Saturday, October 12, 2019
Love story set in World War One :: English Literature Essays
Love story set in WWI A shell struck near the trench, forcing debris towards Robert. He awoke with start. His friend laughed at Robert's startled expression. "Are you still not used to that?" Dougie said wryly, knowing that no-one could ever overcome the shock of the trenches. "Here, I saved you these." He handed over some biscuits. Robert thanked him. He tried to break the biscuit to see how hard it was. He found it very difficult to snap so he wet it and smashed it to small pieces with a brick. He had learnt the hard way that biting biscuits could very easily break teeth. "Young Tom died" Dougie said nonchalantly, whilst picking lice from his head. Robert watched as he threw them into the flame of a candle. Dougie had been in the war since the start and found it easy to not get affected by the sort of things that went on. "Oh." Robert and Tom were fairly good friends. They had spoken days earlier about how they were looking forward to seeing their wives. A lump formed in Robert's throat. He spoke with a choked voice. "What happened to him?" What affected Robert the most in situations like this was that they reminded him that his life was virtually meaningless to the country and that he was in serious danger all of the time. He knew that he could very easily be dead within the hour. "He was shot on his side, about here," Dougie pointed to his lower back. "He fell down and couldn't get back up. He drowned in the mud." A shiver tickled Robert's spine. He had heard many stories of injured men drowning in the swamped ground. He had always considered it to have been the worst way to go. Sinking into the mud. Feeling your mouth fill with the slimy, watery soil. Having it in your throat. Not being able to breathe. Knowing that you could stop it all by standing up, but being unable to. Passing into unconsciousness. Dying. Robert checked the rota. He was on sentry duty. His body ached. He was eating poorly, having little sleep and working too much. The conditions in the trench added to his bad health immensely. Fleas covered his body and his frustrated scratching had meant that there were areas on his body where he had clawed his skin off. His open wounds were often infected because he very rarely had the opportunity to wash.
Friday, October 11, 2019
Rbiââ¬â¢s Debt Management and Monetary Policy Essay
I have shown you in class, using the IS-LM model, how the above two roles of the RBI presents a conflict between the desired positions of the LM curve and therefore the equilibrium interest rate. Some of you have expressed interest in knowing more about this debate. Therefore here are the two opposing points of view. For the motion: On this side of the debate is the government which supports an independent Debt Management Office (DMO) that is separate from the RBI. The government has received support from the Report of the Internal Working Group on Debt Management which has pointed out three conflicts that arises from the present arrangement: ââ¬Å"If the Central Bank tries to be an effective debt manager, it would lean towards selling bonds at high prices, i.e. keeping interest rates low. This leads to an inflationary bias in monetary policy.â⬠Second ââ¬Å"if the Central Bank tries to do a good job of discharging its responsibility of selling bonds, it has an incentive to mandate that banks hold a large amount of government paper.â⬠Third, ââ¬Å"if the Central Bank administers the operating systems for the government securities markets, as the RBI currently does, this creates another conflict, where the owner/ administrator of these systems is also a participant in the market.â⬠The Percy Mistry Committee on Making Mumbai an International Financial Centre (IFC) recommended the setting up of an autonomous DMO by saying that ââ¬Å"looking ahead, a sound public borrowing strategy for India would incorporate three elements. . . An independent Indian ââ¬Å"debt management officeâ⬠ââ¬â operating either as an autonomous agency or under the Ministry of Finance ââ¬â that regularly auctioned a large quantum of INR denominated bonds in an IFC in Mumbai. The size of these auctions would be substantial by world standards and would enhance Mumbaiââ¬â¢s stature as an IFC.â⬠The Raghuram Rajan committee on Financial Sector Reforms (A Hundred Small Steps) has argued against RBI providing the ââ¬Å"investment bankingâ⬠function to the government as ââ¬Å"this involves a conflict of interest, since the government would benefit from lower interest rates, which the RBI has some control over. Investors in the bond market may also perceive the sale of bonds by RBI to be informed by a sense of how interest rates will evolve in theà future. Finally, the RBI is the regulator of banks. Banking supervision could be distorted by the desire to sell bonds at an attractive price.â⬠Media commentators have also supported the motion. See for instance Ajay Shah writing in the Business Standard,Ila Patnaik writing in the Indian Express, Shruthi Jayaram writing in the Financial Express, S. Narayan writing in the Mint. Also see what the Stanford Universityââ¬â¢s Policy Brief and the Bank for International Settlements feel about this issue. Against the motion: Predictably the RBI is opposing the above views. See this Business Standard report which quotes RBI Governor Dr Subbarao as saying that ââ¬Å"Only central banks have the requisite market pulse and instruments to aid in making contextual judgements which an independent debt agency, driven by narrow objectives, will not be able to do.