Old to New, how will older ports Compete with new and larger Essay

Old to New, how will older ports Compete with new and larger Structures - Essay Example This paper will look at the measures that old ports can take to ensure that they are able to compete with new and more modern ports. Older ports should invest in equipment that will enable them to compete effectively with newer ports. Equipment used at ports determines the speed at which ports are able to operate and clear goods. Older ports should invest in equipment that will ensure that goods are cleared within the shortest time possible. This will enable the ports to operate efficiently and effectively (Gubbins 2003). For example, some of the old ports had no cranes as containers were rarely used for transportation in the olden days. These ports can ensure that they install such equipment that will make sure that goods at the port are handled effectively and with maximum care. It is important that old ports have the latest technology used in handling goods at the port. This will help them be able to effectively compete with newer ports. Newer ports have installed the latest technology that can be used to handle containers at ports. Older ports should follow suit and ensure that are able to purchase and install the latest technology used in handling goods at ports. Technology will enable them to be able to clear goods in record time. This will be advantageous to the older ports due to the fact that they do not have enough space to store goods for a long period of time unlike newer ports. Technology will also ensure that human labor is only used where it is needed. Ports should be able to have machines that are controlled by humans. Humans should not be employed to do tedious work in the ports. This will slow down the process of clearing goods and services and as a result, the port might come to a standstill as there is no enough space to store the containe rs. Older ports can enter into business partnerships that are mutually

Where The Five Functional Areas Of Network Management (FCAPS) Are Not Essay

Where The Five Functional Areas Of Network Management (FCAPS) Are Not Adhered To - Essay Example They also have committed to provide business to the tune of 100 seats in the next two year. The organisation also wants to setup offices across many cities out of US. Presently the system of the company x is not good enough to cater the needs of the customers and the company x is also facing some problems because it has not implemented the OSI application functions namely, fault, configuration Accounting performance and security management. Due to this the present system of networking management is facing the following problems: First the fault management in the company x is not working properly i.e. not providing clear and correct report about the incident/fault which has occurred and therefore the problem arises about identifying the fault and its source. In this way the system cannot priorities the fault, which has occurred and cannot be able to restore services on time and properly. Some Hardware faults to be handled instantaneously through replacement to restore services cannot be attended immediately. Due to fault in network, a user is immediately affected and the better services could not be provided to the users. The most common and serious problems of networks are connectivity failure, which are in the category of fault management. The network failure is caused more often by a node failure than by failure of passive links. When this happens all downstream systems from the interface are inaccessible. Such failures are associated with the network interface card, which needs replacement. The nod failures manifest as connectivity failures to the user. Another cause of network connectivity failure is procedural but very common. Network connectivity is based on IP address, which is a logical address assigned by the network administrator. The IP address in uniquely associated with a physical MAC address of network component. However mistakes are made in assigning duplicate IP addresses, especially in an enterprise environment with many system administrators. A host or system interface problem is a shared medium can bring the entire segment down. It becomes nightmare for the network manager to isola te problem without causing interruption is services. The intermittent problem could also occur as a result traffic overload, which would cause packets to be lost. Sometimes the management system indicates failure, when in actuality data traffic is flowing normally. Power hits could reset network component configuration, causing network failure. The network has a permanent configuration (default) and a dynamic configuration (runtime) and thus a performance problem could manifest as a network delay. The company is using LAN networking system, which is not sufficient for the organization. Because of connection through wires / cables and switches, it is not useful. So without proper network connecting Architecture, Company is facing lots of problems. Due to circuit - switch connection security of data and information has always been at stake. Security conscious clients always looking for more security proof network. Security plays a crucial role in deciding network architectures. Due to multiple servers at single location cannot fulfill the requirement of the organisation. Organisation had a network having lesser bandwidth and this creates lots of problem. The network used at a time by number of concurrent users for various applications and which takes longer response time and at times posting websites will be more than that of an organisation processing manufacturing orders. (Also the cost of the LAN system where

