In act one of 'An Inspector Calls' how does J.B.Priestley use the dramatic devices to convey his concerns and ideas to the members of the audience, as well as interest and involve them in his play?

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An Inspector calls is a play with a moral. The writer's main cause of writing the play was to teach the people around him how he thinks the world should act. He does this by using the inspector to express all of his ideas and thoughts through the way in which he 'teaches' the Birlings their wrongs. His main concern was the idea of responsibility, that everybody should look after everybody around him and not shut them out of their own lives and only concern about their own. The inspector is the teacher. Mr. and Mrs. Birling are the pupils who do not want to listen and learn. Sheila and Eric are both the ones who think about what they have done and change, the pupils that learn and change for a better good.

Sheila (to Mr. And Mrs. Birling) "If you want to know, its you two who are being childish, trying not to face the facts!"

Priestley wanted to show that you could change and learn. He wanted many people to respect his views that a society can only function if everybody looks after each other, to learn from past mistakes and change to become a better person. He used the time to reflect on how people can change. He set it in the past, before the war in 11 to show that the war changed things and that it was a turning point in time, where everybody can finally forget the past where they may have been selfish.

The year 145 was an important date for the time when it was written. The war had subsided and left a trail of learning and regret behind them, by Priestley writing at this time that he could affect those who would not have listened in the past. After the war people beliefs had changed and they were looking for people to look up too and learn from their views. When they are feeling this way the play will affect them more and change many people's views. The play affects by showing different sides of the characters, this evolves into he fact that the play is very emotive and affecting on the audience. The fact that you see the characters evolve as the play goes on lets you relate with the characters and understand their point of view. The play turns into a soap drama, as some of the things put forward are unbelievable, that so many things could relate, but you want to believe them and think that they could happen to you. This affects in the way that people see what the other people go through and never want that to happen to them so they change into the better person.

Various dramatic devices are used to influence the audience. These are used to make the audience relate with the characters and allow them to feel what they are feeling. To create suspense and allow the audience to take and believe the message in the story. To show that Mr. and Mrs. Birling are not right in their views, that everybody does not have to look after each other. Dramatic irony is used to show that that they themselves are wrong too.

"Birling The Titanic, she sails next week … every luxury, and unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable."

This allows the audience to see that Mr. Birling is not right with what he says and it makes them grow a picture of what his mind is thinking and they can see it is wrong so they automatically think over everything he says to identify the truth in it. This is also shown with the two younger characters, who question Mr. Birlings views, this makes the audience trust them more as characters. Mr. Birling also tells about how much nonsense community is and how is should be abolished. This is the total opposite of the message of the play. This is signified by the entrance of the inspector as soon as Mr. Birling finishes his speech on 'every man for himself'

"Community and all that nonsense …a man has to look after himself and his own, and…"

"We heart a sharp ring of a front door bell."

As the inspector enters the lighting changes form a pink and intimate scene to a hard, harsh lighting situation after the inspector is present. This has a reaction format he audience because it signifies a point of change in the play. A break up of the family starts to appear after that point. The intimate situation is quickly changed to a more questioning and suspicious environment. The comfortable condition of the lighting before the inspector enters signifies that they were just settling down to the stage where the slightest things could catch them out. As soon as the conditions are changed shows how unnerved the characters are that the inspector is here, interfering with their peaceful organized lives.

The ring of the doorbell signifies the start of this change. It throws the Birlings off track; it is not a part of their scheduled lives so they are automatically disturbed by it. This effects the audience in the sense that they want to see what is about to happen. It creates a certain amount of suspense. It also announces the introduction of a new character. The inspector.

This affects the other characters greatly. Mr. Birling instantly tries to show the inspector that he is the man of the house, to try and make the inspector believe that. He tries to show the inspector all his assessments, name dropping, effectively trying to out do him. However the inspector is not interested. This surprises Mr. Birling. Especially when the inspector counteracts him and when the Inspector challenges his role of the dominant male in the house, Birling gets very angry.

"Birling Nothing to do with you Sheila, now run along."

"Inspector No wait a minute Miss Birling"

This immediately makes Mr. Birling very angry as he is being challenged for the first time, for his dominant status in the household. Slowly the Inspector is turning into the more dominant and respectable male in the house. The two younger characters instantly respect the inspector because they don't show any resistance against him in questioning. Unlike Mr. and Mrs. Birling they take up the message he is trying to put across and try to respect it, not just dismiss it out of principal. However they still all feel intimidated with a higher-powered figure in their household. Mr. Birling knows that the inspector has a higher status but he won't accept it.

Many of the characters exit at certain points in the play to make it more interesting. Just as the inspector comes to the point in which he is questioning Gerald, he leaves so Sheila can explain to Gerald that the inspector is a powerful figure and will just break down barriers if they are put in front of him. If Gerald started lying to him then he would just break down to the truth and put Gerald in a worse position. This lets the audience see how the inspector influences the characters, that the younger ones are admitting what they feel and that Mr. and Mrs. Birling just keep it locked inside them. Gerald is at the stage where he does not know which path to take, so this exit of the inspector allows Sheila to try and bring him to the level where he admits that he has done wrong. That he will listen to the message that Priestley is trying to show. This lets the plot generate into something more interesting because you can see how somebody is confused and does not know which path to take, this instantly becomes a point for the audience to watch so they can see what will happen to him, it creates suspense in the plot. At the end of this talk Sheila and Gerald have the inspector enters and says, "Well?" This shows that he purposefully left them. So that they could learn from themselves the message he is trying to give. Also the absence of Mrs. Birling during the opening parts of the play allows her to come in later and still be in a confident mood, when everybody else is regretting what they have done. This makes the play less boring and keeps the audience tense at all times and keeps them watching with interest.

The end of act one is a small cliffhanger. It ends with the inspector entering after Sheila and Gerald have had the talk about how the inspector will just break down any walls they try to build up around themselves. This leaves the audience tense and on the 'edge of their seats' waiting to see what Gerald will say to the inspector. This is good because the audience is not kept bored when the act ends. They have things to think about, to contemplate and discuss. This is always better because the different audience members can show their different viewpoints to each other straight away, as soon as the act ends. This leaves everybody with anticipation to see what will happen further into the play, so they can see if they were right if their viewpoints towards the play were relevant. All in all it keeps the audience interested. The irony used at the end symbolises that most of at one is actually ironic in retrospect.

The irony used helps the audience decipher what kind of play it is. That it is a drama that requires thinking about. People only realise that most of act one is ironic if they actually think about what has been shown so far. They realise that Mr. Birling has been talking about how every man should look after himself and nobody else, then the inspector has come in and shown that he is wrong. The audience only realises this if they think about what the inspector is actually trying to tell the Birlings. This makes the audience think about the message more, that they can learn from it.

Language used is to break up the family. The younger two have more relaxed speech; they are not so posh as Mr. or Mrs. Birling. It breaks up the social class in the family again showing how one side of the family takes the message one way, also how the younger half take the message in the way Priestley wants them too. Devices are used so you become friendlier with Sheila and Gerald than you do with the two older adults. These devices are shown through many ways, including the language, where Mr. and Mrs. Birling would be too upper class for you to respect and listen too.

"Mrs. Birling I don't suppose we can understand why the girl committed suicide. Girls of that class…" "Sheila Mother don't … for your own sake"

Through all of these devices Priestley's message can be shown to the audience. The main way to show this is through the way in which the inspector influences the younger characters. You slowly come to respect the three younger characters a lot more that the older two characters. From the start you look at the Birlings as an upper class family who are just enjoying a good night together. As soon as the inspector enters they both spilt into two different sections. The younger ones who listen, and the older ones who don't. Your opinion changes rapidly of Mrs. Birling as she is shown to be the most upper class person there, with a slight disgust at her attitudes towards other people who do not have the same social status as her. Mr. Birling is not as upper class, but as you see how his attitudes are towards treating lower class in the workplace you come to take a disliking to him also. With Sheila and Eric you become more respectful, as you transfer your respect you had for the older Birlings to them. They admit what they have done is wrong and are distraught by it. They instantly get a sympathy factor from the audience as Mr. and Mrs. Birling doesn't. This involves the audience in what he is trying to say. They become more in touch with the emotions of Sheila and Eric, as they have not built a wall around them and what they feel. You can relate to them well. With Mr. and Mrs. Birling you cannot see through the wall around them and do not know what to think about them. You cannot relate as well as you would like, so you come to dislike them. These devices are all used to show what the playwright's message is. That every one of us is in a link with every body else. Anything we do in life affects those around us, even if we don't realise this. This message is put across well to the audience in the above methods. The several methods mean that the message will make sense to more people. Where in some areas somebody does not see a message, in the same area some people might. This lets the writer reach the majority of people watching the play. This can still be seen to today as a relevant message. As not everybody is perfect and still people continue to hurt one another, maybe without realizing it. Some people do things to others that they think is a joke, but to the other person it could be hell. Some people don't realize that they are hurting the other. This ties in with the message that Priestley is trying to show, that you can hurt somebody without realising it. Even without fully knowing somebody you can hurt them, even if you don't mean too.

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THE MAKING OF MOVIE 'JINNAH'

If you order your custom term paper from our custom writing service you will receive a perfectly written assignment on THE MAKING OF MOVIE 'JINNAH'. What we need from you is to provide us with your detailed paper instructions for our experienced writers to follow all of your specific writing requirements. Specify your order details, state the exact number of pages required and our custom writing professionals will deliver the best quality THE MAKING OF MOVIE 'JINNAH' paper right on time. Our staff of freelance writers includes over 120 experts proficient in THE MAKING OF MOVIE 'JINNAH', therefore you can rest assured that your assignment will be handled by only top rated specialists. Order your THE MAKING OF MOVIE 'JINNAH' paper at affordable prices with cheap essay writing service! The following is a report on the Movie Jinnah. Which is based on the life of our national hero, Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah. Topics given below show the brief description about him, Making of the movie, its reasons and impacts.

HISTORY

Who was Jinnah?

