Democratic Eco-Humanism, Market Civilization Essays -

Democratic Eco-Humanism, Market Civilization In an effort to dramatize his neo-Polanyian critique of neo-liberal global capitalism, Stephen Gill questions the tenability of his own term market civilization, proposing it as oxymoronic in that a market civilization qua the neo-liberal order contradicts Gill's view of civilization qua democratic eco-humanism (i.e. representation, civility, social well-being and inclusion). In this formation, Gill's argument is essentially circular in its reliance on his own subjective standard of civilization, (democratic eco-humanism), to prove the uncivilized nature of the neo-liberal order. By adopting a more objective, (and necessarily more general), definition of civilization, we can disband with Gill's tautology, allowing us to embrace the term market civilization as a precise definition of neo-liberal global capitalism. In doing so, however, we merely adjust Gill's propensity for grandiose formulations; what remains is his well-reasoned explication of the inherent contradictions of neo-libe ralism, an explication that underscores the ways in which Anglo-American neo-liberalism departs from a certain aesthetic of civilization as democratic eco-humanism. Though he fails to prove the system uncivilized in the broad sense, Gill's arguments make a strong case for the rise of a Polanyian double movement that would address the critical excesses of the neo-liberal order. To understand Gill's claim about the oxymoronic nature of market civilization, one must understand the differences between the two relevant definitions of civilization. In Gill's words: civilization implies not only a pattern of society (def. 1) but also an active historical process that fosters a more humanized, literate and civil way of life, involving social well-being on a broad and inclusive basis (def. 2). (Gill, 422) Gill's claim regards only the second definition, a version of which the American Heritage Dictionary pictures as: An advanced state of intellectual, cultural, and material development, progress in the arts and sciences, the extensive use of writing, and the appearance of complex political and social institutions.(American Heritage) Though Gill's version of civilization mirrors closely the story told by the dictionary, both claims about the parameters of civilization are so problematically subjective as to add little or nothing to Gill's analysis of neo-liberalism. The fallacy of both definitions of civilization is rooted in a subjective set of truth claims masked in an ethos of democratic eco-humanism that is as guilty of attempting to proclaim the end of history as neo-liberalism itself. The embedded nature of these claims makes them initially hard to penetrate; broader political participation, literacy, civility and wealth distribution all function in a sort of Hegelian determinism where humanity appears to be progressing towards ever-deeper understanding of civilization qua democratic eco-humanism. And yet this very determinism, though perhaps satisfying in that it situates Gill's rejection of neo-liberalism within a certain sociopolitical philosophical system, dissolves when outside Gill's limited context. In other words, what does Gill's definition allow us to make of past civilizations like the Romans, where a slave class existed, the Hebrews, where religious tolerance was subsumed under a telos of religiopolitical election, or the Mayan s, where the state sanctioned human sacrifice? To claim that these civilizations were mere stepping-stones to our more enlightened version of civilization is to refuse to treat their participants as self-conscious agents and to lapse into cultural chauvinism. Gill's subjective aesthetic of civilization is equally problematic if we turn our eyes in the other direction. What effect will artificial intelligence and the creation of cyborgs have on Gill's definition of democratic eco-humanism? Will these new beings be included in the franchise? Will the depletion of natural resources create a future civilization where it is more humane to denude the earth in order to save humans? Even with the neo-liberal straw man as a foil, Gill's idea of civilization rings hollow; after all, while one ideological pole would have us include plants as neo-sentient beings deserving representation in society, another would proclaim human dominion of the earth (a la Genesis 2) as the paradigm for rational human interaction with the planet. Where Thoreau might call a cabin in the wood civilized, Donald Trump sees a new apartment building. Though we can prefer one model to the other on a subjectively aesthetic basis, it seems artificial and indeed impossible to cr eate a salient line of progress that could possibly reconcile drastically different worldviews and material

