A Risk Analysis Of Grasim Industries Finance Essay - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 6 Words: 1797 Downloads: 7 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Finance Essay Type Argumentative essay Did you like this example? GRASIM INDUSTRIES is one of the leaders in cement industry. It is apart of ADITYA BIRLA GROUP. It is the second largest producer of cement after ACC limited. KUMAR MANGALAM BIRLA is the chairman of Grasim industries. RISK ANALYSIS RISKS FOR GRASIM INDUSTRIES Some of the key risks affecting the Company are illustrated below: Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "A Risk Analysis Of Grasim Industries Finance Essay" essay for you Create order Economic Risk Due to the opening of world trade and diminishing tariffs, the Company is faced with the threat of pressure on margins on products. To counter these, the Company stepped up its focus on value added products by upgrading and expanding manufacturing capacities and increasing RD. In addition, structural cost optimisation and cost control measures have been initiated. BUBBLE BURST Secondly,with the SUBPRIME CRISIS in USA which led to global turmoil to the world economy and led to the fall in the prices of real estate is one of the biggest risk being faced by GRASIM. Competitor Risk The market is highly competitive with the elimination of fiscal barriers and inroads of large corporates into the country with inorganic growth strategies. The Company continues to focus on increasing its market share and taking marketing initiatives that help customers in making informed decisions. Project Execution Risk The Company is in the process of setting up cement capacities and captive thermal power plants. The project execution is largely dependent upon land purchase, project management skills, timely delivery by the equipment suppliers and adherence to schedule by civil contractors. Any delay in project implementation will impact revenues and profit for that period. The Company is continuously reviewing the project execution to ensure that the implementation schedules are adhered. Human Resource Risk The Companys ability to deliver value also depends on its ability to attract, train, motivate, empower and retain the best professional talents. These abilities have to be developed across Companys rapidly expanding operations. There is significant competition from emerging service sectors, which poses inherent risks associated with the ability to hire and retain skilled and experienced professionals. The Company continuously benchmarks HR policies and practices with the best in the industry and carries out necessary improvements to attract and retain best talent and build intellectual capital. Foreign Exchange Risk The Companys policy is to hedge its long-term foreign exchange risk as well as short-term exposures within the defined parameters. The long-term foreign exchange liability is fully hedged, and hedges are on held to maturity basis. As imports (including capital goods import) exceeded exports, the Company has suitably hedged the differential short-term exposure from time to time to appropriately manage the currency risk. Interest Rate Risk The Company is exposed to interest rate fluctuations on its borrowings. It uses a judicious mix of fixed and floating rate debts within the stipulated parameters. The Company continuously monitors its interest rate exposures and whenever required, uses hedging tools to minimise interest rate risk. Commodity Price Risk The Company is exposed to the risk of price fluctuation on raw materials, energy sources as well as finished goods. However, considering the normal correlation in the prices of raw materials and finished goods, the risk is reduced. The Companys strategy of backward integration, like pulp and caustic soda for VSF, helps in minimising the effect of increase in prices of raw materials. Setting up of captive power plants aids in controlling the impact of rise in energy cost, which is a major cost element. Forward integration in value added products, e.g., specialty fibre in VSF, ready mix concrete in cement, wall care putty in white cement enables to reduce the impact of price fluctuation in the finished goods. RISKS FACED BY CEMENT INDUSTRY ECONOMIC RISK The first major risk faced by the cement industry is the current market situation i.e recession, sub prime crisis, bubble burst, fall in the prices of real estate high interest rates on housing loans inflation. All these factors are a threat to cement industry as the are the forces of demand for the cement in the market. COMPETITORS RISK INDIAN CEMENT INDUSTRY is facing a tough competiton with CHINESE CEMENT INDUSTRY AND PAKISTAN which is creating a threat to our domestic market. LACK OF RESOURCES COAL-the major problem There is lack of resources which creates problem for the cement industry in meeting its demand. Since coalfields like BCCL supply a poor quality of coal, NCL and CCL the industry has to blend high-grade coal with it. The Indian coal has a low calorific value (3,500-4,000 kcal/kg) with ash content as high as 25-30% compared to imported coal of high calorific value (7,000-8,000 kcal/kg) with low ash content 6-7% which ultimately increases the price of the cement. ELECTRICITY Another major hindrance to the industry is severe power cuts. Most of the cement producing states like AP, MP experience power cuts to the tune of 25-30% every year causing substantial production loss. INFRASTRUCTURE-TRANSPORTATION There is also the problem of inadequate availability of wagons especially on western railways and southeastern railways. GOVERNMENT POLICIES RISK Government policies have affected the growth of cement plants in India in various stages. The control on cement for a long time and then partial decontrol and then total decontrol has contributed to the gradual opening up of the market for cement producers. OTHER SECTOR RISKS CEMENT INDUSTRY has direct risk