Case Study On Baggage Handling System Project Information Technology Essay

Case Study On Baggage Handling System Project Information Technology Essay This module is given us the knowledge to develop our own ability to lead a project team and also the roles as project manager to control the project task where the management within given budge ,time and resources to make a project success. Project Management Project Definition A temporary and one-time endeavor undertaken to create a unique product or service, which brings about beneficial change or added value Project Management The application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to project activities to meet project requirements, Organizing and managing resources so the project is completed within defined scope, quality, time and cost constraints. The very first thing of a Project Manager is always about Time, Cost and Scope as below figure PM Triangle Five Step of Project According to Robert K. Wysocki (2003) traditional Project Management can be devise to 5 phases as Defining, Planning, and Executing, controlling and Closing. The Project definition : Scope ,Business Goal Budge The Project Planning : Resources, Risk Management, Breakdown of Work ,Establishing of Schedule of Work ,Project team management, Cost management The Project Execution : Work completion, Manage Risk Organization Chart ,Communication Plan The Controlling Process :Quality Planning, Monitor of Progress The Close-Out: Release people, Lessons learned, Accounting Case study on Baggage Handing System Project BHS Project Definition Baggage handling system project mean all components, installation materials, interfaces and other components, all necessary hardware, software, installation coordination and construction supervision of computers/PLC, controls and control hardware and software, management and support services required to implement the work and supply a fully functioning system as described on the signed Contract documents by client. One million project awards by the company to built the whole Baggage Handling System including Mechanical and Control System for the airport logistic to transfer and screening the baggage during the flight arrival and departure. Deadline to finish the project is one year after contract signed.Project team will be set up for this project. Mechanical installation complete mean when the conveyor, walkway, handrail, toe plate, side guards, drip pan, gap pan, motor/drive components, reducer/gear are correctly mounted in place. Electrical installation complete mean when control stations, Estop, sensors, beacons, motors, groundings are correctly mounted in place, wired and terminated. Scope of Work Scope of Works or the statement of works means the whole of the work to be executed in accordance with the Contract, including variations provided for the Contract by client. Work under the Contract mean any work the Contractor is or may be required to execute under the Contract and includes variations, remedial work and Temporary Work. Temporary Work means any work required in the execution of the Contract but not forming part of the Works Activity involve for BHS project Marketing Contract Handover to Project Design Phase (Mechanical Electrical Control) Purchase for Electrical and Mechanical Fabrication for Mechanical Electrical preparation Delivery to Site Mechanical installation Electrical installation High Level Control Interface for System Test Commissioning Client Approval and Handover Operation Trial Period Project Completed Warranty Period (DLP) After Sale Services (OM or RM Contract, Spare Part Sale) Work Breakdown Structure(WBS) Work breakdown structure (WBS) is a process for defining the final and intermediate products of a project and their relationships (accessed 05 Jan 2013). The Work Breakdown Structure provides a hierarchical structure of decomposing project fulfillment into smaller manageable activities for detailed schedule development along with cost estimating and control. A detailed WBS shall comprise of breakdown of work activities, resource estimates, activity duration estimates and cost estimates. It is an essential tool for planning and executing the project. Use the WBS to define the work for the project and to develop the projects schedule. BSH Project Work Breakdown Structure as Figure below Project Planning Define the project objective Graphically portray the activities in the form of network diagram Estimate the cost and time for each activity. Calculate a project schedule and budget to determine whether the project can be completed within the required time, and with the available resource. Resource Management Resources are of three types, Work resources, Material resources and Cost resources Work resources complete tasks by expending time on them. They are usually people and equipment that have been assigned to work on the project Material resources are supplies and stocks that are needed to complete a project. Cost resources are strictly cost; no time, no quantities-just dollars. Expenses, such as travel or fees, increase the project price tag, but they arent associated with work or material resources. Resource costs will be multiplied by duration to calculate project costs. This is the important roles for project manager to control the project budge to close the project. Many issues are always happen to project to use the limit resource to fulfill the requirement by client, as a project manager, who must make sure the right resource was assigned to right place as right time. At the same time, project manager must use some technique tools to monitor the progress of the project. Next part we are going to discuses about the tools for project manager to control the process. Project Management Methodology and Techniques A project methodology can be thought of in the same terms as a recipe for cooking. It identifies what will be required and how these ingredients will be combined together to produce the perfect meal. In short, a methodology comprises of the following components Documentation such as project initiation and scoping documents Technique a set of standard project management techniques required to plan and control the project (Critical Path Analysis, Risk Management Procedures etc) Sequence- the order in which the stages will be performed Overview a picture of how the documentation and techniques fit together The application of structured project techniques during the development and implementation of a new information system helps to impose discipline on the process of the integration of activities within each of the stages which, in turn helps to ensure success. The purpose of this can therefore give the organisation the opportunity to: Divide the project into smaller and easier to manage stages Measure the progress in terms of time, costs and quality Take corrective action if required to bring the project back on track Allocate the resources to the project PERT and CPM Program Evaluation and Review Techniques which is PERT (Maylor, 2010) is