Curleys Wife Character †of Men and Mice Essay

Of Men and Mice is not kind in its portrayal of women. In fact, women are treated with contempt throughout the course of the book. Steinbeck generally depicts women as troublemakers who bring ruin to men and drive them mad. Curley’s wife, who walks the ranch as a temptress seems to be a prime example of the destructive tendency. Despite the author’s rendering, Curley’s wife emerges as a relatively complex and interesting character. Although her purpose is rather simple in the book’s opening pages, she is the â€Å"tramp†, â€Å"tart† and â€Å"bitch† that threatens to destroy male happiness and longevity. The social setting of the novel is also important, as it could later explain characters attitudes towards other people. It is set in the U.S. in the 1930s; this is the time of the Great Depression. This was a result of the First World War. It affected the rich and poor alike, factory workers and farmers, bankers and stockbrokers. In s hort, it affected everyone; no one was left untouched. But of all the people hurt, farmers were the worst off. Curley’s wife is first introduced in person to us in a symbolic way; this is shown when George is talking to Lennie about the dream and when Curley’s wife first meets both men. â€Å"Both men glanced up, for a rectangle of sunshine in the doorway was cut off.† The symbolic meaning of the word sunshine is hope, freedom, happiness and dreams. This foreshadows that she may cause trouble or come in the way and could ruin it all for Lennie and George. She is also described as a â€Å"girl†, which tells us that she is very playful, childish and vulnerable. Her appearance later in the novel becomes more complex. But even before this we are forewarned about her, Candy tells George and Lennie about her, making her out at the wrong type to begin with, â€Å"Married to weeks and got the eye? Maybe that is why Curley’s pants is full of ants,† giving us the impression she was a person not to socialis e with. Also tells us that the men on the ranch know that Curley knows that is wife looks at the rest of them, hoping for one of them to try and get close to her, so he can then create a situation for a fight. As Candy relaxes he also goes on to get them to have the same opinion as him about her by saying, ‘well, you look her over, mister. You see if she ain’t a tart†, and the reply from George, ‘Purty?’ making sure that we see her as ‘jail bait†. Then when we first get to see her she is dressed as if she is going out to a party, and Steinbeck also enforces the concept that she is trouble and a tart, by describing her appearance, â€Å"she had full rouged lips†, â€Å"red mules, on the insteps of which were little bouquets of red ostrich feathers†, using the colour red as a foreshadow that she is dangerous. This is the first time also that we see that she is attractive and that she knows it, also that she wants the men to look at her, â€Å"she put her hands behind her back and leaned against the door frame so that her body was thrown forward†, forcing the men to look at her curves. This first sign of nativity shows that she doesn’t understand her affect on men, showing her age as a teenager and her understanding of her sexual attractiveness. We also get an insight to her life with her husband and why she is always coming around the rest of the men. When Candy tells George and Lennie about Curley having his glove full of â€Å"Vaseline† and that he was keeping â€Å"that hand soft for his wife†, tells us that she was also being beaten up, and that nobody could see the bruises because Curley had softened his hand, or he hit her in places where we couldn’t see the bruises. This is the first time we see her as a victim needing help. We also see that see can be cruel, and willing to misuse power. When she confronts Lennie, Candy, and Crooks in the stable, she admits to feeling a kind of shameless dissatisfaction with her life. Her vulnerability at this moment and later when she admits to Lennie her dream of becoming a movie star makes her utterly human and much more interesting than the stereotypical vixen in fancy clothes. She seeks out even greater weakness in others, preying upon Lennie’s mental handicap â€Å"they left all the weak ones here†, Candy’s debilitating age, â€Å"tell an’ be damned. Nobody’d would listen to you, and you know it† and the colour of Crook’s skin â€Å"you know what I can do to you if you open your trap?† in order to steel herself against harm. Dreams are a major reoccurring theme, when Lennie tells Curley’s wife of his and George’s dream she just says â€Å"baloney†, but she has a dream of her own and she proceeds to talk Lennie about it. She has dreamt of being a movie star, which nearly came true when she encountered an actor. ‘He says I could go with that show†, but like most young girl s was forbade from her mother, ‘my ol’ lady wouldn’ let me†. So having her dream pulled out from underneath her she rebelled, and married Curley. However she always wanted to achieve something of herself and loved attention. â€Å"Curley’s wife lay with a half-covering of yellow hay. And the meanness and the planning and the discontent and the ache for attention were all gone from her face. She was very pretty and simple, and her face was sweet and young. Now her rouged cheeks and her reddened lips made her seem alive and sleeping very lightly. The curls, tiny little sausages, were spread on the hay behind her head, and her lips were parted†, this is the first time we are shown her true self – she was a young, innocent, lonely young girl. When you take away all the walls she had erected you come back to a young girl wanting to be loved, who saw Lennie as a way out from Curley’s abusive relationship. As Lennie could hurt Curley, but not realising the danger she was ultimately putting herself into. So in conclusion Curley’s wife is the most depressed and lonely characters in the novel. She has no friends, no future, no respect; she doesn’t even deserve a name. All she wants is someone to talk to but in her mind the only way she can do this is by flaunting herself to the men to get noticed. This leads her to be perceived as a â€Å"tart† by the men. She represents absolute loneliness and desperation to achieve something better in life. Even though she is very lonely, she comes across as a very beautiful woman. She flaunts herself by dressing and acting in a â€Å"tart† like manner, but really she is just making use of her body to gain the attention of the workers to soothe her. If anyone would give her a break, treat her like a person, she would idolise them. Her craving for contact is immense but she, with her background is incapable of conceiving any contact without some sexual context, she is not particularly oversexed, but has been forced to recognise that her sexuality is the only weapon she has, and the only thing that gets her noticed. Consequently she is a little starved. She knows nothing about sex, except the mass information girls tell each other. All through the novel the men make out that Curley’s wife is trouble. But yet there was never any proof that Curley’s wife has ever caused any of the trouble or conflicts. The only trouble she caused was when she died.

