The Cask of Amontillado Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

The Cask of Amontillado - Essay Example The narrator aptly uses this weakness of Fortunato to lure him into his evil plot for revenge and retribution. Poe effectively illustrates the theme of confinement leading to death through the repeated use of wine, specifically Amontillado, symbolizing entrapment and doom. The mention of wine in the very beginning of the story is symbolic of the narrator’s evil motives of enticing and trapping Fortunato. The narrator is keenly aware of the fact that Fortunato isn’t serious about anything except Italian vintages because â€Å"he pride[s] himself on his connoisseurship in wine† (Poe). He subtly lures Fortunato into his trap by arousing his curiosity and evoking his pride. For example, the narrator tells him that he has bought the full Amontillado without asking him first but will now consult Luchesi, Fortunato’s supposed competitor, about it. The half drunken Fortunato is immediately intrigued, setting the plot in motion and preparing the road to his own entrapment. After tantalizingly repeating the words Amontillado several times, Fortunato himself mentions going into the narrator’s vaults to taste the prized wine. His intoxicated mind further enraged by pride, is unwilling to recognize the deception and danger he is e nsnaring himself in. The stage is now set for their journey underground, into the bowels of the Montresors’s tomb where death eventually awaits Fortunato. Once they start traveling to the vaults, Poe again employs the use of wine to further illustrate the idea of confinement. As the two travel deeper into the tomb, the nitre â€Å"hang[ing] like moss upon the vaults† and the dampness rampage Fortunato with frequent coughs. Already confined in the dark passageway of the catacomb and dependent on the narrator to guide him, he resorts to drinking Medoc to alleviate the coughing. This not only helps to clear his throat but also increases his resolve to reach the Amontillado. Fortunato does not realize that such determination is actually leading him to trap himself further. For, each step he now takes is bringing him closer to his ultimate confinement and death. Also, as they travel, Poe repeatedly refers to Fortunato’s drunken eyes symbolizing not only his physical entrapment within the vault but also the intoxicating dullness and confinement of his mind. For example, Fortunato looks at the narrator â€Å"with two filmy orbs that distill the rheum of intoxication†. Again after going down a little more into the crypt, he asks for some more wine, this time gulping down the entire flagon of De Grave making â€Å"his eyes flash with a fierce light†. His mind has become senseless and trapped, only thinking of the cherished Amontillado lying somewhere in the recesses of the tomb drawing and luring him closer to his demise. Finally, as they arrive at the end of the crypt lined with human bones and succumbed in darkness, Fortuno’s desire for Amontillado results in his final entrapment and doom. Anyone in their right mind would take one look at the sight of death and decay and run from there, seeking the freshness of the air and life above. Poe meticulously describes the recess prepared by the narrator having a â€Å"depth about four feet, in width three, in height six or seven†. This image is nothing less than a grave. Even the flaming torch’s attempt to shine a light in to th e darkness is feeble, but Fortunato persists forward, drawn by the thought of the Amontillado. As he sets his foot into the prepared tomb, Fortunato seals his fate and traps

Fruit Fly Essay Example for Free

Fruit Fly Essay This experiment focuses on the effects water bath temperatures have on D. melanogaster entering and recovering an anoxic coma. It was found that there was an indirect relationship between the amount of time it took D. melanogaster to enter and recover from an anoxic coma and the temperature of the water bath. D. melanogaster was able to enter and recover from the anoxia coma quicker when they were drowned in a cold water bath condition when comparing these results to the warm water bath condition results. These results support other research findings that investigated the effects of the water bath temperatures. Also other mechanisms that aid D. melanogaster in being able to successfully survive an anoxia coma were researched and discussed while connecting them to current research on human patients with pulmonary diseases. Many animals have developed mechanisms that allow them to sustain anoxia comas for extended periods of time with little to no physiological consequences. This experiment is designed to test the amount of time it takes Drosophila melanogaster to enter and recover from an anoxia coma at different water bath temperatures. The purpose is to deduce the effects temperature has on the organism’s ability to enter and survive the anoxia coma, and generalize what body changes allow D. melanogaster to accomplish this feat. The results are then extrapolated to include how current research is using this information to reduce the amount of anoxia related stress humans with pulmonary diseases experience. Methods Each condition was tested with a separate single group of D. melanogaster (cold bath 8 flies and warm bath – 11 flies), and all of the flies used were approximately 1-9 day old males. Each group of D. melanogaster was held in a container that provided adequate nutrients prior to the experiment, and then transferred to a drowning container that held no nutrients. One group of D. melanogaster was put into a cold water bath (~3? C) whereas the other group of flies was put into a room temperature bath (~24. 5? C). The amount of time it took for the D. elanogaster to stop moving for each condition was recorded as well as the amount of time it took for the last D. melanogaster to stop moving. Once all movement ceased, the D. melanogasters were left submerged for one hour. Afterwards they were removed from the drowning chambers, and carefully transferred from the drowning chamber to a plastic vial with a cotton stopper using a paint brush. Each vial was tapped for one minute, with the cotton stopper at the bottom, prior to recording the flies’ recovery time in order to help dry off the flies. After the initial minute, the time it took for the first and last D. melanogaster to recover (when they started to walk around, not merely flapping their wings) was recorded, and the amount of viable flies at the end of the experiment was also determined. Results The results show that it took considerable more time for the D. melanogaster to recover from the anoxia coma than it took for them to enter the anoxia coma. The average failure time for both conditions was 124. 75 seconds whereas the average recovery time for both conditions was 690. 75 seconds. Also, the temperature of the water bath seems to have a considerable effect on the amount of time it takes for the flies to enter and recover from the anoxia coma. It took the D. melanogasters that were drowned in the cold water bath an average of 22 seconds to enter the anoxia coma, but an average of 244. 5 seconds to recover from the anoxia coma. This same pattern is seen in the D. melanogaster that were drowned in the warm water bath with an average of 227. 5 seconds to enter the anoxia coma, and an average of 1,137 seconds to recover from the anoxia coma. The Q10 value determines how a change of 10? C can increase the rate of chemical processes in an organism, and was calculated for both the failure and recovery conditions of this experiment. The Q10 value provides information about how an organism’s metabolism is affected by the temperature of its environment. It was found that the flies had a failure Q10 value of 2. 964 whereas the recovery Q10 value was 2. 044. Figure 1: This shows the average amount of time it took for D. melanogaster to stop moving and enter into a coma as a result of being drowned in the water bath. Figure 2: This shows the average amount of time it took for D. melanogaster to start walking/crawling around again after being removed from the water bath. Discussion An exothermic organism’s metabolism exhibits a direct relationship with the temperature of its environment. This means that as the temperature of the organism’s environment decreases the rate of its metabolic pathways also decreases. As an exothermic organism, D. melanogaster shows that it is easier to shut down and enter an anoxic coma when in a colder environment as compared to being in a warmer environment. This shows that when in a cold water bath more mechanisms are working together to aid the organism in entering the anoxic coma. D. melanogaster also showed that is takes significantly more time to recover from an anoxic coma than it takes to enter one regardless of the water bath temperatures. This delay could be a result of the organism recreating its supply of the metabolites it requires to restore the sodium/potassium channels and enzymes needed for the metabolic pathways which are extremely important in providing movement in D. elanogaster. When leaving an anoxic coma D. melanogaster also has to prevent reactive oxygen stress while reoxygenating after anoxia. Milton (2007) showed that T. scripta have 5 potential sites for this type of prevention: up-regulation of protective pathways, increasing antioxidants and decreasing production after reperfusion, and repair, protection, and neurogenesis after the oxidation of proteins, lipids, DNA, and RNA. CO2 and N2 concentrations are known to also affect the recovery time. According to Nilson (2006), since â€Å"chill comas, CO2, [and N2] act directly on the transmission of neuronal signals† it comes as no surprise that recovery times increase with an increase of CO2 and N2 exposure. Also Vigne (2009) showed that â€Å"strong dietary restrictions that are close to starvation conditions† can reduce the amount of stress experienced from anoxia recovery. Many organisms are able enter anoxic comas in order to conserve their energy and survive extreme conditions for long periods. Haddad (2006) has shown that D. melanogaster can sustain an anoxia coma for up to 5 hours, and T. cripta have been known to survive 2 days of anoxia with less than 3% cell death upon reoxygenation (Milton, 2007). The human brain fails miserably in comparison which will die within 10 minutes of a decreased oxygen supply, since humans do not have mechanisms that allow them to freely enter anoxic comas or effectively deal with the stresses it causes on the body. The study of the mechanisms that allow other organisms to be anoxia tolerant can be used to understand the effects of some human conditions, and develop methods that counter their effect. D. elanogaster has been used in numerous research studies because they â€Å"provide a better model to study non—cell-autonomous effects† (Azad, 2009). In humans, anoxia is specifically associated with pulmonary diseases such as congenital heart diseases with right to left shunts. Present research is focusing on the effects trehalose, a glucose dimer, has with preventing, or reducing, anoxia related stresses that patients with pulmonary diseases experience. According Azad (2009), transfecting mammalian cells with Drosophila tps 1 gene prot ects them from anoxia related injury.