from reality sector and petroleum sector.the demand for the infrastructure developments and prices of crude oil in the foreign market and interest rates of our monetary policies directly impact our CEMENT INDUSTRY. TECHNOLOGICAL RISKS/OPERATIONAL RISK Another risk faced by the cement industry is the upgradation of technology which involves huge costs. huge costs are involved in setting up of plants with latest technology and their is a risk of human resource as well linked to it. RISK MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES The Company is exposed to risks from market fluctuations of foreign exchange and interest rate. SO the various risk management techniques followed by Grasim are- The Company has a comprehensive risk management policy. The risk management inter alia provides for review of the risk assessment and mitigation procedure, laying down procedure to inform/report the Board in the matter and for periodical review of the procedure to ensure that executive management controls the risks through a properly defined framework. Foreign Exchange Risk The Companys policy is to hedge its long-term foreign exchange risk as well as short-term exposures within defined parameters. Currently, the Company has a small long-term foreign ex change liability of Rs. 20 crores which is partially hedged. The short-term exposures are covered from time to time. The Companys aggregate exports stood at Rs.101.8 crores and imports at Rs.400.6 croresin FY09. Due to the excess of imports over exports, the Company has suitably hedged the differential exposure. Interest Rate Risk The Company is exposed to interest rate fluctuations on its Rupee denominated borrowings. The Company uses judicious mix of fixed and variable rate debts within the stipulated parameters. The company does not perceive interest rate fluctuations as a significant risk, having any material impact on its profitability. COMMODITY RISK TECHNIQUE The Company is exposed to the risk of price fluctuation on raw materials, energy sources as well as finished goods. However, considering the normal correlation in the prices of raw materials and finished goods, the risk is reduced. The Companys strategy of backward integration, like pulp and caust ic soda for VSF, helps in minimising the effect of increase in prices of raw materials. RISK MANAGEMENT SYSTEM For the operational risk management they have adopted RIS i.e risk management system which deals in .Specialized risk management training Safety Audit Studies Fire and Explosion Investigations Electrical Safety Audits POST IMPLICATIONS OF RISK MANAGEMENT After the implementation of various techniques the GRASIM INDUSTRIES is able to optimize its risks. The Companys cement volumes grew by 6% during the years as the benefit of new capacities accrued only towards the later part of the year. All major costs decreased. The market coverage of Ready Mix Concrete has increased substantially with large capacity expansions in the last year. Its volumes increased by 24%. Both volumes and realisation were good for White Cement. The value added product Wall Care Putty registered a 40% growth. Sales volume grew from 14.52 million tonnes in FY 07 to 15.54 million tonnes in FY08, a growth of 7%. The Company successfully transited the Birla Plus brand to UltraTech Cement The Engineers Choice for a common brand identity across the country. Upgrading the Companys pollution control equipments on a continuous basis for better efficiency R N D facilities- RD was also focused on improving the processes in plants to achieve better energy consumption and reduced emissions to the environment. Future plans are towards development of new products and utilisation of waste fuels to reduce carbon foot print. The foundation stone for the White Cement RD Centre namely Aditya Research Development Centre (ARDC) was laid on 20th December, 2008. Improved decision-making, planning and prioritizing skills. Well-organized allocation of the resources and the capital. Allowed anticipate the problems and utilizes the best minimizing amount of fire fighting and preventing a disaster, which could lead to sever financial crunch. Risk management significantly improved the probability of the delivery of the business plan, within the time frame and budget. Stratergic investment by acquiring 12.89% equity in Larsen and Toubro. The Business has also enhanced its investment in Ready Mix Concrete, with excellent customer response in the markets being served. Moreover, the Business was able to reduce its cost of sales per tonne through expanded use of alternative fuels, a reduction in the freight cost, a voluntary retirement scheme at one of its major plants and various other process initiatives. In addition, the Company commissioned its new 1.0 Mn.tpa Grinding Unit at Bhatinda in Punjab. An outlay of over Rs. 460 Crores in the last 2 years was committed towards capital investment in support of these priorities; and this programme is being continued in the current fiscal. Improved throughput, reduced power costs and increased process efficiencies are the targeted outcome of this Programme. Continuous technological upgrading and assimilation of latest technology has been going on in the cement industry. Presently 93 per cent of the total capacity in the industry is based on modern and environment-friendly dry process technology and only 7 per cent of the capacity is based on old wet and semi-dry process technology. CONCLUSION The cement industry is one of the main beneficiaries of the infrastructure boom. With robust demand and adequate supply, the industry has bright future. The cement sector is expected to witness growth in line with the economic growth because of the strong co-relation with GDP. As far as GRASIM INDUSTRIES is concerned the company is moving at a faster rate and risk management techniques has helped it to sustain and earn profits at the time of consolidated slowdown inflationary market.

