Pride and Prejudice Essay

1. What is the decisive moment that causes Lizzy to not only change her mind about Mr. Darcy but fall in love? The decisive moment that causes Lizzy (Elizabeth) to not only change her mind about Mr. Darcy but also fall in love with him took place during her visit to Mr. Collin’s home on the Rosings Park estate which is the family estate of Darcy. On the three occasions that Elizabeth and Darcy meet during this period, Lizzy was exposed to certain truths about Darcy that made her change her mind. First, Darcy’s proposal of marriage completely took her off-guard. Although she refused his proposal, Lizzy was nonetheless impressed and flattered by the fact that Darcy had loved her all these months. Second, the letter that Darcy gave Elizabeth cleared many of her misconceptions and prejudices. She understood from Darcy’s account why he had created a distance between Bingley and Jane, and about his own reasons for disliking Wickham. It was Darcy’s letter that helped her see the reality. He had doubted Bingley’s true feelings for Jane as he had seen his friend fall in love on several occasions before. Darcy didn’t want the Bennet family to feel disheartened by any adverse change in events. So before Jane could get too much involved with Bingley, Darcy thought it right to take Bingley away so that later she doesn’t face a heartbreak. As far as Wickham is concerned, Elizabeth realized after reading Darcy’s letter that he had very genuine reason to despise Wickham. Wickham had tried to seduce Georgiana and tried to elope with her when she was just fifteen years of age. No brother can tolerate such advancement towards one’s sister. Later in the novel, when Darcy helps Elizabeth in finding her sister Lydia who had eloped with Wickham, Lizzy came more close to Darcy romantically. 2. Pick two of the romantic poems studied by two different poets and compare how the romanticism compares to â€Å"pride and prejudice†. Two of the greatest Romantic poets in the history of English literature are P.B. Shelley and John Keats. Shelley’s â€Å"To A Skylark† and Keats’ â€Å"Ode to Autumn† are jewels that adorn high romanticism. Romanticism as reflected in these two poems speaks of the ideal versus the real, imagination, subjectivism, poetic creation, change versus constant, and many other traits of romanticism. Of all these traits, the most common quality between these two Romantic poems and Pride and Prejudice is that of ideal versus real. The novel deals with the issue of marriage. Elizabeth and Darcy’s marriage is the ideal and perfect marriage amongst all the seven marriages shown in the novel. Their union shows that the ideal bond is between two people of equal standing. Physical appearance is not the right parameter to judge a person, as shown through the marriage of Wickham and Lydia, the most unsuccessful marriage in the novel. The series of events that lead Elizabeth and Darcy to analyze and study each other’s nature and personality, eventually bring them closer. Theirs is not a case of blind love and that is how all marriages should be. A marriage is successful only if it takes place between like-minded people. Idealism, an important trait in ‘To A Skylark’, can be found in the marriage between Darcy and Elizabeth. The optimism of ‘Ode To Autumn’ where Keats says that â€Å"If winter comes can spring be far behind†, can be traced in Pride and Prejudice in the way Darcy and Elizabeth finally unite despite their initial prejudices. 3. How does the realism of â€Å"Flaubert† go against the romanticism of both Austen and the poets? Flaubert’s realism was in reaction to the high Romanticism of late 18th and early 19th century in England. The realism that was practiced by Flaubert negated the idealism of Romanticism. In the novel ‘Madame Bovary’, Flaubert shows how the romantic notions of an ideal marriage in the mind of a country woman led to her downfall. Unlike the idealism that helped Elizabeth find her ideal suitor in Pride and Prejudice, in Madame Bovary the same idealism backfires. Thus, Romanticism of Jane Austen, Keats, and Shelley do not hold true in case of Flaubert’s realism. 4. We covered both realistic and romantic artwork pick two pieces from each (2 romantic and 2 realistic) and relate whether the (bennett’s), (emma bovary) or (charles bovary) would have this piece on their wall and why. Four pieces of art and three choices as to where to put them.(no pavilion at Brighton). The Bennets would put up Fuseli’s Nightmare and Thomas Cole’s The Course of Empire: Desolation because both these artworks depict high romanticism. Both Mr. Bennet and Elizabeth are intellectual beings, who love to read classics. So they would prefer more imaginative artworks such as Nightmare and The Course of Empire: Desolation. Emma Bovary would prefer J.M. Millet’s The Gleaners for in her young days she is full of romantic notions of love and marriage. Moreover she is a country girl, so the picture of gleaners working on the countryside farm would appeal to her. Charles Bovary represents the world and characteristics that is abhorred by Emma. He is unimaginative, unintelligent, stupid, and naà ¯ve. He would probably put up a picture that is as realistic and mundane as Bonheur’s The Horse Fair.

Uol Past Year Paper

This paper is not to be removed from the Examination Halls UNIVERSITY OF LONDON AC3093 ZB (279 0093) BSc Degrees and Diplomas for Graduates in Economics, Management, Finance and the Social Sciences, the Diplomas in Economics and Social Sciences and Access Route Auditing and Assurance Friday, 18 May 2012 : 10. 00am to 1. 00pm Candidates should answer FOUR of the following EIGHT questions: TWO from Section A, ONE from Section B and ONE further question from either section. All questions carry equal marks.  © University of London 2012 UL12/0010 D01 PLEASE TURN OVER Page 1 of 6SECTION A Answer TWO questions from this section and not more than one further question. (You are reminded that four questions in total are to be attempted with at least one from Section B. ) 1. You have just been approached by the newly-appointed Senior Regulator for the financial services (including accounting and auditing) industry in a country which has previously had little or no regulation on the provision of financial information. The Regulator has said that his first priority is to improve the quality of annual financial statements which the major companies in the country publish.The Regulator has established working parties to examine improvements in the quality of accounting and financial reporting practices. Another working party has been established to examine the quality of audit field work. The Regulator tells you that he wants your working party to put forward proposals which will improve the quality of audit reporting. He is concerned that present practices allow individual auditors to report in their own way. This has led to confusion, since there are so many different styles of audit report. The Regulator believes that a standardised approach will reduce this confusion.He is aware that there are international auditing standards on auditing and asks you to examine the possibility of adopting an approach consistent with the international standards. He asks you to look at the following specific aspects of audit reporting: †¢ To whom the audit report is addressed †¢ A reference to the framework of accounting †¢ A reference to the framework of auditing †¢ Some discussion of what can be and what cannot be expected from an audit †¢ The style of opinion on the financial statements, and †¢ Any other issues you think might be relevant.Required (a) (b) Draft a report from your working party on the specific issues mentioned above. (15 marks) Draft an appendix to this report setting out the advantages and disadvantages of a standardised approach to audit reporting. (10 marks) UL12/0010 D01 Page 2 of 6 2. You are the audit partner of Lottolife, a leisure establishment which includes a bar and a restaurant open to the general public. The management consists of a senior manager and three assistant managers; all four are paid a salary with a profit-related bonus.Both the bar and the restaurant are dependent on casual workers who are paid an hourly rate in cash at the end of the week. To record the hours worked, each employee has to ‘clock in and clock out’ using a clock card inserted into a machine which records the time in and out. There is no other check on the accuracy of the recorded hours. Workers are hired after a short interview by one of the assistant managers who completes a form to record the details of the successful applicant. The company has a poor reputation as an employer and expects its staff to work long hours.Consequently employees tend not to stay very long. On resigning, an employee has to sign a form which is endorsed by the assistant manager and is then handed to the Payroll Department so that the employee’s last pay packet can be made up and the employee taken off the payroll. There are never enough applicants to fill the vacancies and almost no applicant is rejected. Both pay and staff morale are low. In an attempt to boost the pay and attract more and better staff, one o f the assistant managers has suggested paying a weekly bonus from the cash tips left by customers.The tips would be divided among the workers rather than being banked as part of the takings. There would be no record kept of the tips which would mean that the workers would not be taxed on their ‘bonus’. It also has a members-only club which is a licensed casino where various forms of gambling take place. Under the licensing rules only trained staff can be employed and these are reasonably well paid jobs. Occasionally if there is a staff shortage on the catering side in the casino, members of the bar and restaurant staff are brought in, given new uniforms and are instructed to help out.Technically this is against the gaming rules, but the casino management consider that if the breach is ever discovered by the authorities, the worst thing that might happen would be the casino having to pay a fine. They are aware however that it is possible that the licence could be withdra wn and the casino could be forced to close. Required (a) (b) Identify possible weaknesses in the control environment in Lottolife. (15 marks) Suggest various audit procedures which might be appropriate in the particular circumstances of Lottolife. (10 marks) UL12/0010 D01 Page 3 of 6 3.You have just been appointed auditor of Bruton’s Ltd, a small family-owned gentlemen’s tailors and clothes shop. It is based in the South-West of England where it has six shops in different towns. The clothes it stocks and sells are at the upper end of the price range, appealing to the wealthier customer. The company, like its customers is old-fashioned. In fact, the decor of the shops has not changed since the 1960s. The head of the family and major shareholder, John Bruton, is aged 86 and sees no reason to change what has for fifty years been a winning formula – a top quality service and a premium price.He dismisses the falling sales and lower profits as simply consequences of t he tough economic climate. The three other shareholders are Bruton’s sons, the youngest of whom is 53. The sons have tried to get their father to change strategy since they have seen similar companies in other regions increase their market share through the internet and through a radical make-over of their retail outlets. They accept that their plans will cost about ? 10m and they will need a bank loan to finance what is effectively a re-branding exercise.They believe, though they have not done a detailed analysis, that internet sales over the next three years would bring in enough cash to repay the loan and enough profit to cover loan interest. After that, there would be clear profit for about ten years until the next rebranding was needed. In addition, the leases on the shops are all going to expire in the next five years. These can be renewed but it will be costly as the premises are all in city centre locations which are highly sought after by companies in the food and dr inks industry.With insufficient cash reserves, Bruton’s would need further bank financing to cover the capital cost of renewing these long term leases. The sons are also urging their father to consider buying in cheaper clothes imported from Asia as way of boosting sales and profits. The father who is very patriotic has rejected this suggestion, choosing instead to stay with British-based suppliers who have served him well since he began in business. Bruton’s accounting system dates from the 1960s. It is mainly manual with sales staff making out a handwritten receipt for each sale.Cash is put through a till but there is no reconciliation of receipts and takings through the till. The shops do have credit card facilities but again there is no reconciliation of sales and card receipts. The main element of control is the presence of one of Bruton’s sons. Each is responsible for two shops which they attend on alternate days. This close supervision has seemed to work well until, Roger, the eldest son, had a heart attack and was unable to work for six months. During this time, his two brothers supervised the six shops visiting one every three days.Roger is now back at work though he only works reduced hours at one location. Required (a) (b) Identify the major elements of audit risk in Bruton’s Ltd. (15 marks) Explain the steps you would have taken before formally accepting appointment as auditor of Bruton’s Ltd. (10 marks) UL12/0010 D01 Page 4 of 6 4. You have just been appointed the Quality Assurance Partner in Raiffes & Co. , Chartered Accountants and Registered Auditors. You are currently reviewing a sample of the audit files of five audit clients.Your aim is to ensure that the quality of audit work at least matches and, if possible, exceeds the minimum standard required under the international auditing standards and UK legislation. You have made the following list of items which cause you concern: †¢ In Albany Ltd, the audi t team noted that although accurate inventory records had not been kept during the year, the year-end stock count was tightly controlled and a detailed review of gross profit margins suggested little chance of material error. On this basis the audit manager had recommended signing an unmodified opinion.In Boverton plc, a weakness in internal control had been detected early in the audit. The weakness concerned payroll and may have allowed overpayments to genuine staff and/or payments to fictitious staff. Because payroll is such a sensitive area, the audit team had done nothing more than note the weakness in the audit file, highlighting the issue for partner review. In Chirley plc, the company had failed to comply with the relevant financial reporting standard for pension costs. The matter is one of disclosure rather than measurement.The Finance Director simply will not accept that the standard is correct and insists that he is right. The recommendation from the audit team is to agree with the Finance Director since the accounting numbers are right and the firm should not risk upsetting a major client. In Dalton, a fraud involving the cashier had been discovered. The amount involved was immaterial to the financial statements. When the Finance Director was told about the fraud, he was unmoved, claiming that he knew about the fraud which had been going on since the man was first employed five years ago.The Finance Director said that he allowed the cashier to supplement his salary in this way since it was cheaper than giving him a pay rise. In Exeter Ltd, this was the first year of the audit appointment. The fixed asset register had not been maintained for the last five years meaning that it was impossible to assess from the records how long the assets had been in use. Total tangible fixed assets are material to the financial statements. The team had immediately stopped work on fixed assets concluding that the audit report would have to be modified on the grounds o f disagreement. †¢ †¢ †¢ Required (a) Evaluate the situation in each of the five cases and suggest an appropriate course of action in each including if necessary modifying the auditors’ report. (15 marks) Suggest steps which the firm should take to ensure that all its audits come up tot the appropriate standard. (10 marks) (b) UL12/0010 D01 Page 5 of 6 SECTION B Answer ONE question from this section and not more than one further question. (You are reminded that four questions in total are to be attempted with at least two from Section A. ) 5.Because audit time is not unlimited, sampling is a key component of any audit strategy. Explain the various factors which auditors consider when setting up their sampling plan. 6. Critically evaluate the purpose of an audit from the point of view of the readers of the auditors’ report. 7. You are required to write a general theory of auditing of financial statements. What concepts and assumptions would you include an d what purpose would each serve? 8. Critically evaluate the measures taken in the IFAC Code of Ethics to safeguard auditor independence. END OF PAPER UL12/0010 D01 Page 6 of 6