â⬠The Governor further said that in order to achieve monetary and financial stability, separation of debt management from central bank seems to be a ââ¬Å"sub-optimal choiceâ⬠. ââ¬Å"The case for shifting debt management function out of the central bank is made on several arguments such as resolving conflict of interest, reducing the cost of debt, facilitating debt consolidation and increasing transparency. These advantages are overstated,â⬠Dr Subbarao said. He said market borrowings are the major source of deficit financing at state level and such borrowings are exceeding the absorptive capacity of the market. ââ¬Å"That makes it imperative to harmonise the market borrowing programmes of the Centre and the states. Separation of the Centreââ¬â¢s debt management from the central bank will make such harmonisation difficult,â⬠Dr Subbarao added. He said even internationally, there is closer association between the central bank with sovereign debt management for proper monetary policy and financial stability. Also see this Business Line report which quotes Dr Subbrao as saying that ââ¬Å"the learning from the recent global crisis is that those systems where central bank manages government debt are more effective. When fiscal deficit is as high as it is in India, it is not only about debt management in the conventional sense. It has larger implications for liquidity management and monetary policy transmission. The balance of advantage would lie in the RBI continuing to manage public debt until fiscal deficit comes down to very comfortable levels.â⬠RBIââ¬â¢s internal researchà supports the above view by demonstrating that interest rates have not been affected by the governmentââ¬â¢s borrowing programme (a point made by some of you in class). Some media commentators have also supported RBIââ¬â¢s view (see this article in the Economic Times). You will be amused to know that Dr Subbarao himself was an advocate of an independent DMO when he used to work for the government! The confusion over this issue was evidenced by the Rakesh Mohan Committee on Indiaââ¬â¢s Financial Sector Assessment which opined in favour of an independent DMO with the chairman (an ex-deputy governor of the RBI) disagreeing with the committeeââ¬â¢s view! Tailpiece: The RBI seems to have reconciled to the setting up of an independent DMO but is insisting that they be in charge of running the office (so much for independence)! See this report from the Financial Express. Finally you may enjoy reading this article from the Economic Times on ââ¬Å"Chidambaram vs Subbarao: How conflicts between govt and RBI could lead to better policy-makingâ⬠.
Thursday, October 10, 2019
Poem Interpretation: Cloudy Day
This man locked between four walls, has all the time to relive the crime, his horrible mistake that sent him to jail. Deprived of liberty, he remembers what life was like when he was free. Every second he spent outside those walls. All the people who cared for him. He was never grateful for the life he was living. It used to be no bars, no chains,no guards to wake you up in the morning. Now that time has changed as they even tell him when to bath. Sitting in the dark, watching miniature shadows creep by.These little beasts lurk in his room and become his only friends, he start talking to them, yelling at them, until they turned him mad! But then a breeze fortunately wakes you from his insanity, it makes him feel alive, the cold breeze awakens his senses. Suddenly he smells the shame brought upon himself. He feels the guilt weighing on his shoulders. He tasted the bitterness of his actions. He hears the screams over and over again until the images come back to haunt him again.As the g ushes of wind crash against the building, he smell the freshly cut grass, he see the branches, the leaves,and tries to remember the taste of berries hanging of the tree. It was standing there outside his reach, the figure breathed slowly and continuously as the rocking head looked at him purposely, it started pointing straight at him, mocking him because he is free. To evade reality, is now a nesesity. His insanity is making him angry. He needs too let himself cool off, but being locked up alone is the same as being locked in your mind.With no one to talk too he needs to look within for answers and comfort. He needs someone to to look forward in seeing again. He loves her but sometimes forgets she is there waiting. But this night the cold wind blows through his cell. The stone so cold he thought he was going to freeze. He decided to make the next four years of his life a time to learn and grow. Instead of letting himself go to the icy night he wanded to feel alive. He wanted to have something to look forward to.She was the one who was going to guide him to freedom. In the prison yard, they weren't isolated from the wind that creeped through your neck during the walk. This used to irritate him but now he has learned to embrace it. That feeling, rushing through his veins, the hairs on his arms stand on end, that shiver does not weaken him, on the contrary it makes him alive. That is what he has learned to embrace because it is one of the last feelings he is able to look forward to since love is so far out of reach.
