Paid Employment and Identity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Paid Employment and Identity - Essay Example According to Kirpal (2011), the company and occupational categories are the source of work-related identity formation processes. Employees form identities as they engage in their job and as they interact with their colleagues and customers giving them a source of commitment, motivation and effective job performance (217). People are also judged according to the work they do rather than who they are and a result people are in continuous search for the right job which brings meaning into their lives. This depends on what individuals view as meaningful work to them and the community as a whole. The question that begs an answer then is what constitutes meaningful work? Klein (2008) observes that content and meaning of work for individuals evolves as technological and economic circumstances change thus making it difficult to find meaning in work and form identities. This paper will explore how paid employment affects identity based on the contextual nature of identity. Identity Identity i s defined by Goffman (1959) as an impression management where we monitor all aspects of behaviour of people we encounter. Identity is therefore like a theatrical performance where actors try to convince the audience that their actions are real when in reality they are not authentic. Actors thus identify the things to be taken into account, act on basis of these identifications and attempt to fit their actions with others in the situation (Burke, 2006). Just like in performances, the actors in society have roles to play and they attach meanings which are derived from culture or from own understanding to themselves while performing the roles. However, the individuals must negotiate meanings derived from own understanding with others who have different views such that self meanings correspond to role behaviour. For example, in a work setting if the role of the worker means service to others, then the worker’s actions or behaviour should match the meaning by attending to customer s needs promptly. Jensen (2011 p. 163), defines identity as â€Å"a process of recognizing and being recognized by those who count.† The nature of identity in this case is relational as individuals try to distinguish themselves from others. For example, in a work situation an individual tries to identify himself by distinguishing himself from non-work situation therefore an individual constitutes his context of development. Jensen also acknowledges that individuals have various identity options which vary across cultural contexts but the individual has to explore the most convenient identity from the available options and make a decision to adopt the chosen identity. According to Goffman (1959), choosing the right option requires negotiation with the other pathways available. For example, people can negotiate on the requirements to fill a certain position or occupation hence set a criterion for identifying with that option. In traditional societies, options were limited as ch ildren followed the path of their parents through apprenticeship hence identified with parent’s occupation. For example, a child from a poor background or uneducated parents was also not educated hence ended in same occupation as parents. However, Rehn (2009) acknowledges that children learn differently from adults and should not be ignored as they also form a

Foundation of Business Analysis Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Foundation of Business Analysis - Case Study Example The significant confidence is 88% implying that the it does not mee the 95% required confidence The results didn’t show any significant statistical variance between the hypothesized entrà ©e price (p = 0.118 OR 0.059) and the sample data. Therefore we fail to reject the null hypothesis and conclude that patrons will be willing to pay $18 for an entree, which is the same as the prediction of the forecast model. The finding shows that most patrons are willing to pay $18. A one-sample t-test is taken to check if patrons can spend $200for an entrà ©e as per the forecast model specification. The significant confidence is 100% implying that the significance confidence it meet the 95% required confidence. For this case the confidence level exceed the 95% minimum threshold therefore we are taking the alternative hypothesis (Weiers 54). A one-sample t-test is taken to check if the location is in ZIP 7 for an entrà ©e as per the forecast model specification. The significant confidence is 100% implying that the significance confidence it meet the 95% required confidence. For this case the confidence level exceed the 95% minimum threshold therefore we are taking the alternative hypothesis. at p=0.01 the likelihood of people with different income levels gave a relationship of 0.775, at 0.000 level of significance. Thus value is high showing a higher likelihood to patronize the restaurant by people of different income level. At p=0.01, the t=7.710 for simple dà ©cor was high than for elegant dà ©cor t=-8.906. this was considered at 95% confidence level. In addition, the mean value (3.58) of the patrons preferred simple dà ©cor. While the patrons preferring elegant dà ©cor had mean value(2.33) which is a lower value. Patrons prefers live entertainment given that the majority love listening to Jazz cambo (t=11.385) at p=0.01 confidence level. Fewer patrons prefer listening to string quarter (t=-7.009) at confidence

