Insulin Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Insulin - Term Paper Example The termination of gluconeogenesis and glycogenolysis results to restoration of normal glucose levels in the blood. The action of insulin in the body is usually brief and the level blood sugar changes after the action of insulin subsides. Besides the control of blood sugar, production of insulin initiates a series of metabolic reactions that are mainly mediated by the changes in expression of over 100 genes in the body (O’Brien and Granner, 1117). One of the major effects of insulin in such physiological processes includes the regulation in the expression of genes that stimulate absorption of amino acids, metabolisms of lipids mainly in the muscles and adipose tissue. In addition, insulin affects the expression of genes used for growth, development and survival of somatic cells (Rhodes and White8) Alfred Sanger did the first sequencing of amino acids that make up insulin hormone in 1955 (BCBC 1). According to BCBC (1) insulin is the first protein to have its amino acid chain determined and sequenced. Moreover, the hormone is the first â€Å"peptide protein measured by radioimmunoassay technique†. In addition, insulin is the first hormone to be produced in microorganisms using recombinant DNA technology, a process that was successfully conducted in the 1970s. Since then, insulin produced by recombinant DNA technology has been used for treating diabetes, replacing earlier hormones that were produced from purification of insulin from animal species (BCBC1) Disruption of insulin synthesis in the body causes several physiological changes in the body. One of the major impacts of low glucose production is hyperglycemia, a medical condition characterized by an abnormal increase of glucose in the blood plasma (Steiner and James 42). Other effects include poor growth and development of the body. Diabetic patients

Sources Of Finances Available To A Business Finance Essay

Sources Of Finances Available To A Business Finance Essay Starting and running a successful business in the current world is not easy. Due to the rising costs and falling value of stocks, consumers have been left little money to spend. This has led many investors to sell their stock at a loss or just to break even. One way of maintaining a profitable business is constantly injecting some capital into it. Below we identify the major sources of finance available to a business. Bank Overdraft This refers to a short-term credit facility that is provided to a business by the bank. It is one of the most common that a business can use to raise some to receive extra. A bank overdraft permits an account holder to withdraw more the amount of money they have in their bank account. The overdraft attracts interests on the amount overdrawn (Shaw 2011). Loan Business loans can be classified as either long term, medium or short term. Although loans are regarded as costly way of raising extra capital, it is ideal for long-term business projects such as development and expansion. Grants As a source of finance, grants are offered to businesses for services or programs that profit the local community. Grants are offered by large private firms and government agencies. Retained Profits A business can plough back some of its undistributed profits back into the business. Retained profits are the amount of money held by a business to provide financial back-up in times of need. This is acknowledged as the most ideal way of raising extra capital in business as there is no interest or extra charges incurred. Working Capital Working capital refers to the sum of money that a business has set aside meant for financing the day to day activities. Working capital is also ideal as a source of addition capital since no cost is incurred (Shaw 2011). LO1 1.2 Implications of finance as a resource The main sources of finance are credit unions, banks as well as private investors. Funds from other income streams such as rented properties and money from stock are also credible sources of cash to finance a business. Each source of finance is associated with a set of implications such as the amount that is paid as interest on a bank loan, penalties for late payments as well as other infractions set in the contract between the borrower and the lender. Although the implications might be more or less the same as those of regular banks, credit unions may however set their interest rates at a lower figure. Private Investors: The use of private investors as a way of financing a business will attract a legal agreement that is bidding to both the seller and the buyer. Although the agreement maybe at times verbal, the implication of avoiding a written legal contract between the two parties involved might be severe and one party may fail to honor their obligations. Good private investors are know not lend money to business people until they performed due diligence on the businesses (Ralph 2005). Sources of finance from dividends, sale of stock or rented properties is practical and more lucrative. However, these kind of financial sources have been associated with a number of implications. For instance, stock prices may fall drastically leaving the investor with huge losses. The solution to finding the right sources of finance is to look at the benefits and drawbacks, and come-up with the best fit for a given business loan, investment prospect and other financial needs. LO1 1.3 Appropriate sources of Finance There are so many sources of finance that a business can choose from and it therefore up to the business owner to select the most appropriate way to finance business projects. To fund that important business project, a business may seek a loan from bank as well as any other financial institution with lending services. Another appropriate method of raising the necessary finance is by requesting for a bank overdraft. Another method that has become quite popular is raising finances through venture capital. Investment specialists and merchant banks might be willing to finance fast-growing and promising business project. Venture capital is a composition of chare and loan capital. Lucrative business projects may qualify for funding and assistance through grants offered by the government and other non-governmental organizations. For instance, low interest loans and grants may be offered to business that establishes their operations in the rural areas. One of the viable ways of financing ong oing and expensive business ventures is by leasing expensive equipment. This helps the business to save a lot of money. Lastly, businesses may raise finance through trade credit. This is a short term source of finance that makes it possible for business to purchase items on credit and pay later (Incstaf 2010).   