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Quaiq-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah was a great advocate of Hinu Muslim unity. He was of the opinion that both Hindus and Muslims should make joint efforts to get rid of British rules and domination. Jinnah was a national hero of Pakistan-- a state visualized by the Muslims of the Indian sub-continent. Muhmmad Ali Jinnah was a champion of freedom for Indian people, the Hindus and the Muslims. He tried his utmost to give guidance to the Indians to work untidily to attain freedom from the colonial rule of the British. He even joined the Indian congress as a member to attain the common goal. The Hindu leadership did not feel equally conscious of equal rights of the Muslims and the Hindus.

Jinnah was not an anti-Indian. Jinnah was neither anti-Indian nor was it derogatory of Indian political leaders. He had tried his best to become an ambassador of peace between Hindus and Muslims. The Hindu leadership acted in his own interest and did not give proper assurance to the Muslims for equal rights in the liberated India after the British left. Jinnah was a staunch believer of Two Nation theory and considered the Muslims as a separate and distinct nation.

What was the condition of Muslims of that time?

The Muslims of the sub-continent were not aware of the real danger of their minority position in the democratic setup dominated by the majority of Hindus. The Hindus were not prepared to give the proper safe guards to the Muslim community. Many meetings were held to bridge the gulf between the two communities through various contracts but to no purpose.

What was the need of that time. The Muslims needed a leadership to protect their interests. A man of strong will power with a clear vision of his mission could only take the disorganized Muslim community to equal partnership in the government. In the sub-continent through various methods an effort was made by the Muslim leaders to convince the Hindu leadership to give a proper assurance for Muslim rights in the constitutional arrangements. Separate homelands for both the communities was the only solution to keep peace between both the communities which had existed side by side but with clear differences in their ways of life. Even one thousand years of rule by the mughal dynasty could not wipe out the strong sentiments of being two different communities.

Leadership of Muslims was not available. All the Muslim leaders and intellectuals gave their full support to Muhammad Ali Jinnah to create unity amongst all the Muslims of the sub-continent. It was a willing surrender of their local interests for the betterment of the Muslims of sub-continent. They found in Muhammad Ali Jinnah their Quaid-e-Azam.

Making of Jinnah

The film Jinnah depicts the man and leader Muhammad Ali Jinnah who created Pakistan. The film has been completed after the hard work of several months and it could yet be an image boost for Pakistan.

Theme of the film

The film is about the life and struggle of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan. It tells the extraordinary story of how India was partitioned, the final intrigue and the debates between Viceroy Lord Mountbatten, Jinnah, Gandhi, Nehru and the merciful lady Edwina Mountbatten. It also shows the clash between Jinnah and Jawaharlal Nehru, leader of Indias Congress party, who went on to rule India. Jinnah has highlighted the relationship between the Mountbattens and Nehru, particularly the special relationship between Edwina Mountbatten and Nehru. It is not shown in bad taste; it is the crux of the film because it is a vital part of history. Jinnah chronicles the journey taken by the young idealist Jinnah as he realize that his dream of freeing the people of India from foreign rule is being tempered and twisted by the realities and cruelties of politics. It is a story of a practical visionary. Who knew that on his word hung the future of a nation and who knew, too, that such a birth meant a division, of a country and of his own family, since his only daughter had married an Indian and would remain in India.

The story. It was 147. When India gained its independence. The British colonial territory into India (largely Hindu) and Pakistan (majority Muslim). It was a painful process and is accompanied by blood shed. A year after, Mohammad Ali Jinnah realized his dream, begun to succumb to the illness that had dogged him for some time. Towards the end, the film story shows Muhammad Ali Jinnah laying weak and sick on his bed. He feels awfully introspective and a host of happy and sad memories over him. He rushed to the hospital and when the ambulance stalls on the highway, his life begins to ebb. In this coma Jinnah relives the triumphs and disappointments of his life, the drama of his ideals, his romance, his happiness and the tragic death of his young wife.

Total budget on making

The makers of the Jinnah didn't have a monster budget. It didn't have government funding. The film completed at a cost of .5 million pounds in 18 months.

Production and Direction

The script of Jinnah was written by; anti-Islamic author Salman Rushdie, Directed by Jamil Delvi and Produced by Prof. Akber S Ahmed who is also the co-writer of Jinnah.

Shooting the Jinnah

The film was shot in the locations of Pakistan, India and United Kingdom.

Actors performed in Jinnah

So many actors from Pakistan, India and United Kingdom performed in Jinnah.

The character of Jinnah. The character of Jinnah has Perform by renowned actor, Christopher Lee.

Other characters. James Fox and Maria Aitken play the British viceroy Lord Louis Mountbatten and his wife Edwina. Indian film star Shahsi Kapoor as a narrator takes Jinnah back through his tumultuous career in a series of flashbacks. His character has been used as a device to link and narrate the story of Quaid-e-Azam, who at the beginning of the movie shown as being rushed in an ambulance from Mauripur air force base.

Troubles in the making of Jinnah

Trouble first arose when Akber Ahmed homed in on Christopher Lee to play the main role in the film. The Pakistani Government, which had agreed to provide $ 1 million ($ 1.6 million) towards the project, withdrew the offer, as it was unhappy over Lees choice, since he was well known the world over for his celluloid portrayal of Bram Stockers Dracula. However, the producer Akber Ahmed decided to go ahead with the film, somehow managing the finances, as he felt no one else could do justice to the role. But the worse was yet to come. When the film was completed after 18 months and screened in Pakistan, the Nawaz Sharif government felt it was pro-Indian and glorified the Indian leaders, and promptly banned it. Former Bharatiya Janta Party leader Madhu Deolekar said that the film highlights atrocities on Muslims during Partition, while there are hardly any scenes of atrocities on Hindus. Morover Jinnah has been painted as a hero which cannot be accepted by Indians. He also felt that the film must not be released in India as it will reopen old wounds and cause and hatred between communities. However, Krishna Gamre, a friend of producer Akber Ahmed, says that how can the film be anti-Indian when Pakistan government openly stated that the film is pro-Indian and even banned it?

World wide premiere

The film Jinnah released in Los Angeles and some theatres in London where it received a good response. On Dec 6, the film Jinnah shown in Cairo International Film festival was inferior to the success won earlier by the film Gandhi. Many chosen films have been shown in an international film festival that is reported to be registering considerable success. Out of these, a film carried the title Jinnah.

Dubbing the film

The film is being dubbed in various languages. According to plans, films Urdu version will be released for general public, in Pakistan, early next year.

Reasons of making the Jinnah

Rejection of the false image of Jinnah at the international level

One of the most important reasons of making the movie on Jinnah is to reject the false image of him at the international level. It is a harsh reality that in the West, Jinnah is almost a non-entity. In their eyes, he comes second to Gandhi who is stereotyped as the non-violent cult figure who wove his own clothes, led peaceful marches and ultimately won India its independence. For nearly two decades, Pakistanis cried foul play over the false depiction of Jinnah but nobody did nothing about it. Movie Jinnah should be lauded as an effort to put Muhammad Ali Jinnah on the world map.

Paucity of filmed material on Jinnah

There was no filmed material on our national hero, Jinnah. A film of this kind was being expected for years after the film Gandhi, proved to be highly successful.

Documentation on international hero

Several references to important events in Hindu Muslim relations have brought out the fact that Jinnah possessed extra ordinary leadership qualities to force the mighty rulers to give a fair deal to the Muslims of the sub-continent. No other international hero of the status can be quoted who gave his community so much benefit through his intellectual superiority and strong resolve. A man of his vision and extra ordinary accomplishment can hardly be found. This film shall remain a testimony to his superior leadership of a community who stood disarrayed and disadvantaged in the event of their freedom from foreign rulers.

Impact of the movie

The movie has brought the personality of M A Jinnah for the proper understanding by the world community. It was his wisdom, which brought an end to the centuries old bitterness between the Hindus and Muslims of sub-continent. Only by remaining confined of their geographical boundaries, their daily quarrels and feuds be limited to their own confines. A united India could never find a peaceful period free of Hindu Muslim conflicts. The film portages a hard reality of Partition of Indian sub-continent, which was the best solution to end their centuries old hostilities. The present day attitude of India towards Pakistan is a testimony to the fact that Hindus cannot accept Muslims as equal neighbors. It is a plain fact that partition was inevitable. Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah was right in his judgements and his beliefs about the two nation theory.

Correcting the image of Jinnah

Mohammad Ali jinnah was politically wide awake and his contribution as a father of a nation stands acknowledge by the entire world. The riots that took place after partition only acknowledge his right vision of the Hindu Muslim relationship in India. The centuries old hatred manifested itself at the time of partition. The riots cannot in any way disprove any of his judgmental acts.

Popularizing national hero to children and other film goers

Through this film, the younger generation will be passed on their heritage; the story must be, and has been, preserved.

International understanding about Jinnah

This film has cleared the mist of misunderstanding of jinnahs achievements as a Muslim leader. A study of the movement for creation of Pakistan is now gaining attention of international communities. Creation of Pakistan is a miracle achieved through peaceful methods of negotiation and without usual methods of aggression against other countries

Creating national pride

Pakistan is standing on the map of the world by the grace of the Almighty. Its present day condition only creates our further resolve to make it a fort for Muslims of the world. Difficulties are bound to vanish with the passage of time. Pakistanis are proud that they had the father of the nation in the person of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, our greatest leader. This movie has given us a clear understanding of sound judgement of our great Quaid to create a separate homeland for Muslims. Only he had the vision to see through the tactics of mutual reconciliation by the Hindu political leaders.

Summary

Movie Jinnah is based on the life of our great leader Muhammad Ali Jinnah who created Pakistan after the hard struggle. Jinnah tell us the story of how India partitioned. The film completed at a cost of .5 million dollars and shot in the locations of Pakistan, India and United Kingdom. The main role, Jinnah is Perform by Christopher Lee. Other actors are taken from the above mentioned countries. There were many troubles for producer, Akber S Ahmed to make this film but after his hard struggle, he succeeded in making Jinnah, the film is released in Europe and soon it will be released in Pakistan. The film will be dubbed in various languages. Reasons for making the Jinnah was to reject the false image of Jinnah at the international level and there was paucity of filmed material and documentation on our national hero. The impact of Jinnah will be positive. The story of Jinnah has been preserved for the next generation. Through Jinnah, national pride will also be created.

