Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” and Abraham lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address” Essay

Of the great oral presentations this world has seen, many of them serve as an outlet for individuals to articulate their ideals and beliefs to a greater audience. The way in which great speakers such as Martin Luther King Jr and Abraham Lincoln do this is through speech elements such as rhetoric, language techniques, successful structure and also establishing a relationship with their audience. The speeches I have a Dream, and The Gettysburg Address [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMMzY1KJVeo], although performed to entirely different audiences in different contexts, share similar values and qualities. In order to gain a complete understanding of the distinctive qualities of the speeches we must first look at the context in which they were written. On August the 28th 1963, Martin Luther King Jr stood before a congregation of over 200,000 people in front of the Lincoln Memorial. It was on this day that King delivered his testimony to mankind in an effort to end black segregation within America. Despite strong opposition from the Kennedy Administration, King and his contemporaries continued with the civil rights march. Standing on the same spot as Lincoln did five score years ago, King preached similar themes of justice, equality and freedom for man. Lincolns speech came as a eulogy to those lost at the battle of Gettysburg. At the time America was at civil war and the restless crowd was desperate for inspiration from their President. He was speaking last to a crowd of 15-20,000 Northerners to honour the dead and encourage them to keep fighting the war. The context of each address has a profound impact upon their purpose and qualities. One distinct quality of Lincolns speech is that it was structured chronologically with each of the three separate paragraphs entailing the past, present and future. The lengths of the paragraphs can also be noted as a distinct quality of the Gettysburg Address, the first paragraph is quite small followed by progressive lengthening of the second and final paragraph.  This is an instrument used by Lincoln to build up his audiences attention to the climatic end to his speech where he outlines what is required for the future. This can be compared to Kings structural approach, where he uses a ladder technique to configure his points in order of ascending importance. Once again ending strongly with the line: Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty we are free at last!. Rhetoric is often defined as the art of using language so as to persuade or influence others. From this we can deduce that it is a critical element of any effective speech. Certainly I have a dream and The Gettysburg Address contain powerful rhetoric techniques used to further communicate the ideas of King and Lincoln. Kings speech is based heavily around repetition. He uses this in the lines, One hundred years later, I have a dream and Let freedom ring. All repeated to gain suspense from the audience as well as emphasising his themes of equality and justice. King says them with such authority and power to further drive home the importance of these themes. Using his voice to create a sense of urgency about the issue. King also uses biblical allusion such as Gods Children and Psalm 23: Rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. This reflects his role as a Priest as well as giving evidence of Gods want of justice. The biblical allusions also give a sense of unity amongst the audience. Establishing a rapport with your audience is central to communicating your ideas in a speech, both King and Lincoln do this exceptionally. Using inclusive language such as the words we and us, Lincoln especially is able to establish an equality throughout his audience with the common purpose of freedom and victory. In his eulogy, Lincoln uses the line for those who gave their lives that the nation might live which again utilises the audiences patriotism to articulate his ideas through personification. By referring to both Lincolns Emancipation Declaration and The Declaration of Independence he was able to strongly back up his argument and appeal to the nations Patriotism as well as give historical evidence to the slow progress of equality in America. This would have a great effect on the proud Americans in his audience because a rejection of Kings values would ultimately mean for them a rejection of Americas traditional values. Without proper delivery, these two speeches wouldve been overlooked in value and would not have had the great effect they did. I believe the values implied in both texts justified by both the context and the rhetoric. Upon reaching conclusion, one realises that if not for great speakers and use of rhetoric, the ideas of significant historical figures could not be presented as well, as thus couldnt have the desired effect. Martin Luther King Jr and Abraham Lincoln were examples of this, men who, by use of manipulation of language and audience, changed the world. Bibliography 2008 Dictionary.com Lexico Publishing Group, LLC. Accessed: 08/06/08-09/06/08.

