School segregation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

School segregation - Essay Example By the 1970's attention focused on trying to desegregate elementary and high schools. Here a problem arose, for if schools were blind to race, then the racial mixture of the student body should parallel the racial percentages of the community. Consequently, as school districts might not necessarily be segregated, they could easily be a larger percentage of a certain ethnicity, schools were hardly heterogeneous. If nothing else, wealthier communities frequently had, if not necessarily better education, then certainly more access to updated teaching supplies. To overcome this inequality, federal and local governments promoted "court-ordered busing", known as "forced busing" by detractors. This essentially distributed students sometimes miles away from their home, and frequently by several much closer schools, in order to create a balanced integration over the widest number of school districts. This program met with varying levels of success, yet remained effective through the '70's up until the late '90's. The desegregation is said to have peaked with the federal overturning of mandatory busing in 1991, directly due to a large migration of Caucasians to suburbs, the creation of magnet and charter schools, and larger enrollment in private schools. While magnet and charter schools can draw students to otherwise minority oriented neighborhoods, their degree of integration ultimately boils down to the selection process. The Harvard Civil Rights Project claims that the largest focus of segregated schools is now in the Midwest, with schools in the Northeast following behind them. Re-segregation has been addressed most recently because of proposed laws in Omaha, Nebraska, which would divide the school districts into three segregations: black, white, and latino. Ernie Chambers, Nebraska's only African American State Senator, claims that the proposed law, which would go into effect in 2008, would "let minority-led school boards run the schools that educate minority children since white-run schools have failed to improve black and Latino graduation rates and reduce dropouts nationwide" The law would simultaneously erase the integration busing has established, which has returned to racially predominant segregations since the end of busing, according to Jonathan Kozol author of Shame of the Nation: The Restoration of Apartheid Schooling in America. His statistics indicate that by the academic year 2000-200 1,in 87 percent of public school enrollment in Chicago was black or Hispanic while less than 10 percent of children in the schools were white. Other cities revealed similar trends: Philadelphia and Cleveland were 78 % black or Hispanic, 84% in Los Angeles, 88% in Baltimore, and nearly 75% in New York City, respectively. John Jackson, education director for the NAACP, interprets the busing reversal this way: "The implications are the same as in the '50s: Minority students in high poverty areas are not getting a quality education." Why should the public be concerned by school integration Firstly, because segregated schools perpetuate inequalities in learning abilities and widen the gaps in academic success for children of different race. The UCLA School of Public Policy and Social Research finds that "Test scores, college attendance rates, and employment outcomes have been found to improve for students from integrated schools

Marketing Techniques Are Used to Market Products Essay Example for Free

Marketing Techniques Are Used to Market Products Essay P1 describe how marketing techniques are used to market products in two organisations’ Marketing is the activity and process for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchange a product or service; which has values for the customers/clients. Overall it is an integrated process which builds customer relationship and creates an identity for their customers and themselves. However, marketing can be separated into submarkets – Business to Consumer marketing and Business to Business marketing. Business to Consumer Marketing: This is the process by which companies create a value for customers and build a strong customer relationship. Importance of creating a customer relationship is for the business to capture a return value from the customer; (e.g. Newsagent to Consumer). Business to Business Marketing: This is creating a value, solution, and relationship either for a short term or a long term with a business or a brand. This process generates a strategy that motivates sales techniques, business communication, and business developments; (e.g. Wholesalers to Newsagents). †¢A business with an aim is the goal the business wants to achieve (Long Term). Primary aim for all business organisations is to add value to the product or service they are providing and some businesses involve in making some profit. Some other aims include more strategic options like expansion, market leadership/increase in market share and brand building. †¢Business objective is more of step by step plan to take in order to achieve a stated aim (Short Term). To know the progress made by the business to achieve the objective, SMART plan used: Private Sector: Businesses in the private sector are owned by private individuals or groups. The main aims and objectives of a private sector business are to make profit and survive. Examples are: Ford, Nokia and Armani. Public Sector: Businesses in the public sector are owned or controlled by the government or regional authorities. Public sector businesses aims and objectives are not necessarily aiming to make a profit; most of their money comes from funds that are acquired through tax revenue. These types of business organisation for example are: NHS, Fire Services and State Schools. Voluntary Sectors: Businesses in the voluntary sector raise money to support particular cause or provide a service to those in need. Even though voluntary sector businesses do not aim to make a profit, they do aim to make a surplus after all costs have been covered. Another aim voluntary sector businesses may have is to increase service provision. Examples of this type of business are: Save The Children, Cancer Research UK, RSPCA. However, public and voluntary organisations have similar aims to the private sector; which is to run efficiently. The three sectors can plan their objectives by using SMART: Specific – making sure the objective is clear and readable. Measureable – for example, the data can be quantified. Achievable – if the objective is possible to be attained. Realistic – make sure the objective is real depending on the current stature of the business. Time Bound – making sure the objective can be achieved in an associated time period. Marketing strategies define objectives, plan and produce the way the business is going to satisfy customers in the chosen market. Using market strategy, businesses set marketing goals, define target markets and describes how the business should work to achieve the positioning to have an advantage over its competitors. The process used for marketing strategy has three steps, which are shown below: 1.Research and Planning During this period, the business/organisation first develops an understanding and gathers a clear picture of their target customers. As well as understanding the customers, the firm also analyse their market and competition. This gives them a view of what the markets are wanting and what the market needs and also they can follow the steps of the competitors. With this information they can then plan and start developing their market strategy. 2.Developing The Market Strategy This is the next step after collecting data from analysing the market and competition and also understanding the market’s needs and wants. Next steps are to refine the distribution; so what would be the best way to deliver the product or service to the target customer. The firm at this point identify their objectives and choose the right path to exploit any opportunities seen during the research stage. 3.Determining Actions and Controls Final stage is when you implement the strategy. So to implement the strategy; the organisation has to analyse the financial costs by creating a budget and evaluate the costs. After having this data calculated, the marketing strategy is then put into action and during the period of the activation of the strategy the firm will continue to evaluate the effectiveness of the strategy and either start planning for a new one or extend if there may be any faults in the recent strategy. Now looking at the two businesses given; Brodie’s Beer and Cadburys plc; they both are private sector businesses with Brodie’s Beer having aims to survive and maximising profit and Cadburys plc’s aims is to increase growth in market share and maximising profit. Cadburys Plc One of Cadburys’ products called Fuse was being developed and Cadburys had an objective set while working on their new product. Their objectives were: To grow the market for chocolate confectionary. To increase Cadburys’ share of the snacking sector. So when developing the product, the objective â€Å"increase Cadburys’ share of the snacking sector† was set to make sure that when Cadbury launched another product; it had a USP (Unique Selling Point. Fuse is a snacking and chocolate bar and was developed to bolster the position of Cadburys against the consumer trend towards snacking. Cadburys had a target market of ages from 16-34 when launching the fuse bar and had launched a ‘Fuseday’ campaign for the release of the chocolate/snacking bar Fuse. They had used Direct Marketing by having sponsorship from the Daily Mirror and Live TV and also Public Relation campaign involving national TV, radio and press coverage. The product Fuse; was the first national product launch from Cadburys in over 20 years and due to the high marketing commitment; over 40 million bars were delivered to trade in the first week of launch. Branding technique was used for all the marketing of the Fuse bar and the campaign called ‘Fuseday’ – it produces a positive image and presents an awareness of the product and company through advertising campaigns with a consistent theme. There are also other marketing techniques that are used for new or existing products in a new or existing market, these techniques are: growth strategies, survival strategy and relationship marketing. Brodie’s Beer Ltd Brodie’s Beer is a private limited company in the private sector. They brewer their own beers and also sell them. One of the beers they have is: Stillwater, Premium 45, 8.5% Belgian Malt Liquor. 50% Corn and Massive dry hops of Galaxy, Citra, Kohatu Brodie’s Beer market their products by launching an event which allows the public to examine and ponder round in the brewery looking and tasting the different types of beer – free samples. This is one sort of relationship marketing and giving away free samples is an attractive way to advertise their products and the business itself to the open public. This allows customers to have a ‘test drive’ of the products that the businesses want to promote. The long term of free samples is that the customers will remember this act and will start purchasing the products. Free samples also bring in new customers and new products into the market and this gives Brodie’s Beer the opportunity to gain new loyal customers – which is the benefit of relationship marketing. The only drawback to this is the financial investment. All the money spent in brewing the alcohol and then giving most of it as tasters is a drawback as the time and money spent can go to waste if those customers are not going to purchase any beer in the future. However giving away free samples is a win-win strategy for the business as well as the consumers.

