Blood Diamond Review free essay sample

Blood Diamond Reaction Paper One of the greatest ills, committed by the United States on the African people, was the exploitation of African labor. The slave trade became the most â€Å"successful† African commodity until the middle of the 1800’s, when westerner’s began to exploit other natural resources of the continent. The expansion of capital in Africa enabled the US and Europe to fund both the scientific and industrial revolutions. In addition, when Apartheid began in 1948, after WWII to segregate black, white, Indian and colored people from each other, three defining systems were established: a legal system, a socioeconomic system, and a political system. It segregated the land and people by law and set up city ordinances segregating most areas of public life including education. As one might predict, the African people were disenfranchised, creating political and financial unrest. In 1994, Apartheid was dismantled, but the social, economic and ideological impacts of the western world will remain indefinitely (Khapoya 115-146). We will write a custom essay sample on Blood Diamond Review or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page One African commodity still exploited today is the diamond. The year 1868, marked the beginning of the diamond trade, when astounding amounts of diamonds were unexpectedly discovered in the inland area now known as Kimberly, South Africa. By the beginning of the 20th century, Cecil Rhoades, a British entrepreneur had rendered nearly one million square miles of Africa under British dominion and had gained control of over 90% of the world’s diamond output (Sweet). The movie â€Å"Blood Diamond† is a modern day example of the political and economic corruption established and perpetuated by the diamond trade and Cecil Rhoades. For the greater part of the 20th century, Africa was in a state of civil war. The economic and political unrest of the people bred a culture of fear, instability, aggression and greed. Disenfranchised, the African people sought opportunities for economic and political freedom offered by the diamond trade. As the movie portrayed, the offer came at a very steep price and often against better moral judgment. Children were coerced into soldiers of war, families were separated, townships were destroyed and hundreds of thousands of Africans lost their lives. The historical precedent had been set however, in order to get anything done in Africa the white man was needed and it was the white man who perpetuated corruption. This can be seen in Leonardo DiCaprio’s character in the film. In one memorable dialogue he stated, â€Å"People killing each other is the way of life. It’s the way it’s always been. † For some, it seemed, the only choice was to either be a victim or an oppressor. Despite political efforts by the United States to prohibit the sale of indirect and direct diamonds from combat zones, the diamond trade was readily used to purchase fire arms and finance civil war. The inability to track the diamonds made it nearly impossible to detect diamonds from combat zones. In addition, the U. S. and our consumer culture are responsible for 2/3 of the diamond purchases worldwide; this is a startling fact considering the blood and misery engendered in obtaining them. As a college graduate with a degree in Liberal Studies, I have taken more than one class dealing with the history, literature or ideologies of the African people. I was taught about the collectivist culture, paternalistic in nature, as one can see in the character, Solomon. Solomon was brave, selfless, and loyal and eternally dedicated to his family. Until watching the movie, however, I had no idea the exploitation continued. Someone once said, â€Å"Ignorance is bliss,† and it’s quite possible I am just that blissful, but I’m not entirely convinced. Instead, I am more apt to believe the capitalistic nature of our economy concealed the truth from us the consumer. Intellectuals and educators are generally known for exposing the truth, so why was I so unaware about the current situation within Africa? I will never be able to answer that question, but I can no longer choose ignorance. Works Cited Khapoya, Vincent B. The African Experience: an Introduction. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1998. Print. Sweet, Matthew. Cecil Rhodes: a Bad Man in Africa. Editorial. Independent. Independent. co. uk, 16 Mar. 2002. Web. 4 Aug. 2011.

Conflict in N. Ireland essays

Conflict in N. Ireland essays The union of church and state, economic highs and lows, and nationalism are all global issues that affect different areas of the world in different ways. Protestants and Catholics have been fighting in Northern Ireland since the early 1900s and possibly even before that. While the two religious groups seem to be the main parties in the dispute, nationalism has played a very large role in the conflict between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The dispute is caused mainly by the presence of the United Kingdom as a control group in Ireland, and the nationalists and the unionists have formed sides in the controversy. In this essay, I will discuss a brief history of the conflict in Northern Ireland, describe the main groups that are fighting, why religion and nationalism play a role in the disagreement, and how the economy has been impacted. Some historians believe the conflicts in Northern Ireland began as long ago as 1609. At this time, Queen Elizabeths military was dominating the globe and, after many struggles, overtook the province of Ulster in Northern Ireland. Once the English took control the land was commandeered and British colonists began to push the native Irishmen out (Darby, 1995). So the broad outlines of the current conflict in Northern Ireland had been sketched out within fifty years of the plantation: the same territory was occupied by two hostile groups, one believing the land had been usurped and the other believing that their tenure was constantly under threat of rebellion...They identified their differences as religious and cultural as well as territorial, (Darby, 1995). In 1905 the Ulster Unionist Party was created and it was made up mostly of Protestant members of the British Parliament who represented Ireland, (Ulster Unionist Party, 2002). This party came up with a plan, which became known as Home Rule, which would give Ireland its own Parliament f...

