The 4 Hottest Careers for Generation Y

The 4 Hottest Careers for Generation Y Generation Y (whose members are generally in their late-20s and early-30s) are  facing a job market with fewer, less attractive prospects. Here are four sectors with the 4 hottest careers for generation y that are growing, hiring, and exciting enough to hold your attention. HealthcareEverybody get sick and everybody gets old. But we’re getting better at managing and curing illness, and all of us are living longer. This means health professionals  are in high demand. Whether you want to be a surgeon or a general practitioner or a medical assistant, or you want work on the administrative or research end of things, there will be jobs for you. High paying jobs. Jobs with flexibility for work life balance. And plenty of room for upward movement.EngineeringEngineers are also in demand- the healthcare, environment, and entertainment industries, to name a few, are increasingly requiring and seeking out the services of engineers. The comparatively high average salaries are also a p lus.Software developmentEver wonder who makes all those apps on your phone? Innovation never ceases, and as technologies advance, so does our drive for more software. If you have a passion for technology or good design and functionality, or you just like being on the cutting edge, this career is wide open- and pays extremely well.CoachingThe world is becoming more health and fitness conscious. Get in on this growing field while you still can. Athletic trainers are in higher and higher demand, and the field is expected to grow by 30% over the next 10 years. Fuse together a passion for sports, health expertise, and psychological training, and you can make bank helping athletes achieve their potential.

Crows, Ravens and Jays - Corvidae - The Animal Encyclopedia

Crows, Ravens and Jays - Corvidae - The Animal Encyclopedia Crows, ravens and jays (Corvidae) are a group of perching birds that also includes jackdaws, rooks, magpies, nutcrackers, choughs and treepies. In total, there are more than 120 species that belong to the crow family. Crows, ravens and jays are medium to large birds. The group includes the largest members of the perching birds. Many crows, ravens and jays have large wingspans. They have a robust body, strong feet and sturdy bills. Their nares (nasal openings) are fringed by bristle-like feathers known as rictal bristles. In temperate areas, most members of the group are partly or entirely black, blue, iridescent blue or iridescent purple. Some species, such as the magpies and jays, are more varied in color. They might have plumage with a mixture of black, white, grey and blue markings. Members of this group of birds are thought to be highly intelligent, not just among birds but among all animals. Crows and rooks have demonstrated tool making abilities while European magpies have exhibited self-awareness in mirror tests. Many members of the crow family establish and protect territories either during the breeding season or throughout the year. When threatened, some corvids can defend their offspring or territories aggressively and are known to attack large animals such as other birds, dogs or cats. Many species of corvids form social groups and hierarchies for foraging and breeding. Many species of corvids have flourished in human environments. But while such species have enjoyed healthy populations, a few corvids have experienced declines. Examples of threatened members of the crow family include the Florida scrub jay, the Mariana crow and the New Zealand raven. Crows and their relatives form strong pair bonds and in some species this association is life-long. In most species, nests are constructed in trees or on rock ledges. Nests are built using twigs, grass and other plant materials. Females lay between 3 and 10 eggs and young fledge after about 10 days. The largest member of the crow family is the common raven which grows to more than 26 inches in length and weighs 3 pounds. The smallest member of the crow family is the dwarf jay which grows to about 8 inches and weighs little more than an ounce. Crows, ravens and jays have a nearly-worldwide distribution. They are absent from only the southern tip of South America and the polar regions. The group is most diverse in tropical regions of Central America, South America, Asia and Europe. Most members of the crow family do not migrate although when food shortages occur, populations do relocate. Classification Animals Chordates Birds Perching Birds Crows, Ravens and Jays The crows, ravens and jays are divided into about a dozen subgroups, some of which include New World jays, grey jays, azure-winged magpies, Holarctic magpies, Stresemanns bushcrow, piapiac, true crows, nutcrackers, Old World jays, Oriental magpies, treepies and choughs. The crow family is thought to have originated in Australia and spread throughout the world. The closest relatives of the crows, ravens and jays are thought to be the birds of paradise and shrikes. There remains considerable ambiguity regarding the exact lineages and their relationships within the crow family. The earliest members of the crow family date back about 17 million years ago to the middle Miocene. Known fossils include Miocorvus, Miocitta, Miopica and Henocitta. Crows, ravens and jays feed a variety of foods including small mammals, birds, invertebrates as well as fruits, seeds and berries. Some members of the crow family feed on insects such as grasshoppers while others feed on carrion.