The Civil War Essay -- essays research papers fc

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Civil War was a time when the United States was split in two. In every battle Americans were killing Americans because of sectional conflicts. These were times when people were forgetting the concept of the United States, all the things their fathers and grandfathers had worked so hard for. Lincoln’s speech, The Gettysburg Address, defined, symbolized, and epitomized the spirit of America. Lincoln established equality, found in the Declaration of Independence but not in the Constitution nor in any Federal or State law, as a basic and fundamental concept in America. This is very true since this country was founded on equality but apparently not granted in the Constitution to all. In the time of the Civil War many Americans forgot what equality meant, freedom for all - black and white.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Gettysburg Address was written by President Abraham Lincoln on November 19, 1863. It was delivered at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania at the dedication of the Gettysburg National Cemetery, honoring those who died in the Civil War battle of Gettysburg earlier that year. â€Å"The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . (Doc. 25 line 10). The brief speech was followed by a two-hour oration by Edward Everett, one of the most famous speakers of the time. The next day the newspaper of the time regarded Everett’s speech very highly and only briefly mentioned Lincoln. Ironically, Everett sent Lincoln a note saying, â€Å"I wish that I could flatter myself that I had come as near to the central idea of the occasion in two hours as you did in two minutes.† (Encarta). Although Lincoln was not as eloquent and verbose as many, his words had a deep meaning and touched the hearts of many soldiers who fought at Gettysburg.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the Gettysburg Address Lincoln states, â€Å"Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.† (Doc. 25 lines 1-3). By saying this Lincoln meant that the United States was born through the struggle of the colonists for freedom from England. When the fathers of this country made this nation, they wanted it to be one of liberty and equality.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Civil War was basically fought over the issue of slavery and keeping the United States as... ...uality, equality for all. The Address also did not have the power to do this. After the Address was written the Emancipation Proclamation was also written by Lincoln to emancipate all slaves living in Confederate territory. This was so far the only document that actually headed more in the direction of equality than any other. Both the Address and the Declaration were symbols of freedom and liberty against a foe that intended to demolish these concepts.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The Gettysburg Address is †¦recognized †¦as the one of the most moving expressions of the democratic spirit ever uttered.†(Encarta). The Declaration of Independence is one of the most important symbols of what America stands for. Both are important in recognizing how we as Americans have come to enjoy the freedom and equality that we have today.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   WORKS CITED   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Document 25. â€Å"The Gettysburg Address†, Abraham Lincoln   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Encarta Encyclopedia. â€Å"The Gettysburg Address† 1996

“Precious” The Movie Review Essay

Precious is a girl who is so shy and shut down, She is very quiet to the point that she hardly speaks to anyone and is nearly illiterate. As the story is told, she conceives a child from a rape that occurred to her. Precious tries her very best to fit in with others, but as she struggles in school is treated with mocking cruelty. She is a girl obviously in a lot of pain and shame. Even though her mother is always angry her she vows to happily find her purpose in life. She feels that she can positively make a life for herself with the help she found in a counselor who treats her with respect and fully understands her pain and suffering. This is such an amazing actress who has powerfully done a remarkable film. I truly recommend those young girls who are going through the same situation to see this wonderfully done film. Second paragraph I have to compare my life as the second paragraph to the first, because I can relate to the worse of situation that Precious went through in her life. In my life I have felt like Precious never having that feeling of being the sweetest person. I always felt cheaper that most girls. It was a hard life to live, but as I got older I became wiser and I felt as though I was the luckiest girl to have survived such an ordeal. Sometimes life never paints the prettiest picture of the life we would like to have live, but being determine and having the faith to survive is the most powerful thing anyone can have. I have a son and a daughter and I vowed to be a strong mom for them. I have two of the smartest kids a mom can have and because of them I live a joyous life.

Humanities Is

Webster s Dictionary defines humanities as the branches of learning concerned with human thought and relations. Products of human invention and genius that express human emotions are shown through literature, visual arts, and performing arts. Studying humanities has a value, it is a necessity of life, and it serves mankind. Literature has allowed writers to achieve realism in which they would reflect on day-to-day events of real life rather than describing the imaginary world. Writer s discovered that they could do justice to the problems society was facing by using a more naturalistic style and using realistic terms. There were a number of themes that were touched by writers during the age in which they belonged to. Novelist Charles Dickens used his books to explore the social injustices and its effects that they have incurred on individuals. In A Tale of Two Cities, Dickens has the readers experience the reconstruction of the French Revolution and in Oliver Twist he discussed the treatment of the poor in workhouses. On the other side of society, poet William Wordsworth explored the theme of relationships between human beings and the world of nature. In Wordsworth poem, Tintern and Abbey, he writes about how important nature is to him and how it has allowed him to have other relationships with other human beings. Art is all around us, but we still seem to fail by recognizing how much society is constructed from it. Art can be used to make a statement about who we are and what we value without even saying a word. Art can be quite difficult to interpret because it is complex, can be viewed by different cultures, and/or within a different age. The history of art is shown by how artists used their minds and imaginations. Leonardo da Vinci constantly searched his mind looking for answers about the world and its crucial parts. He became concerned with mathematics, a deep respect for the natural world, and a love for beauty all intertwined with the feeling of emotional power, which was found in his painting The Last Supper. The skepticism of da Vinci was also found in the mind of Michelangelo. The sculpture David, by Michelangelo, is photographically realistic and has a clear statement of idealized beauty. David was a symbolic emblem with civic power to the city outside the Palazzo Vecchio.

huck fin essays

huck fin essays 1. When all four of them are back on the raft, the Duke disguises Jim as a sick Arab so he can stay on the raft by himself and not be judged a runaway slave. 2. On their way, they meet a young man, and the Dauphin introduces himself as the Reverend Alexander Boldgette. The man tells him that he had hoped he was Mr. Wilks, whose brother Peter has just died. Peter's brothers are in England and word had been sent a couple of months ago when Peter first took ill. One of the brothers, Harvey, is a preacher, and the second, William, is deaf and dumb; they have inherited a fortune from Peter. The Dauphin asks all kinds of questions about the Wilks family and the town, and the young man supplies all the information. 4. The two men are able to hoodwink everyone except Dr. Robinson, who suspects that there is something fishy about these two men. He does not believe they are the brothers of Peter Wilks. Dr. Robinson sees through their fake Greek and English accents. He leaves to try and find out the truth 5. When he sees how gullible and trusting the three girls are, Huck realizes that he is allowing two despicable frauds to rob them of their inheritance. 6. Duke disguises Jim as a sick Arab so he can stay on the raft by himself and not be judged a runaway slave. The Duke and Dauphin dress up in the new clothes they have bought and think about boarding a 7. When he realizes that the scoundrel is going to try and seize the dead man's fortune, Huck is disgusted, but does not feel he can do anything to alert the people against them. At the end of the chapter, Huck says that the scoundrels make him "ashamed of the whole human race." It is the first time in the book that he has made such a strong moral judgment and shows th ...

Free Essays on What Is Political Science

political science The study of government, political processes, institutions, and behavior. Government and politics have been studied and commented on since the time of the ancient Greeks. However, it is only with the general systematization of the social sciences in the last 100 years that political science has emerged as a separate definable area of study. Political science is commonly divided into a number of subfields, the most prominent being political theory, national government, comparative government, international relations, and special areas shared with other social sciences such as sociology, psychology, and economics. In practice, these subfields overlap. Political theory encompasses the following related areas: the study of the history of political thought; the examination of questions of justice and morality in the context of the relationships between individuals, society, and government; and the formulation of conceptual approaches and models in order to understand more fully political and governmental processes. The study of national government focuses on the political system of the researcher's particular country, including the legal and constitutional arrangements and institutions; the interaction of various levels of government, other social and political groups, and the individual; and proposals for improving governmental structure and policy. Comparative government covers many of the same subjects but from the perspective of parallel political behavior in several countries, regions, or time periods. International relations deals both with the more traditional areas of study, such as international law, diplomacy, political economy, international organizations, and other forms of contact between nation states, and with the development of general, scientific models of international political systems. None of the political science subfields can be clearly separated. All of them, for example, deal with questions clos... Free Essays on What Is Political Science Free Essays on What Is Political Science political science The study of government, political processes, institutions, and behavior. Government and politics have been studied and commented on since the time of the ancient Greeks. However, it is only with the general systematization of the social sciences in the last 100 years that political science has emerged as a separate definable area of study. Political science is commonly divided into a number of subfields, the most prominent being political theory, national government, comparative government, international relations, and special areas shared with other social sciences such as sociology, psychology, and economics. In practice, these subfields overlap. Political theory encompasses the following related areas: the study of the history of political thought; the examination of questions of justice and morality in the context of the relationships between individuals, society, and government; and the formulation of conceptual approaches and models in order to understand more fully political and governmental processes. The study of national government focuses on the political system of the researcher's particular country, including the legal and constitutional arrangements and institutions; the interaction of various levels of government, other social and political groups, and the individual; and proposals for improving governmental structure and policy. Comparative government covers many of the same subjects but from the perspective of parallel political behavior in several countries, regions, or time periods. International relations deals both with the more traditional areas of study, such as international law, diplomacy, political economy, international organizations, and other forms of contact between nation states, and with the development of general, scientific models of international political systems. None of the political science subfields can be clearly separated. All of them, for example, deal with questions clos...

The Current Population of the U.S.A.

The Current Population of the U.S.A. The current U.S. population is more than  327 million people (as of early 2018). The United States has the worlds third largest population, following China and  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹India. As the worlds population is approximately 7.5  billion (2017 figures), the current U.S. population represents a mere 4  percent of the worlds population. That means that not quite one in every 25 people on the planet is a resident of the United States of America. How the Population Has Changed and Is Projected to Grow In 1790, the year of the first census of the U.S. population, there were 3,929,214 Americans. By 1900, the number had jumped to 75,994,575. In 1920 the census counted more than 100 million people (105,710,620). Another 100 million people were added to the United States in just 50 years when the 200-million barrier was reached in 1970. The 300 million mark was surpassed in 2006. The U.S. Census Bureau expects the U.S.  population to grow to reach these estimates over the next few decades, averaging about 2.1 million more people per year: 2020: 334.5 million2030:  359.4 million2040:  380.2  million2050:  398.3  million2060: 416.8  million The Population Reference Bureau succinctly summarized the state of the growing U.S. population in 2006: Each 100 million has been added more quickly than the last. It took the United States more than 100 years to reach its first 100 million in 1915. After another 52 years, it reached 200 million in 1967. Less than 40 years later, it is set to hit the 300-million mark. That report suggested that the United States would reach 400 million in 2043, but in 2015 that year was revised to be in 2051. The figure is based on a slowdown in the immigration rate and the fertility rate. Immigration Makes Up for Low Fertility The United States total fertility rate is 1.89, which means that, on average, each woman gives birth to 1.89 children throughout her life. The UN Population Division projects the rate to be relatively stable, from 1.89 to 1.91 projected to 2060, but it still  isnt population replacement.  A country would need a fertility rate of 2.1  to have a stable, no-growth population overall. Overall the U.S. population is  growing  at 0.77 percent a year as of December 2016, and  immigration plays a huge part  in that.  Immigrants to the United States are often young adults (looking for a better life for their future and their familys), and the fertility rate of that population (foreign-born mothers) is higher than for native-born women and projected to remain so. That aspect accounts for that slice of the population growing to be a larger share of the nations population overall, reaching 19 percent by 2060, as compared with 13 percent in 2014. By 2044 more than half of the people will belong to a minority group (anything other than  only  non-Hispanic white). In addition to immigration, longer life expectancy also comes into play with the growing population numbers, and the influx of young immigrants will help the United States support its aging native-born population.​ Shortly before  2050, the current No. 4 nation, Nigeria, is expected to surpass the United States to become the worlds third-largest nation, as its population is growing quickly. India is expected to be the most populous in the world, growing past China.

