IT Project

System request Companies dealing in car rental business have been experiencing a higher demand of cars for rent than what they can supply. The main challenge in this case is the increasing number of visitor into the country as well as the expansion of the tourism industry. This is brought about by the massive investment in infrastructure and business that has made Abu Dhabi a stopping point for most of the tourist.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on IT Project-Planning phase specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Prominent individual including sportsmen, actors and actresses, models, great organization leaders, and even presidents have been known to visit Abu Dhabi for their holidays, meetings and shopping. The country has some of the best shopping malls in the word. Much capital inflow in form of investment from both the citizens and foreigners has become common in Abu Dhabi. There is need to improve the systems being c urrently used by the car rental businesses in the market to serve customers. Most of the systems are manual and time consuming leading to unwanted delays. The car rental businesses, who are the clients for this software have requested for efficient system software that will cater for the increasing demand. The software should provide for easier coordination of tasks and quick retrieval of data. The system should also store much information concerning the client and the car for easier record keeping and follow up. The client wants a system that can be adopted into their current system without so much change in terms of requirements. The software should utilize the readily available hardware and not demand for complete change of the entire system Problem statement After thorough assessment of the situation in the Abu Dhabi car rental businesses, we saw that there was need to address the situation. The demand for cars to rent is higher than what businesses can provide. The main reason is that the system used by most businesses does not allow quick and efficient service delivery to the customers. The service per customer in a unit time is too big and thus much time is spent serving a few customers. The software to be developed is to be done in such a way that it provides a database for storing both client and vehicle details. The software should also allow for online transactions without getting congested.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This means that it should have the capability of handling as many transactions as possible without causing any delays in the system. Another critical element that the software should meet is the memory. Much information will be stored within the system including the terms and conditions for the contract, the client details, car details, charges per day, car history, time span for the contract and any other data as need ar ises. This information has to be accommodated within the system. Development of the software shall involve adoption of other available software of same functionalities that will be modified and customized to meet the current demands. Business profile Abu Dhabi is among the most visited areas by tourists in the world. Car rental business has been on the increase with many companies venturing into the sector. The country has many tourist attracting features and that draws tourist from different regions of the world into the country for different purposes. There are those who visit the country for leisure purposes, for commercial purposes whereas others for business meetings and conferences. The country is continually growing and therefore, attracting more tourists. Visitors would always want to tour different places within the country. As mentioned before, most people visiting the country are foreigners who mainly come for a shorter time. This implies that as long as the number of tou rists into the country is increasing, the car rental business shall also be on the increase. In fact, the current businesses available cannot meet the market demand. Abu Dhabi is known for its prestigious hotels, world-class shopping malls, prominent buildings, and famous conference facilities in the world. It is also an attractive spot for businesses in various domains. There are so many opportunities for business within the country that no one can afford to be idle. Car rental business has proved to be one of the fastest growing businesses within the country. The main reason behind this growth is the expanding tourism sector. Most tourists would want to drive around and visit various places within the country. In addition, most of the visitors in the country are international dignitaries and high class persons who would want to move around in private cars.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on IT Project-Planning phase specifically for you for only $16. 05 $11/page Learn More Because of their short-term stay in the country, most of them would opt for using rental cars than buying new ones. The current system of car renting by most companies is manual and this takes longer when serving customers. Most customers would wish to carry out all their transactions online without making longer queues to get the service. Some companies have gone a step farther and implemented an online system of booking cars. However, this has also not been successful because of the number of customer wishing to use the service. Instead, it has resulted in congestions and thus slowing down the speed of service delivery to the esteemed customers. Most of the companies in this sector are large with several departments. The number of employees varies from 100 to 500 depending on the size of the company and client base. Clients are many and their demand for cars for rental is higher than what the companies can offer. Business aims and objectives T he business goals and objectives for this particular project shall be to come up with software that shall bring forth the following results: Ensure efficiency and quick retrieval of data Ensure better record keeping of client and vehicle details Enhance the ability and effectiveness of the members of staff to perform tasks as planned Eliminate incidents of superfluous data entries within the company Promote an online system of data entry and retrieval Provide a user-friendly interface for transactions Project goals and objectives Ensure