Plot Summary Essays - Othello, Iago, Michael Cassio, Emilia

Plot Summary Iago is passed over for a promotion by his commander, Othello, a Moor and a general in the service of Venice, and vows revenge. Othello has just married Desdemona, the daughter of Brabantio, a Venetian Senator, and Iago enlists the aid of Roderigo, a rejected suitor, to tell Desdemona's father about the marriage. Brabantio goes to seize his daughter, but is interrupted by news of a Turkish attack on Cyprus. The Duke and the Senate convene, and after hearing Desdemona and Othello testify to their love for one another, they allow her to accompany him to Cyprus, which he will defend against the Turks. Iago, whom Othello regards as honest and trustworthy, is given charge of Desdemona on the journey. At Cyprus, Iago has Roderigo start a brawl, in which Cassio, Othello's lieutenant, wounds another man. Othello strips Cassio of his command, and Cassio goes to Desdemona to ask her to convince her husband to reinstate him. Iago, meanwhile, sets about convincing Othello that Desdemona has been unfaithful to him{with Cassio. Through innuendo and pretended hon- esty, Iago makes Othello almost mad with jealousy, until the Moor names him his lieutenant and makes Iago promise to help him kill Cassio and Des-demona. Desdemona has lost a handkerchief that Othello gave her as a love-token, and Emilia, Iago's wife, _nds it and gives it to her husband. Iago plants the handkerchief in Cassio's house, and then arranges for Othello to see Cassio give it to his mistress, Bianca. Othello is now convinced that Cassio has betrayed him with Desdemona, and that Cassio is aunting his sexual conquest by giving Desdemona's handkerchief to a common whore. Othello begins abusing his wife in front of messengers from Venice, who are amazed to see this change in a man they thought to be noble. That night, Othello tells his wife to wait for him in bed and goes out to walk about the city. Iago has convinced Roderigo that if he kills Cassio, Desdemona will sleep with him, so Roderigo attacks the former lieutenant. Cassio is saved by his mail shirt and wounds Roderigo; Iago ees, stabbing Cassio as he goes. Othello, passing, hears the cries and thinks that Cassio is killed, and so returns to the castle to kill Desdemona. Meanwhile, Iago and the Venetian messengers _nd the wounded men; Iago secretly kills Roderigo and sends Emilia to the castle with news of the brawl. Othello awakens Desdemona, tells her that she must die, and strangles her. Emilia returns and _nds her mistress; Desdemona revives for a moment and then dies, saying as she passes away that Othello is innocent of her death. Her husband, however, proclaims his own guilt, and as the others return, Emilia realizes her husband's plot and exposes it. Iago, furious, stabs her and ees; he is captured, and ordered to be tortured to death. Othello, heart-stricken, makes a _nal speech in which he passes sentence on himself, and then commits suicide. He falls beside Desdemona.

Critical Thinking Essay Essay Example

Critical Thinking Essay Essay Example Critical Thinking Essay Essay Critical Thinking Essay Essay Essay Topic: Critical Thinking Critical thinking essay example As a result of series of unfortunate events, I may have what it takes to survive in a desert. By looking at the conditions present, the land mass is 400 meters away, with fluctuating currents and sometimes tropical storms that hit the shores are severe. This means that there are minimal chances despite the method one ought to employ that may be used to reach the nearest land mass and join my family. To survive in this desert environment, I have to eliminate some of my mates one by one for the environment to continue supporting my life. Since the environment provides arable land and potable water, I will advise the farmer to plant trees to provide us with shelter as the desert do not have an apparent shelter. However, after the trees grow to adequate heights, I recommend that the farmer should make a canoe and take with him the minister as our spokesman to the nearest land mass to ask for help. The idea here is to reduce the number of people who will be dependent on the environment for survival. Since there are tropical severe storms, currents fluctuating and the land mass is 400 miles away, the carpenter and the minister will not have a chance to survive and reach the closest land mass. Due to the severe storms and fluctuating currents the two might drown to death, reducing the number of individuals depending on the environment to survive. Why is critical thinking important With three mates (the doctor, farmer, and hunter) remaining on the deserted Island, I will now exploit their skills and abilities to survive on the island. The arable land will be enough for the farmer to grow more edible vegetation and perishable food to add onto what the environment provides for us. The arable water will also be sufficient for the farmer to irrigate the edible vegetation and perishable food in cases where the temperature remains high for long periods. This will provide us with enough food to support us for more extended periods. The skills of the hunter will be instrumental in getting the game meat. The hunter is the only individual who can hunt wild game animals as food sources. This will also increase the amount of food that the group needs to survive on the island. Besides, I will also be able to learn hunting skills to fend for myself in case the hunter dies from any infection from edible vegetable or wild animals food. The doctor will also be important in the deserted island. He will use his knowledge to treat in cases of any infections. Finally, the unfortunate events give suggestions of how when faced with difficulties in the environment. It is only the fittest animal that survives in such a harsh environment as all the rest might be wiped out by the environmental constraints. A call for help from outside is, therefore, more challenging and dangerous than finding means of survival on the deserted island. The environment will be able to support three people compared to the five people.

