Business Process Reengineering Essay Example for Free

Business Process Reengineering Essay Whenever we order our drinks at the coffee shops on a daily basis, we are actually triggering a business process. When the waiter at the coffee shop takes the order at our table, he will pass our orders to the kitchen by yelling our orders from one end of the coffee shop to another. Most of the time, the kitchen helper will hear the order and start to prepare. The waiter will then go around taking a few other orders. After he is done with taking orders, he will collect the drinks from the kitchen and serve it to the customers. Customers will then pay up for the drinks. In the event there isn’t enough change for big notes, the waiter will have to go back to the counter to break the notes into smaller variations in order to return the correct amount of change to the customers. In some cases, he might deliver the wrong order as he doesn’t note down the orders in pen and paper, he just passes on the order to the kitchen by shouting. Restaurant scenario Many years down the road, the coffee shop has earned enough to pay for a renovation and overhaul. The boss of the coffee shop has decided to upgrade the coffee shop to a restaurant. He realises that he need to retrain his staff to operate the restaurant as the methods of operating a restaurant differs from the methods of operating the coffee shop. He also realise that he can incorporate some equipment to help him process orders more efficiently. In summary, he needs to change the way the restaurant does things (processes) and how he does things (Method/tools used to carry out the task). The boss has to do a total revamp of the methods and processes of how he was previously used to in the coffee shop. This is what is meant by business process reengineering. In definition, business process is an organizational change in its methods used to redesign an organization to improve efficiency and effectiveness (Mehta, 2011). Reengineering is the organizational change characterized by drastic process transformation. Concepts BPR focus Objectives In order for companies to operate more efficiently, reduce waste, retain their customers and drive sales, understanding and applying BPR is essential for this change to happen. Firstly, we have to map out the organization’s goals, objectives, primary business function, the people they have and the tools they use. The second objective would be to analyse the current process and redesign/revamp them. By doing so, companies will be able to achieve better ROI and eliminate waste. This will help the company to gain competitive advantage over others in its efficiency and also profits (Muharram, 2007). Perspective of BPR BPR is a framework designed for companies to adopt. This framework helps to optimize processes by making it more streamlined. A good example to explain this point would be the difference between a vertical and cross functional organization. Horizontal organization In a horizontal organization, the customer interacts only with one party but in a vertical structure, customers might have to deal with different departments. Figure 3 shows a customer dealing with his account manager for the application of a loan. In the process, the customer does not need to deal with the different departments involved in the application of a loan. This allows the loan application to be more streamlined (Zigiaris, 2000). A vertical structure is not as efficient as customers will have to deal with several departments to process their requests. In a call centre environment, when the customer logs a call for a IT issue, the calling department will answer his call and log the case. He will then be transferred to the technical department who will assist him with 1st level troubleshooting. In the event he cannot solve the problem, the matter will be escalated to a level 2 support and also a product specialist. After his issue has been resolved, he will be transferred to the payment department where he will pay for the IT services he has used. After making payment, he will receive an email from the feedback department where they will ask the customer for feedback for the case. This slows down the entire process of resolving the problem from end to end. One of the main goal in BPR is to optimize the processes that takes place within the organization and reduce lead time. In order to do so, businesses has to look at its processes from a clean state perspective. For a company to be able to streamline their processes, they have to add value to their customers through their processes. Processes should maintain its ability to add value to customers. For those processes that do not, we can automate them and put the focus on adding value. This will result in higher customer satisfaction, better efficiency, elimination of watse and greater ROI(Park, 2008). BPR Methodologies There are several techniques to business process redesign and reengineering. We will discuss a few in this section. Hammer and Champy A major overhaul in the organization’s process and structure is one of the keys to ensuring that cost is lowered and service quality is being improved. The means of implemeting these is via the use of information technology. Besides reorganization and using IT to power the business, redesigning the work process and optimizing it, helps the organization to reduce time taken, lower costs and improve quality (Rouse, 2009). A Case study of Ford Motor Company Ford used to employ 500 accounts payable staff in the past. These 500 staff are running the tasks of tracking faults between purchase orders, receipts and invoices. After Ford decided to reengineer their process, the number of staff needed reduced from 500 to 125. Their reengineering efforts include: * Creating an online database where all purchase orders issued by the buyers are being captured * Goods are being checked when received. The shipment being sent has to match with that in the database. This allows the staff to check if the goods were actual orders being indented. This system of checking eliminates the need to check for faults between purchase orders. * Goods being received will be marked as received and the database is being updated real-time. (Hammer Champy, 2000) Perspective of process reengineering by Hammer and Champy 1. Organize around outcomes, not tasks. 2. Identify all the processes in an organization and prioritize them in order of redesign urgency. 3. Integrate information processing work into the real work that produces the information. 4. Treat geographically dispersed resources as though they were centralized. 5. Link parallel activities in the workflow instead of just integrating their results. 6. Put the decision point where the work is performed, and build control into the process. 7. Capture information once and at the source. (Rouse, 2009) The methodology preached by Hammer and Champy clearly reflects what was being discussed in the BPR focus and objectives at the start of this report. Its focus is to eliminate waste and also to focus on deliverables that will add value to customers. In order to do so, IT systems can be employed in order to automate processes which do not add value. This point of automation is being reiterated in the case study of Ford Motors. This concept of rethinking and redesigning the business process radically helps us to improve many areas of the business such as lowering costs, improving customer service, ensure quality is being maintained and speed up the entire workflow.