user participation in the design of the software Ensure realization of all the business goals and objectives within the set time span and budgeted funds. Lessen the impact of the software system on the basic operations of the business The scope of the project Customers prefer a user-friendly interface that will provide them with quicker services efficiently. This project aims at developing software system that will be adopted by companies in the car renting business. The benefits of using the software will not only benefit the service providers but also the customers at large. For instance, customers will be required to enter their details and select the model of the car they wish to hire. The system immediately will provide them with the available cars of that model as well as their government assigned registration numbers. The system will help car dealers to find the details of clients with particular cars just at the click of a mouse. They will only enter the registration number of the car and all the details about the client having the car are displayed. The software will enhance efficiency in the operation. Additionally, the software will help car rental businesses to accommodate the increasing number of customers and avoid confusions brought by ineffective manual systems.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Because of improved efficiency, companies will save much time and increase their turnover. This project shall involve a number of activities and processes. Some of the processes and activities pertaining to the project include; Phase 1: signing contractual agreements This shall involve entering into contracts with the respective companies. The companies that will be willing and ready to adopt the software shall enter into contract with the software developer and accept to the terms and conditions related to the contract. The other stakeholders involved at this level shall be the project sponsor, the team of professional experts, and the coordinating panel. Phase 2: detailed design It shall involve detailed design of the project. This entails bringing together the required tools for the software and assembling them together into the desired form that finally will produce the desired software. It shall also involve generating the codes as well as assembling the required hardware for t he development process. Thereafter, detailed documentation on the software developed shall be done before presenting the product for testing and validation. Phase 3: Installation and testing It shall involve installation and testing of the software for presentation purposes. After the software has been developed and the related documents processed, it shall be tested whether or not it meets the purpose for which it was meant. This shall be done in a form of presentation to the panel of clients and other clients for purposes of validation. In case it is found inefficient it shall be modified until it meets the ultimate target for the project. Phase 4: integration of hardware and software It shall involve amalgamating the hardware required and the software developed into a system. This shall be done at the business premises of the various companies that would have subscribed to the software. Phase 5: Training After a successful testing and installation of the software, there remains a need to train the staff and technicians on the functionality of the software. Users have to familiarize with the new system and know well how it works. This shall be done for purposes of maintenance and operations of the system. Feasibility evaluation Risk assessment The software to be developed will bring forth efficiency and ensure quick service delivery to the customers. Some of the benefits of this software are development of a client database that shall ensure quick retrieval of necessary data by the respective companies. It shall also ensure proper coordination within the companies hence leading to a well-organized internal system. As a result, much time shall be saved as well as increasing the output of the companies involved. When compared to the current system in use by most companies, the new system shall enable these companies to reach many customers and the work rate shall also improve drastically when using this system. The following shall be required for the developme nt of the software and its successful application. Hardware requirements In the development of the project, the main hardware requirements shall be around five computers with 512MB RAM and a memory of not less than 80GB. These shall be connected and networked to allow for faster flow of work within the company Software requirements The software shall be tailored in such a way that it is compatible with all available operating systems. However, for security purposes, anti-virus software shall be required to boost the system and avoid any system breakdown because of malware and other software hazards. Technical requirements The development of the software shall require experts to carry out all the operations until the product is realized. Once developed, less is required to run and maintain the system. The system shall need at least three experts in addition to other employees to run. In a nutshell, this project shall lead to a reduction in the operational costs. There will also be a remarkable decrease in personnel payment costs as the system will need a lesser number of personnel to run. Most important, the software shall increase the turnover of the company due to an increased client base. Qualitatively, the software shall enhance quick decisions within the company because data can be accessed faster and the intended decision made on time. As outline in the preceding sections, this software shall enable the user to retrieve all the information concerning the whereabouts of a particular car by entering its registration number. All the information including the contacts of the client shall be displayed on a click of a mouse. Moreover, the adoption of the software shall be a competitive tool in the market as those companies using the tool shall have an advantage of reaching a larger number of customers. On the other hand, there are risks involved when using this software, especially during the early times of its application. Most customers may shun away from usi ng the software because of the fear of losing their