Two gripping family sagas

One of my favorite literary genres is the sweeping family story that takes the reader through multiple generations, interesting places and pivotal moments in history. Randy Boyagoda’s Beggar’s Feast therefore suited me to a T. Written by the chair of Ryerson’s English Department, Beggar’s Feast is a glorious ride through the not-so-sweet life of Sam Kandy, born in colonial Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). From a boyhood indentured to a Buddhist monastery, Sam reinvents himself through his own courage and ingenuity – and with the help of a series of mentors and business partners.

Sam is such a wonderful protagonist: equal parts cunning con man, savvy businessman, vengeful schemer and all the while naïve in unexpected ways. His story takes a winding path through history and leaps across continents, propelled by Boyagoda’s technicolour language and vivid depictions. Where are the good men in this novel?  Who are the women?  Are we ultimately to pity, fear or like Sam? Does it even matter if we like him? What are we to make of his choices and where they ultimately take him?

The frigid coat of Newfoundland couldn’t be less like Ceylon. Yet, in his novel Galore, Michael Crummey is equally able to transport us back through history and lyrically depict a generational saga that begins with portents that may be magical.

If Sam Kandy’s life wouldn’t have been the same but for a charging elephant, then Crummey’s beached whale and the mysterious birth of a stranger from the whale’s belly is equally significant. Thus starts a mystical tale of fairies and ghosts, bullies and witches, changelings and mistakes, and fear and loathing of Irish and English settlers brought across the ocean. Love’s tragic errors repeat through Galore’s generations, and families are unable to shake off the ancestral burdens that cling to them. Laced with real figures from Newfoundland history, Crummey’s tale has the complexity of a Russian novel – but on fast forward.

Two “how to” books that are nothing like the “For Dummies” series

I read these next two books back to back. How is that for some concentrated self-improvement?

While employing distinct voices and approaches, both Caitlan Moran and Baratunde Thurston use the form of the “how to” book as memoir and call to action.  In How to be a Woman, Moran, a British entertainment journalist, uses her life as a lab to investigate what it means to be a woman and a feminist in the 2000s. Whether addressing high heels (she likes them sometimes) or thongs (hates them always), motherhood, childbirth, marriage, career or sexual harassment, Moran has illuminating experiences and perspectives to share.

Moran is perhaps most provocative when she describes the abortion she had with her third pregnancy. It’s a choice that some will judge negatively, but her courage in telling the story and describing the experience is undeniable. How to be a Woman is often laugh-out-loud funny, and is very much written in the spirit of girlfriends sharing a few drinks and telling each other their best stories and closest kept secrets.

Thurston, for his part, is a terrific and often hilarious writer with a stereotype-defying life story that he uses in order to open a fresh dialogue about race. The son of a single mom whose dad was a drug addict who suffered a violent death, Thurston is also private high school- and Ivy League college-educated, the product of a mom who was an African nationalist and tofu lover. A digital innovator, former management consultant, political activist and comedian, in How to be Black he brings all these experiences to bear in depicting the types and stereotypes of African-American culture – including descriptions (in blisteringly funny terms) of how to be an “angry black man” among other archetypes. Reading this book produced the satisfying and even titillating effect of feeling like a voyeur – and ending up much smarter for it.

In this blog post, I want to share some of what I said.

Valued, Respected, Enabled

Here’s my vision for a People First Ryerson:

A community in which every single person – students, faculty and staff – feels valued and respected, and in which there are no barriers whatsoever to accessing the university’s wide array of resources and opportunities.

People First entails developing systems, programs and an overall culture that leads to high levels of engagement and job satisfaction. Basically, working hard to ensure Ryerson is where talented, motivated people want to spend their entire careers, as staff or faculty. Here are some examples:

Healthy

• Since it was unveiled in early 2012, one in every five Ryerson employees has accessed the confidential Employee Assistance Plan.
• Everyone at Ryerson works hard, and the new vacation reduction strategy is aimed at helping employees plan to take breaks that allow them to refresh, relax and re-invigorate.
• Coming soon, look for launch Human Resources’ Integrated Wellbeing and Accommodation Services unit.
• We are reinventing the food we serve at Ryerson thinking about diverse and more locally sourced and sustainably produced options. Stay tuned for changes by this fall.

