Outback Steakhouse Case Study Essays

Outback Steakhouse Case Study Essays Outback Steakhouse Case Study Essay Outback Steakhouse Case Study Essay Overview of the Outback Case Study Analysis The authors of the Outback Goes International study, (hereinafter the â€Å"Study† or â€Å"Case†) depict a restaurant company, Outback Steakhouse, (â€Å"Outback†, the â€Å"Business†, or the â€Å"Company†) that by 1995 had experienced significant growth over the prior seven years. The Case addresses how management identified international expansion and product diversification as the principle elements of a strategic plan formulated to continue rapid expansion. This report will evaluate Outback’s strategies of international expansion and restaurant diversification in light of alternative means of achieving enhanced shareholder value via growth. Several uncertainties and challenges, which management acknowledged and the Case documents, faced Outback. The methodology used by the Company to consider its strategic options will be addressed by this report as well. The analysis contained herein will evaluate issues pertaining to those challenges, relying on the comparative performance of the Company’s publicly traded stock as the ultimate measure of management’s success or failure. This report will first evaluate the fundamental elements of the companies’ strategic plans, incorporating published academic research regarding strategic decisions, risks and the basis for management’s decisions. Additionally, further evaluation of the opportunities and competitive achievements in the international arena will be conducted. Finally, this report will attend to and appraise the ultimate financial performance achieved by the Company since the establishment in 1995 of its strategic plans and subsequent preparation of the Case being analyzed herein. Comments from Outback’s legendary C. F. O. Bob Merritt, will serve to punctuate the conclusion of this analysis; Outback’s strategies of product diversification and international expansion did not pay off for shareholders. Strategic Planning Methodology In evaluating Outback’s strategic plan this report adopts the fundamental assumption that management has as its primary objective the creation of shareholder value. Presumably, strategic decisions of management are designed to support this value proposition. A number of alternatives exist for companies to create value and Outback’s challenge was to weigh potential returns of alternatives against their inherent risks. Adrian J. Slywotzky and John Drzik of Mercer who document seven classes of strategic risk in their April 2005 article Strategic Risk Management published in the Harvard Business Review, set forth that in managing strategic risks there are an, â€Å"array of external events and trends that can devastate a companys growth trajectory and shareholder value. † It is evident that Sullivan, Outback’s chief executive, was aware of risk when he stated, â€Å"†¦the world is becoming one big market, and we want to be in place so we don’t miss that opportunity. † Management can react to risk through five generic responses as addressed in A framework for integrated risk management in international business, published in 1992 by Dr. Kent Miller in the Journal of International Business Studies . Miller’s five responses are identified as avoidance, control, cooperation, imitation, and flexibility. Sullivan and his management team’s plans reflected their primary concerns over two of the strategic risks identified by Slywotzky and Drzikclear; stagnation and competition. Stagnation is characterized as flat or declining sales volumes; in the case of Outback slower growth. The risk of competition is characterized by emerging competitive threats; in the case of Outback this strategic risk was represented by restaurant competitors in their markets. These were appropriate concerns and priorities given the facts of the Case. In responding to these threats, management’s reaction reflected four of Miller’s five categories of risk responses including control, imitation, cooperative responses and organizational flexibility . Sullivan and his team sought to control uncertain variables rather than passively treat the uncertainties as constraints by continuing to gain market power via growth in units. In addition they resorted to imitation of rival organizations strategies to cope with uncertainty by pursuing a â€Å"multipronged† strategy that both encompassed new restaurant concept development and international expansion; a strategy that had been adopted by other competitors including their former employer and competitor Brinker International. Outback also intended to utilize joint venture and franchise agreements as a cooperative response by creating partnerships that produce interdependence. Finally, as Miller points out, the Company adopted organizational flexibility by embracing, â€Å"the most widely cited example of flexibility in the strategy literature†¦product or geographic market diversification. † International expansion and new restaurant concept development certainly fulfilled this documented organizational flexibility response to risk. Absent from the Case and potentially excluded from Outback’s strategic considerations was the alternative response of expansion and diversification through a merger or acquisition. While the Company did acquire an Italian concept, Carrabbas Italian Grill, for development purposes, the business was very small at the time and as a result did not generate synergies or make significant near term contributions to revenue and profits. While Outback may have evaluated acquisition or merger alternatives, the Company did not integrate this strategic alterative into its plans. In fact, in June of 1999, Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse was available for sale . This company represented several hundred million in annual revenues with obvious synergies. However, despite in-depth discussions, Outback avoided making an offer to acquire the business and Ruth Chris was sold to the private equity firm of Madison Dearbourn Partners. Ironically, Ruth Chris went public in August of 2005, raising $235 Million that represented, â€Å"the richest IPO from a restaurant firm since Dominos Pizza (DPZ) kicked off in July, 2004 with proceeds of $337 million†, according to Thomson Financial. This was an opportunity the Company missed, and reflects an error in not considering acquisitions as a prong in its â€Å"multipronged† plan. In reviewing the Case, and researching the basis for Outback’s evaluation of strategic alternatives in 1995, management’s decisions appeared prudent at the time and reflected established theories in strategic thinking, planning and risk evaluation. Expanding internationally and diversifying through new restaurant concept development represented sound direction at the time. To further support the basis for the aforementioned strategic direction of the Company, one can look at the growth trajectory of the business. At the end of 1994, Outback had 214 locations in operation. Its annual sales growth from inception in 1988 until its fiscal 2004 year end averaged 53. 91%. Since 1992 the company had more than doubled revenues, growing from $189. 2 Million in 1992 to $415. 9 Million in 1994. As the Study notes, Chairman Sullivan described this growth, expressing that, â€Å"we can do 500 to 600 restaurants (domestically)†¦ over the next five years. † In the year 1995 had Outback maintained its averaged unit growth rate of 53. 91% over the prior three years the Company would have reached U. S. market penetration of 600 locations in a matter of a few years. In fact the Case notes, although somewhat more conservatively, â€Å"At the rate the Company was growing (70 units annually), Outback would near the market’s saturation within 4 to 5 years. † Therefore Sullivan had to explore alternative methods of growth to continue to create value. The business had, according to the Study, a â€Å"multipronged strategy† that included the expansion of its Italian chain â€Å"Carrabbas Italian Grill† and the development of new dining themes. Interestingly, by 1994 Brinker International, a key competitor of Outback, had already achieved a degree of international expansion and planned to continue its pursuit of this strategy. According to Brinker International’s 10K filing with the SEC dated September 27, 1994, â€Å"During the past two years, the Company entered into several international franchise agreements, which will bring Chilis to Australia, France, Puerto Rico, and the United Kingdom in the next 12 months. In fiscal 1994, the first Chilis restaurants outside North America opened in Singapore and Malaysia on February 4, 1994 and June 15, 1994, respectively. The third, fourth and fifth overseas Chilis locations opened in Egypt, Australia and Puerto Rico on July 19, 1994, August 28, 1994 and September 6, 1994, respectively. The Company intends to continue pursuing international expansion and is currently contemplating development in other countries. † In addition to Brinker’s international expansion, it also had amassed 458 locations that included six different restaurant concept brands. It is apparent that Brinker International had already pursued the plan that Outback ultimately adopted, further confirming Outback’s adoption of Miller’s imitation response to risk referenced previously. Restaurant competitors of Outback that served the casual, full-service dining segment generally had not expanded internationally like fast food restaurants. This is confirmed by the Case, which lists T. G. I. Friday’s and Applebee’s, the only direct competitors of Outback on the list, as having only 39 international locations as of 1994. The Case failed to include Brinker International in its data, but given the documented expansion, the number of casual dining chains engaged in international expansion was relatively limited in 1994 at the time Outback was considering its plans. Obviously an opportunity existed for international growth; but would this growth add value to shareholders? Recall that this report addresses the strategic decisions of the Company in the context of appreciation in shareholder value, which represents the ultimate measuring stick of performance. A June 2005 report in the Outlook Journal titled Getting a Truer Picture of Shareholder Value, concluded that, â€Å"there is a limited and diminishing correlation between those measures (net income and earnings per share) and share prices. A company’s income statement usually accounts for only about 4 percent of market value for a stock with a typical price/earnings ratio of 25, while the balance sheet covers about 25 percent. The remaining 70 percent of market value consists of intangible assets and expectations of future growth. † Pushing continued expansion to support or further promote publicly traded share prices is common. However, as Motley Fool’s Brian Green attests in a February 2000 article commenting on then popular P. F. Chang’s, a recent star in the domestic casual dining segment, stock, â€Å"Its at this point in the script when the customer lines are stretching out the door and the national expansion plan is gearing up that so many hot restaurant operators of yesteryear have screwed up everything. † In fact, the notion that international expansion is an intelligent strategic option for a business in the service sector, such as Outback, is questionable. While it is generally understood that a firm’s financial performance improves with a greater multinational presence, empirical studies have rejected this notion. Instead, becoming an international business has been shown to have, â€Å"Both a U-shaped relationship (which suggests an initially negative effect of international expansion on performance, before the positive returns of international expansion are realized) and an inverted-U-shaped relationship (which suggests that international expansion beyond an optimal level is again detrimental to performance, and results in a negative slope). Meaningful analysis of expansion in the international marketplace by restaurant companies and the related financial performance of such companies is not readily identifiable. However, the Case does address many issues that created great challenges for international expansion, including location, distribution, local appeal, and other factors. Undoubtedly, if a proven financial model exists for a restaurant brand domestically, this does not mean that the same formula is applicable in foreign markets. Regardless, over the past decade Outback has expanded to 123 units internationally and developed six new restaurant concepts including Carrabbas Italian Grill, Lee Roy Selmons, Cheeseburger in Paradise, Bonefish Grill, Paul Lee’s Chinese Kitchen, and Flemings Prime Steakhouse Wine Bar. The Company also has a joint venture development relationship with Roy Yamaguchi, the chef and creator of Roys Restaurants located in Hawaii, the U. S. , and Japan. These accomplishments are in line with the strategies management outlined over ten years ago. However, despite achieving their goals, the ultimate judge of the strategic plan should be defined by the financial performance of the Company and finally the enhancement of shareholder value. Outback Financial Performance – The Results As mentioned in the introduction, increasing shareholder value is a primary objective of management. The results of a businesses’ profitability, growth prospects and returns contribute to investors’ valuation and ultimately judge management performance over the long haul. Share prices of public companies are objective reflections of market value and serve to compare Outback’s performance during the past ten years to a number of its main competitors. It should be noted that each of the competitor companies included in the comparison are large chains, with significant revenues, market capitalization of several billion dollars, managing multiple concepts and having significant international operations. These restaurant chains are identified as the â€Å"four big players† , in the restaurant industry. For additional evaluative purposes, the broad S 500 index is also included. (THIS SPACE LEFT BLANK FOR FORMATING PURPOSES ONLY) Graphic of Competitive Stock Price Appreciation From 8/26/95 through 8/26/05 Graph 1 Outback Steakhouse = OSI, EAT = Brinker International, APPB= Applebee’s, DRI = Darden Foods sp500=S 500 Of the four companies depicted in Graph 1, Outback has generated the poorest appreciation in stock price during the past decade. Darden Foods experienced the greatest appreciation, rising nearly 400%, Brinker International appreciated nearly 250%, Applebee’s nearly 150%, and Outback, below the performance of the S 500, appreciated 100% over the past decade. These are disappointing results and would not reflect the optimism demonstrated in the Case performed on Outback regarding its plans in 1995. What is the cause of this poor performance in shareholder value appreciation? Regrettably, financial disclosure documents submitted by Outback and its competitors described in this report do not provide adequate evaluation and disclosure of international operations to ascertain the relative financial performance of its international business. While Outback has successfully opened 123 units internationally since its strategic decision a decade ago, the specific financial contributions from these ventures are indeterminable. However, the appreciation of the Company’s stock is irrefutable. An interesting development pertaining to the financial performance of Outback is the recent surprise retirement of its CFO, Bob Merritt. Highly regarded and referenced extensively in the Case, it would be interesting to learn of Merritt’s perspective. Perhaps these observations would provide clues as to Outback’s performance issues. Thankfully, in a June 2005 interview with Chain Leader Magazine written by David Farkas entitled, Parting Shots, Merritt is rather candid. The article first substantiates Merritt’s stature as described in the Case. â€Å"Bob’s legacy will be as the pre-eminent CFO in our industry over the past two decades,† says investor and former Brinker International CFO Jim Parish. SG Cowen’s Paul Westra, who has followed Outback since 1994, considers Merritt to be â€Å"the granddaddy† of CFOs. While Merritt cites frustrating changes in financial accounting standards as a motivation for his abrupt departure from the Company, his thoughts are not limited to this point and he provides some keen insights to what has gone on in the halls of his former employer. When asked about his perspective on the casual dining segment, Merritt opined, â€Å"It’s going through a fundamental change. You now have four big players†, these are the companies included in this report’s stock price comparison, â€Å"and they are all net generators of cash. He added, â€Å"It’s also the most competitive environment and the worst cost environment. † Merritt makes an interesting point that goes to the heart of the issue of growth in the industry when he says, â€Å"There is an inflection point in the development of any restaurant concept. The cost to build the incremental restaurant escalates faster than the ability to raise prices. The consumer doesn’t care that the cost to open a restaurant in 2005 is 50 percent higher than the cost of the one five miles away that was built in 1995. They are not going to pay proportionately more to eat in the new unit. As a result, returns go down. At some point the incremental return doesn’t justify the incremental investment. † Finally Merritt points out, â€Å"Will they (management) do what they have historically done and continue to mindlessly expand these concepts well past this inflection point and destroy capital, or will they change and become more concerned about generating real shareholder value and how to grow it? A number of companies in this industry are destroying capital by continuing to grow even though incremental returns don’t exceed their risk-adjusted capital cost. † Was Merritt referring to Outback’s expansion strategy, given its relatively dismal performance during the past decade? It certainly sounds like it based on the review of share price appreciation of his former employer, Outback Steakhouse. Conclusions Outback’s plans as described in the Case and reviewed in this analysis seemed quite prudent at the time. However, if the objective of management is to maximize shareholder value, given Mr. Merritt’s commentary, is this best accomplished by expansion that might not fundamentally provide adequate financial returns? Judging by the results and Mr. Merritt’s thoughts, Outback’s expansion plans have not been successful. Outback’s results as compared to its competition fail to reflect a business that achieved what it had hoped to. While adding many units, it is clear that the incremental benefit from its expansion did not enhance value in a manner that compares to its competitors. Perhaps the results of the strategy had more to do with poor execution.