Please note that this sample paper on THE MAKING OF MOVIE 'JINNAH' is for your review only. In order to eliminate any of the plagiarism issues, it is highly recommended that you do not use it for you own writing purposes. In case you experience difficulties with writing a well structured and accurately composed paper on THE MAKING OF MOVIE 'JINNAH', we are here to assist you. Your cheap custom college paper on THE MAKING OF MOVIE 'JINNAH' will be written from scratch, so you do not have to worry about its originality.

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Critically analyse and discuss the relationship of 'The Taming of the Shrew' to the wider Social and Political influences of its time.

If you order your custom term paper from our custom writing service you will receive a perfectly written assignment on Critically analyse and discuss the relationship of 'The Taming of the Shrew' to the wider Social and Political influences of its time.. What we need from you is to provide us with your detailed paper instructions for our experienced writers to follow all of your specific writing requirements. Specify your order details, state the exact number of pages required and our custom writing professionals will deliver the best quality Critically analyse and discuss the relationship of 'The Taming of the Shrew' to the wider Social and Political influences of its time. paper right on time. Our staff of freelance writers includes over 120 experts proficient in Critically analyse and discuss the relationship of 'The Taming of the Shrew' to the wider Social and Political influences of its time., therefore you can rest assured that your assignment will be handled by only top rated specialists. Order your Critically analyse and discuss the relationship of 'The Taming of the Shrew' to the wider Social and Political influences of its time. paper at affordable prices!

William Shakespeare wrote The Taming of the Shrew around 156, during the reign of Elizabeth I (1558-160). Shakespeare lived at a time where ideas and social structure established in the Middle Ages still informed man's thought and behaviour. For example, Queen Elizabeth I was God's anointed one on earth, and the lords and commons had their due place in society under her. These beliefs in turn obviously influenced Shakespeare's writing. I believe that when these social ideas and political influences are explored fully, a play such as The Taming of the Shrew can be shown and indeed understood, in its proper perspective.

The Taming of the Shrew falls into the category of Shakespeare's early comedies; others included are The Comedy of Errors (c.158-4) and The Merry Wives of Windsor (c.157-1601). They are comedies of intrigue, fast moving, often farcical and place a high premium on wit. On the whole, they were meant to be performed in front of a general audience rather than for the court. Although, some critics suggest that the Taming of the Shrew, at least, was performed for Queen Elizabeth.

The Taming of the Shrew includes many themes social rank, disguise/appearance, education and clothing the overriding theme however is concerned with the discipline of an independent, headstrong woman. This main plot is in places quite farfetched and almost farcical, a popular and accepted form of writing in the Elizabethan period. The common man appreciated such a technique, as the action of a farce is often boisterous, over powering and also often provides for good visual humour. After all the common man did not always go to the theatre to see real life, as Shakespeare appreciated, but rather to join a land of fancy which farce plays could provide. As Chambers (1) comments

"The people of Elizabethan London did not go to watch the play, but be part of it."

Farcical elements within in the play include, the Vincentio scenario in Act V Scene I. In this scene, both the Merchant and Vincentio claim to be Lucentio's father imagine two grown men arguing over their identity

M 'Thou liest. His father is come from Mantua and here looking out the window'

V 'Art thou his father?'

M 'Ay sir, so his mother says, if I may believe her … lay hands on the villain'

V ' Come hither you rogue …'.

The wedding between Katherina and Petruchio also provides farce-like elements. Petruchio is described as, 'A monster, a very monster in apparel'. Petruchio swears so loudly during the ceremony that the priest drops his book and then he goes on to hit the priest, 'This mad-brained bridegroom took him such a cuff…'. It should be understood however, that unlike original farces, which provide little character development, Shakespeare manages to give individual personalities to his lead characters Katherina and Petruchio. For example as Hillegass (1) states

"Katherina … is more than merely a Shrew; to a certain degree, she is made an object of sympathy …"

Shakespeare also depicts a shrew transformed without physical violence, therefore maintaining a higher level of comedy than in a traditional farce of pre-Elizabethan times.

Elizabeth I was described by one historian as 'A woman ruler in a patriarchal world'. Despite the fact that Elizabeth succeeded to the throne after her half sister Mary I died (155-58), there remained a traditional, widespread belief that men were naturally endowed with authority, and women were intellectually and morally unfit to govern. According to Greenblatt (180), men saw themselves as "rational beings; they saw women as creatures likely to be dominated by impulse and passion. Gentlemen were trained in eloquence and the arts of war; gentlewomen were urged to keep silent and attend to their needlework." The Taming of the Shrew's time and customs can therefore be seen as approximately those of Shakespeare's own era. It should be understood, of course, that Shakespeare shrewdly wrote for the publics taste. As Gay (18) mentions

"Shakespeare did not have any fancy notions, he listened to what the public said, and he was quick to detect changes in taste",

showing how society influenced Shakespeare's work. After all he was a practical man who had to make a living from his writing, so it would have been unwise to write totally against the public's beliefs and thoughts. Katherina, therefore, is portrayed as impulsive, erratic and as being ruled by her mood swings. Whereas Petruchio, provides the stereotypical Sixteenth Century man; he appears rough, noisy, powerful and unfeeling. For example, Act II Scene I, marks Katherina and Petruchio's first meeting, where Petruchio proclaims

' Thus in plain terms …

Will you, nill you, I will marry you

For I am he born to tame you.'

In the Elizabethan period, men believed that once married a woman was their own property and all rights were surrendered to them. Shakespeare conveys this line of thought on many occasions throughout the play, most prominently in Act III Scene II just after Petruchio and Kate's wedding. He exclaims

'I will be master of what is mine own.

She is my goods, my chattels; she is my house,

My household stuff, my field, my barn,

My horse, my ox, my ass, my everything …'

I believe, Elizabeth I's decision to remain single was partly due to an unwillingness to compromise her power, not only as Queen but as an independent woman as she herself is recorded as saying

"I will have but one mistress here and no master!"

However, although Shakespeare does include these typical Sixteenth Century characteristics within Petruchio, it must be stressed that Shakespeare's Petruchio does in fact possess two internal levels. He also appears patient, caring, understanding and intelligent. His behaviour seems unreasonable at first, but I believe he simply acts the lunatic lovingly for the sake of Kate. He teaches her through bitter experience how annoying and painful her nature can be to others. For example, Act IV Scene I

'Thus I have politically begun my reign …

She ate no meat today nor none shall she eat;

Last night she slept not, nor tonight she shall not …

This is a way to kill a wife with kindness.'

He therefore assumes a role to tame and transform Katherina into the wife he desires.

It should also be mentioned that although Shakespeare does present the accepted Sixteenth Century idea that in a marriage the man was the master; he also presents the theme of women being the one with the real power, or certainly equal (a more recent idea). Something most men of Shakespeare's era would have strongly denied. In Act V Scene II, a bet is placed between three of the men, Petruchio, Lucentio and Hortensio as to who has the most obedient wife

'Let's each one send unto his wife,

And he whose wife is most obedient …

Shall win the wager …'

Bianca and the widow, 'sit conferring by the parlour fire', when asked to attend, showing a lack of regard for their husbands, and when Lucentio chides Bianca she retaliates by saying, 'The more fool you for laying on my duty'. Surely, not the words of a Sixteenth Century noblewomen besotted with her new husband?

It could be argued however that Shakespeare does bring the tradition of Sixteenth Century marriage back in the play with Kate's final speech (Act III Scene II). Katherina remarks

'Thy husband is thy lord, thy life, thy keeper …

I am ashamed that women are so simple

To offer war where they should kneel for peace'

However much controversy does surround this speech. At first an audience might think that Kate is completely subservient. However, it could be argued that Kate is basically just saying that a wife owes a husband obedience because he is her protector. Or perhaps it could be interpreted as ironic that Kate is merely playing a role, in order to fool the audience and other characters. Either way, it should be noted that Shakespeare therefore does not always present the conventional beliefs of Elizabethan England in The Taming of the Shrew.

The Taming of the Shrew is also largely concerned with the idea of disguise and false appearances, either with or without the aid of physical disguise. During the Sixteenth Century the European continental Masque travelled to Tudor England, where it became a court entertainment for the king, Henry VIII (150-47). The Masque was an entertainment in which disguised participants staged an elaborate lyrical drama, designed to be complimentary to the noble or royal host of the social gathering. During Elizabeth's reign the Masque provided a vehicle for compliments paid to the Queen at her palace and during her summer tours throughout England. Gorgeous costumes, spectacular scenery (with elaborate machinery to move it on and off stage), and rich allegorical verse marked the English Masque. It can therefore be suggested that the disguise elements of the popular Masque entertainments influenced Shakespeare's writing of The Taming of the Shrew. As early as Act I Scene I Shakespeare introduces this theme. Lucentio (a nobleman and eventual suitor of Bianca) and Tranio (his personal servant) swap roles, as servant and master, by exchanging their clothes

'Thou shalt be master, Tranio, in my stead;

Keep house and port and servants as I should.

I will some other be some Florentine …'

in order to allow Lucentio to woo Bianca as a school teacher, rather than as a suitor. Hortensio, (a nobleman and friend of Baptista, Bianca's father) also physically disguises himself as Litio, a music teacher, in order to also woo Bianca without anyone recognising him. The disguising of characters also allows for good visual humour and again farce-like elements, as everything is so exaggerated. This type of comic irony was popular with the people of Elizabethan London.

Shakespeare entwines the main plot (Kate and Petruchio) of The Taming of the Shrew, with a sub-plot (Bianca and Lucentio) a popular style of writing. The sub-plot is based on the Italian comedy of intrigue, as Hilegass (18) comments

" … it is a comedy of situation, … type characters … the elderly father who is deceived by his child and suitor; the elderly suitor or pantaloon; and the ingenious suitor aided by a witty servant."

