Sole Traders, Partnerships and Limited Companies Comparison

Sole Traders, Partnerships and Limited Companies Comparison ADVANTAGES OF SOLE TRADERS: * Economical and easy to set up a new firm. Not much capital is required. * The sole trader has the total control over its firm. The owner has the, hand-on approach over its business; he doesnt need to consult with anyone. * The owner being the sole trader, keeps all the profit. * The business dealings are confidential, competitors cannot look into the accounts of the owner. DISADVANTAGES OF SOLE TRADERS: * Risk of indefinite liability. Incase of any debts, the owner is forced to sell its personal assets. * Sole traders find difficult to enjoy economics of scale. * Since the firms are small, banks will not lend them large sum of money and will be inefficient to use any other long-term finances. * Problem of continuity occurs, if the owner dies or retires. PARTNERSHIPS: a partnership is an agreement between two or more people to form a business. Profits and losses of a business are shared by each person who contributes money, assets, labour and skill. Example, doctors, dentists etc. ADVANTAGES OF PARTNERSHIPS: * It brings more flexibility as more people can contribute in the capital * Responsibilities are shared between the partners. It allows for specialization, where ones strength can complement anothers. * By introducing new partners, expanding becomes easier. * Reduction in risk of losing money, as costs can be shared among partners. DISADVANTAGES OF PARTNERSHIPS: * Dispute among the partners, can affect the decision-making process. * Partnership duration is always uncertain. * Partners are jointly and individually responsible for the debts of firm. * exploitation of resources can be raised among partners. LIMITED COMPANY: it is a legal entity. All limited companies are incorporated. They can sue or own their assets in their own right. (bbc.co.uk, 2009). It is owned by the shareholders. ADVANTAGES OF LIMITED COMPANY: * It provides limited liability to shareholders. The shareholders are not individually responsible for firms debts. * Despite of deaths, resignations, the company continues. * Name of the company is protected and has supple borrowing powers. * Management interests and obligations are defined. Shareholders and investors are easily assimilated. DISADVANTAGES OF LIMITED COMPANY: * Possibility of takeover or merger as shares can be bought by anyone. * Disputes between, shareholders and board of directors regarding the interests. * Increase in paper work and different rules. A budget is a dominant tool that helps a business to take better decisions. It is most efficient tool to direct the cashflows. A budget is planned to * Manage finances. * Assures continuity of funds for current commitments and for future projects. * Enables to make financial decisions. The basic budget factors that a business should consider are: * Projected cashflow: the cash budget tells about the future cash position on monthly basis. * Projected costs: this includes costs of production, sales and marketing costs, business administration and operation costs, fixed, variable and semi-variable costs. (entrepreneur, 2004) * Projected revenues: sales or revenues calculations are based on amalgamation of businesss sales history. Through this, business can also prepare projected profits for the next 12 months. * Collective profits and losses: each month, profit and losses are added, this total tell when the business will break even and begin earning a profit. (entrepreneur, 2004) TIM O NEIL, the founder of TT vision would also have considered the points mentioned above, when he started his business. KEY SOURCES OF FINANCES ARE: * Bank loans and mortgages: suitable for medium-sized firms. Banks can lend large sum of money for a long period of time. Rate of interest is attached to the loans. * Overdrafts: right to be able to withdraw money you do not presently have. Provides flexibility and interest is paid on the amount withdrawn. * Trade credit: it enables the firm to have access to flexible amount of funds for a short duration. High limits and interest are charged on the amount borrowed. * Venture capital: they are set-up to invest in developing countries. They offer capital to help businesses grow. * Lease: it means businesses are paying for the use of a product but do not own it. ( bized.co.uk, 2009) The Business idea can be cafà © shop can turn into a business proposition. The start-up finance for the business can be sourced out ones personal assets like money held in banks, home equity loan which is quick and inexpensive for borrowers. Finances can also be arranged through banks, credit cards to setup a franchise. Land can be hired through lease. BIBLIOGRAPHY (2009).Budgeting and business planning [Internet].Available from: [Last accessed 15 December 2009]. Tracy, B. (2004).Drafting Your Budget [Internet].Available from: [Last accessed 15 December 2009]. (2009). Sole traders and partnerships [Internet].Available from: [Last accessed 14 December 2009]. (2009).Advantages of a Limited Company [Internet].Available: [Last accessed 14 December 2009]. (2009).Public and Private Limited Companies [Internet].Available from: [Last accessed 14 December 2009]. (2009).sole trader [Internet].Available from: [Last accessed 14 December 2009]. (2009).sources of finance for business [Internet}.Available from: [Last accessed 17 December 2009].