Environment Management for Sustainable Development Assignment

Environment Management for Sustainable Development - Assignment Example Of particular interest to the firm has been the BP oil company. This was brought about by the oil spill on the Gulf of Mexico that involved the company. The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill occurred on April 20th 2010 at the Gulf of Mexico. This was as a result of gas release and consequent significant eruptions on the Horizon oil rig in the Macondo exploration well that belonged to BP Company. Considered as the worst and largest oil spill in marine history, the explosion caused the loss of life of eleven workers in the rig and about seventeen other workers suffering serious injuries. The fire explosion burned for hours before the rig sank causing the oil spill occurrence. The oil spill resulted to considerable economic, environmental and social losses some of which continue to be felt to date (Benoit P, 2011). This report aims to provides a substantial analysis of the BPs activities that BP has planned to undertake in relation to environmental management at present and in future. After the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, BP rolled out a sustainability review plan that sought to integrate environmental management activities with the company’s vision, mission, plans and programs(BP, 2010). This was to ensure that such an occurence does not appear again. In reviweing the plans that BP has sought to achieve, a detailed analysis of the effects that the oil spill had on the company, the environment and the stakeholders has been presented below. After the occurence of the spill, BP lost quite an immense amount of public and government support based on integrity values. The company’s reputation was at an all time risk as reported by the media. Before the spill, the company was  £122billion worth but as of late, the company has lost its market value to about two thirds that worth. The spill also resulted to the sacking of the company’s chief executive Tony Hayward and was replaced by Bob Dudley (Benoit, 2010). More particularly,

Analysis on Team Dynamics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Analysis on Team Dynamics - Essay Example Self managed teams are known to operate in a much effective and efficient manner and their productivity levels are even quite high. This is because when trust is bestowed upon employees, they end up learning at a higher rate and they tend to correct their mistakes and face issues on their own instead of depending on a manager to correct them in their operations. One of the major benefits that self managed team is that such teams are able to identify new ways of performing or attaining targets. Since, these teams are not being lead or are not being provided with the objective of attaining targets, members of these teams tend to come up with their own ideas of performing a particular job which can result in methods that are much effective as well as efficient. A major issue with these teams is that they may end up applying methods to work that may result in heavy losses since they implement trial and error method to figure out new ways to perform tasks. A major disadvantage of a manager controlled team is that in such teams decisions are mostly made by the managers and a manager who is directing such teams may not get the time to work on other important tasks. Mistakes and costs in manager lead teams are quite infrequent as they tend to use methods of operations that have already been tries and tested. Different members in a team are awarded with different roles and these roles contribute to the successful operations of a team. According to Belbin’s Team Role Theory, a team requires a Monitor Evaluator in order make contributions that are unbiased in nature and to analyze different solutions available to a team with a neutral mindset (Utley 284). Another role identified is that of an implementer, an implementer is necessary in a self directed team in order to identify a way to implement the strategy that was created by the team. The role of a shaper is even quite necessary in a particular team to ensure that all team members are focused on the target at hand

The Horse Business Essay Example for Free

The Horse Business Essay Introduction The Horse Industry is unique. Throughout the world, people use horses for consumption as well as for non-consumption purposes. Horses are bred either for the purposes of horseracing – an internationally popular sport, or for purposes of consumption particularly in countries where horsemeat is considered a delicacy. Breeders rear thoroughbred horses specifically for racing purposes. A horse is a very viable and valuable commodity, so much so that commercial insurance policies customarily offer protection for owners of high quality racehorses against theft, injuries and other diseases. The government of the United States and several European countries maintain strong controls on horse reproduction. There are governmental limitations on the use of artificial insemination and sometimes owners have to register their horses. Evidently, this industry is unique and reaches across the private as well as the public sector. Racing is an entertaining and interesting business (Chenault, 1994). Those involved in the horseracing industry are always keen on increasing their horse’s abilities so that they may attract a broader consumer base and thus increase their returns from horseracing. These owners therefore explore numerous and varied opportunities to profit from their racehorses including investigating other racing choices such as simulcast races, which involve off-track wagering. Slaughterhouses slaughter, for consumption, horses which have outlived their usefulness, and are in poor health condition. Customers who use horsemeat in their diet purchase the slaughtered meat in large quantities (House of Commons Hansard, 2002).   