A Game of Thrones Chapter Fiftyone

Jeyne Poole had been confined with her, but Jeyne was useless. Her face was puffy from all her crying, and she could not seem to stop sobbing about her father. â€Å"I’m certain your father is well,† Sansa told her when she had finally gotten the dress buttoned right. â€Å"I’ll ask the queen to let you see him.† She thought that kindness might lift Jeyne’s spirits, but the other girl just looked at her with red, swollen eyes and began to cry all the harder. She was such a child. Sansa had wept too, the first day. Even within the stout walls of Maegor’s Holdfast, with her door closed and barred, it was hard not to be terrified when the killing began. She had grown up to the sound of steel in the yard, and scarcely a day of her life had passed without hearing the clash of sword on sword, yet somehow knowing that the fighting was real made all the difference in the world. She heard it as she had never heard it before, and there were other sounds as well, grunts of pain, angry curses, shouts for help, and the moans of wounded and dying men. In the songs, the knights never screamed nor begged for mercy. So she wept, pleading through her door for them to tell her what was happening, calling for her father, for Septa Mordane, for the king, for her gallant prince. If the men guarding her heard her pleas, they gave no answer. The only time the door opened was late that night, when they thrust Jeyne Poole inside, bruised and shaking. â€Å"They’re killing everyone,† the steward’s daughter had shrieked at her. She went on and on. The Hound had broken down her door with a warhammer, she said. There were bodies on the stair of the Tower of the Hand, and the steps were slick with blood. Sansa dried her own tears as she struggled to comfort her friend. They went to sleep in the same bed, cradled in each other’s arms like sisters. The second day was even worse. The room where Sansa had been confined was at the top of the highest tower of Maegor’s Holdfast. From its window, she could see that the heavy iron portcullis in the gatehouse was down, and the drawbridge drawn up over the deep dry moat that separated the keep-within-a-keep from the larger castle that surrounded it. Lannister guardsmen prowled the walls with spears and crossbows to hand. The fighting was over, and the silence of the grave had settled over the Red Keep. The only sounds were Jeyne Poole’s endless whimpers and sobs. They were fed—hard cheese and fresh-baked bread and milk to break their fast, roast chicken and greens at midday, and a late supper of beef and barley stew—but the servants who brought the meals would not answer Sansa’s questions. That evening, some women brought her clothes from the Tower of the Hand, and some of Jeyne’s things as well, but they seemed nearly as frightened as Jeyne, and when she tried to talk to them, they fled from her as if she had the grey plague. The guards outside the door still refused to let them leave the room. â€Å"Please, I need to speak to the queen again,† Sansa told them, as she told everyone she saw that day. â€Å"She’ll want to talk to me, I know she will. Tell her I want to see her, please. If not the queen, then Prince Joffrey, if you’d be so kind. We’re to marry when we’re older.† At sunset on the second day, a great bell began to ring. Its voice was deep and sonorous, and the long slow clanging filled Sansa with a sense of dread. The ringing went on and on, and after a while they heard other bells answering from the Great Sept of Baelor on Visenya’s Hill. The sound rumbled across the city like thunder, warning of the storm to come. â€Å"What is it?† Jeyne asked, covering her ears. â€Å"Why are they ringing the bells?† â€Å"The king is dead.† Sansa could not say how she knew it, yet she did. The slow, endless clanging filled their room, as mournful as a dirge. Had some enemy stormed the castle and murdered King Robert? Was that the meaning of the fighting they had heard? She went to sleep wondering, restless, and fearful. Was her beautiful Joffrey the king now? Or had they killed him too? She was afraid for him, and for her father. If only they would tell her what was happening . . . That night Sansa dreamt of Joffrey on the throne, with herself seated beside him in a gown of woven gold. She had a crown on her head, and everyone she had ever known came before her, to bend the knee and say their courtesies. The next morning, the morning of the third day, Ser Boros Blount of the Kingsguard came to escort her to the queen. Ser Boros was an ugly man with a broad chest and short, bandy legs. His nose was flat, his cheeks baggy with jowls, his hair grey and brittle. Today he wore white velvet, and his snowy cloak was fastened with a lion brooch. The beast had the soft sheen of gold, and his eyes were tiny rubies. â€Å"You look very handsome and splendid this morning, Ser Boros,† Sansa told him. A lady remembered her courtesies, and she was resolved to be a lady no matter what. â€Å"And you, my lady,† Ser Boros said in a flat voice. â€Å"Her Grace awaits. Come with me.† There were guards outside her door, Lannister men-at-arms in crimson cloaks and lion-crested helms. Sansa made herself smile at them pleasantly and bid them a good morning as she passed. It was the first time she had been allowed outside the chamber since Ser Arys Oakheart had led her there two mornings past. â€Å"To keep you safe, my sweet one,† Queen Cersei had told her. â€Å"Joffrey would never forgive me if anything happened to his precious.† Sansa had expected that Ser Boros would escort her to the royal apartments, but instead he led her out of Maegor’s Holdfast. The bridge was down again. Some workmen were lowering a man on ropes into the depths of the dry moat. When Sansa peered down, she saw a body impaled on the huge iron spikes below. She averted her eyes quickly, afraid to ask, afraid to look too long, afraid he might be someone she knew. They found Queen Cersei in the council chambers, seated at the head of a long table littered with papers, candles, and blocks of sealing wax. The room was as splendid as any that Sansa had ever seen. She stared in awe at the carved wooden screen and the twin sphinxes that sat beside the door. â€Å"Your Grace,† Ser Boros said when they were ushered inside by another of the Kingsguard, Ser Mandon of the curiously dead face, â€Å"I’ve brought the girl.† Sansa had hoped Joffrey might be with her. Her prince was not there, but three of the king’s councillors were. Lord Petyr Baelish sat on the queen’s left hand, Grand Maester Pycelle at the end of the table, while Lord Varys hovered over them, smelling flowery. All of them were clad in black, she realized with a feeling of dread. Mourning clothes . . . The queen wore a high-collared black silk gown, with a hundred dark red rubies sewn into her bodice, covering her from neck to bosom. They were cut in the shape of teardrops, as if the queen were weeping blood. Cersei smiled to see her, and Sansa thought it was the sweetest and saddest smile she had ever seen. â€Å"Sansa, my sweet child,† she said, â€Å"I know you’ve been asking for me. I’m sorry that I could not send for you sooner. Matters have been very unsettled, and I have not had a moment. I trust my people have been taking good care of you?† â€Å"Everyone has been very sweet and pleasant, Your Grace, thank you ever so much for asking,† Sansa said politely. â€Å"Only, well, no one will talk to us or tell us what’s happened . . . â€Å" â€Å"Us?† Cersei seemed puzzled. â€Å"We put the steward’s girl in with her,† Ser Boros said. â€Å"We did not know what else to do with her.† The queen frowned. â€Å"Next time, you will ask,† she said, her voice sharp. â€Å"The gods only know what sort of tales she’s been filling Sansa’s head with.† â€Å"Jeyne’s scared,† Sansa said. â€Å"She won’t stop crying. I promised her I’d ask if she could see her father.† Old Grand Maester Pycelle lowered his eyes. â€Å"Her father is well, isn’t he?† Sansa said anxiously. She knew there had been fighting, but surely no one would harm a steward. Vayon Poole did not even wear a sword. Queen Cersei looked at each of the councillors in turn. â€Å"I won’t have Sansa fretting needlessly. What shall we do with this little friend of hers, my lords?† Lord Petyr leaned forward. â€Å"I’ll find a place for her.† â€Å"Not in the city,† said the queen. â€Å"Do you take me for a fool?† The queen ignored that. â€Å"Ser Boros, escort this girl to Lord Petyr’s apartments and instruct his people to keep her there until he comes for her. Tell her that Littlefinger will be taking her to see her father, that ought to calm her down. I want her gone before Sansa returns to her chamber.† â€Å"As you command, Your Grace,† Ser Boros said. He bowed deeply, spun on his heel, and took his leave, his long white cloak stirring the air behind him. Sansa was confused. â€Å"I don’t understand,† she said. â€Å"Where is Jeyne’s father? Why can’t Ser Boros take her to him instead of Lord Petyr having to do it?† She had promised herself she would be a lady, gentle as the queen and as strong as her mother, the Lady Catelyn, but all of a sudden she was scared again. For a second she thought she might cry. â€Å"Where are you sending her? She hasn’t done anything wrong, she’s a good girl.† â€Å"She’s upset you,† the queen said gently. â€Å"We can’t be having that. Not another word, now. Lord Baelish will see that Jeyne’s well taken care of, I promise you.† She patted the chair beside her. â€Å"Sit down, Sansa. I want to talk to you.† Sansa seated herself beside the queen. Cersei smiled again, but that did not make her feel any less anxious. Varys was wringing his soft hands together, Grand Maester Pycelle kept his sleepy eyes on the papers in front of him, but she could feel Littlefinger staring. Something about the way the small man looked at her made Sansa feel as though she had no clothes on. Goose bumps pimpled her skin. â€Å"Sweet Sansa,† Queen Cersei said, laying a soft hand on her wrist. â€Å"Such a beautiful child. I do hope you know how much Joffrey and I love you.† â€Å"You do?† Sansa said, breathless. Littlefinger was forgotten. Her prince loved her. Nothing else mattered. The queen smiled. â€Å"I think of you almost as my own daughter. And I know the love you bear for Joffrey.† She gave a weary shake of her head. â€Å"I am afraid we have some grave news about your lord father. You must be brave, child.† Her quiet words gave Sansa a chill. â€Å"What is it?† â€Å"Your father is a traitor, dear,† Lord Varys said. Grand Maester Pycelle lifted his ancient head. â€Å"With my own ears, I heard Lord Eddard swear to our beloved King Robert that he would protect the young princes as if they were his own sons. And yet the moment the king was dead, he called the small council together to steal Prince Joffrey’s rightful throne.† â€Å"No,† Sansa blurted. â€Å"He wouldn’t do that. He wouldn’t!† The queen picked up a letter. The paper was torn and stiff with dried blood, but the broken seal was her father’s, the direwolf stamped in pale wax. â€Å"We found this on the captain of your household guard, Sansa. It is a letter to my late husband’s brother Stannis, inviting him to take the crown.† â€Å"Please, Your Grace, there’s been a mistake.† Sudden panic made her dizzy and faint. â€Å"Please, send for my father, he’ll tell you, he would never write such a letter, the king was his friend.† â€Å"Robert thought so,† said the queen. â€Å"This betrayal would have broken his heart. The gods are kind, that he did not live to see it.† She sighed. â€Å"Sansa, sweetling, you must see what a dreadful position this has left us in. You are innocent of any wrong, we all know that, and yet you are the daughter of a traitor. How can I allow you to marry my son?† â€Å"But I love him,† Sansa wailed, confused and frightened. What did they mean to do to her? What had they done to her father? It was not supposed to happen this way. She had to wed Joffrey, they were betrothed, he was promised to her, she had even dreamed about it. It wasn’t fair to take him away from her on account of whatever her father might have done. â€Å"How well I know that, child,† Cersei said, her voice so kind and sweet. â€Å"Why else should you have come to me and told me of your father’s plan to send you away from us, if not for love?† â€Å"It was for love,† Sansa said in a rush. â€Å"Father wouldn’t even give me leave to say farewell.† She was the good girl, the obedient girl, but she had felt as wicked as Arya that morning, sneaking away from Septa Mordane, defying her lord father. She had never done anything so willful before, and she would never have done it then if she hadn’t loved Joffrey as much as she did. â€Å"He was going to take me back to Winterfell and marry me to some hedge knight, even though it was Joff I wanted. I told him, but he wouldn’t listen.† The king had been her last hope. The king could command Father to let her stay in King’s Landing and marry Prince Joffrey, Sansa knew he could, but the king had always frightened her. He was loud and rough-voiced and drunk as often as not, and he would probably have just sent her back to Lord Eddard, if they even let her see him. So she went to the queen instead, and poured out her heart, and Cersei had listened and thanked her sweetly . . . only then Ser Arys had escorted her to the high room in Maegor’s Holdfast and posted guards, and a few hours later, the fighting had begun outside. â€Å"Please,† she finished, â€Å"you have to let me marry Joffrey, I’ll be ever so good a wife to him, you’ll see. I’ll be a queen just like you, I promise.