there wasn’t a six-inch patch of skin on his body that didn’t have some kind of bandage on it. The doc had said that between the cuts on his arms, knees, and scalp, he had taken a hundred sutures. The first time he looked in the little mirror in his bathroom, he thought he was looking at a human version of the mangy feral dog he’d seen on Truk. His blue eyes lay like dull ice in sunken brown craters and his cheeks were drawn into his face like a mummified bog man’s. His hair had been bleached white by the sun and stuck out in straw-dry tufts between pink patches where the doctor had shaved his scalp to stitch him up. He took small comfort in the fact that there were no women around to see him. No real women, anyway. The doctor’s wife, who came several times a day to bring him food or to change his bandages, seemed robotic, like some Stepford/Barbie hybrid with the smooth sexless carriage of a mannequin and a personality pulled out of an Eisenhower-era soap commercial. She made the straight-laced cosmetic reps from his past seem like a tribe of pillbox nympho hose hunters. There was a tap on the door and Beth Curtis breezed in carrying a wooden serving tray with plates of pancakes and fresh fruit. â€Å"Mr. Case, you’re up. Feeling better today?† She set the tray down on the coffee table in front of him and stepped back. Today she was in pleated khaki pants and a white blouse with puffed shoulders. Her hair was tied back with a big white bow at the back of her neck. She might have just walked out of a Stewart Granger safari movie. â€Å"Yes, better,† Tuck said, â€Å"But I wore myself out just walking to the window.† â€Å"Your body is still fighting off the infection. The doctor will be by soon to give you some antibiotics. For now you need to eat.† She sat on the chair across from him. Tuck cut a divot out of the stack of pancakes with a fork and speared it through a piece of papaya. After the first bite, he realized how hungry he really was and began wolfing down the pancakes. Beth Curtis smiled. â€Å"Have you had a chance to look over the manuals for the airplane?† Tuck nodded, his mouth still full. She’d left the operations manuals on his bed two days ago. He’d leafed through them enough to know that he could fly the thing. He swallowed and said, â€Å"I used to fly a Lear 25 for Mary Jean. This one is a little faster and has longer range, but basically it’s the same. Shouldn’t be a problem.† â€Å"Oh, good,† she said, sporting one of her plastic smiles. â€Å"When will you be able to fly?† Tucker put down his fork. â€Å"Mrs. Curtis, I don’t mean to be rude, but what in the hell is going on around here?† â€Å"Regarding what, Mr. Case?† â€Å"Well, first, regarding the man I came to this island with. I was sick, but I wasn’t hallucinating. We were strung up in a tree by an old native guy and cut down by a bunch of others. What happened to my friend?† She shifted in her chair, and the wicker crackled like snapping rat bones. â€Å"My husband told you what the islanders told us, Mr. Case. The natives live on the other side of the island. They have their own society, their own chief, their own laws. We try to take care of their medical needs and bring a few souls into the fold, but they are a private people. I’ll ask them about your friend. If I find out anything, I’ll let you know.† She stood and straightened the front of her slacks. â€Å"I’d appreciate that,† Tuck said. â€Å"I promised him I’d get him back to Yap and I owe him some money. The natives didn’t find my backpack, did they? My money was in it.† She shook her head. â€Å"Just the clothes you had on. We burned them. Fortunately, you and Sebastian are about the same size. Now, if you’ll ex-cuse me, Mr. Case, I have some work to do. Sebastian will be along in a bit with your medicine. I’m glad you’re feeling better.† She turned and walked out the door into the blinding sunlight. Tucker stood and watched her walk across the compound. The Japanese guards stopped their work and leered at her. She spun on them and waited, her hands on her hips, until one by one they lost their courage and returned to their work, not embarrassed but afraid, as if meeting her direct gaze might turn them to frost. Tuck sat down to his half-eaten pancakes and shivered, thinking it must be the fever. A half hour later the doctor entered the bungalow. Tucker was spread out on the couch descending into a nap. They’d been doing this since they’d moved him to the bungalow, tag-teaming him, one showing up at least every hour to check on him, bring him food or medicine, change the sheets, take his temperature, help him to the bathroom, wipe his forehead. It looked like concerned care, but it felt like surveillance. Sebastian Curtis took a capped syringe from his coat pocket as he crossed the room. Tuck sighed. â€Å"Another one?† â€Å"You must be feeling like a pin cushion by now, Mr. Case. I need you to roll over.† Tuck rolled over and the doctor gave him the injection. â€Å"It’s either this or the IV. We’ve got this infection on the run, but we don’t want it to get a foothold again.† Tuck rubbed his bottom and sat up. Before he could say anything, the doctor stuck a digital thermometer in his mouth. â€Å"Beth tells me that you’re worried about your friend, the one you say came to the island with you?† Tuck nodded. â€Å"I’ll check into it, I promise you. In the meantime, if you’re feeling up to it, Beth and I would like you to join us for dinner. Get to know each other a little. Let you know what’s expected of you.† He pulled the thermometer out of Tuck’s mouth and checked it but made no comment. â€Å"You up for dinner tonight?† â€Å"Sure,† Tuck said. â€Å"But†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Good. We’ll eat at seven. I’ll have Beth bring you down some clothes. I’m sorry about the hand-me-downs, but it’s the best we can do for now.† He started to leave. â€Å"Doc?† Sebastian turned. â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"You’ve been out here, what, thirty years?† The doctor stiffened. â€Å"Twenty-eight. Why?