American Dream Compare/Contrast Great Gatsby And Citizen Kane Essays

American Dream: Compare/Contrast Great Gatsby And Citizen Kane The United States of America is the most powerful, wealthy, and attractive country in the world. The varieties of class, individuality, religion, and race are a few of the enrichments within the melting pot of our society. The blend of these numerous diversities is the crucial ingredient to our modern nation. Even though America has been formed upon these diversities, its inhabitants- the average American- have a single thing in common; a single idea; a single goal; the American Dream. The Dream consists of a seemingly simple concept; success. Americans dream of a successful marriage, family, successful job, and own a Victorian-style home with a white picket fence and an oak tree with a swing tire in the front yard. The accessories add to the package according to the individuality of the American Dream. And, perhaps along with the melting pot includes the entangled extremes of each American's dream; the degree of the Dream is now ambiguous in terms of boundaries. Perhaps the American Dream varies for the individual as the individual varies. Charles Foster Kane possessed everything the materialistic man could hope for. Kane had more money than he could count, power, a successful job, women at the crook of his arm, and expensive possessions some men would go to the extremes to have. Yet, Charles constantly had a vast void within him. The most important element Kane lacked was the single thing he couldn't have; that was love. You won't get lonely, Charles... You'll be the richest man in the world someday. Kane's mother and father try to use the image of money as collateral for giving him up. Charles experienced a great deal of loss in his early childhood. The traumatizing emotions of insecurity and disposition caused by his moving away from home are the roots of Charles' agonizing yearn to be loved. Sadly, Charles didn't have a long bond from his mother, but he loved her; Charles' mother never loved her son. I've had his trunk packed for a week now. Charles' mother had his trunk ready ahead of time in anxiousness for him to leave. She signed the contracts without any hesitation and showed no signs of emotion in her stone face. Charles' unreturned love creates a sense of fear and hesitation to love something, only to experience abandonment again. Ironically, even though Charles becomes the richest man in the world, he also becomes the loneliest man in the world; despite all his possessions, power, and pote ntial, Charles didn't posses the single element that became vital to his self-worth; love Inevitably, Charles foster Kane becomes the rich man everyone predicted he would be. In responses to the letter sent to Charles offering numerous businesses to own, he writes his disinterest in all of the sure-money businesses except the New York Inquirer. I think it would be fun to run a newspaper. Charles' absence of seriousness in the awareness of the gross profit conveys his carelessness about money. Instead of running a mining company and gaining a definite profit, he chooses to run the Inquirer because it would be fun. Charles conveys his carefree emotions about his money and concentrates more on his own personal enjoyment. At a million dollars a year, I'll have to retire in... sixty years. Charles snickers at the rate of his money loss and again he shows no interest in his mass money, his only interest is in keeping himself busy and happy (something he cannot maintain). So we're bust. Just give me the paper so I can sign it and go home. Even after learning that the Inquirer ha d to be shut down because of lack of money, Charles signs the paper as if its only value was his ticket home. Throughout the reporter's interview with Mr. Bernstein, many clues to the Rosebud mystery were revealed but never deciphered. Maybe this Rosebud... maybe it's something he lost. Mr. Kane was a man who lost almost everything. In addition to Mr. Bernstein's statement, Charles Foster Kane was a man who had everything- according to by-standers- but at the same time, he had nothing- according to close relations. Charles Foster Kane possessed everything, materialistically, one's heart desires. But, in a

As A Technology, It Is Called Multimedia Essays - Multimedia

As A Technology, It Is Called Multimedia As a technology, it is called multimedia. As a revolution, it is the sum of many revolutions wrapped into one: A revolution in communication that combines the audio visual power of television, the publishing power of the printing press, and the interactive power of the computer. Multimedia is the convergence of these different professions, once thought independent of one another, coming together to form a new technological approach to the way information and ideas are shared. What will society look like under the evolving institutions of interactive multimedia technologies? Well, if the 1980's were a time for media tycoons, the 1990's will be for the self-styled visionaries. These gurus see a dawning digital age in which the humble television will mutate into a two-way medium for a vast amount of information and entertainment. We can expect to see: movies-on-demand, video games, databases, educational programming, home shopping, telephone services, telebanking, teleconferencing, even the complex simulations of virtual reality. This souped-up television will itself be a powerful computer. This, many believe, will be the world's biggest media group, letting consumers tune into anything, anywhere, anytime. The most extraordinary thing about the multimedia boom, is that so many moguls are spending such vast sums to develop digital technologies, for the delivering of programs and services which are still largely hypothetical. So what is behind such grand prophecies? Primarily, two technological advances known as digitization (including digital compression), and fibre optics. Both are indispensable to the high-speed networks that will deliver dynamic new services to homes and offices. Digitization means translating information, either video, audio, or text, into ones and zeros, which make it easier to send, store, and manipulate. Compression squeezes this information so that more of it can be sent using a given amount of transmission capacity or bandwidth. Fibre-optic cables are producing a vast increase in the amount of bandwidth available. Made of glass so pure that a sheet of it 70 miles thick would be as clear as a window-pane, and the solitary strand of optical fibre the width of a human hair can carry 1,000 times as much information as all radio frequencies put together. This expansion of bandwidth is what is making two-way communication, or interactivity, possible. Neither digitization nor fibre optics is new. But it was only this year that America's two biggest cable-TV owners, TCI and Time Warner , said they would spend $2 billion and $5 billion respectively to deploy both technologies in their systems, which together serve a third of America's 60m cable homes. Soon, some TCI subscriptions will be wired to receive 500 channels rather than the customary 50; Time Warner will launch a trail full-service network in Florida with a range of interactive services. These two announcements signaled the start of a mad multimedia scramble in America, home market to many of the world's biggest media, publishing, telecoms and computer companies, almost all of which have entered the fray. The reasons are simple: greed and fear: greed for new sources of revenue; fear that profits from current businesses may fall as a result of reregulation or cut-throat competition. Multimedia has already had a profound affect on how these businesses interact with one another. Mergers such as Time Warner, Turner Broadcasting, and Paramount have set the stage. These companies continue the race to be the first to lay solid infrastructure, and set new industry standards. Following in the shadows will be mergers between: software, film, television, publishing, and telephone industries, each trying to gain market share in the emerging market. So far, most firms have rejected the hostile takeovers that marked the media business in the 1980s. Instead, they have favored an array of alliances and joint ventures akin to Japan's loose-knit Keiretsu business groupings. TCI's boss, John Malone, evokes "octopuses with their hands in each other's pockets-where one starts and the other stops will be hard to decide." These alliances represent a model of corporate structure which many see as mere marriages of convenience, in which none wants to miss out on any futuristic markets. One may wonder how this race for market share and the merging of these corporations will affect them personally. Well, at this point and time, it is hard to say. However, there is some thought in the direction we are headed. The home market, which was stated earlier, has its origins based around early pioneers such as Atari, Nintindo, and Sega. These companies started with simple games, but as technology increased, it began to open up new doors. The games themselves are becoming more sophisticated and intelligent and are now

Tomorrow When The War Began by John Marsden

Tomorrow When The War Began by John Marsden Free Online Research Papers In the tomorrow series by John Marsden, â€Å"Tomorrow when the war began,† seven friends, Ellie, Homer, Lee, Fi, Robyn, Corrie and Kelvin go through a number of devastating problems. There are friendships, relationships and life risking problems. It all started of with a fun little camp in the bushes, but turned out to be something that will turn there lives completely around. Ellie was an important person in the novel. She was the one to firstly think of going out in the bushes and she was also the one that made up mostly the decisions after the invasion. She definitely had grown much more self-confident during the novel, but she isn’t like all teenagers; she will always try to confront humongous challenges. I think she has shown to everyone that she is a person that can confront anything she wants IF she wants to! Homer, another very important person in the novel. He is also like Ellie; he is the leader of the group with Ellie. He also makes all the decisions with Ellie. He is the oldest in the group so that’s why maybe he’s the leader of the group. He finds out that he starts to like Fi, more than he thinks he does, throughout the novel. I think he was a great leader in the group, not only he was really man-like and the oldest, but he shows respect to all the other friends, that he really wants to help them. Fi is the perfect girl or person in the group. She’s been raised in a wealthy family, so she hasn’t gone through much in her life, until the invasion. She started of being the one that was scared the most, until she stood up, and tried to confront all the challenges with the other six friends. She definitely had changed a lot throughout the novel; she has learnt to confront challenges. She has really stood up for herself, showing that she’s not just a girl that can’t to anything, apart from staying home, enjoying herself or playing the piano, she has shown that she can help her friends, and become apart of a group. Lee, also a main character in the novel and is also the smart one in the group. Because he’s the smart one in the group, he thinks up a lot of the ideas for the group. So you can say he also plays an important part in the decision-making. He was shot in the leg during the invasion, but managed to recover from the injury. He also goes through a relationship with Ellie in the novel. You can tell from the novel he has true feelings for Ellie, and he’ll help Ellie in anyway she needs to. In my opinion, I think all the seven friends have gone through a lot. Ellie, Homer, Fi, Lee, Robyn, Chris and Corrie had all shown themselves to everyone that they can be in a team and confront challenges together. So I think they’ve really all done what they can do, they’ve all been in life risking situations but they’ve still managed to stay together, and all help each other, if anyone needs a hand. Research Papers on "Tomorrow When The War Began" by John MarsdenWhere Wild and West MeetThe Fifth HorsemanThe Masque of the Red Death Room meaningsTrailblazing by Eric Anderson19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenMoral and Ethical Issues in Hiring New EmployeesHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows EssayCapital Punishment

