Thursday, January 30, 2020

Manage Continous Organisational Improvement Essay Example for Free

Manage Continous Organisational Improvement Essay Abstract The sector of healthcare is vital for living that no one may deny. The advancement of technology has been a blessing in disguise for human health. Times are gone when people used to wait in long queues to get attention from the doctors and paramedical staff. The governments of the world were also responsible to not properly utilising the healthcare setup. In many parts of the world, it was still deemed as forbidden until the advent of 21st Century. Manage Continuous Organisational Improvement INTRODUCTION The sector of healthcare is vital for living that no one may deny. The advancement of technology has been a blessing in disguise for human health. Times are gone when people used to wait in long queues to get attention from  the doctors and paramedical staff. The governments of the world were also responsible to not properly utilising the healthcare setup. In many parts of the world, it was still deemed as forbidden until the advent of 21st Century (Alison; 2012). DISCUSSION Change management is something everyone thrives upon be it a business or medical science. For effective progress in any field of study, what matters the most is a well laid out and proper action plan. For example in business arena, gaining momentum is important in terms of financial aspects. For it one who is interested in business must be familiar with implementing a business plan to the suitable effect. The first and the foremost aspect is how much investment would be required for the project to be undertaken. Every country encourages ideas and the best way to be known for this purpose is to bring out something creative. In any aspect of profession, planning plays a vital role as well as management. In all most all the line of work, there is need for budgeting, staffing along with other strategizing options. In the context of globalization and global economy, change management becomes evident when we find that companies are overlooking the global parameters of a business where change is constant. In the context of this change, outsourcing is global strategic alliance that fosters a winning international strategy. The implementation of the policy of health is a complex topic that incorporates conceptual models. It is all about the guiding principles, rules, and regulations that lead to operational strategies. There are several one must be familiar with in order to accomplish explicit healthcare policy. To understand it, the cognition with health policy or governmental law is important. These also comprise of process of funding along with decisions taken at decentralised or national level. These widely effect upon how to deliver such services (Alison; 2012). The contemporary healthcare concept incorporates people from various fields related to medical technology including surgical equipment and medications. Access to evidence from medical and health research as well as latest information is also included within. The area of healthcare is notably one of the few areas which is blessed by heavy spending of the governments and the individuals alike. Alternatively the individual with less income is forced to pay a higher co pay and deductible for a lesser amount of coverage (Alison; 2012). SCENARIO You have recently taken on the role of change manager in an organisation. The organisation has decided to introduce the concept of continuous organisational improvement and you have been asked to lead this development. Before embarking on this work you decide that it is necessary for you to complete some detailed thinking in a number of key areas. In carrying out this assignment you should either use an organisation you have or currently work for. You must know this organisation well at a strategic level. Alternatively you should use the case study material provided. Firstly you need to give careful consideration of how a culture of continuous organisational improvement will be created. The process of change is inevitable in every organisation and NHS is no different. Mr. Regal has been appointed as a new Change Manager for NHS and is a dedicated individual who knows how to run things for the benefit of the organisation. He has been working in many prestigious organisations and thus he is also familiar with psychology of team working alongside him. Mr. Regal knows that all employees of NHS will need his active support to get the job done. For this purpose, involvement of staff and planning at early stage are a key to sure success to bring the process of change. It must also be noted that the policies to bring change must not oppose organisational policies such as redundancy, reorganisation and redeployment (Elizabeth; 2012). Before progressing any further, it is important that people within NHS must have idea of what change is all about. There are many types of changes including the ones instigated from ideas within NHS whereas some come from beyond the organisation. Other ideas include temporary and permanent ones all working for benefit of the organisation (Elizabeth; 2012). Since NHS is a complicated organisation thus many changes within are not clearly defined. In a typical organisational change model, new ways of working, unfamiliar team structures, processes and procedure are encompassed. Speaking individually, changes made at staff level can bring out pessimism, optimism, motivation, energy, enthusiasm and excitement to fear, anxiety, challenge, resistance, ambiguity and dread on various  instances. The fear within the staff is due to the concerns over new management and workload as well as job