A Little Bit of Stress Is Useful

â€Å"A little bit of stress is useful – it keeps people in their toes. † Discuss. In order to answer this question one must first define the various elements in the question. Stress can be defined as ‘The harmful physical and emotional responses that occur when the requirements of the job do not match the capabilities, resources or needs of the worker’ . One can define useful, as stress making a person happy, productive and efficient. Also in terms of an organisation making it successful, efficient and effective. You should use more industrial words here eg producing more units Millions of people suffer from stress on a daily basis. Stress can affect a person’s physical health such as increased heart rate and rise in blood pressure, and can affect a person mentally such as depression. This in turn for organisations can be devastating and potentially detrimental, as this can lead to poor industrial relations and high absenteeism, ‘IHC estimates that 13. 4 million working days a year are lost to stress’. On the face of it this would suggest that stress is indeed a bad thing. Indeed a study reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that those participants who experienced chronic high stress on the job had a considerably greater chance of suffering another heart attack than did those in less stressful jobs. Furthermore there were many cases in world war one of sudden deaths to soldiers who had not endured any wounds, these men probably died of shock when responding to stress. In 1967 Holmes and Rahe carried out a study now called the stress scale where they looked at 5,000 medical patients’ medical records as a way to determine specifically which stressful events caused illnesses, in hierarchical order from the most stressful events to the least. Death of a spouse topped the list followed by, divorce, martial separation and a jail sentence. All these events are intrinsically negative and as such it would be easy to conclude that stress is bad for anyone as it is caused by bad events. However Hooshmand conversely states that ‘stress is just another misunderstood term in the medical practice’ he goes on to say that ‘the phrase any stress is bad (is) nothing further from the truth’. Indeed Lazarus mentions how ‘Hans Selyve suggested two types (of stress) distress and eustress. Distress is the destructive stress illustrated by anger and aggression and it is said to damage health. Eustress is the constructive type, illustrated by emotions associated with emphatic concerns for others†¦ ompatible with or protective of good health’ This is significant, according to Selyve and Lazarus there is, as mentioned above, a ‘distress’ type of stress which is bad- this is where there is too much stress. For example if a manager were to give a deadline which was impossible this may over stimulate and de motivate an employee causing them to do no work. But also mentioned is a ‘eustress’ type of stress which can be seen as ‘useful’ and healthy ‘keeping people on their toes’. This would be where there are small amounts of stress for example if a manager was to set a strict but reasonable deadline it may push the employee on to work harder, stimulating an increasing the employees energy levels to meet the challenge . This shall be mentioned in more detail later on in the essay. Although Lazarus goes on to mention that this hypothesis ‘has not been adequately supported†¦. by empirical research’ there is other evidence to support this claim of eustress. In 1908 Robert M. Yerkes and J. D. Dodson created an experiential relationship between performance and pressure, now known as ‘Yerkes-Dodson Law ’. The law shows that performance actually increases with pressure i. e. stress: the eustress that Selyve went on about, but only up to a point. When levels of pressure become too high, performance decreases, this is known as distress. The process is illustrated graphically as a rounded, inverted U-shaped curve which increases and then decreases with higher levels of pressure. Clearly according to this law one wants to reach the optimum stress levels which is small amounts of stress to keep one on its toes but not too much as this could lead to depression and potentially heart problems. It is now important to look at specifically how eustress can help and be healthy for you. From ‘Yerkes-Dodson Law’ it would not be unreasonable to suggest that eustress is basically stress in small, not large amounts. Leitnerpg states that ‘according to Allen 1983 eustress represents challenge and stimulation for healthy growth and development’ this would suggest that eustress stress gives you the competitive edge roviding you with focus and determination. There are many examples above of stressors likely to produce distress such as divorce but Leitner mentions stressors which produce eustress such as ‘roller coasters and skiing’ It is important to note that people are actually paying for these stressors, thus they can be considered us eful stresses. Some people even thrive on the excitement of stresses this can be best shown in adrenaline junkies, as they seek activities that increase their hormone adrenaline production. Examples of these stress seekers include racing car drivers, politicians and bungee jumpers. It is well known that