Martin Luther King's Representation of Law Essay

Martin Luther King's Representation of Law - Essay Example Natural law for Dr. Martin Luther King, as well as for St. Thomas Aquinas, is the part of God’s eternal plan for everything that He has created (â€Å"Legal positivism vs. natural law theory† 2). An important statement in Reverend King’s â€Å"Letter† is that his protest against an unjust law of Birmingham was nonviolent (4). He did not break a moral law by appealing to violence against another human being. Dr. King emphasizes that he has always followed the rules of the Christian morality, which is, according to him, a code of natural and just laws (4). Martin Luther King does not follow the Machiavellian doctrine of permissiveness. His viewpoint is based on the Christian morality, faith in equality of all people, and respect to every person regardless of his or her skin color, race or ethnicity. Positive law is always legal, as it is issued by some authority that has the right to decide how to regulate human interactions in a society. However, the morali ty of the law, even if it was made by a powerful and respectful person or institution, can always remain questionable. As Dr. Martin Luther King observes, Hitler’s laws in Germany were certainly legal, but they were appallingly immoral, unnatural and unjust (3). â€Å"Oppressed people cannot remain oppressed forever†, says Martin Luther King, and it means that an unjust law cannot last forever (4). Hitler’s laws in Germany, Saddam Hussein’s laws in Iraq or Gaddafi’s laws in Libya were legal.

New styles and techniques of art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

New styles and techniques of art - Essay Example The transition was as a result of scientific information availability, technology advancement and the increased appetite for practical examination that changed the styles and techniques used to create art forms. Art movements and techniques that came up resulted to the following resulted to Modernism, impressionism, realism, divisionalism, futurism amongst others. Modernism can be traced to the early 19th century as a result of industrial revolution. Art at this point used techniques like rewriting, revision, recapitulation, reprise and incorporation which distinguished it from the basic traditional art methods (Kuspit 82). This was seen as the best medium to illuminate the livelihood of working classes in the urban setting against the expanding industrial platform in Great Britain. Manet was a great artist that revolutionized modernism because he clearly brought about the element of realism in his works.in France impressionism was under modernism involved a change in focus by a group of new age artist that concentrated on the outdoors as opposed to indoors bring the aspect that human beings see more than mere objects. A good example is Pablo Picasso’s piece of ‘les demoiselle’s d’avignon’ in 1907. Divisionism is a clear form of art technique used to describe the change in 19th to the 20th century. The method was employed by impressionists and realists, an example of a well renowned artist by the name George Seurat (Kuspit 110). The technique entails putting colors in their fundamental forms or elements, using small dots platform to paint. This gives a luminous effect that is rich in color especially if observed from a distance. A good example of this technique is Seurat’s own work of ‘island of la grande jatte -early nineteenth century’. Realism is an art context or concept is the attempt to place a subject or object in its right position with minimum to absolutely no artificial interference and

Business Formal analytical report Research Paper

Business Formal analytical report - Research Paper Example In addition, the report has proposed a plan that will be followed to carry out the research plus the schedules on how the research will be carried out. I hope you find this report helpful in regards to lowering employee turnover and improving customer service at green park hotel. If you have any questions or comments regarding my recommendation feel free to contact me at (814) 862-7480. I hope you are going to approve this report to enable me and my teams research this problem concerning Green Park Hotel which will bring back its glorious image. Green Park Hotel, in the past, used to run its services smoothly and there were no major problems within the business. Currently, Green Park faces a big problem of high employee turnover and many complaints from customers concerning service quality. Customers for the entity used to leave good comments at the end of most services they received from the hotel. However, things have changed in the recent past with the most notable transformation being high employee turnover. In fact, the hotel replaces employees almost on a weekly basis. Moreover, the hotel has lost a huge stake in its market capitalization. Competitors are drowning a huge part of the once large market. Customers have hurled several complaints at our employees, and some have even gone ahead to publicize how some of our services have deteriorated. The report has defined the problem at hand, which is lowering employee turnover and improving customer service at Green Park Hotel. Thereafter various alternative solutions have been given, then there is an argument for the solution which satisfies the criteria best and finally a conclusion and recommendation follow respectively. I am writing to seek your approval to come up with a report for lowering employee turnover and improving customer service at Green Park hotel after an intensive research. On completion of the research, the operational management team for the hotel will receive the

Individual report on a given case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Individual report on a given case study - Essay Example Disneyland Paris targeted a market that focused on generating images, experiences, and products to customers that highlighted fun, service, and imagination. Its intended to offer a place where visitors could escape the concerns of the actual world through the magic of the mythical fairy tale and characters of the Disney family The Walt Disney Company has struggled to remain faithful to its commitment to producing unmatched experiences of entertainment. The company is built on a rich legacy of quality content that is creative and exceptional telling of stories since its founding in the year 1923. Disneyland was the most expensive single project of construction in Europe’s history and it remains the largest and most ambitious development of its type in the history of Europe (Sehlinger, 2010). It has a single exception of the channel that connects England and France. It took five years to be completed, costing more than 2.79 billion euros. It opened in 1992. Disneyland is a collection of adventures and shows drawn from Disney cartoons and films. However, according to Sehlinger (2010), Disneyland Paris has faced numerous challenges before its inception. One of them was seducing the government of France. A mob of protestors pelted Michael Eisner, the Disney chief executive with farm products from Brie, the day that the stock in Euro Disney was first offered on the Paris stock. Brie was one of the regions next to the future resort site. Moreover, young French communists shouted and heckled. Even citizens who were less radical expressed dismay on the Marne-la-Vallee beet farmers forced displacement. Disneyland Paris was aiming for a market that focused on generating images, experiences and products to customers that highlighted fun, service and imagination. It intended to offer a place where visitors could escape the concerns of the actual world through the magic of the mythical fairy tale and characters of the Disney family. Disneyland Paris

Software Design Defects Detection and Classification Literature review

Software Design Defects Detection and Classification - Literature review Example This essentially refers to â€Å"fitness for use†. On a detailed elucidation of quality, software design defects come into the picture. Quality software not only meets the full user requirements, but is also usable for the purpose it was designed( Du Bois, Verelst and Demeyer 2004). Given the software process as earlier mentioned morphs the information from one form to another, errors are likely to occur in any of the forms (user needs, design, code etc.) of the product. This paper focuses on the design of software and the relation to the overall product. Generally, it ties software quality management to the success of the software process. In a more specific perspective, realised by careful examination of the models and frameworks of the software process, the paper reviews the software design defects are detected. The models reviewed are an indispensable part of software development and as such, it is important to examine how they help â€Å"clean up† the software proc ess(Leszak, Perry and Stoll 2002). In addition, the paper classifies the software design defects â€Å"shortcomings† that stem from poor design of software. In software development, the writing of a defect free code is one of the major concerns. This concern is cuts across the e software development and object oriented programming community. ... The shortcoming of this approach was that the same defects would still be realised in another software process(Moha and Gueheneuc 2005). It is important to consider the uniqueness, of each piece of software. They are designed as artefacts and meant to serve the user needs adequately. However, the process – individuals, tools, methodology- followed are is the same. This aspect of software development shows that the defects in the process are likely to be repeated. Applying quality management â€Å"control† on the software process is being adopted as a guarantee to achieve software quality. Total quality management of the software design aims at continuously improving the quality of the end product( Kessentini, Sahraoui and Boukadoum 2011 ). Managing the software design by controlling the end product at the design stage is a technique to curve out the causes of defects. This technique adopts a set of practices throughout the software process and is aimed at consistently m eeting the end user needs. While focussing on the software design defects, it is important to note that poor customer requirements elicitation could contribute to poor design of the software (Moha 2007). The focus here is the practices of software management adopted to counter software defects and detect the defects. Most importantly, the main idea is using established processes to catch the software design defects. From this perspective, we are able to examine how total quality management – continuous management of the process – is effected using the design The development of code for software development is a practice that requires skill and experience, producing a design defect free code that does

Race and Your Community Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Race and Your Community - Essay Example I could see and identify everything around me and it seemed everything was just a copy of yesterday’s, which was a copy of the day before yesterday, and so on. And I guess would be same tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow. People are the same, rushing towards the same definite directions as yesterday. They live by the minute and worry much of what happens the next hour. It is the same with the big cities in the country I came from, but much different from the town I was born and grew up. People in my hometown live by the day instead of by the minute and anxious of what might happen the next year instead of the next hour. Time is pretty slow and lenghty. The last turn towards my apartment building detached me from the bumper to bumper drive. I park just few meters away from the building door. People I have just passed by gave me, as usual, a how-in-the-world-he-is-driving such make of car. My car is not a luxury one, not even that expensive. But what make them give me that look as if I carnapped it is because I am driving a car of their country’s make and that their look seems telling me that I should be driving my own country’s make instead. Why? Don’t they race use Toyota, Hyundai, BMW, or Mercedes? Cars not their own country’s make? They are nice enough not calling 911 for a suspected carnapped car being driven by a member of the visible minority like me. Though not so many people give me such look; there are just a bunch of them. I heave my other bag to my shoulder from the passenger’s fron seat and go off the car. The same disrespectful schoolchildren that have just got out from their school service shout something at me again. I am not sure if they deliberately using an incomprehensible accent for me not to understand what they are yelling at me almost every day. Their school service dump them in front of the same apartment