a technique that use project network for planning and coordinating large-scale projects to handle uncertain activity times. Critical Path Management (CPM), is a network chart, is a planning and management method used for scheduling a set of project activities. They are similar; the technique involves using network models to trace the links between tasks and to identify the tasks which are critical to meeting the deadlines. Once we have identified the critical path, any delay on any part of the critical path will cause a delay in the whole project. It is where project manager must concentrate their efforts. Gantt diagram are used to show the critical path in red and PERT diagram to see Network view. Difference between the CPM and PERT is that, task duration is treated CPM assumes time estimates are deterministic, Obtain task duration from previous projects Suitable for such kind of type projects. PERT treats durations as probabilistic PERT: CPM and probabilistic task times Better for RD type projects Limited previous data to estimate time durations Captures schedule (and implicitly some cost) risk CPM is useful, despite criticism, to identify the critical path focus on a subset of the project Slack is precious apply flexibility to smooth resource/schedules, PERT treats task times as probabilistic which is an Individual task durations and sums of multiple tasks. When we Selective crashing of critical tasks can reduce total project cost, CPM and PERT do not allow task iterations. Critical Chain Project Management Current Project Management Problem As the comment issue for project management is summary below for previous baggage handling system project, which are: No Credible Schedule, Unable to Accurately Predict Milestone Dates During Execution Critical Path Constantly Changing Loss of Control, Daily Firefighting, Pulling resources from One Job to Another and Resource Allocation Nightmare Stress, Frustrated Workers Supervisors Projects Get Delayed Require Heroic Efforts to Finish Lack of Resources, People, Experience, Skills, Material, Tools Lack of Supporting Documents Too Many Scope Changes and too many meting Too Much Overtime and Budget Overruns Critical Chain Project Management Critical Chain Project Management (CCPM) is a method of planning and managing projects that puts the main emphasis on the resources required to execute project tasks. It was developed by Eliyahu M. Goldratt. This is in contrast to the more traditional Critical Path and PERT methods, which emphasize task order and rigid scheduling. A Critical Chain project network will tend to keep the resources levelly loaded, but will require them to be flexible in their start times and to quickly switch between tasks and task chains to keep the whole project on schedule. The Principles of CCPM Projects Succeed or Fail as an Integrated System, not as a Collection of Discrete Tasks Systems are Analogous to Chains,Weakest Link is the Systems Constraint Constraints Can Never Really be Eliminated,Can Move From One Part of the System to Another All Systems Have a Goal Necessary Conditions A Systems Optimum Performance IS NOT the Sum of Local Optima A System Has Only One Constraint at a Time All Systems Function According to Cause Effect The success to use the CCPM for project manager to hand a project will be Improve project delivery date reliability Shorten overall project duration Provide early warning of threats to project delivery Enable earlier, less drastic responses Reduce Costs Reduce Overtime Reduce Rework PRINCE 2 Project Technique PRINCE2 (Projects IN Controlled Environments) is an effective process-based method for project management. PRINCE2 is a process-based approach for managing projects. It helps to work out who should be involved in a project, their role and their responsibilities. PRINCE2 has a set of processes to work through and it explains what information needs to be gathered. The method is the de-facto standard for project management is practiced globally. And it is also the required method for all UK government commissioned projects. PRINCE2 is in the public domain and offers best practice guidance on how to manage a project. It can be principally divided into the following stages: Starting up the project occurs only once and creates and evaluates the business case Directing the project formal organisational structures will be required throughout the life of the project including the project board and manager, the communication between the stages and the organisation will be continuous Initiating the project this stage will identify how the project will be managed, The Project Initiation document will form contract and terms of reference for the project as a whole Planning plans relating to project deliverables are continuously produced throughout the lifecycle and of the activity which helps to ensure a consistent approach. Controlling creation of documents which help to manage the day-to-day operations and include change control and quality assurance, this will be an iterative process. Monitoring there is a need to have a feedback process and take action as necessary, authorisation from the Project Board is required. Closing the project time is finite and there will need to be a final sign off procedure by the customer that objectives have been satisfied. Below figure is the overview of PRINCE2 Risk Management Risk management, another important point of project management, is present in the framework as well. According to Prince2 description, risk can be denned as uncertainty of outcome. The goal of risk management is to manage the exposure to risk. For that, the project board has to promote risk management, build up adapted policies, and assess projects status related to their risks. A Risk (Tom, 2009) can be almost any uncertain event associated with the work. Word in short is, loss multiplied by likelihood. Risk management is a process for identifying, assessing, and prioritizing risks of different types. Since the risks are identified, the project manager will need to minimize or eliminate the impact of negative events of project risk. For this baggage handling system project, Construction site safety management plan is must to be implementing of Risk management to list of all possible risks identified by the project or organization, for each of the risk, includes information such as risk probability, impact, counter-measures and risk owner etc. Conclusion Its good chance to review and deeply think of whole project process and activates in whole company organization about project management knowledge through this module. This assignment also encourages me to think about how to implement Project Management skill to the company in future projects management. After this model, I can recognize the essential characters of Project management and also have ability to address appropriate technologies and management tools to actually organizational issues and also can be leader of project team to plan, control and execute the project as project manager.

