Henrik Isbens A Dolls House Essays -- A Dolls House Essays

To meet the needs of others, characters are often faced with making important decisions. In A Doll’s House, Nora, Mrs. Linden, and the nurse must all make decisions crucial to the importance of their lives. It is very evident throughout the story that these women must give up important aspects of their lives not only for themselves, but also for others.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The nurse is a key importance in Nora’s life. She has been the only mother Nora has known. In order to be Nora’s mother, however, the nurse ultimately had to give up her own child. When Nora is speaking with the nurse at one point, she asks, â€Å" How could you have the heart to put your own child out among strangers?† The nurse tells her that she had to do it in order to take care of â€Å"little Nora.† The nurse plays a major role in the lives of Nora's children also. She is responsible for being their mother when Nora is too busy to deal with them. Now that Nora is leaving, the nurse has no other choice but to be a mother to these children. Nora is certain that her children are in good hands and will be raised well by the nurse. By raising Nora, and now Nora’s children, the nurse seems to accept the fact that she gave up her own life to benefit others.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mrs. Linden is one of the strongest female characters in the story. She knows that work is hard, but it is something she needs in her life in order for happiness. In the final scenes, the re...

Business Culture in Italy

Doing business abroad introduces international business people to differences in approaches to business, business etiquette and protocol. Although these may not be crucial to business proceedings they should not be dismissed as unnecessary. Cross cultural awareness can enhance the potential of the international business person's trip considerably. Let us look at a brief example: There are two business people each planning on doing business in Italy. Both have similar proposals. One ignores the possible impact of culture and concentrates their efforts on the business proposal. The other also invests time and energy in the proposal but in addition realises that doing business in Italy is a lot different to doing business in the UK or USA. They look into the business etiquette of Italy, the way in which meetings are conducted and negotiation styles. Nine times out of ten the latter of the two will have the advantage. They will be able to tailor their proposal and demeanour to gel better with the Italian way. In addition, they would endear themselves to the Italian hosts. This guide to doing business in Italy is designed as a brief introduction to areas business people should take into consideration before travelling to Italy. Doing Business – Etiquette Good manners and courtesy are prized qualities in Italy. When doing business in Italy ensure your conduct is always polished. There are etiquettes and protocols for many social and business situations, however, it is important to remember that Italians rate considerateness above behavioural formulas. When meeting and departing always shake hands. This is valid for both individuals and groups. After doing business in Italy for a period of time and building relationships do not be surprised if you are embraced when being met. This indicates the relationship has reached an intimate level. When doing business in Italy you will notice that little personal space is left between people when interacting. In addition, Italians are a tactile people. Moving away or keeping your distance may be interpreted as cold and unfriendly. If you are familiar with Italian, use the polite ‘lei' form until a relationship is established, then use the more informal ‘tu' form. When doing business in Italy, address people using ‘Signor' (m) or ‘Signora' (f) followed by their surname. ‘Dottore' (m) or ‘Dottoressa' (f) is used for those who have graduated. When doing business in Italy, dress to impress. It is no coincidence that Versace, Gucci, Prada and Dolce & Gabbana are all Italian fashion houses. Italians like to make an impression with their clothes. What you wear speaks volumes about the kind of person you are. Doing Business – Punctuality Italians are usually relaxed around issues relating to time. Being late with a good reason will not have any negative consequences. However, deliberate lateness is considered sloppy and taking people's time for granted is simply rude. When doing business in Italy err on the side of caution and aim to be punctual. Doing Business – Business Entertaining Hospitality plays a key role in Italian business culture. Invitations to lunch and dinner are to be expected when doing business there. At such occasions a small exclusive group will usually be present. Each attendee will have a particular interest in your visit. If you plan to host a meal, ask the most senior Italian contact who you should invite. Dining does have certain protocol in Italy. However, do not place too much emphasis on this as more time would be spent worrying about etiquette mistakes than enjoying the experience. Major etiquette tips are that the most honoured guest sits at the middle of the table or on the right of the host; the host always pays; pass dishes to the left; keep your knife in the right hand and fork in the left and do not answer phone calls at the table. Doing Business – Meeting and Negotiations Italians prefer to do business with someone they know. When doing business in Italy, use contacts and networks to introduce you before proceeding to set up meetings. To arrange a meeting write, in Italian, first. Follow this up with a phone call, fax or e-mail. The best time for meetings is between 10 – 11 a. m. and after 3 p. m. Avoid August as most businesses will run on skeleton staff due to holidays. Negotiations can be slow. Demonstrating a sense of urgency is seen as a sign of weakness. At the beginning of a meeting avoid business and concentrate on some small talk. Topics of discussion could include Italian culture, food, wine and football (soccer). Italians will take away proposals and analyse them carefully. Be sure to offer as much information as possible in written form for them to take away. A known Italian tactic is to dramatically change demands at the eleventh hour to unsettle or test the flexibility of their counterparts. Remain firm. Location: Southern Europe, bordering Austria 430 km, France 488 km, Holy See (Vatican City) 3. 2 km, San Marino 39 km, Slovenia 232 km, Switzerland 740 km Capital: Rome Climate: predominantly Mediterranean; Alpine in far north; hot, dry in south Population: 58,057,477 (July 2004 est. ) Ethnic Make-up: Italian (includes small clusters of German-, French-, and Slovene-Italians in the north and Albanian-Italians and Greek-Italians in the south) Religions: predominately Roman Catholic with mature Protestant and Jewish communities and a growing Muslim immigrant community Government: republic The Italian Language Italian is the official language of Italy, and 93% of population are native Italian speakers. Around 50% of population speak a regional dialect as mother tongue. Many dialects are mutually unintelligible and thus considered by linguists as separate languages, but are not officially recognised. Friulian, one of these dialects, is spoken by 600,000 people in the north east of Italy, which is 1% of the entire population. Other northern minority languages include Ladin, Slovene, German, which enjoys equal recognition with Italian in the province of Alto-Adige, and French, which is legally recognised in the Alpine region of the Val d'Aosta. Albanian is spoken by 0. 2% of the population, mainly in the southern part of Italy, as too are Croatian and Greek. Catalan is spoken in one city, Alghero, on the island of Sardinia, by around 0. 07% of the population. On the rest of the island, Sardinian is spoken by over 1m, which comes to 1. 7% of the Italian population.