Introduction to Sociology: The Concept of Deviance Essay

Understanding that society has unavoidably primary influences on what is deemed deviant or not significantly reduces the confusion that abound concerning the subject. This paper presents this assumption and emphasizes the pertinent works of several experts in the field. Ahmad and Rosenhan in their separate treatises try to put forth convincing proofs and arguments as to their respective positions. In essence, this paper explains the stand of Ahmad and the discoveries and conclusions drawn by the experiment performed by Rosenhan. Culture, creed or religious persuasions unavoidably are crucial to the behavior of people which may be the benchmarks with which people base their actions, decision making and choices (Navada, 2009). II. CHAPTER 2 SUMMARY AND ANALYSIS The following questions will help the reader and student to make objective judgments on several key issues regarding their outlook on issues. The idea is that deviance according to society’s dictates can and will make or break certain ways of living, probably leading even to the annihilation of a number of people as the perpetrators might perceive their victims. Ahmad appears brilliant as to how he pursued the arguments concerning the validity of the West’s allegations about who are terrorists. The gist of his article was that the problem with society is that it has no permanent definition of a concept in particular. In the issue of terrorism, when it happened that a group of people or a country deemed another one lesser influential in terms of politicking, then the more influential or powerful a person is, the more he or his group sets the tone of morality and ethics: what is moral and ethical hinge on the degree of greed and selfishness of individuals. Rosenhan shows that being insane cannot be actually determined by whatever instrument or tool, or by what is dictated as the â€Å"normal curve. † The kind of study he made was an in-depth one and brings reality check to the people seriously involved in mental illness and restoring health. There were many observations that indeed were valid including the fact that grave responsibility lies with the head of these hospitals or organizations whose modelling or example mean death or life, recovery or real insanity for the individual patient. 1. Ahmad’s Article The point of view of Ahmad (1998) succinctly described in his article Terrorism: Theirs and Ours` must be read with as much as the removal of colored â€Å"glasses† which may be a hindrance as to getting this author’s point of view. It means that filtering his ideas through one’s personal biases and perspective may not be a very good idea at all. Rather, a Jewish person with his own arguments should probably pretend first that he is at the side of the writer and later take on his identity and worldviews (Ahmad, 1998). What is the author’s point in writing the paper? Ahmad simply states that terrorism depends entirely on who’s benefited by the action especially in grand scale (Ahmad, 1998). In the case of Palestine and Israel, and on the world’s stage, terrorism cannot be ascribed as such for as long as the West such as the United States remains in such a lofty position as a superpower. Their might and clout spell dominion and their own definition of what terrorism. Contemporary milieu shows that since the Palestinian people are not on the American side according to Ahmad, then this particular group of people has no say; and whenever they take up arms, it is not termed as a nationalistic campaign. Rather, it is terrorism. Ahmad also meant that America and its relationship to influential nations can be considered farce and the display of concern as charade (Ahmad, 1998). How does the author prove his point? The use of logic and/or deductive reasoning was how the author Ahmad tried to persuade his audience (Ahmad, 1998). What evidence do they use to prove their point? Ahmad saw to it that archival evidence supports his arguments well. He utilized the news and editorial clips and other sources to put forth the allegations that during the times that Israel was not yet a State, Jewish uprisings were acceptably known as terrorism. Evidences from print communications then turned around which made Palestinian revolts as works of terrorists (Ahmad, 1998). What do their findings say about deviance and society in general? Ahmad’s arguments simply posited that deviance is dictated by politics and power (Navada, 2009; Ahmad, 1998). It is the fact that in any given society, the ideology that permeates is one that is held by those in positions of authority, wealth and power. In the case of the existence of the Jewish State or that of the Palestinian identity, he argues that in their respective â€Å"reigns† these two races the emergence of the term terrorism is defined by the point of view of each. When the Palestinians were occupying the place, Jewish reformers or the Jewish desire for a country represented a threat and was described as terrorism; their leaders, called terrorists. Deviance, normality, or abnormality are terms inherently critical to society as the definition of the terms rests on the people governing a particularly society or institution. It is probably correct to think and draw conclusions that Mr. Ahmad is right concerning this point of view (Ahmad, 1998). However, it is entirely another thing when terror continues to be wrought in various places of the world by the vast network established by people of similar persuasions. It would be entirely simplistic to think along strictly along the line of thought that Mr. Ahmad was thinking (Ahmad, 1998). The world of humans is oftentimes unpredictable, changing and wondrously exciting. However, when these attributes become extremely bizarre and painfully detrimental, humans become sick and worried about to what extent can other humans afford to inflict harm against them. Suicide bombing is, if not the most, one of the most gruesome acts anybody can commit. It is outright crazy and stupid. One must be beside the normal to be entertaining such a thought in mind. Ironically, fanatics who have committed and attempted suicide bombings in the past, were deemed normal until the day when the execution of their ultimate plans were made public whether foiled or completed. People who are afflicted with mental disorder may, as other people, travel for the same reasons – vacation, visiting friends or relatives, business, recreation, and sometimes for religious or spiritual focus (Miller & Zarcone, 1968). Others indeed may travel for reasons other than the normal – for reasons triggered by malformed mental state such as the men who carried out the 911 attack of the Twin Towers in New York. Along the 911 attack, suicide bombing through aircraft came to prominence resulting in the stirring of the awareness among the international public of the fact that the regular traveller might not be that â€Å"regular† anyway. It is probable that some of them are driven by excessive anger or motivated by utopic hope as taught in the communities wherein they have pledged their life allegiance (Silke, 2003). 2. Rosenhan research What is the author’s point in writing the paper? Rosenhan’s breakthrough (1973) in mental institutions was a very interesting and inexplicably raw to the minds of figures or people who are in helping profession (Rosenhan, 1973). It is critical and contributes a sensitive fibre to a huge institution that caters to mental illness. There may be loopholes as to how the experiment was carried out including ethical issues to human participation but the results and the procedures were â€Å"loudspeakers† and are considered significant to the idea of labelling and the diagnosis of the mental illness (Rosenhan, 1973). How does the author prove his point? Rosenhan proved his point by direct and firsthand experiences of people who were participants in the study (Rosenhan, 1973). What evidence do they use to prove their point? With the thorough handling of data derived from these individual participant’s observations, he made generalizations and conclusions as to the state or condition of the Mental Institutions, the capabilities and efficiency of Mental Health Professionals were in question. His findings which were consistent to a large extent with many of his volunteers’ observations push the issue of proper diagnosis and labelling, use of diagnostic criteria, the abilities and qualifications and work ethics of people practicing in the mental health field to the fore and pose as challenge to the kind of profession being handled here (Rosenhan, 1973). What do their findings say about deviance and society in general? Specific items observed especially important to making generalizations in the discipline include the length of time that nurses, attendants and most importantly, the psychiatrists and psychologists spend with patients. By empirical evidence criterion alone, the practice drastically falls short on this aspect. In the area of diagnosis and subsequent intervention measures, the initial assessments, description aspect play a major role hence can never be relegated to a minor place in the practice. Mental illness then or deviance for that matter hinges on many issues brought out in the experiment (Rosenhan, 1973; Navada, 2009). III. REFERENCE PAGE Ahmad, Eqbal (1998). `Terrorism:Theirs and Ours. ` Accessed June 13, 2009 online at http://www. sangam. org/ANALYSIS/Ahmad. htm Gordon, Harvey, Mike Kingham, Tony Goodwin (2004).. Air travel by passengers with mental disorder. Psychiatric Bulletin 28:295-297. The Royal College of Psychiatrists. Jourad, Sydney (1963). Personal Adjustment. 2nd Ed. New York: MacMillan Company. Navada, Marianne Ryan-Go (2009). Principles of Sociology; Chapter 8, pp. 1-4. Accessed June 13, 2009 online at http://book. gonavada. com/html/Chapter8. html Rosenhan, David (1973). `On Being Sane in Insane Places. ` Accessed June 13, 2009 online at http://www. walnet. org/llf/ROSENHAN-BEINGSANE. PDF Silke, A. (2003). The psychology of suicide terrorism. In Terrorists, Victims and Society (ed. A. Silke), pp. 93 -108. Chichester: Wiley. Tiffin, Joseph and Ernest McCormick J. (1958). Industrial psychology. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, Inc.

Remembering the Alamo Essay

This article is of course about the Alamo. It gives a very brief history of the battle at the Alamo and the characters that participated there. It momentarily mentions that there are now facts and history of the Alamo being disputed among many historians today. This article also makes comments concerning the great influence The Alamo has had in today’s culture, referring to the many productions based off this historic happening. Each time I remember the Alamo inspiration fills my chest. I love to remember the great heroes that fought so brave and valiantly in the face of the opposition; a cruel dictator (Santa Anna) and the oppression he could inflict. Many of the people that inhabited 2nd Chance Texas migrated there for primarily one reason and one reason only†¦ a second chance. Most of them, having endured hard lives and relocating to a new country, terrain and lifestyle were not about to give up their God-given rights to a Mexican dictator. While many had the chance and opportunity to get the heck out of Dodge, they chose to stay and defend what was rightfully theirs and so they did. These brave men, led by Travis, Bowie and Crockett, took a stand at the Alamo that will be remembered forever. They gave their lives not for greatness, though they earned that and more in the end, they gave their lives for what they lived for and that was to be free. We shouldn’t argue or dispute over the noble and honorable history of these great men, doing so we taint there story with our ignorance. Not all of these men may have lived great, but all of them died great in the sight of ALL AMERICANS. REMEMBER THE ALAMO.

Market research 1 -The marketing research process,scope etc for your Essay

Market research 1 -The marketing research process,scope etc for your chosen scenario - Essay Example Simultaneously, the applicability of various techniques for the proposed study will be studied and the best method will be identified. The market research is meant to identify the requirements of the customers visiting a bank. The research attempts to identify the importance the customers gave towards features like security of transmission, the customer-banker relationship, the bank’s array of services, and foothold amongst other factors. The research will not be testing as to how the customers actually perceive the services provided by the bankers, but just their expectations. The research will make an attempt to form conclusions to identify areas where the bankers should focus upon. Bank customers demand a varied type of services from their banks apart from the traditional ones they already provide. One of the most important among them is a hassle free and fast transfer of our funds. An ideal way of transferring funds is to convert physical money to an electronic one that can facilitate a large number of aspects ranging from increased efficiency in money transmission, low transaction cost in money transmission, expansion of economic activities on the internet and opening up of new businesses opportunities. However, these increased facilities are not free of problems. The most important one that the bank customers face is related to security issues. Another problem often faced by bank customers throughout the world is that of a weak customer-management relationship. People are very concerned about their hard-earned money, and often seek expert advice on them issues related to their investment. It is expected from the bank management to enrich them with their experience. But often it is found that the banks fail to attain friendly terms with their customers that would provide the latter with the freedom to interact. (Susan Ward, Customer Relationship

Major Current International Intrest Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Major Current International Intrest - Essay Example The forty years rule of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi had been associated with Islamic socialism that thrived on state sponsored terrorism. While the protests are getting more intense, Colonel Gaddafi has wowed to suppress the political unrest by using violent military crackdown techniques. Libya is 12th largest exporter of oil and supplies around 1.53 million barrels per day (cbcnews, 2011). It has significant gas reserve and is one of the largest exporters of oil and gas to the European nations like France, Germany, Spain, Italy etc. for refineries. The Libyan crisis therefore has adversely impacted the world market. The prices of crude oil have escalated tremendously, touching $108 per barrel (Kollewe, 22 Feb. 2011). The global stocks have taken a severe battering which threatens the still fragile economic recovery across the globe. Fatih Birol, International Energy Agency’s chief economist says that ‘Oil prices are a serious risk for the global economic recovery’ (i bid). Indeed, if the violence continues unabated in Libya, there could be huge ramifications on the global economy. In Libya, most of the foreign refineries have closed down for fear of security. The oil supplies have been curtailed and there is genuine threat to the closure of Suez Canal that is the main route for trade across Europe and America.

Should the US Pull Their Troops out of Iraq Essay

Should the US Pull Their Troops out of Iraq - Essay Example However, during Gulf War I most of Saddam's weapons were destroyed and, with the country under a very strict embargo since then, it is virtually impossible he could have accumulated such an arsenal. Experts often argue that the US should not be trying to re-build a nation according to its own values. Additionally, it is believed that the presence of US troops in the area is fuelling the civil war that is taking place there. During the years following the Golf War I, the US bombed Iraq daily killing thousands of Iraqis and it is thus not surprising that the Americans are viewed as occupiers. Many Iraqis firmly believe that America has come to conquer and not to aid them. In terms of the economic cost, it was L. Lindsey, President Bush’s economic adviser, who several years ago suggested that the cost of the war would reach $200 billion. Since then, this has been proved to be a serious underestimation: the US Congress has already spent in the order of $357 billion for military op erations, reconstruction works, enhanced security at US bases and foreign aid programs in Iraq and the neighbouring Afghanistan. Therefore, if the reasons to start the war were: 1) liberation of Iraq of the regime of terror imposed by Saddam; 2) the establishment of a democracy; 3) self-defence and elimination of any weapons of mass destruction; and 4) protection of the Middle East; and these issues have now been resolved (liberation of Iraq has been achieved and Saddam has been tried and executed for the crimes he committed.; a democracy or at least a new government selected after democratic elections has started to exercise power; weapons of mass destruction were never found; there is no risk that a country in ruins will try to attack or invade the neighbouring countries-even when Saddam was alive this was quite a remote possibility) What is the presence of the US troops in the area achieving The answer is simple: nothing. From an international point of view, the presence of US troops is only aggravating the problem, increasing the possibilities of a bloody civil war. From a domestic point of view the deployment of troops in Iraq weakens the US military power; it detracts attention from other issues, such as international terrorism and the situation with North Korea and Iran; and the economic and human cost has risen significantly. While an early withdrawal of the troops has been announced by the British government, President Bush has confirmed an additional 21,500 additional troops will be sent in (Harding and Hardern). Is he seriously damaging the image of the US and its international credibility Many believe he is Should the US continue to support Israel There are many reasons for the existing strong relationship between Israel and the US. First, the US was the first country to recognize the state of Israel. Secondly, the US has maintained a very profitable arm trade with Israel for a number of years. Thirdly, Israel is a very useful non-NATO ally that has a very strategic location in the "explosive" Middle East.

