The Thorns of Becketts Endgame in modern or post-modern period Essay

The Thorns of Becketts Endgame in modern or post-modern period - Essay Example   This essay discusses that a play is a world where a playwright relies on the reenactment of the interconnections between and among the thematic content, form, and function. One type of form and function is deliberately chosen to strengthen and explain one specific theme chosen by the dramatist. Beckett’s application of symbolic characters and tedious sequential development triumphs in reinforcing the senselessness of life, death, loss of faith, helplessness, and horror which come together to depict the status of contemporary humankind in a world imperiled by nuclear warfare.    To discuss the language usage first, Beckett makes use of repetitive conversations and hollow clichà ©s to demonstrate the breakdown of communication. The miseries of every person are contained within himself and his effort to express them fails severely. Individuals cannot understand each other accurately and the effect of terror and the vicious activities of humankind are revolting. Beckett, th rough the exploitation of minimal language, expresses the incapability to communicate expressively. Numerous of the expressions made use of the characters denote extinction, death, lack of mobility and humorous events in the contemporary world.    The play’s setting is a sealed room representing the incapability of the contemporary individual to move without restraint. The characters are bonded to particular things. They are handicapped and reliant upon other people for their actions or movement. It is a representation of the captivity of modern humanity.  

Project Implementation, Control, and Termination Essay Example for Free

Project Implementation, Control, and Termination Essay Using knowledge gained from this course Team A has demonstrated their capacity for conceptualizing the concepts and practical application of project management and life cycle phases. This paper is the compilation of three successive papers submitted and revised by Team A that includes the project proposal paper, the project planning technical paper, and the project human capital paper. In the final phase of the project lifecycle the implementation process of terminating the project will be presented in such a way that the input will be based on observations in relation to how well the triple constraints and tradeoffs were handled. The balance between timing, budget and project specifications is used as a performance measurement to guide Team As future success by determining lessons learned, what might be performed differently that must be corrected with the next project, and help determine what went right with the project that must be repeated on the next project. In addition, the steps needing to be taken to return the human resources to the organization will be provided. Background and Statement of NeedThe increasing population of Lo Ki, California has resulted in an influx of new apartments, condominiums and small homes being built with little or inadequate storage and deed restrictions limiting what can be placed in driveways and side yards of the homes. Lo Ki is a mid-sized community lacking storage facilities within proximity. This has created a need that Store -N- Lock, a California-based self-storage facility, plans to address by building a new storage facility. This facility will meet the needs and demands of the citizens of Lo Ki for storage space, in addition increasing profits for Store -N-Lock. Building a new storage facility will require a project management team that has a clear understanding of whom is responsible for what. This management team needs a clear vision of what the facility would look like, what the costs would be, what the processes and procedures would be, what the time frame is from conception to completion, what revenue would be expected from the final project and what the payback period would be. With that being said financing would be needed with a loan that allows some breathing room during lease up. In addition, in any new type of construction the management team will need to have a good relationship with the contractors, engineers, the  architects, and any stakeholders. Clearly communicating the plan and approach will be beneficial because this will provide a way for stakeholders and anyone involved in the project to have a clearly defined goal, vision and mission of what the expectations of this project are in addition to any profit and loss shari ng, equity positions, decision making and exit strategies. Once this project is up and running a permanent loan can be locked in. Project StakeholdersThe project customers include the investors and owners of the facility. These individuals have added their resources and information in order to get the project off the ground, and stand to lose the most if the project fails. The customers will hold Team A accountable for any unforeseen circumstances that might occur. These project customers have also given time and assistance to ensure that the project will succeed. Other project stakeholders include the city of Lo Ki since permits and licensing from the local municipality is required. This project will provide revenue to the city in the form of taxes. In addition, the bank providing the financing will be a stakeholder and benefit from the interest and association with the project. The project leader and team members of the project, such as upper management, the architect, the construction team, the management team (Team A) the classmates and instructor of this Project Management course including resource managers, and line managers involved in the project that stand to gain financially from this project. Each of these additional stakeholders will stand to gain either from recognition of a successful project completed or from the benefit of having a storage facility that they can use to store their belongings. Project Goals in Terms of Triple Constraint The triple constraints of timing, budget and scope are being monitored daily by the project managers and the team. This is done to make sure that everything is completed in the correct order in which the network results have suggested. At the beginning of the project Team A made sure to ask the sponsors to prioritize the triple constraints. The team wanted to ensure that what they  were doing was consistent with the sponsors expectations. Initially, the sponsors stated that all the constraints were important. However, after contemplation the sponsors were able to assign weights to the constraints when they came to the realization that they are all important but not equal. After the feasibility study, and the project was deemed suitable the sponsors decided that the project in no way could go over budget. The second most important criterion was time with scope ranking last. Timing The timing of each project phase will keep a continuous flow of work since the network was set up to flow horizontally downward following the critical path so the project will finished in the allotted timeframe. Many areas will not take as much time as others but every task has an established and set time frame of one to 17 days. This set schedule and time frame should effectively minimize and limit problems that may occur if handled efficiently and things go as planned. Resources The resource was the highest ranked constraint indicated by the sponsors. They do not want to go over the calculated project. Team A will ensure that no problems will occur with the actual budget that has been set forth in the beginning phase of the project. The budget should remain the same as long as the timing is kept on track for each task and preceding event. This will be accomplished by monitoring progress and the network in the Gannt chart. If by chance something occurs that will change the time frame of the task affecting the budget, then the budget will then need to be revisited and revised. The entire amount the project estimated to cost is approximately $2,000,000. At any time this amount could change because of changes in the project risk and risk management, project constraints with specific emphasis on the project timeline, deadlines, milestones or price increases in either labor or materials. Scope The scope that has been set forth is going to be effective if certain tasks are kept in the time frame in which they are set up to take place in. Within the scope enough space has been set aside for change control processes if warranted. At this point the network result has an outlook of completion of the project in four months and not to exceed $2,000,000. Team Selection Team A has chosen the Pure Project organizational structure. Team A gained written approval from the customer in the form of a signed charter, which became the contractual agreement and project proposal. This document will provide the directives to be established and implemented by the PM. The Pure Project Structure was chosen because this is a project driven structure and is best for construction companies (if the cost is not too vast), or a one-time, highly specific, unique tasks that requires careful control and are not appropriate for a single functional area such as the development of a new product. (Mantel, Meredith, 2006, p199). Other reasons why Team A chose this organizational structure are as follows:Communications ManagementA solid communication plan is the most vital element of achieving a successful project. A communication plan is used to keep the PM and all stakeholders involved in the ongoing progress of the project. Communication management is a tool the PM of Store-N-Lock will use to convey performance evaluations to stakeholders. Evaluations are performed regularly and consistently to ensure various project objectives are completed on time and within the project scope for successful results. The following considerations will be taken into account when meetings are scheduled:1.Project meetings communicating performance evaluations to management are somewhat flexible. 