The organizational culture for results Research Paper

The organizational culture for results - Research Paper Example The research revealed the existence of several cultures and subcultures in Widney Cabs Ltd that matched the theoretical models developed by both Schein in the three level of classification i.e. Assumptions, Values and Artefacts and Denison's classification that outlines four attributes namely: Involvement, Consistency, Adaptability and Mission. This study will evaluate and assess the different aspects of organizational culture that exist in Widney Cabs Ltd. The study examines these culture(s) and sub cultures in light of the relationship with models or classification from academic literature, existing knowledge and theories on organizational culture. Jacques (1951) defines organizational culture as the customary or traditional ways of thinking and doing things common to most members of an organization. There exists a significant level of formal knowledge on the subject of culture(s) and sub-cultures that exist in organizations and their effects on the organizational behaviour. Founders and leaders of organizations create these cultures, which are then developed and sustained by people. Organization's executives generate and impart the organization's ideals. They also promote the core values that convey inclination to certain behaviors or effects. Norms on the other hand express acceptable ways of achieving set goals. Studies have shown that the development of organizational culture requires interaction within the membership. (Louis, Posner, and Powell 1983). According to Schein (1985), there are three levels of culture,the basic being Assumptions that form the foundation of culture. Assumptions Espoused values Artefacts (Beliefs, thoughts) (Goals, strategies e.t.c) (Visible manifestations) Fig 1. These assumptions are unconscious beliefs, thoughts, perceptions, and feelings. Next to these are the espoused values that consist of goals, philosophies. Lastly are the artefacts, which are physical manifestations, which may not be obvious to a lay observer of organizational behaviour and process. Schein's model has had a wide acceptance and has in many ways allowed insight on culture. However the model raises some questions: Who is unconscious about these assumptions It is presumed that the researcher will be aware but not the organizational members. What happen to the presumption when the organizational members learn about the Assumptions It is important that leaders learn about the underlying links that hold artefacts; values and assumptions together so that they can better understand the usefulness of this model in creating positive organizational change. Research by John VanMaanan and Steven Barley (1984) shed some light on the nature of interactions. They found out that intera ction was "cognitive and behavioural". New personnel learn from the established workplace community the conventional occupational behaviours and practices that are acceptable across the board. In organizations

Arab Oil Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Arab Oil - Case Study Example The Egyptian and Syrian political leaders, President Anwar Sadat and President Assad had made their final decision to attack Israel on October 6, at 2:00 P.M. As a response to the decision of the Arab leaders, Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko began evacuating Soviet civilian personnel and their families from Egypt and Syria. The Soviet Union government headed by Leonid Brezhnev did not fully approve of the decision of these two Arab countries. Israel was headed by Golda Meir during the armed conflict. (Israelyan, 1995) The Yom Kippur, or Ramadan War, which started on October 6, 1973 was due to the frustration of the Arab countries with Israeli failure to evacuate occupied territories and to support UN resolutions. (Morse, 1999) These frustrations had been aggravated by persistent perceptions among Arab leaders that the United States was strongly supporting Israel in violation of the Arab situation. Prime Minister Assad of Syria informed the Soviet authorities that the Syrian and Egyptian leaders had decided to prusue a joint attack against Israel on October 6 at 2:00 P.M. This crucial decision had been made on October 4. Both countries had relied on the Soviet Union for understanding and support. (Israelyan, 1995) The combined military forces of Egypt and Syria attacked Israel during the Yom Kippur which was a religious holiday for Israelis, the Day of Atonement. On the Golan Heights, 150 Israeli tanks battled 1,400 Syria tanks and in the Suez area, about 500 Israeli soldiers faced 80,000 Egyptian soldiers. The Israelis were obviously outnumbered. However, the Israeli army called up reserves and engaged the two countries in strategic counter-offensive military actions. (Morse, 1999) Furthermore, the act of using oil as a weapon was enhanced by the efforts of the five Arab OPEC members on October 17 to enlist the support of the oil ministers of Egypt, Syria, Libya, Bahrain, and Syria in order through a Conference of Arab Oil Ministers. The meeting had a political purpose; the ministers mutually agreed on how to use the oil weapon to encourage the United States to re-examine its unwavering support for Israel and to force the evacuation of occupied territories. The outcome of the October 17 meeting was a resolution specifying the appropriate processes steps need to be taken. Nine countries signed the resolution. The members decided that the oil weapon would be deployed as follows: the nine signatory countries would decrease their oil production levels by at least 5 percent from the actual September 1973 levels. Then in the succeeding months, a similar reduction will be applied. The Arab countries will guarantee that friendly states will not be included in the redu ction.The oil production cuts would continue until Israel had moved out of the occupied territories and the basic and legal rights of the Palestinian people were upheld. The decision on the production cut was then changed on November in which the reduction of oil production were raised to 25 percent below the September level. This was to be followed by another round of 5 percent reduction in December. The different categories of oil-consuming countries were prioritized accordingly. First, the most favored countries would receive their full oil