Induction of Staff Essay -- Health Care, Nurse Bank Staff

Induction of staff is a vital step undertaken by the administration to ensure that their staffs remain effective in provision of services to consumers. The aim of this research is to analyse how effective induction of nurses is in retaining the nurse bank staff. From the population sample of the nurses and other staff members, the research will seek to address the views of the sample population to understand how effective induction is. Pre test designs The participants that have been selected to serve as a sample are placed in several groups from where they can now be researched on. The researcher is expected to monitor the effect of the new stimuli that has been introduced on the sample groups and how the sample population reacts to it. It is advisable that the sample be chosen at random in order for the results not to be biased. This helps to isolate and nullify any nuisance. Sampling Method To obtain valid data, a sample has to be chosen from the whole population as it is time consuming to handle the whole population. The sample should be comprised of workers and their employers and some patients who have been granted services from the medical institution. In the selection of the population, stratified sampling will be adopted in order for the research to pay attention to a given subgroup hence it is not easy to confuse information (Byrnes, 2008). This division into the given sub population could be done with reference to the area of specialization with reference to their skills and knowledge to obtain their views on induction. Data Collection The key issue here is not on how we collect data but on how to ensure that we obtain data that is useful. The data will therefore help the researcher to obtain a working as... ... effects that appear in the context but it would be advisable if you remain constant in interviewing all respondents. Appropriate tools and measurement devices have to be obtained to ensure reliability and validity. Data Analysis Interviews can be analyzed by the use of observation where researchers note the way respondent answers questions during the interview. Given the fact that the interview is structured it is easier for the researcher to analyze the data using statistical packages like SPSS (Bryman, Hardy & Hard, 2009). The advantage of statistical significance is that samples reflect the realities in a population. The researcher will also have to put the ethical issues into consideration before conducting survey on opinion from nurses. Permission will be also sorted from the PCT regarding data protection and confidentiality (Best & Krierger, 2004).

Duplox Copiers Canada Limited Essay

Duplox Copiers Canada Limited is experiencing several severe issues that are affecting the profitability of the firm. The main issues at DCCL are: employee turnover is increasing, employee morale is low, and customer satisfaction has dropped while customer complaints have increased, and ultimately the biggest issue is revenue and profits have both decreased. From analyzing DCCL, it was determined that several strategic issues, including the current reward and compensation system, are having negative effects on employees, management, and the organization as a whole. The first major issue that DCCL is facing is an increase in employee turnover, particularly with the TSS’s. Turnover rates are high and DCCL is finding it difficult to keep their TSS’s in particular. This, in turn, is affecting the company’s ability to train and have TSS’s gain a required level of experience. The success of Duplox depends highly on the motivation and quality of work that the TSSs do. Because the TSS’s are the face of the company and involved in both the install of equipment as well as the servicing up equipment, it is imperative that customers have good experiences with the TSS’s. This is currently not occurring for as displayed in several instances. To begin, the TSS’s are experiencing a decline in  attitudes toward both their work and the company. Another major issue related to the TSS’s is that they seem to be struggling the most with maintaining a positive morale. TSS’s have little to no autonomy or ability to make any decisions on their own; everything is monitored and controlled by their supervisors. This is creating tension as they are being told what to do, even when company standards, such as safety, are not being met. When the machines are installed but do not meet safety standards, the equipment is suffering and is leading to more required maintenance and service calls. Customers are dissatisfied with having unreliable machines and the downtime associated with waiting for the TSS’s to make their service calls and this is causing an increase in complaints. Due to the fact that the TSS’s are constantly the ones who are dealing with customers face to face, they are taking the majority of the complaints and are being blamed for the constant need of maintenance on equipment. This is one major reason why the TSS’s are dealing with low morale. However, the TSS’s are not at fault in terms of installations that are not meeting safety standards; this issue is originating with the sales people. The sales people have a salary that only contributes to 50 % of their income, while the other 50 % is coming from how commission of sales. This is leading to the sales people forcing the closure of sales and not