Bart and Lisa Essay

The word ‘Sitcom’ derives from the words Situational Comedy. Sitcoms are a series of programs shown on television that usually involve a family or a close group of characters. Sitcoms seem to have been around ever since television was introduced to the family home, and are continuing to change along with television itself. Traditionally, sitcoms were generally centred around men, usually having only one or two female characters. Examples of this are, ‘Yes Prime Minister’, ‘Blackadder’, and the still popular ‘Only Fools and Horses’. They complied with the social and ethnic majorities of old day society – middle aged, middleclass, and white characters dominating sitcoms of that day. Very young or old people were not represented, along with the disabled and ethnic minorities. This may have been so as not to offend the more narrow-minded views of society. Men and women had very stereotypical traits that were incorporated into the main characters of a sitcom. Male characters were shown as independent, irrational and delusional, whereas the leading woman was usually the opposite. She was domesticated, caring and motherly towards her blundering husband. As sitcoms developed further, camp characters were introduced along with the convention of role reversal between men and women. An example of this is ‘Some Mothers Do ‘Ave Em’, where role reversal is used to make the sitcom funnier and more unique. In modern times, some conventions of traditional sitcoms have been maintained, and as sitcoms developed some devices have been subverted. ‘My Family’ is still centred around a typical middle class family, the leading man possessing the same characteristics as traditional male characters, and role reversal being used between come characters. However, as times and views have changed, other sitcoms have become more controversial, now featuring homosexuality (‘Will and Grace’, and ‘Ellen’), different religions (‘The Vicar of Dibley’) and ethnic minorities, with women as main characters, as in ‘Sex and the City’. However, older sitcoms appear to still be held in such affection by the older generation, who watched the sitcoms with their families and keep watching as a tradition. My Family Analysis My Family is an in-house production for BBC1, and was first shown in 2000. Robert Lindsay and Zoi Wanamaker (the producers) designed My Family to appeal to a wide audience and included many conventions of older sitcoms. Set in the south of England, It stars a middle class family who are shown going about daily life in the kitchen, on the sofa and around the house in general. Ben is the ‘head-of-the-house’ male, typical of many sitcoms as being arrogant, cynical and delusional, and he seems to resent his family. In my opinion he sometimes behaves like a teenager. Role reversal is used with his wife’s character, Susan. She adopts some traits of a housewife, as she is middle aged and house based, but her characteristics are mainly those of a man. With her husband Ben she is stubborn and with her manipulative nature, seems more in charge. This is effective as it plays on some situations of real life. Michael and Nick, their two sons, are strong opposites. Michael is the ‘voice of reason’ in the family, sometimes even taking over his parents’ role, whereas Nick is clumsy and is the source of slapstick humour. Abi, the family’s cousin, acts as the centre point for easy jokes. She is slow and a bit kooky. In the title sequence, the family is introduced as shots of their faces appear, complemented by cheerful happy music. The mise-en-scene, their house, is set almost like a theatrical stage, so that the audience can fully see the very staged drama. The house is decorated in a middle class suburban way, with characters entering/exiting from the real world as if in a play. Lines are ‘delivered’ as if performing in a theatre, and this is accompanied by a laughter track. Well-known actors are used to increase audience, and midshots and medium close-ups are used in the sitcom. The general opinion (or voice) of the production team is conveyed to the audience; that it is a hard life for men, and women add to it. My Family is shown pre-watershed time, so it can be viewed by the whole family at home. Slapstick comedy combined with sarcastic humour is used to related to children and adults alike. It is technically well made, but some critics say it is too bland and conventional to be a main sitcom of the BBC. The Simpsons Analysis The Simpsons is a cartoon sitcom starring a typical suburban working class family. Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and baby Maggie are animated in their house and around their fictional town of Springfield. The sitcom opens with the family members going about daily chores, introducing the characters to an up-beat, bouncy theme tune. They are seen on the sofa, (the main setting) watching TV. To add originality, a different humorous sofa scene is shown every time. The Simpsons is realistic in the sense that the family is dysfunctional, yet tried to be perfect. Homer, the leading head-of-the-house male, is blundering and delusional. Bart, the ‘rebellious teen’ is constantly arguing with sister Lisa, who acts as the moral centre of the family. There is also Maggie, the humorous baby, and Marge, who tries to hold the family together. However, in many ways, this sitcom is also very unrealistic, for example the inclusion of aliens, the exaggerated biased politics and the fact that the sitcom itself is a cartoon. Viewers are entertained by slapstick comedy from Homer and Bart. Their typical traits are used to create humour, e. g. Homer’s generic delusional views and lovable stupidity, and Bart’s immoral ways and ‘evil’ sense of humour. Another convention that the creator, Matt Groening, uses is the idea of including two contrasting personalities. This is done with Bart and Lisa. Bart is an under-achieving troublemaker, whereas Lisa is moralistic and ‘the school swat’. The Simpsons started out as a series of 48 shorts in a different program before its popularity increased. It is now a sitcom of its own. It is made by a team of US animators and supported by a wide, loyal audience for its slapstick and sarcastic humour. Matt Groening vents his thoughts on politics, race and family life in the Simpsons, for example all the characters have yellow skin – not black or white – to show racial equality. Sitcom Comparison – The Simpsons, My Family and The Royle Family WHO/SETTING: Each of these three sitcoms features five main characters, all members of conventional families. Each family consists of a married couple and 2/3 children (the national average). The 3 sitcoms being compared all share these basic similarities, but their backgrounds and lifestyles are different. My Family and The Royle family are both set in England, but the different areas of the country depict their social status. The Royle Family live in the North of England, which is conveyed to the audience by their strong accents. The north is recognised as an underprivileged area, ands this shows the Royles as a working class family.