2.Management can request meetings at their discretion; however, the PM has the authority to change the requested date if needed to one that is more suitable. 3.Meetings with customers are less flexible requiring the PM to plan carefully to ensure all of the materials needed such as handouts and other literature are ready for the meeting. Poor communication can cause bottlenecks, therefore, BETCO has taken into consideration the many elements of effective communication and potential barriers and prepared accordingly. To keep information effectively clear and  concise the BETCOs project manager has used earned value management to convey project progress throughout the duration of the project. Earned value management combines measurements of scope, cost and schedule to measure project progress and can indicate to the PM impending problems. The PM can then act quickly taking the appropriate proactive and reactive measures to reduce the impact of these risks. Gantt charts will also be provided to all stakeholders for easier visualization and tracking of actual progress made. The advantages of effective communication using software are as follows:1.Prevents bottlenecks2.Prevents barriers to success3.Gantt charts provide clear views on constraints, timing, and milestones. 4.Gantt charts provide an easy way to revise plans and update progress. 5.Communication and the use of Gantt charts allow visualization and effective tracking. Scheduling face-to-face meetings can be difficult: therefore, BETCO uses conference calling, emails and text messaging to stay in contact. This will allow rapid and up to the minute changes to be communicated; since visual aids will be transmitted to the needed stakeholders for review during the conference calls. Those involved, can then walk through the progress of the project together identifying any action items needing attention. The BETCO representative, the Team A PM and staff and Store-N-Lock have decided to conduct twice weekly face to face meetings for the project team and weekly conference calls for all other stakeholders. Risk Management In planning for this project understanding the combination of uncertainty and constraints based on estimation will require selecting areas of the project with the most severe constraints and the highest uncertainty. Once that is complete the PM will do a Risk Assessment exploring each task for uncertainty. The construction industry is subject to more risk and uncertainty than many other industries. (Flanagan, Norman, 1993). This construction job will require a multitude of people requiring coordinative efforts between several interrelated activities compounded by many uncontrollable external forces. Some of the key areas that Team A will focus on in their risk management are as follows:The key will be coordination of different construction phases and adjustments or tradeoffs that will need to be made the triple constraints. This is especially important since they may impact the quality design and construction times. The following are a list of constraints:Project management, according to (Mantel, Meredith 2006, p. 179), is prone to the following problems: ·Inadequate resources ·Meeting unrealistic deadlines ·Unclear goals/direction ·Uncommitted team members ·Insufficient planning ·Breakdown of communications ·Changes in goals and resources ·Conflicts between departments or functionsProject success has four dimensions as quoted by (Mantel, Meredith, 2006 p.3) from empirical studies conducted by Shenhar, Levy, and Dvir (1997). These include: ·Project efficiency ·Impact on the customer ·The business impact on the organization ·Opening new opportunities for the futureTeam A can focus on to the following areas to decrease the impact of the above issues:Almost everything that can go wrong with project performance, cost, or schedule is theresult of uncertainty. (Meredith, Mantel, 2006, p 541). According to (Ibbs, Kwak, 2000, Project Risk Management.) The Risk managements project management maturity level was the lowest among all eight knowledge areas.The following are six areas that are impacted by risk management. (Project Management Institute, 2000, p.128). Other areas that can cause a project to require the control of performance, costs, or time were identified (Mantel, Meredith, 2006, p. 542). Timing is crucial to project success and since most all projects do not go as planned, nearly every time related category with the exception of governmental regulation would be considered lessons learned for Team A. In the previous section on performance, each of these areas would be considered areas for improvement and would most likely have affected the overall completion of the project. Most likely all cost related issues pertain to Team As project and would be considered lessons learned. Contingency PlansManaging project risk and potential problems like bottlenecks requires a contingency plan. This will help mitigate the impact of the problem. In each phase of the construction will have milestones, which indicate that the project can move forward as planned. If problems occur with the timing of tasks and phases of the construction the plans will need to be altered to reflect either the backup resources such as time, or materials and money required for successful completion. At this point the Gantt chart will need updating and each person affected by the changes will need updated schedules. (Heerkens, 2002). BudgetControl of cost is a concern that this team has for this project. The team believes this should be of concern to all involved. As stated in Project Management, a Managerial Approach, Budget plays an important role in the entire process of management (Mantel. Meredith, 2006, pp. 327). Project budgets are estimated above what is calculated to ensure that the project is covered against any unforeseen problems, mistakes and miscalculations. In order to develop a budget the team must forecast what resources the project will require, the required quantity of each, when they will be needed and how much they will cost including the effects of potential price inflation (Mantel, Meredith, 2006, pp. 327). The budget is going to cover everything that is needed including materials, equipment and salaries to be paid to the contractor, subcontractors, and the management team including the BETCO representative and the Team A PM and associates. Below in figure 1.1 are estimates of items that will be needed for the construction of the storage facility. These are estimates that will be used toward the facility construction. The figure below indicates estimates of materials; construction and other items needed items to construct the storage facility. Figure 1Item descriptionDelivery schedule(Business days)Cost(estimate)Contractors and Subcontractor FeesMonday -Friday 7am-5pm approximately 10% of all costsCost of the management teamMonday-Friday8am-5pm$65,000Building and roofing  materials$400,000Material for the walls and doors$375,000Sprinkler system$225,000Temperature Control System$150,000Security surveillance and monitoring systems $185,000Asphalt for parking and driveways$150,000Concrete Pad for Office$80,000Office Roof$185,000Office Windows$5,000Office doors $1,200Office heating and air conditioning$2,700Kitchen counters and cupboards$4,500Kitchen bathroom including sinks (2)$225Bathroom counters (2)$1,600Office computers (2)$4,000Printer and fax equipment$575Phone and answering system$1,400Office desks (2)$2,000Tile flooring for office and bathrooms$4,500Gutters$8,000As stated above these numbers are estimates. Due to unforeseen events these numbers may change but the project and upper management believe that these numbe rs are the best estimates for the beginning of the project. Desired OutputsThe desired performance criteria for building a high-quality self-storage facility allowed Team A to measure the successes and failures of the project in