Gattaca Defying All The Premises Philosophy Essay

Gattaca Defying All The Premises Philosophy Essay Imagine a society where everyone is more intelligent and healthier than you. Imagine a society where your genetic makeup-engineered or natural-determines the job for which you are eligible, whether or not you can be insured, and who associates with you. Gattaca by Andrew Niccol tells the story of Vincent, a young man naturally and traditionally engendered in a world where genetic engineering is the followed pattern to have a child. Few minutes after his birth, Vincents fate is revealed through a DNA analysis. His first genetic test revealed high probabilities of hyperactivity, sight troubles and serious heart diseases, a life expectancy of 30 years and 2 months and quite low intellectual faculties. At that time, the artificial insemination of test tube babies selected according to their genetic potential had become for many people the natural way of making children. But Vincents parents had preferred to let the other nature take its course. Of course they regretted it, and for their next child they went to see a geneticist. A perfect son has been born to them, a son who deserved to be called Anton, like his father. While Vincent was forced by his genetic code and the system to study at home, Anton was taller and better at anything than his elder brother. They used to play at softy. The game consisted of swimming in the sea as far as possible and being the last to make an about-turn. Vincent was always the softy. But besides his weak health, he had a very strong will. His lifelong dream was to join Gattaca, probably the most prestigious company on earth whose activity was to explore galaxies, and go into space. To achieve his aim, he did not stop studying during his whole adolescence, despite his fathers discouragements. The film shows a world where life is highly determined by genetics, and happiness is mostly based on the quality of the genetic profile, a kind of identity card for people. Vincent, who wants to become an astronaut and work for Gattaca, overcome s all the difficulties presented to him defying all the premises of the genetic engineering. However, it is not so clear that only free will is which will lead him to his dream; that significant amount of determination has to do with his success. At a time when we read about cloned sheep and the unraveling of the human genome, the science in Gattaca is theoretically possible. In the futuristic world of Gattaca, society has developed the technology to manipulate human procreation and designed children with impeccable genetic compositions. I suspect most people will order up the make and model they wanted rather than take chances on a throw of the genetic dice. Everyone will live longer and healthier in the Gattaca world. As a result, a new social caste system is created in which the artificially created, genetically superior humans called valids, dominate all major aspects of society. In contrast, the naturally born humans, called invalids, become a mistreated minority. Although all aspects of society are affected by the new genetic technology, the greatest impact is on the job market. As a result, the easiest way to analyze the job market is to compare the occupations of the valids and to the occupations of the invalids. Vali ds are instantly granted powerful, high-paying jobs, regardless of their training or background. For example, when applying for a job at the Gattaca Aerospace Corporation, Vincent, under an alternate identity, is only required to provide a blood test before he is hired and prepped for flight missions into space. Valids also tend to have computer-based jobs so that they make full use of their genetic intelligence. Invalids are only allowed to have demeaning, low-paying jobs. For instance, before assuming an alternate identity, Vincent is only allowed to work at the Gattaca Aerospace Corporation as a cleaner. In addition, invalids are forced to take jobs in which they perform manual labor. I think the Gattaca world is a realistic future even though it might face a lot of social and ethical problems. Firstly we are getting to the technology that is needed for the level of genetic engineering in Gattaca. Human Genome project begun formally in 1990, the U.S. Human Genome Project was a 13-year effort coordinated by the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Institutes of Health. The project originally was planned to last 15 years, but rapid technological advances accelerated the completion date to 2003. The goals were to identify all the approximately 20,000-25,000 genes in human DNA, determine the sequences of the 3 billion chemical base pairs that make up human DNA and store this information in databases. The knowledge about the effects of DNA variations among individuals can lead to revolutionary new ways to diagnose, treat, and someday prevent the thousands of disorders that affect us. However there are many social and ethical problems that human might face on the way to Genetic engineering in Gattaca. Firstly people were taking other peoples DNA without that persons consent in Gattaca, and this could also happen in reality too. Just like what Vincent said in the movie Of course, its illegal to discriminate. But no one takes the law seriously. People were unable to choose their own destiny. You would never be able to hope or dream of anything because your life is already planned out for you. If its not a part of your life plan, then that would be something you dealt with. Invalids were being discriminated against. According to the Nuremberg Code, which is a set of ethical rules a doctor or scientist must follow when experimenting on a human, it states that The voluntary consent of the human subject is absolutely essential (Nuremberg Code, 1949). In Gattaca, when applying for a job, the interviewer often takes saliva or a sample of urine from the interviewee without telling him/her why. Normally, if a person says no, after the interview, the interviewer would simply take DNA from a handshake, the doorknob, or even the seat without the interviewees permission. This is serious violations of the free will and rights of human beings. Secondly, discriminations could be anywhere. In the movie, people can actually choose the traits and gender of the child. This can cause a lot of problem: e.g. in China most people want boys rather than girls because people think boys could do more labor works than girls and boys can pass down their family name. As a result, the male-female ratio of world population could change drastically. The discrimination against in-valid in the movie could happen in reality too. According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, everyone has duties to the community which allow the free and full development of a persons personality. Vincent has the right to express himself, which he is unable to do because he would never be allowed to because of his heart disease. Furthermore, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that in the exercise of his rights and freedoms, everyone shall be subject only to such limitations as are determined by law solely for the purpose of securing due to recognition and respect for the rights and freedoms of others and of meeting the just society (Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948). Vincent worked really hard and strived to become an astronaut but was held back because he wasnt perfect enough. This article is saying that a person should be allowed to express oneself as long as it is legal and not disturbing the public order or general order or general welfare of others. Vincent becoming