Relevant Concept Of Celebrity Endorsements Marketing Essay

Relevant Concept Of Celebrity Endorsements Marketing Essay Introduction In the introduction this research paper will be providing an insight about the research area. It would begin by briefly discussing the background and relevant concept of celebrity endorsements and how it affects the consumer pre-purchasing behavior. 1.1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Background Advertisement came into existence in early 18th Century. Since then the concept started playing an active role in the development of the society in the early 1930s.Most of the celebrity back then used their status in society to promote product, service or charity. These celebrities performed stage shows; modeling, sports activities and most of them were from movie industry (Kambitsis, Harahousouy, Theodorakis and Chatzibeis, 2002). In the early 19th century, worlds first celebrity endorser Lillie Langtry (British actress) appeared in the advertisement for pear soap. It marked the beginning of the brand representation by endorsers. These endorsers according to the Tellis (1998) can be divided into three major groups experts, lay endorsers and celebrities. Here experts are those people who know about the product and they have limited knowledge about the product which they have assembled during study, training or experiences. Such an instance can be shown in advertisement where dentist for toothpaste advert or nutritionists for healthy food items as both of them are able to provide an expert opinion about the product. Secondly lay endorsers are people who may be real or fictional, which resembles to the target groups and can be quite effective to provide message. Thirdly comes celebrity endorser who can be defined as the people who enjoys public recognition and who uses this on the behalf of a consumer good by appealing with it in an advertisement (McCracken, 1989, p.310). Celebrity endorsements are used for advertisement just because they can create an appeal and can increase its attractiveness for the viewers and consumers. For example Michael Jordan acted in advertisement for Nike; David Beckham for Gillette and newly made football cup advert of coca cola where Roger Millas celebrates wonderful world of football goals. According to Ohanian (1999) both theory and practice proves that the use of super stars in advertisements generates a lot of publicity as well as draws the attention of public. Most of the companies try to utilise the already made image of the celebrities to attract more customer base and increase their loyalty. As in this highly competitive business environment brand loyalty has become the utmost important for success. Companies use celebrities endorsement in the advertisements so that they are able to associate with celebrity and are able to cash there image for a long period of time. It is said that, If the consumers are able to see the link between the celebrity and the product then the endorsements can be highly effective (Hsu and McDonald, 2002). It is believed that attractive endorsers can be highly affective while promoting products and can be used to enhance consumers attractiveness. Attractive people have greater influences on the consumers compared to unattractive people (Till and Busler, 1998). Till (1998) states companies used celebrity endorsers either sporadically or opportunistically at the whim of the client or the agency. Paying back for the investments in the celebrity endorsement usually comes from using the celebrity regularly over time. The reputation strengthens the associative link for those consumers who were already aware of the celebrity endorsement. It also increases the pole of consumers who begins to make themselves aware of the link between the brand and the celebrity. Some marketers change celebrity endorsers very frequently which weakens the benefit expected to be derived from the endorser. Such as Nikes consistent use of Michael Jordon has encouraged customers to think about Nike when thinking about Jordon and vice versa these have shown that Nike and Jordon have become a part of each others association similarly association of the Nike and Tiger woods have made same impact as whenever customers think of golf products they think of the Tiger woods and its endorsed Nike product. McCracken (1989) proposed the hypothesis that endorsers are more effective when there is a fit between the endorser and the endorsed product. Byrne et al (2003, p.289) states celebrity can help the brand to rebuilt and even create a new identity with new dimensions. Celebrity endorsement boosts brands attractiveness among the consumers and saves valuable time in terms of creating the credibility. When consumers see a credible celebrity endorsing a product they think the company has to be good and reputed. The major job for the company is to choose the right kind of the celebrity for the endorsement and its the job of the advertisers within the company to match the companys image or product with the personality of the celebrity and characteristics of the target market to establish effective message and mass expectance. According to the Shimp (2003) two general attributes which are important when determining the effectiveness of the endorsers as well as the communications effectiveness are credibility and attractiveness. The first attribute concerns endorsers quality of being believable or trustworthy and the achievements and skills of the celebrity which could correlate with the brand image. The latter attribute refers to the celebrities ability to appeal, attract and engage large consumer base on the basis of their attractiveness. A good example of these would be golf star Tiger Woods whose scandalous image resulted in his ruining his credibility among the consumers which lead to his sponsors (ATT, Gillette, Tag Heuer and Accenture) dropping his advertisements and Anna Kournikova who although has never won any pro-level tournament but was still used by Swiss watch maker Omega to endorse their products because of her international reputation and appealing looks. Purpose and research questions Many of the previous studies on the celebrity endorsement have been focused on how celebrity endorsements influence consumer behavior. But there has been less consideration on the empirical   research on celebrity endorsement specifically on sport celebrity endorsements and in what manner do they use celebrity and how do they addresses the future returns on the investments in celebrities. The lack of proper research in this area inspires the present dissertation. So the main aim of this research would be to gain deeper understanding of the celebrity endorsement and how it influences the consumers behavior specifically in sports industry. To be able to achieve that following question were formulated: 1. Why does sports industry uses celebrity endorsements for promotional strategy? 2. How does celebrity endorsement affect the consumer behavior in sports industry? 3. How does company select the celebrity? 4. How effective are celebrity endorsement for sports industry? Demarcations This topic falls into the very broad area. Limits of both time and resources have led this research to focus on the very specific questions. Therefore the research paper will concentrate specifically on sports industry and will analyses the prominent companies in the field.   Furthermore there are several viewpoints which could be adapted in the research of the celebrity endorsement. There is consumers view point as they are affected by celebrity endorsement and then there is a companys point of view as they use celebrity endorsement as there promotional strategy. The research is done by keeping in mind that both points of views are highly important in understanding the consumer behavior as well as companys approach in promoting celebrity endorsement. Literature review This section of the research paper would be discussing what has already been done by other authors on the topic and their conclusion about the effect on consumer pre-purchasing decisions. Celebrity image is one of the major concerns for the endorser. Whichever company is endorsing celebrity the major issue they have to see is the compatibility between the celebrities and their brand. Advertising companies look for celebrities who compete and maintain an image (Kambitsis et al, 2002). Mostly companies are looking for the some basic properties such as likeability, expertise, trustworthiness and similarity thats what makes celebrity endorser to become a source of persuasive information and this creates a sense of certainty .Physical attractiveness of the endorser is also considerable and can be highly effective in producing an effective message. Acceptance of a message by a receiver could be influenced by celebrity endorsers as believable sources of information about a product or a firm (Amos et al, 2008). The use of celebrity endorsers to support products is explained by balance theory principles too. According to theory, successful companies establish an emotional rela tion between the observer and the endorser and a relation between endorser and brand too (Mowen, 2000). One of the important issue which arises here is whether there is a link between the consumers purchasing intention and celebrity endorsement. Many researchers have concluded that they have observed that many customers will pay a premium price for the product which have been endorsed by celebrities then product which have not been endorsed by celebrity. But the consumer should be able to see associations between the product and endorser as well as his/her intentions and purpose with the endorsers. The question that arises here is how does consumer associates itself with the celebrity endorser, to make a connection and association. It can be simply identified as most of the   companies choose an endorser who uses the product and where the use of the product is reflected due to endorsers professional expertise (Daneshvary and schwer, 2002). An athlete endorser such as David Beckham endorses football shoe then association can be seen but if he endorses golf products or racing car then customer will not be able to identify association. Therefore companies have to be very careful while associating with brand and product with the endorser so that they are able to utilize endorsers capabilities according to their need. Celebrity endorsement based on attractiveness is common among everyday consumers which, most of the time, effect consumers positively. Michael Jordon is an example of an attractive endorser but his effectiveness is likely greater when endorsing to this athletic ability is more rather than the products which are not relate to athletic performances. Consumers often have the positive effect towards the product and the celebrity despite the fact it is well known that the endorser earned a lot when promoting a product. (Cronley et al., 1999) Its more effective to use celebrity endorsement constantly to increase the strength of the link between the celebrity and the endorsed brand. Its also more effective to use celebrity who is not associated with another product (Till, 1998). When a Celebrity endorses only one or two products it is significantly more trustworthy than a celebrity who endorses even more products (Tripp at al., 1994). Celebrity endorsement can have both positive and negative effect on companys image e.g., many celebrities who switch their endorsement to the rival brands increase the risk of negative impact and confusion among the consumers. Pros and cons of celebrity endorsement Erdrogen (1999) states that academic findings and company reports safely argues that celebrity endorsers are more effective than non celebrity endorsers   when it comes to generate all desirable outcomes (attitudes towards advertisings and endorsed brands, intension to purchase and actual sales). Companies mostly utilize celebrities whose public image and personality match with product and the target audience and who have not endorsed previously. It has been clearly understood by the advertisers that celebrity endorsement has the significant potential to increase the recognition of the product and the brand. The increasing competition and new product increase in the market have made companies and marketers to use attention creating media stars to assist product marketing (Erdogan, 1999). With recent technology such as remote controlled televisions, video controlled systems, internet and satellite television, the power over programmed advertisements have increased and has made advertising more challenging. These threats with increased products, competition and technology development can be eased by the use of the celebrity endorsements as celebrity presence in the advertisement tend to   make impact on consumers reaction toward the advertisement and can help making advertising stand out from the clutter(Erdogan, 1999). Advertisers use celebrity to develop the communication between the consumers and the brand by cutting down excessive noise in the communication process. Some of the most complicated problem with the global marketing is to enter foreign countries due to cultural roadblocks such as time space, language relationships, a powerful risk, masculinity, femininity. And to overcome this problem companies hire local celebrities as they are powerful means to enter the foreign market. It makes it easier for companies to make the local people understand and associate the product with them. But it can also bring too many risks as well mostly because celebrities loss of credibility due to the frequently changes in endorsements or if celebrity drops in popularity. Therefore celebrity endorsement is a creative as well as risky tool for the companies. The whole process of celebrity endorsements needs a proper strategic plan before risking their investment.   Celebrity Endorsers Effect on consumers attitude Marketers and advertisers are particularly interested in consumers attitudes towards advertisements and brands. They always need to be aware of how sensitive consumers are about the adverts and brands. And they should know how do consumers start liking the product and consider it. It very much depends upon the consumers attitude towards certain product or brand or celebrity endorser. An attitude shows whether we like something or not. Attitudes have three basic components: affective, cognitive and behavioral. Affective component is related to our liking or feelings about an object. Cognitive is referred to beliefs about an object and behavioral component regards actions we take about that object (Severin and Tankard, 2001). Attitude towards advertisement is defined as a learned tendency to respond in a consistently desirable or undesirable approach toward advertisement in general (Haghirian, 2004). Determinants of advertisement consist of attitude towards the advertiser, assessment o f the advertising execution itself, the mood evoked by advertising and the extent to which the advertising affect viewers encouragement. A successful advertisement in one country or region is not necessary it will be successful in other parts of the world as what makes advertisement impressive will change noticeably in cross-culturally. Many researchers have concluded that the use of the celebrity endorsement in advertising creates constructive impact on attitudes of the consumer towards products and brands with which they are associated. Agarwal and Malhotra (2005) have defined brand attitude as consumers general evaluative judgment of a brand based on brand beliefs. Such beliefs concern product-related attributes, like practical and experimental benefits. A successful endorser is able to enhance intentions and preferences towards brands directly or indirectly. An endorser who has major source factors of credibility (like expertise, trustworthiness and effectiveness) is able to imp ress purchase intentions of the consumer considerably (Liu et al, 2007). Information from a credible source can impress ideas, attitudes and behaviour through a process called internalization(Belch and Belch, 1993).   Internalization occurs when the receiver is motivated to have an issue. The receiver learns and accepts the idea of the credible spokesperson, since he supposes that information of this person represents an accurate position on the issue. Therefore, if such spokesperson who is known to be an expert endorses a product, consumers will more probably have a desirable idea about that advertisement and brand and they will consider it in their shopping list the next time they go shopping. Researchers have used the identification process of social influence in order to explain the effectiveness of celebrity endorsers (Basil, 1996). This theory suggests that if an individual identifies with another individual, then he is more likely to accept an attitude or behavior of that individual or a group. The internalization process of social influence occurs when an individual accepts influence because the induced behavior is congruent with his value system. An individual accepts the influence, since it provides a solution to a problem (Daneshvary and Schwer, 2000) A successful endorser strategy can enhance the level of consumers recalling towards product information, reinforces consumers recognition to endorsed brands, positively influences consumers attitude to low-involved products and even enhance consumers purchase intention and preference towards brands (Liu et al, 2007) Celebrity endorsement and its involvement sports industry Sports industry is becoming the vital revenue generator in world economy and it is mainly due to increase in the broadcast coverage of important sporting events like Olympics, World Cup football, UEFA Cup, Wimbledon, US Open, Australian Open, French Open, Formula 1 racing, World Athletic meet, NBA and Basketball championship .Due to increase coverage sports persons have started becoming celebrities as more and more people know them and consider them as their idols. Sports celebrities have become major spectacles of todays media culture. Sports celebrities have been looked upon as role models from the todays young generation.   Most of the sports companies (Adidas, Nike, Wilson, Puma, Slazenger, Stiga, Dunlop and Yonex ) which have international recognition wants to have an international sport celebrity which is recognised by the most of their consumers and has enough credibility and attractiveness to appeal to large customer base. Due to which, Celebrity endorsements in the sport i ndustry continues to grow both in number and value. Certain athletes are utilized by brands as endorsers of their products because of the celebrity status gained by these athletes as a result of their success in their chosen sports. Most models of celebrity endorser effectiveness proposed by previous researchers have been based upon two basic models: the Source Credibility Model (Hovland, Janis, Kelley, 1953; Hovland Weiss, 1951) and the Source Attractiveness Model (McGuire, 1968). The Source Credibility Model significances that the effectiveness of the message is largely determined by the expertise and trustworthiness of the celebrity endorser, which offers explanations for why certain athlete endorsers such as highly successful mens tennis professionals Andre Agassi, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer could easily represent any brand of tennis equipment. In a different vein, the Source Attractiveness Model significances that similarity, familiarity, and liking of celebrity endorsers primarily determine their effectiveness, which attempts to explain why some athletes such as Manning, Woods, and racecar driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. can endorse brands in many different product categories. A general measure of physica l attractiveness has often been used to assess celebrity endorser effectiveness, assuming what is beautiful is good (Dion, Berscheid, Walster, 1972). However, mixed findings suggest that caution should be exercised in basing endorsement decisions on this model alone, since consumers perceive physical attractiveness differently. The Product Matchup Hypothesis (Forkan, 1980; Kahle Homer, 1985; Kamins, 1989; Kamins, 1990) emphasizes the need for a matchup, also referred to as congruency or fit, between the celebrity and the product. For example, the fit between Woods and Nike Golf is undeniable. However, according to sport marketing consultant Marc Cagins, Woods has failed as an endorser for Buick because of a lack of fit: People always shook their head as to why he did the deal anyway with Buick. If hes going to do a deal with GM, you would have thought Cadillac more than Buick (Thomaselli, 2008, p. 28).Research based on attractiveness matchup and expertise matchup has supported the hypothesis that celebrity/product fit remains critical to endorsement success. Kamins (1990) tested the matchup hypothesis based on attractiveness and found that the physical attractiveness of a source only mattered when an attractive source was paired with an attractiveness-related product, resulting in increased perceived source credibility and attitude toward the advertisement. Current examples would include the female tennis professionals and sisters Serena and Venus Williams Avon cosmetics campaign and the European mens soccer star Thierry Henry/Woods/Federer Gillette campaign. In a study examining the impact of gender and physical attractiveness on responses to motorsports sponsorships (Roy, Stewart, Goss, 2003), attractiveness played a greater role for female drivers than for male drivers, with the more attractive female drivers perceived as possessing greater expertise with products such as shampoo, tanning products, and dietary products. However, Bower and Landreth (2001) found that highly attractive models were not more effective than normally attractive models for problem-solving, attractiveness-related products and attributed these results to the premise that consumers perceive highly attractive models to have never faced an attractiveness-related problem and therefore have little expertise using these products. To illustrate, this premise would suggest that the current campaign utilizing female tennis star Serena Williams for ProActiv acne medication would be unsuccessful. However, a moderately attractive model may be more likely to be perceived to have faced an attractiveness-related problem and overcome it using the advertised product, fully illustrating the premise that the expertise of the source is more important than the attractiveness of the source.   Chapter 3 Methodology Research can be defined as the search for information or as any organized investigation to establish facts. There are two main types of research methods: quantitative and qualitative. Quantitative study uses numerical data to test hypothesis under investigation, which is flexible and objective. Qualitative study uses softer approach to look at perceptions and insights of people based on few samples but in great depth (Silverman, 2006) In quantitative research usually numerical data is collected through surveys.  So that they are able to observe surveys and develop it into the meaningful results. In quantitative research it is important to collect large sample to develop fairly accurate results, small the sample less chances to develop proper results. Qualitative Research Qualitative research helps in developing more meaningful complex researches. It has been characterized into four main approaches: they are observation, record, interpretation and conclusion. In qualitative research data is collected by focus groups or by interviews and then the data is observed thoroughly. Once observed data is collected or recorded in meaningful way so that it is able to be interpreted into understandable form. Then finally conclusion is constructed in a suitable way. Observational study has been criticized to be unreliable and subjective depending on observers understanding of the data. This form of research would be more appropriate at preliminary phase of research (Silverman, 2006). Researcher also uses other approaches to investigates, it is mostly done by reading of various materials on the subject to develop and recognize relevant information. This method of research is less common among qualitative research. Most common method among qualitative research is interviews and focus groups (Silverman, 2006). In interviews, participants respond to questions asked by researcher to investigate their understanding of the subject and allows respondent to elaborate further with his or her ideas and feelings. Focus group method is a more costly approach to carry out than methods mentioned, but often criticized for limited sample size which may not be representative of the population under investigation (Silverman, 2006) Research Method The purpose of this research seeks to investigate the insight and opinions of the consumers over the celebrity endorse and does it really affect the consumer behaviour during the purchasing. To support my research and to understand the consumer behaviour in depth survey will be conducted where common people/consumer from all walks of life and will be collected and interpreted into meaningful results and conclusion.   To understand the subject in the perception of the company interviews will be conducted with the people, who have understanding of the market and know how companies generate profits from the celebrity endorsement and what they make of celebrity endorsements effect on consumers attitude.   Primary Data Collection Primary data is information gather first-hand to contribute to what could be explored further into the research and also to justify. It involves collecting data using basic methods such as interviews, questionnaires, observations and abstractions. But the key point here is that the data collected should be unique and should not resemble with already done researches. The primary data, which is generated by the above methods, may be qualitative in nature (usually in the form of words) or quantitative (usually in the form of numbers or counts of items assessed). In this research both questionnaires and interviews are utilise so that   consumer behaviour could be understood fully from   both prospective consumer as well from companies.in this research questionnaire will have both open and closed ended questions so that prà ©cised options and answers could be obtained and it will be more accurate in interpreting the data. For the interviews, semi-structured pattern with open-ended qu estions will be develop in order to understand   interviewees opinion and belief about a particular matter or situation and not restrict respondents answer to confined questions. Semi-structured questions are used in this research to encourage respondent to elaborate on points they feel appropriate and provide a blueprint for them to understand the progression of the interview (Ruane, 2005). Although qualitative and quantitative data collection can be time consuming, but it is reasoned that this form of research provides more accurate results. Participants for survey are the common people whom answered to a posting on Facebook, tweeter and collage email. Participants for the interview are the managers of the different companies which have international experiences and have some sort of knowledge and understanding of the celebrity endorsements. Researcher carefully examined each participants position and company background to ensure they correspond to requirements of this research. The final participants were chosen upon their qualification and availability. Interviews were conducted personally in their respected office due to their availability in the London U.K .The time assumed for interviews were 20 to 30 minute but Interviews were longer than predicted, as participants were remarkably eager to elaborate their answers with personal experiences; each interview lasted about 30minutes to 60 minutes. 3.5 Limitations An extra care is need in preparing the questions for the interview and questionnaire as if researcher conducts the structure too loosely then it may lead to undesirable information making the result and concision less effective. Therefore structure of interview and questionnaire should be in a way that appropriate information is collected. Even semi-structured interview and questionnaire are criticized for possibility of missing information if researcher follows the structure too closely. Availability of the time restricted the research by creating the boundaries such as limited respondents for surveys as well as restricted participation of interviewers. The research was concluded in a limited time frame.