† Queen Cersei looked to the others. â€Å"My lords of the council, what do you say to her plea?† â€Å"The poor child,† murmured Varys. â€Å"A love so true and innocent, Your Grace, it would be cruel to deny it . . . and yet, what can we do? Her father stands condemned.† His soft hands washed each other in a gesture of helpless distress. â€Å"A child born of traitor’s seed will find that betrayal comes naturally to her,† said Grand Maester Pycelle. â€Å"She is a sweet thing now, but in ten years, who can say what treasons she may hatch?† â€Å"No,† Sansa said, horrified. â€Å"I’m not, I’d never . . . I wouldn’t betray Joffrey, I love him, I swear it, I do.† â€Å"Oh, so poignant,† said Varys. â€Å"And yet, it is truly said that blood runs truer than oaths.† â€Å"She reminds me of the mother, not the father,† Lord Petyr Baelish said quietly. â€Å"Look at her. The hair, the eyes. She is the very image of Cat at the same age.† The queen looked at her, troubled, and yet Sansa could see kindness in her clear green eyes. â€Å"Child,† she said, â€Å"if I could truly believe that you were not like your father, why nothing should please me more than to see you wed to my Joffrey. I know he loves you with all his heart.† She sighed. â€Å"And yet, I fear that Lord Varys and the Grand Maester have the right of it. The blood will tell. I have only to remember how your sister set her wolf on my son.† â€Å"I’m not like Arya,† Sansa blurted. â€Å"She has the traitor’s blood, not me. I’m good, ask Septa Mordane, she’ll tell you, I only want to be Joffrey’s loyal and loving wife.† She felt the weight of Cersei’s eyes as the queen studied her face. â€Å"I believe you mean it, child.† She turned to face the others. â€Å"My lords, it seems to me that if the rest of her kin were to remain loyal in this terrible time, that would go a long way toward laying our fears to rest.† Grand Maester Pycelle stroked his huge soft beard, his wide brow furrowed in thought. â€Å"Lord Eddard has three sons.† â€Å"Mere boys,† Lord Petyr said with a shrug. â€Å"I should be more concerned with Lady Catelyn and the Tullys.† The queen took Sansa’s hand in both of hers. â€Å"Child, do you know your letters?† Sansa nodded nervously. She could read and write better than any of her brothers, although she was hopeless at sums. â€Å"I am pleased to hear that. Perhaps there is hope for you and Joffrey still . . . â€Å" â€Å"What do you want me to do?† â€Å"You must write your lady mother, and your brother, the eldest . . . what is his name?† â€Å"Robb,† Sansa said. â€Å"The word of your lord father’s treason will no doubt reach them soon. Better that it should come from you. You must tell them how Lord Eddard betrayed his king.† Sansa wanted Joffrey desperately, but she did not think she had the courage to do as the queen was asking. â€Å"But he never . . . I don’t . . . Your Grace, I wouldn’t know what to say . . . â€Å" The queen patted her hand. â€Å"We will tell you what to write, child. The important thing is that you urge Lady Catelyn and your brother to keep the king’s peace.† â€Å"It will go hard for them if they don’t,† said Grand Maester Pycelle. â€Å"By the love you bear them, you must urge them to walk the path of wisdom.† â€Å"Your lady mother will no doubt fear for you dreadfully,† the queen said. â€Å"You must tell her that you are well and in our care, that we are treating you gently and seeing to your every want. Bid them to come to King’s Landing and pledge their fealty to Joffrey when he takes his throne. If they do that . . . why, then we shall know that there is no taint in your blood, and when you come into the flower of your womanhood, you shall wed the king in the Great Sept of Baelor, before the eyes of gods and men.† . . . wed the king . . . The words made her breath come faster, yet still Sansa hesitated. â€Å"Perhaps . . . if I might see my father, talk to him about . . . â€Å" â€Å"Treason?† Lord Varys hinted. â€Å"You disappoint me, Sansa,† the queen said, with eyes gone hard as stones. â€Å"We’ve told you of your father’s crimes. If you are truly as loyal as you say, why should you want to see him?† â€Å"I . . . I only meant . . . † Sansa felt her eyes grow wet. â€Å"He’s not . . . please, he hasn’t been . . . hurt, or . . . or . . . â€Å" â€Å"Lord Eddard has not been harmed,† the queen said. â€Å"But . . . what’s to become of him?† â€Å"That is a matter for the king to decide,† Grand Maester Pycelle announced ponderously. The king! Sansa blinked back her tears. Joffrey was the king now, she thought. Her gallant prince would never hurt her father, no matter what he might have done. If she went to him and pleaded for mercy, she was certain he’d listen. He had to listen, he loved her, even the queen said so. Joff would need to punish Father, the lords would expect it, but perhaps he could send him back to Winterfell, or exile him to one of the Free Cities across the narrow sea. It would only have to be for a few years. By then she and Joffrey would be married. Once she was queen, she could persuade Joff to bring Father back and grant him a pardon. Only . . . if Mother or Robb did anything treasonous, called the banners or refused to swear fealty or anything, it would all go wrong. Her Joffrey was good and kind, she knew it in her heart, but a king had to be stern with rebels. She had to make them understand, she had to! â€Å"I’ll . . . I’ll write the letters,† Sansa told them. With a smile as warm as the sunrise, Cersei Lannister leaned close and kissed her gently on the cheek. â€Å"I knew you would. Joffrey will be so proud when I tell him what courage and good sense you’ve shown here today.† In the end, she wrote four letters. To her mother, the Lady Catelyn Stark, and to her brothers at Winterfell, and to her aunt and her grandfather as well, Lady Lysa Arryn of the Eyrie, and Lord Hoster Tully of Riverrun. By the time she had done, her fingers were cramped and stiff and stained with ink. Varys had her father’s seal. She warmed the pale white beeswax over a candle, poured it carefully, and watched as the eunuch stamped each letter with the direwolf of House Stark. Jeyne Poole and all her things were gone when Ser Mandon Moore returned Sansa to the high tower of Maegor’s Holdfast. No more weeping, she thought gratefully. Yet somehow it seemed colder with Jeyne gone, even after she’d built a fire. She pulled a chair close to the hearth, took down one of her favorite books, and lost herself in the stories of Florian and Jonquil, of Lady Shella and the Rainbow Knight, of valiant Prince Aemon and his doomed love for his brother’s queen. It was not until later that night, as she was drifting off to sleep, that Sansa realized she had forgotten to ask about her sister. A Game of Thrones Chapter Fiftyone Jeyne Poole had been confined with her, but Jeyne was useless. Her face was puffy from all her crying, and she could not seem to stop sobbing about her father. â€Å"I’m certain your father is well,† Sansa told her when she had finally gotten the dress buttoned right. â€Å"I’ll ask the queen to let you see him.† She thought that kindness might lift Jeyne’s spirits, but the other girl just looked at her with red, swollen eyes and began to cry all the harder. She was such a child. Sansa had wept too, the first day. Even within the stout walls of Maegor’s Holdfast, with her door closed and barred, it was hard not to be terrified when the killing began. She had grown up to the sound of steel in the yard, and scarcely a day of her life had passed without hearing the clash of sword on sword, yet somehow knowing that the fighting was real made all the difference in the world. She heard it as she had never heard it before, and there were other sounds as well, grunts of pain, angry curses, shouts for help, and the moans of wounded and dying men. In the songs, the knights never screamed nor begged for mercy. So she wept, pleading through her door for them to tell her what was happening, calling for her father, for Septa Mordane, for the king, for her gallant prince. If the men guarding her heard her pleas, they gave no answer. The only time the door opened was late that night, when they thrust Jeyne Poole inside, bruised and shaking. â€Å"They’re killing everyone,† the steward’s daughter had shrieked at her. She went on and on. The Hound had broken down her door with a warhammer, she said. There were bodies on the stair of the Tower of the Hand, and the steps were slick with blood. Sansa dried her own tears as she struggled to comfort her friend. They went to sleep in the same bed, cradled in each other’s arms like sisters. The second day was even worse. The room where Sansa had been confined was at the top of the highest tower of Maegor’s Holdfast. From its window, she could see that the heavy iron portcullis in the gatehouse was down, and the drawbridge drawn up over the deep dry moat that separated the keep-within-a-keep from the larger castle that surrounded it. Lannister guardsmen prowled the walls with spears and crossbows to hand. The fighting was over, and the silence of the grave had settled over the Red Keep. The only sounds were Jeyne Poole’s endless whimpers and sobs. They were fed—hard cheese and fresh-baked bread and milk to break their fast, roast chicken and greens at midday, and a late supper of beef and barley stew—but the servants who brought the meals would not answer Sansa’s questions. That evening, some women brought her clothes from the Tower of the Hand, and some of Jeyne’s things as well, but they seemed nearly as frightened as Jeyne, and when she tried to talk to them, they fled from her as if she had the grey plague. The guards outside the door still refused to let them leave the room. â€Å"Please, I need to speak to the queen again,† Sansa told them, as she told everyone she saw that day. â€Å"She’ll want to talk to me, I know she will. Tell her I want to see her, please. If not the queen, then Prince Joffrey, if you’d be so kind. We’re to marry when we’re older.† At sunset on the second day, a great bell began to ring. Its voice was deep and sonorous, and the long slow clanging filled Sansa with a sense of dread. The ringing went on and on, and after a while they heard other bells answering from the Great Sept of Baelor on Visenya’s Hill. The sound rumbled across the city like thunder, warning of the storm to come. â€Å"What is it?† Jeyne asked, covering her ears. â€Å"Why are they ringing the bells?† â€Å"The king is dead.† Sansa could not say how she knew it, yet she did. The slow, endless clanging filled their room, as mournful as a dirge. Had some enemy stormed the castle and murdered King Robert? Was that the meaning of the fighting they had heard? She went to sleep wondering, restless, and fearful. Was her beautiful Joffrey the king now? Or had they killed him too? She was afraid for him, and for her father. If only they would tell her what was happening . . . That night Sansa dreamt of Joffrey on the throne, with herself seated beside him in a gown of woven gold. She had a crown on her head, and everyone she had ever known came before her, to bend the knee and say their courtesies. The next morning, the morning of the third day, Ser Boros Blount of the Kingsguard came to escort her to the queen. Ser Boros was an ugly man with a broad chest and short, bandy legs. His nose was flat, his cheeks baggy with jowls, his hair grey and brittle. Today he wore white velvet, and his snowy cloak was fastened with a lion brooch. The beast had the soft sheen of gold, and his eyes were tiny rubies. â€Å"You look very handsome and splendid this morning, Ser Boros,† Sansa told him. A lady remembered her courtesies, and she was resolved to be a lady no matter what. â€Å"And you, my lady,† Ser Boros said in a flat voice. â€Å"Her Grace awaits. Come with me.† There were guards outside her door, Lannister men-at-arms in crimson cloaks and lion-crested helms. Sansa made herself smile at them pleasantly and bid them a good morning as she passed. It was the first time she had been allowed outside the chamber since Ser Arys Oakheart had led her there two mornings past. â€Å"To keep you safe, my sweet one,† Queen Cersei had told her. â€Å"Joffrey would never forgive me if anything happened to his precious.† Sansa had expected that Ser Boros would escort her to the royal apartments, but instead he led her out of Maegor’s Holdfast. The bridge was down again. Some workmen were lowering a man on ropes into the depths of the dry moat. When Sansa peered down, she saw a body impaled on the huge iron spikes below. She averted her eyes quickly, afraid to ask, afraid to look too long, afraid he might be someone she knew. They found Queen Cersei in the council chambers, seated at the head of a long table littered with papers, candles, and blocks of sealing wax. The room was as splendid as any that Sansa had ever seen. She stared in awe at the carved wooden screen and the twin sphinxes that sat beside the door. â€Å"Your Grace,† Ser Boros said when they were ushered inside by another of the Kingsguard, Ser Mandon of the curiously dead face, â€Å"I’ve brought the girl.