Sight and Blindness in The Invisible Man Essay example

Throughout the novel Invisible Man, Ralph Ellison works with many different images of blindness and impaired vision and how it relates to perception. These images prove to be fascinating pieces of symbolism that enhance the themes of impression and vision within the novel. From the beginning of the novel when the narrator is blindfolded during the battle royal to the end where Brother Jacks false eye pops out, images of sight and blindness add to the meaning of many scenes and characters. In many of these situations the characters inability to see outwardly often directly parallels their inability to perceive inwardly what is going on in the world around them. Characters like Homer A. Barbee and Brother Jack believe they are all knowing†¦show more content†¦It should also be noted that the narrator never gives a name to the Founder or mentions Booker T. Washington. The author uses this to signify their invisibility in the real world. Related to the veiling Founder is a man w ho avows to the Founders extraordinary principles and astonishing contributions to the black community. Homer A. Barbee speaks about the Founder to students at the college and makes his life sound like a verse out of the Bible. He speaks of how the Founder miraculously recovered (119) as a baby, his incredible journey through the Underground Railroad, and the seemingly magnificent message he spread to the people: Ah, those days of ceaseless travel, those youthful days, those springtime days; fertile, blossomy, sun-filled days of promise. Ah, yes, those indescribably glorious days, in which the Founder was building the dream not only here in this then barren valley, but hither and yonder throughout the land, instilling the dream in the hearts of the people (124). Barbee makes the Founder sound like Jesus leading a flock of sheep. Barbees speech was so powerful and moving that he made the narrator see the vision (133), and only after Barbee was done speaking did the narrator realize that he was blind. This actual blindness is symbolic of Barbee praising a man that he sees fit, yet the Founder is not truly worthy of Barbees praises. Barbee can only see the Founder through blind eyes, in whichShow MoreRelatedCure for Blindness - Ralph Ellisons Invisible Man Essay1061 Words   |  5 PagesRalph Ellisons Invisible Man was a crucial literary tool in raising awareness of and forwarding the equal rights movement for African Americans when it reached readers of all races in the 1950s. The Cultural Contexts for Ralph Ellisons Invisible Man claims that the novel envisions nothing less than undoing African Americans cultural dispossession. Ellisons words are indeed an eloquent unraveling of social stereotypes and racisms. He employs allegorical conce ptions of blindness and invisibilityRead MoreThe True Maeaning of Invisiblity942 Words   |  4 Pagesit however it becomes painfully obvious that the main character of â€Å"Invisible Man† is quite visible indeed. Fictional or not, he is a regular human being made of flesh and bone, and he even says so in the first sentences of the book. So how can this black man possibly deem himself invisible? Perhaps this nameless protagonist cannot be blamed completely for this freak occurrence. Maybe the invisibility stems from a lack of sight of the people (mainly white) around him. Those people allow themselvesRead MoreBlindness : The Invisible Man By Ralph Ellison1413 Words   |  6 PagesThe motif of blindness is found all throughout literature. The purpose of blindness allows a character or reader to see beyond what other characters can see. The two types of blindness are if a character is figuratively blind where the character refuses to see certain things others can see or phys ically blind where they have a physical trait that prevents them from seeing the reality of things. The motif of blindness is found in works of literature such as The Kite Runner. In the novel, Assef isRead MoreInvisibility in Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison Essay958 Words   |  4 Pagesunseen by anyone. In popular media, the hero is also often portrayed as being invisible, going behind the enemys back to complete his or her mission. In Ralph Ellisons Invisible Man, this view of invisibility is reversed; rather than being invisible and getting noticed, a man is in plain sight of everyone- however, due to a slew of stereotypes and prejudices, nobody recognizes what he accomplishes. Beginning his journey as a man who stays out of the way by doing what he is told, he is quickly forcedRead More Ellisons Invisible Man: Invisibility, Vision, and Identity as Motifs749 Words   |  3 Pagesis not the only kind of blindness in the book. Many characters also don’t acknowledge truths about themselves or their communities, and this refusal is shown in the imagery of vision and invisibility. For example, the boys who fight in the â€Å"battle royal† wear blindfolds, symbolizing their powerlessness to recognize their corruption at the hands of the white men. The Founder’s statue at the college has empty eyes, signifying his failure to see the racist realities. Blindness also afflicts Rev HomerRead MoreMiltons Telescope Trope: Vision and Spiritual Wisdom1569 Words   |  6 Pagesa Miltonic simile, include the moon observed through Galileo’s telescope (I, 287–91); Satan surveying the cosmic panorama of the created world (III, 555–73); Galileo’s telescope that