security and pensions. Thus various emotions can come into play and leads to distraction from development and provision of service. The staffs of NHS are ready to deal with anxiety which may be due to anticipating change. Surely, it will take Mr. Regal to get to know about the employees and the old standards that have been the hall mark of success for NHS. However, these techniques of the past wont last long and thus change in the system is mandatory. Thus it is important to introduce such techniques that are part and parcel of modern day mechanism (Gallouj Djellal; 2011). Mr. Regal knows what is the main reason of downfall of organizations i.e. those who are not willing to manage or identify change in human components. He has been performing his services as a freelance consultant for last 10 years. He suggests that the involvement of the individuals working within the organisation is necessary so that the way of thinking and behaviour may be altered. Now this may seem to be easier said than done as it requires thorough practice, time and motivation. The change in behaviour may not be easily measurable or achievable since the elements of humans are unable to get attention they require. As a line manager, it is the duty of Mr. Regal to lead from the front to identify and manage such human elements. NHS must also bear in mind that the change of initiatives must not go beyond the desired capacity. If it happens, the key resources required may turn uncontrollable. The extra workload must be shared by senior support and managers according to the resources and plan of action (Gallouj Djellal; 2011). Before starting anything, what matters the most is planning same is with organisational change. It is never easy for people to accept what comes within that change process. They find it difficult to adjust or absorb to change and also for the management, it is not an easy task. They may have to face various reactions to it including temporary reductions in performance measurements and activity. For this purpose, a proper timetable must be provided which may give the employees enough time to get ready. This may also produce the impact desired by Mr. Regal and the new management of NHS (Karen, Jean Gretl; 2012). CLARIFICATION/RATIONALE The second step is to what the outcomes of it may be the Clarification/Rationale. For this, it is important that the management is familiar with measurable outcomes. Mr. Regal and his team managing all must have a comprehensive vision that may lead NHS to new developments. The staff may get affected by the change being implemented. COMMUNICATION INVOLVEMENT Mr. Regal knows that in order to have proper implementation of plans, the doctors, nurses as well as other workers in NHS must have confidence. For this purpose, it is necessary that they must have recognition of benefits and responsibilities, acceptance, understanding, will, interest, and  awareness. This could only be achieved if proper strategy regarding effective communication and involvement is drawn (Karen, Jean Gretl; 2012). It is important that all the stake holders of NHS must be taken in confidence before the implementation of policy. The communication between the both parties is vital to reach a break through. Ineffective communication may result in difference of opinion. Thus by implementing proper communication skills, effective involvement can be ensured. RISK ASSESSMENT Mr. Regal suggests that implementing the process of change within NHS may be easier said than done provided that proper planning is implemented. Nevertheless with a process of change also comes the feeling of fear from within such as negative reactions, doubt, change in working and location. This is something that must be assessed at the earliest and must be done by a competent team. They are the individual who look to safeguard the interests of working groups specially the vulnerable people who may get impacted by the change. For this purpose, an implementation plan must be designed according to the time frame of change (Karen, Jean Gretl; 2012). MONITORING Monitoring within the organisation is necessary to know about the activities the employees are engaged in. This also depends on what type of change is being implemented within the organisation. In many organisations the best way to get feedback is to make use of various perspectives. The best form of monitoring can be done on the basis of complaints, facts, reports, opinion, outputs, behaviour and levels of error. It is not necessary for techniques of monitoring to be elaborate but they must be appropriate and timely. Despite of its effectiveness, it may be considered as violation of privacy matters of the employees. Many organisations make use of various tools including the audio monitors and cameras. The employees too may enjoy various benefits of monitoring  including the safety measures. Many organisations including the hospitals and banks make use of close circuit television systems (CCTV) to monitor for safety. ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING Mr. Regal is of opinion that NHS must implement organisational learning which facilitates room for improvement. He explains that only those organisations that are willing to learn from their mistakes and ready to transform succeed. This phase of learning may not necessarily be a beneficial one. There might be a possibility that any individual within NHS may learn but not share with his team mates. Similarly, the subordinates in NHS may not be share the information learnt due to its policies. In order for NHS to become a learning organisation, it is important that it is ready to change, learn and adapt. In todays competitive marketplace, an organisation maintaining its position in rapid changing environment is a tough ask. Everyday constant developments are being made thus providing corporations to transform into learning organisation. Mr. Regal believes that NHS has a capability to provide platform for learning. This may be stored in the minds of the people as well as the organisational memory in form of written documents, policies and procedures. If NHS successfully transforms itself as a learning organisation, it may widen the prospects by creating practices (Neil, Jo; 2013). In order for NHS to prosper according to the modern phenomenon of change, it is important that it must learn from experience directly as well as others. The organisation may directly learn from experience by working on procedures of incremental refinement. Mr. Regal explains that it is natural for an organisation like NHS to be faced with number of obstacles including the lack of learning orientation. This is one of the most important of all the barriers in any organisation. These may be further classified into three types environmental, individual/group and organisational. In order for NHS to progress, the  people within the working group must have an active mind. The barriers of learning within an organisation include management practices and corporate culture. Besides that concern from external stake holder, industries, and public policy results in external barriers. EMBEDDING ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE Mr. Regal suggests that NHS must act according to the standards of modern day organisation. Like others, it must introduce initiatives of change regularly perhaps on multiple levels too. Mr. Regal emphasises that proper process of research needs to be implemented on total quality management. This in turn will build cultures of compliance and health. As an organisation NHS has always worked on phenomenon of high quality care for all. Today, many leading organisations throughout the world are focusing on system of the organisation and system health at the same time. These are linked with a promise that quality work today may pave way for tomorrows high-quality work. The hallmark of a healthy organisation is that they embed culture promoting engagement, trust and openness. They achieve it on the basis of learning and improvement process. In almost all the organisations, there are often contradictory aspects hidden. In NHS, the priority is the measurement of higher outcomes such as population health. The founding principle of NHS has always been high quality care for all (HQCfA). The main point of focus is how this may be achieved emphatically. For this purpose the priority of work is done is patient and population which is deemed as weakest link. WHAT IS QUALITY IMPROVEMENT? Quality improvement is something that every organisation must thrive upon. There are various approaches and definitions and may be more fruitful than the other one. In medical practice, the purpose of quality improvement is to look for ways to provide better services and care. Mr. Regal says that change management may only be effective if the team performs as a single  unit. Quality Improvement is a team process at its core. When the circumstances are right the team perform according to different perspectives, knowledge, skills and experience. This helps in bringing out improvements that last long and is beneficial for the entire team as one unit. In order for the program to be successful, it is important that the top leadership as well as the employee support the process of change. Both qualitative and quantitative methods are employed for the process of Quality Improvement. This helps for improvement of safety, effectiveness and efficiency. NHS has always thrived on leadership and engagement for improvement. Every organisation has a room for improvement in one way or another. Same is with NHS as assessed by Mr. Regal along with his management team. As a matter of fact changes needed in NHS include changes made on a drastic level. Change management is a process of transition from current to new mode. It is important for the individuals to be ready for the change. The first and the foremost step, is focusing on the ability of leadership. Mr. Regal must act as a role model for other employees within NHS to follow. He must set an example that becomes cornerstone of the organisation. He must implement rules and regulations that maybe followed in the long run. As a leader, he must avoid using thought process that creates separation in form of perks. Mr. Regal knows that talking to people working in the organisation on policy matter will restore their trust on him. Also he may be able to know about the problems faced by the employees and solve them individually. Two other aspects that matters the most are passion and genuineness. IDENTIFIES AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT In order to bring change within NHS, each working group must know what role they need to play. They must realise importance of their role in the process and consider it as a historical one. As a supreme command, it is the duty of Mr. Regal to communicate with each and everyone involved in the process. Those who have concerns regarding the change need to be addressed at the earliest. In order to bring down frustration, Mr. Regal must keep in mind the six phases that reflect the reaction of the people affected by the change. IMPACT OF THE PROPOSED CHANGES ANTICIPATION: Many of the employees are anxious what the change may be and how will have an impact on them. Such employees are unable to know what it has for or against them and dont know what to expect. CONFRONTATION: This is the stage where