Descartes' Method of Doubt Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Descartes' Method of Doubt - Essay Example Also in the introductory remarks, Descartes very clearly explains why he believes that leveling all of his beliefs and starting over is the only way to cure science from false and uncertain beliefs. Reason now leads me to think that I should hold back my assent from opinions which are not completely certain and indubitable just as carefully as I do from those which are patently false. So, for the purpose of rejecting all my opinions, it will be enough if I find in each of them at least some reason for doubt (Descartes, 12). He does not want to simply eliminate the beliefs that he knows for certain are false. He wishes to find indubitable knowledge, and the only way to accomplish this is to reject every belief he possibly can--from the obviously false beliefs to the beliefs that have only the most remote and improbable reason for doubt. Descartes then advances to the first category of beliefs he wishes to cast doubt on--beliefs gained from the senses. Descartes points out that most of the beliefs he is most certain of come from the senses, but that he has noticed that the senses sometimes are deceiving, such as â€Å"with respect to objects which are very small or in the distance† (Descartes, 13). ... Descartes does come up with a reason you could doubt this belief though, by proposing a new scenario. The scenario imagines is one where you are caught in a dream. Everyone has had the experience of being in a dream and thinking it is real until waking up, regardless of how fantastical the dream might be. Descartes admits it could certainly be possible that the arms and body he sees do not belong to him, but are part of a dream (Descartes 13). However, he points out that its doubtful that things like arms and hands do not exist altogether, because ideas in dreams are often based on what has been seen in real life. Even if these body parts were made up though, there are certain beliefs that still cannot be doubted, such as the existence of colors, and the fact that all bodies are extended (Descartes, 14). He points out that even more certain while dreaming are truths derived from mathematics, â€Å"for whether I am awake or asleep, two and three added together are five, and a square has no more than four sides† (Descartes, 14). This realization that the most certain empirical truths are merely the existence of bodies and colors, while truths gained through reason such as mathematical truths, leads Descartes to conclude that truths in the sciences are less certain than truths in Mathematics. Descartes then moves to his final level of doubt, by coming up with the most remote and unlikely, but most powerful scenario yet. He asks us to suppose that there is an evil genius that is infinitely powerful and intelligent, who wishes to trick us into thinking even the most certain things are true. Descartes admits that if such a being exists, even the basic truth that two plus three equals five can be called into doubt. This forces him to come up with his final, most essential

International Marketing assignment Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