Fool Chapter 18
EIGHTEEN KITTEN'S CLAWS We entered Castle Gloucester in stealth, which does not suit me, as you might guess. I am better suited to entering a room with a series of somersaults, a clack-stick, rude noise, and a ââ¬Å"top o' the mornin' to ye, tossers!â⬠I'm fitted out in bells and puppets, for fuck's sake. All this sneaking and subterfuge was wearing on me. I followed the Earl of Gloucester through a secret hatch in the stable and into a tunnel that passed under the moat. We waded through a foot of cold water in the dark, making for a slosh in my step as well as a jingle. I'd never fit Drool through the narrow passage, even if I could chase the dark with a torch. The tunnel opened through another hatch in the floor of the dungeon. The earl took his leave in the very torture chamber where I had met Regan. ââ¬Å"I'm off to arrange the passage for your master to Dover, fool. I still have a few servants who are true to me.â⬠I felt indebted to the old man for helping me into the castle, especially given his former bitterness toward me. ââ¬Å"Steer clear of the bastard, your grace. I know he is your favored son, but not rightly so. He's a villain.â⬠ââ¬Å"Don't disparage Edmund, fool. I know your conniving ways. Only last evening he stood with me in protest against Cornwall's treatment of the king.â⬠I could tell Gloucester about the letter I'd forged in Edgar's hand, about the bastard's plan to usurp his brother, but what could he do? Likely he'd storm into Edmund's quarters and the bastard would murder him on the spot. ââ¬Å"Right, then,â⬠said I. ââ¬Å"Be careful, my lord. Cornwall and Regan are a four-fanged viper, and if they should turn their venom on Edmund, you must let him go. Do not come to his aid, lest you, too, are scratched with poisonous pricks.â⬠ââ¬Å"My last true son. Shame on you, fool,â⬠said the earl. He scoffed and hurried out of the dungeon and up the stairs. I thought to prevail upon one god or another to protect the old man, but if the gods were working in my favor, they would continue unbidden, and if they opposed, there was no need to alert them to my cause. It pained me, but I took off my shoes and hat and tucked them into my jerkin to still the bells. Jones had remained back at the hovel with Lear. The laundry lay in the lower levels of the castle, so I made my way there first. The laundress with the aforementioned knockers of the smashing persuasion was hanging a basketload of shirts by the fire when I entered. ââ¬Å"Where's Drool, love?â⬠I asked. ââ¬Å"Hidden,â⬠she said. ââ¬Å"I know he's bloody hidden, otherwise asking would have been superfluous, wouldn't it?â⬠ââ¬Å"Just want me to give him up, then? How do I know you're not out to kill him? That old knight who brought him here said not to let anyone know where he was.â⬠ââ¬Å"But I'm here to get him out of the castle. Rescue him, as it were.â⬠ââ¬Å"Aye, you say that, but ââ¬â ââ¬Å" ââ¬Å"Listen, you bloody tart, give up the git!â⬠ââ¬Å"Emma,â⬠said the laundress. I sat down on the hearth and rested my head in my hands. ââ¬Å"Love, I've spent the night in a storm with a witch and two raving nutters. I've a brace of wars to see to, as well as the summary violation of two princesses and consequent cuckolding of a pair of dukes. I'm heartbroken, aggrieved for the loss of a friend, and the great drooling lummox that is my apprentice is evidently wandering the castle in search of a mortal chest wound. Pity a fool, love ââ¬â another non sequitur may dash my brittle sanity to splinters.â⬠ââ¬Å"My name is Emma,â⬠said the laundress. ââ¬Å"I'm right here, Pocket,â⬠said Drool, standing up in the great cauldron. A pile of laundry on his head had been concealing his great empty melon as he lurked in the water. ââ¬Å"Knockers hided me. She's a love.â⬠ââ¬Å"You see,â⬠said Emma. ââ¬Å"He keeps calling me Knockers.â⬠ââ¬Å"It's a compliment, love.â⬠ââ¬Å"It's disrespectful,â⬠she said. ââ¬Å"My name's Emma.