order to recognize areas where the project team was strong and areas where the project team could improve. This ensured that the team provided the client with a product that meets their full expectations. The project performance measures include time, budget, and quality. These measures aided in ensuring that the work completed during each phase of construction is of a quality that protects the client and their customers with safe storage of belongings without compromising quality in craftsmanship or increased costs. Quality assurance is another way to provide a low-cost facility with limited maintenance in terms of repairs, upkeep, and operation. Team A also used the initial cost estimating budget and the systems development cycle to ensure that, from conception, to initiation and feasibility, the project was clearly defined and a detailed planning analysis provided an accurate schedule. Updated Statement of Work/SMART ObjectivesDuring phase one of the construction of Store-N-Lock BETCO has made some adjustment to the statement of work. This was done with approval from the customer and added on as an addendum that can be located in Appendix A. The completion date has been delayed by eight days from the original start date set. This was because of inclement weather, resulting in equipment delivery delays and thus, causing  further delays with installation. BETCO has created a SOW that mirrors the SMART requirements to ensure full understanding of what deliverables will include, what costs will be incurred and deadlines of work activities and tasks. SMART objectives illustrate that every requirement of the project should be specific, measurable, attainable, and realistic and time bound. The Following are SMART objectives for project Construction Store-N-Lock. BETCO has been hired by Store-N-Lock to build a public storage facility with a specified start date of August 15, 2009 and a completion date of November 23, 2009. The project completion will reflect the construction of a high quality storage facility at a negotiated agreed upon cost that meets the demands of Store-N-Lock and Store-N-Locks target market. BETCO has created a WBS accompanied by a logical hierarchy of sequenced events and related tasks of the project scope to define and group the discreet tasks of the project and create the project map for clearer navigation and understanding by all stakeholders. MetricsMetrics BETCO will use are project timelines, earned value management and Gantt charts. These metrics will be reviewed in the beginning of each task, during each task and at the end of each task and phase. The will be beneficial for the PM since problems and bottlenecks and foreseeable threats can be evaluated, brainstormed and mitigated to allow for flexibility whereby better decisions could have been made. These metrics will also be used to communicate performance progress to stakeholders. Project AchievabilityProject Construction Store-N-Lock is a very achievable project for BETCO as they are experienced in this field with solid relationships established with numerous contractors and subcontractors. BETCO knows standard timelines of completion for individual processes and based upon these the complete timeline outlined in the timetables and deliverables statements is an achievable and manageable task for BETCO with this project type. The project is realistic since BETCO has substantial experience in many types of construction projects. With their expertise and relationships with subcontractors BETCO has a vast array of resources for many types of projects. To stay within the agreed upon completion date BETCO  is using a project timeline to specify completion dates for each objective to be achieved throughout the three month and one week timeframe for completion of the entire project. The SOW indicates the completion date to be August 23, 2009. Task and Performance Schedules, Responsibility and Resource Availability MatricesTime is money and time is of the essence in project management. Because of this, time is used to sequence events, ensure that each event occurs within the specified timeframe and is used to compare the completion of events with the time allocated for each task. If each phase of a project is not completed within the scheduled time frame bottlenecks can occur and the project runs the risk of going over budget. The effect on the scope of the project would compromise quality as corners are cut to get back on schedule. Constructing a storage facility required that a detailed cost estimation and budget follows the WBS. (Everett, 2007). The schedule of resource allocation required detailed cost schedules and forecasts so that the project manager was able to analyze the pattern of expenditures and permitted enough time to make adjustments to the schedule for each phase of construction. All work packages were scheduled with enough time to complete the preceding phase and to cover for any uncertainty and lack of accurate information (Everett, 2007). These unforeseen occurrences may be because of inclement weather, delivery delays, or labor issues. The PM and Team A staff have set up a task schedule to assign each task with enough time to be completed, and organized in such a way as to identify the predecessors of the tasks, when applicable. AGantt chart is attached with this paper identifying the critical path through the network. Table 1 on the next page includes the task schedule for the project. E: Execution responsibility. Stakeholder is responsible for getting the work done. Not necessarily a decision maker, but drives the group to make decisions in a timely manner. A: Approval authority. Has final approval on accepting the outcome of this activity and makes decisions. C: Must be consulted. As work is performed this stakeholder contributes information. Does not make decisions but is asked for input prior to decisions. Performance Monitoring A good communication plan is essential for appraising the project progress to various project sponsors and executives. With this communication, the project managers ensure all staff is meeting acceptable progress goals toward the final product. This is basically meant to communicate and cover important variables of the project time, cost, scope, and parameters of deliverables. Other objectives are to provide clarity of the progress with the continuation of the project, so that the management and team can engage in early corrective action when the performance of the project alters considerably from initial plans. As with the project of Store-N-Lock, set schedules of work will need to be executed by the builders. Whenever things go awry, a corrective action plan should be set in place to get the project back on schedule. To avoid this type of confusion or mishap the project manager is to set out standards that are to be followed. Project Performance Overall, the project went well. The team went one week over the projected completion date, as enough time was not allocated for every step of the project. Though the project stayed within budget, many resources that were necessary for the completion of the project were not included in the budget. However, the project budget manager allowed for enough funds at each phase of the building to cover the additional materials and resources needed. Conflict amongst the team was the most challenging aspect of the project. Learning Team A did not clearly define the roles and responsibilities of each team member until the final week of the project. As a result, communication breakdowns and personality conflicts abounded throughout, and decisions were not made quickly and effectively. Learning Team A also lost a member of the team early in the project, which nearly created bottlenecks  and tasks had to be reassigned to cover the workload. Despite these issues, Learning Team A was able to overcome these obstacles and persevere. Team members were willing to compromise as each task came due and were willing to help his or her fellow teammates with any problems or concerns. Network Results and Triple Constraint Towards the middle of the project the sponsors made a few demands as to the budget and the scope but the project manager called a meeting. This meeting was set in order for the project manager to inform the sponsors of the triple constraints and how they are supposed to be managed and how to manage them efficiently and effectively. Timing At the end of the project and after reviewing network results the team realized they had gone one week over the time that was scheduled per the Gantt chart. Not enough time was given for each portion of the project the needed to be completed within the four month timeline. Each task was done efficiently but the timelines that the team had set forth were not thought in enough detail. The problems and breakdowns that occurred within the group may have been a contributing factor to the problems in the timeline. Resources Although there was a significant amount of time that the