The main objective of this paper is to highlight those strategies and techniques of business that can contribute to improvements in the horse industry for the firms in either the public or private sector who are involved with the racehorses or slaughter of horses. This research will seek to discover ways that this industry can become more efficient as well as examine the existing or needed policies that could contribute to the necessary improvements. Problem Statement Horseracing and the slaughtering of horses are two key industry areas involving the use of horses and both private and public sector corporations have some amount of share in either industry area. As with any other animal group it is no surprise that there is a continuing debate on the ethics of both horseracing and horse slaughtering for consumption. These twin industry areas have been the targets of concerns raised on the ethic of slaughtering horses, particularly those that would have previously been used in the horseracing industry but which are no longer of further use to their owners for a variety of reasons. These horses may be diseased, injured or ill and have little prospect for future recovery. To ensure that they do not suffer a complete loss, owners of racehorses sell these unwanted horses to slaughterers. Some people are totally against the slaughtering of horses. In America and European countries, horsemeat is comparable to the meat of other large animals such as the buffalo, goat, sheep, pig and others. Since people throughout the United States and Europe desire to have horsemeat as a part of their diet then naturally, the slaughter industry too has its own place. Thus, while persons object to the slaughtering of horses, there are those who have little or no objection to the consumption of horsemeat. Similarly, there are objections to the use of horses for racing because of the reported cruel treatment of these animals and their injection with dangerous substances and steroids to enhance performance. This is a very sore issue in the horse industry. Even sorer is the slaughtering of these horses when they are no longer profitable in the horseracing industry. This debate is challenging the viability of the equine industry, putting industry shareholders in an uncomfortable position. Both the racehorse and the slaughtering industries are producing at their full capacities in the US and the rest of the world. Like any other business these industries whether private or public need to adopt sound business management strategies through appropriate training so as to be good in business and to provide the best service to buyers and consumers. The care and the right use of horses is also the matter of concern. The primary use of horses is for racing. However, one cannot avoid the fact that the slaughterhouse, rather than the racecourse, becomes the home for horses unfit for racing. Every year, the number of unfit horses increases thus the number of slaughterhouses also increases. Slaughter industries in the public and private sectors purchase the unwanted horses. Traditionally, the hunter-jumper market has acquired most former racehorses that have no signs of muscular-skeletal abnormalities, and some use previous standard-bred racehorses for driving carriages. Horses that obtain career-ending injuries are not useful anymore for the owners and fall into the category of unwanted horses. Figures produced by the U.S. department of agriculture reveal, however, that the majority of horses slaughtered (92.3%) are quite healthy and not, in fact, neglected. An overwhelming majority of Americans and members of Congress oppose slaughtering horses for human consumption (HSUS, 2007). One of the options in dealing with these unwanted horses is for slaughtering and distribution for consumption. The precise number of horses that make up this category of unwanted is unknown. However, some research reveals that 50,000 horses fall to slaughterhouses each year in the USA. The real number of unwanted horses is much higher than that reported. Horses used on farms are costly to owners, specifically maintenance costs for food, wastage disposal and land use. The slaughter industry appears to be the most attractive option in dealing with these horses. Purpose Statement The basic aims of the study are to suggest methods of enhancing business productivity for persons involved in slaughtering or horseracing within the public and private sectors and to identify better ways of setting goals and objectives for their racehorses. Additionally this paper will attempt to identify and recommend alternative uses for unwanted horses besides slaughtering. The research will be dealing with both facts and numbers from the available resource material as well as opinions and comments from surveys. Therefore, this paper will adopt a mixed research method using both quantitative and qualitative techniques. American horse council estimates that almost 10% of all the horses die every year due to illness, injury, lack of proper environment and food provisions. There