Learn the Use of Have in English

Learn the Use of Have in English Students of English will eventually both have and have got to express possession. Both forms can express what we own, but also the relationships we have. For example, I have / have got a car and a father. Beginning level students should also know that have is preferred in US English, and have got is much more common in British English. Finally, the fact that US English often uses gotten as the participle for various verbs including phrasal verbs with get, but will also use have got when expressing possession can further confuse students. This guide provides examples of the various uses of both forms. The differences between have and have got can be confusing for beginners. Here is a guide the two forms. When you finish reviewing, try the quiz  to check your understanding. Remember these important points: Have and Have got are used for possession.Example: Jack has got a beautiful house. OR Jack has a beautiful house.Only have is used when talking about actions.Example: I usually have breakfast at 8 oclock. NOT I usually have got breakfast at 8 oclock.The question form for have follows regular present simple:Example: Do you have a fast car? NOT Have you a fast car?Have and Have got are only used in the present simple. Use have for the past simple or future forms.Example: She had a copy of that book.There is no contracted form for Have in the positive form. The contracted form is used for have gotExample: I have a red bicycle. OR Ive got a red bicycle. NOT Ive a red bicycle. Here is a grammar chart showing the construction of the two forms: Forms With Have Got Have got is used both British and American English but is more common in British English. Note that have got is used for possession in American English, but that gotten is used for as the past participle for other uses of get. Subject Positive Form Negative Form Question Form I, You, We, They Subject + have + got + objects - contracted form: ve got They have got a new car. Ive got a number of friends in Los Angeles. Subject + have + not + got + objects - contracted form: havent got We have not got a dog. They havent got time to meet today. (? word) + have + subject + got? How many children have you got? Have we got enough time today? He, She, It Subject + has + got + objects - contracted form: s got He has got a new car. Its got red stripes and yellow stars. Subject + has + not + got + objects - contracted form: hasnt got She has not got a dog. It hasnt got any spots on it (? word) + has + subject + got? How many children has he got? Has it got any gas in the tank? Forms With Have Have is more common in American English when speaking about possession. However, have got, as mentioned before, is also used in American English for possession.   Subject Positive Form Negative Form Question Form I, You, We, They Subject + have + objects - no contracted formThey have a new car. We have classes on Friday. Subject + do + not + have + objects - contracted form: dont have They do not have a dog.We dont have time for lunch now. (? word) + do + subject + have?How many children do you have? Do we have any pasta left? He, She, It Subject + have + objects - no contracted formShe has a new car.He has three children. Subject + does + not + have + objects - contracted form: doesnt haveShe does not have a dog. He doesnt have any friends in town. (? word) + does + subject + have?How many children does he have? Does she have a vacation this month? Note: Sometimes the irregular form Have you a car/house/etc. is used in antiquated (older) forms of British English

A STUDY OF AN UNKNOWN WEAK ACID Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

A STUDY OF AN UNKNOWN WEAK ACID - Lab Report Example A combination (pH-reference electrode) was obtained. A screw-like BNC connection of the electrode was inserted into the slot at the rear of the meter and turned (unsteady or sporadic readings could indicate a loose connection). The electrode was suspended from the meter arm and after which it was kept from drying out by placing it in a beaker of water. When it was ready to make measurements, the air hole under the knurl at the top was insured to be in the open position. The meter was then calibrated. The ATC probe was inserted in order to automatically monitor the temperature. After this the electrode was rinsed with the wash bottle and blotted dry (the electrode was not rubbed as this would cause static buildup and erroneous results). For the case of the sample, a trial run was carried out first to determine the required mass of unknown weak acid. For the trial run the sample need not be oven dry. About 0.1 g of the unknown sample was put into a 250mL beaker. The mass of sample taken for titration was adjusted, so that 30 to 40 mL of NaOH titrant was used to reach a pH of 10 or higher if no endpoint had been found. The remaining unknown acid was heated in the 600C oven for approximately 1 hour before weighing out the next sample portions. When ready to titrate, about 100 mL of water was added to the previously weighed sample. The beaker was then placed on the magnetic stirrer and stirred vigorously in order to dissolve. The electrode was immersed in the solution taking care not to hit the fragile glass bulb with the stir bar. Then the burette was placed over the beaker. This was then titrated by adding 0.5 mL increments, recording to 2 decimal places, and reading the pH meter after each addition. A quick preliminary titration was performed in order to determine the location of the end point(s), carrying the titration past pH = 10 until no significant change in pH occurred with

