Characters in Macbeth and The Laboratory Essay

Macbeth is arguably one of Shakespeare’s most famous tragedies. Written sometime between 1603 and 1606, the play is strongly written with King James the first’s of England’s interests in mind; the supernatural. Because of this we are introduced to the idea of the paranormal and witchcraft straight way in the play with the three. This would have scared a Jacobean audience as they feared the supernatural; it also foreshadows the likeliness of disturbed characters to be introduced later in the play. In comparison, The Laboratory, a poem written by Robert Browning in the 1800’s and set in aristocratic France- before the revolution, when the old regime of the monarchy was still in place. This was a time of great diversity between the social classes, so seeing the narrator of the dramatic monologue, an affluent woman, liaising with a poor alchemist would have deeply shocked a 19th century audience, as they would believe her to be troubled, or maybe even disturbe d. Macbeth is Shakespeare’s shortest tragedy; this means that the play has no sub-plots and only concentrates on the story, and the disturbed mind, of the main character, Macbeth. The full focus on Macbeth himself emphasises his evil nature and thirst for power, portraying him as the ultimate tyrannical and disturbed character. â€Å"I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent, but only vaulting ambition, which o’erleaps itself and falls on the other† . The metaphorical language used as the reference to ‘spurs’, used to make horses go faster, shows that Macbeth feels his ambition to gain power is being limited by the king. Macbeth is shown to have great respect for the king and sees the king as almost a friend, so to describe him as a mere obstacle to overcome shows he has no moral boundaries, making him a disturbed character. Similarly, The Laboratory is a poem written in the form of a dramatic monologue, this means we hear everything that’s going on from the view of the narrator. In this case, it’s high class woman who is obsessed with getting revenge on her husband and his lovers. Her single-mindedness is shown by the poem only being about her thoughts and her fatal flaws, jealousy and revenge. These themes are shown in the poem right away. In the first stanza, the topic of poison and murder are mentioned quite blatantly. â€Å"Which is the poison to poison her, prithee?† The reader doesn’t yet know that there’s a revenge  plot, however Browning wants the reader look into the narrators disturbed mind early into the poem. He uses this fourth line like a hook to pull the reader into the poem and make them wonder why the speaker would want to kill someone. In Act 1, Scene 1 of Macbeth, we are introduced to the three witches, showing the audience that the play has a strong supernatural theme. This would have scared a Jacobean audience much more than a modern audience as witchcraft was feared much more intensely than it is today. Shakespeare used catalectic trochaic tetrameter and rhyming couplets to make the witches words sound like a spell, â€Å"Fair is foul and foul is fair: Hover through the fog and filthy air.† The oxymoron shows that the witches don’t know the difference between good and bad. This foreshadows a play of contrasts and disturbed minds. Macbeth’s words also echoes the witches in Act 1, Scene 3 â€Å"So foul and fair a day I have not seen.† We recognise the oxymoron from when the witches said it in the opening scene; this gives the audience the impression that Macbeth shares similar qualities with the witches, such as he doesn’t know the difference between good and bad, and therefore had no moral boundaries. It also foreshadows that Macbeth will have more to with the witches in the future. This makes Macbeth a disturbed character to the audience, particularly a Jacobean audience, because of his association with the supernatural. On the other hand, the subt itle to Robert Browning’s poem â€Å"The Laboratory†, â€Å"Ancien Regime†, tells us that it is set in France before the revolution, when the old regime of the monarchy was still in place. The narrator appears to be an upper class woman, a fact which is not apparent in the opening stanza, but becomes so as the poem develops; this is seen by the lexical field of wealth, â€Å"Gold, Kings, Jewels†, who is in a laboratory brewing up a poison to kill her rivals. For a 19th century audience this poem’s setting alone would be very bizarre. In aristocratic France, it was way rare for the social classes to mix, so seeing an upper class lady in the setting of a poor laboratory was very strange. The disturbance in the setting would have deeply confused the audience. The narrator even flaunts her wealth to the chemist when she begins to fantasise about what she will hide the poison in with the exclamatory sentence, â€Å"To carry pure death in an earring, a casket, A signet, a fan-mount, a filigree-basket!† This would have shocked a 19th century audience and they would have believed her to have been a very disturbed character. A Jacobean audience would think that  Macbeth is more of a tragic hero than a modern audience would. This is because a Jacobean audience would feel more sympathy towards Macbeth because of his fatal flaw, ambition. In the 1600’s the idea of succession and promotion would be much more topical than it is today, this is because one of the two main monarchs in Shakespeare’s time, Queen Elizabeth, remained the ‘Virgin’ Queen throughout her reign and therefore had no successor, creating great instability. Macbeth was promoted to Thane of Cawdor and the King called him brave â€Å"for brave Macbeth- well he deserves that name†. This would have been a massive compliment to Macbeth, so naturally he would enjoy it and want more, A Jacobean audience would have sympathised with his feelings because of the situation of their monarchy at the time. This makes him a tragic hero as he was once a great war lord that was brought down by his fatal flaw, ambition. Also, a Jacobean audience were much more likely to believe in the idea that the witches were taking over Macbeths mind. In Shakespeare time, witchcraft was a major issue as people fully believed that it was possible to be possessed by the supernatural and demonic natures as the knowledge that the women supplied was like a drug to Macbeth, and it is obvious he was fascinated by it at the start, â€Å"would they have stayed†- and continually wants more. His obsession with the witches would have made a Jacobean audience believed he had a disturbed mind, but they would have also have felt sympathy toward his as they believed he was being possessed, making him a tragic hero. However, a modern audience are more sceptical about the supernatural and would therefore see Macbeth as more of a disturbed character as we find it harder the feel sympathy towards him and see him more of a weak willed character as he frequently talks himself out of murdering his friends for his own gain, yet he does it anyway. â€Å"yet I do fear thy nature; it is too full o’the milk of human kindness/ To catch the nearest way.† It is shown that Mabeth doesn’t dislike Duncan as a king, in fact he sees him as a friend, but he is in the way of Macbeth’s fatal flaw, ambition, and so has to be killed. The upcoming murder is described as inevitable. The focus on his fall, as well as his rise demonstrates Shakespeare’s moral message th at tyrannical reins will come full circle and end in their demise. Shown also through the divine right of kings, as Malcolm finishes up on the thrown. However, in The Laboratory, as soon as we hear of the narrator’s motive we feel sympathy towards her. She is also a  victim as her husband has cheated on her, leaving her heart broken and distraught. However as we learn more of her fatal flaws, jealousy and revange, the audience realised that she does not only want to kill her emimies, but she wants to make them suffer too, â€Å"Not that I bid you spare her the pain! Let death be felt and the proof remain.† This quote from the 9th stanza shows that she wants her rivals to know that they are dying, and that she doesn’t care if she is caught to be the one responsible for their murder. A 19th century French audience would call this a ‘crime of passion’ because the persona has been wronged by the husband and would naturally want to take revenge. They wouldn’t believe that it was okay, however they would have understood why she wanted to do it more than a modern audience would, and would therefo re view her as a tragic hero. A modern audience would mostly see her actions as outright murder and would feel less sympathy to the disturbed mind of the narrator and so would see her as less of a tragic hero and more of a disturbed and jealous maniacal killer. In Act 1 Scene 5, Lady Macbeth, after being told what the witches told Macbeth about him become king, â€Å"and king here after!†, and upon receiving word that King Duncan of Scotland will be arriving that night, begins sharpening her talons. She isn’t sure there’s enough manhood to go around between herself and her husband, so she calls upon scheming spirits to â€Å"unsex me [Lady Macbeth] here.† This is her vivid way of asking to be stripped of feminine weakness and invested with masculine resolve. She imagines herself as a vessel which may be emptied out and refilled â€Å"from the crown to the toe.† One thing nobody, spirit or otherwise, has ever poured into her is â€Å"the milk of human kindness†. Lady Macbeth’s speech is very shocking to the audience as it shows the inner workings of her mind and what she really desires, power. This suggest to the audience that she may be the one with the ultimate disturbed mind as she has no d oubts that she I prepared to kill her king for her own gain. The narrator shows her power over the alchemist as she frequently dominates him and gives him orders, â€Å"Quick- is it finished? The colour’s too grim!† The idea of a woman telling a man what to do would have been unheard of in a patriarchal society such as then. However the alchemist doesn’t seem to mind as it is revealed that the disturbed woman who has come for his service is prepared to give everything, â€Å"Now, take all my jewels, gorge gold to your fill, You may kiss me old man, on my mouth if  you will!† The fact an upper class woman is prepared to let a poor alchemist kiss her shows how much this poison means to the narrator. However she pushes him away to avoid any repercussion of the poison, â€Å"but brush this dust off me, lest horror it brings†. Her quick change of mind shows the giddiness in the thought of killing her rivals. After Lady Macbeth strengthens her husband’s resolve by mocking his perceived weakness, she convin ces him that king Duncan will be murdered than night and explains her plan to him. In the beginning of Act 2 Scene 1 the setting is clearly dark (use of touch bearers) and â€Å"the candles are all out† metaphor, which is a reference to the heavens, suggests that with the physical darkness there is also a moral darkness. Shakespeare uses pathetic fallacy to set the dark scene. This foreshadows the likelihood of death and also likes with the darkness of Macbeth’s and his wife’s disturbed mind. Later on in the scene Macbeth’s soliloquy reveals for the first time the extent of Macbeth’s disturbed mind. He begins to see things that others cannot, a dagger. He asks if it is real or a â€Å"false creation/ Proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain?† This intensifies the atmosphere of evil but is also a symbol of the start of Macbeth’s mental torment and psychological breakdown. Just as inward debate and talk of murder is about to stifle his courage, Macbeth’s intense illusion is shattered by the bell, a signal from L ady Macbeth that Duncan’s chamberlains are asleep, â€Å"I go, and it is done; the bell invites me.† Macbeth races away to commit the heinous crime almost saying he has no choice since the â€Å"bell invites† him, taking the responsibility away from himself. This leaves the question in the audience’s mind of weather a few more moments of deliberation would have changed Macbeths disturbed mind. On the other hand, The Laboratory is written in anapaestic tetrameter, which is an upbeat rhythm that shows her calm and confident one track mind. This is also emphasised by rhyming couplets and regular quatrains, â€Å"..Tightly.. Whitely,†; â€Å"..Smithy†¦ Prithee?† However, Browning switches to dactyls on line 5, â€Å"He is with her, and they know that I know.† This change in rhythm emphasises her paranoia and makes the audience wonder whether her husband’s affaire is all just in her disturbed and paranoid mind In Macbeth’s eyes, the murder of Duncan has now made the murder of Banquo and his son a necessity and the witches predicted th at it would be Banquo’s children that end up on the thrown. Macbeth treats the murder of his best friend as a  facile task, which tell the audience that the trace of humanity under the â€Å"vaulting ambition† and the moments of reflection and regret are now gone. After the deed had been done and Banquo is now dead Macbeth sees his best friend’s ghost, ironically during his celebratory banquet after becoming king. This is the first time Macbeths friends and subjects see his disturbed minds and Macbeth begins to panic and shout at, what seems to them, to be nothing. â€Å"Prithee, see there! Behold! Look! Lo! How say you? Why, what care I? If thou canst nod, speak too.† The repetition of short exclamatory sentences and rhetorical questions shows Macbeths panic at the disturbing sight of his â€Å"gory† best friend’s ghost. To a Jacobean audience, this would be Gods punishment for committing murder and treason. The divine right of kings lead people to believe that the royal family is put there by God so to k ill Royalty is much worse than normal murder. So therefore god has sent the image of his dead friend to torment his disturbed mind for what he has done. On the other hand, a modern audience would argue that this is result of Macbeth’s guilt for ordering his best friend to be killed for no reason other than to keep his status as king for eternity. This shows his deluded and disturbed mind as there is no way that killing Banquo and his son would leave Macbeth on the thrown forever. It shows how is power hunger and disturbed character has poisoned his mind is his sub-conscious guilt has finally gotten too much. In contrast, in The Laboratory, because of her husband’s love affair with other women, â€Å"he is with her†, we can see the narrator’s mental state become more and more disturbed as the poem progresses. This can be seen through the pleasure that the speaker is feeling when talking about the imminent death of her two rivals; â€Å"grind away moisten and mash up thy paste†. These verbs show the pleasure the speaker is taking in plotting death. This is unsettling to the reader as we wouldn’t expect to see such evil thoughts in a society filled with luxury, portrayed by the lexical field of wealth â€Å"gold, kings, jewels.† The narrator frequently refers to poison with positive connotations â€Å"treasures†¦ pleasures†, this shows that she doesn’t know the difference between good and band and therefore (like Macbeth) had no moral boundaries. Browning also includes alliteration of plosives, â€Å"Brand, Burn up, Bite into its grace-â€Å" This makes the verbs sound violent and aggressive and also makes the narrator sound very disturbed when she says them. Finally, Macbeth who, by  Act 4, is far along the path of insanity becomes paranoid and feels the need to make the witches tell him more. He returns to the Witches and boldly demands to be shown a series of apparitions that tell his future. The first apparition is the disembodied head of a warrior who seems to warn Macbeth of a bloody revenge at the hands of HYPERLINK â€Å"http://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/m/macbeth/summary-and-analysis/~/link.aspx?_id=D7760724761D4871B3541B0CC827B645&_z=z† Macduff. The second is a blood-covered child who comforts Macbeth with the news that he cannot be killed by any man â€Å"of woman born.† The third is a child wearing a crown, who promises that Macbeth cannot lose in battle until Birnam wood physically moves toward his stronghold at Dunsinane. Encouraged by the news of such impossibilities, Macbeth asks, â€Å"Shall Banquo’s issue ever reign in this kingdom?† The Witches present an image of a ghostly procession of future kings, led by Banquo. All this serves only to enrage Macbeth, who, trusting in his own pride reveals in an aside to the audience his determination to terminate Macduff as he is now a threat to Macbeths rein. Macbeth realises that he cannot kill Macduff at that moment in time as Macduff is off with his army in England. So instead he chooses to damage Macduff emotionally, in the hope that he would crumble in grief after hearing of the slaughter of his loved ones. This shows that Macbeth has now bee n completely in engulfed into his disturbed mind as he is now killing innocent women and children in his decent into ultimate tyranny. To both Jacobean and modern audiences his disturbing actions are unforgivable. However Macbeth’s actions do the opposite of when he intended- Macduff is spurred on by his anger and eventually takes Macbeth’s life for it. The focus on his fall, as well as his rise demonstrates Shakespeare’s moral message that tyrannical reins will come full circle and end in their demise. In conclusion, I think that Shakespeare uses the disturbed mind of Macbeth effectively to keep the audience engaged. Macbeth’s confused and disturbed mind is always flickering back on forth to what is right and what isn’t. Shakespeare presents this through his use of soliloquies and short sentences, keeping the audience fascinated and following every turn and twist of Macbeth’s disturbed mind. Contrasting to The Laboratory where Browning presents the character of the narrator as truly disturbed, yet not mad like Macbeth and she keeps a one track mind and urge to kill throughout most of the poem. This theme of  revenge leaves the reader able to sympathise with the narrator. They understand her motives and that she had been driven to this outcome. The relationship that browning builds between the narrator and the reader is effective because the reader can easily look into and understand the narrators disturbed mind, allowing the reader to stay engaged with the piece.