† Sansa had hoped Joffrey might be with her. Her prince was not there, but three of the king’s councillors were. Lord Petyr Baelish sat on the queen’s left hand, Grand Maester Pycelle at the end of the table, while Lord Varys hovered over them, smelling flowery. All of them were clad in black, she realized with a feeling of dread. Mourning clothes . . . The queen wore a high-collared black silk gown, with a hundred dark red rubies sewn into her bodice, covering her from neck to bosom. They were cut in the shape of teardrops, as if the queen were weeping blood. Cersei smiled to see her, and Sansa thought it was the sweetest and saddest smile she had ever seen. â€Å"Sansa, my sweet child,† she said, â€Å"I know you’ve been asking for me. I’m sorry that I could not send for you sooner. Matters have been very unsettled, and I have not had a moment. I trust my people have been taking good care of you?† â€Å"Everyone has been very sweet and pleasant, Your Grace, thank you ever so much for asking,† Sansa said politely. â€Å"Only, well, no one will talk to us or tell us what’s happened . . . â€Å" â€Å"Us?† Cersei seemed puzzled. â€Å"We put the steward’s girl in with her,† Ser Boros said. â€Å"We did not know what else to do with her.† The queen frowned. â€Å"Next time, you will ask,† she said, her voice sharp. â€Å"The gods only know what sort of tales she’s been filling Sansa’s head with.† â€Å"Jeyne’s scared,† Sansa said. â€Å"She won’t stop crying. I promised her I’d ask if she could see her father.† Old Grand Maester Pycelle lowered his eyes. â€Å"Her father is well, isn’t he?† Sansa said anxiously. She knew there had been fighting, but surely no one would harm a steward. Vayon Poole did not even wear a sword. Queen Cersei looked at each of the councillors in turn. â€Å"I won’t have Sansa fretting needlessly. What shall we do with this little friend of hers, my lords?† Lord Petyr leaned forward. â€Å"I’ll find a place for her.† â€Å"Not in the city,† said the queen. â€Å"Do you take me for a fool?† The queen ignored that. â€Å"Ser Boros, escort this girl to Lord Petyr’s apartments and instruct his people to keep her there until he comes for her. Tell her that Littlefinger will be taking her to see her father, that ought to calm her down. I want her gone before Sansa returns to her chamber.† â€Å"As you command, Your Grace,† Ser Boros said. He bowed deeply, spun on his heel, and took his leave, his long white cloak stirring the air behind him. Sansa was confused. â€Å"I don’t understand,† she said. â€Å"Where is Jeyne’s father? Why can’t Ser Boros take her to him instead of Lord Petyr having to do it?† She had promised herself she would be a lady, gentle as the queen and as strong as her mother, the Lady Catelyn, but all of a sudden she was scared again. For a second she thought she might cry. â€Å"Where are you sending her? She hasn’t done anything wrong, she’s a good girl.† â€Å"She’s upset you,† the queen said gently. â€Å"We can’t be having that. Not another word, now. Lord Baelish will see that Jeyne’s well taken care of, I promise you.† She patted the chair beside her. â€Å"Sit down, Sansa. I want to talk to you.† Sansa seated herself beside the queen. Cersei smiled again, but that did not make her feel any less anxious. Varys was wringing his soft hands together, Grand Maester Pycelle kept his sleepy eyes on the papers in front of him, but she could feel Littlefinger staring. Something about the way the small man looked at her made Sansa feel as though she had no clothes on. Goose bumps pimpled her skin. â€Å"Sweet Sansa,† Queen Cersei said, laying a soft hand on her wrist. â€Å"Such a beautiful child. I do hope you know how much Joffrey and I love you.† â€Å"You do?† Sansa said, breathless. Littlefinger was forgotten. Her prince loved her. Nothing else mattered. The queen smiled. â€Å"I think of you almost as my own daughter. And I know the love you bear for Joffrey.† She gave a weary shake of her head. â€Å"I am afraid we have some grave news about your lord father. You must be brave, child.† Her quiet words gave Sansa a chill. â€Å"What is it?† â€Å"Your father is a traitor, dear,† Lord Varys said. Grand Maester Pycelle lifted his ancient head. â€Å"With my own ears, I heard Lord Eddard swear to our beloved King Robert that he would protect the young princes as if they were his own sons. And yet the moment the king was dead, he called the small council together to steal Prince Joffrey’s rightful throne.† â€Å"No,† Sansa blurted. â€Å"He wouldn’t do that. He wouldn’t!† The queen picked up a letter. The paper was torn and stiff with dried blood, but the broken seal was her father’s, the direwolf stamped in pale wax. â€Å"We found this on the captain of your household guard, Sansa. It is a letter to my late husband’s brother Stannis, inviting him to take the crown.† â€Å"Please, Your Grace, there’s been a mistake.† Sudden panic made her dizzy and faint. â€Å"Please, send for my father, he’ll tell you, he would never write such a letter, the king was his friend.† â€Å"Robert thought so,† said the queen. â€Å"This betrayal would have broken his heart. The gods are kind, that he did not live to see it.† She sighed. â€Å"Sansa, sweetling, you must see what a dreadful position this has left us in. You are innocent of any wrong, we all know that, and yet you are the daughter of a traitor. How can I allow you to marry my son?† â€Å"But I love him,† Sansa wailed, confused and frightened. What did they mean to do to her? What had they done to her father? It was not supposed to happen this way. She had to wed Joffrey, they were betrothed, he was promised to her, she had even dreamed about it. It wasn’t fair to take him away from her on account of whatever her father might have done. â€Å"How well I know that, child,† Cersei said, her voice so kind and sweet. â€Å"Why else should you have come to me and told me of your father’s plan to send you away from us, if not for love?† â€Å"It was for love,† Sansa said in a rush. â€Å"Father wouldn’t even give me leave to say farewell.† She was the good girl, the obedient girl, but she had felt as wicked as Arya that morning, sneaking away from Septa Mordane, defying her lord father. She had never done anything so willful before, and she would never have done it then if she hadn’t loved Joffrey as much as she did. â€Å"He was going to take me back to Winterfell and marry me to some hedge knight, even though it was Joff I wanted. I told him, but he wouldn’t listen.† The king had been her last hope. The king could command Father to let her stay in King’s Landing and marry Prince Joffrey, Sansa knew he could, but the king had always frightened her. He was loud and rough-voiced and drunk as often as not, and he would probably have just sent her back to Lord Eddard, if they even let her see him. So she went to the queen instead, and poured out her heart, and Cersei had listened and thanked her sweetly . . . only then Ser Arys had escorted her to the high room in Maegor’s Holdfast and posted guards, and a few hours later, the fighting had begun outside. â€Å"Please,† she finished, â€Å"you have to let me marry Joffrey, I’ll be ever so good a wife to him, you’ll see. I’ll be a queen just like you, I promise.† Queen Cersei looked to the others. â€Å"My lords of the council, what do you say to her plea?† â€Å"The poor child,† murmured Varys. â€Å"A love so true and innocent, Your Grace, it would be cruel to deny it . . . and yet, what can we do? Her father stands condemned.† His soft hands washed each other in a gesture of helpless distress. â€Å"A child born of traitor’s seed will find that betrayal comes naturally to her,† said Grand Maester Pycelle. â€Å"She is a sweet thing now, but in ten years, who can say what treasons she may hatch?† â€Å"No,† Sansa said, horrified. â€Å"I’m not, I’d never . . . I wouldn’t betray Joffrey, I love him, I swear it, I do.† â€Å"Oh, so poignant,† said Varys. â€Å"And yet, it is truly said that blood runs truer than oaths.† â€Å"She reminds me of the mother, not the father,† Lord Petyr Baelish said quietly. â€Å"Look at her. The hair, the eyes. She is the very image of Cat at the same age.† The queen looked at her, troubled, and yet Sansa could see kindness in her clear green eyes. â€Å"Child,† she said, â€Å"if I could truly believe that you were not like your father, why nothing should please me more than to see you wed to my Joffrey. I know he loves you with all his heart.† She sighed. â€Å"And yet, I fear that Lord Varys and the Grand Maester have the right of it. The blood will tell. I have only to remember how your sister set her wolf on my son.† â€Å"I’m not like Arya,† Sansa blurted. â€Å"She has the traitor’s blood, not me. I’m good, ask Septa Mordane, she’ll tell you, I only want to be Joffrey’s loyal and loving wife.† She felt the weight of Cersei’s eyes as the queen studied her face. â€Å"I believe you mean it, child.† She turned to face the others. â€Å"My lords, it seems to me that if the rest of her kin were to remain loyal in this terrible time, that would go a long way toward laying our fears to rest.† Grand Maester Pycelle stroked his huge soft beard, his wide brow furrowed in thought. â€Å"Lord Eddard has three sons.† â€Å"Mere boys,† Lord Petyr said with a shrug. â€Å"I should be more concerned with Lady Catelyn and the Tullys.† The queen took Sansa’s hand in both of hers. â€Å"Child, do you know your letters?† Sansa nodded nervously. She could read and write better than any of her brothers, although she was hopeless at sums. â€Å"I am pleased to hear that. Perhaps there is hope for you and Joffrey still . . . â€Å" â€Å"What do you want me to do?† â€Å"You must write your lady mother, and your brother, the eldest . . . what is his name?† â€Å"Robb,† Sansa said. â€Å"The word of your lord father’s treason will no doubt reach them soon. Better that it should come from you. You must tell them how Lord Eddard betrayed his king.† Sansa wanted Joffrey desperately, but she did not think she had the courage to do as the queen was asking. â€Å"But he never . . . I don’t . . . Your Grace, I wouldn’t know what to say . . . â€Å" The queen patted her hand. â€Å"We will tell you what to write, child. The important thing is that you urge Lady Catelyn and your brother to keep the king’s peace.† â€Å"It will go hard for them if they don’t,† said Grand Maester Pycelle. â€Å"By the love you bear them, you must urge them to walk the path of wisdom.† â€Å"Your lady mother will no doubt fear for you dreadfully,† the queen said. â€Å"You must tell her that you are well and in our care, that we are treating you gently and seeing to your every want. Bid them to come to King’s Landing and pledge their fealty to Joffrey when he takes his throne. If they do that . . . why, then we shall know that there is no taint in your blood, and when you come into the flower of your womanhood, you shall wed the king in the Great Sept of Baelor, before the eyes of gods and men.† . . . wed the king . . . The words made her breath come faster, yet still Sansa hesitated. â€Å"Perhaps . . . if I might see my father, talk to him about . . . â€Å" â€Å"Treason?† Lord Varys hinted. â€Å"You disappoint me, Sansa,† the queen said, with eyes gone hard as stones. â€Å"We’ve told you of your father’s crimes. If you are truly as loyal as you say, why should you want to see him?† â€Å"I . . . I only meant . . . † Sansa felt her eyes grow wet. â€Å"He’s not . . . please, he hasn’t been . . . hurt, or . . . or . . . â€Å" â€Å"Lord Eddard has not been harmed,† the queen said. â€Å"But . . . what’s to become of him?† â€Å"That is a matter for the king to decide,† Grand Maester Pycelle announced ponderously. The king! Sansa blinked back her tears. Joffrey was the king now, she thought. Her gallant prince would never hurt her father, no matter what he might have done. If she went to him and pleaded for mercy, she was certain he’d listen. He had to listen, he loved her, even the queen said so. Joff would need to punish Father, the lords would expect it, but perhaps he could send him back to Winterfell, or exile him to one of the Free Cities across the narrow sea. It would only have to be for a few years. By then she and Joffrey would be married. Once she was queen, she could persuade Joff to bring Father back and grant him a pardon. Only . . . if Mother or Robb did anything treasonous, called the banners or refused to swear fealty or anything, it would all go wrong. Her Joffrey was good and kind, she knew it in her heart, but a king had to be stern with rebels. She had to make them understand, she had to! â€Å"I’ll . . . I’ll write the letters,† Sansa told them. With a smile as warm as the sunrise, Cersei Lannister leaned close and kissed her gently on the cheek. â€Å"I knew you would. Joffrey will be so proud when I tell him what courage and good sense you’ve shown here today.† In the end, she wrote four letters. To her mother, the Lady Catelyn Stark, and to her brothers at Winterfell, and to her aunt and her grandfather as well, Lady Lysa Arryn of the Eyrie, and Lord Hoster Tully of Riverrun. By the time she had done, her fingers were cramped and stiff and stained with ink. Varys had her father’s seal. She warmed the pale white beeswax over a candle, poured it carefully, and watched as the eunuch stamped each letter with the direwolf of House Stark. Jeyne Poole and all her things were gone when Ser Mandon Moore returned Sansa to the high tower of Maegor’s Holdfast. No more weeping, she thought gratefully. Yet somehow it seemed colder with Jeyne gone, even after she’d built a fire. She pulled a chair close to the hearth, took down one of her favorite books, and lost herself in the stories of Florian and Jonquil, of Lady Shella and the Rainbow Knight, of valiant Prince Aemon and his doomed love for his brother’s queen. It was not until later that night, as she was drifting off to sleep, that Sansa realized she had forgotten to ask about her sister.