Free Richard III Essays: Richard III as a Rapist :: Free Essay Writer

Richard III as a Rapist Yes, King Richard/Duke of Gloucester masters the art of seduction in his wooing of Lady Anne. And when I say, "masters the art," I guess I mean that he achieves his conquest. But is seduction really the prevailing theme throughout Richard III? I propose that we be careful when we say that Richard is a great seducer, for is it seduction or rape when one's consent is not given? For instance, Lord Hastings, the Duke of Clarence, the young princes, Queen Margaret, and other seeming "seducees," were they seduced or forced? Most interesting to me, would be the Duke of Buckingham. I really can't determine which side of the issue he falls on. I would be most apt to consider him a disloyal, dishonest, money-grubbing, power mongerish, usurper if anything. And would almost admit that he could be conned into doing just about anything if there were to be some gain for his own. He begins his part in the play with thoughts of "atonement" (I.iii.36). He cries, "peace, peace, for shame! If not for charity" to the Queen Margaret when she beseeches him to "take heed of yonder dog [Richard]" (I.iii.272,288). Then when Richard asks him what Queen Margaret is saying, he replies with, "Nothing that I respect, my gracious Lord" (I.iii.294). THEN, what is up with his speech of loyalty to King Edward? He goes on and on about how if he should EVER be "cold in love," to the King and his family, then "deep, treacherous, and full of guile" should he be (I.iv.38-40). He goes straight from this loyalty to committing Lord Rivers, Lord Grey and Sir Thomas Vughan to prison. He rants and raves at the Cardinal for not tearing the young Duke of York from his mother's arms. Finally he engineers the death of Hastings with Gloucester/Richard and sets everything into motion for his coronation. Is he seduced, is he forced, or does he just do what he wishes on whim, hoping that in the end, everything will turn out for his ultimate gain? I suppose the answer to my question lies in the dialogue betwixt the newly crowned King Richard and Buckingham, when Buckingham is confronted with the assignment of killing the two young princes. If Buckingham could have made known his intentions to the King then we would know if he was a seducee, or a forced man.

On the Job Training Essay

The students now days, enrolling related to Hospitality Industry. Because it is the in-demand course in all Universities and it has higher job opportunities. One of the fastest growing sectors of the economy of our time is the hospitality industry. The hospitality industry alone is a multi-billion dollar and growing enterprise. The hospitality industry includes cooperative relationships with multiple organizations. For example, hotels are allied with airlines, car rental agencies, other hotels, suppliers, travel agencies, and restaurants. Thus the hospitality industry includes multiple dimensions such as the tourism industry, the restaurant industry, and sundry other industries that are related to these industries. The hospitality industry includes the following segments: lodging (hotels), commercial food service (restaurants and catering), institutional food service, casinos, cruise lines, travel agency services, event services, convention hosting, arena services, sport complex management, resorts, parks, clubs, tourism, and transportation services related to the other segments of the industry. Read more:Â  OJT Experience in Restaurant It is exciting; in hospitality industry it will be never boring and offers unlimited opportunities to us. The hospitality industry is diverse enough for people to work in different areas of interest and still be employed within the hospitality industry. The Bachelor of Science in Hotel and Restaurant Management is a 4 year degree course that aims to develop the student to become a hotel and restaurant entrepreneurs and executives in the city of San Pablo in the province of Laguna and the entire country in general. It will provide the students with basic, liberal education and professional skills and entrepreneurship in the hotel and restaurant industry. Aside having a four year course it also offers a 2 year course which is the Diploma in Hotel and Restaurant Management that aims to provide skilled in hotel and restaurant employees and entrepreneurs in the San Pablo City Laguna. Being a certified student of the Laguna State Polytechnic University one of the pre-requisite of a student to be able to pass the courses chosen is On the Job training to undergo, On the Job training (OJT) is one of the best training methods because it is planned, organized and satisfied as the employee’s worksite. OJT will generally be the primary method used for broadening the employee’s skills and increasing productivity it is particularly appropriate for developing