Some exam questions I need explained Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Some exam questions I need explained - Essay Example PEST (Political, Economical, Socio-cultural, Technological factors) analysis is an important strategic planning tool. It proves to be a useful stepping stone for the analysis of external factors for an organization. It is also useful to analyze the feasibility of a certain project with reference to different external factors that might affect its execution. This model covers a broader aspect of the prevailing environmental factors than SWOT analysis. Porter’s 5 Forces: This model was developed by Michael E. Porter in 1980. He formulated the model on the basis of 5 competitive forces that tend to determine the nature of every industry. Organization can evaluate the level of competition, profitability and acceptance rate of an industry with the help of these forces; threat of new competitors, bargaining power of the suppliers, rate of rivalry in the industry, bargaining power of customers, threat of substitutes. Value Chain Analysis: It is considered to be a systematic approach; involves a sequence of functions and actions that build value for the organization. Value chain analysis plays a major role in the development of competitive advantage in the market. It equals to the cumulative value that is provided by the organization. Experience Curve Effect: This concept was formulated in 1966 by Bruce Henderson. Experience is considered to be an asset for any organization. The concept promotes the increment of this asset in different forms in the organization, for example, hiring of experienced resources, collaboration with other companies etc. According to the experience curve effect; if a company gains greater experience in a specific field or production process then 25 to 30 % of the costs can be decreased. It can help the organization to evaluate the success rate of the company and increase revenues. BCG (Boston Consulting Group) Matrix: is a portfolio management model. It categorizes the products of the organization

Outsourcing or Exporting America Essay Example for Free

Outsourcing or Exporting America Essay With the new economic slump, many people are trying to find ways to rebuild the economy and find the cause of the downward spiral that has recently plagued our country. In the quack of high unemployment, and many families losing their homes, many of the economists and researchers are looking to the outsourcing of jobs to other countries as the culprit for the dilemma. Is his belief true or false? The answer lies within each person’s individual belief, because politicians do not give all the information available about this new crises and the reason for it. In a year of presidential elections, one only needs to look at the previous election to see that this same topic was prevalent. In 2004, John Kerry accused George W. Bush of â€Å"exporting† jobs to other countries so big business could save money. In fact, N. Gregory Mankiw stated that the outsourcing of jobs was just another type of trade on an international level. Even at that time, many opponents realized that the government was trying to make excuses for high unemployment and the loss of jobs in this country. With the end of the election, the topic lost steam and lay in the background for years (Drezner, 1; Dobbs, 1). Now, in the smoke filled world of foreclosures, banks going under and financial giants losing their grasp of the world, the issue of outsourcing has again reared its head. Why? Because the majority of the public believe that the exporting of jobs is a major factor in the current slump. While manufacturing jobs have been lost to countries for lower wages, now the middle manager and white collar jobs are being shipped overseas to companies that charge much less then their American counterparts. This leaves the middle class American with few options and young Americans with unfulfilled dreams (Drezner, 1; Dobbs, 1). Both sides of the argument believe that they are in the right. Those that applaud the globalization and outsourcing to other countries, truly or blindly believe that it is the best option for this country. They even believe that it will help to create higher paying jobs for Americans, while the mundane and manufacturing jobs are done elsewhere for less money. They fool themselves with this notion. The truth of the matter is that American companies shut down factories and outsource middle management or call center activities; they are hurting the American worker and the American economy (Dobbs, 1). Look around and see the economy failing, banks losing, real estate stagnant. While the stock market roller coasters from downward spirals to euphoric rises, the economy is more imbalanced than ever. Multinational corporations will continue to layoff workers in the United States to give those jobs to people in other countries for less money. Is destroying our country worth a few dollars per employee? Most American would not agree. They would take up rank and fight, but until they have the correct information, and the government stops skewing the truth, the American people will suffer and the economy will fail.

