RU Interpreting Cartoon C and Ethical Leadership Essay

Contemplation and Consideration Discussion

Introduction Some people believe that you can tell who a person is by what they do when no one is looking. Let’s look at the following case. John Doe, a nurse, has downloaded an application to her phone that allows him to download copyrighted textbooks for a nursing course (that Doe is going to take) without his Internet Service Provider knowing it. The application is called “Cloak” as in cloak of invisibility (a hooded coat one wears to make it so others cannot see you). The application disguises his phone and makes it so the information on it is inaccessible. John is aware that other people who are of a lower socioeconomic status (like him) also use this software program for the same reason (and to save money). John Doe knows that his religion forbids him from using this application to download in this manner. John Doe is focused on his own economic situation and does not consider the publisher, author, and others involved in the books. Think about a course of social action; what social values should be used to address this moral issue and conflict.

UOS Employee Communications & the Covid 19 The Importance of HR Managers Discussion

help writing UOS Employee Communications & the Covid 19 The Importance of HR Managers Discussion.

I’m working on a writing case study and need an explanation to help me learn.

Read the article carefully, then answer the questions provided at the end of the article.You must answer 2 questions in an essay format. You are expected to write minimum 1000 words, Times New Roman, 12 points, 1.5 spaced. You must state your name, ID, course name and instructor name in your cover page. When you are uploading your assignment, do not copy paste the article or the questions. This is a group assignment; each 2 or 3 students should work together.•You must upload your assignment to the portal before the due date. Any assignment exceeding the plagiarism limit of 30% will get zero. If you have 21%-30% plagiarism, you will get 50%-point deduction on your overall grade. Employee communications and the coronavirus Extracted from: https://www.poppulo.com/blog/employee-communicatio…In the space of a week, the coronavirus outbreak has become an all-consuming global crisis, with unprecedented societal and business upheaval as the pandemic fuels turmoil across the world. For businesses, the twin exigencies are the welfare of their employees and how to work and survive through the crisis. This has brought remote working front and center, like never before, both for the safety of employees and business continuity. Global tech giants Twiter, Google and Microsoft are either demanding or advising their employees to work remotely. This is being replicated by millions of large and small companies around the globe. CNN Business News described the full or partial lockdown in China and parts of Asia as the world’s biggest work-from-home experiment. Having the right technology, systems and process in place has rapidly moved from being businesscritical to being essential for business survival. With the forced rush to remote working, Mark Henderson, Director of Communications at Wellcome, said businesses whose employees can work remotely should first test home-working technology and review and prepare policies. “It pays to test home-working technology now before it’s needed,” he said, citing lessons Welcome learned during a trial. “Our trial picked up laptops without the right video conferencing software and dodgy microphones that we can fix this week but couldn’t if everyone was stuck at home.” But whether people are working in their offices or remotely, what’s most critical is how and what employees communicate to their employees about their various policies, requirements, and expectations around the crisis. The global professional services company Aon is an example of best in class in the preparation of communication strategies to deal with the crisis. It stresses how critical it is for the organization to establish clear lines of communications with their employees, as well as clients and third-party entities. We reproduce a checklist from its preparation strategy here as it could be helpful for other companies who might be struggling with their communications right now. • Create an internal communication plan – a process for reaching employees through combinations of emails, intranet postings, flyers/ posters, leader talking points, FAQs or a website situation room. The plan should identify simple, key messages, a reliable process and the vehicles for providing continual updates and collecting feedback from employees. •Create an external communication plan – a process for reaching external stakeholders, customers, media, shareholders, suppliers, local community, health care providers, analysts, retirees, union representatives, etc. •State the facts: Connect employees to timely, accurate information from CDC, WHO and your State and County Health Departments. Provide clear instructions about what to do if employees suspect they have been exposed to Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) •Demystify the fear and outline the steps the organization is taking on behalf of its employees: Communicate the facts from authoritative resources on how Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) is spread and how to avoid infection. Clearly articulate and communicate preventive actions the organization is taking to avert or contain transmission of Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) at work (focus on technology and techniques for employee safety, hygiene, biohazard disposal) • Promote safety steps that employees can take at work: Use posters, memos, emails, intranet postings, supervisor talking points, FAQs, etc. to promote preventive actions employees can take (hygiene and avoidance) – see WHO and CDC recommendations. •Describe the impact on the organization: Describe the potential impact of an outbreak on your operations, services, travel, supply chain, business, revenues, etc., so employees can plan accordingly. • Summarize company policies/positions: Describe health plan coverage (preventive and treatment), attendance, paid time off, payroll continuation, travel, and group meetings. •Articulate work-from-home policies: One of the most effective strategies for limiting the spread of contagion among employees is to reduce human-to-human contact. If your organization supports telecommuting practices, clearly