LO2 2.1 costs of different sources of finance The cost associated with loans (debt financing) is interest while the cost of investments (equity financing is share of the profits or dividends. Comparing the costs for different sources of finance may involve the analysis and calculation of cost of capital. This may involve comparing the interest charges on a loan with the businesses with the total percentage of accumulated profits or retained earnings that belong to the investor. Business owners seeking loans from a number of banks should compare the payments terms and interest rates being offered. Even very little variations in the interest rate can tote up to considerable amounts over a long period of time. Unsecured Short-term loans, for example lines of credit, usually have a high rate of interest as compared to long-term secured loans such as mortgages. The fact trade credits and bank overdrafts attract high interest rates make them to be too costly (Higham 2004). The interest rate is normally dependent on the risk as well as the credit rating score of the borrower. If a business need financing for a fixed period of time mostly less than a year, it could be more suitable for the business to borrow from friends and family or set up a short term loan from a bank. As an additional cost to the business, banks may require security or collateral for the loan being secured as insurance against loan defaults. LO2 2.2 importance of financial planning Financial Planning is the practice of determining the amount of capital needed as well as the competition of the capital. The process of financial planning involves creating policies, objectives, procedures, budgets and programs concerning the financial activity in concern. Financial planning ensures the adequate and effective financial and investment policies. Some of the importances are as outlined; Financial planning guarantee the adequate utilization of funds Financial Planning assists in maintaining a reasonable stability between the inflow and outflow In addition, Financial Planning guarantees that the suppliers of funds are effortlessly investing in businesses that observe financial planning. It has also been attributed in facilitating expansion and growth programmes which assists in the long-run survival of the business. Financial Planning decreases uncertainties with respect to shifting market trends by eliminating these hindrances, financial planning helps in maintaining profitability and stability in a business (Higgins 2011). LO2 2.3: Information needs of different decision makers There are various parties keen on the information of a business. These parties can be classified as either internal or external depending on how interested they are in the business and the influence they have on the organization. They also need different forms of information and based on their requirements. Owners/ Shareholders These are internal parties of the organization and they need information for sound decision making when it comes to productivity of the firm, income belonging to shareholders, asset base of the company (net worth or payable), as well as the availability of assets (cash) for future development. Employees These are also internal parties whose purpose of acquiring information on the organization is totally different from that of its proprietors. Workers are mostly worried about their wages and other remunerations from the job and the permanence of the company for the safety of their employment. Their main areas of interest are the organizations economic information, productivity of the business and any future development plans (Suthaharan 2010). Lenders Financial institutions like banks and lenders also have a keen interest on the financial reports of the company, especially if the company wants to borrow funds for expansion or for settling operational costs. Banks are interested in gearing ratio of the organization (a form of ratio involving the loan capital and equity capital). Profitability of the firm: liquidity ratio, interest covers (capacity to offset interest charges if the loans are acquired); fixed assets foundation to obtain the information regarding the securities obtainable for the loan etc are all necessary to financial institutions. Government/ Regulatory institutions The government is interested in how much profit the company is making and if it is paying the correct tax charges for their income. The government also checks for other forms of applicable tax charges; compliance with the managerial bodies systems (bookkeeping principles, Colombo stock exchange requirements etc (Suthaharan 2010). General Public/ customers The general public is interested in knowing the operation of the firm and the stability of the employment. LO2 2.4: Impact of finance on the financial statements Presently, companies frequently smother monetary statement like the balance sheet, statement of cash flows and the income statement. Once the financial statements have been released at the end of a financial year, they may have huge impacts on the investors and other stakeholders. Hence, it is up to the company to make sure that all the information the financial statement is correct. Impact on Stock Price the stock of a company can be greatly impacted by financial statements. In making their investment decisions, several investors use financial statements to establish the viability of investing in certain stocks. The upward and downward movements of stock prices are dependent on the information presented in the statements (Stansky 2010). Financing Decisions financial statements are likely to affect the likelihood of accompany to acquire funding. If a business is attempting to take out a production loan, the lender will routinely scrutinize the financial statements of that company. Lenders are more likely to invest in businesses that have good financial statements. LO3 3.1 Analyze budgets and make appropriate decisions Once a business becomes operational, it is important tightly manage and plan its financial performance. One of the most effective methods of keeping the finances of a business on track is by creating a budgeting process. Managing, monitoring and creating a budget are important in guaranteeing the success of the business. The budget should help the business owner in allocating resources where they are required, so that the business remains successful as well as profitable. The budget process should be simple and should take into consideration what will be earned and spent in the business. Start-up businesses may run their businesses in a tranquil way and may not even require a budget. on the other hand, if a business is planning to grow and expand into the future, budgeting is one of the most effective way of managing funds and new stream of cash flows thus allowing the business owner to invest in fresh opportunities at the right time. A budget is an important planning tool that helps business in making appropriate decisions relating control of finances (Wendy 2006). LO3 3.2 calculations of unit costs and making pricing decisions A Unit cost refers to the actual cost of delivering a single unit of a product or service. The calculation of unit costs is done with the intention of providing a basis of comparing the costs of different providers of goods and services. It can be