Night World : Dark Angel Chapter 14

She got David's room number from a receptionist at the front desk. She didn't ask if she was allowed to visit. All Gillian could think as she walked down the hall was, Please. Please, if David was only all right, there was a chance that everything could work out. At the door she stopped and held her breath. Her mind was showing her all sorts of pictures. David in a coma, hooked up to so many tubes and wires that he was unrecognizable. Worse, David alive and awake and smiling†¦ and looking at her with violet eyes. She knew what Angel's plan had been. At least, she thought she knew. The only question was, had he succeeded? Still holding her breath, she looked around the door. David was sitting up in bed. The only thing he was hooked up to was an IV of clear fluid. There was another bed in the room, empty. He looked toward the door and saw her. Gillian walked toward him slowly. She kept her face absolutely expressionless, her eyes on him. Dark hair. A lean face that still had traces of a summer tan. Cheekbones to die for and eyes to drown in. But no half-quizzical, half-friendly smile. He was looking back at her as soberly as she was looking at him, a book slipping unnoticed from his lap. Gillian reached the foot of the hospital bed. They stared at each other. What do I say? David, is it really you? I can't. It's too stupid, and what's he going to say back? No, dragonfly, it's not him, it's me? The silence stretched on. At last, very quietly, the guy on the bed said, â€Å"Are you okay?† â€Å"Yeah.† The word came out clipped and dispassionate. â€Å"Are you okay?† â€Å"Yeah, pretty much. I was lucky.† He was watching her. â€Å"You look-kind of different.† â€Å"And you're kind of quiet.† Something like puzzlement flashed in his eyes. Then something like hurt. â€Å"I was†¦ well, you walked in here looking so deadpan, and you sound so †¦ cold†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He shook his head slightly, his eyes fixed on hers. â€Å"Gillian-did I do something to make you want to hit that pole?† â€Å"I didn't do it on purpose!† She found herself lunging forward, reaching for his hands. He looked startled. â€Å"Okay†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"David, I didn't. I was doing everything I could not to. I would never want to hurt you. Don't you know that?† His face cleared. His eyes were very dark but very calm. â€Å"Yes, I do/' he said simply. â€Å"I believe you.† Strangely, she knew he did. hi spite of all the evidence to the contrary, he believed her. Gillian's hands tightened on his. Their eyes were locked together. It was as if they were getting closer, although neither of them moved physically. And then it was all happening, what had started to happen at least twice before. Feelings so sweet and strong she could hardly bear it. Strange recognition, unexpected belonging†¦ impossible knowing†¦ Gillian's eyes seemed to shut of their own accord. And then somehow they were kissing. She felt the warmth of David's lips. And everything was warm and wonderful†¦ but there was more. It was as if the normal veil that separated two people had melted. Gillian felt a shock of revelation. This was what it meant, what Angel had spoken to her about. She knew it intuitively even though she'd never spoken the word before. Soulmates. She'd found hers. The one love for her on this earth. The person she was meant to be with, that no one could keep her from. And it wasn't Angel. It was David. That was the other thing she knew, and knew with a bedrock certainty that nothing could touch. This was David, the true David. He was holding her in his arms, kissing her. Her, the ordinary Gillian, who was wearing an old gray sweatshirt and no makeup. It was absurd that she'd ever believed things like makeup mattered. David was alive, that was what mattered. Gillian didn't have his death on her conscience. And if they could somehow live through the rest of what had to be done, they just might be happier than she had ever imagined. How weird that she could still think. But they didn't seem to be kissing anymore; they were just holding each other now. And that was almost as good, just feeling his body against hers. Gillian pulled away. â€Å"David-â€Å" His eyes were full of wonder. â€Å"You know what? I love you.† â€Å"I know.† Gillian realized she was being less than romantic. She couldn't help it. This was the time for action. â€Å"David, I have to tell you some things, and I don't know if you can believe me. But you've got to try.† â€Å"Gillian, I said I love you. I mean that. We-â€Å" Then he stopped and searched her face. He seemed to see something that changed his mind. â€Å"I love you,† he said in a different tone. â€Å"So I'll believe you.† â€Å"The first thing is that I'm not anything like what you think. I'm not brave, or noble, or witty in the face of danger or-or anything like that. It's all been-a sort of set-up. And here's how it happened.† And then she told him. Everything. From the beginning, from the afternoon when she'd heard the crying in the woods and followed it and died and found an angel. She told him the whole story, about how Angel had appeared in her room that night and how he'd changed her whole life. About the whispering that had guided her ever since. And about the very bad things. Her witch heritage. The spell she'd put on Tanya. The Night World. All the way up to the accident last night. When she was done, she sat back and looked at him. â€Å"Well?† â€Å"Well, I probably ought to think you're crazy. But I don't. Maybe I'm crazy, too. Or maybe it's because I died once, myself. †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"You started to tell me that, that first night- and then the car skidded. What happened?† â€Å"When I was seven my appendix burst. I died on the operating table-and I went to a place like that meadow. I'll tell you the funny thing, though. I felt that rushing thing come at me, too-that huge thing you said came at you hi the end. Only it actually reached me. And it wasn't dark or scary. It was white-beautiful light-and it had wonderful wings.† Gillian was staring. â€Å"Then what?† â€Å"It sent me back. I didn't have any choice. It loved me, but I had to go back anyway. So- zoom-back down the tunnel, and pop, back into the body. I've never forgotten it. And, it's hard to explain, but I know it was real. I guess that's why I believe you.† â€Å"Then maybe you understand what I've got to do. I don't know what Angel really is. †¦ I think he may be some kind of demon. But I've got to stop him. Exorcize him or whatever.† David took her by the arms. â€Å"You can't. You don't know how.† â€Å"But maybe Melusine does. It's either her or that guy Ash at the club. He seemed all right. The only down side is that I think he was a vampire.† David had stiffened. â€Å"I vote for the witch-â€Å" â€Å"Me, too.† â€Å"-but I want you to wait for me. They'll let me out later this afternoon.† â€Å"I can't. David, it's for Tanya and Kim, too. Melusine might know how to cure them. Anyway, I'm certainly going to ask her. And I can't let any more time go by.† David pulled at his hair with the hand that wasn't hooked to the IV. â€Å"Okay. All right, give me five minutes, and we'll go together now.† â€Å"No.† He was looking at the IV as if figuring out how to undo it. â€Å"Yes. Just wait for me-â€Å" Gillian blew him a kiss from the door and ran before he looked up. He couldn't help her. You couldn't fight Angel in ordinary ways. All David would be was leverage in Angel's hands-a hostage-something to threaten to harm. Gillian jogged out of the hospital and through the parking lot. She found the Geo. Okay, now if Melusine would just be at the store†¦ {You don't really want to do this, you know.) Gillian slammed the car door closed. She sat up very straight, looking at nothing, as she fastened her seatbelt and started the car. (Listen, kid. You ain't never had a friend like me.) Gillian pulled out of the parking lot. (Come on, give me a break. We can at least talk about this, can't we? There are some things you don't understand.) She couldn't listen to him. She didn't dare answer him. The last time, he'd hypnotized her somehow, made her relax and give up control to him. That couldn't happen again. But she couldn't shut his voice out. She couldn't get away from it. (And you can't love him. There are rules against it. I'm serious. You belong to the Night World now-you're not allowed to love a human. If they find out, they'll kill you both.) (And what were you trying to do to us?) Damn, she'd answered him back. She wouldn't do that again. (Not hurt you. It was only him I wanted. I could have slipped in as he slipped out†¦) Don't listen, Gillian told herself. There must be some way of blocking him, of keeping him out of her mind†¦ She began to sing. â€Å"DECK the halls with boughs of HOL-ly Fa la la lala†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He hadn't been able to hear her thoughts when she hummed before. It seemed to work, now, as long as she kept her mind on the lyrics. She sang Christmas carols. Loudly. The fast ones, like â€Å"God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen† and â€Å"Joy to the World,† were best. â€Å"The Twelve Days of Christmas† got her the last few miles to Woodbridge. Please be there†¦ â€Å"FIVE golden rings,† she caroled, hurrying into the Woodbridge Five and Ten with the shoe box under her arm. She didn't care who thought she was crazy. â€Å"FOUR calling birds, THREE French hens †¦Ã¢â‚¬  She was at the door to the back room. â€Å"TWO turtle doves †¦Ã¢â‚¬  A very startled Melusine looked up from behind the counter. â€Å"And a†¦ please, you've got to help me! I've got this Angel who's trying to kill people!† She broke off the song and rushed to Melusine. â€Å"You've†¦ what?† â€Å"I've got this-angel thing. And I can't stop him from talking to me†¦.† Gillian suddenly realized that Angel had stopped talking. â€Å"Maybe he got scared when I came in here. But I still need your help. Please.† Suddenly her eyes were stinging with tears again. Melusine leaned both elbows on the counter and rested her chin on her hands. She looked surprised, but willing. â€Å"Why don't you tell me about it?† For the second time that day, Gillian told her story. All of it. She hoped that by telling everything, she could make Melusine understand her urgency. And her lack of experience. â€Å"So I'm not even a real witch,† she said at the end. â€Å"Oh, you're a witch, all right,† Melusine said. There was color in her cheeks and a look of fascination in her dark eyes. â€Å"He told you the truth about that. Everybody knows about the lost Harman babies. Little Elspeth-the records say that she died in England. But obviously she didn't. And you're her descendant.† â€Å"Which means it's okay for me to do spells?† Melusine laughed. â€Å"It's okay for anyone to do spells who can do spells. In my opinion. Some people don't feel the same way-â€Å" â€Å"But can you help me take the spells off?† Gillian opened the shoe box. She felt ashamed to show the dolls to Melusine-even though she'd bought them here. â€Å"I wouldn't have done it if I'd known,† she murmured feebly, as Melusine looked at the dolls. â€Å"I know.† Melusine gestured at her to be quiet. Gillian watched tensely and waited for the verdict. â€Å"Okay, it looks as if you've started the process already. But I think†¦ maybe some healing salve†¦ and blessed thistle†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She bustled around, almost flying in her chair. She applied things to the dolls. She asked Gillian to concentrate with her, and she said words Gillian didn't recognize. Finally, she wrapped the wax dolls in what looked like white silk, and put them back in the box. â€Å"Is that all? It's done?† â€Å"Well, I think it's a good idea to keep the dolls, just in case we need to do more healing. Then, after that, we can unname them and get rid of them.† â€Å"But now Tanya and Kim will be okay?† Gillian was anxious for reassurance, and she couldn't help the quick glance of doubt she cast-at Melusine's missing leg. Melusine was direct. â€Å"If they've had anything amputated, it won't cure them. We can't grow new limbs.† She touched her leg. â€Å"This happened in a boating accident. But otherwise, yes, they should get better.† Gillian let out a breath she seemed to have been holding for hours. She shut her eyes. â€Å"Thanks. Thank you, Melusine. You don't know how good it feels to not feel like you're maiming somebody.† Then she opened her eyes. â€Å"But the hard part's still to come.† † ‘Angel.'† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Well, I think you're right about it being hard.† She looked Gillian straight in the eye. â€Å"And dangerous.† â€Å"I know that already.† Gillian turned and took a quick pace around the room. â€Å"He can get into my mind and make me do things-â€Å" â€Å"Not just your mind. Anyone's.† â€Å"And I'm pretty sure he can move objects by himself. Make cars skid. And he sees everything.† She came back to the counter. â€Å"Melusine-what is he? And why's he doing all this? And why to me?† â€Å"Well, the last question's the easiest. Because you died.† Melusine wheeled quickly to a bookshelf at the end of the counter. She pulled down a volume. â€Å"He must have caught you in the between-place, the place between earth and the Other Side. The place where he was,† she said, wheeling back. â€Å"He pretended to be the welcomer, the one who guides you to the Other Side. That thing rushing at you at the end-that was probably the real welcomer. But this ‘Angel' got you out of the between-place before it could reach you.† Gillian spoke flatly. â€Å"He's not a real angel, is he?† â€Å"No.† Gillian braced herself. â€Å"Is he a devil?† â€Å"I don't think so.† Melusine's voice was gentle. She opened the book, flipping pages. â€Å"From the way you brought him back with you, I think he must be a spirit. There are two ways of getting spirits from the between-place: you can summon them or you can go fetch them yourself. You did it the hard way.† â€Å"Wait a minute. You're saying I brought him?† â€Å"Well, not consciously. I'm sure you didn't mean to. It sounds like he just sort of grabbed on and whooshed down the tunnel-what we call the narrow path-right along with you. Spirits in the between-place can watch us, sometimes talk to us, but they can't really interact with us. When you brought him to earth, you set him free to interact.† â€Å"Oh, wonderful,† Gillian whispered. â€Å"So on top of everything, it's my fault from the beginning.† She looked around dazedly, then back at Melusine. â€Å"But what is a spirit, really? A dead person?† â€Å"An unhappy dead person.† Melusine turned pages. † ‘An earthbound spirit is a damaged soul†¦' † She shut the book. â€Å"Look, it's actually simple. When a spirit is really unhappy-when they've done something awful, or they've died with unfinished business-then they don't go on to the Other Side. They get stuck in-well, the book calls it ‘the astral planes near earth.' We call it the between-place.† â€Å"Stuck.† â€Å"They won't go on. They're too angry and hopeless to even want to be healed. And they can do awful things to living people if they get down here, just out of general miserableness.† â€Å"But how do you get rid of them?† Melusine drew a breath. â€Å"Well, that's the hard part. You can send them back to the between-place-if you have some blood and hair from their physical body. And if you have all sorts of special ingredients, which I can't get. And if you have the right spell, which I don't know.† â€Å"I see.† â€Å"And in any case, that only traps him in the between-place again. It doesn't heal him. But, Gillian, there's something I've got to tell you.† Melusine's face was very serious, and she spoke almost formally. â€Å"You may not need to rely on me.† â€Å"What do you mean?† â€Å"Gillian †¦ I don't think you really understand who you are. Did he-this spirit-explain to you just how important the Harmans are?† â€Å"He said Elspeth's sister was some big witch leader.† â€Å"The biggest. She's the Crone, the leader of all the witches. And the Harmans are-well, they're sort of like the royal family to us.† Gillian smiled bleakly. â€Å"So I'm a witch princess?† â€Å"You told me that Elspeth is your mother's mother's mother. You're descended entirely through the female line from her. But that's-extraordinary. There are almost no Harman girls left. There were only two in the world-and now there's you. Don't you see, if you let the Night World know about this, they'll flock to help you. They'll take care of Angel.† Gillian was unimpressed. â€Å"And how long will that take?† â€Å"For them to gather and everything†¦ check out your family, make all the preparations †¦ I don't know. It could probably be done in a matter of weeks.† â€Å"Too long. Way too long. You don't know what Angel can do in a few weeks.† â€Å"Then you can try to do it yourself.† â€Å"But how?† â€Å"Well, you'd have to find out who he was as a person and what business he left unfinished. Then you'd have to finish it. And finally, you'd have to convince him to go on. To be willing to leave the between-place for the Other Side.† She glanced wryly at Gillian. â€Å"I told you it would be hard.† â€Å"And I don't think he'd be very cooperative. He wouldn't like it.† â€Å"No. He could hurt you, Gillian.† Gillian nodded. â€Å"It doesn't matter. It's what I've got to do.†

Twelfth Night: How does Act one, scene 1-3, serve as an effective opening to the play?