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DISCUSS THE SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES IN THE ROLE OF THE 'CITY' ECONOMIES OF HONG KONG AND SINGAPORE IN RELATION TO THE REST OF THE ECONOMIES OF SOUTH EAST ASIA - Essay Example The Asian countries of India, China Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia are notable examples NICs and their dramatic successes in economic growth have often been referred to as the East Asian Miracle. Other Asian countries like China and India have also achieved successes in economic growth. The ‘economic miracle’ of these East Asian countries is however not exclusive to Asia as countries in the Americas like Chile, Brazil and Mexico have also achieved appreciably high growth rates in their economies and could thus be referred to as NICs as well. It must be said though the growth rates vary amongst all the NICs and as such some growths may be relatively higher compared to others in other NICs. Countries like China, India Singapore and Hong Kong however standout of the rest due to the rapid nature of their growth within a space of about 30 years. Also, the use of NICs is a matter of definition and as such a country like South Africa that was large ly secluded from the international economy due to its apartheid policies may now be categorised as an NIC by some, while others may classify it as a developed country. This essay will first conduct a generalised or panoramic view of the features that underlie the development experiences of NICs before undertaking a closer look at the experiences of selected NICs. It must be said that though the development experiences may be very varied, some common cardinal features can be seen in the experiences of all NICs. Most NICs were able to achieve high growth rates by instituting market reforms that favoured exports. (Hamilton 1987) There was also a strong emphasis on value added manufacturing that changed their economies from predominantly agrarian economies into industrial and manufacturing based economies. Increased capital investments from foreign and domestic sources played a key role in the development experiences of NICs and so

The impacts in Canada of the collapse of the financial markets Essay

The impacts in Canada of the collapse of the financial markets - Essay Example Bank analysts forecasted that the federal government may encounter a budget deficit of $40 billion for 2009 (Annis, 2009). Among the first institutions to fall is Nortel Networks, a century-old telecommunications company. However, Nortel’s problems are not caused by the crisis alone; since 2001 the firm had become prone to market weakness when it bought two companies for $ 15 billion just before the Internet crash in the US market. The company’s recovery after that was cut short, this time by an accounting scandal for which then CEO Frank Dunn was fired and seven corporate officers charged with massive accounting fraud (Duffy & Greene, 2009; Brieger, 2007). As a result of the collapse of Nortel, it filed for bankruptcy protection from creditors in January 2009; unfortunately, it also stopped paying severance, transition allowances, deferred wages and pensions to its former employees and retirees. This has brought untold suffering to many of these who have no other source of income. Despite its problems, I believe the Canadian government did not bail out Nortel because of the financial recklessness of the company officials in embarking on a massive acquisition program in the high-tech boom for which it incurred a high amount of debt. But more than this, it is likely due to the accounting fraud that company officials committed in 2004, to the disadvantage of corporate operations. A timeline diagram shows the facts about Nortel: Many causes have contributed to the US financial crisis, all traceable to the failure of regulatory procedures applied to banks and financial institutions. Firstly, the Basel II Accord provisions ensuring the financial safety of banks were circumvented by cosmetic financial reporting (Jones, 2000), although regulators would have been able to detect these violations had they been more vigilant.

