Analysis of two stories from Roald Dahl’s Tales of the Unexpected Essay

The story is about an old lady, Mrs. Foster, who doesn’t like to be late. Her husband teases her by always being a little bit too late, just to make her suffer. One day, she is going to Paris to see her daughter and her family, but she has to wait for her husband to be done, because he is driving with her, to be dropped off at a club. When he finally out in the car with her, he has forgot his present for her daughter, so he goes back into the house to get it. She goes up to the door of their house, but when she is about to open it, she suddenly hears a strange sound and goes back into the car. She tells the driver to go, even though; Mr. Foster is still in the house. She catches her plane and enjoys her time in Paris, but when she gets back home, after six weeks, there is no lead of Mr. Foster. Then she calls a guy, which can come and fix their lift. You would think that Mrs. Foster is the main character in this story, because we are following her life and the story starts up with an introduction of her. But at the same time, we are also introduced to Mr. Foster right after, and in the end of the story, you wonder if it actually was Mr. Foster, that we were supposed to keep up with, because he is kind of the victim in the end. Almost like we are told about how he died in their lift, because of his lunatic of a wife. And then still Mrs. Foster can be seen as the victim, because she is this sad woman, who is manipulated by her husband, and then finally does what she has always wanted to do, just in a more drastic way. So therefore I see them both as main characters in this story. Mrs. Foster is described in the text as a woman with a pathological fear of missing something, and if she feels that she is about to miss something, she gets into a state of nerves and starts to â€Å"wink† with her left eye, because of a vellicating muscle in the corner of her eye. She lives in a large six-storey house in New York City, on East Sixty-Second Street with her husband and they have four servants. She is also a modest woman, who has served his husband loyally and well, for over thirty years, but she still wonders sometimes, if his husband always is being late on purpose, just to torture her. Her biggest wish is to live in Paris, so she can see her daughter, her son in law and her grandchildren all the time. Mr. Foster is nearly seventy years old and also living with his wife in their large six-storey house. He is described in the text as a man who tortures her wife, by always being late, because he is irritated by her making a fuss about everything. And he smokes cigars. We can tell by their big house, their four servants and their rented car with a chauffeur, that they are a very wealthy couple. They don’t speak to each other like a normal couple; Mr. Foster has disciplined Mrs. Foster to not say, what she wants to say, like she is under his control. Like it says in the text; â€Å"that she would never dare to call out and tell him to hurry. He had disciplined her too well for that.† The Landlady The story is about a young man, Billy Weaver, who has travelled down from London, and now he needs a place to sleep. He was told that he should try â€Å"The bell and dragon†, but on his way down to the hotel, he suddenly catches sight of a printed notice, that says â€Å"BED AND BREAKFAST† on a boarding house. He stares at the notice and feels like the words are a large black eye that is staring at him, like he is forced to go in, so he decides to do it. A middle-aged woman invites him in and shows him where he is going to sleep, and she keeps talking about how she has been waiting for a young boy like him. He later finds out, when he is about to write in her guestbook, that only two other guys has been staying there, and the latest guest is over two years ago. He finds it strange that he feels like he has heard these two guys’ names before. She keeps getting him to drink her