proficiency skills unique to as employee’s job- especially jobs that are relatively easy to learn and require locally-owned equipment and facilities. Through the experience and through the hard-work, the students the students itself will be urgently by its employment. The employability refers to a person’s capability of gaining initial employment, maintaining employment, and obtaining new employment if required (Hillage and Pollard 1998). In simple terms, employability is about being capable of getting and keeping fulfilling work. More comprehensively, employability is the capability to move self-sufficiently within the labor market to realize potential through sustainable employment. For individuals, employability depends on the knowledge, skills and attitudes (KSA’s) they posses, the way they use those assets and present them to employers and the context (e. g. personal circumstances and labor market environment) within which they seek work due to it. (Campbell, J. P. 1990) First, Campbell defines performance a behavior. It is something done by the employee. This concept differentiates performance from outcomes. Outcomes are the result of an individual’s performance, but they are also the result of other influences. In other words, there are more factors that determine outcomes than just an employee’s behaviors and actions. In Laguna State Polytechnic University the prestigious school provides a quality of education to pursue the students to learn everything that covers their chosen career; they give the students a lot of opportunities to experience a lot of things that some other students can’t experience in their chosen courses. The training affects the performance of the Hotel and Restaurant Management students in terms of what they experienced and what they have learned. Having training makes the students more confident to face any challenges that will measure the capabilities of their skill to handle the responsibilities given to them. Thus, training plays a big role in every Hotel and Restaurant Management student’s career, from this they will be out of their shell and will start to grow. Locking for a bright future with their mind and heart holding the learning’s they have got to make their performance the best of all the best. This research study could provide information that can help the department to pursue more possible opportunities for the Hotel and Restaurant Management Students, especially second year students, this could be a basis for them to know if the past graduate students learn from their OJT program, and if theirs something they can do for their selves to progress their training when its already their turn. Because to keep the students abreast to this fast changing industry the students need to updated and competent to be and effective Hotel and Restaurant Management students, because the industry needs an effective people in their chosen field, competent enough for what they have learned and more for development. Not only for their own development but also for the country’s development. Background of the Study: The researcher wants to find out what is the difference between the 4th year On the Job Training from their 2nd year On the Job Training to their employability. In the Laguna State Polytechnic University the On the Job training of the Hotel and Restaurant Management students will be conduct during their 2nd year and 4th year level of the school period. The students is supposed to use the things they have learned in school and consign it in during their practice this can improve their acquire skills and knowledge to Front office Management, Food and Beverage Management and Housekeeping Management, for them to be competitive enough and be employable in the future. There are trainees who seemed not too learned from their chosen establishment, maybe some students are not taking their training seriously because they think OJT is a simple requirement they need to complete, to pass the semester. Some establishment does not prioritize the trainee that’s why they only gained limited skills and facts from their chosen establishment. Sometimes the student is immovable in one area and do not swivel to another. So the result of this is lacking knowledge and skill to another area, because the establishment concentrates the students to what rea they have start with. The 4th year level On the Job training Program for the students is the verdict time for them to apply what they have really learned in four years of studying Hotel and Restaurant Management. In this level the researcher wants to find out the improvement of the students from their past training, whether the trainee’s are physically and mentally fit? Are their learning’s enough for them to be competitive is this field? Or are they are still the juvenile students that don’t take seriously from what they are doing?