The Madonnas of Echo Park by Brando Skyhorse :: Immigration, Immigrants

â€Å"Remember, remember always, that all of us, and you and I especially, are descended from immigrants and revolutionists.† -- President Franklin D. Roosevelt Throughout the course of my life, I have always encountered individuals wanting to better their economic situation especially those within my community. Those who come from impoverished communities in other countries risk their lives and lifetime savings to come to the United States hoping that one day they will regain everything that they lost. Their only motivation to come to this country is to be able to provide their family with basic necessities and in order to do this, they must work two or more jobs that pay at minimum wage and are taken for granted. However, many individuals do not see this side of the story and categorize immigrants as unambitious people. In order to be completely aware of what immigrants truly go through and how they succeed in life, one must be willing to place themselves in their shoes and hear his/her story. We must acknowledge that the hands of these people work in back breaking jobs in order to sustain their families. While some Americans may be agains t immigrants arriving to the United States in search of a better life and the American Dream, in The Madonnas of Echo Park, Brando Skyhorse further reveals that immigrants are exploited as cheap labor, and although they contribute greatly to the everyday function of American industry, they are quite invisible. Mexican immigrants in the United States are willing to work hard and long hours throughout the day regardless of the amount of sleep or rest they may get. Conversely, this is not how Efren Mendoza, a public city bus driver, views Mexicans and he believes they are not motivated to achieve things in life. One would assume that he would understand how difficult it is for immigrants to assimilate in a new foreign country without knowing anyone or anything here, but he is not on their side and it is somewhat hypocritical of him because he himself is Mexican. It is as though Efren sees his own people as invisible individuals because he does not acknowledge all their hard work and sacrifices they may have gone through in order to arrive in the United States. He further proves his insincerity when he mentions that the â€Å"new wetbacks [are] picky about what jobs they’ll do [and that they] half-ass [the] work† that they are given to do (77).

Bread & Roses Essay

â€Å"It is bread we fight for, but we fight for roses too. † This quote, originally in a poem written by a man named James Oppenheim, embraced a fierce social movement created by large number distraught textile workers who eventually created what we now know as the â€Å"Bread & Roses Strike†. This strike proudly showed the lengths one working under such unruly conditions would go in order to achieve respect, better working conditions, and enough food to feed their families. The book, â€Å"Bread and Roses†, written by Bruce Watson, is a novel concerning textile workers living in Lawrence, Massachusetts in the year 1912. Potential workers flocked to the city of Lawrence to better their lives, many of which soon realized posters and advertisements beckoning them to join in and share the city’s wealth did not prove to be as true as they claimed. Bruce Watson illustrates the working conditions of textile workers during this time period and proves as a reminder that during times of struggle, you gain your rights. Effective January 1, 1912, a new law was passed reducing the numbers of hours one could work. The workers wouldn’t have had a problem with this reduction if there was no cut in pay, but there was. That seemingly small pay cut, for multiple families, proved to become a financial splinter in their lives as they struggled day after day to keep food and warmth circulating throughout their already-small homes.