Voting Right Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Voting Right - Essay Example The main issues which define the direction of the poll are thus largely clear. Nonetheless, on the one hand, it is not clear whether the increasing non-white population, the younger generation, experts, unmarried persons, and secular population segments that voted Obama, almost to a man in 2008, which enabled him to secure a victory, will stick by him come next year, in order to secure him a second term (Teixeira and Halpin 2-6). On the other hand, the likelihood of the rival Republicans concentrating their campaign on poor economic situation in the country might hurt Obama’s reelection campaign. Also significant is the campaigns by conservatives, who are critical of the Obama administration; they might pull a surprise to the incumbent candidate. Teixeira and Halpin (1-14) note that the outcome of the poll notwithstanding, it is probable that American policies will remain immensely polarized for many years, even after the forthcoming elections end. The political volatility wit nessed in the past five years indicates that the fundamental issues influencing the American political debates, which include the protection of the society by the government, the weighing of social and economic issues such as taxation rates and social welfare programs, remain contentious. In view the financial meltdown and other economic problems, which take the toll on Americans, have deeply infiltrated the electoral debates. This implies that the previous presidential poll marked just the likelihood for a fresh quest for change in American policies as opposed to the preservation of the status quo. Obama’s latest public approvals at 46%, and brighter economic prospects in a number of states in the country might result in a tough duel reminiscent of the 2000 elections. Virginia According to Teixeira and Halpin (53-56), in 2008, Virginia vote was bagged by Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama by a margin of more than six percent. In the run up to the poll, analysts c onsidered this an Obama state, or otherwise believed to be as a blue state in the southern region. Previously, the state was viewed as composed of swing vote that both key contenders camped in during the 2008 campaigns. The financial crisis, the shifting demographics such as the population rises in thickly populated northern region gave Democrats the advantage. The white liberals in the region undeniably resulted in substantial influx of voters into the Democratic Party’s basket. Florida The strongest Republican influence in Florida originates from the upper region, which is home to about 25 percent of the entire vote in the state. Teixeira and Halpin (46-50) indicate that, although, his area has registered a remarkable increase in population, with figures of hitting 19 percent increase during the last decade, the statistics are inferior to the south. In the region, Republicans emerged as winners by 14 percentage points, nonetheless, the outcome translated into a seven-point increase for the Democrats within four years. And in the area’s sprawling metro region referred to as the Jacksonville, the Democratic swing vote increased by 11 percentage points in

The Cardillo Travel Systems Essay Example for Free

The Cardillo Travel Systems Essay Review the Cardillo Travel Systems case in your textbook. Write a four to five (4-5) page paper in which you: 1. Explain the Securities and Exchange Commissions rationale to charge Cardillo executives with each of the following violations: a. making false representations to outside auditors b. failing to maintain accurate financial records c. failing to file prompt financial reports with the SEC d. violating the insider trading provisions of the federal securities laws 2. Determine who was in violation or compliance of the AICPAs Code of Professional Conduct in this case study and analyze the key reasons why they were or were not in compliance. Provide support for the rationale. 3. Analyze the actions taken by Cardillos outside auditors and evaluate the level of efficiency of the audit risk management in this case study. Provide support for the rationale. 4. Determine whether or not the five (5) components of internal control were being followed. Support the response with at least two (2) examples. 5. Create an argument for or against whether auditors have a responsibility to assess the judgment of the decisions made by Cardillos management. Support the argument. 6. Use at least two (2) quality academic resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia and similar type Websites do not qualify as academic resources. Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements: Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions. Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the students name, the professors name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length. The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are: Analyze the process and regulatory requirements  for professional ethical decision making. Analyze the critical factors of business, audit, and planning risks, and the process of managing these risks in audit engagements. Analyze an audit framework and assessment process for evaluating the effectiveness of internal controls related to financial reporting. Use technology and information resources to research issues in auditing. Write clearly and concisely about auditing using proper writing mechanics. Grading for this assignment will be based on answer quality, logic / organization of the paper, and language and writing skills, using the following rubric found here.