Performance Reviews Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Performance Reviews - Essay Example An organization needs to measure performance because it helps to determine if a function is productive and where to focus energies on (Hendry, Woodward, Bradley & Perkins, 2000). It is essential to understand where to use the quantifiable data effectively thereby justifying the need for additional resources. While many believe an annual appraisal or attention is enough, according to Cascio (1995) it demands daily attention (cited by Connell & Nolan, 2004). Once a year has not been considered sufficient to identify and discuss job strategies and weaknesses of individuals or teams. Performance appraisals have come under increased scrutiny in recent years. Ninety percent of the human resources executives are dissatisfied with the current performance appraisal system. Many argue that lack of objectivity in their completion, inappropriate timing of such a review and the lack of appropriate content have lead to their unpopularity among managers and subordinates alike. With diverse opinions available on this issue, this paper will explore the ineffectiveness of performance appraisal. The system of Performance Appraisals was introduced as it was expected to improve organizational efficiency and enhance productivity. Facilitating communication can even help reduce employee uncertainty. Feedback is essential for employees as failure to provide a feedback can have negative implications. Without a system of feedback employees keep guessing whether they are on the right track or whether they should chart another course of path. A properly structured and applied appraisal system can help reduce distractions and promote an increased level of trust within the organization (Schraeder, Becton & Portis, 2007). PA systems provide a forum for collaboration in setting goals for the employees. During the appraisal when individual goals and objectives

