Charles Dickens Hard Times Essay -- Charles Dickens Hard Times Essays

Charles Dickens' Hard Times Charles Dickens’s novel Hard Times critiques the use of extreme utilitarianism as an acceptable means to governing a society in which citizens are able to lead happy, productive, flourishing lives. â€Å"Just the facts,†19th century English utilitarianism argued, are all one needs to flourish. Those answers that we can arrive at by way of mathematical, logical reasoning are all needed to live a full human life. Hard Times shows however that a â€Å"just the facts† philosophy creates a community inhospitable to the needs of one another, a society nearly void of human compassion, and one lacking in morality. Underlying the novel’s argument is the Aristotelian concept that the primary purpose of government is to correctly educate citizens in morality and, consequentially, to cultivate an upright social environment where all are inspired to flourish. How fitting, then, that early in the novel we are introduced to Thomas Gradgrind, educator and owner of the M’choakumchild school where â€Å"just the facts† are taught and the apotheosis of 19th century English utilitarianism. Although â€Å"Gradgrind intellect† is calculated to be the best way to maximize happiness, in the M’choakumchild class room it soon becomes clear that its adherents are the most unhappy and immoral in Coketown, even more so than the â€Å"Hands† who suffer from its cruelty indirectly. If the purpose of the state is to cultivate moral individuals who are able to flourish together, the state built on utilitarian values inevitably fails. Part of the inadequacy of utilitarianism and its statistical approach to addressing human problems is its objective, mass-quantity view of people. Gradgrind’s description alone captures the disconnected nature and col... ...human nature† makes for a bare-bones human existence, replete with crime, immorality, greed, and as especially demonstrated in Louisa’s case, unhappiness. Mr. Sleary’s compassion gives voice to Dickens’s hope for a more unselfish perspective on human motivation. His critique concludes that the success of government lies in realistically evaluating humanity in all of its general and idiosyncratic tendencies. As Nussbaum says in her essay, Dickens does not call for a â€Å"relativistic† approach to governance but one more in touch with the realities and complexities of being human. Works Cited Dickens, Charles. Hard Times. Ed. Fred Kaplan and Sylvà ©re Monod. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc, 2001. Nussbaum, Martha C. â€Å"The Literary Imagination in Public Life.† Hard Times. Ed. Fred Kaplan and Sylvà ©re Monod. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc, 2001. 429-439.