The Importance of Laertes and Fortinbras in Hamlet Essay example -- Ha

The Importance of Laertes and Fortinbras in Hamlet The Shakespearean play, Hamlet, is a story of revenge and the way the characters in the play respond to grief and the demands of loyalty. The importance of Fortinbras and Laertes in the play is an issue much discussed, analysed and critiqued. Fortinbras and Laertes are parallel characters to Hamlet, and they provide pivotal points on which to compare the actions and emotions of Hamlet throughout the play. They are also important in Hamlet as they are imperative to the plot of the play and the final resolution. Hamlet, Laertes and Fortinbras are three young men who are placed in similar circumstances, that is, to avenge their father's deaths. The way the each comes to terms with their grief and how they rise to the call of vengeance is one of main contrasts between the three. Laertes is a mirror to Hamlet. Shakespeare has made them similar in many aspects to provide a greater base for comparison when avenging their respective father's deaths. Hamlet and Laertes love Ophelia. Hamlet wishes Ophelia to be his wife, Laertes loves Ophelia as a sister. Hamlet is a scholar at Wittenberg, and Laertes at France. Both are admired for their swordsmenship. Both men loved and respected their fathers, and display deviousness when plotting to avenge their father's deaths. Hamlet's response to grief is a trait starkly contrasted by Laertes. Laertes response to the death of his father is immediate. He is publicly angry, and he leads the public riot occuring outside Castle Elsinore, which Polonius' death and quick burial served as a catalyst. He is suspicious, as is evident in his speech to Claudius. "How came he dead? I'll not be juggled with. / To hell, allegiance!"(Act 4, 5:130). Hamlet, however is very private with his grief. His mourning for King Hamlet is long and drawn out, two months after his father's death, he is still observed to be wearing "...suits of solemn black."[(Act1, 2:78) Claudius and Gertrude comment on his unhappiness, however it is not until Hamlet's first soliloquy that the audience is made aware of the depth of his suffering. Although dismayed at his mother's quick remarriage to his uncle, Hamlet suspects nothing of his father's murder until the ghost discloses this to him. When brought to the call of avenging their father's deaths, Laertes is fast to act, he is wants revenge and he wants ... ...s assumption to the lands he sought to attain, and the throne he ironically set out to avenge. As is hinted throughout the play, the state of Denmark has become corrupt. Marcellus' famous quote "There is something rotten in the state of Denmark"(Act 1, 5:90) is complemented by various other observations. "...tis an unweeded garden,"(Act 1, 2:134) and "our state to be disjoint and out of frame,"(Act 1, 2:20). In Elizabethan times it was generally thought that a monarch had to have rightful claim to the throne, lest the state descend into chaos. Fortinbras is essential to this overlying story line, as he is fundamental to the resolution of the corruption. The overlying story line is to make what was bad become good, and thus a complete resolution is needed. Fortinbras is instrumental in this resolution: as the only nobleman left to claim the throne rightfully, Hamlet bequeaths not only the land that Old Fortinbras lost, but also the state of Denmark. Hence Fortinbras attains what he had vowed to avenge, and the play comes full circle. All that made the state of Denmark rotten, a ll those involved with the corruption, are now dead hence the overlying story plot is fully resolved.

The Reasons Behind Puerto Rican Migration to America Essay -- History

The Reasons Behind Puerto Rican Migration to America As a Puerto Rican who was born and raised in Hartford, I did not think much about how or why my parents are here in the United States. It was after reading the articles in Hist 247 Reader: Latinos in the USA that I began to question the reasons and conditions of my grandparent's migration. Many think that Puerto Ricans began to migrate to the United States after 1898 when the United States took over Puerto Rico but Puerto Ricans have been migrating to the US since 1840's. The Puerto Rican migration is best described in two different experiences. The first experience from later 19th Century to early 20th Century is the migration due to the economic and social situations in Puerto Rico while the second experience from 1940's to the present is mostly due to the chain migration and the thought that the United States will offer them a better life. Both waves of migration brought new experiences to the United States like the struggle of identity, politics, and power. The fundamental motive for leaving Puerto Rico was economic. The article "The Genesis of the Puerto Rican Migration" mentions that during 1878-1879 there was a major shift in capitalist mode from haciendas to sugar plantations. Around 1870 braceros and peasants began to leave the island to go to Santo Domingo, Cuba, etc... Under North American domination 1898-1901, Puerto Rico became an expansion in which allowed " for control of the means of production in the colony and the transformation of the "sugar islands" into exporters of products needed in the metropolis" (Centro de Estudios Puertorriqueà ±o 348). To the United States, Puerto Rico became a means to gain more capital and power in the Caribbean. I agree with C... ...which our early ancestors had to deal with we still have to deal with like discrimination, stereotypes, and unemployment but not as badly as they did. We need to become one instead of trying to compete with each other in order to achieve what our ancestors wanted. Our politics have gone from class politics, ethnic politic to identity politics. We need to keep fighting in order to be represented in government and for our voices to be heard. Bibliography Barradas, Efrain. "How to Read Bernardo Vega" Hist. 247 Reader Cruz, Jose E. Identity and Power: Puerto Rican Politics and the Challenge of Ethnicity. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1998. Dietz, James. "Migration and International Corporations: The Puerto Rican Model of Development" Hist. 247 Reader Figueroa, Luis, ed. His. 247 Reader. Department of History. Trinity College. Spring 1999 edition.

Discuss how effective boot camps are for reducing future criminal behavior Essay

Discuss how effective boot camps are for reducing future criminal behavior. One type of intervention used to treat conduct disorder is the boot camp. The basic idea is that disruptive behaviors can be corrected by strict behavioral regulation and an emphasis on skills training (Weis & Toolis 2009). The intention of boot camps is to shock juveniles into complying and exhibiting more pro-social behaviors. Unfortunately, this method of rehabilitation is not based on empirical evidence nor supported by research (Garascia, 2005). Boot camps are controversial because they are not proven to be effective or appropriate for treating juvenile delinquents (Garascia, 2005). The general structure of boot camps is modeled after military basic training with strict scheduling, command from drill instructors, group discipline, little free time or privileges, and strenuous physical activity. Boot camps may be supplemented with academic and skills training programs (Garascia, 2005). Boot camps emerged in the early 1990s as an extension of adult correctional boot camps. While not as widespread now, as many as 50 juvenile boot camps operate in the United States (Weis & Toolis, 2009). Among the goals espoused for using boot camps as treatment are: reduce recidivism, reduce overcrowding, reduce costs, and rehabilitate youth (Weis & Toolis, 2009). Generally, recidivism rates from boot camp graduates are found to be similar to those who complete traditional residential correctional interventions. Boot camp programs may reduce overcrowding in detention centers and prisons since stays are shorter than traditional residential programs, allowing a quicker release into the community. While boot camps are less expensive than prisons or juvenile detention centers, they are more expensive than probation. If the offending juvenile is sentenced to boot camp instead of probation, then it is not cost effective. Weis, Crockett, and Vieth (2004) found that the average cost for boot camps per adolescent range from $6,241 to $14,021 depending on location, duration, and aftercare programs. In 1991, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) granted three organizations funds to create boot camps that had a military structure, used physical discipline, and provided aftercare services (Weis & Toolis, 2009). Boot camps evolved in three phases. The first generation of boot camps emphasized the military structure, extreme physical conditioning, and strict rules on the basis that shock and intimidation can correct disruptive behaviors. Juveniles were held  accountable for their crimes in hopes that it would deter them from future crime (Weis & Toolis, 2009). The second generation of boot camps focused on a balance between military structure and therapeutic programming such as schooling, job training, counseling, and daily living skills in order to increase self-control (Weis & Toolis, 2009). The third generation of boot camps placed less emphasis on military structure, following the belief that change occurs when the environment is one of respect and trust. Modeling and positive reinforcement were used as well as therapeutic and educational programming and intense aftercare programs (Weis & Toolis, 2009). Lastly, forced â€Å"treatment† has not worked. Even though youth given the diagnosis of conduct disorder are often criminalized, programs focusing on military-based, highly restrictive, coercive environments have failed to produce results to warrant their continued use. Rather than relying on these coercive tactics to â€Å"correct† these troubling behaviors, we must step back and reconsider the meaning and purpose of these behaviors- with close attention to the ecologies from which these youth emerge. If we focus equal resources at repairing (or preventing) the troubled worlds of these youth, compared to our investment in coercive, symptom-based strategies, we may likely achieve far greater results. References Garascia, J. A. (2005). The price we are willing to pay for punitive justice in the juvenile detention system: Mentally ill delinquents and their disproportionate share of the burden. Indiana Law Journal, 80, 489-515. Weis, R., Crockett, T. E., & Vieth, S. (2004). Using MMPI-A profiles to predict success in a military-style residential treatment program for adolescents with academic and conduct problems. Psychology in the Schools, 41(5), 563574. Weis, R., & Toolis, E. E. (2009). Evaluation of a voluntary military-style residential treatment program for youths with conduct problems: 6- and 36-month outcomes. Psychological Services, 6(2), 139-153.