The Disgrace that is The National Grand Theatre of Beijing

The Disgrace that is The National Grand Theatre of Beijing The National Grand Theatre, situated west of the Great People's Hall, occupies an area of 118,900 square metres, and sits on a construction site of 149,500 square meters. It costs 3.8 billion Yuan, an amount which could have subsidised five million poor students' educations.To show how arrogant and out of touch the regime is, and how careles it is to the needs of the poeple it rules, it has ignored every expert, all of whom has strongly opposed and resisted this project. Experts have questioned the need to spend over 3 billion Yuan to construct such a gigantic entertainment facility, even as the unemployed in Beijing go without basic food and shelter. Moreover, the French architect in charge, Paul Andreu, has had no experience in designing theatres. In fact, on May 23, 2004 the roof of the new terminal at Charles de Gaulle Airport, designed under Andreu's supervision, collapsed killing six and multiple injuries.English: National Grand Theatre in Beijing, China....The public prosecuto rs' office in Paris, France said on May 29, 2004 that Paul Andreu was suspected of being involved in fraudulent practices in his efforts to win the bid for the National Grand Theatre in Beijing.Just by looking at the Opera House one can immediately recognise that it is completely out of harmony with the traditional culture of Beijing. So much for the CCP's respect of the ancient capital of six dynasties in Chinese history. In addition, many consider it a complete waste of money; one of style over substance. Michael Kirkland from The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada commented that this design had flushed architectural language and basic scientific principles down the toilet. In fact, so stupid was the end design that it had to go underground as deep as six to eight stories.Architectural Review, the world's most renowned...

Evolutionary Theories of Aging and Longevity Research Paper

Evolutionary Theories of Aging and Longevity - Research Paper Example This paper analyses some of the major evolutionary theories with respect to aging and longevity. Mutation accumulation theory was formulated by Sir Peter Medawar, a noted British professor of zoology and anatomy at the University of London who won the Nobel Prize in medicine (1960) for his work on acquired immunological tolerances† (Mutation Accumulation Theory of Aging). According to mutation accumulation theory; Aging is an inevitable result of the declining force of natural selection with age. For example, a mutant gene that kills young children will be strongly selected against (will not be passed to the next generation) while a lethal mutation with effects confined to people over the age of 80 will experience no selection because people with this mutation will have already passed it to their offspring by that age. Over successive generations, late-acting deleterious mutations will accumulate, leading to an increase in mortality rates late in life (Gavrilov and Gavrilova, p .341). Mutation accumulation theory argues that the negative effects or adverse events originated at the time of evolution may decline as time goes on. In other words, living things acquire more and more abilities to counter the adverse effects of evolution since the transfer of genes which causing adverse events may decline as reproduction goes on. For example, the epidemic diseases in the past are no more a threat to the current generation. This is because of the reduction in the transfer rate of genes responsible for such epidemic diseases to the upcoming generation from the generations in the past. Mutation accumulation theory believes that aging is caused by defective genes which may become hyperactive during the later stages of life. For example, genetic diseases such as Huntington’s chorea may appear in the life of a person only at the final stages of his life. It should be noted that the genes which are causing this disease was present in the body of that person even at the time of his birth. However, such genes may not be active during early parts of his life and aging is the process which helps the activities of such genes. Antagonistic pleiotropy theory was formualted by George C Williams in 1957. Pleiotropic According to Antagonistic pleiotropy theory, â€Å"Late-acting deleterious genes may even be favoured by selection and be actively accumulated in populations if they have any beneficial effects early in life†(Gavrilov and Gavrilova, p.341). In normal circumstances, each gene may have only a single trait. However, in certain circumstances, it may have more than one trait which usually refers as pleiotropy. Antagonistic pleiotropy theory believes that the same gene which is responsible for increased reproduction during the early parts of one’s life may cause aging during the later parts of his life. For example females loss fertility during later parts of their life even though they may have high rate of fertility during the early parts of their life. It should be noted that the same gene is responsible for both fertility and non-fertility. The postulates of mutation accumulation theory and that of the Antagonistic pleiotropy theory are almost similar even though some differences are there. Antagonistic pleiotropy theory argues that the defective genes are kept in the gene pool whereas mutation accumulation theory point out that the defective genes will be accumulated as time goes on. If aging is a side effect of genes that have a

What are the strategic priorities for policy makers in Birmingham if Essay

What are the strategic priorities for policy makers in Birmingham if they are to generate strong economic development for the city over the next 20 years - Essay Example Birmingham is a City with an important economic and cultural framework. Because of its infrastructure and its facilities – airport, university, a research park for business and technology research – the City is considered as one of the most developed cities of the West Midlands. The City’s council initiates a wide range of activities aiming to support effectively the needs of the residents. The economic development of Birmingham is examined in this paper; emphasis is given not only on the City’s current economic performance but also on its prospects for future growth. The strategic priorities for policy makers in Birmingham in the case that the City’s economic growth over the next 20 years would be initiated are identified and evaluated. After reviewing the existing plans related to the City’s economic growth it is assumed that the achievement of a further growth – over a period of 20 years – would be achievable under the terms that collaboration and communication in regard to the relevant initiatives are improved. 2. Birmingham – requirements for growth in the next 20 years.History of the town: The history of Birmingham is quite long. In accordance with the studies published on the particular subject, the presence of human in the region goes back to the Bronze Age (Birmingham, Voice of the West Midlands, History); Anglo Saxons visited the area around 700 A.D.; ‘the Medieval and Norman occupation’ (Birmingham, Voice of the West Midlands, History) of the area ended approximately in 1086; it was then that the land-owners took the control of the region occupation’ (Birmingham, Voice of the West Midlands, History). Under the influence of the industrial revolution, the City’s population has been continuously increased, up today. During the two World Wars the City suffered major damages; many of its residents participated in the Wars – and they did not return (Birmingham, Voice of the West Midlands, History). Also the City’s industrial infrastructure suffered significant damages during the above period. The restructuring and the development of the City was highly supported by foreign immigrants – it was during the 1950s and the 1960s that the City was developed significantly becoming today a major economic and cultural center in Britain (Birmingham, Voice of the West Midlands, History). The current economic and cultural status of Birmingham is reflected in the images of the town – see graphs 1 & 2 in the Appendix section. 2.2 Phases of economic development, economic characteristics The economic growth of Birmingham through the decades can be identified in the events that characterized the City’s establishment and development – as presented in the previous section. The current economic development of Birmingham is significant – compared to the financial turbulences that cities worldwide have to face. This tre nd is reflected in the reports published regarding the economic characteristics and the rate of the City’s growth. All of these reports are encouraging regarding the City’s current economic status and, especially, regarding its potentials for further growth. Moreover, the City’s Council has increased its efforts for generating funds necessary for serving the various social and economic needs of residents. In this context, ‘the Westminster, Birmingham and Manchester councils’ (Birmingham News Room 2011) have established a commission; the commission is based in Birmingham because the particular City is ‘the largest UK city economy outside of the capital’ (Birmingham News Room 2011). The above commission aims to identify at what level it is possible for the cities across UK to become independent – in terms of funding – from the central government (Birmingham News Room 2011). Today, Birmingham is an economic center in the West Midlands,

Management accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Management accounting - Essay Example BA is flying to over 550 destinations and to 155 countries worldwide including Americas, UK, Europe, Middle East and South Asia, Africa, and Asia/Pacific (â€Å"British Airways,† 2010). It has been considered as one of the leader in the airline industry worldwide and known for its excellence, quality, and full air and ground services. Aside from being the largest international scheduled airline in UK, BA offered several services and facilities to their customers to guarantee their convenience. The company has been privatised and shares are traded on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) under the ticker symbol BAY (â€Å"London Stock Exchange,† 2011). As history trace its origins back, BA was formed with the mergence of BOAC, BEA, Cambrian Airways, and Northeast Airlines last 1974 (â€Å"British Airways,† n.d.). ... They have decided to merge because of recession that badly hit the operations of the two airlines (BBC News, 2009). The purpose of this paper is to explain how management accounting can supply information to assist the management of British Airways, particularly the key techniques that are favourable to the company. Review of the Nature and Role of Management Accounting Management accounting is an exclusive type of accounting wherein the supplied information is more specific. Furthermore, it â€Å"exists to serve managers helping them work as decision makers, planners, and controllers of their respective departments or areas of responsibility† (Atrill & McLaney, 1994, p.14). In other words, the role of management accounting is to assist the managers in making decisions or problem solving, and provide accounting information necessary to make realistic future plans. They are expected to provide financial or economic information particularly available to those in managerial posit ion. These are needed in carrying the tasks of decision-making, planning, and control so that organization will be managed effectively and efficiently. Decision making and planning is one of the crucial tasks played by management accounting. There are instances that the management needs to settle with the best option to be pursued which at the same time favourable to the organization. The determined courses of action will be evaluated as to their costs and benefits which is the role of planning. Furthermore, the information will be more effective if the result of the appraisal showed that the benefits outweigh the costs. Control is the second primary tasked that â€Å"involves a comparison of actual performance with the plan so that