articulate procedures and expectations that employees should follow. •Promote safe travel policies: Consider the organization’s stance on employee travel and restrictions. Promote alternatives to travel, such as web conferencing and phone meetings. If employees must travel, offer clear guidance on safety protocols, augmenting with guidance from CDC and WHO. The global management consultancy McKinsey has identified seven actions that can help businesses of all kinds through the crisis. Protect your employees. The COVID-19 crisis has been emotionally challenging for many people, changing day-to-day life in unprecedented ways. For companies, business-as-usual is not an option. They can start by drawing up and executing a plan to support employees that is consistent with the most conservative guidelines that might apply and has trigger points for policy changes. Some companies are actively benchmarking their efforts against others to determine the right policies and levels of support for their people. Some of the more interesting models we have seen involve providing clear, simple language to local managers on how to deal with COVID19 (consistent with WHO, CDC, and other health-agency guidelines) while providing autonomy to them so they feel empowered to deal with any quickly evolving situation. This autonomy is combined with establishing two-way communications that provide a safe space for employees to express if they are feeling unsafe for any reason, as well as monitoring adherence to updated policies. Set up a cross-functional COVID-19 response team. Companies should nominate a direct report of the CEO to lead the effort and should appoint members from every function and discipline to assist. Further, in most cases, team members will need to step out of their day-to-day roles and dedicate most of their time to virus response. A few workstreams will be common for most companies: a) employees’ health, welfare, and ability to perform their roles; b) financial stress-testing and development of a contingency plan; c) supplychain monitoring, rapid response, and long-term resiliency (see below for more); d) marketing and sales responses to demand shocks; and e) coordination and communication with relevant constituencies. These subteams should define specific goals for the next 48 hours, adjusted continually, as well as weekly goals, all based on the company’s agreed-on planning scenario. The response team should install a simple operating cadence and discipline that focuses on output and decisions, and does not tolerate meetings that achieve neither. Ensure that liquidity is sufficient to weather the storm. Businesses need to define scenarios tailored to the company’s context. For the critical variables that will affect revenue and cost, they can define input numbers through analytics and expert input. Companies should model their financials (cash flow, P&L, balance sheet) in each scenario and identify triggers that might significantly impair liquidity. For each such trigger, companies should define moves to stabilize the organization in each scenario (optimizing accounts payable and receivable; cost reduction; divestments and M&A). Stabilize the supply chain. Companies need to define the extent and likely duration of their supplychain exposure to areas that are experiencing community transmission, including tier1, -2, and -3 suppliers, and inventory levels. Most companies are primarily focused on immediate stabilization, given that most Chinese plants are currently in restart mode. They also need to consider rationing critical parts, prebooking rail/air-freight capacity, using aftersales stock as a bridge until production restarts, gaining higher priority from their suppliers, and, of course, supporting supplier restarts. Companies should start planning how to manage supply for products that may, as supply comes back on-line, see unusual spikes in demand due to hoarding. In some cases, medium or longer-term stabilization may be warranted, which calls for updates to demand planning, further network optimization, and searching for and accelerating the qualification of new suppliers. Some of this may be advisable anyway, absent the current crisis, to ensure resilience in their supply chain—an ongoing challenge that the COVID-19 situation has clearly highlighted. Stay close to your customers. Companies that navigate disruptions better often succeed because they invest in their core customer segments and anticipate their behaviors. In China, for example, while consumer demand is down, it has not disappeared—people have dramatically shifted toward online shopping for all types of goods, including food and produce delivery. Companies should invest in online as part of their push for omnichannel distribution; this includes ensuring the quality of goods sold online. Customers’ changing preferences are not likely to go back to preoutbreak norms. Practice the plan. Many top teams do not invest time in understanding what it takes to plan for disruptions until they are in one. This is where roundtables or simulations are invaluable. Companies can use tabletop simulations to define and verify their activation protocols for different phases of response (contingency planning only, full-scale response, other). Simulations should clarify decision owners, ensure that roles for each top-team member are clear, call out the “elephants in the room” that may slow down the response, and ensure that, in the event, the actions needed to carry out the plan are fully understood and the required investment readily available. Demonstrate purpose. Businesses are only as strong as the communities of which they are a part. Companies need to figure out how to support response efforts—such as by providing money, equipment, or expertise. For example, a few companies have shifted production to create medical masks and clothing. McKinsey points out that these are only guidelines; “they are by no means exhaustive or detailed enough to substitute for a thorough analysis of a company’s particular situation”. Once you have your cross-functional COVID-19 response team up and running and your communication plan in place, it’s imperative that you establish a clear source of truth for your employees, whether it’s your intranet, specific channels, line managers etc. This is especially important with fake news about the Covid-19 crisis on the rise, as the BBC reported in relation to Italy. When you have established your source of truth point for employees it’s critical to keep it