Charter Wedding bells Essay

Mary –Jo and her fiancà ©, Bobby Doe have decided to get married on November 30th 2014, which is in 3-month time. This Project will define, plan, execute and implement the wedding. It is important to be an event on which everybody can look back on with fond memories. The aim of the Project is to plan a wonderful wedding experience for both families and also for the wedding guests. The budget will be of $20,000 and the maximum number of quests will be 150. Project Objectives The entire wedding budget is set at $20,000. The reception will take place in a hall and the maximum number of guests is 150. It will be a legal and proper wedding ceremony. The wedding will take place in 3 months, in a reception hall. Major Deliverables Invitations and thank you notes Print Menus and Programs Order Favors Hire a photographer and videographer Transportation Ceremony-book Officiant Location Rental for ceremony and reception Decorations-flowers Book caterers, choose menu Order cake Arrange for a band/DJ/entertainment The following items are not covered by this Project and are the responsibility of the bride and broom: Bachelorette and bachelor party Wedding Dress Groom’s attire Bridesmaids’ dresses Honeymoon arrangements Writing the Wedding Wows Hair and make-up arrangements Wedding rings Proposed Process The Project Team will ensure accomplishment of the above by: *providing different choices of wedding/ceremony venues, catering arrangements, cake arrangements, wedding decorations, wedding music, transportation choices; *providing a breakdown budget; *researching different costs in relation to the budget; *analyzing the proposed choices in terms of costs and customer satisfaction. Related Products and Proposed Resource List Project Dependencies refer to the 3rd parties involved in planning and executing the Project, such as the caterers, the florists, the company providing the invitations/menus/programs/thank you notes, the band or DJ, the transportation company, the Ceremony Officiant. Proposed resources: www.torontoweddingbands.com www.royalcakesbyannette.com www.paulshannoncaterers.com/ www.matthewkozovskiphotography.com www.ashleamacaulay.com www.durhamweddingsource.com/ Project Customers The end customers will be the bride and groom and the families of the bride and the broom. Their expectations must be met and their feedback will be taken into consideration when booking/reserving or otherwise making any decision related to the present Project. Customer Requirements It has been determined that Mary-Jo and Bobby do not want a high-end wedding. It is desirable to have a wedding within the budget, with quality services that fit the allocated budget. All Major Deliverables must be organized and booked/reserved by the wedding day. No Major Deliverable should be postponed and/or delayed. Once a decision has been made, it should not be changed and/or altered. This will ensure a smooth and clear progression of the Project. Customer Needs/Key Attributes It is a known fact that planning a wedding is very stressful for the bride and groom. As such, this Project will help diminish the stress and ensure a linear course of events. The bride and groom will enjoy their Wedding day without worrying over different aspects of the event. Project Stakeholders The Project Sponsors are the bride’s parents, who are funding the wedding. They have set the budget, the maximum number of guests and the legality of the wedding. The Customers are Mary-Jo and Bobby Doe, who will make the decisions and approve the schedule. The wedding guests are not responsible for any decision and/or part of the wedding, however they should be taken into consideration when planning the wedding. They should have a lasting memory of the event. The Project Team will work closely with the Project Manager to ensure coordination and implementation of the decision made. They will also help with the research. Project manager The Project Manager is the mother of the bride, who will have full authority on the Project and over the budget, and terms of the present project. She will hire the Team Members, allocate the tasks to the Team Members, build a budget breakdown and a schedule. The Project Management will ensure the Project is on time and within the budget. Preliminary Schedule The below proposed Preliminary Schedule is to be submitted to the Project Customers for approval as soon as possible. September 1st to September 30th: Set wedding date; select and reserve the ceremony site; Select and reserve the reception location; Work on the guest list; Select and reserve a photographer, videographer, florist, DJ or musicians, and a caterer; Begin to plan the menu; Select and order wedding  invitations, announcements, thank-you notes. October 1st to October 31st: Finalize guest lists; mail the invitations; Choose a bakery and order wedding cake; Order any party favors; Decide on reception decorations and order or begin making them; Arrange for transportation on the wedding day. November 1st to November 29th: Keep a record of RSVPs and gifts received; Finalize menu for the reception; Obtain the marriage license; Finalize the wedding flowers with florist; Confirm reservations and details with photographer, caterer, DJ, videographer, baker and any other professionals, including any special photos wanted, specific music during a first dance. Preliminary Budget Reception: Spend 40% of the Wedding Budget on Reception. Total Budget: $20,000 x 0.4 = $8,000 available for the reception Example costs: site fees, catering costs, bar and beverages, wedding cake, etc. Music: Spend 10% of the Wedding Budget on Music Total budget: $20,000 x 0.1 = $2,000 available for music Example costs: ceremony music, cocktail hour music, DJ fees, etc Flowers: Spend 15% of the Wedding Budget on Flowers Total budget: $20,000 x 0.15 = $3,000 available for flowers Example costs: bridal bouquet, wedding party flowers, table centerpieces, etc. Wedding Attire: Spend 15% of the Wedding Budget on Wedding Attire Total budget: $20,000 x 0.1 = $3,000 available for wedding attire Example costs: wedding gown, dress alterations, wedding veil, lingerie, jewelry, shoes, hair, makeup, etc. Photography: Spend 10% of the Wedding Budget on Wedding Photography Total budget: $20,000 x 0.1 = $2,000 available for wedding photography Example costs: Engagement portrait, photography, videographer, wedding album, etc. Stationary: Spend 5% of the Wedding Budget on Stationary Total budget: $20,000 x 0.05 = $1,000 available for wedding stationary Example costs: wedding announcements, wedding invitations, postage stamps, wedding programs, table place cards, etc. Additional Expenses: Spend 5% of the Wedding Budget on Additional Expenses Total budget: $20,000 x 0.05 = $1,000 available for Additional Expenses Example costs: attendants’ gifts, marriage license fee, wedding day transportation, etc. Approval Requirements The Project Sponsor approved this Project Charter. The Bride approved this Project Charter. The Groom approved this Project Charter. Bibliography Gray, Clifford F., Larson, Erik W. – Project Management, 5th Edition, McGraw-Hill, 2011. A guide to the project management body of knowledge, PMBOK guide, 5th Edition, PMI Inc. 2013. http://www.magnetstreet.com/wedding-planning-checklist http://www.hooverwebdesign.com/20000-wedding-budget-worksheet.html

The Tragedy Of Hamlet By William Shakespeare - 1874 Words

Revenge is a twisted concept, and has the ability to push people to their absolute limit. This is true when discussing William Shakespeare s play, The Tragedy of Hamlet, where the main character, Hamlet, begins going insane after the death of his father. His insanity is caused by a recent death in his family, his mother’s remarriage, the growing effects of trying to be something you are not, and the burning desire for revenge. His withering state of mind progressively worsens over time and is seen throughout the story line by everyone, that is everyone but Hamlet himself. Hamlet does not believe the things he is doing or events that are occurring are anywhere out of the ordinary, but perhaps that is because his imitation of insanity is†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"O, that this too too solid flesh would melt, thaw and resolve itself into a dew! Or that the everlasting had not fix d his canon gainst self-slaughter! O God! God! How weary, stale, flat and unprofitable, se em to me all the uses of this world!† (I.ii.129-134). Here, Hamlet talks about how he wishes his skin would melt and he die. He is in complete despair over his fathers death and can not imagine what would push his father to committing suicide, or so he thinks. He produces pity for himself and begins to conjure up the theme of insanity here. Both of these events alert the reader that Hamlet is a very upset man and that he might engage in certain actions that someone with the right state of mind might not. Furthermore, aside from being upset, Hamlet also seems very confused at his father and at the world. He does not understand why his father, of all things, should have been taken from him and especially in the way that he did leave this world. He yells to God and does not think he deserves any of this. This quote provides the reader with the knowledge of prior cloudiness in judgement before Hamlet finds out who killed his father, which only adds to the fact that he does not rea lize his growing state of insanity over the time of the play. After partially accepting his father’s death, Hamlet has a talk with the ghost of his father and acquires the information of who killed his father. Once he realizes that the killer is King Claudius, Hamlet starts to convey