McBride Financial Services

McBride Financial Services is a premier one-stop mortgage provider in the five-state area of Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, and South Dakota. The company specializes in providing low-cost, flat-rate fee mortgages to members of its communities shipping for a new residential mortgage. The company is currently privately held but is exploring opportunities to go public through an Initial Public Offering (IPO), acquiring another company in its same industry or merging with another organization.Through utilization of the SWOT method, management will evaluate each approach and determine which is the best method to take McBride Financial Services public. Strengths in Going Public If McBride Financial Services chose the option of going public with an IPO there are a couple of strengths that it would benefit from. The first distinct strength is the raising of capital. Additional capital would allow for brick and mortar expansion, investment opportunities, and added cash flow to improve products and services. An IPO can help reduce debt and the applicable risk rating given by creditors.If the IPO is successful, the options for additional financing will be open. By utilizing the option of an IPO, an organization’s awareness within the community arises. Most companies gain profits when establishing an IPO. Consumers become aware on a local and even a national level of what your organization produces. They will take a risk if currently unhappy with their current financial services and experiment with your products and services. If the customer relationship is cemented from the beginning, the consumer is sure to now produce additional clientele via word-of-mouth.All of this additional business is generated by creating and offering an IPO. If McBride’s chose to acquire another organization within the same industry, it has several advantages it could benefit from. One advantage from the start is that the open locations could potentially be in lucrative loc ations that would create a stronger voice and curb appeal. Financing options become available as well. The current financier used by McBride, will be ready and willing to offer other financing options if needed because of additional income that is now a potential.The potential for additional consumers and vendor relationships is tremendous depending on the size of the organization acquired. It can be beneficial for McBride, as some of those vendor contracts may be more cost effective in the future. Within the same notion of cost effectiveness, the additional staff that is acquired with the new organization brings experience and dependability. It allows the two organizations that are now one to continue to run smoothly and not have higher costs of training and development.There are two major advantages to merging with another organization if that is the choice McBride’s Financial Services commits to. The first advantage is that once the merger is completed, competition within the industry community becomes less of a threat. The other advantage to a merger is the strategic planning and restructuring of the organization. Usually the two organizations will coercively plan and stage a strong management lead to run the larger institution. Weaknesses in Going Public Conducting an IPO is time-consuming and expensive.It can take up to a year or more to complete and can cost several hundreds of thousands of dollars for attorneys, accountants, printers, and additional fees. The SEC disclosure rules are very extensive and mean all financial information is made public. McBride will be subject to review by the SEC to ensure compliance with regulations through proper filings and relevant disclosures. Decision-making among management may be affected by the market price of the shares and the feeling they must receive market recognition for the company’s stock. McBride could lose market confidence should shares of the company’s stock fall.Decreased valuatio n of the company can affect lines of credit, secondary offering pricing, the company’s ability to maintain employees, and the personal wealth of insiders and investors. â€Å"’In today’s global business environment, companies may have to grow to survive, and one of the best ways to grow is by merging with another company or acquiring other companies,’† according to consultant Jacalyn Sherriton. In principle, a merger or acquisition is a capital budgeting decision much like any other. However, much like an IPO, mergers have their weaknesses as well.The value of a merger may depend on such things as strategic fits which can be difficult to measure. The accounting, tax, and legal aspects can be complex. Mergers often involve issues of corporate control and are a means of replacing existing management. Mergers affect the value of a firm and further affect the relative value of the stocks and bonds. Finally, mergers are often unfriendly. Although many c ompanies have found acquisitions to be highly beneficial to their operations, many more encounter problems that can prove disastrous to the future position of the firm.A poorly executed acquisition can harm McBride’s financial and strategic situation. Problems with financing an acquisition can arise before and after the transaction. Expenses for acquisitions can be astronomical when they involve lawyers, consultants, financiers, and advisors that helped make the deal possible. Additionally, filing and legal fees because of complications in the transaction can further exacerbate the already extremely high costs of acquisition. Oftentimes, quality employees are lost in an acquisition because the acquiring firm is too caught up in transaction to recognize they exist within the acquired firm.The long-term strategies of a firm can be negatively affected if it is pursuing a diversification strategy. Rather than improving upon the factors that led to its competitive advantage, manag ement focuses on running a diversified company, which could result in the company losing its core business advantage and severely hampering the future success of the firm. Opportunities in Going Public Major companies and corporations that comprise a big part of the United States economy take advantage of certain opportunities such as going public through IPO’s, acquisitions, and mergers.These three approaches provide an additional resource and many times an advantage to expand, become more profitable, or simply save a company’s existence. McBride Financial Services, for instance, can raise capital by doing an IPO. This gives the company an opportunity to expand its business by becoming a part of the stock market and hence becoming well-known. This also provides enough funds to be put back into the company for profit, and for any other expenses necessary to remain successful and in existence.In the case of an acquisition, which is the taking over of another company, Mc Bride will benefit because the company being acquired is already established. It takes less investment, time, and energy than to start-up a new company. A merger also can be a beneficial opportunity for the company because both parties agree to come together as one organization to improve and grow stronger than as individual companies. A merger eliminates part of the competition, creates a bigger and stronger company, and strengthens the balance sheet.Without methods such as IPO’s, acquisitions, and mergers, â€Å"†¦a company may simply become financially non-viable [and] not able to meet its debt and trade obligations† (Collier, p. 5). Threats in Going Public With the opportunities that McBride Financial Services has with these three options of expansion, there exist certain threats as well. If McBride chooses to go public through an IPO, then it has to worry about the new owners of the company and their ideas about what the company is and should be doing. In a w orst case scenario, Mcbride’s competitors can buy the company and decide to do with it what they want.They can take full control of the company and manipulate it in ways McBride never imagined or they could even just dissolve the company into nonexistence. If McBride needs the money to expand that it would get if it went through with the IPO, then acquiring another organization in the same industry is indeed going to be difficult to do, if not impossible. Even if McBride does find a way to get the money to acquire another company without going public, then it would most likely go into eventual bankruptcy because of the debt it will accumulate because of increased costs.If McBride wants to merge with another organization to expand, it will not be an easy task because the two become one company with a common purpose. If they do not learn how to work with each other and compensate for the other’s weaknesses, then they will eventually fail and both companies will be out of business. Conclusion Based on the information provided while researching each of the approaches for going public, the management team at McBride Financial Services has opted to go public via an IPO.Although it can be costly and time-consuming, it seems to be the best method to maintain the current managerial make-up and integrity of the organization. References (n. d. ) Merger and acquisitions. Retrieved on November 2, 2010 from http://www. answers. com/topic/mergers-and-acquisitions Collier, Steve. Mergers and acquisitions: Special dangers and opportunities. Retrieved November 4, 2010, from EBSCOhost database. Keown, A. J. , Martin, J. D. , Petty, W. , & Scott, D. F. (2005). Financial Management: Principles and Applications.Pearson Education, Inc. Steffens, Gregory (n. d. ). Common problems with acquisitions. Retrieved on November 2, 2010 From http://www. gaebler. com/common-problems-with-acquisitions Taubman, L. E. (n. d). Considerations of an IPO. Retrieved on November 2, 20 10 from http://library. findlaw. com/2001/Jan/1/127967. html Chapter 22 Problems 1. What new problems and factors are encountered in international as opposed to domestic financial management? * Foreign Currency Exchange Fluctuation: International financial management involves cash flow in foreign currency.Foreign currency exchange rate keeps fluctuating. International business is exposed to foreign currency exchange risk as fluctuation in wrong direction affects the business adversely. There are many ways to hedge the cash flow in foreign currency, but no strategy provides complete protection. * Fund flow between countries – International financial management deals with capital flow between countries. In many countries banking system is not mature and /or fund raising is not easy. In that case, company has to raise fund outside the country.International financial management involves the fund flow from one country to other country. * Laws and regulations – Different cou ntries have different business laws, labor laws, laws related to taxation etc. International financial management is affected by the prevailing laws and regulations in a particular country. * Country risk – International business is exposed to the country risk of the country company is doing business in. Country risk involves political risk, general economic environment etc.Because of country risk, additional risk premium is required. International financial management deals with this issue as well. 2. What does the term arbitrage profit mean? Arbitrage profit refers to making risk free profit without investing your own money. The opportunity of arbitrage profit arises because of pricing mismatch. In the simplest form, if the same financial instrument is selling at different price at two different places, one can buy the security where it is selling at the lower price and sell where it is selling at the higher price.This gives the seller a risk free profit without using his m oney. Another example of arbitrage profit is Triangular arbitrage. It is the process of trading out of the first currency into a second currency, then trading it for a third currency, which is in turn traded for first currency. Arbitrage profit can be earned from trading from the second to the third currency if their direct quotes are not consistent with the cross exchange rates. 3. What can a firm do to reduce exchange risk? The firm can hedge against foreign exchange risk in a number of ways.First, they can deposit funds into the foreign country's banks in the foreign denomination in a sufficient quantity so as to hedge against a downturn in the domestic currency. There are some opportunity costs associated with this method as the interest rate earned on the deposited funds will be less than could be earned elsewhere, but the difference is like carrying insurance. In addition, the firm could enter into forwards, futures, or options. 4. What are the differences between a forward co ntract, a futures contract, and options?A forward contract is one that locks in an exchange rate now for a transaction in the future. It is possible the economy will render the forward more expensive than actual exchange rates would have made the transaction to begin with, but again, the forward acts like an insurance policy against negative shifts on exchange rates. Futures contracts are similar to forward contracts except that forward contracts are private agreements and may be molded accordingly. Futures are traded on open markets and, as such, are held to higher levels of scrutiny.Forward contracts can only be executed on one specific date. Futures (because they are traded) are open for transaction any day until their expiration. Options set an exchange rate and, as the name implies, gives the firm the option of exercising the rate at the time the contract is due. This gives the firm flexibility and allows them to take advantage of unforeseen upticks in the global economy that a ctually make exchange rates favorable at contract execution time. Options are more expensive, however (the flexibility afforded by options costs a premium).

Client evaluation for Be Good To Go Research Paper

Client evaluation for Be Good To Go - Research Paper Example The company produces a nutritional health supplements that are geared towards helping people who travel to avoid constipation. Constipation among travelers is a common thing and many people who travel for relatively long distances using any means whether it is train, air, road or even water (ship) suffer from constipation upon reaching their destination (Westen 89). With the Be Good to Go products the traveler can travel safely knowing that they will reach to their destination and even further without having to fear about the issue of constipation. The products are capsules that people who are travelling can take. They come in pairs, one to be taken in the morning and the other in the evening after the parson has reached his or her destination. The mission of the firms is to make sure that people can travel contrary and without having to fear the age old problem of constipation. They achieved this by researching the issue and developing a product that when used properly will help the users to deal with the issue of traveler constipation. For Be Good to Go, it is almost hard to identify which industry or sector to place it. The first is that it not a public firm and scant information has been provided about the firm. However, given the nature of the products that the firm provides to its customers, it is only necessary to place it in the health and nutrition supplement industry. This industry has been regarded as the growth industry with regard to the fact that it is has a fast growing industry that will continue to grow at a very fast rate. The size of the Be Good to Go within this industry can be seen to be both big and small due t two main reasons. First, Be Good to Go has a unique sector in this industry, a sector which is a niche that not many firms have ventured into. In this regard, within this industry, Be Good to Go is a

Principles of management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Principles of management - Essay Example The other staffs working under them just follow the tasks provided by the executives. The said structure may be considered as bureaucratic or post-bureaucratic depending upon the performance. Bureaucratic is considered when there is a value for merits, hierarchy and definite separation of responsibilities and roles. On the other hand, a post-bureaucratic organization may have the hierarchy but there is a sense of equality in voicing out opinions and ideas through dialogues. Post-bureaucratic also favors consensus which means the decision would depend upon the majority of votes or prevailing idea (DuBrin 263). Despite of the â€Å"majority wins† mentality, hierarchy still exists in post-bureaucratic organizations. Kraft was sort of a centralized rigid organization way back before its acquisition of Cadbury. After one and a half year of acquiring Cadbury, the company decided to split the organization into two namely the snack food business and grocery business (Geller). In addit ion, it also made efforts to decentralize its structure by allowing more staffs to participate in decision-making and improving the company as a whole. The decision-making involving the product development and manufacturing would be the ones transferred to the lower levels of the organizational hierarchy. In addition, the structure might look like a matrix because the information technology, human resources and logistics teams would be shared across the organization (Ferrari). Organizational structure is not the only concern in the paper as the ethical issues are also important in the productivity and performance of a company. It is already an accepted fact that making mistakes is inevitable but can be reduced by careful preparations, best practices and sound decisions. Each mistake can be detrimental to the overall state of the company so the rightness or wrongness of an action or practice is being looked at by the professionals and even by the public. After all, a business depends upon the profit that will be gained from sales that they can make from the market which includes the public. Once the public sees something wrong with the products, services or practices of a business, they will stop patronizing the business. As a result, the business will earn less due to a decrease in sales. Worst may come to worst, the business may shut down its operations. When it comes to Kraft Foods, it is not safe from ethical issues as it had been involved with two primary issues: the ethics in cloning food products and the acquisition of Cadbury. It was said that genetically-modified organisms and clones ones for food production became a controversy in the 90s when people suspect that they would not bring any good to the public. Some people speculated that those can be harmful once taken. It might have a partial truth with it but the Food and Drug Administration had released stricter guidelines in monitoring cloned food goods to ensure the safety of the consumers. Kraft ma rketed the Starlink corn which was contaminated. The said corn was used in making the Taco Bell shell which was marketed by Kraft in supermarkets (Brizek, Cameron and Woodle 5). In response, Kraft made a series of tests and when they found out the contamination to be true, they quickly pulled out the said product in the market. Another ethical issue would be the acquisition of Cadbury as Kraft made a promise not to close the plant in Summerdale community. The promise was not kept and