many employees will leave there work to the last minute they need the stress and adrenaline to get their work done, if there is no stress it is probable this work would never be done. Indeed it is possible to have stressors which can cause both eustress and distress such as exercise, which can be considered a eustress, but when overdone can lead to injuries and illness. Selye points out that ‘whether an activity produces eustress or distress depends on the participant’s perception of the activity’ this can be supported by a quote from Shakespeare ‘things are neither good nor bad, but thinking makes them so’ . Indeed everyone is different when dealing with stress whether stress is good or bad for someone depends on that person. This can be supported by Type A and B personality theory created in the 1950’s . This puts people into two groups . Type A people are according to Friedman, M. & Rosenman ‘impatient, excessively time-conscious, insecure about their status, highly competitive, hostile aggressive, and incapable of relaxation’ . They established a link between type A people and coronary heart disease after analysing data from thousands of people who had beforehand been placed into either type A or Type B group. Whilst type B people are almost the opposite of type A people, relaxed in nature with no sense of time urgency and less easily stressed. Quote The above evidence would suggest that the amount of stress does not matter to a great extent but what does is the type of person as, according to this theory there are two types of people, type A personalities will deal worse with stress than type B personalities. It would not be unreasonable to suggest that a small amount of stress for type B personalities maybe good for that person ensuring they are focused and have more of a sense of time urgency, however the same amount of stress mposed on a type A personality could caused aggravation, anxiety and maybe even heart problems. Indeed some employers will look for employees who not only can naturally deal with stress but actually thrive on it. An example of this can be given of Alan Sugar who makes it clear in the program the apprentice that he is looking for people who can deal with stressful situations by testing them as part of the recruitment process . An essential part of the recruitment procedure is to be able to keep your nerve and defend yourself in the public forum of the board room, an artificially created stressful environment. In this day and age there is bound to be stress due to the nature of work and the fast moving environment around us, it is how we deal with this stress which can determine whether this stress is useful or not. ‘Yerkes-Dodson Law’ dictates that if there is too much stress this can reduce the performance of the individual, thus it is sometimes important for the individual to be able to reduce this stress in order to produce optimal performance. Indeed Ward states that ‘in learning to manage stress effectively you may come to believe that the experiences of stressful periods may become beneficial to you. There are many different ways of dealing with stress and how well you deal with stress will determine how it affects you. A person can exercise to help reduce stress, ‘exercise creates a sense of confidence and control, which reduces stress’ this does not mean just occasional exercise but exercise on a daily basis if possible. Exercise also directly leads to relaxation of the body which can help reduce stress. Having the required sleeping hours is also vital, this will refresh yourself making you feel better the next morning and ready for work. If one does not have the required sleeping hours necessary it can lead to tiredness which can lead directly to stress. So far mainly people and employees have been looked upon, it is important to look at how organisations as a whole deal with stress and if they find it useful or not. Organisations are becoming more and more aware of the importance of stress and its impact on employees. Ward mentions some ways in which companies are taking action to combat stress ‘more are referring employees for health and fitness tests. Others are running stress management courses and providing stress counselling for employees’ . In view of this one can clearly see how important stress is in organisations. Some company’s thrive on stress these mainly seem to be financial orientated organisations. Who are and need to be extremely competitive with other similar organisations, this stress pushes the organisation on to its limits increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of the company. It is not uncommon nowadays for organisations to deliberately impose stress on employees; this can be done by paying employees with high commissions, meaning they are not guaranteed money at all. Some employees actually enjoy this stress, they enjoy the challenge and the buzz. Indeed this can be directly linked to job satisfaction. Other organisations in the health field such as hospitals try to reduce stress, as they feel any stress imposed on patients could be dangerous, one of the things they do to reduce stress is painting the hospital walls green as it is proven that green is a low stress colour can decrease stress. Clearly in the health field stress is deemed as bad but