is a need for proper treatment and laws from the government to support the cause of increasing horse reproduction. California passed a law in 1998 protecting against horse theft and this has been effective in reducing such theft. Additionally regulations need to govern management aspects of the horse industry. Often the lack of proper means of transporting horses for slaughtering has contributed to the unnecessary death of horses. The usual means of transporting horses are more suited for shorter and smaller animals such as cows, pigs and cattle. These transported force horses, which have a longer neck and body, into these cramped positions often causing injury. Those involved in the transportation of horses and are unable to afford the proper form of transportation have very little alternative and thus horses continue to suffer and their numbers decrease. The Government could provide subsidies to such persons working on small-scale to fulfill their needs. Forces of demand drive the market. Consumers world over with affirmative attitudes and who demand that meat products are nourishing, tasty and of the best quality, and reasonably priced relative to income, availability, quality and relevance to life-style remain the leading driving forces in the market. However if discussions on meat production in developed countries raises speculation this could negatively affect demand negatively. In this regard, government has to seriously consider and reconsider their policies towards this industry. Undoubtedly, the meat industry not necessarily need information awareness programs but need to modify practices in order to satisfy fully customer needs. In fact, technologists and scientists can contribute positively to this industry by developing newer strategies that are more efficient. These strategies include applying practices that result in less environmental damage, depend less on stimulants and additives, and that consider sensitive exploitation of the new genetics and with more consideration for the animals involved. Research Questions The following questions will guide the research: What are some guidelines for success in the horse industry? What are some key principles of the horse industry? What business ethics govern the horse industry? What alternative exist for racehorses that are no longer useful for racing? The research will also attempt to find out what are some of the business ethics, social stewardship, business leadership/management and stakeholder values for the Racehorse Industry, the Slaughter Industry and the Private sector? Proper ethics should govern and guide the operations of the private sector, the racehorse industry and the slaughter industry in their business management strategies in order to ensure effective leadership and social stewardship. A prospective entrepreneur in the racehorse industry should consider all necessary information to determine the size of the market and the possible share of his prospective business within the market. There should be some insurance plan for such businesses. The major point in focus for any business holder around the globe is to maintain profit. The ways to success are confusing and indefinite. â€Å"The NFIB estimates that over the lifetime of a business, 39% are profitable, 30% break even, and 30% lose money† (Blue Ribbon Consulting, 2006).    Core Literature The racehorse industry has been demonstrating positive levels of success and has had a considerable impact on the market overall. A 2003 summary report provided by the Louisiana State University summarized the successes and contributions of the horse industry as follow: â€Å"The race horse industry is composed of 1,178 breeders who own 10,161 mares that produced 5,971 foals that were sold in 2003 for $35.8 million. These breeders own 1,977 stallions that were bred to 5,313 mares, generating income from stud fees of $13.3 million. The total income generated from racehorse production was $49.1 million. An additional 2,229 racehorse owners owned 10,903 racehorses in training or on the track at a value of $109 million. The impact of racehorse owners and breeders’ activities in 2003 was $158.1 million. The show and competition horse industry (horse shows, barrel racing, cutting, roping, team penning, etc.) is composed of 2,600 breeders who own 7,847 mares that produced 4,901 foals that were sold for $14.7 million. These breeders own 718 stallions that bred 8,351 mares, generating $12.5 million in income from stud fees. The total income generated from show and competition horse production was $27.2 million. Another 4,634 owners compete on their 14,901 horses valued at $59.6 million. The total impact of the show and competition horse industry is $86.8 million. A large portion of the horse industry is recreational. The horse is used for comfort, exercise and enjoyment. About 20% or 8,570 of the recreational horse owners bred 21,554 mares and sold 11,392 foals in 2003 for $17.1 million. These horsemen own 933 stallions that were bred to 5,924 mares, generating income from stud fees of $592,400. The total income from production in the recreational horse industry was $17.6 million in 2003. Another 25,453 recreational horse owners have 61,366 horses valued at $61 million. There are 129,022 registered horses in Louisiana, owned by 45,331 horsemen. These horses are valued at $324 million. An additional 70,000 grade and other equines are owned by 25,000 people who have a $210 million impact on the economy. In addition to the value of horses produced and maintained in Louisiana, the activities of the horse industry generate a tremendous cash flow. The four racetracks employ 3,000 people and generate expenditures of about $1 billion per year. The show and competition industry conducts an estimated 500 activities per year and generates $12.5 million in expenditures. With the value of horses, expenditures on horses and the activities in which they engage, the impact of the horse industry is estimated at $1.6 billion per year.