Japan Airlines Flight 123 Essay Example for Free

Japan Airlines Flight 123 Essay August 12, 1985- Japan Airlines flight 123 left Tokyo, Japan at around 6:10 in the evening, fourteen minutes later at an altitude of twenty four thousand feet, and three hundred knots, an explosion, oscillations, and cabin decompressions was heard and captured on the plane’s on board recorder. The captain on duty was seated at the right side of the plane and his co-pilot, who was at that time training for promotion to be a captain, was sitting on the left seat. A few moments later, the captain signals an SOS on the transponder and suggests that the flight return to Tokyo. The airplane went down to twenty two thousand feet and went on doing violent movements; the plane, for about two minutes was doing a Phugoid, or longitudinal motion and rolls. The captain and his co-pilot were helpless and had no means in controlling the airplane’s heading through the usual flight control inputs. Their only way of limited control is done through thrust differentials. The plane was able to maintain an altitude of twenty two thousand feet and two hundred and fifty knots for an approximate duration of twenty minutes. At around 6:39 in the evening, the main landing gear was deployed which caused the erratic movements of the plane to intensify. The plane then did a controlled turn to the left while descending to eight thousand feet. Erratic movement of the plane meanwhile, continue. At 6:47 PM, the plane was in a mountainous area, the plane increased power, and they were at five thousand and three hundred feet. The flaps of the plane were extended at 6:51 PM that caused the roll angle of the plane to be sixty degrees, the crew starts to move the flaps and increase thrust. The plane was at ten thousand feet when it began a nose dive at a very fast eighteen thousand feet per minute. The crew countered this by lifting the nose. 6:56 PM – the airplane crashed at the mountains on an altitude of five thousand feet and three hundred and forty knots. Roughly forty six minutes since take-off and thirty two minutes since the decompression. Boeing, as owners of the plane, are somehow responsible for the crash but definitely they are not the only ones to blame and do not deserve to be blamed in entirety. Part of the responsibility lies with Japan Airlines who maintains the plane. In fairness to Boeing, they have provided specific repair instructions to the plane that was not followed by those who were responsible for the repairs. The plane had previously suffered damage to the bulkhead in 1978 but was not repaired properly. As stated in the report, â€Å"The initiation and propagation of the fatigue cracks are attributed to the improper repairs of the bulkhead, conducted in 1978, and since the fatigue cracks were not found in the later maintenance inspection, this contributed to the accident. † (Aviation Safety Network, 2008). Boeing did its part by providing proper instructions but their failure to see to it that they were carried out properly contributed to the crash which makes them partly guilty of neglect. There was confusion on the rescue operation, A US owned helicopter was the first at the scene, about twenty minutes after impact. The US chopper in turn, informed Yokota Air Base and offered backup. But the US helicopter was ordered to return to base because Japanese forces were to handle the mission. Poor visibility at the crash site prompted the Japanese team to report that there were no survivors and made it impossible to land. Thinking that there were no survivors the rest of the rescue team waited till the next morning to check out the site. But there were survivors, reports show that injuries on the bodies found imply that they survived the crash but were not given immediate medical attention which caused their deaths. If the helicopter pilot hadn’t reported abruptly that there were no survivors, there could have been. References Aviation Safety Network. (2007). Applying Lessons learned from Accidents. from: http://aviation-safety. net/database/record. php? id=19850812-1 Air Disaster. com (n. d). Special Report: Japan Airlines 123. from: http://www. airdisaster. com/special/special-jal123. shtml Jackson, H. (1985). 524 Killed in worst single air disaster. from: http://www. guardian. co. uk/fromthearchive/story/0,,1017027,00. html

Step Brothers (2008) Analysis