Project management-Scenario Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Project management-Scenario Assignment - Essay Example Measure of the extent to which a company’s benefits are achieved is known as value and this should be at optimum cost. As a manager of the battery manufacturing company, Bart Erry Ltd, I would employ risk management and assessment for evaluation of risks in order to take remedial actions in line with achieving these benefits and minimising loss of value to hazards and uncertainties. Risk profile is a defined set of risks that an organization is exposed to and describes when a risk should be considered acceptable as well as how the risk is affecting decisions of the organization and corporate strategy (Woodhead, 2001)1. Risk profiling involves outlining the risks according to priority and can be developed during risk analysis and used for the management of these risks. It enables the company to measure the likelihood of the threats occurring and the extent of disruption that can be caused by each type of risk. Profiling hence involves identification and quantification of risks where identification is simply finding or recognizing a particular risk that could affect the organization in achieving its goals. While in quantification the identified risks are evaluated and a data developed to help in outlining a disaster recovery plan. The battery manufacturing company, Bart Erry Ltd are currently facing a number of risks such as legal suit may be filed against them by the local community because of the chemical effluent which found its way into the river and killed fish. They also face relocation from their current location by the government. They as well face health hazard risk not only to the local community but to the company too because they may also depend on water from the contaminated river for several uses. The company may also face destruction of property by the angry local fishing community whom have been affected because the effluent from the company caused the death of fish that they

Goodwill and routine emails Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Goodwill and routine emails - Essay Example For this reason, the audit accounts for the last financial year show good a performance of the branch. This is because there was an increase in profits as a result of a decrease in the expenses. With this being said, the head office has given recommendations us to go to other branches to train our fellow workmates on how to achieve the same goal. To show my appreciation as the team leader, I will be rewarding each one of you during a special dinner that will be held on February 15, 2013 from 8.00pm. I encourage you to invite your friends and families to attend. Regards, (Name) Chief Accountant Summary Analyzing the routine e-mail, it manages to give information on when and where the meeting will take place. The application of this principle is to help the employees prepare well for the meeting. The email has a positive tone and language which help encourage the readers to attend the meeting (Goleman, 2007). This also helps to avoid offending or alienating any individual. The email is clear and direct with short sentences, and the agenda addresses the specific items that will be discussed. This helps the reader understand and interpret the email easily (Campanizzi, 2005). Looking at the goodwill email, it maintains the good will by appreciating the employees for their hard work. This principle is important because it will encourage the account assistants to maintain the excellent performance as they feel that management recognize their effort. This will also help maintain the professional relationship between me, their head and the account assistants. Looking at both e-mails, the writing format is professional and the layout is standard. The language in use avoids slang, idiomatic expressions, and a lot of technical words. This helps the recipients to understand the emails easily. The two emails have appropriate subject lines that describe the content of the mail. This helps the readers have an idea of what is in the e-mail and also helps them know that the emai l is worthwhile. This outcome is significant because in most cases, professionals get many emails in a day and rely on the subject of the e-mail to know important e-mails. The emails have paragraphs that reduce the information that the reader has to look at and makes the e-mail presentable. This principle is important because the use of paragraphs relieves the reader’s eyes and makes the reader kinder to the email. The reader then becomes interested in looking at the e-mail (Jerz, 2000). Bibliography Campanizzi, J. (2005). The Write Stuff for Quality. Retrieved 02 06, 2013, from http://qpc.co.la.ca.us/cms1_035856.pdf. Goleman, D. (2007). Job Market. E-Mail Is Easy to Write (And to Misread) . Jerz, D. (2000). E-Mail: Ten Tips for Writing It Effectively. Retrieved 02 07, 2013, from Jerz's Literacy Weblog:

Grant prop Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Grant prop - Essay Example 4. Consult with Wellcome Technology Transfer, prior to entering into an arrangement with any enterprise that will provide for the exploitation of any results arising from any activity funded under a Trust award. I have read the conditions under which grants are awarded and the undertakings detailed above and, if a grant is made, I agree to abide by them. I shall be actively engaged in the day to day control of the project. (ii) In signing the application form where shown below, and in consideration of the receipt of this application by the Trust, the Head of Department UNDERTAKES that the information provided in the application form and otherwise in connection with this application is to the best of his/her knowledge and belief accurate and complete and that, in relation to any Award of Grant resulting from the application, he/she will: 2. Consult with Wellcome Technology Transfer, prior to entering into an arrangement with any enterprise that will provide for the exploitation of any results arising from any activity funded under a Trust award. I have read the conditions under which grants are awarded and the undertakings detailed above and, if a grant is made, I agree to abide by them. I confirm that I have read and support this application, that I agree to this research being carried out in my department, and that all necessary licences and approvals have been or are being obtained. (iii) In signing the application form where shown below, and in consideration of the receipt of this application by the Trust, the Institution UNDERTAKES that the information provided in the application form and otherwise in connection with this application is to the best of its knowledge and belief accurate and complete, and that it will: 5. Consult with Wellcome Technology Transfer, prior to entering into an arrangement with any enterprise that will provide for the

Build Your computer Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Build Your computer - Assignment Example A faster processor augments the effectiveness and performance of the applications and operations. Chosen memory will synchronize at the MHz speed as enforced by the processor and chipset. Dual channel memory needs memory models to be assembled in pairs of matched speed, sizes, and technology. A computer system with a 64-bit OS such as Windows ® 7 can manage larger amounts of data than a 32-bit system. The above points make dell computers reliable and effective (DELL 1-2). The other reason I chose Dell is due to customer services offered. Dell ProSupport provides 90% customer satisfactions. The customers are provided with after sale services and also online assistance incase of any difficulties. The accessories have warranties thus attract customers. The cost of buying assorted components and building a dell computer is cheaper. Dell Company provides customers with the option of buying a new computer or builds a dell

Extracurricular Activities in a Students Life Essay Example for Free

Extracurricular Activities in a Students Life Essay Extracurricular activities can empower students to make their own decisions and help them gain vital experience and skills to lead them on the path to their future. The Facts According to the Montana State University Extension Service, students involved in extracurricular activities are more likely to become leaders, more willing to complete tasks, more willing to voice opinions, and more likely to graduate from high school and have annual incomes of more than $50,000. Extracurricular activities are also a good way to explore social, political, and career interests. Gain Experience through Extracurricular Activities Extracurricular activities help students gain experience in a variety of areas that will enhance their future. Through participation in sports, students learn cooperation, teamwork and time management. By serving as an officer in an organization, students learn responsibility, problem solving and communication. Extracurricular activities can also help students discover hidden talents, meet people they might otherwise not encounter, and learn about things outside their own environment. How to Choose an Activity But which activities should a student choose? Should they choose activities that use talents they already possess and meet people with similar talents, or should they choose something new and different and meet people who possess different opinions and skills? Some students are comfortable with growth while others will feel more comfortable with familiarity. If a student enjoys outdoor activities, he or she may want to look into archery clubs, horseback riding or other sports. If a student enjoys reading he or she may also enjoy literary clubs, writing clubs or journalism activities. Extracurricular activities are also a good way to learn appreciation for new and different activities. A student who would ordinarily choose football or baseball might think about exposing themselves to archery or bird watching. Choosing something outside a students comfort zone widens horizons and expands knowledge. Being open to new avenues by joining the newspaper staff, the computer club or the decorative painters club will expose students to new people and new ideas. What Activities Are Available? Activities can be found by checking with school counselors, reading the club section of the local newspaper, calling the Chamber of Commerce, asking other students what activities they are involved in and checking with area churches. Information on volunteer activities can often be obtained from community service organizations or teachers. Teachers can be a wealth of information concerning work-study programs, internships and summer jobs; all of which help students build their resume and gain valuable experience in their career field. If a student has already chosen a career path, extracurricular activities can help pave the way. If he or she is interested in teaching science, being an officer in the science club or entering the local science fair can show commitment. Community service at a nearby pharmacy or volunteering at a lab at a nearby hospital or plant can also give experience in the chosen field and can be included on a resume. Ask Questions It’s important to inquire about the organization. Is there a cost involved? Will participants be asked to raise money? How often does the organization meet? Are evenings and weekends involved? Are outside activities required? How many hours will the organization’s activities entail? Checking school and work schedules should also be done before joining any organization. Extracurricular activities are important, but they shouldnt take up all of a students time outside the school day. There should still be time for homework, chores, relaxing, and spending time with friends and family. A combination of all these are an important part of a healthy lifestyle. Extracurricular activities should complement a students life, not complicate it. When students are involved in too many activities or in an activity that takes up too much time, students will become stressed and grades and family relationships begin to suffer. Students should be careful not to overextend themselves by taking on too many activities or volunteering for too many jobs or committees in an organization. Serving as an Officer of an Organization Serving as an officer of an organization can also teach a variety of skills. Leadership and management responsibilities can be gained through serving as President. Recorders or Secretaries gain experience in writing and journalism. Treasurers gain bookkeeping and money handling experience. Each office holds valuable skills that can be used in the future. Many students who ran for Student Body President of their school have gone on to become Chief Executive Officer of an organization or President of their own company. Running for office also gives students experience in campaign management, advertisement and people skills. Some students may choose to get to know an organization better before becoming an officer. They will still have opportunities to serve on committees or volunteer for projects throughout the year. Teamwork, communication and organization skills are all gained by serving on a committee or working on a club project. Commitment Learning to stick with an activity from start to finish is another important lesson of extracurricular activities. Once a commitment to a club, activity or committee is made, students should hang in there even if the activity isnt quite what they expected. By learning to see activities through to the end, students learn valuable lessons they will use later in life. They will be less likely to drop out of school, less likely to quit a job and less likely to walk away from a relationship prematurely. Gain Vital Experience and Skills for the Future Experience gained from extracurricular activities will follow students throughout their lives. It is surprising to note that when the top two candidates in the running for a job are closely matched, something like Eagle Scout listed on their resume can help decide the tie. Prestigious honors like National Honor Society, English Honor Society or Gamma Beta Phi are noticed by potential employers. They look for competent workers that are go-getters and are willing to get involved and go the extra mile. Even something like Scouting or 4-H tells employers about the person behind the resume. Taking the time to get involved in extracurricular activities will benefit students in a variety of ways. Time away from the school day through participation in extracurricular activities can also serve as an outlet for stress and a way to build confidence and self-esteem. Students need encouragement to pursue their dreams. Not only will it empower them to make their own decisions, they will also be given a chance to gain vital experience and skills that will lead them on the path to their future.