Bob Marley Essay Example for Free

Bob Marley Essay In a time of political, economic, and social unrest, a new way of protest was beginning to emerge from Jamaica in the form of reggae music. It was 1963 when a young man from Jamaica by the name of Robert Nesta Marley, better known as â€Å"Bob Marley†, formed a band called The Wailers, who would undoubtedly become one of the only reggae bands to rise up from the oppression of the third world country. The country of Jamaica had just gained independence from the U. K. in 1962, but was anything but a free nation. Those in power chose to exploit the country’s few main exports, primarily bauxite, a mineral used in the process of manufacturing aluminum. The first ten years of Jamaican independence saw considerable economic growth, but these gains were held back from the country’s urban poor. From his book, Reggae, Rastafari, and the Rhetoric of Social Control, Stephen A. King writes, â€Å"After independence, the Jamaican Labor Party’s â€Å"Five Year Plan† did not produce economic prosperity but, instead, even greater inequity of living conditions† (47). King quotes Adam Kuper, â€Å"As the Jamaican Labor Party encouraged foreign countries to invest in and expand Jamaica’s manufacturing and bauxite industries, the traditional pursuits of agriculture, forestry, and fishing dropped to a low of 10 percent of Jamaica’s gross domestic product in 1968 (47). Marley chose to join the Rastafarian movement, a religious program that was a prominent group in Jamaica. The Rastafarian faith helped to fuel Marley’s purpose in music, which was to empower and inspire those who were being kept down by the nation’s wealthier class. A small rural village called Nine Miles located in the parish of Sainte Ann is where Bob Marley was born. Marley lived with his grandparents in the community of Sainte Anne, people who followed traditions they had learned from their early African ancestors. These customs included storytelling which would be one of Marley’s signature qualities during his songwriting career. When Marley was a teenager, his mother decided to take him away from Sainte Anne, and moved him to Jamaica’s capital Kingston in the vicinity of Trench Town. This would be where Marley would begin to embark on his musical journey. Like most urban Jamaican cities, Trench Town was poor and all of its inhabitants including the teenage Marley lived in poverty. During this time Marley learned how to defend himself against the rough town locals, and instead of following them Marley decided to pay closer attention to music. As one author writes,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Despite the poverty, despair and various unsavory activities that sustained some ghetto dwellers, Trench Town was also a culturally rich community where Bob Marleys abundant musical talents were nurtured. A lifelong source of inspiration, Bob immortalized Trench Town in his songs No Woman No Cry (1974), Trench Town Rock (1975) and Trench Town, the latter released posthumously in 1983† (Ruff, â€Å"Bob’s Early Life†). Marley’s beginnings in the music industry were with a form of music known as ska. Ska came about in Jamaica during the late 1950’s and early 60’s. Ska was inspired by American RB music that could be heard through U.S. radio airways on the transistor radio. Ska was a blending of America’s RB and Jamaica’s island beat, a mixture of calypso and mento. Author Stephen A. King writes, â€Å"Perhaps ska can best be characterized as a product of creolization, borrowing heavily from black American music (jazz, gospel, and RB), while also incorporating indigenous (mento) and African elements into its sound† (24). Many citizens of Jamaica could not afford radios to listen to music or keep up on any news reports coming from the island. So the Jamaican sound systems, mobile devices such as vans or musical equipment on wheels, would be used to host dances, and the deejays would also use their sound systems to inform his listeners on political happeni ngs. King states that, â€Å"As one of the few affordable social activities for the poor, the sound system brought music to places where the voice of the poor could be heard without interference by local authorities† (16). Like most of the world during this time, the black population was not allowed any political power, and many began to seek ways to resist. One of the methods used as a means to passively fight back against the imbalance was the Rastafarian religion. The Rastafarian religion was born early in the twentieth century, but its roots date back as far as the late 1800’s when slaves felt compelled to revolt against the plantation owners on the belief that God was calling them to fight for freedom. In 1927, a man named Marcus Garvey brought forth to Jamaicans the basis of the Rastafarian religion, which was to look to Africa for the crowning of a king. This would be a sign for Jamaica that freedom is near. From Africana, the Encyclopedia of the African and the African-American Experience, author Roanne Edwards quotes Garvey: â€Å"Look to Africa for the crowning of a king to know that your redemption is nigh† (Edwards 1592). In 1930 Ras Tafari was crowned emperor of Ethiopia and  baptized with the name Haile Selassie. From that moment on the Rastafarians of Jamaica would recognize the king of Ethiopia as the livi ng messiah. The religion of Rastafarianism was meant to empower Jamaica’s black population by reflecting heavily on African heritage and believed that the western society was today’s kingdom of Babylon, a corrupt city that profited from the oppressed. Part of the Rastafarian faith was to grow dreadlocks, this would become one of Marley’s signature features, but Marley was not following any trends, his purpose for wearing his hair in dreadlocks had deeper meaning than mere fashion. As quoted from Rolling Stone, â€Å"Until Babylon fell, according to one legend; the Rastas would not cut their hair. They grew it long in a fearsome appearance called dreadlocks† (Gilmore 5). Another element from the Rastafarian Movement was the use of marijuana to create a deeper connection with Selassie. Marley used marijuana as a creative outlet in songwriting and Marley, along with many Rasta musicians, followed the ritual of smoking marijuana or â€Å"ganja† for thi s spiritual experience. Marley’s songs came from a deep spiritual determination, to spread the message of the Rastafarian faith and to fight against those who sought to put down the poor and less fortunate of the world. According to author Rex Ruff, â€Å"Bob Marley reaffirms his adherence to Rastafari on Forever Loving Jah from Uprising the final album released during his lifetime. Uprising features the acoustic Redemption Song which implores the listener: emancipate yourselves from mental slavery none but ourselves can free our mind, reiterating the self-empowering convictions that Rastafarian tenets have sought to establish (Bob and Rastafarian Beliefs). The poor of Jamaica were subject to deprivation because of the decisions that were being made by the political parties put in place after Jamaica had become a free nation. On one hand, there was the Peoples National Party, led by Michael Manley, who fought for constitutional rights, and on the other hand, there was the Jamaican Labor Party, led b y Edward Seaga, who desired to put Jamaica’s capital interests abroad before the welfare of the nation. Both the People’s National Party and the Jamaican Labor Party were primarily run by white members and Marley took neither side, but was said to have small favor towards Michael Manley’s People’s National Party. In 1976 the December elections were drawing near and violent protests were taking over the streets of Kingston. Marley had become such a prominent idol for  Jamaican citizens and the People’s National Party thought a concert performed by Marley would help calm the city during the election. Marley agreed to perform with his band The Wailers at the Smile Jamaica concert. Although Marley had expressed political neutrality, some believed that Marley had favor for Michael Manley’s side. During rehearsal, just two days before the concert, Marley and some members of his band were shot at. No one involved in the shooting were killed, but both Marley and his manager at the time suffered injuries. Marley went on to perform at the Smile Jamaica concert to keep the peace, but fled the country immediately after the show ended. After the Smile Jamaica concert Marley performed again at the One Love Peace concert where he persuaded Michael Manley and Edward Seaga up on the stage to shake hands. This concert symbolized Marley’s true desire for peace and harmony between the political parties of Jamaica’s new government. As Gilmore writes, â€Å"On April 22nd, at the One Love Peace Concert, Marley managed to coax both Michael Manley and Edward Saga onstage with him and held their hands together with his in a gesture of coexistence† (Gilmor e 9). Marley died of cancer at the young age of 36, but his music is still alive and reaches hundreds of people every single day. One of the things that made Marley’s music so effective was his ability to speak an intense message through a creative melody. From Rolling Stone, â€Å"He was a superb melody writer, and his songs’ insinuating pop hooks pull the listener into the realities Marley was describing† (Gillmore 12). Although much of the Marley legacy lives on in America as a mere trend, one who chooses to look deeper into his message will feel the power Marley had intended through his poetry that was meant for an oppressed nation.