International Marketing assignment - Case Study Example Analysts predict that by 2010 the fast food segment will account for half of all food service growth during the first decade of the 21st century. McDonald's has been able to capitalize on this trend and expand globally. Their international operations are very significant to them because a sizeable portion of revenue is generated through franchisees. While the US and Europe each account for 35% of the revenues, France, Germany and the UK collectively account for 60% of the total revenue. In Australia, China and Japan, they have 50% owned-affiliate account under the equity method which account for nearly 50% of the revenues. These six markets are the major markets for the company. More than 70% of McDonald's restaurants are owned and operated by independent local people. At the end of 1006, the company had 31,046 restaurants in 118 countries out of which 18,685 are operated by franchisees, 4195 by affiliates and 8166 are operated by the company. McDonalds, the leading global food retailer, serves 52 million people each day. Since most of its restaurants are franchised, they do not have a director in charge of international operations separately. Instead, they have different heads in charge of specific regions. For instance, they have a President - Europe supported by four different Presidents in charge of Eastern, Northern, Southern and Western Divisions. To handle other regions they have President - Asia/Pacific, Middle East and Africa. 2. They claim to be committed to listening to the customers and to being open and direct about facts surrounding the food, people and the restaurants. McDonald's has frequently been accused of resorting to unfair and unethical business practices. While McDonald's has often been accused on various grounds, the beef-fries controversy in 2001 revealed the negligent and the irresponsible way that is unexpected of a global player of the magnitude of McDonald's. McDonald's initially declined to comment and then issued a 'conditional apology'. As the people became more violent, the company kept changing their approach. This adversely affected their brand image. McDonald's follows the 'Code of Federal Regulations' which does not require the restaurants to list the ingredients (Mukund, 2002). The French fry suppliers do use a small amount of beef flavoring agent as an ingredient in the raw material. The ingredients in 'natural flavors' need not be broken down. This was their initial reaction but when there was an upsurge created, they reacted saying that they never claimed that the fries sold in US were vegetarian but this claim of theirs was also subsequently proved wrong. They went on the defensive instead. They were blamed for deceiving million of people who may not want to have beef extract in their fries for religious, health, ethical or other reasons. In the fast-food outlet sector, the management is faced with the dual challenge of providing high standards of service to the satisfaction of customers both at home and across borders with their own cultural differences. According to Ritzer (1993) the fast food segment is the organizational force representing and extending the process of rationalization and encroaches on individual identity (cited by Keel, 2006). McDonald has been charged with undermining cultural diversity and destroying the viability of local communities (Rifkin, 2001) for example, in India, consumers recently trashed McDonald's restaurants for violating Hindu dietary laws. McDonald did make some adaptation to

The Economic development of Russia 1929-1945 Essay

The Economic development of Russia 1929-1945 - Essay Example 1929-1945 was possibly the greatest transformative period of time in Soviet history; partly due to the occurrence of the Second World War lasting from 1939-1945 and partly due to its leadership. During this period, Stalin combined his hold on power and was allowed to rule with liberty, establishing his â€Å"revolution from above† on the Soviet people1. His rule extended from 1922-1952 and was therefore responsible for majority of the economic transformation at the time. He substituted the New Economic Policy (NEP) instituted by his predecessor with a highly centralised planned (command) economy. This launched a period of collectivization and industrialization that caused rapid transformation of the USSR into an industrial power from an agrarian society. The initial disruption in agriculture unsettled food production and contributed to the disastrous Soviet famine of 1932–1933, which in Ukraine was known as the Holodomor2. Afterwards, in a period that continued from 193 6 to 1939, Stalin established a movement against suspected enemies within his administration - the Great Purge – during which hundreds of thousands were executed. In August 1939, a non-aggression pact was signed by Stalin and Nazi Germany that distributed their power and territory within Eastern Europe, causing the invasion of Poland later in September of that year. Germany later dishonoured the agreement and in June 1941 initiated a substantial invasion of the Soviet Union. In spite of numerous territorial and human losses, Soviet forces succeeded in halting the Nazi incursion following the decisive Battles of Stalingrad and Moscow3. After overwhelming the Germans on the Eastern Front, Berlin was captured in May 1945 by the Red Army, effectively ending the Second World War for the Allies in Europe. Consequently the Soviet Union arose as one of two acknowledged world super-powers, the United States being the other4. This aim of this paper is to analyse the events that occurred

