Designing an Interface for an Gift Shop †Myssignmenthelp.Com

Question: How to Do Designing an Interface and Gift Shop? Answer: Introducation The online stores today offer much more than local stores as one does not needs to keep searching for stores and the items that the person wants to buy. The online purchase are being preferred by people not because it seems convenient to them but also the shopping there gives a wider range to select from, a much comparative price, and along with that peoples review add much to it. The present proposal also deals with ecommerce. The online gift shop under consideration requires the best interface design so that people could come and buy happily. The proposal here deals in designing a complete user interface for running the application which can sell gifts online (Cebi, 2013). The interface uses different sets of programming codes for developing the whole project and then taking the customer step by step for the purchase of a product. The languages used can be highlighted as JavaScript, HTML and Java Scope The proposal aims to develop an Interface design for the users who want to shop online for gifts. The project is said deliver a web-based system which has been made to access through Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Internet Explorer. The website platform will give opportunity to the consumers to create their own ID or shop with it by selecting from various ranges of gifts and products available. The consumer will have the facility to pay through the same with a safe payment gateway (Huang Benyoucef, 2013). The consumer can select and item from the whole range fix it in the cart and then finally buy it by setting the delivery address and the payment mode. The selection of programming language makes it easier for the developer to understand the code and be robust, cross-platform at the same time. Objectives To design an online shopping platform for a gift shop is the core objective of the proposal. To provide customer with more friendly, structured and less complicated website which any type of user can use and take advantage of. The proposal will specify on the different requirements of the interface including the internal and external factors. These services will be possible only after the installation of the app. Prototyping of the shop, realization and its major operations functionality will be developed. The system is aid to have an incorporated feedback structure for the company to get a clear understanding of the product and its deliverables. The proposal identifies the two basic aspects of the online which are providing far more superior accuracy in data selection and providing the customer with their quick responses. User Requirements The user requirements for such a system can be classified under two categories which are functional and non-functional requirements. For developing any plan for a proposal the fundamental requirements are first analysed. The requirements being mentioned should be measurable, testable, and actionable and must be integrated with the proposed system design. Some of the highlighted user requirements are: Accuracy in Search results Browsing ability Search Suggestion required which has to be in relation with the users search term Ability to get complete information of the product including any freebies or discounts being offered(Goh, 2013) Ability to place the item in the cart or to add it in the wishlist Ability to complete the purchase by following the options being provided Objectives determined from requirements The user requirements identified leads to basic requirements the interface requires. The first and the foremost requirement is the presence of the home page where the user is first taken to. Next the user requires a section where the list of the categories to shop from is seen along with some highlighted products (de Barros, Leito Ribeiro, 2014). After that the user requires a search tab where the user can enter the exact item name to be purchased associated with a search button which takes the user to the page of its search index. The UI should have a radio button or simple button to place the item under the selected product or to add it in the list of interested product. Browsing through the products available is another requirement. Rechecking the product and its detail and then completing the payment process Outputs and Targets The output of the planning being will produce the UI with all the required features which the UI will contain to satisfy the needs of the people. The search panel provided after entering the data will show related and somewhat accurate results. These results can be then browsing though after which the system is selected. The option for the product being selected to putting it in the wishlist is shown by the product getting ticked at the topmost right corner of the page. Once the order selected is placed the screen takes the consumer to the payment gateway from where he can chose the payment option (Wu, 2013). After the process is completed the user is shown a message as order placed signifying the completion of the product. Success Criteria Success criteria of the