project went over the intended time frame, the team was able to stay within the budget that was stated at the beginning of the project. At the beginning of the project the sponsors made it known that the budget was the most important of the triple constraints. In no means was the project to go over the $2,000,000 mark. The project manager and the team made certain that no matter what occurred with the time constraints they would ensure that the budget would remain the same. Scope The project manager did not want to change anything within the scope of the project. At one point towards the middle of the project the sponsors decided they wanted to change the most important constraint to the scope. This did not go over well with the project manager. The sponsors and the project manager had to sit down and have a meeting concerning what was going to occur. The sponsors believed that there could be changes made within the budget in order to make changes in the scope, and the project manager let  them know that was not going to occur. Some instances like this made it difficult to remain in the allocated time frame. Steps Taken to Return the HR to the OrganizationAn element of project termination is the return or reassignment of project team members within the organization. Construction projects are able to handle this issue with more ease than other types of projects. In this current age of increased development and BETCOs good reputation in the business, contracts for construction projects are acquired on a regular basis. This allows the company easily to reassign their project team members to other projects in their areas of expertise. Upon completion date BETCO and the Team A project manager have conducted a meeting with the project team and customer. They have discussed any future follow up needs and provided the appropriate contacts for the customer. A private internal meeting for project team members has also been conducted to discuss the strengths and weaknesses that occurred during Construction Store-N-Lock. The construction of Store-N-Lock was a success with only a slight delay in the completion date. The building met the customers expectations and because the delay in completion was minimal Store-N-Lock was satisfied with the results. After all the end details were addressed the project team members received an appreciation and recognition lunch and received much kudos. Input for Future Projects For future projects, Learning Team A will learn from the experience that this project provided. From the onset, the team will need to select project roles for each member and have clearly defined conflict resolution and change control processes in place. There will also need to be a communication plan to ensure that every member of the team understands what is expected from them and are able to communicate effectively with other members. This will aid in faster decisions to be made. Team members must understand that the team should be open to innovative ideas and use critical thinking skills. Each member of the team will also need to be committed to the project as well. Meredith and Mantel (2006, p.595 4) have outlined key factors that need to be considered when  starting the next project. These factors include: ·Identify problems earlier ·Clarify cost, performance, and time relationships ·Improve the process of risk identification and management ·Identify mistakes, correct them, and avoid them in the future ·Reconfirm the project teams interest and commitment to the project ·Improve processes for organizing and managing projects ·Provide an amiable environment where project team members can work creatively togetherLessons LearnedThe most important factor affecting this project was a need to clearly establish roles and responsibilities in the beginning charter. By firmly establishing these early, the team could have saved a many of the initial stages of storming which preceded the norming. In addition, this would have helped to identify the hierarchy of leadership and helped to prevent duplication of work, eliminate conflicts and expedite decision making. Other areas that were difficult included a few of the essential elements of construction materials that were left out in the initial estimation phase, like the insulation, and gutters. Although, this impacted the budget the additional cost did not cause the project to go too far over a normal distribution or standard deviation of price increase to be problematic. In the next project the SOW and WBS would need to be finalized before the budget and schedule were completed and finalized. The project went as planned with only minor problems and trade offs of the triple constraints, between time, budget and performance. Although, potentially there were areas where bottlenecks could have occurred if things did not run on schedule and as planned. The monitoring of the milestones and critical path in the network helped to keep the project on track. Team A will continue use performance measures, networks and Gantt charts since these contributed to the project success. Overall, the things that Team A would do differently next time is to clearly define roles and responsibilities, and to make sure that they use the same list of construction phases and supplies and add to this for the next project if need be. In addition, in the future the WBS and SOW need to be completely correct before the budget and schedule are completed, which could  help prevent having to make some tradeoffs between the triple constraints. Contingency plans or change control processes always need to be set in writing to ensure that a definite path would be taken when tradeoffs between the triple constraints are visible. Conclusion Overall, the project team (Team A) and PM accomplished the goal of opening Store-N-Lock, a self-storage facility in Lo Ki, California with the use of exceptional planning and team communication. The initial planning was systematically and carefully thought through and allowed for the project to run very efficiently. Communication is the main obstacle in a team project and without it a project may not come to fruition as initially intended. Ensuring that the proper resources are on hand and a designation of team members play an enormous part in the success of a project. With that being said, Team A has overcome all obstacles and have met each goal to make Store-N-Lock a success. With this success and experience, Team A is sure to tackle any project with confidence and extreme efficiency. References Flanagan, R., Norman, G., (1993). Risk management and construction. Wiley and Sons. Retrieved August 12, 2009 fromhttp://books.google.com/books?hl=enlr=id=CPMaX2dikTACoi=fndpg=PR11dq=inherent+risks+in+consturction+job+estimationots=oiC3hNxXB3sig=STHby74x4f-utDVhu2k3-68LUUw#v=onepageq=f=falseHeerkens, G. (2002). Project management. McGraw-Hill. New York, N.Y. Ibbs, C.W., Kwak, Y.H. (2000). The Berkeley project management process maturity model:Measuring the value of project management. Assessing project maturity model. Project management journal. 31(1), 35-42. Retrieved August 23, 2009 from home.gwu.edu/~kwak/Berkeley_Model.pdfKerzner, H. (2006). Project management: A systems approach to planning, scheduling,and controlling. 9e. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. Retrieved August 13, 2009 from [University of Phoenix custom Edition e-text]. Retrieved from University of Phoenix Website. McKinn, R.D., Stevens.N (2000) The Project Lifecycle: The Termination phase. Retrieved onAugust 19, 2009 from AllBusiness website. http://www.allbusiness.com/management/444125-1.htmlMeredith, J. R. Mantel, S. J. (2006). Project management: A managerial approach. 6e. Hoboken,NJ: Wiley. Retrieved July 31, 2009 from [University of Phoenix custom Edition e-text]. Retrieved from University of Phoenix Website. Office of Enterprise Technology, Project Management Office. (2006). Resource plan template. State of Minnesota. Retrieved August 15, 2009 from state.mn.us//Resource Plan_030702_Resource_Plan_Template_053006.docProject Management Institute. (2000). A Guide to the project management body of knowledge,PMBOK Guide. Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, USA. Shenhar, A., Dvir, D, Levy, O. (1997). Mapping the dimensions of project success. Project management journal. 28(2), 5-13. Retrieved August 23, 2009 from business.rutgers.edu/default.aspx?id=1748Verzuh, E. (2006). Project Responsibility Matrix. LSA Global. Retrieved August 15, 2009 from http://www.lsaglobal.com/business-solutions/proj-mgmt-templatesWheelwright, S.C., Clark, K.B. (1992). Introduction to managing the innovation process: Creating Project plans to focus product development. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved August 23, 2009 from kwanghui.com/mit15351.pdf

The Marxist Theories Of International Relations Politics Essay

