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Aristotle on Friendship Essay - 1134 Words

Aristotle on Friendship We are social creatures. We surround ourselves with other human beings, our friends. It is in our nature. We are constantly trying to broaden the circumference of our circle of friends. Aristotle understood the importance of friendship, books VIII and IX of the Nicomachean Ethics deal solely with this topic. A modern day definition of a friend can be defined as â€Å"one joined to another in intimacy and mutual benevolence independently of sexual or family love†. (Oxford English Dictionary). Aristotle’s view on friendship is much broader than this. His arguments are certainly not flawless. In this essay I will outline what Aristotle said about friendship in the Nichomachaen Ethics and highlight possible†¦show more content†¦Both have something the other wants. These friendships do not last very long as once the buyer is no longer useful to the salesman, or visa versa, the connection is severed and the friendship ceases to be. Friendships of utility a re common among old people, for in old age people pursue the useful rather than the pleasant. 2. Friendships of Pleasure Friendships of pleasure are based on the amount of pleasure the people get from being in the relationship. People who go to football matches together, or who go to the pub together might be in this type of relationship. They are friends for their own sake, because the friendship brings them pleasure and enjoyment, not for their friend’s sake. Friendships of pleasure are common among young people. Young people quickly become friends and quickly cease to be friends because what pleasures them changes constantly. 3. Friendships of Virtue Friendships of virtue, unlike friendships of utility and pleasure, which can include a circle of friends, are strictly one on one relationships. These types of friendships can only occur between two people of the same virtues and both persons have to be virtuous. One can only become virtuous through wisdom and age. Therefore friendships of virtue are not found among young people. It is a relationship of mutual respect and love. The persons in this type of relationship are not in it because they gain something from the relationship, they are not friends becauseShow MoreRelatedAristotle And Aristotle On Friendship1480 Words   |  6 Pageswork The Nicomachean Ethics Aristotle addresses the question: what is the good life? Aristotle acknowledges that the generally accepted notion of the human good is happiness or, alternatively put, eudaimonia. The difficulty surrounding the age old question, and the topic that Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics primarily addresses, is not what we call the human good, but rather how happiness is defined and what contributes to a good, eudaimonic, flourishing life. Aristotle writes that happiness is anRead MoreAristotle on Friendship1069 Words   |  4 PagesIn book eight of Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle defines the three types of friendships that exist in the Greek word philia (a broader definition of friendship than one might think), which are based off usefulness, pleasure, or goodness, the three reasons for liking something: friendships of utility, friendships of pleasure and complete friendships. In the beginning, Aristotle says that friendship is a virtue or at least involves virtue. It is necessary to life, since no one would choose to live withoutRead MoreAristotle on Friendship Essay610 Words   |  3 PagesAristotle On Friendship Philosophical Ethics December 6, 1995 Friendship is undoubtedly one of the most important elements in the books of Aristotles ethical principles. Aristotle takes the idea of friendship to a serious degree. He categorizes them into three groups or types of friendships. This report will attempt to define each type of friendship as well as identify the role of friendship in a society. Aristotle considers friendship to be a necessity to live. HeRead MoreEssay Aristotle On Friendship1333 Words   |  6 PagesAristotle wrote on many subjects in his lifetime but one of the virtues that he examines more extensively is friendship. Aristotle believes that there are three different kinds of friendship: utility, pleasure, and virtuous friendships. He also argues that a real friendship should be highly valued because it is a complete virtue and he believes it to be greater than honor and justice. Aristotle suggests that human’s love of utility and pleasure is the only reason why the first two types of friendshipsRead MoreAristotle s Views On Friendship890 Words   |  4 PagesAccording to Aristotle s views on friendships he believes that friendship is necessary to live a good life, inspires us to be virtuous, and is a kind of love. Aristotle also believes friendships help people predispose their character and keeps the youth away from errors. Additionally frien dship gives support during weakness and helps people be generous and know when they need help. Aristotle views that there are three kinds of friendships, pleasure, utility, and perfect friendships. Pleasure friendshipsRead MoreAristotle s Portrayal Of Friendship1708 Words   |  7 Pagesvirtuous character. While in Nicomachean Ethics Aristotle s depiction of friendship is a lively one, they show affection and their own virtuous character translates to our own. In contrast, Seneca s On The Shortness Of Life suggests that we should seek friends of virtue with the dead because they possess the ability to always be with us and guide us with their own knowledge of life. While Aristotle and Seneca would rather choose one form of friendship over the other, we can denounce the notion thatRead MoreFriendship Between Aristotle And Nietzsche1461 Words   |  6 Pagesthings that everyone shares. One common thing is friendship. Almost everyone Earth has experienced friendship and love whether it was a positive or negative experience. Aristotle and Nietzsche both have views on love and friendship, but have some very clear differences. This paper will show what consists of friendship to Aristotle, a rebuttal from Nietzsche, and how Aristotle’s beliefs can show and prove otherwise. Both philosophers believe that friendship is necessary in human life but both break downRead MoreAristotle s Theory Of Friendship1415 Words   |  6 Pageswould choose a friendless existence on condition of having all the other things in the world (Aristotle).