1. How does Act one, scene 1-3, serve as an effective opening to the play? Comment especially on the way in which Shakespeare establishes the overall atmosphere, main characters, important relationships and key elements of the main plot and subplot. In Act 1, scenes 1-3, there are many ways to which these scenes provide an effective opening to the play. Individually, these scenes each serve a different aspect, which contributes to an effective opening. In Act 1, scene 1, Orsino is introduced into the picture, with his whining and pining towards this love for Olivia, with much exaggeration, due to the excessive use of imagery, and gives us one of the central theme of the play – transient and complex love. Act 1, scene 2 displays Viola and the Captain, and how Viola appears naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve, but is actually a strategist, and plans to disguise herself to get protection and also get closer to Orsino – causing a confusion in gender, identity, and intention. Scene 3, however, gives us another side of the play, where minor characters are introduced, vulgarism used, coarse jokes cracked, simply having this crude addition to the play. Henceforth, we can see that these 3 scenes at the beginning of the play serve as an effect ive opening to Twelfth Night. Scene 1 is set in Duke Orsino's room, who is the Duke of Illyria, a fictional place. This creates a fairy-tale like impression, with an anticipation that the ending would be like in fairy tales – happily ever after. This brings forth an exotic, unknown feeling towards the play, a fairy-tale like atmosphere. In scene 1, the scene starts with Orsino's cries of how love is torturing him, using a series of imagery, such as extended metaphors, personifications, and similes, characterising this play by rich language, and immersing us into the romantic mood of love, and the central theme of fickle love in this play. The speeches he delivers are in verses, and the ending speech ends off effectively with a rhyming couplet. The poetry and music, the use of rich, sensuous imagery of beauty and nature, set a romantic tone of the play. This can be seen evidently from how he begins with ‘If music be the food of love, play on'. This line creates a mood that is suitable for what he is talking about – love. In addition, scene 1 is the introduction scene, in which we can gather many first impressions, be it for the characters, or the theme of the play. Hence, from scene 1, our first impression is formed that the main theme of this play is love that is uncertain, ever changing, unpredictable, fickle, inconstant and transient. This impression is formed from how Orsino is dependent on the mood and feels that the right atmosphere is integral to love. Henceforth, we get an implication that he is more in love with being in love than in love with Olivia, the real, true person, showing that love can c hange in the twinkle of an eye, an important point in respect to the theme of this play. In scene 1, we are also given an idea of the character traits of both Olivia and Orsino. This serves as an effective opening to the play as, the mood of the play is exaggerated and unrealistic. Hence, as both Olivia and Orsino are exaggerated people who indulge in their own feelings rather than genuine feelings for others and Orsino is one who is exaggerated in his use of language, with similes, puns, metaphors and personification, they set the mood straight and prepare us for the type of play we are going into – a comedy that is amusing and unrealistic. Olivia is seen as exaggerated and highly emotional as she announces that she is going to mourn for 7 years, due to the unfortunate death of her dear brother. This public display of mourning gives a sense of the fact that she is wallowing in self-pity and at the same time, enjoying the attention. This contributes to the theme of exaggeration and gives a superficial view to the play. Furthermore, Orsino's cry of despair is filled with emotion, desire and dejection, and allows us to pity him, yet be ridiculed by how he is in love with being in love. This adds to the humour and light-hearted, comic tone of the play, as Orsino is an exaggerated character, and sets us to indulge in this mood of romance, from the ending rhyming couplet Shakespeare uses to add a tone of romance, and show that love is not dependable, and is always changing, inconstant. This is shown in the rhyming couplet, ‘Away before me to sweet beds of flowers! Love thoughts lie rich when canopied with bowers.' This romantic couplet shows how Orsino is dependant on the external environment, thus bringing forth the theme of transient love. Also, Orsino begins his exclamations with the word, ‘O'. This brings about a sense of dreaminess, and reinforces the unrealistic and comic theme of this play. In addition, both Orsino and Olivia's names start with the letter ‘O'. This gives a re-emphasis on the dreaminess of this play. Orsino's speech in scene 1 proves to be an effective contribution to the opening, firstly, to bring forth the themes of this play, and secondly, to display Orsino's personality, and reinforce the themes of this play, to prepare us for a play that is full of humour and unexpected happenings. Through this scene, Olivia is compared to Orsino, and evidently, they are similar in that they are both exaggerated and emotional, adding to the touch and theme of this play. Inclusive in this play is the start of love in the plot. In this scene, we are told that Orsino is in love, or rather, infatuated with Olivia. Hence, we are informed that the overall atmosphere of this play is that of romance, and u ncertain love, love that seems to change at the snap of a finger. In the following scene, Viola is introduced into the scene. An effective opening it is, as in this scene, Viola's personality wins over one's heart, for she is straightforward, and witty, and though manipulative, yet gives us an impression that she is a person of action, and intelligence, and is rational and practical, in a huge contrast to Orsino, who is irrational and emotional. This scene contributes in developing the character, Viola, who is the protagonist of the story, as this scene gives us a clear perspective as to what kind of a person Viola is. Disguise and deceit is also entered in this particular scene. In addition, act 1, scene 2, is set in the outdoors, near the sea. This creates a mood of activeness, and perhaps adds to the theme that love is ever changing, full of action. This could also display the dramatic, stark change, full of impact, adding to the fast and active pace of the play, hence giving a light-hearted, lively, almost ‘bouncy' mood of the play. There after, it emphasizes on how the events and happenings of the play are unpredictable and full of variety, and not monotonous, slow-moving ones. This also sets a contrast between scene 1 and 2. Also, scene 2 is in a rather heavy tone, in comparison to scene 1, as there is a sense of uncertainty here. Viola does not know whether Sebastian, her twin brother is alive. She shows optimism, and this serves as a contribution to the effectiveness of the opening of the play, to allow us to show interest and look forward to what's happening next in the play, and anticipate it. In addition, in scene 2, Viola introduces one of another central theme of the play – disguise and identity confusion. This adds to the opening as a good introduction to the play, as we are immediately set with the main themes of this play, in scene 1, of uncertain, ever changing love, and in scene 2, disguise. Disguise is an important aspect of the play, and plays an important part in adding suspense, tension, and climax. It generates several interesting situations to advance the plot, and adds to the comic aspect of this play. Furthermore, it creates confusion and adds to the plot to create and contribute to the overall uncertain and unrealistic theme of the play, and causes one to wonder about the rest of the play, and continue reading it, due to interest in the plot. Also, at the end of scene 2, Viola is going to be disguised as a eunuch. This is a symbol of gender uncertainty, and shows forth another aspect of the play – confusion over gender. This gender uncertainty is another part that adds to the development of an interesting plot. Moreover, in scene 2, a good testimony of Olivia is described in the speech between the captain and Viola. In this manner, Shakespeare builds credibility for his characters, and displays the fact that main characters must be essentially good to fit in to the light-hearted tone of a comic play. This is an important contribution to the opening of the play, as we do not have a bad impression of the main characters for long, but actually grow to like them due to certain characteristics they display. A meaningful part is within scene 2, which is how the nature of human greed is displayed in the speech exchange between Viola and the captain, as the captain is overwhelmed by flattery and agrees to help Viola. Overall in scene 2, we are given an idea that Viola is interested in Duke Orsino, and tries to get closer to him, creating this love triangle, which moves the plot forward. This impression is formed from â€Å"For such disguise that shall become/The form of my intent†. The intent here refers to how she wants to cover up her true identity and gender, and at the same time, cover up the other hidden intention of getting closer to Orsino. All these emphasize on the main theme, and give us a better perspective of disguise in the play, contributing both to the plot and effectiveness of the play, with a sense of excitement and gives variety to the plot of the play. Going on to scene 3, we have been introduced to the main characters of this play – Orsino, Olivia and Viola. Finally, we are introduced to some of the minor characters of this play – Sir Toby, Sir Andrew and Maria. A change from speaking in verses and poetry, to thus in prose, sets us right away to the fact that, these characters we are going to be introduced to next would be minor characters, those of a lower class or position, more unimportant. This is an effective part in the opening, to prepare us well for the play, and inform us that, since these are characters of a lower position, some of their jokes could be more coarse and vulgar, and prepares us for it. This can be seen in many areas, for instance, â€Å"What a plague†, a slang, and â€Å"accost is, front her, board her, woo her, assail her†, in this case, a sexual word play, directing towards Maria and Sir Andrew. Sir Toby does this publicly, in front of Maria, showing his uncultured and unrefine d nature. This is all expected, as they are of a lower class, and less refined, and more barbaric in a way. This scene is also a much more light-hearted toned scene compared to many other scenes in this whole play. There is a smart exchange of puns and word play between Maria and Sir Toby, as they add to the humour of this play, quarrelling and giving their different opinions toward Sir Andrew. This brings forward the subplot, giving us an idea that Maria and Sir Toby are witty characters, though unimportant, being the minor characters, and more unrefined, uneducated, yet they are clever, and are able to change a word, to their own benefits. For instance, Sir Toby, when being insulted by Maria, says â€Å"Why, let her except, before excepted†. He plays with the word except, and puns. The word ‘except' being seen in two ways, in the first manner, ‘let her disagree, before giving me an exception' and next, except and accept, sounding the same. This could mean, ‘let her disagree, before accepting me'. This is an interesting and witty part in the play, and particularly in this scene, we can tell that humour is being brought forth, and adding to the comical purpose of this play, an important setting of mood in the beginning, to tell us that the play we are about to go deeper into, is light-hearted, and comical. Besides these points, scene 3 introduces Sir Andrew, a gullible, stupid, dim-witted man, who foolishly thinks that he is a suitable suitor for Olivia. He creates a comical scene, and brings the play closer to our hearts, as we laugh heartily at how Sir Toby and Maria poke fun of Sir Andrew, and insult him, making use of his stupidity and denseness. This is an attractive contribution to the opening of the play, as we are immersed in the light-hearted scene of the play, and immediately get a feel of the whole play's atmosphere. We are humoured by the comic display of the three minor characters, Maria, Sir Andrew and Sir Toby, and this brings forth the importance of the minor characters in the subplot of the play, and gives us an idea of both the subplot and how it gradually develops in telling us a theme, and sets as a good opening to the play, to prepare us for the play ahead. They give us a good start in bringing out one of the central themes of the play, breaking apart conventional definitions of identity and status, where Sir Toby actually publicly makes fun of both Maria and Sir Andrew, at their expense, and Maria is able to quarrel with Sir Toby, though she is a lowly maid. All in all, the initial three scenes of Act I are very useful in serving as a good and effective opening to the play, and truly prepares us for Twelfth Night – an irrational, improbable plot and play, focusing more on the essence of comedy which have elements of philosophical depth and melancholy, and the themes of love and disguise, full of twists, changes and confusion. With each scene complementing each other, we are welcomed into the play, with an outstanding opening. 