project can be highlighted in points first being the effectiveness with which the UI functions. The experience being provide should be very appropriate. The UI should effectively and much efficiently perform the job and then approve the task completion procedure (Albert Tullis, 2013). The UI should is attractive other than being efficient it should be designed such that it attracts the user for the discounted products being displayed or any recent offers. Key Assumptions The key assumption in the designing of the online based gift shop is to help the shop increase its number if customer now. Online presence is assumed to help the business grow as it would be available to everyone and to those also who never want to go out for shopping. The improvisation will enhance the experience of the customers by letting them browse through the way they like. The user friendly interface will help in gaining more and more customers. Design Aims The design being implemented is based on the main six user interface principles which are layout, user experience, content awareness, minimal user effort, consistency and aesthetics. The design being implemented though follows all the principles but fairly focuses on the first four. The window navigation diagram depicts the layout of the objects present on the screen in menu or a form or something like radio button. Each component is a stereotype (Gregory, Gourley Hopf, 2014). The usage of Interface metaphor for the present case is conceptualized as personalized gifts. Along with this to enhance the user experience the interface objects are clearly specified using different class name for different sections. Minimal effort applied through the customer is intensified through the auto suggestions made along with saving the previous delivery options to reduce the steps a customer has to go through. Design Outline The designed will be delivered in three phases so that the user modification can be included: Major screen layouts: The designs for the major screen will be created first. The components involved like icons menus or buttons will be decided at first and then their presence place. The users of different countries have different browsing technique so the customization may help in satisfying large number of people (Johnson, 2013 ). In the next phase the fonts, colours, types, and sizes will be aimed. The designer will focus on making the design more and more attractive with some live gestures which keep on repeating. In the last phase the complete walkthrough platform would be delivered where the user can go through the whole process till the completion of a task. For example the user can check by opting to buy something and in a way checks out the whole procedure. Proposed Evaluation Methods The evaluation is conducted to identify any significant change required and is implemented twice at least for the best results. The evaluation method to be used here in the designing of the online gift shop can be heuristic evaluation along with walkthrough at a later stage (Scott, 2014). The heuristics involves checking on the input interface navigation to the output result and matches it with the set principles of user interface design. Shneiderman's "Eight Golden Rules of Interface Design or the general principles mentioned above can be set as the evaluation criteria on basis of which the evaluation can be conducted (Yin, 2015). Reference Huang, Z., Benyoucef, M. (2013). From e-commerce to social commerce: A close look at design features.Electronic Commerce Research and Applications,12(4), 246-259. Cebi, S. (2013). A quality evaluation model for the design quality of online shopping websites.Electronic Commerce Research and Applications,12(2), 124-135. Goh, K. N., Chen, Y. Y., Lai, F. W., Daud, S. C., Sivaji, A., Soo, S. T. (2013, April). A comparison of usability testing methods for an e-commerce website: A case study on a Malaysia online gift shop. InInformation Technology: New Generations (ITNG), 2013 Tenth International Conference on(pp. 143-150). IEEE. Wu, W. Y., Lee, C. L., Fu, C. S., Wang, H. C. (2013). How can online store layout design and atmosphere influence consumer shopping intention on a website?.International Journal of Retail Distribution Management,42(1), 4-24. de Barros, A. C., Leito, R., Ribeiro, J. (2014). Design and evaluation of a mobile user interface for older adults: navigation, interaction and visual design recommendations.Procedia Computer Science,27, 369-378. Albert, W., Tullis, T. (2013).Measuring the user experience: collecting, analyzing, and presenting usability metrics. Newnes. Gregory, M., Gourley, C. R., Hopf, S. (2014).U.S. Patent No. D711,400. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Johnson, J. (2013).Designing with the mind in mind: simple guide to understanding user interface design guidelines. Elsevier. Scott, W. A. (2014). User Interface Design Tips, Techniques, and Principles. Yin, R., Zhang, B., Kang, M., Li, T., Chen, K., Kang, Y. (2015). Basic Principles of Information System UI Design. InProceedings of the 15th International Conference on ManMachineEnvironment System Engineering(pp. 419-423). Springer Berlin Heidelberg.