I believe the cross-sections of Shakespeare's audiences would have been satisfied with the play because it had such a sub-plot. The sub-plot allowed the opportunity for types of characters and action entirely different from the main theme and this appealed to many. Shakespeare belonged to a society, which longed to be romantic and poetic, and Shakespeare bases this sub-plot on such Elizabethan ideals. For example in Act I Scene I Lucentio cries

'I burn! I pine, I perish, Tranio

If I achieve not this young modest girl'

The Elizabethan Period was one of extravagance and excesses, and I believe that this influenced Shakespeare's writing of The Taming of the Shrew. Its extravagant nature was seen in the higher stratas of society dress, manners and speech which were rich, elaborate and ornate. There existed an emphasis on personal belongings and external image. Elizabeth I and her court always dressed lavishly, and took pride in their possessions. According to Greenblatt (180)

" Her passion for dress was bound up with political calculation and an acute self-consciousness about her image."

The importance that Elizabethan's placed on image and clothing, is explored extensively throughout the play. Most prominently in Act IV Scene III, where it plays a large place in Kate's taming process. Petruchio calls for a tailor and haberdasher, when the tailor produces a dress it offends Petruchio

'O mercy God! What masking stuff is this?

What's this a sleeve? 'Tis like a demi-cannon!'

Kate obviously remarks that she never saw a 'better fashioned gown'. Petruchio tells the tailor to take the dress away, and therefore uses the cap and gown to force Kate into submission. Kate is very aware of her personal image, like all Elizabethan noblewomen. In his final speech of this scene Petruchio notes that clothing does not make the man. 'Honour' he comments 'peereth in the meanest habit'. Perhaps he is referring to the good, which lives in Kate beneath the mean habit of ill-temper. Whatever the meaning, Shakespeare is commenting on his fellow Elizabethan man and telling his audience that clothes/appearance do not make the man, despite the Elizabethans reliance on them that such thoughts can be deceiving.

The Taming of the Shrew is full of social rituals banquets, weddings, discussions of dowries, shopping and education. The latter, is explored throughout the play, from a female perspective (it is used as an opportunity to woo Bianca), which is unusual because traditionally women of the Sixteenth Century were not fully educated, as one would expect today. Despite this, Bianca is educated by two tutors (although not professional) Baptista comments 'She's apt to learn'. I should think that it probably seemed strange to Shakespeare's Elizabethan audience that a young female should be educated to such a degree, as many would have been uneducated themselves. But, he probably managed to escape criticism because it was the only 'realistic' way the two suitors could befriend Bianca without recognition. Queen Elizabeth I's rigorous education was renowned however, she received teaching normally only reserved for male heirs; consisting of history, classical languages, rhetoric and moral philosophy. Therefore, perhaps with this in mind, it would have been more acceptable to Elizabethan society.

I have tried to establish the social and political circumstances of the Elizabethan period, which might have influenced Shakespeare's writing of The Taming of the Shrew. By observing popular, accepted techniques such as farce, the idea of Elizabethan London being 'a man's world', the wonderful and elaborate Masques held at court and other influences, I have tried to show how Shakespeare's writing was fully connected with his surroundings, and therefore also allow for better understanding of the text. It should be emphasised however that although Shakespeare was strongly influenced by the social and political standards of his era, as previously stated, he does include elements in this play that are almost post-Sixteenth and Seventeenth Century. For example; the prominent disobedience of the wives in Act V (and of course Kate throughout), the theme of female education. Like all great writers some of Shakespeare's ideas/themes were ahead of his time.

I believe that the relationship between the text and the social and political influences of its time have been fully explored that although it can be seen that Shakespeare was influenced by such factors; there exists suggestive hints that he was also just as capable of disregarding such influences when required.

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The Big Lebowski: A Representation of the New West

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Far too often, movies are thrown into easily provided categories known as genres and therefore are forced to follow a certain level of guidelines required of the genre. It is this quality of the genre which provides for a very static and unoriginal library of films within the genre. It is the opinion of the author that good movies should be all encompassing and therefore would not be susceptible to the generalizations of a genre. Prior to writing this I encountered this problem with a movie called The Big Lebowski written, produced, and directed by the Joel and Ethan Coen. In the video store the movie was categorized as a comedy, however, after watching it multiple times it became painfully obvious that it was so much more than just a comedy. The Big Lebowski is a movie about the modern West and the changes in the West since the Western era, and how they have changed the ideals and principles of the genre.

Genre is composed of elements of a film which collectively provides a generalization of the film. Those elements of a Western are easily mapped out by Thomas Schatz in his essay, Film Genre and the Genre Film, "plot development is effectively displaced by setting and character (Braudy 650)." The setting and character of a Western are the crucial elements that make it a Western. First and foremost is setting. The Big Lebowski is set within Los Angeles. The first sentence of the film begins, "Way out west…" thus getting the audience immediately immersed in the idea that this is a western. The very establishing thought you should have when you first begin to watch this movie is that it is a Western and should be viewed as such. The setting of Los Angeles is the epitome of the modern West and is the social epicenter of the Western hemisphere. Secondly and perhaps more importantly is the character. The main character is the Dude, also known as Jeff Lebowski, but prefers to be referred to as the Dude.

For an authority on the subject of the Western hero and the attributes that make him so unique, I consulted Robert Warshows essay, The Westerner. As I began to read the first quality of a Western hero to enter into my view was "a figure of repose (655)." The Western hero is a very relaxed and leisurely individual who makes sudden moves for no man. The Dude is most certainly an ideal representation of the quintessential Western hero, he does not have a job, does not dress up, does not know what day of the week it is, etc. With that under my belt, I was able to classify The Big Lebowski as a Western and went back for more information on the Western genre.

Being that Westerns are all about the setting and character, the issues in which Westerns delve into are also concern that of the setting and character. Schatz goes on to point out the general themes and "fundamental issues" pertaining to a Western, "taming of the frontier, the celebration of the hero's rugged individualism, the hero's conflicts with the frontier community, etc. (64)." All of which apply too perfectly to ignore the connection to the Western genre. The taming of the frontier is that of Los Angeles. Throughout his dealings with the briefcase and all the players involved in the kidnapping, the dude uses the city of Los Angeles to it's complete resources and as a member of the community, embodies it's qualities and meshes perfectly with its ideals and principles.

As far as the Dudes celebration of individualism, he lives and travels alone, with the exception of bowling, the Dude rarely resides within a group of individuals, and is overall comfortable with his solitary situation. The Dude is happy with where he is in life and if it were not for the initial urinating on the rug, the conflict would have never arose. However, it did, and the Dude simply wanted compensation for the rug that was urinated upon, nothing more, than what was due to him. The Dude also has an abundance of conflict with members of the Los Angeles community, the list begins with the Big Lebowski in Pasadena and the kidnapping issues, Jackie Treehorn in Malibu and his outstanding loans from Lebowski's wife bunny, Maude Lebowski and the withdraw of $1 million dollars from the Little Lebowski Urban Achiever foundation, the chief of Police of Malibu, Larry Centers the kid who stole the Dudes car, etc. The conflict within the general Los Angeles community is an ever-growing list for the Dude.

As stated before, the Dude himself is a representation of what Los Angeles has become and the drastic change from a hundred years before when Westerns were set. The changes are drastic, however, the hero still retains his Westerner qualities. For instance, the Westerner is said to be the problem solver and "the man-in the middle, mediating the forces of order and anarchy, yet separate from each (647)." The Dude is the man in the middle of the whole conflict spreading from the fake kidnapping to the conception of Maude's child, the Dude is in the middle of it all. He is working for the Big Lebowski delivering the money, trying to recover the money for both Maude Lebowski as well as Jackie Treehorn, and fighting off threatening Nileists. However, through it all, the Dude has no real connection to the case with the exception of his rug.

The Westerner is always a man of tranquility and peaceful nature; however, his somber mood is not on account of a harsh situation thrust upon him, but rather through his own contempt (647). His somber mood, stems from a higher level of understanding of life and his particular situation as opposed to pity for his place in life. Likewise, the Dude is also very content with his position in life and the way things are going. He is not employed but never mentions that as a problem or something to be ashamed of. The people in his community and practically everyone who opposes him, seems to mention it as an issue against his character but the Dude does not view unemployment in that way. Both the Chief of Police of Malibu and the Big Lebowski both refer to the Dude as a Bum and see his unemployment as a drain upon society immediately generalizing him as the movie was generalized as a comedy. However, lets examine the value of a job in the Western. In old Westerns, the issue of a job or income was not generally brought up, however, the change in values and the society as a whole has lead to the employment dependent community of Los Angeles and the corrupt modern world.

Love is an element of human life which is widely used throughout the film community and in all types of stories. The Westerner never goes looking for love, but rather deals with the women that fall at his lap. There are generally two women in the Western hero's life, the good wholesome women he is to marry, and the well-strong independent barroom girl. As a Gentleman the Westerner will not go against his nature and attempt to woo a woman as most hero's would, but rather the Westerner is involved in situation where "love is at best an irrelevance (655)".

The Big Lebowski brings attention to this element of the Western through the Maude Lebowski character. She is a very independent, feminist, artists, who wants a child from the Dude. Maude represents both of the women in the Westerners life by first and foremost, providing the strong will, sex loving, feminist, to the story and secondly coming a family with the Dude by conceiving his child. The Love might not be as genuine as in the Westerns of old, but that simply reflects the constant alterations of the genre. The values of the community bring forth a different situation and for the audience to reevaluate their perception of the Western and what it represents. Love is never the main theme of a Western and usually serves as a compliment to the action and just another obstacle for the Westerner to conquer. The Westerner is not completely in sync with his female counterparts that is part of the reason for conflict. The women the Westerner confronts generally ensue a "clash of cultures" and thus a breakdown in communication. Through these elements the Westerner is able to control and manipulate the audience and his female counterparts into solving both situations and having everything work out his way in the end.