† Humans are social beings, social beyond any other creature in the world. Human interaction is a must for survival. It is in our nature. Aristotle understood this, he even had his own analysis of friendship. In the Nicomachean Ethics written by Aristotle, books VIII and IX are based off of friendship. Today, the definition of a friend is, â€Å"A person with whom one has a bond of mutual affectionRead MoreAristotle s Types Of Friendship2060 Words   |  9 PagesAccording to Aristotle, one can experience three different types of friendship. The first type is a friend who is used for utilitarian purposes. Aristotle, however, quickly dismisses this type. As an example, Aristotle explains that one could never be friends w ith wine; while wine is satisfying to the person drinking the wine, no person ever wishes wine good fortune (Aristotle, 32). In order for a relationship between two people to be considered a friendship, one must want good things for the personRead MoreAristotle s Views On Friendship1357 Words   |  6 Pagesthat Aristotle attaches importance to friendship within his ethical reflections. It suffices to recall that the Nicomachean Ethics, the most representative of the ethical works of Aristotle, contains two complete books, books VIII and IX, dedicated to friendship. This means that the theme of friendship is given a much wider space than other fundamental ethical issues. However, this breadth in his explanations is not something casual, but rather responds to Aristotle’s belief that friendship is something

The Bundren Family Essay Example For Students

The Bundren Family Essay Addie Bundren As the matriarch of the Bundren family, Addie is the absent protagonist of the novel. A former schoolteacher, she married Anse Bundren after a brief courtship and bore him four children: Cash, Darl, Dewey Dell and Vardaman. As the result of an affair with Whitfield, Addie is also mother to an illegitimate child, Jewel. At the outset of the novel, Addie is gravely ill, and dies soon thereafter. Her dying wish to be buried with her relatives in Jefferson, the capital of Yoknapatawpha County, provides the impetus for the novels action. Anse Bundren Anse, the patriarch of the Bundren family, is a poor farmer who feels duty-bound to honor his late wifes burial request. But his unhalting ambition to deliver Addie to rest in Jefferson at any cost and despite all hardships serves to cast doubt on both his intelligence and his motives. Upon finally arriving in Jefferson, Anse quickly makes good on his promise to Addie, and then proceeds to acquire a new set of false teeth and a second bride. Cash Bundren The eldest of the Bundren children, Cash is an aspiring carpenter who occupies himself with the construction of his mothers coffin during her dying days. After previously enduring a broken leg when he fell from the roof of a church, he re-injures the same leg in the journey to bury Addie while attempting to cross a river with a wagon in the face of flood conditions. For the rest of the novel Cash is incapacitated, and as the result of a shoddy attempt to set his injured leg in cement, he is hobbled for life. Darl Bundren The next eldest of the Bundren children, Darl delivers the largest number of interior monologues in the novel. An extremely sensitive and articulate young man, he is grief stricken by the death of his mother and the plight of his familys burial journey. After he sets fire to the Gillespie barn in an attempt to incinerate his mothers corpse, his family commits him against his will to a mental institution in Jackson. Jewel The bastard child borne of Addies affair with Whitfield, Jewel lives with the Bundren family as though he were completely of it. However, his unique antecedents inspire within him a fiercely independent turn of mind. As an adolescent, he secretly earned enough money to purchase his own horse, and his self-sufficiency leads to frequent clashes with Anse. A large young man, younger than Darl but older than Dewey Dell, he is as physically active as he is imposing, hauling Addie across the flooding river and rescuing her from the burning barn. Dewey Dell Bundren Dewey Dell, the only Bundren daughter, is a seventeen year-old with a libidinous streak. She becomes pregnant after an affair with Lafe, and seeks an abortion in Jefferson. Vardaman Bundren Vardaman is the youngest of the Bundren children. The fish he catches on the day of his mothers death comes to stand as a symbol of her life and her passing. Vernon Tull Vernon tull is a wealthier farmer who lives near the Bundrens. He visits the Bundrens frequently during Addies last days, and assists them in their river crossing during the funeral journey. Cora Tull Cora, Vernon Tulls wife, is a reverentially pious woman who, along with her daughters Kate and Eula, helps Dewey Dell to care for Addie in her final hours. Whitfield Whitfield is a local minister who carries out an illicit affair with Addie Bundren, resulting in the birth of Jewel. Peabody Peabody is an overweight rural doctor who attends to Addie and later to Cash. Samson Samson is a local farmer who puts up the Bundrens on the first evening of their funeral journey. Armstid