informing clients of safety standards that need to be changed prior to an installation. Compensation for TSS’s is also a factor that has become an issue for the organization. TSS’s are being given bonuses based on their productivity and their expense standards. Being given bonuses based on how efficient they are being in terms of their expense budget does not seem directly relatable to their job. Therefore, this is also causing tension and frustration for the TSS’s. Evaluation of their performance needs to be objective and relatable to what they are doing out in the field in terms of installations and service calls. Most of these issues can be related to the managerial style that is being conducted at DCCL. There is very little opportunity for employees to be able to make their own decisions. The structure is set up in a classical managerial style which is very controlling. Many of the issues the organization is experiencing can be attributed to the style of management which is not facilitating a healthy work environment for employees. Section B We feel that the structure of the company is fine, but feel that the solutions lay in redefining the job descriptions and also reworking the compensation strategy to better reflect the goals of the company and how they expect to be successful. However, eliminating the FSM position will occur, because it creates many redundancies in how the TSS’s operate. Changing the compensation strategy of the sales reps is of the utmost importance, because as it stands, they are just pushing as many new installations as possible, since they are rewarded per number of installation. This means that some of the installations are occurring in places that do not conform to company standards on space, ventilation, and wiring. This is causing more and more breakdowns, which in turn leads to many more service calls for the TSSs. Another major issue that needs to change is the managerial style. Currently, DCCL is operating in a classical managerial style. This has caused problems from poor communication, lack of motivation, low job satisfaction, and increased employee turnover rates. In order for DCCL to change their managerial style, they need to re-evaluate which style would work best. We believe that DCCL will excel with a shift to a human relations managerial style; this will allow for more autonomy and individual responsibility from employees, while still allowing managers to retain a level of control. Currently, managers are having to make every decisions and also supervise employees, such as the TSS’s, to an extreme degree. In order to have managers adopt a new managerial style focused more on human relations, a company meeting must be held. In this meeting, the issues that have come from the current managerial style would be outlined and this would be followed by a proposition for change. With a new managerial style, employees such as the TSS’s may become more motivated as they will have more responsibility and autonomy to operate on their own. In order to allow the TSS’s to operate more efficiently and with more autonomy, eliminating the position of FSM seems the best choice. The FSM often just acts as a middleman, whether it be relaying on the message to order a part, or relaying on information from the Training/Support Specialist. As a result, job descriptions for Training/Support Specialist and also Branch Service Manager will be redesigned. Both revisions are as below: Training/Support Specialist Under the direction of the Director of Technical Training and Support, develops and conducts technical training programs for Technical Support Specialists for a given Model series. Provides direct support to Technical Service Specialists via telephone or email to deal with complex problems for this model series. Assists Sales Training Specialists in the Marketing Department with preparation of training materials and programs for sales representatives. Branch Service Manager Under the general supervision of the Regional Service Manager, manages the installation and servicing of company products at that branch. Supervises field service managers and ensures that budgeted service revenue and cost targets are achieved for the branch. Monitors TSS expense reports to ensure efficient travel and repair costs. Evaluates current policies, procedures, and practices for achieving regional objectives and implements improved policies, procedures, and practices. Responsible for selection, training, evaluation, coaching, promotion, transfer, or discharge of field service managers, technical service specialists, and service clerks. Supervises service clerks and, in conjunction with the Manager of Branch Inventories, the Branch Inventory Clerk. In conjunction with the Branch Sales Manager, oversees the administration of the branch. The TSS’s are another point of concern, as many of the issues that are plaguing DCCL originate from these employees. However, it is not the fault of the TSS’s, but rather the structural system, combined with the job description and tasks given to the TSS’s. Having little to no ability to make their own decisions, the TSS’s have experienced a difficulty in staying motivated. Constant need to report to their supervisors makes it difficult for work to flow easily. Customers also focus their frustrations towards the TSS’s, as they are the ones who the customers see on a consistent basis. When new parts are needed to be