When he is not by himself or his special lady, the Western hero can be found playing a game of leisure. In the Westerns of old, the Westerner played poker while drinking, a game of skill, leisure, and whit. Warshow explains that poker "expresses perfectly his talent for remaining relaxed and in the midst of tension (656)." The game is an extension of his character and his proficient skill in the game allows for a display of his authority and position in the community. The Dude on the other hand, chooses the game of bowling for his sport of leisure. Although the game asks from some form of physical walking and throwing of a heavy ball, the leisurely nature of bowling fits perfectly within the scheme of the Western. The bowling has now transcended into the poker game of the nineties. No longer are saloons available for gambling on every corner, instead people spend money and enter a league to keep games regular. The method is very different but the principles of the game remain the same to the Western hero. The game is one of leisure, in which drinks are served and skill is tested.

The Western hero is never employed by a structured economy but rather fends for himself on the open prairie. The constant flow of income is not necessary for he himself to survive and provide for himself, instead he survives through other methods of self employment. As stated earlier, the Dude is unemployed and takes pride in the fact that he does not work and is content with that. However, he does accept the opportunity for some outside employment with the Big Lebowski, Maude Lebowski, and Jackie Treehorn too. However, Warshow argues "it is not because he needs to make a living (656)" but rather that the Dude has more noble intentions than that.

The essence of the Western hero however, lies in his selflessness and his dedication to honor and justice. The Western hero exemplifies the American ideal of what a man should be and what exactly he should strive to accomplish. Perhaps even revealing a male fantasy of what the ideal American man is and associating him with the progressive West. The West and the idea of manifest destiny, bring about the connection from the goal for America to progress across North America and it ideally expanding from coast to coast. The same connection can be made with the idea of the Western hero. The Westerner was the ideal model for a man both for men to strive towards and for women to look for in a man, strong, quiet, level headed, and powerful.

The Dude on the other hand is not an ideal model for today's men to emulate and it remains doubtful that women look for unemployed marijuana smokers who bowl for fun in a league. Leading to the obvious conclusion that the cinema no longer provides the audience with positive figures from which to emulate but rather the rebels and criminals which run the crime world and further extend our fascination with crime, drugs, and money. That is the world in which the Dude leads us into even though he is not himself a member.

The Dude is not a member of this crime community because he has higher standards for himself and sustains his high level content nature. He is a noble man, however, his standards do not always agree with that of the common community regardless if he represents them or not. The true essence of the Western hero is his selfless nature only geared towards protecting his stature and personal value. Warshow, touches on this fact and adds that "his tragedy lies in the fact that even this circumscribed demand cannot be fully realized", the other characters in the film, and at times the audience, does not realize the nobility which lies within the Western hero. This realization comes to the audience when what "we respond to is not his victory but his defeat (660)." This point is illustrated beautifully in the death of Donny.

At the end of the movie, the character of Donny dies of a heart attack and although the Dude has already solved the mystery and squared himself with all parties, in essence came out on top, he takes a devastating blow with Donny. However, after Donny dies we see the Dude back where we expect him, in the bowling alley ordering a beer. It becomes obvious to the audience at this point that the Dude chooses this life for himself, he uses this lifestyle to compensate for the chaos and inconsistency of the outside world.

Whether it is the Western genre or any other for that matter, the qualities which once shaped the film might at some point have to be revised do to time. The values and

ethics reflected within the communities these films represent are in constant danger of evolution and thus the film industry must comply. The Dude is a representation of what the west has become and perhaps embodies the true essence of the modern West. Braudy, Leo and Marshall Coen, Film Theory and Criticism.

Oxford University Press, New York, 1.

The Big Lebowski. Dir. Joel Coen. Perf. Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Julianne Moore, Steve Buscemi, David Huddleston, and John Turturro. Polygram, 18.

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Japanese zen gardens

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Byodo-in

The Byodo-in at Uji faces a garden intended to simulate the Western Paradise of Amida Buddhism. This sort of Amida garden was not uncommon in the Heian Period, and remnants of such gardens can be found at sites like Saiho-ji, but only here at Uji can one see an extant Heian building confronting its pond garden. The central chapel and its flanking pavilions were originally part of a country estate built in the early eleventh century by Fujiwara Michinaga and remodelled by his son Yorimichi. The style of the architecture is Chinese�as one might expect in a Buddhist structure of the time�but the juxtaposition of a pond garden with pavilions connected by roofed corridors is an echo of the noble villas and gardens of the Heian Period. Choose a view point from the map or click Tour the Garden for more views of this garden.

Chishaku-in

Chishaku-in is a temple of the Chizan School of Shingon Buddhism. Erected in 1585 over the site of an earlier temple founded by Hideyoshi, it is most famous for its screens of cherry and maple trees painted by Hasegawa Tohaku. Most of the garden dates from the 17th Century, and was designed by Zuio Hakunyo, Chishaku-ins chief priest. It takes the form of a long narrow pond bordered on the east by a steeply sloping hill. Designed to be viewed from a number of points on the veranda of the abbot's residence as well as from a small adjacent tea house, the garden evokes a mountain landscape complete with cascade, mountain bridge, and satsuki pruned to simulate rolling hills. Choose a view point from the map or click Tour the Garden for more views of this garden

Daikaku-ji

Daikaku-ji occupies the general area of a detached palace erected by the Emperor Saga (d.84). In 876, Sagas villa was converted to a Shingon Buddhist temple. None of the original buildings remains, and the specific site of the temple is not exactly that of Sagas villa, but the current structures retain the general appearance of a shinden style residence and its associated gardens. The five-acre lake contains two islands and a number of rock formations. Choose a view point from the map or click Tour the Garden for more views of this garden.

Daisen-in

The Daisen-in was founded in 150 by the Zen priest Kogaku Sotan (1464-1548) upon his retirement as abbot of Daitoku-ji. The hojo, his residence, was completed in 151, and the most famous of the gardens that surround that structure probably dates from the same period. While the theory that other early Zen gardens were intended to imitate Chinese landscape paintings or their Japanese equivalents is open to question, there can be little doubt that this was the intention at the Daisen-in. The garden that flanks two sides of the hojo is a miniature landscape whose vertical rocks suggest the mountains from which a waterfall and its resulting river flow. Choose a view point from the map or click Tour the Garden for more views of this garden.

Ginkaku-ji

The temple of Jisho-ji is more popularly known as Ginkaku-ji, the Silver Pavilion. Both the pavilion and the garden were part of the retirement villa of Ashikaga Yoshimasa, the eighth Shogun of the Muromachi Period, who began construction in 148. The complex became the very center of Japanese aesthetic concerns during the eight years of Yoshimasa's residency, particularly in the areas of art collecting, flower arranging, and the tea ceremony. Indeed, the location of the villa on the lower slope of the foothills bordering Kyoto on the east gave its name�Higashiyama or Eastern Mountains�to the Zen-inspired culture of the late fifteenth century. The pond garden is based loosely on that of Saiho-ji, a garden which Yoshimasa passionately admired and often visited. Choose a view point from the map or click Tour the Garden for more views of this garden.

Joruri-ji

Although Joruri-ji as a religious foundation dates back to the eighth century, the main hall is an early twelfth-century structure, and was moved to its present location in 1157 (its original location is unknown). It was at that time that the pond garden located to the east of the hall was constructed. The main hall, famous for its nine statues of the Amida Buddha, represents the Western Paradise, or Pure Land, of Amida Buddhism. This combination of an Amida Hall and a pond garden is a rare extant example of an arrangement that was apparently commonplace in the Heian Period (the Byodo-in at Uji is the only other extant example dating in the twelfth century ). Choose a view point from the map or click Tour the Garden for more views of this garden.

Kaju-ji

Kaju-ji (also known as Kanshu-ji) was founded as early as 00, and is the main temple of the Yamashina School of Shingon Buddhism. However, its great pond�called Himuro no ike�is supposedly the remnant of the Heian estate of Miyamichi Iyamasu, whose daughter was the bride of a Fujiwara nobleman and whose granddaughter was a consort of the Emperor. In other words, it would have been the central element in a garden located to the south of a noble shinden-style villa, and is one of a number of such remnants of the secular gardens of the Heian (see also the Shoseien). Choose a view point from the map or click Tour the Garden for more views of this garden

Katsura

Katsura Imperial Villa was built in the early Edo Period as a residence for Prince Hachijo no Miya Toshihito (157-16). The garden to the south of the villa is a stroll garden and also a boating garden, its pond large enough to accommodate modest vessels. The entire complex recalls the world described in the Tale of Genji, and was undoubtedly intended to evoke the golden age of the Heian courts, when such a pond garden would have been viewed from the southern pavilions of the typical shinden villa. Choose a view point from the map or click Tour the Garden for more views of this garden.

Kinkaku-ji

Kinkaku-ji, Temple of the Golden Pavilion, is the popular name of Rokuon-ji, or Temple of the Deer Park. The pavilion itself is the only remaining structure of a retirement villa constructed by the third Ashikaga Shogun�Ashikaga Yoshimitsu�in 14 (this building is actually a reproduction, the original building having been destroyed by an arsonist in 150). It was converted to a Zen temple upon Yoshimitsus death in 140. The pond garden to the south of the pavilion probably dates back to the thirteenth century, when it would have been part of a typical shinden estate. Yoshimitsu may have added rocks and islands in an effort at evoking Hindu-Buddhist cosmology, in which alternating seas and mountain ranges form the basic structure of the universe. Choose a view point from the map or click Tour the Garden for more views of this garden

Konchi-in

Konchi-in is a subtemple of Nanzen-ji, one of the principal Zen temples of Japan. Its Edo Period garden is notable not only for its formal beauty, but also for the fact that its creation is unusually well documented. The designer was Kobori Enshu, to whom many Kyoto gardens are attributed, often on very little evidence. In this case, however, extant documents indicate that Kobori did indeed design the garden for the head priest of the temple, the severe priest Suden, in anticipation of a visit by Iemitsu, the third of the Tokugawa shoguns. Choose a view point from the map or click Tour the Garden for more views of this garden.