Pathogenesis and Course of AIDS

Pathogenesis and Course of AIDS Title: Give a detailed account of the pathogenesis and course of AIDS. Undergraduate Degree Level Essay 2,500 words   The study of HIV / AIDS is a vast topic and the literature on the subject fills many volumes. In this essay therefore we propose to take an overview of some of the most current views and developments in the field with particular emphasis on the pathophysiology of HIV / AIDS In 1997 the World Health Organisation gave the assessment that since HIV / AIDS had been recognised, over 11.7 million people had died of the condition world wide and at the time of publication 30 million more were thought to be infected with 16.000 new infections occurring daily. Current predictions estimate that at the current rate of infection 55 million will have died by 2010. (Greek R et al 2002) Perhaps the most worrying of all of these gargantuan statistics was the fact that of the 30 million infected, 27 million were thought to be unaware of their condition. Quite apart form the devastation the disease causes on a personal basis, the vast majority of those infected are young adults which has enormous implications for the social structure of their communities. (Graham B S 1998) Pathophysiology of the condition As we have implied earlier, the volume of work relating to the pathophysiology of HIV / AIDS is enormous, in this essay we therefore intend to â€Å"cherry-pick† a number of selected topics and discuss them in some detail. The implications of genetics in both the acquisition of HIV and the subsequent development of AIDS is a rapidly expanding field. The interaction between virus and host is a multifaceted and extremely complex one. From the point of infection onwards there is usually a significant HIV viraemia even though in the early stages, the patient may be completely asymptomatic. It is known that the degree of virus replication is directly related to the degree of T-cell depletion and equally correlates with progression of the disease process. It would therefore appear that HIV induces symptomatic disease process by replicating in, and subsequently destroying, CD4 and T-cells thereby weakening the immune system. (Stilianakis NI et al 1997), .Different hosts and indeed different genotypes of hosts (see on) have differing patterns of disease expression. CD4 and T-cell levels are rapidly diminished in the early stages of the disease but are not restored by effective anti-viral therapy if given later in the disease. (Littman D R 1998) One area of obvious interest is in those who appear to survive with HIV for a longer than average time before it progresses to AIDS. A study by Dean (M et al 1995) proved to be seminal in this area, with a prospective study of nearly 2,000 men. The authors considered the status of CCR5 genotype and its relation to the likelihood of disease progression. The paper is both long an detailed, but provides a strong evidence base for further research (Berwick D 2005). In essence, the main findings of the paper were that most people have two normal alleles for the CCR5 gene, but 1 in 7 has one mutant allele (technically 32bp deletion), which means that they still have one normal allele (heterozygous genotype). 1 in 100 have two mutant alleles. The rates of mutation are highly racially specific ranging from 11% in Caucasians to The significant finding in the study was that none of the 1,300 HIV +ve people in the study had the homozygous mutation, 15% of the HIV +ve had the heterozygous genotype, so the heterozygous genotype clearly does not protect against infection, but the significant difference is that the average transition time from HIV to AIDS for the homozygous man was 10 years whereas the average transition time for the heterozygous genotype was 13 years. Possibly even more significant is the fact that of the 17 people in the entry cohort who were homozygous for the mutation and in the high risk of infection group, none of them had contracted HIV. It would therefore appear that the CCR5 mutation plays some critical role early in the primary stages of HIV infection since it appears that HIV infection can be blocked if a functioning version of this receptor is not present. During the later stages of the infection it would appear that other co-receptors (the CXCR4 has been implicated) can take over the role as the properties of the virus evolve within the host. (McMichael A 1998). On this basis some authors have suggested