The Proctors servant Essay Example For Students

The Proctors servant Essay Abigail accuses Elizabeth of witchcraft after she supposedly used a poppet to harm Abigail. Reverend Hale found a poppet with a needle in it at the Proctors house although really it belonged to Mary Warren, the Proctors servant, who was also in the group of girls led by Abigail. She had put the needle into the poppet for safekeeping. Elizabeth was arrested immediately and Proctor forced Mary Warren to tell the court her story and that Elizabeth was innocent. Much of the tension and dramatic conflict comes from Proctors hesitation and reluctance to visit Salem and to denounce Abigail Williams as a fraud to free his wife. The court didnt believe Mary because the girls pretended that Marys spirit was attacking them and they became hysterical. We will write a custom essay on The Proctors servant specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now John Proctor was outraged and declared Abigail a whore because everyone always seemed to believe her. He was willing to lose complete respect of the people of Salem just to set his wife free and declare that he committed lechery with Abigail. The court didnt believe him and sent in Elizabeth who lied about his affair with Abigail to protect his name. Suddenly Mary Warren accused John Proctor of dealing with the devil and that he had came to the court to overthrow it. John Proctor was then arrested and this led to his execution. Mary Warren had betrayed him. John Proctor also has respect for Reverend Hale as he also secretly was against the witchcraft trials. Ive heard you to be a sensible man, Mr Hale. I hope youll leave some of it in Salem. This also reinforces the fact that he thinks nearly everyone is turning insane due to the trials in Salem.  Reverend Hale also had respect for Proctor and shown this near the end of the play. When Proctor tears up his confession Reverend Hale exclaims Man you will hang you cannot ! This obviously shows that Hale didnt want Proctor to die. When Proctor tore up his confession he showed that he had great courage because he knew he was going to die but preferred death to the shame of signing a confession that completely wasnt true of him dealing with the Devil. He is a complex character who is respected in his town. Proctor shows this when he signs his confession and Parris says, It is a weighty name; it will strike the village that Proctor confess. He would lose that respect of the people in Salem, which would be very important to him and obviously preferred death to it. In response to Hales exclamation he retorted, I can. And theres your first marvel, that I can. You have made your magic now, for now I do think I see some shred of goodness in John Proctor. Not enough to weave a banner with, but white enough to keep it from such dogs.  In my view, to conclude this, John Proctor is a very good man who certainly isnt afraid to speak for what he believes in, even if it means losing his life. If I was him I certainly wouldnt have chosen to die but I respect him for that decision. In this play, it shows that he effectively had been through a crucible, not for purifying metals, but for purifying people; from the adulterer to the good man that hung with Martha Corey and Rebecca Nurse.

Interesting Ideas for Writing Articles

Interesting Ideas for Writing ArticlesGood will hunting is an activity that many of us enjoy but what really makes this activity exciting is the fact that there are a lot of interesting and catchy ideas for writing articles. These ideas can help you promote your business and even write some interesting articles for various online advertising networks.One idea that could be used to get many of these article topics written and published on your website or blog is by presenting your company to the world. You need to present something in order to gain attention from people. In this case, you need to include a testimonial from a person who has experienced the quality services of your company and your service will benefit them. People who do not know about your company are willing to try new things and if you can offer them something that they can use in the future, they will surely want to have it.This idea for writing articles is known as 'good will hunting.' It is one of the most popula r writing topics on the internet today. People love to write about things that they feel passionate about and when they see something that is interesting and also has an interesting and useful content, they are very likely to share it with others. This idea is perfect for all types of businesses, not just for 'good' businesses.Writing about a topic that you are passionate about and that you are proud of could be your motivation to write an article. You may not be the greatest writer or thinker, but being proud of a certain thing is always good for your motivation. Although it is not impossible to write an article that includes these ideas but when you see how you feel about it, then you will not feel discouraged even if you know that you will not write well. When you see how you feel about a certain thing, then you have a better chance of writing an article that is good will hunting.When you choose a particular idea, you can also include some interesting comments and ideas. For exam ple, if you wrote about your ideas about writing articles that you think will appeal to the general public, then you could include several examples in your article. Instead of just mentioning that you love writing, you can add some personal experiences that you gained from writing and publishing articles. You may also want to include your experience with writing articles for advertising or reading these articles. The more you tell about the process, the more readers will be interested in what you have to say.You need to look at the quality of the articles you are going to publish. Since the quality of the articles you will post is the basis for whether or not they will be successful, the most important thing is to be honest. If you are not very comfortable about the words that you used, you could use something else instead. When you are writing an article, you should make sure that the content is easy to read and it is easy to understand. People like to read things that are easy to understand.As you can see, there are a lot of topics that you can write about in order to get new ideas for writing articles. It will be up to you to pick the best of the ideas that you come up with. Make sure that your articles will be good will hunting and you will surely be able to gain the attention of people that you want to.