Journeys End and A Long Long Way Essays

Journeys End and A Long Long Way Essays Journeys End and A Long Long Way Essay Journeys End and A Long Long Way Essay Essay Topic: Literature From the start, Sherriffs play Journeys End and Barrys novel A Long Long Way present two very different social class viewpoints of the Great War. Sherriffs play focuses on the viewpoint of the public school educated officers of the C Company and Barry presents his novel through the eyes of an ordinary Irish boy, Willie Dunne, who not having reached the height required for him to follow his father into the police force, opted to volunteer for the war. The biggest difference between both texts is the language. The novels narrative focalisation often shows the working class viewpoint of Willie whereas the play is full of public school register. The reader and the audience are aware, as a result of the difference in social class views and are provided with ample opportunities to compare the differences in both texts. Both the texts are a reflection of the times they were written. The play being written just after the war and during a time where theatre-going was a solely upper class phenomenon would not have been at all popular if it was focused on the lives of the working class soldiers rather than the lives of the officers. Similarly, the text being very much a modern novel makes use of social changes and therefore has no qualms about portraying the true nature of working class soldiers. Also, novels are not restricted to a particular social class of people, especially in this modern day and age, where the class differences have become increasingly blurred. The first few pages of both texts are an indication of the opinion of the respective writers as well as those portrayed in the texts. A Long Long Way starts with a dark and somewhat bleak picture of the streets of Dublin. With its rain-lashed streets and its cabmen huddling in their mucky gabardines it is the epitome of the harsh grind of working class life. The language is very earthy and realistic in the sense that it does not detract from the reality of the maternity ward in hospitals circa the late 19th century. The babies who cried like wounded cats in the laps of the nurses with their aprons of butchers in the hospital with its stony ox-skulls and draperies facade resembles in the readers mind the image of abattoirs. It is very much a working class setting for the reader to delve into. On the other hand, Journeys End could not be any more different. It starts off with a conversation between the outgoing company commander and the 2nd Lieutenant of the incoming company. It is filled with public school register and very controlled language. It most importantly displays the classic stiff upper lip nature of the British upper classes. Hardy commenting on the soldiers being frightfully annoyed with dirt in their tea after a bomb, is such an example. This is therefore an explicit illustration of the differences between social class within the interactions and the lives of the Officers and the ordinary men. Social class differences portrayed within the texts are also evident. Journeys End, a play from the Officers stance, is very much discriminatory towards the generally working class soldiers. The army in those days consisted of two groups, the Officers and the men. Stanhope is very insistent on the dividing line between the two groups. He, as part of the upper class system, seems to consider the loyal soldiers under his command as separate from his staff, comprising of the lieutenants. His objective view of the soldiers below him is what causes him to separate them and portray them to the audience as a completely different entity. His reference to the soldiers as the men as well as his incredulity at Raleigh feeding with the men is an illustration of his sense of superiority and separate nature from the common soldiers. Whereas, in Journeys End the commanding officers as well the lower ranking officers remain aloof and separate from the soldiers, A Long Long Way presents a much more humanitarian side to the company commanding officers. Captain Pasley accompanying Clancy, OHara and Willie for a swim in the river running through the reserve lines is something that the audience cannot picture Stanhope doing. The company captains in A Long Long Way are much more liberal. Talking about the big liming job as well as bawling out those happy words, Can you sling them on your shoulder Like a lousy fucking soldier Do your balls hang low? seems something common soldiers would sing about. However, it is Captains Pasley and Sheridan, respectively, who talk about the farming or sing songs that are popular with the men, with obvious enthusiasm. One observation that comes to mind is that in Journeys End the company officers are English, whereas in A Long Long Way the company commanders are Irish as well as the men. It would seem that the rural nature of Ireland was the overriding factor, that an Irishman coming out of Sandhurst would never be the same as a middle or upper-class Englishman. It can be seen within the two texts that social class differences even play a role in a persons sense of honour and duty. Journeys End being a play based on the experience of the officers in a company, one would have presumed that the sense of honour and duty would be prevalent throughout. However, this is not the case. We see that Hardy is not at all concerned with any proper sense of honour and duty. His duty to his country manifests itself in his enquiry about looking every inch the soldier. However, this is contrasted by Osbornes strong sense of duty. He is dutiful and very loyal to Stanhope while Hardy being the shirking type, incredulously remarks Osborne is fussy and God! you are a worker. This difference is seen within the same class system. Both of them are obviously not working class soldiers but their attitudes on honour and duty differ. It therefore stands to reason that there will be such differences, if not more contrasting ones, from either side of the line. The audience is not disappointed, but the differences are somewhat unexpected. Hibbert, an officer of the company, is a weak and ineffectually individual. From the start Sherriff immediately establishes him as someone that does not contribute fully to the team, and because of this, we do not feel sympathy for him. In contrast to this, Mason, a fighting soldier, acts as a cook and as well as a servant. He is evidently hard-working and keen to serve, and Osborne and Trotter discussing his dirty dishcloth also provides some light humour. Mason serves as a reminder that normal activities still need to continue, and his all-round good nature endears the audience to him. He obviously has no fears of stepping on to the front line from the relative safety of his dug-out kitchen. When Stanhope tells him to finish up in the kitchen and join the platoon in the line; his reply is a simple and straightforward very good, sir. Having seen the differences that an individuals social class can have on their outlook on not only life, but also how it affect their dealings with others as well as their commitment and contribution to life in the trench; it is obviously the case that the two social classes will behave differently. We see in A Long Long Way the true nature of the ordinary soldiers. The use of foul language as well as the very realistic portrayal of men dealing with their fellow men is most apparent in the interaction of Willie, Christy Moran the Sergeant Major and Pete OHara. The sexual realism that is portrayed, such as Willies need to masturbate to stop himself from exploding worse than any bomb is also a depiction of how the common soldiers behaved. The novels Sergeant Major, the highest ranking soldier amongst the men, is by far the truest soldier amongst his men. He is a full time soldier and as a result he sees no problem in using foul language on a frequent basis. Even the most simple of directions or observations have to be interspersed with a fucking or a shite. But despite the rough demeanour, the soldiers liked him, all the guff and gristle that he was. However, when this is compared to the captains of Willies company, it would seem that their behaviour is as varied as they themselves. Captain Pasley is portrayed as the typical upper-class officer. He is seemingly unaware of the risks that come with raising your head above the parapet with alarming indifference. However this could just be the typical bravado displayed by middle and upper-class men, who would suffer unbearably, sometimes for no good reason, rather than show any sign of weakness. His observation that the night and land are beautiful and of the river that he is sure is absolutely full of trout is all a caricature and Barry mocking his obvious public school upbringing. The other captain of the company, Captain Sheridan, is however vastly different. He has a very merry way about him and is insistent on keeping troop morale high. This he does by singing songs whilst on the march. He is sufficiently versed in the working class nature of the soldiers to enjoy singing Charlotte the Harlot and Do your Balls Hang Low. On the other hand, Sherriffs Journeys End does not at all mirror the way Barry has written his novel or his presentation of characters from two different social classes. The behaviour of the various characters within the play, compared to the novel, is very frigid. There is no interaction between the regular soldiers and the officers of the company. Trotter and Mason, both working class soldiers, although Trotter has been promoted to a Lieutenant, are in a sense breaths of fresh air amongst the very reserved atmosphere that can be felt within the dugout. As the plays central focus is on public school life, talk of rugby, cricket and schoolmasters, acts as a bond between the men. It helps the upper-class soldiers deal with the stresses of war if they think of the war as an extension of their public school-life. With public-schools at the time being single-sex establishments, the men having to live and work together in the small space of a dugout would not have been to fazed because they would have had undoubtedly shared rooms back in school. Such a shared background is clearly significant. Osborne measures distances by relating them to rugby fields and Raleigh relates his fatal injury to one he suffered whilst playing rugby. It is for them a way to escape from all the horrors of the war. As a result, it would seem that the rest of the officers stay aloof from either Trotter or Mason. To some extent, the separation between them and Mason is justifiable, in the sense that servant and officers dont mix. But Trotter, who is also an officer, cannot escape the stereotype associated with him by his public-school bred colleagues. He is seen by the others as a genuine sort of chap who makes things feel natural. Stanhope thinks he has no imagination and believes that Trotter is always the same or never get sick to death of everything. It is obvious that Trotter has come to terms with the slightly patronising behaviour and the presumed lack of intelligence he has to endure within the army. He shows his fierce commitment and loyalty when he is made second in command. He evidently feels honoured by the promotion and promises Stanhope that he will do his best and not let him down. The social class difference also transcends into the way the soldiers and officers talk to each other. In Journeys End, the two main working class characters are Mason and Trotter. Mason speaks in a Cockney accent and Sherriff indicates this through the spelling and dropped letter at both the beginning as well as the end of words. The meat that he serves at the beginning of the play has a noo shape and asnt got that smooth wet look that liver has. Trotter also speaks differently from the other officers. His use of the phrase I reckon where Raleigh and the others would you I suppose is a clear example of this. His exclamations are more frequent as well. They consist of damn and bloomin' as well as blinkin' whereas the other officers would say things like beastly, frightfully and, very rarely, damned. Another clear illustration of this is when Trotter comes to see Osborne just before the raid. His simple, yet crude rhymes contrast with Osbornes evocative references to Alice in Wonderland. Trotter declaims, Tell me, mother, what is that / That looks like strawberry jam? / Hush, hush my dear; tis only Pa / Run over by a tram with its obvious reference to death. While in contrast, Osborne talks of the gently smiling jaws of the little crocodile, with a more subdued indication of life and death. The two officers have different ways of expressing their response to the war. Where Trotter explicitly refers to the situation; Osborne, on the other hand, refers to it in a more controlled and implicit way, typical of most public-school characters. Moving away from the war for just a moment, it is clear that where in the trenches, social class played a major role in the way soldiers were treated by one another, it also meant that lives outside before the war were very different, to say the least. The rich upper-class, public-school educated boys would all have had their lives set out for them. For some, the war came as a welcome break from the monotonous and dreary, controlled and restrained lifestyle. For many, it was an adventure. It was a way for them to go and see the world. What also helped was the fact that many of these young lads had some sort of Combined Cadet Force training, very much in line with the old Imperial tradition. However, for the working-class men, some had no choice but to go. It was for them a way of not only gaining recognition but also a way of earning money to feed the hungry mouths within their homes. It was for some, a lifeline. It was a way to make something out of their lives. It would have been an amazing story to tell the grandchildren by the fire. Many went for aesthetic reasons, and had help making decisions from the countless pro-war propaganda campaigning that was going on. One such advert with the slogan, Daddy, what did YOU do in the Great War, would have no doubt sent many a young father off to the War, some destined never to return. The life of the upper-class, public-school soldiers is clearly showed in Journeys End. Osborne was a schoolmaster who refereed Rugger games. His revelation that he played for the Harlequins as well as for England on one great occasion is greeted with an almost reverent Oh, but, good Lord! that must have been simply topping from Raleigh. In comparison, Willie from A Long Long Way is but a mere builder working for Dempsey, the most renowned construction contractor in Dublin. This again shows in full force the gap between the working-class soldiers and their public-school counterparts. In conclusion, it can be seen that social class differences played a major role in how men acted and were treated within the army. Both the texts have a wide variety of differences with regards to the social class differences within the soldiers of one company. However, it must be noted that in a way, the war made all that difference worthless. The great shadow of Death did no differentiate between who had a public-school upbringing in Eton or Repton and who was brought up on a farm or in the slums on the outskirts of Dublin. Perhaps this is why towards the end of the war the line dividing the public-schooled upper classes from the common working class man became increasingly blurred. This is shown in both texts, with Trotter, a working-class soldier, being promoted to second in command of the C Company; and in A Long Long Way, with Christy Moran being made the surrogate captain of the Dublin Fusiliers. At the start of the First World War, only men who were public-school educated could be commissioned officers. However, as can be seen from both texts, the class system was changing and the traditional officer class no longer existed. After the first year of the war, it became possible to gain promotion without having to be privately educated. It would seem that this is how Sherriff himself became a captain in the East Surrey regiment. But it did not stop there. After World War II, the people of Britain had become exasperated with the right-wing, middle-class dominated Conservative party. The political party of Churchill was overthrown by the people in favour of a more socialist party. A party, that was devoted to the fairness and equality that was demanded by so many of the people in Britain. This serves to illustrate exactly how social class attitudes can change in the face of trials and tragedy. Britain underwent a massive social change and in 1945, twelve weeks after the end of the War, the socialist, left-wing Labour party won the national election in an amazing landslide; such that it was equated to a political earthquake.

Mla

Mla MLA Documentation StyleDifferent academic disciplines use different systems of documentation. The Modern LanguageAssociation (MLA) style, presented in the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, iswidely used throughout the humanities.A. Parenthetical ReferencesB. Content and Bibliographical NotesC. List of D. MLA-Style Sample EssayA. Parenthetical ReferencesIn MLA style, a parenthetical reference identifies a source and refers readers to the full citationof the source in the list of works cited. Following are some sample MLA-style parentheticalreferences.Author and page (short quotation)Prose quotations that run no more than four lines in your essay are integrated into the text andenclosed in double quotation marks. The author's name need not appear in the parentheticalreference if it is included in the signal or introductory phrase, as in the first example:Mark Kingwell defines happiness as "the possession of virtuous character and theperformance of virtuous action" (327).The MLA Style ManualThe search for J.D. Salinger, the New Hampshire recluse whom one reviewer called "theGreta Garbo of American letters" (Swados 119), became something of a minor nationalobsession in the early 1960s.Author and page (long quotation)Prose quotations that run more than four lines are set off from the text by indenting ten spacesfrom the left margin. Block quotations are not enclosed in quotation marks.Swift's ironic "A Modest Proposal" paints a devastating portrait of Ireland's poor:Some persons of a desponding spirit are in great concern about that vast number of poorpeople, who are aged, diseased, or maimed, and I have been desired to employ mythoughts what course may be taken to ease the nation of so grievous an encumbrance. ButI am not in the least pain upon that matter, because it is very well known that...