Introduction to Transportation Management Questions Assignment

Introduction to Transportation Management Questions - Assignment Example The key focus revolves around the formulation and adoption of strategic plans that aim to define transport logistics requirements for the firm, identify ways and means in which these requirements can be met most effectively and optimizing business processes to ensure cost effective means of procurement and delivery of goods (Deloitte, 2011). Logistics decisions are based on the operational requirements and the overall focus of the management is on creating and adopting a high value oriented solution that is cost effective and reliable. The key aspects considered in this process are reliability of choices, accuracy of information available at the time of transit of goods, and the time required for transit. Transportation activities can be made more effective and efficient through the use of information systems that help in tracking the movement of goods. Firms can leverage their transportation activity and develop it as an internal competency that can contribute to competitive advantage through adequate focus on optimized supply chain process and effective information systems that can help in efficient decision making (Coyle et al., 2011). Transportation project planning is the process by which state governing agencies monitor and address the demand for movement of goods, commodity and people in the region. Various transportation alternatives are considered and implemented based on the requirements analysis. One of the key aspects behind the rampant adoption of project planning activities in the transportation segment in US economy is the role it plays in developing existing transport alternatives and establishing more efficient systems that can cater to the growing demands from various sectors of the economy. Growth in trading activities and economic requirements has placed intense pressure on governance bodies to develop infrastructural facilities (Coyle et al., 2011). Moreover, investment in developing transportation

Visit a museum or gallery exhibition or attend a theater, dance, or Essay

Visit a museum or gallery exhibition or attend a theater, dance, or musical performance - Essay Example There was something about the fact that they were elevated above my typical line of vision. Craning my neck, I enjoyed the slow natural rotation of each of the mobiles. Some of the shapes conveyed a sense of whimsy while others had a more threatening feel. After many minutes, I was ready to move on, until I notice how the light played on each of the mobiles and the resulting shadows that were cast upon the walls of the circular room. The shadows created by the lighting installation gave an entirely different dimension to the mobile installation. As the mobiles rotates freely, the shadows cast upon the walls displayed a motion that seemed to be more active than the perceived motion of the mobile. The slightest rotation of the mobile would send a shadow racing across the wall. In addition to this, the shadows were constantly transforming in shape and sharpness. Due to the play of the lighting and the three dimensional construction of the mobiles, some shadows were crisp edged and dark while others, cast from the same mobile resembled amorphous grey smudges. The constant interplay of shadows of different value created movement and action that belied the slowly rotating mobiles mounted above my head. The second exhibition I attended was the Matisse Cutouts in the next room. For the last fifteen years of his life, Matisse rediscovered his passion and creativity by constructing colorful paper cutouts and displaying them on the walls of his studio. Matisse has suffered several personal setbacks that had left him physically and mentally exhausted. He no longer felt inspired to create as a result. While resting, he began to work with the idea of cutting into color to create paper shapes that melded the ideas of painting, drawing and sculpture. The resulting work is interesting to behold, not just because the shapes are beautiful, but also because the scale of the paper cutouts is massive. The most interesting of the

Consumer behaviour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Consumer behaviour - Essay Example The key role of an advertisement is to bring about a positive change in attitudes of consumers towards a brand, which is accomplished by first creating an awareness regarding the brand, followed by communicating a positive message about the same, in a manner which appeals to the sensibilities of the target consumers. The information included in the advertisements exposes the consumers to a variety of information, thus in turn psychologically pressurizing them to buy the product through positive social pressures (Donovan, Henley, 2010). Pride and Ferrell (2011) define attitude as "an enduring evaluation of feelings about and behavioural tendencies toward an object or idea" (Pp. 138). The marketers try to capture and change the individual's feelings / attitudes through advertising. Advertising helps in creating awareness of brands and companies in the minds of the consumers, and the same can be done by appealing to one or all of the three key elements of attitude; which includes - cogn itive, affective and behavioural. The cognitive element entails an individual's knowledge and information regarding the product or idea being marketed by the companies; the affective element entails the feelings and emotions of the individuals towards those products or ideas; while the behavioural element comprises of actions taken by the individuals with regard to the product or ideas. Of these components / elements of attitude, the affective component plays a major role in developing a positive attitude in the minds of the consumers with regard to a given product or idea. The emotions in turn comprise of both psychological as well as biological elements. Feelings such as love, hatred, anger etc., influence an individual's behaviour towards any object or idea; and if used effectively, can be used to generate positive responses towards a specific brand (Hoyer et al., 2008). Impact of attitudes on consumer behaviour: Attitudes of consumers are one of the key elements of marketing str ategies, which is often targeted by the marketers and advertisers with a view to gain a positive response from the target customers. Attitudes are formed of various characteristics such as favourability, attitude accessibility, confidence, persistence, and resistance. Favourability refers to the likes or dislikes of consumers with regard to a product / brand attribute; accessibility refers to the ease with which the consumers can identify and relate a brand attribute and retrieve it from one's memory; confidence refers to certainty of one's feelings towards a given brand; persistence refers to the time-period for which a consumer can hold on to such an attitude; and resistance refers to the reluctance of consumers to change their attitudes towards a certain brand. Studies have shown that consumers, in most cases, frequently change their attitudes towards brands depending on the marketing strategies applied by the marketers, although bringing about such a change is a difficult task. The marketers hence use a variety of strategies and tactics to influence the consumers and develop a positive attitu