Book Review: To Room Nineteen

In this way, Suntan's high and low points are drastically influenced by her social and physical situations. Suntan's life Is sprinkled with a series of high points all centered on her level of independence at that particular time. For example, her happiest moments In life transpire when she leads a semi-separate life from Mathew, she has a separate Job, friends, and apartment; her social and physical situations overlapped but were not dependent on Mathews at this time. Suntan's next moment of relief ensues when she comes across Mrs..Downtrend's motel, although the room itself was, â€Å"ordinary and anonymous† (Leasing 878) it's the social environment here that Susan craves; feeling detached from herself and almost reinvented gives her the temporary relief she needs to go home and be content with her life with Mathew and the children. Like a drug addict looking for her next fix Mrs.. Downtrend's motel will no longer feed Suntan's crave for solitude anymore, so she instead look s for a new relief and finds it in Fried's motel. Fried's motel is frequented by hookers and is a much worse establishment Han Mrs..Downtrend's, but here Fred lets her be and gives her the feeling that, â€Å"she was alone and no one knew where she was† (Leasing 883), which satisfies the social privacy she desires. Suntan's final moment of relief occurs when she decides to take her life away In Freed motel; In this way she leaves the world content with the relationships she's left behind including her husband and children, while ultimately entering a permanently new social and physical environment giving her the fresh start she was looking for.Although Susan had many high points that were influenced by her social and physical environments she also had many low moments that were influenced by the same factors. Susan experienced many low moments; all of these unfortunate events were in some way influenced by her social and physical environments at that time. The first low point Susan faces occurs after she becomes Mrs.. Railings and they start a family. After having children Susan quits her Job and transitions into becoming fully dependent on Mathew, this change In social and physical atmosphere coupled withMathews Infidelity causes the first crack In Suntan's character. Subsequently, years later Suntan's next low experience occurs when the twins go to school, instead of on her, this change in the social situation drives her to a new low mood. The next low point strikes when Susan finds out that Mathew knows about Fried's Motel, as it is no longer hers, â€Å"The peace in the room had gone. She was constantly trying to revive it, trying to let go into the dark creative trance (or whatever it was) that she found here. (Leasing 886); her last area of peace has been found causing the final break in her character. In conclusion, Susan Railings death can be seen as the fate of a women who couldn't handle the life of a housewife and loses her sense of self onl y to find it in death, which acts as the ultimate change of social and physical environment. To conclude with a quick recap, â€Å"To Room Nineteen† by Doris Leasing is a story of the events leading to a woman's death due to post marital depression.

Court history and Purpose

Court history and Purpose Court History and Purpose Running head: COURT HISTORY AND PURPOSE PAGE \* Arabic 1 COURT HISTORY AND PURPOSE PAGE \* Arabic 2Court History and PurposeCJA/224 - Introduction to Criminal Court SystemCourt History and PurposeCourts are a critical part of the criminal justice system. They are based on the English common law system and are generally organized in a three-tiered hierarchy. Although all American court systems, follow this essential arrangement there are differences between them and all have exceptions. While each has its own exceptions, it is imperative to stress that they all follow the same basic structure.Court and its PurposeIt is essential to maintain separate systems when dealing with criminal cases. These individual systems include the police, the courts, and the corrections. Depending on the circumstance, some cases are held at a state level and others at a federal level. The purpose of the court system is to provide a setting in which disputes are settled and justice is administered in acc ordance with the rule of the law.Seal for the United States Fifth Circuit courts (i...The courts generally consist of a judge, a prosecutor, and a defense attorney. The judge is the person who is appointed to oversee the case and offer the final decision to dispose of a case. The prosecutor is the person who is representing the state or government in the case and the defense attorney is the person who is representing the accused. Each party can bring forth their case before the court to determine if the accused is guilty or innocent. The final verdict is usually provided by a third party, either a judge or a jury, who are unbiased. There are two major court systems, the civil courts and the common law courts. Civil law courts are based upon the judicial system in France, while the...

Definition and Examples of Paragraphing in Essays

Definition and Examples of Paragraphing in Essays Paragraphing is the practice of dividing a text into paragraphs. The purpose of  paragraphing is to signal shifts in thinking and give readers a rest.   Paragraphing is a way of making visible to the reader the stages in the writers thinking (J. Ostrom, 1978). Although conventions about the length of paragraphs vary from one form of writing to another, most style guides recommend adapting paragraph length to your medium, subject, and audience. Ultimately, paragraphing should be determined by the rhetorical situation. Examples and Observations Paragraphing is not such a difficult skill, but it is an important one. Dividing up your writing into paragraphs shows that you are organized, and makes an essay easier to read. When we read an essay we want to see how the argument is progressing from one point to the next.Unlike this book, and unlike reports, essays dont use headings. This makes them look less reader-friendly, so it is important to use paragraphs regularly, to break up the mass of words and to signal the making of a new point. . . . An unparagraphed page gives the reader the feeling of hacking away through a thick jungle without a track in sight- not very enjoyable and very hard work. A neat series of paragraphs acts like stepping stones that can be followed pleasurably across the river.(Stephen McLaren, Essay Writing Made Easy, 2nd ed. Pascal Press, 2001) Paragraphing Basics The following principles should guide the way paragraphs are written for undergraduate assignments:​ Every paragraph should contain a single developed idea...The key idea of the paragraph should be stated in the opening sentence of the paragraph...Use a variety of methods to  develop  your  topic sentences...Finally, use  connectives  between and within paragraphs to unify your writing... (Lisa Emerson, Writing Guidelines for Social Science Students, 2nd ed. Thomson/Dunmore Press, 2005) Structuring Paragraphs Long paragraphs are daunting- rather like mountains- and they are easy to get lost in, for both readers and writers. When writers try to do too much in a single paragraph, they often lose the focus and lose contact with the larger purpose or point that got them into the paragraph in the first place. Remember that old high school rule about one idea to a paragraph? Well, its not a bad rule, though it isnt exactly right because sometimes you need more space than a single paragraph can provide to lay out a complicated phase of your overall argument. In that case, just break wherever it seems reasonable to do so in order to keep your paragraphs from becoming ungainly.When you draft, start a new paragraph whenever you feel yourself getting stuck- its the promise of a fresh start. When you revise, use paragraphs as a way of cleaning up your thinking, dividing it into its most logical parts.(David Rosenwasser and Jill Stephen, Writing Analytically, 5th ed. Thomson Wadsworth, 2009) Paragraphing and the Rhetorical Situation The form, length, style, and positioning of paragraphs will vary, depending on the nature and conventions of the medium (print or digital), the interface (size and type of paper, screen resolution, and size), and the genre. For example, paragraphs in a newspaper are quite a bit shorter, typically, than paragraphs in a college essay because of the newspapers narrow columns. On a website, paragraphs on the opening page may consist of more signposts than would be typical in a printed work, allowing readers to select which direction to track via hyperlink. Paragraphs in a work of creative nonfiction will likely include transitional words and sentence structures not often found in lab reports. In short, the rhetorical situation should always guide your use of paragraphing. When you understand paragraph conventions, your audience and purpose, your rhetorical situation, and your writings subject matter, you will be in the best position to decide how to use paragraphs strategically and effectively to teach, delight, or persuade with your writing. (David Blakesley and Jeffrey Hoogeveen, The Thomson Handbook. Thomson Learning, 2008)​ Editing by Ear for Paragraphs We think of paragraphing as an organizational skill and may teach it in conjunction with the prewriting or planning stages of writing. I have found, however, that young writers understand more about paragraphing and cohesive paragraphs when they learn about them in conjunction with editing. When developing writers know the reasons for paragraphing, they more readily apply them in the editing stage than in drafting. Just as students can be trained to hear end punctuation, they can also learn to hear where new paragraphs start and when sentences are off the topic.(Marcia S. Freeman, Building a Writing Community: A Practical Guide, rev. ed. Maupin House, 2003)

Definition and Examples of Language Planning

Definition and Examples of Language Planning The term language planning refers to measures taken by official agencies to influence the use of one or more languages in a particular speech community. American linguist Joshua Fishman has defined language planning as the authoritative allocation of resources to the attainment of language status and corpus goals, whether in connection with new functions that are aspired to or in connection with old functions that need to be discharged more adequately (1987). Four major types of language planning are status planning (about the social standing of a language), corpus planning (the structure of a language), language-in-education planning (learning), and prestige planning (image). Language planning may occur at the macro-level (the state) or the micro-level (the community). See Examples and Observations below. CodificationEnglish-Only MovementLanguage AcquisitionLanguage ChangeLanguage DeathLanguage StandardizationLanguage VarietyLinguicismLinguistic EcologyLinguistic ImperialismSociolinguistics Examples and Observations Language planning and policy arise out of sociopolitical situations where, for example, speakers of various languages compete for resources or where a particular linguistic minority is denied access to basic rights. One example is the U.S. Court Interpreters Act of 1978, which provides an interpreter to any victim, witness, or a defendant whose native language is not English. Another is the Voting Rights Act of 1975, which provides for bilingual ballots in areas where more than 5 percent of the population speak a language other than English...The French AcademyThe classical example of language planning in the context of state-into-nationality processes is that of the French Academy. Founded in 1635i.e., at a time well in advance of the major impact of industrialization and urbanizationthe Academy, nevertheless, came after the political frontiers of France had long since approximated their current limits. Nevertheless, sociocultural integration was still far from attained at that time , as witnessed by the facts that in 1644 the ladies of Marseilles Society were unable to communicate with Mlle. de Scudà ©ry in French; that in 1660 Racine had to use Spanish and Italian to make himself understood in Uzà ¨s; and that even as late as 1789 half of the population of the South did not understand French. Contemporary Language PlanningA good deal of language planning after the Second World War was undertaken by emerging nations that arose out of the end of colonial empires. These nations faced decisions as to what language(s) to designate as an official for use in the political and social arena. Such language planning was often closely aligned with the desire of new nations to symbolize their newfound identity by giving official status to the indigenous language(s) (Kaplan, 1990, p. 4). Today, however, language planning has a somewhat different function. A global economy, growing poverty in some nations of the world, and wars with their resulting refugee population have resulted in great linguistic diversity in many countries. Thus, language planning issues today often revolve around attempts to balance the language diversity that exists within a nations borders caused by immigration rather than by colonization.Language Planning and Linguistic ImperialismBritish policies in Africa and Asia have aimed at strengthening English rather than promoting multilingualism, which is the social reality. Underlying British ELT has been key tenetsmonolingualism, the native speaker as the ideal teacher, the earlier the better etc.which [are] fundamentally false. They underpin linguistic imperialism. Sources Kristin Denham and Anne Lobeck,  Linguistics for Everyone: An Introduction. Wadsworth, 2010 Joshua A. Fishman, The Impact of Nationalism on Language Planning, 1971. Rpt. in  Language in Sociocultural Change: Essays by Joshua A. Fishman. Stanford University Press, 1972 Sandra Lee McKay,  Agendas For Second Language Literacy. Cambridge University Press, 1993 Robert Phillipson, Linguistic Imperialism Alive and Kicking.  The Guardian, March 13, 2012

