Australian Financial Institutions and Markets Essay

Australian Financial Institutions and Markets - Essay Example While banks are the major asset holding financial institutions in Australia there are other major players in this arena. The increase the economic power of the banks and deregulation of the 1980's has increased the market share over other financial institutions such as NBFI's(non-bank financial institution), super funds, and other managed fund accounts (Lewis and Wallace 1997, 76). According to Wallace (1997,77) there are 3 major reasons for these changes. "Large banks have an advantage in competition, Australian banks have significant advantages in the form of customer loyalty and extensive branch networks, with the record profits in the industry the banks have access to increasing amounts of capital and finally many of the newer banks in the industry had no clear strategy when they entered the market, giving the big 4 an advantage." Now that banks have come into the market they are competing on several different levels with other financial institutions, "insurance companies and sup erannuation funds compete directly in the market for managed funds, and their products compete directly with instruments provided by the funds management arms of banks (Wallace and Lewis, 1197, 233). However as noted by Wallace and Lewis (1197, 233) life insurance and superannuation funds still comprise 80% of the managed funds sector. 2.1 Insurance In 2002 the insurance industry in Australia held $173.9 billion in assets (Vinley 2003, 36). Insurance companies hold this large amount of assets because they have policy holders paying in monthly sums that may never be paid out or are paid out in smaller sums than were paid in. Insurance companies then use these assets to make money in financial markets through managed funds. Australian banks have sought to enter the insurance market and compete with the existing firms. According to the Wall Street Journal(2005,1), Commonwealth Bank, one of the big 4 banks in Australia recently reported a 50% gain in first half profit which was a result of their wealth management business and a steady result from their insurance arm. The ability of banks to expand into other financial services has affected the insurance industry as the Big 4 banks in Australia now compete with them. The insurance industry has now also begun to move into the domain of other financial services in order to maintain the ir asset base. Vinley (2003, 36) points out that insurance companies have seen a "decline in assets, but this has been offset by significant increases in their managed funds operations, particularly superannuation. The percentage share of superannuation assets has increased to 14.5 % from 1990-2002." 2.2 Superannuation In Australia, superannuation is paid into the funds by employer contributions under the Superannuation Guarantee Charge and by individuals as voluntary contributions (Frino 2005, 2). Superannuation funds make their money by charging small fees for asset management as well as making returns by investing the large amount of assets they have. As stated before insurance companies are now creeping into the superannuation market, but so are Australian banks. They have become one stop shopping for customers in the

Solutions to Rising Healthcare Costs

Solutions to Rising Healthcare Costs Rising cost in health care its solution Contents Executive Summary Reasons for high cost in health care Solutions to the rising cost of health care Implementation of Universal Health care model The Beveridge Model The famous Bismark Model The National Health Insurance Model The Out-of-Pocket Model Procedure to implement Workplace Health Model Conclusion References Executive Summary Undoubtedly, health care costs has emerged as a severe issue these days, especially when the budget is appreciably high. The present financial situation of the world today reveals comparatively high cost in medical and health care. Day by day, the cost of insurance premiums and medical claims for employees is rising at an all-time high and is continuously following an upward trend. In such critical situation, business leaders are being called upon to make changes at workplaces and to implement models which can help in curbing rising costs. Many of them are turning to workplace health programs to help employees so that they can adopt healthier lifestyles. This also will help in lowering the risk of developing costly chronic diseases. A coordinated move toward the workplace’s health promotion results in a planned, prearranged, and comprehensive set of curriculum, policies, benefits, and ecological supports designed to meet the health and safety needs of all employees. Programs r elating to workplace health care tend to be more successful when both occupation and health is considered in the design and execution of the workplace. In fact, a mounting body of evidence indicates that workplace-based interventions that take coordinated,  planned and integrated approaches towards reducing health threats to workers both in and out of work are more effective than traditional isolated programs. (Prevention, 2013) (Figure 1: Health care expenditure) (Source: Forbes, 2013) Reasons for high cost in health care This decade has alarmingly witnessed an appreciable increment in health care costs. Whether it is ever-increasing health indemnity premiums, growing drug costs, or escalating hospital prices, it is an agreeable fact that these costs need to be constrained, or even lowered. For many years and in immeasurable articles, physicians have been the scapegoat for rising healthcare costs in thewhole world. On the other hand, it has been seen that something else is exposed by digging deeper into the key mechanism in healthcare spending as technology and know-how, various administrative expenses, hospital costs, lifestyle substitute and chronic disease conditions have all had superior impacts on rising overall healthcare costs than medical doctors. The bulk of medical payments go to hospitals and device manufactures. It has been suggested by critics that the incomes of physicians is directed by most spending