Detailed Analysis Of John Lewis Partnership Commerce Essay

Detailed Analysis Of John Lewis Partnership Commerce Essay The following report will provide a detailed analysis of John Lewis Partnership. The retailer has been very successful in the UK and has performed extremely well in spite of more negative financial issues and other dynamics impacting upon the retail sector at large, predominantly in light of declining consumer income, technological advances such as the internet and increased competition. The reason the company was able to achieve these was because of their commitment towards their clients in providing innovative solutions as well as improved awareness of customer needs and the significance of creating a reliable customer base which ensures positive word-of-mouth and the company has achieved this due to its commitment to providing innovative solutions to clients as well as a heightened awareness of customer needs and further recommendations to increase new revenue streams through an appropriate CRM system in place. Therefore, the reports provides an evaluation of the companys current marketing environment assessing how the external factors impact the retail sector largely and specifically on the strategies that John Lewis chooses to adopt. The report will also evaluate the strengths and weaknesses as well as the threats and opportunities that the company is presented with and how best it can achieve a match with its own internal capabilities to the dynamics at play. The report will also look at how the John Lewis brand and customer proposition is placed in the UK market in comparison to other competitors, with an attempt to provide understanding in to how the company gains advantage through differentiation from other competitors, essentially highlighting how the company implements a differentiated strategy which allows it to maintain advantage. At the same time, the analysis has drawn attention to how the uncertainty which prevails and the continuous rate of change in the external market highlights the implications of continuous observation and continuous re-evaluation of the strategic options applied. Ultimately, the aim is to provide recommendations as to how the company can increase the probability of its advantage over the longer term. The John Lewis Partnerships 81,000 Partners own the leading UK retail businesses John Lewis and Waitrose. Our founders vision of a successful business powered by its people and its principles defines our unique company today. The profits and benefits created by our success are shared by all our Partners (John Lewis, 2012). Write the report as if you were working for an external management consultancy firm, reporting to the Board of Directors of your chosen company. The report should contain sections that address ALL of the main aspects of the module syllabus: that is the report should cover both strategic analysis (internal and external) and strategy formulation. It is essential that in undertaking your research and writing your report you make appropriate use of the strategic management tools and models to conduct internal and external strategic analysis and strategy formulation that you have encountered in this module. Credit will be given for analysis, evaluation and synthesis, and the appropriate selection and use of strategic management tools and models. 2.0 Introduction This report will discuss the strategic management tools demonstrating skills of analysis evaluation and synthesis of John Lewis. The report includes strategic analysis and an External Environmental analysis. The report also covers the strategy formulation in which the SWOT analysis and BCG Matrix will be discussed. John Lewis Partnership plc is one of the UKs top ten retail businesses. They operate amongst 2 sectors known as John Lewis and Waitrose. The company offers food as well as household products i.e. baked foods, fresh fruit veg, wines, household items, furniture, electronic items etc. The company functions in a chain of 287 Waitrose supermarkets, 39 John Lewis shops that include 30 departmental stores and 8 of them at home John Lewis stores. The company operates throughout the UK and is headquartered in London, they sell their products through retail stores, catalogues, and websites. The companys strategic focus is to accomplish its non-core business strategies through partnership with other firms. There are around 81,000 employees working in John Lewis stores who are partners in the business, they have a share in the companys profits and are given the opportunity to participate in the companys progress and growth. This is their unique source of competitive advantage as it encourages staff loyalty through being business partners (John Lewis 2012) 3.0 Strategic analysis 3.1 Mission statement The mission of an organisation highlights the broad directions they need to follow and provides a brief summary of the values and reasons that lie behind it (Lynch 2012). Like other organisations John Lewis also have a mission statement, it highlights their reputation established through their ownership structure as it is unique and they are very successful in being a profitable business. John Lewis aim to keep their staff satisfied so that their business can be a success. Their strategy is based on three key elements partners, customers and profit. (Refer to appendix 1) to see their full mission statement. 4.0 External Environmental analysis 4.1 PESTEL Analysis The PESTEL analysis examines the macro-environment in which the business exists in. It is a helpful tool for understanding market growth or decline as well as the position, potential and the direction for business. It is also used for evaluating the Political, Economic, Social Technological, Environmental and Legal factors that a business operates in. The Political factors discuss government regulations such as employment laws, environmental regulations, tax policy and political stability. The Economic factors affect the cost of capital and purchasing power of an organisation. These factors also include economic growth, interest rates and inflation. The Social factors impact customers needs, potential market size such as John Lewiss goods and services, population growth and age demographics. Technological factors of John Lewis will discuss barriers to entry, making or buying decisions, investment and innovation and the technological change. Environmental factors include weather, clim ate and climate change. Climate change affects how John Lewis operates and the products they offer. Lastly Legal Factors include discrimination law, employment law and health and safety law. These factors can affect the way John Lewis operate their costs and the demand for their products. 4.2 Macro- environmental Factors It is commonly known, that those prevailing in the external environment of any firm shall have a significant influence in terms of decision making in the strategic options. Such analysis is known as PESTEL analysis and usually suggested as the first stage in the strategic planning process (Lynch, 2006). As Johnson et al (2008, pg.56) rightly declared, The key drivers for change are environmental factors that are likely to have a high impact on the success or failure of strategy. (Refer to appendix 2) to see the PESTEL analysis for John Lewis. It can be concluded that each factor of the PESTEL has had an effect on John Lewiss actions, some of them are now stated in their mission statement. Previous factors are used to analyse different factors, furthermore, these factors can give a prediction for the future, so can be quiet effective if they are applied correctly. There are also some restrictions in this model, e.g. when the procedure of the checklist is applied to John Lewis it may be tough. The emergent corporate strategies may well comment that the future is so uncertain that prediction is useless (Lynch 2012 page 84), however, some may still give words of caution but still predict the future. The PESTEL analysis isnt the only framework that John Lewis take into consideration, their organisation has many other internal and external factors that also have an effect on the strategy formulation, this is why Porters five Forces framework is applied. The PESTEL analysis has a lot of information but yet doesnt offer a detailed analysis of the business. Porters Five Forces (1985) observes factors that have an impact on competition in the organisation. 4.3 Strategic Options The external analysis undertaken has underlined how the focus and the landscape of the UK retail sector has changed dramatically over the last decade or so. Such developments clearly present both threats, primarily from new entrants and modes of distribution, as well as opportunities such as the increasing utilisation of technology within the current offering to customers. As Johnson et al (2008, pg.3) highlights, strategy is about exploiting the strategic capability of an organisation, in terms of its resources and competences, to provide competitive advantage and/or yield new opportunities. However, many competitors in the retail sector at large have managed to expand into other range of products as well as expanding internationally, John Lewis seems to have adopted a more thoughtful approach and stayed loyal to its customers as well as confident in terms of its offering to the market. At the same time it has also developed a wide range of products as a lower price range to attract more customers across a wider range of segments in society. In times of economic uncertainty this also appears to be a sensible strategy in terms of situations where its loyal customer base may be experiencing declines in disposable income, thus enabling John Lewis to maintain their business through customers trading down to less expensive ranges in store. The recent introduction for its Essential Waitrose Range in 2009 was both a reaction to external events including activities of competitors but was viewed as an effective strategy highlighting the companys attention to external research as well as its innovative approach to dealing with such negative events. Furthermore, Porter put forward the idea that there were three generic strategies; cost leadership strategy, differentiation strategy and the focus strategy, which companies follow. It is clear that John Lewis has embraced a combination of these, but essentially, differentiation has remained key to its business model which positions more favourably when compared to other competitors, particularly given the range and extent of the goods and services it provides as well as its highly effective branding and promotional events which appeal directly to customers and incite purchase. Its decision to introduce its Essentials range within its Waitrose stores may have been considered by some as an indication it was lowering its standards, but on the contrary, despite offering a cheaper alternative, quality remained key which ultimately implied that its position in the market would not be negotiated. 4.4 Porters Five Forces Porters Five Forces framework highlights that the environment John Lewis is competing in is constantly changing, (refer to appendix 5). In this model it is believed that customers dont have more importance than any other aspect, however Aker, Baker and Harvey Jones argue that customers are more important than any other aspect of strategy development (Lynch 2012). Porters Five Forces of competition (1985) is a common tool often applied within the strategic management process to firms across several sectors. It is similar to the PESTLE analysis as it takes a predominantly external perspective of the firm within its given industry looking at how it is positioned against other competitors in the same sector. Recently many have criticised the ensuring importance of the framework given the changes that have risen, particularly with regard to the diversification of business which has ultimately created blurring across many previously distinct sectors. This is emphasized by the supermarkets entering into the clothing and electronics sector for example, as well as retailers including John Lewis expanding into financial services through insurance and credit facilities to customers. Barney (1995) and Henry (2008) underlined how Porters model is more helpful when it is applied at a strategic business unit level rather than at higher levels of industry analysis such as the sector at large as it cannot be expected that all competitors will be competing against one another. This tool is also believed to be useful in terms of assessing a companys strengths and weaknesses in light of how it stacks up against competition. As Barney (1995, pg.49) highlights, A complete understanding of sources of competitive advantage requires the analysis of a firms internal strengths and weaknesses as well. The importance of integrating internal with environmental analyses can be seen when evaluating the sources of competitive advantage of many firms. Looking at Porters five forces of competition, it is clear that John Lewis has attempted to not to just react to the external dynamics and actions of competitors, but actively be a step ahead. It has constantly adapted its business model, such as the introduction of store cards, its online offering and the Waitrose Essentials range in order to provide its business with a more appropriate fit to the market in line with Mintzbergs (1994) theory. A major element of its strategy however, is its reputation, branding and subsequent positioning in the market and how consumers view the business in its entirety. It has remained rather committed to its original proposition and further enhanced its appeal through appropriate branding and its reputation for quality and enhanced service to customers. 5.0 Internal Resource analysis 5.1 Value analysis chain The term Value Chain was used by Michael Porter (1985), the purpose of the value chain is to analyse the activities that are performed by the business, linking them to the competitive position. It also evaluates the particular activities to see which add value to the businesses products or services (quickmba 1999-2010) While many critics and leading authorities dispute the validity of Porters earlier theories, many of his ideas do still appear useful from the perspective of strategic analysis, particularly the notion of the value chain. Ultimately, it is within the value chain which John Lewis has created that it has succeeded in terms of sustaining advantage in its market sector. It has created efficiencies and synergies through the interrelationships within (Mintzberg and Ghoshal, 2003). Value Chain Analysis which is often compared to the RBV of the firm as it looks to both internal and external dynamics impacting an organisation. In recent years importance has also been given to joint ventures, collaborations and relationships which add value to the companys positioning. Elements of the chain such as HR which were previously considered as supporting elements are now viewed as core and this is demonstrated by John Lewis in terms of its commitment to and investment in staff. By enhancing the quality of its internal resources it can achieve distinctive competencies which are difficult to emulate by other competitors (Teece et al, 1997; Terwiesch and Ulrich, 2009). As Porter (1985, pg.36) emphasises, the way it performs individual activities are a reflection of its history, its strategy, its approach to implementing its strategy, and the underlying economics of the activities themselves. 6.0 Strategy formulation 6.1 SWOT Analysis: John Lewis Partnership A SWOT analysis is a useful tool for understanding and decision-making, businesses such as John Lewis use this tool in all sorts of situations, a SWOT summarizes the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. This framework covers a crucial part of the strategic planning process a scan of the internal and external environment. Strength, Weaknesses are considered to be internal to the business whereas, Opportunities and Threats are part of the external environment. Looking at the SWOT analysis (refer to appendix 6) it can be concluded that John Lewis take this tool into consideration when making business decisions based on their customers. However, John Lewis need to expand their target audience because at the moment they are only targeting an older audience need to improve the diagnostic power of a SWOT analysis is to define the elements from a customer perspective rather than the organizational point of view. (Baker 2007, pg.267). By doing this they will generate a higher profit margin. If john Lewis wants to stay ahead of their competition they need focus on their weaknesses such as they need to ensure their prices are similar to their competitors. Also John Lewis need to focus on threats the business may have to face but they can avoid such matters by acting upon the threat before it occurs. Although the SWOT analysis tool is useful to businesses when making decisions, it has been criticized due to its simplicity and possible misleading approach to strategic analysis. This is because companies have failed to follow a few simple procedures. The SWOT analysis is a focused methodology (Baker 2007), therefore, when John Lewis the using this tool they need to ensure they are able to follow correct procedures of this tool to ensure they are able to achieve success. 6.2 BCG Growth-share Matrix The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) growth-share matrix was developed by Bruce Henderson, founder of BCG, in the late 1960s (Baker 2007, pg.125). The BCG Matrix is a simple tool used to assess a companys position in terms of its product range. It simplifies how a companys thinks about the products and services and makes decisions about which it should keep and let go and which products to invest in further. It provides a useful way of seeing the opportunities that are open to the company and also helps to consider how the company can maximise the profits in the future. Below is the BCG Matrix for John Lewis, highlighting where in the market the different departments of John Lewis are positioned. John Lewis was voted Britains best retailer in 2009 and have won awards House Beautiful Awards 2008: Online Home Retailer of the Year Gold Award (washerhelp 2012), making them leaders in departments such as House and Garden, Electrical Appliances, Fashion, Gifts and Toys. They now have a high growth and a high market share in this segment, thus putting them in the star category. Further, technology and baby departments are between the star and question mark category this could be due to high growth and market share or high growth and low market share as they are faced with high demands but have low returns. Moving on to the sport department as it is in the cash cow category, as a markets it isnt growing but yet the market share for the products is high. Looking at the final category it can be said that John Lewis are safe as there isnt any products in the dog category. 7.0 conclusion Overall, the company has responded admirably to the changing dynamics impacting upon its market and customers, it is also clear that going forward, more challenges and threats shall be presented to it, particularly given persistent uncertainty relating to the global economy as consumer confidence within the UK. It would appear that in addition to a thorough and consistent approach to its markets in relation to external analysis of those factors deemed to impact most significantly; the company also adopts an internal approach, evaluating its inherent resources and competencies within the business. In line with the resource based view of the firm (Barney, 1991) and subsequent research by other authors such as Grant (2005), this analysis is often viewed as a more appropriate approach to the task of strategic management as ultimately, organisations have much more control over their internal resources than external market variables. Such an approach enables companies to incite the innovat ion process and thus create change in the wider environment as well as improvements to its value chain. This appears to be exactly what John Lewis has done to date through its expansion into other areas, as well as extending its range to customers through on-line facilities as well as credit, insurance etc. Threat of New Entrants This is considered to be fairly low for John Lewis given the original capital investment required as well as the regulations governing the market. At the same time, the fact that discount retailers and the supermarkets who benefit from vast scale economies can offer many of the same goods at substantially lower prices, is a concern and is perhaps indicative of why many retailers such as John Lewis now provide an electronic service in addition to their store offering. More entrants to the online space does seem inevitable though may become increasingly difficult given the variety currently in existence as well as the perception that customer service is often diminished. In this respect, John Lewis is clearly at an advantage given its reputation in the market. Threat of Substitutes The threat of substitutes is low from a product viewpoint yet in terms of suppliers, is high and is underlined by the success of the supermarket chains in their clothing lines as well as the competitive landscape in the online space and the continuing popularity of price comparison websites and similar forums. Over time, online retailers could exert increased pressure on officials such as John Lewis, particularly in terms of pricing as well as sourcing of product ranges. Bargaining Power of Buyers This is considered as being extremely high given the range of suppliers in the market and the realisation that customers are faced with unprecedented choice. Price is clearly a key advantage for the retailers, but at the same time, in the particular segment in which John Lewis manages factors such as location, quality, customer service and atmospherics and added benefits to be derived from the in-store experience are significant. Such variables also assist in terms of differentiating the store from other competitors in the High Street. Bargaining Power of Suppliers Though it was just few years ago the retailers were considered as having a major effect over suppliers, this seems to be fairly changing, particularly with regard to restrictions in supply of some raw materials as well as other concerns in the global supply chain which might put the suppliers in a more favourable position and increase their bargaining power. Degree of Rivalry Rivalry is obviously intense mainly due to the immense choice available as well as the increasing pressure from on-line retailers. On this basis, competitors are ultimately jockeying for position (Porter, 1979) and increasingly retailers challenge themselves to differentiate in some manner through providing expanded ranges as well as complementary goods and other services. The success of John Lewis Christmas promotional campaigns in the last few years highlights how the company attempts to differentiate itself, particularly focusing on those matters which are considered to impact most on subsequent motivation of customers to make a purchase.