reappears â€Å"less assured† (III, 588–90; V, 261–3); and finally, a man following a wandering light into the marshes (IX, 634–42). The visual allure of these similes is drawn in part by the description of a natural scene that induces an emo tional response, with the human figure standing in for the reader in this emotionalRead MoreStereotypes Of Race : I Am An Invisible Man 2007 Words   |  9 PagesStereotypes of Race â€Å"I am an invisible man...I am a man of substance, of flesh and bone, fiber and liquids-and I might even be said to possess a mind. I am invisible, understand, simply because people refuse to see me...When they approach me they see only my surroundings, themselves, or figments of their imagination-indeed, everything and anything except me†(Ellison, 3). The narrator begins his story by focusing on the central idea which encompasses the whole novel. This is the idea that althoughRead More Analysing Invisible Man Essay1109 Words   |  5 PagesAnalysing Invisible Man After reading this book I wondered what it would be like to be blind then gain sight, but realize you cannot see yourself because you are invisible. It seems like a cruel joke that once you can see you realize that you still cannot see who you are. Even though this seems like a very depressing event Ellison makes it seem like a positive thing. While, at the end of the story, the narrator still does not know his place in the world he seems to be glad that he is no longerRead MoreSystematic Blind Man s Bluff : Identity Through Vision2109 Words   |  9 Pages Systematic Blind Man’s Bluff: Identity through Vision in The Invisible Man and Their Eyes Were Watching God In present day American society, African-Americans’ skin color makes them into targets -- of violence, prejudice, stereotyping, and potentially of victimization. Police are trained to racially profile in their work, and the byproduct of this has been devastating; in 2015 alone the police killed about 102 unarmed black people. These happenings have sparked national outcry over institutionalizedRead MoreBlack Men And The Brotherhood Essay1422 Words   |  6 Pagesblack men to amplify their visibility and expedite their success. The Brotherhood is an organization led by Brother Jack that entices the Invisible Man, recruits him, and takes advantage of his invisibility to spark a riot in the streets of Harlem. The Brotherhood takes advantage of his invisibility in multiple ways: the organization advises the Invisible Man during his speeches, the organization sends him across New York as it see fit, the organization gives him money, and the organization fuels

Apple essay Free Essays

Churner (2014) writes an interesting article portraying Apple’s return to the bond market in 2014. In April 2014 Apple completed its second blockbuster bond sale in a year. Apple sold $ban of debt of varying maturities at interest rates that were mostly less than a percentage point above comparable U. We will write a custom essay sample on Apple essay or any similar topic only for you Order Now S. Treasury debt (Churner, 2014). This sale goes a long way in highlighting the faith in the prospects of Apple. The offering was extremely tempting for investors whom flocked to place more than $ban in orders (Churner, 2014). The bonds sold Tuesday offered interest rates relative to Treasures that were similar to last year’s sale. For example, a 10-year bond from Apple on Tuesday was priced to yield 0. 77 percentage point more than comparable Treasures. Last year, Apple priced 10-year bonds to yield 0. 75 percentage point more (Churner, 2014). In all, Apple sold fixed-rate bonds maturing in three, five, seven, 10 and 30 years, and were priced to yield 1. 068%, 2. 108%, 2. 889%, 3. 460% and 4. 483%, respectively (Churner, 2014). Deutsche Bank GAG and Goldman Sacks Group Inc. Deed the sale. The head of ‘investment grade credit at Invoices, Chuck Burger describes how â€Å"Apple’s bonds are an attractive alternative to Treasury bonds. † He goes on to suggest that the reason they are so popular is due to their past strong performance, and the fact that everyone knows of Apple and has become very trustworthy of the brand name. Invoices spent $million on the new Apple bonds. The value of Apple’s bonds is determined through their supply and demand like any other economic good or service. Demand for Apple’s bonds has been high for a few seasons, and therefore the value of the bonds is also high. They are highly sought after because they are rated as AAA+, the second highest rating (Churner, 2014)- this is turn reflects a corporate-debt market that is putting in a strong performance this year. Bond prices are often inversely correlated to expectations about the future economy, and thus the stock market. In 2013 bond investments (demand) declined amid investor expectations that the U. S. Economy would pick up steam. However, this has turned around in 2014 as expectations have deteriorated. Apple does have a lathe cash pile ($1 ban) but there are a range of investors that fear selling bonds to reward shareholders can ding the value of a company’s outstanding debt. In order for the value of Apple’s bonds to remain strong it must ensure that it keeps its products as industry leaders; as soon as this is not the case the demand to invest in Apple bonds will shrink and the price will fall. Worktables (2013) attempts to explain why a company like Apple with such high cash levels would want to issue bonds; fundamentally issued by companies to raise cash. This essentially comes down to a irk in the tax regime: â€Å"According to analyst estimates, Apple has $Bonn of cash- but only $ban on hand in the U. S. , and thus not enough to fully fund the share buy- back program† (Worktables, 2013). Therefore although Apple has a vast amount of cash, it needs the ability to access more in order to make up for the less accessible cash they have stored abroad. References Churner, M. , (2014). Apple Returns to Bond Market. How to cite Apple essay, Essays