8. As an audience, how does Scene 1-3 serve to arouse our interest and expectations? Throughout Scene 1-3 of Act 1, there are many ways as to which they serve to arouse our interest and expectations, and lead us deep into the play, and keeping us there, to look forward to the following scene, and on, keeping us fired up, and interested to go on. This is made possible, due to the building up of tension, and the plot, inclusive of the subplot, which arouses our interest, and allows us to await the next scene, with much anticipation as to what is going to happen next. The characters described also serve to arouse our interest and expectations by having special personalities, which we do not see day by day. Also, their character traits are special, and somehow, cause us to like and admire them, and at the same time, quite dislike them. This is an interesting and complex idea in the play, and attracts our attention, and causes us to wonder how these characters would end up, and what would happen to them, and their lives. The imagery used also amazes us and cause us to read deeper into the play, and understand more about it. The relationship formed between characters creates many different twists to the plot, for instance, the love triangle between Olivia, Viola and Orsino. The confusion of the relationships and plot adds to the plot and keeps us interested. Also, we are not yet told as to whether Viola's brother, Sebastian is actually alive, from, â€Å"O my poor brother! and so perchance may he be†, she is more hopeful than sure. This gives us a sort of anticipation, and we try to guess whether or not Sebastian is alive, in fact, hope sincerely that Sebastian is alive, as we can feel the hurt of someone losing a loved one. Initially, when Orsino, one of the protagonists of the play is introduced, we get an impression that he is emotional, and wallows in his own emotions, being egoistic and superficial. He is more in love with himself, and the idea of being in love, much more that being truly in love with the person Olivia. This can be seen from how he is very much dependant on the external environment of the surroundings to get into the mood of love, and feels that the right mood is essential for love. This is seen from, â€Å"If music be the food of love, play on† and â€Å"Away before me to sweet beds of flowers/Love thoughts lie rich when canopied with bowers†. From thus, we are curious as to how, Orsino, such a person who likes to whine, and fickle, guided by emotions, could be one of the main characters of the play, henceforth, we go on to grow in interest towards the play. We are also amazed at his level of intellectual abilities, and how he is cultured, using descriptive imagery, to express his indulgence in love. His use of flowery language emphasizes on a tone of exaggeration, towards the play, and enacts his nature of being exaggerated, which we later realize in the same scene (scene 1), is similar to Olivia. From this, we can see that Shakespeare arouses our interest by giving us an opportunity to have our own stab at analyzing and comparing the main characters. We are drawn into the play by this, and go deeper into the play, to find out more about these interesting characters. Furthermore, in scene 1, we are introduced and immersed into the atmosphere of love, and romance. This is set in by Orsino's speech, always revolving around love, and his rich use of imagery, his exaggeration in his speech. All these provide comical devices, for instance, the exaggeration in language. Orsino exaggerates what he says, and â€Å"These sovereign thrones, are all supplied, and fill'd/Her sweet perfections with one self king!† sends forth this impression that Orsino is egoistic, and exaggerative. This sets the tone of amusement, of the unbelievable, the unrealistic. The imagery also adds to the mood of sentimentality and romance, atmosphere of love and emotions. Thus, we are attracted by the use of language, the exaggeration of it, and drawn by the character Orsino, his infatuation toward Olivia, and we start to wonder, whether this unrequited ‘love', or infatuation, would get any results, or end up to be anything good. Also, the similarities between Orsino and Olivia stirs up our interest and curiosity towards them, and we have an urge to know more about them, and learn more about how the plot slowly develops. From initially, we know that Orsino loves Olivia, but Olivia does not wish to show any affections for men at this moment, as she has lost both her father, and her brother, males who were her most loved ones. This is a development of the plot, and we slowly comprehend how the relationships between characters are, and their nature surfaces, and we grow to admire or dislike or like them. In scene 1, the conflict and struggle within Orsino himself is evident, as he feels strangled, tortured by this love, and wants the love to die so it would no longer torment him. We, however, pity him, as he believes himself to be really and totally in love with Olivia, when actually, he is more in love with himself and the idea of love. We sympathise with him, but at the same moment, cannot seem to convince ourselves, that Orsino is a gullible and blind lover. This is shown from how can clearly say that â€Å"O spirit of love, how quick and fresh art thou†, yet not be able to realize that his own love for Olivia is merely an infatuation, and at any point of time, could just die, and disappear, within the snap of a finger. From this, we are further indulged in Twelfth Night, as our interest towards the plot and characters grow. The use of word play in scene 1, â€Å"hart† and â€Å"heart†, adds to the wit and comical display of the play and arouses our interest. Besides this, the many references to nature in his speech, with â€Å"beds of flowers†, and â€Å"music†, we are reminded of images of true nature and beauty, overwhelming, and sets an underlying tone, of optimism, and allows us to be light-hearted, and look forward to the rest of the play. Also, the play is set in the land of Illyria, which is a fictional place, hence giving room for our imaginations to run wild, and imagine this place to be similar to that of fairy tales, and allows us to float in our dreams of a perfect place, where such situations seem to happen very often, and love and romance surrounds the land. This brings us back fond memories of fairy tales, and our hopes are rekindled, as we enter into an unrealistic play, where things that happen are more improbable, and certainly, very unlikely to happen to us in everyday lives. Valentine, one of Orsino's servants, as we can tell from his name, is a contribution to the romantic tone and atmosphere of the play. Olivia, another protagonist of the play, is introduced into the play, through Valentino, and we are given an idea that she is also a highly emotional and sentimental person, rather superficial, trying to earn attention and pity in her mourning towards her dead brother, as she is said to be â€Å"In her cloistress, she will walk veiled† and â€Å"eye-offending brine†¦all this to season a brother's dead love†¦keep fresh in her sad remembrance†. From here, we are told that she wants to always remember the feeling of losing her brother, which shows her superficial understanding towards true love, and feels that the external mourning, would provide a true sense of sincerity and genuine love, which as we can tell. This is a contribution towards the main plot of the story, as another main character of the play is introduced to us, and we are given an idea of the protagonist, and we start to desire to know more about these characters. In scene 2, Viola, the main character of the play is clearly introduced into the play of Twelfth Night, set in the coast, contrasting between the settings of the previous scene – Orsino's room. There is a change in speed, from one of slow moving, to one that is active, and not passive. This is a vast change, and hence, we are pushed forward towards the fast pace of eh play, and we are drawn towards the unpredictability and variety of events. We, as the audience are affected by this change, and are excited, and are interested towards the play, and the plot. Also, in this scene, the theme of disguise and uncertainty in gender, identity and intentions is entered. We are quickly accustomed towards this theme, as Viola decides and plans to disguise herself as a eunuch, a symbol of uncertainty towards gender. All these draws us towards the play as we learn more about the characters, and in fact, go deeper into the play, and start to appreciate the use of words, the way they speak, and the themes they bring out. There is also a contrast between scene 1 and 2, as scene 2 is set in a more heavy tone, more serious. Viola begins the scene by asking about the foreign land she is in, before asking the captain about her brother, to find out whether he is alive. We are thrown into a fit of guessing within ourselves, and wondering whether Sebastian, Viola's twin brother is alive. Also, we are given an idea that Viola is interested in Duke Orsino, from, â€Å"Orsino!†¦He was a bachelor then†, as she mentions nothing else, but the fact that he was single and available then, suggests her previous interest in Orsino. Hence, she tries to get closer to him, by disguising herself, and creating this love triangle, which moves the plot forward. We are henceforth attracted to these building up of the plot, and stay interested in the play. Scene 3 follows to provide us with an idea as to who the minor characters of the play, the people of the subplot are, and how they are like. Sir Toby, Maria and Sir Andrew are thus introduced into the scene, with Sir Toby and Maria with differing opinions towards Sir Andrew. They play with each others' words, and we are attracted by their witty nature, and grow to like them, although Sir Toby is a rather rough person, less cultured, and more vulgar, and rough, from how he uses slang like, â€Å"What the plague†. We are also, prepared for the roughness of language, for they are speaking in prose, and hence we can tell they are of a lower position and class. The jokes Sir Toby cracks are coarse, and at the expense of others, and some, sexual puns, catering to audience of less educated families, and people, who are less cultured. In addition, Sir Andrew, a dim-witted man, is the laughing stock of the scene, as he is dense, and slow to understand the puns and word play Sir Toby and Maria wittily speak. He is poked fun at, and still, does not know what is going on. We are ridiculed at his stupidity, but at the same time, can't help laughing and enjoying his existence in the play, to create the comical effect of the play. Another theme of the play, the overturning of positions, of how Sir Toby can overturn Olivia's quiet home, to that of a place of uncivilized behaviour. Therefore, the 3 initial scenes each have their own ways of arousing the attention of the audience, and keep us glued to the play, and not lose interest in just a moment, due to the comical effect of the play, and the different interesting and amusing characters of the play, and the gradually developing plot and subplot of the play.