Software Design Defects Detection and Classification Literature review

Software Design Defects Detection and Classification - Literature review Example This essentially refers to â€Å"fitness for use†. On a detailed elucidation of quality, software design defects come into the picture. Quality software not only meets the full user requirements, but is also usable for the purpose it was designed( Du Bois, Verelst and Demeyer 2004). Given the software process as earlier mentioned morphs the information from one form to another, errors are likely to occur in any of the forms (user needs, design, code etc.) of the product. This paper focuses on the design of software and the relation to the overall product. Generally, it ties software quality management to the success of the software process. In a more specific perspective, realised by careful examination of the models and frameworks of the software process, the paper reviews the software design defects are detected. The models reviewed are an indispensable part of software development and as such, it is important to examine how they help â€Å"clean up† the software proc ess(Leszak, Perry and Stoll 2002). In addition, the paper classifies the software design defects â€Å"shortcomings† that stem from poor design of software. In software development, the writing of a defect free code is one of the major concerns. This concern is cuts across the e software development and object oriented programming community. ... The shortcoming of this approach was that the same defects would still be realised in another software process(Moha and Gueheneuc 2005). It is important to consider the uniqueness, of each piece of software. They are designed as artefacts and meant to serve the user needs adequately. However, the process – individuals, tools, methodology- followed are is the same. This aspect of software development shows that the defects in the process are likely to be repeated. Applying quality management â€Å"control† on the software process is being adopted as a guarantee to achieve software quality. Total quality management of the software design aims at continuously improving the quality of the end product( Kessentini, Sahraoui and Boukadoum 2011 ). Managing the software design by controlling the end product at the design stage is a technique to curve out the causes of defects. This technique adopts a set of practices throughout the software process and is aimed at consistently m eeting the end user needs. While focussing on the software design defects, it is important to note that poor customer requirements elicitation could contribute to poor design of the software (Moha 2007). The focus here is the practices of software management adopted to counter software defects and detect the defects. Most importantly, the main idea is using established processes to catch the software design defects. From this perspective, we are able to examine how total quality management – continuous management of the process – is effected using the design The development of code for software development is a practice that requires skill and experience, producing a design defect free code that does

Business Ethics Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 4

Business Ethics - Case Study Example Arthur Andersons’ unethical and fraudulent dealings with companies such as Enron, WorldCom, Dynegy, and Sunbeam led to its indictment on 15th March 2002. Arthur Andersen reputation in auditing and accounting then was unmatched by any other company due to its unrivaled commitment of its founder. Arthur Andersen preferred to lose a client rather than change the audits to reflect false information. Boyd sarcastically quotes the words of Arthur, who once told a customer â€Å"There is not enough money in the Chicago to induce me to change that report† (583). The company lost that customer due to of Arthur Anderson’s moral stand. Arthur’s motto was â€Å"Think straight, Talk straight† (Boyd 583). When Andersen was the CEO of the Arthur Andersen, â€Å"Arthur Andersen was a place where integrity mattered more than fees† (583). Boyd in his review of the book, Final Accounting: Ambition, Greed and the Fall of Arthur Andersen, quotes words of Arthur in his 1932 speech: â€Å"If the confidence of the public is the integrity of accountants’ report is shaken, their value is gone. To preserve the integrity of his accounting reports, an accountant must insist upon absolute independence judgment and action....preserving his position of independence indicates certain standards of conduct.† (583). Arthur Anderson died in 1947, and he was succeeded by Leonard Spacey as the CEO. Fernando states that Spacey adopted the same culture of honesty, integrity, and ethical practices until Arthur Andersen was accorded the honors of being elected to the Accounting Hall of Fame of Ohio University in 1953. Despite its reputation that had taken years of commitment to build, Arthur Andersen found itself under a series of unending unethical scandals. These scandals involved companies such as Waste Management (1997), Sunbeam (1998), Baptist Foundation (1999), and Enron (2001). During the 1990s, while

Abraham ben Samuel Abulafia Essay Example for Free

Abraham ben Samuel Abulafia Essay It is commonly accepted that the research of the great historian of Jewish mysticism, Abraham ben Samuel Abulafia, opened the doors of the academy to Qabbalah. Far from us the intention of dulling the luster of his prodigious contribution in this respect, but it is a fact that at the time the young Berlin student set about writing his first essays, the critical study of the Qabbalah had already made great strides. Moreover, its trail had been partly blazed by Jew scholars who can claim to have played quite a considerable role, particularly in connection with the central problem of the Zohar, in forming the point of departure of the modem study of this discipline. Indeed, so distinguished by characteristic traits and original solutions is their contribution that it would not be an exaggeration to speak of a Jew school of Qabbalistic studies. Is it not highly significant that the central piece of Qabbalistic literaturethe Zoharwas twice translated on Jew soil, first into Latin by G. Postel in the sixteenth century and subsequently into Jewthe first into any modem languageby the mysterious Jean de Pauly at the beginning of this century? Fostered by a congenial intellectual atmosphere peculiar to the Jew, the study of Jewish esotericism got off to a precocious start in France in comparison to other European countries. The attainments of the humanists and evangelists of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries paved the way for the mystical philosophers and Martinists of the eighteenth century, who in turn ushered in the occultists of the nineteenth century. (Sassmitz, 1990) The present essay is an attempt to Abraham ben Samuel Abulafia who was a Jewish Sage in the years of his life, his character, and what he believed in and why he believed. Let it be made quite clear at the outset that our concern relates to the historical-critical study of the question and consequently deals all but incidentally with what A. E. Waite calls Kabbalism. Hence the theosophers and mystagogues of all shapes, from Eliphas Levi to A. Grad, not forgetting Papus and C. Suares, will only be of secondary interest to our theme. Though in many respects deserving of attention, their literary activity will be taken into account only insofar as it had real repercussions on the development of the Qabbalah as an academic discipline. That the theosophists and occultists did indeed exert such an influence is undeniable, even if it is solely through the efforts deployed by the scholars to dissipate the veil of confusion with which the former had enshrouded the whole question. In Jews two periods can be distinguished in the development of this field: on the one hand, an historical phase, preoccupied with the question of the antiquity of the Zohar, followed, on the other, by a bibliographical and doctrinal phase. The work of Adolphe Franck (1809-1893) marks the beginning of the first of these two periods, whereas the second was initiated, a century later, by the research of Georges Vajda (1907-1981). The latter, already under the sway of the impulse given to Qabbalistic studies by Abulafia, worked in harmony with both the school of Jerusalem and Alexander Altmann, of Manchester and later of Brandeis University. But these two tendencies also possess their pre-history, and it is first necessary to describe the framework within which each of these two schools evolved. At the outset of its diffusion in Europe, the Qabbalah was submitted to censure. One could almost claim that from the chronological point of view it is on Jew soil that the critical study of the Qabbalah was born. Indeed, it is in thirteenth-century Provence that the first critical appreciation of the Qabbalah was written by R. Meir ben Sim on of Narbonne (active 1250), who, in his Milhemet miswah, vituperates against the polytheistic implications of the sefirotic doctrine. (Sassmitz, 1990) But no real analytic debate got underway until the awakening of Christian interest in the Cabale in Renaissance times. Whereas the Platonists believed the secret doctrine of Israel was meant to conceal the primordial revelation common to all religions, for the Christian esotericists it prefigured the mystery of the Trinitarian doctrine, the very foundation of Christianity. In the Qabbalists they perceived the forerunners of the Christians and in Qabbalah, a secret justification of the evangelization of the Jews. In tenth-century France, the study of the Cabale occupied a place of honor amongst Christian intellectuals. Mention must above all be made of the orientalist and philosopher Guillaume Postel (1510-1581), to whom we owe the first Latin translation both of the Sefer yesirah (Paris, 1552) and of the Zohar (unpublished) prior even to the appearance of their printed texts. (Sassmitz, 1990) However, the evangelizing zeal of his compatriots and their theological prejudices hampered any critical perspectives in relation to the study of the Jewish esoteric tradition. Towards the end of the seventeenth century, opinions became increasingly diversified. The Qabbalah was thought to have in fact taught an elementary form of Spinozism and pantheism, and the Qabbalists were considered atheists unaware of their own irreligion. Of the scholars of this period, the academician Louis Jouard de la Nauze (1696-1773), defender of Newtons chronological system, stands out as an exceptional figure. Whereas his contemporaries ingeniously endeavored to demonstrate the Qabbalahs christological affinities, De la Nauze upheld in his historic article, Remarques sur lantiquite et lorigine de la Cabale, that the foundations of the Cabale [were] layed by the Saracens at the time the Jews lived in the Orient under their domination. The Saracens were Cabalists, and so were the Jews. (Sassmitz, 1990) At the beginning of the nineteenth century with the blossoming of the history of ideas, though the critical study of Qabbalah progressed, it nonetheless remained profoundly tainted by the spirit of the Renaissance. Depending on which scholar one was reading, the Qabbalah could become anything but Judaism. For Ferdinand Bauer it was an offshoot of Christian gnosis, while J. Kleuker assigned it a Persian origin and Augustus Tholuck pinpointed the preponderant influence of Sufism. (Sassmitz, 1990) A new era in the study of the Jewish mystical tradition was ushered in by the critical investigation of Judaism advocated by the Jewish intellectuals of Central Europe, partisans of the Haskalah. Though in addition to a solid rabbinical and general culture, these masters were possessed of scientific methods, they often exhibited an irrepressible repugnance towards Qabbalah. With few exceptions, the great scholars, such as L. Zunz, S. D. Luzzato, A. Geiger, H. Graetz, and M. Steinschneider, considered it an alien thorn in the side of the Synagogue, incompatible with the conceptions of the progressive rationalism they were striving to attribute to the genius of Israel. In the era of Aufklarung and the struggle for Jewish emancipation, it was imperative to represent the Synagogue as the standard-bearer of regeneracy and rationality in order to be accepted into modern society. The parsimony of references to Qabbalah in Julius Gutmanns Philosophie des Judentums, published in 1933, still reflects this contempt. For similar reasons, the contribution of German scholarship to this field, despite its abundance, was relatively thin and narrow in substance and incapable of casting off the tethers of tendentiousness. These scholars were principally concerned with minimalizing the importance of Qabbalistic influence on Jewish culture and with demonstrating the late composition of the Zohar in order to loosen the grip of its authority and domination, upheld in Europe by the hasidic camp, considered retrograde. The scientific paradigms elaborated by the Wissenschaft des Judentums served as an epistemological framework upon which the Jew science dejudaisme was to build. The first major Jew work specifically devoted to a detailed study of the Qabbalah, though not a direct offspring of the Wissenschaft, nonetheless partook of this current of investigation. La Kabbale ou la philosophie religieuse des hebreux, by Adolphe Franck, published in Paris in 1843, is a milestone in the annals of Qabbalistic research. Assuredly, it contributed more to the modern study of Qabbalah than any other single work prior to the labors of Abulafia. In addition to the fact of its having been based on philological, historical, and conceptual criteria, the originality of this book resided in the obvious empathy that the author displayed for his subject. Indeed, in contrast to many maskilim, Franck considered the Qabbalah to be an authentic Jewish phenomenon of major spiritual importance; hence he affirms: It is impossible to consider the Kabbalah as an isolated fact, as an accident in Judaism; on the contrary it is its very life and heart.