India cinema Essay Example for Free

India cinema Essay India cinema over the ages has developed a flavor and aroma of its own. The vibrancy and exuberance of our cinema is unparalleled across the globe. India cinema, over the year, has transcended the barriers of language, art and culture, broken all the bonds and crossed all borders to colour the entire world with is emblematic song, dances, music, melodrama and didacticism. India cinema has a bit of everything. It has the capacity to imbibe all the shades and every spice of life within its ambit. It has been mystifying, enthralling, enchanting and entertaining millions since a long long time now. Every today, watching cinema is the most popular mode of entertainment and a favourite pastime of people from all section of society transcending over cast, creed, race or religion. In fact, bollywood after cricket is a sub-religion of the country. From the most common man to the intellectual and the elites-all enjoy watching movies in their leisure time with their friends and families. Cinema works as a great unifying factor which brings together the high and the low, the rice and the poor , the young and the old-all under the same roof for next two or three hour . It entertains without discrimination, thrill and tickles without knowing a difference man and man. I too, like watching movies with my parents and friend in my spare time. Last year, Sahara Motion Picture initiated a new era in India cinema. The long awaited animation movies for children were released and it runs successfully in theaters all over the country. Not only children but also teenagers, old and young, all cinema halls in large number to watch-Hanuman. I too had been waiting for the movie eagerly. Once the movie was released, my friend’s family and mine made plans to watch the movies in our nearest theater on the ensuing Sunday. We all were extremely excited. In fact, my friend and I could hardly wait for weekend. On the appointed Sunday, we reached the theatre filled with thrill excitement through and through. Predictable, none of us were disappointed after watching the movie. Since then, it has become one of my favourite movies. The movie is a fabulous animation of the legend of the faithful friend and follower of Lord Ram and his greatest accomplice in the battle against Ravana. The movie traces the entire life-story of Hanuman-right from his birth to the fulfillment of the aim which he was bore. The stories begin with sin and wickedness increasing on the earth and all the Gods rushing to Brahma-the Creator for his protection. The movie brilliantly captures the miraculous birth of Hanuman and his innocent childhood pranks to his education from the Sun god. The scene when the little Hanuman wakes up and mistakes the sun peeping form behind a mango tree to be mango and rushes to eat it out of grave hunger is one of my favorites. The way he reaches the sun and fight Rahu is extremely interesting. Hanuman- who is the incarnation of Lord Shiva grows up loved and pampered and gradually being trained for his great appointed task. As he grows up, he meets Lord Ram who is also growing up in his palace with his brothers. I particularly enjoyed the scene where Lord Shiva and Hanuman was extremely amusing with his multi-coloured cap and his extraordinary feats amused all of us extremely. Even the Kite scene when little Ram’s kite gets lost amidst the clouds and Hanuman disguising as the monkey is also my favourite scene. The rest of the movie too is interesting. One never loses interest throughout the movie. The movie, all through, captivates one’s attention thoroughly. The other scene, which really liked, is the ones when Hanuman goes to Lanka to search Sita. The entire sequence of the scenes thereafter is my favourite. L really liked each and every scene-the way Hanuman burns down the entire Lanka to teach Ravana a lesson and the scene later of the famous Kumbhakaran with his legendary sleep and appetite. In short, there is nothing that I don’t like about the movie. Enjoyed every bit of it and all the more so in the company of my friend and my family. I like the movie not only because it is entertaining but also because it teaches a lot about our rich and ancient mythology and the Hindu religion to us. It is usually seen that we don’t get the opportunity to know about our religion and the legends in our mythology in normal course of our lives. The movie is didactic and educative for children as the honest Hanuman, which he harbours for his lord Ram. The movie not only enriches and educates the innocent and fertile young minds but also the old adults alike. The movie was not only like by we friend but also by our parents which was a proof of how wonderful the movie was, even though but also by our parent which was a proof of how wonderful the movie was, even though an animation caters to the need of a specific age group and strata of the society. The animation was of best quality, the special effects very graphical and the morals and l hope we get many more such movies to see in the near future which educate as well as entertain the viewers irrespective of their age, cast, culture religion or race.