Armstid is a local farmer who puts up the Bundrens on the second and third evenings of their funeral journey. Moseley Moseley is a druggist in Mottson who refuses to help Dewey Dell in her search for abortion medicine. MacGowan MacGowan is an employee at a drug store in Jefferson who poses as a doctor in an attempt to seduce Dewey Dell when she inquires after abortion medicine. Part 1SummaryDarl describes his approach with Jewel from the field toward the main house. They pass a dilapidated cotton house and then reach the foot of a bluff, where Tulls wagon sits holding two chairs. At the top of the bluff, Cash is working on a coffin for Addie, dutifully chopping and sawing. Darl leaves him there and enters the house proper. Inside, Cora is thinking about some cakes she recently made to order, only to see the order cancelled after she had baked the cakes. Kate rails at the injustice of this twist, while Cora is more inclined to take it in stride. Addie lies nearby, frail and silent, hardly breathing, as Eula watches over her. Outside, the sound of Cashs chopping and sawing continues. Cora recalls Addies talent for baking cakes. Addie appears to be asleep, or else watching Cash hard at work out the window. Darl passes through the hall without a word and heads for the back of the house. Darl encounters Anse and Tull on the back porch. Anse asks after Jewel. Darl takes a deep drink of water, and recalls other drinks of water he has taken. Then Darl explains that Jewel is at the barn, attending to the horses. Jewel struggles violently with one horse in the mounting, the riding and the dismounting, and feeds him quickly before taking his leave. Jewel thinks with bitterness and resentment about Cashs insistence on constructing Addies coffin right outside of the window where she lays dying. He is angry at Cashs pride in his craftsmanship, and at the other members of the family for their complicity in allowing such a situation to occur. He expresses a wish to be alone with his mother in her final days. Darl is prepared to accept a job for Vernon, but then hesitates. Rain seems to be in the offing, and there is concern about Addie expiring before he and Jewel would be able to return with the team of horses. Tull reassures them, and Jewel lashes out at Tull for his intrusiveness. Jewel then proceeds to voice his anger toward Cash and the rest of the family for their seeming eagerness to hurry Addie to her end. Anse responds by defending the familys fortitude in following Addies last wishes. Finally, Darl decides to take the job on the condition that he and Jewel will return by the next day at sundown. As Darl passes back through the hall to leave, he hears voices floating all around him. Cora observes Darl re-entering the house, and is touched by the emotion with which he bids Addie farewell. She contrasts Darls sweetness with what she feels to be the callousness of Anse and Jewel. As Darl stands in the doorway, prepared to depart, Dewey Dell asks him what he wants. He ignores her, and instead stares at his mother, his heart too full for words. CommentaryForm the very beginning, Faulkner balances the intensity of his character monologues and the expansiveness of visual descriptions with admirable control. Each voice is uniquely subjective, but each voice makes observations about objective details which help to give fullness to the scene and to maintain a continuous narrative. For instance, Darl focuses on the quality of light in his walk toward home. He sees the cotton house as it leans in empty and shimmering desolation in the sunlight and later the boards of Addies coffin sit between the shadow spaces and are yellow as gold, like soft gold. The attention given to climate and landscape provides a strong atmospheric effect which tends to function at the expense of the people themselves. They are less simply people than they are people in a place with specific things about them that make them specific people. So, before we meet Tull himself, we encounter his wagon holding two chairs beside the spring; before we meet Cash himself, we hear the roaring of his saw and the chucking of his adze; before we meet Addie herself, we see her coffin being assembled. These things about these people come to stand for the people themselves, as symbols of their identity. Thus, Tull is a detached man of industry via the fact of his wagon; Cash is a builder and a craftsman via the sounds of his labor; Addie is a corpse- in-waiting via the assembly of her coffin. Often the intensity of these symbols, coupled with the experimental structure of the novel, serves to sap the energy out of any potential interactions between the several characters in the novel. Darl comes upon Cash at work on the coffin, but no words are exchanged. Instead of remembering any dialogue that Darl and Cash might have shared, the reader is left to ponder the strange silence of the words on the page that stand for the sounds made by the Chuck. Chuck. Chuck. of the adze. If the reader is able to find out any information about the characters independent of the interior monologues, it is generally through the thoughts or attitudes expressed by other characters in their own interior monologues, rather than through the any revelations of dialogue occurring between characters. In this way, the structure of the novel becomes a self-referential web of increasing psychological complexity. The reader has no objective narrator to lean on, but also lacks the simple comfort of a single subjective narrator. This forces the reader to make decisions about which voices to trust, encourages the reader to select good characters and bad characters, and generally makes for confusion when different voices present the same character in a different light. Even the little pieces of dialogue that are provided are always