European-English language Essay

As Ammon Ulrich puts it, the English language is the most hospitable languages in the world because of its character for being open to other languages (2002). The English language accepts words and expressions from other languages. It even borrows the native words and expressions of some countries. Such hospitability of the English language can be proved by appealing to the etymologies found in some English terms (Algeo & Pyles 2004). Yet, he argued that such hospitability does not entail humbleness. In fact, he argued that the English language has started to dominate the world by making the world accustomed to use and speak the English language (Ammon 2002). The sixteenth, seventeenth and the eighteenth century signaled the rise of the English language in Europe (Anderman & Rogers 2005). These periods marked the impeccable influence of the English language in the European civilizations. Because of trades and shipping businesses, it was said that Europe had increasingly exposed themselves on the English language (Phillipson 2003). The nineteenth century made almost all of the European languages to have distinct affinity with the English language likewise the European languages include vocabularies and terms that were derived from the English language (Anderman & Rogers 2005). In the twentieth century, England took a very significant role in expanding the influence of the English language in the whole European region. Because of cultural relations, economic transactions, and global communications, English had truly penetrated Europe. There was this mixed European and English language – combination of structures, terms, expressions and styles of the two languages (Anderman & Rogers 2005). Nonetheless, in this period, English does not have any special place in European countries. It is not even regarded as an official language by other European countries (Phillipson 2003). Though there are some countries which used English as their native language. There are countries in Europe which are opposed with the idea of translating files and documents from their native language into English (Ammon 2002). Bilingualism is allowed in the European region (Phillipson 2003). However; European countries do not think that making the English language as their official language would make significant change for them. As a result, they refuse to consider translations of newspapers, official documents and declarations into the English language. There are separate editions and issues of magazines that are printed and published in English (Ammon 2002). According to the European Union, though the English language has truly proven its importance in international business and communication, it does not necessarily mean that they would ardently adopt it (Anderman & Rogers 2005). What happened is that, European countries, together with their cultures, reconstructed the English language with their own native language. For example, the combination of French and English is called Franglais. The combination of German and English is Denglish, Spanish and English is Spanglish, Dutch and English is Nederengels (Anderman & Rogers 2005). Besides this reconstruction or the mixing of European languages and the English language, the European Union announces that although the English language is key factor in business communication, local cultures and communication should be first considered. Consequently, English is only regarded as an ordinary language used and spoken by the people in Europe (Stavans 2002). Crawford’s â€Å"Heritage Languages in America: Tapping a ‘Hidden’ Resource† English Language is known as the official language of America (Crawford 1999). All the states of America use and speak of it. There is no such thing as native language except for the fact that America has been inhibited by many other people with different nationalities and cultures (Cheshire 2007). It is tagged as the melting pot of the world. For this reason, it is undeniable that every attempt to come near it would mean exposing oneself from the very influential power of the American culture including the use of the English language (Crawford 1999). According to James Crawford, it is inevitable that the world would bend over the English language (1999). Evidently, one cannot survive in the international scene without knowing how to speak and understand English. As repeatedly mentioned in this paper, international communication requires the English language (Crystal 2003). He stressed in his arguments his contention to those countries which try to establish an anti-bilingual campaign (Crawford 1999). It is to be noted that there are really bills and laws that are currently against the use of English as a second language. He saw no logical reason for pushing such campaign. American people honor and recognize the role of the English language. They see how it significantly affects their lives and the world. No matter how the English language is differently used and spoken by different countries in the world, no doubt that it pushes the world to take big leaps with regards to technological, scientific, political and mostly economic advancements. English language-policy system in America is geared towards the unification of native tribes and groups with the whole of America (Johnson, 2000). It does not really undermine or debilitate native languages. It serves as the key weapon in improving the lives of the people, and making them realize that the world is really moving towards modernization and globalization. There is no way that the English language would not affect the international relations of the world (Cheshire 2007). However, according to James Crawford, it does not imply that other languages would be thrown out of the picture. He insisted that native languages should be tied up with the native languages so as to preserve the culture and heritage of particular regions and groups in America while making efforts to advance the quality of life they have (Crawford 1999). Conclusion The English Language cannot really own by one nation. In fact it is not exclusively owned by any one. It is a freelancer language which tends to be accessible to all that needs a common medium for particular and specific purpose. The research studies presented in this paper proves that the English language has really penetrated the international scene – leaving either good or bad effects. More so, its evolution took place in the midst of criticisms and oppositions against it. China, Japan, Europe and America admitted that the English language significantly takes part in every transformation of the world. It is a very dynamic language which allows the assimilation and inclusion of almost every other languages and culture. Bilingualism may be seen as problem or threat for others. Nonetheless, bilingualism opens the door for better communication. References: Algeo, J. , & Pyles, T 2004, The Origins and Development of the English Language (5th ed. ), Heinle. Ammon, U 2002, English As An Academic Language In Europe: A Survey Of Its Use In Teachin,. Peter Lang Publishing. Anderman, G. M. , & Rogers, M 2005, In And Out Of English: For Better, For Worse? (Translating Europe, Multilingual Matters Limited. Brownell, J. A1967, Japan’s second language;: A critical study of the English language program in the Japanese secondary schools in the 1960’s, National Council of Teachers of English. Burchfield, R 2003, The English Language,. Oxford University Press. Burnley, D 2000, The History of the English Language: A Source Book (2nd ed. ), Longman. Cheshire, J 2007, English around the World: Sociolinguistic Perspectives, Cambridge University Press. Cheshire, Jenny 1991, Introduction: sociolinguistics and English around the world, In Cheshire: 1-12. Crane, M 2004, English as a Second Language, Grand Central Publishing . Crawford, J 1999, Heritage Languages in America Retrieved July 2007, 2007 from http://ourworld. compuserve. com/homepages/JWCRAWFORD/HL. htm Crystal, D 2003, English as a Global Language (2nd ed. ), Cambridge University Press. Fennell, B. A 2001, A History of English: A Sociolinguistic Approac,. Blackwell Publishing Limited. Gorlach, M. 1991, Studies in Varieties of English around the World, 1984-1988, Amsterdam/Philadephia: John Benjamin’s Publishing Company. Graddol, D 1996. The History of the English Language (First ed. ), Routledge. Hamers, Josiane F. & Blanc, Michel H. A 1989, Bilinguality and Bilingualism, Cambridge: CUP. Johnson, F. L 2000, Speaking Culturally: Language Diversity in the United States, Sage Publications, Inc . Kachru, B. B 1992, The Other Tongue: ENGLISH ACROSS CULTURES (2nd ed. ), University of Illinois Press. Kahcru, Braj B 1986, â€Å"The power and politics of English†. In World Englishes, Vol. 5, No. 2/3: 121-140. Liu, J 2007, English Language Teaching in China: New Approaches, Perspectives and Standard, Continuum International Publishing Group. Marciamo 2005, Japan more accommodating to English speakers than to speakers of other languages, Retrieved July 28, 2007 from Japan Reference: http://www. jref. com/language/english_friendly_japan. shtml McMillan, R. R 1999, English as the Second Official Language in Japan? Retrieved July 28, 2007, from Garden City Life: http://www.antonnews. com/gardencitylife/1999/12/17/opinion/ Pennycook, Alastair 1994, The Cultural Politics of English as an International Language, Harlow: Longman Group Ltd. Phillipson, R 2003, English-Only Europe? : Challenging Language Policy (First ed. ), Routledge. Porcaro, J. W 2002, â€Å"Translating literature and learning culture. (teaching English as a foreign language in Japan†, Academic Exchange Quarterly , 6 (4), p. 113. Ross, H. A 1993 China Learns English: Language Teaching and Social Change in the People`s Republic, Yale University Press. Saito, T. , Nakamura, J. , & Yamazaki, S 2002, English Corpus Linguistics in Japan, Rodopi. Shaobin, J 2002, English as a Global Language in Chin,. Retrieved July 27, 2007, from ELT Newsletter: http://www. eltnewsletter. com/back/May2002/art992002. htm Stanlaw, J 2005, Japanese English: Language And The Culture Contact (Bilingual ed. ), Hong Kong University Press. Stavans, I 2002, On Borrowed Words: A Memoir of Language, Penguin Non-classics. Weixing, G 2003, The Origin of English Language Teaching in China’s School, Monash Asia Institute.

A comparison of Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein’ and ‘OF Mice and Men’ by John Steinbeck Essay