Examining Islam Around The World Religion Essay

Examining Islam Around The World Religion Essay Islam is defined as submission and peace to God. Worldwide there are more than 1 billion Muslims less than one fifth is Arab. Islam is the major religion of much of Asia, and Indonesia as well with the worlds most abundant Muslim population. Today Islam is a very sensitive and controversial topic; there are a lot of misconceptions and conceptions about its belief, values and goals. In this research paper l will examine the teachings of Islam and how they are interpreted and or practiced in different countries and cultures, including the United States, Great Britain, the Middle East, India and Pakistan, and other country of Asia. How Islam is understood in each countrys culture and how is it contrasted with Christianity and Judaism? How do these understandings impact the ways that Muslims and non-Muslims interact and communicate with one another. Religion is one of the moving forces behind many of the event and attitude that have shaped our world. During the centuries, countries and cities have been developed and destroyed; and battle have been fought, all to protect or make known one religion or another. Islam is the second largest religion in the world; without doubt Muslims differ in their personal engagement and practice between doctrinal and cultural attitude, and have different apprehension about the correct practice of Islam. It had remained fairly invisible to most Americans prior to the Arab oil embargo of 1973 and the Iranian Revolution of 1978-1979 with its taking and holding of US hostages (Simmons, Gwendolyn, Zoharah 2008). Of course, American interest in Islam has been further heightened by the horrific events of September 11, 2001, prior to which not much information about Muslims and Islam was available in US newspapers, on radio or television or on the bookshelves in the bookstores or public libraries (Simmons, Gwendolyn, Zoharah 2008). After 911, Medias, radios and books gave negative views of Islam to Americans which made life harder for Muslims over all. Majorities of Muslims living in the US are foreigners, Muslims in America who have been raised traditionally in Muslim cultures speak of the tension they experience trying to remain close to cultural, ethnic, linguistic and religious roots while attempting to expand a sense of belonging in their adopted home. American societal patterns are at odds with needs of Muslim life and practice: Schedules works do not easily permit for the five times Friday congregational or day salat prayers. Eating institutional facilities such as prisons, schools, military do not have set up for Muslim dietary practices. The cultural acceptance of sexual permissiveness and the allowance of alcohol in America and immodesty in clothing and comportment are seen as negative influences on the community faith, particularly on his younger people. The shariah law, however, continues to be held as the perfect pattern of life to be striven for, somehow, in the middle of contemporary American culture. On the other side of the world in Europe Muslims in Britain are extraordinarily well accommodated with one another. There are more various Muslims from more dissimilar parts of the globe and communities living together harmoniously in Great Britain than any other city in the world. An essential element of that unification among Muslims is the dexterity to project an apparent Muslim religious uniqueness on top and over any traditional identity or culture. The complication for the expansive society is that unlike, food, fashion, music, sport, drugs, humor, or the arts, religion is not shareable and inseparable. Is not to affirm Muslims do not have many things to talk over with, Humanists, Jews and Christians, on the opposite Muslims now have an essential place in religious discussion of issues in Great Britain. Invariably people define assimilation as the range to which culture has been shared and ingurgitated, from well known entertainment to tastes in narcotics. The belief of Islam h as become shareable in the confined sense that most people in Great Britain or England now know something about it therefore, conversion to Islam is not unusual, however people cannot take it as it please them because is not like a cultural or entertainment source. Therefore the only integration of Muslims into larger community is the magnitude to which obvious Muslim practice is welcome by the latter. Another interesting country where Islam is practiced is India and Pakistan. Muslims are about twelve percent of Pakistan and India population. However their influence on the Pakistanis and Indian society is much stronger. One of the main reasons is that, there are many Muslims rulers in different parts of Pakistan and India. Majorities of the Muslim rulers of Pakistan and India are invaders from the west. In general the Muslims of Pakistan and India like the Muslim world is splited into two major sects, Shia and Sunni. And just like in the Muslim world there is tension between these two sects. Each of the sects has many different schools in each place. There are also Muslims from both placed who affirm to be the descendants from the daughter of Prophet Muhammad and the men in these communities add the title Syed before their names, some other claim to be the descendants of the first Muslims and add the title Sheik. Asia is home of sixty five percent of the worlds Muslims population, and Indonesia, in Southeast, is the worlds largest Muslim country. Although the national slogan of Indonesia, (Unity in diversity), was intended to be a certainly national one, is no less applicable to the Southeast Asian Muslims community, as well as to Muslims all over the world. If questioned about the main elements of their faith and practice, most Muslims will point out the five basic duties of Islam. It consist of, the daily prayers or salat, the profession of faith or shahada, the hajj, the giving of alms or zakat and fasting in Ramadan or sawm. Despite for all that, there is an entire range of calendar rites and celebrations of passage combined with Islam, also to mention the clear acts of piety that some believers perform before carrying out basic actions, like call upon Gods name prior to washing ones face and limbs also before prayer or eating. Again, these acts are split across Islamic pace and time. On the other side, many distinctions among adherent of dissimilar theological and cultural traditions remain essential. though the global society of the faithful come together in Mecca for the don then the hajj the identical costume of two unsewn also known as ihram, they frequently travel as a group in narrow managed groups of fellow countrymen and linguistic communities with tags displaying their national flags. At the same time, there are many distinguishing local practices that are felt to be completely Islamic in the Southeastern of Asia, although these, on occasion, have been disapproved by Muslims of differing cultural backgrounds by virtue of their lack in displacement from, their individual histories. Local practices contain the visitation of the burial place of the saints of Java or the use of drums in place of the call to prayer. Other examples of distinct Southeast Asian practices may be associated to the harness of the sarung a common practice with non Muslims and Muslims all over the Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean, the somewhat late circumcision of young males frequently celebrated as a major event in village, the use of shadow puppets which is believed by some local communities to have been invented by one of the saint Muslin to make clear Islam in the local dialect. Even if such habits are viewed sideways or regionally apparent elsewhere, if not argued honestly, such practices are nevertheless seen as ways of correlating to a belief that is global and equal. Christians, Jews and Muslim worship the same God. These three are monotheistic religions, with many common, texts, beliefs and doctrines. Muslims respect the same prophets as Christians and Jewish, including, Abraham, Noah, Jesus, Moses and Jesus. In reality, Muslims consider Islam to have been present from the time of Abraham, with Judaism and Christianity being central forms of the last religion confessed to Muhammad. Jews and Christian are specifically guarded in the Quran as Peoples of the Book, because Islam considers both the Torah and New Testament and to be revelations from God, though inaccurate in the process of human communication. An example of a difference in apprehension, Islam does not admit that Jesus is the son of God; this acknowledgement would disprove the Islamic belief in the uniqueness of Gods deity. Like Judaism, Islam has powerful constitutional tradition that describes the rules by which believers of the religious community should live. Part of these rules includes dietary restriction against eating pork which is very similar.