tee, and then he suddenly notices that the dog he thought was alive is dead and stuffed. She tells him that she has stuffed them herself. When he sits for a moment, he finds out where he has heard the other guests’ names before, he has read about them being missing, in the newspaper. The main character in this story is definitely Billy Weaver, because we are following his moves and thoughts of the weird lady. Billy Weaver is seventeen years old and he has travelled from London. He is wearing a navy-blue overcoat, a brown trilby hat and a brown suit. He is a young businessman and he is trying to do everything briskly. When he is told that there has only been two guests before him and that the last guest was over two years ago, and that they are even still living there, he is a bit naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve not to see that something is really weird. But you also know that he must be a smart kid, if he is already a businessman and he reads the newspaper. The old lady seems kind and harmless in the beginning, because she is calling him â€Å"my dear† and smiling all the time. And like it says in the text; â€Å"She looked exactly like the mother of one’s best school-friend welcoming one into the house to stay for the Christmas holidays.† But when things get more and more weird, Billy starts to think that she is slightly dotty and off her rocker. We also know that she has a bad memory, because she has a hard time remembering her guests’ names. Billy and the old lady have no relation, the old lady is a total stranger to Billy, but he somehow seems to trust her anyway. And Billy is also a total stranger to the old lady, but she keeps talking like if she knew that exactly he would show up on her doorstep, almost like if she had been watching him. Comparison of the two stories Both stories are written by an omniscient 3rd person. And in both of the stories they are using the language â€Å"dear†; In â€Å"The landlady† the old lady probably uses it, because many British old women spoke like that in the old days, but also to sound extra kind, to Billy. And in â€Å"The way up to heaven, it sounds like they are only using it because the finer families spoke like that in the old days. So both of the stories could be going on in, maybe the 50’s. Mrs. Foster and the landlady are both killers, but really different kinds; Mrs. Foster is feeling trapped in her marriage and she has a â€Å"fair† reason not to save him, when she has the chance. And the landlady is simply a lonely lunatic, who wants fake company, by stuffing her victims. The landlady is killing them herself and Mrs. Foster just didn’t save him, when she could. The main theme in both of the stories is deception, because in both of the stories, the victims have faith in their killers, but are duped by them. The ending of â€Å"The landlady† Then he said â€Å"Are you sure Mulholland and Temple are upstairs?† with a stiff look on his face. â€Å"Of course they are, my dear. I’m sure they are enjoying themselves, you shouldn’t worry that much.† She answered. Billy’s eyes flickered and his legs felt so heavy, when he tried to stand up. â€Å"Sit down, my dear. It will soon be over† she said, with a calm tone in her voice, like nothing was wrong. Billy couldn’t walk, so he sat down again and tried to hold his head still. â€Å"Something is wrong with me! What did you give me?† he yelled with a pathetic voice. She smiled and went over to the windows to draw the curtains, and when she sat down again, she started telling him, that she had been looking forward to having such a young boy in the house, and that she had been waiting for him for such a long time. â€Å"Why do you want me, you crazy woman?† he said. â€Å"You’re just perfect, my dear. So young and handsome!† she said, still witch a nice and calming voice. Billy didn’t get to say much more, before everything turned black. One month later†¦ â€Å"MISSING! A seventeen year old boy named Billy Weaver, last seen in Bath.†