US Airways Group - Putting It All Together Essay

US Airways Group - Putting It All Together - Essay Example In a market characterized by low-fares, high volumes, traditionally basic services such as in-flight meals and movie were included in the fare price but in today’s fierce operating environment airlines have resulted to charging extra for these services in an effort to offer the lowest selling price possible for the passengers. U.S. Airways is suffering from an image problem, where it is collectively viewed as one of the least admired corporations in its industry sector. In the Fortune 1,000: Most Admired Companies 2006, U.S. Airways received the lowest score out of ten of the major airlines in the U.S. Even in the 2011 Fortune survey with added competition from other major airlines out of the twelve companies surveyed only AMR received a lower score than U.S. Airways. Furthermore it has not improved in any of the attributes surveyed in the study (Cnn, 2011). It is clear that U.S. Airways needs to address its quality of service in order to increase its market share in the domestic market as well as successfully entering into the global airline market. The airline industry in general is very susceptible to external economic, legal and political factors which can deeply affect its day to day operations. The recessionary economic conditions in the domestic economy as well as internationally significantly affec ted the airline industry particularly in the years 2008-2009 where most major airlines reported operational losses. Price gouging and intense competition have been a defining characteristic of the industry ever since the deregulation of 1978. After the 2010 travel season with slight improvement in the domestic and global economy the airline industry has been able to bounce back maintaining full occupancy rates for its flights and has once again reached profitability (Yahoo, 2011). One of the biggest costs for any airline is the cost of fuel, so in general the industry is particularly vulnerable to fuel price increases (Datamonitor, 2011). Regardless, rising costs and the volatility of fuel prices has cut the average margin of the airline industry to only 2%.U.S. Airways as a whole needs to improve the customer satisfaction rate by improving their customer service, improving the quality of its services, and decreasing the percentage of delayed flights. They also need to improve the s peed of the boarding process in order to improve customer satisfaction. These are some of the things that U.S. Airways management needs to address in order to improve their market share and increase revenues. The airline industry has always been characterized for being a highly regulated industry with various federal agencies overseeing their operations from a safety and security standpoint. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is responsible for regulating and ensuring the overall safety of all civilian as well as commercial flights in the domestic airspace. All airlines operating in the domestically are subject to the rules and regulations of the FAA. The FAA has the authority to issue any directives or changes in procedures, including aircraft maintenance. For U.S. Airways the adequate planning and budgeting of enough cash reserves, manpower, airplane inventory and financial resources to meet with the changing operational demands of running a domestic and global airline must be factored in the strategic and contingency planning of the company. There is a high degree of complexity in the operation, maintenance and repair of commercial aircrafts. As a consequence there is a high level of added costs