ordered, the TSS’s must inform their supervisor so that they can order a new part, rather than just being able to place the order for the part themselves. The job description of the TSS’s will be revised as follows: TSS 1 TSS 1 will perform routine product installations and product servicing for all products within the Model series (1000, 2000, 3000, or 4000). Assists TSS 2 and 3 in complex product installations, breakdowns and overhauls. Orders new parts for installations when required directly from the main warehouse. Effectively manage expenses regarding repairs and travel in accordance with company policies. TSS 2 TSS 2 will perform complex product installations, repair of product breakdowns and malfunctions, and adjustment problems for all products in their model series (1000, 2000, 3000, or 4000). Supervises and trains TSS 1 in these functions and performs the initial on-the-job training for TSS 1 as required. Assists TSS 3 in major malfunctions and with major product overhauls. Effectively manage expenses regarding repairs and travel in accordance with company policies. TSS 3 TSS 3 will perform complex product installations, repair of major product breakdowns and malfunctions, adjustment of complex quality problems, and complex overhauls for all products in their model series (1000, 2000, 3000, or 4000). Supervises and trains TSS 2 in these functions. With collaboration from the Field Services Manager, may assist sales representatives in identification of the technical configuration of equipment that best suits customer needs. Effectively manage expenses regarding repairs and travel in accordance with company policies. Section C In order to account for different desired behaviours for different positions, it is necessary to group different jobs in job families. When grouping the jobs, we assessed job descriptions to group jobs that have similar descriptions and tasks, require similar knowledge, and are at similar levels in the company.  The following section outlines the Compensation Strategy Formulation Process. For each step in the process (required behaviour, role of compensation, compensation mix, and compensation level) we will outline how it will relate to each job family. Define the required Behaviour The number one behavior that will help DCCL is task behavior, which is when employees perform the tasks that have been assigned to them. One of the main  issues now is the disconnect between the sales people and the TSS’s. The sales people leave out important information, such as how crucial ventilation is to the machine, and as a result, the TSS’s are slammed with preventable service calls. The failure and breakdown rate caused by customers not being informed about what may be required to have the machine fit in their office. As a result, the breakdown and failure rate is higher than it should be, and is giving a bad reputation to the company. So by having more task behavior, the theories and rules, such as TSS’s refusing to do installs that do not meet specifications, or sales reps telling customers what alterations are necessary to have their machine perform optimally, even if it is a costly alteration. Compensation strategy will also influence a change in t he Director’s and manager’s behaviour. By changing their behaviour to citizen behaviour, more cooperation will occur between them and those working beneath them. Facilitating communication between positions will help DCCL become more productive. One way this will occur is that managers will work with the TSS’s, rather than commanding them on what they need to do. This will allow for opportunity to talk with one another on a more equal level and allow the TSS’s to voice concerns and communicate any ideas that they may have. Facilitators in the organization need to have membership behaviour and the compensation strategy will reflect this. Membership behaviour leads an employee to have a commitment to the organization allowing them to grow and prosper within that company. Having employees with membership behaviour also helps reduce turnover rates. Define the role of Compensation The role of compensation for DCCL will be to encourage employees to remain with the company, thus lowering the turnover. DCCL needs a compensation strategy that encourages employees to remain with the company, as turnover rates have been rising. It is expensive to replace employees, especially ones that require a great deal of training, like the TSS’s. Any facilitators as well need to be able to remain with the company, and may look for higher compensation. The employees, who have the ability to be trained and are hired with little required skill, can allow an organization to pay a lower compensation. However, the required behaviour of a certain position can affect the level of compensation that an employee may be seeking, as  motivational factors vary dependent on position. The salespeople are currently motived by a large compensation strategy that pays 50% of the salary and the rest is commissioned based. This is proving to be detrimental to the organization and must be adjusted so that these employees rely less on pure number of sales, this in turn allow them to make the proper sales to customers with environments that meet company specifications. Determine the compensation mix As behaviours and compensation are identified, a compensation mix of components will determine how effective the organization will be