I will be comparing the novels ‘Frankenstein’ by Mary Shelley and ‘Of Mice and Men’ by John Steinbeck. I will focus on how the main outcasts in each book feel and how their emotions are presented and what effects this has on the reader. The novel Frankenstein is about a man Victor Frankenstein, who grew up in Geneva, Switzerland as an eldest son of a quite wealthy and happy family. His parents adopted an orphan Elizabeth, who later becomes his wife. Frankenstein wasn’t very popular although he had a good friend called Henry Cleval. At a young age he found the need to learn and at 19 he went to a University in Ingolstadt, Germany. Here he found his need to learn even greater and his interests soon became an obsession. After four years of intensive studying he took his work further and created life from different parts of the human body taken graveyards, slaughterhouses and dissecting rooms. When the creature awoke he realised that he had created a monster, but what Victor hadn’t realised was that it had feelings like any other human being. Out of his nervousness when the monster disappeared, he caught a fever which his good friend Henry Cleval nursed him back to health. As he went home he was informed of his brother’s death, and when he saw the creature again he knew it was the monster. Scared of what his family might think he decided not to tell them but he let his knowledge of the real killer mentally torture him, especially when Justine a good friend of the family was accused and hanged for murder. He left the house and went wandering in the valleys, there Frankenstein’s creation meets him and tells him his life story. After leaving Frankenstein’s laboratory, the monster went and found himself in a village where he was by attacked villagers because of his appearance. He then found refuge in the country side and stayed in a small hovel next to a house occupied by a blind man and his two children. Here he learnt to speak and read by reading the family’s books. Then longing for some companions he speaks to the blind man which he knows won’t judge him on appearance. He gets in a friendly conversation but then the man’s children come back and it all goes wrong. The monster filled with anger and rage then runs of into the forest Here he meets Frankenstein’s younger brother who he strangles, knowing that it will hurt Frankenstein. The monster has only has request from Frankenstein, that he makes him a wife so he won’t be lonely all his life. Frankenstein is moved by this and agrees, knowing that the monster will carry on killing if he doesn’t. Victor leaves for England with Henry Cleval to finish off his work, promising to Elizabeth that he will marry her on his return. Victor started to work on his second creation when he starts to get doubts and destroys his work while the monster is secretly watching. The monster then swears revenge and tells Victor that he will be with him on his wedding night. The next day the body of Henry Cleval is found and Victor is accused of murder. He sees the body and eventually gets cleared of the charge and he heads back to Geneva very unwell, knowing that the monster has claimed another victim. He then gets married to Elizabeth promising to tell her the secret after there wedding night, but she gets killed by the monster. After another member of his family is lost he tracks the monster which eventually leads him to the artic, where he gets taken aboard Walton’s ship. Exhausted he tells Walton his story and asks him to kill the monster if he dies. The ship gets free of the ice where the crew decide to go home, Victors health decreases until he eventually dies and the monster visits his dead corpse. He then talks about his suffering and how he hates himself because of all the people he has killed. Finally with no meaning to life left he talks about building his funeral pile and leaves the ship. The book ‘Of Mice and Men’ has two main characters, George Milton and Lennie Small. George and Lennie work together going from ranch to ranch as labourers. Lennie is a huge man, gigantic in size but has a brain of a child whereas George is a small man but is highly intelligent; they hang round and work together using Lennie’s strength and George’s brains. They both recently escaped from a farm in Weed where a woman accused Lennie of rape, when he was supposedly only feeling her dress because he likes soft things. Lennie loves George telling him about his dream of having small farm with a vegetable patch and a rabbit hutch. The rabbit hutch is the only part of the plan that Lennie constantly remembers because of his limited memory span. The two head off for a ranch in California, when they are almost the George tells Lennie that if there is any trouble he is to hide in the brush near the river and wait for George to find him. When George and Lennie reach the farm where they will be working, they meet an old man called Candy who shows them their beds and tells them that their boss is angry because they are late. The boss speaks to Lennie but finds it suspicious because George keeps speaking for Lennie. After the boss leaves, his son Curly enters the bunkhouse looking for his wife. Curly has a new wife who everyone knows that she always flirts with other men. Later that evening Curly’s wife comes in and starts flirting, later on curly returns and starts picking on Lennie in an attempt to start a fight because he likes to think he is tougher than everyone else. After the first day at work, all the men return to the bunkhouse where Slim, a kind man gives Lennie a puppy. The other men leave for the Whorehouse and Lennie goes and visits Crooks, a black stable buck. Crooks makes Lennie realize how alone and isolated he would be if George abandoned Lennie. The next morning Lennie is playing with his new puppy when he accidentally kills it, Curly’s wife then enters the barn and lets him feel her soft dress, with his huge size he gets a bit forceful and she begins to scream. Trying not to get into trouble he covers her mouth and accidentally breaks her neck. Lennie runs to hide in the brush where he hopes George will save him. The other men then find her dead body and hunt Lennie down to kill him. George knows where Lennie is and points them in the opposite direction. George steals Carlson’s gun and finds Lennie, he calms him down but then shoots him in the head. The others then find him and George tells them what happened. Both stories end in tragedy, and have as a central figure as an outcast due to a mental or physical defect. In â€Å"Frankenstein† the writer starts of by making Victor seem happy and jolly person to help contrast the change in his mood and his way of thinking later in the book, much like George telling Lennie about the small farm they are going to own. In â€Å"Frankenstein† the Monster had the potential to be good or bad and for the majority of the book he was trying to be good and get some friends â€Å"I, Should first win their favour, and afterwards there love† Due to his defects though, none felt sympathy for him, he was just a ‘monster’ this was what drove him to the killing .He tried making friends with the blind which went very well until his children came back and they say him â€Å"Felix darted forward, and with supernatural force tore me from his father† . He soon began hatred for all man kind, for them being so predigest against h ow he looked. In both stories the writer creates sympathy for the two characters, Frankenstein’s monster is an outcast because of his physical defects and Lennie because of his mental defects. The writer creates sympathy for the monster by giving it hideous looks where even the creator Frankenstein can not bare to look at it â€Å"he was ugly then; but it became a thing such as Dante could not have conceived† The fact that monster had the potential to be good or bad but turns bad because of the way people treat him adds more sympathy. There are loads of other points in the story where sympathy is created for the monster, a main point is when Frankenstein goes back on his word and decides not to make the monster a partner so it will not be lonely. Also the monsters talk with Frankenstein on why he wants another one like himself gets a lot of sympathy from the reader. â€Å"I thought with a sensation of madness on my promise of creating another like him, trembling with passion, torn to pieces the thing on which I engaged. Mary Shelly keeps adding sympathy through the novel as she uses very dramatic and descriptive language to show the monsters agony. Later on in the novel the sympathy soon runs out for the monster as he turns evil and makes his soul purpose of his existence to seek revenge on his creator. Lennie gets sympathy in a whole different way, he is not totally rejected by society like Frankenstein’s monster but still does not fit in like other people due to his mental intellect. Throughout the novel Steinbeck emphasises Lennie’s two main defects, his incredible strength and mental intellect of a child and when put together these can be a very dangerous combination. Steinbeck constantly reminds the reader of Lennie’s child like attitude and his lack of adult awareness e.g. when he kept the dead mouse in his pocket as a pet. The way Steinbeck writes throughout the novel about how Lennie is an incredible worker and can lift twice as much as other men emphases Lennie’s incredible strength. The way Lennie always talks about the rabbit’s gains him a lot of sympathy from the reader as it is the kind of thing a child would talk about. Another time Steinbeck makes the reader feel sorry for Lennie is when he accidentally kills the puppy which he loved dearly, this shows that he does not always follows George’s commands and it can get him into trouble. During the story the writer does not want the reader to hate Lennie even through he commits a serious crime the reader still feels sympathy for him as he acts in the only way that he knows how.

A Personal Study on B. F. Skinners Theory on Operant Conditioning

A Personal Study on B. F. Skinner's Theory on Operant Conditioning The theory that I chose to write about is B.F. Skinner’s Operant Conditioning because it intrigues me and is the one that I agree with the most. B.F. Skinner is an incredible American psychologist who developed one of the most influential theories there is. Skinner is a behaviorist and had developed his theory through conducting numerous amounts of research on shaping behavior. Operant conditioning is a behavior modification technique, which he developed in contrast with classical conditioning from Pavlov and Watson. His idea of the behavior modification technique was to put the subject on a program with steps. The steps included setting goals, which would help you determine how the subject would be changed by following the said steps. Operant conditioning is a type of learning where a person’s actions are reinforced or punished. The principle of Skinner’s theory reflects on how behavior that is positively reinforced will most likely reoccur again. In order for responses to be reinforced, information should be presented in small amounts. Another key principle states that reinforcements will also generalize across similar stimuli, which, in turn produces secondary conditioning. In summary, behavior is influenced by the consequences of actions, and reinforcement is crucial in changing or altering behavior. The term reinforcement in itself is any characteristic in the environment that increases the likelihood that a person will repeat a behavior in the future. On the contrary, punishment is any characteristic that decreases the probability that a person will repeat a behavior. According to B.F. Skinner, â€Å"children operate on their environments (hence the term operant conditioning), adjusting their b ehaviors to attract more reinforcements and to avoid punishments†. (12) This theory of Skinner’s proves that children adjust behavior to gain reinforcement and to avoid punishment as well. Operant conditioning and Skinner’s theory have been applied throughout various forms of research and clinical settings. Teachers use this method of operant conditioning to control children in their classroom and parents apply both positive and negative reinforcement to their children as well throughout their daily lives. When it came to more complex sorts of behaviors, the idea of shaping came into play. The procedure of shaping is selectively reinforcing certain behaviors while ignoring or punishing others. It is said that language development and how children come to produce speech have to do with shaping. â€Å"Learning theorists believe that the specific language training a child receives governs language development and that biological predispositions do not play an important role†. (264) When conducting research, Skinner and his students have had successful outcomes in getting simple animals to do extremely difficult things using shaping. We, as humans, are essentially shaped by our environment to enjoy or dislike certain things. This theory both compares and contrasts with my childhood and how I was growing up in a numerous amount of ways. In regards to shaping, I noticed that my parents would reinforce positive behavior as much as possible when I was learning math because it was something I struggled a bit more with as a kid. I would be placed in an environment where all I could do is learn and there would be no distractions. My parents would constantly tell me how crucial it was that I receive good grades. I would be praised for the good grades I received and it made me want to work harder to receive that praise continuously. I still experience a form of operant conditioning even during college. Credit cards give more student loan options to students who are performing well in a university which is another form of a reward that makes them work much harder. However, sometimes operant conditioning doesn’t work and if parents were to punish their child constantly for receiving bad grades, a child can grow to have a hatred towards school as they grow up. It is important to be understanding as well as notice that sometimes children struggle and reinforcement isn’t always going to provide the outcome you want. I believe strongly in discipline and not caving in to your children when you already told them no multiple times. For example, if a kid wants to buy candy or a toy in a store and starts crying, a parent should be stern and continue to refuse the candy bar. If the parent ends up giving in and buying the child the candy or toy, the child can start to put two and two together and apply this method of operant conditioning in a negative reinforcement way. Therefore, there needs to be a consistent pattern displayed through this method. Certain ethical or cultural issues that may connect with the operant conditioning theory from Skinner would be any time that there is physical or mental abuse being placed upon a person. Punishment being placed upon a person should never do any physical harm and reinforcement should be healthy and not anything that could be considered addictive. There needs to be a lot of care and attention that goes into both correcting and teaching behavior. B.F. Skinner is said to have also â€Å"grossly underplayed the role of biology in forging and regulating human behavior dismissing the burgeoning fields of behavioral genetics, evolutionary psychology, and cognitive science. Skinner argued that humans dont really think — that they merely respond to environmental cues†. Therefore, this theory can’t apply across all cultures because there are certain cultural factors that one person may experience opposed to someone else. Parents may use stricter forms of operant conditioning in different countries because that is how they were raised and a child may not have th e same positive effect like Skinner would hope his theory proves. My interactions with children are now influenced by this theory because I have grown more cautious in understanding that essentially you can try to train a child through delivery and reinforcement but ultimately it all comes down to how the kid is. Operant conditioning doesn’t necessarily always provide the outcome you want if the kid refuses to go along with it. I will try to apply the method of operant conditioning when babysitting or when I have my own kids someday to alter behaviors as best as I can if a child is acting up unnecessarily. Some parenting advice that I would give parents would be to stray away from the authoritarian approach as best as possible and realize that there is a difference between discipline and damaging discipline. Using the operant conditioning method to keep children â€Å"in line† and exactly how you want them to act can be harming for them down the line. If a child is always harmfully punished for his wrong actions, there will be a lot of mental damage done and it can hurt the child instead of allow him to grow and understand his wrongdoings. The best advice to understand and incorporate into parenting is that there is a fine line between discipline and compassion/understanding. If a child does something incorrectly, talk to them patiently and calmly without the reinforcement. Sometimes a child can grasp and have a better understanding through the kindness a parent shows because they see the concern come from the heart. It is also important to be consistent if applying B.F. Skinne r’s method of operant conditioning because a child can get confused on what is right and what is wrong. If a child gets punished for doing something but also receives positive reinforcement, they may perform their behavior once more in hopes of receiving that positive reward once again. All in all, B.F. Skinner’s method of operant conditioning does work but it is important to use it to an extent in parenting and understand that it may work for some but not for others. It is all dependent on outside factors such as cultural values, parenting styles, and our lives in general.