people discover that something good or bad is going to happen. Many times they are able to figure out that the plan of change has already been initiated. REALIZATION: The third phase is of realisation where the impact of the change is in front of the people. The results will always be different as realised by the people. DEPRESSION: Besides being intellectual people begin to know the outcome of the change that makes them emotional. They begin to mourn on the past but cant do anything about it leading to stress and depression. ACCEPTANCE: In this phase, people begin to acknowledge the process of change both emotionally and intellectually. In any organisational setup, people at first have some reservation but seeing the benefits may change their opinion. Nevertheless, there is no reassurance to it. ENLIGHTENMENT: In this last phase, people begin to wonder how they were able to manage the old ways while this change has turned out to be more fruitful to them. EVALUATION OF THE PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE ORGANISATIONAL ACTIVITIES Bringing change management and to make it work effectively is not a piece of cake for anyone. A consultant like Mr. Regal too will require time to convince employees working within NHS. For this purpose, it is important that why to bring out the best service from the organisation the world has ever seen. It is important that the management and the staff both support one another for the accomplishment of the goals desired. As a unit both of the organisation stake holders need to understand the importance of the decision. The plan is to make NHS sustainable and best value organisation for the benefit of the people. This model of Change in NHS vows for the improvement collectively in terms of experience and knowledge. This process may also take into account former employees of NHS who had a history of quality services within the organisation. Since its birth, the organisation of NHS has worked for the benefit of humanity. Today it stands tall as the largest organisation of Europe dedicated to provide detailed healthcare services at minimal or low rate. Mr. Regal hopes with his new change policy, the organisation may become the largest healthcare organisation in the entire world. However, for that purpose, proper mechanism of work needs to be planned. The day when NHS was born, it comprised of more or less 14 regional hospital boards. Today it is also known to be the extensive employer of the nation (Nigel; 2011). CHANGES REQUIRED INTRODUCING IMPROVEMENTS TO THE ORGANISATIONAL ACTIVITIES NHS may benefit a lot from change process by introducing improvements to the activities of the organisation. In aiming for continuous improvement, NHS must market what they work for i.e. healthcare services. Mr. Regal emphasises that proper planning leads all the way to success for organisations initiating change. Despite this change process being beneficial to the organisation like NHS,  but there are certain things that may turn against if the management isnt prepared. These challenges may be because of not creating ample room for improvements, slower adoption, work surroundings, resistance and ultimately not creating the necessary improvements for the organization. If in future NHS further aims to make itself better by bringing in new concepts, they must know how to manage and operate it effectively (Nigel; 2011). To begin with changes need to be done must be planned first but implemented gradually. This may help in bringing helpful change to one and all. The employees must be taken into confidence for the implementation of policy and thus building awareness is important. Inform the employees, inviting them to be the part of change process. Make an announcement and publish it via intranet besides informing the employees by meeting them. It is also important to mention the date and time of the process to take effect. Involve in all the employees of the company so that documentation; scheduling or minutes of meeting can be carried out (Nigel; 2011). It is important to satisfy the employees that the change that is going to happen is for betterment of the organisation. Those who have questions or concerns related to it need to be satisfied. The employees are mainly concerned with how the policy change may affect them. For this purpose, it is important for Mr. Regal to remain calm and patient and address the situation effectively. In order for the assistance of the employees, he must provide documentation for the changes going to happen within NHS. Write step by step instructions things required for the completion of expected process. To help out the employees of NHS, he must offer practice and training programs so that they may learn about the new procedures. It is not necessary to implement changes overnight; it may require slow but progressive steps towards the change. The best way is to make changes one at a time. It may help the employees to learn about new procedures before moving to next step. Feedback from the staff involved is also important as comments, suggestions, ideas or concerns may help to move to the next  milestone. This may also help the employees getting closer to Mr. Regal and they may understand process in far better way. Also it is his responsibility what employees have to say about the possible changes in the procedure. Do appreciate where credit is due when any employee comes up with suitable alternative or suggestion. Mr. Regal must be open to all the employees of NHS and thus answer any questions that emerge in their minds. In case of success motivate employees by giving them appreciation through barbecues or pizza parties. This helps to bridge the gap between