Management Cross and Across Borders †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Management Cross and Across Borders. Answer: Introduction Globalization has led organizations to operate across-borders by establishing business in different countries across the globe. This demand for international operating has led to changes in business environment due to the need for globalization (Mintzberg, 2000, P. 12). As many organizations scramble for global space in there are benefits and challenges that are associated with such business strategies thus the need for organizations to develop strategies that can ensure their success in such business initiatives. Stacey (2007, P. 21) argues that managing across boarders comes with challenges that every organization has to work on to survive in the global environment. This puts managers of such organizations in difficult position to deal with the challenges of globalization. Only organizations that have put proper strategies in place can survive this business environment. This report analyses the concept of management across-borders by looking at the opportunities, challenges and str ategies for managing across-borders. The global context of management Globalization arises with different opportunities that led to interconnectedness of the globe thus allowing people to easily interact with each other. This led to cross-border activities due to lessened distances between nations due to advances in technology, transportation and communication. This led to the development of world governing bodies to try and control business across the globe and regions (Acedo Casillas, 2005, P. 622). Unlike the scramble and partitioning that took place during colonialization, bodies such as the EU, WTO, ECOWAS and NATO have come up as a way of defending regional business to protect the interests of business opportunities that fall within the regions that they come from. In the past, globalization and trade was a matter of developed countries but emerging economies like the BRICS have changed the way business is carried out due to the opportunities that are created by cross boarder opportunities (MacIntosh OGorman, 2015, P. 189). Burkley (2005, P. 8) argues that when organizations operate in across boarders in a global environment, they are faced with geographical management strategies that have to be used to manage challenges that emanate from such opportunities. This leads to the need to manage tensions that is due to divisions in the organization that operates on divided units across the globe. Managers have to develop multiple strategic capabilities and at the same time allow the organization to transfer competencies across-borders. While these business operations will be run in different regions, the core business idea must be maintained and a close link between the mother organizations established to ensure that the business survives. Managers have to ensure that their organizations are simultaneously achieving global efficiency, national responsiveness and the ability to develop and exploit opportunities on a worldwide basis(Braithwaite Drahos, 2000). This has been caused by several factors like Chang es in world output and world trade, type of companies operating across-borders and change in the world order which have shaped the way business is carried out across-borders. This rapid changes in the world lead to new management challenges that are as a result of Cross-cultural diversity and management The analogy of the iceberg has been used to conceptualize the cultural framework as consisting of different layers that are not visible. Whatever is seen is the floating tip of the iceberg (Belhoste Morin, 2013, P. 1529). This means that there are deeper cultural concerns for managers. A deeper understanding of culture is based on looking at the submerged part of the iceberg that consists of expressed value and reflects the basic and taken-for-granted assumptions which form the foundations of each culture. According to Maude (2011, P. 23) management across boarders entails dealing with different cross-cultural situations that may affect a business. As companies globalize and move across-borders they need more people to work with them who will come from different countries and cultures. This creates a complex and important station that cross-border managers have to deal with. Managers not only have to learn to adapt to this new cultures but rather have to align employees from differe nt cultural background to accommodate each other to meet the needs of the organization (Richard, 2005, P. 12). Managers have to overcome differences in communication business activities that will vary from country to country. Such managers struggle with the effect of culture on their work without knowing how it affects them (Braithwaite Drahos, 2000, P. 17). This is because business patterns will vary from country to country, ways