An improvement of Intrusion Detection System using HCI Essay

An improvement of Intrusion Detection System using HCI - Essay Example Network/system specialists and administrators mostly know more about computer networks and systems than regular computer system owners. Some IDS users may have different duties than others. Therefore the time and effort required to detect attacks may not be the same. IDS users can be categorized from two perspectives: (1) their knowledge about network/system security management; and (2) the time and effort that they could put into intrusion detection. From the first perspective, different knowledge levels divide users into advanced, intermediate, and novice levels. From the second perspective, we see them as three types: keen users, regular users, and casual users. An IDS interface is expected to support numerous actions. Generally, the interface shall apply both graphs and text to help present information. SnortReader shall support adaptable functionality, which means that users are able to change its look and the behavior according to their needs. Another important point is that SnortReader shall provide real-time intrusion status information and enable users to locate intrusions quickly and accurately. All user actions are divided into two types: configuration related and data-navigation related.

Complete a literature review on an area of your choice Essay

Complete a literature review on an area of your choice - Essay Example The review includes three parts. There is the literature reviewed on the effects of education in eradicating poverty. The second part will review literature on improving the outcomes of adults and the outcome on the lives of children. The last part will review literature on the benefits and effects of education. It will investigate the impact of education on an individual’s work. The last part of the review will include the conclusions drawn from the review. In most countries, it is a fact that education will increase the chances of someone securing employment. The level of education largely determines the wages that one will be able to get. Government policies determine largely what the families will be able to attain. The government is allowed to intervene on the various measures that the income can have. For instance, the government can reduce the amount of taxes that families below a certain pay grade can attain. The cost of reducing poverty among children through education is very high. It is more sustainable to think of education as a long-term goal where people are educated from a young age so that it becomes part of the culture. There is a lot of evidence that more years of schooling results in higher wages. The most recent focus on this issue is that there is the same degree in the level of education and the returns. Academic qualifications enable an individual to earn much more than any type of vocational training (Dearden et al. 2002) and (Sianesi 2003). The main point is to differentiate between the causative influences of qualification from any other type of qualification that may not be considered. According to Blundell et al. (2005), it is important to distinguish individuals who earn a higher salary because of their academic qualifications and individuals who choose to continue their education because of their well-paying jobs. This will be dealt with by trying to

Fcators Affecting Vulnerability and Assessment of Needs Assignment

Fcators Affecting Vulnerability and Assessment of Needs - Assignment Example Risks factors responsible for individual’s vulnerability entails such attributes such as highblood pressure, unsafe sex, underweight, heavy alcohol and tobacco consumption, unsafe drinking water, poor sanitation and hygiene. Vulnerable mothers are one of the major and most vulnerable American groups. Many interventions are continuously put in place to improve the welfare of such vulnerable mothers. This entails access to housing, proper diet and health care facilities. This also entails educating school children on proper nutrition and facilitating their immunization requirements. Meeting the needs of vulnerable individuals has always been an uphill task. This is mainly because the problems of such individuals are intertwined and do not exist as independent entities. Drugs and substances abuse has always been the major causative problem with vulnerable mothers, infants and highly abusive persons. Drugs and substances abuse plays a major in enhancing vulnerability of individuals in the U.S. apart from its many health related side effects, it also exposes individuals to many other risks such as HIV and AIDS. Its heavy usage leads to addiction leaving individuals incapable of functioning properly if not under its

Sociology - New Zealand Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Sociology - New Zealand - Essay Example Keall, 2000, p. 1). healthy social environment in a country fast changing towards ever new challenges and newly evolving societal ethos. The above mentioned projection of Australian health care system appears quite similar to health care in New Zealand as well. This approach to the emerging multi-cultural society in New Zealand is evident in the interpretation of the Treaty of Waitangi of 1840. Especially Article 2 of this Treaty extends really democratic values so necessary for a healthy society: Article 3 constitutes a guarantee of legal equality between Mori and other citizens of New Zealand. This means that all New Zealand citizens are equal before the law. Furthermore, the common law system is selected by the Treaty as the basis for that equality, although human rights accepted under international law are also incorporated. Article 3 has an important social significance in the implicit assurance that social rights would be enjoyed equally by Mori with all New Zealand citizens of whatever origin. Special measures to attain that equal enjoyment of social benefits are allowed by international law (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Waitangi). This shows New Zealand's nearly 170 years of history of concerns with sociological and other matters for the benefit of society and its people. Health care and its public and private funding in New Zealand are of complex nature. Policies are formulated but they are weak on the financial and implementation front. Several health providers are there. New Zealand Care is however the most opted for and sought after health provider. Entire funding is not properly diversified into required areas of health care. Senior citizens, gambling addicts, Youth and Mori community suffer the most on this account of improper funding from public sources and somewhat selective vision of various governments and private actors. Facilities are there. They do not have that reach, range and depth that is actually necessary. Many focussed programmes are also there although the entire social health system depends largely on General Practitioners. Despite newly emerging challenges, New Zealand's health care system is regarded as one of the best within the OECD group of countries. Citizens of New Zealand have access to a wide range of free and government-subsidised healthcare options, including hospital and doctor services, free public hospital treatment and free 24-hour accident and emergency clinics (http://www.globalvisas.com/new_zealand/healthcare_2.html ). Despite several improvements and reforms, the New Zealand Health System is in crisis leading to social insecurities (http://www.nzfirst.org.nz/newsletter/mar04/09.php). GPs fleeing to Australia, waiting lists for operations, outrageous pain-ranking due to prolonged waiting for operations, appalling working conditions, factual problem of asset testing, increasing red tapism of increasing bureaucracy and quite often happening delays in settling the health claims etc. All this is disturbing the social security networking and its efficiency. It is also widening peoples' pain and

Improving Business to Business Marketing in TCL Business Research Paper

Improving Business to Business Marketing in TCL Business - Research Paper Example Over the past two years, most small and medium businesses have been badly impacted by the recent economic downturn with TCL not having been spared from the impact. During this period most businesses are cutting costs in order to remain competitive in the business, this grossly affects TCL’s business as its revenue stream is mostly reliant on the marketing budgets that companies set. Over the past year, with reduced business, TCL recorded a drop in revenue by 25%, and the business is increasingly finding it hard to get new business and establish new clients. It is imperative that TCL make a change to its current business to business marketing. In view of this, this business report analyses and addresses various aspects of a business to business marketing that TCL needs to address in order to be able to efficiently meet its objectives. In doing so, the report will focus on how TCL can restructure its marketing mix, how the business networks and relationships impact TCL’s business, how it can rearrange its sales team for effective impact at low cost. With the recession, most of TCL customers are cutting back on their marketing spending. As can be noted from TCL’s product portfolio, TCL gives precedence to offline business marketing using tools such as radio and television for their clients. The very nature of such advertising means being expensive implies that TCL is losing a lot of money in this area. Since TCL also offers other marketing services such as online marketing, it is important for the company to explore its product portfolio and see how it can restructure it well enough for the business that is focused on cost-cutting. Trends in the recession show that more companies which are cutting costs are tending towards online marketing not only because it is cheaper, but because of the reasoning that most end consumers being thrifty during these periods also tend to go online in search of better and cheaper deals (Chlebisova, et al, 2011:1 234-1236). Indeed Court (2009:71) note that key advertising tools that most companies use for advertising and marketing during the recession are the use of the internet, mobile devices and the social networking which are far cheaper and much more effective in a recession-stricken economy. Most companies prefer to use a combination of these with traditional media (Bulearca, & Bulearca, 2010).

Human Resources Management In Small and Medium Enterprises Essay Example for Free