Imperefct Charity in Bartleby, the Scrivener Essay

One typically displays acts of charity for the love of mankind or benefit of society. However, differentiating whether a generous deed reflects altruistic behavior or selfishness can be difficult. In Herman Melvilles Bartleby, the Scrivener, the lawyer performs charitable conduct toward Bartleby to acquire self-approval and an honorable conscience. The lawyer employs Bartleby, a lifeless man, as a copyist for his law firm. In the beginning of his employment, Bartleby works efficiently. However, Bartleby soon begins to deny the tasks assigned to him with the statement, I would prefer not to (1184). While irritated at Bartlebys response, the lawyer disregards his behavior. Typically, this type of behavior would result in†¦show more content†¦This demonstrates that the lawyer provides charity exclusively for self-gratifying motives and without concern for the wellbeing of Bartleby. As the lawyer continues to generously employ Bartleby for his own personal fulfillment, he eventually becomes annoyed with Bartlebys repetitive rejections of his assigned tasks. The lawyers anger escalates to a point where he physically attacks Bartleby, and for a split second, contemplates murdering him. Yet, the lawyers thoughts of murder cease when he recalls the divine rule, to love one another. Nevertheless, the lawyer goes on to explain that the main principle which drives charity is a great safeguard to its possessor (1197). The lawyer indicates a sensibility to loving Bartleby because of the direct benefit to himself. The lawyers love for Bartleby does not derive itself from generosity, but the mere self-interest [that] prompt all beings to charity and philanthropy (1197). In this particular case, the lawyer selfishly performs charity for fear that he might be imprudent enough to murder Bartleby. The lawyer portrays his self-interest when he moves his office and abandons Bartleby, due to his negative affect on the business. Because Bartleby continues to annoyingly dawdle around the old office, the lawyer attempts to rid the building of Bartleby, for the lawyer is fearful of being exposed (1201) and criticized by the public. Clearly, the lawyer speaks to Bartleby in hopes of relieving himself from any