Business Life Cycle Characteristics And Strategies

Business Life Cycle Characteristics And Strategies Every business has its life cycle starting with conception of the idea for a business, then the start up, implementation, growth, maturity and decline. There are a lot of different terms being used for business life cycles parallel, which is also in parallel to the product life cycle. Some of ideas involve only four stages which are the start-up, growth, maturity and decline. Others involve seven stages from start-up, growth, maturity, saturation, decline, renewal and withdrawal. In general, they are practically the same. One is just a more detailed outlook of a business cycle. With time, a business will definitely pass through different stages of development. The 7 Stages of the Business Life Cycle 7 Stages of Business Life Cycle SEED How do you develop your idea into something that may turn into a business? 1: The idea: Whats your idea? What will your product or service that youll offer? Will your business be built from scratch, or do you plan on buying an existing business? 2: Is it feasible? Do you have the skills or experience to be successful at this business? Do you know how much money it will take to start? What are your plans for financing the business? What are your own strengths and weaknesses? Be honest with yourself. 3: Whos your market? Who will be your market? Who will your competition be and what are their strengths and weaknesses? If you dont think you have competition, are you sure? If thats true, is the product or service really wanted? Whats unique about your business that will make people want to buy from you instead of this competition? http://aksbdc.org/small-business-life-cycle/think/ **The seed stage of your business life cycle is when your business is just a thought or an idea. This is the very conception or birth of a new business. Challenge: Most seed stage companies will have to overcome the challenge of market acceptance and pursue one niche opportunity. Do not spread money and time resources too thin. Focus: At this stage of the business the focus is on matching the business opportunity with your skills, experience and passions. Other focal points include: deciding on a business ownership structure, finding professional advisors, and business planning. Money Sources: Early in the business life cycle with no proven market or customers the business will rely on cash from owners, friends and family. Other potential sources include suppliers, customers, government grants and banks. http://www.winonanationalbank.com/BusinessBanking/BusinessLifeCycle.aspx START-UP Initially, a small business owner think about the kind of business he/she wants to make. Then he does a feasibility study about the risks involved, the costs, the demand for the product or services, the potential clients, the marketability of the offering all these things are considered at the seed phase. He also thinks about where to get funding, what other products and services to offer, the pricing and how people would react or require the product or service or both. During this seed phase, he also thinks about probable resources where to find finding such as family, friends and financiers, venture capitalist or even the bank. Once he finally realised that there might be a need for it, then he moves to the start-up phase. Once it has been decided that there is a huge potential for the business, then he start implementing the ideas of the business. These could finding a suitable location for the business, sourcing suppliers, finding business partners, making the business plan and marketing plan, have focused on the products and service to initially offer, and also to register the business into a legal entity, whether a sole proprietorship, partnership or a corporation or a limited liability company. The small business owner would have also determined the location to best open shop, with the target clients also in mind. Most small business owner opening a business, opt for a home business start-up SOHO small office home office set-up. This is often the choice because it is more cost efficient, facing the challenge of limited financial resources. This would enable them to maintain the least overhead possible, where normally, the lease or office rent eats up a huge percentage of operational costs. It is another challenge for a start-up company to be aware of its spending/budget. The challenge lies in making sure not to over-estimate or overshoot the budget/funds, at worse prematurely. The small business owner should also determine if he can start the business on his/her own, a one woman/man-show, or should it be better to employ a minimal number of employees and what skills would they need to posses. One option is to look into operating as a family business, especially if the business owner has adult children, a spouse or other family members that are trustworthy and reliable. Otherwise, hiring employees would be limited to two or three, everyone must be multi-skilled and able to multi-task. At start up, focus will be on having the business fully operations which involves identifying and building clientele and developing the products and services being offered based on what the clients require. This is also where you establish partnership and nurture relationships with suppliers. Money source would be family, friends, sometimes it could involve borrowing from ones personal savings or getting a loan from the bank. Grants are also something to look into. It is also wise to make arrangements with suppliers regarding terms of payment, determining how many days is required to pay whether it is a 30 day to 90 day payment arrangement (i.e.) . This is also where he small business owner needs to strategise on how to enter and compete in the market, being aware of competitors and their standing in the market place or industry. Knowing this will determine the course of attack or entry. There are also other legalities that need to be taken care of such as insurances, liabilities, adhering to rules and regulations of the locality where you are operating, Taxes where to register a s GST company or not. Evaluating the reasons for going into business is also crucial. If the small business owner has proof (feasibility study) that the offering is in demand and can be successful, then this could be good enough. However some would also need to ask themselves if this is more than just money, if the business can give a sense of fulfilment or its success could be left as a legacy to the children/family. A small business owner need to know his motivation behind the business, this will give him a clear focus for success. Launching the business is part of the start-up which needs to focus on effective marketing strategies. This is to make sure that people know what the business offers, or stands for, its location and contact details, and who to deal with. This also needs to cover areas of competitive the pricing and encouraging terms for doing business. Starting the implementation of the marketing plans and strategies is like a test run during the start-up phase. Listed below are some tasks that should be completed in the start-up phase. Evaluate your personal reasons for going into business Decide what type of business you want to start Set up the legal structure of the business Obtain necessary licenses Conduct market research Research and obtain financing Research and obtain necessary business insurance Create a business plan Plan the strategy for growing the business Find an accountant and lawyer Open a bank account for the business http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dpsm/osb/start_up.htm **Your business is born and now exists legally. Products or services are in production and you have your first customers. Challenge: If your business is in the start-up life cycle stage, it is likely you have overestimated money needs and the time to market. The main challenge is not to burn through what little cash you have. You need to learn what profitable needs your clients have and do a reality check to see if your business is on the right track. Focus: Start-ups requires establishing a customer base and market presence along with tracking and conserving cash flow. Money Sources: Owner, friends, family, suppliers, customers, or grants. http://sbinformation.about.com/cs/marketing/a/a040603.htm GROWTH After a successful start-up comes the growth of the business. During growth the business needs to maintain good relationships with everyone, both internal and external, such as: clients, suppliers, and government and private agencies it deals with. Also, by this time, the business is expected to be earning and not just covering the overhead. The business, at this stage is starting to win and build its market share. The challenges here would still be the usual issues of time and money. Time and money is crucial especially of the business is focused on finding and providing a better way of service delivery, and consistently strives to improve its offering. Clients will know the quality of work provided and word goes around. Clients recommend and there will be more clients coming as a consequence. The business then starts to build its reputation for excellence and reliability. Relationships not only with clients but also with suppliers must be nurtured. Prompt payment, for materials or services, based on term arranged, is crucial. This way, the business comes as a reputable and trustworthy company to deal with. This will help the business in finding and establishing business relationships with new suppliers and partners. As a growing business, standardisation or standard operational procedure which is crucial in the delivery of consistent excellent service should have been established and running smoothly, albeit still open for tweaking and modifications as the need arises. . This is also the time to consider adding a staff for sales and marketing, or business development. This person is supposed to duplicate the process already in place and bring his own skills and experience to contribute to the growth of the business. S hiring a highly skilled and experiences staff is crucial. Background checks are also necessary to make sure employee has integrity and is professional. Having a highly skilled employee can help maximise time and value for money for the company, as there will be no need for training or re-training in the short term. The business also has to make sure that at this stage of growth, finances are running smoothly. Financial resource would be coming from new partnerships, through the profits, by having a higher credit line from the bank. It is still a good idea to check availability of grants. The business could still be home based or if moving a better or bigger place is considered, leasing/renting would be wise. Remember during the growth stage, market share are being defined, the brand is getting recognised, a very good track record in reliability and excellence is being put in place, there is growth in business partnerships and the business network is expanding. Perhaps the small business is even getting into a position where it can influence the market place better business practices and innovative. During the growth stage, sales/business forecasts are being achieved. Very capable and reliable accountant and lawyer are also very much needed by a growing company making sure that finances are healthy and that rules and regulations by the government and the industry are always followed. . It is best for the business to be on its toes, keep assessing the marketing plans, and changing it when necessary, in order to keep up with the changing market. Once the infrastructure of the company is established, the focus is to develop the business. There will probably be some sales, but there is still much to do. The hard work is just starting. This may include many of the following: Refine market niche Branding the company Establish a track record Identify business partners Networking to expand customer/client base Match staff to volatile needs Increase operational financing Forecast sales Automate payroll processing Review insurance requirements Revisit your business plan Recruiting the right employees Find an accountant and lawyer http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dpsm/osb/growth.htm Your business has made it through the toddler years and is now a child. Revenues and customers are increasing with many new opportunities and issues. Profits are strong, but competition is surfacing. Challenge: The biggest challenge growth companies face is dealing with the constant range of issues bidding for more time and money. Effective management is required and a possible new business plan. Learn how to train and delegate to conquer this stage of development. Focus: Growth life cycle businesses are focused on running the business in a more formal fashion to deal with the increased sales and customers. Better accounting and management systems will have to be set-up. New employees will have to be hired to deal with the influx of business. Money Sources: Banks, profits, partnerships, grants and leasing options. http://sbinformation.about.com/cs/marketing/a/a040603.htm Helpful questions to ask during the growth period 1: Increasing Market Awareness What is the market potential for growth? What is your promotional strategy to reach your target market? Have you defined a marketing budget? Do you have a marketing plan? 2: Your Operational Plan Do you have the capacity to meet current and future sales levels? Do you need new equipment, more personnel and/or additional working capital to increase capacity? Do you need to increase efficiencies and effectiveness through better production processes, less waste and increased quality? Do you need more space and bigger facilities to meet capacity needs? 3: Your team Do you have the right people on board? Do you have a plan for attracting future personnel? Do you have defined duties, responsibilities, skill and experience needed for each position? 4: Your Financial Plan How much capital (cash) will you need for business expansion? How will you raise this capital (cash)? Do you have a business plan for investors/lenders to review? What are your anticipated sales, profits and cash flow based your expansion plan? 5: Plan to Grow Have you revisited your plan to address opportunity for growth? http://aksbdc.org/small-business-life-cycle/grow/ MATURITY After the growth stage come the maturity of the business, where everything has been founded solidly, you have established clientele, partners, a bigger business entwork and may be eying expansion. Opening another office branch locally or another city or get into partnership in another city, depending on what area of focus the expansion would aim to achieve. However, upon growth some companies fall into the trap of sitting on theri laurels and stagnate. Companies need to be in theri toes, to be abreast of the changes in teh industry and their competitors, and the changing customer needs or requirements. All of these need to be considered. Aotumation is also another avenue to consider in terms of growth, outsourcing could also be considered to improve profit and productivity. After maturity, there are different phases that csmall busness fall into. Some companies reach the point of saturation. When this happens other consider to expand, sell of close shop. The saturation phase can trigger the next step for the small business. Which can be renewal, expansion, or decline and eventually withdrawal (closing shop). The challenge for established companies is to keep on their toes and deliver the same kind of service. As a company grows, customer satisfaction can sometimes get affected as personalised service has to give way to automation or standardisation. Companies also have the challenge of expansion in the ssense that the new products and services must be complementary or related to the existing offerings. It is risky to delve into a totally different product/service line. Unless a company has very good financial background, a new partner, a solid plan, then it can still be an avenue for expansion for the company. SATURATION How do we manage saturation point? Reinvention, innovation is a very good strategy, you change the marketing plan, improve the services and products, analyse the current market base and position. You also analyse the changing requirements of the clients and address them. SO the products and services are offered based on the clients needs. Decline Renewal / Innovation If after the saturation period a business owner finds himself with no intention to continue, then he has a choice between selling the business and closing shop. Selling the business would be more profitable, as the clientele, suppliers and partners have been establish and the eventual owner will be going away with everything set in place. It will save the new owner years of establishing the business. All he/she needs to do is maintain and improve what exists. Normally small business owners decide to sell when they feel that they do not have the energy or ability to continue with the business anymore or they are actually having some financial difficulties and are unable to find funding from different source, Withdrawal Instead of losing money and closing shop, selling the business is still a better alternative. However, for some businesses the situation might really be worse and there will be no other alternative but to close shop and try to cut loses. Another exit options is to franchise the business and just administer and transfer the technology or process to the franchisee. Franchising is exiting through expansion. The successful process is sold including the processes and partnerships. The Franchisee can then just focus on building their own clientele. The original owner still earns from royalties or percentages of sales and from supplying materials, ingredients or whatever is required depending on the nature of the business. http://aksbdc.org/small-business-life-cycle/exit/ http://www.dws.net.au/tools/the-prosperity-cycle.html http://www.smallbusiness.wa.gov.au/biz-life-cycle/ http://www.legacee.com/FastGrowth/OrgLifeCycle.html http://www.enotes.com/small-business-encyclopedia/industry-life-cycle http://smallbusiness.chron.com/brands-product-life-cycle-785.html characteristics and strategies of each life cycle Exit Strategy http://www.japaninc.com/mgz_sep-oct_2007_issue_exit-strategy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Product_life_cycle_management_%28marketing%29 http://university-essays.tripod.com/product_life_cycle.html http://courses.cit.cornell.edu/cuttingedge/lifeCycle/11.htm http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/encyclopedia/Oli-Per/Organizational-Life-Cycle.html short- and long-range plans to implement strategies http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/small/Bo-Co/Business-Planning.html http://www.arnoldit.com/articles/PDF_Web/article1988/chap6_MarPlan.pdf http://managementhelp.org/fp_progs/sp_mod/str_plan.htm http://nett.com.au/finance/business-credit/small-business-lifecycle-reaping-the-rewards/11181.html http://sbinformation.about.com/cs/marketing/a/a040603.htm http://www.winonanationalbank.com/BusinessBanking/BusinessLifeCycle.aspx http://www.dws.net.au/tools/the-prosperity-cycle.html http://www.ajfoligno.co.uk/business_cycle.php http://www.manyworlds.com/logContent.aspx?to=coViewURLLinkcoid=CO1290216533092