Hospital visit-socioeconomic issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Hospital visit-socioeconomic issues - Essay Example contingent on where youre from, as in certain countries the healthcare and welfare systems are functioning properly and fulfilling their purposes to the best degree possible, while at the same time there are entire countries that lack appropriate systems, causing extreme socio-economic problems. When we mention socio-economic problems relating to hospital visiting, we generally talk about not having a health insurance. The sad reality of today is that there are so many people without a decent health insurance, and when they are in need of proper medical care, they cannot get the proper medical services and treatments due to their lack of money. This may seem absurd of false but in reality this is very common and millions today still dont have health insurance. This leads them to fend for themselves when it comes to medical treatments they need. The first and best example I have to provide regarding this matter is that of my seventeen year old cousin with her ear infection. The socio-economic problems in her case were quite apparent. She, who came in due to a very painful middle ear infection, also suffered greatly because she couldnt open her mouth fully. Her infection was so severe that the doctor stated that she had to go to an ENT specialist. Clearly, specialists cost money, and the amount one has to pay for them is obviously greater than that one has to pay for regular hospital services. My cousin subsequently didnt want to go to the ENT specialist. The reason for her hesitance is that she doesnt have a health insurance. This means that shell have to pay very large sums of money in order to go see that specialist. This is probably a sum she simply cannot afford. I wanted to help her so much, but there was nothing I can do for her! Usually, when talking about socio-economic problems in this regard, we are talking about people from a lower social class (immigrants or people with a different ethnicity than most people in the country in the case of modern

Orthodox Jewish Wedding Essay Example for Free

Orthodox Jewish Wedding Essay Marriage is normally a ceremony done in churches, in government premises, or in modern ones like beaches and gardens. It is usually done as a sign of love between two people. Marriage used to be a very sacred ceremony as two people say their vows to each other. Different cultures do this in different manners. In this paper, we will discover how the Orthodox Jewish wedding is done. This would prove the diversity of cultures in the world and how the Jewish community carries out their traditions and belief. This is divided into three parts that include the preparations done before the wedding, the set up days before the wedding and the wedding proper. When two people fall in love, what they want to end up mostly is a bride and a groom or a husband and a wife. Although it is altered by some other reasons in the modern times, the idea of marriage is still considered sacred by most of us. Although socio-economic status, health, dynasty and other things affect the people’s view on marriage, we still cannot take away the fact that the people who get married always ask for a happy life. Whatever reason they may have, the bottom line is still that they are searching for contentment in any way. A Jewish wedding day, the same with all other religions, is something that they really celebrate. Different kinds of rituals happen weeks before and during this day, in consideration of their history and heritage. As soon as the couple gets engaged, rituals already take place. It includes breaking a plate to represent the temples in Jerusalem that were destructed. It is to signify that even if they are enjoying in the celebration of the wedding, they are still saddened with the fact that these temples were destroyed before. It is also usual for the parents to do the arrangement of the wedding, with the help of someone like a match-maker called Yenta. Although this is so, the groom is still required to ask the bride’s father for her hand in marriage and to pay a dowry in exchange of the bride (Retrieved on December 11, 2008 from http://www. bbc. co. uk/religion/religions/judaism/rites/weddings_1. shtml). Judaism sees this practice as sacred. They think that without a man and a woman, each of the sexes will never be complete. They complement each other and each compensates what the other loses. They also teach in their doctrines that any person without getting married doesn’t experience the absolute joy and contentment in this life. It means that being married gives satisfaction to people, especially when they are blessed by God. When referring to marriage, they usually use the term â€Å"sanctification† which usually refers to the spirituality of the bond that binds two people and of the commandment made by God. They also see it as something that has a purpose. They view marriage as a perquisite to reproduction and friendship. It is both procreation and companionship. In the bible, as they believe, â€Å"It is not good for a man to be alone†. It is also a practice of each person’s legal rights through a contractual agreement where they sign on. Although there were times when the Jews were dispersed all over the world, they are still successful in preserving this practice as they live. This is probably because they really believe in the practice, because through it, history proves that families stayed stable and happy when they underwent the same kind of marriage . Jewish weddings are almost the same. They are made easier by the Rabbis by asking for a very minimal requirement. The Rabbis is the one who makes the laws in this kind of ritual (Retrieved on December 11, 2008 from http://www. confetti. co. uk/article/view/5054-7598-0-). Marriage in the Orthodox Jewish is very much full of traditions that show practice and devotion. In planning their weddings, every detail is very important. They take the preparation as a challenge of their capacity and a challenge to celebrate the wedding successfully. They pay too much attention to all the needs of the ceremony that makes every wedding a perfect one. The Orthodox Jews are believed to be the strictest among the strands of the Jewish faith. Their wedding ceremony is done by combining the legal and religious aspects of marriage. In case one of the couple is non-Jewish, he or she is asked to convert to the same religion. They believe that happiness cannot be achieved if they don’t undergo marriage, which is a license to fulfillment in the world. Also, it is said that when they get married, they don’t just focus on material and temporal elements of the preparation, but they also assure that their doctrines are properly carried out and that their spiritual and moral preparedness is enveloped on the marriage itself. It just proves that although their marriage is after a good life on earth, they still put in more consideration the supernatural and their religion per se (Retrieved on December 11, 2008 from http://www. confetti. co. uk/article/view/5054-7598-0-). Planning an Orthodox Jewish wedding is very tedious. They must consider a lot of things for them to be able to come up with a successful one. Most of the Jewish couple provides a planner that would make it easier for them to see chronologically their plans and the specifics of the ceremony. Through that, they will be able to get organized and efficient in the planning of the main event. The date of the wedding is usually known after they already register with a synagogue and Rabbi at the Chief Rabbi’s office. The time of the day and the day itself are also given much attention to in planning a wedding. It is usual to marry in the afternoon or in the evening, but you can also marry anytime of the day according to what the couple desires. Most of them, however, choose to marry on days like Sunday and Tuesday. It is also not allowed to do the wedding three weeks between July and August and on the Sabbath of festival days (Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Passover Shavuot, and Sukkoth). In case, they want to get married on a Saturday, they prohibit doing the ceremony earlier than two hours before the sun is down (Retrieved on December 11, 2008 from http://www. onfetti. co. uk/article/view/5054-7598-0-). In general, the first thing to do in planning it is to choose a date that they both want. They usually choose special days like the birth or the death of their rabbis to make a more meaningful celebration. Like other people getting married, they choose a date that means something to them or a date that is significant in their relationship. They also must specify a place or a venue which has enough space for dancing and a wide area where you can put a divider to separate men and women for modesty’s sake. They are very much particular with modesty which they can prove by separating people of different sexes during the wedding ceremony. They must also choose a rabbi to preside the wedding ceremony and a sofer or a Jewish scribe to take charge of the Ketuba or the marriage contract. After that, they must tell their relatives and friends about the wedding and invite them to attend on it. Attendees on this kind of practice matters a lot to the couple because the wedding would not mean anything at all without the presence of a specific number of people. Once they confirm their attendance, they can already inform the caterer about the approximate number of visitors. This is usually done to avoid hassles to both families of the groom and the bride and to assure that everyone eats enough as they celebrate that most important part of their couple life. After that, they must inform those people who are taking part in the wedding to dress accordingly. This is also a sign of respect to the practice. The female ones must use clothes covering the knees and the arms to the elbows, while the married ones must cover their air. Men must wear yarmulkes. The couple must make the wedding canopy from a cloth that is velvet or from a prayer shawl. This is to signify the clouds that helped Jews with everything when they were in the desert. They must make sure that they have the dress, rings without anything engraved in them, and the other things. The bride must make sure she has a veil thicker than the others’ to wear it on the wedding day. From that, they must find a schedule to do the veiling ritual prior the wedding ceremony. It is said that such a practice symbolizes the biblical story that happened between Jacob and Rachel, when they planned to get married. They must assign seven men to utter the words of blessings with a wine. Lastly, they must secure a room for the couple where they can spend on after the wedding proper. They are expected to stay there before they eat and spend time together alone for a certain period (Retrieved on December 11, 2008 from http://www. ehow. com/how_2077192_plan-orthodox-jewish-wedding. html). The wedding invitation is usually two sided and has an English translation at the right side. It does not ask for the person’s presence, instead it is asking people to â€Å"dance at† or â€Å"share in the joy of†. In this kind of ritual, visitors are very important, because they play a very vital role in the process. The copies of the invitation may be distributed and may be given by the couple or both of their parents. Sometimes, the invitation also includes biblical quotes to explain people why such thing is done or to further elaborate the importance of each part of the program (Retrieved on December 11, 2008 from http://www. weddingdetails. com/lore/jewish. cfm). All of the guests are provided with copy of the program for them to know exactly what part they are in during the wedding proper. It may also include some Ketuba texts, the vendors’ names, a note coming from the bridal couple and some explanations of the different elements of the ceremony. This is also done to avoid unnecessary noises when they ask others why a particular thing is done (Retrieved on December 11, 2008 from http://www. weddingdetails. com/lore/jewish. cfm). The Orthodox bride must prepare something white, while the groom must have a short white linen robe called a kittel. The bride is also expected to visit mikyah in the morning of her wedding. This is done to make sure that the bride undergoes a ritual bath that is believed to purify her and to make her a better woman as she gets married (Retrieved on December 11, 2008 from http://www. weddingdetails. com/lore/jewish. cfm). It is also a must, that in able for a couple to get married in the Orthodox Jewish tradition, it is a perquisite that their parents also married in the same manner. Usually, both of their parents underwent the same practice. If in case their parents did not undergo the practice, they must talk to the rabbi for clarification. The ceremony includes singing and reading from the psalms. The wedding usually takes an hour before it finally ends. The wedding can actually occur anywhere, depending on what the groom and the bride choose. Given a desired venue, the bride or the Kallah and the groom or the Chatan, must stand under a canopy. The venue as chosen by them is usually paid by the bride’s parents. The validity of the wedding depends on the number of males present. There must e ten of them, which in their tradition, is called minyan (Retrieved on December 11, 2008 from http://www. confetti. co. uk/article/view/5054-7598-0-). Prior to the ceremony, the groom may spend time with his friends as eat and drink together on a table, called chassans tisch. Brides, on the other hand, take three or seven times circling her groom which is also a practice based on their bible (Retrieved on December 11, 2008 from http://www. weddingdetails. com/lore/jewish. cfm). When the guests arrive on the wedding day, males go with the groom in a certain room, while the female ones go with the bride in another room where she sits on a throne-type chair. This is called â€Å"public beckoning† and may be spent with just family and other guests (Retrieved on December 11, 2008 from http://www. eddingdetails. com/lore/jewish. cfm). A service usually starts with the opening from the rabbi, followed by a bride being escorted to the canopy. It is then followed by a ritual of circling the groom by the bride. This also has a hidden meaning. The benedictions are read after and then the sharing of the cup of wine. The exchange of the rings is then done, followed by the reading of ketuba. Another cup of wine is offered which is shared by the groom and the bride. It was first blessed and told with a prayer for the companionship and joy of the newly wed. Later on, they are proclaimed as husband and wife and they are showered with rice and are greeted with a toast (Retrieved on December 11, 2008 from http://www. weddingdetails. com/lore/jewish. cfm). During the marriage proper, the groom is asked to read from the Torah. That ritual is called Aufruf. Further, it is like a way of congratulating the couple, and letting the public know that they are getting married soon. In the same practice, some brides throw candies and nuts as he finishes the recitation of the benedictions. Through that, they are able to ask for a sweet and fertile life. The groom gives his bride a ring that is a sign of love. It is put on the bride’s right index finger, up to the second knuckle. It is so, because they believe that such a finger points to the soul and that it is used in pointing when they are reading the Torah. On the contrary, she puts the ring on his left ring finger. As they are doing this, they are reciting a Hebrew statement called haray aht (Retrieved on December 11, 2008 from http://www. weddingdetails. com/lore/jewish. cfm). In summary, preparing for the Orthodox Jewish Wedding is no easy thing. It requires a lot of effort to come up with an acceptable wedding that takes in consideration both the earthly and the religious aspect of life. Through this paper, we can also picture that even if there are still more days before the wedding, the people are already busy planning the event and are already doing some practices for the benefit of the big day. The wedding proper shows that values of these people as they do the rituals associated with getting married. It is also very obvious that they are really trying hard to avoid getting away from the proper way of doing it. Before and after the wedding, they are very optimistic about their, because of their trust to the Almighty. Everyone is looking forward to a happy and a blessed life ahead as they undergo the blessing of God through marriage. Celebration of their wedding is really something that the Jewish community must really be proud of. It is full of traditions that only their group inhibits and practices as well. Their culture is very rich and admirable. This is only a proof that cultures vary from place to place and that each culture has its beauty that everyone can admire. It is the Jewish community’s pride to have this and definitely, there are not just proud, but happy about acquiring this kind of culture.