Human Resources Management In Small and Medium Enterprises Essay Introduction Competitive advantage to a firm accrues from the judicious employment of three basic types of resources, namely Physical Capital Resources, such as Finances, Plant and Equipment Organizational Capital Resources – Structure and systems in the organization Human Capital Resources, which include the skills, competencies, experience and intelligence of employees.[1] Human resources are among the most important resources that an organisation utilises and hence its importance to any organisation can be easily understood. Small-to-Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are no exception to this rule, although this aspect is frequently lost sight of. This paper examines the role and importance of Human Resources in SMEs, and compares SMEs from two different cultural backgrounds – Taiwan and the UK. Role of Human Resources in SMEs The study of human resources management in SMEs needs to be strongly encouraged. CEO/founders in SMEs view human resource management decisions as very important to the growth of their enterprises[2]   A study into the perception of important HR issues in small organizations showed that top six issues were wage rates, availability of quality workers, government regulation, training, benefits, and job security[3] The role of Human Resources in SMEs is to contribute meaningfully to organisational objectives in a flexible and demanding environment. Lack of strategic employee management is widely accepted as characteristic of small enterprises. Decision-making has been perceived to be of relatively short-term nature compared to larger organisations, making small enterprises more flexible and less conflict-prone. At the same time, this also means that the advantages of long-term planning such as greater efficiency and effectiveness are lost. On the human resources front, this means that such organisations tend to have reduced capability to attract, retain and motivate the best human resources. This becomes important in view of the fact that out of thousands of small businesses that are established every year, only a few manage to survive in the long-term. While long-term planning and HR strategy are not the only reasons for this, they are among the important reasons. Hence an examination of the HR function as a strategic part of business, and its relevance to long-term planning, is in order. In addition, the role of recruitment and selection, training, and performance management, are also relevant to any discussion on the role of human resources. Planning and Human Resources Management Strategic planning for the organisation needs to be linked to individual goals. In turn, this means that the job design should take into account the long-term objectives of the organisation. â€Å"A framework for strategic management incorporating HRM involves developing a mission statement that answers questions of what businesses the organisation is in; determining goals that are general and long term; and establishing objectives that are short term and measurable. It should also encompass a complete SWOT analysis that incorporates HRM as a functional unit of analysis.†[4] One of the essential requirements of Human Resources Planning is proper job design. Human resources planning involves the matching of the knowledge and skills that are likely to be required in future with those that it has or will have. Human Resources Planning will help the organisation to estimate critical resource requirements, plan training and development needs, and link individual goals to organizational objectives. Job design involves specifying the characteristics of the job and the requirements such as skills for performing these jobs. Job design will thus provide the framework for a host of HR planning activities that can be linked to organizational objectives.[5] Recruitment and Selection Once the plans of the organization are clear the next important issue that any organisation needs to address is to get the right staff to implement the plans. â€Å"Surveys indicate that about 25 per cent of small businesses view the lack of qualified workers as a threat to their expansion and very survival.†[6] The problem assumes particular importance in the case of small enterprises because they almost always have a problem in attracting and retaining the best talent. This is partly due to the fact that they are unable to compete with larger firms for quality staff, because it is impossible for them to match the rewards and prestige that come along with positions in larger firms. Additionally, smaller firms have a reputation for being oriented towards a ‘hire and fire’ culture. Training Once the plans are clear, and the recruitment of the right people has been completed, it becomes necessary to motivate the staff, as well as to enable them to perform their tasks efficiently. This requires periodic training of the employees. Training is important in the case of small enterprises because they are more prone to changing environments and higher attrition rates. This makes it necessary for people to be more flexible, and to be trained in all aspects of the business. While the need for training of staff is thus greater in the case of a small enterprise, it is also accompanied by greater constraints that make it more difficult for these organisations to implement training programmes. Small organisations face two constraints in t his respect: Their budget for training may be more limited, and they may lack the necessary resources to carry out such training It is more difficult for small enterprises to spare their people for training programmes. In spite of the above limitations, however, small enterprises need to concentrate more on training, as it is an investment that needs to be done. â€Å"It has been suggested that top performing companies are distinguished by their higher spending on training and development.†[7] Performance Management Performance Management â€Å"includes work and job design, reward structures, the selection of people for work, the training of these employees, assessment of work performance and policies associated with rewarding and improving performance.†[8] Performance Appraisals are an important part of Performance Management and are useful in improving performance, assist HR planning, and identify development needs and potential for promotion. Small businesses, in general, lack a formal performance appraisal system. The disadvantages of not using structured and formal appraisal systems are that appraisals, and the consequent rewards, are often subjective, and may promote greater dissatisfaction. Consequently, appraisal systems and Performance Management play an important role in determining the alignment of HR planning with organisational goals, and ensuring that a proper climate is available for the achievement of the objectives. â€Å"In developing formal performance appraisal systems, small businesses not only are able to ensure that performance management may become strategically aligned with organisational goals, but also increase accountability, decrease under-utilisation of human resources, address concerns of productivity, and decrease employees’ concerns about fairness and accuracy.†[9] In addition, the salaries and rewards that are offered as part of the employment and the management of diversity within the workforce are important considerations for any organisation. These have a greater significance in the case of small organisations. As can be seen from the above, the role of Human Resources management in small organisations is an important one that needs to be well understood and implemented with care. One interesting extension to the role of HR management in small to medium industries is the use of Balanced Score Cards, which are normally viewed as the exclusive tool of large industries. The Balanced Score Cards approach shifts the focus to long-term growth, and includes measures of operational efficiency, customer satisfaction and employee related measures. The Balanced Score Card method thus includes a part of HR Management to assess the overall performance of the organisation. In a case study that included three SME organisations, Gumbus and Lussier present some interesting conclusions that have significance for the HR function in SME companies. The cases also serve to highlight the importance of HR in SME companies and the link between performance and HR. One of the three companies cited in the case is Futura Industries, an international company based in Clearfield, UT with 230 employees. It has over 50 years of experience in aluminium extrusion, finishing, fabrication, machining and design. The company believes that the two competitive weapons that put them ahead of competition are â€Å"their ability to hire and retain the best people and their devotion to the customer.† Futura’s President, Susan Johnson’s belief that committed and loyal employees make the difference has led the company into using the Balanced Score Card method. In the words of Ms. Johnson, the company â€Å"had all the financial metrics, lots of customer measures, and got ISO accredited three years ago †¦ but it is our employees that differentiate us from all other extrusion companies.[10] A Comparison of SMEs in the UK and Taiwan A study by Lin found that successful SMEs in Taiwan place greater emphasis on soft skills and attitudes rather than on hard skills. He infers that SMEs in Taiwan seemed to have a better grasp of its human resources.   â€Å"Whenever SMEs modernize equipment, alter production processes, revise compensation policies, and engage in other reorganisation activities, they take pains to handle employees responses and feelings with special care and invest heavily in skills development.â€Å"[11] According to Hu, the Human resource scenario in Taiwan is characterised by abundance of entrepreneurs and availability of high quality professionals. Hu traces this to the importance laid on education by Chinese, and the large-scale injection of high quality human resource into the island in the aftermath of the retreat into, and subsequent withdrawal from, Taiwan of the KMT government. In addition, the Taiwanese population has inherited from its ancestors the qualities of â€Å"hard working, brotherhood, strong family ties, competition, and similar attributes that form the basis for strong family businesses.†[12] According to McKenna Beech, the following values characterise the Asian HR scene[13]: Politeness and courtesy Emphasis on personal relationship Not losing face Harmony- avoidance of open conflict Predominance of group interests over individual interests Discipline and respect for authority and for elders Normative, rather than externally imposed control Trust and mutual help in business relationships Centralisation and authoritarianism As against the above, the HR scenario in Europe is characterised by the following features[14]: Pluralism as against unitarism Collectivism and social orientation instead of individualism, with the emphasis being on national, rather than individual, interests Legal framework: firing is more difficult Social Partnership: Employment security, protection of workers’ rights, and representation of workforce through trade unions. Social Responsibility: Concern for environment and other social obligations Tolerance for diversity Recognition of complexity and ambiguity. The characteristics enumerated under Asian values represent the Taiwanese scene, and the scenario in Europe is representative of the UK. From the above, it can be seen that the SMEs in Taiwan are formed with reliance on individual assistance, based on respect for authority, with trust and mutual relationships as the supporting factor. In the UK, and other European countries, it is the legal framework that gives the necessary assurance and support to the business rather than trust. In Taiwan authority is enforced, and followed, because it is natural to the culture. In the UK, the legal aspects are augmented by collective bargaining with a recognized trade union to achieve this purpose. Taiwanese take great care to handle employees’ feelings appropriately whenever major decisions need to be taken. This is replaced by collective bargaining and more formal communication in the UK. SMEs predominate in Taiwan, whereas larger firms represent the more prevalent form of business in the UK. SMEs constituted 99.43 percent of Taiwans total manufacturing firms in 1954, the highest level ever recorded; 95.26 percent in 1976, the lowest; and 98.07 percent in 1996. Among them, the smallest firms, employing fewer than 10 persons, accounted for 90 percent of all firms in the manufacturing sector in the 1950s.[15] On the other hand, SMEs generate roughly one quarter of the GDP of the UK. The generation of employment by SMEs varies from sector to sector, the highest being in the construction sector with 84% of the employment being generated by this sector. The SME sector, which was declining up to 1970, picked up momentum thereafter, and showed a rising trend till 1994. Since 1994, the number has remained constant.