Thursday, October 31, 2019
Wheelchair regulation Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Wheelchair regulation - Coursework Example The manual wheelchairs rely on the attendant so that the can move and they do not use electricity. The other two classes are powered by electricity. Class two of invalid carriages consist of mobility scooters and powered wheelchairs that are designed to be used on pavements with a maximum speed limit of 6 km/h (8 mph). Class three powered wheelchairs and mobility scooters of invalid have a maximum speed limit of (12 km/h) and their purpose is for the use of road only. It is important to note that they are also equipped with a facility designed to travel on pavement or footpath at a speed of 6 km/h (4 mph). The lawà states that theClass three vehicles may only be used by a disabled person who is aged 14 years and above. The other two classes, Class one and Class 2, however, may be used by a non-disabled person who is demonstrating the vehicle for sale or a disabled person. Clause 37 states that when the vehicle users is have a duty to adhere to the direction or rules of other vehicl es when they are on operation on the road. It also adds that the vehicle users on the pavements should follow the guidance and rule of the pedestrians. The second section concentrates of the usage of mobility scooters and powered wheelchairs on the pavements (38 to 40). Clause 38 explains how vehicle users should treat the other pavement users and pedestrians and especially those that have a visual or hearing impairment. It insists on the use of pavements rather than roads for safety purposes of the vehicle users. In a nut-sell, the rule aims at protecting both the users and non-users of the vehicles. Clause 39 points out the need for users of powered vehicles and scooters to use speeds not exceeding four mph (6 km/h) on footpaths and pedestrian areas. It also highlights that the user may be required to adjust to the other pavement users in case the path is not wide enough or if the pavement
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
SWOT analysis Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words
SWOT analysis - Case Study Example There are numerous opportunities in existence for the hotel and the new owners. New trends in the hospitality industry are emerging. While these are becoming popular the old ones do not get obsolete. The opportunity for the hotel here is to integrate new ideas into the original one of boutique hotel. The owners of the hotel should make maximum use of these available opportunities when it starts operating to capture the market before new entrants take over. Threats to this takeover come from several places around the business. With the hotel having been previously operational, the new owners need to be aware of existing competition rivalry already in existence. This rivalry comes from the hotels which have been competing with the Good for business within the city. The other threat comes from within the company. The brand reputation which the hotel has created over the years comes as a threat if the company decides to discontinue the concept of the hotel. This posses a great threat as all existing clients may leave if the concept of the hotel changes
Sunday, October 27, 2019
A Study Of Indian Space Technology Environmental Sciences Essay
A Study Of Indian Space Technology Environmental Sciences Essay India has an impressive array of achievements in the development of space technology for various applications. From a humble beginning with a small RH 75 rocket in the sixties to the successful launch of PSLV-D2 with 804 kg IRS-P2 in October, 1994, the Indian space programme has made remarkable progress through a well integrated, self-reliant programme. Eight Indian satellites are now in various stages of operation in the space. These are INSAT-1D, INSAT-2A, INSAT-2B, INSAT-2C, SROSS-C2, IRS-1B, IRS-P2 and IRS-1C. IRS-P3 when launched during 1996 will be the ninth satellite in the series. 1995 was an eventful year for the Department of Space. INSAT-2C was successfully launched on December 7, 1995. It has got Ku-band and more powerful transponders to provide mobile satellite services and business communication. The launch of IRS-1C from Russia on December 28 was also successful. It has many advanced features providing better spatial resolution, additional special bands, stereoscopic imaging, wide field coverage and more frequent revisit capabilities. Indias position in world space programmes has gone up after the establishment of United Nations Asia Pacific Regional Centre for Space Education in India. The Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR) was formed by the Department of Atomic Energy in 1962 . The same year the work on establishing Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS) was started. While the year 1965 saw the establishment of Space Science And Technology Centre, Thumba, the Satellite Telecommunication Centre was set up at Ahmedabad in 1967 . The first sounding rocket was launched from TERLS on November 21, 1963. The TERLS was dedicated to the United Nations on February 2, 1968 . The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) was formed under Department Of Atomic Energy on August 15, 1969. The Government of India set up the Space Commission and the Department of Space (DOS) in 1972. In the seventies Indian Space Programme was formally organised in a self-reliant manner. Now the scope of space programme ranges from development of Space Launch Systems, sophisticated satellites, their operation in the orbit, to the conducting of extensive application-oriented research and execution of different missions. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) plays a key role in the planning and execution of National Space activities. MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS The Indian space programme, having the objective of providing space-based services to the nation in a self-reliant manner, crossed an important milestone when the 283 tonne, 44 metre tall, Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-D2), launched on October 15, 1994, successfully accomplished its mission by placing the 804 kg Indian remote sensing satellite, IRS-P2, in the intended polar sun-synchronous orbit. India has, thus, joined the exclusive group of just six nations in the world to achieve this multi-disciplinary, technologically complex feat. Even as PSLV-D2 unequivocally demonstrated Indias capability to launch indigenously built remote sensing satellites from within the country, the mission has also proved, in flight, a number of systems which will be employed in the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV), thus, bringing the country closer to achieve the capability for launching INSAT class of communication satellites as well. During 1995 the INSAT-2C and IRS-1C have been launched successfully and commissioned in orbit . The next development flight of the vehicle PSLV-D3 is scheduled in 1996. The fourth developmental flight of the Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle (ASLV-D4) successfully achieved its mission on May 4, 1994 by placing the 113 kg SROSS-C2 scientific satellite in a near-earth orbit. With this success, all the objectives of ASLV project, including proving, in flight, a number of complex vehicle systems employed for PSLV and GSLV, have been fully realised. Considerable progress has also been made in the development of GSLV with a number of advanced technologies having been qualified and fabrication of most of the vehicle hardware initiated. The successful development and qualification of the silicon phenolic throat for the GSLV liquid propellant engine is another significant achievement. The L-40 liquid propulsion stage of GSLV is now getting ready for qualification . SCOPE OF SPACE PROGRAMMES Space programme continues to support space science research in the country. The National Mesosphere Stratosphere Troposphere Radar Facility (NMRF) near Tirupati, has been fully operationalised with the commissioning of the remaining part of the antenna array and associated transmitters for measurements in the Mesospheric region. It is a versatile facility for the atmospheric scientists. Sounding rockets and balloon flights continue to be undertaken for several space science experiments. The detection of a few Gamma-ray bursts by SROSS-C satellite has given further fillip to such experiments. Space Science research encompasses a wide spectrum of activities including study of cosmic rays, astronomical investigation using space and ground-based systems, study of meteorites and lunar samples and physical observations of sun. Another major branch of activity relates to the study of earths atmospheric system through rockets, balloons and orbiting space systems. REMOTE SENSING APPLICATIONS The remote sensing applications using IRS have proliferated into almost every facet of national development. The data is now used regularly for agricultural crop acreage and yield estimation, drought monitoring and assessment, flood mapping, land use and land cover mapping, wasteland management, water resources management, ocean/marine resources survey and management, mineral prospecting, forest resources survey and management, etc. We have surpassed many developed nations in putting into use the satellite based remote sensing data. For example, IRS data is used for pre-harvest acreage and production estimation of all major Indian crops like wheat, rice and sorghum. Estimates of production of cotton, oil seeds, mulberry, etc. are also made using satellite data. The data from IRS satellites is used for soil mapping, grassland mapping, forest survey, land use/land cover mapping, locating underground water resources, estimation of snow cover and snow melt/run-off, monitoring water level in reservoirs, environment monitoring, etc. The data has been extensively used for flood mapping and identifying flood-risk zones and for forecasting drought conditions. Satellite remote sensing is now used for identifying potential fish zones helping the fishermen in the coastal areas to increase the catch. Twenty two states have established remote sensing applications centres, which are carrying out several application projects of relevance to their regions, besides participating in national level projects. The Department of Space is helping state remote sensing centres through review of progress , conducting regional workshops, providing funds on case- by- case basis and providing research and development support. Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) Satellite The launch of the first operational Indian Remote Sensing satellite, IRS-1A on March 17, 1988, on board a Soviet Vostok rocket, ushered in a new era in the countrys resources survey and management system. The second satellite in the series, IRS-1B, identical to IRS-1A, was launched on August 29, 1991. IRS-1A and IRS-1B have become the mainstay of the National Natural Resources Management System (NNRMS) for effectively managing the countrys natural resources. IRS-P2, launched by Indias PSLV on October 15,1994 has joined IRS-1A and IRS-1B in enhancing the remote sensing services. IRS-1C has also been successfully launched on December 28, 1995 on board a Molniya rocket of Russia. Satellite images have been used to study the earthquake in Maharashtra during September 1993, Satellite data shows three major lineaments intersecting just south of the Latur-Killari village and this trijunction of lineaments appear to coincide with the epicentre of the earthquake. Based on the nature and extent of damage to various structures as observed in the field and the information provided by the District Collectors, the isoseismal intensity contours have been drawn. Application of IRS Satellites In Agriculture What do the Satellite people know about agriculture? Officials in Agriculture Departments used to ask. Recently the Karnataka State Remote Sensing Technology Utilisation Centre (KSRSTUC) has given a befitting reply. It has wrapped up a satellite data-based study of Kolar Districts Gudibanda Taluka and prepared an action plan to turn the rocky, rain-starved and drought-prone environs into an agricultural oasis. It is a tiny example of the unique Integrated Mission for Sustainable Development (IMSD) which has been launched in 157 districts of our country. Now farmers of India have growing interest in harvesting the miracles of the IRS series of Remote Sensing Satellites. IMSD aims at generating locale-specific prescriptions for development at micro-level using integrated analysis of the thematic maps generated using data from IRS Satellite, meteorological data and socio-economic information. Several States like Karnataka have set up their own Remote Sensing Application Centres. Efforts are being made to introduce courses on remote sensing in school and university curricula. INSAT Revolutionises Telecommunication And Media Indian National Satellite System (INSAT) besides revolutionising the telecommunication and TV broadcast scenario in our country, has improved the weather forecasting and is providing advance warning on disasters. About 150 telecommunication terminals are today operating under the INSAT network providing more than 4,000 two-way telephone channels along about 170 routes. Telegraphy services have been provided in the north-eastern region covering most of the inaccessible rural areas. The National Informatics Centre has set up over 600 micro-terminals. Many business houses now use the INSAT system for their corporate communication. The two indigenously built multipurpose satellites, INSAT-2A launched in July 1992 and INSAT-2B launched in July 1993, as well as, INSAT-1D, the last of the INSAT-1 series of satellites launched in 1990, continue to perform well in orbit providing vital services for telecommunications, television broadcasting, meteorology, disaster warning and distress detection. The successful launch of INSAT 2C on December 7, 1995 from Kourou, French Guyana and its commissioning in the orbit has added to INSAT series. It will provide mobile satellite services and business communication through newly introduced Ku-band transponders. More powerful C-band transponders for television programme will reach beyond the Indian boundaries. The work on the follow-on satellites in this series 2D and 2E has progressed further and are slated for launch in 1996-97 and 1997-98 respectively. These satellites will have additional spectral channel and improved coverage for meteorological payload. INSAT has brought about a rapid expansion of the TV network in our country covering over 65 per cent of the land mass and over 80 per cent of our population. National TV network, regional services and metro channels have already become operational. The INSAT network is extensively being used for educational purposes such as countrywide classrooms conducted by the University Grants Commission for two hours every day primarily meant for the university and college students, educational television programmes broadcast in the local languages for the benefit of the rural population and curriculum-based lectures broadcast by the Indira Gandhi National Open University. It is also used in continuing education for industrial workers, training of bank employees, training of block and village level extension agricultural workers and farmers, etc. INSAT is helping us in improving weather forecasts by providing high resolution radio-metric imageries. More than a hundred unattended meteorological data collection platforms relay weather information through INSAT to a central meteorological data processing centre. INSAT is also providing disaster warning receivers installed along the cyclone-prone east coast of the country. These disaster warning systems have enabled evacuation of thousands of people well in advance of impending cyclones. OTHER SATELLITES Aryabhatta Aryabhatta, the first Indian satellite, was launched on April 19, 1975, by the erstwhile USSR Intercosmos rocket into a near -earth orbit. Bhaskara Bhaskara-III , launched on June 7, 1979 and November 20, 1981, respectively, by the Intercosmos rockets of the erstwhile USSR, were experimental earth observation satellites. APPLE APPLE (Ariane Passenger Payload Experiment), an experimental communication satellite, was launched on June 19, 1981 by the Ariane launch vehicle of the European Space Agency (ESA). Rohini Series Two Stretched Rohini Series satellites, SROSS C and SROSS-C2, were launched successfully by Indias Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle (ASLV) on its third and fourth developmental missions (ASLV-D3 and ASLV-D4) on May 20, 1992, and May 4, 1994, respectively. Both the satellites carried identical scientific payloads, namely, Retarding Potential Analyser and Gamma Ray Burst experiment. SITE Satellite Instructional Television Experiment (SITE), hailed as one of the largest experiments of its kind, was conducted during 1975-76 using USAs Application Technology Satellite (ATS-6). It demonstrated the potential of satellite technology