money. Therefore, some customers may go elsewhere the old system is used. The new system software is likely to attract a negative public perception because many employees shall be laid off thus leading to unemployment. The software is developed to reduce the costs of operations and maximize on the profits of the respective companies. Despite the limitations, the software has more benefits when applied and therefore remains the best option for efficiency. Table 1: Expected costs ITEM Quantity Cost ($) Hardware requirements Computer 5 @500 Uninterruptible Power system (UPS) 5 @70 Software requirements Antivirus software 1 per computer @10 Operating system 1 per computer @50 Technical requirements Technicians for maintenance 3 @500 pm Training staff on the use 1000 Software development experts 5 1000 Testing the software 200 Other costs System upgrades 150 Operational costs 100 Training developers in updated technologies 370 Project assumptions The software will be designed in such a way that it can be used with almost any available operating system. The most obvious ones are Microsoft Windows (in all its formats) and Mac OS. The software should easily work in harmony with other drivers such as those providing the connection to the printer and the company’s database. This will help in streamlining of operations, from the front desk all the way to the administration office. In addition, the following were assumed when preparing this plan: plan is subject to alterations depending on the emerging issues Constraints Car rental businesses are willing to adopt the new AutoXpress car rental software. The managerial team will ensure all the team players are available at all times The coxswaining panel shall get involved fully in the execution of the whole project. Failure to make the necessary changes within the specified time limits will result into delays that will auto matically hamper other processes All the players in this project shall be bound by the set rules and regulations without compromise. The project constraints AutoXpress will be a relatively easy software to handle and will therefore work on computers with different system specifications. However, it is also necessary to note that there has to be a base limit of requirements for it to run effectively. Verification and validation is also a demanding task, given the competitive nature of the software design industry. As such, it will take a lot of work to ensure that all loopholes are sealed, if this software is to pick up in the market. Because of the need to store information on the cars’ history, it will also be mandatory that the clients who use the software be in a position to afford proper data storage facilities, the other option being to hand-over the function to companies that specialize in data storage and distribution. Some of the major barriers to this project are: There are insufficient financial sources for the project funding The legalities related to this project cause many uncertainties on resource availability. The project is faced with a challenge of withdrawal of funding by the sponsors In case of war outbreak, the implementation of the project shall be completely hampered Table 2: Project work plan Time required Software project management plan 1 week Specifying Software requirements (both hardware and software) 1 week Preparation of design documents 2 weeks Preparation of a validation plan for quality assurance and verification of the software 6 days Software design and development 5 weeks Presentation of the developed software 3 days Updating the software 1 week Database preparation and installation 1 week Testing and validation of the software 1 week Integrating the system 5 days Final presentation 1 day Installation of the software 1 week Training users on the operation of the software 2 weeks Rec ommendations for the next phase The next phase should focus on the division of the tasks and assigning of roles. The criteria for choosing a professional team to steer the project to completion should be set up. The various consultants required for the successful completion of the project should be identified and their participation in the project defined in the next phase. The tasks should be broken down into smaller units and each participant or group assigned specific task to accomplish within the time span specified. This report on IT Project-Planning phase was written and submitted by user Tamia Silva to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

5 Awesome Ways to Cut Your Energy Bills

5 Awesome Ways to Cut Your Energy Bills 5 Awesome Ways to Cut Your Energy Bills If you are moving into your first shared apartment, you’re probably worried about paying the bills. And since we are now into fall, you’re probably already thinking about turning the heating on. Here are some great ways for you and your housemates to save money! 1) Shrink Wrap Your Windows Did you know that shrink wrap makes an excellent substitute for extra window panes? If you are stuck with single glazed windows, you’ll know that the heat leaks out! Try taping shrink wrap to the window panes: you’ll be amazed at how much warmer your room feels! 2) Get Some Snakes! OK, real snakes probably won’t heat up your house much, especially since they are cold blooded. However, stuffed snakes laid at the bottom of doors, will! Try using the leg of an old pair of pantyhose and stuff it with rags. Put it at the bottom of your door and you have yourself a free draft excluder. For extra cuteness, add some googly eyes and a smile. 3) Line Your Curtains You’re probably thinking that this is the sort of thing your grandmother would do. But there’s a reason for that: it works! Add a fleecy lining to your curtain for extra insulation. 4) Reflect that Radiation! A sheet of aluminum foil behind a radiator reflects the heat waves back into the room, instead of letting it be absorbed into the wall. Bet you never thought foil could keep you warm, right? 5) Warm Up With Rice! Anyone who has ever tried studying with cold feet will know that it’s not a great experience. Sew up some raw rice in a rectangle of cloth to make yourself a microwaveable rice pillow. It uses a lot less energy than a hot water bottle (kettles are super energy intensive) and is ready in seconds. What are you waiting for? Get busy and make your home a warm and cozy study nest for the winter!