Of Mice And Men By John Steinbeck - 1452 Words

The novella â€Å"Of Mice and Men† by John Steinbeck (published in 1937) and the play â€Å"Death of a Salesman† by Arthur Miller (published in 1949) both focus on the idea of the American dream creating a better life for oneself in a land of opportunity. However, both texts question whether this dream is achievable or just an illusion which is unattainable. Steinbecks novella â€Å"Of Mice and Men† tells the tale of two migrant ranch workers, George and Lennie, with a dream of getting their own farm. The genuine catastrophe in â€Å"Of Mice and Men† is that Crooks, the pessimistic stable hand, was right as â€Å"nobody gets no land. It s just in their head. They re all the time talkin about it, but it s jus in their head.† Crooks is alluding to not only the literal possession but also to the fantasy of satisfaction about which these simple men dream of. Implied in the theme of the American dream is the ironic idea that the development and maturity of the characters leads to the obliteration of ones aspirations. George â€Å"matures† by killing Lennie, and in turn killing the dream that they fantasized. George survives on the grounds that he deserts his unreasonable dreams. Dreaming, then again, is mankind s only protection against an aloof world. The title of the novella itself suggests that individuals are helpless in changing their destinies and thus foreshadowing the hopelessness of the American dream. Likewise, Miller demonstrates how development and maturity prompts the destruction ofShow MoreRelatedOf Mice and Men by John Steinbeck973 Words   |  4 PagesIntroduction: I. Background A. John Steinbeck was born on February 27th, 1902 in Salinas, California. 1. Salinas River was one of the few centers for shipping, farming, and agriculture a. John Steinbeck worked as an employed laborer, digging canals and working beside men similar to characters in his novels. 2. In a discussion John Steinbeck said, I worked in the same country that the story is laid in. The characters are composites to a certain extent. Lennie was a real person. Hes in an insaneRead MoreOf Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck842 Words   |  4 Pages it was not uncommon to become morosely secluded while working. Men would go far away from their families in search of any jobs they could get, with only themselves to confide in; colleagues only filling in the void of friends and family partially. Naturally, John Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men, written during this period, would reflect this fact as a major aspect of the story. Loneliness would become the sinew of Of Mice and Men, manifested in some of the story’s main characters: Candy, CrooksRead MoreThe And Of Mice And Men By John Steinbeck1549 Words   |  7 PagesThis essay will be exploring the role of women in the texts ‘DNA’ by Dennis Kelly and ‘Of Mice and Men’ by John Steinbeck . Both texts are quite dissimilar for the most part, with ‘DNA’ being a contemporary play, dealing with problems faced by modern youth groups and ‘Of Mice and Men’ being a classic novella. Set in the 1930’s, the novella tells a story of two migrant workers who flee to Salinas, California, for work. In spite of this, both explore the presentation of female characters similarlyRead MoreOf Mice and Men by John Steinbeck1358 Words   |  6 Pagesthis expression to stress the fact that there are and will be difficulties in life. John Steinbeck, in his novella Of Mice and Men, does not fall short of the same views. It takes place in the year 1937, a period associated with the Great Depression, and illustrates the hardships of the time, and more so those that laborers such as George and Lennie experience. Life proves to be full of disappointments for both men who are victims of harsh circumstances in more ways than one. The two have a dreamRead MoreOf Mi ce And Men By John Steinbeck894 Words   |  4 PagesOf Mice and Men Essay John Steinbeck once said, â€Å"A journey is a person in itself; no two are alike. And all plans, safeguards, policing, and coercion are fruitless. We find that after years of struggle that we do not take a trip; a trip takes us†. In his novella, Of Mice and Men, two men go on an unexpected journey in search for their dream of happiness. There are many themes that come from their journey such as, the gilded American dream, the bond of male friendships, the power of women and femininityRead MoreOf Mice And Men By John Steinbeck1433 Words   |  6 PagesI am writing a literary essay on the novella, Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. I will be responding to the question describe an important character and explain how the character helped you understand an important message. In the novella, Of Mice and Men, written by John Steinbeck, two characters, Crooks and Curley’s wife, help me understand the message ‘Discrimination isolates people’. The book takes place in Soledad, California, mid 1930’s, during the Great Depression, at a time when discriminationRead MoreOf Mice And Men By John Steinbeck1747 Words   |  7 Pages Of Mice and Men is a tragedy And The Pearl is a parable. Author s Name John Steinbeck -Title of Work #1: Of Mice and Men -Genre: Tragedy -Evidence of Genre (explain what makes the work an example of the genre): Tragedy is a branch of literature that uses a serious and dignified style the sad or unfortunate events encountered or caused by a heroic individual. In Of Mice and Men George and Lennie face a lot of tragic events. -Complete Summary of Work: Of Mice and Men is theRead MoreOf Mice And Men By John Steinbeck1354 Words   |  6 PagesThe novel ‘Of Mice and Men’, written by John Steinbeck, is