Media Report Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Media Report Analysis - Essay Example In December 2009, Lovett was suspended from the football club, and in February 2010, the club terminated his contract. The principal reason given was that he had brought the club into disrepute after sexual assault allegations had been made against him. The precise details of the contract are not provided, but this press release from the football club suggests that by attracting negative media attention, Lovett had done enough to be in breach of certain clauses. However, it is unlikely that this would have been sufficient reason to terminate the contract, given that, as the football club itself emphasises, Lovett remains ‘entitled to the presumption of innocence’. For this reason, however serious the nature of the allegations made against Lovett, to do more than indefinitely suspending the contract pending police investigation would have seemed a disproportionate response to the issue. The Club is therefore careful to emphasise that it is not for them to prejudge on innocence or guilt, which ‘is for the Court to decide’. Instead, what is emphasised is that these charges were not the sole reason for the termination of the contract. The press release therefore refers to ‘a series of acts and omissions in breach of his [Lovett’s] employment contract’. Little detail is given on what these breaches involved, apart from that he failed to fulfil his training commitments, and to maintain sufficient communication with officials at the football Club. While the sexual assault allegations made against him provided valid reason for the suspension of Lovett’s contract until the criminal justice process had taken its course, these breaches do seem to be adequate justification for the termination of the contract. If Lovett failed to turn up to training sessions with the rest of the team, then his performance on the field would clearly suffer, as would his

Managing finance of the two companies the Tesco and the Sainsbury Coursework

Managing finance of the two companies the Tesco and the Sainsbury - Coursework Example The intention of this study is financial statement analysis as one of the fundamental practices for investment and analysis of performance in order to present a fast method of evaluating the financial growth of the organization. The analysis and the evaluation of the financial ratios minimize the complications within the financial data in a simple and an arranged manner. The ratio analysis is much informative as it provides information’s, suggestions and recommendations to the shareholders. The study in this context deals with the analysis of the performance of the reputed companies namely the Tesco and Sainsbury. The study is aimed at evaluating the ratios of two firms over the past year financial data of the annual report. It gives the investment suggestions and recommendations to the investors and the shareholders by including and considering the following: †¢ Profitability, †¢ Liquidity level, †¢ Efficiency level †¢ The stage of fund dependency †¢ Earning per share. The Tesco brand first appeared five years later in 1924 when he bought a shipment of tea from a Mr T. E Stockwell and in 1932 Tesco became a private limited company. In 1995 Tesco took up Sainsbury’s as the UK’s largest supermarket. Bearing in mind how determined and competitive the 'supermarket' concept is this is fairly a success brand. Tesco’s favored evaluation of growth is 'like for like' development – sales development on shop floor room, which rejected increase from additional shop floor space in extended or latest stores. Even by this limited measure sales grew 8.3% in every year, improving Tesco’s profits every year. In April 2009, Tesco declared profits of ?1.6bn for the fiscal year concluding on 28 February; ?4.4m profit per day which is 17.6% higher than the earlier year. As an evaluation Tesco made as much income as Sainsbury, Next and WH Smith jointly. Forecasters are at present forecasting that Tesco’s pre-tax profits for coming years will be exceeding by ?2bn mark, quadruple times that of Sainsbury. Comparisons between both the companies are much difficult as they both are good players in the supermarket trade in the state. â€Å"So, rather than doing the usual comparison of  the stores by their top food  deals and booze bargains  (which we do every week in our Frugal Food blog), today, I'm going to take a more original look at which store offers the best financial  deals. I'll also compare their loyalty schemes, so you can see where your  spend at the supermarket will earn you  the most bang for your buck† (Wait 2010). Financial Analysis of Tesco and Sainsbury: The intention of this paper is to financially investigate and state a report of the two firms Tesco and Sainsbury. These two firms have the same industrial background and are both leading supermarkets among whom there are a very healthy and tough competition in order to capture the giant market share. â€Å"Sainsbury's v Tesco: the rumble in the supermarket aisles† (Hall 2009). Both financial as well as non financial factors have played a very vital role in the market fluctuations which have affected both the firms. In order to present a financially investigative report, it is very important to present a report on the financial ratios of the firms. For that purpose some of the most popular ratios investigated are profitability, liquidity, efficiency, gearing and the

The Holy Ghost Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Holy Ghost - Essay Example In addition, once all the members were seated, they started clapping their hands and singing together. Besides, as the congregation is singing and worshipping, the pastor stands up and addresses the congregation; he invites all those who are not filled with the Holy-Ghost to come forward to receive an impartation. Eventually, the services move into a session of prayer; members of the congregation stand and make known their prayers and concerns. Additionally, the congregation breaks out into diverse kinds of prayer including lying on the floor, standing still, and convulsing uncontrollably. The documentary is a testament of what many individuals consider as the ministry of the Holy Spirit, a strange paradox. On the one hand, there are very little theological works on the ministry of the Holy Spirit; there is only a small reference to the issue in connection with the Trinity. On the other hand, over the last two decades, there has been an increasing interest and manifestation of the mi nistry and work of the Holy Spirit, especially in many non-denominational churches in America. The documentary is an example of the Pentecostal movement and subsequent series of the charismatic faiths that led many individuals to a new awareness of the ministry of the Holy Spirit and His spiritual gifts in the lives of Christians. The ministry of the Holy Spirit just as the documentary demonstrates revolves around the work of the Holy Ghost, especially in the lives of believers; the spiritual gifts such as faith healing.

International business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 13

International business - Essay Example nce, it is an effort to integrate or transverse some of national boundaries that reduce the national barriers and the businesses can compete for productive inputs and customers across the globe. In other words, it can be explained as an effort to reduce national barriers and establish broader market that permits all buyers and sellers to persuade business activities at a global level. The process of globalization can not only be identified as a buzz word but it will provide opportunities to accelerate pace of major business. Despite the fact, globalization will provide greater opportunities for the business to expand its markets, improve the pace of its performance and productivity. Globalization still remains to be one of the debatable and controversial issues in contemporary times. Researchers claim that the globalization is an excellent concept to boost up economic prosperity but elimination of national barriers cannot be attained. It has created a confusion and paradox situation for the business entities to integrate its operations at a global platform. The statement ‘The problem with the globalization is that there is not enough of it’ indicates that the concept of globalization is not absolutely attainable that has created problem itself. Therefore, the present essay paper will critically analyze advantages and disadvantages of Globalization to interpret the statement. Werhane (2012) explains globalization as an integration process of national economies within the international economy, through trade flows, foreign direct investments, short capital flows, technologies flow and labor forces (Werhane, 2012). The integration of the economies has increased diversity, complications, and controversies because of its multi dimensional nature. Sebastian and Elisabeta (2014) Claim that with the passage of time globalization stresses on the increasing process of integrations among countries within regional economies and political structures, with respect to

Mahler And Strauss Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Mahler And Strauss - Essay Example Gustav Mahler and Richard Strauss were two of the most famous composers of the last 19th century. Both were influenced by Beethoven, and both were extremely proficient and had a lasting impact on classical music into the 20th century. It is very interesting and instructive to examine their aesthetics and the various techniques they used to help establish their remarkable reputations and make such wonderful music. To begin with, both Mahler and Strauss were composers in the late Romantic period. Their music featured clear harmonies and melodies and had themes that were often rooted in nature and in love—indeed, some of their best works were inspired by failed love affairs (something everyone can identify with). Both also involved and were inspired by various folk songs of their homelands. Another important element seen in the works of both men is tonality. Mahler experimented with tone a lot A lot of this can be said to have influence later atonalist composers like Schoenberg, who really respected Mahler and drew a great deal of inspiration from the older man. Mahler pushed what was then seen as the limits of conventional tonality. Strauss too would experiment with tone in his tone poems. He started off quite conservative, but after discovering Wagner, began to experiment a lot more.