Napoleons Empire

Napoleon's Empire The borders of France and the states ruled by France grew during the wars of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars. On May 12th, 1804 these conquests received a new name: the Empire, ruled by a hereditary Bonaparte Emperor. The first – and in the end only – emperor was Napoleon, and at times he ruled vast swathes of the European continent: by 1810 it was easier to list the regions he didn’t dominate: Portugal, Sicily, Sardinian, Montenegro, and the British, Russian and  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹Ottoman Empires. However, while it’s easy to think of the Napoleonic Empire as one monolith, there was considerable variation within the states. The Make-Up of the Empire The empire was divided into a three-tier system. Pays Rà ©unis: this was land governed by the administration in Paris, and included the France of the natural frontiers (i.e. the Alps, the Rhine and the Pyrenees), plus states now subsumed into this government: Holland, Piedmont, Parma, the Papal States, Tuscany, the Illyrian Provinces and a lot more of Italy. Including France, this totaled 130 departments in 1811 – the peak of the empire – with forty-four million people. Pays Conquis: a set of conquered, although supposedly independent, countries which were ruled by people approved by Napoleon (largely his relatives or military commanders), designed to buffer France from attack. The nature of these states ebbed and flowed with the wars, but included the Confederation of the Rhine, Spain, Naples, the Duchy of Warsaw and parts of Italy. As Napoleon developed his empire, these came under greater control. Pays Allià ©s: The third level was fully independent states who were bought, often unwillingly, under Napoleon’s control. During the Napoleonic Wars Prussia, Austria and Russia were both enemies and unhappy allies. The Pays Rà ©unis and Pays Conquis formed the Grand Empire; in 1811, this totaled 80 million people. In addition, Napoleon redrew central Europe, and another empire ceased: the Holy Roman Empire was disbanded on August 6th, 1806, never to return. Nature of the Empire The treatment of states in the empire varied depending on how long they remained part of it, and whether they were in the Pays Rà ©unis or Pays Conquis. It’s worth pointing out that some historians reject the idea of time as a factor, and focus on regions in which pre-napoleon events inclined them to be more receptive to Napoleon’s changes. States in the Pays Rà ©unis before the Napoleonic era were fully departmentalized and saw the benefits of the revolution, with the end of ‘feudalism’ (such as it existed), plus land redistribution. States in both the Pays Rà ©unis and Pays Conquis received the Napoleonic legal Code, the Concordat, tax demands, and administration based on the French system. Napoleon also created ‘dotations’. These were areas of land seized from conquered enemies where the entire revenue was given to Napoleon’s subordinates, conceivably forever if the heirs stayed loyal. In practice they were a huge drain on the loca l economies: the Duchy of Warsaw lost 20% of revenue in dotations. Variation remained in outlying areas, and in some privileges survived through the era, unaltered by Napoleon. His introduction of his own system was less ideologically driven and more practical, and he would pragmatically accept survivals which the revolutionaries would have cut out. His driving force was to keep control. Nevertheless, we can see the early republics being transformed slowly into more centralized states as Napoleon’s reign developed and he envisioned more of a European empire. One factor in this was the success and failure of the men Napoleon had placed in charge of conquered lands – his family and officers – because they varied greatly in their loyalty, sometimes proving more interested in their new land than aiding their patron despite in most cases owing everything to him. Most of Napoleon’s clan appointments were poor local leaders, and an exasperated Napoleon sought more control. Some of Napoleon’s appointees were genuinely interested in effecting liberal reforms and being loved by their new states: Beauharnais created a stable, loyal and balanced government in Italy and was very popular. However, Napoleon prevented him from doing more, and often clashed with his other rulers: Murat and Joseph ‘failed’ with the constitution and Continental System in Naples. Louis in Holland rejected much of his brother’s demands and was ousted from power by an angry Napoleon. Spain, under the ineffectual Joseph, couldn’t really have gone more wrong. Napoleon’s Motives In public, Napoleon was able to promote his empire by stating laudatory aims. These included safeguarding the revolution against Europe’s monarchies and spreading freedom throughout oppressed nations. In practice, Napoleon was driven by other motives, although their competing nature is still debated by historians. It’s less likely that Napoleon began his career with a plan to rule Europe in a universal monarchy – a sort of Napoleon dominated empire which covered the whole continent – and more likely he evolved into wanting this as the opportunities of war brought him greater and greater success, feeding his ego and expanding his aims. However, a hunger for glory and a hunger for power – whatever power that may be - seem to have been his over-riding concerns for much of his career. Napoleon’s Demands on Empire As parts of the empire, the conquered states were expected to assist in furthering Napoleon’s aims. The cost of the new warfare, with greater armies, meant more expense than ever before, and Napoleon used the empire to for funds and troops: success funded more attempts at success. Food, equipment, goods, soldiers, and tax were all drained out by Napoleon, much of it in the form of heavy, often annual, tribute payments. Napoleon had another demand on his empire: thrones and crowns on which to place and reward his family and followers. While this form of patronage left Napoleon in control of the empire by keeping leaders tightly bound to him – although putting close supporters in power didn’t always work, such as in Spain and Sweden – it also let him keep his allies happy. Large estates were carved out of the empire both to reward and to encourage the recipients to fight to keep the empire. However, all these appointments were told to think of Napoleon and France first, and their new homes second. The Briefest of Empires The empire was created militarily and had to be enforced militarily. It survived the failures of Napoleon’s appointments only as long as Napoleon was winning to support it. Once Napoleon failed, it was swiftly able to eject him and many of the puppet leaders, although the administrations often remained intact. Historians have debated whether the empire could have lasted and whether Napoleon’s conquests if allowed to last, would have created a unified Europe still dreamt of by many. Some historians have concluded that Napoleon’s empire was a form of continental colonialism that could not have lasted. But in the aftermath, as Europe adapted, a lot of the structures Napoleon put in place survived. Of course, historians debate exactly what and how much, but new, modern administrations could be found all over Europe. The empire created, in part, more bureaucratic states, better access to the administration for the bourgeoisie, legal codes, limits on the aristocracy an d church, better tax models for the state, religious toleration and secular control in church land and roles.

How people do things that are not suppost to do Essay

How people do things that are not suppost to do - Essay Example Not only does the apparently unmotivated take on motive; perversely, we become visitors to a prison rather than readers of a philosophical discourse:† â€Å"The speaker denies his madness by calling himself a victim of the principle he has outlined. Yet his language hovers between calculation and illogic. The narrator explains "why I am here . . . wearing these fetters" by reference to a cause that is only a perverse absence of cause. From the standpoint of realistic representation, the perverse narrator betrays his deviance through linguistic peculiarities. â€Å" â€Å"†¦he assumes an understanding of what he has not yet explained. Both fictional speakers break accepted conventions by employing the definite article, where "the idea" and "the murder" have not been previously explicated. If we read these narrators as mimetic characters, their linguistic deviations may be signs of defective mental processes.† â€Å"A rhetorical moment takes the place of all ghosts, when "the imp of the perverse" drives the speaker to confess. "The rabble" would understand his behavior as a symptom of madness, but his perversity turns out to be a reflex inherent in words.† â€Å"The narrator is a man in crisis. His drinking has pushed him to the point where he is capable of violence, even against a wife who, although patient and long-suffering, is incapable of helping her husband. The two cats in this story remind him of better days, before the narrator’s alcoholism produced in his personality â€Å"a radical alteration for the worst† (598). But his substance abuse has provided him with at least one insight. He has learned that â€Å"the spirit of PERVERSENESS,† the self’s â€Å"unfathomable longing to vex itself—to offer violence to its own nature,† is a fundamental aspect of â€Å"the character of Man†Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"The narrator’s alcoholism, his propensity for violent behavior, his acute isolation, and

Chemistry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Chemistry - Essay Example In this conformation there is no steric strain and no torsional strain. Due to the migration of electrons towards the more electronegative nucleus in a bond between two different elements the molecules become polarized. In larger molecules a number of poles form and this causes some parts of the molecule to attract and some to repel each other. In the butane molecule both ends of the molecule are rotating around the C-C bond and take different configurations (these are constantly changing. Steric strain is caused by the crowding together of groups – as explained above the groups are forced to approach each other till they touch, but because of their similar polarity they are under forces of repulsion also. This leads to the molecule possessing extra potential energy, this energy is called steric strain. a. In 1870, Markonikov laid down a basic principle of chemistry that holds till today. The Markonikov Rule states that when a hydrogen halide (Hydrochloric acid, HCl being an example) reacts with an asymmetrically substituted alkene the hydrogen attaches itself to the carbon atom that has the larger number of its hydrogen atoms substituted. The halogen automatically attaches itself to the carbon atom having the least number of its hydrogens substituted. An example of such an addition reaction: b. Enantiomers are two molecules of the same chemical that are the mirror image of each other, like our hands, they are similar but yet not the same and can not be superimposed on each other. Such molecules are called Enantiomers. They are not isomers and are not different from each other in any way except in their configuration. c. An Emperical formula gives the proportion of the constituent elements in the molecule but does not give the exact composition of the molecule. The empirical formula represents the mole fraction/ ratio of each element in the compound. For example the empirical formula may show that there is hydrogen and

Do Nurses' Empathy affect the outcome of care Literature review - 1

Do Nurses' Empathy affect the outcome of care - Literature review Example Empathy in a clinical environment involves an ability to communicate, understand and check the truth of the patients and get the feedback (Bloom, 2014). The need of empathy is to ensure that nurses are emotionally taking care to patients. It is believed that the best way for the practising empathy by the nurse periodically is to make contact with the patient’s situation. Nurses through empathy are able to understand the need of patients and their physical concern. However, this may not always be possible by the nurse practitioners because of some difficulties such as lack of understanding or low operating levels and time constraints. The important part of the empathy for the nurse profession is the operating level, lack of empathic services and burnout (Boyle, 2011). During my clinical practise, I have seen that empathy plays a vital role in the nursing profession. Empathy is to be regarded as the skill to see and value the need patients, their feelings and perception. Clinically, empathy plays a crucial role in understanding the perception of patients. This is a way to provide treatment to patients to ensure corrective health care. It is revealed that through empathy a strong relation amid patient and nurse is created, which helps in providing proper medication and treatment. Empathy is the skill to become sensible, aware, understand and be sensitive towards the others attitudes, behaviour and feeling (Canale, Louis, Maio, Wang, Rossi, Hojat, & Gonnella, 2012). Empathy is an intellectual situation where in the same sets of emotions are shared with the individual. Furthermore, it is also stated that the level of empathy felt by people can vary and can be determined by various factors such as the individual behaviour of the people (Cole-King, & G ilbert, 2011). I have also observed that personal communications within the technological advancement, society and shared experience is an important factor, which disturbs the level of empathy within the society and