What is Ecopreneurship Discuss the benefits that companies can gain Essay

What is Ecopreneurship Discuss the benefits that companies can gain from applying this business model with reference to relevant examples - Essay Example Ecoprenuership was able to recognize environmental challenge and sustainable options for business opportunity. Over the past decade it is evidently shown that growth cannot go into the preservation of nature which we can feel its hazardous affects to the nature. We are suffocating to the high level of pollution and suffering from different kind of unpredictable and abnormal weather phenomenon. We can feel the loss of biodiversity thru the increasing downfall production of goods. Many of the productive land shifted to commercial use, and unable to utilize for the food production supply because of major human activities but sooner turned into land degradation. We tend to have climate change which effect on the earth’s stored ice in the north and south part gradually melting and resulting to rising sea level, unexplainable huge floods in low lands, excessive rain fall, and stronger typical cyclone. The worst changes effect we have in this present time is greenhouse effect making earth’s temperature hotter and hotter. Sustainable development seeks more opportunity and overcome challenges to the said outcome in the community, people, and nations. A universal agreement made a little headway addressing the environmental problem, market demands, and innovation technology. On the other hand, entrepreneur play crucial role for identifying opportunity for the people digging out new technology into commercial use. Therefore global business leaders are formed to resolve the conflicts between business and economic goals thru ecopreneurship and bring out sustainability. The adaptation of entrepreneurial management to conceptual framework of green environment, and/or sustainable oriented management practices can stress out the values of regional economy as well as the social system balancing profits and ecological environment objectives. Predominance of any entrepreneurial behavior generating and enhancing economic

The Western Treatment of Illness versus Alternative Therapies of Essay

The Western Treatment of Illness versus Alternative Therapies of Probiotics, Herbs and Cleansing Regimens - Essay Example Bacteria which are immune to the traditional treatments of antibiotics have become a serious issue for practitioners and the general public. Over-reliance on antibiotics by family doctors, and non-compliance by patients (usually through lack of understanding about the nature of antibiotics and bacteria) has produced infections such as Clostridium difficile, known as C. dif, which require very intensive therapies and are very resistant to treatment. It therefore makes sense for scientists to consider whether alternative therapies are of any benefit in providing an alternative to antibiotics. Complementary therapy such as herbs may actually cheaper than conventional medications. A study comparing standard anti-depressants with St John's Wort found that the side effects of the herb were only 10 percent that of the medications, and the herb was only one-fourth the cost of the anti-depressant. (Jonas, W. 209). Treatment of Helicobacter Pylori through antibiotics is : The side effects of antibiotics often result in a significant failure to complete the course - this has repercussions both in the duration of the illness, and the likelihood of the bacteria becoming resistant to treatment. Studies have shown that probiotics act rapidly (Mattila-Sandholm et all, 2000). In addition, it is widely acknowledged that patients are complacent about antibiotics, (Guardian 2005), and complementary therapy could provide a solution to that problem (Jonas, 208) Alternative therapies also provide a 'holistic' treatment, though some clinicians feel that it is nonsense to claim that conventional medicine does not treat the whole person (Baum, 1988)However, there is evidence that probiotics strengthen the immune system (Kailasapathy, Chin, 82; Senok, Ismaeel, and Botta, 959-960), providing long-term benefits for the patient. In cases where the patient is vulnerable to infection, this may be of particular interest. Problems with CAM Although many people take CAM without problems, there are safety issues which mean that alternative therapy is not benign. Firstly, the herbs themselves may be toxic in large doses (Silverstein et al, 162), they may be contra-indicated with conventional medication (Silverstein, 162; Jonas 209), and generally less well regulated (Senok, 959). There is also little hard evidence that CAM's are more effective than conventional treatments (Mattila-Sandholm, 394; Langmead, Rampton, 348), and despite some clinicians' feelings that CAM's have a beneficial effect, some studies seem to show the opposite (Gionchetti, et al, 492). The biggest concern over the use of CAM in treating bacterial diseases, however, is the fact that many probiotics and herbal medicines are targeted at the healthy

IRAC Brief Essay Example for Free