The Marxist Theories Of International Relations Politics Essay Nothing to do with Marxism/Leninism as a State Ideology, although associated with it, and embarrassed by it. Marxism is a set of analytical theories, that experience a renaissance today, because it appears clearly again, after the triumphalism of the 1990s, that Capitalism is in a constant crisis. In Latin America, in Asia, and even here in the USA, financial crises happen quite frequently. Also, even when capitalism is working, it might not produce favourable outcomes for everybody. Globalisation is good for American companies, but not necessarily for the American blue collar worker. Strength of Marxism: to understand the role of the economy in politics and analyse why crises are part of it. In International Politics: it investigates the role of global capitalism in world politics. It is a theory that is very disconcerting, for it demonstrates things that we usually dont want to hear or know: that our wealth in the West is dependent upon the poverty and misery of the people in the other parts of the world. In Marxs words; accumulation of wealth at one pole is, therefore, at the same time accumulation of misery, agony of toil, slavery, ignorance, brutality at the opposite pole. Hence, that 1/5 of the worlds population is living in extreme poverty, 30,000 children die every day from preventable diseases 1 bn people dont have access to clean water In 34 countries the life expectancy is now lower than it was in 1990 is not a god-given feature of our world, but to a significant extent caused by the way the global economy works. Here we will talk about four different theories that take inspiration from Marxism. What do they have in common? Society and Politics are a Totality. The division into History, Sociology, IR, Political Science, Economics and so on is misleading and problematic. Every issue, problem is part of this totality. Current example: USA vs. Iraq: what is relevant? Military power, nuclear weapons, balance of power, regime type, culture, religion, economic interests in oil and so on. So to isolate one of these point always misses that the picture is always a large one and a complicated one. A materialist conception of history. History is driven by the tension between the means of production (labour, tools, technology, capital) and the relations of production (the socio-economic conditions that prevail in a society: Feudalism, Slaveholder society, Capitalism) Former transform and improve, straining against the latter: during Feudalism, manufacturing needed more free worker, undermining the bondage of peasants and the power of guilds. Slavery in 1865 was not only a moral depravity but also economically outdated. It is too inefficient to compete with modern manufacturing in large scale. This tension will over time lead to the transformation of social relations: the freeing of peasants in Europe, of slaves here in the USA, and so on. Also, the economic sector (means and relations of production) dominates the political, legal, and cultural system. This superstructure reflects and reinforces the way the economic sector, the base is run. We have a political system that support s and reinforces capitalist property, our laws protect property, our welfare states keep the people alive so they wont revolt or starve. Our culture facilitates the reaping of profits for large companies and corporations: fashion, music, arts, entertainment, also education is guided towards profit maximisation of capital. Class is a central concept: in every society there is class conflict. In capitalist society, there is the conflict between bourgeoisie and proletariat. A bit too simple perhaps today, but if you know what Enron did to its employees, you get an idea that the interest of the capitalist are not always the interests of the workers or employees. Philosophers have only interpreted the world in various ways, the point, however, is to change it. Emancipation and change were the goal for him: to end capitalism and its exploitation of the workers, and to create a more just society. This is still on the agenda, not least in global politics. World Systems Theory (Wallerstein) Based on insights that globalised capitalism is creating a core-periphery in the world, and that all economic interactions take place within a global context. The location of states in this system determines their behaviour and their interactions. Page 207: Core: industrialised and modern parts of world economy. Periphery: the exploited part from which we receive cheap resources and raw material. Terms of trade are deteriorating in the long run for Periphery: raw material gets cheaper, manufactured goods more expansive. Semi-Periphery: plays an interesting part: stabilizes capitalism in Core by providing cheap labour and by taking up labour intensive industries that move out of core. Temporal factor: cyclical rhythms: expansion and contraction: stock market, trade, etc secular trends: over time moving up or down through cyclical rhythms contradictions: central part of capitalism: crisis of underconsumption laying off workers makes profits rise, but then no-one buys stuff, so even more lay-offs Crisis: of a whole world system, possibility for change Gramscianism Problem that Antonio Gramsci dealt with: how come there is no revolution occurring in Western Europe? How can capitalism stabilize itself and make workers believe that Capitalism is also in their interest? Why is nobody really challenging it? Hegemony: dominant ideology distributed through society via media, culture, education, churches, etc (civil society). Its a soft form of power, complementing coercion. People are raised and socialized to accept no alternative to Capitalism, schools teach about its virtues, and everybody takes it for granted that we are a capitalist society. So the Superstructure (politics, culture, etc) feeds back and stabilizes the basis. In international politics, Robert Cox above all has used and developed these fascinating ideas about the relationship between material reality (economics) and ideological superstructure (politics and culture) in investigating the way this works in the international economy. Success of free trade and neoliberalism all over the world needs to be explained: How come everybody assumes that free trade is the solution to the economic problems of every country, when it so blatantly is not? As Cox points out, theory is always a theory for some one, and for some purpose. Its never neutral and objective, it always benefits some and does not benefit or oppresses others. Values about right and wrong are inherent and implicit in any theory. And the hegemonic ideology of neoliberalism does just that: it benefits the interest of the rich and powerful in world economics. It opens up markets to their powerful and efficient companies. It makes resources and raw materials available for a cheap price, as it forces these countries to focus on those resources for income, and forces them into a competition with each other. It allows Western companies to snap up privatised companies in Third World countries at bargain prices. . Thus, by forcing the countries of the underdeveloped world into the free market economy, we do this above all to support our own interests. By claiming and spreading the news that there is no alternative to neoliberalism and free trade, we abolish alternatives for these countries. And if they still resist, ideology is enforced by international institutions. Case discussed in Box 10.3 is very good here. It should be noted in this context that those countries that successfully developed their economies since the 1950s in the Third World (South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, India) did so with a significant role for the state and protectionist policies. Education systems were crucial. If countries resist, the IMF refused to give them financial aid that they need to get out of debt. Also, further problem: West itself does not take free trade all that seriously. OXFAM REPORT HERE. Marxism and Globalisation: The growing integration of national economies, the increasing interdependence of societies, and the proliferation of global organisations and networks are in a sense nothing new to Marxism. They have been looking at these developments for the longest time: Capitalism itself is the driving force behind it. Capitalism is expansive, and transformative. It constantly seeks new markets for its products, and it transforms the societies it reaches in this pursuit. Traditional societies that have survived through centuries are melted down and turned into modern capitalist societies with all the repercussions this has. And as economic developments and economic power will only increase in the future, these kind of theories will become more relevant than Realism and Liberalism. And as the globalising economy now produces more and more undesirable outcomes, not only in the Third World, but also here at home, we might also pay attention to the emancipatory aspect of Marxism and the question of transforming the global economy to make it fairer, and more just.