The concentration of hydrochloric Acid Essay Example for Free

The concentration of hydrochloric Acid Essay There are many factors that have an affect on the rate of a chemical reaction. The speed of reaction means how fast the reactants change into the desired product. The consequence of this is that more of the products are made in a certain period of time if it has a high rate of reaction. Factors can only have two affects on a reaction making the reaction happen faster or slower depending on how it interferes with the reaction, the factors never change the outcome of the reaction, the final product. This ability to change the rate of the reaction enables us to control reactions and predict how changing variables affects the experiment. Rate of reaction = 1 _ Time Taken Reacting chemicals must either: Collide with each other.   Collide with enough energy to break the existing bonds. The energy required to break these bonds is called the Activation Energy (EA) There are four main factors that affect reaction these are:   Temperature   Use of a catalyst Concentration   Surface area Temperature. When the temperature is increased the reactant molecules move around faster with a greater amount of energy. This means there will be more successful collisions because it is the amount of energy in the molecules that determines whether a reaction is more successful. More successful collisions resulting in reactants get used up quicker resulting in the reaction time decreasing. Catalyst A catalyst affects the reaction rate by lowering the activation energy for the reaction. This means that more collisions are successful because it is easier to reach activation energy. A catalyst does not get used up during a reaction. It can then be used again, and again. Surface area Grinding up a solid into smaller chunks creates a larger surface area by making the surface area in contact with a liquid or a solid bigger Therefore more collisions can occur which increases the number of successful reactions thus speeding up the reaction. Purpose The purpose of this investigation is to determine how one of the above factors affects a reaction. So we choose only one variable. We were given 3 reactions to choose from, each allowing us to vary a certain factor. After careful consideration we came to the conclusion that due to lack of equipment we could not test catalyst, measuring temperature would be too difficult in the classroom because we could not control the classroom temperature very well it could change over the course of the experiment, and surface area would be difficult to calculate. So we opted for the concentration variable as it was easy to measure accurately the concentration of the reactants. There were three possibilities to choose from and these were: Choice 1. Hydrochloric Acid + Sodium Thiousulphate Sodium Chloride + Water + Sulphur Dioxide. HCl (aq) + Na2 S2 O3 (aq) NACl + H2O + S + SO3 Choice 2 Hydrochloric Acid + Magnesium Hydrogen + Magnesium Chloride HCl (aq) + Mg(s) H(g) + MgCl (aq) Choice 3 Hydrochloric Acid + Calcium Carbonate Calcium Chloride + Carbon Dioxide + Water HCl (aq) + CaCO3 (s) CaCl2 (aq) + CO2 (g) + H2O (l) Preliminary tests To help me decide which one to choose I decided to do some preliminary tests the First I did the reaction between Sodium Thiousulphate and Hydrochloric Acid. This test involved putting a considerable amount of Hydrochloric Acid into a clear beaker on top of a piece of plain paper with a (X) clearly marked in the middle of the glass beaker. Sodium Thiousulphate is then dropped into the solution and the reaction forms a cloudy solution and soon the liquid becomes opaque. The timer starts from when the Sodium Thiousulphate is dropped into the solution and is stopped when the (X) under the beaker is no longer visible. How fast the reaction is depends on how quickly the mark under the beaker is no longer visible. I decided this was not a viable or easily measure test. The measuring comes down to human judgement, which varies from person to person. It would have been possible to use light sensing equipment to accurately measure the time that it takes for the cross to become no longer visible. But as this equipment was not at my disposal I decided that this test would not be accurate enough for me to get a good set of precise results. The second preliminary was the reaction between Calcium Carbonate and Hydrochloric Acid. It involved putting Hydrochloric acid into a beaker and then adding the Calcium Carbonate in the form of larger chunks, the beaker would immediately be attached to a gas syringe, this piece of equipment that measures how much gas the reaction gives off in cm3. This meant we could accurately measure how much gas is given off from the reaction, giving us a precise value rather than estimation like in the first experiment. This experiment was a better possibility because a distinct value could be recorded; human judgement was not an issue which was one of the problems with the first experiment. Unfortunately surface area is the problem with this experiment, the marble chips were difficult to measure to ensure the size of the surface area accurately. This meant that this was constantly a variable but not a variable that we could measure accurately meaning that the experiment would either have unreliable results through estimating surface area or have unreliable results through having two variable factors. The final set of preliminary tests was the reaction between Magnesium and Hydrochloric Acid. This test was set up in a very similar manner as the experiment above, as the aim in both was to measure the amount of gas given off. In this case in was Hydrogen was the gas being given off. The reaction took place in a beaker which was in turn connected to a gas syringe, measuring the Hydrogen produced. The experiment allowed us to control each of the variables. Temperature could be controlled using a water bath as with preliminary test number two. The surface area of the magnesium was much easier to control than the Calcium Carbonate of the previous experiment, this was because the magnesium was in strip form instead of unevenly sized chips. The concentration of the Hydrochloric Acid was also easy to vary, using a burette enabled us to measure the amount of water and acid being put into the beaker. Because of this ability to control all the affecting factors I felt that the Magnesium + Hydrochloric Acid was the experiment that would provide the most reliable set of results. The use of a gas syringe meant that the results collected would be both precise and accurate, with minimum human judgement involved. After choosing to do this experiment I then conducted a further set of preliminary tests. I decided to keep the experiment roughly the same although I improved the method of measuring the magnesium strips because in my original preliminary I just cut them roughly equal sizes but in this preliminary I decided that I would use a ruler to ensure equal sizes this therefore would try and eliminate the factor of surface area so that I am only testing how the concentration affects the rate of reaction by having a similar surface area. Experiment Key 1. 0 Moles 12. 50 cm3 Hydrochloric Acid 12. 50 cm3 Water 1. 1 Moles 13. 75 cm3 Hydrochloric Acid 11. 25 cm3 Water 1. 2 Moles 15. 00 cm3 Hydrochloric Acid 10. 00 cm3 Water 1. 3 Moles 16. 25 cm3 Hydrochloric Acid 8. 75 cm3 Water 1. 4 Moles 17. 50 cm3 Hydrochloric Acid 7. 50 cm3 Water Test number one Moles 10 Seconds 20 Seconds 30 Seconds 40 Seconds 50 Seconds 60 Seconds 1Test Number two. Moles 10 Seconds 20 Seconds 30 Seconds 40 Seconds 50 Seconds 60 Seconds 2 Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Patterns of Behaviour section.