Marketing Audit Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Marketing Audit - Research Paper Example Newness in the product signifies minor modification of the existing product that is new to the world and can also create new market for the organization. Higher the degree of newness, higher is the chances of failure or success. On one hand the newness can bring success for the organization by increasing the sales and profit, whereas on the other hand, it may lead to high cost and failure that can create problems for the business (Cravens and Piercy, 2010). This study focuses on conducting a marketing audit for a customised car that can serve many purposes at the same time. This car serves the purpose of multifunction and customization that offers the owner with the opportunity of using and transforming the car in a variety of new designs. It can serve the function of both city car and pick up. Toyota has shown interest in launching this car and in this regards the marketing audit has been conducted. About Toyota Toyota Motor Corporation is one of the world’s most favourable a nd leading manufacturers of automobile. It is the market leader in developing technologically advanced and environmental friendly cars. Toyota Motor Company was officially launched and started up by Kiichiro Toyoda in the year 1937 (Borowski, 2010). In the year 1952 the company experienced exponential growth and become successful. After this success the company began to export cars to South America and five years after this achievement, the company gained firm ground in the automobile market of North America. Entering the market of US proved to be a breakthrough for Toyota in terms of automobile export. In the year 1982, Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) was formed by collaborating Toyota Motor Sales Company with Toyota Motor Company. Currently the company has nearly 522 subsidiaries all over the worlds with about 320,808 staff and having their manufacturing unit not only in Japan but also in 51 other locations spread over 26 countries (Borowski, 2010). In the year 2007 Toyota Motor Co rporation has the highest share price value among all the car manufacturers. In the year 2008 the company recorded total sales of 8.972 million cars generating an annual turnover of $239.4 billion. In the same year the organization was recognised as the biggest manufacturer in the automobile industry (Borowski, 2010). Marketing Audit Marketing audit is described as the process of â€Å"comprehensive, systematic, independent and periodic examination of a company’s or business unit’s marketing environment, objectives, strategies and activities with a view of determining problem areas and opportunities and recommending a plan of action to improve the company’s marketing performance† (Avasarikar and Chordiya, 2007, p. 4.15). The profitability of the organization can be increased by conducting marketing audit before launching a new product in the existing or new market (Kotler and Keller, 2012). In this regards the strength, weakness, opportunities and threat of the product and the organization has been identified. Strength The major strength of the product is customisation. The owner of the car can use this in a variety of ways serving numerous purposes. The owner can use it as a pick up van and as a common city car at the same time. The car has got innovative features that can attract the customers. It is

Comparing Architectural Styles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Comparing Architectural Styles - Essay Example Frank Gehry and Le Corbusier have been the most distinct styles of architecture. Both the styles have major contributions in creations of some of the most well known buildings in this world. But the two styles have been quite distinct. Frank Gehry involves construction adding a playful as well as whimsical touch while Le Corbusier is a much more simplified one (Comparing Architectural Styles). The essay intends to present a detailed comparison of the two architectural styles thereby giving a vivid description of both the styles. Architecture can be regarded as the greatest skill or art that human beings have developed. He has made the effective use of the art to create spaces and utilize the total space for his own usage (Jones 1). The development of architectural skills originated from the Renaissance period. Buildings were inspired by religious beliefs as well as mythologies. From 1980s onwards changes began to take place in the area of modern architecture. There emerged the era of postmodernism. Development of a proper theory helped in changing attitudes towards design and innovative ideas. Modern architecture was chiefly concerned with improvisation of prevailing human conditions. For this purpose it led to assimilation of nature and technology. Overall all this evolvement has helped people in developing new skills (Heyer, 84). In recent times the most well known international styles of architecture has been Le Corbusier and Frank Gehry. Villa Savoy in France is inspired by Le Corbusier architectural st yle while Guggenheim Museum in Spain has been designed according to Frank Gehry style of architecture. Both of the styles have been influenced by cultural orientation (Comparing Architectural Styles).   Le Corbusier style of Architecture This style of architecture was born under the father of architectural style Le Corbusier. He first gave houses and other constructions a new modern look and containing plenty of open space. He also created furnishings for his buildings. He invented the purist design. He has major contributions for improvisation of constructions of houses in metropolitan cities. His lesson of five points in architecture has helped many modern day architects in enhancing their architectural skills. He wanted modern look in cities with lots of open spaces. He used to believe that â€Å"a house is a machine for living in†. He began his career by designing a number of villas. His goal was to establish his own signature style of architecture to fill the vacuum cr eated by the World War I. His focus was on houses made for single families and gave many unique ideas. He made houses with three floors with kitchen, bedroom and living room in different floors. One important feature of his designs was that terraces were built on the roof (Analysis of Le Corbusier’s Architectural Style). Le Corbusier style has emphasized on the relationship between human and nature. Gardens and other such open spaces are always occupied with dwelling places under this style. Tall buildings are found with roof gardens. The principal style places a construction in the middle of landscape. This style surely causes a harmonization between landscape and architecture. Here the building along with the landscape together constitutes the desirable space (Heyer, 86). The specialty of Le Corbusier’s style of architecture has been free flowing geometry with outcomes obtained in free forms. The architects and also developers have gone through Le Corbusier’s theories to understand the style of designing a free flowing apartment amidst a landscape (Heyer, 6). Construction now required heavy usage of steel and concrete with a tint of industrial glazing. New architectural sty

Methods to Conserve Energy Essay Example for Free

Methods to Conserve Energy Essay Using natural energy resources doesnt necessarily mean you will conserve any energy, yet we do advise every household to research the possibility of implementing natural energy resources to influence their home power supply. This will conserve the fossil fuels we are currently consuming at an alarming rate. Many little things can be done in an attempt to conserve energy in the home. It is knowing how to do these little energy conservation processes that many people do not know about, understand, or Just dont care. Another way relating to how we can conserve energy is to ensure whenever we have finished using appliances that may have a light on them (such as a standby light), we switch the appliance off, or unplug after use. Little things can make a big difference in conserving energy around the home, and this is especially true for dishwashers, washing machines and dryers. Modern dishwashers have energy saving wash cycles, we strongly advise the use of such features, washing machines can be set to lower temperature washes, when sed with the right washing powder, and a dryer, well if you own a dryer, get rid of it and dry your washing naturally on a washing line. Hybrid cars can make a difference to your carbon footprint, and can help you save energy. No, they will not eliminate carbon emissions from their exhausts, yet they will greatly reduce the amount of carbon you pump into the air each year. The only reason you should need a 44 vehicle is if you live in a rough terrain area, or constantly snowy area. When you choose your next car, be sure to check the miles per gallon to see how fficient your car will be, this not only helps the environment but it saves you money on fuel too. When conserving energy, we can also look to our heating methods, why not reduce your heating thermostat or radiators by only 1 degree for a lengthy time, and compare your heating bill? If you recycle more, you will be helping to conserve energy put into making new versions of what you have recycled, and this also reduces the burden on landfill sites and incinerators which are not good for the environment

A History of Autism Developments

A History of Autism Developments In Autistic Space Temple Grandin is a professor of animal science at Colorado State University, and consultant to the livestock industry on animal behavior. She completed her PhD in Animal Science at the University of Illinois in Urbana and invented the hug box, a device to calm those on the autism spectrum. She is one of the first individuals on the autism spectrum to publicly share insights from her personal experience of autism. Grandin was diagnosed with brain damage when she was two. She could not speak until age three and struggled with severe behavioral issues through her teens. She thanked her mother who never lost faith in her and fought many battles to ensure that she got an education, and her high school science teacher, William Carlock, who built up her confidence and channeled her teenage fascination with cows into a career in animal science. At the University, she came to see her profound emotional connection with animals as autistic, and crucial for her work. In May 1989, she moderated a round table discussion at the conference of autism professionals and educators in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Her presentation prompted Rimland to introduce her 1986 memoir, Emergence, as the first book written by a recovered autistic individual. By then, she was on her way to becoming the most recognized autistic people on earth. In his 1995 book An Anthropologist on Mars, neurologist Oliver Sacks depicted Grandin as a mature autistic person with a complex inner life. The title of his book was inspired by Grandin when she said all her life she felt like an anthropologist observing human interactions from a distance. But by now, Grandin wouldnt consider herself as a recovered autistic. Autism is part of who I am, she told Sacks, If I could snap my fingers and be non-autistic, I would not, because then I wouldnt be me. But Grandins perspective did not take root among the advocacy organizations. When parent-run advocacy organizations get online in the 1990s, they continued to feature images of children on their websites, as if autistic adults didnt exist. The presentation at conferences dwelled on the usual deficits and impairments, rather than on exploring the atypical gifts that Grandin found so useful in her work. Jim Sinclair, a young man in the audience, determined to change that. Besides being on the spectrum, Sinclair was born with the physical characteristics of both genders. His parents had raised him as female on the advice of their doctor, but he had never felt female. He was speaking in echolalia until he was twelve. The complex rules of the social world seemed incomprehensible to him when he was a teenager. By the time he was in graduate school, his efforts to pass as non-autistic fell apart. When Sinclair saw Portrait of an Autistic Young Man, he had a profound sense of recognition. He could see what the experts in the film could not see: that Joseph was trying to communicate through his behavior. He wanted to connect with other autistic people, so he subscribed to a quarterly publication called the MAAP (for more able autistic people) and submitted poems and letters to the editor hoping his peers would contact him. One of Sinclairs poems attracted Gary Mesibovs attention. Mesibov, a cofounder of TEACCH, offered Sinclair a scholarship to attend the Chapel Hill conference and write an essay about his experience. Sinclairs essay on the conference appeared in a TEACCH anthology along with contributions from Lorna Wing and Catherine Lord. A year later, Sinclair was invited to sit on a panel in California by the Autism Society of America. He felt like a self-narrating zoo exhibit. Rather than being the token autistic on a panel at a conference in Indianapolis, Sinclair conspired with other members of the MAAP list to make their presence visible throughout the proceedings. Each of them would make a point of raising their hands during the QA sessions, identifying themselves as autistic people, and then asked questions or make a relevant comment so that people would notice they were there. *** In 1992, Sinclair launched the first autistic-run organization in history, called Autism Network International (ANI), with Donna Williams and Kathy Lissner. ANI would stand up for the civil rights and self-determination of people all across the spectrum. ANI organized its first Autreat at Camp Bristol Hills in Canandaigua, New York, in July 1996. The theme of the conference was Celebrating Autistic Culture. Autreat became an annual event and provided a template for similar conferences in other countries. *** A new idea was brewing in the autistic community. It turned out to be an old idea from Asperger that people with the traits of his syndrome have always been part of the human community, standing apart, making the world a better place. In the late 1990s, Judy Singer, an autistic student of anthropology and sociology in Australia called it neurodiversity. After her daughters diagnosis of Asperger syndrome at age nine, Singer recognized autistic traits in herself. She joined a mailing list called Independent Living on the Autism Spectrum (InLv). People with dyslexia, ADHD, and other conditions were also welcome to join the list. It was in telephone conversations with Harvey Blume, a list member and writer in the New York Times, that Singer came up with the term neurodiversity. *** In 2004, two teenagers named Alex Plank and Dan Grover launched Wrong Planet, one of the first autistic spaces in the internet. They were both digital natives with Asperger syndrome. The community grew slowly and steadily at first, and then it went viral with Planks interview with Bram Cohen, the autistic creator of BitTorrent. *** In December 2007, a series of billboards appeared on street corners in Manhattan. One ad read, We have your son. We will make sure he will not be able to care for himself or interact socially as long as he lives. This is only the beginning. These ads were sponsored by the Child Study Center (CSC) of New York University to alert the public to the silent public health epidemic of childhood mental illness. Then from out of nowhere, an organization called the Autistic Self-Advocacy Network (ASAN) along with outraged parents and prominent disability rights groups launched a storm of e-mails and blogs in NYUs direction objecting to the demeaning wording of the ads. This is the first time in history that autistics were challenging the mainstream media without the help of a parent-run organization. The architect of the protest was a nineteen-year-old cofounder of the ASAN named Ari Neeman. Neeman was diagnosed with Asperger syndrome when he was twelve years old. On December 6, the day after the CSCs ad campaign, Neeman called the CSC expressing his concerns and left phone messages, but got no reply. Two days later, ASAN blasted out an action alert. The next day when the major media outlets were running stories on the controversy, the CSC agreed to pull the ads. In 2010, President Obama nominated Neeman to the National Council on Disability (NCS). In recent years, the ASAN had played a significant role in formulating the federal disability policy. *** For parents like Craig and Shannon Rosa, the neurodiversity movement has offered ways of fighting for a better future for their children that dont depend on hopes of recovery. One of the most important lessons they had learned on their journey with Leo is patience. They have to accept that he is unfolding at his own pace. Shannon and her circle of friends launched a website called Thinking Persons Guide to Autism for parents just starting out on the journey so that they dont have to go through the ordeal that the Rosas did.