the management and the employees. The engagement of variety of people such as user groups, as clinicians, administrative staff and patients is also helpful for the improvement of the services. This way conflicts within an organisation may also be avoided. AGREE AND COMMUNICATE THE PROPOSED CHANGES WITH STAKEHOLDERS Before approaching the stake holders Mr. Regal and team has to go through thorough research. The best way of it is to accompany with the group of experts having good networks. Their role will be to conduct brain storming sessions to the people and groups associated. Make a list of the changes associated with NHS and record it on laptop or flipchart. On finalising the names in the list, then the stakeholders must be arranged according to affect, power and influence. There are 9Cs in healthcare service are Competitors, Commissioners, Customers, Collaborators, Contributors, Channels, Commentators, Consumers, and Champions. CONCLUSION Change management is essential part of business and so do healthcare industry. Both of them rely upon the use of technology, organisational structure, management systems and processes. A hierarchy of organisation includes the bureaucratic processes and chain of command. For this purpose approval with the management is considered mandatory. Thus the roles of employees and leaders are well defined one has to obey the order while the  other has to command. References Alison, Hann; (2012); Health Policy and Politics; Ashgate Publishing, Ltd; ISBN: 140949120X, 9781409491200; pp 150-151. Elizabeth, McCormick; (2012); Change for the Better: Self-Help through Practical Psychotherapy; SAGE; ISBN: 144626808X, 9781446268087; pp 300-301. Gallouj Djellal; (2011); The Handbook of Innovation and Services: A Multi-disciplinary Perspective; Elgar Original Reference Series; Edward Elgar Publishing; ISBN: 1849803307, 9781849803304; 750-751. Karen, Luker, Jean, Orr Gretl, A. McHugh; (2012); Health Visiting: A Rediscovery; John Wiley Sons; ISBN: 1444335812, 9781444335811; pp 230-231. Neil, Gopee Jo, Galloway; (2013); Leadership and Management in Healthcare; SAGE; ISBN: 1446294862, 9781446294864; pp 250-251. Nigel, Crisp; (2011); 24 Hours to Save the NHS: The Chief Executives Account of Reform 2000 to 2006; Oxford University Press; ISBN: 0199639957, 9780199639953; pp 200-201.

Wednesday, January 22, 2020

Disabled Clients Are Fellow Citizens? Essay -- essays research papers

Disabled clients are fellow citizens? Developments in the Disabled Peoples Movement have brought disability to the fore as a civil rights issue in Britain. Growing numbers of politically active disabled people have generated an awareness of how their rights as citizens are denied by discrimination and oppression. Out of this has emerged the concept of `independent living'. A philosophy encompassing the full range of human and civil rights necessary for disabled people to be equal members of society. Underpinning this are four key beliefs: that all human life is of value; that anyone, whatever their impairment, is capable of exerting choices; that people who are disabled by society's reaction to physical, intellectual and sensory impairment and to emotional distress have the right to exert control over their lives; that disabled people have the right to participate fully in society (Morris, 1993:21) The focus of this essay is the potential conflict between this philosophy and the policies and practices of social work. In particular, contrasting interpretations of the client/social work relationship will be examined with regard to their capacity to foster these ideals. There is ample evidence that disabled people are poorly housed, less well educated and generally receive less in the way of life-enhancing opportunities when compared to their non-impaired peers (Finklestein (1991). For example, they are four times as likely as non-impaired people to be unemployed, while those who do work receive wages on average 20% lower (RADAR, 1994). Most disabled people, therefore, rely on benefits. Furthermore, those benefits fail to allow for the extra expenses incurred as a result of disability (Cohen, 1996; Thompson, 1996). Thus it is poverty and poor quality of life resulting from discrimination which creates the need for social work intervention. Becoming a client, Davies (1981) suggests, is seen as a `sign of having given up' and as `a mark not only of failure but of shame' (p. 35). This not only further marginalises disabled people from mainstream society, i.e. separates those who are "clients" from those who are not. It also, according to Barton (1993), maintains a.. Cul... ...nd peach, H (eds) (1989):"Disablement in The Community"; Oxford University, Oxford. Payne, M (1991):"Modern Social Work Theory: A Critical Introduction"; Macmillan, London. Smalley, R (1970):"The Functional Approach To Casework Practice"; in Roberts, R., and Nee, R (eds) (1970):"Theories of Social Casework"; University of Chicago Press, London. Thompson, N (1993):"Anti-Discriminatory Practice"; Macmillan, London. Journals. Barton, L (1993):"The Struggle For Citizenship:The Case of Disabled People"; in Disability, Handicap and Society, Vol. 8(3), p 235-248. Cohen, R (1996):"The Poverty Trap"; in Community Care, p 26-27, 1-7 August. George, M (1996):"Figure it Out"; in Community Care, pullout feature, August 1-7. Morris, J (1996):"Where to Now?"; in Community Care, p 25, Sept 26-Oct 2. Oliver, M (1989a) Book Review of Hunter (1988) in Disability, Handicap and Society, Vol. 4(1). Royal Association for Disability and Rehabilitation (1994):"Unemployment" in Donellan, C (ed) (1994). Thompson, A (1996):"The Fight For Rights"; in Community Care, P 14-15, 18-24 July.