a classification taxonomy that differentiates HIV virus sub-types on the basis of their CCR5 receptor affinity. (Berger E A et al 1998). It would appear that the viruses eventually evolve into the R5X4 (in this classification) type which allows them to eventually produce the full blown AIDS syndrome. The absence of one working CCR5 allele simply retards the evolutionary progress. (Chan DC et al 1998), This is in congruity with other pathophysiological observations. For example, it is already known that the influenza virus enhances the CXCR4 dependent HIV infection. It is thought that the pathway of influenza infection activates the CD4 and T- lymphocytes which, in turn utilise the CXCR4 co-receptors on the cell. This activation would therefore appear to increase the potential number of HIV target cells in an individual which would clearly accelerate viral spreading. (AIDS RU 1998). In the same way, syphilis is known to be an active agent in increasing CCR5 expression and is also known to be a strong predisposing factor for the overall HIV risk whereas it does not induce CXCR4 (Lafeuillade A et al 1997), From our considerations thus far it is clear that the pathophysiology of the HIV infection revolves around the build up (replication) of the HIV virus in the CD4 and T-cells. This is not an immediate process as new T-cells are being produced (albeit from a progressively dwindling stock) of non-infected bone marrow stem cells. (Greek R et al 2002) Why are there a number of specific AIDS-defining diseases? This is a vast area in its own right. The presence of HIV in a T-cell does not immediately destroy the cell, but alters its function. Each T cell has a number of receptor areas determined by the V region of the receptor gene, and these determine the subclass (and specificity) of the T-cell itself . Each sub-type has specific receptor sequences that allow it to recognise a broad spectrum of histocompatibility complexes. (Hecht F M et al 1998) The HIV presence alters the expression of the V site region and thereby allows certain pathogens to be sub-optimally challenged (Connors M et al 1997). It is the nature of HIV infection that specific colonies (or sub-types) of CD4 T-cells are depleted before others are altered. This translates clinically into the situation where certain pathogens ( viz. Pneumocystis carinii, Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare, and cytomegalovirus. ) can be present, virtually unchallenged even though the T-cell population may be apparently quite active. Typically the reservoir of CD4 and CD8 lymphocytes may remain skewed despite the overall apparent adequacy of circulating T-cells. (Nosik M N et al 2002), Alongside this altered state of immunity a number of other immune-related phenomenon can be seen including some types of autoimmunity and AIDS-related malignancies including squamous cell carcinoma of skin, testicular cancer, myeloma, Hodgkins disease. Some investigators have recently demonstrated a statistically very significant relationship between a profound immunodeficiency state (with marked CD4 depletion) and the development of a non-Hodgkins lymphoma, presumably by a similar mechanism. (Voulgaropoulou et al. 1999) Aggressive anti-viral therapy has been partially successful in reducing the frequency of malignancies such as Kaposis sarcoma and B cell lymphomas. Study of these progressive â€Å"blind spots† in the T-cell’s response mechanisms suggest that a diversity of the T-cell receptor V genes can be re-established in patients with an undetectable viraemia for longer than a six month period, which is strongly suggestive of the fact that regeneration of uninfected (or immuno-protected) naà ¯ve precursors is possible with aggressive therapy. (Connors M et al 1997), There is an overall increase in the incidence of AIDS-related malignancies. This is not thought to be due to any new or progressive evolution of the HIV virus, but mainly due to the development of new and more effective antiretroviral therapies together with more efficient prophylaxis for opportunistic infections which is allowing the HIV / AIDS patient to survive for longer in the immunodeficient state. Treatment We do not intend to present any detail relating to specific treatments for HIV / AIDS but will make a few general comments. A current pressing question for clinicians is â€Å"can antiretroviral therapy ever be safely stopped?