of healthcare. Despite the fact, it is not necessary that the primary beneficiaries of health care spending are physicians. The medical procedure payment in bulk goes in hospitals and in manufacturing the devices. But this does not mean that majority of benefits are gained by physicians and they have caused a rise in the health care settings. This becomes an extremely wrong notion. The five main factors responsible for the increase in health care costs have been discussed below: Unnecessary Care in various occasions Out of many reasons, overuse and needless care, accounts one-third to one-half of all health care expenditure and this equals to hundreds of billions of dollars, in addition to the half-a-trillion spent per year. Preventable Harm to Patients This is one of most common problems of health care. The information is astounding. This is a surprising fact that early elective delivery harms both women and newborns. Children born at 37-39 finished week growth are at much elevated risk of death. They are also at a distant higher risk for evils like respiratory problems and right of entry to theNICU. Wastage of Billions of Dollars A report submitted by the Institute of Medicine  Health  suggests that a third or more of health expenditure are pointless. The cost of these pointless, injurious and early hours elective deliveries account to nearly $1 billion per year as was predicted in a study by the  American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Vicious inducement in how we pay for Care? By tradition, people pay providers for various health plans, Medicare and other Medicaid no matter what services they provide. This is regardless of whether the overhaul truly reimburses the patient or not, as the tremendous new book called The Incentive Cure points out. Deficient in Transparency There must be proper requirement for medical expenditure made. Transparency stimulates change like nothing else. Cases like early elective deliveries demonstrate that, despite of warnings over the years from medical societies and various organizations and highly appreciated national organizations, the rates of these deliveries have been going up for decades.(Forbes, 2013) Solutions to the rising cost of health care Cost in health care all over the world is rising at a rapid rate. The health care spending is increasing faster than the overall economy in US too. As per the National Health Expenditure Accounts data from 2008, it is shown that, people of US spend more than $2 trillion every year on health care which is 16.2 percent of gross domestic product. The amount spent per person comes out to be approximately equal to $7,681. Going up health care costs are inextricably linked to the enlargement in the number of uninsured, making it imperative that the subsequent step in health system improvement include efforts to address growing costs. The American Medical Association (AMA) has recognized four broad policies to maintain the health care expenses and get good benefits for the amount spend after health care: Diminish the burden of avertable disease Make health care delivery more efficient Diminish nonclinical health scheme costs that do not add to patient concern Uphold value-based administration at all levels Here is an elaborate discussion on the above four strategies: Diminish the burden of avertable disease The policy to diminish the risk factors for ailing and preventing the commencement of chronic diseases will definitely improve the patient’s fulfillment with medications and precautionary care recommendations. This policy will also encourage enhanced nutrition and physical movement with prevention in injury due to accidents and violence. This policy will also give enhancement in carrying out more public health campaigns. Formulate health care delivery more efficient The policy of formulating a better health care delivery is always needed to reduce the rising expenses in health care. This will not only improve coordination of care but will also help in reducing unnecessary use of services. This particular strategy is helpful in increasing use of services with optimistic return on investment i.e. in terms of future disease and cost. Here we can get increased accessibility of information on the usefulness of different treatments; advance management of chronic diseases. This will in turn reduce the medical errors and shift care to cost-effective sites of service. Diminish nonclinical health scheme costs that do not add to patient concern This particular strategy will help in eliminating unwarranted spending that does not make an addition to the value of patient concern, such as administrative expenses, profit making, etc. Uphold value-based administration at all levels. This successful strategy tends to improve the processes by which assessment are made so that both cost and benefit can be taken into consideration. Again particularly clinical outcomes are considered in this strategy. Both information and incentives are needed to be improved a lot for host of resolutions. Assessment can be increasingly incorporated into such assessments as physicians and patients decide among medicinal therapies, as insurers plan health chart features, and as legislators settle on budgets or authorization coverage of meticulous benefits. (Association, 2013) The ultimate solution to the ongoing rise in healthcare expenses cannot lie in shifting responsibilities, generating hostility among workers, and contracting the managerial screws on the system. Such solution must lie in dealing with healthcare in a truly fundamental way. Implementation of Universal Health care model Rising costs in Health care is definitely a serious problem. There is a need that every company in the world formulates some strategic and universal plan for appropriate healthcare treatment of its human resources. They must put into practice such plans, which will not only be advantageous to the employees, but also will help that organization to curb the large expenditure in health care. A sound deliberate plan sets the long-term course for a healthcare system in any organization. This will identify the key initiatives and define