Harley Davidson :: essays research papers

The purpose of this industry analysis is to develop understanding for Harley Davidson Inc. and the employee owned manufacturer of heavyweight motorcycles. We will focus on some of the distributing of products to domestic and international markets targeting men and women of all ages. The motorcycle industry is made up of five major manufacturers: four Japanese (Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Suzuki), one American (Harley Davidson) and some European companies (mainly BMW of Germany and some other Italian companies). Most companies market their motorcycles and accessories on a worldwide basis. Industry sales of motorcycles were shrinking in the early l990s because of the recession. Three types of products/services are being offered motorcycles, accessories, and financing services. Motorcycles: This is a loose term for some, however we are going to look at that would include motorcycles. Mopeds or scooters (with engines under 125ccwhich are used as an alternative to walking), accounting for about 17% of total motorcycle sales; lightweight motorcycles road bikes, dirt bikes, dual purpose bikes (with engines ranging from 125cc to 499cc), accounting for 51% of sales; sport motorcycles street bikes, and super bikes (with engines ranging from 450 to 749cc) accounting for 13% of sales; heavyweight motorcycles cruisers, touring bikes (ranging from 750cc to 1500cc) accounting for 19% of sales. Accessories: all leading manufacturers produce Aftermarket accessories, such as saddlebags, windshields, custom seats, helmets, and clothing items. Accessories can bring in a large amount of profit but they can also strengthen customer relations and customer loyalty. In order to succeed companies need to do a market analysis of what sales and what the customer base requests. Sales of accessories and parts make up 36% of total retail sales and are a viable area for producers to explore because people want something to differentiate their bikes. In the past, motorcycles were viewed as a cheap means of transportation. By 1992, they came to be viewed as a recreational, or a luxury item. This new perception of motorcycles led to the introduction of more expensive models with higher prices. This led to the introduction of consumer financing, one of the fastest growing service areas in the motorcycle industry. Financing Services: As motorcycle prices increase to above the cost some can afford out of pocket. Many customers are finding a need for financing within the dealership of the motorcycle company. Financing terms and payment arrangements are necessary to succeed and be competitive. The customers of motorcycles can be divided into two categories men and women.

Effects of War Exposed in All Quite on the Western Front, Bury the Dead

Effects of War Exposed in All Quite on the Western Front, Bury the Dead, and Paths of Glory      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "From the happy expression on their faces you might have supposed that they welcomed the war. I have met with men who loved stamps, and stones, and snakes, but I could not imagine any man loving war." Margot Asquith revealed her discontent with war in this quote. War is defined in the American Heritage Dictionary as a concerted effort or campaign to combat or put an end to something considered injurious. A rather contradicting definition from the dictionary when one examines war's true meaning and the effect it has on mankind. Wars do not put an end to something considered injurious, war starts them. War stems from human greed and ignorance and is often used as a tool by men to seek fame and glory. People remember the glory of Alexander the Great, Hannibal, and Napoleon but forget the number of deaths caused by these so-called heroes. War is about death and the destruction of the human character and spirit. World War I, not only claimed millions of lives , but left deep scars in the memories of those who survived. Disillusioned and disheartened, these young people became known as the Lost Generation. Even though the cost of war was staggering, its psychological effects had no boundary. The soldier's greatest struggle during war is not physical, but mental and spiritual.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A war novel that gives its reader an insight into the lives of soldiers during WWI, All Quiet on the Western Front, written by Erich Maria Remarque, is considered the greatest war novel of all time. This book brings its readers into the personal life of Paul Baumer and the horrors he had to encounter as a young German s... ...think about themselves, about religion, and about war. Sometimes, when a soldier gets too caught up in the war, he tries to hide his true feelings even though he is facing the biggest battle of all: with himself.    Works Cited:    Cobb, Humphrey. Paths of Glory, a Novel, Viking Press, New York 1935, new edition, Dell 1957, William Heinemann Ltd, London.    Hynes, Samuel. A War Imagined: The First World War and English Culture, London: Bodley Head, 1991.    Remarque, Erich Maria. All Quiet on the Western Front. New York: Ballantine Books, 1984.    Shaw, Irwin. Bury the Dead. New Theatre & Film, 1934-1937. Ed. Herbert Kline. San Diego: Harcourt, Brace, Jovanich, c1985.    Stephen E. Tabachnick, "Afterword," to Humphrey Cobb, Paths of Glory (1935) (Athens: University of Georgia Press, 1987), pp. 267-304.      

Power of Men in William Shakespeares The Winters Tale Essay -- Europ

Power of Men in William Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale It has been said that in "The Winter's Tale" Shakespeare dramatises the contemporary struggle between masculine and feminine power. In light of this comment, examine the presentation of the relationships between men and women. Despite their many differences, contemporary society is now only beginning to realise their equal and respective roles in society. Since the beginning of time a contemporary struggle for equality has been present between masculine and feminine powers. The biblical stories of creation have often been used as an excuse to mistreat women. The mythical story of "The Garden of Eden" has been used to display women being easily seduced into wrong doing "The woman saw how beautiful the tree was and how good the fruit would be to eat... so then she took some of the fruit and ate it", how women corrupt men into wrong doing "Then she gave some (the fruit) to her husband, and he also ate it," illustrating women being dependant on men and men as dominant leaders going out to hunt for food "made him cultivate the soil from which he had been formed". Also because the male was created first "God took some soil from the ground and formed man out of it" he is often thought as being the perfection of c reation, where as the female is a helper "he formed woman out of the rob (Adam's.)" Â  Even after the Women's Social and Political Movement (WSPU), the work that the women assured responibility for during the World Wars and the feminist movement of the 1960's for women to be equal to men politically, economically and socially, inequality still exists today. The search for equality between sexes began in the early twentieth century with the WSPU and continues to the tw... ...nist Criticism and Shakespeare." London: Cornell Univ. Press, 1985. Mackey Sally and Simon Copper "Drama and theatre studies." Stanley Thornes Neeley, Carol Thomas. "The Winter's Tale: Women and Issue" (1985). Reprinted in the Signet Classic Edition of The Winter's Tale. New York: Penguin, 1988. Pyle, Fitzroy. The Winter's Tale: A Commentary on the Structure. New York: Routledge & Paul, 1969. Richards, Adam and Gerald Gould "Into Shakespeare: a introduction to Shakespeare through drama." London: Warlock Educational publishers (1977) Tillyard E.M, "Shakespeare's last plays." Chatto and Windus Wilson, Dover "Life om Shakespeares England" Cambridge University Press Folger Shakespeare Libary: www.folger.edu/ Internet public Libary- Shakespeare bookshelf: www.ipl.org/div/shakespeare/shakespeare.html Absolute Shakespeare- absoluteshakespeare.com/

“The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson and “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell

In both â€Å"The Lottery† by Shirley Jackson and â€Å"The Most Dangerous Game† by Richard Connell, the authors write to emphasize the sanctity of life through the conflicts endured by their main characters both implicitly and explicitly. Both stories deal with the topic of the taking of human life.â€Å"The Lottery† implicitly delves into the thought processes and ritual of a society where the taking of a life is ceremonial. However, the reader is left to wonder the purpose of this seemingly ageless tradition. â€Å"The Most Dangerous Game† on the other hand, is much more sinister in nature.Human life is also taken in a systematic way, with rules that must be followed, but also a chance that the target may earn his freedom. In this explicit way, the reader fully comprehends the evil surrounding the Game and is confounded by killing as a means of entertainment.What first struck me as I read both stories was the similarity in the development of the charact ers. Both stories had an executioner and a victim that were seemingly interchangeable. In â€Å"The Lottery,† Mr. Summers was the presider of the ceremony and he fulfilled his duties with an aloofness that gave the reader a false sense of security throughout the story.The crowd encircled him. He knew one would die; in fact he himself was not exempt. Yet, he wistfully remembered a time when the Lottery had more pomp and pageantry. General Zaroff in, â€Å"The Most Dangerous Game† also felt a longing for a time when the Game was more exciting.He had a crowd of contestants in his training area that he scorned for lack of skill and wisdom. Mr. Summers and the crowd felt the same way about Mrs. Hutchinson, who was so lackadaisical about the Lottery that she was late.In a matter of life and death for her family her excuse for being tardy was a sink full of dirty dishes. In â€Å"The Most Dangerous Game† Rainsford is also quite flippant about his situation and about ta king lives as he brags to his associate about his hunting exploits.Rainsford dismisses the fear he is surrounded with upon the mention of dangerous waters. In this way, both authors exhibit their theme of the importance of the sanctity of life in the reactions of both victims, Mrs. Hutchinson and Rainsford when they realize that their lives are the ones in peril unexpectedly.When Rainsford finds himself washed up on what the other sailors called â€Å"ship trap island† the reader hears gun shots and the author creates a further sense of foreboding as he introduces Rainsford to General Zaroff. No detail is left unnoticed by the reader as the butler Ivan opens the door and Rainsford is met at gunpoint.At first Rainsford is impressed and flattered by the General who recognizes the expert hunter. Soon, however, the finery of Zaroff’s compound is negated by the savagery of the Game he describes and nonchalantly intends for Rainsford to approve of and participate.Conversely, the warm springtime setting of â€Å"The Lottery† is misleading. In modern society a lottery is a much sought after prize. People choose to play and pray to be selected for vast sums of money.However, in this story there is an undercurrent of caution and masked fear in the crowd as they take their turn to draw slips of paper. â€Å"The Most Dangerous Game† is much more of a thrill ride for the reader as we hide with Rainsford in the tree as he is purposefully hunted in the Game.We cheer for him as he eludes General Zaroff and changes his mind about hunting as a sport. Ironically, Rainsford can now empathize with his quarry after becoming the hunted himself. The same cannot be said of â€Å"The Lottery. †Mrs. Hutchinson’s change in demeanor is heart breaking. With her outbursts and contention that the Lottery had been run unfairly, the reader realizes that her life is soon coming to an end. The irony of her situation is that she claims to have forgotten a ll about the Lottery earlier that morning.Now  she fights to challenge its outcome and the reader is left to wonder why people of this town die at the hands of the Lottery in the first place. Though their style of writing is completely different, in both â€Å"The Lottery† by Shirley Jackson and â€Å"The Most Dangerous Game† by Richard Connell, the authors engage their readers into battling along with their main characters for their very lives. We challenge the seemingly pointless rituals of the Game and Lottery. Inevitably we agree with the authors that lives are not to be toyed with by an unfeeling society.

