Mr. Jim Wormold, the Unlikely Optimist in Our Man in Havana free essay sample

To have a faith in someone or something also involves an act of will to persevere when the odds are at great length. Even though the protagonist, Jim Wormold doesn’t have religious faith and his actions motivated entirely by desperation to have the approval of an absent wife and spoiled daughter, he is the only character that doesn’t exhibit blind faith. Faith is closely related to loyalty, as evidenced by the ideal of †fidelity to one’s promises† or an inherent â€Å"faithfulness†. Faith is not an uniquely religious principle, but it is a byproduct of entrusting loyalty. And both loyalty and faithfulness have connections to trustworthiness. Loyalty cannot exist without faith. Wormold’s faith is engrossed to the loyalty of his daughter. As stated in Chapter 2, â€Å"Unlike Wormold, who believed in nothing, Milly was a Catholic: he had been made to promise her mother, he supposed, was of no faith at all, but she had left a Catholic on his hands. We will write a custom essay sample on Mr. Jim Wormold, the Unlikely Optimist in Our Man in Havana or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It brought Milly closer to Cuba than he could come himself† (Greene, 15). When marrying, Wormold promised his wife they would raise their children as Catholics. Even when his wife leaves he continues to raise Milly as a Catholic. Although it appears that he himself is absent of a religious faith, his actions to ensure she is Catholic are very significant. Wormold failed in his marriage, but doesn’t want to fail in raising his daughter with the right upbringing. Wormold is wholly dedicated and governed by the main woman in his life, his daughter Milly. She is the entire reason for him becoming involved in the Secret Service. By all accounts he should have rejected Hawthornes offer. He has no background or training of any kind that would qualify him to be a spy. However, he sees a chance to make some money and he exploits it. He not only takes the basic pay of $300 offered him, but goes out of his way to make as much money as possible by creating phantom agents and missions all requiring more money, which of course he uses on his daughter. The following quote presents the reasoning why Wormold accepts Hawthorne’s offer. Milly wants a horse and a country club membership for her seventeenth birthday although she knows Wormold cannot afford the extra expenses of such a gift. †¦,‘Oh, I knew you’d take it like this,’ Milly said. ‘I knew it in my heart of hearts. I said two novenas to make it right, but they haven’t worked. I was so careful too. I was in a state of grace all the time I said them. I’ll never believe in a novena again. Never. Never. ’ (†¦) He had no faith himself, but he never wanted by any action of his own to weaken hers. Now he felt a fearful responsibility; at any moment she would be denying the existence of God. Ancient promises he had made came up out of the past to weaken him. (18) In the given quote, Milly begins to doubt whether her prayers will be answered. It is obvious she takes advantage of her father and asks for anything even if she knows her father cannot afford it. In fear of Milly becoming skeptical of her Catholic faith, Wormold keeps the horse as he had made ancient promises to his wife to raise a good Catholic. Wormold’s fear of his daughter, or at least the fear of her disapproval is brought to realization. Wormold has a great love for his daughter and wants to give her everything she wants so that he can succeed as a single parent and remedy faults he committed to his wife. He sees direct parallels to his daughter with his wife. Wormold failed at his marriage, but he intends to succeed in rearing their child. Several times throughout the novel, Milly manipulates and controls her father with a similarity to her mother. He feels distant and detached from her world and often gives into her requests. â€Å"He was glad that she [Milly] could still accept fairy stories: a virgin who bore a child, pictures that wept or spoke words of love in the dark. Hawthorne and his kind were equally credulous, but what they swallowed were nightmares, grotesque stories out of science fiction (75). Wormold compares the significance of Millys Catholic faith to that of a childhood fairytale as it ensures she maintains her innocence and faith in something without skepticism. This critique of Catholicism is similar to the Santa Claus myth. Parents lie to their children about the existence of an imaginary entity in hopes to instill principles of goodness and morality in their children. Wormolds’ lack of religious faith is a result of a moral discrepancy. His wife was apparently a devote Catholic but still managed to overlook her marriage and run