Tuesday, January 14, 2020

Jane Austen present the reader of Pride and Prejudice Essay

Jane Austen present the reader of Pride and Prejudice with a number of representation of love and marriage, including 2 unsuccessful proposals to Elizabeth Bennett and the relationships of: Mr and Mrs Bennett Jane and Mr Bingley Charlotte and Mr Collins Lydia and Wickham Elizabeth and Mr Darcy Analyse each of the proposals in turn and then discuss what you think Jane Austen’s views on love and marriage were. Pride and Prejudice is one of the most classic love stories of all time. Written by Jane Austen in 1796 when she was just 24, the novel has become a favourite with woman in every generation since. Following the paths of 5 sisters as some come of age and other just grow older in a world where marriage is everything. Around the time of Pride and Prejudice, romantic love wasn’t important. Parents picked a suitor for their children, usually marrying girls off into better off families if they could, financially securing them until death, or so they hope. It was well and truly a mans world in the 1700s, there was no means of a woman creating an independent existence, and so woman relied on marriage in order to lead a half decent life. Elizabeth receives 3 proposals, one from Mr Collins, her cousin, big fan of Lady Catherine DeBurgh and a clergyman, and 2 from Mr Darcy. I will discuss these in detail later in my essay The story follows that of the Bennett family. Mrs Bennett, mother of 5, means well for her daughters, but brings much embarrassment upon them every time she opens her mouth. Mr Bennett, her husband, is the calm that follows the storm that is Mrs Bennett. He is the one his daughters go to when search calm advice, although Mr Bennett does mock the girls’ immature ways. Elizabeth (named â€Å"Lizzie† by close friends and family) and Jane (often referred to as â€Å"Miss Bennett†) are the two older sisters (Jane older than Elizabeth). Then, followed by Mary, then Catherine (or â€Å"Kitty†), then Lydia. Mr and Mrs Bennett are the perfect example of an arranged marriage working out. We can make a guess that the two did get along when first married, but that the relationship was probably built on lust, which after 5 girls, was bound to ware out. As they have been married for so long, they’ve learnt to live with and love each other, like couples were expected to. They annoy and irritate each other, but the Bennett parents love each other despite each other’s embarrassing flaws. The first fresh relationship we come across is that between Jane Bennet and Mr Bingley. There is much gossip following Mr Bingley’s arrival, and when he arrives at a dance in Meryton, the room obviously falls silent. Bingley is a very sweet man, and when he first lays eyes on Jane he’s smitten, and visa versa, and they spend all night dancing. Mary is quite happy with taking up the sidelines, but Kitty and Lydia love all the attention they receive and the non-stop dancing. Elizabeth, on the other hand, does not enjoy herself as much as Mr Darcy refuses to dance with her when Bingley suggests it, and Lizzie overhears. Jane’s story is essentially that of Cinderella. Jane and Mr Bingley were an excellent match, but for Jane there was too bigger social gap. She felt nervous around Bingley, and especially around his family. There were problems, when Mr Darcy believed Jane did not love Bingley as Bingley loved Jane and so convinced Bingley to move away, breaking Jane’s heart. This was part of the reason Lizzie did not take to Darcy. Despite all the problems, Bingley and Jane do marry, but not before Austen made sure her audience sympathized towards Jane, the good-intentioned sister. Jane represents the â€Å"do-good† types that always appear to get everything they deserve (which happens to be everything), which shows these people aren’t just a modern day occurrence, but appear regularly in history. Mr Collins’ proposal to Lizzie was a cringeworthy moment in Pride & Prejudice. His proposal seemed rehearsed, and while Lizzie laughs at him, he leads himself to believe she’s being shy. He tries to convince her by mentioning the fact Longbourne is entailed to him. Lizzie turns him down, but he believes she’s playing hard to get. The entire affair is exceedingly embarrassing as Mr Collins won’t take no for an answer, without realising he isn’t going to get another answer. Following Lizzie turning down his proposal, Mr Collins proposes to Lizzie’s best friend, Charlotte Lucas. Charlotte, unlike Lizzie, accepts in the full realisation that this may by her first and last