Operation Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Operation Management - Essay Example The economic and social factor of people has changed drastically and that is why education and warnings about dangerous things should be given priority before embarking on business. Excellent programs on data collection about the coffee business, surveys of past errors and how they can be corrected should also be scrutinized. Consequently, recommendations have to be underway on how coffee shops can curb accidents resulting from coffee burns. Coffee management strategies that rarely have the specific objectives which are organized by all the stakeholders and for this reason they can always undermine the support of the stakeholders on the selling of coffee to their customers. In this paper I evaluate and discuss the strategies used in the case where by McDonald was sued for selling the customer hot coffee which accidentally burns Mrs. Stella Liebeck on her way home in car driven by her grandson. The approach used by the people who sued the McDonald was robust processes to achieve justi ce for what happened to Mrs. Liebeck.I also review the importance of all the businesses in the world today to understand the uncertainties of balancing the economic, biological and sociological objectives of their customers. Operation Management Introduction The case of McDonald’s coffee shop is a good example of factors that many businesses tend to ignore. ... In the world today, coffee markets have increased and is dominated by the brand coffee shops which include foreign and home made coffee (Lee and Yeu 2010.).Since 2009, coffee shops have increased drastically to suit the ever growing population. The coffee shops have grown in number across the country (Park and Lee 2010) Due to the fact that customers buy coffee any where and any time, Liabeck bought coffee which later spilt on her laps causing severe burns which made her hospitalized for eight days. The impact of various customers behavior and the repercussions and hospitality studies have been put upfront on how to retain customers in coffee shops and restaurants.(Kwun and Oh,2006).in this paper, I critically look at the impact of the case between McDonalds and Mrs. Liabeck. The main reason for the case is that, McDonalds sold very hot coffee to a customer who was in a hurry which ended up causing severe burns on her body .Another thing that I will look at is the importance of using a proper procedure when evaluating the McDonalds case. The management strategic evaluation should be put in place to help the stakeholders help make the decisions in a firm (Kolli 2000). Methodology The method used was questionnaire where by it consisted of four parts that were basically modified by the stakeholders for them to fit the context of a coffee shop. First of all, the whole study had a scenario from a context of tourism which could fit well in the modification of a coffee shop. The next step was basically to ask all the respondents to evaluate their experiences at the McDonalds coffee shop in regard to the functional attributes of the shop. The third step was to ask the customers their attitudes towards the coffee shop (He and Mukherjee, 2007). Executive summary The

A Study of Internal and External Effects on Entrepreneurship in The Dissertation

A Study of Internal and External Effects on Entrepreneurship in The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia - Dissertation Example The development of the telecommunication technology since the beginning of the current century has played a major role in the process of bringing a massive technological evolution and enhancement in the lives of the masses around the world. The rising level of internet connectivity and Wi-Fi penetration in various markets and regions around the world along with the factor of rising popularity of various sophisticated technology enabled gadgets like the Smartphones, tablets and laptops has played the role of a major catalyst in diffusing the technological and communication related advancement in markets around the world. It is important to state that the high levels of internet connectivity coupled with the rising acceptance of various end user technological devices has helped in the process of transforming the world in to a single highly connected entity. As a result of this technological transformation in to a well connected single virtual entity, various new trends are emerging fro m marketplaces around the world. The new trends which are emerging in the markets of both developed as well as emerging regions are often a by product of globalization as well as new innovation of incremental or radical nature in case of product or services. The rising globalization powered innovative product and service trends are playing an important role in triggering the consumer demand for various innovative products and services in the globally connected markets. As a result of the growing demand for new kinds of products and services in markets around the world, various new opportunities of business are emerging on a regular basis. To tap the new business opportunities that are emerging in various international markets, business organizations and enterprises located in different markets around the world are focusing on engaging in cross border trade activities like engaging in trade export or directly entering the new markets of growth. With the entry of new players of foreig n orientation in a particular market, the dynamics of market competition gets enhanced in a tremendous manner. The entry of new players in the market significantly increases the availability of homogeneous products and services in the markets, which directly leads to a rise of substitute products and services for the consumers. As a result, it can be simply said that the rise of consumer choices alters the power dynamics existing in the market from the sellers to the buyers. Apart from the rise of competition in various new markets, it is very important to consider the multiple macroeconomic issues that currently exist in the global markets. The current trends reveal that the growth prospects in most of the developing economies has slowed down in the recent times because of the influence of a variety of factors like high debt, corruption, tremendous currency fluctuations as well as lack of proper policy development. A region by region analysis of the various macroeconomic factors

Operation Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Operation Management - Essay Example The economic and social factor of people has changed drastically and that is why education and warnings about dangerous things should be given priority before embarking on business. Excellent programs on data collection about the coffee business, surveys of past errors and how they can be corrected should also be scrutinized. Consequently, recommendations have to be underway on how coffee shops can curb accidents resulting from coffee burns. Coffee management strategies that rarely have the specific objectives which are organized by all the stakeholders and for this reason they can always undermine the support of the stakeholders on the selling of coffee to their customers. In this paper I evaluate and discuss the strategies used in the case where by McDonald was sued for selling the customer hot coffee which accidentally burns Mrs. Stella Liebeck on her way home in car driven by her grandson. The approach used by the people who sued the McDonald was robust processes to achieve justi ce for what happened to Mrs. Liebeck.I also review the importance of all the businesses in the world today to understand the uncertainties of balancing the economic, biological and sociological objectives of their customers. Operation Management Introduction The case of McDonald’s coffee shop is a good example of factors that many businesses tend to ignore. ... In the world today, coffee markets have increased and is dominated by the brand coffee shops which include foreign and home made coffee (Lee and Yeu 2010.).Since 2009, coffee shops have increased drastically to suit the ever growing population. The coffee shops have grown in number across the country (Park and Lee 2010) Due to the fact that customers buy coffee any where and any time, Liabeck bought coffee which later spilt on her laps causing severe burns which made her hospitalized for eight days. The impact of various customers behavior and the repercussions and hospitality studies have been put upfront on how to retain customers in coffee shops and restaurants.(Kwun and Oh,2006).in this paper, I critically look at the impact of the case between McDonalds and Mrs. Liabeck. The main reason for the case is that, McDonalds sold very hot coffee to a customer who was in a hurry which ended up causing severe burns on her body .Another thing that I will look at is the importance of using a proper procedure when evaluating the McDonalds case. The management strategic evaluation should be put in place to help the stakeholders help make the decisions in a firm (Kolli 2000). Methodology The method used was questionnaire where by it consisted of four parts that were basically modified by the stakeholders for them to fit the context of a coffee shop. First of all, the whole study had a scenario from a context of tourism which could fit well in the modification of a coffee shop. The next step was basically to ask all the respondents to evaluate their experiences at the McDonalds coffee shop in regard to the functional attributes of the shop. The third step was to ask the customers their attitudes towards the coffee shop (He and Mukherjee, 2007). Executive summary The

My personal capital Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

My personal capital - Essay Example What exactly will be the nature of business under the plan for my group? As a business consultant and empanelled with local chapter of chamber of commerce, I will seek to organize a seminar on emerging businesses that involve local as well as international venturing. Technical experts from various fields will be invited to take part in the workshop and discussions forming part of this seminar. Ideas about new products and services on the horizon will get exchanged; and after attaining details about two or three alternative ventures from these workshop and discussion forum the matter will be deliberated at the group level in order to take a final decision about the venture to be pursued. Next step will involve utilization of my capabilities in deciding the type of business entity to be established for the business. Do we need to incorporate our business or form a partnership is a crucial decision to be taken? The fact is that ‘the nature of your business is one of the factors th at must be evaluated in determining the best business entity for your business.’(Sherri K. DeWitt) . Though corporation provides certain protection from liabilities to shareholders, but partnerships have certain advantages as well. Partnership can be a general partnership or limited liability partnership. Then there is another alternative in shape of LLC. So the decision about incorporating the business or not is a crucial one; and my experience and capabilities intuit me to suggest corporation status as the business should always be of permanent nature and not depending upon the vagaries of ownership.

Children of a Lesser God Essay Example for Free

Children of a Lesser God Essay This film is based on a stage play of the same title. It tells about James Leeds, a man who teaches children with special needs in a school for the deaf and those who are hard of hearing. He is a devoted and inventive teacher who shows a deep compassion for his students, applying teaching methods he could think of just to draw out the interest of his students to learn, do more and accomplish things to the fullest of their capacity. James meets and falls in love with Sarah Norman, a beautiful woman who works for the same school and has been deaf since she was a baby. At first Sarah avoids James until he is able to draw her out from her shell and eventually he is able to convince her to live together. Sarah is full of bitterness, hurt and other emotional scars over the mistreatment she experienced while she was growing up because of her impairment and this jeopardizes their relationship. Sarah has to come to terms with her personal issues and needs to feel that she is an independent woman. In due course, they are able to settle things amidst the difficulties they come across in communication. The movie made me realize the significance of communication among people and people who have communication disorders should be given special attention in order for them to be heard. Even individuals who are fully capacitated physically have a hard time in getting messages understood. I just hope that there will be more teachers like James Leeds in this world who loves what he does and changes the lives of other people. The movie, which focuses mostly on the hearing impaired, is very much relevant to this course. It gives us the glimpse of how they live and struggle to be understood and to understand others. It portrays the complexity of their lives and helps us appreciate how difficult things are for them and moves us to do something for them. WORKS CITED Children of a Lesser God. Dir. Randa Haines. Perfs. William Hurt, Marlee Matlin, Piper Laurie, Phillip Bosco. VCD. Paramount Pictures, 1986.