revealed in the context of a larger interior monologue, leading to a further indeterminacy of meaning. Is that really what Jewel said, or is that just what Darl remembered Jewel saying? Did Cora actually say that to Kate, or does she just choose to present it that way in her description? Paradoxically, the psychological nature of Faulkners approach serves to prevent the reader from feeling as close to understanding the characters as he or she might in a more traditionally structured prose narrative. They take on a life of their own to some extent, but as the creator of each of them he looms more self-consciously above the action than a more conservative author would seem to. But to be sure, there are many benefits to Faulkners approach. Though harder to execute, the elastic approach to a narrative which accounts for thought as well as speech and objective experience provides a more fully realistic paradigm of consciousness than a more simplistic approach could hope to. Rather than just I-do-this, I-do- that, or I-do-this, I-say-that, Faulkner elects for I- think-this, I-do-that, I-say-this, I-think-that. For instance, when Darl encounters his Anse and Vernon on the porch, an eternity of thought passes in Darls mind during the pause between his fathers question about Jewels whereabouts and Darls reply to that question. And in the ultimate consideration of lived experience, which is sticking closer to the heart, what you said or what you were thinking in between the times when you were saying things? As Darl lingers in Addies doorway, it is that heart-too-full-for-words effect that shines, rather than any explanation of what is happening in verbal or visib le terms. Part 2SummaryDewey Dell remembers a time when she went harvesting with Lafe. She was heading toward the secret shade with him, but wasnt sure how she felt about it. She said that if the sack was full, then she wouldnt be able to help it. Lafe helped her to make sure she couldnt help it by helping her to fill her sack, and then they were together. Later, Dewey Dell realizes that Darl discovered them together. She is remembering all of this in the present as Darl stands in the doorway taking his leave of Addie. A brief exchange ensues between Dewey Dell and Darl about Darls imminent departure with Jewel. Tull tries to relieve Anse of his lingering reservations about taking the job. Anse is resigned to the fact of Addies approaching death. Vardaman appears, climbing up the hill with a large fish which he is planning to show to Addie. Anse, unimpressed, orders Vardaman to clean the fish before taking it inside. Cora and Tull prepare to depart for the evening, as Anse stands dumbly in the same room with Addie. Cora and Tull restate their offer of help in any manner, and take their leave. As they approach the wagon, Cora and Tull speak with Kate and Eula about the Bundren situation. Kate is especially vocal and speculative about the Bundren fortunes. Anse, in a crude diction, begins complaining about the weather, his sons, and the commotion of the road. He curses his luck for living near the road, and blames the road for Addies falling ill. As Anse thinks on his bad fortune, Vardaman reappears, full of blood from having dealt with his fish. Telling Vardaman to go wash his hands, Anse rues the hardening of his heart. Meanwhile, Darl is in the wagon with Jewel, on the job. He recalls confronting Dewey Dell about her encounter with Lafe. The sun is about to set. Darl is still getting used to the idea that Addie is about to die, voicing the likelihood over and over to a silent Jewel. Peabody, having received the call from Anse to come and attend to Addie, makes his way to the Bundren land. He can hear Cash sawing from a mile away. It is sunset. A cyclone is afoot. Being overweight, Peabody needs help to climb the ridge. Vardaman gets the rope to help him scale the mountain. After some struggle, Peabody arrives at the house. He enters Addies room and she is perfectly still, except for the movement of her eyes. Outside, Peabody asks Anse why he didnt send for him sooner. Dewey Dell interrupts their conversation and they return to Addies room. Dewey Dell tells Peabody that Addie wants him to leave. Cash continues to saw away, and Addie calls out his name loudly. Barack Obama 's President Obama EssayPart 4SummaryTull returns to the Bundren household with Peabodys team at ten the next morning. He discusses the high level of the river with Quick and Armstid. Anse comes to the door and greets them. The women repair to the house, the men to the porch. Cash is getting ready to nail the coffin shut for good. They lay Addie into the coffin reversed, so as to protect her wedding dress. Whitfield arrives to perform the funeral as Tull is about to leave and announces that the bridge has been washed away. Cash emerges cleaned and dressed, and discusses his fall with Tull. Inside, the women begin to sing together. Then Whitfield sings, deeply. Then the women sing again. As they leave, Cora is still singing. On the way home, they see Vardaman fishing aimlessly in a slough. Because of the ditched wagon, Darl and Jewel return home a couple of days later than expected. Upon arriving, Jewel is angered to find the dead horse of Peabodys that Vardaman lashed in the stall. Finally, the family is getting ready to leave with the coffin. Cash is trying to explain to Jewel why the coffin wont balance. Jewel ignores Cash and demands that he help pick up the coffin. Darl is witness to the confrontation. Anse and Cash and Darl and Jewel lift the coffin and carry it down the hall and out of the house. Cash reiterates his reservation about the coffin being unbalanced as they prepare to carry it down the slope. Jewel continues to push forward, and Cash, hobbling, falls back. Darl is shouldering the entire load on his