off with another man. Religion for the protagonist, Wormold is irrelevant. On the other hand, to have a faith that things will continue being advantageous isn’t considered far-fetched. Our Man In Havana takes place against the background of the Cold War. The British Secret Service is operated by heresy and the fear of expansion of the Communist regime. The novel’s setting in Havana Cuba is important because the story is written and takes place just before the revolution led by Fidel Castro. At the time of the story, Cuba is a largely poor country. There are many European and American tourists and businesspeople on the island who have their personal agendas and respective loyalties. Wormold remarks about this in Part 5 of Chapter 4: You are loyal. Who to? To Milly. I dont care a damn about men who are loyal to the people who pay them, to organizations I dont think even my country means all that much. There are many countries in our blood, arent there, but only one person. Would the world be in the mess it is if we were loyal to love and not to countries? (195) The paranoia surrounding the Cold War is what drives the Secret Service to recruit agents so quickly without giving them proper training. Loyalty is a recurring theme throughout Greene’s novel and questions the validity of the ability to have a loyalty to a country when residing in another. Espionage is rampant because the fear of a Communist threat appears imminent. Consequently, they are so desperate for any information that they are very excited when they get Wormolds fake reports. Their desire to outmaneuver the Communists overshadows their common sense. The British Secret Service engages in a prime example of blind faith with enlisting Jim Wormold. Hawthorne, the British secret agent who recruits Wormold, is not revered as an outstanding agent and isn’t trusted by his superiors. This may be a result in his questionable judgment for selecting new recruits. Although the British secret Service prides itself to â€Å"employ agents who were men of good social standing,† Hawthorne lies about Wormold’s true occupation and social standing by embellishing it: â€Å" ‘Oh, he imports, you know, Machinery, that sort of thing. ’ It was always important to one’s own career to employ agents who were men of good social standing. The petty details on the secret file dealing with the store in Lamparilla Street would never, in ordinary circumstances, reach this basement-room† (52). Later, Hawthorne suspects Wormolds reports may be falsified, but does nothing about it. In Part 4 of Chapter 2 Dr. Hasselbacher states, â€Å"At first they promised me they were planning nothing. You have been very useful to them. They knew about you from the very beginning, Mr. Wormold, but they didnt take you seriously. They even thought you might be inventing your reports. But then you changed your codes and your staff increased. The British Secret Service would not be so easily deceived as all that, would it? (146) Faith is a suspension of disbelief. This is vital for believing in things that cant be proven, and as such is a personal decision for the individual. The function of the British Secret Service is to rely heavily on sources that cannot be easily confirmed. They have to put much trust in people like Wormold. While it is likely that most of them are reliable and diligent intelligence gatherers, there are few checks and balances in place to confirm they are not. The information they provide is obviously secret and not easily verifiable. This is dangerous because decision makers have to much of their faith on these sources when making serious decisions. When wrong information gets through the system, whether it is intentionally wrong or not, it resulted in disastrous consequences as several people do in fact die indirectly because of Wormolds fake reports. The Secret Service is supposed to be a highly competent organization, but in reality they are unwittingly relying on Wormold who is neither qualified nor a loyal patriot of the British Crown. â€Å"If you have abandoned one faith, do not abandon all faith. There is always an alternative to the faith we lose. Or is it the same faith under another mask? # The idea of faith being either religious or not is purely semantics. For Wormold it is not a matter if he has faith, but who or what he places his faith in. Throughout the novel, Wormold exhibits optimism that he will be able to preserve a decent livelihood for himself and his daughter through playing up the insecurities and paranoia of the British secret service. Through the depiction of Wormold, Greenes Our Man In Havana suggest s that true faith is not blinded by fear of attack of an unknown enemy or mythology of an ominous being, but loyalty to one’s individual morals and loved ones.