of doing business, negotiating and crating contact with clients varies based on the cultural differences that exist between the two people. The culture map is used to explain different types of behaviour that occur at the workplace. This allows managers to identify and plan for available resources within regions by pointing out problems that need to be solved and strengths that can be utilized within the context. This will identify several differences that exist between different groups within the business environment. For example communication and work place etiquettes vary from region to region. The way to manage teams will vary from one region to another. Cultural differences will affect employee attitudes and their abilities to work within the organization. This will lead to challenges like difficulties in allowing groups to openly express their views. This is because ways of approaching issues will vary from one culture to another. For example cultural styles of Asia vary from those in the westernized countries or the US. On the other hand, countries in the Muslim regions have different cultural attributes and the way to approach business. Managers have to understand the cultural differences of the teams that they are dealing with at all times. The manager has to adapt the management style to cope with different cross-border cultural issues across the globe. Characteristics of cross-border managers Research has indicated that to manage across-borders; managers need to have specific abilities that define them with core characteristics that make them successful. Such managers have a personal character that is characterized by an emotional level and uncompromising integrity. Through their emotional ability, cross-border managers connect with people at the emotional level through three steps; sincere interest, effort to listen and ability to understand different perspective of people across-borders. Such leaders also need the ability to deal with uncertainty within the business environment. Managers in cross-border business initiatives deal with certainty more than those working across-borders. This is based on tensions that are brought about by differences in culture thus requiring higher tolerance levels to cope with such cultures. On the other hand, there is the need to balance between local and global business needs to succeed. The manager has to have a global mindset that is important in understanding the differences in culture that may exist within the globe. Different cultures present different needs to manage differently thus posing different challenges to the manager (Hill, 2005, P. 32). Therefore such managers can manage intellectual capital, psychological capital and social capital to ensure that the organization progresses well. Challenges of managing across boarders One major challenge faced by global managers is the exposure to risks which may affect the heath of an organization. The need to integrate human resource and other data functions of the organization is a bigger challenge for many organizations (Verlag, 2011, P. 165). This is because many organizations lack strategies for managing across-borders that have been put in place before. This can lead to poor alignment of resources thus creating risks for the organization. Research has shown that many organizations struggle with compliance and risks that emanate from the global and cross-border business activities. One other challenge is managing multiple human resource systems for every business operation that is carried out across a different country. Every border that the business penetrates needs to have its own human resource system that needs to be integrated into the larger system (Acocella, 2005, P. 34). This presents challenges in human resource management of the organization since it requires a new human capital management strategy that pushes the organization to new levels. Government policies vary from country to country and region to region. This affects business activities and the way to manage. For example many countries are members of regional block bodies that seek to control business activities within these regions. Government policies influence business through monetary policy, control of inflation, subsidies and tariffs, regulations and corporate tax and fiscal policy (Baumol, 2002, P.21). Business managers have that governments are the most challenging figures in business since a single regulation can send shockwaves along the globe affecting a long chain of businesses that fall within the regulated area. These policies affect the economic value of any organization and today the involvement of the government has increased due to the global effects of the economic crisis. Every country charges its custom duties and taxes based on its domestic policies and economic strategies. According to Sawyerr, McGee, Peterson (2003, P. 271), ggovernments a re stepping to control their economy through monetary and economic recovery schemes that affect every business organization. Global organization will be affected most due to changes in the global exchange rates that vary from country to country. Some governments will put sanctions will others will amend or pass new laws that affect business operations within the country. However, in some instances, government policy may have positive outcomes to a business. One other challenge faced by management across-borders is meeting needs of employees who