set near the Salinas River in California, America during the Great Depression between 1930-1939. The Great Depression was a distressing time in the history of America as the unemployment rate was high which in turn led to poverty and hunger. During this time, many struggled to find work and this steered them to travel long distances, often without having anyone to talk to. Dreams were crafted by this travelling workforce and were somethingRead MoreMice Of Men By John Steinbeck785 Words   |  4 Pages It was an hopeless time period. For George in steinbeck s book mice of men by John Steinbeck,it was the great depression.This was a time period of a deep and dark economic downturn that affected the whole country. While the story focuses on George and Lennie s struggles through this hopeless time.They were best buds that got along great. They went to farm to farm as migrant works to get there pay. George had to take care of Lennie throughout the book and pick up the pieces, but lennie was a kindRead MoreOf Mice And Men By John Steinbeck1400 Words   |  6 PagesOf Mice and Men, it is not just a band! Of Mice and Men was originally a short novel written by John Steinbeck in the 1930s. Regardless of the shortness in length, though, it is a rather deep and emotional book with quite a few messages behind the fictional storyline. These messages, however, cannot be discovered right off the bat. To genuinely absorb the messages Steinbeck teaches and actually understand the meaning behind them, one must read the book in its entirety. Steinbeck educates readers

The Secret Circle The Captive Chapter Five Free Essays

string(60) " go inside and I’ll show you how to make an infusion\." â€Å"You stupid outsider,† Faye screeched, twisting away from Cassie. â€Å"It was just getting started-now you’ve ruined everything!† Cassie lay on her back, gasping. Then she pointed shakily, sitting up. We will write a custom essay sample on The Secret Circle: The Captive Chapter Five or any similar topic only for you Order Now â€Å"That’s what I ruined,† she said, her voice soft from lack of breath, and from fear. Faye looked up at the ceiling, at the dark, charred circle on the white plaster. â€Å"It was coming right at you,† Cassie said, too unnerved to yell, or even to be angry. â€Å"Didn’t you see it?† Faye just looked at her, black lashes heavy over speculative golden eyes. Then she looked at the skull. Cassie leaned over and covered the skull with the cloth. â€Å"What are you doing?† â€Å"I’m taking it back,† Cassie said, still breathless. â€Å"Diana was right. I was right, if I’d listened to myself. It’s too dangerous to handle.† She expected Faye to explode, possibly even to fight her. But Faye looked up at the stain on the ceiling and said musingly, â€Å"I think it’s just a matter of more protection. If we could capture that energy-channel it. . .† â€Å"You’re crazy,† Cassie told her bluntly. â€Å"And,† she added, â€Å"our deal is finished. I did what you asked: I brought you the skull. You used it and you almost got killed. So now it’s over.† Faye’s lazy expression disappeared. â€Å"Oh, no, Cassie,† she said. The hint of a smile curved her lips, but her eyes were predatory. Ruthless. â€Å"It’s only starting. Don’t you see?† She began to laugh. â€Å"You’re more my captive now than ever. It’s not just Adam anymore-now I can tell Diana about this. How do you think the Princess of Purity is going to feel when she finds out her ‘little sister’ stole the skull? And then brought it to me to use?† Faye laughed harder, seeming delighted. â€Å"Oh, Cassie, you should see your face.† Cassie felt as if she were smothering. What Faye said was true. If Diana found out that Cassie had dug up the skull-that Cassie had lied to her-that the whole story last Sunday about being too scared to go home had been a trick†¦ Just as it had the last time she’d stood in this room, Cassie felt her spirit, her will, draining away. She was more trapped than ever. She was lost. â€Å"You take the skull back now,† Faye said, as if it had been entirely her idea. â€Å"And later- well, I’ll think of something else I want from you. In the meanwhile, you just keep yourself available.† I hate you, Cassie thought with impotent rage. But Faye was ignoring Cassie completely, bending to pick up the bristling kittens, one gray and one orange, which had crawled out from under the dust ruffle. The vampire kittens, Cassie remembered distractedly-the ones with a taste for human blood. Apparently even they hadn’t liked this business with the skull. â€Å"What about that?† Cassie said, pointing at the dark stain on Faye’s ceiling. â€Å"Don’t you feel at all responsible about letting it loose? It could be out killing somebody-â€Å" â€Å"I doubt it,† Faye said, and shrugged negligently. â€Å"But we’ll just have to wait and see, I suppose.† She stroked the orange kitten and its fur began to lie flat again. Cassie could only stare at her, tears rising to her eyes. She’d thought she could control Faye, but she’d been wrong. And right now the new dark energy could be doing anything, and she was helpless to stop it. You could tell Diana, an inner voice, the core voice, whispered, but Cassie didn’t even pretend to listen. She could never tell Diana now; that chance was over. Things had gone far too far with Faye. â€Å"Cassie, are you nervous about something?† Laurel had paused with the white-handled knife in her hand. â€Å"Me? No. Why?† Cassie said, feeling every moment as if she might jump out of her skin. â€Å"You just seem kind of jittery.† Laurel gently snicked the knife through the base of the small witch-hazel bush. â€Å"Now, this won’t hurt a bit†¦ you’ve got plenty of roots down there to grow back from†¦Ã¢â‚¬  she murmured soothingly. â€Å"It’s not about Homecoming, is it?