The importance of information to organisations Essay

The importance of information to organisations - Essay Example e package designed to engage and entertain its customers such as the the Starbucks Entertainment division which is engaged in promoting and marketing of popular books, music and films. It’s outlets spread worldwide are equally popular in local as well as international markets. Owing to the ongoing environmental crisis and the heightened awareness of global warming, the company contributes its share by adopting environmental friendly measures. Starbucks was ranked at #17 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as one of the Top 25 Green Power Partners for the purchase of renewable energy2. The company strives to establish itself as a market leader by promoting business practices which would assist them in engendering social, environmental and economic assistance for communities where they operate. It centers its efforts in offering excellent work environment for its employees, making positive contribution to its communities, establishing long term and cordial working relations with the coffee farmers and taking stringent measures in reducing their environmental footprints4. Starbucks Entertainment comprises of a selection of finest quality music, books and films aimed at offering maximum ease and satisfaction to its customers and has several strategic alliances with some of the major players in the entertainment industry and has teamed with Apple iTunes which offers exclusive soundtracks which can be downloaded from the site. Strategic decisions involve the choice of alternatives which has the potential of having a significant impact on the company’s success in the long term. Tactical decisions on the other hand involve decision making in the day to day process that are required to reach the ultimate strategic goals of the organization. Operational decisions involve decision making in the routine decisions that affect the functioning of the organization such as planning, production sales, staffing, adjusting production rates, as well as controlling the

Marriot Being a Marketer Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Marriot Being a Marketer - Case Study Example The marketer offers excellent positioning and segmentation to the multinational business entity. The marketer utilizes several marketing strategies for his target market and offers the ideal segmentation for all the business undertakings around the globe. The marketer gives more concentration on the consumer than any other element to make the business a success. He utilizes market researches too obtain feedback that is usually utilized in the provision of the best services within the multinational business. Key marketing Issues Market research-Marriott utilizes market research to deal with certain marketing issues or create competitive advantages towards its competitors. The multinational utilizes different methods to collect information for market evaluations. Forecasting methods- Marriott utilizes dissimilar forecasting techniques for different brands offered within its business empire. Markets- Marriott is a business-to-consumer market since it comprises of consumers and purchaser s of products without the intention of gaining any profits from the provided services. Market targeting-Marriott utilizes three strategies in market targeting for its products. The three strategies are concentrated, differentiated and undifferentiated target strategies. Market positioning-Marriott has successfully positioned its products in the thoughts of its consumers by providing products that effectively address their desires. Positioning has also assisted Marriott in marketing segmentation in several ways. Market segmentation-Marriott segments its market accordingly to suit all consumers visiting its hotels all over the globe. Segmentation has extensively done to group consumers according to their needs and preferences. Personal Case Analysis Marriot case introduces the basic and most imperative concepts in the market strategies. The case presents the difficulties that a marketer undergoes to keep the business running. Market targeting, segmentation, and positioning offer the m arketer with the best strategies to run the business. Marriott obtains a huge market share by operating on dissimilar countries around the globe. Case Questions 1. How is Marriott segmenting the market for hotel services? Marketing segmentation offers different or distinct groups of consumers with homogenous needs and characteristics (Shoba 1). Marriott has effectively segmented the market into Marriott and Renaissance consumers who bear dissimilar preferences. Renaissance customers presented the urge to open the windows up and look outside upon arrival in their presented rooms. The customers who spent their time within the Marriott’s property showed interest in undertaking various high-tech activities such as video conferencing. Marriott has responded to this call through the institution of equipment such as the most recent recording and communication gadgets within the meeting places. The property has also created an affiliation with AT&T as well as Cisco to provide virtual meeting facilities. Marriott has also presented another segment within its brands that consist of customers and commerce travelers conscious about the environment. Marriott has responded to this segment through the development of model green hotels. The hotel brands bearing these green hotels are designed to hold communal spaces, and visitor’s room that are more oriented towards preserving water, and energy than the earlier versions. Marriott brand with the green hotels aims at operating in ecosystem friendly environs. The hotels in this segment offer pads manufactured from recycled paper and key cards developed out of recycled plastics. The achievers serve as another of the many segments that Marriott has developed.