Step Brothers (2008) Analysis Step Brothers (2008), directed by Adam McKay, is a raunchy, funny film for comedy audiences. It stars Will Ferrell and Jon C. Reilly as Brenan and Dale. These two single, and very juvenile, forty something, guys lives change once their parents, played by Oscar winning. Mary Steenbuge and Richard Jenkins, fall in love and get married. These two men become best of friends and brothers, as well as experience for the first time their struggles as adults for the first time. In this comedy though it is raunchy and stupid, offers a true message of unconditional love. Many critiques have both negative and positive feedback concerning this film. However, I think that this film is inappropriately hilarious and embraces the goof in all of us, in every charter in this story. In this movie, two middle -aged men in their forties, Dale, and Brenan, live together by force upon their parents marriage union. This takes place in present time in a normal American suburban family situation. These men are like overgrown teenagers eating cereal and nachos for breakfast, video games, no jobs and sponging off the benefit of each single parent. After becoming comfortable with the living arrangement and each other, Dale and Brenan become the best of friends. The plot twists as their adventures dont always take them in the same direction. Their parents want them to grow up and get jobs and move out so they can live their lives and travel on the boat. Dale becomes a talented chef and Brenan begins working for his younger brother, Derek and falling in love with his therapist. Brenans brother Derek is a jerk. He is spoiled and selfish and is mean to his wife, who also has a cheesy, dramatic affair with Dale in the movie. Ultimately in the end everything does work out for e veryone. I found this movie to be very funny and well worth the watch. It offers a level of adult humor on a juvenile twist for those audience members who can appreciate its silly raunchy humor. The epic scenes between the two brothers allows those of us with siblings to identify with some of the disagreements between the brothers. From the I am going to mess up your stuff aspect to the Ill kill you, I hate you situations, and all the hilarious sleep walking in between, the critics are somewhat divided about its overall ratings. Calvin Wilson (2008) from the St Louis Post Dispatch states, why result to gross-out tactics when your premise is strong enough to allow for a more sophisticated approach (para. 2). I feel he has a point but this was not the approach for this film. Wilson states that this is Bottom line, a crude but hilarious comedy (headline). Roger Ebert (2008) stated he did not agree on the critic websites. He said that the movie left him feeling unclean because of the raunchy humo r and adult situations and violence. His overall response was dont watch it on an airplane, dont check it out on cable, dont walk past the bargain basement bin where it is sold (para. 4). I can understand how both the critic and the website can feel this way as this kind of humor is not for every ones eyes and ears. The adult scene in the bathroom where the affair between Dereks wife and Dale is not very tasteful and does kind of leaving you feeling gross. I think it could have been left out. Quite frankly, the violence factor in the film is mild. The men are portrayed as overgrown teens and in my opinion do not behave any more violent to one another than teen brothers would be. The film just dramatized it and made it more on an adult level of humorous violence. Likewise, David Marchese (2014) for Rolling Stone Magazine shares common ground with his article titled, Finding the Dinosaur: A Step Brothers Appreciation. Marchese starts his piece by saying, Step Brothers, more and truer laughs than any other Ferrell and McKay movie (para.7). Whereas, Peter Bradshaw ( ), from the Guardian.com, doesnt feel the same, stating that this is another unashamedly juvenile comedy from the awe-inspired busy Judd Apatow production line (para. ). I agree the plot has a few flaws, because the audience doesnt know how these two men became the way they are while everyone seems to be normal functioning adults leaving some of the films elements farfetched, such as the affair with Dale and Dereks wife and the relationship with Brenan and his therapist in the end. The acting in Step Brothers is great and the critics do agree. Kyle Smith (2008) from the New York Post, agrees with my opinion saying There is too much funny here for a movie and further elaborates Step Brothers should be a TV show (review 1). The chemistry between Ferrell and Reilly is amazing. Will Ferrell plays Brenan whose mother is the one who married Dales father. Brenan is like a spoiled fourteen-year-old and John C Reilly plays Dale, another likeminded man acting like an overgrown fourteen-year-old. They are grown men and have the whole sibling rivalry scene to the point. When they get into the argument over whether or not Brenan touched Dales drum set leading to the scene