† The current generations of protease inhibitors that are combined with non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors are capable of reducing viraemia to undetectable levels. (Jordan R et al 2002), Clinical experience suggests that as soon as treatment is stopped, viraemia tends to rapidly recur at pre-treatment levels. This strongly suggests an ability of the HIV to enter a latent phase or to remain in immunoprivilleged sites (such as the testes and central nervous system). Like most retro-viruses, the HIV has the ability to integrate its DNA into the host genome even though it may remain transcriptionally dormant and thereby avoid cellular detection and apoptosis until it enters its replication cycle (Wei X et al 1995), It is difficult to draw specific conclusions from a presentation such as this as the overriding impression that one gets from any examination of the literature on the subject is both the speed and the diversity of the research that is currently being undertaken world-wide. There appear to be two main thrusts as far as research is concerned. One is the development of new antiretroviral and immunoactive therapeutic measures to try to combat the pathophysiology of the disease process itself, the other is the search for a vaccine which would ultimately be the â€Å"holy grail† in this particular pandemic. (Malegapuru W et al 2002) One of the main stumbling blocks as far as vaccine development is concerned is the difficulty in targeting the antigenicity of the frequently changing immunological profile of the HIV. (Musey L et al 1997). Considerable interest has been shown in the persistently sero-negative partners of sero-positive patients who have been frequently found to have a specific ability to produce interleukin 2 from peripheral mononuclear cells together with the detectable presence of HIV specific IgA in mucosal secretions. (Mazzoli S et al 1997), Many vaccine research projects are currently exploring the avenue of designing vaccines which have the potential to stimulate and produce HIV-specific CD8 cytotoxic T-cell responses to the HIV. Initial primate studies suggest that prevention of infection at a mucosal site (as opposed to parenteral infection) is actually possible as mucosal infection is relatively inefficient and only a small number of HIV virons are likely to be involved. (Matano T et al 1998). Phase one clinical trials have been undertaken in this regard already but with disappointing results as the immunogenic responses that have been engendered are 5-10 times lower than those produced by HIV infection with a comparatively short half-life. (Mugerwa R D et al 2002). There are a number of approaches with recombinant viral entities of various types which have also met with limited success Currently it would appear that vaccine candidates can manage to induce CD8 cytotoxic T lymphocyte responses with killing activity across different strains which can last a significant length of time, but they are yet unable to induce neutralising antibody with activity against typical transmitted HIV virus. (Lenzer J 2003) References AIDS RU 1998 AIDS research updates. Science 1998; 280: 1856-1894 Berger E A et al 1998 Nature 391:240, 1998 Berwick D 2005 Broadening the view of evidence-based medicine Qual. Saf. Health Care, Oct 2005; 14: 315 316. Chan DC, Kim PS. 1998 HIV entry and its inhibition. Cell 1998; 93: 681-684 Connors M, Kovacs J, Krevat S, Gea-Banacloche JC, Sneller MC, Flanigan M, et al. 1997 HIV infection induces changes in CD4+ T-cell phenotype and depletions within the CD4+ T-cell repertoire that are not immediately restored by antiviral or immune-based therapies. Nature Med 1997; 3: 533-540 Dean M. et al 1996 Science 273:1857, 1996 Finzi D, Siliciano RF. 1998 Viral dynamics in HIV-1 infection. Cell 1998; 93: 665-671 Graham B S 1998 Science, medicine, and the future: Infection with HIV-1 BMJ, Nov 1998; 317: 1297 1301 Greek R, Pandora Pound, and Nancy L Haigwood 2002 Animal studies and HIV research BMJ, Jan 2002; 324: 236 ; Hecht FM, Grant RM, Petropoulos CJ, Dillon B, Chesney MA, Tian H, et al. 1998 Sexual transmission of an HIV-1 variant resistant to multiple reverse-transcriptase and protease inhibitors. N Engl J Med 1998; 339: 307-311 Jordan R, Lisa Gold, Carole Cummins, and Chris Hyde 2002 Systematic review and meta-analysis of evidence for increasing numbers of drugs in antiretroviral combination therapy BMJ, Mar 2002; 324: 757 ; Lafeuillade A, Poggi C, Tamalet C, Profizi N. 1997 Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 