side, but Jewel picks up the slack, almost single-handedly muscling the coffin into the wagon bed, and then cursing out loud. Vardaman is preparing to go to town with the rest of the family. Jewel heads for the barn. Vardaman has a discussion with Darl about their mother. Cash is brinigng his toolbox to town. Dewey Dell is carrying a package with her. Darl sees Jewel heading for the barn. Darl scrutinizes Dewey Dell. Jewel enters the barn. Anse remarks on Jewels disrespectfulness. Cash proposes that they leave Jewel behind. Darl suggests that Jewel will catch up to them. Anse, Cash, Darl, Dewey Dell and Vardaman set out with the coffin in tow. Anse is still thinking bitterly of Jewel, when Darl begins to laugh. The wagon has just passed Tulls lane, and just as Darl predicted, Jewel is approaching swiftly behind them on horseback. Darl continues laughing. Darl sees Jewel approaching. They pass Tulls lot, and exchange waves. Cash notes that the corpse will begin to smell in a few days, and that the coffin is still unbalanced. Darl proposes that Cash mention these observations to Jewel. A mile later, Jewel passes the wagon without acknowledgment. Anse delivers another religious soliloquy. They drive all day and reach Samsons at dark. A second bridge has been washed away. The river is higher than it has ever been. Anse takes comfort in the fact that he will be getting a new set of teeth. CommentaryDarl and Jewel manifest their grief over Addies death in two completely different fashions. Whereas Darls anguish is primarily mental, Jewels grief is expressed through the physical. The division between mental and physical anguish is a useful dichotomy for examining the other sibling reactions as well. Of course the two states of discord are linked, but one force may lead the other along more strongly. So, while Darl spends much of his time speculating on the meaning of is, Jewel is more likely to be riding roughshod over an unbroken horse. Interestingly, Vardamans anguish is a striking mix of Darls mental style and Jewels physical style. While Vardaman plays the language game with Darl, he also shares Jewels conflict with horses. Cashs grief, though strictly implicit up to this point, is primarily manifested through the physical. By absorbing himself in the construction of the coffin, Cash creates an emotional vacuum that allows him to escape from the pain of letting his mother go. However, Cash is unable to completely throw himself into the physical, as a result of the injury he sustained after having fallen thirty feet from the top of a church. Because of his limp, Cash hobbles at times when he might have otherwise pushed forward blindly and brutishly. For instance, when the Bundren men go to transport the coffin from the house to the wagon, Cash is unable to carry his weight at the pace that Jewels grief drives him to. With Darl thinking really hard and Jewel muscling really hard, Cash finds himself stuck in the middle, unable to do either. Dewey Dells grief is also primarily physical, although of a different sort. As she says, she doesnt know how to worry, and so her anguish comes out in the form of her promiscuity. Her sexual drive, far from solely the sheer seeking of physical pleasure, is a physical torment to her, and a mental torment as well. This torment assumes a tangible form with her pregnancy, when her world becomes a tub fullof guts. But her sense of helplessness in matters of sex is specific not strictly to her pregnancy or her sexuality. Her anxiety is a manifestation of the larger problems that plague her as a young woman in her general situation, as a teenage daughter in a poor farming family who has just lost her mother, and finds herself the only female of the lot. Cashs attempts to subdue boards, Darls attempts to subdue logic, Dewey Dells attempts to subdue desire, Jewels attempts to subdue horses and Vardamans attempts to subdue time passing: each of these struggles is intimately related to the struggle which all of them feel in parting with their mother. By projecting their energies into these other things, their focus shifts away from the true pain they feel at the loss of their mother. It is an subconscious shift, but one which serves to mitigate the trauma. At the end of the 1920s, as Faulkner composed As I Lay Dying, ideas about the subconscious anxieties of man were on the tip of everyones tongue. Sigmund Freud had helped to establish psychoanalysis as an increasingly dominant field of inquiry, and Freudian notions of internal conflict, dreams and subconscious sexuality had by then captivated many of the leading intellectual figures of the day. Dewey Dell is one of the most representatively drawn Freudian types in American literature, to the point where she almost appears to be a caricature of Freuds theories today. Perhaps the fundamental plank of Freudian theory is that thoughts and awareness are entirely separate realms. How we think and what we do rarely line up, which leads much of the internal and external conflict that we face. By overlapping the action from several points of view, Faulkner is able to illustrate the ways in which what is done and what is thought stay separate. For instance, when Darl sees Jewel approaching the wagon on horseback, Anse observes him laughing. Although Darl doesnt even mention the incident as having occurred in his monologue, Anse spends the bulk of his monologue dwelling on Darls insensitivity for having laughed so casually during his mothers funeral procession. Because so much of the family resentment remains unvoiced, Darls molehill becomes Anses mountain. Or, even worse, in this case, Darl remains oblivious to that which consumes Anse. Part 5SummaryJust before sundown, Samson is sitting on his porch with MacCallum and Quick when the Bundren wagon passes by. Quick catches