The economy of the early Roman Empire

The economy of the early Roman Empire and the late Republic of Rome was driven primarily by trade. Although in modern times history the economic basis of the Roman Empire has been neglected and focus has been directed to the exploits of the Roman Legions and Lingua France of Latin, it is important to note that Rome had an estimated population of over a million and to sustain its population, the economy had to be centered on a central avenue and this avenue was trade.Most of the Romans were traders and this ensured that the empire lasted a long time, probably one of the longest lasting empires the world will ever witness[1].Theoretically, there was a prohibition of the members of the senate to be indulged in business and this also applied to their family members. However, the Equestrian Order members were hugely involved in business not withstanding the fact they belonging to the upper class, the society expected them to be involved more in leisure and military activities and pursuits .There were also a huge proportion of slaves who were responsible for doing most of the work while the Plebeians practically held shops and manned stalls around the vicinity of the markets.The slaves were also involved in the commerce of the empire and they played a great role in giving the empire's commerce a distinct flavor compared to other commerce in the world[2].Thesis StatementThe study will focus on the Roman Empire involvement in the Mediterranean trade and how this trade was conducted and how it benefited the Roman Empire. The study will look in the Maritime routes that were present during the trade and how they helped in the development of trade among various regions in the world including Asia, India, Africa and Western Europe.The study will also strive to look into the regions that benefited from the various commodities of the trade and how they came to be powerful empires as well. This study will look into the ancient Roman trade partners and what commodities were exch anged during the trade.The Study will also look into the importance of certain commodities to the Roman Empire and chief among them will be marble.Maritime RoutesArchaeological studies of the ancient maritime trends supported by manuscripts derived from Classical antiquity have proved that the Roman Empire was in possession of numerous fleets of ships. Also as a show of evidence of the maritime trade conducted by the Roman Empire are the ruins and remains of lighthouses, moles, harbors and warehouses which were found in the ports of Caesarea Maritima, Ostia, Civitavecchia, Leptis Magna and Portus.As with other forms of technology, the Roman maritime technology was not as advanced as that of the Greeks. It is evidence that the Roman fleets were constructed with great concern about the security of the fleets.This is because there was lead sheeting for hulls which were meant for protection. They used sailing ships which were round hulled. One of the factors that led to the success of t he Roman Maritime Commerce was the continued policing that run over a number of centuries. This was necessitated by the fact that their ships had been an easy prey for the pirates[3].The sea transport was widely used for transporting of commodities which were low valued yet very bulky. This mainly comprised of construction materials and grains. One of the reasons for this was that the sea transport was the cheapest mode of transport that the Roman Empire could afford. They used to import cereals and papyrus from Ptolemaic Egypt and this followed a continuous fashion[4].The Roman Empire trade via the Indian Ocean blossomed in the first two centuries of CE. The Roman sailors would make use of the Monsoon winds to cross to such ports as Myos Hormos, Roman Egypt, Red Sea Muziris and Malabar Coast. The Tamil dynasties were their leading trade partners the region of Southern India and this can be evidenced by the numerous Roman artifacts that are found in India.[1] Donkin, Robin A. (2003) . Between East and West: The Moluccas and the Traffic in Spices Up to the Arrival of Europeans. Diane Publishing Company, p. 45, pp 65 – 94 [2] Carter, Mia; Harlow, Barbara (2004). Archives of Empire: From the East India Company to the Suez Canal. Duke University Press pp 54 – 96. [3] Casson, L., Ships and Seamanship in the Ancient World. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey, 1971. pp 12 – 59 [4] Rawlinson, Hugh George (2001). Intercourse Between India and the Western World: From the Earliest Times of the Fall of Rome. Asian Educational Services. pp. 87 – 198.

Final assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Final assessment - Essay Example Due to the rise in cyber attacks and more reliance on eCommerce, the confidence of customers online has been compromised. Quantium reported that Australia’s online sales fell at a diminishing rate, largely caused by ever increasing eCommerce frauds. For example, the growth of Australia’s online sales was 31% in 2010 with fraud rate at 0.6%. However, the online growth rate dropped to 22% in 2012 when fraud rate increased to 0.8% (Demery, 2013). Furthermore, according to CyberSouce (2012) 13th online fraud report, the total online revenue loss due to fraud was estimated at $3.4 billion in 2011. It can be seen that eCommerce fraud has a significant negative impact on online business and this is therefore a cause of concern. Moreover, McAfee as a security vendor, reported that 33% of Australian businesses were involved in a security incident in 2009, which meant a loss of an average $34.000 in revenue and $37.000 for fixing the bug (Timson, 2009). In order to avoid a large proportion of sales being lost due to fraud, Ausmart is in need of a well-developed and secured online network. New Paragraph In many business communities, most of the major transactions are performed online. Online business has become as important and maybe even more important than basic commerce done outside the channel of online arena. Banking transations are done by busy people online as they don’t have the time or the place to go to the banks and perform the transactions by themselves. Credit card purchases, shopping, ordering food, paying bills, performing business transaction, buying books and even paying college fees. People online are now doing all these transactions and therefore eCommerce’s importance has grown and risen significantly in the last 10 years. Owing to this phenomenon, it is imperative for the eCommerce industry to safeguard its business online and to make sure that hackers do not get access to the credit and debit card information of the users. Also, it is crucial that hackers do not block any event and all the transactions carried out online have a safety network, which makes them happen seamlessly. New data collated from about 2 million Australian credit and debit cards reveals the popular suburbs in which e-commerce fraud has been attempted, using internet-connected computers. E-commerce fraud involves a criminal using a stolen credit or debit card to buy goods online. Ecommerce crime is on the rise in Australia and the rest of the world and the hacker community has been very successful at targeting various business enterprises. Ausmart has been trying hard to develop a strong firewalled network and this has taken a significant energy and time from their pursuits. It must be noticed that they have been trying to cope with such threats for a long time and knowing that hackers have been targeting them hwihc has hampered their business negatively, focusing on E-Commerce and making the business as hacker free as they can i s the number one priority right now. Reflections It can be seen from the above paragraphs that eCommerce is significant to the development of business and it is paramount to have a strong cyber security for all the business transactions in order to avid any kind of cyber attacks or malpractices by the hackers which in turn may jeopardize profit margins for the business community.