dynamics in different lymphoid tissue compartments. J Infect Dis 1997; 175: 804-806. Lenzer J 2003 Claim that smallpox vaccine protects against HIV is premature, say critics BMJ, Sep 2003; 327: 699 ; Littman D R 1998 Chemokine receptors: keys to AIDS pathogenesis? Cell 1998 May 29;93(5):677-80. Malegapuru W, Makgoba, Nandipha Solomon, and Timothy Johan Paul Tucker 2002 Science, medicine, and the future: The search for an HIV vaccine BMJ, Jan 2002; 324: 211 213 ; Matano T, Shibata R, Siemon C, Connors M, Lane HC, Martin MA. 1998 Administration of an anti-CD8 monoclonal antibody interferes with the clearance of chimeric simian/human immunodeficiency virus during primary infections of rhesus macaques. J Virol 1998; 72: 164-169 Mazzoli S, Trabattoni D, Lo Caputo S, Piconi S, Ble C, Meacci F, et al.1997 HIV-specific mucosal and cellular immunity in HIV-seronegative partners of HIV-seropositive individuals. Nature Med 1997; 3: 1250-1257 McMichael A. 1998 T cell responses and viral escape. Cell 1998; 93: 673-676 Mugerwa R D, Pontiano Kaleebu, Peter Mugyenyi, Edward Katongole-Mbidde, David L Hom, Rose Byaruhanga, Robert A Salata, and Jerrold J Ellner 2002 First trial of the HIV-1 vaccine in Africa: Ugandan experience BMJ, Jan 2002; 324: 226 229 ; Musey L, Hughes J, Schacker T, Shea T, Corey L, McElrath MJ. 1997 Cytotoxic-T-cell responses, viral load, and disease progression in early human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection. N Engl J Med 1997; 337: 1267-1274 Nosik M N, Matsevich G R 2002 HIV-1 chemokine receptors and their role in the pathogenesis of AIDS Vopr Virusol. 2002 Jan-Feb;47(1):4-8. Stilianakis NI, Dietz K, and Schenzle D, 1997, Analysis of a model for the pathogenesis of AIDS Mathematical Biosciences, 145, 27-46 Voulgaropoulou et al. 1999 Distinct Human Immunodeficiency Virus Strains in the Bone Marrow Are Associated with the Development of Thrombocytopenia, J Virol 1999 Apr;73(4):3497-504 Wei X, Ghosh SK, Taylor ME, Johnson VA, Emini EA, Deutsch P, et al.1995 Viral dynamics in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection. Nature 1995; 373: 117-122 ############################################################# 17.3.06 PDG Word count 2,514

Educational Philosophy :: Education Teaching Teachers Essays

Educational Philosophy Webster’s dictionary defines the word educate as to develop and cultivate mentally or morally; train; instruct; teach. I would like to be someone who educates because educators, or teachers, help people and have an influence over their students. A teacher is someone who earns respect and is looked up to by others. I want to be a teacher because I want to be able to help people and make an impact on someone’s life. When I become a teacher, I want to have an orderly and structured classroom. I want the children in my class to be comfortable and in the best environment for learning. When the children come into the gymnasium, I want them to go into the locker room and get dressed to participate and come out and line up on a certain spot, which is assigned to them. Hopefully, by lining them up it will discourage discrimination and let the children make new friends. The walls in the gymnasium and the locker room will display all the rules and procedures of the class, the gymnasium, the locker room, and the school. It will also have the policies and various procedures of the school for the students to refer to. The activities will be appropriate. I will inform the students as to where and when equipment is and used. I will inform them as to when it is appropriate to get the equipment out and to put it back in its place. I see myself as a progressive teacher according to my styles of teaching. I will establish a non-authoritarian classroom. This means that I will be asking my students for help in making the rules and consequences for the gymnasium. We will decide the severity of the rule that was broken and match it with an equally severe punishment. We will decide as a group what kind of organization we will have in the gymnasium. There will be incentives for good behavior in physical education class. Rewards will vary for many reasons, such as weather, time of year, time, etc. I will inform my students as to what type of teaching style I liked when I was in school and ask them for their opinions on what type they would like, however that does not necessarily mean I will use what they suggest. I might integrate some of their suggestions into my own teaching style.