IRAC Brief Essay According to United States District Court District of Massachusetts Civil Action 11-10313-GAO (2013), Anderson, Silva, Johnson and Funches contracted through a limited liability company by the name of SLS to perform delivery services work on behalf of HDA (United States District Court District of Massachusetts, 2013). Plaintiffs Case Each driver was provided with their truck Trucks provided to the contractors bore Sears Logo Uniforms bore both Sears and HDA logos Each driver hired their helpers and paid their helpers directly Drivers worked full-time and solely for HDA (while under contract) (United States District Court District of Massachusetts, 2013) HDAs Argument Plaintiffs contracted through SLS and not directly with HDA as individuals; therefore, HDA should not be a litigant in this case Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 149,  § 148B is preempted by the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act, 49 U.S.C (See Case 1:11-cv-10313-GAO Document 99 Filed 12/30/13 Page 3 of 5) (United States District Court District of Massachusetts, 2013) IRAC Issue: The issues below are the reasons this case has been brought to court. The court must provide the answers to these reasons in order to begin the rule assessment portion of IRAC (1) Were the plaintiffs (Anderson, Silva, and Funches) misclassified as independent contractors by HAD? (2) Were deductions taken from plaintiff’s wages in violation of wage laws? Rules Below are the rules found in Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 149,  § 148B. These rules must be applied to the facts of the case to assess the fault or culpability of the litigants. Below is cited via United States District Court District of Massachusetts Civil Action 11-10313-GAO (2013). (1) The individual is free from control and direction in connection with the (2) Performance of the service, both under his contract for the performance of service and in fact; and the service is performed outside the usual course of the business of the employer; and (3) The individual is customarily engaged in an independently established trade, occupation; profession or business of the same nature as that involved in the service performed. (United States District Court District of Massachusetts, 2013) Application When looking at the mass general law 149 subsection 148B, we can apply the three stipulations of the law to the case against HDA violating this law. The plaintiffs in the case were acting solely for the purposes of HDA as a delivery service wearing both the seniors and HDA logos on uniforms provided to them. None of the drivers worked outside of the scope of work on subcontracts for any other provider other than HDA, and finally, each driver performed these duties under the direction of HDAs vision. It is clear in this case that circumstances are such that every appearance and performance of duties was done in a way to appear that they were solely employees of HDA in that HDA has violated Mass General Law on salary and wages (United States District Court District of Massachusetts, 2013). When applying this to business setting the business entity hiring subcontractors must stipulate in a written contract as to whether the employee is to be treated as a subcontractor under a 1099 tax form or as a subcontract employee for the business. Under the assumptions made in mass general law 149 subsection 148B, subcontractors are deemed employees if they meet certain criteria within the law. This criteria is easily determined under general operating practices and business owners should be aware of these criteria before hiring subcontractors (United States District Court District of Massachusetts, 2013). Analysis/Conclusion Plaintiffs (Anderson, Silva, and Funches) were misclassified as independent contractors by HDA. It was found that deductions were taken from plaintiffs wages in violation of wage laws. Thus, findings were established through determining that HDA violated the law in place (Mass General Law on Salary and Wages). For the foregoing reasons, the plaintiffs Motion for Partial Summary Judgment as to liability against HDA (dkt. no. 65) is GRANTED. It is SO ORDERED. Business Managerial Setting Application There are numerous torts to consider when reviewing Anderson v HDA: (1) Intentional Tort a civil matter resulting in an intentional act of damages. (2) Unintentional Tort civil matter unintentional acts that results in economic loss, property damage, or physical injuries. (3) Property Torts occur when ones enjoyment of their private property is interfered with by either acts of trespass or illegal conversion of the private property. (4) Negligence a civil matter resulting damages due to the lack of care or duty that is owed. (5) Strict Liability Torts can be criminal or civil and culpability or finding of fault is not a factor, to name a few. The tort that is evident in the case of Anderson v HDA is an Unintentional Tort resulting in an act of economic loss. The wage deduction and mis-classification of employment status have led to the loss of wages and possible benefits to the plaintiffs and their helpers. The issues that arose in the Anderson v HDA civil lawsuit could have been avoided by utilizing an effective risk management process for contracts review and management. Co-employment issues arise in the third party relationships due to the unknown, so it is beneficial to know as much as possible about all relationships that are encompassed for the work at hand. Understanding the Torts liabilities that can arise in the areas of contract language and negotiations will ensure that liabilities are managed early in the relationship building process. An effective way to manage this risk is to identify the gaps that may exist with employment status classification, ensure that necessary tax forms are completed, monitor direct partnership and obtain direct partnership attestations regarding their direct  relationship with their contractors. The next step is to have an ongoing control mechanism in place to monitor regulations and update business checklist and standard operation procedures. Reference United States District Court District of Massachusetts. (2013). Civil Action 11-10313-GAO. Retrieved from United States District Court District of Massachusetts, website.

