Three ways to tame an out-of-control sentence

Three ways to tame an out-of-control sentence Three ways to tame wild sentences You dont have to work in a zoo, the circus or pest control to come face to face with a wild beast at work. Sometimes theyre found lurking in our writing. Sounds strange? Well, an out-of-control sentence can be a terrifying thing. Take this monster, based on a real-life example: I have attached a document to this report – ‘Marketing budget for 2016’ – which explains at length our new strategy, including why we are reducing spending on broadcast advertising, and the process of selecting partner agencies to work with in consultation with the CEO, and specialists within the marketing department. If you find yourself writing a sentence like this, you might end up feeling like you’re being attacked by your own creation. It’s frighteningly easy to get tangled up – and to make grammar and punctuation errors – when a sentence is 50 words long. The reader has it even worse. Long, complicated sentences are hard to follow, because they force the reader to keep track of several ideas at the same time while they wait for the full picture to emerge. Luckily, there are several ways to tame sentences that are starting to run wild. Here are three simple techniques that will have even the least domesticated sentences purring in your lap in no time. One sentence, one idea A sentence works best when it contains one idea. This means your reader has to take in only one thing at a time, making it easier for them to follow what you are saying. You may fear that this approach will dumb down your style – but it actually does the opposite. By ensuring each sentence contains just a single idea, you free up your reader’s energy to focus on your point, rather than on trying to keep track of your thought process. This is crucial if what you’re communicating is complicated or technical (or, dare we say it, a bit dull). It also makes your writing more powerful. If you string together several ideas in one sentence, they may each have less impact than if they were presented on their own. Take this example, which is based on a real-life letter to a customer: We are very sorry for the mistake that happened as we have a number of new staff working in sales, and regrettably one of them misunderstood the information given to them about our prices, and advised that we were offering a universal 40 per cent discount, when in fact this was a time-limited offer for existing customers. If we break down this sprawling sentence, we can see it contains three distinct ideas. They are: 1) We apologise for the mistake. 2) The mistake was caused by new staff misunderstanding our pricing. 3) The discount did not apply in this case. Now let’s apply the one-sentence-one-idea model: We are very sorry for quoting you the wrong price. This was because one of our new members of staff had misunderstood our pricing system. The 40 per cent discount you were offered in fact applies only to existing customers. This is clearer and has more impact. It also feels less like a rather rambling excuse, and more like a genuine apology and explanation. If it gets listy, put some bullets in it If you find that you’re weighing down the tail of a sentence with several related ideas, a bulleted list may help. For example, instead of writing: This document includes instructions on the program’s system requirements, how to use the program complete with screenshots, how to access the help file, whom to contact for more information, and licensing terms and conditions. you can split it into bullet points: This document includes: the program’s system requirements how to use the program (with screenshots) how to access the help file whom to contact for more information licensing terms and conditions. (If youre unsure how to punctuate bulleted lists, watch our short video that explains all.) Full stop them in their tracks Sometimes the simplest remedy is the best. If you find yourself agonising over whether to use a comma or a full stop, go for the full stop. Stringing together lots of ideas using commas often makes a sentence harder to read. For example: Thomas Atkins is the CEO of ACME Ltd, having founded the company in 1999, after seeing the low quality of widgets available at the time, responding with improved quality while charging the low prices ACME Ltd is still known for today. Splitting the sentence in two makes its ideas much more definite. First, the reader learns who founded the company. Then, why he did so: Thomas Atkins is the CEO of ACME Ltd, having founded the company in 1999. Atkins saw the low quality of widgets available at the time and responded by improving quality while charging the low prices ACME Ltd is still known for today. Even now, the second sentence remains a bit unwieldy. In cases like this, consider splitting it into even smaller units. This allows you to elaborate