Psychology essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Psychology - Essay Example Normally, these performance appraisals tend to be â€Å"tick the box† exercise. This in essence creates anxiety on the side of the management and that of the employees. After the performance appraisal has been competed they should not be shelved until the next exercise but they should be looked at immediately to allow for appropriate review actions. This can help employees improve their performance. In most cases, problematic feedbacks are usually postponed or hidden or sometimes cheated about when filling the performance Appraisal form. Majority of managers do not want to report that those under them are not performing well for the fear of being responsible of their lack of promotion or a pay rise. The performance appraisal should be objective in nature. This is to say that, they should be full of professional perspectives and should not have any personal views. Usually personal views in the performance appraisals are biased and this is very detrimental. The process of perfor mance appraisal should not come as a surprise to the employees. This is because, if all emphasis is placed on the process then, there is a possibility of generating tension at the build up phase. This can also reduce motivation on the side of the employees, which as a result can lead to decreased productivity. Majority of the employees in the organization should be satisfied with the performance appraisal processes. An appropriate performance appraisal should be a truly consented abstract of what has been going on continuously in the organization between appraisals. Surely, if the appraisal process is reviewed twice or thrice annually, all the chances to sustain and direct the workers to get better are missed. This is because managing of people is a continuous process and not a one-time activity. The managers should not put more focus on the process alone as this is very dangerous but they should rather look at the continuing performance management. The managers should place their e mphasis on the reason why the performance appraisals are carried out. The main purpose why appraisals are conducted is to help employees become more effective. They also help the managers manage those under them well. The performance appraisal process should be an exercise that tries to unearth the truth about an individual’s performance on the work function assigned in the organization and therefore it should be realistic and clear. Briefly, a sound performance appraisal should be unbiased and purposely a continuous two way and specific process. It should not be an exercise that brings in fear and embarrassment to the employees but an exercise that motivates them. Part 2 Recommendations about how the success of a new performance appraisal process should be evaluated The success of a new performance appraisal process can be evaluated through various ways namely: Peer evaluations The organization can form a task force of four to seven employees. The mandate of the task force s hould be to set a peer evaluation program. The task force should be to set targets and objectives of the evaluation program and can carry out a pilot program. When conducting the pilot program, participants can be persuaded to offer feedback on whether the performance measurement system is good. This is because pilot program is significant for a new performance