† (LSU, 2003). Apparently, the industry is heading in a positive direction. However, there needs to be better regulation of the industry, particularly in the development of appropriate business ethics to govern those involved in the industry. Sensible business ethics are one of the keys to organizational success. As a corporate strategy businesses involved with horses should lobby for effective legislation to protect the consumer, the business owner and the horse. In the U.K., for example, all horses are required to possess a passport according to a legislation that came into effect on 31 December 2003. Other European countries have similar requirements. Even though horse owners previously registered horses this was on a voluntary basis for horses born after 1 January 1998. The new requirement ensures that all horses, particularly those specifically reared for the purposes of slaughtering and consumption, have a passport containing a history of veterinary medicines so that certain medicines do not pass along the food chain to humans. This requirement is also a more effective way of controlling over breeding in certain areas (Defra, 2002). Policies such as these are useful guidelines for conducting business so that managers adopt correct strategies in all aspects of the industry. Organizations must provide these business ethics and rights to employees (as well as to the livestock of the agriculture or farm industry) to safeguard their needs, to maintain friendly working environment, and to provide boost to a certain industry. Managers cannot anticipate that there will not be challenges in implementing certain principles that will contribute to eventual organizational success. Jonash (2005) warns that business owners need to be willing to face the challenges that go along with difficult business decisions and strategies. He holds that achieving short, medium and long-term success is not easy. He suggests that managers accept the reality that there are no quick fixes to organizational problems and thus should be willing to follow through with tested and proven strategies even if the implementation process seems difficult. The above-mentioned statistics show clearly that this system is working very well in the US and can even improve if the overall racehorse industry follows proper policies and procedures. Research Activities/Methods The research activities of the paper under study are mainly through the books and Internet and other credible journals. These research materials are primary sources of information as they are already from the credibly written scholarly articles and journals. However, the point of view is solely from the writer’s perspective. Operational Definitions Livestock: farm animals Slaughter: using an animal for food. Equine: Of or like a horse (adjective) Simulcast Races: Races broadcast across the world and seen in casinos.    Assumptions and limitations This paper assumes that the horse industry can benefit from promotions and other ad campaigns. The scenarios, the examples and data are the tools that will make this study a success. This study is limited to the racehorse and slaughter horse industries, the business leadership skills and the methodology of the management and leadership. The horse industry has many problems like the transportation, accommodation, handling the lack of subsidies granted and others, but these are just a few. There are many more topics and issues surrounding this industry but those are beyond the scope of this paper.    References Blue Ribbon Consulting. (2006). Horse Consulting. Retrieved Sep 22, 2007 from, http://www.horseconsulting.com/services.htm. Chenault, E. A., (1994, Oct 28). Race horse industry analysis featured in Jan. 14 Meeting. Retrieved August 1, 2007, from, http://agnews.tamu.edu/stories/AGEC/horsrace.html DEFRA (Department for environment, food and rural affairs). (2002, Feb 14). Horse Passports and Database. News Release. Retrieved August 15, 2007 from, http://www.lipizzaner.org.uk/defra.htm. House of Commons Hansard. (2002). Written Answers. Retrieved August 21, 2007 from http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200102/cmhansrd/vo020214/text/20214w39.htm. Humane Society of the United States, The (HSUS) Animal Net. (2007, Mar 17). HSUS responds to rumor of horse abandonment in KY: Calls it an act of desperation from the foreign-owned horse slaughter industry. Retrieved August 1, 2007, from http://archives.foodsafety.ksu.edu/animalnet/2007/3-2007/annet_march_20.htm Jonash, R. S. (2005). Driving sustainable growth and innovation: Pathways to high performance leadership. Handbook of Business Strategy, 6(1), 197-202.    Louisiana State University. (2003). Agriculture and natural resources summary: Horses. Retrieved August 15, 2007 from, http://www2.lsuagcenter.com/AgSum2003/narrative.aspx. Virginia horse industry board news and event calendar. (2007-2008). Retrieved August 1, 2007 from, http://www.vhib.org/virginia-horse-industry-board-news.html.