Buddhism1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Buddhism1 - Essay Example Thirdly, I was surprised to learn that Buddhism to a certain extent is a rebel religion. I never thought that it is important to engage the analysis of Hinduism which is the dominant spiritual tradition in the area when it comes to understanding the true meaning of the religion in question. The part of the text which dealt with four noble truths as well as eightfold path was extremely informative for me since it contained a brief summary of the Buddhist teaching and allowed me to learn the fundamental concepts of it in a short period of time. Finally, having read the text, I think that there is a great future ahead Buddhism. Indeed, while other religions are primarily based on some miracles and encourage people to look outside for the answers, Buddhism argues that all the answers are inside. I believe that numerous people around the world would find the tenets of this spiritual tradition quite interesting and will be willing to incorporate it into their

Business Law Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 4

Business Law - Assignment Example If so, what was the condition of the offer and who was to claim it? It has always been assumed that a notice like that goes all the way to the world and anybody can claim it so long as the terms are met. This is similar to the case of Carlill and Carbolic Smoke Ball Company (1893) 1 QB256. The claimant after meeting all the conditions put fore by Carbolic Smoke Ball Company was being denied the claim by the company. This attracted the intervention of the court which rewarded her claim. According to the law of contracts, an offer is simply an expression of willingness and ability to contract on given specific terms. It can be written oral or both. The offer can also be unilateral or bilateral, the latter mostly being in commercial businesses. In the case of Leila vs. Julie, the offer was unilateral since the former had in one of the dailies, printed a notice of the same targeting the whole public (Bouvier, 1856). The clear message was that whoever came across and returned the gold locket and the chain previously lost was to be rewarded $ 50. In a unilateral contract, once the offeror makes a promise in exchange of an act by another person, if this other person acts on the offerer’s promise then the latter is obligated to fulfill the promise (Austen-Baker, 2002). The ideal condition is that the information about the reward must have been in the knowledge of the offferee before presenting his actions. In this case, Julie was knowledgeable of the information about the reward for the return made by Leila. Whichever form of communication/ notification she chose, it was within the context. According to the notice, the offerer gave her address as well as her number meaning you could choose any to communicate and Julie happened to choose the physical contact. In my opinion, she qualified to be rewarded as the contract was binding. However, it should be noted that just like the case of (Household fire and carriage accident Insurance

Product Development of Subaru Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Product Development of Subaru - Assignment Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that the changing trends have affected Subaru due to changes in demand for cars. The demand for the SUVs increased in the last decade while there was a decrease in the demand for small cars. Such changes in consumer behavior affect the sales performance of the products delivered to the market. The success of any new product is based on the ability to resonate with the customers which are a plus if achieved. The change in the behavior of the customer must be reciprocated with product change or improvement. The company has invested in massive customer demand research with the focus being on the preferences of the customers especially to change in design and performance of the product. The success of the new approach is evident in the success achieved in the utility vehicles developed after the research. In the modern market, the customer is king as such the company must engage research for success to be achieved. The approach of Subaru in resea rch and development has increased product performance.

Bipolar Disorder Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Bipolar Disorder - Essay Example Genetic factors are considered to be the leading contributor to the disease, accounting for up to 80% of the risk of having the illness. The heritability index was calculated to be around 0.7 (Edvardsen 2008). Despite having been restricted to a relatively low number of samples, twin studies have revealed a considerable genetic component, together with a clear environmental impact. Extensive studies over the last years have consistently estimated the concordance rate for bipolar I disorder to be around 5% in fraternal twins, in comparison to over 40% in  identical  twins (Barnett & Smoller 2009). Studies have also identified certain physiological processes underlying the bipolar disorder. For instance, by means of magnetic resonance imaging researchers have noted the differences in the volume and density of various brain zones between the healthy individuals and patients with BD. Specifically, the analysis of structural MRI findings provided evidence of the increased volume of the pale body and lateral ventricles (Arnone et al 2009). Simultaneously, functional MRI scans indicated the impaired coordination between the limbic corpus amygdaloideum and prefrontal region (Srakowski et al 2012). According to another theory, when genetically predisposed people are exposed to stress, their stress threshold at which behavioral changes happen lowers. After a number of such exposures, the episodes may start spontaneously. In support of the theory, Alloy and Bender (2011) report of the correlation between stressful situations and malfunction of the  hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Stress factors cause hypothalamic hyperactivation, which may eventually result in disease. Some researchers imply the major contribution of the environmental factors to the development of bipolar disorder. Evidence suggests that broken interpersonal relationships and hurtful early-life events may increase the risk of onsets and induce

Unlicensed Personnel & Nurse Staffing Ratios Essay

Unlicensed Personnel & Nurse Staffing Ratios - Essay Example Meanwhile, safety concerns due to educational qualifications and accountability issues emerged simultaneously with the increasing demand for UAP because of documented incidental errors. Some say that the UAP is accountable because he committed the error while others say that it was the nurse to blame for errors because of the responsibility inclined with the license. In this case, should unlicensed assistive personnel be licensed by the individual state boards of nursing? As mentioned earlier, UAPs lack enough educational qualifications and training compared to those with baccalaureate degree. Giving these UAPs licenses will neither solve the increasing number of errors in the hospital settings nor make them solely accountable for negligence. In fact, this might just deteriorate nursing education in the future because of the lack of clear boundaries. UAPs are given certificate or diploma or training for low level tasks like toileting, bathing, feeding, skin care, and ambulating whereas nurses are given licenses for high level tasks which require critical thinking, reasoning skills, and nursing judgment such as in making nursing assessments. If the individual state boards of nursing would give license to UAPs, nursing students might think that there are no differences at all and might prefer the shorter track; thus, making future nurses less qualified for the job. In addition, giving UAPs licenses will not make them solely free from accountability as proper delegation is one of the key responsibilities of nurses. If UAP committed an error, the nurse is also accountable for negligence because the National Council of State Boards of Nursing provide specific guidance about scope of practice and proper delegation among nurses (Sherman and Eggenberger, 2009, 7). Instead of giving UAPs licenses, why not strengthened the delegation practices of nurses? Most of the documented errors committed by UAPs

Companys Business Foundation and Deliberate Threats to Information Sy Assignment - 8

Companys Business Foundation and Deliberate Threats to Information Systems - Assignment Example These two threats to the foundation of a company are specific in threatening the company’s survival as both a sustainable entity and a competitive rival to other companies as well. In a revelation of these threats, CSOs should be aware that rival companies and/or private groups can use espionage as a means to acquire the company information illegally. While the issue of espionage may be addressed as an external threat, in most cases, CIOs should be aware that internal activities exposing critical information to employees can lead to espionage. This means that through an illegal acquisition of that information, employees in firms can facilitate the damaging of the business foundation of the company by selling the information to rivals. Additionally, information extortion is another area where CSOs should be aware of when it comes to business foundation. In order to secure a company’s business foundation, the CSO should be aware that illegal access to information can lead to corporate blackmail. This process involves a hacker or a holder of sensitive information who agrees to give up information or not to disclose it for a fee. The motive of information extortion is to create value by pointing out the possible losses that would be incurred if the information was accessed by rival companies Information (Security, pp. 103-104). CSOs must be equipped with the information regarding the value of the company data and how such information can be harmful if it was lost or accessed by unauthorized personnel. When CSOs are aware of the information value, two primary corporate cyber threats are considered. Firstly, the CSO should be aware that information loss can result from sabotage and vandalism. Although companies do not have social enemies, they have financial rivals who thrive to push as many of their competitors out of business. By damaging or rendering a company’s information database unusable, a company is unable to move on as it has to accommodate all direct losses, lawsuits, and possible closures (Information Security, pp. 104-105).