as an effective mass communication media. STEP Satellite Telecommunication Experiment Project (STEP), conducted during 1977-79 using the Franco-German satellite. Symphonie, provided experience in the operation of a geo-stationary satellite system for domestic telecommunication and in designing and building ground infrastructure. LAUNCH VEHICLES SLV Indias capability in the launch vehicle technology was first demonstrated through the successful launch of SLV-3 in July 1980, which placed a 40 kg Rohini satellite into a near-earth orbit. Two more launches of SLV-3 were conducted in May 1981 and April 1983 with the Rohini satellites. ASLV The Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle (ASLV) was successfully launched twice from Sriharikota Range (SHAR) on May 20, 1992 and May 4, 1994, respectively. These were the third and fourth developmental launches (ASLV-D3 and ASLV-D4). They injected the SROSS-C and SROSS-C2 (Stretched Rohini Satellite Series) satellite, respectively into a near-earth orbit. PSLV D 2- A Total Success The 280 tonne, 44 m tall, Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, PSLV, is capable of putting 1,000 kg class remote sensing satellite into 900 km polar sun-synchronous orbit. The first developmental flight of PSLV took place on September 20, 1993. Though it could not place the IRS-1E satellite, on board, into the intended polar orbit, the flight proved, in flight, almost all the vehicle systems, including the propulsion systems. The second launch of PSLV-D2 on October 15,1994 was a total success. Cryogenic Project The Government has approved the indigenous Cryogenic Upper State Project during April, 1994 following the renegotiation of the Cryogenic technology contract with Russia. GSLV With the operationalisation of GSLV towards the end of the century, ISRO will achieve self-reliance in launch vehicle technology for launching all its scientific remote sensing and geo-stationary satellites. PSLVD-3 PSLV D-3 will be launched during 1996. After this 3 PSLV continuation flights have been planned at the rate of one flight a year. SPACE PROGRAMME ENTERS WORLD MARKET There has been a significant progress in the commercial exploitation of the space capabilities developed by the country. The Antrix Corporation Ltd. established in September 1992, has shown promising results by securing orders for the study of satellite communication system for INMARSAT, providing training to ARABSAT and Korean engineers and for the supply of space hardware for Brazilian space agency. Space based remote sensing technology has drawn the attention of world market. US company EOSAT Co. has entered into a commercial contact with Antrix Corporation of the Space Department to receive and market data from IRS Satellites. Several other contracts have been bagged for supply of space hardware and services. Cooperative agreements have been signed with the Ukrainian National Space Agency and the Russian Space Agency. A high-level United Nations experts team has selected India for the setting up of a UN Centre for Space Science and Technology Education which will cater to the needs of the region.
Friday, October 25, 2019
whitsun wedding :: essays research papers
Frost's poem is melancholy and nostalgic in tone and soothing, almost hypnotic, in rhythm. Peaceful and serene in the natural scene it describes, it seems to sway between restful repose and death. Sleep and death, and a seeming longing for both, are evoked by the images of night, long travel, winter and isolation. The simple, formulaic phrasing and rhythm of the poem belie something hidden, beneath and in the past, which is more complex. Frost, differently from Hayden's free verse, uses the formal structure and rhythm of his verse in juxtaposition to the more troubling, less controllable, undercurrent of death. The nervous horse, keenly attune to its environment and master, is juxtaposed to the easy flow of the poem and the falsely assuring repetition of the last line. Similarly the juxtaposition of 'lovely' with 'dark and deep' woods (like a grave!) is unsettling. The tone of the poem starts off comical and almost light-hearted- a father dancing in a recklessly with his son, knocking over pots and pans. But the son clings onto his father like "death" while the mother is clearly discontented with the situation. "Whisky on your breath could make a small boy dizzy" connotes excess, a situation beyond acceptable limits - too much for the boy and too much for his mother. The verse jerks back and forth in tone and imagery; from movements of dance, to battered movements. 'Waltzing' and 'beating time' are juxtaposed to a tight hold on the wrist, battered knuckle and scraped ear. Lightness and humor change to satire and a critical edge. Like Frost, Roethke uses the rhythm of his verse to carry the reader along, like a waltz, but one that becomes increasingly dizzying as the reader realizes the confusion, even terror, the child feels. The child's reference to his father as 'you' helps the reader feel the emotions more immediately and drives home the physical closeness of father and child. It also enforces a tone that is almost accusatory. Hayden's poem moves from a description of the father, to the speaking "I" of his young son, to the matured recognition and remorse of the now grown poet. The shattering paradox of a laboring father who warms the house and polishes his son's good shoes but is greeted with indifference is not lost on the reader. Yet, the affection demonstrated by the father is through the provision of physical comforts (survival) and the son seems to yearn for something more, or at least is not able to see the affection demonstrated in his father's labors.