Great Gatsby :: Free Essay Writer

Great Gatsby The Great Gatsby was written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, published by Charles Scribner’s Sons, and copyrighted in 1925. The book takes place mostly in a small town near New York known as West Egg during the 1920’s. One of the main characters of the novel is the narrator of the book, Nick Carraway. He relates the events of many summers that affected him deeply. He has a knack for telling the truth, at least according to him, and he comes from a small mid-western town seeking employment as a bond trader. His next door neighbor, Jay Gatsby, is the main character of the novel. He throws magnificent parties during the beginning of the summer, but stops throwing the parties after he realizes that they don’t impress Daisy Buchanan (originally Fay), the significant other that he seeks. Gatsby does not show many redeeming qualities, and his party â€Å"guests† enjoy spreading rumors about the finer points of Gatsby’s life. The aforementioned Daisy Buchanan, Nick’s second cousin once removed, is married to Tom Buchanan, one of Nick’s friends from the Midwest trying to find success in the East. Tom and Daisy are not very faithful towards each other, as Tom has a mistress and Daisy gets quite well acquainted with Gatsby. Tom’s mistress is the wife of George Wilson, Myrtle Wilson. George is the proprietor of a small garage near West and East Egg, and he is not very observant, but he is very devoted to his wife. Myrtle cheats on her husband with Tom, and only hides this from her husband, who would have to be bluntly told to figure the problem out. Jordan Baker is a friend of Daisy, Tom, Nick, and Gatsby, and at the end of the novel she marries an unknown character. She and Tom are attracted towards each other, but become disenchanted with each other after Gatsby’s death. The story begins as Nick Carraway gives a brief description of himself and his current situation. He is reflecting upon events of summers of the 1920’s, which occur on the East Coast. Nick went to the East to escape the Midwest and to hopefully find a better, faster paced life. He settled in community near New York known as West Egg. It is mainly a quiet little town with a neighbor across a lake of East Egg. When Nick arrived at his home, he had only heard about his neighbor for a couple of weeks.