updated regularly, that it’s two-way, and that all your communications are based on the four pillars of honesty, transparency, accountability, and consistency. Given the rate at which the crisis is developing and circumstances changing, the ability to be agile and adapt quickly. This involves cutting through bureaucracy to get things done speedily. Writing in Harvard Business Review Martin Reeves, Nikolaus Lang and Philipp Carlsson-Szlezak stressed the importance of assembling a small trusted team and giving them enough leeway to make rapid tactical decisions is critical. “Controversial, sensitive, or high-profile issues will typically attract review by senior management, corporate affairs, legal, risk management, and a host of other functions. Each will have suggestions on how to best craft communications, leading to an overly generalized or conservative perspective and a slow, cumbersome process. Overly managing communications can be damaging when each day brings significant new information to light. Use the clock speed of external events as a guideline for pacing the internal process, rather than starting with the latter as a given. “A living digital document can enhance speed by avoiding the rigamarole of issuing and approving multiple documents, and also reduces risk, since it can easily be updated or withdrawn as necessary. Furthermore, distinguishing clearly between facts, hypotheses, and speculations can help in communicating a fuller and more nuanced picture.” And as companies grapple to cope with the evolving situation and how to cope with their total workforce working remotely, it’s worth highlighting Coinbase, a cryptocurrency company based in San Francisco, that recently opensourced their Coronavirus response plan. It breaks down levels of impact—from light to severe— and the accompanying actions they will trigger, including allowing working from home, increasing office cleanings, and curbing travel. Of course, very many companies will be less well equipped for remote working and will have to take other measures, as in the case of Amazon. who this week announced it was relaxing its employee attendance policies as a result of the crisis. Working from home for weeks, or possibly months will place unprecedented strain on companies and employees apart from the small minority who are successful as 100% remote structured such as, Zapier, Buffer, GitLab and Automattic, the company behind WordPress and Tumblr with over 850 employees in more than 60 countries. As this disruption is likely to last for many months, companies are either grappling to deal with the practical fallout of the outbreak or are planning for how to cope if they are impacted. And organizations that are not actively considering the latter are adopting a head-in-the-sand approach they could regret. Communication is key to how businesses deal with the outbreak, whether or not they are currently impacted. Waiting to respond until something has happened is not an option. Even in countries where no infections have been reported, businesses are taking precautionary action and relying on Internal Communications and HR playing a key role. Employee communication strategies need to be in place and should be multifaceted using all available channels, with the ability to target specific communications for specific audiences and measure impact and outcomes. As Gartner’s Group Vice President, Brian Kropp stressed, being prepared and ready to act is critical. “HR leaders can’t wait for a crisis to develop to start responding. You need answers now to questions you’ll face.” — Brian Kropp, Gartner Gartner says the top priority for HR is to put people first, and lessons should be learned from the SARS outbreak in 2003. “When SARS spread to four continents, executives at several companies told us that managing employees’ concerns and questions was one of the most time-consuming associated activities,” said Gartner’s Brian Kropp. “Employees worry about more than their physical safety, they worry about the potential disruptions to their work, and wonder how the organization plans to manage its operations,” he said. Gartner advises that “to ensure employees, shareholders and other stakeholders believe an organization is prepared to handle a crisis: companies should be able to answer these 10 questions: Can our company operate at 25% or greater absenteeism? If illness causes high absenteeism, are employees cross-trained and able to perform multiple duties? Can our employees work remotely? What infrastructure support is needed to support a shift to an at-home workforce Will our company monitor, or even restrict, travel to high-risk regions? What procedures do we have in place to decontaminate the facility and its heating, ventilation, air-conditioning systems, electronic equipment, and soft materials? What assurances do we need to provide to the facility staff members so they feel safe at work? 8. How will traveling employees be brought home, particularly if they are sick? Are there escalation procedures to get additional resources? Is there a trained and representative crisis-management team that includes on-call staff, and do those team members know what is expected? Viruses have always led to the spread of rumors, sparking needless panic, but this is now routinely turbo-charged by social media. “There’s a lot of misinformation out there and some of it can be quite dangerous,” said the World Health Organization’s Maria Van Kerkhove, referring to the coronavirus outbreak. This is a view echoed by Timothy Caulfield, a health law professor at the University of Alberta. “Social media is a polarization machine where the loudest voices win. In an outbreak, where you want accurate, measured discourse, that’s kind of a worst-case scenario,” he said. “Behind the scenes, it is sensible to take practical steps such as ensuring there is a good remote working system in place, just in case, giving managers extra training and guidance, and centrally monitoring absence levels to pick up on unusual patterns,” she said. Answer the following questions:Based on the article, assess the importance of HR managers in crisis like coronavirus. If you were the HR Manager how would you lead and control this situation, justify your reasoning (minimum 600 words).Choose 1 of the examples mentioned in the article and define its importance in relation to the 2 management functions controlling and leading (minimum 400 words).
UOS Employee Communications & the Covid 19 The Importance of HR Managers Discussion