Toyota - Global Environment Forum Research Paper

Toyota - Global Environment Forum - Research Paper Example This is supported by its accountable financial practices, transparent government and open policies. Australia has a legal system that consists of both common laws and statutes. Equality before the law is highly upheld as both domestic and foreigner business stand the same chances before the law. The countries property protection enjoys a higher ranking as it comes in second in Asia. Another advantage it has is in its time zone. It lies 10 hours ahead of GMT. It stands right in the middle of business closing hour in America and opening hour in Europe. This time zone advantage simply allows for a flow of business though out nonstop (Sydney Australia/ New South Wales Government 2012). The tax system in Australia is favourable as business income tax is at 30%. This comes with no capital flow restrictions, capital repatriation, transfers or royalties profit remittances, and other trade-related payments. Major business cities such as Sydney do offer business costs that are competitive. Thi s provision is lower than what is provided in other cities around the world such as Seoul, Tokyo, Hong Kong, London, Paris and Singapore (Sydney Australia/ New South Wales Government 2012). There also exists government subsidies for regional business, subsidies such as reduced power bill, reformed railway freights, reduced port charges, and a streamlined land use planning process and approvals. The major cities also have transport and communication systems that are world class. These are supplemented by support services for business and superior commercial property at affordable prices as compared to other regional cities (Sydney Australia/ New South Wales Government 2012). Australia has a state-of-the-art telecommunication system that consists of fibre optic, microwave, wireless and satellite systems, with fibre optic being the dominant technology. Other favourable factors include multilingual and well educated

Psychologist's Reasons to Know Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Psychologist's Reasons to Know - Essay Example To surmount the past, you must know the past." Since one is determined to become a psychologist, I agree with Rothko’s statement and identify the need to know two specialized endeavors, such as Philosophy and Anthropology, by presenting the contentions within the discourse to someone who aspires to be in the same profession. A Psychologist’s Reasons to Know â€Å"You have to learn, young man. Philosophy. Theology. Literature. Poetry. Drama. History. Archeology. Anthropology. Mythology. Music. These are your tools as much as brush and pigment. You cannot be an artist until you are civilized. You cannot be civilized until you learn. To be civilized is to know where you belong in the continuum of your art and your world. To surmount the past, you must know the past." – Mark Rothko. One is determined to become a psychologist. After having remunerated on the professed statements of Rothko, I agree that it is important to be civilized, and to be civilized one must lea rn about a variety of disciplines and from the great works and ideas that shaped our history. To become an effective psychologist, one deems it of crucial relevance to know two specialized endeavors such as Philosophy and Anthropology. ... In every conceivable setting from scientific research centers to mental health care services, "the understanding of behavior" is the enterprise of psychologists† (Amercan Psychological Association, 2012, p. 1). Likewise, anthropology is clearly defined as â€Å"the study of humanity. It has its origins in the natural sciences, humanities and social sciences† (Define Anthropology, 2011, p. 1). Philosophy, on the other hand, was revealed to be fairly difficult to define, given the expansive scope of the endeavor. Pardi (2011) wittingly noted that when his graduate professor asked what philosophy is, one of the most favorite answers was â€Å"â€Å"psychology misspelled.† Accordingly, it was noted that â€Å"the more philosophy I study, the more affinity I see between it and psychology. Both are generally focused on the mind and what it does, both worry about how the mind relates to the world around it, both are interested in behavior. But philosophy focuses less o n how to live in the world as a thinking thing and spends more energy on what it means to be a mind. Philosophy also studies the mind’s contents--ideas or concepts. Psychology helps humans to understand why things go wrong and how to make them right again (and what that means) while philosophy is concerned with understanding the structure of things like beliefs, a moral behavior, and sense experience† (Pardi, 2011, par. 6). Having established the theoretical frameworks of the mentioned disciplines, one is more determined that in pursuing a degree in psychology, there is eminent need to immerse oneself in both anthropology and philosophy to enhance expertise and awareness on the various disciplines that influence and impact human experience.