The Fog of War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Fog of War - Essay Example This exercise representing the life drama, especially when it comes to public persons, demonstrates the evolution of human consciousness. Reflecting upon the autobiographical milestones Robert McNamara makes a direct connections to the significant events such as the end of World War I, Great Depression, World War II, bombings of Japan, raise of post war capitalism while working at Ford company, appointment for the Secretary of Defense and Cuban missile crisis, war in Vietnam, and subsequent awareness of the situations and actions during the conferences with principals from Cuban crisis and Vietnam War. It is interesting how he applies in the statistical method in order to analyze the sequence of events talking about proportionality of civil casualties and military efficiency (The Fog of War). The most prominent part of McNamara’s life that left a footprint in the American history, was a period of his appointment for the position of the Secretary of Defense under the Kennedy an d later Johnson administration. By the time he was asked to join the cabinet in November 1960, he had already made a career in Ford Motor Company. Advancing rapidly to the top-level management positions McNamara become the first company head selected outside the Ford family. Probably due to his uncommon ability to immerse in the subject and learn quickly he achieved such an outstanding professional success. Although not having any special knowledge about the defense, McNamara quickly begins to play an active role, introducing several innovations into the ministry and stimulating progress (â€Å"Robert S. McNamara†). Strategically both Kennedy and McNamara opposed the idea of massive retaliation making an emphasis on increasing the limited warfare capabilities through the training and equipment of the American and allies’ military personnel. McNamara argued that the principal military objectives should follow the â€Å"no-cities† concept aimed at destruction of t he enemy’s military forces and not his civilians in the case of both nuclear and conventional warfare. In the Fog of War he states: â€Å"proportionality should be a guideline to war† (The Fog Of War). Due to the huge public resonance to Vietnam War McNamara as a person that embodied the entire system became an object to blame for the failure. It is quite common to demonize a single person and truly believe that only this single person has a responsibility for sufferings the people face because of the war. The Morris’ film is called the Fog of War in order to express the usual uncertainty inherent to the war. This term precisely describes the situation mutual deterrence of the Cold War in general and numerous political incidents between two superpowers in particular. Also I think the term can be applied to express the uncertainty on the personal level considering assumptions, logic, and posterior awareness of the individual who took a direct part in those events . As many of Morris’ films, Fog of War intends to put across a message that the situation tends to go out of control. In fact it is never under rational actor’s control. The example of Cuba missile crisis from the McNamara’s story demonstrates this point. The statement can also be referred to the overall uncertainty not only in the war but in life in general (Anderson, â€Å"the Fog Days†

Legal Memorandum - Jane's Asylum Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Legal Memorandum - Jane's Asylum - Essay Example She expressed her desire to seek asylum in the US, so that she could stay with her maternal uncle, who resides in California. She was also keen that her maternal uncle should become her legal guardian. In the usual course, Asylum has to be applied for, within a year of arrival in the US. Under extraordinary circumstances this condition may be relaxed. Such applications are to be submitted in Form I – 589, Application for Asylum and for Withholding of Removal. Thereafter, the Asylum Officer or Immigration Judge will determine if the applicant is a refugee1. On occasion, Asylum Officers interview a parent or trusted adult, so as to confirm guardianship information. However, the presence of such a trusted adult or witness is not mandatory, in this process3. Although, a minor applicant may be unable to demonstrate a guardianship arrangement or parental knowledge and consent; this does has no bearing on the grant of asylum. In addition, the trusted adult, in this case Jane’s uncle, could provide information, regarding her claim, if she finds it difficult to do so, on account of her tender age4. Whilst deposing before the Asylum Officer or Immigration Judge, caution will have to be exercised, in order to ensure that there is no misrepresentation of facts. This is because, Section 212(a)(6)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, prevents the provision of asylum to any individual who seeks admission into the US on the basis of fraud or willful misrepresentation of a material fact5.

Analytical Method Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Analytical Method - Essay Example This formed the problem statement for the article thereby triggering the researchers to seek for the most appropriate tools and techniques for achieving their objectives. In which case, the researchers provide the theoretical background asserting that the chemical analysis of GSR can either focus on inorganic or organic components of the analyte therein. Intuitively, flame ionization detector (FID), thermal energy analysis (TEA), electron capture detector (ECD) and mass spectrometry (MS) together with Gas chromatography are important aspects which could be considered in this OGSR analysis. For the methods and materials, the use of MS/MS mode guided in explicit identification of target analyte. The researchers majorly focused on liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) coupled with GC; as evident in the use of LC–MS grade methanol used in the mobile phase and in Chromatographic analysis was performed on an Agilent 1200 Series HPLC system coupled with a hybrid quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometer. The QTOF system was core to facilitating analysis in MS or MS/MS mode. The researchers carried out accurate mass measurement of the precursor ion, within MS spectra, mass measurement of the most specific product ion, and the retention time of the analyte compared with the retention time of the standard. Swabs were compared with home-modified tape lift supports covered with a PTFE layer to determine the better sampling technique. The modified tape lift provided better extraction recoveries and enabled the analysis of inorganic and organic G SR simultaneously. In Optimization of LC–QTOF in MS/MS mode parameters, different columns were tested to ensure optimization of the composition of the mobile phase through unequivocally separating and ionizing the analytes. In which case, chances for getting false positive and false negative results

Property and its Economic Explanation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Property and its Economic Explanation - Essay Example In the exercise of property rights, potential conflicts can be prevented as in striking a bargain (Muthoo 2000). Indeed, the common law is efficient, but the law generated by the institutions of private property can also be efficient, however with limitations (Friedman 1996). Creating a system of clear, workable property rights facilitates voluntary exchange and ensures that property rights will end up in the hands of those who value them most (Ayres and Talley 1995) Property is a "bundle of rights." The owner is free to exercise the rights over his or her property. Others, meaning private persons and the government, are forbidden to interfere with the owner's exercise of his or her rights. Traditionally, that bundle of rights includes: 1) control use of the property, 2) benefit from the property, for example rights and rent, 3) transfer or sell the property, and 4) exclude others from the property (Krauss 1999). The two major justifications of original property, or homesteading, are said to be effort and scarcity. John Locke emphasized effort, or "mixing your labour" with an object, while Benjamin Tucker preferred to look at the purpose of property in answer to solving the scarcity problem. Only when something is relatively scarce do they become property, he said. Economically scarce means necessarily having exclusivity property or that use by one person excludes others from using it (Ibid). III. Bargaining Theory Bargaining theory in property has to do with bargaining principles and their application to a significantly large variety of real-life situations, leading to efficiency and equitable distribution of gains (Muthoo 1999). In the former, the players may fail to reach an agreement, or they may do so but only after some costly delay. In the latter, gains from cooperation are divided between the players. A player's cost from bargaining is said to be derived from the time-consuming nature of bargaining and the importance of time to the player (Ibid). Some of the fundamental principles expounded in bargaining theory are the following (Muthoo 2000): Patience during the process of negotiations confers bargaining power, while risk aversion affects it adversely. Meanwhile, a player's outside option enhances her bargaining power if and only if it is attractive and therefore credible. Hence, bargaining power is higher the larger her inside option, provided that all negotiators' outside options are not attractive enough. If both negotiators' outside options are sufficiently attractive, then it is likely that gains from cooperation may not exist (Ibid). Further, when both the costs of negotiators' backing down from their initial demands are sufficiently large, then the negotiations may lead into a stalemate. A player's bargaining power is higher the larger her cost of backing down from her initial demand. In the absence of knowledge of relevant information on the ongoing negotiations which the other party does, there is risk of failure of negotiations or of costly delay until that uninformed party is communicated of the relevant information. Knowledge is veritable power in negotiations and enhances the bargaining strength of the better informed (Muthoo 1999). In bargaining, procedure and format of negotiations matter,

Reasons to Quit Smoking Cigarettes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Reasons to Quit Smoking Cigarettes - Essay Example Smoking cigarettes is a vice that introduces harmful substances into the body. Thousands of people die day globally on a daily basis because of the hazardous effects of smoking a feature that validates that smoking is a harmful act. Smoking poses a number of health risks to both the smoker and non-smokers around those who smoke. Smoking is, therefore, an unsafe practice and a leading cause of preventable deaths as the discussion below portrays. Â  Smoking is a form of introducing foreign participles into the body. Introducing particles in such sensitive organs of the body as the lungs are a dangerous process given the difficulty in cleaning and reversing the effects of such particles. Smoking cigarettes contribute to the development of more than fifty health complications in the body. Some of such conditions are always fatal while others are irreversible and long-term damages in some of the most vital internal and external organs. Medical researchers have for example proven that Smoking increases the chances of lung cancer by more than 90%. The introduction of the foreign particles is likely to enhance the growth of cancerous cells. Besides causing lung cancer, doctors attribute smoking to the development of cancer in several other body parts including the lips, throat, kidney, bladder, pancreas, and stomach among others (Crawford 71). Â  Numerous people have given various reasons for justifying smoking, especially among young people. Among such reasons is the claim that smoking enhances acceptance among peers. Some people have given a number of medical excuses explaining that smoking helps relieve stress.