Banking, Corporate Governance and the 2007 Financial Crisis

Banking, Corporate Governance and the 2007 Financial Crisis Throughout the world, by the end of 2008, many banks had seen most of their equity destroyed by the crisis that started in the US subprime sector in 2007. Yet, not all banks across the world performed equally poorly. In this paper, we investigate how banks that performed better during the crisis, measuring performance by stock returns, differed from other banks before the crisis. Academics, journalists, and policy-makers have argued that lax regulation, insufficient capital, excessive reliance on short-term financing, and poor governance all contributed to making the crisis as serious as it was. If these factors did contribute to making the crisis worse, we would expect that banks that were more exposed to these factors performed more poorly during the crisis. We investigate the relation between these factors and the stock return performance of large banks during the crisis, where large banks are defined as banks with assets in excess of $50 billion in 2006. With our definition of la rge banks, 32 countries had at least one large bank and our sample includes 164 large banks from these countries. Many analyses of the crisis emphasize the run on the funding of banks that relied on short-term finance in the capital markets for a substantial fraction of their financing (see, for instance, Adrian and Shin, 2008, Brunnermeier, 2009, Gorton, 2010, and Diamond and Rajan, 2009). We would expect banks that rely on short-term finance before the crisis to perform worse during the crisis. We find that this is the case with two different approaches. First, we find strong evidence that banks that relied more on deposits for their financing in 2006 fared better during the crisis. Second, following Demirg ¨ ucKunt and Huizinga (2010), we use a measure of short-term funding provided by sources other than customer deposits. We show that performance is strongly negatively related to that mea-sure both for the sample of large banks and the sample extended to include large financial institutions that are not depository banks, such as investment banks. These analyses also emphasize how losses fo rce banks to reduce their leverage, perhaps through fire sales of securities, and how this effect is greater for banks with more leverage. We find that large banks with less leverage in 2006 performed better during the crisis. An Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) report argues that ‘‘the financial crisis can be to an important extent attributed to failures and weaknesses in corporate governance arrangements’’ (Kirkpatrick, 2008). More recently, the National Commission on the Causes of the Financial and Economic Crisis in the United States concluded that ‘‘dramatic failures of corporate governanceyat many systematically important financial institutions were a key cause of this crisis.’’ (The Financial Crisis Inquiry Report, 2011, pp. xvii). Some academic studies also emphasize that flaws in bank governance played a key role in the performance of banks (Diamond and Rajan, 2009, and Bebchuk and Spamann, 2010). The idea is generally that banks with poor governance engaged in excessive risk taking, causing them to make larger losses during the crisis because they were riskier. We use two proxies for governance. The first one is the ownership of the controlling shareholder in 2006. The second one is whether the bank had a shareholder-friendly board. To the extent that governance played a role, we would expect banks with better governance to have performed better. It is generally believed that greater ownership by insiders aligns their incentives more closely with the interests of shareholders. However, a powerful controlling shareholder could use control of a bank to benefit other related entities, so that it is not necessarily the case that greater ownership by the controlling shareholder means better alignment of interests of management with shareholders. Some limited evidence shows that banks with higher ownership by the control-ling shareholder performed better. In contrast, a strong and unambiguous relation exists between the extent to which a board was shareholder friendly in 2006 and a bank’s performance during the crisis. Banks with a share-h older-friendly board performed worse during the crisis. The hypothesis that the crisis resulted from excessive risk taking made possible by poor governance would imply the opposite result, so that our evidence poses a considerable challenge to the proponents of that hypothesis. We also investigate whether banks with better governance were less risky in 2006 and find no evidence supportive of that hypothesis either. Banks with more shareholder-friendly boards had a lower distance to default in 2006 but did not have higher idiosyncratic risk or higher leverage than other banks. Like Laeven and Levine (2009), we find that banks with higher controlling shareholder ownership are riskier, as these banks had greater idiosyncratic risk and a lower distance to default before the crisis. Governance and board characteristics are endogenously determined (see, e.g., Hermalin and Weisbach, 1998). In the context of our study, an important form of endogeneity stressed in the literature seems to have little relevance. Though taking into account the possibility that good governance could be caused by expectations about future outcomes generally is important, the banks with more shareholder-friendly boards are highly unlikely to have had such boards because they anticipated the crisis and expected to require better governance during it. At the same time, the concern that governance is significantly related to performance because it is associated with unobserved bank characteristics is important in the context of our study. In fact, the existence of such a relation is the only way to explain the results we find. In other words, shareholder-friendly boards created more value for shareholders through their decisions before the crisis, but during the crisis these decisions were associated with poor outcomes that could not be forecasted. For this explanation to work, these risks must not have been captured by traditional measures because accounting for these measures does not eliminate the relation between governance and performance we document. An example that could explain what we find is that banks with more shareholder-friendly boards invested more aggressively in highly-rated tranches of subprime securitizations. Such investments did not appear risky in 2006 by traditional risk measures, but they did work out poorly for the banks that made them. An alternative explanation for our results is that certain banks optimally chose more shareholder-friendly governance before the crisis because they were exposed to risks that required more independent board monitoring. With this view, the risks were not chosen by the board but instead led to the choice of a shareholder-friendly board. These risks had adverse realizations during the crisis, but because the banks had a shareholder-friendly board, they performed better than they would have had otherwise. With this explanation, banks with good governance had poor returns because of the risks they had, but they would have had even lower returns had they had worse governance. Governance is negatively related to performance in this case because it is correlated with risks that had adverse realizations, but it led to better performance nevertheless. Though we find some support for the latter explanation, neither explanation is consistent with the view that po or bank governance was a first-order cause of the crisis. We use the 2008 World Bank survey on bank regulation to examine the hypothesis that lax regulation led banks to take excessive risks that caused large losses during the crisis (see, e.g.,Dooley, Folkerts-Landau, and Garber (2009), Stiglitz (2010)). We use indices for the power of the regulators, oversight of bank capital, restrictions on bank activities, and private monitoring of banks. There is no convincing evidence that tighter regulation in general was associated with better bank performance during the crisis or with less risky banks before the crisis. In all our regressions, only the index on restrictions of bank activities is positively related to the performance of banks during the crisis.Barth, Caprio, and Levine (1999) show that the banking system is more fragile in countries where banking activities are more restricted. However, some observers, perhaps most visibly the former chair-man of the Federal Reserve System Paul Volcker, have blamed the difficulties of banks during the crisis on their activities not related to making loans and taking deposits. Though we find that large banks in countries where bank activities were more restricted suffered less from the crisis, no evidence exists that such restrictions made banks less risky before the crisis using common measures of risk. Most likely, therefore, to the extent that restrictions on bank activities are associated with better performance of banks during the crisis, it is because traditional bank activities were less exposed to the risks that turned out poorly during the crisis than were newer or less traditional bank activities. In addition, we find that stronger regulations for bank capital were associated with less risk before the crisis. Given the attention paid to the moral hazard resulting from deposit insurance, we investigate whether banks in countries with a deposit insurance scheme performed worse and find no evidence supportive of this hypothesis. However, banks in countries with formal d eposit insurance schemes had higher idiosyncratic risk before the crisis. If banks are impeded from making loans because of poor financial health, economic growth is weaker. It is therefore important to understand whether the variables that help predict returns during the crisis also help explain loan growth. In a related paper,Cornett, McNutt, Strahan, and Tehranian (2011)find that US banks with more exposure to liquidity risk experienced less loan growth during the crisis. We have a much smaller sample than they have, so that our tests do not have as much power as theirs and are less definitive. Nevertheless, we find evidence that is supportive of their results on an international sample composed of much larger banks than the typical bank in their study. Banks with more shareholder friendly boards have lower loan growth during the crisis. Finally, a strong positive relation exists between loan growth and restrictions on bank activities. We also estimate regressions excluding US banks. With these regressions, we can evaluate whether the worse performers were banks from countries where the banking system was more exposed to the US according to the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) statistics. These regressions allow us to assess whether holding US exposures was a contagion channel [see, e.g.,Eichengreen,Mody, Nedeljkovic, and Sarno (2009)for the view that assets were a contagion channel]. We find that banks from countries where the banking system was more exposed to the US performed worse. Our main results hold up in a variety of robustness tests. Our study is limited by the data available. Ideally, we would like to have data on the nature of holdings of securities by banks. However, such data are generally not available. Another limitation of our study is that, in the fall of 2008, countries stepped in with capital injections and other forms of support of banks. Such intervention might have distorted returns. Yet, our results generally hold for returns measured from mid-2007 to just before the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy in September 2008. Moreover, Panetta, Faeh, Grande, Ho, King, Levy, Sigboretti, Taboga, and Zaghini (2009) show that the announcement of rescue packages did not have a positive impact on bank stock prices across countries. We estimate our regression that includes the indicator variable for whether the board is shareholder-friendly for a sample that includes investment banks and other financial institutions not subject to the Basle Accords (i.e., financ ial institutions that do not report Tier 1 capital and are not subject to the regulations forming the basis for our regulatory variables). We find that our results hold for that sample. The paper proceeds as follows. In Section 2,we introduce the data that we use. In Section 3, we examine how the performance of banks during the crisis relates to governance, regulation, balance sheet composition, and country characteristics other than regulation. We also show how these attributes are related to bank risk before the crisis. We conclude in Section 4.

The Wife of Bath :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Sovereignty† or believing that a happy match is one in which the wife has control is the backbone to the story of the wife of bath. When the wife of bath finishes telling her story there are no comments from the other pilgrims. The thoughts of both the parson and the knight will be depicted as I imagine them to be in response to her tale. I can see the parson looking to his left, explaining his displeasures to the monk. They talk of her story with the parson sharing his ideals, and the monk just smiling back, looking him in the eye and chuckling. The parson who attempts to live his life as an ideal for others was appalled to learn of the wife of baths four husbands and as she told how she gained control over the fifth one by faking her death, the parson lost all religious respect for her. The parson hates to think, and totally disagrees with her theory that being over powered by a woman would make any marriage happy, personally he would be unhappy, and would never be with a woman who didn’t fallow the word of god.. The parson would have wanted the knight who raped the woman instead of becoming the hero of tale, to be punished in order to be fair to the others who have been punished before him. The knight whose very code of honor emphasizes chivalry, truth and honor would be totally disgusted to hear that in the tale by the wife of bath that a knight raped women. He would be angry at the wife for choosing a knight when any type of person could be chosen to represent the male in her tale. This talk of a woman dominated house hold would not be something that would be a ideal to the manly knight whose dignity and status allow him to stand apart from the rest. The wife of baths history as a person would make him think twice about anything she had to say, as she has little honor but what she lacks in honor she makes up with in pride. The tale ends with a knights ending they live happily ever after. The knight would have no problem with most of the story although be aggravated by pessimistic rhetoric of his fellow knights. Question 3   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Love of money is the root of all evil† is a lesson that we could all learn in addition to the theme of the pardoner’s tale.