Free Essays on Marketing Research

Proposal – Marketing Problem Background Brown-Forman Corporation is one of the largest American companies in the wind and spirits industry, Fetzer Vineyards is their largest winemaker. Revenue and gross profit for the beverage segment of Brown-Forman were up 11% and 14%, respectively, in fiscal 2004. However, the growth was driven by the premium spirits brands, and the gross profit from the company’s wine brands declined due to a drop in volume for both Fetzer and Bolla wines. There are many symptoms for why this decline has occurred. Health consciousness is a rising trend among Americans of all ages and the latest crazes are the low-carbohydrate diets. Recently, Fetzer has introduced into the market two new low-carbohydrate wines, a chardonnay and a merlot. Their premium spirits brands have not been affected by the new diets because bourbon, whiskey, rum, gin, and vodka all contain no carbohydrates. However, most mixers used to accompany these spirits usually contain a significant amount of carbohydrates. Introducing these new wines could offer a new choice, but not a substitute, for many dieters and at the same time give Brown-Forman the lead in this new market. In 2003, Brown-Forman announced that they were going to begin using organically grown grapes to make their wine. Fetzer Vineyards plans to have nearly all the grapes used in its four major labels grown organically by the end of 2010. According to Marc Jonna, buyer for the Whole Foods Market, â€Å"demand for organic wine is small, but a move by a major player like Fetzer could change that.† Women already perceive wine as a healthier alternative to other alcoholic beverages. This health conscious image will allow Brown-Forman to direct their marketing efforts in response to this cultural trend and penetrate the market by providing information through advertising about their new wine ingredients. Another symptom of the decrease in wine sales is due to the... Free Essays on Marketing Research Free Essays on Marketing Research Marketing requires good knowledge of what is supplied and what is demanded by the public. The definition of marketing is â€Å"all the activities which begin at the producer, and end at the consumer. According to Stanford University Career Development Center, marketing is the process of planning and executing the conception, pricing, promotion, and distribution of ideas, goods, and services to create exchanges that satisfy individual and organizational goals. In other words, the goals of marketing are to create supply and demand for a certain product or service. People are affected by marketing everyday of their lives, whether it is looking at TV commercials, billboards, or even receiving junk mail. Marketing is broken down into thirteen different areas: product marketing, brand management, marketing research, internet marketing, product support, strategic planning, advertising, public relations, promotions, corporate communication, physical distribution, sales, and retailing. All of these areas are tied into the activities of the producer, which is also known as the manufacturer of the product, the whole seller, which buys the products from the producer, and sells to the retailer, whom makes the sales to the consumer. Marketers must know how people think, and what their interests are. That’s why many marketing divisions will target certain individuals. An example of this would be an internet survey of what your favorite type of car is. This strategy is known as marketing research. Marketing research can help marketers be more persistent in selecting potential customers to buying their product or service. A major strategy of mass-marketing is the use of TV advertisements. This is probably the most effective way to target a large amount of people, in a short amount of time. A business gets fifteen seconds, on average, to prove that its product or service will benefit the viewers. This is how most TV stations make the... Free Essays on Marketing Research Product Manager Product manager is playing the main role in controlling the product management system. The product management system is designed to support capable product, which maintain a steady and proactive focus on the individual product. One of the most important features of the product management system is the existence of dedicated management personnel who take care of all aspects of the product. Product managers differ in authority, knowledge, and experience from organization to organization. Their titles may vary; these professionals may also be called "product group manager," "brand manager," or "product market manager." Main roles of product manager are as follows 1. Coordinating roles Product managers are responsible for coordinating home office, field, and international product activities; encouraging practical, integrative, and strategic solutions to business problems; and engendering a profit-, customer-, and opportunity-oriented management culture. 2.development of product Product manager plays a crucial role in the development of product. Better development of product increases the competitiveness, quality, customer satisfaction, and profitability. 3. Develops other managers In addition to more efficiently providing resources to the company’s individual products and markets, the product manager also develops a cohort of capable, experienced managers. Later on called to assume new corporate roles as general managers, regional officers, department heads, change agents, or task force leaders, they would develop the skills required to lead market-savvy activities, coordinate the efforts of a variety of departments, develop strategy, and perform planning activities. 