Leadership And Management Theory And Practical Application Management Essay

Leadership And Management Theory And Practical Application Management Essay As the world of business changes, so do the theories in the management and leadership. For example, if just a 5 decades ago, the major focus when running the company, was on the management, today the situation is drastically different (Lawler, 2006). Today, the leadership has taken a greater role in the process of running a company, and the management theory has undergone a tremendous evolution, giving the rise to the human relations movement (Lawler, 2006). While the new management theories have been gaining the popularity, the review below will show that, the scientific management has not lost its importance. The debate over which one is more important for a company, the management or the leadership, has been a controversial topic for decades. According to the theories currently discussed in the academic and professional circles, it seems that the opinions are divided. However, all sides seem to agree that both, leadership and management are important aspects in the process of running a company (Lawler, 2006). More on this topic will be discussed in the later chapters. At this point it has to be noted that, the leadership and management, both have their unique functions, methods of development and application, and most importantly, have their advantages and disadvantages (McGovern, 2002 ). Furthermore, which one is more exercised and applied in a company is highly dependent on the culture, history, tradition, education, and the business philosophy. In order to better understand the importance and roles the leadership and management play, three countries prospective will be discussed below: US, Germany, and China. Theory of leadership and theory of management What is leadership? While the definitions vary, it seems that there is a consensus that, regardless of the leadership theory employed, leaders provide visions, goals, and get people united behind a shared idea, values, and believes. Theories of leadership are multiple; trait theory, functional theory, transactional theory, transformational theory, path-goal theory, and many more (Van Vugt, 2011). However, whatever the theory, there are common aspects that all of them share, and that is, success of a group is a result of two factors: Leadership style. Situational favorability. The leadership style depends on the multiple factors such as: ethnicity, culture, social background, education, experience, and character (Van Vugt, 2011). Regardless of these factors, it seems the leadership approaches have been segregated in to two broad groups: relationship oriented, and task oriented. In the first case, the relationship oriented, the leaders tend to focus on the people, and try to communicate the vision based on the relationship, personalities, and values (Van Vugt, 2011). In the second case, the task oriented, the leaders try to unite people behind a task or a goal they are attempting to accomplish. The situational factors depend on: leader-follower relations, task structure, and the position power. Among them, the most notable ones are the first and the third aspects. First is the relationship a leader has with the followers, and the third one is the amount and the formal of power a leader has, and how he chooses to exercise it in leading an organization (Van Vugt, 2011). What is management? According to a classic definition, management is an act of organizing and planning of the human and material resources in order to accomplish the desired plans and objectives (Kaufman, Beaumont, Helfgott, 2003). Furthermore, management is involved in the organizing, planning, budgeting, directing, and controlling of these resources in order for the goals and objectives to be fulfilled effectively and efficiently. The management theories are numerous, but they all seem to follow the principles provided in the two dominant theories in management, the scientific management theory, and the human relations theory. The scientific management theory, also called Taylorism, is a theory which focuses on analyzing and synthesizing the work flows. The primary goal of the theory is to accomplish the superior economic efficiency, especially when it comes to the labor productivity (Kaufman, Beaumont, Helfgott, 2003). The human relations movement is a theory which views the organizations in the psychological prism rather than the mechanical parts prism. Thus, it focuses on the social relations, motivation, and the employee satisfaction (Kaufman, Beaumont, Helfgott, 2003). Discussion Management and leadership; comparative analysis The argument that leadership is more important than management is, or vise versa, has not been settled. Some argue for one, and the others highlight the importance of the other. However, they all agree that the leaders and managers provide a valuable contribution to the organizations (Lunenburg, 2011). The first one to take a stand on the roles of the leadership and management was Abraham Zaleznik, in 1977 in the Harvard Business Review (Lunenburg, 2011). He argued that, leaders and managers play a vital role in the organization, but their functions, roles, and impacts are different. According to him, leaders promote the change and development of the new approaches, while the managers advocate for the stability and the status quo. Furthermore, leaders are concerned with the peoples understanding and gaining their commitment, while the managers are focused on the responsibilities, exercising authority, and accomplishing the immediate tasks at hand (Lunenburg, 2011). However, in 1990 John Kotter has offered his view on the roles and importance of the leadership and management in the organization (Lunenburg, 2011). As he argued, the roles of the leaders and managers are important in organizations, but they are different, and they are complementary. This was a big change in how the two concepts were viewed in the business as well as the academic circles. As Kotter argued, the role of leadership is to cope with change, while the role of the management is to cope with the complexity. According to Kotter, the leadership process is focused on: developing the vision for the organization, getting people on board through the communications, and motivating people via empowerment and basic need fulfillment (Lunenburg, 2011). Thus, leadership creates change and uncertainty in the organization. On the other hand, management is concerned with: planning and budgeting, organizing and staffing, and controlling and problem solving. Thus, management reduces the uncertainty and provides the stability in the organization (Paauwe, 2004 ). Thus, based on the above discussion and views, it is obvious that, depending on the views on the leadership and management, there are aspects that differentiate the two, and there are areas which may overlap. According to the older views, the overlaps are much more common and large, and according to the latest views on the roles and functions of the leadership and management, the common areas are much smaller (Paauwe, 2004). As it seems, the latest views, ones presented by the Kotter, seem to be more mainstream. In order to see the differences Kotter has advocated for, the following paragraphs will highlight the differences more precisely. Five categories of comparison between the management and the leadership will be used: thinking process, goal setting, employee relations, operations, and governance (Lunenburg, 2011). The five categories in the leadership prism (Lunenburg, 2011): Thinking process; focus is on people, and looks outward. The day to day activities are completely out of the focus and interest. Goal setting; communicates the vision, describes the future; sees a forest in other words. It uses broad strokes, general descriptions, and leaves the details to others. Employee relations; empowers people, develops trust, commitment, and builds collegial relationships. Operations; does the right things, advocates and promotes change, serves subordinates; promotes bottom up approach. Governance; uses influence, trust, respect, and acts decisively. It is less about the authority, and more about the agreement and on-boarding. The five categories in the management prism (Lunenburg, 2011): Thinking process; focuses on the tasks at hand, and focuses inward. It is about the things that need to be done in order to accomplish the vision set out by the leader. Goal setting; executes plans, oversees the