on each idea independently, in a way that would be unreadable as a single sentence. Thomas Atkins is the CEO of ACME Ltd, having founded the company in Bristol in 1999. Atkins was dissatisfied with the low quality of widgets available at the time, which were prone to breaking after a year’s use. So he dedicated himself to designing and producing better quality widgets, while charging the low prices ACME Ltd is still known for today. One. Last. Thing. We’re not suggesting that you eradicate commas and longer sentences altogether. Too many short sentences can give your writing a juddering, stop-start rhythm, which can be distracting for the reader. We recommend a maximum length of about 35 words for sentences – but below that limit, don’t focus too much on length. Instead, focus on the idea you want each sentence to communicate to your reader. You’ll find it much easier to write, punctuate and edit – and you’ll avoid unleashing any wild beasts. Image credit: Eric Isselee / Shutterstock

Summary of Readings Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Summary of Readings - Essay Example Regular prayers and devotions were part of the Christian religious processes for the welfare of the faithful and it was this formed the basis of the development of timekeeping technology and its dominance of our current capitalistic societies. It was not that time keeping was not there earlier, but the development of the clock as an expression of new timekeeping technologies removed the vagaries of nature that inhibit regulatory and order in the pervious time keeping technologies. Starting from the fourteenth centuries clock towers emerged in cities and towns to dominate life the life of their citizens (1). Other technologies may have come and may also lay claim to be all pervasive in human civilization, but there is no technology that has pervaded every niche of human presence and dominated the activities of humankind. The orderly punctual existence brought on by the mechanical clock is not in keeping with basic nature of humankind and yet, modern civilization remains a slave to the chimes of the mechanical clock. The regular chimes of mechanical time in seconds and minutes are in disharmony with the irregular nature of the human body, yet in modern civilization, basic human organic functions are controlled by this mechanical time. Humankind lives, works, and exists now in keeping with tunes of the tool of time keeping technology in the form of the time keeping clock (1). Biology in the Evolution of Technology In Chapter 3, History of the Seventh Kingdom in his book â€Å"What Technology Wants†, Kevin Kelly 2011, opines that the seventh kingdom of technology is not merely an invention of humankind, but has its origins in life itself, and continues to evolve as living organisms have done so from the time life dawned on planet Earth. The six kingdoms of living organisms have evolved and adapted over several hundred millions of generations in an unbroken link, and also learnt to build and evolve external structures. Structures to live in are the most commo n of these external structures. Such shelters of an animal are extension of the animal itself, and in this manner technology is the extension of humankind. This is visible in all the technologies developed and used by humankind, such as even the clothes that we wear. Technology in essence represents an external repository for human ideas (2). An evaluation of the evolution of human technology demonstrates a number of similarities with the evolution of genetic organisms. The manner in which a particular species of technology evolves over time is very similar to that of genealogical blueprint of species evolution, with the difference that in technology it is the expression of ideas and not the work of genes. Different branches of technology combine to create new products, just as evolution in organisms evolves through mating. Evolution in technology is parallel to evolution of nature. An example of this lies in the transformation of simple alphabets into books, which are the storehous es of human knowledge. This is similar to the transformation of DNA into cells and organisms (2). Yet there are differences too in the manner in which technology differs from living organisms. Organisms can be long-living while many technologies are short-lived. Innovations in organisms are passed down from parent down to the offspring vertically, while innovations in technology