Humor and Irony in British Literature

The comic novel is a very English kind of fiction and does not always settles down in other national literatures well. Certainly the English novel tradition is remarkable for the number of comic novels among its classics from the work of Fielding, and Sterne and Smollett in the eighteenth century, through Jane Austen and Dickens in the nineteenth to Evelyn Waugh, Arnold Bennett and David Lodge in the twentieth.Even novelists whose primary intention is not to write funny novels such as George Eliot, Thomas Hardy and E.  M. Forster have scenes in their fiction which make us laugh aloud. In this work we will define on the example of literary texts of British literature the notion of humor and irony both of which are based on the comic element.Comedy in fiction would appear to have two primary sources, though they are intimately connected: situation (which entails character – a situation that is comic for one character wouldn’t necessarily be so for another) and style.Bot h dependent upon timing, that is to say, the order in which the words, and the information they carry, are arranged. The principle can be illustrated by a single sentence from Evelyn Waugh’s Decline and Fall. At the beginning of the novel, the shy, unassuming hero, Paul Pennyfeather, an Oxford undergraduate, is divested of his trousers by a party of drunken aristocratic hearties, and with monstrous injustice is sent down from the University for indecent behavior.The first chapter concludes: â€Å"God damn and blast them all to hell,† and Paul Pennyfeather meekly to himself as he drove to the station, and then he felt rather ashamed, because he rarely swore. (Waugh, 1929) We laugh at this because of the delayed appearance of the word â€Å"meekly†: what appears, as the sentence begins, to be a long-overdue explosion of righteous anger by the victimized hero turns out to be no such thing but a further exemplification of his timidity and passiveness.Lucky Jim of Ki ngsley Amis exhibits all properties of comic fiction in a highly polished form. As a temporary assistant lecturer at a province university, Jim Dixon is totally dependent for the continuance of his employment on his absent-minded professor’s patronage, which itself requires that Jim should demonstrate his professional competence by publishing a scholarly article. Jim despises both his professor and the rituals of academic scholarship, but cannot afford to say so.His resentment is therefore interiorized, sometimes in fantasies of violence: â€Å"to tie Welch up in his chair and beat him about the head and shoulders with a bottle until he disclosed why, without being French himself, he’d given his sons French names† (Amis) and at the other times, as here, in satirical mental commentary upon the behavior, discourses and institutional codes which oppress him. The style of Lucky Jim is full of little surprises, qualifications and reversals which satirically deconstru ct cliches. Jim’s powerlessness is physically epitomized by his being a passenger in Welch’s car, and a helpless victim of his appalling driving.The banal and apparently superfluous sentence â€Å"Dixon looked out of the window at the fields wheeling past, bright green after a wet April† (Amis) in fact proves to have a function. Looking from the same window moments later, Jim is startled to find â€Å"a man’s face staring in his from about nine inches away† Surprise is combined with conformity to Welch’s incompetence. â€Å"The face, which filled with alarm as he gazed, belonged to the driver of a van which Welch had elected to pass on a sharp bend between two stone walls.† (Amis) A slow motion effect is created by the leisurely precision of the language: â€Å"about nine inches away†, â€Å"filled with alarm†, â€Å"had elected to pass† contrasting comically with the speed with which the imminent collision approa ches. The reader is not told immediately what is happening, but made to infer it, re-enacting the character’s surprise and alarm. Another stylistic device based on humorous effect it creates is irony. Irony consists in saying the opposite of what you mean or inviting an interpretation different from the surface meaning of your words. Unlike other figures of speech – metaphor, simile, metonymy, synecdoche etc.– irony is not distinguished from literal statement by any peculiarity of verbal form. An ironic statement is recognized as such in the act of interpretation. When, for example, the authorial narrator of Pride and Prejudice says â€Å"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a fortune, must be in want of a wife,† (Austen, Chapter I) the reader, alerted by the false logic of the proposition about single men with fortunes, interprets the â€Å"universal† generalization as an ironic comment on a particular social group obsessed with matchmaking.The same rule applies to action in narrative. When the reader is made aware of a disparity between the facts of a situation and the characters’ understanding of it, an effect called â€Å"dramatic irony† is generated. (Lodge, 179) Arnold Bennett in his The Old Wives’ Tale employs two different methods to put his characters’ behavior in an