Writing Style is Important Essay -- Writing Style Styles Essays

Writing Style is Important Contrary to popular conceptions of the term ‘style’, I have found that in the context of this class, as well as in the context of the books â€Å"Style Toward Clarity and Grace† by Joseph M. Williams and â€Å"The Elements of Style† by Strunk and White, that ‘style’ is not style in the sense that it is the way I write (in such as way as ‘everyone has their own unique style’). Style encompasses many elements to writing a cohesive, clear paper. However, I feel that in order to write a clear cohesive essay or paper, I must write in my own way, a way that I am familiar with. This may seem like it goes against something that would be in â€Å"The Elements of Style,† but it is not. Strunk and White clearly say in their book, â€Å"Write in a way that comes naturally.† (Strunk and White, 70). Even though Strunk and White say to write naturally, they contradict themselves later in the book. â€Å"Prefer the standard to the offbeat.† (Strunk and White, 81) is rather contradictory because I feel that if someone is going to write in a way that comes naturally, it can be offbeat, it can be different, and it can still be understood. Also, imaginative writing or experimental writing can help and create a better writer. Ravi’s Blog also addresses this issue, â€Å"It is much easier for me to be given a topic and write a formal essay on it than to push my writing outside conventional forms and really try something new. In order to succeed in the professional world, a writer needs to have a proficient command of standard English, but in order to explore ourselves and our relationships to one another, writers must find ways to break the mold.† (ravieng328.blogspot.com, October 7th entry). I think Ravi, as ment... ...at a lot of those rules are relative. That is to say my idea of wordy and breezy would be completely different then that of someone who will be reading this. I used to refer to my ‘style’ as the way I would write and the way my writing would be read personally. Now, after reading these books, I can see that there is more to style than just my own personality coming out in the writing. I can still have style, but I also need a different kind of style. I need the kind of style that is standard and recognized so that I will be more cohesive, more clear and write a better academically constructed paper. Works Cited http://ravieng328.blogspot.com Williams, Joseph M. Style Toward Clarity and Grace Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press, 1990. Strunk, William and White, E.B. The Elements of Style: Fourth Edition Boston: Allyn & Bacon, 2000, 1979.

Ender’s Game Good vs Evil

Ender’s Game – Good vs. Evil Writing In an epic saga capturing the struggle between two brothers, Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card, Ender and Peter are constantly at each other’s throats. Ender is the better of the two brothers as throughout the book he displays noble deeds and a strong mindset. Thus being said, Peter is the lesser of the two who throughout the book is doing something of malcontent, whether it is threatening to kill, killing, or fighting.Peter the older, power hungry brother is the evil to Ender’s good. From the beginning of the book, Anderson and Graff are, â€Å"Afraid of what (Peter) will do to (Ender). † (Card, 9). Later in the book, around the same time as when Ender is in Flight Commander school, Valentine is disgusted with Peter when she finds a squirrel’s dead carcass, â€Å"half – skinned, spiked by its little hands and feet with twigs†¦ She pictured Peter trapping it, staking it†¦how long ha d it taken the squirrel to die?And all the while Peter sat nearby, leaning against the tree where perhaps the squirrel had nested, playing with his desk while the squirrel’s life seeped away† (Card, 123) Peter is a ruthless killer who even tosses the idea of, â€Å" â€Å"whether to kill (Valentine) or what. † † (Card, 124) What other 12 year old child would commit such cruel acts? An evil one, one who skins animals to watch them die, one who threatens to kill it’s own sister, and one who torments all nearest to him, while acting under a blanket of innocence to hide his misgivings.Peter is a demon of a child with a lust for evil and wrong things to commit and threaten with. Ender the good to Peter’s evil, is the â€Å"better† of the two brothers. Ender does not want to, â€Å" (hurt) people again, just to save (himself). † (Card, 115) Ender does not have the same lust to kill or eradicate as Peter. For instance, Graff had to tri ck, â€Å" â€Å"(Ender) into (Commanding human forces to exterminate the buggers)†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"It had to be a trick or (Ender) couldn’t have done it†¦(They) had to have a commander with so much empathy that he would think like the buggers, understand them and anticipate them. † (Scott Card, 298) Ender had to be tricked into doing something that was against his morals for the greater good of his society, for the greater good of human existence. Even if that meant going against his personality, morality, and even his own human nature. With that the reader can promptly assume that Ender is the face on a TV ad trying to sell good. He is understanding, kind, but also will defend himself if provoked with an attack. Not to attack for the sake of attacking or attack for bloodlust, but simply as a reaction instilled in humans through the ages by the name of fight or flight.After the comprehension and understanding of Ender’s Game the reader finds that there are tw o polar opposite characters, Peter and Ender, who differ from each other more and more throughout the book, Peter the evil, and Ender the good. Peter the cold, heartless, killer and Ender his brother, who is, nothing like him at all. Kind, compassionate and understanding are all choice words when describing Ender. There is an old saying that reads, â€Å" Where there is good, there is also bad, and where there is bad, good will always triumph for it is fate. † (Anonymous)