used in identifying trends that might signal variations in productivity, resources as well as the quality of services. Unit costs may be termed as the benchmark for measuring performance (Damodaran 2011). By understanding how to establish Unit costs, a business can be able to promote effective use of funds. It can provide information that can be used to improve services. The use of unit costs can help in identifying economies of scale, assist in establishing fee policies, strengthening future applications as well as informing on the contracting processes, identify economies of scale, help to establish fee policies, and strengthen future grant applications. Making pricing decision can sometimes be a tricky and hard decision. For instance, if goods and services are priced too low, the business might not be able to cover all the expenses and if highly priced, the business might not realize any sales at all. LO3 3.3 viability of a project using investment appraisal techniques In nature, different Investment opportunities and projects vary considerably. Hence, project appraisal techniques were designed to assist business managers and investors make good decisions and choose the most viable projects. The real meaning of all investment appraisals is the evaluation of the value of proposals which need financial and economic commitment of resources, by taking into consideration the costs and benefits. For any business, making bad investment decisions can end in loss of opportunities to net new investors, limited future growth and poor financial and economic performance or the disappointment of shareholders. Investment appraisal intervenes at the stage where a business plan is transformed into its corresponding financial plan and the choice to finance its execution (Hassan 2008). LO4 4.1 main financial statements In a company, there are three major financial statements namely; the balance sheet-which is a report of a companys assets, liabilities and stockholders equity as at a given time. Then there is the income statement which simply is a record of a companys revenues and expenses during a certain financial period. The last major financial statement is the cash flow statement (commonly known as the statement of cash flows). This statement provides information on the changes that have occurred a companys cash and cash equivalents during the similar period income statement (Leigh 2012). LO4 4.2 formats of financial statements for different types of business The income statement of a manufacturing business is different from that of a retail store. In this income statement (manufacturing), the first line is occupied by gross income followed by the subtraction of goods manufactured. This results to gross income. The second portion of the income statement records all expenses that are linked administrative, general and selling costs. This is again subtracted from gross income to disclose operating income (Steiner 2012). For smaller businesses and companies, the business may maintain very simple balance sheet but for large companies, the balance sheet is broken down into current assets and liabilities and long-term assets and liabilities. Several businesses use the accrual basis of accounting. This implies that they will identify income received from a sale after the sale has been completed and not essentially when the cash is received. LO4 4.3 financial statements and Ratio A ratio is an expression of a relationship between two or more quantitative variables. On the other hand, financial ratios show the interrelationships between different elements in the financial statements. The analysis of financial ratios involves determining a standardized connection between figures showing up in the financial statements as well as using those relationships known as ratios to evaluate the business financial performance and position. A number of techniques have to be used in ensuring that financial statements of different businesses have been simplified and made compatible. Such method may incorporate the use of great tools for example common sized financial statements and ration analysis. Financial ratios fall in one of the four classes, namely; liquidity (current ration, quick ration), profitability (return on assets, return on equity), investor (Earning per share) and long-term or risk (asset turnover, asset receivable turnover ratio) (Loth 2011).

Comparing Dziga Vertovs Film, Man with a Movie Camera and Run Lola Run

Comparing Dziga Vertov's Film, Man with a Movie Camera and Run Lola Run " The main and essential thing is : the sensory exploration of the world through film. We therefore take as a point of departure the use of the camera as a keno-eye, more perfect than the human eye, for the exploration of the chaos of visual phenomena that fills space." - Dziga Vertov , Manifesto The Council of Three (1923) The innovative theories and filmmaking techniques of Dziga Vertov revolutionized the way films are made today. Man With a Movie Camera (1929), a documentary that represented the peak of the Soviet avant-garde film movement in the twenties, displayed techniques in montage, creative camera angles, rich imagery, but most importantly allowed him to express his theories of his writings of Kino-eye (the camera). The film has a very simple plot that describes an average day in Russia, yet the final pieces of this film emerge a complex and fast-paced production that excites the audience. Vertov's ability to use radical editing techniques with unconventional filming to present ordinary things has inspired many directors around the world. And still now modern avant-garde movies apply many of these same techniques to dramatize simple and complex stories. Vertov was one of the greatest innovators of Soviet cinema in the post WWI era. During this time, the freedom to make films was limited due to low stock of supply. Vertov and his colleagues had to be very creative and innovative if they were going produce anything at all. 'The Kuleshov Workshop', a workshop class at the Moscow Film School led by Lev Kuleshov included famous Soviet filmmakers like Vsevolod Pudovkin and Sergei Eisenstein, but excluded Vertov. This is significant to the ... ...ught to life these ideas on a new level in Run Lola Run, which glorifies the camera's results with movement in every frame. Run Lola Run feeds the kino-eye with collision, contrast, and conflicting scenes, which make the film a huge success in giving the audience a new type of story with suspense, comedy and drama. Works Cited Bordwell, David (1972a) Dziga Vertov: An Introduction. In: Film Comment 8,1, pp. 38-45 Denkin, H., "Linguistic Models in Early Soviet Cinema." Cinema Journal XVII / 1, Fall 77; p.1-Lynton, Norbert, The Story of Modern Art, Oxford: Phaidon Press Limited, 1980 Mast, Gerald, Kawin Bruce F., A Short History Of The Movies. Allyn & Bacon, 2000. Vertov, Dziga, Kino-eye: The Writings of Dziga Vertov / edited with an introduction by Annette Michelson; translated by Kevin O'Brien. Berkeley, CA.: University of California Press, c1984.