Barbados :: essays research papers fc

Barbados Barbados is an independent country, formerly a British colony, and the most easterly island of the West Indies. Its capital and only port of entry is Bridgetown. The island is underlain with folded sedimentary deposits, and a surface layer of coral attains 90 m (300 ft) in thickness. In the northeastern parts, erosion has exposed rugged ridges and ravines. The climate is warm and pleasant. The average annual temperature is about 27 ¡ C (80 ¡ F), and little daily or annual variation occurs. A dry season (from December to May) alternates with a wet season. The average annual rainfall is about 1,500 mm (60 in). Barbados is one of the world's most densely populated countries. Nearly 90% of the island's population is black. The production of sugarcane and its by-products, molasses and rum, long a mainstay of the Barbadian economy, has been replaced by tourism as the chief industry. The development of light industry, offshore banking, and fishing and the diversification of agriculture have been encouraged by the government. Barbados was settled by English colonists in 1627. To work the sugarcane plantations, slaves were brought from Africa, a practice abolished throughout the British Empire in 1834. Dominance by a small group of British landowners continued, and a political rights movement began, resulting in the founding of the Barbados Labour party (BLP) in 1938 and an offshoot, the Democratic Labour party (DLP), in 1955. Barbados became independent on Nov. 30, 1966. Errol Barrow of the DLP, the first premier, was succeeded by Tom Adams of the BLP, who held office from 1976 until his death in 1985. The DLP returned to power under Barrow (1986à 87) and Lloyd Erskine Sandiford (1987à 94). Owen Arthur of the BLP became premier after elections in 1994 and was returned to office in a landslide victory in 1999. In 1997, Barbados hosted a regional summit attended by the leaders of the English-speaking Caribbean nations and U.S. president Bill Clinton. Late the fol lowing year, a constitutional commission recommended that Barbados become a republic and replace the British monarch with an elected president as head of state.

The Vampire(TM) by Jack Prelutsky Poem

Choose a novel in which the novelist makes effective use of symbolism. Show how the writer made use of this technique to enhance your appreciation of the text as a whole. In your answer you must refer closely to the text, and to at least three of symbolism, theme, structure, or any other appropriate feature. â€Å"Lord of the Flies† by William Golding Have you ever imagined being stranded on a fictitious tropical island? , Or how about waking up one morning with a group of children on an island and finding out there is no sign of adult life? In the book â€Å"Lord of the flies† by William Golding these circumstances come true as a group of young boys are stranded on an island as they face their fight for survival following a plane crash. The boys face a tough task on the island as they face the expectance of the unknown. The night is still and sombre, and in the murky gloom, arisen from his slumber, the vampire leaves his tomb. His eyes are pools of fire, his skin is icy white, and blood his one desire this woe begotten night. Then through the silent city he makes his silent way, prepared to take no pity upon his hapless prey. An open window beckons, he grins a huge grin, and pausing not one second he swiftly climbs within. And there, beneath her covers, his victim lies asleep. With fangs agleam he hovers And with those fangs, bites deep. The vampire drinks till sated, he fills his every pore, and then, his thirst abated, licks clean the dripping gore. With powers now replenished, his thirst no longer burns, His quest this night is finished, so to his tomb he turns, and there awhile in silence he'll beneath the mud until, with thoughts of violence, he wakes and utters†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ blood! Jack Prelutsky. Out of all the alternatives which could have been my choice, I have picked ‘The Vampire' by Jack Prelutsky because of various reasons. In this essay, I will be explaining about some of the poem's features and why I have selected it as my favourite. First of all, the most intriguing thing was how the writer had formed such a vast and intense environment within the space of merely a few words: as soon I started reading this poem, I had no problem whatsoever settling into its mood and setting; the other factor which came to my interest was how quickly I had adapted to tone of the poem. From the very beginning of the poem, a vivid and ominous atmosphere is created- take the first stanza for example: â€Å"The night is still and sombre, and in the murky gloom, arisen from his slumber, the vampire leaves his tomb. † It is quite easy to notice the strong adjectives (still, sombre and murky) and the nouns (night and gloom) used by Jack Prelutsky to produce this dark and eerie setting. Throughout the poem, the vampire's intension is concealed by the writer-however, Jack Prelutsky does provide the reader with contextual clues: â€Å"blood his one desire† in line 3 of the second stanza and â€Å"upon his hapless prey† in the last line of the third stanza are just two of the phrases giving an vague idea of the vampire's objective. The writer used this technique as a tool to engage the reader to the poem, by making them try to figure out what was the vampire's purpose through the evidence he had given. In addition, the concept of rhyming can be seen in the poem; every stanza follows the rhyming pattern A B A B. This pattern is constant throughout each stanza of the poem, except, that is, the last: the last verse follows the pattern A B A C: the reason for the change of rhyming pattern in this verse is yet again one of the ingenious skills used by the writer to form a simple, but an immense effect. If the last line, â€Å"he wake and utters†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ blood! † is compared with the other lines of the poem, then many contrasts can be found among them. Firstly, this is the only line in the poem which uses an exclamation mark; in this case, the exclamation is placed there to show a sign of surprise and revelation in the last word of this line; an ellipsis is found just before the last word, to hold the reader in suspense, in doing so amplifying the surprise that follows. The change in the rhyming pattern in this line acts with the exclamation mark and the ellipsis to expand the contrast between this line and the rest of the poem and multiply the effects of the disclosure in the last verse. Numerous figures of speech are also seen in several parts of the poem. A metaphor is a word or a phrase applied in an imaginative way to compare two things or people of the same quality by saying that they â€Å"are/ is† the object to which they being compared with. Another figure of speech that is much alike to metaphor is simile; however, unlike metaphor, a simile compares two similar objects using words such as â€Å"like† or â€Å"as†. In this poem, Jack Prelutsky uses metaphor in many situations: â€Å"His eyes are pools of fire† and â€Å"his skin is icy white† are two of the metamorphic phrases in line 2 and 3 of the second stanza. There is another figure of speech within the phrase â€Å"His eyes are pool of fire†- if this phrase studied carefully then it would appear that â€Å"pool