Santa Monica Racism during Worl War II Discussion

Santa Monica Racism during Worl War II Discussion.

All parts of reflection and evaluation sections must be completed to receive points. Write an original response. Each student submits their own Individual Reflection and Evaluation paper. Submit response as a single “.doc” or “.pdf” file to Canvas drop box.1.5 to 2 double-spaced pages (400-500 word count), 12 point Times Font, 1 inch margins. Use your own words. Include name, course title, date. Proof-read before submitting. Points will be deducted if the individual submission does not meet the requirements of this assignment.Reflection (up to 10 pts) Use full and complete sentences. Response should range from 1-2 paragraphs. 5 to 7 sentences make up one paragraph.In what ways did researching and preparing this case study change your views about the topic?What did you discover about this topic that surprised you?Evaluation (up to 10 pts) Use full and complete sentences. Response should range from 1-2 paragraphs. 5 to 7 sentences make up a paragraphReport dates and times the group met to work together.Identify each team member’s role and responsibilities. (Leader, Organizer, Editor, Harmonizer)Describe the work each teammate contributed to the project.Describe your role and responsibilities in the team project. Which content material did you help create?On a scale of 1-5, 1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest, how do you think your team members would rate the quality of your participation to the group project? Explain your response in 2-3 sentences. 5- excellent participation 4 -good participation 3- moderate participation 2 – minimal participation 1-no participation
Santa Monica Racism during Worl War II Discussion

Santa Monica College The Minotaurs Redemption Report

Santa Monica College The Minotaurs Redemption Report.

I’m working on a english question and need a sample draft to help me understand better.