are sent to work across-borders. Many global organizations have a mixture of local employees within the country and expatriates. Expatriates are sent to manage the complex parts of the organization to enable the organization maintain business standards like the one in the mother country (Kohler Chaves, 2003, P. 21). Sometimes expatriates see this as an opportunity for their own individual growth. This raises their expectations and makes it difficult for organizations to meet their needs. Opportunities for cross-border operations The global climate offers a mixture of opportunities and challenges for managers. Changing economic circumstances create business opportunities in some sectors that had been closed and were never open for trade. This allows organizations to exploit these opportunities by tapping into the benefits that can be received from such opportunities. New emerging economies and developed countries offer better business climate as compared to developed countries. They offer cheap labor, available raw materials and resources that have not been exploited before(Kohler Chaves, 2003). Through transfer packaging many organizations have shifted their business operations to these countries to spread their business risk. Some multinational corporations have adopted international contract manufacturing or outsourcing as a way of reducing high domestic labor costs from their countries. Management across-borders opens more opportunities for the organization. Managers can reap the benefits associated with new market opportunities by exploring such markets to ensure that they get the best out of the market. Cross-borders operations offer new business opportunities that need to be exploited by the organization. These are new markets and new resources that may not have been exploited. Through cross-border management the organization is able to access new opportunities that may offer better business opportunities. This is also offers product flexibility by allowing products that are not moving in the domestic country to be tried out in across these borders. Low competition is one of the major factors that has been linked with cross-border operations. Since international markets vary from region to region, organizations can choose regions with less competition and the ones that favor them. This allows for easy business operations and reduces pressure that such businesses face in their domestic countries (Starkey Madan, 2001, P. 12). Developed countries are witnessing increased competition and pressure from market demands where the customers want greater business opportunities. This has led to the need to explore developing markets and emerging economies as a way of diversifying business risks. Strategies for cross-border operations One strategy that a business can use as a strategy for global operations moving across-borders is a development opportunity that makes the organization to grow and diversify its business operations. The analogy of the organization can be used to justify how an organization grows (Lawrenc Lorsch, 2007, P. 4). Differentiation is a strategy that allows business divisions within an organization to grow their own corporate culture within the company. This allows for different approaches that are used to manage business processes within the organization. This can entail having differentiated strategies across-borders. Gasparini Bianco (2011, P. 16) suggests that through differentiation, organizations are able to develop strategies that fit the specific regions that they work in rather than sticking to the original business plan of the organization. Horizontal differentiation can be used to allow employees to report to different functional managers. Spatial differentiation works best for organizations that work across-borders. It allows employees to work in different locations on tasks that are assigned to them. When organizations move across-borders, management may decide to differentiate some units within the organization or develop a full unit within the new region (Child, Faulkner, Pitkethly, 2001, P. 35). Differentiation allows organizations to manage activities separately thus reducing risks that may be associated with such business processes. Sometimes increased differentiation can lead to changes in the organization structure when the differentiated section of the organization grows to accommodate larger organizational processes. Cost leadership is business strategy used to establish competitive advantage through low cost operations. This strategy is driven by the scale, size, scope and efficiency of the organization. This strategy targets exploitation of scale operations of the organization through producing highly standardized products through reduced costs of production. This has been used as a penetration strategy of entering new markets by many organizations (Zimmerman Hudson, 2006, P. 8). Managers need to analyze new cross-border opportunities and develop cost leadership strategies that can lead to penetration in such markets. Through use of modern technologies, businesses can develop new products through cost leadership and access new global and cross-border markets. Walmart is one of the organizations that has used cost leadership strategies to move from one border to another. However, this strategy has been criticized as creating room for new entrants since low cost leadership creates economies of s cale that allows easy entrance into the