an astronaut wouldnt affect any of these, he cannot even get a chance to try in the Gattacan world. All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection to the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in viol ation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination (Universal Declaration of Human Rights). The invalids were treated inhumanely, as if they were all criminals. Discriminations problems can be one of the biggest concerns of most people if Gattaca world becomes real. Thirdly if everybody uses genetic engineering, people would have a longer life span. Earth may face an energy crisis and cause the extinction of human beings. Another problem might come from different religions, a lot of people believe in natural process too. Furthermore this is not something that could be undone easily, once people start using genetic engineering, they will just rely on it. Fortunately, most of the problems I came out with were considered by experts from the Human Genome Project. One of the main goals of the Human Genome Project is to address the ethical, legal, and social issues (ELSI) that may arise from the project. (Human Genome Project 2003) The whole project has nine princ iples: 1. Fairness in the use of genetic information; 2. Privacy and confidentiality; 3. Psychological impact and stigmatization; 4. Reproductive issues; 5. Clinical issues; 6. Uncertainties; 7. Conceptual and philosophical implications; 8. Health and environmental issues; 9. Commercialization of products. Those nine principles can ensure everyone that the problems happened in the movie Gattaca will not occur in reality. I think there is a bright future for Human Genome Project as long as the nine principles are followed. I really enjoyed Gattaca. It raises some very good points that question the uses of technology in the not so distant future. The use of genetic research has led to humanity bio-engineering children to be free of defects and disabilities. Furthermore, I feel really pleased for Vincent as he mixes with members of the valid world despite his own in-Valid condition, he manages to gain considerable respect and admiration because of his persistence, even from people unaware of his status as a genetic impostor. Although Vincent is at the lower end of the genetic hierarchy, it is due to his ferocious determination and unquenchable desire that he is able to rise above his colleagues and achieve his dreams. It is these qualities that deem the central protagonist unique in the world of Gattaca. In the end, this movie also made me question where we should draw the line between science and ethics.

Catcher in the Rye Essay: The Importance of Language -- Catcher Rye Es

The Importance of Language in The Catcher in the Rye   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye has captured the spirit of adolescence, dramatizing Holden Caulfield's vulgar language and melodramatic reactions. Written as the autobiographical account of a fictional teenage prep school student named Holden Caulfield, The Catcher in the Rye deals with material that is socially scandalous for the time (Gwynn, 1958). As an emotional, intelligent, and sensitive young man, Holden puts his inner world to the test through the sexual mores of his peers and elders, the teachings of his education, and his own emerging sense of self. Throughout the years, the language of the story has startled readers. Salinger's control of Holden's easy, conversational manner makes the introduction of these larger themes appear natural and believable. (Bloom, 1990).      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   At the time of the novel, and even today, Holden's speech rings true to the colloquial speech of teenagers. Holden, according to many reviews in the Chicago Tribune, the New Yorker, and the New York Times, accurately captures the informal speech of an average intelligent, educated, northeastern American adolescent (Costello, 1990). Such speech includes both simple description and blatant cursing. For example, Holden says, "They're nice and all", as well as "I'm not going to tell you my whole goddam autobiography or anything." In the first instance, he uses the term "nice" which oversimplifies his parents' character. This wording of his phrase implies that he does not wish to disrespect them, yet at the same time he does not intend to praise them. At best he deems them as "nice and all." Holden further cuts short his description, but in a more curt manner, when he stat... ...nage angst is apparent, Salinger carefully crafted Holden's vocabulary to create a character who would be believable. As Holden's vocabulary and outlook on life demonstrate his character as a fictional persona, the realistic flavor of his vocabulary mixed with emotion unfailingly ties him to the harsh realities of adolescence and the youth of his time.    Works Cited Bloom, HB. Major Literary Characters: Holden Caulfield. Chelsea House Publishers. New York, 1990. Costello, DP. The Language of the Catcher in the Rye. Holden Caulfield. Cambridge, New York; Cambridge University Press, 1990. Gwynn, F. The Fiction of JD Salinger. University of Pittsburg Press. 1958 Salinger, JD. The Catcher in the Rye, Little, Brown and Co. Boston, 1951. Salzman, J. The American Novel: New Essays on the Catcher in the Rye. Cambridge University Press, 1991.

Karl Marx - Capitalist Alienation Essay -- Alienation Capitalist Socie

Karl Marx - Capitalist Alienation THE TERM "alienation" in normal usage refers to a feeling of separateness, of being alone and apart from others. For Marx, alienation was not a feeling or a mental condition, but an economic and social condition of class society--in particular, capitalist society. Alienation, in Marxist terms, refers to the separation of the mass of wage workers from the products of their own labor. Marx first expressed the idea, somewhat poetically, in his 1844 Manuscripts: "The object that labor produces, its product, stands opposed to it as something alien, as a power independent of the producer." Most of us own neither the tools and machinery we work with nor the products that we produce--they belong to the capitalist that hired us. But everything we work on and in at some point comes from human labor. The irony is that everywhere we turn, we are confronted with the work of our own hands and brains, and yet these products of our labor appear as things outside of us, and outside of our control. Work and the products of work dominate us, rather than t... Karl Marx - Capitalist Alienation Essay -- Alienation Capitalist Socie Karl Marx - Capitalist Alienation THE TERM "alienation" in normal usage refers to a feeling of separateness, of being alone and apart from others. For Marx, alienation was not a feeling or a mental condition, but an economic and social condition of class society--in particular, capitalist society. Alienation, in Marxist terms, refers to the separation of the mass of wage workers from the products of their own labor. Marx first expressed the idea, somewhat poetically, in his 1844 Manuscripts: "The object that labor produces, its product, stands opposed to it as something alien, as a power independent of the producer." Most of us own neither the tools and machinery we work with nor the products that we produce--they belong to the capitalist that hired us. But everything we work on and in at some point comes from human labor. The irony is that everywhere we turn, we are confronted with the work of our own hands and brains, and yet these products of our labor appear as things outside of us, and outside of our control. Work and the products of work dominate us, rather than t...