My Three Key Stages of Life Essay

Everyone has their own key stages of life. They are the most important parts of your life. Mine, is of course when I was born, kindergarten and when I was in Primary 6. Why are they the most important for me? Well, it is all written here, in this essay. Like most of the babies in the world, I was born a healthy baby. Soon enough, I learnt how to crawl, walk, eat, run, and many other things. By the time I finished learning all those, I was already a toddler. It was one of the most important parts of my life. When I was born, I was the heaviest among my siblings and me. As I looked through all my baby photos, I realized I have changed a lot. Though I don’t recall much stuff, the only memories I had as a toddler were two nightmares. Time flies really fast. In the blink of an eye, I was in kindergarten. I studied in â€Å"Bukit Panjang Methodist Church Kindergarten†. I was excited on the first day of school. All those years, I really enjoyed going to school. It was when classes were much more fun with games and interaction between the teachers and students. I remembered during P.E. lessons the students will play in a playground, while a few were chosen to play with a big tub of water. And when the teacher starts to pick people to play with the water, the class usually will get chaotic. The best memory I had was when I celebrated my birthday in school. It was the best birthday present ever. A few years later, I entered primary school. It’s just an ordinary neighborhood primary school, â€Å"Bukit Timah Primary School†. Then it happened. Primary School Leaving Examination dates. Those dates were the dates where I had mixed emotions. They were the dates where I worked my entire primary school life for. It was the most crucial moments. My life depends on it. Whether I will get into a good or a bad school, all depends on those dates. Once you step into that examination hall, there’s no turning back. It wasn’t as bad as I thought. Though the papers were hard, I managed to complete them and the results I got were higher than I expected them to be. I remember during the day the results were out, many students cried when they saw their results. Some were tears of joy, some were tears of sorrow. Well, for me, I didn’t really cry. I only cried after I saw my best friend cried tears of happiness. I cried tears of joy too.

Piers Plowman

Elyssa-Beth Bender British Literature Dr. Zeiger 14 March 2013 William Langland: Piers Plowman The life of William Langland is a mystery. There is very little known about the man who wrote the Middle English, alliterative poem known as Piers Plowman. I did gather that he was born in the West Midlands around 1330 and may have died in 1386 (William Langland). Though much not can be found on Langland’s life, one can infer that he had many different life experiences in which he may drawn from to write Piers Plowman (Calabrese 123).Whether one looks at the elegant trial of Lady Meed at the King’s court, to impoverished life lived on Piers Plowman’s half-acre. Also the narrator in Piers Plowman seems to indicate that Langland may have been exposed to a higher education (Calabrese 123). There are three different versions of Piers Plowman, known as the A-text, the B-text, and the C-text The A-text is the earliest and shortest of the three versions and is about 2,400 line s long (Greenblatt 297). The B-text is an revision of the A-text in which the original 2,400 lines are still there but turned into a 4,000 line piece of work.During my reading of the B-Text, I found that it was more poetic in its form (Greenblatt 297). What I also found was that the C-text was almost a full revision of the B-Text with not much more added. The A-text seemed to be written in 1370 while the B-text. The C-text may have been written in 1381 during the â€Å"Peasants Revolt of 1382† (William Langland). The opening lines let the reader know what to expect: a man named Will on a religious quest that is set in a dream-like, vision state. He wakes up in Field Full of Folk in the opening scene.It is quite obvious to the reader that Will is a very righteous man as he is described to be wearing â€Å"shroudes as [he] a sheep were, / In habite as an heremite unholy of werkes. † (line 124). This indicates that Will is in clothes made of sheepskin, a symbolic meaning to The Lamb (Calabrese 4). However, it could also make the reader conclude that he may also be a wolf in sheep’s clothing. The uncertainty is loathsome. The reader might think, â€Å"Is he good or evil? Will he hurt or help? † (Calabrese 124).The phrase, â€Å"unholy of werkes† seems like Will could be evil, but by the end of the poem, we see that it meant that spiritually Will was only just a child and needed to mature. In continuation with this idea, in the prologue of Piers Plowman, Will is born metaphorically into his vision and faith. In the first passus, Will is confronted by a female named, Holy Church and becomes quickly engaged in learning how to be a good Christian (line 153). Holy Church represents a holy and pure church that is uncorrupted by man (Daegman 274).She is vital for teaching Will the basics of Christianity. I found that her presence was the best way to teach Will the holy and pure way to be a Christian untouched by the corrupt hands of man . She also teaches Will that the body and soul are in constant struggle for power. Holy Church explains that Will must find the balance between physical self and spiritual self lead by the soul; what may be good for one may not be good for the other(line 209). Will must learn at this point what moderation is. Moderation is a vital step of self-control and awareness in Piers Plowman.Will is now faced with a few new characters named, Kynde Wit, who tells him the way of common sense; Reason, who tells him what reason and moderation mean; and Truth expects Will he must be truthful in speech, work, and intent of the heart and soul (700-1235). Before Will could fully comprehend what Truth meant, he need to find out what truth is not: falsity or the character â€Å"Falseness†. After meeting with these characters Will had learned everything they could instill upon him. However, since Will is in a dream-like, vision state, he fears that he will not have the capability to make the righ t decision with his own free will.In his early education with Holy Church, she fails to explain what Falseness means for Will. However in the story of Lady Meed, concept is explained (line 1456- 1729), Lady Meed