The Young Goodman Brown” “The Rocking-Horse Winner”

The Young Goodman Brown† â€Å"The Rocking-Horse Winner† Thesis: Compare and contrast short stories The Young Goodman Brown† by Nathaniel Hawthorne, and â€Å"The Rocking-Horse Winner† by D.H. Lawrence’s Introduction Body. Compare and Contrast: Conflict/Plot/Structure Settings Characterization Theme/Authors’ Purposes Tone/Style/Irony/Symbol Introduction â€Å"The Young Goodman Brown† by Nathaniel Hawthorne, and â€Å"The Rocking-Horse Winner† by D.H. Lawrence’s are more different than similar though they both illustrate the long life fight between good and evil. Moreover, both of them demonstrate the need to be responsible, whether you are parent and need to look after your children, or the moral responsibility that comes from your ethical foundation. In both stories the main character looses his innocence by acting not the way he supposed to or making decisions not up to his worldview. There are outstanding similarities in the themes of â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† and â€Å"The Rocking House†. However, there are also several distinctions what make each story brilliant. II. Body The conflict in the story by Lawrence involves the mother not feeling pleased by life, because she believes she got into an unlucky family. This feeling of unhappiness brought her to the idea that she feels no love to her children and to her husband. The conflict of the story develops the theme: her son Paul can feel the tension in the house. What is more, he hears the house talking â€Å"there must be more money†. So Paul rides his rocking-horse until he goes till the end, the end of his life. On the other hand, in the story by Hawthorne the conflict stays between pride and humility, what also stays close to the beginning or to the end ( because his journey into the forest most of all is an allegory which represents the man’s irrational desire to leave his faith.) However, the main conflict of â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† is the man versus himself. The conflict that Brown suffers during his journey in the woods is internal what is shown through the details (projections of his unconscious). The devil’s arguments appeared from Brown himself, because when the echoes of the forest mocked him, Brown is projecting his emotional state onto the forest. The setting of Young Goodman Brown is based on the historical background. Moreover, â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† takes place during the Puritan Time Period. The action is set within borders of the Salem Village near the old heathen forest. This information makes the reader think of isolation, firstly because the Salem Village was associated with things not similar to Christianity. What is more, the wild and heathen forest itself is the setting which creates the image of evil powers and witchcraft. The forest setting symbolizes the devil, cause it was believed that the forest was the devil’s home. On the other hand, the setting is very different in â€Å"The Rocking-Horse Winner†, where the author does not state the information, the date or time on the story. One can assume that the story takes place somewhere in England, in the times after World War I. The story takes place at home in the area reader does not know about (near or in London). In addition, Lawrence describes the major races in England – in Liverpool, Surrey, South Yorkshire etc. Compared to Goodman’s journey where the setting graduates from light to darkness as he travels, the house (the main setting) in The Rocking-Horse Winner becomes haunted as it absorbs the evil emotions (greed, self-pity) of the mother. So each story is rich with symbols that represent the contrast between good and evil. The protagonist of the story by Lawrence is Paul, other characters are uncle Oscar and mother Hester. Paul is a very young boy who tries to find â€Å"luck†, meaning money for his mother. He begins to ride his rocking horse furiously, even though he has outgrown it, what shows his attitude towards his mother. After making an outstanding amount of money, his mother stays still unhappy. Moreover, Hester (Pauls mother) is incapable of loving others. She does not give much love to her children, so Paul tries to win not only money but also her love and attention. Hester is not only obsessed with money, but she is also irresponsible with the money she does get. However, instead of paying her debts, she spends the money on new things for the house. She also does not express any thanks for this sudden windfall, what defines her negative personality. On the other hand, very generous Paul seems completely unaware that he has overtaken responsibilities that are rightly his parents. In the â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† the protagonist is also a developing character. Moreover, the main character Goodman Brown also shows his innocence as he exists between crowd thinking opinion (belief in inherent goodness) and on the other hand the belief in devil who took the minds of his loved ones. He goes from being confident in his ability to choose rather good than evil, but once he stands before Devil’s altar, he can no longer believe that good always prevails. The character becomes a profoundly disillusioned man who sees wickedness everywhere, including in those closest to him. Another character of the story – the Devil, is also developing character. The reader comes to see him as the darker side of Young Goodman Brown’s character. Other charecters – Goode Cloyse, The Minister and Deacon Gookin serve as dramatic examples of the hypocrisy that may hide in the souls of those who appear most virtuous. These three are distinguished from among t he crowd of townsfolk at the gathering because they represent a standard of piety and godliness that is destroyed for Brown by his experience. There are several themes in the story by Lawrence such as Responsibility; The obsession with wealth and material items is pitted against the responsibilities of parenting in The Rocking-Horse Winner. It is the responsibility of the parents to provide for the children in a family. Generosity and Greed; The disparity between Pauls generosity and his mothers greed is another theme of The Rocking-Horse Winner. Paul generously offers all his winnings to the family, in order to relieve the familys dire need for money. When the mother first receives the news from the lawyer that she has inherited 5,000 pounds from a long-lost relative which will be paid out to her in yearly increments of 1,000 pounds (a scheme dreamed up by Paul), she does not inform the family of their good fortune. Instead, she goes immediately to the lawyer and asks to receive the entire amount right away. Oedipus Complex. Oedipus Complex Pauls desire to earn money for the family can be said to be an unconscious desire to take his fathers place, a concept that psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud termed the Oedipus complex. Since the main way of earning this money—the rocking horse—is also bound up in sexual imagery, it seems clear that Lawrence intentionally characterizes Paul this way. There are several themes in the story by Hawthorne also, such as: Guilt versus innocence; Alienation versus community; Good versus evil. In the story â€Å"Young Goodman Brown,† Hawthorne unveils the moral vitiation that is a direct result from the highlighting of public morality with a Puritan Society. So the dominant theme of the short story is the inadequacy of public morality what is similar in The Rocking-Horse Winner. This theme is demonstrated in the actions of Brown. For example, when the protagonist sees Goody Cloyse, or hears the voices of the Deacon Gookin and the minister. Goodman Brown had already made the decision to go inside the forest and face the devil, but he hides when other characters enter this scene. He seems to be more worried with the way others perceive his faith, then with the fact that he actually made a step to meet up with the devil. Goodman Brown does not have the genuine faith, but he has one made up of the religious convictions of people surrounding him. Such faith is not real and just gives a wrong foundation to the believer. The style and tone of The Rocking-Horse Winner reveal immediately that this story comes from the world of fable and legend. The distant, solemn tone of the narrator: There was a woman who was beautiful, signals us that this is an old story. Quickly it becomes apparent that this is a quest narrative of some sort. The boy hero will try to win the love of the distant queen/mother. Themes tries to deliver the moral message to the reader what clearly reminds us of a fable. Fable is usually written with animals in it, that is told to illustrate a moral. For example, in â€Å"The Rocking-Horse Winner,† Uncle Oscar tells Paul, â€Å"A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush†. This suggests that what we already have is more valuable than what we want but have not yet acquired. Moral message is also delivered in the short story by Hawthorne – the collective thinking does not make you who you are. The morality is something what every person can hold to and not following the crowd will make you who you are. Furthermore, Lawrence uses a lot of ironic situations throughout the story, for example the title; was Paul really a winner? Paul, felt unloved and unwanted, though he tried to bring happiness his mother. Love arouses the deep emotional balance and when it is lacked, brings about irrational behavior. Lawrence uses irony and symbols to lure the reader in and force to read all pages of the story until the last one with excitement. The symbolism in this story is very sexually oriented. The rocking horse represents both Pauls desire to make money for his mother and his own sexuality. In â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† the grip of deceit on both the physical and spiritual elements of life is also the theme revealed through irony, symbolism and allegory. In the story by Hawthorne Puritanism is to be satirized, because it was the main faith of his home town – Salem Village. Hawthorne views Puritanism in a way to suggest dissatisfaction with it as a system of belief. Talking about the setting of Young Goodman Brown, it is possible to say that the story clearly provides the information on the historical insight into the major characters and their lifetime activities. Thus, Young Goodman Brown takes place in the 17th century during the Puritan Time Period. He lives in the Salem Village, Massachusetts near the old heathen forest. This information gives the reader an idea about deviltry and isolation because at that time the Salem Village was associated with things, which were not connected to Christianity or some other good things. In addition, the forest setting (wild and heathen) supports the idea of evil and witchcraft that pervades the story. In this case, the forest setting is a symbol of the devils abode. At that time, it was believed that the woods were the devils habitat. On the other hand, The Rocking-Horse Winner does not provide the reader with the clear information (date or time) on the story. We can just know that the story takes place in England immediately after World War I. The places where the story took place include only a home in an unknown location (near or in London), Lincolnshire, Londons Richmond Park, and Hampshire County. In addition, the author of the story tells about the major races in England that were held in Liverpool, Surrey, South Yorkshire, and more. Focusing our attention on the setting of Young Goodman Brown, it is possible to say that it presents a gloomy atmosphere where horrid sounds, perverted stones, clouds and awful images of trees bring the reader to a horrible and dark atmosphere, which pervades the story. Brown walks into à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the woods, but then soon crosses the border into Allegoryland where witches and wizards fly through the night to attend a Black Sabbath (Graham 70). In this case, danger becomes very real because of an atmosphere of suspicion and fear. In contrast to Young Goodman Brown, the atmosphere of The Rocking-Horse Winner is not so much gloomy and dark. In turn, the storys atmosphere is relatively tense due to the fact that Paul is eager to become lucky in order to help his mother since she states that her husband (his father) does not satisfy her major needs and expectations. Additionally, he is unlucky, and thus, makes her unlucky as well. Therefore, Paul decides to become lucky in order to assist his mother and make her happy. As he experiences the lack of love, in return, he expects to receive some type of love from a mother. Moreover, the story deals with how Pauls parents, especially her mother obsess with material wealth rather than showing true love to her children. She is greatly obsessed with money, very greedy and irresponsible. This story clearly shows a certain lifestyle where persons are more concerned about money that symbolizes the lack of love and affection. Throughout the story, we can see how Paul is eage r to help her mother even to the point where he loses his own life. All these facts make the storys atmosphere bitter and sympathetic. In turn, Ege admits that The Rocking-Horse Winner à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦contains the fairy-tale atmosphere of imagination (47). Supporting this point of view, it is possible to say that the story truly includes fairy-tale elements and opens with the singsong voice of a fairy tale (Ege 43). However, both characters are affected by the atmosphere that influences their behaviors and attitudes (for instance, making them emotional or creating a mood of fear). The major similarity of atmosphere between these two stories is that both ones have a fantastic and mysterious atmosphere. For instance, in The Rocking-Horse Winner, Paul has a spiritual gift and is able to hear an unknown voice, which tells him the name of the next horse that will win the race. In turn, Brown communicates with the devil, who reads him preaching about wicked priests and stewards, convincing him that every person is sinful from his or her birth. Taking the above-mentioned information into consideration, it is possible to draw a conclusion that the two observed stories have some things in common in respect of the setting and atmosphere. These are the two powerful and instructive stories, which show the readers that the love of money is a destructive force, as well as the relationship with the evil may lead to a loss of confidence and social isolation.