IMC Planning Model Analysis

IMC Planning Model Analysis Involves the process of planning, executing, evaluating controlling the use of our various promotional mix elements to effectively communicate with targeted audience, it provides framework for developing, implementing and controlling our organizations IMC program. Review of marketing plan: before launching our product we put in our minds that it will not be easy to compete with big names in tea industry such as Lipton for example; there for we understood that we must come up with some thing new, something different in-order to be unique, special and to attract our needed customers and play it wisely with the worlds number one Lipton.. therefore we had to understand our market situation: where we are (Now) and where it tends to go (Future) and how it will tend to go there, some detailed steps had to take place such as: A detailed situation analysis: Internal marketing audit and review Nestle is one of the leading companies in the market it is structured in a way to integrate all its departments (sales, marketing, CCSD, supply and demand) activities to reach a way to be profitable and to be the market leaders by owning the largest market share. External analysis of the market competition and environmental factor Nestle Egypt main brands are Maggie, Nescafe, Nido, and cerlak. Each brand has its own competitors and by introducing Nestea (Elite tea), our main competitors are Lipton, Ahmed tea, Dilmah. Each one of the competitors is serving a large target segment and the opportunity is to serve more specific segments (concentrated market) although Lipton is moving towards to be more customers specific. Specific marketing objectives Goal: From the heavens of earth, we provide our consumers with the finest picks of tea leaves for a royal taste Vision: To be ranked the best quality tea in the market Time frame for marketing activities: Jan-Mar Apr-Jun Jul-sep Aug-Dec T.V ads Magazine Billboard Sponsor League Mechanisms for measuring our performance: Surveys and telephone Questioner Slogan: Blend of quality and tastetea leaf Marketing strategy/Program Targeted audience/markets: NESTLEs center of attention are People as a whole despite demographic, psychographics and geographic. The main aim of the firm is PEOPLE. This can be seen from their media and hoardings. Even on the packing design you can see the FAMILY, which focuses all the age groups. new-icon-customer-care Plans for the 4ps Place: nestle divides the market or customers into two, modern trade (MT) and traditional trade (TT), according to Nes-tea (elite tea) we will focus more on the modern trade according the high price Price: the price will be higher than the other tea brands due to the higher quality Promotion: promotions will be settled upon giving sophisticated gifts to show and maintain the image of a high quality brand. Product: the product is characterized by the best tea taste. The product display box will be expressing the high quality of the tea and people. Program to implement the strategy Advertising Research: A subset of marketing research, advertising research is the systematic gathering and analysis of information to help develop or evaluate advertising strategies, ads and commercials and media campaigns. Following are the types of the advertising research target-market-400300 Quantitative Research Qualitative Research Advertisers use quantitative research to measure market situation in hard number. 3 basic methods to collect quantitative data are mkt manager Observation Experiment Survey Nestle use this research method to get the results about their advertisement research. Qualitative research seeks in depth, open ended responses, not yes or no answers to get people to share their thoughts and feelings. This research is used more often to give advertisers a general impression of the market, the customer, or the product. The methods used in qualitative research are usually described as Projective Techniques Nestle do both type of research. They do ongoing research whole year and on the basis of the results they make their decision for the future.marketresearch Process of monitoring and evaluating performance Control At the end of every month there is a meeting for evaluation of results and to act on the feedback. The performance if not +, leads toward change in strategies Feed-back The effectiveness of a communication is assessed when the source receives a response. The response can be in many forms. Hopefully, the response or feedback is premeditated and desirable. The feedback can be a tangible product of the communication and can lend itself to easy evaluation. For e.g. we like to buy Elite tea for its high quality or it is the best taste in the market. Why its important in our perspective It is very important to evaluate our progress to know if there is any broken link in our process to solve as soon as possible to maintain our success and to attain our goal effectively. For us this step is an Integral part of the marketing strategy 2. Promotional program situation analysis: After reviewing the overall marketing; the next step in how to develop a promotional plan by conducting the situation analysis. This situation analysis mainly focuses on the development of the promotional strategy. Inside the promotional program situation analysis it includes two types the internal analysis and the external analysis. (Advertising and Promotion, 2009: p.29) Internal analysis: Assesses related areas involving the product, service offering. (Advertising and Promotion, 2009:P. 29) . There is more than one thing that is related to Product. The promotional mix; it contains the sales promotions, advertising, and personal selling. The sales promotion; it is direct to consumer and distributor channel members. Inside the sales promotion there is something called consumer sales promotions techniques. These techniques are used by the consumer to influence him towards purchase. Those techniques are also used by nestle for the Elite-Tea. The loyal reward program is done for targeting consumer who purchases this product for more than one. It allows him to collect points and at the end they concede these points and in return get a reward. For example: If consumer buys two-packs of Elite-Tea, then he/she will have a cup for free. The price of each pack is a deal between the consumer and the company, so the pack of the tea will be increasing by 25%. For example: Eli -Tea since the company has started to launch the product inside the market, so they decided to put inside each pack 25% more tea bags. Nestle was doing something new about this new product; they were doing something called online-coupons and these are coupons posted online on nestle web-site. In case of logging-on to the site and looking for the new products, coupons could easily get printed by consumers while being seated in his/her place. In other cases like entering a hypermarket; consumers could also get have coupons from the sales person standing. Also at the same time consumers will get a free pack of Elite-tea for sampling and testing. Advertising; Nestle is doing one of the most successful campaigns. The way of communication thats convinces or motivates the viewer of the advertisement to purchase the product after watching it. Also Nestle tried to focus more on the direct response of the advertisement. It is also one of the things that lead any campaign to be a successful one. In Elite-Tea advertisement; Nestle company is trying to mention or show how this product efficiently contains lots of benefits. In addition to this; it is clear in the advertisement, which market segment is being targeted by the company (Middle-Class Upper-Class) Strengths: Better Taste High Quality Comfortable Price More Tea Bags inside the pack Good brand name and image that have a reputation Have Competitive Advantage. (Unique in the price, Product design, Product Packaging) Weakness: Segmented only For the Middle class and The Upper Class There are a lot of competitors. External Analysis : It focuses on specific factors such as, characteristics of the firm consumers, market segment, positioning strategies, and competitors. Nestle is always caring about the external analysis. For consumers; Nestle cares about which type of consumers are buying the product through surveys and questionnaires. Like who buys our products and services? The answer is the middle and the upper class that will be able to purchase this product. What does the consumer buy? What needs must be satisfied? Normally the consumer is buying the benefits of the product and that will satisfy his needs and wants. Then after they understand how the consumer thinks; they start to segment the market by dividing it based on the similarities among groups of people. Nestle is segmenting the market, based on demographic variables such as the age (Teenagers-elders). Also by sex, it could be used by both genders. It might be considered as if its for psychographic segments because it depends on the lifestyle. I think big a percentage of consumers life style is to drink tea. Competitors: Who are our direct competitors? Lipton Ahmad Tea Who are Our Indirect competitors? Al-Jawhara Tea El Arosa Tea. More Market Share. Better known in the market. What Key Benefits are used by our competitors? The price much lower There reputation in the market Known By the distributes elit tea without boarders 529px-Nestlà © Analysis of the communication process: (How our product can effectively communicate with consumer in its target market) Communication goals: We want our customers to have a positive perception towards the tea which we produce, increase likability, and be the number one in the market. Communication objective: are reports of what various aspects of the IMC plan will accomplish. (Advertising and Promotion, 2009: 211). In order to reach the communication goals, objectives should be met. Improve brand awareness, brand quality. Marketing objective: are generally stated in the firms marketing plan and are statements of what is to be accomplished by the overall marketing program within a given time period. (Advertising and Promotion, 2009: 210). Our purpose of the marketing objective is to: Increase market share. Increase sales. Be the number 1 in the market. Communication Process Source: Is the person or business that has information to share with another person or group of people. (Advertising and promotion, 2009: 146). Nestle is the source. Encoding: Involves putting thoughts, ideas, or information into a symbolic form. (Advertising and promotion, 2009: 148). Eli tea which Nestle provides it leads to a long healthy life because it Gives refreshing and full energetic feeling. Nestle tea contains chemical which is called polyphenols, which gives tea antioxidant properties that protects against cancer diseases. Message: The encoding process leads to development of a message that contains the information or meaning the source hopes to convey. (Advertising and promotion, 2009:148) We want to provide best quality and best taste Channel: Is the method by which the communication travels from the source or sender to the receiver. (Advertising and promotion, 2009:149). Consists of two channels: Personal channels: Are direct interpersonal (face-to-face) contacts with target individuals or groups. (Advertising and promotion, 2009:149). In big supermarkets such as Carrefour, spinneys and etc. there are booths standing inside them sales people who offer free tea samples and if the consumer likes the taste they could purchase. Non personal channels: Are those that carry a message without interpersonal contact between sender and receiver. (Advertising and promotion, 2009:150). Nestle Eli tea commercial on a prime time show. Receiver: Is the persons with whom the sender shares thoughts or information. (Advertising and promotion, 2009:152). Consumers are the receivers; the message should be simple so that they can decode it. Our audiences are the clients whom are looking for a blend of taste and royalty at any age. Decoding: Is the process of transforming the senders message back into thought. (Advertising and promotion, 2009:152). The receiver should be able to decode the message, the decoding here is the: Fresh Energetic Natural beauty Smiley face Noise: The unplanned distortion or interference is known as noise. In case of advertising on T.V or radio we should be considering the signal, on bill board we should be considering traffic and weather. (Advertising and promotion, 2009:152) Response / Feedback: Response: The receivers set of reactions after, seeing, hearing, or reading the message is known as response. Feed back: The part of the receivers response that is communicated back into the sender. The response and feed back of the consumer is that they feel healthy when they drink Eli Tea. tea leaftea leaftea leaftea leaftea leaf elit tea without boarders529px-Nestlà © 4. Budget Determination After determining the communication objectives, our attention now focuses on the promotional budget. In an ideal world, the amount needed to spend on our promotion should be determined by what must be done to accomplish the communication objective. However, promotional budgets are sometimes determined using a more simplistic approach, ex: how much money is available or a percentage in our companys sales revenue. At this stage, the budget is often uncertain. It may not be finalized until specific promotional mix strategies are developed (Belch Belch 2009) Nestle in terms of financial analysis it focuses on how much amount it uses on its activities in the industrial sector and it also reflects how efficiently the organization is utilizing its resources. A new budget is formulated every year, each time a new product is introduced, or when either internal or external factors necessitate a change to maintain competiveness. Essentially, in our product we focus on two primary budgeting decisions: establishing a budget amount and allocating the budget. Many firms employ more than one method, and even budgeting approaches vary according to the size and sophistication of the firm. Here in Nestle and specifically our new product Nestle EliTe we use the Top-Down Approaches/or Budgeting instead of using contribution margin and/or marginal analysis approaches. Here the budgetary amount is determined usually at senior manager level and then the duties are agreed down to the different departments. Top management sets the spending limit Promotion budgets set to stay within spending limit However, Top-down methods include the affordable method, arbitrary allocation, percentage of sales, competitive parity and return on investment (ROI), yet according to our new product and its position in its product life cycle (PLC) it is still in the introduction level; it cannot fit in some of these approaches: like Percentage of sales and/or the ROI. Affordable method: the organization agrees on the amount to be used up in different areas such as production and operations. Then it distributes whats left to advertising and promotion, taking into account this to be the total it can afford. And this we think that its the best way or safest way to launch our product. Adding to that, at the same time we could check our Competitive parity were Nestlà ©s executives establish funds amount by linking the competitions percentage of sales expenditures.lipton_logo Q We ask ourselves two questions in this stage! What will be the promotional program cost? Incentive Discounts ramadan Ramadan offers Buy 3 and get 1 free Free samples Market share Overall company market share in the Egyptian market is 80%. Budgeting j0229385 Electronic Media 15-tea-bag-set Cost of TV Ad Prime Time: 6-11 pm al7ayat Channels: Al-Hayat, El-Mehwar, Ch.2 (EGY) Cost in Prime Time: L.E 75,000/min elm7wr Cost in Off-peak time: L.E 27,000 30,000/min Cost of Billboard Size: 2700 sq. ft Skin: L.E 57,000 Rent for 1 month in (X) Area: 600,000 1,000,000 Cost of Hanging Hoardings Size: 5ft x 2 ft Cost: 150/boarding Rent: L.E 1,350/week Cost of Posters Paper weight: 135 gram Size: 18 inch x 23 inch Quantity: 3000 @ LE. 4.15/poster Estimated Marketing and Promotional program expenditure: L.E 3 Million * Additional sponsors: facebook_logo Face book Worlds Gym FM 5ICCAUHVPF3CA8P67L6CAFROY90CA2LVWPECAHDMJ1ECAGPOIILCANB87TGCATSQJDICA0TZB81CAAS5S9FCAB2ZLOZCAPVENOECA0JPL1HCARCO1NACAFIOCX3CAQA1XAQCAAO6DY4CAU92F52 Magazines (Teen stuff, Fatafeat)  © Estimated numbers by Nestle Elite Tea How will the money be allocated? money_sign Once the budget has been appropriated, the next step is to allocate it. The allocation decision involves determining which markets, products, and promotional elements will receive which amounts of the funds appropriated. Market size: While the budget should be allocated according to the specific promotional tools needed to accomplish the stated objectives, the size of the market will affect the decision. Small Markets Often easier and less expensive to reach the target market. Large Markets The target group maybe more dispersed and thus more expensive to reach. Market potential Market share goals Organizational characteristics: the organization structure, power and politics in the organization hierarchy, characteristics of the decision maker, approval and negotiation channels. Loans: a serious amount of money (probably large) taken by the company from banks as to accomplish a specific task and then repay it with a certain amount of commission. Sponsorship: All of the sponsors of our product, they try and help our product to penetrate the market. Investment/Revenue: We would rely on the arbitrary allocation or ROI approach.