maybe in the financial field stress is seen as useful pushing on the company to success. Thus the usefulness of stress depends upon which type of organisation it’s for. Obviously though too much stress in a financial organisation can cause absenteeism which will ultimately lose the company money. To conclude with regards to organisations as a whole, it just depends on the type of organisation to how useful stress is. In terms of individuals, small amounts of stress which Selye describes as eustress can help keep people on their toes, keeping them focused and acting as a stimulant, pushing them on to work. However it can completely depend on the person. A Type A person may not be able to take that stress and instead of ‘keeping them on their toes’ may cause panic and anxiety. Nonetheless, in saying this, as Yerkes-Dodson law dictates some stress is needed to achieve optimum performance and give people a challenge, which increases job satisfaction. Thus it would be accurate to conclude that ‘a little bit of stress is useful – it keeps people on their toes’. You would improve the structure if you cross reference more eg when you are talking about how stress needs to be in the right quantity, it might be helpful if you mention that later on you will be talking about how stress an be controlled. If you need to add any more – you could talk further about the work life balance – ie however stressful the job – outside activities are essential A further element you could talk about – when discussing different personalities – is that what is stressful for some is not for oth ers. A good example might be of mothers who stay at home and look after children – for some this is v stressful and for others it is an ideal environment. You could also add an international dimension eg in France there is huge job security and longer holidays (I think) in America holidays are short and there is v little job security

21st century literacy Essays

21st century literacy Essays 21st century literacy Essay 21st century literacy Essay What is 21st century literacy? 21st century literacy is demanding a literate person that has a wide range of abilities. These abilities must be multiple and forceful. The active, successful participants in this 21st century global society must be able to develop proficiency and fluency with the tools of technology; build intentional cross- cultural connections and relationships with others so to pose and solve problems collaboratively and strengthen independent thought; design and share information for global communities to meet a variety of purposes; manage, analyze, and ynthesize multiple streams of simultaneous information; create, critique, analyze, and evaluate multimedia texts; attend to the ethical responsibilities required by these complex environments (NCTE). This all depends on understanding the difference in media that can make up our high-tech reality and producing the skills to use them forcefully. Literacy then and now has changed a lot. History provides multiple examples of societies trying to make a connection to go into their communication infrastructures two centuries ago. Using the technologies in the past, people pursued methods by which they might be able to communicate faster, easier, and better. To this day we still look for better communication methods, only now we have countless choices, along with new gears and tactics with greater knowledge of effective communication. Digital and visual literacies are the next wave of communication specialization. Most people will have technologies at their fingertips not only to communicate but to create, to manipulate, to design, to dots). Kids are learning this ith technology even when they dont realize it. The lack of education is a problem and the situation is impaired in the field of education.. A common situation today is a classroom filled with digitally well- educated students being led by linear-thinking. There has been a mutual void in professional development for faculty this needs training to increase the necessary computer skills to mix technology into the curriculum effectively. Children now a day learn everything about technology and use technology every minute of the day. We ave to change the way technology is used to teach learning across all departments. This change will slowly come however, without vision combined with practical, familiar goals and motivations that inspire people to grip a new digital and visual literacy skill independently and collectively. Future literacy is a thought experiment about the demise of literacy and the upcoming of other skills, capacities or tools that will effectively and advantageously displace reading and writing. Literacy is a capability we privilege above all others. It s a universal good. It is widely viewed as a prerequisite for success and personal development. By contrast, illiteracy is understood to be an impairment. 21st century is changing everything forever. Work cited The NCTE Definition of 21st Century Literacies. NCTE Comprehensive News. N. p. , n. d. web. 12 sept. 2013. Connecting the Digital Dots: Literacy of the 21st Century (EDUCAUSE Quarterly) I EDUCAUSE. edu. Connecting the Digital Dots: Literacy of the 21st Century (EDUCAUSE Quarterly) I EDUCAUSE. edu. N. p. , n. d. web. 12 sept. 2013.