Reggae Music Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Reggae Music - Essay Example During the run-up to the elections, he arranged concerts where Eccles’ performed politically loaded numbers. The other Reggae groups that were also supportive of Manley were Dennis Brown, the Chosen Few and The Wailers. Let’s take, for example, Eccles’s â€Å"Rod of Correction†. The title of the song is a reference to the staff given to Michael Manley, as a gift, by Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia. The Emperor was highly revered across the black diasporas and more so in the Caribbean. The biblical symbolism is noted in how the rod commonly came to be known as â€Å"Joshua’s Rod†, whereby making Manley the Joshua – the personification of the â€Å"good† according to the Old Testament. And just as Joshua brought down the walls of Jericho and led the Jews to the land of Canaan, Manley was projected to lead his fellow countrymen to peace and prosperity. There are other symbolic references too. The parable of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and the story of the crossing of the Red Sea by the Israelites are the other references to the Old Testament. Manley is portrayed as Joshua (the Savior) and his incumbent opponent is taken as the Pharoah. Need less to say, such powerful biblical symbolism made a critical impact on the Jamaican society, which was highly religious, and made Michael Manley the Prime Minister. The people will later be disappointed with Manley and disillusioned of his promises of paradise are quite another story (Cooper 1996).

International Business of Botswana Country Essay

International Business of Botswana Country - Essay Example When Botswana appeared on the face of the map, there was no army for the defence and protection of the country. In 1977 Botswana Defence Force was formed and today almost 12000 armed men are an integral part of the system (Botswana, 2007). The government of Botswana has perfectly maintain the outflow of diamonds for the economic well being of the country and from last three decades Botswana is a leader in the production of quality diamonds. Thus, the revenue generated from diamond mining is very rightly used to carry out the essential expenditures of the country (Background Note: Botswana, 2007). The other chief sources of income in Botswana include tourism and cattle industry. Before 1971 the market was based on agriculture and farming, but then diamond mining started that heightened the economic growth and also increased the per capita income of the country as compared to many other African countries (The World Fact Book, 2007). Whenever we consider the economic structure of a place, we cannot deny the fact that there are some threatening issues related to that area which have an immense effect on the expansion and progression of the nation. Similarly, Botswana is dealing with the victims of HIV- AIDS as the country has the second highest infection rate and as a result huge amounts are needed to tackle the problem every year (Structure of the economy, 2007). In addition to it, the nation is also facing crisis in the employment sector. A large number of population is unemployed and the government is taking keen interest in facilitating the service sector. Cultural values of Botswana In the northern areas of Botswana trained and skilful women are working in their villages. They are famous for weaving and crafting. Moreover, few writers of that part of the world are famous for their work primarily Bessie Head, who wrote about Botswana until her death in 1986 (Binsbergen, 2002). In the same manner people from different fields have entered the global market in order to promote the culture of Botswana and to strengthen its economy in the world (Botswana, 2007). Botswana - International trade today and 25 years back After the independence of Botswana in 1966, agriculture had been its major economic sector. Its main emphasis had been on agricultural goods which shared about forty percent (40%) of the Gross Domestic Product of Botswana and forms the basic exports of the country. Even today the primary sector contributes highest to the country's GDP, which now, not only includes agricultural goods but also mining. Now Botswana is on the path of diversification. It is working hard to diverse its economy and emphasizing more on manufacturing goods and mining than on agricultural goods. Its main manufacturing products include meat products, dairy products, textiles, chemical and leather products, wooden products and many others. In 1983 the mining sector contributed 52.6 percent to the GDP (Kapunda, 2003, 3). The major exports of Botswana are focused to Common custom area, USA, UK, Zimbabwe and to other European countries. In the year 1985 the total exports of Botswa