Corporate Finance - Assignment 03 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Corporate Finance - 03 - Assignment Example The study will be conducted for five days from 23rd December 2014 to 27th December 2014. The equipment is needed in January 2015. The estimated transportation cost is AED 5 million. The company intends to spend the remaining AED 50 million towards the equipment purchase. The equipment is quoted to cost  £ 860,000 and â‚ ¬ 1,090,000 in pounds and Euros respectively. The study of the currency movement will aid the purchase at a lower price. Therefore, this assignment presents a five-day exchange rate in a table format showing the value of AED 50 million, for each day, in both the currencies (Pounds and Euros). For each of the five days, the cost of the purchase and the impact of the decision are presented. Last, a report that provides justifications that the decision made is favourable to the company also is provided. For the purpose of purchasing the equipment, the currency used for the transaction is the Euros. The table 3 below shows the cost of the equipment in AED based on the exchange rates observations presented in table 1 above. The equipment is quoted to cost â‚ ¬ 1,090,000. Therefore, after incorporating the exchange rates, the costs are below. From the table 3 above, the company will spend (1,090,000/0.223548) = AED 4,875,910 to purchase the equipment on the first day. â‚ ¬1,090,000 is the price quoted in Euros. In order to determine the cost of purchasing the equipment on day 1, the quote price is divided by the exchange rate (AED/ £) on that day. Recapture that AED 50 million was allocated for the expenditure. Therefore, by making the decision to purchase the equipment, the company will save (50,000,000 – 4,875,910) = AED 45,124,090 for the reason that the equipment will be worth less than the planned cost (XE Live Exchange Rates, 2014). The company’s capital expenditure will be significantly reduced, thereby increasing its financial flexibility (ability to pursue other profitable investments). The

A Detailed Analysis of the OpenOffice Research Paper

A Detailed Analysis of the OpenOffice - Research Paper Example In addition, the twin licensing system outlines that we are permitted to select either license. Moreover, both the LGPL and SISSL are OSI accepted as open source system licenses (OpenOffice1, 2012; OpenOffice, 2010). Application Similar to all other open source software applications, OpenOffice can be used as a commercial tool. In fact, as compared to other freeware applications, open source software is not restricted to only educational or personal use. In addition, there is no limit on where or how we utilize this software. Additionally, there are numerous applications of OpenOffice software. In this scenario, one of the key applications is Word processor application for creating documents. It also includes Spreadsheet-based application that is similar to MS Excel. Moreover, it also contains a Presentation Package for the creation of presentations. Furthermore, similar to MS Access, OpenOffice also offers database management system capability. As well, one of the most popular tools that OpenOffice contains is a drawing tool that is missing in traditional MS Office Package (OpenOffice1, 2012; OpenOffice, 2010). Goals OpenOffice.org is going to launch a 3rd version of the OpenOffice in the market, which is the result of over 20 years' software engineering. Intended from the initiate as a single element of software, it has reliability other products cannot compete. In addition, a totally open development procedure outlines that anybody is able to report bugs, can add new and innovative features, or improve the software. Moreover, OpenOffice.org version 3 offers everything that we need from our office software to carry out, the way we want to use it (OpenOffice1, 2012; OpenOffice, 2010).  Similar to all other open source software applications, OpenOffice can be used as a commercial tool. In fact, as compared to other freeware applications, open source software is not restricted to only educational or personal use. In addition, there is no limit on where or how we utilize this software. Additionally, there are numerous applications of OpenOffice software.  

Human relationship and responsibility to the natural world Essay

Human relationship and responsibility to the natural world - Essay Example The natural world is the world where aspects of life interact in ways that create eco-systems in order to create spaces of survival. As human beings, the natural world should be a responsibility in which nature is preserved and protected. The way in which human beings have behaved, however, is to create the concept of the world as a resource rather than a responsibility to be protected. As stewards of the Earth, human beings should have tended to nature rather than stripping and using up resources many of which cannot easily be replenished. Just like locusts come and strip plant life down to that which is no longer usable, human beings have created a planet that is suffering because of the uses to which it has endured. As stewards of the planet, it is the job of human beings to begin to nourish and enrich the natural world so that much of it can be put back to its natural state. Rather than destroying species and allowing them to disappear for the Earth, the natural environment shoul d be cared for so that it can once again evolve into a beautiful and rich space in which nature thrives and flourishes. Resources for this paper will be works from A Sand County almanac: With essays on conservation by Aldo Leopold, as well as a variety of sources which describes the current human condition. The following paper will discuss the concept of stewardship in order to answer the question about the relationship of human kind as it has a responsibility to the natural world.... In order to discuss this topic, the first question that must be examined is how the human cultures have continued to evolve away from the natural environment and use it as a place to strip natural resources. Modernity means taking what is natural and using it as a resource rather than living within it as a part of its ecosystem. When human beings involve themselves with nature, it comes in the form of ‘going’ to it. The terms ‘going fishing’ or ‘going skiing’ suggest that a human is going to a place where they can begin to enjoy the abundance of nature. Modern human beings are not involved in nature in the way that a fox or a rabbit would be involved. They are not hunted, nor do they hunt for their food. They live in packaged environments that deny nature as they sit in their air-conditioned offices and shop in the chilled regions of the frozen food aisle. Industrialization was the capstone of the divorce from nature as needs became packaged so that inconvenience and direct work was supplanted for making money to pay for the industrialized nature of survival. Buying an apple takes more than plucking it from a tree just as making a bed is no longer about finding the right leaves and branches in which to lay. It could be said humans have grown lazy because they are no longer required to run from tigers or chase down buffalo. It is the convenience of modern life that has taken us from lean, strong fighters to artificial leanness when it is chosen to be manufactured or soft bellied beings that wait for the doorbell to ring in order to eat pizza. Modern humanity is about packaging what nature would otherwise provide

Global Trade and Commodities in 15th century Essay

Global Trade and Commodities in 15th century - Essay Example This region acted as a source of slave for the routes in Sahara to Mediterranean. The Portuguese opened this channel to the rest of the world. Portuguese had an economic monopoly over slave trade in Cape Verde of West Africa. Portuguese were particularly well versed with trade route between West Africa, America and Europe. They bought slave from interior of coast of guinea and transported them to the rest of the world especially in America where they could later work in sugar and other plantations. This trade was profitable to Portuguese. This African trade plus the development of Cape Verde islands, expanded tremendously with the emergence of labor-intensive farms that were used to grow, cotton and tobacco in the Caribbean and America as well. Other slave was taken to Brazil, which was a Portuguese colony. By 18th century, Britain had engaged in this trade and majority of ships doing this business belonged to Britain. Jacques Coeur merchant between 1432- 1451, carried out the other type of trade. The great source of trading wealth was the Mediterranean. That used to link Christian market that were more prominent in the west with the far east Muslim markets. He use to take clothes to Levant and could come back with spices from the east. It was a barter form of trade. The Chinese sea trade also took place in the 15th century. It took place when a merchant Zhen, a Muslim eunuch. He traveled as far as Persian Gulf, African coast. Chinese could now export porcelain, silks, silver, gold items and medical concoctions and in return they took herbs, ivory, rhinoceros, jewel, rare varieties of wood, and some ingredients for making dyes. The other trade took place in Europe inlands waterways between 15 to 17th century. This trade occurred across rivers especially after development of manmade canals that ensured there was efficiency in trade as routes became shorter. This developed in Europe only at the late 15th

The Invisible Man Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Invisible Man - Essay Example Bledsoe, a Black just like him, who he trusted fooled him, giving him falls hopes to which he has dedicated his life: â€Å"To Whom It May Concern: Keep This Nigger-Boy Running (33). Yet it is in his disillusionment that he begins to confront the lies he naively accepted, driving him to search and carve for his own name. He then worked against the system, he once believed. But again, he is betrayed. He begins to understand the opposing social forces that drive him to invisibility. So he receded from all these, living underground in a â€Å"hole in the basement† (7). He begins then to understand what is meant for an invisible man, like him, become visible. Yet with all these conflicting experiences, he is not still sure how to fathom his grandfather’s parting words to his father: â€Å"Live with your head in the lion’s mouth. I want you to overcome ‘em with yeses, undermine ‘em with grins, agree ‘em to death...† (14). Does it mean, remain invisible to become visible? Or does it mean to become what you are (become visible) whatever it takes? There are many possibilities.