GoalOpinion/AssertionPostRead the criticism in this module [below], entitled, “The Minotaur’s Redemption: The House of Asterion” and share your ideas about the criticism in a discussion post (you MUST quote the passage). The post is meant to be a response specifically to THIS CRITICISM. So write at least three full paragraphs [or more if you wish] on this criticism [in relation to the short story] for the full 20 points.GradingClick on the rubric to see how the discussion will be graded.Read the following criticism and post a reply to the threaded discussion.The Minotaur’s Redemption – “The House of Asterion” by Jorge Luis BorgesPOSTED ON OCTOBER 13, 2017 (Links to an external site.) BY BLOSSOM HOLLAND (Links to an external site.)BORGES’ MYTH OF THE CRETAN MINOTAURThe House of Asterion is a short, fantasy story that retells the classical myth of the Cretan Minotaur from an alternate perspective, written by the Argentinian writer Jorge Luis Borges. The House of Asterion presents the Minotaur, known as Asterion, who awaits “redemption” in his labyrinth. There are various literary critics who have proposed that the “Borgesian” labyrinth is a symbol for human existence and the universe itself.Furthermore, other critics have accurately explained Asterion’s ironic demise, by the “hero” Theseus, as his earnestly awaited redemption. Asterion’s redemption is not from the freedom offered through death, yet from a metamorphosis which surpasses his fictional universe. The dual redemption of Asterion is not only caused by the classical hero Theseus, but additionally by the reader, who through the method of reading, permits Asterion’s liberation from the labyrinth.InThe House of Asterion, Borges is consumed with the idea of the labyrinth, both in its physical and symbolic form, in addition to the concept of man at its core. In his work, dreams are exceptionally presented, as reality itself and as the benefactors of life. Furthermore, he is absorbed with the concept of time and the infinite, disloyalty, violence, treason, punishment and mirrors.The narrator, who is Asterion, starts by opposing some allegations made against him: such as how he is arrogant, insane and a cynic. Asterion then describes his residence, and explains why he cannot abandon it after what had occurred when he had done so once before. He continues to express how miserable he feels and that he is waiting for his “redeemer” to liberate him from this lonesome existence. The narrator then switches to the third person singular and the voice even shifts to that of Theseus speaking with Ariadne. This is when the reader becomes completely aware that this story is an adaptation of the myth of the Minotaur. The theme of the labyrinth is speckled throughout the text, a house with no doors or furniture, diverging basement hallways, ashen stone galleries, and identical rooms that are also ceaselessly duplicated. This house is Asterion’s universe and the universe is his house. Jorge Luis Borges even touches on the fact that Asterion is a monstrous beast, an extremely lonesome one, as a result of the hysteria experienced by the town’s people during Asterion’s first venture outside of his house.In the original Minoan myth, the Minotaur is confined in the labyrinth, designed by the inventor Daedalus, and every seven or nine years the “beast” is presented with a tribute of seven maidens and seven young men, so that a plague can be evaded. Even though Asterion opposes it passionately, he is a prisoner of his own isolation as well, his divergence, his condition of monstrous beast. Nine young men are delivered to his house every nine years for Asterion to “free from all evil”, with no explained intention. Contrary to the Minotaur, Asterion accepts Theseus and does not fight against his fate.For those who would like to read or re-read the classical myth of the Minotaur please click this link. (Links to an external site.)POSTMODERNISMThe story does include one significant characteristic of postmodern fiction, which is the habit to draw the reader’s consideration to his or her own method of interpretation as he or she reads the narration. This ability to enhance the reader’s interpretative understanding is hinted at by literary critics who all illustrate this story as a journey from confusion to affirmation that Asterion, the narrator and central figure, is certainly the Minotaur of legend. The story allows this method of assurance by narrating the classical Cretan myth of the Minotaur but from the Minotaur’s view. For most readers, the point of realization about the narrator’s identity arrives at the end of the story where Theseus comments to Ariadne that “the Minotaur scarcely defended itself”. Through a stylistic analysis of the narration, one can observe that the central figure is not just proved as a common archetype, yet exalted to a superior realm that can solely be recognized by the reader.LABYRINTHS & MYTHOLOGYThe House of Asterion is set in the Cretan labyrinth, which is illustrated in various works throughout history. From the second century AD to eighteenth century, adopted by Christians and Renaissance poets alike, the labyrinth held a significant symbol for many. In the eighteenth century the labyrinth had become a philosophical metaphor of the finite and the infinite, with the heart of the labyrinth depicting the unachievable meaning of the universe. This idea became more complex moving into the twentieth century, which is known as the “age of labyrinths”, as a result of the domination of labyrinths in literature at the time.Borges’ work presents labyrinths as a typical concept and it is frequently concerned with the diverse literary definitions which labyrinths have gained over the ages. The core of the Borgesian labyrinth has been understood as the core of human existence, or the core of the universe, and essentially all of Borges’ characters aim to encounter a moment of enlightenment at this core. In conjunction with existential concepts, the labyrinth has even a religious meaning. In certain ancient civilizations the labyrinth was at times a place for “actions of divinity”, in addition to rebirth.In the House of Asterion, Asterion regards his labyrinth as a religious place, he recounts how “every nine years, nine men come into the house so that I can free them of all evil”. This deed of divine redemption can be a euphemism for “killing” and