Case of Cu Chi Vietnam

Case of Cu Chi Vietnam Abstract As Pine and Gilmore (1998) coin the concept of a new economic era: the experience economy when customers are looking for exceptional and unforgettable experiences, it is obvious that tourism, like many other industries, is incessantly getting involved in experience economy and must generate more experience products. Many countries throughout the world have targeted tourism as a driving-force for development, and Vietnam is not an exception. However, there is lack of academic research on the relationship of the experience economy and the tourism development in Vietnam. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to study the case of Cu Chi, where experience economy has changed a war-devastated area in Southern Vietnam into a popular tourist destination. Hence, the objective of this paper is twofold: to investigate the affect of experience economy on Cu Chi, and to identify the experience products of this destination. Based on the findings, some practical approaches for tourism sustainable development planning of Cu Chi are then proposed. Introduction In the experience economy, Pine And Gilmore (1998) reveal a new era of economy in which people are attracted by meaningful experiences and intangible things instead of tangibles like years before. This experience economy is growing very fast thanks to the great need of customers for affective memories, sensation and symbolism which combine to create a holistic and long-lasting personal experience. New marketing approaches also shift from product attributes and quality to experiences that dazzle customers senses, engage them personally, touch their hearts and stimulate their minds (e.g. Schmitt, 2003; Gentile, Spiller and Noci, 2007). Therefore, Pine and Gilmore (1998) suggest businesses or destinations should add extra value to their offerings in order to provide unforgettable, satisfactory experiences to their customers. If companies can create personal experiences to customers, they will have sustainable competitive advantage (McCole, 2004; Prahalad and Ramaswany, 2004; Shaw and Iv ens, 2005). The experience economy also employs the concept of the Creative Class, which has been named by Richard Florida in his book The Rise of the Creative Class (2002). The Creative Class are not restricted in any set plan, but they have freedom to perform a more flexible one. This distinction still makes up the core meaning of the experience economy: The industry grows by a flexibility dictated by the interests and curiosity of its customers. Like other countries throughout the world, Vietnam has targeted tourism as the main industry for economy thriving. Across the country, many destinations was renovated and developed in order to attract international and domestic tourists. Cu Chi, a suburban district of Ho Chi Minh City in South Vietnam, which was well-known for fierce battles between Viet Cong (Vietnamese Communist) guerilla forces and U.S Army during the peak-period of Vietnam War (1961 1972), has become a popular sight-seeing. Cu Chi is a great example about how a ravaged area has been revitalized with strong elements of an experience based industry. Nevertheless, with the rapid growth of tourists coming to this district, it is necessary to apply proper planning for tourism sustainable development in Cu Chi. The Four Dimensions of the Experience Economy and Tourism Tourism industry has come into a new era of high competition and challenge to create distinguishing characteristics of tourist experiences (Perdue, 2002). This industry is an example of the growth of experience economy shown in earlier literatures (Cohen, 1979). What tourists get is experiences characterized by unique, emotionally charged and of high personal value (McIntosh and Siggs, 2005). Sternberg (1997:954) further argued that tourists are tourists because they want to compensate for their secular, disenchanted mundane lives through a temporary exposure to the other to the adventurous, foreign, ancient, or spectacular. Tourism establishments make it their business to shape, package and sell such experiences. Many literatures have tried to identify tourist experiences from a number of perspectives (Jackson, White and Schmierer, 1996; Prentice, Witt and Hamer, 1998; Li, 2000). The personal and affective dimensions of tourists experiences in natural and heritage environments have been revealed in many studies (Schanzel and McIntosh, 2000). Tourists experiences of high-risk adventure and leisure activities have also become the main topic of other researchers (e.g. Arnould and Price, 1993; Celci et al., 1993). These academic works have founded the significance and relation of understanding tourists experiences. There are four dimensions of experience which relate to tourism, which are: Education: Pine and Gilmores (1998) explored that customers are motivated to learn something new because an education experience actively engages their mind and intrigues them. Consumers also take an important part in co-determining their experience. By getting an educational experience, consumers can improve their knowledge and skills. Within tourism context, the desire to self-educate is a key motivating factor to travel (Prentice, 2004). Escapism: Tourism offers abundant chances for escapist experiences. Holidays are ways for escape aids, problem solvers, suppliers of strength, energy, new lifeblood and happiness (Krippendorf, 1987: 17). Tourists can get away from the daily routine of life by travelling (Uriely, 2005). Cohen (1979) also points out travelers are inspired to seek for a self-centre elsewhere away from everyday activities. Therefore, they are in search for satisfying and authentic experiences (Turner, 1973). Entertainment: Entertainment is considered as the basic and traditional form of experience, consumers get involved in entertainment passively. Pine and Gilmore (1998) note that companies are now stages used to delight and entertain patrons. Many tourist destinations are well-known for the level, variety and quality of their offers because entertainment intrinsically remains a fundamental part of the tourism product (Hughes and Benn, 1995). Esthetics: This dimension concerns how consumers interpret the physical environment around them. There are three aspects of physical environment categorized by Bitner (1992): ambient conditions; spatial layout and functionality; and signs, symbols and artifacts. In the literature of tourism and hospitality, Bonn et al., (2007) referred that the physical environment of tourist attractions is the key role in regulating visitors attitudes, future patronage intentions and readiness to recommend. Experience production Events, which are intentionally designed to bring meaningful experiences to the guests spending time there, are means of experience production (Boswijk, Thijssen, Peelen, 2007). In the case of Cu Chi, living underground in the tiny tunnel network or having meals like guerillas, the value of the experience is the essential part. Experiences have gradually become the hottest commodity, and this phenomena takes place in the minds of individuals, not only for rich people, but in various form of consumption and behavior (Boswjik Thijssen, 2007). Since the characteristics of experiences are personal, intangible and continuously ongoing, it is problematic for markets to satisfy those demands (ODell, 2005). There are also debates on in which conditions experiences can occur. Florida (2002:166) argues about the Creative Class lifestyle as a passionate quest for experience (2002: 166), they fill their lives up with intensive, high quality, multidimensional experiences. The Creative Class are keen on active rather than passive experiences, they prefer the consumption of experiences to traditional goods and services (Florida, 2002; George Henthorne, 2007). Due to the appearance and growth of The Creative Class, experience production becomes the main concern of many tourist destinations all over the world. This paper relates to Cu Chi context and describes how experience is produced at this place as well as its influence on the larger settings. Cu Chi in Vietnam War The history of foundation Cu Chi Tunnel is 70 km from Ho Chi Minh City in the Northwest where its earliest tunnels were established in 1948 at two villages Tan Phu Trung and Phuoc Vinh An. In the beginning, they were short and simple complexes for hiding documents, weapons, keeping Viet Cong officers operating in enemy rears. Subsequently, the tunnels were expanded to many neighborhood villages. From 1961 to 1965, the main structure of the tunnel called the Spinal Tunnel was finished in the area within five northern villages of Cu Chi District. Rooted from this frame, branch tunnels connected with the Spinal Tunnel and made them into intercommunicated tunnel systems. In order to facilitate the guerilla war, Cu Chi Tunnel was expanded rapidly to counter attack the invasion of Americans. In the peak period of Vietnam War (1966-1972), America Army performed various strategies by determination to eliminate the revolution forces of Cu Chi: 1. Using water to break down the whole network, 2.Deploying the sewer-rat a rmy to attack the tunnel, 3. Utilizing mechanical vehicles to demolish the structure, 4.Using Becgie dogs to attack guerrilla forces, 5. Seeding grass to destroy terrain. They also deployed the best divisions (Division No. 1, Red Eldest Brother, Division 25 Tropical Light etc) supported by tanks, armored cars, and artillery as well as air forces to wipe out the whole district. However, the American suffered serious damages in Cu Chi and failed to achieve their goals to stop Viet Cong. The tunnel network proved its amazing vitality while its branches stretched to everywhere within area. By 1967, the whole system reached the total lengths over 200 km. Tunnel dredging became a movement of Cu Chi people at that time with the involvement of olds, young, women and men for fighting against America Army. More surprisingly, after the war, there are many documents exploring that Cu Chi people only use primitive equipments such as hoes and bamboo-plaited dustpans to build up a great underground village with hundreds of km of crossing tunnels in earth womb. The whole network was constantly improved under the top-secret circumstances; guerilla forces must carry and hide thousands of soil metric meters to other places. Many methods were applied such as pouring down to flooded bomb holes, embanking into ant hills, pouring to fields and plant above. to clean the tracks th at could lead to the assaults of America army on the tunnel. From the Cu Chi Tunnels, Viet Cong could operate large-scale and sudden counter-attack which became frequent threats to enemies during the war. Tunnels structures The underground network of Cu Chi tunnel is a complex twisted in earth womb withmany long, short branches rooted from the Spinal tunnel and intercommunicated to each terrain. When being attacked, guerilla forces can escape through many outlets of branches leading to Saigon River. There are different layers of tunnels from 03 meter to 06 meter depth which can keep Viet Cong safe from cannons and weights of armored cars, the deepest parts can even stand for small bombs. The height and width of the Cu Chi tunnel is merely 50 cm, therefore, the common way for moving underground is creeping. Entrances and exits of the network are carefully camouflaged where some defense-points established to stop enemies or chemicals sprayed by enemies. For ventilation, air holes are set up to the ground under cover via many secret doors. A deadly ground was settled surrounding the tunnel network; it included antitank mines, traps, platforms for shooting helicopters in order to prevent enemies approaching closed. Between the tunnels, there are compartments for daily activities with storage of weapons, grains, foods, drinking water. People could cook secretly underground by Hoang Cam stoves which were designed for hiding smoke in soil. There are also subterranean medical stations, offices of leader, and meeting rooms for performing music and art. Thanks to its undestroyable system, Cu Chi tunnels could stand until spring 1975, when the country was unified and Vietnam War came to an end. Cu Chi as a tourist attraction After Vietnam War, Cu Chi district is the most devastated area of Southern Vietnam with scattered community; the life quality of Cu Chi people is also much lower in comparison with that of its neighborhood regions. Since the renovation policies of Vietnam government in 1986, Cu Chi has been targeted as the main tourist attraction of Vietnam where unique goods offered to tourists: war experiences. It can be considered as product or service innovations of Cu Chi due to changes directly observed by the customer and regarded as new; either in the sense of never seen before, or new to the particular enterprise or destination (Hjalager, 2010:2). The innovation of the whole area Based on the war remnant of Cu Chi, since 1990 this area has been gradually renovated which is