up to them to inform them that the bridge has washed away, and the Bundrens return to Samsons. Samson offers to put the Bundrens up for the evening. The Bundrens accept, but refuse an offer of supper and sleep in the barn. Early the next morning, they set out to retrace their steps without a farewell to Samson. Dewey Dell is riding in the wagon on the road back to New Hope. She is thinking of her dead mother and of the relationships she has with the men in her family. Instead of turning into New Hope, they go back past Tulls lane again, and exchange waves. Tull takes his mule out to follow the wagon, and catches up with it down by the levee. The Bundrens stand at the rivers edge, staring at the washed-out bridge and contemplating a crossing. Jewel lashes out at Tull for following them down to the river. Cash hushes Jewel, and announces a plan for a crossing. Jewel asks Tull to help them cross with his mule, but Tull refuses. Darl observes Jewel glaring at Tull. Darl recalls a time during Jewels teenage years when he began falling asleep regularly during the day. He remembers how Addie used to cover up his mistakes for him. Initially Cash and Darl suspected that Jewel was spending his nights with a married woman, but one night Cash trailed Jewel on his midnight run and found evidence to the contrary. All is revealed a few months later when Jewel materializes on a new horse that he has purchased from Quick after clearing forty acres of his land, working at night by lantern. Anse is upset by this gesture of independence, and later that night Darl finds Addie crying beside Jewel, who is asleep in bed. Tull accompanies Anse and Dewey Dell and Vardaman on a treacherous crossing along the washed-out bridge. Eventually they make the other side, and Cash and Darl and Jewel turn the wagon around and drive it down to the ford. CommentaryIn the world Faulkner creates, where so little is said, so much is communicated through glances and by eyes. When Tull arrives to help the Bundrens at the rivers edge, he finds himself being stared at in three very different ways by three very different Bundren siblings. Darls gaze is knowing, Dewy Dells is lustful and Jewels is hostile. Leaving aside the simple hostility of Jewels vision, lets examine more fully the nature of the gazes of Darl and Dewey Dell. Tull finds Dewey Dell looking at him like he was wanting to touch her. This may involve an real desire on the part of Dewey Dell to actually be touched, given the content of the monologues that she has delivered. Earlier, when Samson offered to put the Bundrens up for the night, he felt Dewey Dells eyes fixed on him as though pistols, blazing at him. Dewey Dell, checked by propriety against doing, or even saying, to these men, looks right through the standards of decorum and into the deep heart of desire. The intensity of her gaze is not lost on any of those whom she bestows it upon, and she is by no means reserved in applying it. That Dewey Dell should be so wild-eyed is unsurprising in light of her outrageous thoughts. In addition to the fervor of her feeling for Lafe and Peabody, and the strength of her stares at Samson and Tull, she is driven to distraction by her family relationships as well. In a stream-of-consciousness sequence, she imagines being asleep in a bed next to Vardaman when suddenly she finds all of them back under me again and going on like a piece of cool silk dragging across my naked legs. Because Vardaman is pre-sexual, he doesnt participate, but apart from that, Dewey Dell finds herself unwillingly overwhelmed by abstract incestuous desire. Because of her sense of seductiveness, even where her family is concerned, Dewey Dell believes that she has a special pull over the Bundren males. In the wagon on the way to New Hope, she meditates on her power over Anse, sure that he will do a she says, that she can persuade him to do anything. However, she isnt as positive of Darls automatic compliance. This frustrates Dewey Dell to the point of hostility, even to the point where she imagines killing him. Darl stymied Dewey Dell because his gaze exceeds hers in degree, and is of a kind that she is powerless to comprehend. Whereas Dewey Dells gaze is sexually charged and therefore extremely focused, Darls is dispassionate and seemingly all-encompassing. Dewey Dell herself remarks that the land runs out of Darls eyes, suggesting that he has an overarching power to observe, process and explain the environment around him. This superhuman detachment and understanding is what makes Darl seem such a strange creature to other people, and generates much talk over his difference. Again, the eyes have it. As Tull arrives at the rivers edge to help the Bundrens with the crossing, he is paralyzed by Darl, who, as Tull says, looks at me with them queer eyes of hisn that makes folks talk. As Tull explains, it was never so much as what Darl said or did as the way in which he look at others. The intensity of that gaze makes it seem, Like somehow you was looking at yourself and your doings outen his eyes. Darls ability to transmit a sense of omniscience is largely due to the richness of his inner life, and especially, of his moral life. In remembering the incident where Jewel earned money by moonlight to buy a horse, Darl reveals the understanding of his gaze in several instances. He perceives Jewel wasting away, and knows that something is wrong; he perceives Addie by Jewels bedside, and knows that she is plagued by guilt for the deceit she has employed to cover his tracks; he perceives Cash the morning after Cash trailed Jewel on his mission, and knows that Cash has found out Jewels secret. Darls eyes are as strong as they are because of the careful scrutiny that they place on the eyes of others, in the above passages and throughout the remainder of the novel.