certainly, Asterion might not realize that his alleged “god-like powers” do not in fact exist. Regardless, Asterion discovers purpose in his fairly purposeless existence. This alternate outlook destroys the “classic” forms of the narrative, which in spite of their several deviations with particular details, contribute a typical aspect, that of rejecting the Minotaur’s purpose.During the whole of history, the Minotaur has been depicted as either the manifestation of terror, the ramification of monstrosity, or the counter-character of Theseus. In George Frederick Watt’s painting, The Minotaur (1885), the lonesome creature is gazing out to sea when a bird crumbles under his hand. He appears to be awaiting the arrival of someone, and an appearance of melancholy in his posture conveys that he is as dismal as he is bestial. This painting influenced Borges, who suggests an identical uncertainty in his adaptation. Thus, Asterion tests and enhances the classical myth.There are numerous variations regarding the myth of the Minotaur; however, each version is mainly a retelling of the same myth with a concentration on the progression of events instead of the character’s evolution. Nevertheless Borges’ story is different, because it is an interpretation of the myth from the Minotaur’s own perspective. Asterion is locked up in his house with no obvious explanation as to why and lives there on his own, spending the majority of his time pretending, and interacting with his imaginary friend – which is a projection of himself. It is unfortunate that his only experiences with true interaction, is with the doomed youths to be sacrificed. From Asterion’s narrative it is obscure whether the sacrificed are actually murdered or not, yet there are implications that he commits this deed with the belief that murdering the youths is a morally respectable act. This could be a result of Asterion’s conviction that he is assuredly the one to free these people from evil.Subsequently in Borges’ adaptation, amid a human sacrificial ceremony, a dying man foretells that Asterion’s “redeemer” will come, albeit the demand of redemption is never clarified, Asterion is consumed with the idea of his “saviour”. The irony of Asterion’s redemption is because it is through death, murdered by the “hero” Theseus and he is in this manner “redeemed” from his imprisonment. These occurrences are all narrated by Asterion in the first person, thus Borges’ overturns the legend, reinventing the Minotaur, and formerly immersing him once more into the mythical canon. Hence establishing the labyrinth as a site of transformation and rebirth.FAITH & REDEMPTIONAsterion’s obsessive faith in his “redeemer” is strengthened by the particular design of the text. In a desperately desolate world, essentially devoid of human interaction it is not unforeseen that Asterion vigorously hunts for meaning in his macabre contact with people. Furthermore it is no wonder that Asterion implicitly believes an outsider who foretells the arrival of a “redeemer”. Those words are arguably the only words ever uttered by an actual person to Asterion. The linguistic choice implies that for Asterion, loneliness and the loss of human life are not as significant as the advent of his “hero”. He awaits “redemption”, in whatever form, counting down days and years, and possibly even feeling let-down when those audible footsteps are nothing more than sacrificial youths.In accordance with the classical myth, Theseus enters the labyrinth with a crowd of sacrificial contributions and slaughters the Minotaur. Amid the Renaissance period, this achievement was exalted as a heroic victory of good over evil, however in Borges’ narrative the achievement appears trivial and empty, being that Asterion embraces his ironic fate without resistance. In the story, Asterion declares how he takes pleasure in pretending to be hunted, even heaving himself off rooftops. Conceivably Asterion knows the horrible reality of his existence and undertakes self-destructive actions while he waits for the ultimate redemption of death. He believes that the reason for his imprisonment in the labyrinth is because of his royal lineage and how that forbids him from interacting with commoners. Could this be another of Asterion’s misbeliefs, or is he conscious of his abominable nature and merely prefers not to confront it?FREEDOM FROM A NIGHTMARISH EXISTENCEThe House of Asterion allows the reader to connect personally with Asterion’s psyche and experience the world through consciousness. The classical myth narrates how the Minotaur was condemned to the dark and dreadful labyrinth because of his beastly description. Asterion assures himself that he is not a prisoner, but a godly being of sorts who is capable of absolving evil, and in his forlorn attempt to discover meaning, he cultivates a blind faith in “redemption”. His fate then unravels into two independent levels of reality, the Minotaur is liberated from the labyrinth of his existence through death. Furthermore, ironically Asterion’s “redeemer” is none other than Theseus, whose conventional heroic role is overturned when he slaughters a vulnerable and pitiful creature. The moment of discovery is pronounced by an immediate switch to an all-knowing third person narration: The morning sun shimmered on the bronze sword. Now there was not a trace of blood left on it.Through Borges’ narration, Asterion is transformed in the reader’s mind as a conscious individual that endures the same anguish, the same solitude, and the same confusions as any other person. At that final moment in the story, when the impossible is ultimately possible, the Minotaur dies and is reborn as Asterion, an aristocratic son doomed to a life of misery. In the mind of the reader, Asterion is liberated from the labyrinth of his conventional fictional world and from his archetypal role of a monster in classical mythology. The godlike redeemer whose visible appearance Asterion can only conceive, is literally the reader of the story,who by the means of reading, completes the magical rite of metamorphosis and the abominable beast into a symbol of the human condition. The story concludes with a line from Theseus – “Would you believe it, Ariadne? The Minotaur scarcely defended himself.” — Which ultimately confirms to the reader that Asterion is undoubtedly the Cretan Minotaur.
Santa Monica College The Minotaurs Redemption Report