Expanding the Horizons of Beauty Through Fiction, Poetry, and Drama Ess

Departing from a lover might often seem painful; yet, it is precisely with the departures that one learns about the nature of true love. In the poem â€Å"A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning,† John Donne offers a beautiful insight into this subject. As he consoles his wife by asserting that their love is everlasting, the poet develops a theme that unifies the poem and allows the reader to identify his intention. The theme, therefore, is especially important as it serves as a central point around which all the other elements are structured. As John Donne explores the nature of unconditional love, he employs metaphors, symbolism, and tone as the three main elements that reinforce the theme and contribute to creating a poem that both moves and connects to the reader. Throughout the poem, Donne employs metaphors extensively to emphasize the spiritual dimension of the love he shares with his wife. In the first stanza, the author compares his leaving with the death of â€Å"virtuous men† (line 1). As these men â€Å"whisper to their souls to go† (2), the lovers ought to accept the departure like the men are able to detach their bodies from their souls, and separate peacefully. As he continues to comfort his wife, he invites her to â€Å"make no noise† (5) and suggests that there should be â€Å"No tear-floods, nor sigh-tempests move† (6). This comparison of her crying with floods engages the reader because it sounds unconventional. Unlike most wives when their husbands leave, Donne’s wife is to remain quiet as he departs. The noise of her tears would reveal their love to the â€Å"laity† (8) and that would disrupt their happiness. By making a distinction between them and the common people, Donne is suggestin g that there is something holy about their love. Thus, thes... ... poem taking him in a journey to go beyond the lines and feel the message deeply. Therefore, the author succeeds in describing the nature of true love, a love that endures distance and transcends time and space. Likewise, although we may get separated from the poem physically after reading it, we cannot help but remain profoundly connected after our farewell. Works Cited Walker, Alice. â€Å"Everyday Use.† English 120. (Professor Theresa Sweeney). Fontbonne University. 2012. Handout. Hayden, Robert. "Those Winter Sundays." The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature: Reading, Thinking, Writing. Ed. Michael Meyer. 9th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2012. 551. Print. Wilson, August. "Fences." The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature: Reading, Thinking, Writing. Ed. Michael Meyer. 9th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2012. 1517-1566. Print.

How the Mongol Empire has Affected the World Essay -- World History Es

Introduction Throughout history there have been great empires that have tried to basically take over the world. In western schools, these empires usually consist of empires such as Alexander the Great’s, the Roman Empire, and even the British Empire of the Victorian Age. These empires are all seen as major forces in the field of history, but there is often a great empire that has been overlooked. This overlooked empire once amassed about half of the world’s land. Its territories once included China, Persia, and even Eastern Europe. The empire is known as an empire that virtually had the world trembling in their boots. The empire is the Mongol Empire, and the question is how does an empire of nomads end up drastically changing the geography of the world and scaring the living daylights out of those who were in soon to be conquered areas. Explanation of the Applicable National Standards for Geography Many of the National Standards for Geography can be seen within the history and geography of the Mongol Empire. Starting with places and regions, the subject knows and understands the physical and human characteristics of places, it knows and understands that people define regions and use them to interpret the world’s changing complexity, and it also knows and understands that culture and experience influence people’s perceptions of places and experiences. The subject, or the Mongol Empire, deals with these three standards in the fact that the empire once covered much terrain. Because of the extensive boundaries, cultures, ethnic groups, religions, and more interacted and changed. Human Systems are drastically affected by the Mongol Empire. The subject, or the Mongol Empire, deals with the characterist... .../sfasian.apple.com/Mongolia/Tour/TourA.htm (April 16, 1998) Edwards, Mike. "Genghis Khan." National Geographic. December 1996. pp. 1-37. Edwards, Mike. "The Great Khans." National Geographic. February 1997. pp. 2-35. Genghis Khan. The Encyclopedia Britannica. Chicago. 1988. v.19, pp. 746-749. Hildinger, Erik. "Mongol Invasion of Europe." Military History. 1997. http://www.thehistorynet.com/MilitaryHistory/articles/1997/06972_side.htm (April 16, 1998) Lamb, Harold. Genghis Khan, The Emperor of All Men. 1927. Kublai Khan. The Encyclopedia Britannica. Chicago. 1988. v.7, pp. 21-23. Olsenius, Richard. "The Land of Genghis Khan." National Geographic. Feb. 1997. http://www.nationalgeographic.com/features/97/genghis/index.html (April 16, 1998 Olsenius, Richard. "The Land of Genghis Khan." National Geographic

Fred and Rose West

Fredrick Walter Stephen West and his wife, Rosemary (Rose) Letts, are well known throughout Europe and most parts of the world as two of the most gruesome and sadistic serial killers of the century. Though it is not clear how many people they had murdered, as well as their motive to do so, the evidence presented from the twelve discovered murders are sure to send a chill up your spine. Fred West was born September 29, 1941. He was the second of six children to be born into a family of poor farmers. West claimed that his father had incestuous relationships with his daughters, one of the many peculiar norms in this household along with bestiality. West’s mother, Daisy, also sexually abused him at the young age of twelve. Taking into consideration the start and upbringing of Fred West, you can take an understanding to why he met the fate that he did. At the age of fifteen, West left school; though he did not excel academically, he showed a great amount of interest for woodwork and artwork. In the year of 1956, West returned to what he knew and began to work on a farm. A few years after, he suffered from a fractured skull, along with other injuries, and was in a coma for eighty days; his family reported that after the accident he became prone to sudden fits of rage. At the age of 20, he was arrested for molesting a thirteen-year-old girl and although he evaded serving time for his crime, his family quickly disowned him after. In September 1962, twenty-one year old West rekindled his love with an old girlfriend named Catherine Costello, who at that time was better known as Rena from her time working as a prostitute. Even though Rena was already pregnant with another man’s baby, she and West married on November 17. During this time, West began working as an ice cream truck driver, and on November 4, 1965, he killed a four-year-old boy by hitting him with his van. Fearful of his safety, he and his wife Rena moved with their two kids and nanny, Isa McNeil. Eventually, Rena and Isa fled to Scotland to escape West and his sadistic sexual cravings. She left her children behind. During this period, West began to see another woman who soon after became pregnant. Around her eighth month of pregnancy, his second girlfriend disappeared and her remains were not found until June 1994; she disappeared in August of 1967. While still married to Rena, the then twenty seven year old West met his next wife Rosemary Letts on November 29, 1968, the day of her fifteenth birthday. Soon after she turned sixteen, she and west moved in together. On October 17, 1970, she gave birth to their first daughter Heather Anne. Soon after, Fred West was imprisoned for theft; it is believed that during this time Rosemary killed Charmaine, Fred’s stepdaughter from his first marriage. On January 29, 1972, Fred and Rose West married and on June 1 of that year, Rose gave birth to their second daughter Mae. During this time West encouraged his wife to work as a prostitute. Rose eventually had seven kids, three of which were of mixed race. For obvious reasons, the family moved into a more spacious house on 25 Cromwell Street. West turned the top floor into bedrooms and the first into â€Å"Rose’s room†, which was used for prostitution. This room had peepholes in it so West would be able to watch his wife performing with other men and on the outside of the door, there was a red light. This would let the children know that Rose was busy and that nobody should bother her. Like West, Rose came from a similar background where incest was allowed. In fact, Bill Letts, Rose’s father, would often visit their home to have sex with Rose, of course with the consent of her husband. In October 1972, they hired seventeen-year-old Caroline Roberts as the children’s nanny. On December 6, 1972, the West has invited her to their home, where they both raped her. Fred let her go only after she promised to be their nanny. In early 1973, the West’s took eight-year-old Anne Marie, Fred’s daughter from his first marriage, down to the cellar where they bound and gagged her before West raped her, and Rose watched. In 1979, Anne Marie became pregnant with her father’s baby, but the pregnancy was terminated. Unable to deal with her father’s abuse, she left home. Shortly after West, began abusing Heather who disappeared a few years later. West felt that his daughter needed to be â€Å"broken† into the life of prostitution and whom better he felt to do this job then himself. In May 1992, West filmed himself raping one of his daughter multiple times. From there the investigation escalated although the rape case fell because of the two core witnesses backing out. The remaining children were placed in foster care. During this time, various social workers interviewed the children. The disappearance of their daughter Heather became known during this process, but to her siblings her death was known merely as a joke her parents used to explain her disappearance. In reality, she suffered a brutal death by the hand of her own father, who not only strangled her, but also dismembered her body and buried her in the back yard. The following the arrest of Fredrick West police uncovered human bones in his backyard not only those of his daughter. He immediately confessed to what he had done though it took time for him to stick to his story he could no longer hide from the pain he had inflicted on others. During the tour West gave the cops of the cellar and all the other rooms where he committed these heinous crimes, he said that the spirits of the dead were calling to him and telling him they were better off not being found, he regretted his confession. Out of the twelve murdered souls only nine bodies were found in the house, including one in the bathroom, five in the cellar, and three in the garden; one of those was the body of their daughter Heather. West states that the murder of his daughter was simply â€Å"enjoyment turned to disaster†. He kept the secret of killing his daughter for eight years, not even Rose knew of this dark secret. Between 1967-1987 Fredrick West and his wife tortured, raped, and killed at least twelve young women and girls, mostly in their own home. Fred West was found guilty for 11 murders and Rose of 10, following the trial another body was found which increased Fred’s total count to 12. On January 1, 1995, Fred West was found dead in his cell; he committed suicide by hanging himself, he was cremated and only three people attended his funeral. Rosemary Letts, unlike her husband, never confessed. She was tried and found guilty of all 10 murders and was sentenced to life without parole. In October 1996, the West’s house which is now better known as the house of horrors, was demolished along with its adjoining properties and made into a pathway. Reference http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/january/1/newsid_2460000/2460563.stm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_West