Patch work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Patch work - Essay Example Additionally, the company uses marginal costing on sales/production basis to determine the cost of the variables whereas the fixed costs do not depend on the level of activity. This pitch will play a vital role to the investors in persuading them to finance the new product. Turnover measures the ability of a company to use its assets in generating sales (Wild, Bernstein &Subramayan, 2001). there are various turnover ratios that are useful to the investors which include accounts receivable turnover and inventory turnover. The accounts receivable turnover of 0.94 shows that Martez Company is more efficient in managing its credit policy thus eliminating the possibility of realizing bad debts. This is a good indicator to the investors as they are assured that their resources will not be lost to the debtors who refuse to pay. Another turnover ratio is the inventory turnover ratio which is a ratio that shows the efficiency of the company in selling its products so as to generate sales that is the number of times that the inventories are converted into sales within a year. An inventory turnover of 1.25 implies that the Martez Company is very efficient in converting the inventory at hand into sales and therefore more revenue will be generated as shown in the forecast. The investors will be interested to see this forecast of the inventory turnover so as to know the how efficient Martez is in generating revenues. Profit margin is a profitability ratio that shows how effective the cost of production is controlled in relation to distribution and administration expenses and also the financing cost (Eriotis, 2005). One way of measuring the value of the business by using the assets on the balance sheet (Meigs & Meigs, 1993). The total value of the assets on the balance sheet are regarded as the company’s investment and therefore showing the true value of the company. Martez Company has total assets amounting to

Human Resource Development studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Human Resource Development studies - Essay Example Hard skills are also known as technical/administrative skills that are necessary for an organizations success and overall operations. Hard skills are required for machine operators, computer administrators, safety officers and even financial procedures. Hard skills are easy to quantify, observe and even measure in an individual; moreover, they are attained through training and apprenticeship as opposed to soft skills which are acquired through life exposures and experiences (Wellington, 2005). Hard skills are easy to learn and acquire as they are physical skills that has no elementary background at the brains cell level. Soft skills are learnt as we grow, interact, do mistakes and get exposed to different life and work situations. Once incorporated and integrated into ourselves, soft skills cannot be replaced. This is because the brain cannot simply delete the behaviours and skills that we may feel are unnecessary. Acquiring these skills can also present a challenge once an individua l has grown and become so adept to his old practices. Human resource experts and managers have shifted their focus to soft skills as opposed to hard skills. This has resulted into a wide array of situations for the society, the employees and the employers. In this paper, the analysis of the impacts that this focus has created will be evaluated and critically discussed. Prominence will be given to the advantage of this new approach especially to the domestic and international human resource management and labour issues (Schulz, 2008). Impacts of emphasis on soft skills The increased demand for more employees with both the technical and hard skills has been attributed to the recent happenings in the business world. Competition has reached the highest level and organisations are striving to outdo each other in their innovativeness and good public relations. The growth in multinational companies and globalisation has also created another frontier for competition. The international marke t is more averse with technology and seeks quality and value in the services and products they seek to buy. All these have prompted human resource managers to develop new ways of promoting, recruiting and assigning responsibilities to their employees (Wellington, 2005). Technology intense projects have proved to have high failure rate when compared to projects that integrate the soft skills of the employees. Failure in any project that the organisation has invested a lot of resources, time and staff reduces the company’s competitive advantage and position in the market. This calls for individuals who can fuse both the hard skills that they posses to their soft skills to make them more viable and productive. The increasing competition in the job market and the increase in the number of fresh graduates and technical expertise have made it quite difficult to choose the best individual to engage (Riley, 2006). In an economy where the applicants have the same training, university academic staff and same graduate degrees, a new approach on how to choose new employees should be adopted. Human resource managers have in the recent past, resorted to sorting out the best employees based on soft skills as opposed to the hard skills. As all graduates will have the same technical skills,