where they try to bury each other alive in the yard and the face off in the front yard leaving each other knocked out while the mother is spraying them with the hose. You are left with a lot of laughter. If in fact, this movie could be constructed into a television show, many people will watch it. When Fer rell and Reilly do the sleepwalking scene, you can really believe the character. Putting couch pillows in the oven, dumping coffee all over and throwing coffee cups, walking around saying weird things like Hi Im Carol, and Carols on fire, I laugh still. Mary Steenburg who plays Brenans mother, Nancy Huff, is a tired woman. She gives the impression she is getting too old to be babysitting and really wants to get on with her life before time runs out. Richard Jenkins who plays Dales father, Robert Doback, is a professional doctor, who just wants to sail around the world with his wife and retire. Neither one of these two can do that because of their sons. This makes a big problem in the marriage and they start considering divorcing, but all is well in the end. The director chose to present the story in a way that most people in a mixed family would be able to relate to. I like the choice of angles the director used to capture the exact image of the funnier moments in the film. This allowed the audience to be right there in the scene. In the sleep walking scene for example, the lighting is set perfectly to show it is night time and it is late while everyone is sleeping. The angles and lighting capture the details that make these scenes funny by showing expression on the face[AW1], for example when they are sleeping after the sleep walking scene, dale is shown with mustard on his face and a piece of bread in his hand. Another way the characters were walking or jumping around, the camera shows emphasis on their legs when running or when talking you can see their facial expressions close up like the camera zoom, clearly to match the scene. Adam McKay is an American film director and producer. He was also head writer for Saturday Night Live for two seasons, Winston Cook-Wilson (2016), states in an article for Spin Magazine. that Step Brothers is, dramatically, and politically charged, Oscar worthy fare (Cook-Wilson). The costumes, lighting, and sets were enjoyable and amusing. In the beginning when Brenan and Dale met the scene is set at the afternoon in the front yard and they were both dressed like two fourteen-year-old kids with some old graphic t-shirts on and stupid haircuts. Other examples are when Dale and Brenan do the video of their new company Prestige Worldwide. It is a nice sunny day and they are on Dales fathers boat dressed in jackets and scarfs like wealthy people flaunting around like they are famous also, when they are shown being responsible adults at their jobs. Dale dressed in a professional chef uniform and Brenan in business clothes. These different scenes and sets are important to the movie. The good weather and sunshine keeps the atmosphere pleasant and happy for the audience. The different costumes allow you to visualize the scene and characters as intended. The music in the film has some catchy tunes and familiar with most American people. From Bonnie Rait, Guns N Roses, Hall and Oates, and The Mighty Mighty Bosstones there is a song everyone is going to know and sing along. The beginning tune kind of amps you up to laugh and gets you excited to watch the film. You just know it is going to be good. Guns N Roses and Bonnie Rait to very good playing musicians are used in this film. People are drawn to artists that they know. When Derek performed, the talent show scene with Ice Ice Baby, my friend knew it as soon as it came on and laughed. It was very popular in America in the 90s. In conclusion to my review I will admit that Step Brothers is not intended for all audiences. I would recommend Step Brothers to anyone needing a good laugh. This story will help you laugh at the funny stories of you and your own siblings or mixed family mergers. If you are a Ferrell and Reilly fan and appreciate the comedy from them, like the sleep walking scene or the music video for Prestige Worldwide, or havent had the opportunity you will want to see this film. If you dont find sibling rivalry like when they fight over the drum set or goofy and gross humor like licking the dog poop, that exceeds adult humor on a juvenile maturity level, then I would not suggest this film for you. References K. (2016,May 27). [Review of the film Step Brothers]. Cinemablend. Retired January 31, 2017. From http:// Step Brothers. Metacritic. Columbia Pictures, 25 July 2008. Web. 30 Jan. 2017. Ebert, Roger. Step Brothers Movie Review Film Summary (2008) | Roger Ebert. All Content. N.p., 23 July 2008. Travers, Peter. Step Brothers. Rolling Stone. Rolling Stone, 07 Aug. 2008. Web. 30 Jan. 2017.Web. 30 Jan. 2017. McKay, A. (Director(. (2008). Step Brothers [DVD]. New York: Sony. 22, 2016 Winston Cook-Wilson// November, and Winston Cook-Wilson. Big Short Director Adam McKay Is Writing and Directing a Dick Cheney Movie. Spin. N.p., 22 Nov. 2016. Web. 30 Jan. 2017. Wilson, Calvin. Step Brothers: B. Stltoday.com. N.p., 25 July 2008. Web. 30 Jan. 2017. Bradshaw, Peter. Film Review: Step Brothers. The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 28 Aug. 2008. Web. 30 Jan. 2017. [AW1]