processes, focuses on the present day; sees the trees in other words. Employee relations; controls, subordinates, directs, and coordinates. It is much more functioning relationship which is based on the formal foundations. Operations; does the right thing, manages and oversees the implementation of the changes, and serves the superiors in the organizational hierarchy. Governance; uses authority, reduces and prevents conflicts, and acts responsibly. Thus, as the above discussion has shown, Kotter has been right when he argued about the differences and the complementarily. As the category descriptions above have shown, the leadership is about the general visions, while the management is about getting things done. Practical applications of management and leadership As the discussion above has shown, the roles, focus, and the practice of leadership and management have changed over time. While the earlier practice and application have overlapped more, today they are much different. The practice of the leadership and management are different based on the two major factors: the environmental stability and the task complexity. Quadrant 4 Considerable leadership and management required Quadrant 3 Considerable leadership, not much management necessary High Change Quadrant 2 Little leadership but considerable management required Quadrant 1 Little leadership or management required Low Low Complexity High Figure 1: leadership and management and the impact of change and stability (BoÃÅ'ˆrsch, 2007) As you can see from the figure 1 above, there are four distinct scenarios where the leadership and management are playing different roles. The conditions and the degrees of change and complexity are expressed in the four quadrants indicated in the four different colors. As you can see, the horizontal axis represents the degree of the complexity, and the vertical axis represents the degree of change required. Lets discuss the roles of the leadership and management in each of the quadrant, representing the four scenarios organizations may face in the business environment. Quadrant 1; this is the case when there is little leadership or management is required. This environment exists when the change is not required, or the requirement is low, and the complexity of the task is low as well. This was the case before 1900s, when the technology was simple, and the demand was somewhat uniform (Brewster, 2008). Quadrant 2; this is the case when the leadership is not as important, but requires considerable management. This environment is characteristic to the slow growth or stagnant economies, where the leadership doesnt accomplish a lot, and the management is the one responsible for finding the new ways to achieve growth (Krug, 2004). Quadrant 3; this is the case when an organization faces a high turbulence in the environment, and has little complexity in the tasks to be accomplished. This environment is characteristic to the companies undergoing reforms, changing cultures, and transformation. Here the leadership takes charge, and guides the company through the tough times (Carter, Ulrich, Goldsmith, 2005). Quadrant 4; this is the case when both, the management and the leadership is hard at work in order to stabilize the environment, and accomplish the difficult tasks (BoÃÅ'ˆrsch, 2007). This is the case in the highly volatile environments where the tasks are difficult to get done. One example would be a post soviet Russia, where companies faced considerable challenges in terms of the environment, as well as the task complexities. It was caused by the two factors; first it was the political instability. Was Russia going to adopt the capitalist system or was it going to go with the old, soviet system? Second, the lack of clarity on who was in charge, what the regulations were, and how they were applied, was a challenge, and the local managers were in charge of getting things done (Ardichvili, and Kuchinke, 2002). As the matrix above has shown, there are different circumstances, and the requirements for the roles of the leadership and management change accordingly. However, as the debate continues on which one to apply and use more, there are two combinations that might arise. First it is the weak leadership and strong management. In these companies, the focus is on the short term goals, details, reducing and eliminating the risk, and basing everything on the rational decision making process. Furthermore, the management focuses on fitting the people to the jobs, and making sure the compliance is adequate (Carter, Ulrich, Goldsmith, 2005). The consequence of this type of governance is sometimes unintended, but nonetheless, it is catastrophic for the organizations. As a result of the weak leadership, an organization becomes rigid, less innovative, and most importantly, unable to change as the environments changes. Processes become micromanaged, and there is a slow but steady deterioration in the productivity, effectiveness, and motivation (Carter, Ulrich, Goldsmith, 2005). In the case of the strong leadership and weak management, the situation is somewhat different. In this case, there is a strong vision for the future, but there is no short term planning and budgeting. In these types of organizations, there is cult-like culture, where there are no rules, regulations, structures, and specialization. As a result, the organization becomes hard to control, deadlines are not met, the coordination becomes poorer and poorer, and often times the organization collapses due to the lack of the day to day management (Carter, Ulrich, Goldsmith, 2005). Thus, as the practical application of the leadership and management has shown, it is critical to strike a golden balance which will assure the long term vision, flexibility, as well as the planned and well managed procedures which will guide the company to a desired goal. Multi-country prospective: US, Germany, China When looking at the leadership and the management in the multicultural prospective, it is interesting how the approaches differ. Lets look at how the practices are implemented in the three countries. US; as it seems, the American companies are striving for balancing the management and the leaderships roles more than any other countries named below. In addition, American leaders are building their roles based on the charisma, and rely less on the power. In terms of the management, its all about the professionalism (Carter, Ulrich, Goldsmith, 2005). Germany; in the case of Germany, its all about the management, and less about the leadership. The balance can be described as 60/40. Thus, German companies put more emphasis (relatively speaking)on the getting things done, and doing them right (BoÃÅ'ˆrsch, 2007). China; in the case of China, the balance shown in the German case tips further to the managements side. In China, management is responsible for getting things done, but the leadership holds the most power (Qiao, 2006). This is not observed in any of the previous two cases. In the US and Germany, the balance of power, as well as the responsibilities, are much more evenly and adequately allocated. Conclusions As the review has shown, the roles, the views, and the overall approaches to the leadership and management, have changed dramatically over the years. While in the beginning of the 20th century, the roles were somewhat not relevant and less important, as the world economy grew and the competition, as well as the instability increased, the roles of the leaders and the managers have grown in importance (Lawler, 2006). Not only the roles have grown, but the views on which is more important, and in what context, have changed as well. As Kotter indicates, these two professions have different functions, different purposes, different scopes of operations, and are complementary rather than conflicting with one another. The earlier views which stated that leaders where promoting change and uncertainty, and the managers were for the stability for the status quo, have changed (Brewster, 2008). Today leaders dont promote the change, rather they cope with it, and the managers, they deal with the complexities. Thus, the conclusion is, leadership is critical in the changing world. They set the visions, goals, and see the bigger picture. Managers on the other hand, they are the ones who make sure things get done. They are the planners, organizers, and the fixers. In other words, the leaders are architects, and the managers are the builders; and the right balance between them is absolutely necessary in any organization.