[16] As can be seen from these figures, the SME sector is less dominant in the UK than in Taiwan. Why Human Resources are important in firms The resource-based view of organisations explains variations in firm performance by variations in firms human resources and capabilities[17] Firms can gain competitive advantage by generating specific knowledge and skills that are difficult to imitate. This can be achieved through human capital development. The importance of Human Resource Development in small firms is thus self-evident – they help the firms to succeed by being competitive. In a study of more than 100 small enterprises in two towns from Germany, Rauch et al found that â€Å"human resources are essentially important and an optimal utilization of skills and knowledge increases small business growth.† [18] In order to harness this important resource and ensure it gives the best returns, an organisation needs to select its employees with care. It is expected that as firms grow, the skills and abilities required to perform various functions and activities no longer would be available from the familiar and informal recruitment sources preferred by the owner-manager[19] Apart from recruitment, other functions such as Training and Development, Performance Appraisal, and formal procedures and documentation help the organisation in improving efficiency. According to Kotey and Slade, â€Å"Benefits of formal HRM practices include meeting legal requirements, maintaining records in support of decisions in the event of litigation, treating employees fairly, and increasing efficiency.† [20] A study by Kotey and Slade involving more than 1300 small firms in Australia showed that as firms grow they tend to introduce formal HR practices and procedures. In the words of the authors, â€Å"While the analyses show that a significant percentage of SMEs implement formal HRM practices with growth, HRM remains informal in the majority of firms, particularly in small firms. It could be that implementation of formal HR structures and procedures necessary to support growth differentiates successful from unsuccessful SMEs.†[21] In a small organisation, people need to be more flexible and undertake a greater variety of jobs. This needs both motivation and skills. In turn, many employees may get better exposure and greater opportunities to learn and shoulder higher responsibilities in a small firm. All of these underline the importance of Human Resources Management in organisations, particularly small firms. The HRM model is â€Å"composed of policies that promote mutual goals, influence, respect, rewards and responsibility between employees in the organisation.†[22] These policies are promoted by practices such as team working, aligning performance objectives with organisational goals, and a flat organisation structure, all of which can be achieved only through a proper Human Resources Management in the organisation. Survey Research findings have confirmed the theoretical position with the conclusion that good HR systems is a source of competitive advantage. One study has shown that higher performance in a number of areas is correlated to good HR systems and practices. Companies that had significantly higher ratings on their HR practices also reported better market value, higher accounting profits, higher growth rates, better sales per employee, and lower employee turnover. Another study has found that newly started companies had a better survival rate if they had good HR practices. The probability of survival was found to vary by as much as 42% between the firms with the best HR practices and rewards, and those with the worst. Yet another study found that performance of the organisation was strongly linked with practices such as acquisition and development of skilled people, better job design, better autonomy, and positive employee attitude. All these studies clearly show that good HR could positively impact organisational performance practices, highlighting the importance of Human Resources in an organisation. Apart from improving performance good HR practices result in lower costs, while poor practices increase the costs to the organization. One of the contributing factors for this is the cost of employee turnover. â€Å"Interviewing and training recruits has significant out-of-pocket costs for the employer.† Replacing an employee involves expenses for Separation, Replacement, and Training. [23] Employee turnover costs can be divided into three major elements: Separation costs: These are the costs that are directly incurred when an employee leaves the firm, and include such costs as exit interviews, administrative and paperwork costs, disbursement of separation benefits, and revenues lost due to shortage of staff. Replacement Costs: These represent the cost of replacing the employee who has left and include the costs of advertising, sourcing, interviewing and selection. Training Costs: These are the costs that the company incurs for training and induction of a new employee. Apart from the actual expenditure on these activities, the costs of loss of efficiency in the initial stages, and the time lost during the training period should also be considered. Thus employee turnover could represent a fairly high cost to the organisation. Employee turnover can be classified into avoidable and unavoidable turnover. Most of the avoidable turnover results from lack of proper HR initiatives.[24] How Good/Bad employees affect the firm â€Å"A good employee is possibly the most valuable asset a small firm or SME can possess; a bad one could ruin the enterprise.†[25] Any firm, and more importantly a small firm, can ill afford to have people who do not perform. Robert Townsend, a noted Management expert was once asked the secret behind his ability to take over loss making firms, and changing them into profitable ones. The reply that he gave will be of interest to anyone asking how good or bad employees make or mar the firm. Mr. Townsend identified three factors that contributed to his success: Releasing the potential of employees so that they could perform at much higher levels by the practice of appropriate management styles Identifying people within the organisation who were blocking progress and preventing others from performing, and either changing their ways, or dismissing them Identifying people who had the ability and drive to take the company to greater heights, and promoting them. It can be seen that this highly successful Management practitioner reduced success to three simple rules, namely, eliminating deadwood, promoting and encouraging those with potential and creating the right climate in the company. This clearly shows that apart from creating the right environment, the most important requirement for success is the quality of people. Good people could transform a loss making company into a profitable one.[26] â€Å"Whether a firm is small or large, its only as good as its staff.†[27] This can be easily understood because the employees of the organisation make the vital difference between good and poor performance in every area. Apart from the demonstrated effect that this has on the firm’s performance, which has been cited earlier, this also stands to reason. A company depends on coordinated working by its employees towards a common goal to achieve its objectives. In order to meet these objectives, the organisation has to do what it does well. In other words, the competence of its employees should be good if it wants to achieve results. Secondly, the soft skills of the employees are important to achieve internal teamwork as well as to nurture customers with excellent performance and service. Thirdly, the employees of the company need to work efficiently if it is to have a healthy bottom line. All these objectives can be achieved only with good employees who know their job and possess the necessary hard skills, have the necessary soft skills, and are committed to the company’s success. In other words, a company needs good employees who have the right levels of knowledge, skills and attitudes. Conclusion Human Resources Management in Small-to-medium industries has been gaining a lot of attention lately. There is increased awareness among many of the SME entrepreneurs themselves about the importance of good HR practices and policies. It has been shown that organisations having formal Human Resources practices grow faster, and are more profitable, than those that do not do so. A comparison between SMEs in two countries, namely Taiwan and the UK, shows that the SME sector is more predominant in Taiwan, which is characterized by a culture that lays greater emphasis on group working, respect for authority, and mutual trust. This is contrasted by the UK situation where the SME sector is les pervasive, and the HR climate is characterised by formal and legal supports, collectivism, and social responsibility. Although the two situations are quite different from each other, the importance of formal HR systems in the SME segment is being recognised in both cases, and seem to affect performance positively, irrespective of the background. Works Cited A Causal Analysis. Entrepreneurship: Theory and Practice, 29(6): 2005: 681+. Bennett, Roger. Small Business Survival: Strategies for Delivering Growth and Staying Profitable: Second Edition. London, Financial Times Management, 1998. Burns, Paul. Entrepreneurship and Small Business. New York, Palgrave, 2001. Griffith, Roger W and Hom, Peter W. Retaining Valued Employees. London, Sage Publications, 2001. Gumbus, Andra, and Robert N. Lussier. Entrepreneurs Use a Balanced Scorecard to Translate Strategy into Performance Measures. Journal of Small Business Management 44(3): 2006: 407+. Heneman, Robert L., Judith W. Tansky, and S. Michael Camp. Human Resource Management Practices in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises: Unanswered Questions and Future Research Perspectives. Entrepreneurship: Theory and Practice, 25 (1): 2000: 11. Holbeche, Linda. Aligning Human Resources and Business Strategy. Oxford, Butterworth-Heinemann, 2001. HRD in Small Organizations, Edited by Graham Beaver Jim Stewart. New York, Routledge, 2004. Hu, Ming-Wen. Many Small Antelopes Make a Dragon. Futures 35(4): 2003: 379+. Kotey, Bernice, and Peter Slade. Formal Human Resource Management Practices in Small Growing Firms. Journal of Small Business Management, 43 (1): 2005: 16+. Lin, Carol Yeh-Yun. Success Factors of Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises in Taiwan: An Analysis of Cases. Journal of Small Business Management, 36(4): (1998): 43. McKenna, Eugene and Beech, Nic. Human Resource Management, A Concise Analysis. Essex, Pearson Education Limited, 2002 Megginson, David, Banfield, Paul, and Joy-Mathews, Jennifer. Human Resource Development. Kogan Page India Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi, 2001. Rauch, A., Frese, M., Utsch, A. Effects of Human Capital and Long-Term Human Resources Development and Utilization on Employment Growth of Small-Scale Businesses: Satava, David. The A to Z of Keeping Staff: Few Firm Employees Leave without a Good Reason-Heres How Not to Give Them One. Journal of Accountancy 195 (4): 2003: 67+. [1] L. Holbeche, Aligning Human Resources and Business Strategy, Oxford, Butterworth-Heinemann, 2001, pp.10-11. [2] R.L. Heneman, T.W. Judith and S. M. Camp. Human Resource Management Practices in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises: Unanswered Questions and Future Research Perspectives. Entrepreneurship: Theory and Practice 25(1): (2000): p. 11 [3] HRD in Small Organizations, Edited by Graham Beaver Jim Stewart, New York, Routledge, 2004, p. 81. [4] Ibid, p81 [5] Ibid [6] ibid, p82 [7] ibid, p 85 [8] ibid, p 89 [9] ibid, p 89 [10] A. Gumbus and R. N. Lussier. Entrepreneurs Use a Balanced Scorecard to Translate Strategy into Performance Measures, Journal of Small Business Management, 44(3): 2006: p.407. [11]C.Y. Lin. Success Factors of Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises in Taiwan: An Analysis of Cases. Journal of Small Business Management, 36(4): (1998): p. 43. [12] M. Hu. Many Small Antelopes Make a Dragon, Futures, 35(4): 2003: p. 379. [13] E.McKenna and N. Beech. Human Resource Management, A Concise Analysis. Essex, Pearson Education Limited, 2002, pp.4-5. [14] ibid [15] M. Hu. P. 379. [16]   P.Burns. Entrepreneurship and Small Business. New York, Palgrave, 2001, p12. [17] A. Rauch, M. Frese A. Utsch. Effects of Human Capital and Long-Term Human Resources Development and Utilization on Employment Growth of Small-Scale Businesses: A Causal Analysis. Entrepreneurship: Theory and Practice, 29(6): 2005: p681. [18] ibid [19] B.Kotey and P. Slade. Formal Human Resource Management Practices in Small Growing Firms. Journal of Small Business Management, 43(1): (2005): p.16. [20] ibid [21] ibid [22] E. McKenna and N. Beech, p34-35 [23] D. Satava. The A to Z of Keeping Staff: Few Firm Employees Leave without a Good Reason-Heres How Not to Give Them One, Journal of Accountancy, 195(4 ): 2003: p. 67. [24] R. W. Griffith and P. W. Hom. Retaining Valued Employees, London, Sage Publications, 2001, p10 [25] R. Bennett. Small Business Survival: Strategies for Delivering Growth and Staying Profitable: Second Edition, London, Financial Times Management, 1998. [26] D. Megginson, P. Banfield and J. Joy-Mathews. Human Resource Development. Kogan Page India Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi, 2001, p. 82. [27] Satava, David. The A to Z of Keeping Staff: Few Firm Employees Leave without a Good Reason-Heres How Not to Give Them One. Journal of Accountancy 195.4 (2003): 67+.