Everyday Use by Alice Walker Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Everyday Use by Alice Walker - Research Paper Example Alice Walker, the author of this story is considered to be a highly acclaimed writer of the contemporary black women lives. Walker reflects upon the Southern life of Black people as a result of white oppression, need for self-respect and for their survival (Hedges & Wendt 25). For Dee the blacks’ world is a more optimistic and Americanized version which compels her to change her name from Dee to Wangero to represent her African identity. There is a twist in the tale when the readers learn that this was not Mama’s intention. She merely wanted her to gain excellent education and keep her away from her younger child Maggie whom she felt would not be able to cope with Dee because of an earlier accident which physically damaged Maggie. As Dee returns home on vacation she brings with her a boyfriend who has a Muslim origin who does not eat pork. His name is Hakim which Mama fails to pronounce well. Dee is fascinated with her home’s interior as well as the outlook as sh e admires the preserving of heritage to Mama’s great surprise because at first she was least inclined towards such minor details. Dee and Maggie are shown contrasting with each other in many ways. While Maggie is shy, Dee is bold and outspoken. Maggie is ashamed of her scars that she got from house fire. Being always at home near Mama, Maggie learnt the worth of African American heritage. ... She wishes to keep the quilt which disturbs Maggie and infuriates Mama (Whitsitt 445). However when Maggie insists that Dee keep the quilt Mama takes it away from her and returns it to Maggie. For Dee this is the most conservative outlook towards life and this can be understood when she says: â€Å"â€Å"But they're priceless!" she was saying now, furiously; for she has a temper. "Maggie would put them on the bed and in five years they'd be in rags. Less than that!†Ã¢â‚¬  (Walker 2009) For Mama this is altogether a strange experience seeing Dee talk about heritage and family values the way she does now. She strongly regrets sending Dee away for education because she believes it has shattered the family ties. She is much satisfied to keep Maggie at home because she has at least received the traditional upbringing with black community’s values deep ingrained. The quilt is a controversial figure in the story because its very existence is considered to be literal by many critics while Walker might have a different purpose in mind. She may be drawing an analogy between storytelling and quilting. â€Å"Quilt is a trope whose analogue (the quilt itself) provides the stitch that untropes the trope; it is a trope stitched to a reality...† (Whitsitt 447). The tightness of the stitching is indicative of the fact that the community or an individual is strongly and tightly knitted. Walker explores the â€Å"limits of art and the authentic† as she narrates the relationship between Mama, Maggie and Dee. According to critics, Dee is not only narrated out of the story but also from the sisterhood which is observed between Mama and Maggie. This, however, shuts the other possibility of keeping Dee in play. There is a sense of longing at the beginning of the story which reminds the

The Invisible Man Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Invisible Man - Essay Example Bledsoe, a Black just like him, who he trusted fooled him, giving him falls hopes to which he has dedicated his life: â€Å"To Whom It May Concern: Keep This Nigger-Boy Running (33). Yet it is in his disillusionment that he begins to confront the lies he naively accepted, driving him to search and carve for his own name. He then worked against the system, he once believed. But again, he is betrayed. He begins to understand the opposing social forces that drive him to invisibility. So he receded from all these, living underground in a â€Å"hole in the basement† (7). He begins then to understand what is meant for an invisible man, like him, become visible. Yet with all these conflicting experiences, he is not still sure how to fathom his grandfather’s parting words to his father: â€Å"Live with your head in the lion’s mouth. I want you to overcome ‘em with yeses, undermine ‘em with grins, agree ‘em to death...† (14). Does it mean, remain invisible to become visible? Or does it mean to become what you are (become visible) whatever it takes? There are many possibilities.

The Peloponnesian War Essay Example for Free

The Peloponnesian War Essay The Greek empire did not comprise of any center for power ruling over the states, instead it consisted of numerous city-states each having independence and being governed in a manner separate from the rest. Where Athens had a democratic style of government, with everyone from the populace having the right to participate in the government (except for women and slaves), Sparta had a totalitarian form of governance. The populace was divided into 3 distinct classes which included Spartan men (who were all raised to be warriors), Spartan women (who were patriotic, proud, and exhibited more independence then women from other states) and finally Helots, or slaves (Adams). Aside from the political difference between the states, even their culture was vastly different. The lifestyles of Athenian citizens encouraged them to seek artistic and intellectual pursuits whereas Spartan men were trained to be soldiers from birth and led a life by the sword. Athens was the most powerful state amongst the other states in the Greek Empire. After the expulsion of the Persian from the continent by the Greek allies led by Athens, the state became the central power by increasing their forces and converting the ally states into tribute paying states with the money earned going into improving Athens infrastructure and help strengthen its naval fleet. It did not make matters any better when in a Helot uprising in Sparta, when Sparta called for aid from all the other Greek allies, it dismissed the contingent from Athens as they feared the troops would change sides and support the Helots instead, since Athens was a democratic state and Sparta was not. . The Peloponnesian War, which lasted from 431 – 404 BC provided the states a chance to enter into direct confrontation with each other to resolve their issues once and for all. In my opinion, the Peloponnesian War was an outlet for the states to finally destroy the others as each saw the others existence as an affront. The superiority of Athens and their cultural background clashed with the ferocity and dominant attitude of the Spartans and eventually an altercation would have taken place. This paper will identify the strengths of the two city-states, determine which factors gave them an edge over the other and will analyze whether the states where able to maximize the potential of those benefits. Military Background Athens Athens was the most prosperous state on the continent. It had wealth and a large population, being the centre for business and politics. After the Persian invasion, Athens took on the leading role and used its position to build its own state far surpassing the others. When the Persians had been defeated, the allies of Athens were reduced to subservient tribute paying states that were supposed to aid Athens prosper even more. The policies adopted by Athens towards the other states exhibit the superior attitude with which Athens looked upon the other states. Athens had a defensive wall built around its city which made land attacks impractical and futile. Since the Persians had left and Athens had begun work to strengthen the walls, Sparta had seriously been against the measure as they recognize the tactical benefit Athens would obtain as Sparta would have difficulty in defeating Athens with the presence of the wall. Athens also had a strong naval fleet. Its fleets were much superior to the other states’ and it was able to maximize upon its advantage by using said fleets to ravage the Peloponnesus (Hooker, 1999). Sparta Sparta, as mentioned earlier, was a state which trained every one of its inhabitants to become warriors. From birth onwards, Spartan men lived a life of training and fighting to become the ultimate soldiers. Therefore the Spartan army relied on its brute strength and its training superiority. The Spartan infantry was more numerous than the Athenian and in size; the Spartan army far surpassed the other states’. Throughout the course of the Peloponnese War, Sparta used its numbers to ravage the territory around Athens (Attica in general). Historical Events Exhibiting Military Strategies The first war between Sparta and Athens was the Archidamian War, named after the Spartan king, was initiated by the Spartans. The Spartan troops invaded the lands surrounding Athens and were meant to deprive the city-state of its food source and access to its productive land. The strategy employed by the Spartans was a strategy any land based army would adopt. To cut off supplies and eventually force the opponent to surrender is probably the most successful way to gain victory without shedding much blood on the attacker’s side. Spartan troops however were unable to succeed by this strategy as Athens was able to acquire food and material via its ports which it still had access to. The Spartan army itself was unable to stay over long periods of time due to the harvesting of their own crops and the inability to leave the helots unsupervised in the home state. The success of sieges work only if they are meant to last over longer durations, but the Spartans were able to stay at most for 40 days. From the start of the War we can see that the strengths of both the armies were conflicting with each other and an outright battle to rule was out of the question as both sides wished to play by their strengths. Athens adopted the strategy to avoid any land battles with its far more superior opponent due to its numbers and experience in land battles. But in 430 BC an outbreak of plague hit the city and roughly one third of the Athens population died. But the plague had the effect that the Spartan armies did not want to catch the sickness and decided to put the ravaging expeditions on a hold as it would bring them in proximity to the Athenians (B. Strassler, 1996). After recovering from the plague, Athens launched an offensive by sending out its naval troops to ravage the port cities of the Peloponnesus. Athens began stretching its military activities to further reaches and began setting up posts in the Peloponnesus bringing the war closer to the Spartans. Instead of engaging in direct confrontations, the Athenian forces began drawing the Spartan helots to them which crippled Sparta as most of the domestic work was tended to by these slaves. Sparta led an expedition to the Athenian colony of Amphipolis, which was controlled nearby silver mines which basically funded the Athenian troops. A war was fought in Brasidas which eventually led to the two states signing a truce which lasted 6 years (ThinkQuest). The truce was an excuse for both sides to build up their strengths as both had faced economic losses. During the era of peace, the Athenians were able to gather support from the states of Argos, Mantinea and Arcadia. The allied coalition appeared to get early victories but was eventually crushed by the Spartan forces. It can clearly be seen that Sparta had the major advantage in land battles and that Athens was initially wise in avoiding direct clashes as in the battle of Mantinea, which was the largest land battle fought in the Peloponnesian War, Sparta was able to crush its opponents brutally. The deciding battle in the war could probably be the Sicilian expedition. Syracuse (which shared the same race as the Spartans) were attacking Sicily (which shared the race with Athenians). Since Sicily was the second largest state and would have provided much needed resource to Athens, Athens decided to help them. Troops sent for aiding Sicily proved incapable of defeating the Syracusan forces. While the Athenian forces waited to gather more allies in the surrounding vicinity, Syracuse was able to get the support from Sparta which tipped the scale in Sparta’s favor. Around this time Athens was facing harsh times as Spartan forces had made access to their lands difficult and food and other necessities had to be shipped in which cost a lot to the Athens government. The main source of funding for the Athenian forces was the silver mines which had now been taken over by the Spartans. To accommodate for the decrease in capital, Athens began demanding more tribute from its allies. This created friction amongst the coalition and would eventually lead to dissatisfaction in the allies. (Hanson, 2005) Realizing the tactical advantage Athens possessed due to its navy, Sparta contacted the Persians and took their aid in building its own navy. The navy would prove to be the decisive factor as in 405 the critical blow hit Athens when the Spartan commander Lysander took his navy northward to Hellespont and destroyed the Athenian forces existing there. This blow seemed too big to bear and Athens eventually conceded defeat and had to succumb to the humiliating terms laid down by the Spartans (Thucydides Lattimore, 1998). Personal Observations Pertaining to the Peloponnesian War The war was not won due to the number of forces or the number of allies that any side had but it relied on the ability of the army to change to meet the situation. Both sides possessed benefits in separate areas, with Spartans having superiority on land and Athens having the superiority on the seas. But Sparta was constantly reevaluating its approaches and battle plans and would accommodate for the situation at hand. Rather than relying strictly on sieges and confronting on the mainland, Sparta developed its own naval strength and reduced the competitive advantage that the Athens forces had over it. Even though from the beginning Sparta would have been deemed as the military superior, Athens had a number of opportunities to tip the war in their favor. Such as during the Sicilian expedition, it was mismanagement and lethargy which cost the Athens forces defeat. Conclusion The strengths of the two states were clearly exhibited in this research paper but no amount of strength is affective if it does not keep training and does not keep advancing. The Athens forces made this mistake by simply relying on one’s strength and believing it would win them the war where in truth Sparta proved to be the wiser of the two and used the opponent’s strength, incorporated into its own arsenal and eventually won the war. The Spartans were able to not only maximize on their own strength during the war (land based warfare) but created advancements in their weakness as well and had they not done so, the war would have lasted for numerous more years due to an intermittent deadlock as both sides initially had opposing tactical advantages. References Adams, P. (n. d. ). Comparing Athens and Sparta. Retrieved February 22, 2009, from Discovery Education: http://school. discoveryeducation. com/lessonplans/programs/spartans/ B. Strassler, R. (1996). In R. B. Strassler, The Landmark Thucydides: A Comprehensive Guide to the Peloponnesian War. New York: The Free Press. Hanson, V. D. (2005). In V. D. Hanson, A War Like No Other: How the Athenians and Spartans Fought the Peloponnesian War. New York: Random House. Hooker, R. (1999, June 6). Ancient Greece. Retrieved February 22, 2009, from Ancient Greece: The Peloponnesian War: http://wsu. edu/~dee/GREECE/PELOWARS. HTM ThinkQuest. (n. d. ). Peleponnesian War. Retrieved February 22, 2009, from ThinkQuest. com: http://library. thinkquest. org/17709/wars/peloponn. htm Thucydides, Lattimore, S. (1998). In S. Lattimore, The Peloponnesian War. Hackett Publishing.