answerability for results. Various healthcare strategic planning solutions of various organizations in reality guarantee improved presentation through establishing: A fixed accountability for results by human being and date A trouble-free tool to use with which management can manage day-to-day outcomes There must be fast start for one to start on accomplishment of plans Arrangement and promise from all stakeholders An exclusive explanation specific to one’s capability and needs (System, 2005-2013) Health care is the economic black hole of every country. Legislation and rules can only go so far as setting up the system and paving way for new technology but can’t do a great deal on their own. For a genuine combat with health care’s cost challenges, the focal point must budge to disruptive business models as searching innovative ways of delivering accessible treatments at a much lower cost. While new business models are looked-for across the spectrum of healthcare, many impediments put off new ideas from captivating root. There are barriers, which possibly will stem from the fact that health care in various countries do not function like the free market. For example, customers rarely compensate directly for their own care, so there is modest incentive for making trade-offs such as preferring something cheaper that they can get in lesser cost. The regulatory atmosphere often does not allow reasonably priced solutions to make it to marketplace. Finally, there are inco mpatible incentives and hospitals want patients to get that operation, but insurance companies do not want such. (Eyring, 2012) As the expenditure of healthcare has risen, companies have tried to apply many cost-containment stratagems. However, all of which are likely to be only in part effective and only for a little while. More imperative, the new strategy make enemies, cause workers to be disbelieving of the company’s goodwill and intentions, subvert constructive attitudes on the part of the workforce, and harshly degrade the attitude and esprit of retirees with regard to the corporation. The contemporary approaches all amount to cutting benefits and variable costs. The most widespread practice is to push up the workers’ assistance while, at the identical time, reducing the obtainable benefits in the company’s insurance plan. If we take a corporate point of view, we can notice that implementation of a universal health care system is relatively easy and clear-cut. Corporations would make a permanent annual contribution to the national health care system as a percentage of the salary and wages of all workers. For example, it may be only as a talking point, 7.5 percentages of all salary and wages. (Coates, 2004) For implementation of a Universal Health care system, there are four basic models, which can be applied for an appropriate health care system within an organization. Countries all across the globe are following the map of complex legal, economic, and political landscapes to settle on the best path towards worldwide health coverage (UHC). Below we can illustratefour basic models for health care systems. The Beveridge Model In the Beveridge Model, the facility of health care is provided and financed by the government through tax expenditure, comparable to the public library. Many, but not all, hospitals and health centers are owned by the government and some doctors are employees under government, but there are also personal doctors who accumulate their fees from the government. These schemes tend to have low costs per capita, because the government, as the one and only payer, is in charge of what doctors can do and what they can charge. The countries, which are using the Beveridge Model or a variation include: Cuba Great Britain The famous Bismark Model Despite of being most popular in all around the various European countries, this system of providing health care would look comparatively recognizable to Americans. It uses an insurance system and here the insurers are called sickness funds. They are usually financed in cooperation by employers and employees through payroll deduction. Unlike the U.S. indemnity industry, though, Bismarck-type health insurance plans have to wrap everybody, and they do not make a profit. Doctors and hospitals tend to be personal in Bismarck countries. Although this is a multi-payer model and the country, Germany has about 240 different funds but this tight regulation gives government comparable cost-controls as single-payer Beveridge Models. Countries those are familiar in using the Bismarck Model or a variation comprise of; Germany France Belgium the Netherlands Japan Switzerland The National Health Insurance Model These systems have elements in combination of both Beveridge and Bismarck models. It uses private-sector providers, but imbursement comes from a government-run insurance plan that each citizen pays into. Since there is no need for advertising, no financial reason to deny claims and no profit, these universal insurance plans tend to be cheaper and much simpler managerially than American-style for-profit insurance. The single-payer is inclined to have substantial market power to consult for subordinate prices. The classic National Health Insurance system is found in Canada, but some recently industrialized countries like Taiwan and South Korea. These are some newly developed countries, which have also considered the NHI model. (Forward, 2011) The Out-of-Pocket Model Researches state that only some developed, industrialized countries, perhaps 40 of the world’s 200 countries in the world have established health care systems. Most of the countries on the planet are too deprived and too incompetent to provide any kind of mass health checkup facilities and proper medical care. The essential rule in such countries is that the rich get medical care but unfortunately, the people who cannot afford the cost, stay sick, or die. Almost hundreds of millions of people go past their whole lives without ever seeing a doctor in rural regions of Africa, India, China, and South America. They may have right of entry, although, to a village healer using home-brewed medication that may or not be