Sonnets From The Portuguese And Great Gatsby English Literature Essay

Sonnets From The Portuguese And Great Gatsby English Literature Essay As for the matter of time, almost a century separates F. Scott Fitzgerald (the Roaring Twenties of the XX century in the USA) and Elizabeth Browning (middle of the XIX century, England). But that does not really matter, because in both Fitzgeralds novel and Brownings sonnets the main theme is the theme of love. In the times of Fitzgerald the USAs society was like a boiling cauldron. The First World War had just ended and though America did not suffer of it as much, as Russia, there appeared a new special generation of people. These were the veterans of this war, affected by its horrors. They decided, that only living for today (Larson, Creason 492) is worthy of attention. They wanted to get as much pleasure from life as they could, often with disregard for their future. Although their number was not so large, many Americans were affected by their beliefs. Many women were also caught in the turbulence and turned to be flappers (492) women, who enjoyed shocking their parents with wearing short skirts, drinking and smoking in public. All this led to moral degradation and ridicule of Christianity. Although Fitzgerald pictured one of main characters of The Great Gatsby, Nick Carraway, to be a thirty year-old bachelor of quite strict moral code (by his own words: I have been drunk just twice in my lifeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Fitzgerald)), the author by himself was a vivid representative of living for todays style of life, he ventured to uncover the sins of that-time society in his novel. Along with the moral decline and the hunt for pleasures came a lust for luxury and wealth of all sorts. This obsession led many young girls to marry men they did not love at all, just for the sake of personal profit. The vivid example of such a marriage is Daisy and Tom Buchanan. She an attractive, but shallow young woman (Im glad its a girl. And I hope shell be a fool thats the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little foolà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ive been everywhere and seen everything and done everything. Her eyes flashed around her in a defiant way, rather like Toms, and she laughed with thrilling scorn. Sophisticated God, Im sophisticated! (Fitzgerald)), and he a hereditary millionaire, rude (by words of his wife: Thats what I get for marrying a brute of a man, a great big hulking physical specimen of aà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Fitzgerald)) and holding racist beliefs (Tom: Its up to us who are the dominant race to watch out or these other races will have control of things (Fit zgerald)). It is the gain for material profits of the young men of the lost generation (Larson, Creason 492) that brings these two together. And because of the growing prosperity in society Nick finds himself jammed between two millionaires Tom Buchanan and Jay Gatsby. But nothing can last forever, and more so prosperity. And sadly, even Love is not stronger than this obsession for money in some people. That is the ultimate truth, which Jay Gatsby had learned. He was fervently obsessed with Daisy Buchanan, ever since he was a young man. But at that time he was an officer in the army and had no money to afford to marry her, so it seems that it was the only reason why she married Tom. Jay Gatsby (the name James Gatz had invented for himself when he was a lad of 17 years old) was a son of a family of farmers, which he never regarded as his own parents. Some time after that he met a man, Dan Cody, an owner of silver mines, whose trusted companion he had become for five years. But after Codys sudden death he did not get a cent out of his vast legacy. So, he turned to bootlegging. But he was so mysterious a figure and nobody knew for sure what he was doing to earn himself such a magnificent living. In fact, nobody really cared as long as he had the money and continued to invite local nobility to his little parties. Thats why the truth was brought to light only in the end. Tom, envious for Gatsbys love for Daisy, reveals to her the truth about his past. And though Gatsby tries to defend himself, Daisy declined him, because she was brought up in a rich family and she could not imagine herself living without luxury. For it is said in the text; For Daisy was young and her artificial world was redolent of orchids and pleasant, cheerful snobbery and orchestras which set the rhythm of the year, summing up the sadness and suggestiveness of life in new tunes (Fitzgerald). But against that we can ask in Oscar Wildes words Who, being loved, is poor? On the contrary, the feelings which are shown in Brownings Sonnets from the Portuguese are natural and sincere, and by no means related with the gain of profit. These sonnets were written as a tribute to her love for her husband, Robert Browning and they are as much love-letters as they are poems. In her Sonnet XXVII she clearly states: That Love, as strong as Death, retrieves as well. (Browning) And in her Sonnet I, Elizabeth Browning mentions a mystic shape which drew her backwards by the hair, And a voice said in mastery, while I strove, Guess now who holds thee? Death, I said, But, there, The silver answer rang,Not Death, but Love. (Browning) Love, in her opinion, is a gift for mortals, a blessing from the almighty gods. This love, the True Love, Love Eternal, must be for nought, because any love that is attached to some sensibilia is a subject for alteration, that those very features can change or disappear in time. True Love is a heavenly feeling, which lies in no worldly matters. It is something that makes you want to fly. My dear Beloved, who hast lifted me From this drear flat of earth where I was thrown, And, in betwixt the languid ringlets, blown A life-breath, till the forehead hopefully Shines out again, as all the angels see, Before thy saving kiss! My own, my own, Who camest to me when the world was gone, And I who looked for only God, found thee! I find thee; I am safe, and strong, and glad. (Browning) It is a feeling which tolerates no regrets and reproach. To love somebody forever is a solemn oath, and must not be treated lightly. As one Frederick Saunders writes: My heart to you is given: Oh, do give yours to me; Well lock them up together, And throw away the key. As for myself, I can only add: And let it stay that way forever.