4.main role in ensuring the product goal product manager has a high degree of responsibility for ensuring that product goals are met. 5. Leadership role They are assigned primarily administrative tasks which focus on op... Free Essays on Marketing Research Proposal – Marketing Problem Background Brown-Forman Corporation is one of the largest American companies in the wind and spirits industry, Fetzer Vineyards is their largest winemaker. Revenue and gross profit for the beverage segment of Brown-Forman were up 11% and 14%, respectively, in fiscal 2004. However, the growth was driven by the premium spirits brands, and the gross profit from the company’s wine brands declined due to a drop in volume for both Fetzer and Bolla wines. There are many symptoms for why this decline has occurred. Health consciousness is a rising trend among Americans of all ages and the latest crazes are the low-carbohydrate diets. Recently, Fetzer has introduced into the market two new low-carbohydrate wines, a chardonnay and a merlot. Their premium spirits brands have not been affected by the new diets because bourbon, whiskey, rum, gin, and vodka all contain no carbohydrates. However, most mixers used to accompany these spirits usually contain a significant amount of carbohydrates. Introducing these new wines could offer a new choice, but not a substitute, for many dieters and at the same time give Brown-Forman the lead in this new market. In 2003, Brown-Forman announced that they were going to begin using organically grown grapes to make their wine. Fetzer Vineyards plans to have nearly all the grapes used in its four major labels grown organically by the end of 2010. According to Marc Jonna, buyer for the Whole Foods Market, â€Å"demand for organic wine is small, but a move by a major player like Fetzer could change that.† Women already perceive wine as a healthier alternative to other alcoholic beverages. This health conscious image will allow Brown-Forman to direct their marketing efforts in response to this cultural trend and penetrate the market by providing information through advertising about their new wine ingredients. Another symptom of the decrease in wine sales is due to the...

Emotional, Behavorial, and Physical Disabilities Essay

Emotional, Behavorial, and Physical Disabilities - Essay Example In such case, such student would need constant monitoring and care. Finally, brain concussion or injury may cause traumatic brain disability to students. Effective ways of teaching the students with all these disabilities is a significant way of helping them build their future. On the other hand people should take the initiative to use various ways of helping these students create personal self-esteem. Thirdly, the educators should teach the rest of the students without the mentioned disabilities on how to respect and respond to their fellow colleagues who are disabled (Wishart, Diane; Jahnukainen, Markku, 2010). Effective teaching Exceptional students are the students who experience difficulties in their leaning and whose education performance needs various modifications in instruction and curriculum. They tend to experience various difficulties in various life skills such as socialisation, learning and vocational. Different disabled children exhibit different learning abilities. Fo r instance, some them will perform better will others would require a more repetitive and structured environment. This would enable such students to remember and use these different skills in their future lives. Education of students with the disabilities of emotional and behavioural disorders, health impairments, traumatic brain injuries and physical disabilities seems to be challenging and difficult if various proper teaching strategies are not put in place. It is important to understand each of the students’ disability before an educator determines any of the best teaching strategies. Some of them tend to struggle with their emotions and behaviour and in such cases; they are unable to control themselves before taking any action (Casebolt, Kevin,Hodge & Samuel,2010). By... Exceptional students are the students who experience difficulties in their leaning and whose education performance needs various modifications in instruction and curriculum. They tend to experience various difficulties in various life skills such as socialisation, learning and vocational. Different disabled children exhibit different learning abilities. For instance, some them will perform better will others would require a more repetitive and structured environment. This would enable such students to remember and use these different skills in their future lives. Education of students with the disabilities of emotional and behavioural disorders, health impairments, traumatic brain injuries and physical disabilities seems to be challenging and difficult if various proper teaching strategies are not put in place. It is important to understand each of the students’ disability before an educator determines any of the best teaching strategies. Some of them tend to struggle with the ir emotions and behaviour and in such cases; they are unable to control themselves before taking any action (Casebolt, Kevin,Hodge & Samuel,2010). By giving such students to explain their disabilities and how they are affected would help the student. In that case, this is one of the teaching strategies to such students. Conversely, the teacher should give them a chance to express their own opinions on how their case would be taken upon in the class. Additionally, the education of such student with the emotional and behavioural disabilities is occasionally interfered.