of use against very disease. In the world under poverty, patients can from time to time scratch together enough money to pay a physician bill but if they cannot, then they pay it otherwise like they pay in potatoes or goat’s milk or child care or anything else they may have to provide. If they have nothing, they remain deprived of health checking facility. The above mentioned four models are moderately easy for Americans to understand because the Government and people of the country have all these elements in their fragmented national health care equipment’s (RESOURCES, 2010) (Figure 2: Health care systems) (Source: Resources, 2010) Countries in blue have some type of universal health care. Countries in green are currently attempting to implement some type of universal health care. Orange countries have universal health coverage provided by United States war funding. (Glow, 2007) Procedure to implement Workplace Health Model (Source: (Prevention, 2013) Any organization before implementation must look into the procedure to be followed for implementing an appropriate health care model. There may be four steps to follow: Step 1: Assessment A proper assessment process must be carried on relating to individual, organizational and community. For individual assessment on health risks and use of services needed to be taken. Current practices and infrastructure of the organization must be assessed. Step 2: Planning or Workplace Governance In the next step, planning and workplace governance needed to be considered. This starts with leadership support and management and continues with various workplace health improvement plans and dedicated resources. Step 3: Implementation In the third stage, there require proper implementation of various rules and regulations. There must be proper programs and policies with regard to various health benefits and environmental supports. Step 4: Evaluation After implementation of workplace health care model, evaluation on such polices must be taken. Evaluation is needed on workers’ productivity and health care costs. Management should look into whether implementation of health model helps in cost curbing or not. Assessment also needs to be taken on improved health outcomes and organizational changes (Glow, 2007) Conclusion We all are aware of rising cost of health care and thus, workplaces are suggested to implement such a health care plan that will not only prove to be beneficial to the employees but will also help in curbing the cost within the organization. For having a reasonable health care opportunity, an organization must take into consideration some ideas including of implementing an automated prior authorization program, having a therapeutic consultation programs, transformation of electronic health records and various health information in exchange of e-prescribing. Policies also can be taken on simplification in administration of home and community based services, taking proper information on pharmacy claims, proper review on payment methods etc. (Moeller, 2013) As evident from this report, there is a significant issue with regard to health disparities that exists in the countries. This issue leads to high costs in healthcare. Especially in between 2003 and 2006, it was estimated by Joint center for political and economic studies that health inequity costs that are either total direct or total indirect affect the minority populations (racially or ethnically inclusive of low wage and low productions) In order to achieve truly the costs of savings in the systems of healthcare, it is advised by experts to look at every factor that drives the costs of healthcare over the GDP, growth of population and inflation. Also, analysis of literature and data does not simply point out that physicians are the main cause of rising health care costs. The factors are several as discussed in the report with respect to life style of people and chronic status of individuals (Coates, 2004).

Portrayal of the Lower Class :: Sociology

Portrayal of the Lower Class When the words poverty comes up what are the first things that come to mind. Usually the first thing thought of is the perception of a man with a torn skiing cap, tattered plaid jacket, dirty gloves, no shoes and living under a bridge. This is, like most stereotypes the extremity of the problem. The homeless you see on the street does not exemplify everyone in poverty. Most live in a very small apartment or complex with some food and water. Poverty by definition is the state of having little or no money and few possessions. This definition even says that not all in poverty are without a home or food or even clothes, it simply states that it is not a substantial amount. So how is it that new and everyone that is shown in poverty is always shown in rags on the corner? One reason is for the exact reason these people are in this state, money. Relief Organization and Companies raise millions if not billions of dollars a year on the aid of the less fortunate. Is it really tangible to believe that every drop of this money is going straight to these people? No, some of the money has to be going to patrons or even the fundraisers themselves. Even no-profit organizations spend money on bettering their own facilities. These people are not taking out enough money for there to be a question, but money is lost in translation. I don't mean to sound like a pessimist, but most people in this world are looking to expedite there way into money. What better way than to pluck the strings of another ones heart and have them willingly give you money? You might ask yourself how this plays into the role of stereotyping, its falls into affect when the media and government gets involved. Media sets up a portrayal of people who are poor and misfortunate as having absolutely nothing so that generous people will want to give more. As seen in hurricane Katrina, the media only showed riots in the street, African Americans looting stores, and people will no clothes on standing in the middle of the street in knee-deep water. You might want to know how embezzlers, the government and the media both have an impact on the stereotype of poverty.