Muri-an

In 184, the Meiji soldier and statesman Yamagata Aritomo constructed his private residence near the great Zen temple of Nanzen-ji in eastern Kyoto. The property is famous for a stroll garden located to the east of the house, using the nearby hills of Higashiyama as borrowed scenery, and the waters of the Lake Biwa Canal as the source of its streams. Choose a view point from the map or click Tour the Garden for more views of this garden.

Nanzen �ji

One of the most powerful Zen monasteries in Japan, Nanzen-ji was counted among the Gozan the five principal Zen establishments in Kyoto and in 181 was declared number one. The abbots residence in the main complex contains not only important paintings of the Kano School, but also the garden featured on this page (two of Nanzen-jis subtemples Konchin-in and Tenju an also possess important gardens pictured on other pages of this site). Choose a view point from the map or click Tour the Garden for more views of this garden.

Nijo

Nijo Castle was built in the early seventeenth century as a temporary Kyoto residence for the Tokugawa Shogun. Its most famous garden is the one adjoining the Ninomaru Palace. Attributed to Kobori Enshu, it consists of a pond with three islands connected to the shore by bridges, the islands evoking one of the Daoist Isles of the Blest, the crane, and the turtle. Its large number of rocks has led some critics to view the garden as typical of the somewhat excessive designs of the Edo Period. Choose a view point from the map or click Tour the Garden for more views of this garden.

Ryoan-ji

Perhaps the most famous of all Japanese dry gardens is that of Ryoan-ji the Temple of the Peaceful Dragon. The garden is simplicity itself�fifteen rocks arranged in a rectangle of raked white gravel�but it has provoked much speculation about its meaning, its specific relationship to Zen thought, and even its origins. Although probably created in the fifteenth century, its current form may date back only to the late eighteenth or early nineteenth century. A discussion of its original appearance is included in the history section. Choose a view point from the map or click Tour the Garden for more views of this garden.

Ryogen-in

Ryogen-in, a subtemple of the Daitoku-ji complex, was constructed in 150. Within or adjoining the abbots residence are five gardens, the most famous of which is the Ryogintei, a rectangle of moss and stones viewed from the veranda of the abbots house. The group of stones in the center of the garden is thought to represent Mt. Sumeru, the mountain axis of the universe according to Hindu belief, or Horai, the mythical home of Taoist immortals. Choose a view point from the map or click Tour the Garden for more views of this garden

Saiho-ji

Popularly known as Kokedera (Moss Temple) because of the prevailing ground cover of the garden, Saiho-ji is one of the earliest extant gardens to be associated with Zen thought. It is a large pond garden that was once part of a Jodo temple, in which context it would have evoked the Western Paradise of Amida. When the temple was converted to Zen Buddhism by Muso Soseki in 1, the garden was probably altered to some degree, and Muso is said to have added the rock formations of the upper level. The garden one visits today�heavily wooded and missing the various pavilions that Muso erected on the site�is certainly different from that of the fourteenth century, but it still evokes both the Pure Land of its original Jodo dedication and the inexpressible mystery of Zen. Choose a view point from the map or click Tour the Garden for more views of this garden.

Sanzen-in

Sanzen-in is a Tendai Buddhist temple located high in the hills northeast of Kyoto, in the area known as Ohara. It is said to have been founded by Saicho, the priest who introduced Tendai Buddhism to Japan, and as a monzeki temple it counts members of the Imperial family among its abbots. Sanzen-in possesses two seventeenth-century pond gardens of great beauty the Shuheki-en Garden (Garden that Gathers Green), and the Yusei-en Garden (Garden of Pure Presence). Choose a view point from the map or click Tour the Garden for more views of this garden.

Sento

The Sento Palace was constructed early in the seventeenth century within the larger Imperial Palace complex as a residence for the retired Emperor Gomizunoo. The palace no longer exists, but the garden located to the east of the palace has survived in roughly its original form. Attributed to Kobori Enshu, the garden consists of two ponds connected by a narrow waterway and surrounded by paths for strolling. The southern pond contains two islands connected to each other and to the shore, and part of the shore consists of a pebble beach, each stone of which was carefully chosen for its size and shape. Choose a view point from the map or click Tour the Garden for more views of this garden.

Shoseien

The Shoseien Garden, popularly known as Kikokutei Hall Garden, is currently part of the Higashihongan-ji Temple (although separated from it physically). Its landscaping�attributed to Ishikawa Jozan and Kobori Enshu�dates to the Edo Period, but the large pond may originally have been part of the Heian estate of Minamoto no Toru, younger son of the Emperor Saga. It is one of a number of such Kyoto ponds that are all that remain of the great gardens of the Heian aristocracy. Choose a view point from the map or click Tour the Garden for more views of this garden.

Shugaku-in

Shugaku-in was built by Emperor Gomizunoo in 16 as a retirement estate. Of its three gardens, that of the most elevated area is best preserved. It consists of a large pond garden that makes maximum use of borrowed scenery, or shakkei, since it is located on the slope of a hillside at the foot of Mt. Hiei. Choose a view point from the map or click Tour the Garden for more views of this garden.

Shusui-tei

The south end of Kyotos Imperial Palace Park is marked by a beautiful pond garden noted for its bird life. On the western shore of the pond stands the Shusuitei tea house constructed by the Kujo family, its veranda providing the best view of the garden. The Shusuitei bridge spanning the pond from north to south provides a dramatic view of the southern gateway of the Imperial Palace. Choose a view point from the map or click Tour the Garden for more views of this garden.

Taizo-in

Taizo-in was founded in 1404 as the oldest subtemple of of the Myoshin-ji complex. Its most famous garden is a dry landscape attributed to the painter Kano Motonobu (1475 155), a resident of the monastery. Understated and difficult to appreciate in photographs, its dry stream bed and associated rocks and plantings are thoroughly in the spirit if not the actual composition of Muromachi landscape painting, a tradition closely associated with this and other Rinzai Zen monasteries in Kyoto. Among other gardens located within the Taizo-in complex is an impressive stream-and-pond garden of the twentieth century, designed by Nakane Kinsaku. In its basic elements it is a larger, wet version of the dry garden attributed to Kano Motonobu. Choose a view point from the map or click Tour the Garden for more views of this garden

Tenju-an

Tenju-an is one of the many subtemples of Nanzen-ji. It was founded in 16 by Kokanshiren, chief priest of Nanzen-ji, in commemoration of the founding of Nanzen-ji in the previous century. Tenjuans two gardens date back to the founding of the temple, although parts were added or altered in the Edo and Meiji Periods. The more famous of the two is the dry garden located to the east of the main hall, but the pond and stroll garden to the south of the main buildings is also worth visiting. Choose a view point from the map or click Tour the Garden for more views of this garden.

Tenryu-ji

Tenryu-ji (Temple of the Heavenly Dragon) is located on the site of a villa erected for the Emperor Gosaga, who retired there in 156. In 1 the complex was converted to a Rinzai Zen temple, and under its first abbot, Muso Soseki, it became one of the five principal Rinzai temples of Kyoto. Its main feature is a relatively small pond garden featuring a famous rock arrangement located along its western shore. This group of stones consists of a cluster of rocks suggesting a mountainous island, a three-slab stone bridge established along the shore line, and a dry cascade constructed on the hillside just behind the bridge. Choose a view point from the map or click Tour the Garden for more views of this garden.

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Human Resource Management

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Due to impact of globalisation and economic uncertainty, companies are facing fierce challenges. In order to adapt to this changing environment, changes within firms are vital for business survival and expansion in a knowledge driven economy. Nowadays it is a common experience to note that organisations are relying heavily on their human capital to produce the competitive edge.

Human Resource (HR) has drastically evolved from the 1th century to present time. HR issues have moved from Fayol's era (1841-15), where a rational and structure approach to management of organisation was prevailing. While in this current climate great emphasis are being put on building relationships between employees and employers and mediate individual employment relationships (Cole, 00). Additionally, the role and functions of HR have undergone significant changes since the beginning of last tow decades. Currently, many forces appear to be changing the structure of the HR function, creating new HR delivery modes, reshaping the role of HR leader, changing existing HR jobs and creating new ones.

In today's global environment, with the emergence of new technologies, swings in the economic cycle, dramatic increase in the number and quality of new and existing competitors, have forced organizations to change their designs. In essence, the main internal drivers of change include the desire to become more competitive and to build a high performance organisation, thus better meeting the needs of customers. Therefore, change management is crucial to the success of organisations (Mullins, 00).

Indeed, for organisations that manage change skilfully, it can become the driving force that perpetuates success and growth, with every change presenting a new opportunity to increase efficiency or to build and expand the business. In many cases these changes have taken place, due to merger and acquisitions, joint venture and outsourcing, in order to improve competences within organisations.

Change efforts of the past decade have appeared under many banners, including

• Total Quality Management

• Business Process Re-engineering

• Right-sizing and restructuring

In this context, HR plays a predominant role in performing a successful management of change within an organisation. The role of HR is to understand the human behaviour at work and positively influence the employees to adapt to new changes. Here, HR assists in preparing the employees, by tackling training and development needs prior to initiating the change programme. However, in some cases, conflicts may rise and may disturb the whole process of change management. In these circumstances, HR plays a crucial in giving the staff the confidence and ability to clear the hurdles such as fear of failure and employee resistance. Also, HR role is to ensure communication within the organisations is a two-way traffic with example feedback sessions, anonymous comment/suggestion slips that identify how information must be cascaded during the change process.

In fact, redesigning an organisation will certainly have a fundamental change in the work life of people. But the leader of the organisation and the HR department should ensure a smooth transition from the old forms of working to the new ones. One successful example to illustrate the change in Management is that of General electric (GE)

During the last decade, GE was restructured to build a network of interrelated businesses positioned to capture the number one or two market shares in their respective industries. The steps involved in the change process were

• The CEO, Jack Welch, introduced 'Work Out', a tool designed to help employees participate through teams in the change process

• To improve dialogue between leaders and employees, a programme of 'Town Hall Meetings' gave staff at all levels information on the change process, new roles and work habits required, and elicited open two-way dialogue

• Performance expectations and rewards were realigned; managers previously evaluated solely on ability to manage in a 'command-and-control' environment, now had to meet ownership, stewardship and entrepreneurial goals; those failing to adapt to receive bonus (Ashkenas, DeMonaco, Lawrence J. et al, 18).