Free Essays on Montana 1948

Society has many quirks, which are amplified when individual cases are examined. People’s lives have many hidden facets, not seen by the rest of the community, often purposely hidden. While this may be done in order to make an individual or family seem more â€Å"presentable† to the rest of the population, these â€Å"public lies,† as they are called by David Huddle, perpetuate even more, until almost everyone has some sort of hidden aspect of their life. Not everyone is as perfect as they make it seem, but because they make themselves seem faultless, they make others feel inadequate and be self conscious about their faults. More defects are then covered up, leading to more dishonesty in society. In the novel Montana 1948 by Larry Watson, the life of a seemingly perfect family is thrown into chaos by the actions of a family member. David Hayden, the main character of the novel, is forced to grow up within a very short amount of time, when his uncle, Frank, is accused of molesting the local Native American girls, while giving them medical examinations. The accusations are not made public, but to Frank’s brother Wesley- David’s father- who is the sheriff of the small town in which the family resides. Family loyalties are thrown askew as Wesley must decide how to deal with these accusations against his brother, as he is the law and must either act accordingly or decide to protect Frank and the family’s reputation. Wesley ultimately ends up arresting his brother, which he justifies in his own mind as the morally right thing. But Wesley and Franks father Julian becomes enraged at the fact that Wesley has done this, and insists that Frank be let go. He favors Frank, and thinks that Wesley may be making the arrest because of his jealousy that is a result of Julian’s favoritism. However, this doesn’t seem to be the entirety of his anger- Julian has led the family to become â€Å"as close as Mercer County came to aristocracy† (... Free Essays on Montana 1948 Free Essays on Montana 1948 Society has many quirks, which are amplified when individual cases are examined. People’s lives have many hidden facets, not seen by the rest of the community, often purposely hidden. While this may be done in order to make an individual or family seem more â€Å"presentable† to the rest of the population, these â€Å"public lies,† as they are called by David Huddle, perpetuate even more, until almost everyone has some sort of hidden aspect of their life. Not everyone is as perfect as they make it seem, but because they make themselves seem faultless, they make others feel inadequate and be self conscious about their faults. More defects are then covered up, leading to more dishonesty in society. In the novel Montana 1948 by Larry Watson, the life of a seemingly perfect family is thrown into chaos by the actions of a family member. David Hayden, the main character of the novel, is forced to grow up within a very short amount of time, when his uncle, Frank, is accused of molesting the local Native American girls, while giving them medical examinations. The accusations are not made public, but to Frank’s brother Wesley- David’s father- who is the sheriff of the small town in which the family resides. Family loyalties are thrown askew as Wesley must decide how to deal with these accusations against his brother, as he is the law and must either act accordingly or decide to protect Frank and the family’s reputation. Wesley ultimately ends up arresting his brother, which he justifies in his own mind as the morally right thing. But Wesley and Franks father Julian becomes enraged at the fact that Wesley has done this, and insists that Frank be let go. He favors Frank, and thinks that Wesley may be making the arrest because of his jealousy that is a result of Julian’s favoritism. However, this doesn’t seem to be the entirety of his anger- Julian has led the family to become â€Å"as close as Mercer County came to aristocracy† (...

Dissertation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 10000 words - 1

Dissertation - Essay Example The findings suggest that price may be the most important determinant of customer loyalty, followed by location. Standard of service and brand name were not found to be as important in contributing to customer loyalty. Hotels are an important part of the tourism industry and with the trend to globalization, there have been an increasing number of hotels cropping up, offering a wide range of facilities to customers. Catered houses are emerging as a cost effective alternative to expensive hotels, especially since they may in some instances provide good levels of service as well, which are comparable to service levels at two or three star hotels. Within the UK, the hospitality industry is highly competitive and service levels are a vital factor in ensuring customer satisfaction with the hospitality services they receive. But customer satisfaction alone may not be adequate; rather it is customer loyalty that can prove to be cost effective and enable an organisation to gain a competitive advantage in the current global marketplace. Travel and tourism are booming today and several studies have already been carried out on the levels of passenger and hotel resident satisfaction across the globe. The impact of services and facilities available at hotels and their impact upon tourist satisfaction have also been assessed in other studies; however the number of studies that have examined the impact of these services in terms of customer loyalty are fewer. In particular, studies on customer loyalty in the context of catered houses is even less; hence this study aims to examine what are the factors likely to promote customer loyalty at a catered house and promote their repeated utilization of the services of the catered house and thereby demonstrate loyalty. This study thus aims to assess customer perception of service one catered hostel in London based upon a survey and thereby determine how likely it is that these customers could prove to be loyal customers, thereby