Essay example --

Throughout life we lose grandparents, parents and grow apart from close friends but sibling relationships can be one of the most enduring relationships an individual will have throughout their lifetime. Although there are many things that can affect sibling relationships such as gender, age gaps and sex composition, this paper will examine the association between the parent-child relationship and the sibling relationships in adolescence. Based on the family systems theory which suggests that families are made up of interconnected subsystems that influence each other (Whitchurch and Constantine, 1993), it is not surprising that researchers use this theory as a way to study the effects that one relationship may have on the other. By examining the research, it is clear that the parent child relationship has an unquestionable effect on siblings’ relationships. The current literature supports this claim by presenting evidence based on the warmth/conflict within sibling relatio nships, parent’s differential treatment of their children, as well as the indirect/direct involvement parents have on their children’s sibling relationships. People believe most siblings have a love/hate relationship but the amount of one emotion over the other may not be directly the siblings own doings. Variables such as the parent-adolescent relationship can shape how siblings interact with one another whether one consciously notices or not. Derkman, Engels, Kuntsche, Van Der Vorst and Scholte (2011) conducted a five year longitudinal study on 428 families that evaluated the perceived parental support towards children, and the warmth/conflict between siblings during adolescence. Using self reports they found that sibling warmth and adolescent parent su... ...ng the problem themselves, and often punishing the behavior. The results demonstrated that mother’s preferential style of involvement was intervention, and fathers more often used coaching. It was found that when mothers and fathers used coaching as their style of involvement during conflicts between siblings it was related to greater levels of sibling warmth afterwards. Although both mothers and fathers used the coaching technique, mothers less often used non-involvement and more often used intervention than fathers. The style of involvement parents choose to use during sibling conflicts influence the way siblings learn to cope and deal with troubling situation, and so the coaching involvement style is reported to be the most effective because it shows the adolescents the parents are involved and care, yet give them room to grow and develop skills of their own.

Great Expectations Essay

â€Å"Even though Pip has become snobbish by the end of Book One, Dickens still manages to make the reader like him†. Show how and why Pip has become something of a snob and what makes us retain our sympathy for him – Tom Beach In Great Expectations Dickens depicts Pip as having an increasingly snobbish character throughout Book One. He shows Pip to have an exaggerated respect for his social position and his growing hatred for the common life that he lives. The reader sees that Pip’s snobbishness is due to his desire to become a gentleman and his aspiration to be liked by Estella, from whom he adopts some of his snobbish attitudes. Even though it is clear to the reader that Pip has become somewhat of a snob, Dickens encourages the reader to still like Pip. He puts across that Pip is an orphan and that these snobbish feelings we see are just outward feelings. We learn that he was not proud of the snobbish character that he had become from the way he looks back on his life as an adult. These events make the reader feel sympathy for Pip, leading the reader to retain their criticism of him. In Book One of Great Expectations we see Dickens show Pip’s progressively snobbish character in many ways. After Pip’s first visit to Satis house and after falling for Estella we see Pips ambition to become a gentleman. We see that Pip blames Joe for being common, and for Joe not bringing him up as Pip thinks he should: â€Å"I wish Joe had been rather more genteelly brought up, and then I should have been so too. † We see Pip’s snobbish character developing as he blames Joe for being common; he is ‘ashamed of the dear good fellow’ and disappointed in him for being so ‘ignorant and common’. Pip is patronising towards Joe for something Joe has no control over. Pip feels he is able to comment on Joe’s social status because he does not belong to ‘[his]’ higher society and would be an embarrassment in front of Estella. This sudden change of attitude in Pip that wants to dismiss his family comes as a great shock to the reader. We see this to be a case of him being a snob. In Book One, one of the main points of Pips character that shows Pip to be something of a snob is his patronising attitude towards Mrs Joe. When Pip is going to see Miss Havisham with Joe and accompanied with Mrs Joe Pip feels embarrassed because they are trying to dress up to much: â€Å"I am not quite clear whether these articles were carried penitentially or ostentatiously. † Pip feels that his sister, Mrs Joe is very much overdressed, trying to look more ladylike that she really is. He is very patronising to her, as seen in the above quotation for simply being overdressed. Pip feels he is above her. Pip shows his growing snobbishness due to the fact that he is so willingly able to dismiss who he is and what he should become: I had believed in the forge as the glowing road to manhood and independence. Within a single year, all this was changed. Now, it was all coarse and common. We see Pip has lost faith in his normal life in the forge, dismissing the fact that that a life in the forge is what he is meant for. Pip will never like Joes’ trade and is sad when he is made apprentice to him: â€Å"And what could I possibly do then, but say I was enjoying myself – when I wasn’t. † Pip feels that the apprenticeship will tie him away from his ambition. He feels the forge is so ‘coarse and common’ that it will prevent him from becoming a gentleman. Pip feels that he is too good for the community that he lives in; he wants to get away from it: â€Å"It would be very disagreeable to be stared at by all the people here. † We see Pip deciding not to go into town in his new suit. He again feels that he is above all the people in the village, that ‘they would make such a business of it – such a coarse and common business’ that ‘[he] couldn’t bear [himself]’. This fact that he looks down on everybody in the village depicts him as a vain snob; he is not going to be a ‘rustic’ man anymore. In the closing stages of Book One we see Pip being very snobbish and capricious towards Biddy, a girl who looks after the house and has fallen in love with Pip: ‘Biddy’ I returned with some resentment, ‘you are so exceedingly quick that it’s difficult to keep up with you. ‘