An examination of the concept of class divisions according to paul fussell Essay Example for Free

An examination of the concept of class divisions according to paul fussell Essay Class Based on Paul Fussell’s class divisions, I believe that I am a member of the high proletarian class. I am content being in this particular class because of the way this class lives, and I do not aspire to become a member of a different class; I believe that it would be unrealistic for me to do so. As Fussell mentions, when one thinks of class, he often thinks in terms of whether somebody is rich or poor. Fussell believes that class is more than net worth, and he talks about class in a variety of different ways; he considers how each class consumes goods, dresses, lives, and even the words that members of each class use in conversation. Based on what Fussell has said about each class, I would be most accurately categorized as a high proletarian. High proletarians, according to Fussell are â€Å"not consumed with worry about choosing the correct status emblems†¦they can do, say, wear, and look like pretty much anything they want without undue feelings of shame† (46). Anybody who sees me often knows that I have a very simple wardrobe; I wear a pair of jeans, running shoes, a jacket, and a random t-shirt underneath. I am not concerned with how I dress or how other people see me. I am much more concerned with how people view my accomplishments and my actions, which I put much more effort into. Fussell also talks about the actions and skills of the high proletarians, saying â€Å"the special anxiety of the high proles is fear about the loss or reduction of status: you’re proud to be a master carpenter, and you want the world to understand clearly the difference between you and a laborer† (45). I have worked at an ice cream shop for the past seven years, and I make sure everybody is aware of what I’m capable of and my status at the ice cream shop. I may wear the same thing to work all of the time, and every employee may wear the same work shirt in the ice cream shop, but I make it known to everybody that I have the experience and the skillset that I have worked hard to acquire. I am content being a member of this class. Not only do I feel like describes me the most accurately, but, in my opinion, it also sounds like the most enjoyable class to be a member of. As mentioned before, high proletarians aren’t extremely concerned with status symbols or how other people perceive their tastes and desires. As a result, high proletarians are more focused on having things that they enjoy. A great example of this is the food eaten by each class.   When talking about the meals that the upper-middle class eats, Fussell says that â€Å"sometimes it seems that anything will be consumed so as long as it’s not native†¦tacos and pizza are out, and so are common ‘Chinese’ dishes† (103).   The upper-middle class seems to care less about how the food they’re eating tastes, but whether that food fits into their perceived standards. High proletarians, on the other hand, pay little attention to whether a certain food is exotic or no t, instead focusing on the food itself. When I get home after a long day of work or twelve hours of classes, I do not care about whether the food that I’m eating is fancy or high-class. The high proletarian approach to food and dining is much simpler than that of the upper-middle class, and this simpler way of living is prevalent throughout all aspects of high proletarian living, whether it’s home dà ©cor, consumption of goods, or use of words and language in writing and while speaking. As a high proletarian, I am right in the middle of the nine classes listed by Fussell, which means that it wouldn’t be difficult for me to drift into either a higher class or a lower class. As mentioned before, I am content with the class that I belong to, the high proletarian, and I have no desire to become a member of a higher or a lower class. Those on the higher end of the class spectrum, according to Fussell, often act like stereotypical rich people. For example, a common theme for those in the upper-middle class is â€Å"living in a house with more rooms than you need† (33). I would much rather live in a home or apartment with just enough space to live comfortably; wasting money on rooms that I won’t use isn’t a very appealing thought for me. The destitute (one of the lowest classes), on the other hand, â€Å"never have even seasonal work and live wholly on welfare† (50). I work hard for the things that I have, and it would be almost torturous for me to rely on welfare to live. Initially, I was under the impression that moving between the class above you and below you can be, for the most part, a choice, but after reading Fussell’s book, I have realized that being a member of a certain class is only partially choice. I don’t care about whether I wear the same jacket five days a week, and I also wouldn’t want to have to rely on someone else to buy that same jacker for me. I am a high proletarian because the traits and characteristics that I have make me a high proletarian, and I will always have those traits. Due to this, I don’t think that it would be realistic for me to change drastically enough to become a member of a new class. Of course, there is the possibility that I will adopt certain characteristics of a higher or lower class, but I will, overall, still be a member of the high proletarian class. Paul Fussell’s Class: A Guide Through the American Status System has helped me to determine that I am a member of the high proletarian class. I am content being a member of this class because of its simplicity, and I do not aspire to be a member of a higher class because I don’t think it would be realistic for me to do so. Work Cited Fussell, Paul.  Class: A Guide Through the American Class System. New York: Simon Schuster, 1992. Print.