† she asked, looking up again. â€Å"No, no,† Cassie said. She hadn’t even thought about Homecoming this week. She couldn’t think about anything except the dark energy. Each day she expected to hear about some new disaster. But today was Thursday, and nothing had happened yet. No avalanches, no bodies found, nobody even missing. Oh, if only she could let herself believe that nothing would happen. The energy she and Faye had released had been small-she felt sure of that now-and maybe it had just evaporated. Cassie felt a delicious peace steal through her at the thought. Laurel had moved over to a clump of thyme. â€Å"It’s not too late to change your mind about coming,† she said. â€Å"And I wish you would. Dancing is very witchy-and it’s Nature. It’s like one of our incantations: â€Å"Man to woman, woman to man, Ever since the world began. Heart to heart, and hand to hand, Ever since the world began.† She added, looking up at Cassie thoughtfully, â€Å"Wasn’t there some guy you met over the summer that you were interested in? We could do a spell to pull him here-â€Å" â€Å"No!† said Cassie. â€Å"I mean, I really don’t want to go to Homecoming, Laurel. I just-I wouldn’t be comfortable.† â€Å"Thank you,† Laurel said. For an instant Cassie thought it was addressed to her, but Laurel was now talking to the thyme. â€Å"I’m sorry I needed part of the root, too, but I brought this to help you grow back,† she went on, tucking a pink crystal into the soil. â€Å"That reminds me, have you found your working crystal yet?† she said to Cassie. â€Å"No,† Cassie said. She thought of the jumble of crystals in Faye’s box. She’d liked handling them, but none of them had stood out as hers, as the one she needed as a witch. â€Å"Don’t worry, you will,† Laurel assured her. â€Å"It’ll just turn up one day, and you’ll know.† She stood up with the thyme plant in her hand. â€Å"All right, let’s go inside and I’ll show you how to make an infusion. You read "The Secret Circle: The Captive Chapter Five" in category "Essay examples" Nobody should fool around with herbs unless they know exactly what they’re doing. And if you change your mind about Homecoming, thyme soup helps overcome shyness.† Cassie cast a look around the great wide world, as she always did now, checking for the dark energy, then she followed Laurel. The next day, in American history class, Diana sneezed. Ms. Lanning stopped talking and said, â€Å"Bless you† absently. Cassie scarcely noticed it at the time. But then, at the end of class, Diana sneezed again, and kept sneezing. Cassie looked at her. Diana’s eyes were pink and watery. Her nose was getting pink, too, as she rubbed it with a Kleenex. That night, instead of going to the Homecoming game, Diana stayed at home in bed. Cassie, who knew nothing about football and was only yelling when everybody else yelled, worried about her in some back corner of her mind. It couldn’t have anything to do with the dark energy, could it? â€Å"Applaud,† Laurel said, nudging her. â€Å"For the Homecoming Queen. Sally really looks almost pretty, doesn’t she?† â€Å"I guess,† Cassie said, applauding mechanically. â€Å"Laurel, how come one of us isn’t Homecoming Queen? Instead of an outsider?† â€Å"Diana didn’t want to be,† Laurel said succinctly. â€Å"And Deb and the others think it’s too goody-goody. But from the way Jeffrey Lovejoy’s looking at Sally, I’d say Faye made a mistake. She told Jeff to come to the dance with her, but he’d already asked Sally and he’s a fighter. It’ll be interesting to see who gets him.† â€Å"You can tell me all about it,† Cassie said. â€Å"I saw the last fight between Faye and Sally; this one I can miss.† But it didn’t turn out that way. Cassie was in the herb garden when the phone call came. She had to go through the kitchen and into the new wing of the house to get to the telephone. â€Å"Hello, Cassie?† The voice was so muted and stuffed-up it was almost unrecognizable. â€Å"It’s Diana.† Fear crinkled up Cassie’s backbone. The dark energy†¦ â€Å"Oh, Diana, are you all right?† There was a burst of muffled laughter. â€Å"Don’t panic. I’m not dying. It’s just a bad cold.† â€Å"You sound awful.† â€Å"I know. I’m completely miserable, and I can’t go to the dance tonight, and I called to ask you a favor.† Cassie froze with a sudden intuition. Her mouth opened, and then shut again silently. But Diana was going on. â€Å"Jeffrey called Faye to tell her he’s going with Sally after all, and Faye is livid. So when she heard I was sick, she called to say she would go with Adam, because she knew I would want him to go even if I couldn’t. And I do; I don’t want him to miss it just because of me. So I told her she couldn’t because I’d already asked you to go with him.† â€Å"Why?† Cassie blurted, and then thought, Ask a stupid question†¦ â€Å"Because Faye is on the prowl,† Diana said patiently. â€Å"And she likes Adam, and the mood she’s in tonight, she’ll try anything. That’s the one thing I couldn’t stand, Cassie, for her to get her hands on Adam. I just couldn’t.† Cassie looked around for something to sit down on. â€Å"But Diana †¦ I don’t even have a dress. I’m all muddy†¦.† â€Å"You can go over to Suzan’s. All the other girls are there. They’ll take care of you.† â€Å"But†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Cassie shut her eyes. â€Å"Diana, you just don’t understand. I can’t. I-â€Å" â€Å"Oh, Cassie, I know it’s a lot to ask. But I don’t know who else to turn to. And if Faye goes after Adam†¦Ã¢â‚¬  It was the first time Cassie had ever heard such a forlorn note in Diana’s voice. She sounded on the verge of tears. Cassie pressed a hand to her forehead. â€Å"Okay. Okay, I’ll do it. But-â€Å" â€Å"Thank you, Cassie! Now go right to Suzan’s-I’ve talked with her and Laurel and Melanie. They’ll fix you up. I’m going to call Adam and tell him.