The Go Between and Spies

â€Å"THE MAIN CHARACTERS IN THE GO-BETWEEN AND SPIES ARE SOCIALLY OPRRESSED ARE SOCIALLY OPPRESSSED† How far do you agree with this statement? Social Oppression is a main theme explored throughout the two tragic novels, The Go-Between and Spies. Throughout the novels, L. P. Hartley and Michael Frayn successfully convey the idea, through the use of their main characters, the effects of social oppression and class divide. Using many techniques they show how class and oppression had power over the people of the Victorian era.And even after the turn of the century, People were still trapped in the shadows of the past era. Both novels are told as flashbacks taking us through the lives of two main protagonists. The climax of both novels lead to the death of two male characters due to oppression. This gives us the idea that men were under greater pressure from social oppression. Considering, Marian and Ted are caught together ‘two bodies moving like one' in the squalid outhous e but yet only Ted takes his life. Leo, being‘acutely aware of social inferiority’ swings to the extreme opposite as he aspires to be a member of the hall.Leo, ‘a foreigner in the world of emotions’, a character so imaginative and sensitive gets invited into the world of Brandham hall in the summer of 1900. With Marcus thinking he was like them from the sophisticated sound of his home ‘Court Place’. He sees himself as lower class and a mere mortal among gods and goddesses. He characterises the members of the hall as figures of the zodiac. Marian is the ‘virgin of the zodiac’ ‘pure and innocent'. To him she is ‘the key to the whole pattern, the climax, the coping-stone, the goddess'. He‘insisted on thinking of them as angels’ no matter what because they ‘belonged to the zodiac’.Leo, aware of the social difference, feels like a ‘misfit’ among ‘these smart rich people’. H e is determined to keep his class a secret even though Mrs Maudsley had ‘the ability to fix you like a pinned butterfly with her gaze’. He overlooks the authentic care of his own mother and comments that she would be ‘socially unacceptable ; she would make a bloomer’ and prepares ‘to bear the humiliation’ by himself. Leo being so young, had no knowledge of the events and situation around them. This lack of knowledge and naivety makes him lost in a sophisticated world of adults and he finds his way to destruction.Leo, with ‘the weather defying him’, after he learns from Marcus that ‘only cads wear their school clothes in the holidays'. He starts to think of clothes as badges of social status and takes an offer from Marian to ‘take him to Norwich tomorrow and get him a new outfit'. This makes more highly aware of his social inferiority as he has ‘only fifteen shillings and eight pence half penny’ as she adds ‘that doesn’t matter,’ ‘we’ve got some’. This opens way for Marian to take advantage of Leo’s malleability and he becomes ‘Mercury’ for Ted and Marian as he gets involved with the illicit love affair.Leo admits he’s a ‘super snob’ and this snobbish, naive and bigoted character failed to allow him realise the danger of his work until it’s rather too late and the harm is already done. He fails to realise what ‘spooning’ is due to his lack of knowledge he could only have the thought of ‘Ted Burgees as her spooning partner'. He gets a ‘green suit’ and a ‘green bike’ as Marian felt ‘green is his true colour ’and is called a ‘shylock’. After all these he still fails to realise he’s been mocked but rather still seeks for adventure thinking of himself as a ‘figure of fun'. The disastrous ending is caused by Leo's naivety a nd lack of knowledge.He fails to realise the trauma happening around him until it leads to the death of Ted after ‘the virgin and the water carrier’ are caught together ‘two bodies moving like one’. Unlike Leo, who Marcus his friend is nice too, Stephen suffers a worse oppression as he’s manipulated and pressured by his own friend his age Keith. Like Leo he feels like ‘a misfit everywhere’ as he comments that ‘he doesn't quite fit with the pigtailed Geest girls and the oil –stained Avery boys’, but he however still aspires to be part of the clan like Leo bus still acknowledges and accepts the fact that ‘he never will’.Unlike Leo, Stephen’s low class was known to everyone and he couldn’t even dare to keep it a secret. He was ‘the other ranks’ and unlike Leo, although he felt the class difference he was still ‘grateful to be so’. He went to a different school complete ly from Keith with uniforms ‘socially coded for ease of reference’. He lived in a ‘semi-detached' house attached to ‘the pinchers' making the whole situation ‘even more shameful'. While his friend Keith lived in a house with ‘white wicket gates' with a ‘neat red brick path that curves through rose beds'.He felt like he wasn’t even worthy of the Hayward’s as he says ‘The Hayward’s were impeccable and yet they tolerated him’ and Mrs Hayward’s ‘incomprehensible niceness’. Stephen like Leo, has the colour ‘green’ associated with them as Stephen admits ‘everything about me was plainly green'. Stephen didn’t dare to go against Keith’s orders as Keith ‘was the leader’ and he ‘was the led’. Stephen’s feeling of social inferiority to Keith allows Keith to dominate and intimidate Keith’s life as Stephen sees Keith as ‘t he first in a whole series of dominant figures whose disciple I became’.Stephen sees himself as the ‘undersized boy with the teapot ears following his powerful friend open mouthed and credulous’. Stephen is much more different from Leo as he doesn’t hide who he is and isn’t ashamed of who he is. Both boys however are associated with symbols. Stephen is associated with the ‘Privet’ as Leo is associated with ‘Mercury’. Both boys are completely unaware of sex and it’s this lack knowledge that makes Leo not realize what ‘spooning’ is and Stephen misinterprets the ‘X’s’ and ‘! ’ in Mrs Hayward’s diary. Both boys become messengers for illicit love affairs and don’t realise what they’re been used for.Being naive and snobbish like Leo, Keith fails to realize the relationship between Uncle Peter and Mrs Hayward. He doesn’t realize why a man will be in t he barns. This naivety prevents him from realising Mrs Hayward may have gone into the barns even as he says ‘there’s only one way to go and that’s left, if you go right it leads to the tracks’. He doesn’t think Mrs Hayward for one minute will go into the tracks. When they realize Mrs Hayward might have go into a house in the lanes, he says they couldn’t pursue their project ‘Germans we might be able to deal with, these people we certainly can’t’.He didn’t realise he was German and even detested the thought a German as it was during the war time and being German in Britain at that point would be a sign of betrayal and a huge deal. Both boys heavily affected by class, and sexual awakening lead them to events that affect them throughout their lives and see the need to reconcile their past with their future as Leo says ‘the facts of life were a mystery to me’. Their lack of knowledge can't be totally blamed on them but rather the times and conditions they lived in.They lived in a society where even girls could grow into women and not know where children were given birth to from or know what awaited them on their wedding night. Children were forbidden to know nor talk about Sex. They were not allowed to know a lot of things. It was like a society with an ‘adult world' and a children's one because knowledge in the society then, was a package combined with loss of innocence. Just like Stephen begins to know more and starts seeing the path ahead as ‘darker tunnels' and no longer ‘remote blue horizons'.However, this lack of knowledge leaves both boys lives in a complete shatter especially that of Leo. The Climax of the novel, leaves Leo ‘like a train going through a series of tunnels; sometimes in the dark not knowing'. He lives with himself thinking he was responsible for the death of Ted Burgees as he comments that ‘the tidings of Ted's suicide came to me vo icelessly as ‘he haunted' him. He lives thinking ‘in destroying the belladonna' he ‘had also destroyed Ted' and ‘perhaps destroyed himself'. He was left a lonely man ‘sitting alone' in a ‘drab flowerless room'.While Stefan was left with a marriage ‘that was never quite a real marriage'. With ‘worse troubles than anyone's ever had before'. He thinks he was responsible for the death of Uncle peter as he struggles to figure out where he belonged. Hartley used the social structure of his main protagonist Leo, who admits that he had ‘destroyed Ted’ as a vehicle for expressing the power of the class structure over the society's actions with Ted serving as the scape goat shooting himself after the findings of Mrs Maudsley in the outhouses to avoid the societal disgrace and spare Marian the embarrassment.Ted was oppressed by his lack of social status as Denys doesn’t fail to say ‘we don’t know him socially of c ourse’ and his lack of money as he rents his land from Lord Trimingham. Hartley makes reference to the class range in the society using the complex sub-textual elements of the interaction between the main characters especially with he relationship between Marian Maudsley and Ted Burges . Marian states that ‘Ted and I were lovers’ their ‘love was a beautiful thing’ but yet they couldn’t be together due to the distinction in their social class and her expectations to marry an aristocrat.The villagers admire them and feel ‘if it wasn’t for the difference what a handsome pair they’ll make’. Ted Burgees isn’t ashamed to tell anyone about his low class as he admits to Leo ‘I’m a kind friend of hers’ but doesn’t hesitate to say ‘but not the sort she goes about with’. However, he feels insecure about it and looks at ‘himself critically all over’ and even Leo notices that ‘the more clothes he put on, the less he looked himself’. Ted seemed to have been a comfortable man before any illicit love affair with Marian as the villagers see his change as a sudden one and ask ‘what’s come over Ted? To be shy with ladies’? This implies he was a lady’s man and was content with his farm life as he admits ‘I’m not what you call a gentle-man farmer’. Trimingham, on the other hand, was ‘a Lord’ whose clothes, unlike Ted's, ‘seem to be a part of him’. He’s an aristocrat and a gentle-man who teaches Leo ‘nothing is ever a lady’s fault’. Unlike Ted, he had ‘an ambiguous social position’ as he was penniless yet his aristocracy strengthened his social status and was seen as an ‘emblem of the golden age’.Trimingham however, despite all these odds, was oppressed by