Analysis of e. e. cummings’ Poem of all the blessings which to man Essa

Analysis of e. e. cummings’ Poem of all the blessings which to man      Ã‚   As Thomas Reed West puts it, "the predominant literary sentiment toward the discipline of the machine has been one of lament" (xii). Many authors have composed pieces dealing with industrialization and the correlated obsolescence of man. Poet e.e. cummings is among them. In his poem "of all the blessings which to man," cummings describes a world to which progress will doom mankind-- a place where technology rules over humanity.    Cummings's poem opens saying that the most supreme gift progress offers mankind is "the an/ imal without a heart" (3-4). This heartless living thing is the machine. Machines can be made to act, and can often appear as if they think, but cannot feel. This is the greatest present presented to us by progress? To view that as a gift is to hold logic highly supreme over emotion, a preference this piece laments as being unfortunately accepted.    This industrialization and elimination of the need for humans is similarly unfeeling and coldly logical. The age of machinery presents its nearly silent coup d'etat rebels, the mechanical beings themselves, as a huge "collective pseudobeast," aimed at eliminating not only a need for humanity but a need for emotion (5). The poem's speaker notes that this being only preexists "its hoi in its polloi" (8). This shows the aim these machines allegedly have-- not simply to overtake the teeming masses of people but to become the teeming masses (hoi polloi) themselves, even to make humanity forget that they were ever in charge. This hearkens to the government employees constantly rewriting history in George Orwell's 1984, as these machines hope to make the people forget how things eve... ...y have done too good of a job. Their creation will change them from tame rulers to beings whose prolific creation ("teem") overcomes them.    Movies and literature alike have often served to villainize technology. These topics survive and persist, perhaps because we are morbidly fascinated with our own predicted downfall. Many people will admit to being concerned, as cummings is in "of all the blessings which to man," that the world will one day be run by machines. This potential future governing force is "without a heart" and "couldn't use a mind," and that may scare humans most of all (25, 28).    Works Cited Rotella, Guy. "Nature, Time, and Transcendence in Cummings' Later Poems." Critical Essays on E.E. Cummings. Ed. Guy Rotella. Boston: G.K. Hall and Co., 1984. West, Thomas Reed. Flesh of Steel. Charlotte, NC: Heritage Printers, 1967.   

The Unprincipled Family :: essays research papers

The Unprincipled Family Fredrick Per8 Interrelated arts   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The dangerous relationship of Claudius, the king, and Hamlet, the king’s nephew and stepson, contain two elements that are pervasive enough to categorize it as such. Treachery and paranoia are those traits.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Treachery is one of the basic unprinciples of the relationship, as is shown in the scene of the fencing match and the planning that goes around it. In a scene that relates to the planning of the match itself, the king and Laertes, a man whose family is dead because of Hamlet, have plotted the death of Hamlet through various things. All of which are to happen to Hamlet in the course of the match: King.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"†¦And wager on your heads. He, being remiss, Most generous, and free from all contriving, Will not peruse the foils, so that with ease, Or with a little shuffling, you may choose A sword unbated, and, in a pass of practice, Requite him for your father. Laertes.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I will do’t And for that purpose I’ll anoint my sword. I bought an unction of a mountebank, So mortal that, but dip a knife in it, Where it draws blood, no cataplasm so rare, Collected from all simples that have virtue Under the moon, can save the thing from death That is but scratched withal. I’ll tough my point With this contagion, that, if I gall him slightly, It may be death.†(IV, vii, 134-148) So in fact, within this quote there are two foul plans, the use of an ‘unbated ’ foil, which is more than technically cheating in a fencing match, but then, adding insult, the use of a poison tipped foil. With the use of ‘contagion’ and the ‘unbated’ foil, Claudius and Laertes are making sure that they win. This is still not enough for them, however they move on to another backup scheme to win: a poisoned chalice: King.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"†¦When in your motion you are hot and dry- As make your bouts more violent to that end- And that he calls for a drink, I’ll have prepared him A chalice for the nonce, whereon but sipping, Our purpose may hold there. -†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (IV, vii, 157-162)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Claudius introduces a poisoned chalice, which, as the third option, or in better terms, the third method is used to kill Hamlet. After being stabbed by Hamlet, Laertes, in his final breaths pronounces the treachery of the king: Laertes.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"†¦The treacherous instrument is in thy hand, Unbated and envenomed. The foul practice Hath turned itself on me. Lo, here I lie, Never to rise again. Thy mother’s poisoned I can do no more. The King, the King’s to blame.