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Does Suffering Lead to Wisdom Includes Discus Thrower the School and the Yellow Wallpaper
Diltej Singh Does Suffering lead to wisdom? Through life if there is one thing that everyone sees, itââ¬â¢s suffering. We all have seen it, if you havenââ¬â¢t you will in time. Even the short stories that we have read this year we have also seen it in them. Itââ¬â¢s hard to see people go through that suffering, but do people gain any wisdom from that suffering. Through the short stories that we have read this year, we have seen on many occasions that it did not.One of those times is in the short story ââ¬ËThe Discus Throwerââ¬â¢ we see that the man is in much pain, and clearly is suffering and yet he is mean to the nurse and makes them do things that they shouldnââ¬â¢t have to do. Another story that had suffering was ââ¬ËThe Yellow Wallpaperââ¬â¢ we see her suffer and not once do we see her stop and think about what she is doing why. We just see her going crazy. The last story we see suffering is in ââ¬ËThe Schoolââ¬â¢, we see that theirs is constant dea th in the story they donââ¬â¢t know what to do after so they keep buy and getting new things to replace the feelings they had they had for the animals, people, and plants.So they arenââ¬â¢t gaining anything The man in the Discus thrower is clearly suffering he his ââ¬Å"skin is not brown from the sun. It rusted, rather, in the last stage of containing the vile repose within. And the blue eyes are frosted, looking inward like the windows of snowbound cottage. He is blind. The man is also legless; his right leg was missing from the mid-thigh down and left from below the knee. â⬠With all these disabilities, he is still is asks the doctor to get his shoes ââ¬Å"with the least amount of irony. â⬠You wonder why he asking for them even though he has no feet.He makes the nurse clean eggs that he threw at the wall and he does this every single day. You expect someone in this situation to be more caring, looking at life in different perspectives, think about something diff erent they should have done and maybe things would have turned out in a different way. But instead we see him act different then we would see anyone else in his place. Then we see the nurse cheering and then we find out that he died. He leaves behind nothing but bad experience and memories for the nurses. He created nothing but a bad experience for himself. Throughout this whole story we donââ¬â¢t see any form of wisdom once.The women from yellow wallpaper might not be suffering physically but is suffering mentally. Sheââ¬â¢s told that she canââ¬â¢t do anything creative or fun. All she can do is lay in bed. Slowly she is suffering, she is mentally warring down. She we see her going mentally insane. She starts staring at the wall and see shapes and then eventually she sees a figure in the wall. At the end of the story she goes crazy by locking the door and tells her husband that the key is at the front door. And when he comes and he faints and she tore as much wallpaper as s he could and she herself was on the on ground crawlingââ¬â¢s.As we see that she goes insane and she gets no wisdom. We ended of her crawling over him so we know anything can happen after that. We see that in the school they clearly have lost many things to death and they donââ¬â¢t try to figure out why everything is dying but keep replacing them with other things just to get the emotions and feelings back. In the story trees, salamander, tropical fish, Edgar, moms and dads, Matthew and Tiny die for one reason or another, they one time the students ask where all died things go he says I donââ¬â¢t know. Then they say is death that which gives meaning to life.They go into a serious conversation and then they hear a knock on the door and a gerbil walks in, the children cheer wildly. We see that children donââ¬â¢t gain anything from these deaths. As we in none of these characters get and wisdom after they have been see suffering. Most people now donââ¬â¢t even get wisdom f rom when they suffer. They live life going through pain like the man from the discus thrower; go crazy like the women did from the yellow wallpaper. Or go through life not realizing, or simple try to keep what they might lose, like the kids in the short story school.