seems to be the bastard daughter of Falseness and about to be wed to Fals Fikel-tonge (line 1464). â€Å"Whore of Babylon in Revelation,† she is described as, with her magnificent scarlett, silk robes (1468). Lady Meed represents the corruptive influence of money, bribery, prostitution, and is found in every aspect of society. In this story of Lady Meed, she represents good use of money.However, since Lady Meed can be used by anyone, she often falls into the wrong hands and used for corrupt purposes. Lady Meed’s marriage to Fals Fikel-tonge is ceased by Theology, who pursues that the King is the one who should decide whom Lady Meed marries (1475). In the royal court, Lady Meed and her follower voyage off to London at the expense of men of legal authority. The K ing calls upon Conscience for his advice. At this point he swears he will have nothing to do with the evil, wickedness of Lady Mead and her fate is left to the courts (1509). With the advice of Concscience, the King decides to find out what kind of person Lady Mead is.The King decides that the best thing for Lady Mead was to marry Conscience to know where the line is drawn between right and wrong (1534). Though the King’s intentions were in good reason, Lady Mead was known to be easily corrupted. The King believed Conscience was the perfect mate to control Lady Mead and make her submissive to his good morals. However, Conscience explained to the King that this would not be possible because though his morals were pure and righteous, he would soon eventually be consumed by the power of Lady Mead (1547). Since Lady Mead can be easily used by anyone, she os quickly corrupted by those around her.She is accused of corrupting the pardoners who forgive the sins of the common (not of the clergy) people. As we recall back to Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, Pardoners of this time were very ill-willed men who would only accept money and power to pardon the sins of people. This corruption is said to be the work by the hands of Lady Mead. In this part of Piers Plowman, It is the responsibility of the character Penance to steer Will away from the ill-will and corruption of Lady Mead’s influence on the pardoners’ business (1609). Before a marriage with Conscience, Lady Mead discusses her character.While she shows him all the wonderful aspects of her existence, Conscience reminds her of her malevolent ways (1613). It is clear to the King that Conscience is right, however the King is blinded by Lady Mead’s conveyed character of good will. At this point, the King orders Conscience to give her a kiss on the forehead, which is to signify there to be peace between the two characters (1645). However, Conscience would not give her a kiss of peace unless Reason was summoned to asses the pros and cons, essentially, of the situation (1647-49) . The King, a benevolent creature, decides to honor the request of Conscience and summon Reason.The King decides to bring Wrong to the court to defend Lady Mead and convince the King his ways are correct (1664-1672). He believes he should be allowed to bribe his way out of the charges of rape, murder, and theft. Reason snaps back at this and urges for hard punishment to be inflicted on Wrong. The King, swept up by all these testimonies, decides in favor of Reason and Conscience, whom were selected to be his counselors. Wrong is punished and the King’s eyes are now open to Lady Mead’s benevolent aspects. He is no longer naive. At this point, the King’s court has flourished since Conscience and Reason became his advisors.Holy Church explains to Will that Conscience and Reason are two things that every person has within them on some level. She also explains that th e King is not a character that is based on royal heritage. The King is a being that represents the challenges that every common man faces (Burrow 318). Explained even further in an article by J. A Burrow every man faces the challenges of Right and Wrong, and often seeks to find Conscience and Reason in their lives. At this point, the scene fades into the Field Full of Folk once again as Will wakes up and then falls asleep shortly after.Next, Will is confronted with the character of Reason who fashions the wardrobe of a clergymen. He urges Will to repent (2573). After urging Will to confess his sins, he brings out the Seven Deadly Sins. This section of the story where Reason speaks to each of the seven and teaches Will that if he lives with The Seven Deadly Sins in his life, he will never find salvation. The next section starts with the Will waking up briefly from the vision and reflecting on his experience so far. However, our dreamer, Will quickly falls back into his dream. In this next part of his holy vision quest, he enters upon the Feast of Patience ( 2798-2906).Seven people attend the Feast, Conscience, Clergy and his wife, Scripture, Patience, Will, and The Master of Divinity. The food was simple and elegant which was to show will what penance means (Burrow 319). Later in the poem,Will is though of as a fool (3015-3016). At this point of Will still being a foolish man, he is intorduced to Anima, who tells Will the importance of putting into action all that he has learned (3025-3120). Anima prepares Will for a vision of the Tree of Charity. In a vision conveyed to Will by Piers Plowman himself, a tree is an image of fallen humanity.Piers Plowman is said to be represented as Jesus (Burrow 320). There are three kinds of fruit: human souls of wedlock, widowhood, and virginity, and it is supported by three planks. The three planks have been explained to will as the Holy Trinity (Greenblatt 399). However the Tree being threatened by Covetise, who is the Fiend of Flesh. The tree represents the tree that bore the fruit of knowledge, much like the fruit referenced in Genesis. The tree contains knowledge that is not to be consumed by man. However, in this section of Piers Plowman, The Devil is pursuing Covetise to extract fruit from the tree for evil intentions.Toward the end of the poem, Will goes to mass on Easter Sunday and, during the middle of mass, falls asleep and dreams of Piers Plowman. Piers is identified this time as the eucharistic host at the moment of consecration during the Mass when the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ (Greenblatt 399). The mystery of the Body and blood of Christ is mysterious to Will as he cannot understand at what point these common items become holy. The answer is conveyed appearance of Piers before the