Introduction To Special Needs Essay

According to Warnock’s report of 1978, the special educational needs can be fluctuating and can also be contextually defined. Before the evaluation of this statement, we have to look at the Warnock report (1978) and the Special Educational Needs Code (2001) and how it reflects its understanding of the special educational needs. The term special education needs (SEN) emerged from the 1978’s Warnock’s committee that had been set up to hold an inquiry into the education of the physically handicapped children and other young people who were interested in education. It was under the department of education and science in Britain. The Warnock’s committee   had been set up to look into a concern that was coming up concerning the system of education which was becoming segregated and was discriminating against children who were physically challenged and was not providing them with   positive, social and better educational opportunities like the other children who were physically fit. This report of 1978 advocated for three main reforms that were to be undertaken by the educational officials or all those who were responsible for the provision of educational services: A. Locational integration of all children whereby the provision of educational services for both the children with special needs and their counterparts who were not physically challenged were to be made from the same site(Great Britain parliament 2006) B. Social integration whereby all the children regardless of their physical state were to share the same social amenities that were provided by the educational centers for example playgrounds and other extra facilities for co-curricular activities. C. The Warnock report advocated for functional integration of the children with special needs and those who were not physically challenged were all to be educated together for example they were to share the same classes whereby they were all supposed to be given the same opportunity in pursuing the same goals that had been set in the curriculum and any other objectives that were set by the educational administrators (Great Britain Parliament 2006). Practices of SEN prior to Warnock. There were many practices that were in place before the Warnock report of 1978 which were mainly directed to children with special needs. Before the report was made the children with special needs for example those who were suffering from a disability of the mind were classified as uneducable and unfit for the education that was offered at school. These children who had some inabilities were simply locked out of the normal learning institutions where the other children who had all abilities in a normal state were being educated. Prior to the Warnock report of 1978, there were other practices that were directed toward the children who had some inabilities for example those who had a problem with their mind, those who were partially blind, those who could not speak properly or those who had language problem, those who were physically challenged and many other children who had some form of either physically challenge or internal challenges for example a mind problem. These children were classified as uneducable under the normal schools and were forced to be educated and trained in special care units that were spread across England and some other hospitals that had been given the mandate of educating these learners with some form of disability. The health officials in this hospitals and special care units had been given the powers to be in charge of these children and to give them the required form of education. It is pretty obvious that in these centers where these learners with special needs were segregated to offered low quality education to them as compared to their peers who were being educated in the normal schools that had highly or better qualified teachers ( Farrell 2001) Before the Warnock report of 1978, the parents of the children with special needs were not given an opportunity to air their views on the form of education that their children were being subjected to or to give any views regarding to the state of their children and what their children need. But after the report came into place in 1978, the parents of the disabled children were given an opportunity to give views and any information that was regarded professional concerning their disabled children as this was very important regarding to the provision of services that were necessary for them. The report agreed that the parents or guardians of these children had vital information regarding to the assessment, placement and educational processes of their children that were to be included or incorporated in the education al system in order to achieve all the goals and objectives of the educational curriculum.( Rogers 2007). Reasons why the Warnock report of 1978 was such a break through. The report made a breakthrough in the implementation of some educational issues that were affecting the children who had some form of deformities. There are many reasons why it is considered a success. First was the fact that it recognized children who had some inabilities as a deserving lot who also needed to be given equal opportunities to all educational opportunities just like the other normal children. This is the main reason why the report had to introduce the idea of special education needs (SEN) which was based on common educational goals for all the children of school going age regardless of their abilities i.e. whether physically challenged or not. The children under this category were also given the privileges that others who were not challenged in any way were being given for example independence, enjoyment and understanding. It has to be known that before the Warnock report, all the children who had any form of disability were classified and defined using medical terms for example maladjusted and educationally subnormal and they were all segregated and given separate special educational treatment in different centers that had been set up all over England. The Warnock report brought all this to an end when it brought into the attention of the people and those who were working in the ministry of education the importance of having unsegregated form of education where all children were treated equally regardless of their abilities or deformities (parliamentary copyright 2006). There are other reasons why Warnock report became such a breakthrough. Other than putting a stop on the segregation of children with special needs or those who are faced with some form of disabilities, the Warnock report led to the introduction of the policies whereby parents of the physically challenged children gave opinions or any other information regarding their children which was deemed as useful in the implementation of educational policies and in the provision of the necessary materials in order to achieve the highest learning goals for this learners. Prior to the report in 1978, parents of the children with special abilities could not give any information regarding to or concerning their children. The children were sent to centers that had been set up to give them some form of education and there wasn’t any form of participation from the parents. After the report was written parents became involved in the educational activities of their disabled children which in turn led to the improvement of facilities that the children could access and use since the parents gave useful information regarding the state of their children (Parliamentary copyright 2006). The report required that all teachers who had any form of responsibility for the children with special needs to be trained in one way or another in order for them to have some considerable expertise regarding special education. This was necessary since all the children were now required to attend the same ordinary schools and since the report stated that per every five children who were going to school there was one who needed special attention. And since this child who needed special attention could no longer be isolated from the rest of the class who had all the required abilities then it forced the teachers to undergo some form of training in order to be able to handle all the learners in a professional way. It is a breakthrough in the report since this idea cemented the earlier opinions of having all the children attending the same ordinary schools. The teachers were also made aware of the importance of working closely with the parents of the children with special needs, other pr ofessionals and non-professionals who were concerned in helping those children who had special needs (Warnock 1978, p226) Warnock report (1978) on special education needs (SEN) – what was new: The report spoke a lot that was new concerning special education needs. First, the idea of educating both the handicapped children and those who were not handicapped was itself a new idea. It is known that before the Warnock (1978) report, the disabled children were all educated separately. The ones had some bodily disability, some disability of the mind and those who had no form of disability were all kept separately when it came to matters of education. Therefore the recommendation that they all get to be educated together was in itself a new idea to the special education needs of the children with some form of disability. Training of teachers who were handling ordinary schools in order for them to be able to handle the learners who had a requirement for special education need was also a new thing that was being proposed by the Warnock report on special education needs. Before the report, teachers of the ordinary schools where only the learners who were considered normal went to, had no formal training on handling learning learners with special needs. The learners who had a need for special education were left to be trained in secluded learning centers that were specifically meant for them where they had some given professionals who took care of their educational needs. Therefore the introduction of the idea that all teachers be given some form of education in relation to the teaching of the leaners with special needs was in itself a new idea (Alur & Hegarty 2002). The idea of using the opinions of parents was not there before the Warnock report (1978). It was a new idea that was being introduced. The parents of the children with special education needs were in cooperated in the learning activities of their children and any opinion that they gave, was given consideration. Also other individuals who were either professionals or non-professionals but were interested in helping the needy children were also given a chance to participate in the education of the children. Special unit classes were to be set up in the ordinary schools to carter for the children who had extreme special needs. The location of both the special needs schools and the ordinary schools was to be in the same place i.e. same compound. The two schools were to share the same site. This form of integration was to bring worthwhile gains in terms of the children socializing together and growing up in an environment that will eventually dictate mutual understanding of each other. The parents too of these children will end feeling encouraged just from the mere fact that their children are also attending ordinary schools. On the side of the children who are disabled, they get to copy from their peers whom they are sharing the same amenities with for example playing fields (Warnock report 1978, p101). Social interchange is another new idea imposed by the Warnock report (1978). The children with special needs and others who attend the same school but are not challenged in any way are given an opportunity to eat, play and consort together. This kind of social interchange that was new to special needs, gives the learners some form of self-recognition and easy acceptance of their condition. Before the Warnock report, children were brought up separately in schools. Those who went through this form of segregation had difficulties in accepting themselves as they were shown from an early age that they were different from the other children. After the report was made, the learners were integrated and the young ones who begun off in this later system found it so easy to accept their present condition. Evaluation of Warnock’s original statement Warnock’s original statement on integration of the learning environment to include both the children with special needs and other young learners who were in nee d of education with those who were considered normal learners does have validity today. This idea has brought an end to the acts that were there before whereby disabled children could either be denied education or put into some centers where they received minimal education. Today, not only in England where this report was made but also in the entire world, all children are given education regardless of their state. They are not discriminated due to their physical outlook. They are admitted to ordinary schools just like there other counterparts who are considered to be normal. The United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has also adopted the policy of integration and is advocating for the education of all the children regardless of their disability in order to make the world a better plac e.