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Differences between country and city living
Do you want to live in country or city? These two options are very dissimilar, although in both you can learn a lot. These differences include style of living, benefits and social life. The first difference is style of living. In the city, the buildings are high and land is scarce and expensive, so city people have to build many houses in a small space. Also, there are buildings with many houses on top of each other.In contrast, in the country, the houses tend to be for a family as there are more houses that are built on the ground next to each other. Another difference between city and country living are the benefits. In the city there are more services offered of all kinds, including the entertainment. Compared with the country where services are limited and there are fewer people, there are often fewer services.In the cities, there re many more benefits than a people who live in the country, such as career advancement opportunities. Work is concentrated in trades such as fishing, farming, mining and timber. While in the city, there are very many different types areas of work and a person can perform many trades. The last difference is the social life. The social life in the city is very diverse because it has many options. Young people have friends getting together to go to the movies, to go to dancing or to play sports.Children have opportunities to shave whit classmates, going to the park, to the movies and playing at home. On the contrary, the children's country plays in the river with animals and with the few neighbors who have around your farm. In conclusion, both the life of the country as well as the city have something that attracts and somewhat discouraging. It is not easy to say which is the best or the worst place to live all depends that you want to make and that type of life you want to lead.
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Overview of Alice Munros The Turkey Season
Overview of Alice Munros The Turkey Season Alice Munros The Turkey Season was first published in the December 29, 1980, issue of The New Yorker. It was later included in Munros 1982 collection, The Moons of Jupiter, and in 1996s Selected Stories. The Globe and Mail calls The Turkey Season one of Munros very best stories. Plot In the story, the adult narrator looks back at a time in the late 1940s when, at age 14, she took a job as a turkey gutter for the Christmas season. The story goes into great detail about the various other workers at the Turkey Barn Herb Abbott, the mysterious and alluring supervisor; two middle-aged sisters, Lily and Marjorie, skillful gutters who take pride in never letting their husbands come near them; cheerful Irene, young, pregnant, and belatedly married; Henry, who periodically drinks whisky from his thermos and who, at age 86, is still a devil for work; Morgan, the rough-edged owner; Morgy, his teenage son; Gladys, Morgans fragile sister, who brings her own soap to prevent allergies, frequently calls in sick, and isà rumored to have suffered a nervous breakdown. Finally, there is Brian, a crass, lazy newcomer. Eventually, Brians rude behavior goes too far. Munro never tells us exactly what his offense is, but the narrator enters the barn after school one day to find Morgan screaming at Brian not only to leave the barn but also to leave town entirely. Morgan calls him filthy and a pervert and a maniac. Meanwhile, Gladys is said to be recuperating. The story concludes some days later with the strange camaraderie of the Turkey Barn crew celebrating their last delivery on Christmas Eve. They are all drinking rye whiskey even Morgy and the narrator. Morgan presents everyone with a bonus turkey the deformed ones that are missing a wing or a leg and thus cant be sold but at least hes taking one home himself, too. When the party is over, snow is falling. Everyone heads home, with Marjorie, Lily, and the narrator linking arms as if we were old comrades, singing, Im Dreaming of a White Christmas. Thematic Threads As we might expect from an Alice Munro story, The Turkey Season yields new layers of meaning with every reading. One particularly interesting theme in the story involves, quite simply, work. Munro spares us no details of the raw job at hand, describing the turkeys, plucked and stiffened, pale and cold, with the heads and necks limp, the eyes and nostrils clotted with blood. She also highlights the conflict between manual labor and intellectual labor. The narrator explains that she took the job to prove she was capable of manual work because thats what the people around her valued, as opposed to the things I was good at, like schoolwork, which were suspect or held in plain contempt. This conflict mirrors the tension between Lily and Marjorie, comfortable with the work of gutting, and Gladys, who used to work in a bank and who seems to find manual labor beneath her. Another intriguing theme in the story involves the definition and enforcement of gender roles. The women in the story have clear ideas about the ways in which women should behave, though their opinions often contradict each other. They openly disapprove of each others perceived transgressions, and when they do agree on standards, they become almost competitive about whos better fulfilling them. All of the women seem uniformly drawn to the character of Herb Abbott precisely because of his ambiguous sexuality. He doesnt meet any of their gender stereotypes, and thus he becomes an endless source of fascination for them, a puzzle to be solved. (You can read more about the way Munro establishes Herbs elusive character in Ambiguity in Alice Munros The Turkey Season.) Though it would be possible to read The Turkey Season as a story about Herbs sexual orientation, I think its really a story about the other characters fixation on Herbs sexuality, their discomfort with ambiguity, and their obsessive need to fix the label.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)