† â€Å"Well, Mrs. Curtis doesn’t look†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Yes, Beth is quite a bit younger than I am. But we can talk about all that at dinner. You should probably rest now and let those antibiotics do their work. I need you healthy, Mr. Case. We have a round of golf to play.† â€Å"Golf?† â€Å"You do play, don’t you?† Tuck took a second to catch up with the abrupt change of subject, then said, â€Å"You play golf here?† â€Å"I am a physician, Mr. Case. Even in the Pacific we have Wednesdays.† Then he smiled and left the bungalow. 31 Revenge: Sweet and Low in Calories Sarapul twisted the last of the fibers into his rope and drew his knife to trim the ragged end. It was a good knife, made in Germany, with a thin flexible blade that was perfect for filleting fish or cutting microthin slices from coconut stems to keep the tuba running. He’d had the knife for ten years and he kept it honed and polished on a piece of tanned pig hide. The blade flashed blue as he picked it up and he saw the face of vengeance re-flected in the metal. Without turning, he said, â€Å"The young ones are going to kill you.† Kimi stopped, his knife held ready to strike the old man in the neck. â€Å"You ate my friend.† Sarapul gripped his knife blade down so he might turn and slash at the same time. There was no quickness in his bones, though. The Filipino would kill him before he got halfway around. â€Å"Your friend is with the white Sorcerer and Vincent’s bitch. Malink took him away.† â€Å"Not that one. Roberto. The bat.† â€Å"Bats are taboo. We don’t eat bats on Alualu.† Kimi lowered his knife an inch. â€Å"You are not supposed to eat people either, but you do.† â€Å"Not people I know. Come over here where I can see you. I am old and my neck won’t turn that far around.† Kimi walked a crescent around the tree and crouched at ready in front of the old man. Sarapul said, â€Å"You were going to kill me.† â€Å"If you ate Roberto.† â€Å"I like that. Nobody kills anybody anymore. Oh, the young ones are talking about killing you, but I think Malink will talk them out of it.† Kimi cleared his throat. â€Å"Were you going to eat me when they killed me?† â€Å"Someone brought that up at the drinking circle. I don’t remember who.† â€Å"Then how do I know you did not eat Roberto?† â€Å"Look at me, little one. I am a hundred years old maybe. Sometimes I go to the beach to pee and the tides change before my water comes. How would I catch a bat?† Kimi sat down on the ground across from the old man and dropped his knife in the gravel. â€Å"Something happened to Roberto. He flew off.† â€Å"Maybe he found a girl bat,† Sarapul said. â€Å"Maybe he will come back. You want a drink?† The old cannibal offered his jar of tuba to Kimi, who leaned forward and snatched it before retreating out of knife range. Kimi took a sip and grimaced. â€Å"Why are they going to kill me?† â€Å"They say you are a girl-man and that you make Sepie forget her duties as mispel. And they don’t like you. Don’t worry, no one kills anyone anymore. It is just drunk talk.† Kimi hung his head. â€Å"Sepie sent me away from the bachelors’ house. She is mad at me. I have nowhere to go.† Sarapul nodded in sympathy, but said nothing. He’d been exiled for so long that he’d gotten used to the alienation, but he remembered how he had felt when Malink had first banished him. â€Å"You speak our language pretty good,† Sarapul said. â€Å"My father was from Satawan. He was a great navigator. He taught me.† â€Å"You’re a navigator?† In the old days the navigators stood above even the chiefs – and just below the gods. As a boy, Sarapul idolized the two navigators of Alualu. The long-dead dream of his boyhood surfaced and he remembered learning from them, watching them draw star charts in the sand and stand at the beach lecturing on tides and currents and winds. He had wanted to be a navigator, had begun the training, for in the rigid caste system of the Yapese islands it was the one way for a man to distin-guish himself. But one of the navigators had died of a fever and the other was killed in a fight before he could pass on his knowledge. The navigators and warriors were ghosts of the past. If this girl-man was a navigator, then the bachelors were piss ants to talk of killing him. Sarpul felt infused with an energy he hadn’t felt in years. â€Å"I can show you something,† Sarapul said. He tried to climb to his feet and fell back into a crouch. Kimi took him by a bony arm and helped him up. â€Å"Come,† Sarapul said. The old man led Kimi down the path to the beach and stopped at the water’s edge. He began to sing, his voice like dried palm leaves rattling in the wind. He waved his arms in arcs, then threw them wide to the sky so that his chest looked as if it might crack open like a rotten breadfruit. And the wind came up. He took handfuls of sand and cast them into the wind, then clapped his hands and resumed singing until the palms above them were waving in the wind. Then he stopped. â€Å"Now we wait,† he said. He pointed out to sea. â€Å"Watch there.† A column of fog rose off the ocean at the horizon and boiled black and silver into a huge thunderhead. Sarapul clapped his hands again and a lightning bolt ripped out of the cloud and across the sky like a jagged white fissure in blue glass. The thunderclap was instant, deafening, and crackled for a full ten seconds. Sarapul turned to Kimi, who was staring at the thunderhead with his mouth open. â€Å"Can you do that?† Kimi shook off his astonishment with a shiver. â€Å"No, I never learned that. My father said he could send the thunder, but I didn’t see him do it.† Sarapul grinned. â€Å"Ever eat a guy?† Kimi shook his head. â€Å"No.† â€Å"Tastes like Spam,† Sarapul said. â€Å"I heard that.† â€Å"I can teach you to send the thunder. I don’t know the stars, though.† â€Å"I know the stars,† Kimi said. â€Å"Go get your things,† Sarapul said. How to cite Island of the Sequined Love Nun Chapter 29~31, Essay examples

Garth Brooks Essay Research Paper Garth BrooksTroyal free essay sample

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