Newly Qualified Nurse Responsibilities

Newly Qualified Nurse Responsibilities The aim of this assignment is to discuss the global roles and responsibilities of the newly qualified nurse. The exercise will begin by briefly looking at the transition from student to nurse and thereafter outlining the basic roles of the newly qualified nurse and try to fit them into appropriate professional skills. In addition, there will be a critical examination of two roles in more detail with one of them focusing on Patient Group Directions (PGD), and justify their importance. We will then look at some legal, professional and ethical considerations before making a conclusion on the future role development of the nurse. The NMC require a student nurse to demonstrate professional and ethical practice, be competent in care delivery and care management, and show personal and professional development in order to join the register (NMC, 2010). On becoming a qualified nurse, the expectations and dynamics of relationships changes fundamentally. Suddenly the newly qualified nurse is the one who must know the answer, whether it is a query from a patient, a carer, a work colleague or a student. The newly qualified nurse will encounter many challenging situations where she or he must lead care delivery. This includes dealing with care management within the team, dealing with patients/service users, dealing with other professionals, and dealing with the required needs of the whole workplace environment. These changes require a large shift from the experience of being a student and a mentored supervised learner, so it is essential that one is equipped with all the skills required to successfully make the transition. The newly qualified nurse must demonstrate they are fit to enter the NMC register and therefore be eligible to practice as a qualified nurse. In all cases, the newly qualified nurse is seen as: Provider of care Educator Counsellor Collaborator Researcher Change Agent Patient Advocate Manager The above are typically the roles of a newly qualified nurse which can be compressed into the NMC professional skills requirements listed below: Maintaining standards of care Making ethical and legal decisions Being accountable Teamworking Teaching others Being in charge. It is recognized that there is a certain amount of overlap in these professional skills and that some concepts cross all of them, in that there are no clear lines drawn where one skill ends and another starts. For the purpose of this analysis, we will look at the issue of making ethical and legal decisions and the Patient Group Direction. Decisions and actions are taken by nurses in the course of day-to-day practice. One would not usually consider each of the skills or concepts in isolation in relation to particular incidents but would make a decision based on the factors contributing to the situation. However, when analysing any situation, in the decisions made and the actions taken, some of the individual conceptual principles may be recognized and highlighted. For example, asking a member of staff to complete a task on your behalf is delegating. This fits neatly into leadership theory and also relates to aspects of accountability. Completing a health and safety audit in the work environment might relate to management theory and responsibility taken on. Completing a review of an individuals care and setting goals for them in multidisciplinary meetings might relate to team working theory. Reporting of poor practices or environments might relate to aspects of accountability and maintaining standards of care. However, all of the above aspects could arise from analysing one situation where the nurse has to make decisions about a certain aspect of care management thus emphasizing the great importance of making ethical and legal decisions. DECISION MAKING PROCESS Nurses are problem solvers who use the nursing process as their tool. The chief goal of ethical decision-making process is to determine right and wrong in situations where clear demarcations are not apparent, and then search for the best answer. For a newly qualified nurse, the following will be a guide to making ethical decisions: State the Dilemma State dilemma clearly, determine whether the problem/decision involves the nurse or only the patient, focus attention on ethical principles and follow the clients wishes first while considering the family input in case of unconsciousness. Collect and Analyze Data Know clients and familys wishes and all information about the problem. Keep abreast of any up to date legal and ethical issues; which may also overlap. Consider Choices of Action Most ethical dilemmas have multiple solutions, some of which are more feasible than others. The more options that are identified, the more likely it is that an acceptable solution can be identified. It may require input from outside sources and other professionals such as Social workers etc. Make the Decision The most difficult part of the process is making the decision, following through with the action, and then living with the consequences. Ethical dilemmas produce differences of opinion and not every one is pleased with the decision but it must be emphasized that clients wishes always supercede the decision by health care providers but ideally, a collaborative decision is made by client, family, doctor and nurse thus producing fewer complications. Act Once a course of action has been determined, the decision must be carried out. Implementing the decision usually involves collaboration with others. Evaluate Unexpected outcomes are common in crisis situations that result in ethical dilemmas. It is important for decision makers to determine the impact an immediate decision may have on future ones. It is also important to consider whether a different course of action might have resulted in a better outcome. If the outcome accomplished its purpose, the ethical dilemma should be resolved and if the dilemma has not been resolved, additional deliberation is needed. Patient Group Direction (PGD) The legislation (Statutory Instrument, 200a) states that Patient Group Direction means in connection with the supply of a prescription only medicine a written direction relating to the supply and administration of a description or class of prescription only medicine or a written direction relating to the administration of a description or class of description only medicine, and which in the case of either is signed by a doctor and by a pharmacist; and relates to the supply and administration, or to administration, to persons generally (subject to any exclusions which may be set out in the Direction). In practice this means that a PGD, signed by a doctor and agreed by a pharmacist, can act as a direction to a nurse to supply and/or administer prescription-only medicines (POMs) to patients using their own assessment of patient need, without necessarily referring back to a doctor for an individual prescription. When can PGDs be used? The law is clear that the majority of care should be provided on an individual, patient-specific basis, and that the supply and administration of medicines under PGDs should be reserved for those situations where this offers an advantage for patient care (without compromising safety), and where it is consistent with appropriate professional relationships and accountability. The RCN interprets this to mean that PGDs should only be used to supply and/or administer POMs to homogeneous patient groups where presenting characteristics and requirements are sufficiently consistent for them to be included in the PGD e.g. infants and children requiring immunisation as part of a national programme. Which POMs can be supplied or administered under a PGD? PGDs can be used to supply and administer a wide range of POMs although there are currently legislative and good practice restrictions in relation to controlled drugs, antimicrobials and black triangle drugs. Controlled drugs The use of controlled drugs continues to be regulated under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and associated regulations made under that Act. The Home Office has agreed to allow the supply and administration of substances on Schedule 4 (with the exclusion of anabolic steroids) and all substances on schedule 5 to be included in PGDs. Antimicrobials can be included within a PGD but consideration must be given to the risk of increased resistance within the general community. When seeking to draw up a PGD for antimicrobials, a local microbiologist should be involved and approval sought from the drug and therapeutics committee or equivalent. Black triangle drugs and medicines used outside the terms of the Summary of Product Characteristics Black triangle drugs (i.e. those recently licensed and subject to special reporting arrangements for adverse reactions) and medicines used outside the terms of the Summary of Product Characteristics (SPC) sometimes called off label use (for example, as used in some areas of specialist paediatric care) may be included in PGDs. Their use should be exceptional and justified by best clinical practice, and a direction should clearly describe the status of the products. How should PGDs be drawn up? The law (Statutory Instrument, 2000a) requires that PGDs should be drawn up by a pharmacist and the doctor who works with the nurses who will be using them. The relevant health authority should also ratify the PGD. In England, when PGDs are developed locally, HSC 2000/026 (NHSE, 2000) requires that a senior doctor and a senior pharmacist sign them off with authorisation from the appropriate health organisation, i.e. the trust, and that all nurses using the directions are specifically named within the PGD and signed by them. The RCN acknowledges this as good practice and recommends the following steps be taken throughout the UK. The NMC Standards for Medicines Management (2007) state that the administration of drugs via PGDs may not be delegated and students cannot supply or administer under a PGD. Students would however be expected to understand the principles and be involved in the process (NMC 2007). Failure to ascertain that a PGD is the most appropriate route can lead to waste of valuable time and resource and place increased risk on delivery and quality of patient care. Anyone involved with PGDs (whether developing, authorising or practising under them) should understand the scope and limitations of PGDs as well as the wider context into which they fit to ensure safe, effective services for patients. Any extension to professional roles with regard to administration and supply of medicines must take into account the need to protect patient safety, ensure continuity of care and safeguard patient choice and convenience. It also has to be cost effective and bring demonstrable benefits to patient care. Any practice requiring a PGD that fails to comply with the criteria falls outside of the Law and could result in criminal prosecution under the Medicines Act. With regard to the written instruction required for the supply and administration of medicines by non-professionals, Medicines Matters (2006) (3) clarifies that a suitably trained non-professional member of staff can only administer medicines under a Patient Specific Direction (PSD). Medicine Matters (2006) states that: Patient Specific Direction is the traditional written instruction, from a doctor, dentist, nurse or pharmacist independent prescriber, for medicines to be supplied or administered to a named patient. The majority of medicines are still supplied or administered using this process. There is nothing in legislation to prevent PSDs being used to administer medicines to several named patients e.g. on a clinic list. PSDs are a direct instruction and therefore do not require an assessment of the patient by the health care professional instructed to supply or administer the medicine. Pharmacy Only (P) and General Sales List (GSL) Medicines Medicines legislation states that a PGD is not required to administer a P or GSL medicine. The use of a simple protocol is advisable for best practice and from a governance perspective. All medicines administered must be recorded in the patients medical record. Where a GSL medicine is to be supplied it must be taken from lockable premises and supplied in a pre-pack which is fully labelled and meets the GSL requirements. A PGD will be necessary for the supply of P medicines by anyone other than a registered pharmacist. Recommend further advice to be sought from a pharmacist. (Ref: NPC PGDs 2004). For safe administration of drugs, the newly qualified nurse must give the right dose of the right drug to the right patient in the right route at the right time. When giving medications, the nurse needs to be aware of possible interactions between the patients different drugs. It is the nurses responsibility to protect the patient from harm. If they think the wrong drug or the wrong dose has been ordered, they must ask for help from the nurse or the doctor in charge. The newly qualified nurse needs to know the doses of the drug which are safe to administer. Sometimes the pharmacy gives out drugs in grams when the order specifies milligrams, or the other way around. They need to know how to convert these. It is important to know what types of dilemmas newly qualified nurses may face during their careers and how they may deal with it. It is also important for nurses to understand what malpractice is and how they may protect themselves from a malpractice suit. Firstly, it is important to understand the difference between law and ethics. Ethics examines the values and actions of people. Often times, there is no one right course of action when one is faced with an ethical dilemma. On the other hand, laws are binding rules of conduct. When laws are broken, it is punishable by an authority. There are four types of situations that pertain to law and ethics. The first would be an action that is both legal and ethical. An example of this would be a nurse carrying out appropriate doctors orders as ordered. A nurse may also be faced with an action that may be ethical but not legal, such as allowing a cancer patient to smoke marijuana for medicinal purposes. The opposite may arise where an action may be legal but not ethical. Finally, an action may be neither legal nor ethical. For example, when a nurse makes a medication error and does not take responsibility to report to it appropriately. The right of service users to expect practitioners to act in their best interests is reinforced by professional codes of conduct and legislation such as the Mental Health Act. It is also reflected in equality of opportunity legislations such as the Sex Discrimination Act and the Race Relation Act, which aim to ensure that everybody has equal access to and is offered equal care by health and social care service. Patients right to confidentiality under statutory duties is stipulated in the Data Protection Act, Article 8 European Convention of Human Rights, Access to Personal Files Act 1987 and Access to Health Record Acts 1990. The code does require that nurses must disclose information if they believe someone may be at risk of harm in line with the law. As a nurse, respecting autonomy means you must effectively communicate with patients, be truthful, enable patients to make decisions freely, provide appropriate information and accept the patients preferences. Legally, patients must be given enough information to make a balanced judgement however we must be aware that if nurses fail to comply with the legal duty of disclosure, they could face a negligence claim. However, under the principle of therapeutic privilege they can legally withhold information that they think will harm the patient Some patients whether children or adults are unable either to make or to communicate their decisions therefore they lack (or have limited) capacity. The Mental Capacity Act 2005 that create and clarifies the common law on consent in England and Wales, affects everyone aged 16 and over, and provides a statutory framework to empower and protect people who may not be able to make some decisions for themselves. The moral justifications for acting without consent are the principles of beneficence (the duty to do good) and non-maleficence (the duty to do no harm). Paternalism is overriding someones autonomy because you think it is for their own good. However, it is justifiable if we can demonstrate that the patient is at risk of significant, preventable harm, or the action will probably prevent the harm, or the patients capacity for rational reflection is either absent or significantly impaired, or at a later time, it can be assumed that the patient will approve of the decision taken on his/her behalf, or the benefits to the patient of intervention outweigh the risks. Also, we live in a society where demands for accountability and taking responsibility are so commonplace that pinning the blame on someone or something has become almost a fad. The NHS culture of blame has developed basically because no one wants to be accountable or responsible for actions or omissions hence there are no longer any accidents or mistakes. Principles of beneficence and non-maleficence underpin the concept of fault which lies at the heart of negligence law. Beneficence means that you must act in ways that benefit others (i.e. duty to care), and Non-maleficence means that you have a duty not to harm others nor subject them to risk of harm. Every nursing intervention that aims to benefit patients may at the same time also harm them. Sometimes the harm will be unavoidable or even intentional and at other times it can be unintentional and unexpected, therefore it is appropriate to think about the principles of non-maleficence and beneficence together in order to balance harm and benefits against each other. We can resolve this problem responsibility and accountability. These words are sometimes used interchangeably because they do overlap but in actual fact they do not mean the same thing. Being responsible can mean that it is your job or role to deal with something and/or that you have caused something to happen. Accountability on the other hand is about justifying your action or omissions and establishing whether there are good enough reasons for acting in the way you did. Even where the newly qualified nurse delegate tasks to others, such as nursing auxiliaries or care assistants she/he is accountable to the patients through a duty of care, underpinned by a common-law duty to promote safety and efficiency, and legal responsibility through civil law, the employer as defined by your contract of employment, the profession as stated in the relevant codes of conduct and the public. Conclusion All newly qualified nurses were faced with assumptions from others that they should know everything. This was also a high expectation they had of themselves. In meeting the NMC standards of proficiency the nurse should have demonstrated the relevant knowledge and skills in order to practise in their relevant specialized fields. However, it is important to recognize that not every nurse knows everything about everything in their field, especially if they are practising in highly specialized fields. What they need is to be able to develop and adapt to changing situations. Therefore, for the nurse it is impossible to know everything, but they should have developed the skills to find out relevant information, reflect on it, and apply this to their practice. In essence they should have learned how to learn. There is a great deal to be learned once qualified, especially related to a nurses new area of work and a good deal of the development needs to take place on the job.