The Host Chapter 47: Employed

This is too easy. It's not really even fun anymore,† Kyle complained. â€Å"You wanted to come,† Ian reminded him. He and Ian were in the windowless back of the van, sorting through the nonperishable groceries and toiletries I'd just collected from the store. It was the middle of the day, and the sun was shining on Wichita. It was not as hot as the Arizona desert, but it was more humid. The air swarmed with tiny flying bugs. Jared drove toward the highway out of town, carefully keeping below the speed limit. This continued to irritate him. â€Å"Getting tired of shopping yet, Wanda?† Ian asked me. â€Å"No. I don't mind it.† â€Å"You always say that. Isn't there anything you mind?† â€Å"I mind†¦ being away from Jamie. And I mind being outside, a little bit. During the day especially. It's like the opposite of claustrophobia. Everything is too open. Does that bother you, too?† â€Å"Sometimes. We don't go out during the day much.† â€Å"At least she gets to stretch her legs,† Kyle muttered. â€Å"I don't know why you want to hear her complain.† â€Å"Because it's so uncommon. Which makes it a nice change from listening to you complain.† I tuned them out. Once Ian and Kyle got started, they usually went on for a while. I consulted the map. † Oklahoma City next?† I asked Jared. â€Å"And a few small towns on the way, if you're up for it,† he answered, eyes on the road. â€Å"I am.† Jared rarely lost his focus when on a raid. He didn't relax into relieved banter the way Ian and Kyle did every time I completed another mission successfully. It made me smile when they used that word-mission. That sounded so formidable. In reality, it was just a trip to the store. Just like I'd done a hundred times in San Diego when I was only feeding myself. Like Kyle said, it was too easy to provide any excitement. I pushed my cart up and down the aisles. I smiled at the souls who smiled at me, and I filled my cart with things that would last. I usually grabbed a few things that wouldn't, for the men hiding in the back of the van. Premade sandwiches from the deli-things like that for our meals. And maybe a treat or two. Ian had a fondness for mint chocolate chip ice cream. Kyle liked caramel sweets best. Jared ate anything he was offered; it seemed as if he'd given up favorites many years before, embracing a life where wants were unwelcome and even needs were carefully assessed before they were met. Another reason he was good at this life-he saw priorities uncontaminated by personal desire. Occasionally, in the smaller towns, someone would notice me, would speak to me. I had my lines down so well that I could probably have fooled a human by this point. â€Å"Hi there. New in town?† â€Å"Yes. Brand-new.† â€Å"What brings you to Byers?† I was always careful to check the map before I left the van, so the town's name would be familiar. â€Å"My partner travels a lot. He's a photographer.† â€Å"How wonderful! An Artist. Well, there's certainly a lot of beautiful land around here.† Originally, I'd been the Artist. But I'd found that throwing in the information that I was already partnered saved me some time when I was speaking to males. â€Å"Thank you so much for your help.† â€Å"You're very welcome. Come back soon.† I'd only had to speak to a pharmacist once, in Salt Lake City; after that, I'd known what to look for. A sheepish smile. â€Å"I'm not sure I'm getting the right nutrition. I can't seem to avoid the junk food. This body has such a sweet tooth.† â€Å"You need to be wise, Thousand Petals. I know it's easy to give in to your cravings, but try to think about what you're eating. In the meantime, you should take a supplement.† Health. Such an obvious title on the bottle, it made me feel silly for asking. â€Å"Would you like the ones that taste like strawberries or the ones that taste like chocolate?† â€Å"Could I try both?† And the pleasant soul named Earthborn gave me both of the large bottles. Not very challenging. The only fear or sense of danger I ever felt came when I thought of the small cyanide pill that I always kept in an easily reachable pocket. Just in case. â€Å"You should get new clothes in the next town,† Jared said. â€Å"Again?† â€Å"Those are looking a little creased.† â€Å"Okay,† I agreed. I didn't like the excess, but the steadily growing pile of dirty laundry wouldn't go to waste. Lily and Heidi and Paige were all close to my size, and they would be grateful for something new to wear. The men rarely bothered with things like clothes when they were raiding. Every foray was life-or-death-clothes were not a priority. Nor were the gentle soaps and shampoos that I'd been collecting at every store. â€Å"You should probably clean up, too,† Jared said with a sigh. â€Å"Guess that means a hotel tonight.