Equitable, Diverse, Inclusive, Accessible

• In September 2012, Denise O’Neil Green joined Ryerson as our first Assistant Vice-President/Vice Provost, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. Denise has started monthly Soup and Substance moderated panel discussions that have been standing room only events.
• Ryerson is committed to providing an accessible learning and working environment. Heather Willis is Ryerson’s Accessibility Coordinator and along with Melanie Panitch, professor in the School of Disability Studies she co-chairs our Accessibility Advisory Committee. Like all universities in the province, Ryerson must comply with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act. But it’s critical that we go beyond mere compliance with legislation to foster a truly inclusive community. This vision is shared by the growing number of people who are are rolling up their sleeves and participating in Ryerson’s various accessibility initiatives through membership on committees, working groups and other bodies.

Recognized & Valued

A recent study by the American Psychological Association found that employees who feel valued are more likely to report better physical and mental health, as well as higher levels of engagement, satisfaction, and motivation, compared to those who do not feel valued by their employers. Recognition is crucial to building morale and encouraging outstanding work. Such recognition takes different forms:

• Great opportunity to formally recognize all of our award winners: our second-annual Ryerson Awards Night
  • Human Resources’ Total Compensation team is working on a recognition toolkit for managers. It will be introduced by the end of 2013 (until then, HR is available as a resource to call on to explore options).
  • Day-to-day interactions with colleagues. At a retreat I held with my team last year, we talked about how to make People First part of every day. One of the observations that day was that a handwritten note or a personal email that said thanks was more meaningful than almost any other form of recognition.

Listened To

• In 2012, we conducted the first university-wide People First Survey to collect info that would help improve the Ryerson work environment. The results reveal a lot to be proud of – in particular, 80% of respondents said they “agree” or “strongly agree” that they are satisfied with their jobs and would recommend Ryerson as a good place to work.
• There are also, though, a number of issues that need further effort. Staff were clear, for instance, about the desire for better change-management practices; improved communications around change and, in general, what’s going on at the university; more opportunities for career development; and additional support for working more effectively. Right now teams are working on these priorities that the Ryerson community identified as important.

We are taking these concerns to heart as we further refine and develop the People First Initiatives. That’s because Ryerson is nothing without – and everything with – the great people who work, teach, research and learn here.

Clear communication

One of the values that guides the Administration and Finance team is clear communication. We strive to deliver information that’s accurate and easy to find.

Adhering to those principles, we set ourselves the task of reinventing our own website to make it a more dynamic communication vehicle that would use structure, design, imagery, colour and language to engage a wide array of readers (students, staff, faculty, visitors to Ryerson) and earn their trust.

Maybe you’ll visit our site because you want to know more about some of the initiatives my team has underway. Perhaps you will be searching for an update on one of Ryerson’s city-building projects. Or, you might simply be trying to connect with one of the Administration and Finance departments. All that and more is now more easily accessible than ever before.

Continual renewal

Down the road we’ll definitely be making more changes. That’s as it should be because – while we’re really happy with our site – the quest for online clarity never ends.

Getting to this point took dedication, creativity and abundant teamwork (thank you and you know who you are!). I hope you agree that the result was worth the effort.

So, get in touch and let us know what you think of our new online home. How are you using it? Is it taking you where you want to go? What can we add or do differently to enhance our communication and openness?

Often times as we look at historical examples, the leaders who emerge are, in one way or another, unlikely. Of Harriet Tubman, the “conductor” of the underground railroad, Frederick Douglass is quoted as having said: “”Much that you have done would seem improbable to those who do not know you as I know you.” This reminds me of what I’ve read about Viola Desmond, particularly in the book that her sister Wanda Robson wrote about their lives. Both Harriet Tubman and Viola Desmond are examples of women who are in some ways unexpected heroes–women not inherently “special” except, ultimately because of their monumental accomplishments. And because of that, in my view they are even stronger role models for all of us. They are role models of bravery and integrity that exhibit exactly the kind of leadership our country, our province, our city, and our university require to thrive.

And that leads to my topic: women, diversity and leadership.

Leaders need to mirror the diversity of the people they serve. Such diversity cuts along lines of gender, class, race, sexual orientation, ability, and other identity characteristics.