called Cu Chi Tunnels Historical Monument Area. In this process, the authorities have tried their best to keep original actualities in order to offers chances of visiting and researching to international and domestic tourists. The liberty area of Cu Chi, where was once called iron land of guerilla forces in war period, is reappeared while five staged-locations is reinstated to depict Special War and Local War of American Army. Underground, there are 09 tunnel stratum spaces making up the motherland supernatural meditation symbol. To meet the needs of tourists coming to this destination, Cu Chi Tunnels Historical Monument Area has been constantly upgraded and it currently includes two subdivisions: Ben Duoc Tunnels Historical Monument Area: 75 km from Ho Chi Minh center within the total square of 89 hectares of Phu Hiep and Phu My Hung village. The main attractions of this area are: Tunnel area for visiting includes 02 bases with 15 hectares The Martyr Temple of 07 hectares The Liberty Area rebuilt of 50 hectares The National defense sport shooting-gallery of 03 hectares Ben Dinh Tunnels Monument Area: Within the total square of 06 hectares of Ben Dinh and Nhuan Duc Village deployed as follows: Statement hall and operation area of 01 hectare Sport ground, orchard and rest houses of 01 hectare Base for sightseeing tunnels of 03 hectares Rebuilding historical services of 01 hectare Combat villages a special form of tourism The objective of the model of Combat villages is to produce real war experience for tourists. In combat villages, there are typical houses representing daily life in war. All houses are decorated exactly the same way in the past with shelters, traditional furniture such as bamboo table, stone mortar. Statues are designed to rebuild lively sceneries such as secret meeting of guerrillas, teachers giving lectures to children under war conditions etc. In some houses, there are actors and actresses playing activities such as milling flour, making alcohol or baking. Tourists can take part in these actions or stay at houses for lively experiences. The tour guides in guerilla clothes are in charge of interpreting the meaning, history and function of the whole system. After traveling on the ground, tourists continue to collect new experiences by getting in the tunnel. Inside the tunnel, tourists may be impressed on how Cu Chi guerrillas can lived underground for many years and most of travele rs are keen on studying about unique ways for survival in severe conditions of war period. Surroundings the tunnel are plentiful material evidences such as armored tanks, bulldozers, helicopters, canons, bombs and so on collected from America Army. Tourists are embedded in the war experiences as well as having a chance to self-educate about the history of the war and the value of peace. The shooting area offers excited experience to tourists where all kinds of guns used by Cu Chi guerillas in the past are presented. Tourists can try different types of weapon and if they can hit the target, they are awarded special local gifts, for instance, bandanna, broad-brimmed cap The destination also provides abundant tourist services: traditional-cuisine restaurants, accommodation, camping area, conference facilities, boat excursion on Saigon River, electric car services for sightseeing, souvenir shops with gifts made from remaining war scraps, such as cartridge, gun fragment, guerilla uniformsThe whole area is highly-commercialized, and with the number of approximately one million tourist arrivals in 2007, Cu Chi seems to succeed in attracting both international and domestic tourists when presenting such special experiences as Berridge (2007:14) argued: At the root of this point is the idea that an event, for some stakeholders but not all, is an activity that is, at that point, meant to be unique and memorable Suggestions for sustainable tourism development planning in Cu Chi There are obvious evidences showing this long time war-suffered district has been revitalized and rapidly developed thanks to tourism industry. Nevertheless, it is necessary for the management board to apply some practices for sustainable tourism development planning at the destination. The UN report: Managing sustainable tourism development (Commission, 2001: 50) has been referred for proposing the following guidelines: The people of Cu Chi should take the main role in maintaining control over tourism development. At present, this tourist destination is under the management of Ho Chi Minh City Military Headquarters, which are state officials, while the local people get involved trivially in the development process of tourism. I believe that the experience economy can only flourish when there is establishment of functional and professional relationships at several levels in Cu Chi. The benefits must be distributed broadly and equally as well as planning requires local community input. Staff, the community and the tourists need more than Value for money. As many researches have pointed out that the best investment for a sustainable lifestyle of local community is to set up a fair distribution of benefits. This principle is also true for the case of Cu Chi. By giving them better opportunities of employment, education and training, Cu Chi people can enhance their skills and better control over their own lives. From the tourist viewpoint, it is important to bring travelers closer into the local community as well as satisfy their expectations and provide a high quality tourist experience. Currently, there are indications of unsustainable development of Cu Chi, for instance, many local products sold to tourists are wild animals, this kind of goods must be prohibited and the eco-friendly ones should be encouraged. Also, while local businesses try to maximize their pro fit and satisfy the increase of tourists demand, the waste treatment system has still not been established in this area. Marketing for sustainable tourism must be in harmony between the needs of the visitor, the place and the community. Experience economy basing on the tourism industry significantly depends on the choices and decisions of tourist entrepreneurs, the tourists and the authorities. Therefore, the objective of tourism marketing is to improve the process of conceiving and developing those specific tourism products, which better corresponding to different tourist categories needs (Muhcina, 2008). In this sense, Cu chi needs harmonious policies to promote tourism products and to satisfy the actual and future tourists needs, by using the natural environment elements in an equilibrated way. The surrounding region of Cu Chi with great landscape can be a solution for diversifying and offering various potential ecotourism products. Conclusion According to World Travel and Tourism Council in 2007, tourism industry is forecasted to generate double income within the next 15 years. Experience economy born by this industry can bring opportunities to developing countries in the process of development. In the case of Cu Chi, this destination has been surprisingly benefited by its war remnants as many people have said that they even can sell a war. The whole district has been revived and become a competitive destination with growing income and status. Nevertheless, there is a double-affect of this type of destination development. It offers new chances to the local community while simultaneously causing potential risks for the area, its people and resources. Hence, to achieve the objective of sustainable tourism development, Cu Chi must improve the quality and uniqueness of experiences providing for customers along with setting up a plan of development that takes local setting into consideration. This destination should not only s tick to the experience of the past war but also needs to prepare better for the future. The forthcoming stage of tourism development in Cu Chi should be considered as a new opportunity, not merely challenges, as Jensen declared in his book-Dream Society (2007:24): If you see the future as an obstacle, you are walking in the wrong direction. Bibliography Arnould, E. J. and Price, L. L. (1993) River Magic: Extraordinary Experience and the Extended Service Encounter, Journal of Consumer Research, 20(1), 24-45 Berridge, G. (2007). Events Design and Experience, Event Management Series, Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann. Bitner, M. J. (1992) Servicescape: The Impact of Physical Surroundings on Customers and Employees, Journal of Marketing, 56 (2): 57-67 Boswijk, A., Thijssen, T., Peelen, E. (2007). The Experience Economy: A new perspective. Pearson Education Benelux Bonn, M. A., Joseph-Mathews, S. M., Dai, M., Hayes, S. and Cave, J. (2007) Heritage/Cultural Attraction Atmospherics: Creating the Right Environment for the Heritage/Cultural Visitor, Journal of Travel Research, 45 (3): 345-354 Celci, R. L., Rose, R. L., and Leigh, T. W. (1993) An Exploration of High-Risk Leisure Consumption through Skydiving, Journal of Consumer Research, 20(1), 1-23 Cohen, E. (1979) A Phenomenology of Tourist Experiences, Sociology, 13, 179-201 Florida, R. (2002). The Rise of the Creative Class and how its transforming work, leisure, community everyday life. New York: BasicBooks Gentile, C., Spiller, N. and Noci, G. (2007) How to Sustain the Customer Experience: An Overview of Experience Components that Co-create Value with the Consumer, European Management Journal, 25 (5): 395-410 George, B. P., Henthorne, T. L. (2007) Tourism and the general agreement on trade in services; Sustainability and other developmental concerns, International Journal of Social Economics, 34 (3), 136-146 Hjalager, A.-M. (2010). A review of innovation research in tourism, Tourism Management, 31(1), 1-12 Hosany, S., Witham, M. (2009) Dimensions of Cruisers Experiences, Satisfaction and Intention to Recommend. School of Management, Royal Holloway University of London Jackson, M. S., White, G. N. and Schmierer, C. L. (1996) Tourism Experiences within an Attributional Framework, Annals of Tourism Research, 23 (4): 798-810 Jensen, R. (2001). Dream Society. Mcgraw-Hill Education, New York. ISBN 9780071379687 Krippendorf, J. (1987) The Holiday Makers. Oxford: Heinemann Professional Publishing Hughes, H. and Benn, D. (1995) Entertainment: Its Role in the Tourist Experience. In: D. Leslie, ed., Leisure and Tourism: Towards the Millennium, Vol. II, Eastbourne: Leisure Studies Association Li, Y. (2000) Geographical Consciousness and Tourism Experience, Annals of Tourism Research, 27 (4): 863-883 McCole, P. (2004) Refocusing Marketing to Reflect Practices: The Changing Role of Marketing for Business, Marketing Intelligence and Planning, 22 (5): 531-539 McIntosh, A. and Siggs, A. (2005) An Exploration of the Experiential Nature of Boutique Accommodation, Journal of Travel Research, 44 (1): 74-81 Muhcina, S. (2008). Marketing and Sustainable Tourism, Theoretical and Applied Economics, Asociatia Generala a Economistilor din Romania AGER, vol. 4(04(521)(s), pages 127-132, April ODell, T., Billing, P. (2005). Experiencescapes; Tourism, Culture and Economy. Copenhagen Business School Press Perdue, R. (2002) Perishability, Yield Management, and Cross-Product Elasticity: A Case Study of Deep Discount Season Passes in the Colorado Ski Industry, Journal of Travel Research, 41(1): 15-22 Pine, B. J. II. and Gilmore, J. H. (1998) Welcome to the Experience Economy, Harvard Business Review, 76 (4): 96-105 Pine, B. J. II. and Gilmore, J. H. (1999) The Experience Economy: Work is a Theatre and Every Business a Stage. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press Prahalad, C. K. and Ramaswamy, V. (2004) Co-Creation Experiences: The Next Practice in Value Creation, Journal of Interactive Marketing, 18(3): 5-14 Prentice, R. C., Witt, S. F. and Hamer, C. (1998) Tourism as Experience: The Case of Heritage Parks, Annals of Tourism Research, 25(1): 1-24 Prentice, R.C. (2004) Tourist Motivation and Typologies. In: A. Lew, M. Hall, and A.M. Williams, eds., A Companion to Tourism. Blackwell, Oxford: Blackwell, pp. 261-279 Rydland, C.M. (2009) The experience: Domino or Dynamo. Luleà ¥ University of Technology Schanzel, H. and McIntosh, A. J. (2000) An Insight into the Personal and Emotive Context of Wildlife Viewing at the Penguin Place, Otago, New Zealand, Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 8(1), 36-52 Schmitt, B. (2003) Customer Experience Management: A Revolutionary Approach to Connecting with Your Customer. New Jersey: Wiley and Sons Shaw, C. and Ivens, J. (2005) Building Great Customer Experiences. New York: MacMillan Sternberg, E. (1997) The Iconography of the Tourism Experience, Annals of Tourism Research, 24(4): 951-969 UNEP, WTO. (2005). Making Tourism more sustainable, A guide for policy makers. United Nations Environment Program and World Tourism Organisation. Online references Cu Chi Tunnel. Retrieved May 25th, 2010, available from http://www.cuchitunnel.org.vn World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC). Retrieved May 25th, 2010, available from http://www.wttc.org