† Keeping up appearances was not something they'd worried about before. Of course, I was the only one who had to look as if I were a part of civilization from close up. The men wore jeans and dark T-shirts now, things that didn't show dirt or attract attention in the brief moments they might be seen. They all hated sleeping in the roadside inns-succumbing to unconsciousness inside the very mouth of the enemy. It scared them more than anything else we did. Ian said he'd rather charge an armed Seeker. Kyle simply refused. He mostly slept in the van during the day and then sat up at night, acting as sentry. For me, it was as easy as shopping in the stores. I checked us in, made conversation with the clerk. Told the story about my photographer partner and the friend who was traveling with us (just in case someone saw all three of us enter the room). I used generic names from unremarkable planets. Sometimes we were Bats: Word Keeper, Sings the Egg Song, and Sky Roost. Sometimes we were See Weeds: Twisting Eyes, Sees to the Surface, and Second Sunrise. I changed the names every time, not that anyone was trying to trace our path. It just made Melanie feel safer to do that. All this made her feel like a character in a human movie about espionage. The hard part, the part I really minded-not that I would say this in front of Kyle, who was so quick to doubt my intentions-was all the taking without giving anything back. It had never bothered me to shop in San Diego. I took what I needed and nothing more. Then I spent my days at the university giving back to the community by sharing my knowledge. Not a taxing Calling, but one I took seriously. I took my turns at the less-appealing chores. I did my day collecting garbage and cleaning streets. We all did. And now I took so much more and gave nothing in return. It made me feel selfish and wrong. It's not for yourself. It's for others, Mel reminded me when I brooded. It still feels wrong. Even you can feel that, can't you? Don't think about it was her solution. I was glad we were on the homestretch of our long raid. Tomorrow we would visit our growing cache-a moving truck we kept hidden within a day's reach of our path-and clean out the van for the last time. Just a few more cities, a few more days, down through Oklahoma, then New Mexico, and then a straight drive through Arizona with no stops. Home again. At last. When we slept in hotels rather than in the crowded van, we usually checked in after dark and left before dawn to keep the souls from getting a good look at us. Not really necessary. Jared and Ian were beginning to realize that. This night, because we'd had such a successful day-the van was completely full; Kyle would have little space-and because Ian thought I looked tired, we stopped early. The sun had not set when I returned to the van with the plastic key card. The little inn was not very busy. We parked close to our room, and Jared and Ian went straight from the van to the room in a matter of five or six steps, their eyes on the ground. On their necks, small, faint pink lines provided camouflage. Jared carried a half-empty suitcase. No one looked at them or me. Inside, the room-darkening curtains were drawn, and the men relaxed a little bit. Ian lounged on the bed he and Jared would use, and flipped on the TV. Jared put the suitcase on the table, took out our dinner-cooled greasy breaded chicken strips I'd ordered from the deli in the last store-and passed it around. I sat by the window, peeking through the corner at the falling sun as I ate. â€Å"You have to admit, Wanda, we humans had better entertainment,† Ian teased. On the television screen, two souls were speaking their lines clearly, their bodies held with perfect posture. It wasn't hard to pick up what was happening in the story because there wasn't a lot of variety in the scripts souls wrote. In this one, two souls were reconnecting after a long separation. The male's stint with the See Weeds had come between them, but he'd chosen to be human because he guessed his partner from the Mists Planet would be drawn to these warm-blooded hosts. And, miracle of miracles, he'd found her here. They all had happy endings. â€Å"You have to consider the intended audience.† â€Å"True. I wish they'd run old human shows again.† He flipped through the channels and frowned. â€Å"Used to be a few of them on.† â€Å"They were too disturbing. They had to be replaced with things that weren't so†¦ violent.† â€Å"The Brady Bunch?† I laughed. I'd seen that show in San Diego, and Melanie knew it from her childhood. â€Å"It condoned aggression. I remember one where a little male child punched a bully, and that was portrayed as being the right thing to do. There was blood.† Ian shook his head in disbelief but returned to the show with the former See Weed. He laughed at the wrong parts, the parts that were supposed to be touching. I stared out the window, watching something much more interesting than the predictable story on television. Across the two-lane road from the inn was a small park, bordered on one side by a school and on the other by a field where cows grazed. There were a few young trees, and an old-fashioned playground with a sandbox, a slide, a set of monkey bars, and one of those hand-pulled merry-go-rounds. Of course there was a swing set, too, and that was the only equipment being used currently. A little family was taking advantage of the cooler evening air. The father had some silver in his dark hair at the temples; the mother looked many years his junior. Her red brown hair was pulled back in a long ponytail that bobbed when she moved. They had a little boy, no more than a year old. The father pushed the child in the swing from behind, while the mother stood in front, leaning in to kiss his forehead when he swung her way, making him giggle so hard that his chubby little face was bright red. This had her laughing, too-I could see her body shake with it, her hair dancing. â€Å"What are you staring at, Wanda?† Jared's question wasn't anxious, because I was smiling softly at the surprising scene. â€Å"Something I've never seen in all my lives. I'm staring at†¦ hope.† Jared came to stand behind me, peeking out over my shoulder. â€Å"What do you mean?† His eyes swept across the buildings and the road, not pausing on the playing family. I caught his chin and pointed his face in the right direction. He didn't so much as flinch at my unexpected touch, and that gave me a strange jolt of warmth in the pit of my stomach. â€Å"Look,† I said. â€Å"What am I looking at?