Psy 270 Depression Paper

Week 4 Assignment: Depression Paper Axia College of University of Phoenix Situational depression is a normal recurrence for many of us during our lifetimes. We have life events that trigger depression, stress and anxiety to include the death of a loved one, the unwanted change in our work status and possibly a divorce. Such changes in emotions are temporary and directly related to specific events are part of the way in which we respond to these changes. Outside these normal, healthy mood changes exists a world in which a small percentage of U.S. adults experience clinical depression. Clinical depression is a mental illness that is extreme enough that a person cannot function well in their daily lives. It may even cause the individual to be suicidal. Unipolar depression is the term ascribed to this condition (Comer, 2011). Symptoms of this illness are similar to those of mood disorder. The mood disorder is called bipolar disorder. In this assignment, I will compare causes, symptoms an d treatments of these two illnesses.The American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual describes unipolar depression as a significant depressive period that lasts more than two weeks during which the patient exhibits at least five depressive symptoms (Comer, 2011). Symptoms of depression include insomnia, daily bouts of depression, inability to concentrate on the task on hand, loss of appetite and a loss of interest in previously pleasurable activities and thoughts of suicide (Comer, 2011). Unipolar depression is thought to be caused by a combination of factors rather than being developed from one source or exposure.Depression is in part, a genetic biochemical imbalance of the neurotransmitters serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine in combination with stress. The institute details specific personality traits correlated with depression. Their studies revealed that individuals who show: 1. High levels of anxiety, which can be experienced as an internalize d anxious worrying style or as a more externalized irritability. 2. Shyness, expressed as social avoidance or personal reserve. 3. Self? criticism or low self? worth. 4. Interpersonal sensitivity. 5.Perfectionism. 6. A self? focused style is at higher risk for developing depression. A variety of therapies are used to treat unipolar depression with varying degrees of success and effectiveness. One treatment which is biological in nature that has proved very effective is also controversial because of its nature. This is Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). In ECT, the patient is subjected to induction of seizure through controlled electric shock, under anesthesia. The treatment process is not well understood and is, therefore, used only in severe cases.These cases may include delusion in extreme forms of the illness. ECT does tend to cause memory loss and is being used less frequently since the introduction of newer antidepressant drugs (Comer, 2011). The class of drugs used for antidepre ssant effects include three types. These are monoamine oxidase (MAOI) inhibitors, tricyclics and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). All three types of antidepressants are effective for patients with depression, but SSRIs are currently the preferred medication due to the smaller body of side effects these drugs have.SSRIs function by balancing the brain’s neurotransmitters. They increase serotonin and norepinephrine levels (Comer, 2011). Other treatment modalities are available as well. Drug treatments are most effective when used in combination with other treatments. Unipolar depression treatments are currently dominated by cognitive model therapies. The cognitive models have gained favor over other therapies, such as psychodynamic and behavioral models (Comer, 2011). The effectiveness rate for cognitive therapies is between 50% and 60% (Comer, 2011).Cognitive therapy is designed to re-educate patients to become aware of and alter their own negative thought patt erns and maladaptive behaviors. Four steps are employed in this model. The first step is when the individual is instructed to create a log of their daily schedule so that they can begin to become active again. This is intended to help them also regain their self-confidence. In the second step, the individual is told to write down the automatic negative thoughts they experience.In the third step, they can then look back on this list and learn to recognize that most, if not all, of these thoughts are unfounded and that this pattern of negative thinking becomes self fulfilling. The goal here is to refocus the person and to give them a new perspective that is self fulfilling in a positive way. The fourth and last step is when the clinician assists the individual in making changes to their maladaptive attitudes and behaviors that contributed to their depression (Comer, 2011). Bipolar disorder is the term applied to an individual’s condition when their mood swings drastically from mania to depression.The DSM indicates that there are two different types of bipolar disorders. In Type one an individual experiences daily severe depression for an extended period with these periods being by full blown manic episodes. In Type two bipolar disorder, the individual experiences the same depression as in Type one, but the subsequent manic phase is less severe (Comer, 2011). Research studies show that bipolar disorder is developed in the same way as depression. The treatments for bipolar disorder, however, vary greatly from those used to treat depression.In bipolar patients, antidepressants can trigger mania, so other drugs, singly or in combination are used for mania. Some of these drugs are lithium, carbamazepine and valporate (Comer, 2011) in combination with SSRI antidepressants, since SSRIs do not trigger mania as often. Research shows that psychotherapy alone will not effectively treat biopolar disorders. Lithium along is also not effective. Lithium dosages are diff icult to regulate in actual use and patients often discontinue the medication on their own (Comer, 2011).Adjunctive psychotherapy is used in conjunction with medications, in part to help the patient understand the value of their medication. The clinician will also work with the patient to help them cope with family, work and social issues that arise when bipolar disorder is experienced (Comer, 2011). These two types of disorders are caused in similar ways, but their treatments are quite different. References Comer, R. J. (2011). Fundamentals of abnormal psychology (6th ed. ). New York, NY: Worth.