Legitimacy Theory Essay

au whereforeticity is a generalised perception or precondition that the actions of an entity argon desirable, proper, or appropriate inside al just about fountainhead-disposedly constructed brass of norms, determine, beliefs, and definitions (Suchman, 1995, p. 574, emphasis in original) genuineness possibility has become star of the much or less(prenominal) cited theories within the societal and surroundal history ara. Yet in that respect cadaver deep scepticism amongst m two researchers that it offers any real insight into the instinctive manifestations of mints. This sketch paper outlines responses to dickens specific concerns set in the belles-lettres. It provide leveltually skeletal frame part of a much big project accosting a run of replications associated with authenticity theory.First, the paper brings some of the more unfermented-made ontogenys in the get laidment and ethical literature on genuineness and corporations to the accounting t able. Second, there ar contri thoions to the theory that corroborate already been made by accounting researchers that are yet to be fully recognised. The designer believes that authenticity theory does offer a powerful mechanism for instinct willing social and environmental disclosures made by corporations, and that this understanding would provide a vehicle for engaging in critical humankind debate.The trouble for authenticity theory in contributing to our understanding of accounting disclosure specifically, and as a theory in general, is that the term has on occasion been utilise fairly loosely. This is not a problem of the theory itself, and the observation could be equally applied to a range of theories in a range of disciplines (see for example Caudill (1997) on the abuse of Evolutionary speculation).Failure to adequately specify the theory has been identified by Suchman (1995, p. 572, emphasis in original), who observed that many a(prenominal) researchers practic e the term genuineness, but a couple of(prenominal) define it. Hybels (1995, p. 241) comments that As the tradesmen sic of social erudition have groped to build elaborate conjectural structures with which to shelter their careers anddisciplines, legitimation has been a covert mans hammer. This paper begins to address these issues. no One theory but Two (at least)An important issue which unavoidably to be acknowledged is that there are in fact two field classes of authenticity theory. These are graphically presented in Figure 1 below. The macro-theory of legitimation, kn cause as institutional authenticityTheory, deals with how judicature activityal structures as a whole (capitalism for example, or government) have gained word meaning from society at large. Within this tradition, genuineness and institutionalization are virtually synonymous. Both phenomena charge organizations primarily by making them search natural and meaningful (Suchman, 1995, p. 576, emphasis i n original).In price of accounting research, precondition the snip frames involved and questions loosely being considered, the current business environment, including the capitalist structure, elected government, etc. are generally taken as a given, a placid stage setting within which the research is situated. This assumption would, however, need to be carefully considered for a longitudinal direct of any authoritative length. Figure 1 Layers of Legitimacy TheoryINSTITUTIONAL LEVELGOVERNMENT devotion SOCIETY CAPITALISMORGANISATIONAL LEVEL(IN THIS baptistery COMPANY LTD BY SHARE)Establishment falsification file name extension MaintenanceFrom the Moral to the measurableOne layer down from the institutional Level is what in Figure 1 is called the Organisational Level (sometimes referred to as Strategic Legitimacy Theory). Underlying organizational authenticity is a process, legitimation, by which an organization seeks approval (or avoidance of sanction) from groups in s ociety (Kaplan and Ruland, 1991, p. 370).It is from this levelthat most accounting research plys to draw its understanding of genuineness. Mathews (1993, p. 350) provides a good definition of legitimacy at this level Organisations seek to con incorruptible congruence between the social nurtures associated with or implied by their activities and the norms of acceptable behavior in the larger social system in which they are a part. In so far as these two lever systems are congruent we poop speak of musical arrangemental legitimacy.When an actual or capability disparity exists between the two value systems there will exist a threat to organisational legitimacy. At its simplest, within the Organisational visualise legitimacy is an operational resource that organizations bow out often competitively from their cultural environments and that they employ in pursuit of their goals (Suchman, 1995, p. 575 6, emphasis in original). Legitimacy, just like m unityy, is a resource a business requires in tell to operate. Certain actions and events increase that legitimacy, and new(prenominal)s decrease it. low-spirited legitimacy will have specially dire consequences for an organisation, which could ultimately give to the forfeit of their right to operate.Although we send packing describe a firm as being legalise, and regard of amounts of legitimacy, it becomes a very subjective compute to try and straight off measure legitimacy. Although it has cover consequences, legitimacy itself is an pussyfoot concept, given frankness by multiple actors in the social environment. For a researcher to try and directly establish, or even rank, the legitimacy of assorted organisations would seem to be a necessarily subjective undertaking, preferencing the researchers own stances. As Hybels (1995, p. 243) argues, I reject this view because it is ground on a conflation of the roles of reviewer and participant in social learning.As an alternative, rather than ne rve-racking to subjectively measure a firms legitimacy directly it post instead be inferred from the fact that being legitimate enables organizations to attract resources necessary for survival (e.g., unusual materials, patronage, political approval) (Hearit, 1995, p. 2). Hybels (1995, p. 243) develops this in some time finisednessLegitimacy often has been conceptualized as exactly one of many resources that organizations must(prenominal) buzz off from their environments. hardly rather than viewing legitimacy as something that is ex transportd among institutions, legitimacy is bust conceived as both part of the background for ex switch over anda by- fruit of exchange. Legitimacy itself has no material form. It exists only as a typic representation of the embodied evaluation of an institution, as evidenced to both observers and participants perhaps most convincingly by the pay heed of resources. resources must have symbolic import to function as value in social exchange . But legitimacy is a higher-order representation of that symbolism a representation of representations. Hybels (1995, p. 243) argues that good models in legitimacy theory must analyze the relevant stakeholders, and how Each influences the flow of resources crucial to the organizations establishment, growth, and survival, any through direct control or by the communication of good will. He identifies (p. 244) four critical organisational stakeholders, from each one of which control a number of resources.These are summa burn downd in circuit board 1 below. Table 1 Critical Organisational Stakeholder STAKEHOLDER RESOURCES CONTROLLED Contracts, grants, legislation, regulation, tax ( no.e that the (1) The nation destination three of these could be both a negative or overbearing depending on the implementation) (2) The public (3) The financial community of interests (4) The media Few direct resources however, evict well influence the closes of stakeholders (2) & (3) (if not (1) ) Patronage (as customer), donjon (as community interest), labour InvestmentThe last of these has received considerable attention. The power of the media has been famed by a number of researchers, including sabot (2002, p. 153), who states that while increase media attention potty certainly lead to the potential for increase pressures from any of the three sources dissatisfaction of public new or proposed political action increased regulative oversight, increases in pressure coffin nailalso arise, particularly with respect to regulative oversight. See also Deegan et al. (2000, 2002). Companies try to manage their legitimacy because it helps to ensure the continued influx of capital, labour and customers necessary for viabilityIt also forestalls regulatory activities by the state that might come in in the absence of legitimacy and pre-empts result boycotts or other disruptive actions by external parties By mitigating these potential problems, organizational legitimacy provid es managers with a degree of autonomy to decide how and where business will be conducted (Neuet al., 1998, p. 265).Researchers need to move a guidance from trying to directly assess legitimacy, and instead focalise on measuring it in terms of the resources relevant stakeholders provide. Rather than engage in the further development of entirely abstract constructions of the legitimation process researchers should investigate the flow of resources from organizational constituencies as well as the pattern and content of communications (Hybels, 1995, p. 244).But Wait at that places to a greater extentAs shown in Figure 1 Organisational Legitimacy Theory suggests that a firm whitethorn be in one of four chassiss with regard to its legitimacy. These builds are defined below, some examples of industries/firms that might be considered to be direct in each of these somas are included (further research needs to be undertaken in this playing area). Establishing Legitimacy. (E.g. Stem C ell based bio-tech).This first phase represents the early stages of a firms development and tends to wheel around issues of competence, particularly financial, but the organisation must be aware of socially constructed standards of quality and desirability as well as perform in unanimity with accepted standards of professionalism (Hearit, 1995, p. 2). Maintaining Legitimacy. (The major(ip)ity of organisations). This is the phase that most firms would generally expect to be operating in, where their activities include (1) ongoing role capital punishment and symbolic assurances that all is well, and (2) attempts to anticipate and keep back or forestall potential challenges to legitimacy (Ashford and Gibbs, 1990, p. 183). save the maintenance of legitimacy is not aseasy as it may at first appear. Legitimacy is a dynamic construct. Community expectations are not considered static, but rather, change across time thereby requiring organisations to be responsive to the environment in which they operate. An organisation could, accepting this view, lapse its legitimacy even if it has not changed its activities from activities which were antecedently deemed acceptable (legitimate) (Deegan et al., 2002, p. 319 20). Extending Legitimacy. (E.g. Alternative Health Providers). There may come a point where an organisation enters new markets or changes the instruction it relates to its current market.This fuck give rise to a need to extendlegitimacy which is apt to be intense and proactive as management attempts to win the reliance and support of wary potential constituents (Ashford and Gibbs, 1990, p. 180). argue Legitimacy. (E.g. Uranium Mining). Legitimacy may be threatened by an hazard (internal or external), and therefore require vindication. Legitimation activities tend to be intense and reactive as management attempts to counter the threat (Ashford and Gibbs, 1990, p. 183). still barring a major misadventure it is believably in the Western capitalist sy stem that almost every corporation will regularly need to make its legitimacy, by the mere fact that corporations must fulfil both a competence and community requirement to realize legitimacy Satisfaction of stockholder interests often occurs at the expense of community concerns (e.g., the despoiling of the environment, the use of labour) while, conversely, office to the larger community often occurs at the expense of the stockholder (Hearit, 1995, p. 3).It is this last phase that has tended to be the main focus of accounting researchers. It also provides us with the clearest opportunity to examine the crucial link between legitimacy and resources. Lindblom (1994), a key paper cited by many cordial and Environmental accounting researchers, also seems relevant specifically to this phase only. An example of work in this area is Deegan et al.s (2000) study of five major incidents (including the Exxon Valdez oil spill and the Bhopal Disaster) which provided a context to examine the annual incubates of related (in industrial terms) Australian firms to see if there had been a significant change in their social or environmental reporting.They concluded The results of this study are consistent with legitimacy theory and show that companies do appear to change their disclosure policiesaround the time of major company and attention related social events. These results highlight the strategic nature of conscious social disclosures and are consistent with a view that management considers that annual report social disclosures are a multipurpose device to reduce the effects upon a corporation of events that are perceived to be unfavourable to a corporations image (Deegan et al., 2000, p. 127).The Diagnosis Needs subtletyThis is where the traditional legitimacy model stops. and my ownresearch, into the tobacco industry, Tilling (2004), and that of other researchers, including experimental research undertaken by ODonovan (2002), suggest a further development of t he Organisational Legitimacy Level, as depicted in Figure 2 below. Added to the model is the surmise that a firm may not successfully (or may be uneffective to) defend the threat to its legitimacy and really start to lose legitimacy. Figure 2 Refinement of the Organisational Level of Legitimacy TheoryEstablishment LossDefence Disestablishment ExtensionMaintenanceIn this model the defence phase is usually entered by an organisation after some form of one-off incident or accident which threatens its legitimacy. This phase could be characterised as being acute, it can be serious, some times even fatal, but usually, with proper management, the organisation can maintain, or at least recover, its legitimacy. However should there be an ongoing serial of events,indicative of a systemic issue, e.g. the thermonuclear power industry, or a wizard event with permanent consequences which cannot be effectively managed, e.g. realisation that the organisations product is not safe such as the tobacco industry, an organisation is likely to have its legitimacy eroded over a period of time (the loss phase), which can be characterised as chronic. The issue can be difficult to manage, and generally leads to declining legitimacy, however the loss may be managed and slowed over a long period of time, or significant change could lead to reestablishment of legitimacy.The loss phase is most likely to be preceded by sustained media and nongovernmental organization scrutiny, and accompanied by increasing government regulation, monitoring and possibly taxation. Within this phase there are likely to be periods where the company will increase its voluntary social and environmental disclosure in an effort to meet specific threats (such as to postpone or defeat proposed regulations) or to communicate systemic corporate change(similar to the defence phase). However, with each new bulwark average total disclosure can be expected to decrease.This idea is alluded to by ODonovan (2002) who a rgues, based on experimental evidence, that the lower the perceived legitimacy of the organisation, the less likely it is to bother providing social and environmental disclosure.Watch This SpaceLegitimacy theory offers researchers, and the wider public, a trend to critically excerpt corporate disclosures. However the understanding and study of the theory must become more sophisticated, drawing on developments both within the accounting literature and beyond. Only then will the full potential of legitimacy theory for examining a wide range of disclosures be fully realised. Areas that would provide utile insights include at the moment the asbestos industry (as it goes through the disestablisment phase), brothels (as they become much more legitimate within the Australian context), and the forestry industry (as it tries to defend its legitimacy), to name but a few.The knowledge gained will then be used to provide better and more useful information to inform decision making by stakeho lders. In this way society is empowered to have greater control and oversight over the way resources are allocated.ReferencesAshford, B. E. and B. W. Gibbs (1990) The Double-Edge of organic lawal Legitimation, Organization Science, Vol. 1, No. 2, pp. 177 194. Caudill, E. (1997) Darwinian Myths The Legends and Misuses of a Theory, Knoxville, University of Tennessee Press. Deegan, C., M. Rankin and J. Tobin (2002) An mental testing of the Corporate affable and Environmental Disclosures of BHP from 1983-1997 A Test of Legitimacy Theory, history, Auditing and righteousness Journal, Vol. 15, No. 3, pp. 312 343. Deegan, C., M. Rankin and P. Voght (2000) Firms Disclosure Reactions to Major Social Incidents Australian Evidence, accounting Forum, Vol. 24, No. 1, pp. 101 130. Hearit, K. M. (1995)Mistakes Were Made Organizations, Apologia, and Crises of Social Legitimacy, colloquy Studies, Vol. 46, No. 1-2, pp. 1 17. Hybels, R. C. (1995) On Legitimacy, Legitimation, and Organization s A Critical Review and combinatorial Theoretical Model, Academy of prudenceJournal, Special Issue Best cover Proceedings, 1995, pp. 241 245. Kaplan, S. E. and R. G. Ruland (1991) Positive Theory, Rationality and Accounting ruler, Critical Perspectives on Accounting, Vol. 2, No. 4, pp. 361 374. Lindblom, C. K. (1994), The Implications of organisational Legitimacy for Corporate Social doing and Disclosure, Critical Perspectives on Accounting Conference, New York. Mathews, M. R. (1993) Socially Responsible Accounting, UK, Chapman & Hall.Neu, D., H. Warsame and K. Pedwell (1998) Managing usual Impressions Environmental Disclosures in annual Reports, Accounting, Organizations and Society, Vol. 23, No. 3, pp. 265 282. ODonovan, G. (2002) Environmental Disclosures in the yearly Report Extending the Applicability and Predictive bureau of Legitimacy Theory, Accounting, Auditing and Accountability, Vol. 15, No. 3, pp. 344 371. Patten, D. M. (2002)Media Exposure, in the public eye (predicate) Policy Pressure, and Environmental Disclosure An exam of the Impact of Tri Data Availability, Accounting Forum, Vol. 26, No. 2, pp. 152 171. Suchman, M. C. (1995) Managing Legitimacy Strategic and Institutional Approaches, Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 20, No. 3, pp. 571 610. Tilling, M. (2004), Communication at the Edge Voluntary Social and Environmental Reporting in the Annual Report of a Legitimacy jeopardize Corporation. APIRA Conference Proceedings, Singapore, July.