Macbeth: Tragedy :: essays research papers

According to the classical view, tragedy should arouse feelings of pity and fear in the audience. Does macbeth do this? Shakespeare’s Macbeth is definitely a tragedy in the sense that it arouses feelings of pity and fear in the audience. Macbeth is a weak minded man who, if sees an opportunity for power follows his ambitions and takes it, even if this is not the rightful thing to do. He is easily persuaded and suffers great guilt. Macbeth the character on his own creates the feeling of pity and fear in the audience. This added to the abundance of other developed characters creates a great tragedy. Pity is felt by the audience at many times. These feeling of pity are quite strong in some instances. The first example of pity is the general feeling for Duncan, Banquo and Macduff and his family after being slaughtered by Macbeth for the only reason of his personal ambition. Duncan was a fair and good king, and had even shown gratitude to Macbeth and Banquo after the battle in Act I. Also there is pity towards Macduff, who after leaving the country returns to find his wife and child murdered. The audience can relate to this by the unfairness in which they were killed in cold blood by Macbeth. The second example of pity in Macbeth is for Macbeth. Even though he had just assassinated Duncan he regretted it and realised what he had done wrong. He realised that Lady Macbeth had encouraged him incorrectly and he was sincerely scared for what he had done: â€Å"I am afraid to think what I have done. Look on’t again I dare not† Act II Scene ii The audience feels pitiful for Macbeth because he knows he has made a mistake and he is suffering for it through the guilt and his conscience. Thirdly the audience feels pity for Macbeth when he sees the vision. Macbeth’s mental state deteriorates severely after killing Duncan, and seeing the ghost of Banquo at his own dinner party in front of the lords do not help his cause. â€Å"If trembling I inhabit then, protest me The baby of a girl. Hence, horrible shadow! Unreal mockery, hence!† Act III Scene iv Macbeth is scared at this point. For a great warrior king to be scared is a big deal in the eyes of the lords and the audience. The audience feels pity for him because he is at a time of weakness which at this stage is uncharacteristic for Macbeth.

India I see in 2030 Essay

i think india in 2030 will be very popular place for its historical and mysterical things that can amze any scientist,historian,archeologist,geographers NEW DELHI: India will be world’s third largest economy by 2030 but its energy demand will slow down to 4.5 per cent, global energy giant BP plc (one of the world’s leading international oil and gas companies) said today. â€Å"By 2030 China and India will be the world’s largest and third largest economies and energy consumers, jointly accounting for about 35 per cent of global population, GDP and energy demand,† BP’s chief economist Christof Ruhl said releasing BP’s Energy Outlook 2030. There would be â€Å"no surge in energy demand as India industrialises. Demand growth slows to 4.5 per cent per annum (vs. 5.5 per cent p.a. in 1999-2010) as improvements in energy efficiency partly offset the energy needs of industrialisation and infrastructure expansion.† India’s dependence on imports to meet its gas needs will jump to 47 per cent by 2030 while the same for oil will grow to 91 per cent. The nation will be 40 per cent dependent on imports to meet its coal needs. He said India remains on a lower path of energy intensity; by 2030 it consumes only about half the energy that China consumes today, at a similar income per capita level as in China today. Over the next 20 years China and India combined account for all the net increase in global coal demand, 94 per cent of net oil demand growth, 30 per cent of gas, and 48 per cent of the net growth in non-fossil fuels. Coal remains the main commercial fuel, but its share falls from 70 per cent to 55 per cent in China as a result of maturing industrial structure, and from 53 per cent to 50 per cent in India due to domestic resource constraints. Oil’s share is flat at 18 per cent in China and falls to 26 per cent in  India, constrained by prices and growing import dependency. Gas gains market share along with nuclear and renewables in both countries, BP said. In India, the share of industry continues to grow, as infrastructure development catches up and manufacturing expands to absorb a growing labour force, but it never reaches the Chinese level. â€Å"India therefore remains significantly less energy intensive, with a relatively high share of the service sector in GDP.†

Developing a marketing mix for a new product or service Essay

In this assignment I will be looking at how product and services are marketed and look at how a marketing mix is developed using the four P’s: Product, Price, Place, and Promotion. The Marketing Mix provides an excellent framework for developing marketing plan. They are generally accepted as being made up of four parts which are: †¢Product †¢Price †¢promotion †¢place These are ideas to consider when marketing a product and shall be described in more detail below:- The Four ‘P’s Product A product is anything that can be offered to the market to satisfy a customer needs and desires. Product include physical goods, services experiences, events, person, place and etc. It is therefore the combination of goods and service that are offered to the target consumer. A business will constantly change and update its product range and mix to constantly please their customers and be above competitors. A product can be viewed in three different levels: Level 1: The core Product (rather than the physical product) is the benefit of the production that makes it valuable to you. Level 2: The actual product is the physical item. At this level branding and added features and benefits are important as this what will differentiate the product from competitors. Level 3: The augmented product is additional value beyond the physical product: it usually consist of after-sales service, warranties, delivery and so on. The extent of the mix is another significant issue. If a business doesn’t have many products, there is a chance that one will go out of date as newer type of products are in the market and this can seriously damage the business scale. It is recommended to never have one product in one market as if the product isn’t successful and fails this could mean a complete failure of the business. Some businesses will adapt and anticipate change, while  others reacts to the need to change. An example of this is that IPhone makes changes to their products such as their mobile phones, they add more features to their products giving their customers a range of features to look for in a product. Once a business has identified their target group of customers it has to know what products or services it needs to do and provide in order to appeal and attract to them. The information they provide their customers should illustrate the features of the product or service so that the customers know what to expect and it reaches their expectations and the business will make a profit. However it’s important to take into consideration that the benefits to a customer are not always for a practical sense there are psychological benefits such as status for example. An example of this is if everyone has a specific phone and a person went and got the same phone they may get it more for a status reason. The product life cycle concept reflects the theory that product, like people, live a life. They go through 4 stages. The main stages of the product life cycle are: †¢Introduction- researching, developing and then launching the product †¢Growth-when sales are increasing at their fastest rate †¢Maturity-sales are near their highest, but the rate of growth is slowing down, e.g. new competitors in market or saturation †¢Decline-final stage of the cycle, when sales begin to fall So understanding what part of the cycle your product is in will shape your marketing mix. Price Price is the one element of the marketing mix that revenue; the others produce costs. A business must set a price for a product and in deciding the products price; marketing must follow a six-step-process. 1.Select the price objective-This could be to survive or to maximize market share. 2.Determine demand-the higher the price, the lower the demand. 3.Estimate cost-charge a price that covers the cost of producing, distributing and selling the product. 4.Analyze competitors’ costs, prices and offers-take into account its competitors cost and prices setting its price. 5.Select a pricing strategy-there a number of pricing, which is listed below. 6.Select the final place-this is decided after testing on a range of pricing points. Premium pricing This is where the business will keep the price of a product or service high in order to encourage customer to associate it will high quality. Penetration pricing This is when a product is sold into a market at a low initial price in order to generate sales before the price is increased. Economy pricing Economy pricing is the deliberate setting of low price in order to boost sales. Skim pricing when launching a new product there will be less competition in the marketplace. Skimming involves setting as reasonably high initial returns from those consumers willing to buy the new product. Psychological pricing This based on customer pricing method. It relies on consumer’s emotive responses, subjective views and feeling towards specific purchases. Captive product pricing This is a strategy that can apply to products with consumable supplies. This is where the pricing at high prestige levels, otherwise they will not sell; customers equate higher quality with higher prices. Product line pricing This is the pricing of different products within the same product range at different price points. Place Place in marketing mix refers to where the product is purchased from and how it’s distributed. For example, most consumer of confectionery will buy products form retail stores. Businesses need to adapt their marketing mix depending on the end customers- that is whether they are a consumer or reseller- as each seek different benefits from the same product. Distribution A business may use two types of distribution method: indirect or direct. Indirect distribution is when a business sells its products via an intermediary such as wholesaler, who then sells to retailers. Direct distribution is where the business sells and distributes direct to the customers. Choosing indirect distribution may mean that a business loses some of the control over the pricing of their products, as they have offer discounts to wholesalers and retailers, who may choose to pass on saving to their customers. Online The growth of online shopping have given businesses a new place to sell their products to customers. This offers businesses an advantage as they can sell directly to the customers. This mean they can avoid the wholesaler and therefore increasing the profit margin on their products. The promotional mix involves the blending of number of variables to satisfy the needs of a business’s target market and achieve its organizational objectives. With the promotional mix, a business attempts to achieve the best blend of promotional elements to suit their promotional objectives. The components of the promotional mix are: †¢Advertising †¢Sales promotion †¢Personal selling †¢Public relations Advertising This may be defined as paid promotions through various media by businesses, non profit organizations and individual’s that are in some way identified in the advertising message and hope to inform or persuade members of particular audience. Advertisers have many tricked up their selves such as: †¢Excitement †¢Personality power †¢Put-down: Business put down their competitions †¢Jumping on the bandwagon: Advertisements encourage the audience to join the crowd. Personal selling This is where a seller presents a product direct to a consumer often face to face but can be done over the phone and through video conferencing. Public relations This covers a firm’s communications and relationships with its public. This includes customers, suppliers, stockholders, employees, the government, the general public and the society in which the organization operates. This can be formal or informal. Publicity is important part of effective public relations efforts. It can be defined as the non-personal stimulation of  demand for a good, service, person or cause. Sales promotion This is related to marketing activities that fall outside of the categories such as coupons, trade shows, displays, samples and other promotional efforts that occur on an irregular basis. Some of these promotions are short term and opportunistic. In this assignment I have examine how products and services are marketed and look at how a marketing mix is developed using the four p’s: Product, Price, Place and Promotion.