Diversity amongst our leaders is important not least because we all need role models to whom we can look when we are sorting out our ambitions and how to accomplish them.

One of the most powerful role models in my professional life was (and is) Justice Rosalie Abella. Born in 1946 in a displaced persons camp in Germany, this remarkable woman used her incredible resolve and brilliance to rise through the legal profession to become, in 2004, the first Jewish woman appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada. And throughout my career, she has been my champion, advisor and mentor.

Remembering the struggles and accomplishments of women leaders like Rosie Abella is absolutely essential for individuals looking for inspiration as well as for society at large, which needs to learn that diversity in all facets of life can only strengthen our country.

While we have made great strides, there remain, however,  many ongoing systemic barriers to women’s success.

A recent report from Ryerson’s Diversity Institute reveals that women continue to be underrepresented in senior leadership positions throughout the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Although women account for 51.3% of residents in this area, in the seven sectors the Institute analyzed in 2011 only 20.8% of leaders were women.

But if things have been hard for women, lingering racialized attitudes have compounded the obstacles for visible-minority women. In the same report, the Diversity Institute notes that although female visible minorities are approximately 25.6% of GTA residents, they account for only 2.6% of leaders across sectors. The case is particularly grim in the corporate sector, where only 1% of leaders are visible-minority women.

A recent article features a US study that talks about the “double jeopardy” Black women face when they are trying to advance in their organizations: the product of being neither male nor white.

In support of that argument, the authors cited data including:

• In 2011, professional Black women made up only 1% of corporate officers in the United States, despite the claim by corporate executives that having minorities in senior-level positions enables innovation and better serves a diverse customer base.
• Similarly, Black women held just 1.9% of board seats in Fortune 500 companies. Compare that low rate to 12.7% among white women – still not a representative proportion, but miles better than for Black women.

I believe that celebrating the women that are able to survive and thrive in the midst of such odds is an act of respect for those who have made our own journeys a bit easier as well as a source of inspiration for the inevitably challenging routes that lie ahead. It is critically important that we smooth the path for those who come after us and support each other.

But we also need to challenge ourselves and those around us to speak up and ask for what we want and prepare ourselves to take on the responsibilities that come with the mantle of leadership.

During my brief remarks at Ryerson’s Viola Desmond celebration I took the opportunity to single out just one of Ryerson’s tremendous Black women. Dr Denise O’Neil Green, Vice Provost & Assistant Vice President, Equity Diversity and Inclusion, is the kind of leader that we are delighted to have among us and with who is bound to challenge us to achieve many accomplishments.

Be brave and follow the example of leaders like those we celebrate on weeks such as this: booked ended by Viola Desmond and International Women’s Day. By doing so, you’ll become the kind of leader that future women will themselves one day want to emulate and celebrate.

At Ryerson, we do not expect to earn a profit from our food services. We do believe that food on our campus can help engage students and enable student success.

Many universities do earn a profit from food services – they have several conditions in common:

1. a large residence population with a mandatory meal plan;
2. a campus that is cloistered – separated from local amenities; and
3. Food services workers who are employed by their food services provider, be it Aramark, Sodexo or Compass.

At Ryerson, we are different:

1. We have a small residence population, not all of whom are required to sign-up for a meal plan;
2. There is no division between our campus and the community that surrounds us, we are an integrated part of downtown Toronto. As a result, our students, staff and faculty have several hundred food options within a five minute walk of their offices, classrooms and study spaces; and
3. Our food service workers are dedicated long-serving university-employees to whom we don’t want to pay minimum wage.

Due to these unique conditions at Ryerson, it is just is not possible to generate revenue from food services.

Our Current Food Services Contract

From 2007 to 2012, Ryerson experienced $5.6 million in food service costs — costs which were anticipated and budgeted for. These costs include food service operations, salaries, benefits and capital expenditures such as extensive renovations to our kitchens and cafes, on-going repairs, and the installation of new food service kiosks.

The university does provide a fee to Aramark to manage the university’s food services operation and that management fee includes the cost of having eight full-time Aramark Managers working on our campus to oversee day-to-day food operations.

The University’s food services costs also include employing 70 food services staff, represented by OPSEU, whose salary and benefits are paid by Ryerson.

We Are Listening

When it comes to food on Ryerson’s campus, we agree that the status quo is not acceptable.