market. Diversity is an issue in modern management that every manager has to deal with. Diversity management entails developing strategies that seek inclusion of employees from various backgrounds within the organization (Minkov Hofstede, 2011, P. 15). The need for diversity in management has been pushed by a globalized economy that requires inclusion of every individual within the society. The long-term success of any business calls for a diverse body of talent that can bring fresh ideas, perspectives and views to their work. The challenge that diversity poses, therefore, is enabling your managers to capitalize on the mixture of genders, cultural backgrounds, ages and lifestyles to respond to business opportunities more rapidly and creatively. Organizations that operate in society are required to achieve diversity levels that reflect the societies that they work in (Edewor Aluko, 2007, P. 197). The long-term success of any business calls for a diverse body of talent that can bring fresh i deas, perspectives and views to their work. The challenge that diversity poses, therefore, is enabling your managers to capitalize on the mixture of genders, cultural backgrounds, ages and lifestyles to respond to business opportunities more rapidly and creatively. When managing across-borders, diversity refers to heterogeneity of the organization but rather composition of the workforce across nations. This means that managers have to develop a diverse environment that accommodate employees from different backgrounds, perspectives, abilities and disabilities. Many companies, however, still face challenges around building a diverse environment. Part of the reason is the tendency to pigeonhole employees, placing them in a different silo based on their diversity profile. Conc lusion Management across-borders offers both challenges and opportunities for the organization. Businesses that seek to work across-borders focus on tapping the benefits associated with cross-border business operations. Managers have to develop strategies that enable them to access cross-border opportunities. Through differentiation and cost leadership, organizations can reap the benefits associated with cross-border marketing opportunities to increase business efficiencies. Managers need to ensure that proper strategies are put in place to ensure that organizations succeed in their quest for cross-border management operations. Managers can reap the benefits of cross border operations if they put proper strategies in place. References Acedo, F. J. Casillas, J., 2005. Current paradigms in internatiomal management field an author co-citation analysis. International Business Review, 14(1), pp. 619-639. Acocella, N., 2005. Economic policy in the age of globalisation. s.l.: Cambridge University Press. Baumol, W., 2002. The Free-Market Innovation Machine: Analyzing the Growth Miracle Capitalism. Princeton: Princeton University Press. Belhoste, N. Morin, P., 2013. Constructing differences in a cross-cultural context: National distance, social differentiation or functional distinction. Human Relations, Volume 66. Braithwaite, J. Drahos, P., 2000. Global business regulation. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge, University Press. Burkley, P., 2005. What is international business?. London: Palgrave. Child, J., Faulkner, D. Pitkethly, R., 2001. The Management of International Acquisitions. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Gasparini, A. Bianco, D. D., 2011. Strategies and euroregions for cross border cooperations in Balikan and Danube European countries. s.l.:Grafica Goriziana . Hill, C., 2005. International business: competing in the global market place. New York: McGraw Hill. Kohler, G. Chaves, E. J., 2003. Globalization: Critical Perspectives. New York: Nova Science Publishers. Lawrenc, P. R. Lorsch, J. W., 2007. Differentiation and Integration in Complex Organizations. Administrative Science Quarterly, 12(1). MacIntosh, R. OGorman, K., 2015. Introducing Management in a Global Context. Wolvercote, Oxford: Goodfellow Publishers Ltd. Maude, B., 2011. Managing Cross-cultural communications Principle and Practice. Palgrave Macmilan: s.n. Minkov, M. Hofstede, G., 2011. The evolution of Hofstedes doctrine. Cross Cultural Management: An International Journal, 18(1), pp. 10-20. Mintzberg, H., 2000. The Rise and Fall of Strategic Planning. Harlow:: Prentice Hall. Patrick Edewor: Yetunde Aluko, 2007. Diversity management, challenges and oportunities in multinational organizations. The International Jounal of Diversity Management in Organizations, Communities and Nations, 6(6), pp. 190-195. Richard, M., 2005. Internatioal Management- Cross Cultural Dimenesions. 3rd ed. s.l.:Black Well Publishing. Sawyerr, O., McGee, J. Peterson, M., 2003. Perceived Uncertainty and Firm Performance in SMEs. International Small Business Journal, 1(3), pp. 269-290. Stacey, R., 2007. Strategic Management and Organization Dynamics. Harlow: Prentice Hall. Starkey, K. Madan, P., 2001. Bridging the relevance gap: Aligning stakeholders in the future of management research. British Journal of Management, pp. 3-26. Verlag, R. H., 2011. Barriers to co-operation and competitive advantage: cross-border business networks of Saxon and Northern Bohemian firms. Journal of East European Management Studies, 16(2), pp. 162-184. Zimmerman, A. Hudson, K., 2006. Managing Wal-Mart: How US-store chief hopes to fix Wal-Mart. Wall Street Journal.