Extended-Range Electric Vehicle

Extended-Range Electric Vehicle Abstract The main objective of this research is to extend the range of an electric vehicle  to cover a required distance with minimum usage of energy at least cost. This is  done by coupling an internal combustion engine to a generator which will charge  the batteries, when the charge level of the batteries comes down. Extended Range Electric Vehicle 1 Background Extended-range electric vehicles (EREV): Extended-range electric vehicles (EREV) are  the type of vehicles which run on electricity and a generator which is powered by either petrol or diesel. The generator is not used to run the vehicle whereas it helps in charging  the battery when charge goes less than 30%. The term extended range is used to indicate  that range of vehicle travel can be increased and this can be accomplished by using the  above method. [9] The normal electric vehicles are the ones which run only on the battery and when the  charge depletes, we need to _nd a charging point and need to wait until it gets fully  charged before continuing the travel. This type of vehicle is more suitable for short distance travel as this kind of vehicle will be having lesser range, when compared to other  vehicles which runs on fuel. The other kind of vehicles that are more recently being used is Hybrid vehicle. This is  powered by combination of petrol or diesel engine and a battery [10]. The propulsion  system will usually be of more than one type. When charge runs out of the battery the  internal combustion engine starts to work to power the vehicle and vice versa.   2 Literature Review 2.1 Introduction: The Extended Range Electric Vehicle (E-REV) is a unique kind of vehicle, where battery  and internal combustion engine required for propulsion are sized in a way such that the  engine will not be required for the vehicle operation when there is enough charge in the  battery. There is no need to start the engine for any power or speed requirement. The  only time the engine is used is to charge the battery when the charge depletes and becomes incapable of driving any further. [1] Electric motors are more e_cient when compared to internal combustion engine with  very high power-to-weight ratios which provides required torque when driving over a  wide speed range. On the other hand internal combustion engines are e_cient when it  operates at a constant speed. The working of internal combustion engine is more complicated when compared to electric motor [8]. The main advantage of using E-REV is the  fuel consumption is saved as very little fuel is used to charge the battery. The bene_t  is to both the people and society as running cost is reduced and on the other and the  pollution from the vehicle is minimized. The main problem with the fuel powered vehicles is the energy consumption is high. Energy production worldwide is growing annually by 2% as the demand is increasing due  to population growth and industrial activities. In this situation Electric Vehicles provide a very good means of transportation. And still  we dont prefer electric vehicles because of their poor range, even the best electric scooters  having a range of only 40km in real world conditions. This is one of the main disadvantages of electric vehicles/ scooters. In the present year due to depletion of fossil fuels,  electric vehicle provide a clean mode of transportation. Since, these vehicles soul utilizes  electricity for the transportation purpose, need of fossil fuel derivatives like gasoline and  diesel are avoided. [3] But battery operated vehicles (electric vehicles) have an uncertainty with respect to the  distance travelled for a given charge level (range). In most of the cases the charge may  not be su_cient to cover the desired distance which will fail the objective. The main objective of EREV is to achieve larger distance with minimum usage of energy  at least cost by taking electric scooter as a source. The solution will go like this- Coupling  an Internal Combustion (IC) Engine to a generator (mobile type) which will charge the  batteries, when the charge level of the batteries comes down. So while travelling, if the  charge level comes down, IC engine will be turned ON and generator will charge the  batteries until _nding a plug in source. [7] In this IC engine is coupled with a Permanent Magnet Direct Current (PMDC) motor  (which acts as a generator) and the whole set is mounted on the foot board of the electric  scooter. Connections are made between the generator and batteries through a charging  circuit (to avoid load uctuation). In this _rst IC engine (Petrol/Kerosene run, 3000 rpm, and 1.1 kW) is mounted on the  foot board of an electric scooter. It can also be fabricated and placed under the seat, if  the engine is small and portable Then Flywheel of IC engine is