Hamlet as Victim and Hero Essay -- Essays on Shakespeare Hamlet

Hamlet as Victim and Hero      Ã‚   Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, a Shakespearean tragedy, tells the story of Prince Hamlet, who gained the knowledge of a terrible incident that his kingdom had suffered. Claudius, the king of Denmark and Hamlet's uncle, had killed his own brother, the king, who was also the father of Hamlet, and married his brother's widow. Hamlet suffered these traumas to a severe degree, and his only relief was to defeat his human weaknesses and correct the wrongs created by his uncle.    The soliloquy selected to describe the emotions of Hamlet, after discovering the evil doings of his uncle, is found within the lines one hundred twenty-nine to one hundred fifty-nine (Hamlet Prince 71). Hamlet's first reaction was to look for a way out, which would be a common response for several humans if they were placed in that situation. He wished for death and questioned God's decision that suicide be a sin. Most human beings, when placed as leaders in a difficult situation, will look for ways to free themselves of their responsibility. Even Jesus Christ, the greatest being to walk the face of this earth, according to Christianity, searched for a way out as He took upon him the sins of the world in the Garden of Gethsemane. In St. Mathew 26:39 he said, "O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou will" (The Holy Bible 1235). Hamlet realized, as Jesus did, that he was in a situation where he was the only man to do the job. T herefore, he forgot about his own death and suicidal thoughts and concentrated more on bringing his uncle to justice.    Throughout the play, Hamlet demonstrates a witty personality although he is bogged down by the knowledge of his f... ...as pulled into this situation by chance, and it was left in his hands to justify his father's death. He did what he had to do according to his own manner.    Works Cited The Holy Bible. Authorized King James Version. Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 1989. Dodsworth, Martin. Hamlet Closely Observed. New Hampshire: The Athlone Press, 1985. Kravitz, David. Who's Who in Greek and Roman Mythology. New York: Clarkson N. Potter, Inc., 1975. Lidz, Theodore. Hamlet's Enemy, Madness and Myth in Hamlet. New York: Basic Books, Inc., 1975. Shakespeare, William. Hamlet Prince of Denmark. A Pocketful of Plays. Vintage Drama. Ed. David Madden. Fort Worth: Harcourt Brace & Company, 1996. Wormhoudt, Arthur. Hamlet's Mouse Trap. A Psychoanalytical Study of the Drama. New York: Philosophical Library, Inc., 1956.   

Audit Engagement Essay examples -- essays research papers

Subject: Assessment of Exton Industries, Inc. Dear Ms. Johnson:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I have recently reviewed the Control Environment Questionnaire for Exton Industries, Inc. After evaluating the evidence collected by our staff member, I have come up with an assessment of the fraud risks. From the evidence gathered, I have concluded that Exton Industries has a weak control environment. Overall, it will not do an effective job of preventing fraudulent activities.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  While evaluating Exton Industries, I had to consider how the control environment would prevent misstatements arising from misappropriation of assets and fraudulent financial reporting.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The controller, CFO, and CEO review all financial reports before releasing them. Another area to consider was the assignment of authority and responsibility. Because three different people review the financial reports, it’s easier to identify any mistakes that may have been made which in turn reduces the chances of misappropriation in fraudulent reporting. Through conversation with employees it was noted that proper responsibility and delegation of authority were assigned and the proper information appeared to be considered in developing responsibilities. Written job descriptions and standards also exist. Since proper responsibility and delegation of authority and written job descriptions and standards exist the, the chances of fraudulent activities are reduced. Other issues to consider were management’s commitment to competence and human resource policies and procedures. During the hiring process, management makes sure the potential employee possesses the proper knowledge and skills to carry out the job adequately. Upon hiring, the new employee is made aware of his or her responsibilities and management’s expectations of them. In addition supervisors conduct annual reviews. The company’s previous success also shows that employees have the required skills and knowledge. Discussions with employees