Finding the Root of the Problem of School Violence Essay -- Shootings

Finding the Root of the Problem of School Violence After shootings at Jonesboro, Ark, Paducah, Ky, Springfield, Ore, Pearl, Miss, and Littleton, Co, serious questions arise such as has school violence risen, and, if so, what can we do to fix it. The truth is, school violence is on a rise, and it can be attributed to factors such as disinterest in learning, the total preservation of the civil rights of the students at all costs, and the lack of power the teachers and administrators have to punish misbehavior. Solutions such as forcing school uniforms, voluntary learning, and peer mediation take a long time to implement and an even longer time to see visible results, but they are necessary to ensure our future in America as educated peoples. We must be careful, though, to not go overboard in creating laws such as the zero tolerance rule in order to keep our schools both safe and fair. In finding appropriate, working solutions to school violence, we first need to find the root of the problem. Does the accessibility of guns really play a major role in the problem? The answer is no, it does not. Putting up metal detectors, forcing mesh (see-through) backpacks, and hiring thousands of uniformed security guards will not solve the problem (Cloud 1). Finding a permanent, better resulting answer demands a closer look at where the problem starts. Kids are growing up these days with little or no real punishment compared to thirty years ago. Kids just do not respect the teacher’s authority anymore because parents, concerned for the civil rights of their children, make teachers go through a long litany of proceedings in order to punish a student (Toby 3). A hearing must take place during which accusations must be made fully supported by witnesses to these accusations to suspend a misbehaving student. Ideas such as â€Å"zero tolerance† are created to try and give power immediately back to the teachers, yet it only causes more problems. The zero tolerance punishes severely any violation of a law, no matter how small or large the infraction might be, in order to make an example (Skiba 3). This punishing just discourages most students. As one interviewed student said, â€Å"when they suspend you, you get in more trouble, ‘cause you’re out in the street†¦I got in trouble more than I get in trouble at school, because I got arrested and everything† (5). The ... ...related to factors such as disinterest in learning, the total preservation of civil rights of students at all costs, and the lack of power teachers and administrators have to punish students. We need uniforms, peer mediation, voluntary high schools, and a reconnecting of community and school in all schools in order to overcome the rising violence. It is up to everyone to do his or her own part in keeping peace, and making sure we implement these safeguards to help obtain and keep the peace. Bibliography: Works Cited Cloud, John, and Cathy Booth, et al. â€Å"What Can the Schools Do?† Time 3 May, 1999. Britannica.com. CD-ROM. Information Access. 15 Nov. 2000 http://www.britannica.com Lehrer, Jim. â€Å"Re: School Violence.† Online Posting. 22 April, 1999. Online NewHour. 16 Nov. 2000 http://www.onlinenewshour.com Skiba, Russ, and Reece Peterson. â€Å"The Dark Side of Zero Tolerance.† Phi Delta Kappan Jan. 1999. Britannica.com. CD-ROM. Information Access. 14 Nov. 2000. http://www.britannica.com Toby, Jackson. â€Å"Getting Serious About School Discipline.† Public Interest. Fall 1998. Britannica.com. CD-ROM. Information Access 15 Nov. 2000 http://www.britannica.com