Examining the American Culture Essay -- Papers

Examining the American Culture In order to understand this immense country that we call America, we need to study the culture. More specifically, we need to study the form of society in America. Is this society changing, or does it remain fixed throughout time? There are many aspects of our society, some of which are: traditions, values, and religion. The many realms of society contribute to a conglomerate culture, which cannot be described simply. The American culture is diverse and constantly evolving due to many various aspects of society, including, but not limited to, religion. It cannot be said that there is one American culture because there is no national language in America. Also, the lack of a single culture is displayed by the strong need for political correctness in America. Finally, it is evident that the culture in America has changed through the years due to changes in American religion. Since language is an essential part of culture, and America has no national language, then America is not tied together with one culture. There are reasons why the U.S. Government has not declared an official language. The most important being that an official language of English would promote xenophobia, making the English speaking afraid of new immigrants or vice versa. It would also deprive the American citizens who do not speak English of some of their basic rights. For example, how could someone vote, or take a driving test, if they do not know the language. On the other hand, immigrants would benefit if they were forced to learn a national language in America. They would be able to receive a better education, find a better job, and participate more completely in society (Gallegos, 1994). The fact that h... ...chings have also been a strong influence on our ignorant society, especially on those who haven’t taken the time to research the doctrines of various religions. Because of the diversity in America, there is no prevalent culture, nor does the culture of tomorrow replicate the culture of yesterday. Bibliography: BIBLIOGRAPHY Gallegos, Bee. (Ed.). (1994). English: Our official Language. New York: The H. W. Wilson Company. Heston, Charlton. (1999). Winning the Culture War, [Online]. Available: http://www.mere-christianity.org [1999, July 5]. Wolfe, Alan. (Ed.). (1991). America At Century’s End. Los Angeles: University of California Press. Author Unnamed. (1999). Roman Catholicism: Christian or Pagan, [Online]. Available: http://www.personal.s1.umich.edu [1999, July 7]. Wickham, R. (1999). Lecture Notes. R/ST 302I. [1999, June 24, July 7].