â⬠I will never understand women. The laundress, it would seem, dressed in a manner that accentuated, indeed, celebrated her bosoms ââ¬â a tightly cinched waist pushing bits up until they bloomed out of a swooping neckline ââ¬â yet a chap notices and the lady takes offense. I will never understand it. ââ¬Å"You know he's a complete nitwit, don't you, Emma?â⬠ââ¬Å"Just the same.â⬠ââ¬Å"Fine. Drool, apologize to Emma for saying how smashing her knockers are.â⬠ââ¬Å"Sorry about your knockers,â⬠said Drool, bowing his head so his laundry hat dropped back into the drink. ââ¬Å"Satisfied, Emma?â⬠I asked. ââ¬Å"I suppose.â⬠ââ¬Å"Good. Now, do you know where Captain Curan, the commander of King Lear's knights might be?â⬠ââ¬Å"Oh yes,â⬠said Emma. ââ¬Å"Lord Edmund and the duke consulted me this morning on all the military matters, as they are wont to do ââ¬â me being a laundress and having access to all the best bloody tactics and strategies and the lot.â⬠ââ¬Å"Sarcasm will make your tits fall off,â⬠said I. ââ¬Å"Will not,â⬠said she, her arm going to a support position. ââ¬Å"It's a known fact,â⬠I said, nodding earnestly, then looking to Drool, who also nodded earnestly and said, ââ¬Å"It's a known fact,â⬠note for note in my voice. ââ¬Å"That's bloody spooky.â⬠Emma shuddered. ââ¬Å"You lot can get out of my laundry.â⬠ââ¬Å"Very well, then,â⬠said I. I motioned for Drool to climb out of the cauldron. ââ¬Å"I thank you for looking after the Natural, Emma. I wish there were something I could ââ¬â ââ¬Å" ââ¬Å"Kill Edmund,â⬠she said. ââ¬Å"Pardon?â⬠ââ¬Å"The son of a guild builder were going to marry me before I came to work here. A respected man. Edmund took me against my will and bragged about it in the village. My lad wouldn't have me then. No one worth his salt will have me, except the bastard, and him whenever he wants. ââ¬ËTis Edmund who commanded that I wear this low frock. Says he'll set me out with the pigs if I don't give him service. Kill him for me.â⬠ââ¬Å"But lass, I'm just a fool. A clown. A small one at that.â⬠ââ¬Å"There's more to you than that, you black-hatted rascal. I've seen them wicked daggers at your back, and I can see who's pulling the strings round this castle, and it ain't the duke or the old king. Kill the bastard.â⬠ââ¬Å"Edmund beated me,â⬠said Drool. ââ¬Å"And she do have smashing knockers.â⬠ââ¬Å"Drool!â⬠ââ¬Å"Well, she do.â⬠ââ¬Å"All right, then,â⬠said I, taking the laundress's hand. ââ¬Å"But in time. We've things to accomplish first.â⬠I bowed over her hand, kissed it, then turned on my heel and padded barefoot out of the laundry to set history. ââ¬Å"Heinous fuckery,â⬠Drool whispered to the laundress with a wink. I hid Drool in the gatehouse among the heavy chains that I had used for my escape when I pursued Lear into the storm. Getting the lummox up on the wall and to the gatehouse undetected was no small task, and he left a dripping trail on the stones until we gained the castle exterior, but the guard was light in the tempest, so most of the way we went across the top of the walls unseen. My feet felt as if they'd been set in ice by the time I came back in to a fire, but there was no other way. Drool in the tight space of the secret tunnel, with his fear of the dark was not something I would wish on an enemy. I found a woolen blanket and wrapped the lout in it to await my return. ââ¬Å"Guard my shoes and my satchel, Drool.â⬠I made my way, dodging from nook to cranny, through the kitchen, to the servants' entrance into the great hall, hoping I might get a moment with Regan there. The hall's massive fireplace would be an enticement for the princess on such a frigid day, for as much as she took to the activities of a dungeon, she was drawn to heat like a cat. Because Castle Gloucester had no curtain wall, even the great hall was fitted with arrow loops, so the edifice might be defended at all levels from an attack by water. The arrow loops, while shuttered, were notoriously drafty, so arrases[40] were hung over the alcoves against the wind ââ¬â the perfect place for a fool to watch, warm himself, and find his moment. I slipped into the room behind a brace of serving girls and into the alcove