Accounting firm Essay

A supervisor in a large accounting firm is scheduled to interview a job candidate who comes highly recommended and has excellent qualifications. Jim has an accounting degree (bachelors) from a prestigious Ivy League school and has been working on his MBA by attending an online program for the last 18 months and is close to earning his degree. In addition he has been working for one of your competitors for several years and has excellent references attesting to his ability. Your payroll budget has recently been reduced significantly as a result of a declining client base and your manager has the final authority in establishing salaries for the new hires but generally is responsive to what his supervisor’s propose to a job candidate. In addition, the HR Director has published salary ranges for new hires that are to be adhered to, unless there are extenuating circumstances such as the candidate having special expertise, the ability to bring in additional clients, or excellent credentials including having the CPA certification. Your Role/Assignment: Your role is to determine whether distributive or integrative negotiations will be preferred in this scenario between the job applicant and the supervisor, and respond to the questions regarding the other parties who have an interest in hiring the job applicant. Use the Worksheet to answer the questions related to this scenario. Each question is worth 20 points. Once you are finished, submit your assignment to the Dropbox. See more:  Perseverance essay Questions: 1.What is the appropriate negotiation strategy that would be most advantageous for Sharon and Jim in this scenario, distributive or integrative bargaining? What are the factors that should be considered in making this determination? Answer: I believe the best negotiation strategy would be for Sharon and Jim to consider using Integrative bargaining. Because Jim does bring many positives to the bargaining table. If they seriously intend to land this talented new hire, they better offer him something better than they are proposing. I believe I would use Integrative bargaining in this situation if I was supervisor or manager. 2.What factors do you feel will contribute to the Accounting Supervisor and her Manager in determining the salary that Jim should be offered as a new hire? What are some other considerations that could be made to entice Jim to accept the job assuming that his salary demands could not be met? What are Jim’s and the Accounting Supervisor’s interests? Answer: The company is working with a reduced budget because they lost one of their major clients recently. This caused them to rethink and refocus the way ahead, and how they would continue to do business in the future; in order to survive as a company. Plus the Accounting Supervisor (Sharon) has been given specific instructions as to the â€Å"wiggle room† she has to play with; which is very little, when it comes to salary negotiations. I believe Helen (Accounting Manager) is thinking solely about the company and not really considering the applicant’s desires or views. 3.What are HR’s interests in this scenario, and what would be the potential negotiation strategy between the Accounting Manager and HR assuming that there is a decision that the published salary range for attracting Jim will have to be exceeded in order to hire him? Answer: The HR Director’s interest here is clearly the concern of the Accounting Supervisor and the Manager being able to successfully negotiate an acceptable salary that will not â€Å"break the bank† as (Richard) the HR Director puts it. He wants them to ensure they negotiate within the pre-determined salary ranges. The salary cap for the position is set at $50,000. But, the problem here is the fact that Jim is already earning $60,000 with a competitor. What Sharon and Helen must decide is whether they feel hiring Jim is worth going to management to ask for an exception to try negotiation salary beyond the cap. I personally do not believe $50K will land Jim. Helen wants to â€Å"save-face† with the HR Director, because she is afraid by going to him for more money will make her look weak as a manager. 4.Propose a negotiating outcome for each of the possible negotiations that could occur in this scenario and defend your responses. Negotiations between: Supervisor and Job Applicant I would use Integrative bargaining and try to negotiate Jim down (somewhat) on his salary expectations. The approach I would employ is the fact that he would be working for such a great company, a leader in the industry. I would emphasize the room to grow. I would also put incentives and or bonuses out there for him to strive for. I would get him to look at his potential for growth and salary increases in the future. Maybe, I would tie them to his performance. Supervisor and Accounting Manager If I was the supervisor, I would go strong after my Accountant Manager to approach the HR Director about an exception to policy for the position’s salary cap. If I felt strong enough about this potential new hire’s ability; then I think it would be worth the effort and time. They should look at this as the long term potential that Jim has to help this company become stronger and make more money be gaining more clients. Helen (The manager) must put personal beliefs or assumptions aside and seek advice or make suggestions based on her best professional opinion of the benefits to hire Jim. Accounting Manager and Human Resources Simply stated, Helen has to be willing to approach Richard about seriously exceeding the salary limits in order to sign Jim on to their team. The potential impact to have this â€Å"rising star† with the skill set and abilities he has already demonstrated is probably worth an second consideration. I think they should call a meeting to discuss this. I also believe the strategy they should use is, when Jim is interviewed, the interview should include all four: Sharon, Helen, and Richard. The three of them all sit down with Jim at the same time, and explain the company’s position and attempt to negotiate a reasonable salary range.