indicated that they are made aware of the consequences if they perform ineffectively and/or do not fulfill their responsibilities. Exton Industries has effective controls in their commitment to competence and human resource department’s hiring and review process. Overall, the control environment of the board of directors and audit committee will p... ...ast year several employees have left on short notice and there has been difficulty in retaining key personnel. The new management team is probably worried about getting profits up and by using an aggressive approach there may be more errors because financial statements may not checked as thoroughly. The cause of the high turnover rate should be investigated, employees may be leaving because others are committing fraudulent behavior and they do not want to get involved. Management may be encouraging this or may not see it because they are too worried about making the company look profitable. Lastly, there were failures to protect valuable assets, which could lead to misappropriation of assets. In conclusion, I found that Exton Industries has some internal controls that will prevent fraudulent financial reporting and misappropriation of assets however, they are lacking effective internal controls as well. As a result of Exton Industries having weak internal controls, control risk is increased and the audit team will need to choose higher control risk strategies. If controls in the areas lacking are not improved the control environment will fail to protect future fraudulent acts.

To what extent does Soyinka present Jeroboam and his gullible congregation firstly as victims of social forces

To what extent does Soyinka present Jeroboam and his gullible congregation firstly as victims of social forces and secondly, as victims of their own greed and opportunism in The Trials of Brother Jero? â€Å"Human life cannot be represented in a fully or truthful manner without taking account of the pressures brought to bear upon the individual by his milieu, by the particularity of social situation and historical circumstance† John Cruickshank (1969) I have chosen the quote above as a starting point for my essay because I believe that Africa as a continent has seen such extremes of political and social upheaval that to overlook the importance of history, and its affects down the evolutionary scale on the people of Africa, in African literature and particularly in Soyinka's The Trials of Brother Jero would be very wrong. But how far can you make allowances for greed, selfishness and opportunism (which almost every character in the play attributes to) under the assumption that they are just products of the greed, selfishness and opportunism inflicted on the people when colonisation reared its ugly head? by the same token I feel that it is easy for an audience or reader of a play to put characters good or bad points purely down to their ‘character'. When a play write presents you with characters that are so easy to interpret then you have to ask yourself, why? Jero is a prophet, â€Å"by birth and inclination† and this is indeed the first thing we learn about him. The way Soyinka presents him to us is initially set out in the stage directions where Jero is described as â€Å"suave†. Jero's opening line â€Å"I am a prophet†, I feel, encourages the audience to think that maybe a real prophet would be more modest. Jero's direct speech to the audience employs a traditional African style of address that forces an audience to actively analyse Jero's speeches. That said Soyinka does not make it difficult for us to see that Jero is far from being a religious man as he informs us of his betrayal of his previous master for his own personal gain. So why would Soyinka use such a style of address if he did not want to us to analyse something more in the apparent openness of his characters speech? I feel that Soyinka has used this literary tool in order to encourage an audience not to see the truth in the characters (as this is very easy to see) but to think about why they have come to be the way they are. G. N. Ofor (1991) in his essay entitled The Urban Novel: A Historical Experience tells us about social realities of the time prior to colonisation: â€Å"African villagers were noted for their homogeneity and were guided by traditional beliefs and values. Members of the community were very closely bound together and the primacy of the community over the individual was emphasised† I think it is very important that G. N. Ofor chooses to specify that this state was what Africa was like before colonisation as this suggests that things have changed because of colonisation. Certainly in The Trials of Brother Jero the people are guided by traditional beliefs with the characters attending church regularly and Jero being something of an advisor (certainly to Chume anyway) but Jero himself is not guided by the hope of enlightenment or saviour after death, nor is he compelled to help people for the sake of being a kind and generous person. Everything he does, in some way, contributes