connected to a PMDC Motor (60V, 5 amps @3000 RPM),  the power developed at the ywheel was coupled to the PMDC Motor through the V  Belt drive and a rated power output of 300 W (60V x 5A). The connections were given to the batteries through a charging circuit which helps in  developing the required current levels. Here 4 x 12V series connected batteries need to  be charged which requires 1.2 x 48 which is equal to 57.6V and hence 60V PMDC Motor  is used. And this is because of voltage drop on application of load. 2.2 Scope: Improved e_ciency(RANGE) Increased energy security Decreased Emissions Reduced travel costs Engine can be detached for shorter distance Petroleum used is less 2.3 Some of the challenges are: Charging time is more [2] Measuring fuel economy is di_cult need of extra space in the vehicle Limited weight carrying capacity Needs more space for the engine Initial high investment Contents Features Range 40-50 Kms Top speede 40Km/hr Charging Time 4-6 hours Brakes 4 meter braking distance Motor type Permanent magnet synchronous motor Motor driving power 500W Battery Sealed lead acid, 12V 17Ah in series 2.4 Components Of Extended Range Electric Vehicle: Fig-2.1 Components of E-REV There are two operation modes: the pure electric vehicle (EV) mode and the range extended electric vehicle mode. For daily short-distance travel, the vehicle operates in pure  battery EV mode without the range extender. At weekend, you can assemble the range  extender on the EV for a long distance travel. The generator set is controlled with constant speed and its output is constant voltage  and frequency, such as 220V, 50Hz. The output of the generator set is connected to the  interface of the charger. Unlike a conventional generator set, this generator set provides  rated output by controlling the output current of the charger. This ensures that the generator set works at the highest e_cient point and has a low emission. The battery can  also be charged by the charger with a household outlet or fast charged at charging station.   Percentage of EV mode driving determined by total distance driven beyond vehicles all electric range 35 miles of each segment would be driven in EV mode if: All charging events end with a full battery Vehicles EV mode range is exactly 35 miles Of course EV mode operation varies based on charging duration, power level, battery  state of charge at beginning of charge, driving style, conditions, etc.[6] 2.5 Distance between charging events v/s Percentage of vehicles: It is very important to note that about 32% of Electric vehicles o_er a range or distance  covered per charge of about 40-45 kms. To cover any distance beyond the normal range, the Electric vehicle has to be charged  once again using a Plug-In source which is the main drawback of the electric vehicle which  is need to be recti_ed. 2.6 Ending State Of Charge (SOC) v/s Percentage of charging units: From the below graph it is inferred that about 90% of the recharging event happens at  home location, meaning that if the range of Electric vehicle is about 40km, then they end  up in home before completing 40km to recharge. This is one of the biggest disadvantages which hinder the use of Electric Scooter.[6] 2.7 Charging Circuit Speci_cations: 12V Battery Maximum voltage for charging is 14.5 Volts Charging Current Maximum charging current should not exceed 10% of maximum A/H  capacity of Battery. Example: For 100AH Battery 10% = 100/10= 10A. In the experiment 12V / 17AH battery is used. Maximum Charging Current I = 17/10 = 1.7 A. Minimum Charging Voltage V = 2.35 V /Cell x 6 = 14.10 V This means for four batteries, = 14.10 x 4 = 56 V 2.8 Outcome: First, the cost required to travel 80 kms in a gasoline scooter is calculated for which  cost comes around AUD 6. Next Conventional Electric scooter for which the experiment is conducted took  about AUD 1 (Cost of Current) to cover the same distance. The main disadvantage is to _nd the plug-in source after the use of _rst charge  which is about 40kms. Then covering 80kms in a single stretch is not possible. Then Extended Range Electric Scooter is used and the cost came around AUD 2  to travel the same distance. Here it runs as an electric scooter for _rst 40km and once the charge is empty, then  the IC Engine-PMDC Motor setup is switched on mechanically to travel the next  40km. 2.9 Features of the electric scooter: Power Consumption: One Unit (for complete charge). Safe speed and easy to drive. Low maintenance cost. 2 seater vehicle (The vehicle is designed to carry a maximum payload of 130 kgs.) For shorter distance engine can be removed and can run only on electricity. 3 Methodology Fig-3.1 Electric scooter with Range Extender STEP 1: Mounting an IC engine (Petrol/Kerosene run, 3000 rpm, and 1.1kW) on the  foot board of an electric scooter. STEP 2: Flywheel of IC engine is connected to a PMDC Motor. STEP 3: The power developed at the ywheel was coupled to the PMDC Motor through  the V Belt drive. STEP 4: The connections were given to the batteries through a charging circuit which  helps in developing the required current levels.   STEP 5: When the charge indicator shows charge is less, IC engine will be turned ON  mechanically. STEP 6: PMDC Motor will produce electricity to maintain the battery level until _nd-ing a plug in source. STEP 7: The power developed from the engine generates electricity through the PMDC  motor and charges the batteries through the Charging Circuit. The charging circuit  charges the batteries at the rate of 3 A. STEP 8: The Scooter will be tested for the improved range. 4 Conclusion and Summary Based on the tests carried out to extend the range of the electric scooter as explained in  the previous chapter and within the scope of this investigation the following conclusions  have been drawn. 1. Initially the Electric scooter runs on Battery charge completely and when the charge  is low, the IC engine runs the scooter by charging the batteries simultaneously.   2. The range of electric scooter is e_ectively increased by using IC Engine PMDC  setup through the charging circuit. 3. The range of Extended Range Electric Vehicle(E-REV) is comparatively more than  the conventional Electric vehicles. 4. On conducting tests with varying some of the parameter following observations is  made: When input current(amps) to the charging circuit increases, the time taken to  charge the batteries decreases. 5. On the basis of comparison between the results obtained of Extended Range Electric Vehicle(E-REV) and conventional Electric Scooter it is clear that the distance  covered per charge is comparatively more for E-REV. References [1] Extended-range electric vehicles (E-REV)  https://www.goultralow.com/more-about-electric-cars/types-of-vehicles/range-extended/ [2] Beginners guide to electric cars The Charging Point  http://www.thechargingpoint.com/beginners-guide.html/ [3] Techsplanations: Extended-Range Electric Vehicles  http://www.autoblog.com/2013/12/20/extended-range-electric-vehicles/ [4] Low-noise range extender dispels battery runtime angst  http://www.rheinmetall-automotive.com/en/products/range-extender/ [5] Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs)  http://www.ieahev.org/about-the-technologies/plug-in-hybrid-electric-vehicles/ [6] Research gate  http://www.researchgate.net/_gure/279853330-_g5-Figure-5-Distribution-of-distance-driven-per-vehicle-day-on-days-when-the-vehicle-was [7] Hybrids explained: Mild v Full v Plug-in v Extended Range Electric Vehicle  http://www.caradvice.com.au/279850/hybrids-explained-mild-v-full-v-plug-in-v-extended-range-electric-vehicle/ [8] Electric Cars: De_ning Battery-Electrics, Plug-In Hybrids, Range-Extended  http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098066-electric-cars-de_ning-battery-electrics-plug-in-hybrids-range-extended-more/ [9] Extended Range Electric Cars (E-REV) Doing away with Range Anxiety  http://www.thegreenage.co.uk/extended-range-electric-cars-doing-away-with-range-anxiety/ [10] Electric vehicle range https://www.ergon.com.au/network/smarter-energy/electric-vehicles/electric-vehicle-range/

America Must Destroy the Terrorist Networks Essay -- Terrorism War Ter

America Must Destroy the Terrorist Networks   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When one hears the word â€Å"terrorism,† a thought of a bombing, an explosion, a gunshot, or a hi-jacking comes to mind. How do individuals and organizations justify these acts of terror? These acts can be described as terrorist actions. Terrorism is defined as the unlawful use of force or violence against persons or property to achieve certain political, economical, or social aims.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When I heard about terrorists hijacking airplanes full of civilians and flying them into the World Trade Centers in New York, the Pentagon, and a rural field in Pennsylvania, I didn’t know what to think of all this. It came with no warning, no declaration of war, no goals or sense to these attacks. No one had the courage to claim responsibility for the attacks. But I knew the US would respond with great perseverance and endeavor to remove the scourge of such terror from the world.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I was overwhelmed with sadness and sorrow for the fallen and for their families. The terrorists took from their victims all that they have ever been and all that they ever will be. They left thousands of husbands and wives bereft of their spouse. They took away a parent or parents from thousands of children. They ended the hopes of families to have subsequent generations. They killed off family names, dreams, and futures. They have left parents and grandparents grieving to see their children and grandchildren die before them. They destroyed the lives and ...

Australia Short Stories

A Gentleman’s Agreement by Elizabeth Jolley, The Drover’s Wife by the Henry Lawson and The Kangaroo by Eve Sallis are three short stories that all convey a strong sense of Australian identity which contrasts to stereotypical gender roles. At the heart of each of these short stories is a brave independent woman protecting their families. Landscape is represented differently in each short story but it is used to compliment the strong women in A Gentleman’s Agreement, The Drover’s Wife and The Kangaroo. Elizabeth Jolley’s A Gentleman’s Agreement, tells the story of a working class single mother who fools a rich doctor into letting her and her family live on his land for the rest of their lives. There is almost a complete reversal of stereotypical gender roles; as usually it is men who are the decision makers and manipulators in society but in this story it is the woman. The title of A Gentleman’s Agreement, portrays the mother (who is the protagonist) as smooth talking businessperson. Although she is poor she is very intelligent, independent as well as being a very caring person. She even takes advantage of the rich by letting her poor neighbours into the luxury apartments she cleans. ‘While these people were away at their offices or on business trips†¦ We had wedding receptions and parties in the penthouse and the old folk came in to soak their feet. ’ There is no dominant male figure in the family, so the only provider and carer for the children is the mother, although she does have a lazy, rude son who can’t keep at one job. The mother represents one type of well loved Australian identity, that is battler, the underdog who is at first disadvantaged, who succeeds in the end. If the read the text is read for a gendered reading she also represents clever, determined woman who can successfully look after her family without a man. Australian landscape is represented as a sanctuary for the family in The Gentleman’s Agreement, it makes them happy and brings them closer together as a family. ‘We lost my brother and then suddenly we saw him running and running and shouting, his voice lifting up in the wind as he raced up the slope of the valley. ‘I do believe he’s laughing! He’s happy! Mother just stared at him and she looked so happy too. I don’t think I ever saw the country look so lovely before. ’ The relationships in the family are strengthened by their surroundings in the countryside. The landscape is represented as a beautiful release with its peaceful nature that helps the family forget their problems of the past and brings out the best in each of them. In contrast to landscape being represented as a sanctuar y; is the landscape in Eve Sallis’s The Kangaroo which is represented as harsh and alien. The family in this short story are Arabic and unfamiliar with the Australian bush. On their trip to see relatives in Berri, they have a rather strange encounter with an iconic Australian animal, a kangaroo. The kangaroo was incredibly vicious, ‘The kangaroo turned to face him, rose high above his head and grabbed him from behind the neck with a huge black fist, sinking black claws into his nape. ’ The kangaroo is represented as almost evil and is a threat to the family which is stopping them from getting to where they want to go. This could be symbolic of the Australian government being a threat to immigrants and not letting them through to our country. The kangaroo represents an obstacle that the family must overcome and Zeen is the character who overcomes it. She is another brave and determined woman who wants to protect her family. Although at the start of the story she seems quite superficial wearing ‘patent leather stilettos’ and ‘Candy Frost’ lipstick , she fights hard to save her husband who cannot fight off the kangaroo, which is another reversal of gender roles, the woman being stronger physically then the man. Although Zeen may not have been born in Australia she still represents the type of Australian identity that is in A Gentleman’s Agreement, an independent women who overcomes a struggle to do what is best for their family. Another short story with a strong sense of Australian identity is The Drover’s Wife by Henry Lawson. Although the drover is the head of the family, he is absent so his son Tommy tries to protect his family when they find a snake outside their house but his mother is the one who stays up all night in case the snake comes up through the cracks in the floor, to protect her children. The Drover’s wife is the real hero of the storey, although she is isolated and lonely she puts up with living in the bush for husband’s sake even though she rarely sees him. The drover’s wife has to take care of her children and cope with disasters without a man to turn to but she always seems to rise above the struggles and maintains dignity in the midst of chaos. Even when she is reduced to tears, she laughs when she pulls out her handkerchief and pokes herself in the eye because it is so tattered. The drover’s wife tries to maintain a positive outlook so her children aren’t upset, although she may sometimes feel lonely she sacrifices her own happiness to take care of them, in the bush where her husband can support them. Although the landscape can be represented as overwhelming and isolating in The Drover’s Wife. ‘Bush all around – bush with no horizon, for the country is flat. No ranges in the distance. The bush consists of stunted rotten apple trees. No undergrowth. Nothing to relieive the eye†¦ Nineteen miles to the nearest civilisation. The repition of bush is used to show how similar the bushland looks and how it seems to be everywhere. In this depiction Lawson describes the bush in a way which makes it seem terribly ugly and harsh. But this representation of the bush also adds to the representation of Australian identiy, that the woman has overcome the bush, to care for and protect her family no matter what. The Drover’s Wife, A Gentleman’s Agreement and The Kangaroo, are three short stories which depict a sense of Australian identity in that stereotypical gender roles have been reversed and in the characterisation of the brave women in each story. They are all incredibly strong and independent as they are doing what is best for their families. Landscape is represented differently in each story (harsh and beautiful) but the landscape in all has in some way helped contribute to the battle each woman has overcome in the short stories. The Australian identity of strong women is very relevant to Australia to today and will hopefully continue to be a huge part of Australian identity in the future.