Dreams are the significant theme in Steinbeck’s Essay

The term â€Å"American Dream† became popular in the 17th century when the first settlers arrived in America. Their dreams were to make their fortune in the gold fields in the land of opportunity. However for many of them the dream became a nightmare. â€Å"Of Mice and Men†, written by John Steinbeck is set in 1930 in California, when the American people were suffering from a great recession. During those times which are known as â€Å"Great Depression†, the price of farm crops fall calamitously because of the economic effects of the First World War. Many people felt as if they were being strangled by the disaster of being jobless. The crash in the stock market made things even worse. Many independent farmers lost their farms because they were not able to pay their debts to the banks. Therefore numerous workers swarmed towards the prosperous states of California to escape from the horror of starving, the pinch of indigence and in the hope of better life and work. Many American workers, especially farmers, believed that the only way to success was to buy land in California. In period of such affliction period, Steinbeck wrote his masterpiece â€Å"Of Mice and Men† and presented to world the American dream and the struggle to attain it. Many of the characters in this novel yearn for their own dreams to become reality. George and Lennie, the main characters conjure up images of their own land where they can be their own bosses. They are two of the itinerant workers who travel together from ranch to ranch, desperate for money to attain their dream. This dream belongs mostly to George because Lennie with his child-like mentality can only keep in his mind one aspect of the dream. He just plays the role of â€Å"tendin’ the rabbits† in their dream land. Lennie is absolutely obsessed by petting rabbits and he always begs George to restate the frequently repeated dream: â€Å"come on, George. Tell me. Please, George. Like you done before.† (Page 15) and every time George repeats their dream; â€Å"†¦ we’re gonna get the jack together and we’re gonna have a little house and couple of acres an’ a cow and some pigs and live fatta the lan†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Page 16). For George owning land means not having to answer to anyone and being his own boss. He continuously thinks about a time when he will be able to do whatever he desires to, where he can be prosperous for ever and where he may share his life with a wife and make his life colourful. At first their dream seems to be like a glimmer of hope, the glimmer becomes more intense when they meet Candy, another afflicted worker, who lost one of his arms on the ranch. He has got almost enough money to buy a small farm. When George and Lennie share their dream with Candy, the dream seems likely to come true. They tolerate any difficulties to achieve their dream, but unfortunately just when it seems as if it really will come true, disaster strikes Lennie. Curley’s wife invites him to pet her â€Å"soft hair†. Lennie pets her harder and harder. She tries to stop him and accidentally gets killed by Lennie. When Curley’s wife is discovered by Candy and George, their whole dream is shattered. When George meets up with Lennie after the accident, George knows he is not going to achieve his dream. George also knows Curley is desperately looking for Lennie to take revenge with his shotgun. So George decides do his friend a last favour, a painless death. As George gets ready to kill Lennie, he tells Lennie one last time about their dream and lets Lennie to dies with the hope of their dream. When he dies the dream shatters for George too. Candy doesn’t seem to have any dreams at the beginning. He is an old worker on the ranch and he has lost one of his arms in an accident. One night Lennie asks George to express their dream in the bunk house. As George describes the dream they both get excited about their future and they get so wrapped up in the dream that they forget someone else is there. When he learns what George and Lennie’s dream is, he wants to go along and be involved to. He is not satisfied with his life on the ranch and he will be scared to get sacked because he is getting too old, or because he is useless with one hand. His dream is to have security. He is aware that sooner or later they going to get rid of him like they did with his old and useless dog. Also he knows if he loses his job, his chance of getting another job is minute; â€Å"you seen what they done to my dog tonight? They says he wasn’t no good to himself nor nobody else. When they can me here I wisht somebody’d shoot me. But they won’t do nothing like that. I won’t have no place to go, an’ I can’t get no more jobs† (Page 60) Candy thinks he can obtain his dream in