in eliciting behaviours in the most effective and efficient way. For the directors and managers, they will be compensated primarily on base pay. Performance pay will come from how well they are managing those beneath them, but will make up a smaller portion of their overall salary. The foundation for their base pay will be based on job evaluation as they are ones who have to ensure the organization is operating in an efficient manner. Director and managers will have the opportunity to receive benefits such as having a profit sharing incentive. Managers and other employees that are motivated by membership behaviour will have this option to have a share of the organization as their membership behaviour promotes commitment to the organization. The sales department are given a base pay based on job evaluation. Since their duty is to increase sales for the organization, those who sell more should receive pay based on their performance. Also, their commission for each sale should be less than what it currently is as it is proving to be a point of concern as they are selling without regard to whether the sale is being done correctly. Any performance pay should be linked as a group because this will eliminate any sort of unhealthy competition and promote the sales team to work together and accomplish sales. Facilitator and Tech are all based on pay for knowledge. Their base pay will be compensated based on their expanse of knowledge and their ability to diagnose problems that others are unable to do. As mentioned, these employees need to have membership behaviour because it is difficult to hire a specialist with the required knowledge. The longer they are with the organization, the more valuable they become because they spend time learning and gaining experience. This allows them to have indiv idual performance pay. Determine the compensation level Lagging, leading, or matching the market is the last step in determining compensation levels. For each job position there can be variation in terms of whether that position will lead, lag, or match the market. The directors and managers will be compensated at a level that is slightly above the market. In order to attract qualified and successful managers, offering above the market may attract those who feel they have an advantage in terms of their qualifications and are seeking something that compensates above average. Although it may cost the company more money, having a qualified and successful manager can improve an organization’s productivity which can be priceless. The sales department will match the market at base pay, but they will have the opportunity to earn group performance pay that would be higher than the market. As for the Facilitators and Techs, they will be compensated above the market. Since the market that DCCL is operating in is very competitive, it is important to attract qualified and effective Facilitators to give the organization an advantage over competitors. By having a compensation level that pays above the market, Facilitators will want to work for DCCL and remain with DCCL, which helps in promoting the required membership behaviour. From analyzing DCCL, we have concluded that the directors, managers, and the sales department all fall under the job evaluation system. For directors, there are a few compensable factors; education, experience, knowledge, mental effort, decision making, consequences of mistakes, supervisory responsibility, and employee relations. For education, a degree and business with a specialization of leadership and management or equivalent is desired as well as four years’ experience in a managerial or director role. They must have adequate knowledge of the industry from a previous position within the company or competitor is desired. The ability to make difficult decisions and not get stressed from the mental effort required. Able to handle the consequences and fix any mistakes made from a poor decision. Lastly, able to relate to employees while maintaining adequate supervisory responsibilities to ensure productivity, efficiency, and any safety issues as well. Managers have similar compensable factors to that of directors. These factors are as follows: education, experience, mental effort, decision making, supervisory responsibility, employee relations, and knowledge. For education, a degree and business with a specialization of leadership and management or equivalent is desired as well as two years’ experience in a managerial or director role. Education must be a postsecondary degree with a specialization in management or human relations. Experience of two years in a managerial context is required as well. The ability to make decisions is essential and to make them with confidence. Must be able to manage and supervise employees with respect to garner cooperation and productivity. Salespeople also fall under the job evaluation plan and their compensable factors are: human relations, friendliness, trustworthiness, interpersonal skills, communication skills, education, experience, and contact with  customers and clients. Salespeople must have postsecondary education along with two years’ experience in sales of some sort. Being able to relate to customers and clients while maintaining a friendly outlook and to be seen as trustworthy is essential. Also, must have the ability to communicate fluently and clearly as well as have knowledge of a second language is desired.