Cuneiform And Hieroglyphics Essay Example for Free

Cuneiform And Hieroglyphics Essay The invention of writing was an important part of the development of Sumer and Egypt. There are many similarities and differences to the writings of each of these civilizations. The Sumerians developed a writing called cuneiform. Cuneiform is the oldest written language in existence. Each picture represents a living or nonliving thing. Cuneiform was written on clay tablets with a wedge-shaped instrument called a stylus. Henry Creswicke Rawlinson was the first person to decipher the meanings of cuneiform. He did so in 1846. Cuneiform eventually spread throughout the region and was adopted by many other early civilizations. The Egyptians developed a writing that they named hieroglyphics. The word hieroglyphic means ?sacred inscriptions? because they were often written on the walls of temples. Hieroglyphics were created about 5000 years ago. There are not any vowels, only consonants. There is also no punctuation. In 1799, the Rosetta Stone was discovered. The Rosetta Stone was the secret to discovering the meanings of hieroglyphics. On the Rosetta Stone there were three sections of print, each saying the same thing but in different languages. At the top, the paragraph was written in hieroglyphics. Second, it was written in Demotic. Lastly the paragraph was written in Ancient Greek. By reading the ancient Greek word and names, the other paragraphs could be deciphered. Twenty-three years after it?s discovery, Jean-FranVois Champollion figured out what the hieroglyphics meant. Hieroglyphics are pictures that represent a letter. In both civilizations, mostly only scribes knew how to read and write. Being a scribe was a very honorable profession. People who were to become scribes went to school for many years starting at a young age. The profession of being a scribe was passed down through families; if a boy?s father was a scribe, he would become one also. Because children needed to be taught to read and write when they were to  become scribes, schools were created. Eventually, these schools became more than centers of just learning the art of reading and writing, but they also became centers of learning of botany, astronomy, medicine, and mathematics. People becoming more literate and more knowledgeable helped greatly in the development of the civilizations. Both writings, cuneiform and hieroglyphics, were invented to improve the record keeping of the civilization. By having a written language, Egypt and Sumer could kept records, draw up contracts and official documents, record laws and legal judgments, and record sales. As time went on, being able to write also enabled people to write down formulas, procedures, legends, prayers, and hymns. Even though there were many differences between cuneiform and hieroglyphics, there were many similarities. These similarities caused writing to be important in the growth of Sumer and Egypt.

The various leadership styles and theories

The various leadership styles and theories The various leadership styles and theories 1. Introduction: This study focuses on the various leadership styles and theories developed over the years. In this report, an attempt has been made to study the leadership style of Willie Walsh, CEO of British Airways. The analysis highlights a number of limitations in his leadership and hence there is scope for improvement. Companys success is purely based on the type of leadership it acquires. A good leader leads its organization towards it mission with this leadership skills and thinking power. According to Kouzes and Posner (2003), leadership is a reciprocal process between those who aspire to lead and those who choose to follow. They talk about the leader possessing the following ten commitments. (Kouzes and posner, 2003, p no.22) 1. Find your voice by clarifying your personal values. 2. Set the example by aligning actions with shared values 3. Envision the future by imagining exciting and ennobling possibilities 4. Enlist others in a common vision by appealing to shared aspirations 5. Search for opportunities by seeking innovative ways to change, grow and improve 6. Experiment and take risks by constantly generating small wins and learning from mistakes 7. Foster collaboration by promoting cooperative goals and building trust 8. Strengthen others by sharing power and discretion 9. Recognize contribution by showing appreciation for individual excellence 10. Celebrate the values and victories by creating a spirit of community. (Kouzes and posner, 2003, p no.22) British Airways: British Airways is the flag raising carrier airline of the United Kingdom. Its headquarters are located in Waterside near London Heathrow Airport and London Gatwick airport. BA is the largest airline in the UK based on the number of international flights, international destinations covered and the fleet size. BA celebrated its 90th anniversary on 25 August 2009 (1, www.britishairways.com, 2nd Dec 2009). Currently, the company is facing the toughest time in the history. BA is currently facing severe financial crises since inception and putting its best effort to overcome from this situation. Willie Walsh: Willie Walsh is currently the CEO of British Airways. He succeeded Rod Eddington in May 2005 as Chief Executive Designated. He also holds a number of positions on Honorary Board Member of Flight Safety International, President of the Heathrow Branch of the Royal Aeronautical Society, an honorary Member of The Aviation Club and a Member of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (UK). (2, www.bashares.com, 2nd Dec 2009) Willie Walsh started as a pilot trainee at the age of 17 with Aer Lingus in 1979. He earned his degree from Dublins Trinity College in Business Administration. He was promoted from the position of cadet to captain, and eventually turned himself to don a business suit by turning around the airlines troubled Spanish charter operation, Futura. He was elected as Aer Lingus chief operating officer in 2000 and then became CEO the year after (4, www.businessweek.com, 2nd Dec 2009). When Aer Lingus was making huge losses in 2000, Willie Walsh returned as the CEO of the company. He took a number of decisions which not only brought company back to profit but also establish as a leading airline company standing with rivals such as Raynair and Easyjet. But soon after his departure, the company again went down. 2. Business Context: British airways was started on 25th August 1919 with the forerunner company named Aircraft Transport and Travel Limited (ATT), and launched a worlds first daily international scheduled air service between London and Paris. British Airways went through a long time of reformation and finally a group was formed in 1974 named as British Airways (4, www.britishairways.com, 05 Dec 2009). Willie Walsh joined BA in Oct 2005 and company made good profits under him. However, BA was reported as having lost most luggages as compared to the other European airlines in the same year. In 2007, BA was involved in the fuel surcharge price fixing and BA was fined  £270 million for the same. As a result, BAs image took a beating but in spite of this, BA saw profit of  £875 million and achieved the long held goal of a 10% operating margin in 2008. He was offered a bonus for the same which he publically rejected. In the current financial year, BA has reported loss of  £358 millions. The graph shows the performance of BAs under Willie Walsh leadership (British Airways Annual reports, 2004-2009). Currently BA is facing toughest time in the aviation history and being the CEO of the company, Willie is expected to lead the company out of this current situation as he had successfully done at Aer Lingus. 3. Literature Review: Due to high rivalry in business, it is necessary for the companies to have effective leaders which can lead the organization successfully. There are various leadership theories which are developed over the years by different researchers. These theories are Contingency theory, Great Man theory, Trait theory and Michigan theory, Transformational and Transactional Theory. An attempt has been made to explain these theories. Contingency Theory: This theory states that there is no best and ideal way to lead the organization since one best leading style is some time not effective in other situation. This theory is similar as the situational theory. Leadership effectiveness is dependent on the leaders diagnosis and understanding of situational factors, followed by the adoption of the appropriate style to deal with each circumstance. (Ogbonna and Lloyd, 2000, p.767). Only difference is that view of contingency theory is much broader however, situational theory focus more on the behaviour that leader should adopt. The leaders ability to lead does depend upon various situational factors and leader should adapt to the situation according to the organizational environment. Trait Theory: This theory states that some people are born with traits and have certain innate qualities which differentiate them from other non-leaders. This theory is identified by Stogdill in 1974 and he identified traits and skills as to critical leaders. According to (Stogdill, 1974), these qualities are perfectly suited for leadership. Following are the traits and skills identified by Stogdill. Adaptable to situations Alert to social environment Ambitious and achievement-orientated Assertive Cooperative Decisive Dependable Dominant (desire to influence others) Energetic (high activity level) Persistent Self-confident Tolerant of stress Willing to assume responsibility Clever (intelligent) Conceptually skilled Creative Diplomatic and tactful Fluent in speaking Knowledgeable about group task Organised (administrative ability) Persuasive Socially skilled source: Stogdill (1974) McCall and Lombardo (1983) have researched on both success and failure and have found following four primary traits for success or derail of leaders: Emotional stability and composure: Calm, confident and predictable, particularly when under stress McCall and Lombardo (1983) Admitting error: Owning up to mistakes, rather than putting energy into covering up McCall and Lombardo (1983). Good interpersonal skills: Able to communicate and persuade others without resort to negative or coercive tactics McCall and Lombardo (1983). Intellectual breadth: Able to understand a wide range of areas, rather than having a narrow (and narrow-minded) area of expertise McCall and Lombardo (1983). Great man Theory: Great man theory describes that the leaders are not made, they are born. It states that the leader will arise when there is need of them. The examples of the same are people like Jesus, Moses, Mohammed and the Buddha who had ability and charisma to motivate the people. They are adopted by the people without any interruption. These types of leaders are already having the power of being motivational and they know how to lead people. Michigan Theory: According to Michigan studies conducted in 1950 in Michigan University, Leaders could be divided in to three types: (1) Task oriented behaviour (2) Relationship Oriented Behaviour and (3) Participative Behaviour. Task oriented behaviour- In this category; leaders concentrated more on arranging, dividing the work among their subordinates rather than making relations with them. They concentrated on the activities like planning, arranging resource and planning the tasks for their subordinates. Relationship oriented behaviour- The leaders who fall into this category not only concentrated on the task to done but also on making relationship with their subordinates. They took interest in solving the personal matters and helped them to set goal for their career of their subordinates. Participative leadership- The Participative leaders included their peers into their decisions like team members. These leaders are observed as good leaders and found facilitative rather than directive in solving problems. These kinds of leaders are more effective for teams instead of individuals. Transformational and Transactional Leadership: Transactional leaders are known to be as instrumental and regularly focus on exchange relationship with their peers (Bass and Avolio, 1993). Burns (1978) was the first who bring transformational and transactional theories in focus. This style of leadership is adopted by the leaders who want to see people working with full enthusiasm. The leaders who fall in this category motivate the employees and subordinates. These leaders are enthusiastic, energetic and they have a passion for their profession. They care about the people working under them and want them to succeed. However, according to Yukl (1999), Organizational processes get insufficient attention in most theories of transformational leadership. Transformational leaders seek to transform themselves and motivate the colleagues and work towards the changing the organizational culture in line with their vision (Bass, 1985). Whereas, Transactional leaders are argued to be visionary and enthusiastic, with an inherent ability to motivate subordinates (Bycio et al., 1995; Howell and Avolio, 1993) under this style of leadership, people are motivated by rewards and punishments depending on their performance. Transactional leader simply wants the people to take full responsibility of their work. If we compared transactional style to transformational style then it can be said that transformational style is selling style but transactional is the telling. 4. Critical Analysis Willie Walsh has taken some decisions which lead the company to growth. He leads BA with his own decisions and he tries to turn the company on his own way. For example, he took decision to open T5 but this lead to complete havoc on the first day. His decisions made lead organization to pay for it. According to the contingency theory, a good Leader should adopt the situation and according to transformational theory, an ideal leader should accept the participation of the subordinates. Since Willie Walsh takes his decision alone, he falls into the category of transactional leader and according to our group study and analysis about Willie Walsh, he as adopted all characteristics of transactional style of leadership. He expects more from his subordinates and tries to take the decision on his own and he dont involve his sub ordinate into his decisions in odd situations. He makes them work with rewards and punishments. Despite of that, It doesnt mean that Willie Walsh is a bad leader or is a type of leader that a organization should not have. According to the trait theory, Willie Walsh has some traits and skills which a leader should have. E.g. he is always alert about social environment, he is ambitious and achievement oriented, he is assertive, decisive, dominant, energetic, self-confident and tolerant of stress. With this, he has got the some skills which a leader should have. E.g. he is clever, intelligent, creative, diplomatic fluent in speaking, socially skilled. This make is as an exception of the leaders. As per our observation, Willie Walsh is leading the organization with his transactional style. It has been observed that the transactional leadership doesnt work for long time. It is true that Willie Walsh made Aer Lingus from loss making air lines to as most profitable air lines in only one year with his style and own made decisions but if we see the annual data of the Aer Lingus then it clearly shows that Aer Lingus didnt make that profit in continues years. By cutting the cost, job cuts, selling company core assets and making the air line a low cost air line would be the best way to make it profit at that moment but it didnt last for long time. Below is given a chart for data for Aer Lingus as evidence (Aer Lingus Annual reports, 2000-2006). Figure 2: Performance graph of Aer Lingus from 2004 to 2009 (data taken from Aer Lingus Annual reports, 2000-2006) It is clear that Aer Lingus made profit in 2002 and 2003 but after that it made very low profit in 2004. 5. Conclusion: To conclude the whole discussion, I would like to say that Willie Walshs working style is mixture of various leadership styles and there is not such way to explain this type of style. Sometime his decisions take the company on the top but sometimes company has to pay for that. He has the ability to take British Airways to overcome the loss it is currently making. Currently his style of leadership is autocratic who does not involve others into his decision and he believe on himself. Willie Walsh currently has an autocratic image in public and known to be as Darth Vader. He needs to change his leadership style and way of working. We see a good and charismatic leader in him but he needs to improve himself so his sub ordinate can support him in order to make the British Airways success. He needs to bring all other employees into the consideration so that decisions can be made by involvement of all the employees. He took some decision to make the company profit by selling old assets and making Aer Lingus a low cost flight, but it has been observed that that success was for a short span of time. After some time Aer Lingus went into the loss. His decision not always make profit for the organization, sometime company has to pay for his transactional decision. We see sometime leader who takes the harsh decisions can be the good leader but those are successful in some particular cases only. Willie Walsh also falls into this category since he had made Aer Lingus a profitable organization in the past. But this style is not relevant for all kind of situations. He has to adopt the style of situational leader or transformational leader in order to tackle the current situation in British Airways. He needs to change himself according to the required situation. Currently British Airways needs a leader or a leadership style that can bring whole company together and take to the peak of success. In my point of view, an ideal leader is the one who know how to make all of his subordinate work together and how to make the company making success. According to me, Willie Walsh needs to change himself to understand the emotions of his peers so that a good and brave decision can be implemented to make the British Airways success. 6. Reflections: If I Compare Willie Walsh with my previous manager then there is very much difference in the working style of leadership which both acquire. My previous managers style of leadership is a mixture of transformational and situational leadership. He changes himself according to the situation then makes wise decisions to make the team success. Willie Walsh does not involve his sub ordinates into his decisions, whereas, my previous leader used to involve his entire sub ordinates into his decision through team meetings. There was a very transparent working hierarchy in the team and organization I worked for. His way of treating the team members amazing and he used to communicate with them in a regular interval of time. He is a situational leader since he proved this by taking some decision according to the situation to make success and those decisions were proved to be the best decision sometimes. He always involved his colleagues by meeting with them and arrange meeting for project discussion. My previous company has many centers in India and sometime employees have to work from different locations. In that case also he used to arrange the meeting over voip calls so that we can bring our views in his notice. My previous manager has some qualities of charismatic leaders and he always comes in to public to confess his mistake. He was a strong and brave manager like Willie Walsh and he took his decisions without any fear like Willie Walsh but leadership style of both very different. In this study I understand how leadership styles changes leader to leader and organization to organization. I understand that the leader will play a very important role in making a organization success and if leader is ready to change then it is possible to take a company from feet to the peak of success. 7. Bibliography: Bass, B.M. and Avolio, B.J. (1993) Transformational Leadership and Organizational Culture, Public Administration Quarterly, 17 (1) pp. 112-17 Bass, B.M. (1985) Leadership and Performance Beyond Expectation. New York: The Free Press. Bycio, P., Hackett, R.D. and Allen, J.S. (1995) Further Assessments of Basss (1985) Conceptualization of Transactional and Transformational Leadership, Journal of Applied Psychology, 80 (4) pp. 468-78 Howell, J.M. and Avolio, B.J. (1993) Transformational Leadership, Transactional Leadership, Locus of Control and Support for Innovation: Key Predictors of Consolidated-Business-Unit Performance, Journal of Applied Psychology, 78 pp. 891-902 Huczynsky A. A. and Buchanan D. A. (2007) Organizational Behaviour. 6th edn. Essex: Prentice Hall. Kouzes, J. and posner, B. (2003) leadership challenge. San Francisco: Jossey-bass, pp. 22 McCall, M.W. Jr. and Lombardo, M.M. (1983) Off the track: Why and how successful executives get derailed. Greensboro: Centre for Creative Leadership. Ogbonna, E. and Lloyd, C. H. (2000) Leadership style, organizational culture and performance: empirical evidence from UK companies, Int. J. of Human Resource Management, 11 (4) Stogdill, R.M. (1974) Handbook of leadership: A survey of the literature. New York: Free Press. Yukl, G., (1999) An evaluation of conceptual weaknesses in transformational and charismatic leadership theories, The Leadership Quarterly, 10 (2) pp. 285-305 Annual reports of British Airways (2004-2009) Annual reports of Aer Lingus (2000-2006) Web references: 1. British Airways (2009) History and heritage: celebrating 90 years with pride. Available at: http://www.britishairways.com/travel/history-and-heritage/public/en_gb [Accessed on 2nd Dec 2009]. 2. British Airways (2009) Biography: Willie Walsh chief executive. Available at: http://www.bashares.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=69499p=irol-govBioID=135180 [Accessed on 2nd Dec 2009]. 3. British Airways (2009) History and Heritage: Explore our past. Available at: http://www.britishairways.com/travel/explore-our-past/public/en_gb [Accessed on 05 dec 2009]. 4. Business Week (2005) Willie Walsh: Chief Executive, British Airways, Britain. Available at: http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_22/b3935411.htm [Accessed on 2nd Dec 2009].