Objectives And Techniques Of Fiscal Policy Economics Essay

Objectives And Techniques Of Fiscal Policy Economics Essay Fiscal Policys first word Fiscal is taken from  French  word Fisc which means treasure of Govt. Fiscal policy concerns itself with the aggregate effect of government expenditure and taxation on income, employment and production. It refers to the instruments by which a government tries to regulate or modify the economic affairs of the economy keeping in view certain objectives. Thus, fiscal policy is a package of economic measures of government regarding its public expenditure, public revenue and public debt .Fiscal Policy is the most important part of Economic Policy .So ,we can define fiscal policy as the revenue and expenditure policy of Govt. of India .It becomes the prime duty of Government to frame fiscal policy . By making this policy , Govt. collects money from his different resources and utilize it in different expenditure . Thus fiscal policy is related to development policy. Through this paper the objectives , techniques, stances and limitations of a fiscal policy are b eing discussed .An attempt is also been made to highlight the achievements and progress of the fiscal policy of India. Introduction The term fiscal has been derived from the greek word fisc, meaning a basket to symbolize the public purse.. Fiscal policy thus means the policy related to the treasury of the government. Fiscal policy is a part of general economic policy of the government which is primarily concerned with the budget receipts and expenditures of the government. All welfare projects are completed under this policy .It also suggests measures to control economic fluctuations which may become violent and create great upheavals in the socio-economic structure of the economy. It also outlines the influence of resource utilization on the level of aggregate demand through affecting the level of aggregate consumption and investment expenditure. Definitions According to U. Hicks Fiscal policy is concerned with the manner in which all the different elements of public finance , while still primarily concerned with carrying out their own duties, may collectively be geared to forward the aims of economic policy. According to Arthur Smithies Fiscal policy is a policy under which the government uses its expenditure and revenue programmes to produce desirable effects and avoid undesirable effects on the national income ,production and employment. Objectives of Fiscal Policy There are following objectives of fiscal policy :- 1.  Development of Country :- Every country has to make fiscal policy for development of Country . With this policy , all work like govt. planning and proper use of funds for development functions is done . If govt. does not make fiscal policy , then it can happen that revenues are misused  without  targeted  expenditure of Government. 2. Employment :- Getting the full employment is also the objective of fiscal policy . Govt. can take many actions for increasing employment. Government can fix certain amount which can be  utilized  for creation of new employment opportunities for unemployed people . 3. Inequality :- In developing country like India , we can see the difference one basis of earning . 10% of people are earning more than Rs. 100000 per day and other are earning less than Rs . 100 per day . By making a good fiscal policy , govt. can reduce this difference if govt makes it as its target . 4. Fixation of Govt. Responsibility:- It is the duty of Govt. to effective use of resources and by making of fiscal policy different ministers accountability can be checked . I was seeing the Episode of Chanakya on  YouTube  in which I found that in old time fiscal policy was made and treasury officer and even prime minister are also responsible for any shortage of govt .fund Techniques of Fiscal Policy   1. Taxation Policy   It is one of the powerful instruments of fiscal policy in the hands of public authorities which greatly affects changes in disposable income ,consumption and investment. Taxation policy is relates to new amendments in direct tax and indirect tax . Every year Govt. of India passes the finance bill . In this policy govt. determines the rate of taxes . Govt. can increase or decrease these tax rates and amend previous rules of taxation .Govt.s earnings main source is taxation . But more tax on public will adverse effect on the development of economy. à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ If Govt. will increase taxes , more burden will be on the public and it will reduce production and purchasing power of public . à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ If Govt. will decrease taxes , then publics purchasing power will increase and it will increase the inflation. Govt. analyzes   both the situation and will make his taxation policy more progressive . 2. Govt. Expenditure Policy   There are large number of public expenditure like opening of govt schools , colleges and universities , making of bridges , roads and new railway tracks . For the above projects govt has paid large amount for purchasing   and paying wages and salaries ,however ,all these expenditures are paid after making govt. expenditure policy . Govt. can increase or decrease the amount of public expenditure by changing govt. budget . So , govt. expenditure is technique of fiscal policy by using this , govt. use his fund   first on very necessary sector and other will be done after this . 3. Deficit Financing Policy   If Govt.s expenditures are more than his revenue , then govt. should have to collect this amount . This amount is deficit and it can be fulfilled by issuing new currency by central bank of country . But , it will reduce the purchasing power of currency . More new currency will increase inflation and after inflation value of currency will   decrease . So, deficit financing is very serious issue in the front of govt. Govt. should use it , if there is no other source of govt. earning . 4. Public Debt Policy If Govt. thinks that deficit financing is not sufficient for fulfilling the public expenditure or if govt. does not resort to deficit financing , then govt. can take loan from   world bank , or take loan from public by the way of issuing govt. securities and bonds . But it will also increase the cost of debt in the form of interest which govt. has to pay on   the amount of loan . So, govt. has to necessarily make solid budget for this and after taking into consideration the amount which is taken as debt. This policy   can also use as the technique of fiscal policy for increase the treasure of govt. Internal sources of debt include market loans, compensation bonds,15 years annuity certificates ,small private savings through various saving schemes. External sources includes in borrowing from the external market ,from international institutions such as the World bank, IMF IDA etc and the governments of other countries. 5.Budget .Fiscal policy operates through the budget .Thus it is also called budgetary policy. The term budget is derived from a French word Bougette which means a leather bag or a wallet used to carry financial papers. The budget of a nation is a useful instrument to assess the fluctuations in an economy. Different budgetary principles have been formulated by the economists ,prominently known as the annual budget ,cyclical balanced budget and full y managed compensatory budget. Fiscal Consolidation à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ With recovery taking root, there is a need to review public spending, mobilise resources and gear them towards building the productivity of the economy. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Fiscal policy shaped with reference to the recommendations of the Thirteenth Finance Commission, which has recommended a calibrated exit strategy from the expansionary fiscal stance of last two years. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ It would be for the first time that the Government would target an explicit reduction in its domestic public debt-GDP ratio. Stances of fiscal policy The three possible stances of fiscal policy are neutral, expansionary and contractionary. The simplest definitions of these stances are as follows: A neutral stance of fiscal policy implies a balanced economy. This results in a large tax revenue. Government spending is fully funded by tax revenue and overall the budget outcome has a neutral effect on the level of economic activity. An expansionary stance of fiscal policy involves government spending exceeding tax revenue. A contractionary fiscal policy occurs when government spending is lower than tax revenue. However, these definitions can be misleading because, even with no changes in spending or tax laws at all, cyclical fluctuations of the economy cause cyclical fluctuations of tax revenues and of some types of government spending, altering the deficit situation; these are not considered to be policy changes. . Thus, for example, a government budget that is balanced over the course of the business cycle is considered to represent a neutral fiscal policy stance. Methods of funding Governments spend money on a wide variety of things, from the military and police to services like education and healthcare, as well as transfer payments such as welfare benefits. This expenditure can be funded in a number of different ways: Taxation Seigniorage, the benefit from printing money Borrowing money from the population or from abroad Consumption of fiscal reserves. Sale of fixed assets (e.g., land). All of these except taxation are forms of deficit financing. Some facts about fiscal policy à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Government revenues and expenditures dont need to balance every year but over one business cycle à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Functional finance is the principle that government budgets should be geared to the yearly needs of the economy à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Defenders of functional finance are those who believe fiscal policy is a powerful stabilization tool. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢The choice of fiscal policy guideline depends on the governments belief in fiscal policy as an effective tool for stabilizing the economy . à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢In 1970s and 1980s Canada believed in functional finance but recently has made unsuccessful attempts to move toward cyclically balanced budgets. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Government deficits were highest during recessions during the early 1980s and early 1990s à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Tax revenues fell with slumping incomes during that time as a result of the automatic stabilizers à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Discretionary expansionary policy also contributed since federal government increased purchases of goods and services to counteract the effects of sagging outputs and incomes. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢1990s downturn caused a concern over increased public debt and lowered confidence in discretionary fiscal policies to counteract a recession. Achievements of fiscal policy in India The fiscal policy has played an important role in the following fields. Mobilization of resources To finance the development need of India ,the government has extensively used the fiscal policy. The policy of public borrowing and deficit financing has enable the government to raise huge amounts of resources for development. Increasing tax GDP ratio is a good indication of the increasing mobilization of resources. The tax GDP ratio was only 6.7 percent in 1950-51 but it has reached to 17.3 % in 2006-07. Increase in savings The fiscal policy has been successful in raising the rate of savings in the household sector, corporate sector and public sector. To encourage savings, prize based schemes to encourage savings, expansion of the network of savings bank, post office schemes. Increase in capital formation Capital formation involves three stages-incentive to save, mobilization of savings and investment of savings .The fiscal policy has tried to influence all the three stages .A well spread network of postal banks ,savings bank, commercial banks, financial institutions and money market is there to collect peoples savings .The government has also been successful in using the savings of the public of the public sector for development. Incentives to investment The government has exclusively used it to influence the government decisions of the private sector. Various tax concessions ,tax rebates, subsidies and fiscal incentives are given to investors. Cottage and small scale industries have survived due to the support of the fiscal policy. The government is mobilizing increased amounts of resources through public borrowings and deficit financing to push up the level of investment in infrastructure ,social sectors, exploration and development of natural resources. Reduction in Income and wealth Inequalities To create equitable conditions in the society ,a progressive tax system has been adopted in the realm of direct taxes. The rate of taxes on income goes on increasing with the increase in income .Direct and indirect taxes are used to mop up more resources from the richer sections of the society. Luxuries are heavily taxed. The government has also launched several poverty eradication programmes to directly benefit the poor people. The poor sections of the society are provided with subsidized grains and other essential items of consumption. Reduction in inter regional variations The states like Bihar, U.P. ,Rajasthan ,Madhya Pradesh, Orissa etc. are given preference while transferring resources from the center to the states .Both statutory and non statutory channels of resource transfer are being used for the purpose. The government of India also gives discretionary grants to economically poor states. In addition to this special incentives, subsidies and concessions are given for locating industrial units in backward regions. Limitations of Fiscal Policy   1.Inadequate resource mobilization The fiscal policy has achieved a mixed success in mobilization of resources. The defective tax system ,limited base of direct taxes ,exemption of agriculture from direct taxation ,evasion of taxes ,inefficient and corrupt tax collection machinery are some of the causes of poor tax collection in the country. Another cause of poor resource mobilization is the low share of non-tax revenue in the total revenue receipts. 2. Inflation of India is increasing rapidly after issuing new notes for payment of govt. of expenses and in this inflation, prices of necessary goods are increasing very fastly. Living of poor people has become difficult due to this . So , these signs show the failure of Indian fiscal policy. 3. Govt. fiscal policy has failed to reduce the black money . Even large amount of   past minister is in the form of black money which is deposited in Swiss Bank. 4. After taking loan from world bank under the fiscal policys debt technique , govt. has to follow the rules and regulations framed by world bank and IMF . These rules are more harmful for developing small domestic business of India. These organizations are inter related with WTO and they intend to stop Indian domestic Industry. 5.  After expending large amount for generating new employment under fiscal policy , rate of unemployment is increasing fastly and big lines on govt. employment exchange can be seen generally in working days . Database of employment exchanges are full from educated unemployed candidates . 6. Fiscal policy and inflation The direct taxes are the main instruments of the fiscal policy. The rise in the rates of direct taxes result in the reduction of the disposable income of the people .The indirect taxes contribute more than four-fifths of the tax revenue .Taxes on commodities, sales taxes ,excise duties, customs etc .add to the prices of commodities .Increase in the rates of sales taxes and excise duties immediately cause a rise in the price level. Conclusion Thus, the fiscal policy encompasses two separate but related decisions; public expenditures and the level and structure of taxes. It occupies the central place for maintaining full employment without inflationary forces in the economy. With its various instruments it influences the economic stability of an economy. The fiscal policy of the Indian government has been very successful in several fields such as mobilization of resources for economic development, increasing rate of savings and capital formation, developing cottage and small scale industries ,reducing the incidence of poverty etc. Despite a few drawbacks of this policy, India has truly achieved a considerable level of fiscal maturity.