proposal, and it just wouldn’t be safe to turn it down. This relationship, as it was, was made out to be the example of a safe marriage. It’s not for love, nor money, just simply for security. Charlotte is fully aware that unless out to events, she will never be bothered by Mr Collins, and will be able to lead a safe and quiet life. This is the most realistic marriage out of all other’s in this book when studying typical marriages of the time. Austen writes about Charlotte in a way that makes us feel sympathy for her, and all other women who were forced to marry and spend every living day with someone who’s company they may not even enjoy, but love wasn’t a detail considered important when marrying off children, they were expect to LEARN to love the one they were with. Lydia, being the youngest and giddiest of all the Bennett girls also happened to be the stupidest, when she eloped with Wickham and put a bigger black mark then her mother’s on the family name. Strangely enough, it was Darcy that came to the (silent) rescue. He found Wickham and Lydia, forced them to marry and paid for the whole thing (Lydia loved the entire thing, thinking of it as an adventure, whereas Wickham wasn’t quite so impressed). It’s after this we find out why Darcy dived at the chance to help. Wickham told Lizzie that Darcy had cheated him out of his inheritance from Darcy’s father, when actually, Wickham had tried to elope with Georgina Darcy for HER substantial inheritance. After Elizabeth rejected Mr Collins, he hurriedly married her best friend, Charlotte Lucas, and Elizabeth is invited to visit the newlyweds. While she is staying with them, Darcy visits his aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, at the adjoining estate, Rosings Park. Elizabeth and Darcy are therefore thrown daily into each other’s company. Elizabeth’s charms eventually entrance Mr Darcy, leading him to finally declare his love for her â€Å"against his own will† and his desire to marry her in spite of her objectionable family. Surprised and insulted by Darcy’s high-handed method of proposing, as well as having recently learnt that Darcy convinced Bingley to sever ties with Jane and still contemptuous of Darcy’s supposed wrongs against Wickham, Elizabeth refuses him in no uncertain terms, saying that he is â€Å"the last man in the world whom she could ever be prevailed on to marry.† The next day, Darcy intercepts Elizabeth on her morning walk and hands her a letter before leaving on a cold note. In the letter, Darcy justifies his actions regarding his interference in Bingley and Jane’s relationship, and reveals his history concerning Mr Wickham and Wickham’s true nature. The letter sheds a new light on Darcy’s personality for Elizabeth and she begins to reconsider her opinion of him, particularly in the case of Wickham. Then, while on holiday with her aunt and uncle, the Gardiners, Elizabeth is persuaded to visit Pemberley, Darcy’s estate, while he is away. She is therefore mortified when she bumps into him unexpectedly while on a tour of the grounds. However, his changed attitude towards her shows in his behaviour, distinctly warmer than last time, and his polite and friendly manner towards her aunt and uncle begins to persuade Elizabeth that underneath his pride lies a true and generous nature. Her fresh opinion of Darcy is supported through meeting his younger sister Georgiana, a gentle-natured and shy girl whom Darcy lovingly dotes upon. THEN to top off this new improved Darcy, he finds Wickham and Lydia, and makes sure they marry therefore causing no slander towards the family name. Austen wrote in Darcy as the negative force, and Lizzie as the good, they were bound to come together, but it couldn’t happen without some toing-and-froing. In my opinion, both Lizzie and Darcy are negative, but they were destined for each other from Meryton. Both Jane and Lizzie end up marrying for love, but they both end up marrying someone in a substantially higher class, whereas Lydia, like her mother, married for lust (Wickham on the other hand married for money). Jane Austen wrote this book for entertainment, and perhaps to show the audience that things could be different if a little more respect was paid to women. But also, i think Austen wrote this book with an idea to mock the ridiculous social rules of the time. Writing a story like this placed her way ahead of her time anyway, as the plot is still very relevant today, but was she so ahead of her time that she could see the circus that was the social circuits and the jail-marriages some women were forced to dwell into.