nearest the fireplace. She was there, by the fire, in a heavy, hooded, black fur robe, only her face revealed to the world. I pulled the tapestry aside and was about to call to her when the latch was thrown on the hall's main doors and the Duke of Cornwall entered, wearing his usual finery with the red lion crest on his chest, but more pointedly, Lear's crown ââ¬â the one the old man had thrown on the table that fateful night at the White Tower. Even Regan seemed startled to see it on the head of her husband. ââ¬Å"My lord, is it prudent to wear the crown of Britain when our sister is still in the castle?â⬠ââ¬Å"Right, right, we must keep up appearances as if we don't know that Albany raises an army against us.â⬠Cornwall took the crown off and hid it under a cushion by the hearth. ââ¬Å"I am to meet Edmund here and lay a plan for the duke's undoing. One hopes that your sister can be kept out of harm's way.â⬠Regan shrugged. ââ¬Å"If she throws herself under destiny's hooves, who are we to save her brains from being pulped?â⬠Cornwall took her in his arms and kissed her passionately. Oh lady, thought I, push him away lest you debase your lovely lips with villainy. Then it occurred to me, and perhaps rather later than it should have, that she would no more taste villainy than a garlic eater will taste the stinking rose on another. The lady had evil on her breath already. Even as the duke held her tight and professed his adoration of her, she wiped her mouth on her sleeve behind his back. She pushed the duke away when the bastard Edmund entered the hall. ââ¬Å"My lord,â⬠said Edmund, only nodding to Regan. ââ¬Å"Our plans for Albany must be delayed. Look at this letter.â⬠The duke took the parchment from Edmund. ââ¬Å"What?â⬠said Regan. ââ¬Å"What, what, what?â⬠ââ¬Å"France has landed forces. He knows of unrest between ourselves and Albany and has hidden forces in coastal cities all over Britain.â⬠Regan snatched the parchment out of Cornwall's hand and read it for herself. ââ¬Å"This is addressed to Gloucester.â⬠Edmund bowed in false contrition. ââ¬Å"Aye, milady, I found it in his closet and brought it here as soon as I saw its contents.â⬠ââ¬Å"Guard!â⬠called Cornwall. The great doors opened and a soldier looked in. ââ¬Å"Bring me the Earl of Gloucester. Give no deference to his title, he is a traitor.â⬠I looked for a way back to the kitchen, to perhaps find Gloucester and warn him of the bastard's treachery, but Edmund faced the alcove where I was hiding and there was no getting out undiscovered. I opened the shutter to the arrow loop. Even if I could manage to wiggle through it, the wall was a sheer drop to the lake below. I palmed the shutter closed and latched it. The latch on the main doors clanked again and I returned to the gap between the wall and the tapestry, from which I saw Goneril enter, trailed by two soldiers who held Gloucester by the arms. The old man looked as if he had given up already and hung between the soldiers like a drowned man. ââ¬Å"Hang him,â⬠said Regan, turning to warm her hands by the fire. ââ¬Å"What is this?â⬠said Goneril. Cornwall handed her the letter and stood looking over her shoulder while she read. ââ¬Å"Pluck out his eyes,â⬠she said, making an effort not to look at Gloucester. Cornwall took the letter gently from her hand and put his hand on her shoulder in brotherly support. ââ¬Å"Leave him to our displeasure, sister. Edmund, keep our sister company and see her safely home. Lady, tell your duke we must unite against this foreign force. We'll send dispatches quickly between us. Go now, Earl of Gloucester, you do not want to see the dealings with this traitor.â⬠Edmund couldn't conceal a smile upon being addressed by the title he had lusted after for so many years. ââ¬Å"I will,â⬠said Edmund. He offered his arm to Goneril, who took it. They started out of the hall. ââ¬Å"No!â⬠said Regan. Everyone stopped. Cornwall stepped between Regan and her sister. ââ¬Å"Lady, now is the time when we must all be united against the foreign power.