A Comparative Film Review Essay

Today, the depiction of war is becoming more vivid and realistic. Audiences are more critical of how a move catches the actual events that transpired and of how they can relate to the emotions in the movie. The movies â€Å"Saving Private Ryan† and â€Å"We Were Soldiers† are two of the most popular modern day films with the subject of two different wars, World War II and Vietnam War respectively. They have similarities in many aspects However, they have even more differences. They have completely different themes, and completely different objectives. This paper explores on how these two films are alike and how they differ. When Duty Calls: A Comparative Film Review There has been much development in the movie industry since the onset of computer graphic imaging. This technology has enabled producers to depict subjects that were considered impossible. Today, humans are capable of transcending limitations on time and cultural differences. They can reenact historical events, reconstruct buildings, and recreate natural sceneries. Equipped with a blue screen, computers, and actors, an entire war can commence right before an audience. With both simple and complicated movie techniques, anything is accomplished. The movies â€Å"Saving Private Ryan† and â€Å"We Were Soldiers† share a common subject – and this is war. This topic has interested the curiosity of millions of viewers since time immemorial, as those who have witnessed it want to confirm the events and those who did not wish to learn the events. Both tackled common themes and presented different angles of a war. They share many similarities and possess many differences. But there is one significant aspect that both these movies have successfully translated. This is the price that war claims to those it chooses to affect (Spielberg, 1998; Wallace, 2002). Both stories of these masterpieces were derived from two of the most engaging events in the history of mankind. Saving Private Ryan was based on the life of a real individual named Sergeant Frederick Niland, a United States paratrooper sent to France on D-Day. We Were Soldiers, on the other hand, is a version of the book written by Lieutenant Colonel Harold G. Moore and Joseph L. Galloway about the military engagement in the la Drang Valley in 1965. Both contained fictional characters and modified events, but little truths must be altered in order for the actual truth to emerge (Spielberg, 1998; Wallace, 2002). Saving Private is neither a biopic nor a tale of heroism. Its story is a protest against the wraths of war and how humans condemn it. It has clear anti-war sentiments, as characters struggled through the horrors of war and suffered both insanity and distraught. The D-Day amphibious invasion at Normandy was an excellent prologue to the film. It had brutal depictions on the consequences of being a soldier, on the gruesome reality of battles, and the uncertainty of life. It is a story of comradeship, of realization of fears, and living an inch away from death (Spielberg, 1998; Wallace, 2002). In addition, We Were Soldiers is a film that shares absence of political themes of war. The primary objective of both movies is to relay to the audiences the lives of soldiers as soldiers, who are entities that can be separated from the entire picture of military and political debate. They are men who chose to be in the line of duty and take arms in order to fight for what they believe is righteous. But We Were Soldiers portrayed a relatively more intimate aspect, the scenario of the soldiers’ relationships with those they left at home. It prudently conveyed the lives that soldiers have before they leave for an assignment and after they have accomplished their missions (Spielberg, 1998; Wallace, 2002). In the sequence where Mel Gibson with Madeline Stowe and Chris Klein with Keri Russell were spending their last night together prior the soldiers’ departure for war, the intense emotions were effectively depicted. It relayed the fear being contained when lovers are being parted without any assurance of reunification. It is a scene where there is pain because of the uncertain. Another important aspect of war that this movie portrayed was not only the lives of men in the battle zones, but also those of their families awaiting their return. In the scene where the women would gather together and watch television for updates, one would feel the intensity of fear that these women are trying to suppress within. They would not want to cry until they hear something concrete, but just the prospect of losing their husbands is cruel. Every knock on their door was a possibility of the word that they have lost their beloved men (Spielberg, 1998; Wallace, 2002). Both movies focused on a hero, an officer of a military unit. Tom Hanks was the captain in charge of a platoon assigned to search for Private James Ryan while Mel Gibson was also the captain leading his men through Vietnamese jungles. In Saving Private Ryan, heroism is to fulfill one’s duty, regardless of its nature. As long as it contributes to the efforts of war, and that it is a soldier’s mission, then one is to be considered a genuine soldier. In We Were Soldiers, heroism is making a decision, although detrimental for a certain number of people but crucial for the entire outcome of the war. Saving Private Ryan was not a film about a country’s victory or defeat. It is a story of personal victory in one’s struggle to maintain his conviction amidst a world gone half mad. We Were Soldiers, in contrast, is about how a military unit lost a critical battle and most of the men involved (Spielberg, 1998; Wallace, 2002). Both shaped the American understanding of the realities of war. Because of these movies, the public has learned to further their appreciation of the sacrifices that men in uniform give in order for peace to prevail. The price is clear, their lives and the structure of their families are put in the line of fire each time they board the helicopters or boats in order to fight in the beaches or jungles. Both movies gave significance to the human side of war, concentrating on the people that comprise a war and how a war shaped these people (Spielberg, 1998; Wallace, 2002). References Spielberg, S. (Director). (1998). Saving Private Ryan. [Motion Picture]. United States: Amblin Entertainment. Wallace, R. (Director). (2002). We Were Soldiers. [Motion Picture]. United States: Icon

Natural Resources And The Politics Of Middle East Essay

Oil production in the Middle East has not only been a subject of geology or exploiting the lowest-cost field. Where exploration is performed and what fields are developed has been influenced as much by political as by economic factors. Until the late 1960s oil production and exports from the region significantly reflected the major western oil companies’ need to cope with the demands of the different governments in the Middle East, all of whom wanted to see more oil produced in their territories in order that they could get more revenue. The oil companies were as well concerned with the political stability of the regimes in the oil-exporting countries, the dependability of supply, the likelihood of the nationalisation of oil company facilities, demands over royalty levels and pressures to make use of and train local nationals. In view of the fact that then, what gets produced where and exported has depended on political and economic muscle within OPEC which efficiently determines country quotas. Iran was the first country in the Middle East in which oil was exploited with test production starting in 1903 and a key discovery in 1908. Under Reza Shah the country was politically stable, and the oil concession agreement which was signed with D’Arcy in 1901 on very positive terms was to run until 1994. The Anglo-Persian Oil Company, which afterwards turns into British Petroleum, was founded in 1909. Oil was not discovered in Iraq until 1927, however by that time Persian production was well established, plus a slow growth of demand, reflecting the fragile state of the international economy at the time, intended Iraqi oil exploitation was restricted in these early years. (Mohamed Rabie, 1992). Which oil fields were developed as well reflected rivalries in Middle Eastern interests between the major western powers. Britain, through the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company, had a virtual monopoly of exploration in Iran, consequently the United States had little choice however to look to Saudi Arabia on the other side of the Gulf, the one area that had not come under European imperial influences. In the 1930s the oil fields of the eastern province were opened up, plus the Arabian American Oil Company (ARAMCO) was formed by a consortium of leading United States oil companies. It was ARAMCO that developed the Ghawar and Safaniya fields in the Dhahran area which were to prove to be the largest and most dynamic in the entire world. ARAMCO carries on to account for most Saudi Arabian oil production and exports, although it was nationalised in the 1970s and the role of the American associate companies is now restricted to specialist support and marketing. There was huge resistance to attempts to take over the oil concessions awarded to western multinational oil companies. Conflicts between the oil companies and host-country governments over revenues date back to the 1920s and 1930s when oil started to be exploited in noteworthy quantities, however it was the Iranian government which was the first to demand control of production. After Dr Musaddiq consolidated his power as prime minister in 1952 he set up the National Iran Oil Company, a state-owned entity, to take over Iran’s oil from the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company. This aggravated a two-year boycott of purchases of Iranian oil by the major western oil companies. Purchases were merely started again when Musaddiq was overthrown and terms were agreed which were satisfactory from the viewpoint of the oil companies. (John Page, 1999). In the meantime the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company had changed its name to British Petroleum. It was to focus on developing the oil fields of the Emirates on the Arab side of the Gulf, where the rulers were much more co-operative. It was this new orientation and the co-operation with Shell, the Anglo-Dutch company, which were to consequence in the major developments in Kuwait, Qatar and Abu Dhabi, and ultimately Oman. The increasing importance of the Arab Emirates as oil suppliers was not so much a reflection of the quality of their oil or relative cost factors, to a certain extent what mattered was the political environment and the security of oil supplies. Iran, and subsequently Iraq, had their exploration and production curtailed on account of their political intransigence. The beneficiaries were the Arabian Peninsula states that had their oil fields developed and exploited to a greater extent than might otherwise have been the case on the basis of geological decisions alone. (Nora Bensahel, Daniel L. Byman, 2003).