Essay --

Gandhi once said, â€Å"a man is but the product of his thoughts what he thinks, he becomes.† Gandhi was a free-willed thinker and was the famous leader of the movement for Indian independence; he based his teachings on non-violence and truth. Being born and raised in India, he saw all the aspects of how British rule was controlling, but not knowing of any of the troubles of the British control, Gandhi set off to study law in England. He soon leaves for South Africa and opens a law office. But it was here in South Africa that where Gandhi organizes his first protest against anti-Indian laws in South Africa and was imprisoned. When he was released he returned to India and seven years later was put on trial and was sentenced to six years in jail. In jail, Gandhi began his â€Å"great fast† in protest of British control. But Gandhi was persistent to win the battle with no violence so he repeatedly was thrown in jail and fasted continuously. Even being imprisoned for years , nothing stopped the great independence leader of India. Gandhi once said, â€Å"you can chain me, you can torture me, you can even destroy this body, but you will never imprison my mind.† Gandhi’s beliefs can easily be translated into transcendentalism. Transcendentalism is a philosophy that promotes spiritual thinking and be one with nature. Ralph Waldo Emerson who wrote Nature and Self-Reliance and Henry David Thoreau who wrote Civil Disobedience and Walden are two famous examples of transcendentalists. They believe that people should not conform to society’s ways and beliefs and instead listen to their own conscious even if we are to be judged by others. They are true to themselves and find themselves through nature and being in solitude. Most nonconformists in the world were... ...e succeeded. Gandhi is known as the father of India but he can also be known as a transcendentalist because of his acts of civil disobedience, his careless thoughts of what others thought of him, and his persistence for racial and gender equality. When comparing transcendentalism and Gandhi, we can clearly see how closely related their philosophies were because like transcendentalism, Gandhi was self-reliant, a nonconformist, and believed in equality. Gandhi set examples for many others leaders to help gain independence because like all other actions it begins with ideas, and with ideas anything is possible. Everything can be accomplished if we all step outside of the pressures of society and find ourselves and be the person we intend to be and not society’s puppet. Like Gandhi once said before, â€Å"a man is but the product of his thoughts what he thinks, he becomes.†

The Art of Calf Roping :: Expository Process Essays

The Art of Calf Roping It’s 2:00 a.m. Sunday morning. Jake and I are headed down the longest stretch of road in Texas. We have just pulled out of El Paso and are on the way to Fredericksburg to participate in the Frontier Days Rodeo. We were fortunate to have put together a decent run on our last draw and win enough day-money to keep us going for a while. Jake and I are rodeo-bums, to be specific, calf ropers. I am the one who tries to throw the loop of a rope around a calf’s neck and Jake is my partner, the best roping horse a cowboy ever mounted. By the way, how many understand the art of calf roping? I thought so. Let me walk through the steps of what it takes to put together that perfect run, not that I can do it that often. Contestants arrive at the arena an hour before the performance to draw the calf each will be roping. A large pen of calves is assembled, each calf branded with a different number. Corresponding numbers are placed in a hat and each cowboy draws his calf for the first go-around. There is always some cowboy who knows what rodeo string these particular calves are from and can discuss some trait of nearly all of them. For example, " number 16 breaks hard and heads straight to the far end of the arena. Number 8 will break hard but tends to veer sharply right on nearly every run. Number 21 breaks slow and many a good horse has run right past him". Having studied the calf, the run put together in my head several times, I am ready to rodeo. Jake is anxiously waiting and ready to be saddled. Mounting up, I pat Jake gently on the neck and we make several trips through the parking lot to get warmed up. The announcer calls my number and I walk Jake into the arena and check the calf in the chute to be sure he is the one we are to rope. I back Jake into the roping box and the judge stretches and secures the barrier. (The barrier is a small piece of rope pulled tight across the exit of the box designed to give the calf a 10- foot head start. If the horse leaves early and breaks the barrier, 10 seconds are added to the completion of the run).

Cyberculture and the Future of Print :: Technology Writing Technological Papers

The technology that is available to the public today is mind-blowing. In my lifetime alone, I have seen astounding technological progress: from the home computer to the DVD player, to truly surreal medical breakthroughs. A new era is taking hold of society. We are faster, better educated, richer, and livelonger. All of these things can be attributed to the technological advances that have occurred within the last fifty years. Thanks to the â€Å"modern marvels† of our time, we can watch big-screen quality movies in our own homes, brew an awesome cup of French espresso without leaving the kitchen, and cooler still—communicate with someone in China, without ever picking up the phone or using a pen. Although electronic mail (a.k.a. email) is mainly used, at least in societies perception, for â€Å"quick† (and therefore not terribly important) conversations, I believe email has an important role precisely because it gets rid of the quick and unimportant details before face-to-face communication can take place. Allowing the face-to-face communication to focus more on significant issues. Erin Karper, a graduate student at Purdue University, writes this about an interview she conducted with a fellow student: Yes, I think [email] is important. I think that it allows us to prepare in advance for face-to-face meetings by allowing people to enter the conversation in a written mode, perhaps more carefully and well stated compared with the time-limited, real-time, face-to-face group discourse. So, what I am saying†¦I think email is important because it allows for pre-meeting communication that is of a different nature in terms of turn taking, temporality, and so forth. This different nature allows for more participation and more diverse modes of communication centering upon a given issue. I am not a knowledgeable user of technology; nor can I even claim to be an efficient one, but some technology I admit I can’t live without; such as: Microsoft word and, my best friend, email—though I use it for personal and educational correspondence; not nearly as fancy as Erin and her colleagues. I’m a busy person, and don’t have time for face-to-face communication with my friends and family, and I definitely don’t have the time to write and mail a letter. Email is an excellent alternative to face-to-face meetings, phone calls, and letters. I can describe important details of my day to people who mean the most to me, or I can update a classmate on upcoming assignments.