EMBA 560 Exercise 6 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

EMBA 560 Exercise 6 - Essay Example ines of communication by which followers can openly send comments and suggestions directly to the leader; this will work only, however, when the leader responds to the feedback in a manner that lets his/her followers know that their messages are given attention to. By understanding them a leader is able to formulate goals and frame his message in a context that is meaningful o them. Relational power is based on the leader’s relationships with others, not only in terms of number but more important in the strength or quality of their relationship. It requires engagement and a measure of investing oneself in relationships. Relational power means building connections between people, which for a leader means getting to know certain people not in terms of their work along but also in other contexts that are meaningful to both leader and follower. One way of building relational power is to create opportunities for contact in a context other than work related, such as company-wide or movie premieres. Another way would be to find common interests between followers and leader where they could regularly associate outside of the work environment. Being members of the same golf club, for instance, or exploring the same interests such as comic strip characters and comicon conventions, would be venues outside of work where people can develop relationships. Sometime attending the same parent-teacher meetings when their children go to the same school could be a starting point for building relationships. While personal power can be develop with groups of people, relational power can be built only selectively, and should be cultivated with key personnel. Positional power is based on the formal position the leader holds in the organization and social environment. While personal and relational power are cultivated outside the organization hierarchy, positional power essentially relates to the organization, either based on the formal title or position one holds, or the

Sport and Leisure Identities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Sport and Leisure Identities - Essay Example Thus, the classes are not as distinct as they once were, their nature more developed along consumerism that provides an equalizing element to the nature of choice. While social class and related issues of gender and ethnicity still have powerful influential context for the individual, consumerism also plays a role in the way in which choices about leisure time and sports activities are concerned. Despite the highly influential consumer society that presents equalities of opportunities to the classes, in the end it is still the nature of what is presented as an opportunity, in combination to how a community has developed their identity around leisure and sports that will have the greatest influence on the choices that are made by the individual. Spectator sports, in particular, create large communities of followers that can be explored for the way in which their social class relates to their choices. Social Class The social class systems in Great Britain were originally based on finit e criteria that placed people into social groups according to birth, occupation, and accomplishments. These social groups were finite in that once inside a specific group, even though most often through birth, it was difficult, if not impossible, to find a way up to the next social class level. With growing globalization that begun with the industrialization of goods and services, creating a wealthy middle class who were not associated by birth to nobility, the social class structure has changed dramatically. Social classes are defined by a series of criteria that place a person into a certain strata of social grouping. In order to be a member of the upper class, one is born into the group of landowners who bare titles of the aristocracy. Even if one marries into this group, full integration will more than likely not occur. These families have long histories that are well documented, giving them position and prestige merely from being born into the right family. The upper middle cla ss is defined by the well-educated, although most people are born into this class as well. Through higher educations and academic pursuits, the incomes are high and the perpetuation of this level of achievement is the common way for the perpetuation of the families as they continue their traditions of attending the more prestigious educational institutions.1 The middle class is the group of people who work as doctors, lawyers, architects, teachers, and those who have attained a position of respect through the means of their education and accomplishments. The nouveau rich are the people who have attained new money, their lifestyles altered by the increases in wealth that comes, not from family, but from entrepreneurial or inventive efforts. The nouveau rich is a relatively new class that was not in existence pre-industrial communities.2 This type of self-made wealth was not possible during feudal configurations of society and has only emerged with the consumerist society that has acc ompanied industrialization. The lower middle class consists of white collar workers without extensive educations working in jobs that are still cerebral, but not high paying and without much in the way of earned respect due to their professional