Poe’s Devices for Heightening the Effect of Terror and Horror in Short Stories Essay

Edgar Allan Poe, an American poet, critic and writer of the XIX-th century, is a world- recognised master of the horror genre. Poe’s Tales of Arabesque clearly demonstrate his talent for cultivation of mystery, terror, and macabre. The process of this horror cultivation is very subtle and complicated. Poe, like an artist of arabesque who intertwines and interlaces flowers into an elaborate pattern, weaves a net of mystery and horror and entangles the reader in it. Poe starts any work ‘with consideration of the effect’ it would have on the reader. All other stages of story creation and literary devices used for it depend on that main effect. Thus, the genre of Poe’s works, their plot structure, type of narration, word choice, and imagery are the devices, with the help of which Poe creates and heightens the effect of terror and horror. Such works as ‘The Cask of Amontillado’, ‘MS Found in a Bottle’, and ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’ serve as vivid examples of Poe’s sophisticated but very effective horror creating technique. The effect produced by the work on its reader largely depends on the genre of this work. It is no mere chance that Poe chooses the genre of a short story for his works of horror. On the one hand, a short story provides the writer with enough space to intrigue the reader, to rouse his interest in the plot. ‘MS Found in a Bottle’, for example, invites the reader to take part in a fantastic adventure in the midst of the stormy ocean. On the other hand, the plot unfolds very quickly, leaving no time for reasoning and meditation, keeping the senses heightened and sharp. Thus the perception of horror deepens and strengthens. Short forms of a short story bind the reader to pay closer attention to every word, to every comma and exclamation mark. Words used to create the atmosphere of terror and mystery become more colourful, more significant and profound: metaphors grow into symbols, symbols – to allegories. In ‘The Cask of Amontillado’, for example, the suspense of something terrible increases with every step Fortunato makes into the depth of the Montresors’ catacombs, with his every cough, with every proposal of Montresor to come back. But the effect of horror is heightened not only by length of a story, but also by its plot structure. A very short introduction or its complete absence and the disjunction placed at the very beginning of the story put the reader into the coarse of events at once. The events are mostly proleptic; being unaware of their meaning readers start experiencing nervousness and alarm, they feel that some dark, arcane mystery is about to uncover. The reversal in a short story comes to the end and it always comes unexpectedly. With the help of this device the writer shocks the reader, greatly intensifying his horror. Thus, terrified with the gloomy atmosphere of the Roderick’s castle and the constant sensation of trouble, the reader gets truly horrified at the sight of Roderick’s dead sister, lady Madeline, suddenly revived to life. The absence of a resolution prolongs the shock from the terrible mystery uncovered; or, as it is in ‘MS Found in a Bottle’, – the mystery that can never be resolved. The manner in which the story is narrated is no less important for heightening the effect of horror than its very plot. Though all the three stories proposed for this study are narrated in the first person, they are told in various types of the first person. These types differ by four main aspects. The first one is the part that the narrator plays in the story and his influence on the course of events. The narrator of the ‘The Cask of Amontillado’ is the central figure of the plot, moreover, he is its moving force. The reality of the story is revealed to us through Montresor’s eyes and is estimated by him. The reader is always with the narrator and as the narrator is a murderer the reader becomes his unwilling accomplice to murder. The horror of being a murderer is absolute. The narrator of ‘MS Found in a Bottle’ is also the central figure of the plot, all the events happen to him and are described by him. Being always together with the narrator, the reader embarks on a dangerous, perilous, hair-rising adventure, which ends as unexpectedly as it begins. Unlike the previous two stories, ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’ is not a story about the narrator. It is Roderick Usher who is in the centre of the plot, it is his mind and his life that we are interested in. But as we are with the narrator, who is an observer and estimator of events, we can only feel the dark mystery of the House of Usher, but can not penetrate into. There is no greater horror than that of mystery and no greater terror than that of the unknown. The second aspect in which the three first person narrations differ is the use of tenses. Poe intentionally tells ‘The Cask of Amontillado’ in the past and presents all the events in chronological order. This device helps the writer to show the mind and actions of an insane person, who carefully plans a murder and methodically carries it out. Because of such step- by-step development of the plot the feeling of horror progressively grows higher and sensations of terror deposit. In ‘MS Found in a Bottle’ the writer builds up the narration in a way to bring the story closer to the reality and to the reader. That’s why he makes use not only of the past tense, but also of the present and even the present continuous. By describing the mysterious ship in the present the writer transports the reader on its deck, makes him feel the tossing of the ship, inhale the salty air. The use of the present continuous in the very end of the story heightens the horror and despair of being ‘amid