† And that, Cassie thought helplessly, was one conversation she thought she could miss too. Maybe Adam would get them out of it somehow, she thought as she drove the Rabbit up Suzan’s driveway. But she doubted it. When Diana made her mind up about something, she was immovable. Suzan’s house had columns. Cassie’s mother said it was bad Greek Revival, but Cassie secretly thought it was impressive. The inside was imposing too, and Suzan’s bedroom was in a class by itself. It was all the colors of the sea: sand, shell, pearl, periwinkle. The headboard on Suzan’s bed was shaped like a giant scalloped shell. But what caught Cassie’s eye were the mirrors- she’d never seen so many mirrors in one place. â€Å"Cassie!† Laurel burst in just behind her, making Cassie turn in surprise. â€Å"I’ve got it!† Laurel announced triumphantly to the other girls, holding up a plastic-draped hanger. Inside Cassie glimpsed some pale, gleaming material. â€Å"It’s a dress Granny Quincey got me this summer-but I haven’t worn it and I never will. It’s not my style, but it’ll be perfect on you, Cassie.† â€Å"Oh, God,† was all Cassie could think of to say. She’d changed her mind; she couldn’t do this after all. â€Å"Laurel-thanks-but I might ruin it†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Don’t let her talk,† Melanie ordered from the other side of the room. â€Å"Stick her in a bath; she needs one.† â€Å"That way,† Suzan said, gesturing with splayed fingers. â€Å"I can’t do anything until my nails are dry, but all the stuff’s in there.† â€Å"Beauty bath mix,† Laurel gloated, examining the assortment of bottles on the gilt shelves in Suzan’s bathroom. There were all kinds of bottles, some with wide necks and some with long narrow necks, green and deep glowing blue. â€Å"Here, this is great: thyme, mint, rosemary, and lavender. It smells wonderful, and it’s tranquilizing, too.† She scattered bright-colored dried flowers in the steaming water. â€Å"Now get in and scrub. Oh, this is good,† she went on, sniffing at another bottle. â€Å"Chamomile hair rinse-it brightens hair, brings out the highlights. Use it!† Cassie obeyed dazedly. She felt as if she’d just been inducted into boot camp. When she got back to the bedroom, Melanie directed her to sit down and hold a hot washcloth on her face. â€Å"It’s ‘a fragrant resin redolent with the mysterious virtues of tropical balms,’ † Melanie said, reading from a Book of Shadows. â€Å"It ‘renders the complexion clear and brilliant’-and it really does, too. So hold this on your face while I do your hair.† â€Å"Melanie’s wonderful with hair,† Laurel volunteered as Cassie gamely buried her face in the washcloth. â€Å"Yes, but I’m not going to give her a do,† Melanie said critically. â€Å"I’m just making it soft and natural, waving back from her face. Plug in those hot rollers, Suzan.† While Melanie worked, Cassie could hear Laurel and Deborah arguing in the depths of Suzan’s walk-in closet. â€Å"Suzan,† Laurel shouted. â€Å"I never saw so many pairs of shoes in my life. What do you do with them all?† â€Å"I don’t know. I just like buying them. Which is lucky for people who want to borrow them,† Suzan called back. â€Å"Now, let’s get you into the dress,† Melanie said, some time later. â€Å"No, don’t look, not yet. Come over to the vanity and Suzan will do your makeup.† Feebly, Cassie tried to protest as Melanie whipped a towel around her neck. â€Å"That’s all right. I can do it myself-â€Å" â€Å"No, you want Suzan to do it,† Laurel said, emerging from the closet. â€Å"I promise, Cassie; just wait and see.† â€Å"But I don’t wear much makeup-I won’t look like me †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Yes, you will. You’ll look more like you.† â€Å"Well, somebody decide, for heaven’s sake,† Suzan said, standing by in a kimono and waving a powder puff impatiently. â€Å"I’ve got myself to do, too, you know.† Cassie yielded and sat on a stool, facing Suzan. â€Å"Hm,† said Suzan, turning Cassie’s face this way and that. â€Å"Hmm.† The next half hour was filled with bewildering instructions. â€Å"Look up,† Suzan commanded, wielding a brown eyeliner pencil. â€Å"Look down. See, this will give you doe eyes,† she went on, â€Å"and nobody will even be able to tell you’re wearing anything. Now a little almond shadow†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She dipped a small brush in powder and blew off the excess. â€Å"Now just a little midnight blue in the crease to make you look mysterious†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Eyes shut, Cassie relaxed. This was fun. She felt even more decadent and pampered when Laurel said, â€Å"I’ll take care of your nails.† â€Å"What are you using?† Cassie asked trustingly. â€Å"Witch-hazel infusion and Chanel Flamme Rose polish,† Laurel replied, and they both giggled. â€Å"Don’t jolt my hand,† Suzan said crossly. â€Å"Now suck in your cheeks like a fish. Stop laughing. You’ve got great cheekbones, I’m just going to bring them out a little. Now go like this; I’m going to put Roseglow on your lips.† When at last she sat back to survey her work, the other girls gathered around, even Deborah. â€Å"And finally,† Suzan said, â€Å"just a drop of magnet perfume here, and here, and here.† She touched the hollow of Cassie’s throat, her earlobes, and her wrists with something that smelled wild and exotic and wonderful. â€Å"What is it?† Cassie asked. â€Å"Mignonette, tuberose, and ylang-ylang,† Suzan said. â€Å"It makes you irresistible. And I should know.