people. Will turns to Conscience for an explanation of the mystery.Conscience recalls the life of Jesus by explaining the sacrament. The miracle at Cana involves the changing of water int o wine, a type of wine turning into blood in the Eucharist. Thus, the Three Lives are put into the perspective of the ministry of Christ, and the message is clear: it is impossible to do well, do better, and do best without divine grace, and this grace is available to all through the sacraments, especially the Eucharist and penance(Burrow 380) . If Dowel is the sacramental wine, Dobet is the eucharistic bread, as it is paralleled to the miracle of the loaves and fishes (Greenblatt 399).That Piers is granted the power of binding and unbinding sins reflects back upon the early association of Piers and the Good Priest (Daegman 7) . Piers is a variation of Peter, suggesting the apostle and first pope. Piers remains behind after the Ascension, and it is to him that Grace gives the four evangelists and the four church leaders (3321-3364). Piers is known to be Jesus Christ whom is a part of the eternal, divine Church. Noticeably, the forces of Pride wait to attack until Piers until he has featured once more at the end of Piers Plowman. By the end of the poem there are no good clergy. (Daegman 8).The Barn of Unity that Grace tells Piers to build is another image of the whole Christian community (3433-3457). However, since the Tree of Charity is under constant threat, so is the Barn of Unity. Covetise and Pride try to confuse Conscience with their so that he can not tell the difference between a Christian and a dark worshipper. Conscience advises the Christians to leave the area to find safely form the the malevolent qualities (3458-3465). Events turn dark for Will and is in need of consulting Need. It can be a humbling factor, but it can also be a convenient excuse for doing what one wants to do rather than what one ought to do.Will falls asleep after being reproached by Need and dreams of the coming of Antichrist. Conscience consults Kynde, Old Age, and Death. Though Will has become an old man, he manages to keep somewhat in good humor. His appearance has changed dra matically. He has become bald, deaf, toothless, and a bit incompetent due to his old age. During this last part of Piers Plowman, Will is confronted by the inevitable character named Death (3502- 3696). As Will’s time is coming to an end, he begs Kynde for him to spare him. Kynde advises Will learn what love is (3757) . This could be compared to what Holy Church told Will in the first section.Though Piers Plowman is a lengthy alliterative poem, it ends considerably curtly. Conscience vows to undertake another quest, this time to find Piers Plowman, and he calls upon Grace for help. Then the Dreamer simply wakes up and that is the end. I found that the ending lines of the poem had no emotion to it. I was not able to feel if Will felt like his total experience was positive or negative. Will’s attitude does seem to show the slightest bit of positivity as he learns to find what it means to be a Christian and learns the value of good morals. Piers Plowman is a series of jou rneys in a dream-like vision in search for answers.The narrator named Will goes from one higher authority to another. However, as the quests move along, the main point of the journey changes. The quest was originally to find how a Christian is expected to live, however, as time goes on it becomes about finding a way to do the best and be the best one can be (Daegman 273). When the poem finishes, Will is faced with yet another quest. this indicates to the reader that a Christian’s search for salvation is eternal (Daegman 273). Works Cited Burrow, J. A. The Ending Lines in Piers Plowman. Notes & Querles (2012). vol. 59 Issue 3, p 316-400. Academic Search Complete.Web. 9 Feb. 2013. Calabrese, Michael. Piers Plowman: A Parallel-Text Edition of The A,B,C, And Z Versions. Journal of English & Germanic Philogy. (2012): vol. 35 issue 12 127-130. Academic Search Complete. Web. 15 Feb. 2013. Deagman, Rachel. The Formations of Forgiveness in Piers Plowman. Journal of Medieval & Early Mo dern Studies (2010). vol. 40 issue 2 p. 273-97. Academic Search Complete. Web. 12 Feb. 2013. â€Å"William Langland† Encyclopedia Britannica. Britannica Online Web. 27 Feb, 2013 Greenblatt, Stepehn. â€Å"William Langland:Piers Plowman† The Norton Anthology English Literature vol. A. New York 397- 408. Piers Plowman Elyssa-Beth Bender British Literature Dr. Zeiger 14 March 2013 William Langland: Piers Plowman The life of William Langland is a mystery. There is very little known about the man who wrote the Middle English, alliterative poem known as Piers Plowman. I did gather that he was born in the West Midlands around 1330 and may have died in 1386 (William Langland). Though much not can be found on Langland’s life, one can infer that he had many different life experiences in which he may drawn from to write Piers Plowman (Calabrese 123).Whether one looks at the elegant trial of Lady Meed at the King’s court, to impoverished life lived on Piers Plowman’s half-acre. Also the narrator in Piers Plowman seems to indicate that Langland may have been exposed to a higher education (Calabrese 123). There are three different versions of Piers Plowman, known as the A-text, the B-text, and the C-text The A-text is the earliest and shortest of the three versions and is about 2,400 line s long (Greenblatt 297). The B-text is an revision of the A-text in which the original 2,400 lines are still there but turned into a 4,000 line piece of work.During my reading of the B-Text, I found that it was more poetic in its form (Greenblatt 297). What I also found was that the C-text was almost a full revision of the B-Text with not much more added. The A-text seemed to be written in 1370 while the B-text. The C-text may have been written in 1381 during the â€Å"Peasants Revolt of 1382† (William Langland). The opening lines let the reader know what to expect: a man named Will on a religious quest that is set in a dream-like, vision state. He wakes up in Field Full of Folk in the opening scene.It is quite obvious to the reader that Will is a very righteous man as he is described to be wearing â€Å"shroudes as [he] a sheep were, / In habite as an heremite unholy of werkes. † (line 124). This indicates that Will is in clothes made of sheepskin, a symbolic meaning to The Lamb (Calabrese 4). However, it could also make the reader conclude that he may also be a wolf