Free Essays - Tale of Two Cities :: Tale Two Cities Essays

Tale of Two Cities The main purpose of this book is to show the contrasts between the peaceful city of London and the city of Paris, tearing itself apart in revolution. This is apparent in the very first line of the book, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...." This is a contrast of the two cities, London, the tranquil home of Mr. Lorry and the Darnays'; and Paris, the center of a bloody revolution. The author shows gentleness in these violent times in the persons of Dr. and Lucie Mannette, both gentle and peaceful. He also characterizes the evil side of the revolution in the apathetic and depraved Misuser and Mademoiselle Defarge, who go about their business while death carts roll-- as do heads-- through the streets of Paris. He does though, depict a ray of light amongst all this evil; the heroic Carton, who gave his life for his friend and a woman he knew he would never have. The biggest contrast of all, is in the person of Misuser Darnay, the gentle English family man, who is also related to the evil Marquis Evremonde. I personally like stories that use historical events as backdrops because it brings these seemingly distant events closer to us. This book definitely offers insight into life in the two cities at the time of the French Revolution. I think it does an excellent job of depicting just how totally involved some people became in the revolution. It shows how people were blinded by the desire for freedom from their former oppressors, so much so, that they attacked anyone and anything that was even remotely related to their past rulers. I think this was effectively done by excellent characterization, using each character to depict a different aspect of society, then contrasting them by making them rivals. I really took away a different view of that time period. Some of the language he used was definitely outdated. The language was exactly what you would expect for a novel of that time period. I was able to follow the story pretty well, although there were a few times, in switching back and forth between cities, that I got a little lost Still on the whole I liked the way the story flowed. Unlike some stories of that time, there wasn't really any profanity or taking of God's name in vain, which is always good to see.