How to Write Business Emails that Sound Friendly - The Writers For Hire

HOW TO WRITE BUSINESS EMAILS THAT SOUND FRIENDLY In today’s technologically advancing world, email has become the official choice for communication within businesses. The lack of face-to-face communication can cause a lot of issues and misunderstandings, though. Because of this, it is important that business emails convey a clear message, elicit the desired response, and, above all, not offend in any way. But how do you write emails that are both professional and friendly? Identifying Good vs Bad Email Etiquette Before we tackle how to write friendly business emails, we must first identify what a good friendly email looks like, vs. a not so friendly email. Take these emails, for example: See the difference? In the first example, the author seems to take a bit of a hostile, negative tone. Reading this email may leave the recipient feeling like they have been attacked, and will, therefore, immediately put them on the defensive. In the second example, though, the author was able to communicate exactly the same information, but in a much more positive and empathetic way. Emails that are friendly and positive are much more likely to be received well and will illicit the response that you are hoping to get. So, now that we have established what a friendly business email looks like, let’s discuss how to write one. The Basics When you are writing business emails, keep in mind that the recipient(s) probably already has a lot on their plate, so they are not going to want to have to read through a bunch of fluff. Keeping your emails clear and concise will ensure that they are not only read in their entirety, but that your intended message is understood. Effective, yet friendly, business emails, should be brief and punctilious while conveying professionalism and affability. While emails will vary, depending on who they are being sent to and the intended message, ideally, business emails should follow this format: A subject line of no more than 6 to 10 words. Your subject line should be direct and spam-proof. ‘Workshop Date Changed’ will immediately alert your recipient that there is information in your email that they need to read. You want to avoid things like ‘Urgent’ or ‘Reply Needed,’ though, as these subject lines might send your email straight to spam. You want the recipient to get and read your message. Check out this handy free tool that highlights phrases or words in your email that might trigger a recipient’s spam filter. An appropriate greeting/salutation. Every business email should start with an appropriate greeting. When you are writing to another professional—even to someone you may already know—be friendly and respectful, while not overly casual or laid back. Starting the email with a simple ‘Hi,’ followed by the person’s name sets a friendly tone, but does not sound stiff or too formal. When you are addressing someone by their first name, be sure that you have the correct spelling and are not using any nick-names (unless you have previously been directed to do so). The last thing you want to do is start your email off by offending someone. The Body. Try to keep the text of your email short and to the point. When possible, one or two paragraphs of one to two sentences each is best. Your email should have a clear introduction that states the purpose of the email and a conclusion that is forward leaning. Also, checking that your text is spam proof is important here as well. Your signature. At a minimum, your signature block should include your full name, title, the company name, and your contact information, including a phone number. This will make it easy for your recipient to identify who you are, what your position is, and how they can best contact you if needed. The Friendly Part So, how do you write business emails that are friendly but not too casual? Recall the tips above on appropriate greetings and tone, and then consider the real world experience of Brittany Cooper, Project Coordinator for The Writers For Hire (TWFH). Brittany, who has years of sales and customer relations to her credit, has mastered the knack of communicating in a professional but friendly way. She deals directly with clients at the beginning and end of each project, and checks in with them along the way. She is often the person clients feel most comfortable talking to if problems crop up. Brittany describes her communication style as â€Å"upbeat† – always upbeat. She confesses to using lots of exclamation points to express â€Å"lots of gratitude;† it’s her way of communicating to clients that TWFH is â€Å"excited to work with them† and â€Å"values the relationship.† Another way to convey a friendly and â€Å"upbeat† tone is to add a personal touch to the beginning or end of your email. Starting out by saying â€Å"I hope you are having a great week,† or signing off with â€Å"Have a fantastic day!† immediately gives your email a positive tone. Brittany also makes it a practice to seek feedback –usually via email on every project, following up to see if everything went smoothly and ask if anything could be done to make the process better. Of course, things don’t always go smoothly. There are times when clients need to be gently reminded of hard and fast approaching deadlines. In those situations, it is important to keep a friendly and non-accusatory tone. Simply reminding them of the approaching deadline, and asking if you can assist in any way, will help ensure that the deadline is made (without making the client feel like they are being scolded or blamed). Even in the situations where a deadline is actually missed, it is important that you avoid using any kind of language that comes off as negative and harsh. For example, instead of saying â€Å"When you missed the deadline, you caused our project to be pushed back,† use something more neutral, such as â€Å"With the missed deadline, the project was pushed back†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and then follow it up with a positive suggestion for how to rectify the situation. And as a rule of thumb, everything you write in an email should be read and re-read before you hit â€Å"send.† Try to read each email from the perspective of your recipient. If anything sounds like it could be possibly taken in an adverse way, then it is safe to assume that it should probably be re-written with a more positive spin. Other Helpful Tips to Keep in Mind Use traditional fonts such as Arial, Calibri, and Times New Roman; these fonts are not only classic, they are easy to read. Stick to the color black, use 10-12 pt., and keep the font and size consistent throughout the email, including in the signature block. As much as you may enjoy playing around with different fonts and colors, business emails are just not the place to get creative. Never write when upset. An angry screed defeats the purpose of conveying important information or soliciting a desired response. Chances are high that your anger will come across in the words you choose, and the recipient of your email will be able to sense your agitated tone. Be cautious when using language such as â€Å"but† and â€Å"unfortunately.