We think the Student Campus Centre run Oakham Cafe is a great example of an alternative food service for Ryerson. Balzac’s Cafe on Gould St is another popular choice. We will continue to explore a range of alternatives at the right locations and at the right times and we’re grateful for the leadership of our students in making sure we are paying attention.

Earlier this year, Ryerson conducted a food survey that generated over 5,300 responses. To those who participated, we thank you.

We are also conducting a number of focus groups with students, and we are meeting with students and student groups, as well as interested faculty and staff, to identify ways of improving food on campus.

As a result of our on-going outreach to the community, we have heard that student-friendly prices, more and different variety and offering more local and sustainable food options are a priority and these priorities will be reflected in our new food services contract.

Moving Forward

The current food services contract is ending in May 2013.

This spring, Ryerson is issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) for food services to identify a provider who can meet the needs and the priorities of our community.

The RFP process will be open and transparent. We want our RFP to elicit numerous, strong responses from a range of food service providers. A team, including staff, students and faculty, will evaluate the food service proposals we receive.

Ryerson will have a new food services agreement in place by summer 2013.

If you are interested in getting more involved please contact me directly at julia.hanigsberg@ryerson.ca.

Food is inherently linked to well-being. At this time of year we think about food traditions that are meaningful in our families. I spent an hour cooking latkes for my family recently as we celebrated Hanukkah with three generations around the table. We also think about those around us who do not enough and encourage a spirit of mindful eating, and giving whether through our own Ryerson United Way campaign or RSU Community Food Room, or through events and causes across the city such as CBC’s Sounds of the Season Campaign. Eating is sustenance, and it is also emotion, economics, sustainability and security.

At Ryerson, food is also education, research, advocacy and collaboration. And over the past two years I have been inspired by the efforts of Rye’s Home Grown Community Garden team members. These tireless urban farmers organize and commit their sweat equity to planting nurturing delicious fresh vegetables in plots scattered all around campus working with the wonderful team at Campus Facilities and Sustainability. Stay tuned for their expansion and exciting plans for spring 2013.

Our faculty also are important leaders in food issues for example through the research of the School of Nutrition and the Centre for Studies in Food Security. The Ryerson Students Union is also very interested in food on campus and has been engaging in a lively dialogue with students and the administration over the course of the fall.

We are a society consumed by, one might even say obsessed by, food. Food and drink are so much more than mere fuel for the body. Their preparation and consumption stimulate nearly all our senses: the sight of a perfectly iced chocolate cake, the aroma of a perfectly seasoned harvest soup, the taste of your mom’s brisket. As well, whether sipping a café au lait solo over your iPad at Balzac’s on Gould Street or together with friends and family at home or in a lively restaurant, the experience of enjoying food can be emotionally uplifting and re-energizing.

Food All Around Us

At Ryerson, we are fortunate to have a plethora of options to savour in our immediate neighbourhood and right here on campus. Take a short stroll over to the Eaton Centre, for instance, and relish all the international and local cuisines on offer at the Urban Eatery. Grab a halal sandwich across the street on Yonge at Paramount. Sit down for a vegetarian chili or some sushi at the Loblaw’s at our own Mattamy Athletic Centre. And I know I’m not the only one that is excited to see Bahn Mi Boys coming to Yonge and Gerrard in the New Year. Salad King continues to be one of the favorite go to spots for the Ryerson community.

On our own campus, there’s a growing range of excellent options, including the Oakham Café run by the Student Campus Centre, Balzac’s Café at the Image Arts Building and, of course, the convenient choices and growing variety Food Services delivers to students in residence and a growing number of kiosks in buildings across campus. The School of Hospitality has also gotten into the act through RU Dining two days a week at the Ted Rogers School of Management, with all the menu and meals prepared by Hospitality students.

Our Foodie Community

As Ryerson continues to evolve I do not want to lose sight of the fact that our community’s food preferences are also likely to transform. Keeping up with the changing food preferences of such a diverse community – including undergraduates who live in residence and commute, students who attend classes only in the evening or on weekends and faculty and staff members from a variety of cultural backgrounds – is a tall order.

While the provision of food is not the core business of a post-secondary institution, it is still something my colleagues and I take seriously. That’s because we believe strongly that having the right mix of on-campus dining options is a critical component of a vibrant, engaged Ryerson community. Simply put, it’s part of Putting People First.