and fire†; two words which are the opposite of each other; is combined here to make a metaphor. When opposites are used together, like in this example, an oxymoron is produced. On the first line in the fourth verse, â€Å"An open window beckons†, another figure of speech is shown: this type is named personification. Personification is when an object-in here, the window- is given human qualities, which, in this phrase, is beckoning. Besides the personification and the metaphor, there is one example of alliteration-the repetition of letters and sounds for effect. This is in the first line of the poem, â€Å"The night is still and sombre†. All of these figures of speech work together with adjectives and adverbs to generate meanings beyond the literal meaning of words throughout the poem. There are other kinds of figures of speech such as onomatopoeia, assonance and pathetic fallacy- nevertheless they are not included in this poem. Although not everyone may prefer it and the vocabulary is rather difficult to fully understand, I personally think that this is great poem-overall, from my prospective, â€Å"The Vampire† by Jack Prelutsky is a narrative poem written with tremendous caution and elegance. The first sign of symbolism in the book is when one of the little boys, also known as ‘the littluns', tells the group that he saw â€Å"A snake-thing. Ever so big†. This puts the group into an uproar about how some sort of beast is lurking on the island. Being holder of the conch, Ralph tries to calm everybody down by saying â€Å"he must have had a nightmare†, but Jack just has to pop in stating that â€Å"if there was a snake we'd hunt it and kill it. During the night of the boy's search for the beast, Jack claims to have seen it. The following morning he calls a meeting and lets everyone know that there is really a beast. The beast a creation of the boys' minds, reflected as the most frightening object ever. The â€Å"beast† was slowly transformed from a bear to a flying, invisible, living thing, which eats everything in its way, especially human beings. It holds fear in the most terrifying way causing the end of the book to develop like it does. Although the beast they imagine doesn't exist, they flinch at the thought of the beast. This changes their behavior; they are so scared that they do not wander alone in the jungle. This fear, which the beast causes in the boys, allows Jack to keep his tribe under his command by creating an image for him. He is looked up upon as someone gutsy and strong, not scared of the beast unlike everyone else. The fire on the mountain is a symbol of escape and hope, and used as a signal for attracting the attention of passing boats/planes which might rescue them. Ralph introduced this idea in an attempt to establish a shift of kids for the maintenance of the fire. Towards the middle of the book, the shift wasn't followed, resulting in the fire being put out. It is easy to understand that when the fire burns high the boys have a high sense of hope of being rescued, but when the fire burns low because of neglect there is a low sense of hope and depression affects them all. Despite all of Ralph's attempts to keep the fire going throughout the book, Jack's authority is too strong and with the tribe Jack formed, Ralph is forced to let it burn out since he has no one to take care of the fire. The lord of the flies is a pig's head on a stake used as a sacrifice for the beast. It is given this name for the swarm of flies, which surround it. Jack believes that by giving the beast some food, the beast will not bother his tribe. At one point in the novel, it appears to be talking to Simon defining what is evil and what is good. This conversation inspires Simon to go to the mountain to find the beast. He realizes that the beast does not exist and this leads him to his death when he is brutally killed by the other kids because they thought he was the beast. The scar symbolizes a wound caused by mankind upon an untouched natural island. It is the place where the airplane crashed on the island. It plowed through the thick jungle, creating an area of chopped-down trees and shrubs. This is the place where Piggy and Ralph first met. Piggy introduced himself and became Ralph's companion. Close to the scar is the pool that Ralph and Piggy find the conch in. The conch is an symbol of peace, organization, and honesty for it has an authority which Ralph created at the beginning of the book. The conch is used to establish order in the boy's meetings because whoever has the conch, has the right to speak. The conch gave order in a world without grown ups and, like the law, it was respected, but when the kids realize that there was no punishment for disobeying it, they took advantage of the freedom to rebel against it. In the end of the book, when the conch is destroyed, Ralph is forced to give up and, with him; all the desperate attempts to be civilized are pointless. Golding presented numerous themes and basic ideas that give the reader something to think about. One of the most basic and obvious themes is that society holds everyone together, and without these conditions, our ideals, values, and the basics of right and wrong are lost. Golding is also showing that morals come directly from our surroundings, and if there is no civilization around us, we will lose these values. There were many other possible secondary themes I noticed in the book such as people will abuse power when it's not earned, When given a chance, people often single out another to degrade or improve their own security, You can only cover up inner savagery so long before it breaks out, given the right situation, It's better to examine the consequences of a decision before you make it than to discover them afterwards and the fear of the unknown can be a powerful force, which can turn you to either insight or madness. One thing I found interesting about this novel was I recognized that we must study and compare the characters of Jack and Ralph to understand Golding's meaning of the novel. Once the author lets the reader find the characters of similarities and differences it lets them understand Jack's and Ralph's rivalry. Golding tries to tell us a lesson of staying in a civilized society and not entering the dark and gloomy society. Watch the people around you for the people closest may be the people about to destroy civilization and the chance of being saved in this case. The Lord of the Flies† has so far been the one of the most interesting books I have ever read. The book is extremely addictive and written very cleverly, it did not take long for me to get into and finish it. Golding is an author with deep thoughts and a good understanding of human nature, which was very noticeable throughout the novel. I felt the novel was certainly both entertaining and educational. Entertaining in a way that the book is packed full of death, torture and most importantly, realism. Reading this book made feel as though I had my own character role in my mysterious exploration of the unknown. The educational side of the book I think was being on the adventure. What you learned from your experience. It lets you see what kind of issues you would have to handle or face up to if you were on the island with the others. If I was to trapped on an island now I think actually reading Lord of the Flies who fill me with experience and ideas to take me through my fight for survival.