â⬠Regan gritted her teeth and turned back to the fire, waving them away. ââ¬Å"Go.â⬠Edmund and Goneril left the hall. ââ¬Å"Bind him to that chair, then leave us,â⬠Cornwall commanded his soldiers. They tied the old earl to a heavy chair and stood back. ââ¬Å"You are my guests,â⬠said Gloucester. ââ¬Å"Do me no foul play.â⬠ââ¬Å"Filthy traitor,â⬠said Regan. She took the letter from her husband and threw it in the old man's face. She grabbed a pinch of Gloucester's beard and yanked it out. The earl yowled. ââ¬Å"So white, and such a traitor,â⬠she said. ââ¬Å"I am no traitor. I am loyal to my king.â⬠She pulled another pinch from his beard. ââ¬Å"What letters do you have late from France? What is their plan?â⬠Gloucester looked at the parchment on the floor. ââ¬Å"I have only that.â⬠Cornwall charged up to Gloucester and pulled the old man's head back by the back of his hair. ââ¬Å"Speak now, to whose hands have you sent the lunatic king? We know you've sent him aid.â⬠ââ¬Å"To Dover. I sent him to Dover. Only a few hours ago.â⬠ââ¬Å"Why Dover?â⬠said Regan. ââ¬Å"Because I would not see your cruel nails pluck out his old eyes or your sister tear his flesh with her boarish fangs. Because there are those who would care for him there. Not put him out in the storm.â⬠ââ¬Å"He lies,â⬠said Regan. ââ¬Å"There's a smashing torture chamber in the dungeon, shall we?â⬠But Cornwall would not wait. In a second he was sitting astraddle the old man and was digging his thumb into Gloucester's eye socket. Gloucester screamed until his voice broke and there was a sickening pop. I reached for one of my throwing daggers. The main door to the hall cracked and heads popped up in the stairwell from the kitchen. ââ¬Å"Why Dover?â⬠said Regan. ââ¬Å"Thou carrion bird!â⬠said Gloucester with a cough. ââ¬Å"Thou she-devil, I'll not say.â⬠ââ¬Å"Then you'll not see light again,â⬠said Cornwall, and he was on the old man again. I would not have it. I drew back my dagger to cast it, but before I could, a band like ice encircled my wrist and I looked to see the girl ghost right beside me, staying my throw, in fact, paralyzing me. I could move only my eyes to look back on the horror playing out in the great hall. Suddenly a boy brandishing a long butcher knife ran out of the kitchen stairwell and leapt on the duke. Cornwall stood and tried to draw his sword, but could not get it clear of the scabbard before the boy was on him, plunging the knife into his side. As the lad pulled back to stab again Regan drew a dagger from the sleeve of her robe and plunged it into the boy's neck, then stepped back from the spray of blood. The boy clawed at his neck and fell. ââ¬Å"Away!â⬠Regan shrieked, waving the dagger at the servants in the kitchen stairwell and the main door and they all disappeared like frightened mice. Cornwall climbed unsteadily to his feet and plunged his sword into the boy's heart. Then he sheathed his sword and felt his side. His hand came away bloody. ââ¬Å"Serves you right, you scurvy vermin,â⬠said Gloucester. With that Cornwall was on him again. ââ¬Å"Out, foul jelly!â⬠he shouted, digging his thumb into the earl's good eye, but in that instant Regan's dagger snapped down and took the eye. ââ¬Å"Don't trouble yourself, my lord.â⬠Gloucester passed out then from the pain and hung limp in his bonds. Cornwall stood and kicked the old man's chest, knocking him over backward. The duke looked on Regan with adoring eyes, filled with the warmth and affection that can only come from watching your wife dirk another man's eye out on your behalf, evidently. ââ¬Å"Your wound?â⬠said Regan. Cornwall held his arm out to his wife and she walked into his embrace. ââ¬Å"It glanced across my ribs. I'll bleed some and it pains me, but if bound, it'll not be mortal.â⬠ââ¬Å"Pity,â⬠said Regan, and she plunged her dagger under his sternum and held it as his heart's blood poured over her snowy-white hand. The duke seemed somewhat surprised. ââ¬Å"Bugger,â⬠he said, then he fell. Regan wiped her dagger and her hands on his tunic. She sheathed the blade in her sleeve, then went to the cushion where Cornwall had hidden her father's crown, pulled back her hood, and fitted it on her head. ââ¬Å"Well, Pocket,â⬠said the Duchess, without turning to the alcove where I was hidden. ââ¬Å"How does it fit?