ironic perspective. Sophia, the beautiful passionate but inexperienced daughter of a draper in the Potteries, is sufficiently dazzled by Gerald Scales, a handsome commercial traveler who has inherited a small fortune, to elope with him.The embrace described in the passage below is their first in the privacy of their London lodgings. Her face, view so close that he could see the almost imperceptible down on those fruit-like cheeks, was astonishingly beautiful; †¦[and] he could feel the secret loyalty of her soul ascending to him. She was very slightly taller than her lover; but somehow she hung from him, her body curved backwards, and her bosom pressed against his, so that instead of looking up at her gaze he looked down at it. He preferred that; perfectly proportioned though he was, his stature was a delicate point with him.(Bennett, 278) What should be a moment of erotic rapture and emotional unity is revealed as the physical conjunction of two people whose thoughts are running on quite different tacks. Gerald in fact intends to seduce Sophia, though in the event he lacks the self-assurance to carry out his plan. Even in this embrace he is at first nervous and tentative, â€Å"perceiving that her ardour was exceeding his. † (Bennett, 278) But as the intimate contact continues he becomes more confident and masterful: â€Å"His fears slipped away; he began to be very satisfied with himself† (Bennett, 278).There is probably a sexual pun hidden in â€Å"His spirits rose by the uplift of his senses†, for Bennett frequently hinted in this fashion at things he dared not describe explicitly. Gerald sexual arousal has nothing to do with love, or even lust. It is a function of his vanity and self-esteem. â€Å"Something in him had forced her to lay her modesty on the altar of his desire†. Like â€Å"the secret loyalty of her soul ascending to him† (Bennett, 279) earlier, this florid metaphor mocks the complacent thought it expresses.The use of the word â€Å"altar† carries an extra ironic charge since at this point Gerald has no intention of leading Sophia to the altar of marriage. Up to this point, Bennett keeps to Gerald’s point of view, and uses the kind of language appropriate to that perspective, thus implying an ironic assessment of Gerald’s character. â€Å"So he kissed her yet more ardently, and with the slightest touch of a victor’s condescension; and her burning response more than restored the self-confidence which he had been losing.† (Bennett, 279) The description of his timidity, vanity and complacency – so very different from what he ought to be feeling in this situation is enough to condemn him in reader’s eyes. In the next paragraph Bennett uses the convention of the omniscient intrusive author to switch to Sophia’s point of view, and to comment explicitly on her misconceptions, adding to the layers of irony in the scene. Sophia’s words are more creditable than Gerald’s, but her words, â€Å"I’ve got no on but you now† , are partly calculated to endear him to her.This merely reveals her naivety, however. â€Å"She fancied in her ignorance that the expression of this sentiment would please him. She was not aware that a man is usually rather chilled by it, because it proves to him that the other is thinking about his responsibilities and not about his privileges. †¦ [He] smiled vaguely. † (Bennett, 279) As the â€Å"burning† Sophia utters this sentiment in a â€Å"meltingâ₠¬  voice, Gerald is â€Å"chilled† by the reminder of his responsibilities.He responds with non-committal smile, which the infatuated Sophia finds charming, but which, the narrator assures us, was an index of his unreliability and a portent of disillusionment to come: â€Å"A less innocent girl than Sophia might have divined from that adorable half-feminine smile that she could do anything with Gerald except rely on him. But Sophia had to learn. † (Bennett, 279) The reader is supplied with knowledge that helps to feel pity for Sophia and contempt for Gerald. This type of irony leaves us with little work of inference or interpretation to do; on the contrary, we are the passive recipients of the author’s wisdom.To conclude it is necessary to note the main difference between humor and irony. These two devices while both based on comic element apply different approaches to their object. Irony the funny object is hidden beyond the mask of seriousness, and the negati ve, derisive attitude to the object is expressed. The different is humor, where the serious thing is hidden beyond the mask of ridiculous and the attitude to the object of derision is predominantly positive. Works Cited List: Amis, Kinsley. Lucky Jim. London: Gollancz, 1954.Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. Reissue edition, Bantam Classics, 1983. Bennett, Arnold. The Old Wives’ Tale. New York Hodder & Stoughton, 1909. Carens, James F. , The Satiric Art of Evelyn Waugh. Seattle and London, University of Washington Press, 1966. Lodge, David & Wood, Nigel Modern Criticism and Theory: A Reader. Harlow: Pearson, 2000 Nilsen, Don L. F. Humor in Eighteenth-and Nineteenth-Century British Literature. A Reference Guide, 1998. Waugh, Evelyn. Decline and Fall. London: Chapman & Hall, 1928.