Crap ( this professor is horrible) Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Crap ( this professor is horrible) - Assignment Example Students learn about organization theory not only because it is a must, but because they acquire the skills essential for theorizing. For example, students examine themselves once in a while and this allows them to form ideas and expectations that are likely to motivate them to theorize. It is a process that would not work when there is no training. Most students would also not care to take it seriously, if it were not a requirement. Hence, because it is a requirement, a student has to train and learn everyday about organization theory. Moreover, it ensures that their theorizing skill gets refined, resulting to students with accumulated body of knowledge. The other purpose is that it guides research (Professor Kelsey, 2012). To researchers, knowing how to learn and apply organizational theory allows them to adopt a positive view of an organization. A view that is less mechanical. For this reason, researchers carrying out surveys on organizations pay more attention to the staff members, seeking to establish how human satisfaction functions in an organization. Organizational theory informs practice in three different ways. The first way is that it forms a frame of reference. Application of organizational theory in organizations, allows members of an organization to take note of how the political and human resource flames relate to them. For instance, the human resource frames in an organization reflect on its management and the political frames show its leadership relations (Nelson & Quick, 2012). The theory allows leaders to understand the nature of organizations, which in turn allows them to know how to deal with certain organizational situations. Such knowledge allows the leaders to know how to manage the organization most effectively. The other way that the theory informs practice is that it acts as a guide to reflective decision-making. Correctly applying organizational theory influences the behavior or the people applying it

Irish Violence and the Troubles Essay Example for Free

Irish Violence and the Troubles Essay In this essay I will examine the effect of silence during the ‘troubles’ on individual and national identities; with particular interest to Seamus Deane’s Reading in the Dark, Tim Pat Coogan states that the term Irish Troubles refers to a whole history of violence and colonialism that Ireland has endured, over the last thousand years. ‘To the physical force school of Irish nationalism the Norman coming is generally regarded as the starting point for ‘eight hundred years of British oppression’’ (Coogan, 1996, p. 43). In addition to this, he explains that the term ‘troubles’, is now directed to the modern, twentieth century troubles. They mainly occurred during 1960 to 1998. The reason for the violence and resentment in Northern Ireland is due to the divisions between the nationalists (Roman Catholics) and the unionists (Protestants). The nationalists identify Northern Ireland as part of Ireland, not a separate country, and not another colony of the United Kingdom; whereas the unionists have great allegiance to Britain and regard their position as part of the UK with pride (Coogan, 1996, p. 1). But the Irish agony had been building up slowly also, rooted in complex factors, one of which geography, pre-dates the dawn of history: others involve the outworkings of two forms of colonialism, those of Mother Church and Mother England (Coogan, 1996, p. 1). Discrimination also factored into the tension between the two groups. The unionists rule over Northern Ireland affected most Catholic lives negatively, as they were a minority; they were discriminated in areas of employment, housing and education. Internment or also known as Operation Demetrius is one key issue that contributed to the beginning of the ‘troubles’ (Coogan, 1996. 30). This was introduced by the British Army and the Royal Ulster Constabulary; it involved arresting anyone who was accused of being against the professional military force immediately, without trial. These aspects stirred resentment from the nationalists and inconsequence caused violent rebellion (Coogan, 1996, p. 145). Thus, the violence that was carried out during the ‘troubles’, was chiefly by the IRA (Irish Republic Army), the Ulster Volunteer Force, the British Army and The Royal Ulster Constabulary (Coogan, 1996, p. 18). The aggression of the ‘troubles’ constructed Northern Ireland to be a place of great instability and tension. In his book The Wretched of the Earth, Frantz Fanon comments on the state of the colonised mind. Fanon was a psychiatrist and a theorist of post-colonialism. His work essentially centred on the developing countries, particularly Algeria. In order to break away from colonisation, Fanon advocates violence to the colonised and he is renowned for this factor (Fanon, 1967, pp. 10-11). His main concern is his patients, who are mentally ill. In his final chapter â€Å"Colonial War and Mental Disorders†, he explains that his patients suffer not merely by war but also from a colonial circumstance (Fanon, 1967, p. 235). But the doctors described it by portraying as a congenital stigma of the native, an ‘original’ part of his nervous system where, it was stated, it was possible to find the proof of a predominance of the extra-pyramidal system in the native. This contracture is in fact simply the postural accompaniment to the native’s reticence, the expression in muscular form of his rigidity and his refusal with regard to colonial authority (Fanon, 1967, p. 35). It is this colonial circumstance that inevitably yields the ‘native’ into a nervous, mental state. Fanon pays close attention to language and asserts that language is taken away from the colonised subject (Fanon, 1967, p. 194). The language of colonising involves removing the ‘native’s’ language and speech. Consequently, the colonised is silenced, and this is an oppressive act. ‘Silence’ is defined in The Oxford English Dictionary as an ‘absence of sound’ and ‘speech’; it can be an evasion of discussing something in particular, or it can be something that is forced upon (Soanes and Stevenson, 2008, p. 1342). Sara Maitland, author of A Book of Silence, attempts to understand silence and claims that the OED’s definition is far too indistinct (Maitland, 2008, p. 25). She explores the essence of it in several ways; her own life, history, religion, literature and travel. It is apparent from this book that ‘silence’ is an ambiguous phenomenon that consists of both positive and negative dimensions. Silence is abstract and transforms itself; it can be relative or a complete absence. Maitland observes that it is generally recognised negatively, her friend writes in a letter that, ‘silence is the place of death, of nothingness’ (Maitland, 2008, p. 8). She justifies that silence is only negative when it obstructs. Maitland describes the three forms of ‘interferences’; a subject’s tongue is cut out then they are silenced; if someone is imprisoned, they are silenced, since any noise they make will not be heard; if speech is construed as ‘worthless’ and ‘meaningless’, then it is silenced (Maitland, 2008, p. 29). This is very effective and useful for your average oppressor: calling someone ‘mad’, for example, means they can say what they like but no one will hear – this was the sort of silencing the Soviet Union went in for (Maitland, 2008, p. 9). This form of silence interrupts speech and creates a barrier that subjugates the potential speaker. It is oppressive and in effect it becomes a metaphorical prison. Seamus Deane’s novel Reading in the Dark was published in1996, two years before the end of the ‘troubles’. The novel is a bildungsroman, as it reports the protagonists’ growth from child to an adult, so the reader witnesses the protagonist’s youthful innocence transform with experience, as he comes of age. The narrator is an Irish Catholic boy who is growing up in Northern Ireland, Derry. It is constructed of smaller stories that are dated from 1945 up to 1971, where the protagonist matures into an adult. These stories are fragments of memories, conversations, myths and events that happened in the area. They contribute in narrating the protagonist’s growth from a young child to an adult. Thus with backdrop of the violent ‘troubles’, the narrator develops his understanding of who he is, by unearthing a profound family secret (Deane, 1996). Deane complicates the whole novel by playing with ‘silence’. The style of narration is one of the key methods that he employs to do this. Before the narration begins, the title ‘Reading in the Dark’ indicates towards a narrative of silence and so to a narrative that will be indecipherable. As mentioned before, this novel is a bildungsroman, a story of self-discovery and identity. Ensuing this, to read is to understand, and so the protagonist will understand and discover himself by ‘reading’. However, ‘reading in the dark’ is a paradox, as it is impossible and in result self-discovery is silenced. The opposite of dark is light, and light is generally associated with illumination and knowledge (Farquharson, 1999, p. 101). Whereas, darkness contains an absence, so it becomes the visual equivalent to silence. Deane implies through this understanding of the title that the unfolding of the narrative will be an intricate and complicated process. This displays that the colonial landscape of Northern Ireland and the ‘troubles’ create identity as problematic. Pre-eminent among them are the disfiguring effects of both colonialism and postcolonial nationalism alluded to above, the crisis of self-representation produced by colonialist discourse, and the dynamics of power and resistance, history and memory, language and identity within colonial relations. Read from postcolonial perspective, the novel could be described as an exploration of the problematic process of identity formation in a colonialist context (Harte, 2000, p. 152). As a result, Deane deliberately confirms through his title that self-discovery and understanding of identity is furthermore complex in a colonised state (Fanon, 1967, p. 182). In consequence, darkness obstructs light and silence obstructs articulation. Therefore, silence hinders the narration.