Human Biological Material ( Hbm ) - 1774 Words

The use of human biological material (HBM) has been a vital part scientific research. Human biological samples are samples of blood, DNA, organ and tissue that are commonly obtained through surgical procedures or through direct donation by an individual. Research using HBM has led to the diagnosis and treatment of disease ranging from cancer to heart disease, diabetes and stroke. Many ethical concerns have risen over time with how human biological materials are obtained and utilized. The ultimate question is; does the use of HBM with the mission being medical advancement benefit the greater good before the autonomy of the individual? One of the first ethical violations in tissue procurement is in the story of Henrietta Lacks. In 1951, as a patient at John Hopkins undergoing a biopsy, her diseased tissue cells were taken directly from her without consent or knowledge of how those cells were to be handles. Those cells turned out to be indestructible and were used to advance medicine in miraculous ways. The unbelievable amount of good that came from her cells is undeniable, but at what cost? Many believe her family should have profited from her cells, just as the researchers, private companies and doctors had done so for many years (Margonelli, 2010). Many will agree with the process of informed consent. Informed consent requires research investigators to provide potential subjects with a clear appreciation and understanding of the fact, implications, and future consequencesShow MoreRelatedSirtris Pharmaceuticals: Living Healthier, Longer9149 Words   |  37 Pagesdevelop drugs that could treat diseases of aging, and in so doing had the potential to extend the lifespan of human beings.1 The Sirtris team had, in fact, established a link between resveratrol, a compound found in red wine-producing grapes, and sirtuins, a newly discovered family of enzymes with links to improved longevity, metabolism and health in living things as diverse as yeast, mice and humans. S inclair and Westphal were building Sirtris around the development of sirtuin-activating drugs for the

Compare And Contrast John Proctor In The Crucible

In The Crucible the characters all show different kind of growth throughout the story. The story is based of a town called Salem and when the Devil hit Salem all the people started to turn on each other. What started of as a little joke between girls turned into a whole game for them to play. The girls accused anyone they saw or anyone that did them wrong and each and every time those same people were hanged. Although, this play is mostly about the witchcraft the people also changed as time went by and they started to understand what was happening and why it was wrong. In this essay I will be comparing and contrasting the ideals of reputation, status, and determination between the characters John Proctor, Deputy Danforth, and Reverend†¦show more content†¦Even if he knew what was true and what was false keeping his reputation in tact was more important. Contrasting from both of the first characters Reverend Hale was more of a guy who wanted to do right. He knew that his job was on the line but instead of worrying he tried to find justice for the people who were being hanged. His name wasn’t as important to him as getting justice was. In act four Hale finally starts to realize all what hes been doing wrong, and so was watching those innocent people getting blamed for something that wasn’t even real. When trying to give Elisabeth advice Hale says, â€Å"Let you not mistake your duty as I mistook my own. I came into this village like a bridegroom to his beloved, earring gifts of high religion; the very crowns of holy law I bro ught, and what I touched with my bright confidence, it died; and where I turned the eye of my great faith, blood flowed up. Beware, Goody Proctor- cleave to no faith when faith brings blood. It is mistaken law that leads you to sacrifice. LIfe, woman, life is God’s most precious gift; no principle, however glorious, may justify the taking of it. I beg you, woman, prevail upon your husband to confess. Let him give his lie. Quail not before God’s judgement in this, for it may well be God damns a liar less than he thatShow MoreRelatedCompare And Contrast John Proctor In The Crucible773 Words   |  4 Pages The Crucible by Arthur Miller, is a play written to mirror the anti-communist hysteria and how Joseph McCarthy went on â€Å"witch hunts†, which was basically finding an innocent person who was accused of being a witch and punishing them. Throughout The Crucible you will see very similar actions that mirror the McCarthy era; like how Abigail gets mad John Proct or does not want to be with her and spreads a rumor that his wife is a witch. â€Å"A tragic hero is the main character in a tragedy,† directly describesRead MoreCompare And Contrast John Proctor In The Crucible709 Words   |  3 Pagesare several different kinds of heroes represented in The Crucible. In Arthur Millers novel, the Crucible, the story takes place in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692 during the Salem witch trials. During this time, several people, men and women alike, are falsely accused of being witches. John Proctor and his wife Elizabeth are both falsely accused of being witches, so both husband and wife need to fight for their lives. In the Crucible, John Proctor goes to great lengths to not only try to save ElizabethsRead MoreCompare And Contrast Abigail And John Proctor In The Crucible1049 Words   |  5 Pagestrials, 19 citizens, 14 women, 5 men, and even one dog were put to death. The play, The Crucible, was written by Arthur Miller in 1952. In this play t he characters have so many different characteristics from each other. Abigail is seen as a bad person while John Proctor is seen as the good and honest character; even though he made some bad decisions.Throughout the play the two