Another important issue to look consider is that of psychological contract. According to Rousseau and Wade-Benzoni (15), the psychological employment contract reflects the individual understanding of the employment relationship's term and the normative beliefs about what organisational members owe and in return owed. Surely, the psychological contract has changed as a result of the changes in organisation strategies and restructure and the tie that binds employers and employers and employees has become severely strained (Foot and Hook, 1).

Nowadays, employers have to acknowledge the particular needs and motivation of the employees as well as the performance expectations of the organisation. Since today organizations will provide employability but not employment security, if employees have no stake in performance of the organisation, it is unlikely that the organisation will achieve the levels of commitment found, like in the old days, i.e., a two way loyalty (Monhrman and Lawler, 17).

Employee relations are critical for business success. It is concerned with the relationships between the policies and practices of the organisation and its staff and the behaviour of work groups (Mullins, 00). In 17, a US Business Intelligence report on strategic performance management resulted to an interesting conclusion- for a superior business performance; there is a need for a good relationship between the organisation and the employees. Most of the successful companies emphasise on employee communications and employees rights. During the past decade, much importance has been deployed on employee relations, as the management is aware that for employees to perform well, they should feel that they are fairly treated within the organisation (Sadler, 001).

For example, Consignia in UK had appointed a company board level HR director in 00, to address the company's chronic staff morale problems and improve the working environment. The aim is to drive the culture change by ensuring HR is at the heart of the firm from the top down, where employee' rights are represented. Consignia has introduced a new HR- based complaints procedure and overhauling training. Other changes included revamping its employee opinion surveys so as to improve communication. Additionally, the company has set up a harassment phone line for staff so that employees can take advice without having to involve their line manager. Moreover, Consignia planned to invest around £10 million annually to improve its working environment (Personnel Today, 00).

Nowadays, as part of new strategic planning process, new practices such as team bonuses are adopted. Team bonus is defined as the gratuitous payment by the employer; a payment not directly earned by the teams (Torrington at al, 00). Here, HR main objective is to help to improve team performance or skills/behaviour payments to upskill the workforce or reinforce culture or behaviour change, so that the organisations can meet its corporate objectives and prosper in this fierce economic environment, by increasing the performance of the business.

An example to illustrate team performance reward is that of Continental Airlines in the US, which was ranked last among ten major domestic airlines in baggage handling and on-time arrivals as well as first in customer complaints. The company was heading towards bankruptcy until the new leaders of the company introduced a change management plan. Through a group incentive plan, each of the 5,000 non managerial staff would be given cash bonus in any month that the airline would come among the top five for on-time departures.

The result of introducing such incentive resulted in an improvement in performance of the employees as the bonus program motivated the employees to reach the objective set by the leaders (Knez, and Simester, 00). In this business case discussed above, through the provision of financial incentives, Continental Airlines was able to transform and motivate its employees as a group. The introduction of the team reward bonus led to positive changes in the working environment thus improving the company's performance and profitability.

HR can no longer be considered as an entity separate from the core department of a company. For an organisation to be successful, top management have realised that HR will have to play a predominant and proactive role within the firm. Thus to enjoy success, the HR functions need to be further revamped by addressing the following issues

In reality with such economic uncertainty, HR managers need not only to understand how to manage people but also the overall business strategy, the corporate objectives as well as change approach that the firm is pursuing. Moreover, they need to become a valued member of the top management team by contributing to business strategy and operations decision-making. Some organisations have already starting using this strategy. For example, in the Xerox Corporation, the actual President and chief operating officer, Mulcahy was formerly the HR manager in the organisation. The organisation was aware that leading a business with 7000 employees, which contributes to 0% of their revenue, equals to leading the people within the company and therefore skills such as leadership, management and people are needed (Whiteley, 00).

In many organisations the HR traditional roles of hiring, reviewing, firing, training, career development, and program development should be shifted to line managers and employees. In this way, it will free the human resource organisation from day-to-day management and administration of the human resources in the organisation. The HR department will be able to focus more on the broader picture and on improving the performance of employees in alignment with the corporate objectives and simultaneously satisfying the organisation's customers. For example, at Johnsonville Foods a US sausage manufacturer has eliminated the mentioned above responsibilities from the HR department, thus enabling them to focus more on contributing to achieve the corporate objective (Lancourt and Savage, 15).

There is a growing use of outsourcers as a way to reduce the cost of HR function and to draw expertise on which is not easily built in the organisation. Outsourcing should be employed wherever it is applicable. In Semco, many of the human resources functions are contracted out to one of the satellite organisations started by former Semco employees, who then partner with line managers to perform a number of human resources tasks. This has proven to be cost effective for the organization as the HR department was able to again focus more on change management at a macro and micro level (Lancourt and Savage, 15).

Additionally, The HR teams need to have high level of competency in designing human resource systems and in managing their competencies. Because they have recognised the role and value of their knowledge assets, most of the companies in the sample have focused great attention on identifying and developing their core competencies. This has inevitably led to a greater focus on the need for continuous career and skill development. Although the companies have handled the focus on people development in many different ways, in almost every case, the work encompasses far more than simply putting together a series of training programs. One solution is the career development system where there is an emphasis on employees responsibility for their own careers. At the Eastman Chemical, the human resources department developed a program called PASK-- people applying skills and knowledge-to facilitate the use of employees talents individually and within teams. Human Resources have also focused on developing their own competencies, such as those needed to better support organisational mergers and acquisitions (Lancourt and Savage, 15).

Moreover another crucial HR issue to look at is the measurement of human capital, which is term used to describe the people within an organisation and the value they create. In other words, it is the measurement to the bottom line contribution that each employee adds to an organisation. In fact, embracing the concept of human capital and finding the right device to measure it presents HR with its greatest chance to be demonstrably strategic to the board. Clearly by demonstrating the worth of the workforce in a way to the board, will in turn, demonstrate HR's worth as a strategic unit that adds value to the business rather than simply providing a service.

The different approaches that can be used to measure human capital are HR benchmarking that is based on comparing HR policies and practices with those of other organisations. Another approach is the Balance scorecard that presents a holistic view of a company's current state of health by monitoring its activities across all areas via key performance indicators such as finance, quality and guest satisfaction. Here, a good example is Nationwide that introduced in 00 a database of employee, customer satisfaction and HR and business performance data and then benchmarked HR indicators against other organisations. The benefits of the measurement resulted in staff turnover reduction of 1 per cent and showed a direct link between HR indicators and business performance which led to increase in customer satisfaction (Personnel Today, 00).

1.0 Conclusion

The Human Resource functions have undergone many changes in the past five years and will keep changing in the future. For instance, uncertainty in employment security, the psychological contract between employers and employees has changed. Moreover the leadership role has taken a new angle with a tendency towards the transformational style.

Management are more willingly recruiting on a global scale, as talented people can be found beyond a country's boundaries. Methods of recruitment have changed. Organisations, especially multinational enterprises are not only relying on the traditional recruitment process but also using e-recruitment (internet recruitment). Retention of staff has grown in importance and HR is actively involved by providing training and development opportunities. Management are more open to provide equal opportunities in relation to gender, nationality or people involved in same-sex relationship. Moreover, in the reward system, much emphasis is not only put in monetary value but also on flexible benefits. Empowerment of employees is increasing, thus giving rise to motivation. Relationship between employees and organisation is improving as management are aware that if fairness is perceived by employees, they will likely to perform better. There has also been a rise in working balance with employees experiencing a more balanced life, fathers enjoying paternity leave, employees working from home and employees having flexible hours.

It is crucial that HR managers, not only understand the overall business strategy but also participate in the decision-making process. HR should have a bigger role to play other than only in recruitment, training and career development. In fact, those areas should be transferred to line managers and existing employees. Outsourcing should be used wherever it is possible to allow the HR department to focus on a broader picture on the change management process. HR should detect individual talent and develop the talent for the success of the business. Finally, HR should measure human capital and their value and contribution to the company. This can be done through HR benchmarking and Balance scorecard.

These are only a few areas where HR can help in transforming the way in which organisation help to transform their people.

Please note that this sample paper on Human Resource Management is for your review only. In order to eliminate any of the plagiarism issues, it is highly recommended that you do not use it for you own writing purposes. In case you experience difficulties with writing a well structured and accurately composed paper on Human Resource Management, we are here to assist you. Your cheap custom college paper on Human Resource Management will be written from scratch, so you do not have to worry about its originality.

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Accounting

If you order your custom term paper from our custom writing service you will receive a perfectly written assignment on Accounting. What we need from you is to provide us with your detailed paper instructions for our experienced writers to follow all of your specific writing requirements. Specify your order details, state the exact number of pages required and our custom writing professionals will deliver the best quality Accounting paper right on time. Our staff of freelance writers includes over 120 experts proficient in Accounting, therefore you can rest assured that your assignment will be handled by only top rated specialists. Order your Accounting paper at affordable prices with cheap essay writing service! Merrill Lynch Investment Manager has several core approaches to their 0-year investment philosophy. Rigorous fundamental analysis of investment, the pursuit of quality investment and the construction of concentrated portfolios are the approaches that are responsible for the success of Merrill Lynch.

Merrill Lynch Mercury's1 investment philosophies are as follows

A belief in active management

Merrill Lynch Investment Managers believes in actively managing portfolio where there is an active approach to all levels of the investment process stock selection, sectors weightings and asset and geographical allocation.

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Commitment to primary research

The investment process is driven by research where investment managers undertake double responsibilities of fund management and extensive individual research covering markets open to international investment. Managers are also benefiting from a vast range of analysis from brokers where the management has a privileged relationship. Experience and extensive research has provided confidence to commitments to investment decision.