† Alarm lanced through Cassie suddenly, but before she had time to think, Laurel was turning her, loosening the towel around her neck. â€Å"Wait, don’t look until you’ve got your shoes on†¦. Now!† Laurel said jubilantly. â€Å"Look at that!† Cassie opened her eyes and drew in her breath. Then, scarcely knowing what she was doing, she moved closer to the full-length mirror, to the lovely stranger reflected there. She could hardly resist reaching out to touch the glass with her fingertips. The girl in the mirror had fine, light-brown hair waving softly back from her face. The highlights shimmered when Cassie moved her head, so it must be her-but it couldn’t be, Cassie thought. Her eyes didn’t have that dreamy, mysterious aura. Her skin didn’t have that dewy glow, and she didn’t blush that way, to bring out her cheekbones. And her lips definitely didn’t have that breathless ready-to-be-kissed look. â€Å"It’s the lipstick,† Suzan explained. â€Å"Don’t smudge it.† â€Å"It’s possible,† said Melanie, â€Å"that you’ve gone too far, Suzan.† â€Å"Do you like the dress?† Laurel asked. â€Å"It’s the perfect length, just short enough, but still romantic.† The girl in the mirror, the one with the delicate bones and the swan’s neck, turned from side to side. The dress was silvery and shimmering, like yards of starlight, and it made Cassie feel like a princess. Suzan’s shoes, appropriately, looked like glass slippers. â€Å"Oh, thank you!† Cassie said, whirling to look at the other girls. â€Å"I mean-I don’t know how to say thank you. I mean-I finally look like a witch!† They burst into laughter, except Deborah, who threw a disgusted glance at the ceiling. Cassie hugged Laurel, and then, impulsively, hugged Suzan, too. â€Å"Well, you are a witch,† Suzan said reasonably. â€Å"I’ll show you how to do it yourself if you want.† Cassie felt something like humility. She’d thought Suzan was just an airhead, but it wasn’t true. Suzan loved beauty and was generous about sharing it with other people. Cassie smiled into the china-blue eyes and felt as if she’d unexpectedly made a new friend. â€Å"Wait, we almost forgot!† Melanie said. â€Å"You can’t go to a dance without a single crystal to your name.† She rummaged in her canvas bag, and then said, â€Å"Here, this will be perfect; it was my great-grandmother’s.† She held up a necklace: a thin chain with a teardrop of clear quartz. Cassie took it lovingly and fastened it around her neck, admiring the way it lay in the hollow of her throat. Then she hugged Melanie, too. From downstairs a doorbell chimed faintly, and, closer, a male voice shouted, â€Å"For crying out loud! Are you going to get that, Suzan?† â€Å"It’s one of the guys!† Suzan said, thrown into a tizzy. â€Å"And we’re not ready. You’re the only one dressed, Cassie; run and get it before Dad has a fit.† â€Å"Hello, Mr. Whittier; sorry, Mr. Whittier,† Cassie gasped as she hurried downstairs. It wasn’t until she was at the door that she thought, Oh, please, please, please, let it be any one of the others. Don’t let it be him. Please. Adam was standing there when she opened the door. He was wearing a wry smile, appropriate for a guy who’s been commandeered at the last minute into escorting his girl’s best friend to a dance. The smile disappeared instantly when he saw Cassie. For a long moment he simply stared at her. Her own elated smile faded, and they stood gazing at each other. Adam swallowed hard, started to say something, then gave up and stood silent again. Cassie was hearing Suzan’s words: It’ll make you irresistible. Oh, what had she done? â€Å"We’ll call it off,† she said, and her voice was as soft as when she’d told Faye about the dark energy. â€Å"We’ll tell Diana I got sick too-â€Å" â€Å"We can’t,† he said, equally soft, but very intense. â€Å"Nobody would believe it, and besides†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The wry smile made an attempt at reappearing. â€Å"It would be a shame for you to miss Homecoming. You look†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He paused. â€Å"Nice.† â€Å"So do you,† Cassie said, and tried to come up with an ironic smile of her own. She had the feeling it turned out wobbly. Cassie took another breath, but at that moment she heard a voice from the second floor. â€Å"Here,† Laurel said, leaning over the balustrade to toss Cassie a tiny beaded purse. â€Å"Get her to the dance, Adam; that way she’ll have a chance at some guys who’re available.† And, from the bedroom, Suzan called, â€Å"But not too many, Cassie-leave some for us!† â€Å"I’ll try to fend a few of them off,† Adam called back, and Cassie felt her racing pulse calm a little. They had their parts down now. It was like acting in a play, and all Cassie had to do was remember her role. She felt sure Adam could handle his †¦ well, almost sure. Something in his sea-dark eyes sent thin chills up her spine. â€Å"Let’s go,† Adam said, and Cassie took a deep breath and stepped with him outside into the night. How to cite The Secret Circle: The Captive Chapter Five, Essay examples

King of the castle tension free essay sample