â⬠I was somewhat surprised (although somewhat less so than the duke). The ghost released me then, and I stood behind the tapestry, my knife still poised for the throw. ââ¬Å"You'll grow into it, kitten,â⬠said I. She looked to my alcove and grinned. ââ¬Å"Yes, I will, won't I? Did you want something?â⬠ââ¬Å"Let the old man go,â⬠I said. ââ¬Å"King Jeff of France has landed his army at Dover, that's why Gloucester sent Lear there. You'd be wise to set a camp farther south. Rally your forces, with Edmund's and Albany's at the White Tower, perhaps.â⬠The great doors creaked and a head peeked in, a helmeted soldier. ââ¬Å"Send for a physician,â⬠Regan called, trying to sound distressed. ââ¬Å"My lord has been wounded. Throw his attacker on the dung heap and cast this traitor out the front gate. He can smell his way to Dover and his decrepit king.â⬠In a moment the chamber was filled with soldiers and servants and Regan walked out, casting one last look and a sly smile to my hiding place. I have no idea why she left me alive. I suspect it's because she still fancied me. I slipped out through the kitchen and made my way back to the gatehouse. The ghost stood over Drool, who was cowering under his blanket in the corner. ââ¬Å"Come on, you lovely brute, give us a proper snog.â⬠ââ¬Å"Leave him be, wisp!â⬠said I, although she was nearly as solid as a mortal woman. ââ¬Å"Balls up[41] your jaunty murdering for the day, did I, fool?â⬠ââ¬Å"I might have saved the old man's second eye.â⬠ââ¬Å"You wouldn't have.â⬠ââ¬Å"I might have sent Regan to join her duke in whatever hell he inhabits.â⬠ââ¬Å"No, you wouldn't have.â⬠Then she held up a ghostly finger, cleared her throat, and rhymed: ââ¬Å"When a second sibling's base derision, Proffers lies that cloud the vision, And severs ties that families bind, Shall a madman rise to lead the blind.â⬠ââ¬Å"You've said that one, already.â⬠ââ¬Å"I know. Bit prematurely, too. Sorry. I think you'll find it much more relevant now. Even a slow git like yourself can solve the riddle now, I reckon.â⬠ââ¬Å"Or you could just fucking tell me what it means,â⬠said I. ââ¬Å"Sorry, can't do it. Ghostly mystery and whatnot. Ta.â⬠And with that she faded away through the stone wall. ââ¬Å"I dinna shag the ghost, Pocket,â⬠wailed Drool. ââ¬Å"I dinna shag her.â⬠ââ¬Å"I know, lad. She's gone. Get up now, we've got to monkey down the drawbridge chains and find the blind earl.ââ¬
Wednesday, October 9, 2019
Critically discuss how the work-place be analysed and why the devil is Essay
Critically discuss how the work-place be analysed and why the devil is in the detail - Essay Example Continuous review and critical analysis of the organization at timely intervals cater in pointing out to the loop holes that exist in the current setting posing a potential risk for the organization which has to be mitigated in the interest of its continuity. It helps establish and instill a safety culture within your workplace by identifying and eliminating or controlling hazards in a timely manner. The workplace design to be reviewed and updated should be analyzed on the basis of the volume and the variety of the product the organization offers, type of processes, Layout, Flow, Flexibility, compliance to laws and regulations etc. The organization should critically review these factors and revise them making necessary changes where ever required dropping a few and taking up on some new policies and procedures along the way. Altering and disturbing the status quo during this process is what might cause resistance among the people within the organization. For this purpose effective ch ange management policies should be kept into place to counteract such problems and to educate the employees by gaining their full involvement while the organization transits from current to desired settings.