Planning International Pricing Decisions

Planning International Pricing Decisions Outline and discuss the main factors a marketing firm would have to take into account when planning international pricing decisions. (50% of the available marks for this question) Introduction Many organizations emphasize that price is the most independent, variable yet convenient element of marketing mix. Pricing plays a main role in the international marketing and implementing effective marketing strategies. Price is one of major part of marketing mix. This is mainly based on the fact that pricing changes appear rapid and immediate in the market. Too many managers find pricing decisions very challenging and often difficult to make. This is in conjunction due to the fact that most of the modern organizations believe and know the importance of the strategic role of pricing in international marketing. For many small companies operating in local markets, pricing decision are based on the relatively straight forward for allocating the total estimated cost of producing, managing and marketing a product or service between the fore cast total volume of sales, and adding an appropriate profit margin. Such as fluctuation in exchange rate, acceleration inflation in certain countries and the use of alternative payment methods such as leasing, exchange and counter-trade. For these reason, it is important to know at the outset that development and implementation of pricing strategies in international market should follow the following stages. Analyse the factors which influence international pricing, such as the cost structures, the value the product, the market structure, competitor pricing levels and a variety of environmental constraints. Confirming what impact the corporate strategies should have on pricing policy. Evaluating the various strategic pricing option and selection the most appropriate approach. Implementing the strategy through the use of a variety of tactics and procedure to set the prices at small business unit level. Managing prices and financing international transaction. The factors effecting international pricing include following Corporate and marketing objectives Insurance Firm and product poisoning Product range, life cycle, substitute, product differentiation Marketing product development Available resources Inventory Shipping cost Pricing objectives The pricing decisions in general can analyse and viewed by two ways pricing as an achievement of marketing objectives or pricing as a fixed element in a business decision. If the previous view is followed, the company uses price to achieve a specific objective. Pricing decision should be consistent with the marketing objectives of the firm in a particular market as well as the overall policy of the company. Price escalation Price escalation is defined as changes in the price of specific goods or services in a given economy over a period of time. Excess profits do exist in some international markets, but generally unequal differences in price between the exporting country and importing country. Shipping from one country to another country the cost arises specifically, the term relates to situations where ultimate price are raised by shipping costs, insurance, packing, tax. The majority of this cost arise as a direct result of moving goods across borders from one to another country and join to escalate the final price to a level significant higher than local market. Competition The nature of market structure in particular is an important determinant of price. It refers to the number of competing firms, their size and relative position. In the case of an oligopoly structure, the entering firm would have little freedom to choose a price depending on the income levels, a certain market can takes only a certain level of pricing . A company can also use competitor`s prices as a landmark for poisoning its product as compare to competitors for example, if it wants to poison its product as being of higher quality than its competitors. When a company entering in to a market and using competitive prices, a company needs to check on the cost structure of its competitor`s. Price is just one of the element of marketing mix and has thus to be matched with other element of it. Pricing controls Companies doing business in foreign countries encounter a number of different types of government price setting. To control prices, government may establish margin, set prices and floor or ceiling, restrict price changes, compete in the market great subsidies or act as purchasing of monophony or selling monopoly. A company entering of entering a foreign market with a penetration strategy with a lower price Target Customer Marketers have to calculate and understand a particular portion or target customer group in the market that they are entering. Knowledge of demand elasticity the price is vital, as is knowledge of how customer will react in the case of price change. But with differentiated product, market share of a company can even be improved through higher prices. Brand names and image of high quality are two of the factors that characterise differentiated product that can be sold at the quality prices. References Chris Philips, Isobel Dooley and Robin Lowe, International marketing strategy, Pg 420,421 Ghauri and Cateora, International marketing 2nd Edition, Pg 442 452 Discuss the causes of and solutions for parallel imports and their effect on price. (50% of the available marks for this question) Introduction Parallel import is a non- imitation product imported from another country without the permission of the intellectual property owner. Parallel imports are often referred to as grey product, parallel imports develop when importers buy products from distribution in one country and sell them in another distribution which are not part of the manufacturer`s regular distribution system. Parallel imports are legitimately produced goods imported legally into a country without the authorization of a trademark, copyright, or patent holder. This practice is lucrative when wide margins exist between prices for the same product in different countries. For example the price of a Volkswagen car is in Germany showroom is 107.4 and in Spain that car price is 102.6 the same in France 103.9 and in UK 130.9. A variety of conditions can create the profitable opportunity for parallel imports in the market. Causes of Parallel imports There are several causes of parallel imports including: Fluctuation in currencies value Restricted import quotas High tariff Price differentials Restricted supply The possibility of parallel imports occurs when the price differences are greater than the cost of transportation between two markets. In Europe, because of different taxes and competitive price structures, price for the same product vary between countries. The variation in the value of international currencies between countries frequently leads to condition that make parallel imports profitable. Restriction brought about by import quotas and high tariff can lead to parallel imports and make illegal imports attractive. Example India has a three-tier duty structure on computer spare parts ranging from 40 to 70 percent on imports. As a result estimates are that as much as 30 percent of India domestic computer hardware sales are accounted for by grey market. Purposefully restricting the supply of a product in a market is another practice that causes abnormally high prices and thus makes a parallel market profitable. Such was the causes with Mercedes-Benz cars whose supply was limited in the United States. The grey market that involved in Mercedes cars was partially supplied by Americans returning to the United States with cars they could sell for double the price they had paid in Germany Possible Solution of parallel imports is as follow Reduce the price differentials between market Materially alter the product Educate the dealer Terminate the dealer agreement Buy back the grey market goods This is not strange for companies to find them self competing in one country with their own product imported from another country at lower prices. Most probably such prices differentials will cease to exist once all restrictions to trade are eliminated in the Europe union and a full fiscal union is achieved. To prevent parallel markets from developing such marketing and pricing strategies are used, companies must maintain strong control systems. These control systems are difficult to maintain and there remains the doubt that some companies are less anxious with controlling grey markets than they claim. Price Changes due to parallel imports The parallel imports have a negative effect on the original product. Sometimes grey market upset prices level and result from ineffective management and lack of control, observed evidence shows that the treats of parallel imports do decrease retail prices. In itself, these price effects are not enough to justify a free organization concerning of parallel trade.. The possibility of parallel imports occurs whenever price differences are greater than the cost of transportation among two markets, and the price of product are higher in domestic than neighbour countries. Example Japanese merchants have long maintained very high prices for consumer. As a result, prices for Japanese product sold in other country as lower price than they are in Japan. For example, Japanese can buy canon cameras from New York catalogue retailer and have them shipped to Japan for a price below that of the camera purchased in Japan. In addition to the higher prices for product at home, the rising value of currency makes these price differential even wide References Marketing across Cultures 5th Edition Jean-Claude Usunier and Julia Anne Lee Pg 297 198 International marketing strategy by Chris Philips, Isobel Dooley and Robin Lowe chapter 11 page 436,437) Question 4. Distinguish and explain the differences between tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade. What strategic options are open to marketing firms when attempting to deal with the problems of non-tariff barriers in economically developed and industrialised countries? Choose at least one industrialised country to illustrate the points made. . Introduction Tariffs have always played an important role in generating revenue for the country. In most of the under developed countries, tariffs plays an important role in developing the economic policies of the country. For political reasons, tariffs are applied on imports, but sometimes they are also applied on exports. It is generally the easiest form of revenue generations. When a shipment comes on the border of the country, the custom officers analyze the products and charge tax on it on the basis of the formula. Since the goods cannot enter in the country without the written authorization of the tax authorities, thus it is very easy to collect the duty. Nowadays the free trade organizations discourage the tariffs applied on the goods. World trade organization (WTO) has played an important role in persuading the countries in reducing the tariffs imposed. But nowadays countries are more focused on the non-tariff trade barriers. These barriers are imposed on countries which do not comply with the guidelines laid down by the world trade organization. Tariff barriers to trade Tariffs are the restrictions imposed by the country on the imports and exports of goods and services. Tariffs have always been used as an instrument to increase the revenue generation and also to protect the local industry from the foreign competition. There are different types of tariffs which can be imposed by a country but the most common one are as follows. Ad valorem: it is set on the basis of the percentage of the value of the products being imported in to the country. But sometimes it isnt that useful because if the international price of the commodity decreases, than the tariff applied on it also reduces. Specific tariff: it is the specific amount of money that imposed on a product. Thus if the price of the product decreases than it does not affect the tariff. Revenue tariff: this kind of tariff is imposed specifically to generate revenue for the country. E.g. if a country does not grow coffee, than the government can impose a duty on the import of coffee beans to generate revenue. Prohibitive tariff: this kind of tariff is imposed to restrict the import of a specific product. Usually the tax imposed is so high that it is almost impossible for the companies to import or export the product. Protective tariff: this kind of tariff is imposed to specifically protect the local industries from the foreign influence. All the governments use this option to facilitate the local industries from the foreign competition. Environmental tariff: this kind of tariff is imposed on the imports and exports to the countries which have substandard environmental controls. These kind of tariffs are also known as eco-tariffs or green-tariff Retaliatory tariff: this kind of tariff is based upon revenge. E.g. if United States impose a tariff on Chinese imports than the China will also impose a tariff on the imports from USA. Sometimes countries use this option to influence the tariffs imposed by other countries. Non-tariff trade barriers: Non-tariff trade barriers are the types of barriers which are imposed by a country to restrict the imports but they are not like the usual tariff barriers. Some common examples of the Non-tariff barriers are anti-dumping measures and countervailing duties. The use of non-tariff barriers have significantly increased over the past few years because of the work done by World Trade Organization (WTO) to reduce the tariff barriers imposed by different countries. Some Non-trade barriers are permitted in limited circumstances, especially when it is required to protect health, safety, sanitation or natural resources. But generally it is criticized because it violates the free trade rules set by the Worlds Trade Organization (WTO), the European Union (EU) and North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Examples of Non-tariff Barriers: The most common examples of non-tariff barriers are as follows. General/product specific quotas. Products standards Ban on imports Packaging conditions Labelling conditions Rules of origin Additional trade certificates like Certificate of origin, Certificate of Authencity. Dealing with the Non-tariff barriers: We are living in a very competitive environment. All the companies in the world are working hard to have a competitive edge over each other. Tariff and Non-tariff barriers play an important role in achieving the overall goal of the company in the foreign and domestic market. If a company wants to enter into a foreign market, it has to develop a strategy to enter into the market and makes profit. Governments use the Non-tariff barriers to facilitate the local industry from the foreign competition and also impose duty on their products to generate revenue. China has been one of the fastest growing economies in the world. For the last three decade, chinas economy has grown at approximately 10 percent per year. The main reason of chinas success is that it has dramatically penetrated into the foreign market while protecting its local industry. Most of the western countries and independent think-tanks blame china for manipulating with its currency and use cheap labor to boom it exports. China has very strict barriers on imports. A company has to go through very strict procedure to invest into the local market. (http://www.iie.com/publications/papers/lardy0507.pdf). China has imposed a lot of Non-trade barriers on the imports from the foreign countries. This has played an important role in developing the local industries. The Chinese government has helped the local industry to improve its efficiency by giving them financial and tax relief. The imports from China have drastically affected the American manufacturing industries. Although the imports from China has significantly increased in US but US exports isnt catching up at the same ratio. This has caused a huge trade deficit between the US and Chinese trade. Now USA has imposed anti dumping tariff on Chinese products. Recently the US international trade commission has ruled that the Chinese imports are hurting the American firms by selling the oil well pipes at a very low rate. Thus the Chinese steel pipe producers will face anti dumping tariffs of up to 99.14 %. This type of tariff barrier is called protectionist barrier. This kind of move can damage the relationship between the countries. (http://www.e-to-china.com/tariff_changes/data_tariff_changes/2010/0505/78017.html). The request for protection imports have significantly increased during the 2009. Many countries are targeting Chinese producers/exporters and trying to limit the imports from China to help their local industries to grow. (http://www.e-to-china.com/tariff_changes/data_tariff_changes/2010/0505/78017.html) Conclusion: To conclude we can say that non-tariff barriers play an important role in the revenue generation of the country. Most of the countries use tariff and Non-tariff barriers to protect their local industries and also to generate revenue. The most common type of Non-tariff trade barrier is protectionist barrier. Governments use this option to protect their local industries from the foreign competition. Tariff has been used by countries to generate revenue but sometimes it can also be used for political gain. Some countries can use these tariffs to unfairly restrict the imports from certain countries for personal reasons. Thus World Trade Organization played an important role in persuading the member nations to reduce the tariffs. This move has not only encouraged the trade between the countries but also helped in increasing the friendly relationship. Reference: http://www.bea.org.mk/Upload/Content/Documents/Report%202007%20NON-TARIFF%20BARRIERS.pdf http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tariff http://www.e-to-china.com/tariff_changes/data_tariff_changes/2010/0505/78017.html http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RL31403.pdf http://www.card.iastate.edu/publications/DBS/PDFFiles/06wp438.pdf Question 5. Q5: under what circumstances might an international marketing firm consider using joint ventures to exploit business opportunities within a big emerging market (BEM)? Choose a particular product or service industry and a specific BEM as a vehicle for discussion. Introduction International operations have become one of the most integral part of a businesses and all the organizations adopt different strategies to penetrate into the foreign market. The success of an organization depends upon how well it has understood the market situation and modified its strategy accordingly. All the foreign markets have a unique risk and opportunities. Thus the companys main goal is to minimize the risk and explore the opportunities to attain the overall goals and objectives of the company. Thus the most commonly used strategy to enter into a foreign market is Joint Venture. A joint venture is an arrangement where two or more firms join forces for manufacturing, financial and marketing purposes and each has a share in both the equity and the management of the business There are many ways to approach a business opportunity in the market but Joint venture is considered to be the most appropriate and less risky. However one needs to analyze the advantages and disadvantages of joint venturing before entering into the relationship. When a company enters into a market, they make a series of contractual relationship with the local business by either licensing or distribution agreement. The main benefit is the parent company has limited integration with the local companies. They only pay them a limited amount of money but do not share profit. However if the company wants a more dynamic relationship, than it can form equity joint venture, so that both can work together to increase the profitability of the company, and also share the profit and loss together. Advantages and Disadvantages of Joint Venture There are many advantages and disadvantages of having a joint venture. On one hand, it enables a company to outsource it operations to other companies to reduce its overall cost, but its also very risky. The main risk is the ability and willingness of the other company to follow the guidelines and procedure laid down by the company. Capital requirement Advantage One of the most important advantages of having a joint venture is that the financial resources can be shared. E.g. A Company may be interesting in opening a business that requires a significant amount of money. Although it might have the required labor and technical resource but it doesnt have the financial capacity to fund the project. This kind of project is a good candidate for a joint venture. To start this project, the company can look for other companies which can share the financial cost to start the project. Disadvantage The most obvious disadvantage of having a joint venture is that the companies have to share their profits generated from the operations. A lot of issues can arise from this aspect because both the companies are not only sharing financial resources but they also share some technical know-how and intellectual property rights. These types of resources are difficult to value thus it can create some misunderstandings between the companies. Reduction of business risk Advantage A joint venture allows the investor to diversify its risk. The most important way of reducing the risks faced by the investor in the market is to diversify its portfolio by investing in different markets. Another advantage of joint venture is that when a company collaborates with a local firm than it can benefit from its local knowledge. The main risk that a company can face in the foreign market is the little knowledge of local needs. Economies of scale Advantage One of the most significant advantages of joint venture is achieving economies of scale for both companies. E.g. if the manufacturer gives the contract of sales and distribution to its local partner, it can focus mainly on bringing the product to its local partner. With proper planning, joint ventures can effectively reduce the cost associated with the product from the production to the end user. Control over Functional activities Advantage In joint ventures, the companies can also have a more dynamic relationship with each other by giving direct access to each others processes. E.g. a company can reduce its manufacturing cost by giving the production contract to the local company, but instead it can also seek a way to have some control on the manufacturing and production process of the local partner. Thus the foreign company can benefit from the local companies knowledge about the market and they can also share their business practices to strengthen their relationship. Sharing technology and management skills Advantage In joint venture, both the companies can share their expertise to improve the overall efficiency of the business. The main advantage of having a joint venture is that the foreign company can learn from the experience of its local partner about the local market. And the local partner can also take benefit from the foreign company to improve its technical and managerial skills. Both companies can share important information regarding their businesses to strengthen their relationship. Disadvantage Although sharing technology between the businesses can be a good idea, but sometimes the practices learnt from joint ventures can be used beyond Joint venture in other business. This is the main factor that discourages the companies to form joint ventures. Joint venture in Big emerging market International operations are one of the most important part of business strategies of the company. As the world has become a global village, the companies are faced with an intense competition and thus companies are continuously in search of exploring new market opportunities. Joint ventures have become an integral part of the businesses. Most of the big brands in the industry had joint ventures in past with other companies which helped them to increase the profitability. China is one of the largest economies in the world. Its products are exported all over the world. It has enjoyed approximately 10 percent growth rate for the 3 decades. It is one of the biggest exporters to United States. Chinas market is considered to be the best emerging market in the world and most of the big names have already entered into the market. These companies have effectively used the local companies and utilized their knowledge to increase the profitability of the companies. General Motors, Toyota, Motorola, IBM etc have affectively used joint venturing to reduce their production cost and increase the profitability of the companies. Chinese has significantly gained a huge market share in the telecom industry. Mobile phone giants like Apple, Motorola, Siemens, and Sony Ericson all operate in China. They assemble their products in China to enjoy cheap labour and manufacturing cost. Conclusion To conclude we can say that joint venture is one of the most important tools used by the companies to improve the productivity and profitability. It helps the foreign companies to enter in to a foreign market with the help of the local knowledge. Thus both the companies can use utilize each others resources to increase the productivity. In this way, the local companies can learn from the international business practices and managerial skills of the foreign company and the foreign companies benefit from the local knowledge of the local company. Although there might be some complications involved in joint venturing but if both companies work together, they can easily overcome any challenge.