his lack of money and the defects of his face from the ‘Boe r war’. He was ‘dreadfully ugly’ and we learn from Marcus that ‘he doesn’t like you to feel sorry for him’. Hartley contrasts his hideous ‘sick shaped scar that ran from his eye to the corner of his mouth’ with the image of war making him ‘a hero with a background of the hospital and battlefield’. Trimingham is the gentle, chivalrous representative of a dying tradition, bearing the scars of an ‘impersonal’ war.A complex symbol, he is ‘two-sided, like Janus’, like the war, conflict and suffering for which in some ways he stands—entities which can be evil, the result of passion and pride and ‘the fear of losing face’, but which can also be good, the nurturer of strength, humility, self-discipline, compassion, the gaiety having the ‘background of hospital and battle-field’. Hugh is two-sided like the traditions of the British nobility, like the blind-in-one-eye c hivalry which insists that nothing can ever be a lady’s fault, like the patriotism which sends soldiers off to kill the Boer, who’s ‘not a bad feller’ but who happens to be the present target.When Leo first sees Trimingham he immediately concludes it’ll be ‘impossible to like him’ and so doesn’t expect Marian to marry him after he learns from Marcus that ‘Mama wants Marian to marry him’. His lack of money makes him still go forward to marry Marian even after ‘the virgin and the water-carrier are caught together, ‘two bodies moving like one’. Marian still becomes ‘Lady Trimingham’. He was so deeply oppressed that even Leo comments that ‘His life could never have been a good life'.He was a respectable man from a family of aristocracy, yet had no money pushing him to still marry a woman who had become a figure of shame to get himself some money. Also because of his strong belief tha t ‘nothing was ever a ladys fault' Uncle Peter on the other hand, ‘who’s very absence, was a kind of presence’ was a man with no status in the society living beyond the edges of civilisation but his presence lied in ‘the glory of Uncle Peter’ a RAF pilot meant to be flying bombing missions over Germany.War plays a role in both novels as Frayn and Hartley use Uncle Peter and Trimingham to further show the effects of war on societal men. In Uncle Peter’s case however, it led to his destruction and the end of his life. It was his major source of oppression as he now had to live in the lowest of the lowest, the Barns. Unlike Trimingham who’s still fully idolised and idealised even much more after the war, we can’t say the same about Uncle Peter.Indeed he was idolised and his iconic status still remains with Auntie Dee, as Stephen tells us the untidiness of their house ‘glowed with a kind of sacred light, like a saint and his attributes in a religious painting’. This image is a different man from the man in the barns who is now ‘that low in the table of human precedence’. This painting is nothing close to that of war hero. As the narrator unveils the mystery we find out he has betrayed his country, deserted his duties under the claim ‘you’re up there in the darkness five hundred miles away from home and suddenly the darkness is in you as well’.The man at the Barns and Uncle Peter are two different beings. One is a desperate, sick broken, deserted individual and the other whose eagle on his hat ‘spreading its gilt wings protectively’ over the children of the Close. Should Uncle Peter have tried to rejoin the society, he would have brought shame and disgrace upon his family as Uncle Peter's iconic status was what reflected on Auntie Dee as even their untidy house ‘glowed with a kind of scared light, like a saint and his attributes in a religiou s painting'. He is oppressed by the war effects and love as Trimingham and Ted.In his own case, he has married the wrong sister and at the same time gone from being a hero, to a man ‘that low in the table of human precedence’. He has nothing to offer the woman he loves like Ted who has nothing to offer Marian other than love. He has but a map with the one word ‘Forever’. He lives with images of the war fully fresh in his head saying ‘you can't think, you can't move, Everything's drowned by this great scream of terror in the darkness' as he struggles to close his mind to the memory by using second person, refusing to acknowledge them as his own experience.Like Leo is traumatised by the death of Ted, as he claims ‘the tidings of Ted’s suicide came to me voicelessly’, and ‘haunted me’, Uncle Peter lives with the trauma of the war and describes it as ‘blood-red velvet in the crown above the eagle’. He describe s his plight and says it ‘gets a bit leak, lying here and likens himself to a ‘dicky engine’. Uncle Peter deeply oppressed by the war, explains his plight to Stephen saying ‘you start playing some game, and you’re the brave one, you’re the great hero,‘But the games goes on and on, and it gets more and frightening’ and unfortunately for Uncle Peter the end result is death.His death remains ambiguous as we can’t ascertain if he killed himself like Ted, or if he was killed or perhaps had an accident. Marian Maudsley a beautiful ‘godess' from Brandham hall an upper middle classed family in late-Victorian England with her ‘hair bright with sunshine' and ‘pale rose-pink' face. She has so many social expectations from both her family and the society. Best of all she's expected to make a ‘good marriage'. It was like she was ‘the climax, the key to the whole pattern'. She was in the middle of a cross bat tle with her emotions.Torn between the man she ‘must marry' to give her and her family the aristocracy they desire and the man who she shared a ‘ beautiful thing' and believed ‘were made for each other'. Marian was tough like her mother as they were ‘like two steel threads crossing each other', but ‘her face reflected all the misery she had been going through'. She was oppressed by her social class and expectations, her Love for Ted and like her mother, she's expected to be a good hostess, moral, and keep her emotions and family under control by marrying Trimingham.However, Marian is a very deceptive character as she lies to her mother on her seeing someone in Norwich as she hurriedly said ‘Not a cat; we were hard at it all the time'. She also thinks she can marry Trimingham and carry on with her affair with Ted. Being the ‘virgin of the zodiac', associated with the ‘Attropa Belladonna'. She was a beautiful creature yet poisonous. So w as the Attropa Belladonna as leo says ‘ I knew that every part of it was poisonous, but I knew that it was beautiful'. Marian was a cruel and heartless character to an extent.She was a ‘snob' as Leo towards Trimingham on several occasions. She knew fully well there was no future for her and Ted and is fully aware she must marry Trimingham. She says to Leo ‘I cant' when Leo asks her why she cant marry Ted and admits to him that She ‘must marry' Trimingham. She's a selfish character, as Ted has scarified all he has for her, he rents his farm from Trimingham and knows he can loose it and is willing to take that risk. She however, takes no serios risk as she has her eyes set on aristocracy.She lures him into deceit which leaves the young man dead and she ends up as ‘Lady Trimingham'. She uses Leo as ‘the Go-Between' between her and Ted and still calls the young boy names like ‘shylock', she tells her brother Marcus that green is a suitable color for Leo. She takes advantage of the love Trimingham has for her as she threatens that she ‘wont marry him if Ted goes' and is willing to go as far as saying that ‘Blackmail's a game two can play at'. Marian sees Ted's suicide as weakness and tells Leo ‘Ted is as weak as water'.Marian is sometimes nice to Leo, ut however, all her niceness towards him always had a motive behind it. She takes him to Norwich so she can get the chance to see Ted, she buys him a bicycle to make the message delivery faster between her and Ted. However, it could be argued that it was all out of frustration. Her eyes showed that ‘she couldn't trust herself to speak', and had ‘a hard bed' to lay on. Marian Maudsley was ‘the climax' of the whole story. She was responsible for Ted's death and the calamity that befell Leo. She was still selfish even at old age not to admit to her faults.She continued to live in her self-deception and somehow made herself believe she was still a popular important figure in the hall telling Leo ‘People come in shoals; I almost have to turn them from the door; Everyone knows about me'. Her grandson is left to suffer the consequences of her actions. Michael Frayn uses imagery, metaphor, and irony to present Mrs. Hayward in different ways. Through these techniques, Frayn dramatically and beautifully contrasts Mrs. Hayward's calm, composed manner at the start of the novel with her serious, emotionally distraught side. Mrs.Hayward who is introduced with the six letters ‘My mother is a German Spy', a character of ‘grace and serenity' always cheerful. She's presented as an elegant and respectable character like Mrs. Maudsley and Marian who are under pressure but cant show it. She was almost a perfect being to the extent that even her chickens ‘lived irreproachably elegant lives, parading haughtily about a spacious kingdom'. However, Mrs. Hayward was oppressed by her social expectations to always keep a hi gh chin and her house in order and It becomes part of her ‘to conceal her true nature' . Also by her husband Mr.Hayward whose character is a bully inflicting pain on his wife that even ‘in the heat of summer' she still wears a ‘cravat pinned high around her neck'. It can be argued she did this to hide the bruises inflicted on her by her violent husband' Mrs. Hayward cant leave her marriage because once she got married to mr. Hayward, being in that period, all her rights , properties and even her identity ceased to exist. By law she was under the complete and total supervision of her husband. Mr. Hayward carefully watches is wife and this is why she has to send Stephen to carry a message to Uncle Peter.A woman was ‘Barred by law and custom from entering trades and professions by which they could support themselves, and restricted in the possession of property, woman had only one means of livelihood, that of marriage'. She keeps a diary with ‘X's and â₠¬Ëœ! ‘s' representing her period and sex life. We know she has a distant relationship with her husband, and seems vaguely scared of him, so who she's having sex with is untold. Later on, we see she has ‘Uncle Peter in her bosom' perhaps the ‘X's' indicated his reciprocated love. Like Marian, she cant be with the man she loves.