to his own personal gain, gain of money or respect or personal favours. In the quotation below which is an excerpt from the play Jero finds out that Chume's wife is in fact also his creditor who he has been trying to avoid, and so allows him finally to beat her despite forbidding him not to up until this point. Jero says â€Å"he wants to beat his wife, but I won't let him. If I do, he will become contented, and then that's another of my flock gone for ever. Jero: Ah. That is the only way. But er†¦ I wonder really what the will of god would be in this matter. After all, Christ himself was not averse to using the whip when occasion demanded it. Chume (eagerly. ): No. He did not hesitate. Jero: In that case, since, brother Chume, your wife seems such a wicked, wilful sinner, I think†¦ Chume: Yes, Holy One†¦? Jero: You must take her home tonight†¦ Chume: Yes†¦ Jero: And beat her. You could easily conclude from this that Jero is presented as a victim of his own opportunism or that Jero is an opportunist, I suppose that to consider a character as a victim of anything suggests that we cannot or do not blame them for it; that, from a humanitarian point of view we can empathise with Jero's course of action. But Soyinka does not present to us any signal that Jero has suffered any sort of moral dilemma as he recurrently exploits his congregation. So we need to consider the social forces that might shape the attitudes of the characters in The Trials of Brother Jero The ideological view points detailed in the quotation by G. N. Ofer. Do not apply to the character Jero so Maybe Soyinka chooses not to present Jero in this idyllic image as a remark against such opinions saying that he does not agree that Colonisation is a reason that people in Africa have become more of a capitalist nation like in European society and is making the point that the image of Africans as a tight knit, un-selfish communism never completely existed. In the same essay I quoted from earlier and on the subject of the effects of colonisation, G. N. Ofer goes on to say that: Factors like taxation, a common portable currency, the desire for European goods, the need and the opportunity to make profits contributed immensely to the historic shift from a subsistence economy to a monetary economy. This loosened the co-operative ties binding the individual to his clan and lineage members. † If you read the above quote with reference to Soyinka's character Jero you could certainly see how, perhaps, Soyinka's character Jeroboam is presented as a victim of this new found ethic, catalysed by the influence of Africa's capitalist colonisers. In fact in Soyinka's own words, from an essay entitled from a common backcloth: A reassessment of the African literary Image he writes of â€Å"the European observer† that: â€Å"He still fights a rearguard today. It has grown subtler. Accommodation is his new weapon, not dictation† Soyinka (1988) Accommodation of the African continent or of the minds of the African masses perchance? Chume is another of Soyinka's main characters in the play, an un-educated, naive, gullible, hen-pecked man who relies completely on the ‘help' he gets from Jero. Looking at the play it is easy perceive that Soyinka has presented Chume as a victim. In the excerpt I have quoted below we can see how Chume goes to see brother Jero, desperate to find help for the mental torture he suffers by his nagging wife, Amope; Chume: My life is hell†¦ Jero: Forgive him, father, forgive him. Chume: This woman will kill me†¦ Jero: Forgive him, father, forgive him. Chume: Only this morning I†¦ Jero: Forgive him, father, forgive him. Chume: All the way on my bicycle†¦ Jero: Forgive†¦ Chume: And not a word of thanks†¦ Jero: Out Ashtoreth. Out Baal†¦ Chume: All she gave me was abuse, abuse, abuse†¦ All Chume wants is for Jero to allow him to beat her, just once, but Jero keeps him hanging on saying it is not the will of god. All Chume wants out of life is to have a peaceful relationship with his wife and to gain a better job. Chume is actually under a great deal of pressure to conform to the expectations of his wife and his peer. Amope says â€Å"A chief messenger in the local Government Office – do you call that work? Your old schools friends are now ministers, riding in long cars†¦ † while Jero mocks Chume for his â€Å"animal jabber† he goes on to say that he is â€Å"too crude, but then that is to my advantage. It means he would never set himself up as my equal. † you could argue that any characters desire for monetary gain or a materialistic attitude to life could be seen as a direct effect of the colonisation of Africa. As I have shown in earlier quotations and as I have read so far, it would seem that many of the people who write about the state of the African infrastructure have the opinion that colonisation has been a destructive factor because it imposed the materialistic, dog eat dog attitude of Europe. Many writers believe that the effect of Europe has caused a lack of solidarity between the African masses. It would seem, also that there have