‘’Reunion’’ by John Cheever

A. An essay analyzing the short story This essay is going to be an analysis and interpretation of the short story ‘’Reunion’’ by John Cheever. It will begin with a summary of the short story. Afterwards the plot, the conflict and the setting will be analyzed. Then I’ll move on to the characterization, the possible surprise ending and the theme and message. Finally I will draw parallels between the short story ‘’Reunion’’ and the essay ‘’Living With Strangers’’ by Siri Hustvedt. ‘’Reunion’’ is a short story about a boy called Charlie and his last interaction with his father.Charlie was travelling by train from his grandmother’s to a cottage his mother had rented. He would be in New York for about an hour and thirty minutes while waiting for the new train and therefore he wanted to meet his father. He hadn’t seen his father for three years and Charlie was exi ted to see the man he looked up to again. Because of the lack of time, they couldn’t go and see the father’s club, so they had to find a restaurant in the area. They went to four restaurants and they get more or less thrown out of all four. The father in this short story was either really drunk or/and very arrogant.In all occasions he talked down to waiters or behaved bad in one way or the other. In spite of his bad behavior they managed to get a ‘’Beefeater Gibson’’ at one place. It all ended with the father going up to a newsstand, again with a bad attitude, which was the final straw for Charlie who said ‘’Goodbye, daddy’’ and walked towards the station. That was the last time Charlie saw his father. This short story is one big flashback. The whole story is a flashback that concedes chronologically. It starts with a very short introduction in which Charlie just says ‘’The last time I saw my father was in Grand Central Station.’’, and from thereon he tells the story as a flashback.The conflict in this story is the high expectations from Charlie. Charlie admires his father very much, but when he meets him, he’s an arrogant and probably drunk jerk. Three years have gone, since they last saw each other and that is a long time. People can change a lot during three years and this is probably what also happened to the father or else Charlie just remembered him differently. The end shows that the conflict was too much to bear for Charlie as he says ‘’†¦that was the last time I saw my father. ’’.The reason why it was the last time they saw each other is probably because of the disappointment Charlie must have felt. Probably he doesn’t want to see his former ‘’hero’’ anymore, because he actually is a jerk. The setting takes places in New York City or more precisely around the Grand Central Station. Furt hermore it takes place in four restaurants and by a newsstand. It is most likely to take place in the last half of the 20th century. It was first published in 1962, but the scene could still take place today. The fact that Charlie’s parents are divorced also makes the story more modern, since that problem is very common nowadays.Back in that time where it was written it was unusual to be divorced, actually it was almost weird. Now let?s move on to the characterizations. Charlie is the main character and he’s probably a young boy. He lives with his mother, as his parents are divorced. His age is not mentioned, but in the text there is a line that makes him sound young: ‘’I knew that when I was grown I would be something like him’’. This makes the reader picture him as a child as he says ‘’when I was grown’’. But o the other hand later on he drinks alcohol with his father, which makes him seem to be almost a grownup.T o begin with, he looks very much up to his father, that changes and it all ends with him not wanting to be with his father and actually never wanting to see him again. During the story he doesn’t really say much. Of course he’s the narrator, but it is the father who leads the conversations. The father owns a club and has a secretary. He smells of ‘’†¦a rich compound of whiskey and after-shave lotion, shoe polish, woollens, and the rankness of a mature male. ’’. The fact that he smells partly of whiskey suggests that he had been drinking. His behavior could also verify that, as he behaved like an unstable person.He could also just be very, very arrogant as he almost feels that he is more than for example the waiters. He talks down to people and is generally very unpleasant. Neither his name or age is mentioned, but he might be in the mid-forties. The characters are directly told about by the narrator for example in this part of the text à ¢â‚¬ËœÃ¢â‚¬â„¢I smelled my father the way my mother sniffs a rose. It was a rich compound of whiskey and after-shave lotion, shoe polish, woollens, and the rankness of a mature male’’. He describes his father directly with a comment on his smell.It is called ‘’direct characterization’’ The father is a flat character – he remains the same throughout the story. He remains being a jerk, while Charlie is a round character as he develops throughout the story. At first he is excited to see his father again, but he ends up not wanting to ever see him again. We are dealing with a first person narrator, who in this story is the protagonist. The ending could be seen as a surprise ending since Charlie starts being excited to see his father but ends up saying ‘’Goodbye’’ and never wanting to see him again.On the other hand it isn’t really surprising, as the father throughout the story seems very unpleasant and may be even embarrassing to be around. It is a case of argument. The themes in this short story are love, father and son relationship, expectations, abuse of alcohol, disappointment (the grass isn’t always greener on the other side) and the hard word ‘’goodbye’’. The message here must be not to have too high expectations and that people change. Now it’s time to draw parallels between ‘’Reunion’’ and ‘’Living With Strangers’’. These two stories both take place in New York and they both touch the subject ‘’the meeting with strangers’’.In ‘’Living With Strangers’’ the narrator tells us about strange strangers, but in ‘’Reunion’’ Charlie’s father actually is the strange stranger. He marks the people he talks down to, with his boisterousness. They will maybe think back some time of the ‘’drunk/arrog ant jerk, who thought he owned the world’’. Generally these two stories show the two sides of a story. Another parallel could be the ‘’not making a big deal out of something’’. The waiters f. ex. don’t make a big deal out of the boisterousness, they just send Charlie’s father outside. That is the ‘’PRETEND IT ISN’T HAPPENING’’-rule.