Early Action Schools Complete List of EA Colleges

Early Action Schools Complete List of EA Colleges SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Would you like to know where you'll be going to college as soon as possible? If you apply early action, then you might have your plans all set by winter break of your senior year. That's a big leap forward compared with waiting for regular notifications in March or April! A large number of schools offer an early action deadline in addition to a regular decision deadline. This guide will go over what you need to know about applying early action and give you a comprehensive list of all the schools that offer it. To start, how does early action work? What You Need to Know About Early Action Early action can be a great option if you've done your college research and have prepared all the different parts of your applicationby the November deadline. Data shows that a greater percentage of early action candidates get accepted than regular decision candidates. However, this higher admission rate might reflect the competitiveness of early action applicants rather than suggest that applying early gives you a special advantage. A good rule of thumb to go by is this: apply early if you're organized and have a strong application ready to go. Wait until regular decision if your application would be stronger with a couple more months of preparation. Remember, your highest priority should always beto send the best application you can. The most common deadlines for early action are November 1 and November 15.You'll typically hear back from these colleges in mid-December. Hopefully, the news makes for a happy New Year! Even though you hear back early, you're not obligated to respond to an offer of acceptance any earlier than the national response date, which is May 1.So feel free to hang onto that acceptance letter as you wait to hear back from the rest of the colleges you applied to. You can then compare offers and financial aid packages once you've received all your admissions decisions. Just like with regular decision, your application may be accepted or denied. But there's also a third option: getting deferred. This means that your application will be pushed into the regular decision pool to be reviewed again in February or March. If you're deferred and remain very interested in the school, you could send along mid-year grades or test scores if you think they'll help your application. You could also call the admissions office to find out whether there's anything you can send to strengthen your candidacy. For the most part, you can apply to as many early action collegesas you want; however, a few schools have restrictive or single-choice early action,which means that you can't apply early action anywhere else. (Note that you can still apply regular decision elsewhere.) Schools with restrictive early action policies includeHarvard, Princeton, Stanford, and Yale. Besides these four universities, though,what colleges offer early action deadlines? Want to build the best possible college application? We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in. Can't wait to find out which campus you'll be admiringfall foliage on? Applying early action might be for you! Complete List of Early Action Schools by State Below is the complete list of schools withearly action, organized alphabetically by state. Some popular schools include Caltech, MIT, Georgetown, UNC, the University of Chicago, the University of Michigan, Notre Dame, UVA, and Villanova. Search for your school of interest by state, or use the ctrl + F function on your keyboard to type in the first few letters of the school and be brought right to it. Note: There are currently no schools in Alaska, Arizona, Hawaii, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, South Dakota, or Wyoming with Early Action admissions. We'll be sure to update this article if this changes. Alabama Auburn University Birmingham-Southern College Arkansas Hendrix College University of Arkansas California Azusa Pacific University Biola University California Baptist University California Institute of Technology (Caltech) California Lutheran University Chapman University Concordia University Irvine Loyola Marymount University The Master's University Menlo College Mills College Mount Saint Mary’s University Point Loma Nazarene University Saint Mary's College of California Santa Clara University Simpson University Soka University of America Stanford University University of the Pacific University of Redlands University of San Francisco Vanguard University of Southern California Westmont College Whittier College Colorado Colorado College Colorado State University University of Colorado Boulder University of Denver Connecticut Fairfield University Sacred Heart University United States Coast Guard Academy University of New Haven Yale University Delaware Delaware College of Art and Design District of Columbia Catholic University of America Georgetown University Howard University Florida Eckerd College Lynn University University of Miami University of Tampa Georgia Agnes Scott College Emmanuel College Georgia College and State University Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) Georgia State University Mercer University Morehouse College Oglethorpe University Spelman College University of Georgia Georgia Tech (Davidhermanns/Wikimedia Commons) Idaho College of Idaho Northwest Nazarene University Illinois Augustana College DePaul University Illinois College Illinois Wesleyan University Knox College Lake Forest College School of the Art Institute of Chicago University of Chicago University of Illinois at Chicago Wheaton College Indiana Butler University DePauw University Earlham College Grace College Hanover College Purdue University Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology University of Evansville University of Notre Dame Wabash College Iowa Coe College Cornell College Wartburg College Kentucky Bellarmine University Centre College Transylvania University University of Kentucky Louisiana Centenary College of Louisiana Tulane University Maine Maine Maritime Academy Saint Joseph’s College of Maine Thomas College Unity College University of Maine University of Maine at Farmington University of Maine at Machias University of New England Maryland Goucher College Loyola University Maryland McDaniel College Mount St. Mary's University Salisbury University St. John's College University of Maryland University of Maryland, Baltimore County Washington College Massachusetts Assumption College Babson College Bay Path University Becker College Berklee College of Music Bridgewater State University Clark University Curry College Dean College Emerson College Emmanuel College Framingham State University Gordon College Hampshire College Harvard University Hellenic College Lasell College Lesley University Massachusetts College of Art and Design Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Massachusetts Maritime Academy Merrimack College Montserrat College of Art Northeastern University Regis College Salem State University Simmons College Stonehill College Suffolk University University of Massachusetts Amherst University of Massachusetts Boston University of Massachusetts Dartmouth University of Massachusetts Lowell Wheaton College Worcester Polytechnic Institute Worcester State University Michigan Central Michigan University College for Creative Studies Kalamazoo College Michigan State University University of Michigan University of Michigan in Ann Arbor Minnesota College of Saint Benedict Gustavus Adolphus College Hamline University Minneapolis College of Art and Design Saint John's University Mississippi Millsaps College New Hampshire Saint Anselm College Southern New Hampshire University University of New Hampshire New Jersey Bloomfield College Caldwell University Felician College Georgian Court University Kean University Monmouth University Princeton University Rider University Saint Peter's University Seton Hall University William Paterson University New Mexico St. John's College New York Adelphi University Bard College College of Mount Saint Vincent College of Saint Rose Columbia University, School of General Studies Concordia College New York Fordham University Hofstra University Iona College Ithaca College Le Moyne College LIM College LIU Brooklyn LIU Post Manhattanville College Marist College Molloy College New York Institute of Technology Niagara University Pace University Parsons School of Design (The New School) Pratt Institute The Sage Colleges Siena College SUNY Albany (University at Albany) SUNY Binghamton (Binghamton University) SUNY Buffalo (University at Buffalo) SUNY Cortland SUNY New Paltz SUNY Oneonta SUNY Polytechnic Institute SUNY Purchase (Purchase College) Utica College Wells College North Carolina Elon University High Point University Lees-McRae College Lenoir-Rhyne University North Carolina State University Queens University of Charlotte University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University of North Carolina at Charlotte University of North Carolina at Wilmington Warren Wilson College Western Carolina University Ohio Case Western Reserve University Cleveland Institute of Art College of Wooster John Carroll University Miami University Ohio State University Ohio Wesleyan University University of Akron University of Cincinnati University of Dayton Wittenberg University Oklahoma University of Tulsa Oregon Eastern Oregon University George Fox University Lewis Clark College Linfield College Oregon State University University of Oregon Willamette University Pennsylvania Duquesne University La Salle University Lycoming College Saint Joseph's University Susquehanna University Temple University University of Scranton Ursinus College Villanova University Washington Jefferson College Westminster College Rhode Island Bryant University Providence College Roger Williams University Salve Regina University University of Rhode Island South Carolina College of Charleston Furman University Presbyterian College University of South Carolina Wofford College Tennessee Rhodes College Sewanee: University of the South Texas Abilene Christian University Austin College Baylor University Southern Methodist University Southwestern University Tarleton State University Texas Christian University Texas Lutheran University Trinity University University of Dallas University of St. Thomas Baylor University in Waco, Texas Utah University of Utah Vermont Bennington College Marlboro College Saint Michael's College Sterling College University of Vermont Virginia Christendom College Christopher Newport University George Mason University Hampden-Sydney College Hampton University Hollins University James Madison University Longwood University Old Dominion University Patrick Henry College Radford University Randolph College Randolph-Macon College Sweet Briar College University of Mary Washington University of Virginia University of Virginia's College at Wise Washington Cornish College of the Arts Gonzaga University Northwest University Seattle Pacific University Seattle University Whitworth University West Virginia Shepherd University Wisconsin Beloit College Carthage College Lawrence University As you can see, there are a lot of early action schools. But does it give you an advantage to apply early to a school? The short answer is yes. Applying early can communicate your enthusiasm for the school and highlight your commitment to going there. Moreover, schools tend to accept more early action applicants than they do regular decision applicants so they can geta higher yield.Yield refers to the percentage of students who accept their offers of admission. Since early action applicants are serious about attending that school, they're more likely to accept an offer of admission. In terms of yield, the more students who accept their offers of admission, the higher a school's yield will be. And the higher a school's yield is, the easier it will be to predict enrollment numbers and avoid having to make a waitlist. At the same time, applying early doesn't necessarily make poor grades or low SAT/ACT scores look better, especially since early action students tend to be some of the strongest applicants. Timeline for Applying Early Action to College If you choose to apply early action, then you have to immerse yourself in college planning a few months earlier than you would for regular decision deadlines (though either way, you'll benefit from preparing early!). The parts that require especially early planning are theSAT/ACT, your recommendation letters, and your personal essay.In the fall, you'll also want to submit your transcript request form to your guidance office and take your time filling out the Common Application or school's individual application. Here's a brief timeline showing you how to apply early action. Step 1: Take the SAT/ACT For the SAT/ACT, it's a good idea to leave yourself plenty of SAT/ACT test dates. Students almost always improve when they retake the SAT/ACT, especially if they do focused, targeted test prep in-between test dates. If you apply early action, your last opportunity to take the ACT is September, while your last chance to take the SAT is October (both during your senior year). Since this is right up to your early action deadline, you probably won't be able to view your scores before deciding whether or not to send them. With all the other busy things going on in the fall of your senior year, there's no doubt it's better totake the SAT/ACT earlier than this. We suggest taking the SAT/ACT first in the fall of yourjunior year, again in the spring of your junior year, and a third time (if needed) in the summer or fall after your junior year. Think about how much time you can devote to test prep and how many times you'd like to take the tests to achieve your SAT/ACT target scores. As you can see, planning out your SAT/ACT could start more than a year before your actual early action deadline! Step 2: Ask for Letters of Recommendation In terms of recommendation letters, give your teachers and/or counselor at least one month to write your letter. This means you should ask for your recs before October 1 your senior year. It can be a good idea, too, to ask at the end of your junior year, since these teachers will remember you most clearly at this point. They'll likely appreciate how on top of college applications you are! Step 3: Plan and Begin Writing Your College Essay Just like with letters of rec, you want to spend some time planning and writing your personal essay and any other supplemental essays. I recommend working on it over the summer.Even reading essay prompts can help you begin brainstorming potential topics. You can then spend a few months drafting, getting feedback, and revising your essay until it's ready for submission. Step 4: Finish Your Application Finally, in September and October, you can work on the rest of your application, proofreading all the information in it and writing about your extracurricular activities in a compelling manner. By startingthe application process in the spring of your junior year (earlier including the SAT/ACT), you should be ready with a thoughtful and well-executed application by November for sure! Want to build the best possible college application? We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in. What's Next? Do you have your sights set on the Ivy League? Learn what it takes to get into Harvard and other highly selective schools from this Harvard alum. Now that you know which schools offer early action, check out this guide on all the early action deadlines!It goes over the most popular early action schools and offers acomprehensive list of all the colleges with early action deadlines. Are you also interested in early decision? This guide covers all early decision schools and their deadlines. Want to improve your SAT score by 160points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Samuel Morse and the Invention of the Telegraph