a roaring, and bellowing, and thundering of ocean and of tempest’. The syntactic structure of the final passage – short abrupt sentences separated by dashes – creates the effect of the stream of consciousness and makes the reader not only the witness, but a participant of the final scene. The three main tenses of ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’- past perfect, past, and future – expand the borders of the events narrated. The past tense helps the writer to describe Roderick Usher as a reserved, mysterious, gloomy, melancholic, and abnormally sensitive person. The flash back made into Roderick’s childhood with the help of the past perfect shows that he has always been that kind of person and all his ancestors were like him. The future shows that though the House of Usher fell the mystery of it will never be solved. Thus the sense of ‘insufferable gloom’ and FEAR, which Roderick and his house arouse in the reader, roots in the ancient past and prolongs itself into the future. The final aspect that makes each of the three stories unique is the structure of the narration. ‘The Cask of Amontillado’ is formed of a combination of dialog, monologue, and description. These are the dialogues here that are of particular interest to the study. Dialogues of ‘The Cask’ are short and abrupt. Answers given to the questions are brief and concrete ( ‘Nitre? ‘ he asked, at length. ‘Nitre,’ I replied. ). This device makes every single word symbolic. Dialogues here are the part of the imagery that helps to draw the picture of horror and expectation of threat. Dialogues of ‘The House of Usher’ differ from those of ‘The Cask’. They are long, descriptive, and complicated. Some dialogues between the narrator and his friend grow into the monologues of Roderick. The final monologue of Roderick composed of broken and disconnected sentences shows the shock of horror Roderick experienced when he felt that Madeline was back from her tomb. This shock extends to the narrator and to the reader. ‘MS Found in a Bottle’ consists of a single monologue. The changing speech of the narrator reflects his mood and influences the mood of the reader. But the main function of this monologue is to create the hostile, tense, and gloomy atmosphere of the confusing reality. The main thing that influences the way in which the story effects the reader is the setting. Poe uses various stylistic devices to create a sinister setting and thus heighten the effect of horror and terror in his short stories. Metaphor is one of the most important stylistic devices. It enables the writer to describe implicitly the thing or notion for which there is no name in the common language, or a feeling ‘which will admit to no analysis’. Thus, for example, the supernatural wild ocean is named ‘watery hell’ or ‘chaos of water’. Simile helps to describe the indescribable in a more explicit form. Such similes as ‘waters rear heads like demons of the deep’, or ‘crew glide like the ghosts of the buried centuries’ arouse associations with death, mystery, and myth. And the comparison of the windows of the house of Usher with blind eyes inspires us to take the house as a living creature, strange and dangerous. Another device, used to animate inanimate objects is personification. Whatever Poe personifies – the wind (‘breath of wind’), silence (‘obstinate silence’), tempest (‘bellow of the tempest’), or air (‘wild air’) -it becomes brighter and more profound. Epithets carry out a chief function in creating the main images of the stories and drawing their sinister and horrifying settings. Thus, the ocean in ‘MS Found in a Bottle’ is described as unfathomable, terrible and thundering; the ship is gigantic and supernatural; the house of Usher is melancholy and ancient, it has bleak walls, dark intricate passages, Gothic archways, vaulted ceilings, and it inspires a ‘sense of insufferable gloom’ and ‘unredeemed dreariness’; the vaults of the Montresors are dark, damp and sombre. Poe frequently uses epithets that show the extreme quality, power, or size of an object described. Such epithets as intolerably hot wind, extreme fury, immense pressure, terrific breakers, and colossal supports form the fantastic reality of Poe’s works. An immense impact on our senses and feelings is made by colour and light words. Poe paints his gloomy settings with four main colours: black, red, grey, and yellow. These colours, however, never repeat those that we are used to, they are always unique and special. Poe sees every subtle hue of the colour and observes the way it ‘behaves’. Red, for example, is presented in two main hues: dusky-red and blood-red; it glares, streams down, or gleams in encrimsoned light. Red is the colour of blood and is therefore associated with pain and murder. Black, ebony black, and deep dingy black are the colours of ‘eternal night’ and ‘pitchy darkness’. They symbolise death, burial, fear, horror, and misfortune. Grey and leaden-hued arouse associations with ghosts, shadows, something elusive, mysterious, and imperceptible. Yellow or sickly yellow is traditionally regarded as the colour of disease, sickness, and insanity. The light in the stories is never bright but is always indiscrete, feeble, sluggish, faintly discernible, ghastly and mystic. And the gloomy setting created with the help of these hues of light can arouse in the reader nothing but the sensation of growing fear. In the conclusion it would be necessary to mention, that Edgar Allan Poe is an unsurpassed master of the horror creating technique. He uses such devices as genre, structure of the plot, type and structure of narration, vivid imagery, settings, colour, and light to heighten the effect of terror and horror in his short stories. The contribution he made into the development of the horror genre can not be overestimated.