characters Abigail and John Proctor show many differences in the characteristics of: lying/truthfulness, self-sacrifice/selfishnessRead MoreCompare And Contrast Young Goodman Brown And Abigail Williams1435 Words   |  6 Pagesyou ever tried to compare and contrast two different stories? In this case, Nathaniel Hawthorne, the author of short story Young Goodman Brown, and the play called The Crucible, wrote these two stories as if they were meant to be compared and contrasted. Whether it is Young Goodman Brown himself, or Abigail Williams from The Crucible, there are many similarities, along with differences between them. Along with comparing characters of these stories, we can also compare and contrast the two main themesRead MoreThe Paradoxical Nature of Belonging Depicted in Arthur Millers The Crucible1318 Words   |  6 PagesIn Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, we are positioned to see belonging as paradoxical, in that the positive, human quality of belonging inevitably carries with it the negative and dangerous corollary of exclusion. By belonging, we are automatically excluding others and excluding ourselves from other groups. The Crucible achieves this complex presentation of belonging through a variety of interconnected techniques which will be explored in this essay. These techniques may be categorized into four mainRead MoreThe Crucible And The Handmaids Tale Analysis1176 Words   |  5 PagesIn the books The Crucible by Arthur Miller and The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood truth is large concept. Throughout the books truth is used to define the perception and the reality through key symbols that go above and beyond an object. In The Crucible The Bible plays an immense part in shaping characters characterist ics, also in The Handmaid’s Tale it shapes one of the main motifs of the story. Throughout the two books, flowers are a meaningful symbol which is compared to a real relationshipRead MoreI’m Not a Witch†¦ or a Communist! I Plead the 5th! Essay1089 Words   |  5 Pagesdestruction of many good Christian people and their families. Arthur Miller, who was arrested during the McCarthy era, wrote The Crucible, a play about the 1692 Salem witch trials, to expose the absurdities of McCarthy’s â€Å"witch hunt†. One of the most obvious similarities between the two time periods is McCarthy’s counterpart Abigail Williams, the infamous antagonist from The Crucible. In February 1950, McCarthy stated to the public that he held â€Å"A list of 205 that were made known to the Secretary of StateRead MoreComparing The Crucible and Salem Witch Trials Essay1419 Words   |  6 Pages The purpose of my paper is to compare and contrast Arthur Miller’s The Crucible with the actual witch trials that took place in Salem in the 17th Century. Although many of the characters and events in the play were non-fictional, many details were changed by the playwright to add intrigue to the story. While there isn’t one specific cause or event that led to the Salem witch trials, it was a combination of events and factors that contributed to the birth and growth of the trials. Some of theseRead MoreArthur Miller, The Crucible- Explain how tension is created in Arthur Millers The Crucible1547 Words   |  7 PagesIn The Crucible there is a lot of tension that builds gradually throughout the play. Tension is a very important factor in The Crucible and Arthur Miller uses a lot of different techniques to create and illustrate it. The tension repeatedly rises, and then falls. This could be displayed in a graph. The graph would start with small peaks, and as the tension escalates the peaks would gradually become higher. Note every peak would be higher than the previous to show a gradual build of tension throughoutRead MoreThe Crucible By Arthur Miller1899 Words   |  8 Pageslistening to this advice, spreading bits of untruths as harmless as white lies to the more severe, like in the case of the Salem Witch Trials or the McCarthy trials during the Red Scare. Arthur Miller delved deeply into this topic in his famous play, The Crucible, in which he compared the Salem Witch Trials to the McCarthy trials as a comment on the self-preserving, rash, and gullible nature of human beings, in order to open the audience’s eyes to the error of their ways. He wanted them to see the negative

Analysis Of Upton Sinclair s The Flivver King

Flivver King Writing Assignment Zack Seymour US 102/ Professor Ward The Flivver King by Upton Sinclair tackles many social issues that were coming to be in the early 1900’s. Upton Sinclair used fictional characters in his book to depict how society viewed the rise of Ford and other enterprises. As a â€Å"muckraker† Sinclair had meaning behind every character and action in this book. His goal was to expose corporate enterprises for the â€Å"crimes† (no socialism or unionization) they had been committing. Based upon his book, Upton Sinclair would have had many answers why there was no socialism or unionization in the United States. His first answer would be corporate corruption. Big enterprises at this time only cared about their own profits not†¦show more content†¦Upton Sinclair felt that our nation at this time needed to establish a strong union where the workers can actually get help from a stronger organization when going against the corporations. Sinclair wanted a strong Union to help workers get what he feels they deserve, instead of terrible jobs. The reason why there is no strong presence of a labor union in this country is because of the risk that it presented for workers at the time. In the Flivver King, Henry Ford used thugs and goons to intimidate people from not bringing the any kind of union into his company. Upton Sinclair said this in the book, as a beleaguered American socialist in a society that is generally unsympathetic to the plight of the less fortunate, Sinclair pondered the question of why Socialism did not gain a foothold in the minds of the American workers. (Sinclair, Preface viii, xi) This passage shows the mindsets of the factory workers at the time prevented a chance and at a strong labor union. Sinclair feels that if the American workforce could have embraced a more socialist mindset, there could have been some kind of organization to protect them from being exploited and possibly fired just by mentioning the very idea of trying to start or join anything like a union. Other issues pointed out by Sinclair were workers being killed by various factors like poor or unsafe work