Energy and the Environment: Fossil Fuels Essay -- Environment Environm

Energy and the Environment: Fossil Fuels Fossil Fuels are one of the most important things on this planet to the human race. Without fossil fuels we wouldn't have today's current means of transportation, we would have less heating for the general population, energy uses would be more expensive, and overall the economy and the world would not be able to sustain themselves. Even still, the fact that fossil fuels are on this planet will never change, but how we use them and what impacts their use has will always be an issue. Even though fossil fuels provide for the most percentage of energy usage in the world, there is still the issue of pollution and other environmental impacts. Just oil and natural gas alone provide for more than 60 percent of the energy consumed in the United States (US Dept. of Energy). With this amount of fossil fuel usage taking place, and the fact that burning, transporting, recovering, and processing fossil fuels creates pollution, one can see how much total damage that is occurring on a daily basis. Some of the many environmental impacts from the result...

Health care challenges Essay

Our country is set to face a new way of managing health which could potentially change the environment on how nurses deliver care. As our nation prepares for the implementation of Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, nursing as a healing profession has to be open to what the future of health management holds. The goal is to have all registered nurses reach a high level of understanding and acquire tools necessary to provide the best possible way at a low cost. It is both moral and professional obligation of our leaders to ensure that highly competent and well trained nurses are available throughout this transition. To achieve this goal, nurse educators are the key players to train both novice and seasoned nurses to the change based on the new policies and evidence-based research. However, our Nurse Educators are overwhelmed with their current workload hence causing faculty shortage in the country. A recent study published on 2011 aimed to explore the relation of nursing faculty shortage to their workload, determine if there are evidences that the faculty workload is not equitable and the implication/effect to the nursing research and nursing academic. According to this study, there are multiple factors that influence the nursing faculty shortage such as lack of interest from the nurses to try academic careers, time spends to clinical practice defers pursuance into academic positions, low salaries, high educational costs, nursing education dissatisfaction and most importantly low institutional funding for additional nurse educator positions. Nancy Falk stated in her article that â€Å"despite current critical shortage and growing demand for nurses and nurse educators, federal funding falls far short of addressing these healthcare workforce challenges. Workforce projections suggest that the US will face a shortage of 285,000 nurses by 2015 and 500, 000 by 2025.† (Mason, Leavitt & Chaffee, 2012, p 58). Also, American Association Colleges of Nursing reported on 2011-2012, that nursing schools turned away 75,587 applicants who are qualified for baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs because of inadequate nursing faculty including clinical preceptors. These challenges ultimately impact the future of patient care if not addressed. Faculty leaders must work in partnership to create a strategy that will help prevent further faculty shortage by focusing on balanced faculty workload to avoid burnout. This article emphasized on the continuous support by government officials especially adequate funding to nursing education. AACN is allocating its resources to protect federal funding for academic development programs, identify strategies to prevent nursing educator shortage. Additional solution is to create a mentorship program for nurse faculty. This strategy was confirmed by various literature and studies to promote nursing faculty recruitment and retention. Mentorship brings encouragement and direction to clinical educators who are new to the role and prevent burnout. Health care system will be lost without nurses in our society. Statistic shows that there are currently 2.9 million nurses in the United States but nurses with special skills such as in education is extremely needed. Nurse Educators, in some ways, affect the lives of everyone. It is through this role where highly competent, compassionate healers such as nurses are produced. â€Å"The future of the nursing profession depends on a steady supply of nurses to provide the quality care to patients† (Cowen & Moorhead, 2011, p. 60)