Of course, whatever food services are offered on campus, they need to be financially sustainable, heterogeneous, healthy, convenient, affordable and, we can’t forget, delicious.

Help Us Think it Through

To help ensure we’re on track to meet our community’s expectations for on-campus food choices, in January 2013 we will be asking everyone at Ryerson to participate in a food-preferences survey. The results of this survey will help to determine the details of the future of food at Ryerson.

Between now and January, think about the kinds of food services you would like to see so that you can be ready to share your aspirations with us.

Happy Holidays

Between now and then, I hope you will find time this holiday season to eat, drink and be merry with your friends and families.

Wishing you good health and happiness now and throughout 2013.

Safe, vibrant spaces

Because of this full and fluid integration into Toronto’s urban drama, we have been working hard to enhance the quality of Ryerson’s outdoor space in order to make the most of our urban campus and all that it brings to the student experience. Enhancements such as Ryerson Square (our traffic-free zone on Gould Street) that students and university administration fought so long for, Balzac’s Café and its outdoor tables, and our gateway to the campus with the stunning architectural statement that will be our Student Learning Centre (SLC) all help create a healthy, inviting campus feeling without losing sight of the fact that we are a city university.

Community–institutional innovation

At the same time, a major component of Ryerson’s Master Plan is our role as a city-builder. Our commitment to community–institutional innovation is focused, in part, on addressing societal need through neighbourhood transformation. And we can accomplish that goal only by taking into consideration the needs of the diverse people, spaces, thoroughfares, buildings, businesses, and organizations that comprise the areas in which we learn and work. A good example of our efforts is the recent installation of an Urban Umbrella around the site of the SLC during its construction. Possessed of both strength and beauty, this remarkable scaffolding solution will ensure the Centre is a visually appealing addition to the neighbourhood even before its doors open. Bringing the Urban Umbrella to Canada working with our councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam and with the great team at Ellis Don once again allows Ryerson to be a leader in commitment to the pedestrian experience and the public realm.

Urban intensification

Our approach to Ryerson’s growth is also driven by the fact that we have no large, undeveloped land holdings. As a result, our much-needed expansion must happen by intensifying the use of existing sites. Our recent redevelopment of the historic Maple Leaf Gardens into the Mattamy Athletic Centre with Loblaw is one of the best examples of this but the Ted Rogers School of Management is another example and there will undoubtedly be more to come.

Good for Ryerson, good for Toronto

But that’s only part of the story. The truth is, the vitality of Toronto is also the vitality of Ryerson – and vice versa.

Weaving in and out of our neighbourhood is sometimes a challenge. More often, though, it presents incredible opportunities for city-building excellence – for example, the recent development of the Image Arts Building and Ryerson Image Centre. That’s because these new and renovated structures, and the cultural landmark they house, benefit not just the university, but our neighbourhood and entire city.

All of this is what makes us who we are, this is the uniqueness of Ryerson University: a university of our city, for our city with a reach beyond its borders to the country and the world.

Critical to achieving this vision is being attuned to our community’s perspectives and ideas and to use these to enhance our collective experience of learning and working together. Not so long ago, one of the standard ways of hearing from people was the good ol’ suggestion box. That wasn’t a terrible approach but, to be sure, it wasn’t notable for either speedy responsiveness or accountability. Nor is it a model of innovation.

Digital engagement

Well, it’s the 21st-century and we are committed to providing more – and more-innovative – ways for students to let us know their ideas. We were, therefore, thrilled to roll out SoapBox, a novel social media “suggestion box” invented right here at Ryerson by HitSend. Entrepreneurship and innovation define Ryerson and SoapBox is a great example of both principles in fast action.

Developed in our Digital Media Zone (DMZ) and launched university-wide in August 2012 (piloted in the Library and the DMZ before that), Soapbox is an online platform – accessible via the Ryerson portal – that enables students to post their ideas and then for their peers to vote on them. To date, over 6,000 Ryerson students are active SoapBoxers, posting their own suggestions and/or voting on others.