been many literary works which satirise this idea, Claude Wauthier (1978) in The literature and thought of modern Africa writes; The tone is just as sarcastic about Europe in the long free-verse poem by the Ugandan Okot p'Bitek, song of Lawino, the bitter-sweet lament of a black woman who is reproached by her husband for being illiterate and not knowing European social manners: My husband pours scorn On black people He behaves like a hen That eats its own eggs. Bearing this in mind it seems as though Soyinka has presented Chume as a victim of the social forces imposed by those around him. He fits perfectly into Eustace Palmer's view (quoted by G. N. Ofor in The essay The urban novel: a Historical Experience) of; â€Å"The rural innocent†¦ who is ignorant of the qualities needed to survive in the hot-house that is the city and who is quite often inadequately equipped, as far as education is concerned, to qualify for the lucrative jobs the city offers. † Palmer (1979) It is interesting to include that G. N. Ofor remarks on the above quote with: â€Å"However it is pertinent to note that without the creation of towns/cities by the colonial administration, there would have been no urban novel. † As for Chume's own greed and opportunism, I think it would be difficult for anyone to argue that a person could be said to be greedy for wanting to live harmoniously with their wife/husband or to want equality. All we know of the rest of brother Jero's congregation is the few people he mentions that he has convinced will become prime ministers of certain states, there is a woman who badly wants children and Jero tell us that the most popular of his prophesies is to tell people they will live until they are 80. As Jero says â€Å"if it doesn't come true, that man doesn't find out until he's on the other side. The last character we meet in the play is ‘member', who aptly becomes a member of Brother Jero's congregation by the end of the play. Jero, at first, attempts to speak to him by pretending he has prophesised the meeting between them. Shockingly the member turns away saying â€Å"Go and practise your fraudulences on another person of greater gullibility† and so for a second it seems as though there may be at least one character that will not fall for the charms of Brother Jeroboam – this is not the case. All it takes is for Jero to say what he wants to hear and he is hooked. Jero tempts him by saying â€Å"And at a desk, in a large gilt room, great men of the land awaited your decision. Emissaries of foreign nations hung on your word. And on the door leading into your office I read the words, minister for war†¦ † Asking god or brother Jero to help people become ministers or heads of state or merely to have a better job or more money seems to go against the true usages of religion, Which I had understood to be performing the will of God (of whichever denomination) and keeping unity between all the people within the culture. It seems to me that Soyinka may be trying to show that while every member of Jero's congregation is manipulated by him they themselves are not completely innocent in their reasons for their faith. Mineke Schipper (1982) in Oral Literature and Total Theatre says; â€Å"In traditional society the religious system determines the cultural unity of the people. Life forces bind man to his past, his present and his future and determine his relationships with gods, spirits, nature and natural phenomena. The unity tends to break down where western influence increases. † It is interesting that the subject of western influence is again considered to be the destructive factor in the lack of unity between the African people. The quotation above suggests that western influences have even meant a breaking down of the unity that religion brings. After having looked at The Trials of Brother Jero, and having discussed the idea of victimisation I can only conclude that human beings, from whatever culture or walk of life, all desire the same basic things – money and material possessions, respect, power and equality (though not necessarily in that order). The idea that has cropped up so often in my essay, that the social forces which work upon the individual and the nation as a whole are a direct effect of colonisation, is probably the most interesting point of all. You can indeed find reasoning within the text to assume that Soyinka may have intended for this theme to become apparent, whether or not you regard any of the characters as victims or even if you regard them as victims and perpetrators together at the same time. Below I have included a quotation from S. E. Ogude in his essay African Literature and the Burden of History: Some Reflections in which he talks about another African playwright, Chinua Achebe (1975) Saying: â€Å"He also reveals the weaknesses of the traditional society and the ease with which European capitalism and religion supported by gun powder and cannon balls successfully challenged the dominance of traditional culture. † If this is indeed true then it is a terrible, terrible shame.