Us History Exam notes

An area in social life, Independent of government where Informed citizens can come together and discuss and Influence political action, a domain that used to be solely for political figures and upper society. What were the major components of the public sphere In colonial North America? The public sphere expanded with the raising of literacy rates and the view that participating in politics and reading was fashionable. Some of the influences were numerous coffee shops and pubs, lots of bookshops, Boston Newsletter, first continuously published newspaper.Which early American stands out for his contributions? Benjamin Franklin What were his three major contributions to the growth of the public sphere? Editing the Pennsylvania Gazette which was considered the best edited, founding the Junta, a forum for mutual Improvement and for discussion about politics, and the Library Company of Philadelphia which was the flirt establishment of circulating literature. What component of freedom was e ssential to the establishment and growth of the public sphere? Freedom of expression. Which famous libel trial demonstrated that this freedom was becoming ingrained in he popular imagination? 735 Publisher Zinger brought up on charge of libel against the governor, calling him corrupt, and after he showed evidence that the governor was corrupt he was found not guilty. This showed the public that the truth will always win. Columbian exchange- transatlantic flow of goods W > E – tomatoes, potatoes, cotton, tobacco, corn E > W – sugarcane, rice. Horses, pigs, sheep Black Legend- Based on Lass Cases' book shows image of Spain as uniquely brutal and exploitative colonizer, gives other countries Justification to colonize, challenge Spain's old French and Dutch are what kind of empires?Commercial, looking for trading, gold and the Northwest passage England Is what kind of empire? Colonizing, Individual men looking for land, and through the possession of land, freedom and bring them back to the home country to make it wealthier, not focusing on colonization or trade Northwest Passage- Route to Asia through N America English colonization begins with Jamestown in 1607 by Virginia Company 5 Attributes to English Freedom: 1. King subject to rule of law (Magna Cart) 2. Security of persons and property 3. Habeas corpus- cannot be held indefinitely w/out charge 4.Right to face your accuser 5. Right to trial by Jury Mercantilism: There is always a winner and a loser in trade, best to be the person with money, exports should always exceed imports Virginia- tobacco in Chesapeake region, swampy Pennsylvania- Religious freedom for Quakers, no slavery Georgia- meant to be a refuge for the English poor, became large slave owning plantation state, rice and indigo Carolinas: Indigo and Rice Rhode Island and New Jersey- religious freedom Massachusetts- formed with original Plymouth colony.

Strategic Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Strategic Communication - Essay Example However, the periodic reports target the management team as the main audience so that it can make informed decisions. The presentation of the periodic reports highlights four critical elements, namely a statement of significance, a statement of integrity, monitoring, and conclusions. Other types of reports are situational reports presented by different individuals within the organization concerning the progress of projects or after attending conferences. The presentation of situational reports depends on the purpose of the report. This is to mean that progress reports are different from conference reports. In other occasions, the organization mandates the preparation of investigative reports hen a problem or a situation deserving attention emerges. Usually, investigative reports begin by introducing the problem and then provide details of all the facts and findings surrounding the problem, and finally a summary. Other types of reports that I am familiar with include the compliance reports, prepared by the organization to demonstrate its adherence to the government regulations. The presentation of compliance reports includes detailed background information as well as a preview of all the sections included. After the preview, the report comprises of the content couples with data and figures and finally a summary, which highlights the objective of the report. My organization also prepares analytical reports such as research reports, recommendation reports, feasibility reports, and yardstick reports. Analytical reports have an introduction, which introduces the objective of the report and the findings follow. The finding section presents all the advantages and the disadvantages of each alternative. After the findings, a recommendation section follows, and finally the conclusion. In my opinion, an employee like Scott, who wants her company to consider funding the project mentioned, should present a proposal in writing. In the

Law and Human Immunodeficiency Syndrome Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Law and Human Immunodeficiency Syndrome - Essay Example Blood transfusion involves two stages diagnosis and therapy. Diagnosis aims to find out whether there is a need for blood transfusion while therapy is the physical process of blood transfusion. Most cases normally arise when a patient claims to have contracted HIV/AIDs because of blood transfusion. When this occurs, it is certain there was no proper blood test or proper screening of the donor. In such circumstances, the plaintiff has to show that the defendant acted negligently and because of this negligence, he was injured. In Roberts v. Subaru Hospital Association, it was held by the Maryland Court of Special Appeals that transfusion of blood was a service rendered and not a seller of the product. The court stated that â€Å"A transfusion is not just a sell of blood which the patient takes home as a package. The transfusion of the blood-the injecting of it into the patient`s bloodstream-is what he really needs and pays for, and that involves the application of a medical skill.â₠¬  There have been developed state laws that protect the confidentiality of HIV/AIDS-related information. Information concerning a patient`s diagnosis of HIV positive must not be disclosed and can only be disclosed to other healthcare professionals if need be. Disclosure of one`s HIV status violates his/her rights to privacy concerning their personal affairs. In Estate of Behringer v. Medical Center at Princeton, the plaintiff, a surgeon was entitled to damages for unauthorized disclosure of his status at the hospital.  

The 10 Key Operational Areas At dominoes Research Paper

The 10 Key Operational Areas At dominoes - Research Paper Example All their food and services are of quality by the fact that their employees are regularly trained to offer best services (Bized, 2010). Based of the findings, it should be noted that the senior managing director of Dominos pizza in Saudi Arabia was out of reach during the interview. However, I would like to acknowledge the assistance offered to us by the team members and some of the top managers of the company who allowed us to interview them. Finally, my warm gratitude’s is to you for allowing me to explore much by researching Dominos pizza company and familiarizing myself with exceptional business strategies the company used to grow. This has enhanced my research skills that will be much valuable in other future projects. Domino’s Pizza Company of Saudi Arabia was initially founded in the year 1960 as part of the international Domino pizza group (Bized, 2010). This company is also known to be the world leader in pizza deliveries and the company operates a network of company-owned and Franchise-owned stores in Saudi Arabia (Bized, 2010). In the larger Saudi Arabia, it is absolutely sure that Domino is the most trusted and widely know leading pizza delivery. This is because; the company main objective is to ensure they are perfectly dedicated to the best services, quality production and excellent deliveries (Bized, 2010). The company is flowing on a chain of success having being built by quality services which is customer centered and effective deliveries services they offer. Notable to mention is the fact that over 1000000 people globally enjoy Domino’s pizza on daily basis by the virtue that the company holds over 10000 stores in more than 60 countries on earth (Bized, 2010). This means that the company is well established and their brand is also perfectly recognized internationally. The driving power of Domino’s Pizza Company based in Saudi Arabia is the dedication and single minded focus towards producing the best

Written campaign pitch Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Written campaign pitch - Essay Example This campaign pitch is designed to work under a strategy known as market-differentiation and through the use of the resources that are available in the Attic stores. The growth of this business as well as the consumer awareness/loyalty will be attained through the use of the resources provided by the three principal partners of Attic stores. The marketing mix to be used by the Attic stores will be centered on the emphasis of the high quality of their products and the fast customer service accorded to the clients by the staff of Attic stores. It is definitely probable that various risks will be involved in this type of a marketing mix. As a solution to this, Attic stores will consider structuring this campaign pitch into four segments. The first segment of this campaign pitch will focus on the instantaneous and responsive business environment accorded to Attic stores. In utilizing the immediate and responsive business environment, the Attic stores shall make use of a campaign slogan to be referred to as ‘fashion mania’. ‘Fashion mania’ can be given wide-meaning showing obsessions that people have for up-to-the-minute clothing and more specifically leisure/sportswear. We shall therefore change our business name to Attic Stores Fashion Mania. As part of our change, we shall encompass various modes for the distribution of our products. That means that we will not rely only on the traditional methodologies that are used by other retail outlets in the distribution of their products. As such, we will employ the use of other methodologies for example mail orders so as to address the clothing needs of our clients who are very busy and do not have free time at their disposal to come personally to the stores (Adcock, 1998). We will also use the internet and the social media like Facebook and blogs sell our products. The use of the social media is particularly important because at this digital era, most of the people

CASE STUDY ----- Accsys Technologies PLC Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