Japanese Culture: Art, history and society

Japanese Culture: Art, history and society The Japanese culture is one that is rich within an historical and traditional context. Many of the traditional practices established hundreds of years ago can be seen today in modern Japan and are a direct reflection of significant historical accounts. The role of woodblock art in Japanese culture is one such reflection to which many historical references and traditions were recorded and captured in pictorial form. The art of woodblock printing first appeared as early as the 1600s within the cities of Kyoto and Osaka. These early forms of woodblock printing (spoken as Ukiyo-e in the Japanese native tongue) were a very simplistic process utilizing black ink and colored chalk. Typically during this initial time period, the art form was considered a lower class of art and therefore was not sought after by the higher class. Over time the woodblock printing process became more complex with the introduction of various colors by the artist. For this reason the art form became a group effort of artist, wood block carver, printer, and publisher. The popularity of the townsmen woodblock printing began to take root over the centuries as it migrated from the smaller villages to the city of Edo at its pinnacle during the nineteenth century. Revered as the classical era of Ukiyo-e, the Edo period spanned from early seventeenth century until its recorded end in 1868. The Japanese experienced a great deal of peace during this span of time under the rule of the Tokugawa Clan. This era of peace however, came with a great deal of political oppression and complete seclusion from the world outside its shores. The city of Edo began to flourish culturally as the lower class indulged in knowing pleasures and theater performances. The concentration of cultural activity within Edo had given way to new subjects and perspective within woodblock printing artwork. The long practiced subject of woodblock printing had shifted from landscape etchings to more contemporary settings of the city life. What had originally been a century old technique for copying text, the woodblock prints became a highly sought after commodity to visitors of Edo. The printing technique had evolved into a sophisticated practice, depicting landscapes, inner city dwellings, actors, actresses and performers during the seventeenth century. There are a myriad of woodblock prints linking to historical and contemporary events during the Edo period. One such print is the, Furyu The Great Battle of the Frogs, commissioned in 1864 by Kyosai. This print depicts two large forces of frogs engaged in battle across a narrow body of water. The severed heads of the slain enemy can be seen impaled on stakes as the opposing forces wage a vicious battle. This print is believed by some to represent a playful rendition of the Tokugawa clan fighting the Choshu forces. The exact interpretation of the artwork remains unknown, however, prints that may have shown a negative view towards the Tokugawa clan were oppressed and the artist imprisoned. The Tokugawa clan was dissolved in 1868 and the emperor was restored as the ruling authority in what began to be known as the Meiji Era. Political oppression continued into the new era as government officials regulated any publications that did promote national peace and the sanctity of the country. There is evidence to suggest that a strong conviction to suppress mockery and disapproval from the common wealth continued as late as the nineteenth century. The printmaker Kyosai and other citizens of Edo may not have perceived this turn of the tide in leadership of the country as a blessing. The economy of Edo had suffered greatly during this transition of power between the Tokugawa rule and the new Meiji era. A new slogan, Fukoku kyohei, was formulated under the emperor. The objective was to develop far reaching policies to transform society in an effort to catch up with the west. The dramatic changes that took place are well represented in the woodblock prints that were produced during this time frame. Once more, the Meiji Period had opened the shores of its country to commerce and trade among the rest of the world. Over the next three decades the popularity of woodblock prints as a commercial item had lost its appeal among the Japanese citizens; however it did remain the prevailing technology routinely used to print pictures and texts within books. A centuries old tradition of perfected woodblock printing that had captured the very essence of Japanese culture had come under pressure from western ideals and influences. An influx of western technologies such as photography, lithographs and other metal type processes quickly gained a foothold over the traditional methodologies of woodblock printing. Publishers, despite adopting metal type technology, continued to commission woodblock prints for supplements in newspapers and other illustrations. In 1894 publishers were confronted with the task of rallying open support from citizens for the war with China, and in an instance reverted from the new metal type print processes to the traditional woodblock methodology in production runs. The publishers recognized that woodblock prints in the style of ukiyo-e were their most influential means for gaining public attention. Many artists such as Kobayashi Kiyochika and Mizuno Toshikata, contributed to the attention of the war by creating more than three thousand prints. Over one hundred thousand of the more popular prints were sold during the war. As the zeal for the China War ended, numerous artist and craftsmen found that their services were no longer needed. The war prints were no longer a sought after commodity. Although sales of the popular prints diminished in time among widely used metal type printing technology, the widespread use of woodblock printing had left a lasting impression within Japanese tradition. In the brief years following the China War woodblock prints were still commissioned in the use for the reproduction of paintings and ukiyo-e for export. During this time, however, the birth of a new creative print movement was taking root. An artist by the name of Yamamotot Kanae had the revolutionary vision to create a print which utilized traditional woodblock methods. The now famous print entitled, Fisherman had attracted the attention of a new breed of artist. The new theory of the Sosaku Hanga movement defined what an artist should be at the turn of the early twentieth century. In the traditional role of ukiyo-e printmaking the processes were completed separately and meant that the design, wood carving and printing (publishing) of the woodblock prints were completed by highly skilled individuals. The Sosaku Hanga artist held the opposing view that the artist should be involved at every step of the process to the prints completion. The Sosaku Hanga movement and other developing art theories around that time period, which utilized woodblocks as their median for new age expressions, never became as popular as the traditional commercialized prints had become in centuries past.

how to do your laundry :: essays research papers

Step 1: Pre-sort all your clothes. 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Presort all clothes by colors. (whites fron darks, colors from whites) 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sort all clothes by weight (jeans from cottons, knits from anything else) 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Make sure you can wash your clothes by looking on the tags for dry cleaning or machine wash warnings. 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Finally, before putting clothes into washer, check to mke sure nothing is inside any pockets. (For example, candy, chapstick, money, etc.) Step 2: Selecting your Washer control buttons. 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Estimate load size and load size knob to recommended setting. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Turn your water temperature knob on correct setting. a.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Whites-Hot or warm b.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Darks-Cold or warm 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Pre-turn your cycle setting to the right setting. (Permanent press, delicates, or normal are the most common settings.) Step 3: Start your washer 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Now that your water is filling up in your washing machine, pour in laundry detergent, liquid or powder. (note: putting detergent into load before the water is completely filled may cause white spots or fading in your clothes) 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Start to put in your dirty laundry around the outside of the agitator, do not cram or stuff. Also make sure you are putting it in evenly. 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Close the lid by pulling down gently. 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Make sure you know when your load is finished if you do not have a timer, therefore you can remove clothes immediately to prevent wrinkles or unnecessary color loss. 5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Press Start button. Step 4: Remove clothes from the washer and put in dryer. 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Check all clothes’ tags to make sure that it is okay to place into the dryer. Then place into dryer. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Open lint screen, there is one in every dryer so locate it and remove the lint intoa trash can. 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Don’t forget to put the lint remover back into its designated spot. 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If you have fabric softeners, which are highly recommended to remove static cling, then put it in with your load of laundry. Step 4: Continued†¦ 5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Make sure the time/cycle setting knob is on, so then you will hear when your clothes are done drying. 6.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Turn time/cycle setting knob on appropriate setting (permanent press, delicates, cottons, etc.) 7.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Turn time/cycle cycle setting knob on how long you estimate it is going to take for your laundry to fully and correctly dry.