† Adding those words to your sentence tends to negate what is said in the first place, and can also come off as being condescending. â€Å"I apologize for the delay. I will have the completed document to you by the end of the day† will be received much better than â€Å"I apologize for the delay, but it couldn’t be avoided. Unfortunately, I can’t get the document to you until the end of the day.† Spell check but also proofread. Spell checkers are our friends, but they can be fickle at times. Pay close attention to each suggestion you click on and re-read the entire text after you spell check. It’s hard to be taken seriously when you send an email full of spelling and punctuation errors. Think twice before hitting ‘reply all.’ The sender may have wanted a dozen or more people to see their email to you, but all recipients do not necessarily need to see your reply. Consider carefully. Is your reply important for everyone to read? Is the content of your reply appropriate for everyone to see? Don’t use humor unless you know the recipient well – make that very well. What may be funny in a social setting among business acquaintances might not come across as funny in writing. Written communication is easy to mis-construe, so it’s always best to just focus on the point and leave humor for in-person conversations. Don’t overuse the word â€Å"please.† This does not mean that you shouldn’t be polite and write please when it is appropriate. You should just make sure to reserve it for places where it sounds natural. Saying â€Å"Please find the attached document and let me know if you have any questions† does not sound natural, and frankly makes for an awkward sentence. Instead, consider saying â€Å"I have attached the document. Please let me know if you have any questions.† Be sensitive to cultural differences. In some cultures, it may be considered rude to address someone by their first name. In others, discussing certain topics over email may be offensive. Before sending an email, do some homework on what may and may not be appropriate for your recipient. Finally, remember that every email leaves a trace. Don’t write anything that will reflect badly on you or others should your exchange become public.

Just-In-Time Production Essays - Manufacturing, Free Essays

Just-In-Time Production Essays - Manufacturing, Free Essays Just-In-Time Production Just-in-time production is considered to be on the leading edge of technological advancement. With improvements in the virtually every industry, maintaining an effective production line while minimizing inventory costs is a very feasible option. Just-in-time systems are designed to keep inventory costs at a minimum, unlike the ways of old, with large warehouses loaded with back inventory. With technology allowing instantaneous communication around the world, production lines and stores do not have to wait for days for inventory delivery. It can happen, well, just-in-time. Many companies are on the verge of switching to a just-in-time inventory system, to compliment the millions of companies that have already implemented the system. It is generally recognized that effective implementation of just-in-time will result in a significant reduction of inventories. As a matter of fact, inventory levels are key indicators for measuring just-in-time performance (Harrison). The just-in-time philosophy on inventory management is simple: - Strive for a level of zero inventories. - Produce items at the rate required by the customer. - Eliminate all unnecessary lead times. - Reduce setup costs to achieve the smallest economical lot size - ideally, a quantity of one. - Optimize material flow from suppliers through the production process to the point of sale of the finished product, so that inventories are minimized. - Ensure high quality and dependable just-in-time delivery from suppliers. - Implement a Total Quality Control (TQC) program, which will minimize scrap, rework and resultant delays in production (Naylor). While the just-in-time inventory management philosophy is simple, execution is not. In a just-in-time environment, the supplier should deliver raw materials and other purchased items when they are needed. A blanket purchase order or other suitable form of basic agreement should cover the terms and conditions for procurement. Delivery of the item should be direct to the point of use in the manufacturing plant. It is time consuming and not cost-effective for the materials to be handled in one part of a production line before it is moved to the correct location. It is up to the supplier to ensure a smooth flow of material to support production, which is obtained through optimum communication and coordination between the manufacturing plant and the supplier. It is integral that there is a working relationship between suppliers and the controller of the manufacturing plant. The supplier should be considered by the manufacturing company as an extension of the plant and should be included in all planning which involves his products. Certain individuals in the production plant should be selected to represent the company on matters pertaining to schedules and delivery quantities (Naylor). Several techniques exist for controlling the flow of material from the supplier to the manufacturing company. The specific technique should be selected which would best suit the implementation of the just-in-time concept for the particular item being purchased. Automatic inventory replenishment by the vendor is a technique where the supplier determines the need for required materials based on frequent deliveries to the plant. Depending on the nature of the production process as well as the material involved, this could range from many times a day to a less frequent interval. Visual review of existing inventory by the supplier will determine how much to deliver (Slack). The method of inventory control is not foreign to U.S. commerce and industry; visit a supermarket and see how the baker delivers his goods. He replenishes the baked goods based on a visual review of what is on the shelves. The same is true for soda and candy vendor machines. Those using oil to heat their home are certainly familiar with this type of inventory system; the driver comes by the house periodically and fills the tank. Implementing just-in-time may result in increased transportation costs due to smaller lot sizes and more frequent deliveries. However, in some industries such as chemicals there are significant trade-offs between the economy of longer lead-time and less flexible rail shipments versus more frequent tanker truckloads. Each of these cases must be examined on its own merits and on a continuing basis to determine the optimum solution (Slack). Just-in-time requires flow of material in the exact quantity required and at the exact time; the key word is exact. Regardless of the specific method used to achieve this exact material flow, there must be

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