† â€Å"The only hope for survival I've ever seen for a host species.† â€Å"Where?† he demanded, bewildered. I was aware of Ian close behind us now, listening silently. â€Å"See?† I pointed at the laughing mother. â€Å"See how she loves her human child?† At that moment, the woman snatched her son from the swing and squeezed him in a tight embrace, covering his face with kisses. He cooed and flailed-just a baby. Not the miniature adult he would have been if he carried one of my kind. Jared gasped. â€Å"The baby is human? How? Why? For how long?† I shrugged. â€Å"I've never seen this before-I don't know. She has not given him up for a host. I can't imagine that she would be†¦ forced. Motherhood is all but worshipped among my kind. If she is unwilling†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I shook my head. â€Å"I have no idea how that will be handled. This doesn't happen elsewhere. The emotions of these bodies are so much stronger than logic.† I glanced up at Jared and Ian. They were both staring openmouthed at the interspecies family in the park. â€Å"No,† I murmured to myself. â€Å"No one would force the parents if they wanted the child. And just look at them.† The father had his arms around both the mother and the child now. He looked down at his host body's biological son with staggering tenderness in his eyes. â€Å"Aside from ourselves, this is the first planet we've discovered with live births. Yours certainly isn't the easiest or most prolific system. I wonder if that's the difference†¦ or if it's the helplessness of your young. Everywhere else, reproduction is through some form of eggs or seeds. Many parents never even meet their young. I wonder†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I trailed off, my thoughts full of speculation. The mother lifted her face to her partner, and he kissed her lips. The human child crowed with delight. â€Å"Hmm. Perhaps, someday, some of my kind and some of yours will live in peace. Wouldn't that be†¦ strange?† Neither man could tear his eyes from the miracle in front of them. The family was leaving. The mother dusted the sand off her jeans while the father took the boy. Then, holding hands that they swung between them, the souls strolled toward the apartments with their human child. Ian swallowed loudly. We didn't speak for the rest of the evening, all of us made thoughtful by what we'd seen. We went to sleep early, so we could rise early and get back to work. I slept alone, in the bed farthest from the door. This made me uncomfortable. The two big men did not fit easily on the other bed; Ian tended to sprawl when he was deeply asleep, and Jared was not above throwing punches when that happened. Both of them would be more comfortable if I shared. I slept in a small ball now; maybe it was the too-open spaces I moved in all day that had me constricting in on myself at night, or maybe I was just so used to curling up to sleep in the tiny space behind the passenger seat on the van's floor that I'd forgotten how to sleep straight. But I knew why no one asked me to share. The first night the men had unhappily realized the necessity of a hotel shower for me, I'd heard Ian and Jared talking about me over the whir of the bathroom fan. â€Å"†¦ not fair to ask her to choose,† Ian was saying. He kept his voice low, but the fan was not loud enough to drown it out. The hotel room was very small. â€Å"Why not? It's fairer to tell her where she's going to sleep? Don't you think it's more polite -â€Å" â€Å"For someone else. But Wanda will agonize over this. She'll be trying so hard to please us both, she'll make herself miserable.† â€Å"Jealous again?† â€Å"Not this time. I just know how she thinks.† There was a silence. Ian was right. He did know how I thought. He'd probably already foreseen that given the slightest hint that Jared would prefer it, I would choose to sleep beside Jared, and then keep myself awake worrying that I'd made Jared unhappy by being there and that I'd hurt Ian's feelings in the bargain. â€Å"Fine,† Jared snapped. â€Å"But if you try cuddling up to me tonight†¦ so help me, O'Shea.† Ian chuckled. â€Å"Not to sound overly arrogant, but to be perfectly honest, Jared, were I so inclined, I think I could do better.† Despite feeling a little guilty about wasting so much needed space, I probably did sleep better alone. We didn't have to go to a hotel again. The days started to pass more quickly, as if even the seconds were trying to run home. I could feel a strange western pull on my body. We were all eager to get back to our dark, crowded haven. Even Jared got careless. It was late, no sunlight left lingering behind the western mountains. Behind us, Ian and Kyle were taking turns driving the big moving truck loaded with our spoils, just as Jared and I took turns with the van. They had to drive the heavy vehicle more carefully than Jared did the van. The headlights had faded slowly into the distance, until they disappeared around a wide curve in the road. We were on the homestretch. Tucson was behind us. In a few short hours, I would see Jamie. We would unload the welcome provisions, surrounded by smiling faces. A real homecoming. My first, I realized. For once the return would bring nothing but joy. We carried no doomed hostages this time. I wasn't paying attention to anything but anticipation. The road didn't seem to be flying by too fast; it couldn't fly past fast enough as far as I was concerned. The truck's headlights reappeared behind us. â€Å"Kyle must be driving,† I murmured. â€Å"They're catching up.† And then the red and blue lights suddenly spun out in the dark night behind us. They reflected off all the mirrors, dancing spots of color across the roof, the seats, our frozen faces, and the dashboard, where the needle on the speed gauge showed that we were traveling twenty miles over the speed limit. The sound of a siren pierced the desert calm.