Explore the ways in which Collins presents the relationships between men and women in The Moonstone Essay Example for Free

Explore the ways in which Collins presents the relationships between men and women in The Moonstone Essay Explore the ways in which Collins presents the relationships between men and women in The Moonstone. Do male or female characters have more influence in the novel? In this essay I will explore the relationships between male and female characters in the novel The Moonstone. This essay will evaluate all of the key characters, from the annoyingly religious Miss Clack to the caring and loving Gabriel Betteredge. I will explore the characters personality and decipher whether male or female characters have more influence in the novel. The book is split into eight narratives written by different characters to show what each character is thinking and to give different perspectives as the events unfold. This technique also adds tension as certain secrets are hidden from individuals so not everyone knows the whole truth. Out of the eight narratives only one is written by a woman (Drusilla Clack) whilst all the others are written by male characters. The female characters in the novel are all very atypical, as they stand up for themselves and do not just give way. This was uncommon in the Victorian era as women had few rights and were not expected to be hot tempered. Miss Rachel, a young lady born into a rich family, acts in an unlady-like manner at certain points in the story, especially when she refuses to give information on what she knows about the diamond. Betteredge, one of the characters who knows Rachel Verinder best, said that he could Call to mind, in her childhood, more than one occasion when the good little soul took the blame, and suffered the punishment, for some fault committed by a playfellow whom she loved. This aspect of Rachels character and personality is shown many times in the novel, for instance, when she refuses to talk about the diamond for Franklin Blakes reputation would be shattered if she spoke. This gives the reader the impression that Rachel values her friends and family and she is a women of her word. This adds suspense to the novel and greatly effects the plot as if she had revealed what she knew then Franklin Blake would have been arrested and would not have had a chance of defending himself, resulting in the Moonstone never being found and Godfrey Ablewhite getting away, with no consequences. In the book the majority of the discoveries are made by men, although this is because the female characters already knew the truth; they just hadnt revealed it. One of the cases of this happening is when Franklin Blake deciphers the code to find Rosanna Spearmens chest. This held many secrets which Rosanna had kept silent about for a long time. This effects the outcome of the novel, as since Rosanna kept quite over her love of Franklin Blake, the truth of the moonstone being revealed is delayed, giving time for the events at London to unfold. The reader really gets the impression of Rosannas love of Mr Franklin Blake from this act, of saving his reputation, even though holding these secrets could be argued to be a massive factor of her eventual suicide. Despite this, Franklin never really notices Rosanna Spearman; this is probably due to the fact that in his eyes she is just a housemaid with a lumpy shoulder. Social class is outlined here, with the rich Franklin Blake and the poor Rosanna Spearman. The different social classes were more prominent in Victorian times and Collins also uses class in his other novels such as the woman in white, where Walter Hartright and Laura Fairlie fall in love, but due to Walters low social class, they separate. When Rosanna dies, it could be suggested that Ezra Jennings is introduced to replace her, as these two characters are very similar in personality and are both rejected by most members of society. They are also both attracted to Mr Franklin Blake in different ways; Rosanna has an undying love for him, and Ezra asks himself What is the secret of the attraction that there is for me in this man?. Both characters also had rough upbringings, as Rosanna was a thief as a child and Ezra was beaten and was mistreated mercilessly by his family. Ezra Jennings is also addicted to Opium, as for ten years past I have suffered from an incurable internal complaint. His addiction to the drug led to his painful and horrific nights, and Opium also destroyed his nervous system. Wilkie Collins probably introduced Ezra Jennings as a character which he could relate to, as Collins himself was addicted to Opium, which is probably why the drug plays such a significant part in the book. Collins believed he had an imaginary friend named Ghost Wilkie and often hallucinated in his sleep. His other novels have opium in them, so his way of relating to his addiction was to put it into his books. Opium plays a significant part in the book, as Ezra uses it in his experiment to discover who took the diamond. The reader feels uncertainty when the book dapples in the secret world of Opium as most readers would not have tried it and therefore do not know how powerful it is and what it can do. Gabriel Betteredge often talks about which side of Mr Franklin Blakes character is shining through, and believes it to be due to all of Franklins foreign training (Betteredge usually relates his strict character to Franklins German side, his poeticness to his French side, and his bravery to his English side). This gives Mr Franklin Blake no