Usefullness of Mathematics in Everyday Life Essay -- Math Mathematics

Usefullness of Mathematics in Everyday Life G H Hardy once said that "Very little of mathematics is useful practically, and that little is comparatively dull". This statement is blatantly incorrect. Mathematics appears in virtually all fields in some form or another, and it is the only truly universal language. Even fields considered the opposite of mathematics, such as literature, are filled with different forms of math. Music is based very heavily on numbers, and even religions hold different numbers as sacred. Of course one could say that all these examples are merely basic arithmetic. What about higher mathematics? Can we really use algebra, probability, calculus or any other higher form of math in today's society? The answer to that question is a resounding "Yes!" Even higher mathematics has been and is still used in all sorts of fields, and it is the purpose of this paper to show just a few ways in which higher math has been applied to life. First of all, no discussion about the uses of higher mathematics in the real world would be complete without mentioning something that happened over sixty years ago. On September 3, 1939, Britain and France declared war on Germany in response to their invasion of Poland. To combat their new enemies, Germany quickly sent a land army to overrun France, and then prepared to take on England. Hitler's plan to defeat this small island was to stop all resources from getting through to them, effectively starving them into surrender. The Nazi army had a very effective weapon with which they could challenge the British supremacy of the waves, the U-boat. The German submarines wreaked havoc on the British supply routes, and Churchill knew that if a way couldn't be found to stop the German s... ...they owe the government and how to pay the least. Nearly all people on earth are affected by math everyday. Without mathematics, it is very possible that the Allies would have lost WW2 and we'd all be speaking German right now. Countless buisnesses would be alterred or totally gone if mathematics was not around. A world without math would certainly be a very different world to live in. Works Cited: [1] Davis, Donald M. The nature and power of mathematics. Princeton, N.J. : Princeton University Press, c.1993. [2] Prabhu, N. U. Stochastic storage processes : queues, insurance risk, dams, and data communication. New York : Springer, c.1998. [3] Stewart, James. Calculus: Early Trancendentals. Thomson Learning. Stanford, CT. 2001. [4] PBS Online c.1996-2001 WGBH Educational Foundation. Update Nov. 2000. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/ <October 11, 2001>

How important is the setting in R L Stevenson’s portrayal of a double life in Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde Essay

The strange case of ‘Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’ was written in 1886 by Robert Lewis Stevenson. Robert Lewis Stevenson was born and brought up in Edinburgh in the 1850’s. He was part of a middle class family, his parents were strict Christians and it was very important to them that Stevenson behaved respectfully. When Stevenson was a child, Stevenson’s nanny frightened him with stories of hell and suffering which may have contributed to his ideas in the novel. When he was a young man in Edinburgh he may have used a false name or a hidden identity in order to indulge himself in forbidden activities or he may have fantasized about them, like crime, affairs and homosexuality. In Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde Stevenson uses his experiences to describe the unpleasant side of life. The novel is about how Dr Jekyll leads a double life and its devastating consequences. The book reflects Victorian concerns about city life such as crime and poverty. The novel is set in the city of London and is significant in the novel because in general most gothic novels at that time were set far away or in unfamiliar surroundings, yet Stevenson sets the novel in London which shocked readers because it was a place they all knew which made them think that the themes discussed in the novel could be happening near them. This makes it more frightening to the reader and therefore made it a more popular novel. In the novel Stevenson describes London as ‘labyrinths of lamp lighted city’. This suggests that the city makes it possible for people to easily lose themselves in London. We see this in the novel when Stevenson says ‘he was often absent; for instance, it was nearly two months since she had seen him till yesterday’ (the day of the murder). This tells us that Hyde was often absent and it relates back to people losing themselves in the city. Another important aspect of the setting is the weather, which for most of the novel is described as ‘fogged city moon’ This creates an atmosphere of mystery and unknown and it also suggests that something might be about to happen. The chapter which describes the Carew murder case is an important event in the novel because the murder forces Mr Utterson to investigate and piece together the link between his friend Dr. Jekyll and the murderer Mr Hyde. The reader learns, however, that they are the same person. Stevenson sets the murder scene in a lane which the maid’s window overlooked and interestingly chooses the murder to be ‘brilliantly lit by the full moon’. He does this in order to display every detail of the murder and to show the viciousness of the attack. For example the murder is described as ‘a storm of blows, under which the bones were audibly shattered’. This tells us how brutal and violent the murder was by the maid being able to hear the victim’s bones being broken. It also gives the reader the full affect of the damage that had been done. The murder is particularly shocking because it enables the maid to describe the murder so well as a result of the murder scene being so brilliantly lit by the moon. The characters’ houses in the novel also suggest something about them, Dr Jekyll’s house, for example, is described as having ‘a great air of wealth and comfort’. Hyde’s rooms are described as ‘well furnished’, but they’re located in Soho which is a seedy area full of unrespectable people. The themes in Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, for example crime and concealing forbidden activities touched on issues Victorians were concerned with because it was set in a familiar place and it made people think the sort of themes discussed in Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde could be happening around or near them. Darwin’s ideas about evolution and how human beings descended from apes changed Victorian beliefs. His ideas about people being evolved from apes’ suggest that animalistic urges and desires might be present in all men. Victorians tended to see crime as being carried out by the poor, who they thought of as being more ‘brutish’ or animal like. Hyde is described as ‘ape like’ but he is the other side of Jekyll, so Stevenson is saying all men are capable of brutish behaviour, regardless of their class. He is also described like this because of the brutal behaviour he shows during the Carew murder case. This suggests that Hyde is less evolved than other human beings. The reader learns however that Hyde is also Jekyll; this makes the reader think that anyone is capable of ‘ape like’ behaviour. Another theme that is discussed in the novel involves people leading a double life. The idea of a double life, like the one Jekyll leads, would have appealed to Victorian readers because of the familiar background the novel was set in. Also Victorian codes of behaviour and social rules were strict and repressive, so people liked the idea of breaking out of this. In this novel the setting is important because it creates a sense of uncertainty and creates atmosphere because of the novel being set in dark and fog for most of it. Stevenson created a genre called urban gothic, this is because he set the novel in a familiar place and also at the time he wrote the book. He created a modern urban setting in order to engage his readers which mean they feel all the emotions more intensely because they can imagine it happening to them. The idea of the double life in the novel not only is of interest to Victorians but also to modern day readers because of the familiar setting. The phrase ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ personality is used today when someone shows two very different sides of their personality because the book is about Dr Jekyll who leads a double life as Mr Hyde. So by saying a ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ personality it is like saying a ‘split personality’. We can see many of the ideas that are in the novel in our present times for example leading a double life and this suggests that the ideas behind the novel are still as relevant today as they were in Victorian times.

Lord of the Flies Compare and Contrast

Lord of the flies a book by â€Å"William Golding†. It’s about a group of boys who crashed landed and got deserted on an island way off their planned route, with no shelter, food or water. They must do whatever they can to survive. There are twists and turns but in the end it comes down to a very big life motive and a moral. In the beginning of the story, the boys were all separated from each other. Piggy picked up a shell typed object, and told Ralph to blow in it. This part of the story showed that Ralph can come up with ideas and knows his geological facts. Ralph decided to blow in it, which made all the boys come to one place. This showed that piggy’s idea was great but when the boys gathered around Ralph and Piggy, they thought it was Ralph’s idea which gave him a bit of an edge towards leadership. They were all deciding on a leader to take front of this survival issue. Jack and Ralph were the oldest so they went into debate. Ralph is a little bit more muscular and straight backed then jack was. On the other hand jack was a skinny, longed faced character and didn’t show much appreciation for the debate. One other thing that Ralph was doing that he was standing on a rock at the time, while jack was sort of with the group just standing on a side. This already gave Ralph the advantage on who looks more presentable and responsible of becoming a leader. Another fact is that Ralphs father is a commander which gave him even more reasons to become the leader of the group. For now jack really doesn’t care but later on things get physical. As we go on in the story it came to a point where jack was getting frustrated with Ralph’s rules and how things should run. One of their biggest fights were about if fire was more important than food. While jack wanted to find a way to kill a pig, Ralph wanted find a way to start fire. This part of the story shows a divide happening between them. This is sort of like our world, the two different types of government, communism and democracy. They have a divide between them about what you can do and cannot. After jack makes his own group with his set of rules and promised there will be food. An example I can give for this is the elections we have. There are different groups and leaders debating on who can offer what to the city and what benefits you will get a behalf of you a citizen.