Possente Spirto

Possente Spirto : Opinions in the style of Monteverdi and Artusi Sabrina K. Robbins Musicology 210 Dr. Rachel Golden October 23, 2012 Music has always and will always remain a subject of debate on some level. Throughout the years music has developed, progressed, and changed alongside mankind.There were numerous arguments as to what was considered proper and what the rules should be regarding composition during the development of music in each era. With the emergence of the Baroque era of music, the stylistic elements of homophony, alongside features such as basso continuo and a more common use of dissonance, became the norm. Prior to this development music was more structured, following contrapuntal styles and sticking to a strict tonal center.The stretch of time between the Renaissance and Baroque periods of music offered a unique perspective of the changing opinions through the treatises critiquing the current music. A famous argument of this kind took place between Giovanni Artu si and Claudio Monteverdi regarding the latter’s madrigal Cruda Amarilli. It is through the study of this treatise that it is possible to ascertain what the composers’ opinions may have been on other pieces of music through applying their criteria to analyzing other songs.Possente Spirto by Monteverdi is a piece to which these elements can be applied and a logical assumption of the feelings of both of these composers can be reached. Artusi, a composer and music critic, was deeply rooted in the theoretical concepts of the Renaissance era of music, and outwardly condemned the emergence of the new styles in the Baroque era. He was quite conservative, and passionately felt that Monteverdi’s music was distasteful and disrespectful in that it broke the previously established composition rules purely for the pleasure of stepping over boundaries.Possente Spirto blatantly disregards numerous key elements in Renaissance music by incorporating a heavily ornamented, single recitative voice, accompanied only by melodic harmony that is unobtrusive. Artusi was far more concerned with a vertical harmony than linear, horizontal harmony. The vocal portion of this piece is obviously the focal point but according to the ideals that Artusi held, the virtuosic monodic singing was not what would have been desired. Counterpoint and a strict tonal center were the elements that were pleasing to the ear of music enthusiasts and musicians.The dissonances used at unexpected times, the blatant disregard for previously set composition rules, and implementation of features such as modal mixture would make the music inaccessible and disrespectful to listeners who were expecting certain key harmonic elements from their musical experience. While Artusi would not have directly named Monteverdi in a criticism of Possente Spirto(just as he did not name him in his critique of Cruda Amarilli), it would have been evident to any reader that his intent was to examine the validity o f his compositional works.Despite Artusi’s distaste for Monteverdi’s works, his criticisms were less about the composer himself and more in regards to the developing and changing style of modern music. The â€Å"incorrect† voice leading and use of dissonance in an uncharacteristic way was not only outside of what was considered acceptable in composition but was something that was difficult to adjust to hearing. The sound of the linear harmony and dissonance was radically different from anything that had been heard previously, and new inventions are not always attractive at first.On the other side of the argument, Monteverdi was ahead of the time and was experiencing relatively smooth sailing through the awkward transitional period between the Renaissance and Baroque musical eras. He was principally concerned with the listener connecting emotionally and mentally with the music and text of his pieces, so he incorporated a great deal of text painting into his music . He began to focus heavily on the relationships of the text and music in his compositions.He thought that the listeners of his music should understand the messages of the songs, and began to find ways to utilize creative methods of description and expression in his compositions. Monteverdi was essentially ushering in a new age of music by pushing boundaries with his usage of consonances and dissonances. He was unafraid of breaking rules, and did so by throwing the ideas of counterpoint, chiefly the resolutions of notes and atypical harmonic structure, out the proverbial window.In Possente Spirto many fresh, new ideas are starting to arise. It is clearly evident through the utilization of ideas behind the text, the vocal articulation, and also the lyre-like sound of the accompaniment that Monteverdi was heavily influenced by ancient Greek music. Monteverdi would have justified his usage of dissonance by attributing it to the idea of conveying a mood to the listener. The old rules of the First Practice (counterpoint, traditional harmonic resolution, vertical harmony, etc) were of less concern to Monteverdi.The mixture of dramatic musical elements with the text for effect was the ultimate goal in his compositions, and he would have given little thought to the opinions of Artusi on the subject matter. His ideas of the Second Practice helped bridge the gap from Renaissance into the Baroque. In Possente Spirto, the text is what takes center stage in the song. Without the virtuosic singing and delicate musical harmony propelling the feelings of sadness and longing forward in the aria, the song would not have had the overall mood that Monteverdi was looking for.This piece is intended to make the listener connect with Orpheus and sympathize with his plight. The implementation of previously unused harmonic elements made the connection with the singer possible, and that in turn created the blending of music and drama that Monteverdi sought out in this work. Both of the points made by Artusi and Monteverdi were valid and well thought out. The argument simply boiled down to the fact that Artusi was more heavily rooted in tradition than Monteverdi, and favored the traditional voice leading and counterpoint practices.He did not want to see rules broken purely for the sake of breaking them. On the other hand, Monteverdi was more of a dreamer and chose to focus on the emotional element of the music. He wanted to have the listener connect to the music in a way that would make the feel the emotions in the text through the song. Neither composer had any concrete evidence to support the â€Å"winning facts† of the debate. It should be kept in mind that it is likely that Artusi was not exactly attacking Monteverdi, but rather arguing the practices coming into light in composition. It was rumored that they even became friends later.The only question on the table is whether it is better to stay with tradition, or take chances and break out of what is co nsidered acceptable and normal. Monteverdi did just that, and received a great deal of criticism for his work while simultaneously creating pieces that are considered to be great works of art. Possente Spirto, while lovely and evocative, incorporated many of the same elements that caused Artusi’s original critique. At what point does breaking rules becoming less about creating something new and evocative and more about simply ruffling feathers? That, I think, is a subject that will remain up for debate.

The Outsiders2 essays

The Outsiders2 essays In this book analysis, about the book "The Outsiders" by S. E. Hinton I will discuss character and plot development, as well as the setting, the author's style and my opinions about the book. In this part of the analysis I will give some information about the subjects of the book, The author wrote the story when she was just 16 years old, in the 1950s. The book was successful, and it was sold, and still being sold, in many copies as a young adults novel. There was a movie made about it, and today there are still many schools that use this book in junior high and high schools for English classes. There were plays made about the book too. The Outsiders is about a gang. They live in a city in Oklahoma. Ponyboy Curtis, a 14 year old greaser, tells the story. Other characters include Sodapop and Darry, Ponyboy's brothers, Johnny, Dallas, and Two-Bit, that were also gang members and Ponyboy's friends. This story deals with two forms of social classes: the socs, the rich kids, and the greasers, the poor kids. The socs go around looking for trouble and greasers to beat up, and then the greasers are blamed for it, because they are poor and cannot affect the authorities. I hope you would enjoy and learn something about the book from reading this analysis. The plot development in the book, "The Outsiders" by S.E. Hinton, was easy to follow. In this part of the book analysis I will give some more details about the plot development. There were no hooks or hurdles in the beginning of the book, the first sentence starts right away with the plot-without any forewords. This is the beginning of the first sentence: "When I stepped out into the bright sunlight from the darkness of the movie house..." (page 9). As you can see, it goes straight to the point without any prologues or any kind of introduction. The plot development in the middle of the story was sensible and easy to ...