Song of Solomon Chapter Questions - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 10 Words: 3083 Downloads: 1 Date added: 2019/08/08 Category Religion Essay Level High school Topics: Song of Solomon Essay Did you like this example? Chapter 4 Quote: â€Å"Explain that he wanted her to get something really nice for herself, but that his gift-giving was compromising her. That he was not what she needed. She needed a steady man who could marry her. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Song of Solomon Chapter Questions" essay for you Create order He was standing in her way. And since they were related and all, she should start looking for someone else.† (pg 98) Milkman knew that it would kill the both of them to break of their relationship. He wanted to give her something that would make her not feel committed to him anymore, hence a letter and money. I find it very intriguing that he didn’t have enough courage to tell her in person. They have gone through so many memories in a matter of 12 years. It seems like he didn’t want to know her anymore. She was one of the best things to happen to Milkman. The author uses language to describe how Milkman felt about giving Hagar up. He wasn’t someone who could be â€Å"steady† for her, and he was â€Å"compromising† her by staying in the relationship. The author uses this to show that even though there were a lot of happy memories, Milkman couldn’t see himself with Hagar anymore. My question is will the breaking up of Milkman and Hagar a lter the way they both live their lives? Chapter 5: â€Å"But I didn’t think I’d ever need a friend because I had himThe only person who ever really cared whether I lived or diedHe was not a good an, Macon. Certainly he was an arrogant man, and often a foolish and destructive one† (pg 124) I find this quote interesting because it reveals the relationship Ruth had with her father, and what she thought of him. She knew that her father was not a good man in what he did, but she saw him as a protector and as a caring person for her well-being. This is why she leaned on him as a friend and as support. Although Ruth neither denies or talks about their sexual relationship, she talks about her emotional connection to him. Ruth’s tone can be seen as remorseful and lonely as she gives flashbacks into her life as a young girl with her father. Her tone shifts to regretful in the 3rd paragraph as she states that she wasn’t able to save her father and she knows that Milkman’s father never told hi m about his want to kill him. Chapter 6: â€Å"There is a society. It’s made up of a few men who are willing to take some risks. They don’t initiate anything; they don’t even choose. They are as indifferent as rain. But when as Negro child, Negro woman, or Negro man is killed by whites and nothing is done about it by their law and their courts, this society selects a similar victim at random, and they execute him or her in a similar manner if they can. If the Negro was hanged, they hang; if a Negro was burnt, they burn; raped and murdered, they rape and murder.† (154) the author uses the motif of â€Å"blood for blood† to show that Guitar is the type of person who is willing to keep the balance between the white and black folk. Milkman finds out that Guitar and 7 other people are in a group called the 7 days. For every murder of a black person, they murder a white person in the same exact manner. Morison uses repetition to show that whatever happens to white people will happen t o black people as well. At the end of the chapter, the story prevails that Guitar is murdering because it has become a habit and soon he will start killing people of his own race, and maybe even Milkman. Why does Guitar use the example of Adolf Hitler to argue with Milkman about why these white people are killing innocent black people? Chapter 7: â€Å"Deep down in that pocket where his heart hid, he felt used. Somehow everybody was using him for something or as something. Working out some scheme of their own on him, making him the subject of their dreams of wealth, or love, or martyrdom. Everything they did seemed to be about him, yet nothing he wanted was part of it† (pg 165). This is a big realization point for Milkman, as he understands his existence with everyone else. He begins to look back at his encounters with his family and friends, and realizes the meaning of their conversations. This is a significant turning point for Milkman’s life as he is coming-of-age and growing from his surroundings. Macon claims that the green sack contains the gold that he and Pilate took from a man they found in the cave, that Macon killed. Macon claimed that the gold could have been used to get things to care for themselves. His argument is strong in that he wants the materials because of his growing anxiety in s afety, even though it makes him seem greedy. Chapter 8 â€Å"He’d always believed his childhood was sterile, but the knowledge Macon and Ruth had given him wrapped his memory of it in septic sheets, heavy with the odor of illness, misery, and unforgiving hearts. His rebellions, minor as they were, had all been in the company of, or shared with, Guitar. And this latest Jack and the Beanstalk bid for freedom, even though it had been handed to him by his father—assigned almost—stood some chance of success.