Philosophy And Fantasy Essay Example For Students

Philosophy And Fantasy Essay Symbolism of the RingSymbolism of the Ring:The Embodiment of EvilOne Ring to rule them all,One Ring to find them,One Ring to bring them alland in the Darkness bind them(1 LotR II,2 The Council of Elrond)One of the masters of British Literature, John Ronald Reuel Tolkien hasthe unique ability to create a fantasy world in which exists a nearlyendless supply of parallelisms to reality. By mastering his own world andhis own language and becoming one with his fantasy, Tolkien is able tocreate wonderful symbolism and meaning out of what would otherwise beconsidered nonsense. Thus, when one decides to study The Ruling Ring, orThe One Ring, in Tolkiens trilogy Lord of the Rings, one must not simplyperform an examination of the ring itself, but rather a complex analysis ofthe events which take place from the time of the rings creation until thetime of its destruction. Concurrently, to develop a more completeunderstanding of the symbolic nature of the ring, one must first develop asymbolic und erstanding of the characters and events that are relevant tothe story.This essay begins with a brief background of Tolkiens life,followed by a thorough history of the One Ring including its creation,its symbolic significance, its effect on mortals, and its eventualdestruction. Also, this essay will compare Tolkiens Ring to the RhinegoldRing of Norse mythology, and will also show how many of the characters inthe trilogy lend themselves to Christ-figure status. By examining the Ringfrom these perspectives, a clearer understanding of its symbolicsignificance will be reached. John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, an English scholar and storyteller, becamefascinated by language at an early age during his schooling at,particularly the languages of Northern Europe, both ancient and modern. This affinity for language did not only lead to his profession, but alsohis private hobby, the invention of languages. He was also drawn to theentire Northern tradition, which inspired him to study its myths andsagas thoroughly. His broad knowledge eventually led to the development ofhis opinions about Myth, its relation to language, and the importance ofstories. All these various perspectives: language, the heroic tradition,and Myth, as well as deeply-held beliefs in Catholic Christianity worktogether in all of his works, including The Lord of the Rings (LotR). The creation of the One Ring or the Ring of Sauron goes back to theyears following the fall of Morgoth. At this time, Sauron established hisdesire to bring the Elves, and indeed all the people of Middle-Earth, underhis control. It was his opinion that Manwe and the Valar had abandonedMiddle-Earth after the fall of Morgoth. In order to bring the Elves underhis control, Sauron persuaded them that his intentions were good, and thathe wanted Middle-Earth to return from the darkness it was in. Eventuallythe elves sided with Sauron, and created the Rings of Power under hisguidance. Following the creation of these rings, Sauron created the OneRing in secret, so that he would be able to control the other rings andconsequently control the Elves. The creation of the Ring, and the essenceof its power is revealed in the following passage. and their power was bound up with it, to be subject wholly to it and tolast only as long as it too should last. And much of the strength and willof Sauron passed intothat One Ring; for the power of the ElvenRings was very great, and that which should govern them must be a thing ofsurpassing potency; and Sauron forged it in the Mountain of Fire in theLand of Shadow. And while he wore the One Ring he could perceive all thethings that were done by means of the lesser rings, and he could see andgovern the very thoughts of those that wore them. (from The Silmarillion,Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age)The power of the One is recognized by the Elves as soon as Sauron puts theRing on his finger. They realize that he can control their thoughts, andthey decide to remove their rings and not use them. The history of thering, then, follows that the Elves and Sauron became bitter enemies, andthe One ring remained in Saurons possession until it was taken by Isildurafter Saurons defeat, and wa s then lost in the river for many years. Eventually, it was found by Deagol, who was in turn murdered by his brotherSmeagol. Smeagol is the same person as the pitiful Gollum, who retainedthe ring until it was taken by Bilbo Baggins. From here, it logicallyfollows that it was given to Frodo Baggins by Bilbo, under the guidance ofGandalf the Grey, and so we reach the beginning of LotR. The nature of the One Ring can be explained in three distinct ways. Firstas a personification of Saurons power. Second as a symbol of evil ingeneral. And finally, as an inanimate object with a mind of its own, withthe ability to work away from its creator as well as return to its creatorof its own accord.. The next section of this essay will examine thesethree explanations. Indeed, as the Rings creator and original owner, Sauron had placed agreat amount of his own power into the ring for the purpose of controllingthe other rings. Because of this, the Ring is effectively an extension ofSaurons might. The loss of the Ring does not destroy Sauron, as would thedestruction of it. Rather, his power is simply spread around, and hisinfluence affects whomever should have possession of the Ring at any time. Should Sauron recover the ring again, however, his power will be greaterthan ever, as is explained in Book one of LotR. If he recovers it, thenhe will command them all again, wherever they be, even the Three, and allthat has been wrought with them will be laid bare, and he will be strongerthan ever.