Style flexibility

In contrast with a restrictive style that might lead to under performance in times of economical change, a flexible approach is practice to accommodate economic circumstances. Thus in the long run, this flexibility allows consistency in performance over the economic cycle. Flexibility also allows investment in a wide range of stocks which are described as "growth", 'value" or "contra-cyclical"

A strong team approach

There is a strong emphasis on collective consensus where individual skills are factored into house views and ideas are discussed within teams.

An emphasis on risk management

A dedicated Performance and Risk management Team monitors all investment performance within the group. To ensure consistency and discipline, a risk control model is implemented where the level of risk in a portfolio is analysed quantitatively

.Investment Style/Process

Merrill Lynch Investment Managers' Australian Equity investment style can be characterised as a bottom-up stock picker. MLIM approach on stock picking depends on factors that drive share prices Management Quality, Business Strength and Valuation (MBV).

Research.

The research process is the first part of MLIM investment process in the Australian Equity. MLIM undertakes team-based research to identify and further evaluate stocks that comply with the MBV criteria.

1) Team Based Research

Each of Australian Equity team's eight Portfolio Managers has individual stock research responsibilities that covers up to 150 top companies in the Australian equity market. These stocks are rated strictly to the MBV criteria and MLIM has an expert in each stock sector that monitors the key development and trend that drives future earnings and growth in that particular sector. Furthermore, the use Lotus Notes research will enable the team to communicate research information efficiently amongst the team. MLIM's team based research efforts allow diverse input on an individual stock, which they call it '60 Degree Stakeholder analysis'. MLIM also research for good value investment based on the multi level analysis of the Discounted Cash Flow model that is also known as a 'waterfall analysis'. This analysis method is more likely to determine the upside or downside of stock as opposed to just using a simple DCF model. Finally the buy/sell decision of a stock must pass through the consensus of the whole team after rigorous team discussion and scrutiny.

) Filters

Incorporated into the investment process are investment filters that seek to filter and organise research information relating to management, business strength and valuation. They are briefly outlined below

a) Merrill Lynch Investment Managers seek to identify management teams who focus on shareholder value principles. Specifically, good management practice will focus on increasing earnings per share and net present value of cash flows.

b) Business strength filters incorporates the competitive advantage a company has which allows it to survive in a competitive and global marketplace.

c) Valuation filters include a primary valuation method of a discounted cash flow approach. In addition to this there are other valuation models and ratios such as the dividend yield and earnings yields/earnings growth

Risk Management

Risk management is an integral part of the investment process where portfolios are constructed with risk controls in place. As there is a pro-active stance in managing the portfolios to reflect changes in market conditions risk, assessment is incorporated into stock research and portfolio reviews. The ultimate aim is to outperform within a controlled environment.

. Portfolio Construction

Stock Selection

After completing the research and filtering process as mentioned above, the construction of portfolio rests in the hands of senior members of the team. 5 to 40 stocks are targeted for the portfolio. A Barra analysis will be run through these stocks to determine the impact to the portfolio's risks. Portfolio construction will be undertaken from the steps outlined below.

Set Indicative Weights

Indicative weights of stocks are assigned based on fund manager's rating in accordance to the MBV criteria. Each stock is given an indicative weighting based on fund manager conviction which in turn is based on the stock's overall rating.

Risk Assessment

MLIM's quantitative team employs a Barra Analysis to ensure that the indicative portfolio weights are appropriate given different opinions of the team in regards to overweight /underweight positions.

Modify Institutional Portfolio

With the alpha analysis, changes are made to indicative portfolio to improve the alignment of conviction levels with portfolio weights.

Scale Up To indicative Specialist Portfolio

Using the Barra Aegis optimiser, an indicative specialist portfolio is constructed with a targeted tracking error of between 4%-7% per annum.

Review Indicative Specialist Portfolio

The output from the optimisation process is reviewed and checked for reasonableness. Allowance might be made to the assumptions that supports the optimisation

Modify Specialist Portfolio

With the aid of implied alpha analysis, the indicative portfolio is modified to a Specialist portfolio.

4.Investment Guidelines, Risk Controls and Compliance

All of Merrill Lynch Investment Managers' funds are audited annually where the fund's financial statements are covered specifically. KPMG will verify all work by reviewing unit pricing procedures, verify valuations and all other associated work as a form of risk control. The use of accounting systems (HiPortfolio) and extensive procedures further enhances accuracy of all auditing.

Compliance

Merrill Lynch Mercury has a dedicated compliance department, which operates on a real time basis, analysing all derivatives position held within all portfolios. Analyses are carried out using an electronic compliance monitoring system developed in house. Any breaches will be detected on the day itself where remedial actions can carry out immediately.

Guidelines and Restrictions

Guidelines and Restrictions are imposed on the use of derivatives. Use of derivatives are governed by

- Trust deeds

- Client investment management agreements

- The investment strategy of a given portfolio

- The terms of Risk management Statement

Derivatives cannot be used to gear portfolios and must be backed by either cash or asset. It can only be used to create exposures that are consistent with the strategy of a portfolio and no net short positions are allowed. Derivatives such as futures contracts on the ASX is used only to the extent to manage cash flow of the portfolios.

5.Investment Personnel/Team

As of June 001, the Australian Equity team is headed by Mark Himpoo, B.Bus, and ASIA. The team consists of 8 members with investment experience that ranges between 1 to 14 years. All the fund managers in the Australian Equities team have diverse qualifications i.e. Medical, Politics and Modern History, Applied Finance, Accounting, Commerce, Engineering and Agricultural Economics. This diverse background of MLIM's fund managers allows them to have a professional insight into different sectors of the economy and stock market. To retain these important human capital in the firm, MLIM ensures that the remuneration packages is in the top quartile of the industry. This includes profit sharing and bonus elements based on profitability. Staffs can also participate in a Long Term Incentive Compensation Plan that has share options.

6.Business/Company Factors

Merrill Lynch Investment Managers target two groups of investors, namely retail investors and institutional investors. They are different products for each type of investors. MLIM have different funds to cater for different investors needs. For a complete list of MLIM's products, you can visit http//www.mlim.com.au.

MLIM's distinguishing marketing strengths can be summarised as

- Creativity and Innovation MLIM has a professional team of personnel with high calibre in investment planning

- Openness stresses on the importance of team based research and collaboration

- Proven Investment Expertise MLIM has over AUD 800 billion in assets worldwide as of 0th June 1

- Emphasised on research excellence

- Discipline Portfolio Construction

- Dedication to Client Service

- Ability to Leverage Resources of Merrill Lynch Group resources and size of parent company provides credibility and stability to managed institutional funds.

Financial Status

Table 1 summarizes key figures concerning financial conditions for the 6 months ended June 0 000

Table 1

Operating Results

$144

$1

14.4%

$4.8

$4.8

Net revenues ($ million)

Net earnings ($ million)

Return on average common shareholders' equity

Earnings per share

Basic

Diluted

Client Service

MLIM has made it a priority to communicate with clients therefore clients are always updated with comprehensive written reports and verbal updates including significant events relating to their business. Investors in pooled products receive monthly updates and quarterly report. For retail clients, they are serviced by the Managed Fund Services while institutional investors will be serviced by an appointed Account Manager.

Corporate Resources Backing / Ownership

MLIM is a part of the Asset Management Group, which is ultimately under the wings of the Merrill Lynch & Co INC. Merrill Lynch, & Co Inc is one of the largest US investment bank and therefore provides the stability and credibility to MLIM, resulting in a secured investment management environment for all investors.

Investment In Research/Development/Technology.

In recent times, many enhancements have been carried out to many aspects of the investment process they are

- Development of the Lotus Notes research to efficiently communicate research information amongst the team.

- Restructuring research responsibilities away from sector specialists to a more robust team configuration including stock/sector specialists.

- Simplifying the books of business from three (retail, wholesale and specialists) to two (Institutional and specialist)

- Clarification of the 7-step portfolio construction process.

In addition, MLMAM invested in various systems to complement accounting practices, compliance and research. In accounting, the principle system HiPortfolio is complemented by an internally developed system for pricing and reconciliation. In the Compliance department, an electronic compliance monitoring system is use to conduct analysis on derivatives positions and in research, all information is organised around the Lotus Notes research system.

IT Systems

In recent years Merrill Lynch has focussed on developing its e-commerce business that is expected to play a significant part in the company's growing business. MLMAM has its own Internet portal, which connects clients to one of the strongest trading, research and investment banking capabilities in the world. It also has a number of online facilities such as the MLX online (Merrill Lynch Direct) which provides online trading/research, M&A online advisors, web facilities which allows clients (especially institutional) to get data and provide data, and an excellent web site which facilitates communication, access to products (marketing aspect) and continuity of clients.

7.Performance and Risk Characteristics of the Fund

MLIM has two different portfolios that exhibit different risk and return characteristic

- Institutional portfolios with a target of -% above the ASX All Ord's Index over the medium term and a tracking error of -4%

- Specialist portfolios with a target of -5% above the ASX All Ord's index over the medium term and a tracking error of 4-7%.

The table below will exhibits the performance of MLIM Australian Equity and key performance indicators of the portfolio benchmarked against the ASX All Ordinary Index

1 year years 5 years

ASX Ave MLIM ASX Ave. MLIM ASX Ave. MLIM

Returns 4.1% .16% 8.00% 11.% 15.6% 15.7% 1.10% 15.0% 1.%

Risk/Reward 0.41 0.81 0.66 0.5 1.4 1. 0. 1.6 1.55

Info ratio .46 0.77 .00 0.85 1.68 1.4

Std Deviation 1.08% 11.6% 1.10% 11.81% 11.40% 1.05% 1.1% 11.6% 1.8%

Tracking Error 1.7 4.00 .0 5.1 1.74 5.6

ASX- ASX All Ordinary Index

Ave- Average Fund Manager

MLIM Merrill Lynch Investment Manager (Australian Equity)

Please note that this sample paper on Accounting is for your review only. In order to eliminate any of the plagiarism issues, it is highly recommended that you do not use it for you own writing purposes. In case you experience difficulties with writing a well structured and accurately composed paper on Accounting, we are here to assist you. Your cheap custom college paper on Accounting will be written from scratch, so you do not have to worry about its originality.

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