George and Lennie’s dream. So he put in his compensation money to get involved in their dream. But his dream is also shattered by Lennie’s death. Isolation and loneliness in the ranch make Crooks await unsatisfied all the time for his dream. He is a black cripple, who tends the horses on the ranch. He has an ardent desire to be equal with others and be treated like a human. The white workers on the ranch treat him like an outcast. They keep aloof from him and claim he stinks. He has been excluded by the residents of the bunkhouse because of his colour. Colour prejudice makes Crooks’ position on the ranch lonely and isolated. He always has to confine himself to his room in the barn and have no one to talk to. During his long hours of solitude, he searches for his rights in his books such as the California Civil code 1905. He remembers his childhood, when he used to play and have a companionship with other children even with whites on his father’s chicken farm; â€Å"My old man had a chicken ranch, ’bout ten acres. the white kids come to play at our place, an’ sometimes I went to play with them, and some of them was pretty nice†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Page 70) But now he emulates of those times. When Lennie tells Crooks about his and George’s dream land, Crooks places himself in their dream, where no one would humiliate him because of his colour and he would have someone to talk to. So he demands to be part of the dream; â€Å"†¦if you †¦ guys would want a hand to work for nothing-just his keep, why I’d come an’ land a hand. I ain’t so crippled I can work like son-of-a-bitch if I want to.† (Page 76) However his flicker of hope is killed by Lennie’s death. Another dream which masteries someone’s life is the aspiration of being a Hollywood movie star. Dissimilar to the other dreams in this novel, Curley’s wife regrets of having a better life by being a movie star; â€Å"Coulda been in the movie, an’ had nice clothes -all them nice clothes like they wear. An’ I coulda sat in them big hotels, an’ had pitchers took of me†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Page 87) The dream of being an actress comes from when she met an actor. â€Å"†¦a show come through, an’ I met one of the actors. He says I could go with that show† (Page 87), she says. Because she was fifteen years old her mother didn’t allow her to go with them. The flame of desire to be a movie star became even more fervent when she met another guy; â€Å"Nother time I met a guy, an’ he was in pitchers †¦ He says he was gonna put me in the movies. Says I was natural. Soon’s he got back to Hollywood he was gonna write to me in about it. † (Page 87) However when the letter doesn’t turn up, Curley’s wife finds excuses so she wouldn’t get disappointed; â€Å"I always thought my ol’ lady stole it.† (Page 87) Based upon her excuses she didn’t want to live where she cannot have freedom so to take revenge from her mother, she married with Curley. She thought the marriage will approach her to the dream but it made it even worse. Now Curley doesn’t let her to talk to anyone but himself and all of the ranch workers avoid talking to her because of Curley; â€Å"What’s the matter with me? Ain’t I got a right to talk to nobody? †¦ what kinda harm an I doin’ to you? Seems like they ain’t none of them cares how I gotta live†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Page 86) Her thoughtless action of marrying with Curley makes loneliness to dominate over her life and makes her to stay at home al l the time. Pain of isolation even makes her to use her sexuality to attract others and have contact with someone else rather than her husband. The part when Lennie and Candy talk about their dreams with Crooks in the barn and Curley’s wife suddenly appears in the door way can be mentioned as an example; â€Å"They swang their heads toward the door. Looking in was Curley’s wife. Her face was heavily made up †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Page 76) Still no one undergoes the risk to communicate with her. Curley’s wife did die and her death released her from the ache of loneliness but she passed the pain to George. Her death makes George to kill his intimate friend, Lennie. Dreams are the significant theme in Steinbeck’s â€Å"Of Mice and Men†. The novel portrays the American dream as a symbol of aspiration, ambition and hope at the time when was set. Many Americans planted the seed of dream. They accepted the hard toil and labour to fructify it. They lived in yearn for attain it but the seed corrupted for most of them and they failed. In this novel it is the bright future that keeps the characters alive, it is their aspiration that make them to tolerate and it is the hope that gives their life a meaning. However the dreams are never fulfilled in this novel.