(1 LotR I,2 The Shadow of the Past) Even without the ring,then, Saurons power was immense. Throughout LotR, however, there are onlyhints of this power. Saurons power lies in control and dominion, and thedeprivation of free will. One example of Saurons power reflected in LotRis in Gollum, whose pitiful condition is the result of Saurons dominationover him as the bearer of the One Ring. The Ring presented as a symbol of evil is possibly the most important idearepresented in the trilogy. In Tolkiens world, evil is the antithesis ofcreativity, and is dependent on destruction and ruin for its basis. Conversely, goodness is associated with the beauty of creation as well asthe preservation of anything that is created. The symbolic nature of thesetwo ideologies is represented in the Elven Rings, which symbolize goodness,and the One Ring, which is wholly evil. A main theme of LotR, then, is thestruggle between good will and evil. Another theme that is in accordancewith this struggle is the theory that while goodness can create and bebeneficial, evil can only serve to pervert and destroy. Therefore, evilcannot exist unless there is something that can be perverted and destroyed. This idea is the main essence of Saurons evil nature, and thus the OneRing is the essence of evil as well, as it is the personification ofSauron. In the Letters of Tolkien, it is said that, Essentially theprimary symbolism of the Ring is as the will to mere power, seeking to makeitself objective by physical force and mechanism, and so also inevitably bylies. (Letters 180) This is to say that the purpose of the Ring is todestroy, through deceit and corruption, anything good in the world. Another way to show the symbolic nature of the ring is to say that itrepresents the omnipresence of evil. Its very existence, because itcontains the evil will of its creator, has the power to tempt, corrupt, andin doing so destroy. The next way in which the nature of the Ring can be examined is in the wayit has seemingly animate abilities as an inanimate object, namely theability to work away from and return to its creator. In order tounderstand this, one must realize that if the Ring is evil in itself, whichhas been explained earlier, then it must also have the ability to workevil. It cannot necessarily create evil ideas on its own, but instead itcan take advantage of any opportunity which presents itself to the Ring. Specifically, whenever Frodo is tempted to use or actually uses the Ring,the Ring has a chance to work corruption on him, even in the absence of thecreator. In this way, the Ring is advantageous, and the stronger thepresence of evil, the easier it is for the Ring to work on the bearer. Forexample, on Weathertop, the presence of the Witch-king is a tremendousevil, and the Ring takes advantage of this, convincing Frodo to use it inorder to escape. Although Frodo is not permanently corrupted at thispoint, the Ring is slowly eating away at him, and its power over him growseach time he uses it. This leads inexorably to the final failure of Frodo,that being at the Cracks of Doom, when he decides that the Ring is his byright. At this point, the Ring has won, and it is only by chance that itis successfully destroyed. It can be said that it is either theculmination of the Rings corruption of Frodo that resulted in its victoryor else it is that the Ring finally had enough outward evil presence to aidit in conquering the bearer, that presence being Mordor itself, the heartof evil. RECYCLING EssayIndeed, Gollum was so obsessed with the Ring that when he finally gets itback, he is so ecstatic that he missteps. In both cases, Evil has deceiveditself, which in turn has brought about its destruction. The Ring, thesymbol of Evil and evil power, has been defeated, not by the will ofgoodness, but rather by its own doing. The next section of this essay will make comparisons between LotR and NorseMythology, specifically the myths of the Rhinegold Ring and Otters Ransom. Also, comparisons will be made between LotR and Christianity, specificallythe possible presence of one or more Christ-figures in the trilogy. Through these comparisons, a greater understanding of the universality ofthe Rings symbolic significance will be reached. The Myth of Otters Ransom is a retelling of a myth contained in theVolsunga Saga of Norse Mythology. In this account, three gods, Loki, Odin,and Honir, are in a predicament over the accidental killing of Otter,brother of the giants Fafnir and Regin. The gods are trapped by thebrothers, and held to avenge Otters death. In order to save them, Odinmakes an offer to repay the family for the death. The ransom price set bythe family is a horde of red gold, enough to entirely cover the body ofOtter. In order to accomplish this, Loki leaves while Odin and Honirremain. Loki borrows a net from another god, and proceeds to capture thedwarf Andvari from the bottom of a pool inside a cavern. Loki demands thatAndvari give him his horde of gold that he controls within the pool. Andvari reluctantly agrees, and gives Loki the gold. After this, Lokinotices a ring on Andvaris finger, and demands it as well. A conflictemerges from this demand, and eventually Loki gets the ring, along withAndvaris curse upon it and the gold. Loki returns, and they give the goldto the family and cover Otters body with it. As they leave, they tell thefamily of the curse. The important thing to realize about this story isthat the ring is actually the Rhinegold Ring of Norse Mythology. Thebearer