Great Gatsby, Detailed Analysis, Passage Chapter 1 (p.13-15) Essay

In this passage Nick Carraway is visiting his cousin Daisy and her husband Tom Buchanan, a former member of Nick’s social club at Yale University, on East Egg. Inside, Daisy lounges on a couch with her friend, Jordan Baker, a competitive golfer who yawns as though bored by her surroundings. As Nick enters he describes his two female companions in extreme detail. F. Scott Fitzgerald uses imagery on many occasions to aid the reader to picture the setting. He describes the women’s dresses fluttering in the wind as though they had â€Å"just been blown back in after a short flight around the house† (p.13). Fitzgerald also illustrates the women seeming to be â€Å"buoyed up..upon an anchored balloon† (p.13). He repeats the metaphor of balloons as he recounts that they seem to be â€Å"ballooning† to the ground as the wind calms. Nick, the narrator, goes on to describe his company. He does so in extreme detail. The author does this as to help us visualize Nick’s situation. The theme of white is inaugurated in this passage (â€Å"They were both in white†, p.13) emphasizing the innocence and pureness of Daisy Buchanan and Jordan Baker. Fitzgerald makes the visualization of the visitation very simple for his readers by using vivid examples (â€Å"her chin raised a little, as if she were balancing something on her chin†, p.14). He makes her appear almost statuesque. Jordan is portrayed as having a bored and apathetic attitude about everything, which is all part of her â€Å"I am too good for you† appearance. Jordan Baker seems to be ignoring Nick upon his entry (â€Å"If she saw me†¦she gave no hint of it-â€Å", p.14). This looks as though Jordan is playing hard to get. The mind games could be seen to be conveying that she is attracted to Nick. The narration stops and we hear Daisy’s voice for the first time (â€Å"I’m p-paralyzed with happiness†, p.14). Nick mentions her lightheartedness Daisy Buchanan’s illustration is very descriptive. She seems to have taken a greater deal of interest in Nick although there does appear to be a hint of awkwardness in the room, possibly due to the fact that the two have not seen each other in a lengthy period of time. She is not labeled beautiful, the reader does however get an inkling that she is, as there seems to be a sort of aura surrounding her (â€Å"That was a way she had.† p.14). The narrator tells the reader a little bit about himself and how he is not used to the posh lifestyle of the people of East Egg (â€Å"..any exhibition of complete self-sufficiency draws a stunned tribute from me†, p.14). This could mean that Nick is used to a more family orientated lifestyle were friends and family supported and trusted one another more. As the conversation between Daisy and Nick continues, Scott Fitzgerald decides to go into even more detail about Daisy. He catalogs her speech in extreme detail (â€Å"..in her low thrilling voice†¦the kind of voice that the ear follows up and down†¦as if each speech is an arrangement of notes.†, p.14). Nick does not only comment on Daisy’s voice but also her general appearance, her face, her eyes and even her mouth. The narrator’s portrayal of Daisy leads the reader to believe that she is a person of great beauty. A lady with whom one could easily fall in love with. Nick is almost obsessional about his cousin, Nick not being the only one in the course of the book. F. Scott Fitzgerald really triumphs in his use of language. His language is full of concrete verbal images which are incredibly appealing to the senses. Furthermore his descriptions of setting, characters and symbolism are in such sheer detail, it is impossible for the reader not to begin imagining what it, she, he or they must have looked or even sounded like. This passage introduces us to two of the novel’s major characters, Daisy and Jordan. It it also the first time we get a real taster of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s descriptive abilities.