Catcher in the Rye Essay on Holden’s Inconsistencies Essay

‘It is his inconsistencies that make Holden compelling as a character. ’ I completely agree with this statement, as Holden’s significant inconsistencies are what make him an insightful, genuine and compelling character. A world without inconsistencies would be very boring. As humans we are all drawn to the odd/ interesting things in life to some extent. This is why Holden is so compelling as a character; it is because he is different from the conformists of the world he lives in. As we can see in chapter 2 when Mr. Spencer says ‘life is a game boy. Life is a game that one plays according to the rules. We may think at first Holden thinks life is a game, however he believes the opposite, he is deathly serious about life, but he doesn’t accept the rules set before him by ‘phony’ adults. Another way that Holden is inconsistent with the world around him that makes him a compelling character is that he demands authenticity. For example in Ernie’s piano bar he believes Ernie is a ‘phony as he makes his music fake with trills and fancy technical display to impress the crowed (‘terrific snob’) As Holden demands authenticity he also doesn’t want art to be an occasion for egotistic exhibition. He thinks to himself, ‘I was surrounded by jerks. ’ Another inconsistency that makes him a compelling character is his hypercritical tendency to lie, however be always true to the reader: ‘im always sayin glad to’ve met you to some one I’m not at all glad to meet, if you want to stay alive you have to say that stuff though. ’ This quote also underscores his entire philosophy of life. He attempts not to keep himself alive but, but to keep the innocence of those around him. He also wants them to think he is really glad to meet them in order to preserve their innocence. Another example of many, is in the train talking to Morrows mother, he tells us, ‘her some was doughtless the biggest basted that ever went to Pency, in the whole crumby history of the school. ’ He tells her, ‘he adapts himself very well to things,’ and ‘he’s a very sensitive boy. ’ He concludes I’m the most terrific liar. ’ This quote sums up his hypercritical nature as he thinks liars are phonies. I feel that the inconsistency that makes him most compelling and empathisable is his attachment to Allie. The main cause of Holden’s depression and inconsistencies was Allie’s death. Through out the novel he talks about Allie very admiringly: ‘my brother Allie, the one that died was a wizard. ’ And,’ 50 times more intelligent,’ and,’ people with red hair are supposed to get mad very easily, but Allie never did. ’ Due to all this upraised talk about Allie in the past, it forces us to sympathize with him, which forges a relationship between Holden and the reader thus making him more compelling. Also, Holden’s subconscious battle between innocence and adulthood make him very interesting to the reader. Holden believes himself to be the protector of innocence. ‘ The catcher in the rye. ’ Which incorrectly derives its meaning from Robert burns’ song ‘comin thro the rye. ’ Which correctly interpreted is song about adultery and sex. Holden misinterprets the song as catching kid innocently running through a rye field about to fall off a cliff into adulthood. Holden is on the edge of this cliff, drawn to the adult world by sex but pulled back by Allie, as Holden connects him with innocence, and to lose his innocence would mean to forget Allie. We can see in chapter 13, this battle between adulthood and innocence that make him such an interesting character. In this chapter Holden is very keen to meet the prostitute: ‘put some water on my hair,’ he’ ‘tested to see if [his] breath stank. ’ He also, ‘brushed [his] teeth†¦ then [he] put on another clean shirt. ’ He said, ‘ I was started to feel pretty sex and all. It is obvious here that Holden is ready to lose his virginity and plunge into adulthood with no second thoughts. However his mind set changes when he realizes she is ‘young as hell. ’ His persona of the protector of innocence kicks in, ‘sexy was the last think I was feeling, I felt much more depressed than sexy. ’ Here his innocence overcomes adulthood and pulls him away from the cliff. Therefore it is Holden’s inconsistencies that make him such an interesting and compelling character to the reader.