Teen Pregnancy Essay -- Teenage Mothers

In the US, teen pregnancy rates have been decreasing in the last decade even though current rates remain twice as high as those found in other industrialized nations (Alan Guttmacher Institute, 1994). In spite of decreasing rates, among African American teenagers, the pregnancy rate is particularly high. In 1996, the pregnancy rate was 178.9 per thousand among African-American females aged 15 to 19 years, compared with a pregnancy rate of 82.6 among whites (Alan Guttmacher Institute, 1999). Additionally, on the basis of the findings of the 1995 National Survey of Family Growth, it was determined that African American females (48%) aged 15 to 17 were more likely than their white (34%) counterparts to have had sexual intercourse since menarche. On the basis of information provide by the National Center for Health Statistics (1997), African-American females aged 15 to 19 were more likely than their white peers to have had their first sexual experience (i.e., intercourse) without u sing effective contraception (24% versus 14%, respectively). Consequently, on the basis of such risky behavior, African American teenagers are at greater risk than their white peers for experiencing a pregnancy. pregnant, especially if it was with the baby's father. A concluded by Harris, most of the mothers believed that sexual intercourse was a behavior they were going to continue to engage in, regardless of threat of disease or pregnancy. As compared to the adolescent fathers participating in the study, Harris reported that most of the fathers indicated that they were now engaging in protected sex. Environmental Influences As many have suggested, while engagement in unprotected sexual intercourse at an early age places adolescents at risk for pregnancy, there are a number of other factors that influence African American teen pregnancy rates. According to Dervarics (2004), African American teen mothers and fathers are often represented among the rising number of minority "disconnected" youth in the US. This group is comprised of teens ages 16 to 19 who are both out of school and out of work. Dervarics reported that nearly A quarter of African Americans ages 18 to 19 falls into the disconnected category. As a consequence of being disconnected, as explained by the author, African Amer... ...with poverty. It is these issues that attention must be directed towards in order to reduce teen pregnancy rates. References Alan Guttmacher Institute. (1994). Sex and America's teenagers. NY: The Alan Guttmacher Institute. Alan Guttmacher Institute. (1999). Teenage pregnancy: Overall trends and state-by-state information. NY: The Alan Guttmacher Institute. Dervarics, C. (2005). Minorities overrepresented among America's 'disconnected' youth. Population Reference Bureau. Found online at: http://www.prb.org/Template.cfm?Section=PRB&template=/ContentManagement /ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=11335 Lardner, J. (2005). Arline Geronimus on teen parenthood. Inequality.Org. Found online at: http://www.inequality.org/teenparenthood.html National Center for Health Statistics. (1997). Fertility, family planning, and women's health: New data from the 1995 National Survey of Family Growth. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics.