What Is Ballfield Dirt Made From

Theres one out in the bottom of the first inning with a man on first base. The pitcher eyes the runner inching away from first. As he turns and throws a low curveball to the plate, the runner sprints for a second. The catcher is up with the ball and makes a strong throw, the runner slides under the infielders glove and is called safe in a cloud of dust. The crowd roars approval. The groundskeeper frowns. Thats too much dust. Runners and fielders sprint, brake, slide, and fall on the infield dirt through all nine innings. All of them rely on it for good footing. Fielders expect batted balls to bounce true on it. Each segment of the infield skin, as its called, has special problems and particular solutions. Maintaining it demands skilled hands and a geotechnical awareness. Ballfield Dirt Ingredients Ordinary soils contain organic matter and are too crumbly for sports. Ballfield dirt is a blend of water and three grades of sediment: sand, silt, and clay. Clay is mineral particles smaller than 2 micrometers, or 0.002 mm; it is plastic when wet and solid when dry. Clay furnishes strength and holds moisture. Sand (0.05 to 2 mm) and silt (0.002 to 0.05 mm) soften clays hardness and allow moisture in and out. Infield Skin The base layer of an infield skin is 10 to 15 centimeters thick and consists of 60 to 80 percent sand, 10 to 20 percent clay and the remainder silt. Given the right moisture content, this material delivers Traction—shoes dont slip or catchPlayability—balls bounce trueResilience—the ground gives when a players body strikes it A top layer of loose conditioning material, a centimeter or so thick, keeps cleats from sticking in the clay and allows players to fall safely and slide under control. It also shades the underlying soil and improves drainage in case of rain. A conditioner is made by calcining clay, roasting it at about 600 to 800Â °C to drive out the water chemically locked in the mineral. The clay expands into a lightweight, hard granular material. Also used is vitrified clay, roasted at a higher temperature and similar to the material in bricks and tiles. Finally, there is calcined diatomite, which is a nearly pure microscopic silica. The Pitchers Mound The mound and batting areas take a beating from players who dig in with their cleats, so these areas use a stronger mixture with a high clay fraction. Actual unfired bricks, 80 percent clay or more, are commonly used to build up these areas with a thin layer of infield mix on top. Watering Ballfield Dirt Daily water is the key to good ballfield dirt. If the field is too dry or too wet, it affects the quality of play and can even lead to injuries. The crew that sprays the infield before the game has already watered it several times that day. They will water it again when the game is over, or first thing the next morning. The ground can never dry out or the infield skin must be rebuilt. Watering has to take into account the regions climate, the weather that day, the presence of clouds or shadows, the wind, and even the style of play the team favors. Drainage is important for an infield skin, but not the way you might think. The clay content of infield mix does not let water percolate through it quickly; instead, the field is built with a slight slope, less than 1Â °, to direct rainwater off to the side. Maintaining Ballfield Dirt Before a game, the grounds crew loosens the upper part of the soil to soften it and prepare it for watering. They also rake and level the infield skin, then add top dressing as needed. They repeat this during the game to maintain consistent playability. If rain delays affect the game, the crew covers the infield with tarps to keep excess moisture from the skin. Afterward, they may need to remove puddles. A fine-grained calcined conditioner works for this purpose. A product made of ground corncobs is also used, but that is raked up before resuming play. The crew may also sometimes need to restore the mound or batting areas with fresh clay. Groundskeepers test their dirt every season, measuring its grain-size profile. They may have a soil lab do this work, though its basically a low-tech job involving screens, water, and beakers. But observing the soils behavior under different moisture conditions cannot be outsourced, and good groundskeepers are constantly in touch with the players and coaches as well as with the dirt itself. Umpires Mud Lets not forget the umpires. Before every game, they open a bag of regulation baseballs and rub the gloss off them using Major League Baseballs official rubbing mud, a brown, nearly pure silt from a New Jersey streambed. See the photos for my tests on this material. The true baseball fan can purchase dirt from Chicagos hallowed Wrigley Field, encapsulated in metal and accompanied by a handsome photo. Just the thing to hold as you root one more time for the Cubs.

Iago as the Perfect Villain of Shakespeares Othello Essay

Iago as the Perfect Villain of Othello Iago, the villain in Shakespeare’s Othello, is a round character of great depth and many dimensions. Iago works towards an aim that is constantly changing and becomes progressively more tragic. Yet, at times, honest Iago does actually seem honest. This essay will explore the complex character of honest Iago. One of the most interesting questions that crops up is concerning Iago’s motives. What are his reasons to kill every major Venetian in Cyprus? Shakespeare seemingly sets the stage for Iago’s actions, giving him two distinct reasons to avenge Othello. The first is the fact that Othello promotes Cassio, an arithmetician to the rank of lieutenant and passes over Iago who is but a†¦show more content†¦Shakespeare portrays Othello as the general without faults, perfect. Yet, he slowly reveals the weaknesses of Othello’s love for Desdemona. For this love he will forsake anything. Iago is quick to pick on this and starts working towards destroying Othello through his only shortcoming. Iago uses a gamut of devious methods to achieve his means. His use of Roderigo is a masterly move. From being a Venetian gentleman, Roderigo becomes Iago’s gull. In the very first scene he gets him to confront a sleepy Brabantio and give him the news of his daughters escapades with the Moor. At the end of the court scene in the first act, Iago and Roderigo are left alone with the poor doting lover in great despair. Roderigo takes a decision to drown himself. Iago easily convinces him out of it by pointing out Othello’s shortcomings. Says he, She must change for youth: when she is sated with his body, she will find the errors of his choice. This satisfies Roderigo and Iago’s hate starts taking definite shape: I hate the moor, And it is thought abroad, that ‘twixt my sheets He’s done my office. This is of course, unlikely and serves only as a justification for his evil. In Cyprus, Iago designs a brawl with Cassio and Roderigo by having the latter insult the former while they are drunk. This, of course, results in Cassio’s dismissal by Othello but it far from satisfies Iago. He then in turn advises Cassio on how to regain hisShow MoreRelated Honest Iago of Shakespeares Othello Essay798 Words   |  4 PagesHonest Iago of Othello   Ã‚  Ã‚   To most of the world William Shakespeare is recognized as the greatest dramatist in history.   His plays have been performed for centuries through various interpretations.   Shakespeares vast knowledge, and writing style made his works interesting for both the intellectual, and the illiterate.   One of these styles is the use of motifs, which is seen extensively in Othello.   An important example that runs throughout Othello, is Iagos honesty.   This motif gaveRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Othello And The Existence Of Power1110 Words   |  5 PagesShakespeare displays the presence of power in his work of Othello wielded by his mastermind of a character, Iago. Throughout Shakespeare’s play, the existence of power results in a tragedy for the characters of Othello. 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Even though Iago’s personality and thoughts are revealed less in MacDonald’s Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet)Read MoreNature of Evil in Othello1704 Words   |  7 PagesThe Nature Of Evil In Othello The Nature of Evil in Othello William Shakespeare’s Othello uses different and unique techniques in his language to express the nature of evil throughout the play. Verbal twists and the characters most importantly stress the act of evil. Iago, most of all is portrayed as the â€Å"villain† or â€Å"protagonist in the play. Shakespeare uses this character to set the basis of evil. 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Ecostore Sustainability Management Analysis

Question: Discuss about the Ecostore Sustainability for Management Analysis. Answer: Introduction: Management Analysis is that section of the Annual Report in which a firm analyzes its own performance till now. The elements that have played a crucial role in the companys success are discussed in detail and even an analysis of future strategies is done. The future years are discussed by defining upcoming goals and approaches to new projects. Ecostore was started by a New Zealand Couple, Malcolm Rands with his wife Melanie, in the year 1993. The couple was engaged in sustainable and organic gardening practices on their property, but still their products were affected by chemicals and fertilizers. This fact gave birth to the concept of Ecostore (Independent News Media, 2016). The store is known to source healthier and organic products which are entirely free from chemicals. At the initial level, the company was launched as a small mail-order business supplying green everyday household products. While delivering such services the firm promises that its products would work just well as the mainstream brands. The prime aim of the store is to consider the Health of its customers above everything else and this has helped the firm to attract and retain a number of loyal customers. Due to numerous benefits attached to the products, the customer base for the company grew rapidly which made the Rands family to shift in Auckland an open a Retail store in Freemans Bay. The company offers around 100 products in New Zealand and has dominated around 900 supermarkets in Australia. Also operates in Hong Kong, New York, Singapore and Korea (Soo, 2011). Importance of the company to the Australian and International Landscape: As year by year, the importance of the preservation of the environment is growing, Companies with an idea of Go Green are becoming famous. When the Ecostore as moving from New Zealand to Australia, it was unveiled that the Australian Landscape was quite different from the former one. The Australians are more environmentally aware than the Kiwis and even have a strong leaning towards the companies that manufacture ethical products. Hence, the primary goal of the company to serve healthier products to the customers has helped it to gain the confidence of a number of loyal customers. Even an increment in the number of sustainable businesses in Australia has made the country to rank among the most eco-friendly nations across the globe. This in turn has attracted a number of foreign investors towards Australian markets (Katz, 2014). At the international level, the company has helped in improving the economic status. For instance, such companies are said to use the most conservative for of energy which has low production cost. So the nations are able to cut the prices on energy production. Even the pollution at the Global level is reduced as these companies do not contribute in waste production and carbon emission levels (Business Review Australia, 2014). Sustainability Practices of Ecostore: Ecostore is committed to sustainability. The products produced at the companys plants are safer for the customers as well as for the planet. The production process does not involve any cruelty towards animals and is even safe for the septic tanks and Grey water use. The products are also free from usage of any nasty chemicals that are harmful to mankind when used for a prolonged period. The company believes to grow its own herbs and other food items. This practice is not only better for health, but also helps in cutting down the grocery bills. Production own food items also help in decreasing the pressure of the overworked global food system in order to address the food requirements of the increasing population (Ecostore Company Limited, 2016). For the environmental sustainability, the company through its products and product packaging tries to keep the waste levels at the minimum. In this case, the company has tried to replace the plastic packaging with other bio- degradable materials which does not contribute in the pollution level of the environment. Role of Organizational Behavior at the Company: Organizational Behavior means the way in which individuals and groups interact within and towards the organization. In the Ecostore, like all the other organizations, Organizational Behavior aims to help managers and supervisors of the company in a number of ways. The elements of this behavior study the human behavior within an organization. Organizational Behavior elements also clarify the factors that affect the managing powers of the senior executives. For instance, if the employees are receiving good ambience at the workplace, they tend to deliver the best services. In such a case, it becomes easy for the managers to manage the satisfied workforce without any issues (Frederick, 2014). The managers, using elements of Organizational Behavior, studies the attitudes and behavior of the workforce towards the organization and evaluate the best ways to manage and change them. The organizations internal working is also influenced by the external factors present in the markets. So, the or ganizational behavior also plays a pivotal role in identifying these factors and their good and bad influence on the operations of the firm. To provide the employees, a job structure that is a pure amalgamation of satisfaction, challenges and rewards, the managers adopt the approach of effective Organizational Behavior measures and succeed in building a loyal relationship with the employees (Robbins, 1996). HRM Practices: The company is committed to deliver environmentally sustainable products in the markets and as the firm thinks quite high for the sustainable practices, hence it emphasizes a lot on social sustainability too. In this reference it has succeeded in developing a set of good Human resource Management practices. The executives of the firm collaborate with the other leaders in the company to clarify the departments strategic direction by articulating the Vision, Mission and Value Statements. The leaders in the firm also perform a pivotal role in establishing a strategic linkage and integrating the HR programs through HR plan. This integration helps in better implementation of the HRM activities over the employees and the latter are thought to be more benefitted by its elements (CSB Gov., 2012). The HRM practices are said to improve the competencies of the workforce so that they can perform in a better manner and prove as a useful asset for the firm. If the manager introduces a number of incentives and perks in the reward policies of the company then it motivates the working staff towards delivering best services. The efficient HRM activities also include a number of training and skill-development sessions through which there is an establishment of a good service culture in the workplace and innovations tends to rebuild in the presence of a skilled workforce (Laursen Foss, 2012). Role of International Business: The concept adopted by the Ecostore is trending at the global level too, and hence this gives an opportunity for the firm to expand into International markets. International Business is important to Ecostore as they give the domestic business a chance to access new markets and satiate different sets of consumer tastes (Cavusgil, et al., 2007). The Globalization concepts and approaches have allowed a number of firms to compete with businesses around the world and gain a new experience in the marketing fields. The only recommendation over this expansion for the company is to have a deep knowledge about taking a good advantage of the opportunities of international business so that Ecostore continues to receive good advantages of the services offered. Another notable role of the International Business is that it helps in determining the strengths of a Nations Economy as it highly depends on the quantity of Imports and Exports to and fro from the international marketplace. The other common benefits of the International Business to the considered firm are helps in meeting the imports of industrial requirements, natural resources are used profitably, numerous employment opportunities are generated in the foreign markets, the image of the producer as well as of the nation is improved in the eyes of the foreign customers, and the overall living Quality and Standard of the Consumers are raised. Role of Technology Management: In the modern era of business, selling something entirely natural is quite tough. The Ecostore has entered a market in which, if gaining customer attraction is easy then losing them is easier too. But, as Technology amalgamates with the firms operations, then this latter part is eliminated to a great extent. The problem arises in the management of the Technological elements installed in the firms operation. Technology management, when defined in its purest form, is a set of disciplines that allows the entrepreneurs to manage its technological elements and attain a competitive advantage over the other rivals of the same genre present in the domestic as well as the foreign markets (Vienna International Centre, 2001). As the company highly relies on the technological reformations for stability and continuous increment in its success rates, so it is quite crucial to manage its Technology strategically. If not managed well then there are possibilities, then the company might face a huge loss in the coming future. Technology Management aims at maximizing the cost effectiveness of the capital invested in the Technological developments and thus adds to the companys value. A well managed technological element allows the crucial information to flow at the required pace within an organization and thus each and every participant of the company remains connected with one another. If Ecostore Executi ves succeed in managing its technological aspect in a good manner, then the firm will definitely improve on its operations and have a reduction in the operational costs too (Larosiliere, et al., 2013). Analysis of Entrepreneurship and innovation: The founders of the Ecostore are Malcolm Rands and his wife Melanie. They started this venture as a small business in an eco-village in New Zealand in the year 1993. At the initial level, the company was engaged with its customers via mail-order business, but as the company expanded so the couple shifted to Auckland in the year 2007 to set up a retail store. Ecostore products are believed to have a strong support of the scientific researchers and innovators behind them (Robb, 2014). Sir Ray Avery is the lead formulator and chemist of the company. He, along with his team, develops products by researching a lot for prolonged months to ensure that the new products meet the efficacy and environmental standards set up by the environmental agencies and the countrys government (Barnett, 2015). The motivation for this concept has been derived from the perceptions of its leaders. The leaders of the firm have always believed in considering the health of the people above all the other elements and this has made them to find the best alternative of the products adulterated with unnecessary chemicals. The innovators have developed effective solutions through their products for the customers suffering with myriads of diseases and skin disorders like eczema, arthritis, asthma and other related allergies (Rands, 2014). Future strategies and Recommendations: Ecostore has come up with an innovative idea in the domestic as well as foreign markets, but at the same time there are a number of challenges that could be faced by the company in the coming future as the competition in this stream too are increasing at a rapid pace. The company has to follow certain recommendations to stay for a longer duration in the race and introduce innovative products for the expanded customer bases. As the public consciousness of ethically produced and eco-friendly products is increasing at a rapid pace, hence the company is required to expand its business to remote destinations too. The raw markets have a number of consumers that deliberately want these kinds of services. So the company could explore such markets to increase its customer base and moreover gain new experiences (NZME Publishing Limited, 2014). The organic and natural products generally have exorbitant prices because the ingredients re natural without any adulterations. In such a case, only customers with good income and lavish lifestyle could afford it. As the company thinks to expand in International markets, so it becomes necessary to target all the social classes. This is crucial because the foreign markets, like in Asia, there are a number of social classes with different needs and perceptions. Hence, to target all possible target markets, the company has to introduce its products at a wide range of prices so that all types of people could afford and enjoy the companys services. Ecostore has not been able to reach and attract a lot of customers across the globe. This is because it has not adopted myriads of promotional strategies to attract and retain targeted consumers. So, in reference to this, the company should allot a pre- determined budget for its marketing strategies. Good advertisements will make a lot of customers to become aware of the existence of the brand. The promotion strategies will also help the firm to gain the feedback about the companys products and then develop new products in close compliance to the customers requirements (Hinkin, 2012). Conclusion: From the above management analysis, it has been made clear that Ecostore has come up with an innovative concept that complies with the standards of all sorts of sustainability. The company has been able to attract lots of customers with its idea of promoting natural products over the chemical ingredients of the daily used products. Moreover, this approach has made a lot of contribution to the maintenance of ecological balance in the environment as most of the firms activities are designed to reduce wastage and pollution levels. The effective roles of HRM practices, Organizational Behavior and Technological management have allowed the firm to maintain a good position among all the other rivals of the same genre. As the perceptions of the Customers keep on changing with time, hence the company needs to follow a set of recommendations to attract a huge customer base towards the natural products of the company. The company needs to pay attention towards the advertisements and other promotional activities to capture the minds of other customers belonging to different social classes. The entrepreneurs have already given a strong, innovative background to the firm and its participants and have to continue with the same to gain a competitive advantage over the others in the markets. References Barnett, D., 2015. Malcolm Rands | ecostore : a world of good why not?. Malcolm Rands | ecostore : a world of good why not? , 16 February. Business Review Australia, 2014. Going Green: The benefits global businesses reap from environmental initiatives. Going Green: The benefits global businesses reap from environmental initiatives, 28 March. Cavusgil, S., Knight, G. Riesenberger, J., 2007. International Business: Strategy, Management, and the New Realities, Available at: https://www.prenhall.com/behindthebook/0131738607/pdf/CKR_Why_We_Wrote_This_Book.pdf CSB Gov., 2012. Human Resource Management Good Practices. Human Resource Management Good Practices. Ecostore Company Limited, 2016. Cut down on plastic with these 14 tips. Cut down on plastic with these 14 tips, 09 August. Frederick, P., 2014. Organisational Behaviour and its Role in Management of Business. Global Journal of Finance and Management., 6(6), pp. 1-6, Available at: https://www.ripublication.com/gjfm-spl/gjfmv6n6_12.pdf Hinkin, P., 2012. What's Next for Sainsburys First Eco Store?. What's Next for Sainsburys First Eco Store?, 09 January. Independent News Media, 2016. Ecostore: No nasty chemicals. Ecostore: No nasty chemicals. Katz, B., 2014. Aussies more eco-friendly. Aussies more eco-friendly, 19 November, Available at: https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/unlimited/63313716/Aussies-more-eco-friendly Larosiliere, G., McHaney, R. Kobelsky, K., 2013. Impact of Technology Management on Organization-Wide Integration, Available at: https://www.computer.org/csdl/proceedings/hicss/2013/4892/00/4892a021.pdf Laursen, K. Foss, N., 2012. Human resource management practices and innovation, Available at: https://www.druid.dk/laursen/files/Handbook_of_Innovation_Management_LaursenFoss.pdf NZME Publishing Limited, 2014. Ecostore paves the way to a sustainable future. ecostore paves the way to a sustainable future, 19 December. Rands, M., 2014. Meet the boss: ecostore's Malcolm Rands. Meet the boss: ecostore's Malcolm Rands, 26 September. Robbins, S., 1996. Organizational Behavior: Concepts controversies applications: CEIT, Available at: https://ceit.aut.ac.ir/~sa_hashemi/My%20Teachings/BS-CEIT-Organizational%20Behaviour%20Management/Z-Books%20%20Resources/Stephen%20P.%20Robbins_Organizational%20Behavior%20full.pdf Robb, K., 2014. Green at heart: How Malcolm Rands created a pioneering eco brand. Green at heart: How Malcolm Rands created a pioneering eco brand, 29 May. Soo, S., 2011. "In Ecostore We Trust" Uncovering the Symbolic Meanings Of Sustainable Products Their Use in Building Consumers Selfà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Image, Available at: https://aut.researchgateway.ac.nz/bitstream/handle/10292/1176/SooS.pdf?sequence=4 Vienna International Centre, 2001. Management of technology: UNIDO, Available at: https://www.unido.org/fileadmin/user_media/Publications/Pub_free/Management_of_technology_selected_papers_at_Vienna_Global_Forum.pdf.

Women Gatsby free essay sample

Women’s intentions towards men in The Great Gatsby by Francis Scott Fitzgerald. In The Great Gatsby by Francis Scott Fitzgerald, women’s intentions towards men play a significant role in the development of the novel. While Daisy Buchanan and Jordan Baker are the archetypal temptresses who use sex to indiscriminately destroy the men who step into their lives, Myrtle sees men as a means to quench her thirst for sex and social ambition. Daisy and Jordan use sexuality to lure the men, Jay Gatsby and Nick Carraway, away from their lives of productivity and prosperity. Under their hypnotic spell, both men begin to unravel and disorder creeps into their lives. Because the women do not let themselves get emotionally and sentimentally attached throughout the novel, they become superior to the men, who, sick with love, are left acutely vulnerable and pitifully weak. Fitzgerald’s vivid portrayal suggests that there is something malicious in a woman’s nature that forces them to consume consciously or unconsciously the men in their lives, while simultaneously and paradoxically allowing them to thrive. We will write a custom essay sample on Women Gatsby or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Women use their attributes to control men in the novel. At first sight women in The Great Gatsby may seem overwhelmingly dominated by men. But on closer inspection, women in fact slyly control men in order to get as many advantages as they can from them. Daisy, who is often described as a passive woman, a trophy to be won by her suitors, wields in fact tremendous power over men and aspires to manipulate and dominate them as much as she can. Glenn Settle’s essay, ‘Fitzgerald’s Daisy: The Siren Voice’, appeared in the American Literature in March 1985. In this highly feminist and interpretative article, Settle’s vivid language portrays Daisy as a powerful character. Drawing on Greek mythology, Settle compares Daisy to a classical Siren [1]. Sirens were dangerous creatures, portrayed as seductresses who lured nearby sailors with their enchanting music and voices to shipwreck on the rocky coast of their island Sirenum scopuli [2]. Glenn describes how many critics have insisted on the fact that Daisy’s voice is ‘full of money’ and have argued that this is an essential element in her physical and moral characterisation. Settle believes Daisy’s alluring and attractive voice illustrates her classical role and shows how Nick Carraway’s narrative presents Jay Gatsby, as Odysseus, an epic hero on a quest thereby fueling Daisy as siren. Settle further argues Daisy as classical Siren by demonstrating her relationship to the archetypal femme fatale. An interesting argument that bears out the femme fatale theory stems from Daisy’s voice. It is described as persuasive, performed, enchanting, romantic, and beautiful. In particular, Settle stresses the persuasive quality of Daisy’s ‘performed’ speeches hinting at her role as actress. Daisy performs each speech, Nick suggests in his commentary, ‘as creative musical production, arranging, composing her inspiration in such a way that one has the feeling, in listening, of being an audience of one, spellbound in a performance that shall never be heard again’ [1] [†¦] later within the scene Nick also says ‘her voice compelled me forward’ and again, it ‘led my attention’ Daisy’s voice and mannerisms demonstrate how each action she undertakes was precisely performed and well-thought-out for a particular audience. Using the sensuality and even the sexuality of her voice, Daisy aspires to wield considerable influence over men. Her voice embodies her material wealth and all that allegedly comes with it, class, beauty, assurance, comfort and power. Daisy’s powerful role within the text is suggested through her sexuality and involvement in dangerous acts. Daisy as sexual female is first defined by her voice. Daisy’s voice not only illustrates her energy, but also suggests her involvement in ‘exciting things’: ‘but there was an excitement in her voice that men who had cared for her found difficult to forget: a singing compulsion, a whispered â€Å"Listen† a promise that she had done gay, exciting things just a while since and that there were gay, exciting things hovering in the next hour’. This quote suggests that Daisy can be read as dangerous and sexual, because her voice possesses the power to enchant and control men, by making them ‘Listen’. Fitzgerald’s use of the word ‘exciting things’ suggests Daisy’s interest in thrilling events, which can slide from the sexual to the dangerous. In a different way, Jordan Baker’s wish to dominate men and the patriarchal system is reflected in her masculine physical description and even in her name. Jordan is described as a ‘slender, small breasted girl with an erect carriage which she accentuated by throwing her body backward at the shoulders like a young cadet. ’ Later on, she is seen reading the Saturday Evening Post, and turning the pages with a ‘flutter of slender muscles in her arms’. Her name associates her with cars, the Jordan sports car and the Baker. Moreover, throughout the novel, many elements are provided to prove that Jordan has lost a part of her femininity. Her pronounced masculinity might explain why Jordan is willing to scorn the men she meets. On her first encounter with Nick, she remarks contemptuously ‘You live in the West Egg’. Jordan is obviously looking down upon Nick because he lives in the West Egg which is for the so-called ‘new money. ’ The same day, Jordan gives a remark that makes the reader infer that Jordan is too good to date Nick. She declares ‘I havent heard a word’. Jordan gave this comment to Daisy after Daisy implied that Jordan and Nick should date. Jordan obviously thought of herself as having much more grace and dignity than Nick and also as being superior to him. Her masculine figure and her masculine activities (reading the newspaper, being a golf champion) reinforce her will to exert a strong domination over men. She avoids meeting clever men ‘Jordan Baker instinctively avoided clever, shrewd men’ because she wants her domination to be without limits. Nevertheless she needs attention from the men surrounding her. Jordan basically just plays with mens feelings and is not really interested in a long-term relationship. At the end of the novel, Jordan calls Nick and tells him that she just couldnt do it anymore and that she had recently been engaged. What strikes in The Great Gatsby is the way Daisy wants to please men by playing stereotypical roles in order to get a multitude of advantages in return. Daisy understands the role society and mostly men want her to play. Not only does she wholeheartedly embrace this role, but she also cleverly uses it to her own advantage. Daisy understands all this and can to a certain extent make it work for her. She thinks that if women are expected to play-act for a good life, then perhaps they should become what they enact [1]. And this essentially is what Daisy does throughout the novel. Daisy is a shrewd actress posing, performing and playing an array of roles for her own advantage; she manipulates the patriarchal system and the men who compose it by brilliantly playing numerous stereotypical female roles. Fitzgerald designed his female to be seen as dynamic woman skilled in playing an extensive range of roles. She not only plays the role of a mother and wife, but also the movie-star, the blonde, the southern belle, the virgin, the vixen and the baby. These binary opposites are found within their characters through the following illustrations: aggressive and passive, intelligent and foolish, sexual and reserved, powerful and powerless. Several contradictory symbolic stereotypes they exhibit include goddess yet ice-queen, vixen yet virgin, good girl and bad girl [2]. By proudly playing all these roles, Fitzgerald’s character becomes astonishingly dangerous for men and appealing at the same time. Her ability to modify her personality may be seen as a sign of insecurity. However, this is not the case, her acting or role-playing is not insincere, but instead a sign of her power over the other characters, especially men. Daisy is also highly intelligent. She perfectly knows how men see women. For example, she knows a woman is meant to be beautiful, bubbly and charming. Because she knows this information, she craftily alters herself to fit this pre-designed mould. For example, Fitzgerald’s Daisy hopes her daughter will grow to be a ‘fool’: ‘I woke up out of the ether with an utterly abandoned feeling and asked the nurse right away if it was a boy or a girl. She told me it was a girl, and so I turned my head away and wept. ‘All right’, I said, I said, ‘I’m glad it’s a girl. And I hope she’ll be a fool- that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool. ’ Daisy tells her daughter she hopes she will be a fool, because, she realizes that by playing the fool, Daisy has snatched many advantages from men. While Daisy can be perceived at first sight as weak, naive and dependent on Tom Buchanan, it may be all an act on her part. Daisy may be just pretending to be the fool in the story. Even if Daisy’s remarks may seem brutal and inappropriate towards her daughter, Daisy believed she was providing her daughter with the soundest advice or better yet, true words of wisdom! She knows men expect her to be beautiful and devoid of intelligence and this is what she willingly gives them. She adapts to men’s needs. She never lets them realize her intelligence, because she does not believe this is what men want. Interestingly, by playing the fool, Daisy controls the men that surround her. Ultimately, it is Fitzgerald’s male characters that are exposed as fools. Women’s intentions towards men in The Great Gatsby go beyond a mere psychological domination. Women do not hesitate to hurt men’s feelings in order to satisfy their own desires. Daisy is having an affair with Gatsby, while she is married to Tom Buchanan. Daisy does not shy away from the idea of being with a man other than her husband, even if that would hurt Tom. She, instead, risks the consequences of engaging in an extramarital affair, just because she enjoys it. Fitzgerald also demonstrates Daisy as dangerous female, by suggesting that she engaged in sexual relations with Gatsby before marriage, ‘He took what he could get, ravenously and unscrupulously — eventually he took Daisy one still October night, took her because he had no real right to touch her hand’. Fitzgerald’s inclusion of Daisy’s promiscuous, sexual and dangerous past is further suggested when Gatsby mentions how he is ‘excited too that many men had already loved Daisy’. Daisy is the only woman who has the power to brighten up Gatsby’s life; she has the power to make him the happiest man on earth just by saying that she loves him, him and only him. Daisy can simply materialise Gatsby’s greatest hope, to be loved alone. But she does not do it. Fitzgerald demonstrates the power behind Daisy’s words: ‘I did love him once- but I love you too’. Even while trembling and sobbing, Daisy’s words hold much power, because they blight Gatsby’s hope- that she can love him alone. In short, Gatsby’s idealistic vision of Daisy is false; she cannot change the past or say that she only loved him. Daisy is only human and it is her humanity which ends up killing Gatsby. Daisy does not care enough for Gatsby to tell him that she only loves him. In a similar way, Myrtle Wilson cheats on her husband George and does not display any kind of remorse, as though she would like to make him suffer for his lack of social status, for his inability to provide her with the social status she aspires to attain. More generally, women in the novel use men to fulfill their intense desire for a good time, material possessions as well as protection. The personality of Myrtle Wilson intertwines all these preoccupations. Myrtle represents overt, unadorned and raw sexuality. Her flower name suggests a fleshy yet beautiful climbing plant vigorously moving upwards, but her dream remains impossible to materialise. Her body is voluptuous, and she emphasizes this by wearing her dress tight over her broad hips. By grammar and speech, as well as taste, Myrtle does not belong to Tom Buchanan’s elite world. Her manner is rather sharp and affectations are almost funny. Yet despite her affectations and her ambition to move up in the world and climb up the social ladder, she is not ridiculous. Her vitality is evident, as she dominates the people with whom she interacts in the novel. The level of language she uses is energetic and straightforward about her own sexual needs. Her lower-class pretensions appear funny to Nick because he assesses them from a position of social superiority, but her overt and raw sexuality overawe him. She desires Tom because of his massive masculinity and his social status and in a way her sexuality is a counterpart of Gatsby’s romantic passion for Daisy. No other character in the novel expresses such an urgent desire as when she, for example, describes her first encounter with Tom: ‘All I kept thinking about, over and over, was ‘You can’t live forever; you can’t live forever’’. Myrtle is a voluptuous and sensual woman, though the vitality and liveliness of her personality is demonstrated even when being confronted with her husband in the garage, shouting â€Å"‘Beat me! he heard her cry. ‘Throw me down and beat me, you dirty little coward! ’† [1]. Although, to some extent, Fitzgerald pays tribute to her courage to be at ease with her sexuality, it seems however that Fitzgerald in the end makes Myrtle pay heavily for her egoistic and self-centred intentions. Myrtle Wilson could become nothing more than Tom’s ‘woman’ or ‘mistress’, since her social status is simply unworthy of any more profound engagement. The idea that they ought to ‘get married to each other right away’ is obviously a wild fantasy. However, Myrtle, being aware of this as much as of her sexual attraction for Tom, permanently tries to lure Tom into her bed and tempts in a way to balance the unfair scales of life. Dead, Myrtle Wilson is a victim of the heartless rich who monopolise the social and economic power as much as she is a victim of her own corruptness and overweening ambitions. She has tried to use men to achieve the American Dream, which is in fact corrupted for both, the rich and the less rich, since it is not only nobility that rots on the inside but also the lower class that harms itself in attempt to reach the highest stratum of society. Unlike Myrtle, Jordan Baker maintains a deliberate detachment towards men which conceals a determination to come out on the top. Occupying a secure place in a socially influential stratum, she also tries to manipulate a patriarchal world to her own advantage. Nick finds her sexually attractive but morally suspect, as he decides that she is pathologically dishonest, since she would do anything, even lie or cheat in order to maintain the power (advantage over others) that her personality desires. Jordan has achieved sexual freedom by means of lying or concealment. Nick also thinks that she avoids relationships with clever men who might see through her, preferring instead the company of men who would never imagine a woman – that is, a lady – breaking the codes of her class. Their conversation about careless driving is precisely about personal ethics in any relationship. Jordan desires both the traditional protection offered to a lady by her man and the emancipation of the modern woman, aimlessly wandering between a man and another. She wants the best of both worlds. Nick’s strong awareness of her lack of ethical concern puts into question the basis of his own relationship with women ‘I was casually sorry and then I forgot. ’ In essence, Fitzgerald is hostile to her as a ‘new woman’, who claims all the advantages of an emancipated lifestyle yet will use any stratagem to capture the traditional advantages granted to a ‘lady’. He seems to be implying that women’s status and sexual image is at a point of crisis in the post-war world. Nick simply does not know quite how to handle this cool, balanced, independent woman of the 1920s who lays down the terms of the relationship from the start and distorts them to her own advantage [1]. No woman character in The Great Gatsby tries to understand or even cares about either Nick’s moral concerns or his desire to understand experience or Gatsby’s intense devotion to a dream which transcends his own person. True, none of the other male characters pretends an interest in an inner life either, and of course Nick and Gatsby dominate this preoccupation throughout the novel. The intentions of women towards men are centred on the fulfillment of their own material and sexual needs. It is quite safe to say that any interest other than a preoccupation with their own needs is beyond the women characters in The Great Gatsby.