distinct character. This gives you the impression that Gabriel Betteredge is very stereotypically British, supporting his country and almost believing that the English are superior to others. Godfrey Ablewhite however, has a very different character which is hidden from the public view. He tries to get across the image of a hardworking gentleman who dedicates his life to the many womens charities he patronizes, when he is actually a man swallowed in debt and trying to rob people of their riches to pay it off. His debt was one of the key reasons why he asked to marry Rachel Verinder, as he thought that he would inherit enough money to pay off the debt; however that did not turn out to be the case. When Rachel asked for the marriage to be cancelled, Godfrey did not try to put up any resistance, as he knew that he would not receive the inheritance he had hoped for. Godfrey also gets engaged to another woman, but the marriage is broken off for similar reasons. At the end of the book, Godfrey is in disguise as a sailor with a dark complexion when he tries to get the Moonstone from the bank. This is symbolism as it outlines the fact that he is leading a double life, and he has a dark complexion as Betteredge and Franklin immediately suspected the Indians of stealing the diamond. Their immediate suspicion of the Indians affects the plot greatly as it means that Godfrey Ablewhite has time to hide the diamond without being suspected, as all eyes were on the Indians. The view the public have of him is different to what he is actually like, and if it had not been for Mr Matthew Bruff, the marriage might not have been called off. Miss Clack often swoons at the sight of Mr Godfrey Ablewhite; this is because she believes he is a hardworking Christian, and refers to him as gifted and wonderful. It is therefore no surprise that she is shocked when she, by chance, hears Godfreys proposal to Rachel. It is here that he admits that his, Charitable business is an unendurable nuisance and that if I see a Ladies committee now, I wish myself at the uttermost ends of the earth. Miss Clack is highly offended by this, as she is a member of The Mothers Small Clothes Conversion Society, but she dismisses this out of hand as being a slip of the tongue in the heat of the moment. Miss Clacks personality is very different to the other female characters in the book, as she is a character of a certain type of hypocrite. She never leaves without her Christian pamphlets and she often tries to spread her faith through these tracts. She may be doing this to turn more people Christian, or she may just be doing this as it is in her sphere of power and it makes her feel as though she has more influence on society. A perfect example of Miss Clacks character is when she visits Lady Verinder and Rachel, but upon realising that Lady Verinders doctor is trying to use medication to treat Lady Verinder instead of praying to god and waiting for him to perform a miracle, she spreads religious books of her choice around the Verinders house. She believes that this act did not make her a nuisance, but instead, a True Christian. Miss Clack has a very different opinion of herself compared to what other people think of her. Even the kind and loving Gabriel Betteredge, who has a good word to say about almost everyone, does not take well to Miss Clack. Before handing over the job of narrating to her, he asks the reader to Just do me the favour of not believing a word she says, if she speaks of your humble servant. This shows that she is believed to not be a teller of truths, and Betteredge is pre-warning the reader of what to prepare for. We believe what Betteredge says and not Miss Clack as he has shown himself to be an honourable character, worthy of the readers trust. Our decision to believe him and not Miss Clack is also influenced by other characters, as Franklin Blake often refers to him as a dear old friend, so others characters have respect for him as well. In the story, female characters do not reveal what they know straight away. This adds suspense to the story, as you have to wait a long time for the secret which will put together a new piece of the puzzle. A good example of this is Rosannas letter to Mr Franklin Blake, explaining where the chest is hidden, and inside the chest is Rosannas narrative which explains events before and after Rachel Verinders 18th birthday party leading up to Rosannas suicide told through her point of view. The letters opening is delayed however, as Limping Lucy refuses to give it to anyone other than Franklin Blake himself. This lets the events at London unfold, and the case of the Moonstone is put on hold for a short period. Limping Lucy is Rosanna Spearmans only friend, and was understandably angry at Franklin as she believed that he forced Rosanna into suicide. Limping Lucy has a severe limp in her left foot, and this may be one of the reasons why she and Rosanna are so good friends, as they both have physical deformities and are rejected by most members of society. I believe that female characters have more influence on the plot of the novel due to their actions which are gradually revealed to the reader. Superficially, male characters seem to have a larger role in the discovery of the secrets behind the moonstone but this is because they are only just digging in to what the female characters already know. The fact that male characters have almost all of the narrations add to the secrecy of the novel and also reinforces the point of male character seemingly having more influence and control of the plot, when all they are doing is discovering what is beneath the surface of an apparently settled world in the novel.