Suicide in the Trenches Analysis

Suicide in the Trenches – an analysis What is the meaning of war? What is war like? How do soldiers feel in a war? Glorious? Depressed? This poem accurately shows the harsh but sadly true reality of war – death, suicide and depression. Indeed, as quoted by Sir Williams Henry – â€Å"Nobody in his right mind would enjoy war†. The point of view is third person. This is effective in showing one case of suicide, in third person observation, representing the depression and desire to quickly die in everyone else. Life is really worse than death – and this is shown through the eye-catching title â€Å"Suicide in the Trenches†.The word â€Å"trenches† further emphasized that not only is this depression possessed by one young soldier boy, but also by many others in war. The setting is in depressing, smelly, and stuffy trenches as the title has blatantly stated. The story is about a young soldier boy’s transformation from a happy and inno cent person into a depressed soldier who desires to kill himself, because life is really worse than death. The poet deliberately uses the small boy as an example to gain the reader’s sympathy. The structure of the poem is three stanzas with four lines in each. The rhyme scheme is A-A-B-B in each stanza.This seems to be a rigid structure, but it really does bring out how one’s initial carefree innocence and freedom is being lost once he enters the cruel and depressing battlefield, or in this case, trenches. The tone in the poem is obviously a bitter and sarcastic one as we can see from the last stanza – â€Å"You smug-faced crowds with kindling eye†¦ †. Sassoon strongly feels the general public is unable to empathize with soldiers because there is no way to understand what war is like. Through this bitter and sad poem, the poet tries to bring out the theme of the poem – nobody can understand what war is like without personal experience.The lang uage the poet uses is clever in conveying the theme – a balance of symbolism, diction and alliteration is put to effective use in this poem. Something we cannot miss is the alliteration in the first stanza â€Å"slept soundly†. The repetition of the letter ‘s’ produces a harsh hissing sound, and this contributes to the bitter tone throughout the poem. Also, it puts emphasis on the phrase â€Å"slept soundly†. As we all know, people who can sleep soundly are those who have no worries and nagging troubles before going to bed. This highlights how the boy was so innocent, without any worries at all, at the start of his xperience in war. This is also brought out in â€Å"whistling†, an action done only when one is happy and carefree. The trenches symbolize the rotting function of war in the case of the poem. Throughout the year till winter, the trenches had apparently transformed a carefree, innocent and happy boy into a depressed, boy who â€Å" put a bullet through his brain†. The alliteration of the letter ‘b’ here also further creates a harsh, brute and bitter sound that adds on to the bitter mood, especially at the climax of the story told – the suicide.The clever rhyme of â€Å"brain† with â€Å"again† at line 8 tries to strike a connection that although a young innocent boy was dragged into war and fought violently for his country and himself, in the end, when he is being pushed to his limit, still â€Å"nobody spoke of him again†. This shows how cruel and selfish war is. It forces you to help – at such a young age – but yet does not remember or appreciate what you have done and sacrificed. In this case, the boy sacrificed his childhood fun, laughter, innocence and carefree life in return for nothing at all – not even a memory of him.How is war cruel? This is the perfect example. The diction used in the poem is especially strong. In the last stanza, t he word â€Å"kindling† is being used to describe the â€Å"eye(s)† of the â€Å"smug-faced crowd†. One must notice that this line is only devoted to facial description, and the â€Å"kindling† seems to be also a superficial countenance feature only. However, Siegfried tries to show with a sarcastic tone that they think that war is a glorious thing, they feel proud of these children, and seem to understand and appreciate what they are doing.But in reality, they can never imagine what these children are going through, and in reality, they don’t care or feel appreciative of what the children did. Therefore, the word kindling reveals the hypocrisy behind people who support war. In my personal opinion, the last stanza is the strongest and most impactful stanza. While the previous two stanza show the transformation of a single boy when he enters war, the last stanza directly attacks people who support war itself, at the thought of its glory and honor, b ut not give a thought about the â€Å"pawns† dying and suffering in war. Sneak home and pray you’ll never know† shows that while the hypocrites support war, under the glorious facade, they are not willing or are too afraid to think of the consequences, sacrifice and price of this meaningless war – a big price that separates thousands of families and destroy tens of thousands of children. The poet is just trying to use an extreme and most serious example to illustrate his point. Indeed, war is just so cruel – it takes away, but does not return – not even a single memory for dead people.It totally transform people from their happy and carefree state, into murderers constantly depressed and worried for their lives, yet guilty they killed their own kind. In war where humans are just pawns for a game of chess, nobody will understand how a soldier feels – constantly killing his own kind to defend himself, lacking in sleep, separated, maybe f orever, from their families and friends – unless they undergo war itself. I would like to end off with this quote from the U. S. Military force – â€Å"Nobody would understand a soldier, except for the soldier himself†.Contrastingly the Second Stanza curtails the mood of happiness and innocence, abruptly introducing the horrors of war, using descriptive language such as describing the trenches to be, â€Å"Winter trenches. † It is Sassoon's Juxtaposition in the swing of mood and ultimately the contrast between the characters love of life to his sudden hatred of life, resulting in suicide†¦ â€Å"He put a bullet through his brain† that shows the audience both the thematic idea and Sassoon's criticism of War's destruction of Innocence.

Character Analysis of Rose Essay

August Wilson’s Fences is a story of an African American family, primarily centered around Troy Maxson and his difficulties as a black man in a predominantly white society. The story focuses on many themes and puts an emphasis on the relationships between Troy and his family. As the story revolves around Troy, we see that many of the decisions he made start to affect those around him and the relationships of his friends, family, and loved ones slowly disintegrate. One of the most prominent relationships that were destroyed was the marriage between Troy Maxson and his wife Rose Maxson. Loving, caring and understanding, Rose in August Wilson’s Fences is a character that remains a strong woman for her family despite the issues in her household. With Rose in Fences, she is a mother that exhibits strength and sacrifice, as she puts her own needs aside for the well-being of her family. As the play moves forward we see that Troy’s decisions concerning marriage, infideli ty, and family slowly shatters the relationship with Rose and directly affects her role as a housewife, mother, and woman. In the beginning of Fences, Rose is identified as Troy’s wife as â€Å"her devotion to him stems from her recognition of the possibilities of her without him,† (Kirszner and Mandell 1114). Here she introduced during the conversation between Troy and Bono and states that without Troy, Rose wouldn’t have what she does now and she would be leading a worse life; which she also recognizes. 1 Based on her introduction alone, her identity stems from the fact that she is married to Troy. During this time Rose, as a character, is not seen for her character traits or personality, yet she is already given the label of ‘housewife’. This label is further reinforced by the introduction of Act 1, Scene 2 where the scene begins with Rose hanging clothes and singing softly to herself. After she sees Troy, she follows up with â€Å"’Morning, You ready for breakfast? I can fix it soon as I finish hanging up these clothes?† (Kirszner and Mandell 1122). In this scene, she is shown as the regular housewife; cooking food, doing laundry, etc. Her role and identity here is defined by her marriage with Troy through her actions and dialogue as she is expected to play her role as the wife and typically cook food for  the family while tending to other household chores. As the play moves forward, Rose maintains the static role of housewife despite Troy’s treatment towards Cory and actions of infidelity. Infidelity, adultery, extramarital sex, unfaithfulness, cheating. These actions are all of the same and are all abhorred. In marital relationships, it is commonly assumed that both partners remain exclusive although this is not always met. So when Rose comes to find out that her husband, Troy, has been cheating on her and his mistress is now pregnant, she is absolutely devastated. The marriage between Rose and Troy has been destroyed. After this, Rose’s role as a woman and wife start to connect. In Act Two, when confronting Troy, Rose talks about her life and marriage as she compares it to planting when she says â€Å"I took all my feelings, my wants and needs, my dreams and I buried them inside you . . . I planted myself inside you and waited to bloom. And it didn’t take me no eighteen years to find out the soil was hard and rocky and it wasn’t never gonna bloom. But I held on to you, Troy. I held you tighter. You was my husband.† (Kirszner and Mandell 11 47). When Rose told Troy that she took her feelings, wants, needs and dreams and 2 buried them inside him, she was telling him that she’d given her life for their marriage and their family. She put his needs and the needs of their children consistently over hers. Here it is understood that Rose sacrificed herself and her identity for the sake of marriage. But as she noted, there was never a bloom. In Rose’s day and age, it was uncommon for women to stand up for themselves. When she found that her husband had impregnated Alberta, she told him that she would no longer live with him as his wife with â€Å"But you a womanless man,† (Kirszner and Mandell 1151) and they lived separate lives. When Alberta died, Rose adopted Troy’s daughter as her own, and took care of her, only allowing Troy to provide for them as Rose ended up accepting the role of mother. After the affair and the birth of Raynell, Rose’s role as a mother will stay static. She will still care for and nurture Raynell. But before that happens, many aspects of herself change. During this time, we start to see  Rose waver from the role of housewife and begin to identify as a woman and a person herself. When Rose stands up to Troy, her identity as a wife starts to diminish. Rose tells Troy, â€Å"And you know I ain’t never wanted no half nothing in my family. My whole family is half. Everybody got different fathers and mothers my two sisters and my brother. Can’t hardly tell who’s who. Can’t never sit down and talk about Papa and Mama. It’s your papa and your mama and my papa and my mama.† (Kirszner and Mandell 1145). At this point, we start viewing Rose for her beliefs and see her as a person; not Troy’s wife. We see that she had needs and wants as well. Rose wanted family and she wanted to keep her family together, which was torn apart after Troy’s affair. This affair also helps her identify more as an independent woman now. Following the affair, Rose becomes cold towards Troy as she tells him that â€Å"Your dinner’s on the stove. All you have to do is heat it up,† and then leaves the house to do what she wants. Troy is asking questions here, but not receiving answers as his â€Å"wife† leaves. In Fences, Rose’s relationship with Troy diminishes with every decision that he makes. These decisions start to affect the characters and change their roles in the household. Rose stays as a mother, but is no longer a wife. She becomes her own person, with beliefs, and starts thinking of herself. She makes a stand for herself and her family and realized where she went wrong in her marriage after Troy’s death. She told Cory that she’d made the mistake of not making Troy think of her. â€Å"When your daddy walked through the house he was so big he filled it up. That was my first mistake. Not to make him leave some room for me,† (Kirszner and Mandell 1160). Rose gave up love for comfort as she followed up with â€Å"But at that time I wanted that. I wanted a house that I could sing in. And that’s what your daddy gave me,† (Kirszner and Mandell 1160) and soon her identity was established after their marriage as wife because â€Å"that’s w hat life offered me in a way of being a woman,† (Kirszner and Mandell 1160). Based on her needs, wants, and beliefs, Rose could have been her own person from the beginning. But she didn’t do that; she married Troy to become wife and mother. For her then, her marriage with Troy was her entire identity. But afterwards Troy’s decisions for his family and himself helped make Rose develop into a more rounded character.