Marc Jacobs Brand Analysis Essay

There has been much debate within the fashion industry about what kind of branding strategy to pursue. With the increasing democratization of fashion ushered in by globalization fashion designers have been able to create and/or transform their labels to have a strong and strategic world-wide presence. The two main schools of thought within branding strategies are globalization and adaptation. Thus a fashion company must traverse the terrain and select which strategy suits the company’s policies, aims and mission. Theodore Levitt launched the globalization debate in 1983 with his seminal essay in the Harvard Business Review ‘The Globalization of Markets† arguing that communication, transportation and travel created a new commercial reality where corporations did not cater to local differences in taste. He believed that the world, its various cultures and borders, were uniting, which resulted in the dissolution of multinational corporations, and the rise and domination of global corporations (Levitt, 1983). There have been many supporters toward this faction of thinking which include Elinder (1965), Fatt (1967), Buzzell (1968) and Dunne (1976) whom feel, as with Levitt that the globalization of markets has come about because of advances in transportation, and most importantly technology. This strategy believes that one marketing campaign can be used and translated to its customers world-wide, and is adequate for their purposes. Standardization also assumes that their target customer is completely homogenous and should be pursued in the same manner. The adaptation strategy and its supporters on the other hand, believe that the market and its customers are heterogeneous. The followers of adaption namely Anholt (2000), Kanso and Nelson (2002) and Kotler (1986), argue that marketers and branding professionals need to consider difference in economics, cultures, competition, technology, sociology, physicality, politics, infrastructure; as well as the level of customer similarity (Vrontis, 2003). This strategy is clearly opposite to that of standardization. What the managers of companies need to decide early on is, which strategy they will adopt acknowledging that both factions has positive and negative points. Another approach that is widely exploited is that of a  hybrid, adopting certain aspects of each strategy to obtain the greatest advantage whilst negating the negatives. This strategy is promoted by many since the late nineteen eighties namely Vrontis and Vronti, (2004), Kotler et al., (1996), as well as Douglas and Wind (198 7), With an abundance of strategies to choose from and the swift pace of the global fashion industry, which is becoming more competitive every day, it is of utmost importance to have a clear message and brand identity to launch to the fashion world. Using Marc Jacobs as a case study, this paper will investigate his labels approach to marketing and branding within the United Kingdom and the United States to demonstrate how Marc Jacobs uses standardization. This approach is illuminated through his product ranges, advertising, shop decoration, and marketing, which have been inherent since the beginning of the branding process. To keep up in today’s ever changing industry, fashion labels like Marc Jacobs, need to be highly differiented, customer-oriented, constantly innovative and create effective powerful brands (Aaker and Joachimsthaler, 2000). Marc Jacobs has executed what Aaker and Joachimsthaler (2000) set out with sheer precision. Since graduating from Parsons School of Design in 1984, where Marc Jacobs won two Golden Thimble Awards, he has had a loyal following both with the media and customers alike who have backed him through his many ventures. His clothes have been described as uptown, downtown – and all around, chic eccentricity, edgy and chic, friendly downtown cool as well as breezy and discreet luxury (Foley, 2004 and Cohen, 2001). Jacobs has an innate perception of how women and men want to dress each season; a sense of the past and how the passage of time changes the definition of beauty and glamour (Shaw, 1993). Having his finger on the zeitgeist each season, year after year, has made his name synonymous with retro-chic cool urbanites and celebrities. On the one hand, Marc Jacobs, the person, his personality, are what his customers are buying into and what is being marketed. On the other, it is his association as head designer for ready-to-wear at Louis Vuitton and how he has transformed that company. This position propelled him to global fashion stardom making him a household name. His characteristics of charming, spirited, cool, arty, high, low and edgy all describe his designs  (Aaker, 1996) and his customers are buying into this personality and identity mix. This blend extends to the way Marc Jacobs dresses himself, and as an extension his clientele. â€Å"I buy very expensive clothes and very inexpensive clothes. People do not dress in designer clothes from head to toe. They may wear a $40 shirt with $600 shoes. That’s the way we’ve always shown the collection (Shaw, 1993).† This is how their younger, arty and celebrity customer dresses. They wear clothes that can traverse the polished sophistication of uptown and the edgy, hip, distressed chic of downtown. â€Å"Brand personality can help by enriching†¦ perceptions of and attributes toward the brand, contributing to a differentiating brand identity, guiding the communication effort and creating brand equity (Aaker, 1996, p.150)†. The brand personality, and its personality traits, are also created by various marketing variables such as user imagery, advertising style, packaging and logo, price, and product-related attributes (Levy 1959, Plummer 1985, Batra, Lehmann, and Singh 1993). All of which are extremely important to the Marc Jacobs branded image and lifestyle that is standardized in both the UK and USA. Though Marc Jacobs brand identity and marketing is driven by his own personality and has been a chosen strategy, there are negative’s to this approach. In this case, the personality is living and has their own life, which changes and acquires a dimension and symbolism, which may not always correspond with the brand’s strategic interests (Kapferer, 1997). For instance, it is commonly known that Marc Jacobs has been battling drug addiction for many years and has had a recent bought in a rehabilitation facility. This episode does not seem to have affected the brand’s image and personality, though it is a caution for adopting this strategy; especially with a personality that is in the public eye and imagination. Jacobs’s success has earned him five designer of the year awards in women’s wear, men’s wear and accessory design by the Council of Fashion Designers of America throughout the last fifteen years. These prestigious awards have assisted in leveraging his brand, which is worth 5 billion dollars according to Fortune magazine (Borden, 2007) and enabled Jacobs to expand the company. What has also assisted Jacobs and his business partner  Robert Duffy’s vision to build the brand architecture, is the stake that Moà «t-Hennessy-Louis-Vuitton (LVMH) owns, which is 96% of Marc Jacobs International L.P. but only 33% of trademarks, meaning that LVMH has power over the money, but Jacobs has creative control.[1] With the backing of LVMH using brand architecture as an organizing structure of the brand portfolio, which gives specific roles and relationships to various products has become a reality (Aaker and Joachimsthaler, 2000). The Marc Jacobs brand portfolio has gro wn immensely since he first started the company with Duffy in 1993. That year saw the launch of his women’s collection and in 1995 the first full men’s collection was introduced. Expanding into the men’s market assisted in leveraging the brand assets, creating a synergy by generating brand exposures and more associations in different contexts (Aaker and Joachimsthaler, 2000 and Kapferer, 1997). These two Marc Jacobs collection lines are the strategic brand as they represent the majority of sales and have become the driver role for other extensions and ranges within the portfolio (Aaker and Joachimsthaler, 2000 and Kapferer, 1997). The women’s and men’s collection have thus expanded to include footwear, bags, eyewear and fragrance creating new line extensions in other product classes which is the ultimate way to leverage the brand (Aaker, 1996). The collection line extensions or sub-brands expands the user base, provides variety for the customer that would like to buy into a total image or lifestyle, energizes the br and as well as manages innovation within the brand (Aaker, 1996). Jacobs’s accessories and his fragrances for both men and women have become his cash cows. The cash cow has a significant customer base and its role is to generate margin resources that can then be invested back into other brands and extensions (Aaker and Joachimsthaler, 2000). Utilizing this strategic approach assists customers who cannot afford the collection but can buy into the brand, starting with a perfume or a handbag in hopes of one day being able to purchase a variety of clothes and other product offerings. Cash cow roles help to build up the brand portfolio as well as create customer loyalty. With the success of his main collection line, Marc Jacobs launched Marc by Marc Jacobs (in 2001), a diffusion or secondary line/brand that made Jacobs more accessible to the very important middle retail market (Moore,  Fernie, and Bert, 2000). The movement into diffusion lines is completely linked to the drive of greater profits, which is linked to public demand. The trouble a brand faces in moving down vertically is risking the brand’s reputation, customer base, quality and credibility especially when coming from a luxury brand (Aaker and Joachimsthaler, 2000, Kapferer, 1997 and Aaker, 1996). Luckily, Jacobs has avoided this successfully without cannibalizing his high-end brand. One explanation of this is that Jacobs’s designs lend themselves to being made in both expensive and moderate priced materials and do not lose their cool. For example, Marc Jacobs produces a thermal jumper in cashmere that sells for 300 pounds and the same design in less luxurious wool sells for 80 pounds in the Marc by Marc Jacobs range (Borden, 2007). Robert Duffy states â€Å"There is a huge difference in feel and quality, but there is a customer base for both (Borden, 2007, p. 3)†. In this case the diffusion line actually enhances the brand’s presence in this very different context not just from increased visibility but also the positive associations generated (Aaker and Joachimsthaler, 2000). The response to this line was so encouraging a men’s Marc by Marc Jacobs line was added along with shoes, bags, eyewear, accessories as well as timepieces for both men and women. In effect the diffusion line and its extensions have been playing the role of the silver bullet brand by positively influencing the image of the strategic brand (Marc Jacobs) (Aaker and Joachimsthaler, 2000). Strategically though the ready-to-wear collection provides the much needed PR but the diffusion lines and their extensions and the collection extensions horizontally drives and creates the revenue (Moore, Fernie and Burt, 2000). The linchpin brand of the Marc Jacobs portfolio and architecture is the accessories line which is housed in its own free-standing store in New York, as well as a multi-branded store in London. This line of accessories is priced even lower than the accessories offered in the Marc by Marc Jacobs lines and is cultivating new customers by the hundreds of thousands. Marc Jacobs staffers like to call this store and line the â€Å"junk store† but the results are anything but. The accessories line and store sells anything from $90 leather bags, to $20 T-shirts to $5 heart shaped make-up compacts as well as flip-flops, gloves, hats, scarves and wellington rain boots. The low  cost of the merchandise is the allure and initiates an even younger customer than the diffusion line into the cult of the brand. The idea of this line is to increase brand recognition and ultimately overall revenue. (Jana, 2006). This line is 70% of units sold in Marc Jacobs stores, which totals around $20 million (Borden, 2007). The accessories line and shop in New York City generates $25,000 per square foot, which exceeds the $4,032, which is earned by the average Apple store the highest in a study by Bernstein Research (Borden, 2007). Gail Zuader a manager of boutique investment bank Elixir Advisors states â€Å"Marc Jacobs has achieved that rare feat of creating a secondary line that doesn’t dilute the value of the high-end with a focus on tongue-in cheek design that allows people to mix it up (Borden, 2007, p. 3)†. This directly relates to Jacob’s comments back in 1993 about his customer wearing expensive and inexpensive clothes, this can now be done with his whole brand architecture. A Jacobs follower can wear a collection dress from the high-end ready-to-wear line and mix it up with shoes and sunglass from the Marc by Marc Jacobs diffusion line. Then accessorize with cheap accessor y handbag and a few bracelets. Again, the Marc Jacobs brand has been extended horizontally with the introduction of the luxury home wares sub-brand in 2003, which includes crystal (produced in Eastern Europe from some of the best known manufacturers), sterling silver, cashmere pillows and other luxuries. This extension is also a silver bullet brand as it both positively influences the strategic brand, and maintains the luxurious cool edge that the label stands for. Marc Jacobs brand architecture has been fuelled by the ever increasing money spent on luxury products throughout the world. According to Verdict research company the luxury retail sector is worth 263 billion dollars for October 2007 and is rapidly accelerating by 71% (Verdict and Thind, 2007). The factors that have contributed to this increase include higher net disposable income among middle to top earners, increased leisure time, as well as economic recovery within several major countries including the United States and the UK (Moore, Fernie, and Bert , 2000). A luxury company would be foolish not to expand in as many areas as possible without overextending its offerings to tap into the money being increasingly spent in this sector. Marc Jacobs success can be contributed to standardized  marketing, brand identity, image as well as product offerings between the US and the UK. The image and the identity of the brand are two different items and are not to be confused. The image deals with perceived notions from the customer’s side whilst the brand identity is the picture the organization wants to send out to the public at large and its customers (Kapferer, 1997). The identity is sent out through the Marc Jacobs logo, advertising, store design and products. The logo is the words Marc Jacobs in a black font that is classic yet retro, not too thin or too thick, a medium thickness that is bold behind the white page. (Fig. 1) This typeface is standardized on all product offerings, line extensions, sub-brands and advertising. The black and white palette is kept throughout. The words may change as well as the offerings but the typeface is always the same. In this sense the font has become an icon of the label like Jacobs himself. To compete in a global market, a global advertising and marketing strategy and product development strategy are integral to the luxury fashion brand. The average money spent on advertising is anywhere between 20-30 per cent of a company’s gross margin higher than it ever has been (Moore, Fernie, and Bert, 2000). â€Å"Every successful fashion brand is based upon an image; the way that you make that image is through your advertising. Fashion thrives on advertising. Advertising is what creates the identity and attraction (Moore, Fernie, and Bert, 2000, p. 932).† The Marc Jacobs advertising campaigns, which are all shot by world renowned photographer Juergen Teller since 1997, is integral to the brands standardized marketing campaign and has greatly contributed the Jacobs image of being arty, cool, hip and of the moment.[2] The images shot by Teller are normally of artists, directors, musicians, and actors in beautiful colours. Normally the product in the photograph is secondary to the poses, actions, background and expressions of the person(s) being photographed. The photograph is always in the middle of a stark white background the product name below it in the iconic Marc Jacobs font. The people that have been included in the advertising such as Sofia Coppola, Charlotte Rampling, Samantha Morton, Kristen MacMenamy, Meg White of the White Strips and Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth have also contributed to the brands identity and image. (See Fig, 2) Bernd Schmitt states: Customers want products, communications and marketing campaigns that dazzle their senses, touch their hearts, and stimulate their minds [as well as] things they can relate to and that they can incorporate into their lifestyles. They want these things to be able to deliver a desirable customer experience (Schmitt, 1999, p.22). Thus he aligns the brand with people who are thought to be â€Å"cool†, â€Å"hip† or â€Å"of the moment† and in turn this has positive associations for the customer base and the brands offerings. These advertisements are seen both in American and UK high fashion magazines. For instance Vogue’s UK December 2007 issue features an advertisement for the Daisy perfume, the same ad is also in the December issue of Vogue in the US as well as Harper’s Bazaar in the US. This standardized marketing strategy is clearly chosen so the image and identity is not diluted between the countries; especially since the ideal Marc Jacobs customer has the income and luxurious lifestyle to fly between the two, and are the main markets for the brand. Though LVMH does not break down sales by brand, instead giving turnover by operating division, Table 1 clearly shows that Europe and the US are the biggest market for the luxury group, Europe generating 35% of group sales whi lst America is the largest single market. Table 1. LVMH: Group sales, by region, 2005 Source: LVMH/Mintel Though there are Marc Jacobs stores in six cities in America and only one in the UK, London, the product offerings are standardized between the two. This is evident by visiting the stores in both countries and visiting the website where all the products are displayed, along with videos of the runway shows as well as news and gossip, all contributing to the marketing. By choosing to standardize the products amongst the two markets, stores, and on-line Jacobs adopts Levitt’s strategy, â€Å"at a relative low cost – as if the entire world were a single entity; it sells the same thing in the same way everywhere (Levitt, 1983, p.292).† Standardization for the brand increases its profits and visibility in both market sectors. The store’s interior  design and window displays are also uniform. Jacobs and Duffy have enlisted designer Stephen Jaklitsch to design the store’s interiors, completing twenty one stores to date. He designs â€Å"hip but comfortab le environments that mix high-end residential furnishings with sleek finishes and cheeky detailing (Kim, 2004, p. 126).† Jaklitsch’s design for the Marc Jacobs shops represents an evolution of the brand concept and is mostly standardized though each space has its own challenges. â€Å"We do adhere to consistent color and materials palettes. We always use black-stained floors and luxurious materials like marble for the collection stores. I work to create backdrops that are as edgy as the clothing, yet a little more timeless (Kim, 2004, p.127).† Having harmony amongst the retail shops’ designs and the products offered customers in both countries ensures the same aesthetic experience, retail experience and service that the luxury brand is known for. The display windows are another extension of this standardization. During the month of June this year, the shop windows had a Blondie display theme with a large pop orientated portrait of Debbie Harry, with co-coordinating Blondie T-shirts on the mannequins; both in America and the UK. These windows are displayed on the website under featured windows and it is evident that the windows are an important part of the global marketing strategy, as it is presented on the website. The windows are also eye catching and creative, enticing the walker-by on the street, into the store placing special importance on them. The windows for September 2007, featured the newly launched Daisy perfume. Here the art direction allows for some creative flourishes as the mannequins and other decorative displays are specialized for the windows in both countries, though the theme and many elements are uniform. The importance of the window displays shows how the design can be standardized across countries, but equally innovative and exciting for the customer. Using Marc Jacobs as a case study, it is evident that a globalized strategy for products and marketing is still alive and used by global luxury companies as Levitt predicted in 1983. The markets have greatly increased, and drastically changed since this seminal article was written and in our postmodern society many consumers want greater differientation and customization. It will be interesting to see if Marc Jacobs can continue to  survive with a uniform marketing strategy and product offering, or if the brand will have to adapt their strategy for a hybrid one. [1] According to Mintel’s Luxury Good Retail Global report for July of 2006, LVMH was the leading global luxury goods company with 11% of the market in 2005. Mintel also states that they control the strongest and most dynamic luxury brands including Marc Jacobs. [2] For more information on Juergen Teller and his work see Juergen Teller edited by Cornel Windline, Koln, London: Taschen, 1996.