Internet of Things (IoT) in Insurance

Internet of Things (IoT) in Insurance There are many Insurers with well-defined IoT based solutions in their core business product space, such as Usage-Based Insurance in auto insurance, discounted smart sensor device offers etc.   Large Property and Casualty (PC) insurers have been watching the IoT technology space mature over a period of last couple of years, and thus have capitalized well on their learnings and analysis.   Expectations from IoT continues to grow in the field of insurance. IoT is not just about the connected devices, but any IoT solution is incomplete without capturing the real-time and relevant data.   This captured data should be available in cloud, to have the ability to run advanced analytics to provide appropriate customer and other stakeholder dashboards.   It is key for the insurers to leverage their existing high volume of data, and develop the ability to drive improved outcomes for customers, brokers partners. In this article, we review the journey of IoT in the insurance industry, and we discuss what to expect from IoT in future.   Other aspects of this article includes the impact of other technology trends with IoT, such as Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence, Natural Language processing etc. Influence in PC (Property Casualty) and (Life Annuities) LA industries IoT has been able to mark its impact in PC market, but LA market still needs exploring opportunities.   PC insurers have deployed more IoT projects than LA players have. Connected ecosystem is one of the core IoT trends in the insurance space.   Approximately 34 percent of customers have indicated that they would be inclined to smart homes and real estates.   Close to follow in terms of trends are the wearables with 30 percent customer interest. In terms of numbers, LA has only 5% projects deployed, whereas in PC percentage is 12%. The trends clearly indicate that growth of IoT based solutions in both the domains is obvious. As IoT grows in adoption, leading insurers will find ways to leverage the data available from these technologies to improve operations and better engage customers. BI Intelligence recently projected that by 2020, there will be over 34 billion connected IoT devices, and over $6 trillion spent on IoT solutions in the next 5 years. With this expected growth in IoT and wearables, insurers need to plan for their use by consumers and the impact of these devices on consumer behavior and expectations. Below are a couple of success stories in the PC world where IoT has played a significant role in improving their business: Progressive Snapshot ® Progressive insurance groups Snapshot ® product is a flagship initiative that primary deals with IoT and high volume of data with analytics to provide Usage-based insurance to its customers.   Its primary intent is to reward good driving, and thereby encourage insureds to save in their insurance costs.  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   Snapshot ® is an OBD II based simple device that pluggable into most modern cars.   This device keeps a track on the driving habits such as usage of brakes, average speed etc., along with other relevant data such as time of driving etc. Liberty Mutual Google Nest Liberty Mutual has collaborated with Google Nest to provide its customers an ability to prevent perils.   Customers are offered the Nest protect device along with their insurance at no extra cost.   This IoT device helps customers identify and alert on critical parameters such as smoke, CO emission levels, temperature variations etc. It rewards the insureds for staying safe. Challenges and Barriers for IoT in insurance Some of the apparent challenges that comes along with IoT based solutions in the insurance industry are: Security Risk IoT is susceptible to cyberattacks as it involves multiple devices and multiple protocols.   IoT based solutions are effective with very large volumes of data flow between entities, over networks and many a times over public networks.   Such solutions make the Insurance Company vulnerable to interceptions. Large investments are required to secure IoT generated data, to avoid intrusions as well as misuses of such data for fraudulent activities.   IoT solutions should include a clear focus on identifying and addressing the possible security risks and threats as an important aspect.   Insurers and the insureds should understand the security dimension of such solutions to ensure appropriate measures are in place. Data Volume management Strength of IoT solution is to provide and capture data (real-time in most cases), which is added to the Insurers big data repositories.   Such large datasets are the assets for the insurance companies and the whole solution relies on how stakeholders utilize these large volumes for the benefit of all.   With large data volumes, comes the volume management challenges that requires significant planning and appropriate enterprise strategy.  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   It is also very important to plan the inclusion of the IoT real-time data with the historic data such as Policy, Client, and Claims data etc. Data ownership is also a challenge with IoT data management strategies.   It is always a challenge to understand if the data belongs to the insured or the insurer.   There are other data challenges such as privacy, data tampering etc., which need absolute attention from the Insurers while defining and establishing a long-term solution. Standardization and Regulation With an increasing trend of growing numbers of IoT devices, interoperability is already a challenge.   Plenty of startups as well as large players are trying to capitalize on the IoT market by deploying and integrating devices.   With lack of regulations and agreements in place, the IoT solutions are bound to fail.   There have been quite a few initiatives by many players on this front, but the process maturity will take some time. Disruption to existing large business models Insurance industrys business relies on the right balance between the volume of risk managed, and the claims associated with the covered risks.   To understand this better, insurers always seek to contain the volume of claims by preventive measures to have a good handle on the loss ratio.   This leads to have a direct impact on their written premium to losses ratio and thus improves their margins.  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   IoT solutions give a great advantage in avoidance of claims by providing relevant indications and alerts for most of the critical major perils. There is always a threshold to such business theory because if the claims keep going down then it will have a direct effect on bringing down the premiums as well.   Insurers need to ensure the IoT based solutions provide the right balance and manage the alignment between solutions and core business models. IoT with other technologies Insurance industry has recognized the importance of IoT in its business, and we have seen a clear growth trend for the last couple of years. We believe that the trend will continue in the same direction, with an increase in the implementations of IoT based solutions.   IoT solutions involve multiple technologies to maximize benefits for stakeholders.   For example, IoT solutions are inclusive of Analytics, Cloud, protocol management etc. Some of the other trends where we see an immediate impact in the insurance industry are: Natural Language Processing Talking to devices is not something new for the human beings.   We have had our smartphone based digital assistants in existence for quite long now.  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   Amazon echo has already pioneered in the home digital assistant space.   Imagine a situation where an IoT device like Amazon echo, captures the conversations by a senior citizen living alone.   IoT devices can be extremely beneficial in emergencies for senior homes, and NLP capabilities to such sensors can help prevent any medical situation by understanding, processing and alerting appropriate agencies for help. NLP and Text processing is predicted to have a positive disruption in the insurance industry by providing abilities such as information retrieval from unstructured data, sentimental analysis to streamline the flow of information to customers thereby improving customer relationships, kiosk based Chabot etc. Blockchain Blockchain looks very promising when it comes to providing some of the challenges that IoT solutions possess.   Roadblocks such as inorganic scaling of IoT devices (without identity, or interoperability), information and privacy concerns etc. can leverage the fundamental principles of Blockchain technology for an appropriate resolution.   We foresee Blockchain considered as a heavyweight partner technology for IoT based initiatives. Insurance companies and their technology arms will need to understand and implement the appropriate solutions involving Blockchain.   Blockchain comes with its own baggage of challenges hence we recommend a thorough study of the problem scenario. Artificial Intelligence IoT generates high volumes of data, and such significant and relevant data is of no use if we do not have machine-learning capabilities introduced in our IoT based solutions.   As the devices are increasing, so will the data volume as well.   This significant and invaluable data will help our systems to understand what is working vs what is not working. This data volume goes beyond human capabilities for analytics; hence, a machine learning will be inevitable to maximize the return from IoT based solutions. Future Impact of IoT in Insurance Industry IoT based solutions have done tremendous development in all horizons of human life and the impact has been on positive as well as negative side. On the positive side, IoT provides real time data, which provides useful information ahead of time to both Insurers and Insureds that helps them in taking preventive action and reduces/eliminates losses. On the negative side, IoT brings risks, both physical and financial; with the connected devices over Internet. Some of the significant areas of IoT impact listed below: Need of Cyber Insurance policies will grow With the growth of IoT, the risk of data loss and resulting liabilities will increase. Cyber insurance policies provide coverage against data liability losses and the costs involved due to data breaches, hence there will be improved focus on cyber insurance products, which increase the sale of such policies. List of excluded risks will increase in cyber policies With IoT penetrating more and more in human life the risk of cyber-attacks on IoT devices will also increase. Providing coverage against all these risks will be loss for Insurance carriers hence insurers will provide specific exclusion for cyber perils. Minimize the insurance need IoT based solutions will continue to alter the risk associated with customers and their perils, which will make both Insurance carriers Insureds aware of the risks before time. This will have an impact on the global insurance market, as the chances of error will reduce which results in shrinking the insurance market thereby minimizing the need for insurance. Artificial Intelligence and containers will distribute IoT: The year 2017 would see Internet of Things software distributed across cloud services, edge devices, and gateways. Further, machine-learning cloud services and Artificial Intelligence will be used to mine data from IoT devices. Role of Insurance carriers in IoT security will increase More and more inclination of consumers towards IoT enabled devices lead to more security risk for them. Since IoT technology is changing so fast, it has become a big challenge for the insurance regulators to cope up with that and design the new products accordingly. Insurers are taking on the financial risk associated with the increase use of IoT; hence, they will address the IoT security via proper underwriting. IoT will affect the mobile industry in both directions Many upcoming solutions will create enhanced mobility solution requirements and at the same time, we will see some IoT solutions making mobile apps redundant.   With increased connected devices, mobility solutions will enhance the user experience using digital assistants, smart watches etc. IoT certification will suppress Industry specific certification In order to get into the nerves of IoT, the vendors will be motivated to get IoT certified inspite of having Industry specific certified. Investments will be focused on minimal cost based trainings and certifications along with maintaining high standards of these certifications. Along with it, all major industrial vendors will come together to jointly certify their IoT-enabled products with enterprise vendors. *Forrester ICRMC Report NIIT technologies IoT We have been participating in the growth of IoT based solutions across industries.   NIIT Technologies Ltd has already worked with a large US based insurer to come up with a complete connected solution suite.   This solution involves end-to-end IoT based package for the Personal lines insurers, especially dealing home and dwelling insurance based. NIIT Technologies also has in-depth experience with IoT based devices including, but not limited to, Bosch XDK, Google Nest, Amazon Echo, VR devices, Pressure and Temperature measuring devices as well as expertise in learning and research devices such as Raspberry pi, Arduino etc.   Our dedicated IoT lab and its experienced resources work closely with our Data Analytics experts to design comprehensive solutions for the insurance industry. NIIT Technologies is also working on other relevant initiatives i.e.   IoT solutions integrated with NLP, machine learning and Non Natural disaster artificial intelligence solutions etc. Recommendations for Insurers Research and understand customer needs and identify how IoT based solutions can improve your business model.   Understand your capabilities and whether you have the right solutions in place with the existing landscape for data management IoT in isolation is not beneficial for long term; invest on solutions that are beneficial for all stakeholders. Invest on partner technologies, as per relevance with your business Start looking beyond business as usual.   Disruption in business has already become a norm, hence business, technology and product research should be an ongoing process.   Focus on impact by IoT innovations on insurance products, for example, insuring driverless cars, drones etc. Enhance your business model and focus on how to help customers adopt the IoT based solutions.   Without customer buy-in, IoT solutions will have no value, and the benefits to the insurance companies is quite high hence, it is worth the focus. For many insurance products, IoT has minimized the need of large historic data and maturity.   This has happened because IoT has the ability to provide real-time, more relevant and custom user specific data to improve and customize underwriting.   This has allowed smaller players to jump in to participate in this levelled field.   Large insurers need to be flexible to customization of products and need to bring in more agility in product designing as well. Insurers should invest on appropriate Proof of Value and Proof of Concept initiatives for IoT solutions with their trusted partners before initiating any industry scale implementation or solution. Abbreviations and Acronyms IoT Internet of Things PC Property and Casualty insurance LA Life and Annuities insurance NLP Natural Language Processing