“Lamb to the Slaughter” by Roald Dahl Essay

â€Å"Lamb to the Slaughter† by Roald   is a fun story that uses irony and perspective to create a truly enjoyable story. Still, to get the greatest value out of this story, it is worthwhile to understand not only what happens in the story but why it happens. From the way the situations of the characters change them to the decisions they make, everything in this story must work together to create a masterpiece. What Point of View Is â€Å"Lamb to the Slaughter† Told From and Why Is That Important? â€Å"Lamb to the Slaughter† is told from the point of view of Mary Maloney. This choice to tell the story from the point of view of the murderer is an interesting choice and one that largely defines this story. The reader knows only what she knows. At times, such as the end of the story, this means that the reader knows more than the other characters, especially in relation to the leg of lamb. On the other hand, the reader is not given access to the reasoning behind Patrick’s decision to leave. This makes it far easier for the reader to be on Mary’s side when she makes questionable decisions. Free Teacher Worksheets www.TESIndia.com Thousands of free class activities, lesson plans & worksheets. Ads by Google What Influence Does Mary’s Pregnancy Have on the Story? Early in the story, the reader discovers that Mary Maloney is pregnant. This understanding is important to the story on a number of levels. The most basic is that it helps the reader to understand just what it is that her husband is doing by leaving her. This makes the story more ambiguous in morality by making the reader associate with the woman more. In addition, it almost certainly helps keep her from being suspected. The motherly instinct of protection is invoked by this understanding as anyone can understand the  instinct of a mother protecting her child and the fear of execution is vital to making Mary a more positive character. Why Are the Exact Words Patrick Says When Leaving Mary Left Out? In the middle of the conversation between Patrick and Mary, the narration changes for a single paragraph at the very climax of the conversation. Patrick leads into the conversation with the hope she won’t blame him too much. It then says that he told her, though not exactly what, and ends with him saying that he will take care of her. This change in narration is disconcerting and in large part that is the point. This helps the reader to understand the disorientation and detachment of Mary. In addition to this, by not telling the reader exactly what happened, it gives far more power to the reader in the interpretation of her later actions. By not knowing exactly what he said, it lets the reader decide if Mary’s actions in the rest of the story are justified or not. Why Is Patrick’s Profession Important? Patrick is a police detective. This bit of information is vital to the story in a number of ways. As a story in which the reader is supposed to empathize with the murderer, having the victim be a vital and trusted member of society creates even more conflict in the mind. In addition to this, it plays with two basic ideas, that the police will look for a killer more vigorously if an officer is killed, but also that she knows the officers who will investigate the crime. This means that they are more likely to be comfortable with her. Also important is the understanding that Mary is likely to have an escape of being arrested for the crime. As the wife of a police detective, she has almost certainly heard many stories about crimes that he has solved and how he has done it. Finally, this creates many other suspects that could have committed the crime because as a police detective he has many enemies. What Is the Dramatic Irony in â€Å"Lamb to the Slaughter†? There are a couple of moments of dramatic irony in â€Å"Lamb to the Slaughter.† These are cases in which the reader understands more than the characters.  The most clear of these occurs near the end of the story. Mary has called the police and the detectives are in her house. As they are eating the lamb of leg, one of the officers says in relation to the murder weapon that it is â€Å"probably right under our very noses.† This statement is literally true though the officer who says it has no idea what he is saying. What Is the Origin and Meaning of the Title â€Å"Lamb to the Slaughter†? The original use of â€Å"Lamb to the Slaughter† is found in the Bible. This phrase is located in both Jeremiah and Isaiah. It refers to someone who goes innocently and unconcernedly into a dangerous or life threatening situation. In the story â€Å"Lamb to the Slaughter,† it has a number of meanings though. The first clear meaning is one that is a form of dark humor. The lamb in this case is actually a murder weapon. This twists the meaning of lamb to the slaughter into something that is not a metaphor but what actually happens. While the first meaning is clear, the metaphorical use of the statement is still valid and in fact there are two people who go into a situation like lambs to the slaughter. The first of these is the murder victim who, while knowing he is going to do something uncomfortable, has no idea what is going to happen to him. The second though is Mary herself. It is the shock because she doesn’t know what is coming and that shock is what drives her over the edge. Why Does Mary Insist the Police Eat the Leg of Lamb? Leg of Lamb In the story, Mary asks the detectives to eat the leg of lamb she had made for her husband, and even when they turn it down, she insists that they eat this. This insistence is important beyond simply the idea that it is the murder weapon. By having the detectives eat the lamb, they have destroyed the evidence which will make them look stupid even if they later understand. This will discourage them from thinking of it as a weapon. In addition, because she ensures they have seen the murder weapon rather than hiding it, she defies the expectations as most criminals hide the weapon. â€Å"Lamb to the Slaughter†: Conflict, Rising Action, Falling Action, Climax and Resolution written by: Elton Gahr †¢ edited by: Elizabeth Stannard Gromisch †¢ updated: 3/2/2012 By understanding how Roald Dahl is able to build the tension and conflict in â€Å"Lamb to the Slaughter† and how the tension falls afterward is a great way for anyone to understand how to tell a better story or simply recognize the qualities of a good story. Roald Dahl The best stories are often those in which we miss most of what the author is doing. A good author is not only able to use the tricks and tools of language to tell a good story but able to hide those tools so that they don’t distract the reader. Yet in stories like â€Å"Lamb to the Slaughter,† there is a great deal of value in looking at and understanding what they have done. That is why the examination of the structure of a story is so useful. Understanding the rising and falling action of â€Å"Lamb to the Slaughter† can help writers to tell a better story and readers to understand and enjoy the skill of the author just as someone might enjoy the brush strokes of a master painter. Climax In order to understand what happens after the climax, one must first be able to pinpoint the point of maximum tension in the story. In the case of â€Å"Lamb to the Slaughter,† there are in some ways two climaxes. The first of these is at the point in which Mary attacks her husband and kills him. This is the culmination of everything that has happened to this point in the story. The story then pulls back and allows the action to fall. The second and main climax of the story occurs when the detective notices that the oven is still on with the leg of lamb cooking. This is the point at which the detectives are closest to discovering the murder weapon and Mary has to keep from being caught. The conflict then begins to rise again as she creates an alibi and brings in the police to catch the murderer. Conflict Just as there are two climax in the story, there are two major conflicts in this story. The first of these conflicts is between Mary and Patrick as Patrick tells his pregnant wife that he is going to leave her. This conflict ends as Mary hits her husband with a frozen leg of lamb and leads into the main conflict of the story. This second conflict is in Mary’s attempt to avoid being caught. She knows that if she is caught she will be executed and fears that her unborn child will be killed as well. This becomes the main conflict of the story and leads to the ultimate resolution of the story in which the detectives eat the evidence of her crime. Rising and Falling Action of the First Climax The action of the story begins to rise as Mary waits for her husband to return in anticipation and continues to increase as it becomes clear that he is preparing to tell her something. It reaches its climax as he explains that he knows that it is a bad time and as he turns his back Mary hits him with the leg of lamb. The falling action for the first of these climaxes is interesting because it has to set up the action for the second half of the story while releasing some of the tension of the first half so that it can be rebuilt. The line which carries the load of this work reads â€Å"All right, she told herself. So I’ve killed him.† This line pulls back the emotions not only of Mary who is telling the story, but also the reader. It is a well created note to the reader that the story is now going to slow down and change. The next paragraph continues this as the woman, who was moments ago out of control, begins to think through the possibilities. She knows that the penalty for murder is execution, but fears for her unborn child and decides that she must protect that child. This then leads into the action beginning to rise again as she focuses on avoiding being captured. Rising and Falling Action of the Second Climax The second climax of â€Å"Lamb to the Slaughter† is the true climax of the entire story. With action that continues to rise as Mary tries to cover up her crime from seconds after she commits it until the moment the detective sees that the oven is still on, the tension spikes. At this moment, Mary is very close to being caught. Yet she is able to think clearly and doesn’t react out of fear. The character herself creates the falling action as she offers the officers something to drink and asks them to help her get rid of the meal that she had been cooking for her husband. This leads not only into the irony of â€Å"Lamb to the Slaughter† as the officers eat the evidence that would have likely put Mary into the electric chair, but also the falling action. The officers have clearly decided that she is the victim of the crime and not the perpetrator as they try to console her. The last of the action disappears as the police officer, while eating the leg of lamb says of the murder weapon, â€Å"Probably right under our very noses,† a literal truth that makes it entirely clear that the police have no idea what happened and are unlikely to discover the truth. In the other room, the last line of the story shows Mary free of tension as she begins to giggle. Resolution Leg of Lamb The resolution of â€Å"Lamb to the Slaughter† is largely implied by the final line. The assumption of the author and reader is that with the murder weapon gone, Mary will not be captured for the crime. Yet none of this is actually said in the story. The story simple ends with the police commenting on the lack of murder weapon and Mary giggling presumably at the irony of them looking for the weapon while eating it. â€Å"Lamb to the Slaughter† is an excellent example of a story that is able to create and release action expertly. It builds up slowly, adding tension on top of tension, until it reaches a crescendo and then releases that, creating a powerful story in the process. Understanding where and how that the author has created that rising and falling action can help to create a greater appreciation for this story and the masterful brush strokes of a  master artist as he created the story. Symbolism: The symbolism Dahl uses to etch the theme of the story begins most obviously with the title of the short story itself, â€Å"Lamb to the Slaughter† and the instrument used by Mary Maloney to kill her husband. Lambs have been used for thousands of years as a symbol of innocence, meekness, and purity. The phrase â€Å"like a lamb to a slaughter† represents something innocent happily making its way towards a negative situation in which it will most likely get hurt. Looking at the story, this phrase could be relevant to either character. Mary Maloney could represent the lamb in the sense that even after her husband told her some seemingly terrible news, she continued on being a gentle and caring wife by trying to make dinner for him as though nothing is wrong. She has apparently been completely blind to these events and has been being led around to this ultimate severance of her marriage like a small fluffy animal to be killed and served with mint jelly. Having the murder weapon just so happen to be a leg of lamb, it is also a symbol of the lamb retaliating against the force attempting to take its innocent and light. Patrick Maloney, however, could also be recognized as being unaware, if not innocent, to a demise. After telling his devoted wife the bad news, he continues on. While he does fight her making him dinner with anger, he is still continuing to stay and talk with her while she essentially goes into a frenzy about her beloved husband. His murder was as easy as that of a lambs, he was completely unaware her retaliation would be fatal. Dahl’s symbolism is interesting and clear and weaves a great layer into the story.

McDonalds and Burger king Essays

McDonalds and Burger king Essays McDonalds and Burger king Essay McDonalds and Burger king Essay Essay Topic: Marketing As part of my assignment I will compare Mc Donalds and Burger king. These two restaurants offer similar products and services . I chose to compare the two businesses because of the fierce competition and promotional strategies that they use. Mc Donald and Burger King are in direct competition with each other and always compete to be ahead of each other and gain customer loyalty. The first Mc Donalds restaurant opened in the UK in the 1970s. Mc Donalds states that customers convenience is the driving force behind new restaurant locations. The company is committed to responsible growth, and works closely with local planning officers and community groups when developing a new restaurant. McDonalds is the leading global food service retailer with more than 30,000 local restaurants in more than 100 countries. Approximately 70 percent of Mc Donalds restaurants worldwide are owned and operated by independent, local businessmen and women through franchise arrangements There are currently more than 1,000 Mc Donalds restaurants throughout the UK, and the company continues to strive to offer greater convenience to customers while responding sympathetically to local circumstances. Mc Donalds strives to ensure quality from crop up to the counter. This means that the restaurant requires the highest standards and specifications, not just for product ingredients but also every detail of production, transport, delivery, preparation and service is also monitored. Mc Donalds also recognises the importance of a balanced diet and life-style and continues to seek quality new products. The restaurant says that this dedication to quality earns the degree of trust customers place in the Mc Donalds Brand. Burger king company information What started with one restaurant in Miami in 1954 has grown to more than 11,220 restaurants in 61 countries worldwide. And, like a small child who eats his greens, Burger king is still growing and growing. Burger king outlets number 523 in Britain out of more than 10,000 globally. Burger King mission Statement At Burger King Corporation, diversity is part of their foundation. We value, honour and respect differences in our employees, customers, franchisees and suppliers. By sharing a common vision, they have created a premier company with a harmonious working environment that achieves its business and diversity objectives. I couldnt obtain Burger King Market share. Mc Donald menu includes; chicken sandwiches, double cheese big Mac burgers this includes beef, fillet o fish sandwiches, fries, breakfast, happy meals and desserts. The restaurant also offers dairy products such as milkshakes, ice creams and yogurts. Burger King have similar menu, this includes whopper sandwiches, and flame grilled burgers, chicken, fish veggie, fresh baked baguettes, breakfast, beverages, and kids menu with desserts. It is quite clear that both restaurants offer practically the same products this has been the cause of fierce competition. Both restaurants compete on price as I previously mentioned and also the followings. Advertising Mc Donalds uses adverts to help boost sales and to aware their customers on new or existing products. The restaurant uses catch phrases such as things that make you go mhhhhhhh. This was a jingle used in February 2003; currently the company uses the phrase I am loving it This slogan was promoted by an RB artist (Justin Timberlake). I believe that this was a successful method of promotion because the sales increased and children all over the country were singing along. Other methods include using collectable toys, coupons, promotional schemes in schools and figures such as Ronald McDonald. Burger King also uses the same tactics they have collectable toys for the kids meals. The restaurant slogan is Have it your way. Burger King has used movies such as the Incredible Hulk to promote meals in 2004. This was a very successful action for the business it increased sales.