----- Accsys Technologies PLC - Case Study Example This paper will analyze the financial statements and annual reports of the company and identify three areas of heightened audit risk in the auditing of the company this year. In addition, the paper will explain the reasons for five substantive audit procedures in relation to the areas of heightened audit risk identified. From the annual report of the company, it is evident that there are some areas that require heightened audit risk this year. One of the areas in the company that has heightened audit risk is the operating costs. There was an increase in the operating costs of the company by 11%. While the figure was 13.5 million pounds in 2013, it rose to 15 million pounds in 2014. This resulted from high costs of administration that the organization incurred during the year. Moreover, there were legal costs that resulted from the arbitration process related to the Diamond Wood. The cost of staff also increased by 9% and this was as a result of the increase in head count (ACCSYS TECHNOLGIES 2015). Operating costs is an area of heightened risk audit in this company since they determine whether the costs incurred by the company are being used to cover the relevant expenses. In addition, costs determine whether there is effective management of costs in the organization and ascertain whether there are activities that contribute to the wastage of the company’s resources. For Accsys Technologies PLC, operating costs represent an area of heightened risk since they keep on increasing and might affect the profitability of the company, as well as the initial business plan of the organization. With proper auditing of the costs such as staff costs, the management can make adjustments to the operations of the organization and ensure that the company is in the right track (ACCSYS TECHNOLGIES 2015). Another area of heightened audit risk in the audit of the company this year is

The Handmaids Tale Essay Example for Free

The Handmaids Tale Essay Gilead’s totalitarianism regime uses religion to meet the ends of the regime, rather than the regime being a means to serve God. ‘Soul Scrolls’ is a place where Handmaid’s purchase one of five prayers to be read to them, before being recycled. Offred’s prayer is a distortion of the Lord’s Prayer which is ostensibly much more personal to her. Offred describes ‘Soul Scrolls’ as ‘a franchise’. This suggests the presence of business and technology in Gilead, reinforced by the idea that the Handmaid’s accounts are debited and that the regime is everywhere. This concept of business is continuous throughout the novel, for example the ‘ceremony’ previously discussed is portrayed to be a business transaction. ‘Franchise’ has connotations of something which is unavoidable. Everybody knows it and everybody has access to it, and it’s the same everywhere you go – it’s incredibly impersonal. Gilead uses ‘Soul Scrolls’ as a means of controlling the Handmaids. There is no flexibility because there is no choice in prayer – there are only five prayers to choose from, which seems quite artificial. In only offering five exact choices – ‘health, wealth, a death, a birth, a sin’, it prevents people praying for anything else. Despite the fact that the Handmaid’s can mentally think of other prayers, they can never articulate this because their freedom of speech is subverted to the state of Gilead. ‘Birth’ and ‘death’ are rites of passage and for the Handmaid’s; it’s the only two things they can be certain of. They exist simply for the purpose to bear children, and constant reminders of the consequences if they fail to conceive are that they will eventually die. With only 5 prayers available, this creates uniformity which shows how Gilead manipulates religion, because in reality, prayer should be different for everyone. The concept of Christianity is based on the relationship between God and the person. Prayer is theoretically supposed to be a means of personal communication, a way to thank God, and to wish for things to happen. ‘Soul Scrolls’ is not personal. ‘The machines talk’ and by speaking in a ‘toneless metallic voice’, Gilead is taking all freedom from the Handmaid’s minds, and this autonomy removes any need for a thought process, which means the Handmaid’s cannot threaten the Gilead regime by thinking for themselves. ‘Soul Scrolls’ allegedly teach the Handmaids’ what they should think. However, their soul is a part of them and they should already know what they want to think, but the absence of this suggests the influence and power of Gilead. The idea that the Handmaids’ minds are also controlled is emphasised by this because Gilead doesn’t let them develop, it uses machines and the role of people such as aunt’s and commanders to brainwash them. Regardless of the Handmaids’ being unable to express their thoughts, since God is omniscient he should know what they’re thinking. However, in articulating their thoughts they could confirm their own beliefs to themselves in a pragmatic way. It forms a part of positive thinking in the concept that the more you repeat it the better a chance they have of getting what they want. There is also a value in articulating feelings to people you love because it’s comforting. God is a conscious living entity aware of people’s love. Nevertheless, Gilead completely restricts this because the Handmaids’ have been brainwashed for so long that it’s wrong to think and to have these feelings, and so this restricts the power that the Handmaids’ could have. ‘Soul scrolls’ is only one way communication from the machine to the Handmaid, and this stops them developing thoughts, making the ‘Soul Scrolls’ simply another way of controlling the Handmaids. ‘Soul Scrolls’ are described by the Wives to ‘help their husband’s career’, which shows the machines to be pragmatic and simply a way to get ahead and follow the regime. ‘Soul Scrolls’ also suggests that the regime is manipulative because it shows a yearning for money and power in charging for the prayers to be read, and in controlling the Handmaids’. In buying prayers, it’s a sign of faithfulness to the regime, which implies that the regime has completely replaced religion and which emphasises that the Commander is thought to be like a God. Gilead completely distorts the meaning of prayer because with ‘Soul Scrolls’ it’s not about connecting with God, and in prayer you should want to pray which is not what this is about. Atwood’s repetition of ‘punching in the numbers’ reinforces this sense of autonomy and contempt for the regime, because it appears repetitive and tedious. Offred describes it as having ‘roll upon roll’ of prayers, which shows Gilead believes in quantity not quality, further emphasising the concept of business and money. Gilead’s regime is described as indestructible. ‘The window of ‘Soul scrolls’ is shatterproof’, which suggests that for the regime to have protected the franchise, they must have feared there would be dissenters. It suggests that not everybody in Gilead accepts it but they don’t dare to express this because of the consequences. There is reference to the spies in ‘Soul Scrolls’, ‘each machine has an eye painted in gold on the side’, which shows their superiority and that the Handmaids’ are always being watched – there is no escape and this is yet another means of controlling them. Offred tries ‘to remember’ what the place sold before and realises it was a lingerie shop. This takes away the feminist aspect of women because Gilead attempts to strip women of any wants and thoughts, to make them only want to bear children. If a lingerie shop existed in Gilead’s society as it were then, it would be considered corrupt, which is ironic because Gilead itself is a mire of corruption. The concept of a patriarchal society is reinforced in that ‘most of the stores carrying things for men are still open’. Offred’s parody of the Lord’s Prayer, which takes place by an empty garden (similar to how Jesus prayed alone in the Garden of Gethsemane), articulates Offred’s feelings of abandonment and despair. Line by line, such as ‘Who Art in the kingdom of heaven’, she regurgitates the sentiments of the Lord’s Prayer, typically used at ceremonies (the irony being in comparison to her experience of ceremonies), and in private commitment to express needs and hopes. Offred dwells on metaphors of ‘heaven’, ‘hell’, ‘daily bread’, and ‘forgiveness’, from which arises a vision of the absent chandelier where her predecessor attached a noose. This shows Offred’s despair because throughout a hopeful prayer she arrives at the conclusion that dying is the only option. Offred tediously recites the recurrent line from a tombstone in Gilead’s cemetery, and despite her attempts to remain ‘In hope’; Offred suffers so much isolation that her prayer becomes a desperate cry for spiritual nourishment. Offred concludes with a plaintive rhetorical question, ‘How can I keep on living? ’ which emphasises her unhappiness within Gilead and her want to end it all. Offred continually refers to God as ‘You’, which shows her yearning to be personal with God and to have a personal relationship. Atwood refers God as ‘you’ because it personifies God showing Offred as trying to talk to him personally. She wishes she knew ‘Your name’, which implies she needs God to answer her. She describes her thoughts as ‘hell we can make for ourselves’, which suggests that the hell is Gilead itself. Offred is uncertain about her capacity to find out about what’s happening in Gilead. ‘The Fall was a fall from innocence to knowledge’ is a reference to Adam and Eve’s loss of innocence after they disobeyed God and tasted the Tree of Knowledge. Offred applies this to herself because Gilead teaches that knowledge is dire and that they will no longer be innocent if they think such knowledge (the irony being that they were never innocent in Gilead’s corrupt regime). This suggests that if Offred was to find out about what was happening, this would be a sin, and this also reinforces Gilead’s influence in terms of how they brainwash the Handmaids’ with bible stories. Offred avoids the ‘traditional’ posture of praying ‘I don’t even close my eyes’. This is because it would draw attention to her and also shows that she is afraid of the consequences if she was found to be personally praying, and so this informal prayer becomes her only way of communicating with God. The ‘equal darkness’ even when her eyes are closed implies that nothing goes away because it’s too hard. However, there is potential optimism within Offred. ‘Or light’ suggests that there could be hope for Offred, except that Gilead takes this hope. This informal way of praying seems like she’s not fully committed but she still wants to pray because she’s desperate. ‘Soul scrolls’ is very impersonal in comparison to Offred’s own prayer. All thought process is removed, unlike how Offred can reflect in her mind during her own prayer. In her own prayer, despite Offred not being completely committed, she does get the opportunity to think about what’s happening in Gilead. In ‘Soul Scrolls’, Offred cannot do this because she may be caught and also because the autonomous voices prevent her from thinking. Offred’s own prayer becomes much like a desperate cry for help and the purpose of her prayer is to portray to the reader just how distressed she is. On the other hand, Offred commits to ‘Soul Scrolls’ because she has too since it’s a sign of faithfulness to Gilead’s regime, and if she didn’t, it would seem suspicious, even if she doesn’t believe in doing it. However, both do criticise Gilead, with ‘Soul Scrolls’ expressing the pointlessness of it, and her own personal prayer expressing how Gilead is a hell. In her own personal prayer, Offred has hope for two way communications, and although his name is not known, God does offer some kind of contemplation for Offred, as she works her way through her feelings. ‘Soul scrolls’ is simply a one way communication because prayers are printed and read to the Handmaids’ before being recycled, which shows the uniformity of this prayer. Offred’s own prayer is also in a sense a rebellion from the constraints of Gilead, because although this isn’t her aim, it does go against what Gilead teaches – that she should not be thinking for herself. When Offred visits ‘Soul Scrolls’, she is complying with the ways of Gilead simply to stay out of trouble. In conclusion, Offred’s personal prayer is much more personal than ‘Soul Scrolls’, and despite it being a distorted version of the Lord’s prayer, it does signify her desperation for salvation from the regime. ‘Soul Scrolls’ is something Offred simply goes along with because she has no choice but too, and this offers her no answers to her thoughts because of how autonomous and controlled it is.