of this Ring is the one who controls the massive horde of Rhinegold. A case can be made for the horde as a symbol of power, in which case thereis direct relevance to the One Ring in LotR. Whoever bears the ring haspower, the power to command. This possibility in itself has the power tocorrupt those who desire possession of the ring. Another account of theRhinegold Ring is portrayed in Stephan Grundys novel, Rhinegold. Inthis account, the power of the ring is shown more clearly than in the firstaccount. After the father of Otter, Hraithmar, puts on the ring, he isovercome by his desire for the gold. As soon as he comes upon the pilecovering Otters body, he is drawn to it. The longer Hraithmar gazed atthe gold, the hotter its light seemed to burn in his body, shaking him witha sudden fear of desire. (Grundy 35) In a shocking similarity to LotR,the Ring, once used, has a tremendous power to corrupt and overpower. These are two examples of the many parallels that exist between Tolkiensfantasy and that of Norse Myth. The possibility of a Christ-figure in LotR is a difficult issue for severalreasons. First, Tolkien himself denied any such allegorical meaning behindthe trilogy and in fact denied nearly any allegorical meaning at all in hisworks. Also, it seems as though many of the characters bear somesimilarity to Christ at times, but none are completely representative ofHim. There is almost always some area in which the character in LotR islacking with respect to his Christ-like status. For example, The characterof Tom Bombadil, discussed earlier with respect to the Rings power, seemsto be extremely Christ-like in that he is considered by those who know himto be, The Master of wood, water, and hill. (Grundy 35) Also, he istruly the master of himself, and he knows his limitations as a man. Likeall men, he is limited; like Christ, he limits himself. At this point, itwould seem that Tom is a good representation of Christ. However, there aretwo distinct differences that separate Christ from Tom. The first is thefact that Tom knows of the miserable existence of the Barrow-Wights, yet isunmoved by the thought of them in misery. This lack of human compassion isa key difference between Tom and the Christ of faith. Also, while Tom haslimited himself like Christ, he has never suffered to gain his humility. He has never been ambitious, and is not tempted. To create anothersymbolic reference to the One Ring, Tom would never feel the temptation forthe Ring, in the same way he would never be tempted by a source of powersuch as the Tree of Knowledge in the Garden of Eden. This is an aspect ofTom that would suggest that he is less human than he would appear to be. Perhaps he is a joyful savior rather than the type of savior that thefaith Christ was portrayed to have been. Tom is one example of aChrist-figure in the trilogy. Others include Gandalf, whose remarkablereturn to life after the battle with the Balrog could be symbolic ofChrists resurrection. Also, Gandalfs ability to be tempted yet resisttemptation, his ordeal after his resurrection in which his friends did notat first recognize him, and his transformation from Gandalf the Grey toGandalf the White are all areas in which parallels can be drawn to Christ. The only problem with the theory of Gandalf is that he is ultimately unableto save Middle-Earth. Although he guides Frodo in his mission, he canhardly receive credit when the mission fails. He is not strong enough tosave middle-earth, and this is because he was too strong in his successfulattempt to resist the temptation of the Ring. In order to summarize the essence of this study on the symbolism of the OneRing, it can be said that the Ring itself can be explained separately froman explanation of the Evil nature of the Ring. The Ring itself is thereality of Evil in the physical world. In every way, it is the nature ofevil which must be either accepted or rejected outright. Its mere presenceis a personification of the opportunity for people to have and execute freewill and make morally correct or incorrect decisions. Also, the ring is asymbol of power, evil power. It is the part of nature that continuallystrives to destroy a persons ability to exercise free will. The exerciseof Evil, and in essence the power of the Ring, is the exact opposite offreedom. As for the nature of evil, it has been shown that no good canpossibly come from evil means, but evil results can be averted if one canacquire the evil object while resisting the evil nature of it. Also, theRing is both real and symbolic. While the physical nature of the Ring isbehavioral, and can be physically observed, the essence or power of theRing is also a concept, a concept which opposes morality. Because of this,the Ring may be destroyed physically, and with it the power of its creator,but its essence, Evil, will remain present in some form until the end of time. Works CitedCrossley-Holland, Kevin. The Norse Myths. New York: Pantheon, 1980. Ellwood, Gracia Fay. Good News From Tolkiens Middle Earth. Grand Rapids,Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1970. Grundy, Stephan. Rhinegold. New York: Bantam, 1994. Tolkien, John Ronald Reuel. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. New York:Ballantine,I1954, II1955, III1956. (References to The Lord of the Rings (LotR) are by volume, booknumber, chapternumber and chapter title.)Tolkien, John Ronald Reuel. The Silmarillion. New York: Ballantine, 1995. (References to The Silmarillion are by chapter name)Works ConsultedCarter, Lin. Tolkien: A Look Behind The Lord of the Rings. New York:Ballantine, 1969. Kocher, Paul H. Master of Middle Earth. New York: Ballantine, 1972. Petty, Anne C. One Ring to Bind Them All: Tolkiens Mythology. Mobile:Univ. ofAlabama Press, 1979Ready, William. The Tolkien Relation. Chicago: Henry Regenery Co., 1968. Schlauch, Margaret. The Saga of the Volsungs. New York: W.W. Norton Co., 1978Category: English