Ideas that are the most popular (as determined by the number of votes each receives) are shared with a group I lead called Idea Partners. This is a multi-disciplinary group from across the university who are able to assess what it would take to implement ideas. We meet bi-weekly to consider and respond to the wide-ranging suggestions that are now flowing through SoapBox. We bring in subject matter experts and take a first look at the impact of suggestions and their ease of implementation. Complex ideas need more time for consideration. Some things we can respond to almost right away. We’re still learning from this process (this week was only our second Idea Partners meeting!) but with the help of the Soapbox team we will get faster and better.

So keep an eye on SoapBox to see our responses to the ideas that are ranked most popular by student vote. We’ll implement what we can, learn from what we hear and offer clarifications and explanations along the way.

Community voices – we’re listening!

Genuine communities need genuine opportunities for idea-sharing; Soapbox is filling an essential need here in our Ryerson community.

We want to find the ideas that have the biggest impact for students. If you are a student member of the Ryerson community, I urge you to add your voice to the conversation. We’re listening!

One reason I continue to read books is that they offer me opportunities to engage deeply with subjects such as leadership and innovation that interest me professionally. But I am also a book-reader for the sheer personal pleasure of biographies that uncloak the complicated nuances of human history and character, as well as by total immersion in richly-detailed and expertly-plotted fiction.

Always eager myself to hear from friends and colleagues about new titles I might like, I thought I would share here six short reviews of books that captured my interest over the past few months. Enjoy!

Learning from leaders who couldn’t be more different: Tina Fey, Bossypants & Walter Isaacson, Steve Jobs

Fey’s biography is full of laughs going back to early childhood humiliations, learning improv, breaking into SNL and finally to “30 Rock” creator and executive. Amongst the laughs are insights on leadership and motherhood. Use your energy on your work and ignore people who want to distract you. Don’t believe people who try to pit you against other women (“cat fight!”)—you have to compete against everyone. Don’t forget to check out her definition of a “crazy” woman—it uses language I can’t repeat in a family friendly publication!

Steve Jobs falls into the category of great man as enormous jerk. Extraordinary mind—check. Creative genius—check. Don’t build the best product the customer wants, build something no one knows is even possible and they will want it. Control everything! Believe your intuition even where others have greater expertise (e.g., iTunes and the music industry). Ego, yes, but the iPhone would never have happened without that self-confidence. Jobs proved it is possible to make people reach higher than they ever thought possible by sheer force of will; Isaacson’s biography, however, shows the human cost.

Harnessing the insights of neuroscience to understand yourself and influence your organization: Charles Duhigg, The Power of Habit & Roy F. Baumeister, Willpower

These books use neuroscience to look at why some of us seem so much better at pushing through adversityand building habits that create success. In The Power of Habit, Duhigg examines the training of Olympic swimming champion Michael Phelps and the habit of winning that was drummed into him by the reinforcement of cue, routine, and reward. Baumeister, meanwhile, illuminates research showing academic success is more dependent on “grit,” the ability to consistently work through obstacles, than IQ. Willpower isn’t an innate quality:  you aren’t born being able to eat just one chocolate chip cookie! You can build, store, deplete, and strengthen willpower. By creating good habits and building willpower, you can develop new personal strengths and organizational capacities. Harness the neuroscience to create an Olympic medalist, the safest factory, or the most profitable business.

Two very different books offer unique perspectives on a historical moment: Esi Edugyan, Half-Blood Blues & Erik Larson, In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hilter’s Berlin

Edugyan’s prize-winning novel’s protagonists are jazz musicians living and performing in Germany at the dawn of WWII. Largely freer in Germany than in the racially segregated United States at the beginning of the story, the layers of fear, oppression, and, ultimately, death for some and escape for others build against a not-quite love story that pits ambition against self-preservation and rewards us ultimately with a surprising ending that is painful in its ambivalence.

Larson’s novel depicts statecraft through one family’s experience.It chronicles the lives of William Dodd, new US ambassador to Germany, and his 24-year-old daughter Martha during their four years in Berlin as Hitler rose to power. Outsiders both in Berlin and in the diplomatic corps, neither Dodd nor his daughter understood the impact of what they were witnessing. Entranced by the social whirl of Berlin, Martha romanticized Nazi officers, while Dodd underestimated his impotence even once he belated realized the gravity of the circumstances. Too alienated from corridors of power to be influential, Dodd became,ultimately, a tragic figure.