Personal Selling

Personal Selling, relationship building and sales management Personal selling, unlike advertising or sale promotion, involves direct relationships between the seller and the prospect or customer. In a forma sense, personal selling can be defined as a two-way flow of communication between a potential buyer and a salesperson that is designed to accomplish at least three tasks: (1) identify the potential buyer’s needs; (2) match those needs to one or more of the firm’s products or services; (3) on the basis of this match, convince the buyer to purchase the product.Finally, it is a complex communication process, one still not fully understood by marketers. Importance of personal selling The importance of the personal selling function depends partially on the nature of the product. As a general rule, goods that are new and different, technically complex or expensive require more personal selling effort. The salesperson plays a key role in providing the consumer with informat ion about such products to reduce the risks involved in purchase and use.Insurance, for example, is a complex and technical product that often needs significant amounts of personal selling. It is important to remember that for many companies the salesperson represents the customer’s main link to the firm. In fact, the salesperson is the company. Therefore it is imperative that the company take advantage of this unique link. Through the efforts of the successful salesperson, a company can build relationships with customers that continue long. Personal selling is an integral of the marketing system, fulfilling two vital duties: one for customers and one for companies.Lacking relevant information, customers are likely to make poor buying decisions. For example: Doctors would have difficulty finding out about new drugs and procedures were it not for pharmaceutical salespeople. Second, salespeople act as a source of marketing intelligence for management. Marketing success depends on satisfying customers needs. If present products don’t fulfill customer needs then profitable opportunities may exist for new or improved products. If problems with a company’s products exist, then management must be quickly apprised of the fact.In either situation, salespeople are in the best position to act as the intermediary through which valuable information can be passed back and forth between product providers and buyers. The sales process Personal selling is as much an art as it is a science. The word art is used to describe that portion of the selling process that is highly creative in nature and difficult to explain. Before management selects and trains salespeople, it should have an understanding of the sales process. Obviously, the sales process will differ according to the size of the company, the nature of the product, the market and so forth.Sales objectives: 1. Information provision: Especially in case of new products or customers, the salesperson nee ds to fully explain all attributes of the product or service, answer any questions and probe for additional questions. 2. Persuasion. Once the initial product or service information is provided, the salesperson needs to focus on the following objectives: – Clearly distinguish attributes of the firm’s products or services from those of competitors. – Maximize the number of sales as a percent of presentations. Convert undecided customers into first-time buyers. – Convert first-time customers into repeat purchasers. – Sell additional or complementary items to repeat customers. – Tend to the needs of dissatisfied customers. 3. After-sake service. Whether the sale represents a first-time or repeat purchase, the salesperson needs to ensure the following objectives are met: – Delivery or installation of the product or service that meets or exceeds customer expectations. – Immediate follow-up calls and visits to address unresolved or n ew concerns. Reassurance of products or service super priority through demonstrable actions. The Sales Relationship-Building process For many years the traditional approach to selling emphasized the first-time sale of a product or service as the culmination of the sales process. Marketing concept and accompanying approach to personal selling view the initial sale as merely the first step in a long-term relationship-building process, not as the end goal. The relationship-building process which is designed to meet the objectives contains six sequential stages.These stages are (1) prospecting, (2) planning the sales call, (3) presentation, (4) responding to objections, (5) obtaining commitment/closing the sale and (6) building a long-term relationship. When a buyer and a salesperson have a close personal relationship, they both begin to rely on each other and communicate honestly. When each has a problem, they work together to solve it. Such market relationships are known as functional relationships. A person may have such a relationship with along-term medical or dental practitioner or hair-cutter.When organizations move beyond functional relationships, they develop strategic partnerships or strategic alliances. These are long-term, formal relationships in which both parties make significant commitments and investments in each other in order to pursue mutual goals and to improve the profitability of each other. Marketing managers and sales managers must make some very important decisions regarding how the sales fore should be organized. Most companies organize their sales efforts either by geography, product or customer.There are two obvious reasons why it is critical that the sales force be properly controlled. First, personal selling can be the largest marketing expense component in the final price of the product. Second, unless the sales force is somehow directed, motivated and audited on continual basis, it is likely to be less efficient than it is capable o f being. Controlling the sales force involves four key functions: (1) forecasting sales; (2) establishing sales territories and quotas, (3) analyzing expenses and (4) motivating and compensating performance.Conclusion We attempted to outline and explain the personal selling aspect of the promotion mix. An emphasis was placed on describing the importance of the relationship-building aspect of the personal selling process. For organizations that wish to continue to grow and prosper, personal selling plays an integral part in the marketing of products and services. As long as production continues to expand through the development of new and highly technical products, personal selling will continue to be an important part of marketing strategy.

Brooklyn (Colm Toibin) Essay

Cultural context reveals the world of the text. It shows us how the world impinges upon the lives of the characters. The novel I have studied is Brooklyn by Colm Toibin. Throughout the text we see many examples of the values of society. The position of women, men and family intrinsically establish the central characters in a specific position. The text has a dual setting between the 1950’s Catholic Ireland and the post world war two world of Brooklyn, America. The two locations help to expose the contrasting values and attitudes of the characters in their world. The role of women in society is vital for my understanding of the cultural context. It is predominantly stereotypical for the time. In both locations, women are subservient, with frequent families being patriarchal. In both locations, a woman’s main desire was ultimately to be married to a wealthy man. This is seen when Nancy and George are in a relationship. Many people respect Nancy at this time because George is from a high class of people, and this is considered to be an achievement for Nancy. At a later date, Nancy marries George and she becomes a well-valued and admired person in society. This is a contrast to Brooklyn, where, often women become educated before starting a family. Eilis’ career opportunities increase while she is in Brooklyn, as she aspires to be an accountant, rather then just a bookkeeper. A main value of women in society was their appearance. We see this in the lengthy preparation for the dances. It plays an important social role in meeting potential husbands. The behavior and values of women at the time is extremely important for the cultural context. Women were expected to adhere to certain moral values. This can be seen in both Ireland and Brooklyn at the dances. In Brooklyn, Eilis dances with Tony and knows she cannot dance with another boy after this. This shows us the attitudes towards women at this time. However, this attitude is felt much stronger in Ireland than Brooklyn. We can see this with Ms. Fortini. She reflects a contrasting attitude, being more independent and modern then the rest of the characters. A key moment in the text, which shows the values women have in society, would be when Ms. Kehoe locks the basement gate of her house. She  does this because she does not approve of the way Eilis acts with Tony. This is a prime example of how women are expected to behave in society. This example is intrinsically linked with the encroaching power of the Catholic Church and the way it shapes the values and attitudes of the characters in the novel. The power of the Catholic Church is clearly evident in the novel. It helps shape the attitudes most of the characters have. The power and influence of Father Flood is distinct throughout the novel. His values of the Church are thou rally respected and admired by everyone in the community. He holds substantial power in both Ireland and Brooklyn, convincing Eilis’ mam to allow her to go to Brooklyn, and getting Eilis a job and a place to stay once she arrived there. In Brooklyn, we see many people know Father Flood, as he was able to get Eilis a place in college, to help further her career. The church also has a controlling aspect on the characters moral values. This is seen with Eilis and Ms. Kehoe’s view on relationships and sex. Their attitude towards relationships are shaped around the beliefs of the Church, an example of this is when Eilis asks Tony to go to confession with her, as she sees sex before marriage as a sin. Ms. Kehoe realizes Tony has been in Eilis’ room soon after this, so she locks the gate to stop this from happening again. In my opinion, the Catholic Church has a substantial influence on Ms. Kehoe compared to Eilis because Eilis marries Tony, but cheats on him in Ireland with Jim. This is against Catholic Church’s teachings but that does not seem to influence Eilis in any way. In the end, she decides to go back to Tony. This might be because she realizes she has sinned, and because of the influence of the Church on her values, she cannot divorce Tony, she has to accept her life in Brooklyn instead. Power is an extremely important factor in the cultural context of 1950’s Ireland and Brooklyn. The power structure in society is the Catholic Church. It helps shape the values of the characters, as many of them live their lives by the Church’s beliefs. Eilis’ mother is an example of this, as she hardly knows Father Flood but immediately trusts him because he is a member of the Catholic Church. He has the power in society and the characters look up to him for guidance. Another position of power seems to be held by those with money. Throughout the book it seems to be an important factor, more so in Ireland then Brooklyn. People with money were treated superior to others, and a woman’s goal was to sustain a wealthy man. Those with money occupy certain positions of class. This can be seen in both societies. It was a very class structured society, with the Church and people with money at the top. Our first example of this is when Eilis and Nancy are at the dance, and Eilis realizes Jim does not want anything to do with her as she and Nancy were from a lower class. He refuses to dance with Eilis and ignores her for the rest of the night. Power was a major influence on marriage, as women were respected a considerable amount more if they married someone with power. Their view was that if they married someone with power, they had achieved a large goal in their life. The influence of power in 1950’s Ireland and Brooklyn shaped the values and attitudes of the characters. Undoubtedly the personal freedom of Eilis and many other characters is affected by the world in which she resides. In Ireland, Eilis’ freedom is largely restricted because she is a woman. She is expected to marry and start a family, and there is no emphasis on her education. She has very little freedom as a teenager; an example of this is when she goes to the dance. Because of the society she lives in, she is expected to dance with only one boy for the whole night; this does not give her any freedom to do otherwise. Many of her decisions in Ireland are forced ones, such as when she went to work with Ms. Kelly. Ms. Kelly assumed Eilis would want to work for her, and did not give Eilis the chance to say no. She did not treat Eilis with respect but Eilis still had to keep working for her. This is greatly contrasted with her life in Brooklyn. Eilis had a large amount of personal freedom in Brooklyn, allowing her to explore the town she lives in. Her decisions were taken solely by herself, unlike in Ireland. She was able to decide if she wanted to further her career in college, whereas in Ireland she would have been expected to become a bookkeeper, but never an accountant. She also had freedom where she worked, with the employees and her boss treating her with respect, this contrasts with Ms. Kelly’s shop in Ireland. She was given opportunities to advance in her role as a sale assistant in the shop in Brooklyn, unlike Ireland where she would always be selling things in Ms. Kelly’s shop. Ultimately, Eilis is affected by the cultural context. It impinges upon her world. This is greatly seen in her last decision in the book, to accept her life in America with Tony. In modern day Ireland and Brooklyn, she would have been free to get a divorce and stay with Jim, but because at the time she was greatly influenced by the Catholic Church and her role in society, this option was not available for her. We discover at the end of the novel Eilis is a conformist, as she allows her values and attitudes to be shaped by 1950’s Ireland and Brooklyn. Overall, my understanding of cultural context is that it is the world of the text. In my opinion, the characters in Brooklyn accept the world in which they live in, and allow their values to be shaped by the time and place. Throughout the book we see the characters being influenced by the role of women, the Catholic Church and the people with power in their society.a