Thomas Hobbes Leviathan and the Fundamental Principle of a Society Ess

At the core of Thomas Hobbes’ Leviathan rests one fundamental value of a society, from which Hobbes derives all other laws: the duty to self-preservation. At the same time, many of Hobbes’ claims rest on his assumption that there is very little difference between men in their physical and mental abilities. By these two ideas, Hobbes asserts that it is to the advantage of every individual’s duty to self- preservation to seek peace with all other men (Hobbes Ch. 13, p. 2). But, in reading this text we must ask ourselves: Does Hobbes consider what would happen if a person were both confident and skilled enough that he or she could subvert the confederate power of all other men? What difficulties might such a person present to the ethical solidarity of the Hobbesian state? To answer these questions, I will first deliver a short story that brings the ethical trustworthiness of the Hobbesian state into question. With this story I will then illuminate the flaws of the Hobbesian state, which can be traced back to its fundamental principle of self-preservation. Finally, I will present a different fundamental principle for the laws of a state, equal and fair love, enumerating its advantages. To begin, imagine the following story. In a time very similar to the current one but not our own, the state exists exactly as Hobbes had presented in The Leviathan. The Sovereign rules absolutely; every citizen holds the right of self-preservation as the fundamental value of their society; and Hobbes is remembered as a national hero. However, the nation currently suffers from a great recession, and many live in terrible poverty. Trusting all their rights to the state, the citizens cling to a hope for a better future. But among these citizens, no one is more passionate or more devout for the state than Aminta1. As a criminal investigator for the state police, Aminta has received plentiful training and experience which distinguishes her as an above-average individual in terms of general intelligence. However, Aminta possesses one great idiosyncrasy that sharply distinguishes her from the rest of her people. She 1 From the Greek word for â€Å"protector† or â€Å"defender† (English-Greek Dictionary) holds no fear or belief in God and believes there is only this life and its punishments. Aminta deems belief in the divine as the folklore... ...obbesian state. For one, there is nothing inherent to the preservation of one’s own freedom that would enable a man to have regard for another man’s well-being. Just like the duty to self-preservation, this principle may permit the American citizen to disregard the needs of his fellow man, so long as his freedoms have not been infringed. Thus, we begin to see the incredible influence Hobbes’ work has had in much of today’s political theory. If a state were to decide to alter its fundamental principle, it appears it would take years of pulling up bricks to lay the groundwork for a new fundamental principle. Equal and fair love may be more advantageous, but it would take incredible amounts of energy to implement in a state today. Works Cited Hobbes, Thomas. The English Works of Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury; Now First Collected and Edited by Sir William Molesworth, Bart. Vol. 3. London: Bohn, 1839-45. Electronic. Locke, John. The Works of John Locke in Nine Volumes. 12th ed. Vol. 4. London: Rivington, 1824. Electronic. â€Å"Defender,† â€Å"Protect.† English-Greek Dictionary. 2nd ed. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd., 1959. Print.

Fight Club: A Narrative Analysis Essay -- Cinema

Barsam and Monahan define a narrative as, â€Å"A cinematic structure in which content is selected and arranged in a cause-and-effect sequence of events occurring over time† (553). David Fincher’s Fight Club uses a very unique narrative mode in that the whole film is self-narrated by the unnamed main character and has one of the best surprise endings in this writer’s opinion. This makes the film a prime specimen to be broken apart for further narrative analysis. The film starts out with the nameless narrator played by Edward Norton in a nameless city. The narrator, stuck in a dead-end white collar job, suffers from insomnia and is told he can’t receive medication. This paints Norton’s character as someone who is stuck, without any visible options to alleviate his pains. He then proceeds to visit support groups to see people worse off than himself. Eventually he finds relief from his insomnia in the emotional release he gets from these different support groups he pretends to be a part of. Then he meets the femme fatale of the film, Marla Singer. She too is feeding off the emotional release from the support groups which leads to the first conflict of the film. On a flight back from a business trip the narrator befriends Tyler Durden, a physically fit soap salesman played by Brad Pitt. This is the point where you realize that for the first thirty minutes of the film random flashes of a tall blonde man appear on the screen for le ss than a second. Foreshadowing his importance, if someone is quick enough to catch a good enough glance of these flashes they will recognize that it is Tyler Durden, and so the plot thickens. Tyler Durden is what some people would consider a muscle head, but he has much too many ideas for those stereotypes t... ...sumed he has gone through the required change most protagonists go through in narratives. With characters, plots and tones that throw the viewer through more loops than a roller coaster, Fight Club explores several of the narrative elements with many twists, turns, and plot devices that leave the mind pondering for days after viewing the film. Wrought with symbolism and the powerful themes of anti-consumerism and breaking down the walls we put around ourselves, there are several lessons to be taken from watching this film. Works Cited Barsam, Richard., and Dave Monahan. Looking at Movies: An Introduction to Film. New York: W. W. Norton, 2010. Print. Fight Club. Dir. David Fincher. Perf. Brad Pitt and Edward Norton. 1999. 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, 2000. DVD. "Fight Club." IMDb. IMDb.com. Web. 05 May 2012. . Fight Club: A Narrative Analysis Essay -- Cinema Barsam and Monahan define a narrative as, â€Å"A cinematic structure in which content is selected and arranged in a cause-and-effect sequence of events occurring over time† (553). David Fincher’s Fight Club uses a very unique narrative mode in that the whole film is self-narrated by the unnamed main character and has one of the best surprise endings in this writer’s opinion. This makes the film a prime specimen to be broken apart for further narrative analysis. The film starts out with the nameless narrator played by Edward Norton in a nameless city. The narrator, stuck in a dead-end white collar job, suffers from insomnia and is told he can’t receive medication. This paints Norton’s character as someone who is stuck, without any visible options to alleviate his pains. He then proceeds to visit support groups to see people worse off than himself. Eventually he finds relief from his insomnia in the emotional release he gets from these different support groups he pretends to be a part of. Then he meets the femme fatale of the film, Marla Singer. She too is feeding off the emotional release from the support groups which leads to the first conflict of the film. On a flight back from a business trip the narrator befriends Tyler Durden, a physically fit soap salesman played by Brad Pitt. This is the point where you realize that for the first thirty minutes of the film random flashes of a tall blonde man appear on the screen for le ss than a second. Foreshadowing his importance, if someone is quick enough to catch a good enough glance of these flashes they will recognize that it is Tyler Durden, and so the plot thickens. Tyler Durden is what some people would consider a muscle head, but he has much too many ideas for those stereotypes t... ...sumed he has gone through the required change most protagonists go through in narratives. With characters, plots and tones that throw the viewer through more loops than a roller coaster, Fight Club explores several of the narrative elements with many twists, turns, and plot devices that leave the mind pondering for days after viewing the film. Wrought with symbolism and the powerful themes of anti-consumerism and breaking down the walls we put around ourselves, there are several lessons to be taken from watching this film. Works Cited Barsam, Richard., and Dave Monahan. Looking at Movies: An Introduction to Film. New York: W. W. Norton, 2010. Print. Fight Club. Dir. David Fincher. Perf. Brad Pitt and Edward Norton. 1999. 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, 2000. DVD. "Fight Club." IMDb. IMDb.com. Web. 05 May 2012. .