†(180) Milkman and Guitar wanted to steal gold from Pilate’s house. Milkman and Guitar both have valid reasons for stealing the gold. Milkman wanted the gold for the reason that he wanted to have more independence, and he was going to sell the gold so that he can use the money to go far away and start his life over again. I am very intrigued about this quote because it shows that the author wants to create a psychological setting for Milkman. He has gained a lot of knowledge about his family in the upcoming months, and he finds out about horrible events including the incest of his mom and grandpa. He wants to leave town because he is almost haunted about what has happened within his family. He is also scared because of the growing racism that is happening around him. My question is If Milkman were to leave and start a new life, where would he go? Chapter 9: â€Å"Amanuensis. That was the word she chose, and since it was straight out of the nineteenth century, her mother approved, relishing the blank stares she received when she told her lady guests what position her daughter had acquired with the State Poet Laureate. â€Å"She’s Michael-Mary Graham’s amanuensis.† The rickety Latin word made the work her daughter did (she, after all, wasn’t required to work) sound intricate, demanding, and totally in keeping with her education.† (187) In this quote, it talks about the first Corinthians, the daughter of Ruth and Macon Dead II. Corinthians goes to college and starts to live a very wealthy life. After getting a good education she seems to not be able to find work, and thus she starts working as a housemaid. After a little bit of time, she works as an amanuensis which is a literary secretary. Miss Graham is the wealthy white woman, and Corinthians enjoys having the job title of being a secretary because it is old fashioned. But, after time it goes to show that Corinthians is concerned with how other people will think of her. She doesn’t want to be seen as a failure with having a good college education. The author suggests that by Corinthians not being capable of getting work, it creates a new frustration with racism. Even though this woman went to a good school, as long as she is black, she will not have a proper chance of receiving a job. My question is how long will it take for a white person to give Corinthian a chance at having a job? Chapter 10: â€Å"Look. It’s the condition our condition is in. Everybody wants the life of a black man. Everybody. White men want us dead or quiet—which is the same thing as dead. White women, same thing. They want us, you know, ‘universal,’ human, no ‘race consciousness.’ Tame, except in bed. They like a little racial loincloth in the bed. But outside the bed they want us to be individuals. You tell them, ‘But they lynched my papa,’ and they say, ‘Yeah, but you’re better than the lynchers are, so forget it.’ And black women, they want your whole self. Love, they call it, and understanding.† (222) At this moment in time, Milkman is being chased by Hagar who was his lover for 12 years. Through this quote, the author uses persuasive language to show that all Americans who are white want to make the lives of black people miserable. White people automatically assume that black people are scary and that they shouldn’t be able to speak, or even be alive. Guitar further continues to argue about monogamy and marriage should happen quickly, and if that happens then they won’t have to worry about racism. But Guitar rebuttals his own sentences by saying that women are too needy and that he has no real respect for black women. He only sees them as being sexual objects. The true intention of Guitar’s speech is that he wants to make Milkman feel better about wanting to ignore Hagar. Milkman finds it clear that Guitar has the wrong views of how he views women. Why is Guitar giving Milkman all of this advice, even though he sees black women as just objects in a game? Chapter 11: â€Å"it sounded old. Deserve. Old and tired and beaten to death. Deserve. Now it seemed to him that he was always saying or thinking that he didn’t deserve some bad luck, or some bad treatment from others. He’d told Guitar that he didn’t â€Å"deserve† his family’s dependence, hatred, or whatever. That he didn’t even â€Å"deserve† to hear all the misery and mutual accusations his parents unloaded on him. Nor did he â€Å"deserve† Hagar’s vengeance. But why shouldn’t his parents tell him their personal problems? If not him, then who? And if a stranger could try to kill him, surely Hagar, who knew him and whom he’d thrown away like a wad of chewing gum after the flavor was gone—she had a right to try to kill him too.(276-277) Milkman seems to have realized his own selfishness. Milkman spent most of his life telling himself that whatever happened within his family was something that he did n’t deserve. He is a victim in all of it, and relates it back to a black man being in a racist town. Milkman claims that he is meant for something bigger and better. He realizes that through the studies of himself, he sees that his beliefs are altered in a wrong way. The author creates Milkman as a character who was essentially brought up in the wrong family, but he recognizes that he is not entitled to anything except for that he has to accept the problems that have occurred. He isn’t the only one who is experiencing pains like this. It seems to me that he should have some pain because of the way he treated Hagar through their relationship. Everything good that happened to Milkman has been given to him as a quote on quote gift, but the bad things are his fault and not because of a corrupt world where racism occurs. Why does it take this long for Milkman to realize that he is at fault for the bad things that have happened to him? Chapter 12: â€Å"Guitar looked at the cookie again, then back into Milkman’s eyes. Nothing changed in his face. Milkman knew it sounded lame. It was the truth, but it sounded like a lie. A weak lie too. He also knew that in all his life, Guitar had never seen Milkman give anybody a hand, especially a stranger; he also knew that they’d even discussed it, starting with Milkman’s not coming to his mother’s rescue in a dream he had. Guitar had accused him of selfishness and indifference; told him he wasn’t serious and didn’t have any fellow feeling—none whatsoever. Now he was standing there saying that he willingly, spontaneously, had helped an old white man lift a huge, heavy crate. But it was true. It was true. And he’d prove it.