Comparison of Hemingways Hills Like White Elephants and Cat In The Rai

Comparison of Hemingway's "Hills Like White Elephants" and "Cat In The Rain" "Cat In The Rain" is set in an Italian hotel where we meet an American couple. Outside a cat is trapped in the rain, and the wife wants to save it. When she goes to get it, it is gone but the maid later brings her one. The point of view in the story is a third person narrator, but the perspective changes going from the wife to the husband and an objective narrator who tells it like it is. The story is told retrospectively in the past tense. The narrator is omniscient - that is 'he' knows all but judges nothing. On the first page it seems it is the waiter objectively telling us what is going on whereas the second page is told by the wife and the last paragraphs of the third and fourth [and last] page in our story is told to us by George (the husband). In his composition of "Cat In The Rain", Hemingway frees the story from narrative interpretation and leaves it up to us, his readers, to interpret what is going on. The story seems strangely ambiguous in its narrative nature. This is apparently due to the objective narration and the no-judging attitude in it's style. The people we meet in this story are the couple (George and the nameless wife), the padrone, the waiter, the maid and the rain coat man. We are not supplied with any information about the waiter (who appears on the first page and seems to voice the first part of the story), nor are we supplied with information on the rain coat man. The padrone is attentive and seems to be everything her husband is not. Putting the couple up against each other reveals something quite interesting and gives us the impression that they are total opposites. The wife symbolizes natu... ... nameless and the man in "Hills" is nameless. I think the couples in the two stories are one and the same couple. Again the two stories are about having someone to care for - in "Cat" she wants to have a baby, and in "Hills" I think her wish is about to come true. Jig is pregnant, but the man (George?) does not seem at all excited and pleas with her in this story to have an abortion. He tells her "it's a simple operation" but that she should not do it if she does not want to. It is not hard to see that she does want to have the baby, and if you believe the two women are actually the same, you can surely understand why she wants her long-desired wish to come true. The themes in the two stories are also close to being the same - the lack of love and the lack of communication. So - are the two stories an 'evolutionary tale' about a couple? I do not doubt it.