Tuesday, October 8, 2019
Asian Theatre and Drama Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Asian Theatre and Drama - Essay Example Decked up with a number of psychological and social issues, the play brought a remarkable fame to Tagore not only within the nation but across the globe as well. The combination of pathos and the humor operating hand-in-hand within the plot of the play enables a huge scope for a prolific presentation of the play on stage. Owing to this scope, a lot of modernization and improvisations have been incorporated within the plot of the original text while performance by various dramatists. PETAââ¬â¢s Ang Post Office which was performed in the 4th Day of the month of September in 2010, Directed by Grady Labad and Dramaturgy framed by Rustom Bharucha and the adaptation was done by Rody Vera. The entire play gives a different dimension to the language of humanity but the presentation of the ending scene, where the protagonist Amal is lying on the bed dying builds a spectacle unforgettable. The light, sound and action of the characters the moving of the bed, and the association of all the ch aracters on stage transformed the macabre of death into a panorama worth viewing that has the strength to percolate through the mundane inhibitions and comprehension of human mind and transport the audience into some space belonging to cosmic realm . Thesis Statement This essay intends to focus on the ending scene of the performance of Tagoreââ¬â¢s ââ¬ËPost Officeââ¬â¢ by PETA and the intensity of its presentation through which the group is able to take the viewers on a cosmic ride almost. Before analyzing the ending scene of the PETAââ¬â¢s ââ¬ËPost Officeââ¬â¢ performance, it is very eventual to introspect into the original text from which the play has actually evolved; its themes, motif and most importantly a thorough judgment of its backdrop and context should also taken into consideration. Tagoreââ¬â¢s ââ¬ËPost Officeââ¬â¢ is a play from the pantheon of symbolic theatre. One can trace another plot running through the main plot of the play which is allegorical nature. The allegory inherent in the play, ââ¬ËPost Officeââ¬â¢ by Tagore les at the pivotal motif of the play or the most potent theme considered. Illusion and reality at the end of the world and the eternal battle of life and death is the crux of the play. Tagoreââ¬â¢s own fascination for the mysticism associated with death and life after death actually glossed the play, ââ¬ËPost Officeââ¬â¢. Tagoreââ¬â¢s idealism for the spiritual death finds profound expression through t he presentation of Post Office. The dynamics of skepticism regarding the physical and spiritual death all through his life gets a proper expression in the play, ââ¬ËPost Officeââ¬â¢. Amal dies a physical death, but his physical death is not his actual death. Amal seems to die, but his physical extinction does not lead an end to lifeââ¬â¢s unceasing voyages2. The village doctor was about to maltreat and put him to death, but Amal feels that when a patient is visited by the royal physician, then no one can fall into the clutches of death so easily. Through the fabric of metaphors Amal awaits the Kingââ¬â¢s letter to come to him directly pondering upon the window through which he can see the Post Office. The door or the route to the endless road opens at the closing scene of the play. The royal physician himself brings the message for Amal, but the message of emancipation from the hands of the royal physicia
Monday, October 7, 2019
A Policy Evaluation Study of the Indian Economic Reforms and their Essay
A Policy Evaluation Study of the Indian Economic Reforms and their affects on the Indian Economy over the last two decades and the outlook for the future and wh - Essay Example The examination of key events and reforms juxtaposed alongside performance data provides a framework for evaluating how successful the reform policies have been in aiding India to emerge and become a global economic superpower, attracting huge amounts of FDI to capitalise on the large pool of low cost talented labour which has and will help organisations remain competitive in the global marketplace. The findings indicate that although the reforms have greatly benefited the economy there is a need for further reform in the agricultural and other sectors, which are explored in this study to ensure the current rate of economic growth is sustainable and the GDP per capita increase. The Indian Economic reforms refer generically to the changes introduced in July 1991 in all major sets of policies in the face of a looming Balance of Payments (BOP) crisis and substantial macroeconomic instability. These changes mark a significant paradigm shift in the Indian development strategy. The Indian economy had adopted the path of centrally planned development since its independence in 1947. The socialist framework of the erstwhile USSR was a major motivation and the basic growth model that was adopted was in essence a variant of the Feldman model that was followed in the USSR (Nayyar, 1997). The Indian economy at that time was predominantly agrarian with an almost non-existent industrial base. The objective of the planned development strategy was to attain rapid industrialisation and in pursuit priority was accorded to developing the capital goods sector. Large public sector investments went in to the development of the heavy industries like iron and steel and capital goo ds machinery and the private sector was restricted from entering this sector. Heavy regulatory controls were administered to restrict the private sector and the market
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