† (296) Milkman confronts Guitar, who has now become his sworn enemy. Since there was really no gold, Guitar believes that Milkman has run away with all of the gold and has become greedy. Guitarâ⠂¬â„¢s reason for needing the gold is so that he can fund a secret society, but since Milkman betrayed him, he now wants to kill Milkman. Guitar finds him at the train station helping an old man with something, and he thinks that Milkman is smuggling the gold onto the train. The author creates irony in this scene because it depicts Milkman being a good Samaritan, but it is too late because of the developed feelings of Guitar. Guitar will never believe the truth of Milkman because he never helps people, so why would he start now and do it at a train station. This passage to me is a defining moment for Milkman because it shows how he has changed within a matter of a couple of days. Milkman has become a stronger person because of traveling the country. The author shows the reader that he creates an antithesis of himself from before he started to travel, but Guitar is too blindsided by his hatred so he doesn’t believe anything. Did Milkman see something or experience something du ring his travels that could have made him act and think in a different way from his past self? Chapter 13: â€Å"Look at how I look. I look awful. No wonder he didn’t want me. I look terrible.† Her voice was calm and reasonable, as though the last few days hadn’t been lived through at all. â€Å"I need to get up from here and fix myself up. No wonder!† Hagar threw back the bedcover and stood up. â€Å"Ohhh. I smell too. Mama, heat me some water. I need a bath. A long one. We got any bath salts left? Oh, Lord, my head. Look at that.† She peered into the compact mirror again. â€Å"I look like a ground hog. Where’s the comb?†(308-309) It is found out that through the time Milkman and Hagar were apart, Hagar is still in love with Milkman. On the contrary, she is still mad at him for abandoning her, so she results in improving her looks. Through this quote, it is shown that Milkman left her because she is ugly. The author creates a paradox because her calmness, later on, gives off a more frightening vibe. As Milkman did before, Haga r blames herself for her own pain and now she is miserable because of her way of thinking. Milkman has become a better man over time but it seems that it is too late to save Hagar from her own fate. Why is it too late to save Hagar if Milkman has already become a better person? Can’t he reconnect with her when she needs the most support? Chapter 14: â€Å"You don’t hear about women like that anymore, but there used to be more-the kind of woman who couldn’t live without a particular man. And when the man left, they lost their minds, or died, or something. Love, I guess.†(323) This particular quote grasped my attention quickly. It brings up the topic of Milkman and Hagar. The chapter talks about how Solomon or Shalimar was the father of all of the flying African children. When he left Ryna with twenty one children, she would eventually scream for her husband. She went insane and ended up dying with a broken heart. This story coinsides with the story of Milkman and Hagar. Hagar based all of the bad things on herself even though Milkman came to the realization that all of the bad things happened because of him. It was still too late for Milkman to come back, and Hagar died knowing that she was never pretty enough for Milkman. This quote reiterates the problems Milkman and Hagar have through their com plicated relationship. Was this quote supposed to be directly related to Hagar and Milkman? Chapter 15: â€Å"Milkman stopped waving and narrowed his eyes. He could just make out Guitar’s head and shoulders in the dark. â€Å"You want my life?† Milkman was not shouting now. â€Å"You need it? Here.† Without wiping away the tears, taking a deep breath, or even bending his knees—he leaped. As fleet and bright as a lodestar he wheeled toward Guitar and it did not matter which one of them would give up his ghost in the killing arms of his brother. For now he knew what Shalimar knew: If you surrendered to the air, you could ride it.†(337) At the end of this novel, Guitar is still furious with the actions of Milkman. Pilate dies in the process of Guitar trying to murder Milkman. In the quote, Milkman asks Guitar if he wants to take his life, and without fear Milkman runs straight towards Guitar. Morrison ends the book with a note of ambivalence, so there is more than one interpretation of the ending. A couple of things are made clear through the end of the novel though. Milkman has become a better man, and by doing so he finds forgiveness for Guitar and his crimes. I find that the most important word in the quote is â€Å"surrender† because Guitar has lived a life where it is a weakness to surrender to anything. The Black community has surrendered to the white community, therefore they have surrendered, and it makes Guitar have a certain mindset including wanting to retaliate to the whites when they kill someone. With Milkman giving up all of his desires of bloodshed, wealth, and power, he becomes â€Å"light.† He learns by doing that he is able to surrender to the air and he can fly with it. Why did Toni Morrison create an ambiguity in the ending of this novel?