Theoretical Orientations in Race, Class and Gender in Adult Learning

Theoretical Orientations in Race, Class and Gender in Adult Learning Introduction The adult education concept has become popular in the 21st century setting especially on the backdrop of increased importance in education. Adults who do not possess any formal learning experience have the chance to go through a specially designed curriculum that equips them with the literary skills necessary for communication and even employment.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Theoretical Orientations in Race, Class and Gender in Adult Learning specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Departments of adult education are now considered a necessity as many authorities implement strategies to combat illiteracy. Like the normal education curriculum, adult education has its trends and theoretical orientations that seek to define its place and role in society. Throughout its development education has been plagued by issues such as race, gender and class. The education system has been characterized by offic ial segregation where learners from different racial backgrounds could not freely use the common education facilities. Sadly the trend is still noticeable today in some learning institutions that the media refers to â€Å"Historically or dominantly black or white. Class too has permeated the education system where some institutions are considered prestigious than others hence breeding such titles as â€Å"Ivy league† where learners thought to be from affluent backgrounds attend. Finally, gender issues also characterize education. Though not as prevalent in the US like in other part of the world, women have historically been disadvantaged in accessing education because of some deeply rooted traditions that fronted the idea that they are inferior to men. The above issues though not in the formal education proportions have found their way to adult education as well. Theoretical orientations Adult educators have identified an overwhelming need to address glaring inequalities thr ough fostering cultural diversity and inclusive approaches to adult education (Hayes Colin, 1994, p. 2). DAmico (2005, p. 49) refers to demographic data on adult learners in the second half of the 90’s decade that point to an explicit link between low literacy and low economic status among adult learners in the US.Advertising Looking for critical writing on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More She further says that the study pointed to a disproportionate representation of people of color in adult education programs. She further refers to the effect of race gender, race and class on the adult education especially sexual racial and sexual orientation that she cites as major influences when relating the adult learners’ prior and current experiences in learning. This therefore can be taken to be an acknowledgement of the existence of the trend that needs to be addressed. There is as a result of the a bove apparent phenomenon, an increase of literature that addresses race gender and class in adult education. These issues according to Hayes Colin reflect the existing prejudices brought by power, privilege and cultural orientation. These according to (Mostaghimi, 2006, p. 67) brings to the fore the theoretical orientations in the field of adult education. One of the dominant trends in adult education that has its roots in the formal education system is the theoretical proposition to create learning environments specifically for different classes of adult learners. This approach will include the strategies and approaches best suited for that particular group. The main question here is whether such separate approaches will effectively address the issues of gender, race and class in adult education. Some scholar support distinct approaches that are based on the above categories. However, Sheared et al (1993, p. 43) says that many advocates of adult education support the opinion that learning institutions should be restructured to accommodate all kinds of learners regardless. According to Sheared et al (1993, p. 45) this should be done in a manner that acknowledges the existence of differences among adult learners and how their intersection is critical in shaping adult learners thinking. Besides, there are major efforts to institute discussions and about race, gender and class within power relations and structures contexts on a larger scale. According to DAmico (2005, p. 33), there is rampant perpetuation of racism and sexism in the field of adult education. He further says that there are numerous racists, sexists and class related presumptions I adult education’s knowledge base. The presumptions have also permeated themselves in staff development, the field of graduate education and professionalization of the field of adult education.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Theoretical Orientations in Race, Class and Gender i n Adult Learning specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Portrayal of different races, classes and gender in adult education literature is also a major theoretical orientation in the field. (Mostaghimi, 2006, p. 70) says that women, gays/lesbians and African Americans have been portrayed in a particular manner in adult education literature. The portrayal borders on the subtle stereotypes that are commonly associated with these groups of people. Additionally, (Mostaghimi, 2006, p. 72) says that there is an apparent deliberate lack of deserved attention on issues that deal with race, multiculturalism and gender in the adult education literature. Conclusion There are many perspectives through which theoretical orientations in class race and gender in adult learning can be looked at. However one thing is clear from the above analysis. There is an undeniable effect on the outcomes of adult education because of the current trends as dictated by the facto rs under discussion. In this era of globalization, further division of people along any lines in order to conform to their classes in the education system will be ill motivated. It’s therefore necessary for adult education scholars to devise programs that enhance integration and foster unity in a way that overlooks the perennial issues of race, gender and class in education. References DAmico, D. (2005). Race, Class, Gender, and Sexual Orientation in Adult Literacy: Power, Pedagogy, and Programs. NY: NCSALL. Hayes, E., and Colin, S. A. J. (1994). Confronting Racism and Sexism, New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, no. 61 (Spring 1994). Mostaghimi, L. I. (2006). Philosophical orientations of part-time faculty-practitioners in Adult Education. NY: Routledge.Advertising Looking for critical writing on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Sheared, V. et al. (1993). African American Adult Education Research Proceedings: A Link for Community Development and Empowerment. University Park: Pennsylvania State University.

Role Of The Ombudsman In The Corporate Setting Research Paper

Role Of The Ombudsman In The Corporate Setting - Research Paper Example To settle disputes that might arise between external constituents and the members under Ombudsman representation. Most employers are actively participating in reducing the litigation risk, by ensuring that they introduce the services of the Ombudsman. They ensure that they have a confidential, neutral, and independent third party to handle any confidential matter. Their purpose is to handle complaints of their employees before they advance to become lawsuits, which might be more costly and time consuming to both the management and the respective employee (Dona, 2011). Most company’s operations are at high risk of collapsing because of increased employee-initiated lawsuits. In relation to the most recent research conducted by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the medium cost in order to settle a discrimination lawsuit and any other complained by employee excluding legal costs is costing most organizations a lot (Edwin, 1989). In most of the situations, company employees are always very reluctant to air out their grievances relating to issues such as discrimination, as well as harassment. It is because of the fear of a possible judgment and prosecution that the company management might impose on an individual (Gershenfeld, 1997). In order to amicably deal with this sort of fear, as well as job insecurity, an ombudsman is an option viewed as a dependable, trustworthy, and risk-free party. Moreover, company employees use it to raise their grievances and at the same time be sure of their job security as well confidentiality. It is in the regard that ombudsman’s role comes into being and includes the following roles: Ombudsman has a major role, which is to act as a Listener (Mauton, 1984). In most cases employees in any given organization who have embraced the system, find it very useful to go the ombudsman way.