Samuel Morse and the Invention of the Telegraph The word telegraph is derived from Greek and means to write far, which describes exactly what a telegraph does. At the height of its use,  telegraph technology involved a worldwide system of wires with stations and operators and messengers, that carried messages and news by electricity faster than any other invention before it. Pre-Electricity Telegraphy Systems The first crude telegraph system was made without electricity. It was a system of semaphores or tall poles with movable arms, and other signaling apparatus, set within physical sight of one another. There was such a telegraph line between Dover and London at during the Battle of Waterloo; that related the news of the battle, which had come to Dover by ship, to an anxious London, when a fog set in (obscuring the line of sight) and the Londoners had to wait until a courier on horseback arrived. Electrical Telegraph The electrical telegraph is one of Americas gifts to the world. The credit  for this invention belongs to Samuel Finley Breese Morse. Other inventors had discovered the principles of the telegraph, but Samuel Morse was the first to understand the practical significance of those facts and was the first to take steps to make a practical invention; which took him 12 long years of work. Early Life of  Samuel Morse Samuel Morse was born in 1791, in Charlestown, Massachusetts. His father was a Congregational minister and a scholar of high standing, who was able to send his three sons to Yale College. Samuel (or Finley, as he was called by his family) attended Yale at the age of fourteen and was taught by Benjamin Silliman, Professor of Chemistry, and Jeremiah Day, Professor of Natural Philosophy, later President of Yale College, whose teaching gave Samuel the education which in later years led to the invention of the telegraph. Mr. Days lectures are very interesting, the young student wrote home in 1809; they are upon electricity; he has given us some very fine experiments, the whole class taking hold of hands form the circuit of communication and we all receive the shock apparently at the same moment. Samuel Morse the Painter Samuel Morse was  a gifted  artist; in fact, he earned a part of his college expenses painting miniatures at five dollars apiece. He even decided at first to become an artist rather than an inventor. Fellow student Joseph M. Dulles of Philadelphia wrote the following about Samuel, Finley [Samuel Morse] bore the expression of gentleness entirely... with intelligence, high culture, and general information, and with a strong bent to the fine arts. Soon after graduating from Yale, Samuel Morse made the acquaintance of Washington Allston, an American artist. Allston was then living in Boston but was planning to return to England, he arranged for Morse to accompany him as his pupil. In 1811, Samuel Morse went to England with Allston and returned to America four years later an accredited portrait painter, having studied not only under Allston but under the famous master, Benjamin West. He opened a studio in Boston, taking commissions for portraits Marriage Samuel Morse married Lucretia Walker in 1818. His reputation as a painter increased steadily, and in 1825 he was in Washington painting a portrait of the Marquis La Fayette, for the city of New York, when he heard from his father the bitter news of his wifes death. Leaving the portrait of La Fayette unfinished, the heartbroken artist made his way home. Artist or Inventor? Two years after his wifes death, Samuel Morse was again obsessed with the marvels of electricity, as he had been in college, after attending a series of lectures on that subject given by James Freeman Dana at Columbia College. The two men became friends. Dana visited Morses studio often, where the two men would talk for hours. However, Samuel Morse was still devoted to his art, he had himself and three children to support, and painting was his only source of income. In 1829, he returned to Europe to study art for three years. Then came the turning point in the life of Samuel Morse. In the autumn of 1832, while traveling home by ship, Samuel Morse joined a conversation with a few scientists scientific men who were on board. One of the passengers asked this question: Is the velocity of electricity reduced by the length of its conducting wire? One of the men replied that electricity passes instantly over any known length of wire and referred to Franklins experiments with several miles of wire, in which no appreciable time elapsed between a touch at one end and a spark at the other. This was the seed of knowledge that led the mind of Samuel Morse to invent the telegraph. In November of 1832, Samuel Morse found himself on the horns of a dilemma. To give up his profession as an artist meant that he would have no income; on the other hand, how could he continue wholeheartedly painting pictures while consumed with the idea of the telegraph? He would have to go on painting and develop his telegraph in what time he could spare. His brothers, Richard and Sidney, were both living in New York and they did what they could for him, giving him a room in a building they had erected at Nassau and Beekman Streets. Samuel Morses Poverty How very poor Samuel Morse was at this time is indicated by a story told by General Strother of Virginia who hired Morse to teach him how to paint: I paid the money [tuition], and we dined together. It was a modest meal, but good, and after he [Morse] had finished, he said, This is my first meal for twenty-four hours. Strother, dont be an artist. It means beggary. Your life depends upon people who know nothing of your art and care nothing for you. A house dog lives better, and the very sensitiveness that stimulates an artist to work keeps him alive to suffering. In 1835, Samuel Morse received an appointment to the teaching staff of  New York University  and moved his workshop to a room in the University building in Washington Square. There, he lived through the year 1836, probably the darkest and longest year of his life, giving lessons to pupils in the art of painting while his mind was in the throes of the great invention. The Birth of the Recording Telegraph In that year [1836] Samuel Morse took into his confidence one of his colleagues in the University, Leonard Gale, who assisted Morse in improving the telegraph apparatus. Morse had formulated the rudiments of the telegraphic alphabet, or  Morse Code, as it is known today. He was ready to test his invention. Yes, that room of the University was the birthplace of the Recording Telegraph, said Samuel Morse years later. On September 2, 1837, a successful experiment was made with seventeen hundred feet of copper wire coiled around the room, in the presence of Alfred Vail, a student, whose family owned the Speedwell Iron Works, at Morristown, New Jersey, and who at once took an interest in the invention and persuaded his father, Judge Stephen Vail, to advance money for experiments. Samuel Morse filed a petition for a patent in October and formed a partnership with Leonard Gale, as well as Alfred Vail. Experiments continued at the Vail shops, with all the partners working day and night. The prototype was publicly demonstrated at the University, visitors were requested to write dispatches, and the words were sent around a three-mile coil of wire and read at the other end of the room. Samuel Morse Petitions Washington to Build Telegraph Line In February 1838, Samuel Morse set out for Washington with his apparatus, stopping at Philadelphia on the invitation of the Franklin Institute to give a demonstration. In Washington, he presented to Congress a petition, asking for a money appropriation to enable him to build an experimental telegraph line. Samuel Morse Applies for European Patents Samuel Morse then returned to New York to prepare to go abroad, as it was necessary for his rights that his invention was patented in European countries before publication in the United States. However, the British Attorney-General refused him a patent on the grounds that American newspapers had published his invention, making it public property. He did receive a French  patent. Introduction to the Art of Photography One interesting result of Samuel Morses 1838 trip to Europe was something not related to the telegraph at all. In Paris, Morse met  Daguerre, the celebrated Frenchman who had discovered a process of making pictures by sunlight, and Daguerre had given Samuel Morse the secret. This led to the first pictures taken by sunlight in the United States and to the first photographs of the human face taken anywhere. Daguerre had never attempted to photograph living objects and did not think it could be done, as a  rigidity of position was required for a long exposure. Samuel Morse, however, and his associate, John W. Draper, were very soon taking portraits successfully. Building of the First Telegraph Line In December 1842, Samuel Morse traveled to Washington for another appeal to  Congress. At last, on February 23, 1843, a bill appropriating thirty thousand dollars to lay the wires between Washington and Baltimore passed the House by a majority of six. Trembling with anxiety, Samuel Morse sat in the gallery of  the House  while the vote was taken and that night Samuel Morse wrote, The long agony is over. But the agony was not over. The bill had yet to pass  the Senate. The last day of the expiring session of Congress arrived on March 3, 1843, and the Senate had not yet passed the bill. In the gallery of the Senate, Samuel Morse had sat all the last day and evening of the session. At midnight the session would close. Assured by his friends that there was no possibility of the bill being reached, he left the Capitol and retired to his room at the hotel, broken-hearted. As he ate breakfast the next morning, a young lady with a smile, exclaimed, I have come to congratulate you! For what, my dear friend? asked Morse, of the young lady, who was Miss Annie G. Ellsworth, daughter of his friend the Commissioner of Patents. On the passage of your bill. Morse assured her it was not possible, as he remained in the Senate-Chamber until nearly midnight. She then informed him that her father was present until the close, and, in the last moments of the session, the bill was passed without debate or revision. Professor Samuel Morse was overcome by the intelligence, so joyful and unexpected, and gave at the moment to his young friend, the bearer of these good tidings, the promise that she should send the first message over the first line of the telegraph that was opened. Samuel Morse and his partners then proceeded to the construction of the forty-mile line of wire between Baltimore and Washington. Ezra Cornell, (founder of  Cornell University) had invented a machine to lay pipe underground to contain the wires and he was employed to carry out the work of construction. The work was commenced at Baltimore and was continued until the experiment proved that the underground method would not do, and it was decided to string the wires on poles. Much time had been lost, but once the system of poles was adopted the work progressed rapidly, and by May 1844, the line was completed. On the twenty-fourth of that month, Samuel Morse sat before his instrument in the room of the Supreme Court at Washington. His friend Miss Ellsworth handed him the message which she had chosen: WHAT HATH GOD WROUGHT! Morse flashed it to Vail forty miles away in Baltimore, and Vail instantly flashed back the same momentous words, WHAT HATH GOD WROUGHT! The profits from the invention were divided into sixteen shares (the partnership having been formed in 1838) of which: Samuel Morse held 9, Francis O. J. Smith 4, Alfred Vail 2, Leonard D. Gale 2. First Commercial Telegraph Line In 1844, the first commercial telegraph line was open for business. Two days later, the Democratic National Convention met in Baltimore to nominate a President and Vice-President. The leaders of the Convention wanted to nominate New York Senator Silas Wright, who was away in Washington, as running mate to  James Polk, but they needed to know if Wright would agree to run as Vice-President. A human messenger was sent to Washington, however, a telegraph was also sent to Wright. The telegraph messaged the offer to Wright, who telegraphed back to the Convention his refusal to run. The delegates did not believe the telegraph until the human messenger returned the next day and confirmed the telegraphs message. Improved Telegraph Mechanism and Code Ezra Cornell built more telegraph lines across the United States, connecting city with city, and Samuel Morse and Alfred Vail improved the hardware and perfected the code. Inventor, Samuel Morse lived to see his telegraph span the continent, and link communications between Europe and North America. Replacing the Pony Express By 1859, both the railroad and the telegraph had reached the town of St. Joseph, Missouri. Two thousand miles further east and still unconnected was California. The only transportation to California was by stage-coach, a sixty-day journey. To establish quicker communication with California, the Pony Express mail route was organized. Solo riders on horseback could cover the distance in ten or twelve days. Relay stations for the horses and men were set up at points along the way, and a mailman rode off from St. Joseph every twenty-four hours after the arrival of the train (and mail) from the East. For a time the Pony Express did its work and did it well. President Lincolns first inaugural speech was carried to California by the Pony Express. By 1869, the Pony Express was replaced by the telegraph, which now had lines all the way to San Francisco and seven years later the first  transcontinental railroad  was completed. Four years after that, Cyrus Field and  Peter Cooper  laid the  Atlantic Cable. The Morse telegraph machine could now send messages across the sea, as well as from New York to the Golden Gate.