in sheep’s clothing. The uncertainty is loathsome. The reader might think, â€Å"Is he good or evil? Will he hurt or help? † (Calabrese 124).The phrase, â€Å"unholy of werkes† seems like Will could be evil, but by the end of the poem, we see that it meant that spiritually Will was only just a child and needed to mature. In continuation with this idea, in the prologue of Piers Plowman, Will is born metaphorically into his vision and faith. In the first passus, Will is confronted by a female named, Holy Church and becomes quickly engaged in learning how to be a good Christian (line 153). Holy Church represents a holy and pure church that is uncorrupted by man (Daegman 274).She is vital for teaching Will the basics of Christianity. I found that her presence was the best way to teach Will the holy and pure way to be a Christian untouched by the corrupt hands of man . She also teaches Will that the body and soul are in constant struggle for power. Holy Church explains that Will must find the balance between physical self and spiritual self lead by the soul; what may be good for one may not be good for the other(line 209). Will must learn at this point what moderation is. Moderation is a vital step of self-control and awareness in Piers Plowman.Will is now faced with a few new characters named, Kynde Wit, who tells him the way of common sense; Reason, who tells him what reason and moderation mean; and Truth expects Will he must be truthful in speech, work, and intent of the heart and soul (700-1235). Before Will could fully comprehend what Truth meant, he need to find out what truth is not: falsity or the character â€Å"Falseness†. After meeting with these characters Will had learned everything they could instill upon him. However, since Will is in a dream-like, vision state, he fears that he will not have the capability to make the righ t decision with his own free will.In his early education with Holy Church, she fails to explain what Falseness means for Will. However in the story of Lady Meed, concept is explained (line 1456- 1729), Lady Meed seems to be the bastard daughter of Falseness and about to be wed to Fals Fikel-tonge (line 1464). â€Å"Whore of Babylon in Revelation,† she is described as, with her magnificent scarlett, silk robes (1468). Lady Meed represents the corruptive influence of money, bribery, prostitution, and is found in every aspect of society. In this story of Lady Meed, she represents good use of money.However, since Lady Meed can be used by anyone, she often falls into the wrong hands and used for corrupt purposes. Lady Meed’s marriage to Fals Fikel-tonge is ceased by Theology, who pursues that the King is the one who should decide whom Lady Meed marries (1475). In the royal court, Lady Meed and her follower voyage off to London at the expense of men of legal authority. The K ing calls upon Conscience for his advice. At this point he swears he will have nothing to do with the evil, wickedness of Lady Mead and her fate is left to the courts (1509). With the advice of Concscience, the King decides to find out what kind of person Lady Mead is.The King decides that the best thing for Lady Mead was to marry Conscience to know where the line is drawn between right and wrong (1534). Though the King’s intentions were in good reason, Lady Mead was known to be easily corrupted. The King believed Conscience was the perfect mate to control Lady Mead and make her submissive to his good morals. However, Conscience explained to the King that this would not be possible because though his morals were pure and righteous, he would soon eventually be consumed by the power of Lady Mead (1547). Since Lady Mead can be easily used by anyone, she os quickly corrupted by those around her.She is accused of corrupting the pardoners who forgive the sins of the common (not of the clergy) people. As we recall back to Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, Pardoners of this time were very ill-willed men who would only accept money and power to pardon the sins of people. This corruption is said to be the work by the hands of Lady Mead. In this part of Piers Plowman, It is the responsibility of the character Penance to steer Will away from the ill-will and corruption of Lady Mead’s influence on the pardoners’ business (1609). Before a marriage with Conscience, Lady Mead discusses her character.While she shows him all the wonderful aspects of her existence, Conscience reminds her of her malevolent ways (1613). It is clear to the King that Conscience is right, however the King is blinded by Lady Mead’s conveyed character of good will. At this point, the King orders Conscience to give her a kiss on the forehead, which is to signify there to be peace between the two characters (1645). However, Conscience would not give her a kiss of peace unless Reason was summoned to asses the pros and cons, essentially, of the situation (1647-49) . The King, a benevolent creature, decides to honor the request of Conscience and summon Reason.The King decides to bring Wrong to the court to defend Lady Mead and convince the King his ways are correct (1664-1672). He believes he should be allowed to bribe his way out of the charges of rape, murder, and theft. Reason snaps back at this and urges for hard punishment to be inflicted on Wrong. The King, swept up by all these testimonies, decides in favor of Reason and Conscience, whom were selected to be his counselors. Wrong is punished and the King’s eyes are now open to Lady Mead’s benevolent aspects. He is no longer naive. At this point, the King’s court has flourished since Conscience and Reason became his advisors.Holy Church explains to Will that Conscience and Reason are two things that every person has within them on some level. She also explains that th e King is not a character that is based on royal heritage. The King is a being that represents the challenges that every common man faces (Burrow 318). Explained even further in an article by J. A Burrow every man faces the challenges of Right and Wrong, and often seeks to find Conscience and Reason in their lives. At this point, the scene fades into the Field Full of Folk once again as Will wakes up and then falls asleep shortly after.Next, Will is confronted with the character of Reason who fashions the wardrobe of a clergymen. He urges Will to repent (2573). After urging Will to confess his sins, he brings out the Seven Deadly Sins. This section of the story where Reason speaks to each of the seven and teaches Will that if