?â€Å"I’m the King of the Castle†: Literature Coursework Investigate the ways in which Susan Hill uses language to create tension and a sense of foreboding in â€Å"I’m the King of the Castle† Susan Hill implements several writing techniques to create tension in the novel. Tension in this sense simply means mental strain or excitement in the readers. One of the techniques used is shown when she uses a third-person narration to narrate the story. This narrator is omniscient and implies that he/ she is not one of the characters in the novel, and yet at the same time knows everything that is running through the characters minds. Hill uses this technique to bring the readers on a journey of moving freely in time and space to allow them to know what any character is doing or thinking at any one point of time. This is only possible because the narrator is not a character in the novel and is allowed to be anywhere, anytime. Susan Hill uses many different techniques to put a point across, the most important being her use of imagery. However her writing also has many other qualities such as good structure and her ability to think like her characters. In addition she manages to build up tension and uses different ways of emphasising words or phrases. All of these factors contribute to her unique evocative style and add to her reputation of being a very talented writer. In chapter eleven, she describes vividly how Kingshaw feels sick with fright when Hooper locks him in the shed. He retched, and then began to vomit, all over the sacks, the sick coming down his nose and choking him. It tasted bitter. He bent forwards, holding his stomach. When it finished he wiped his mouth on the sleeve of his shirt. He was shivering again. This passage is an example of her excellent use of imagery. She conjures up a picture of the scene as well as expressing Kingshaws fears and senses in an evocative style by using a scene that we can all relate to and understand. An example of Susan Hills good structure is at the very beginning of the novel, when Hooper and Kingshaw first meet, Hooper sends Kingshaw a note saying I didnt want you to come here. This sets up the story line from the beginning, leading us to expect events to come. Then at the very end of the novel before Kingshaw commits suicide, Hopper sends him a final note saying Something will happen to you Kingshaw. She shows the ability to be able to think like a child, which adds to the overall affect of the book because the main character is Kingshaw who is a child. This process of her thoughts gives us a wider understanding of Kingshaws character and his thoughts. Examples of her thinking like a child appear in many forms in the novel. One of them is her use of childish language and grammar. Now, he thought, I know what Hooper is really like. Hes a baby. And stupid. And a bully. Notice in this particular phrase that she uses childish words like baby, stupid and bully. The use of short abrupt sentences emphasise the words and adds to the childish theme, because it is grammatically incorrect to start a sentence with a conjunction, which is what a child may do). Another form of her childish thinking is how she shows an understanding of childrens fears and their reactions. An example of this is Kingshaws fear of moths. There are a lot of moths, Hooper said softly, there always are, in woods. Pretty big ones, as well. Kingshaws stomach clenched. In his nostrils, he could smell the mustiness of the Red Room. This passage shows how Hooper taunts Kingshaw with his fear (childishly). She shows Kingshaws reaction to his fear by saying his stomach clenched. She then continues with his memory of the Red Room, where he had been scared by the death moths, using her evocative style to describe how he associates moths with the musty smell of the Red Room. She uses the example of moths throughout the book, along with Kingshaws other fears such as birds. To keep the reader alert Susan Hill tended to change from one scene to another very abruptly. A Classic example is in chapter sixteen, when every one was in the Breakfast room on the day of Mrs. Helena Kingshaw and Mr. Hoopers wedding announcement. Suddenly the scene changes to them being in a muddy field. This can be quite confusing for the reader but it does keep them alert. It was also in this scene where Susan Hill showed her ability to build up tension. This was done by Kingshaw expressing his fears about something that we do not know about, and Mrs. Helena Kingshaw talking about how he was scared by this thing when he was little. As the passage continues the writer gives us a clue that the unknown fear is of a certain place and finally (after a page of writing) she tells us that the place in question is a circus. Susan Hill uses many different techniques to build up an atmosphere. In my opinion the most effective atmosphere that she created was in chapters twelve and thirteen, when Hooper falls off the castle wall. When Kingshaw reaches the top of the castle (without Hooper) he feels a sense of power. He shouts out â€Å"Im the King of the castle† which relates to the title of the book. To make us understand how Kingshaw really does feel King, she repeats the phrase I am the King thrice. He felt so powerful that he thought he could kill Hooper. When Kingshaw is in a rage with Hopper, telling him to come down, he swears at him, this shocks the reader, as he is only a child. When Hooper is falling off the castle wall Kingshaw commands TAKE YOUR HANDS OFF THE WALL, HOOPER. The use of capital letter creates the effect that what he is saying is important. When Hooper falls and is carried off on a stretcher, thunder rumbles in the back ground which gives the ironic affect that it is not going to be a good thing for Kingshaw. Kingshaw is then made to get down from the castle, which can be classed as an example of his life. Every time he reaches the top he is always forced to go back down which is, once again, ironic. The whole book gives an immense sense of tension to the reader. The atmosphere is one of suspense and danger. The overall use of abrupt, simple dialogue accentuates the feeling of incoming peril. Susan Hill writes the novel in a way which causes the reader to constantly be alert, and to expect the sinister and foreboding to occur. Arsalan Abdullah