he lives with The Seven Deadly Sins in his life, he will never find salvation. The next section starts with the Will waking up briefly from the vision and reflecting on his experience so far. However, our dreamer, Will quickly falls back into his dream. In this next part of his holy vision quest, he enters upon the Feast of Patience ( 2798-2906).Seven people attend the Feast, Conscience, Clergy and his wife, Scripture, Patience, Will, and The Master of Divinity. The food was simple and elegant which was to show will what penance means (Burrow 319). Later in the poem,Will is though of as a fool (3015-3016). At this point of Will still being a foolish man, he is intorduced to Anima, who tells Will the importance of putting into action all that he has learned (3025-3120). Anima prepares Will for a vision of the Tree of Charity. In a vision conveyed to Will by Piers Plowman himself, a tree is an image of fallen humanity.Piers Plowman is said to be represented as Jesus (Burrow 320). There are three kinds of fruit: human souls of wedlock, widowhood, and virginity, and it is supported by three planks. The three planks have been explained to will as the Holy Trinity (Greenblatt 399). However the Tree being threatened by Covetise, who is the Fiend of Flesh. The tree represents the tree that bore the fruit of knowledge, much like the fruit referenced in Genesis. The tree contains knowledge that is not to be consumed by man. However, in this section of Piers Plowman, The Devil is pursuing Covetise to extract fruit from the tree for evil intentions.Toward the end of the poem, Will goes to mass on Easter Sunday and, during the middle of mass, falls asleep and dreams of Piers Plowman. Piers is identified this time as the eucharistic host at the moment of consecration during the Mass when the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ (Greenblatt 399). The mystery of the Body and blood of Christ is mysterious to Will as he cannot understand at what point these common items become holy. The answer is conveyed appearance of Piers before the people. Will turns to Conscience for an explanation of the mystery.Conscience recalls the life of Jesus by explaining the sacrament. The miracle at Cana involves the changing of water int o wine, a type of wine turning into blood in the Eucharist. Thus, the Three Lives are put into the perspective of the ministry of Christ, and the message is clear: it is impossible to do well, do better, and do best without divine grace, and this grace is available to all through the sacraments, especially the Eucharist and penance(Burrow 380) . If Dowel is the sacramental wine, Dobet is the eucharistic bread, as it is paralleled to the miracle of the loaves and fishes (Greenblatt 399).That Piers is granted the power of binding and unbinding sins reflects back upon the early association of Piers and the Good Priest (Daegman 7) . Piers is a variation of Peter, suggesting the apostle and first pope. Piers remains behind after the Ascension, and it is to him that Grace gives the four evangelists and the four church leaders (3321-3364). Piers is known to be Jesus Christ whom is a part of the eternal, divine Church. Noticeably, the forces of Pride wait to attack until Piers until he has featured once more at the end of Piers Plowman. By the end of the poem there are no good clergy. (Daegman 8).The Barn of Unity that Grace tells Piers to build is another image of the whole Christian community (3433-3457). However, since the Tree of Charity is under constant threat, so is the Barn of Unity. Covetise and Pride try to confuse Conscience with their so that he can not tell the difference between a Christian and a dark worshipper. Conscience advises the Christians to leave the area to find safely form the the malevolent qualities (3458-3465). Events turn dark for Will and is in need of consulting Need. It can be a humbling factor, but it can also be a convenient excuse for doing what one wants to do rather than what one ought to do.Will falls asleep after being reproached by Need and dreams of the coming of Antichrist. Conscience consults Kynde, Old Age, and Death. Though Will has become an old man, he manages to keep somewhat in good humor. His appearance has changed dra matically. He has become bald, deaf, toothless, and a bit incompetent due to his old age. During this last part of Piers Plowman, Will is confronted by the inevitable character named Death (3502- 3696). As Will’s time is coming to an end, he begs Kynde for him to spare him. Kynde advises Will learn what love is (3757) . This could be compared to what Holy Church told Will in the first section.Though Piers Plowman is a lengthy alliterative poem, it ends considerably curtly. Conscience vows to undertake another quest, this time to find Piers Plowman, and he calls upon Grace for help. Then the Dreamer simply wakes up and that is the end. I found that the ending lines of the poem had no emotion to it. I was not able to feel if Will felt like his total experience was positive or negative. Will’s attitude does seem to show the slightest bit of positivity as he learns to find what it means to be a Christian and learns the value of good morals. Piers Plowman is a series of jou rneys in a dream-like vision in search for answers.The narrator named Will goes from one higher authority to another. However, as the quests move along, the main point of the journey changes. The quest was originally to find how a Christian is expected to live, however, as time goes on it becomes about finding a way to do the best and be the best one can be (Daegman 273). When the poem finishes, Will is faced with yet another quest. this indicates to the reader that a Christian’s search for salvation is eternal (Daegman 273). Works Cited Burrow, J. A. The Ending Lines in Piers Plowman. Notes & Querles (2012). vol. 59 Issue 3, p 316-400. Academic Search Complete.Web. 9 Feb. 2013. Calabrese, Michael. Piers Plowman: A Parallel-Text Edition of The A,B,C, And Z Versions. Journal of English & Germanic Philogy. (2012): vol. 35 issue 12 127-130. Academic Search Complete. Web. 15 Feb. 2013. Deagman, Rachel. The Formations of Forgiveness in Piers Plowman. Journal of Medieval & Early Mo dern Studies (2010). vol. 40 issue 2 p. 273-97. Academic Search Complete. Web. 12 Feb. 2013. â€Å"William Langland† Encyclopedia Britannica. Britannica Online Web. 27 Feb, 2013 Greenblatt, Stepehn. â€Å"William Langland:Piers Plowman† The Norton Anthology English Literature vol. A. New York 397- 408.