A Brief History of Cameroon, Africa

A Brief History of Cameroon, Africa The earliest inhabitants of Cameroon were likely the Bakas- or pygmies. They still inhabit the forests of the south and east provinces. Bantu speakers originating in the Cameroonian highlands were among the first groups to move out before other invaders. During the late 1770s and early 1800s, the Fulani- a pastoral Islamic people of the western Sahel- conquered most of what is now northern Cameroon, subjugating or displacing its largely non-Muslim inhabitants. Arrival of the Europeans Although the Portuguese arrived on Cameroons coast in the 1500s, malaria prevented significant European settlement and conquest of the interior until the late 1870s, when large supplies of the malaria suppressant, quinine, became available. The early European presence in Cameroon was primarily devoted to coastal trade and the acquisition of slaves. The northern part of Cameroon was an important part of the Muslim slave trade network. The slave trade was largely suppressed by the mid-19th century. Christian missions established a presence in the late 19th century and continue to play a role in Cameroonian life. From German Colony to League of Nation Mandates Beginning in 1884, all of present-day Cameroon and parts of several of its neighbors became the German colony of Kamerun, with a capital first at Buea and later at Yaounde. After World War I, this colony was partitioned between Britain and France under a June 28, 1919, League of Nations mandate. France gained the larger geographical share, transferred outlying regions to neighboring French colonies, and ruled the rest from Yaounde. Britains territory- a strip bordering Nigeria from the sea to Lake Chad, with an equal population- was ruled from Lagos. Struggle for Independence In 1955, the outlawed Union of the Peoples of Cameroon (UPC), based largely among the Bamileke and Bassa ethnic groups, began an armed struggle for independence in French Cameroon. This rebellion continued, with diminishing intensity, even after independence. Estimates of death from this conflict vary from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands. French Cameroon achieved independence in 1960 as the Republic of Cameroon. The following year the largely Muslim northern two-thirds of British Cameroon voted to join Nigeria; the largely Christian southern third voted to join with the Republic of Cameroon to form the Federal Republic of Cameroon. The formerly French and British regions each maintained substantial autonomy. A One Party State Ahmadou Ahidjo, a French-educated Fulani, was chosen President of the federation in 1961. Ahidjo, relying on a pervasive internal security apparatus, outlawed all political parties but his own in 1966. He successfully suppressed the UPC rebellion, capturing the last important rebel leader in 1970. In 1972, a new constitution replaced the federation with a unitary state. The Road to Multi-Party Democracy Ahidjo resigned as President in 1982 and was constitutionally succeeded by his Prime Minister, Paul Biya, a career official from the Bulu-Beti ethnic group. Ahidjo later regretted his choice of successors, but his supporters failed to overthrow Biya in a 1984 coup. Biya won single-candidate elections in 1984 and 1988 and flawed multiparty elections in 1992 and 1997. His Cameroon Peoples Democratic Movement (CPDM) party holds a sizeable majority in the legislature following 2002 elections- 149 deputies out of a total of 180. Source Public Domain material, US Department of State Background Notes.

Requisitos de la carta de solicitud de asilo en EE.UU.

Requisitos de la carta de solicitud de asilo en EE.UU. La carta de declaracià ³n personal del solicitante de asilo afirmativo ante el Servicio de Inmigracià ³n y Ciudadanà ­a (USCIS, por sus siglas en inglà ©s) o del asilo defensivo en corte es una parte fundamental de la solicitud, ya que contribuye a demostrar que merece que se le reconozca en Estados Unidos la condicià ³n de asilado. En este artà ­culo se explica en quà © momento debe enviarse dicha carta y quà © elementos debe contener en su redaccià ³n.  ¿Cundo debe enviarse la carta de  declaracià ³n personal en la peticià ³n de asilo? Esta carta forma parte del paquete con el que se solicita al USCIS o a la corte que reconozca una situacià ³n de asilo. En otras palabras, es uno de los documentos que se envà ­an junto con la planilla I-589 y que inicia el proceso. Dicha planilla debe acompaà ±arse por una serie de documentos de apoyo, entre ellos, la  declaracià ³n personal del solicitante de asilo en forma de carta. Requisitos de la carta de declaracià ³n personal para solicitar  asilo en EE.UU. Esta carta se escribe habitualmente en una o varias pginas, las cuales se adjuntan a la planilla I-589  porque el espacio en esta no suele ser suficiente. Es fundamental que la carta resulte creà ­ble al oficial del USCIS o al juez de corte migratoria y para ello es necesario que la declaracià ³n que contiene sea consistente con todo lo que previamente se ha dicho o posteriormente se alegue. No debe haber discrepancias grandes, porque darà ­a pie a pensar que se est mintiendo y, por lo tanto, se negarà ­a la peticià ³n de asilo. Entre otros elementos, la carta de declaracià ³n debe contener una explicacià ³n de por quà © el solicitante de asilo ha dejado su paà ­s y por quà © tiene miedo de regresar.   Adems, debe incluir la redaccià ³n de incidentes sufridos por razà ³n de religià ³n, raza, nacionalidad, opinià ³n polà ­tica o pertenencia a un grupo social,  incluyendo todos los detalles que se recuerden. No es necesario especificar fechas exactas, pero sà ­, al menos, una cronologà ­a aproximada. Tambià ©n debe incluirse una descripcià ³n de situaciones de persecucià ³n sufridas por el mismo motivo por familiares o amigos. Finalmente, si el solicitante de asilo sospecha que su peticià ³n puede ser negada porque el gobierno puede creer que le aplica alguna de las prohibiciones legales para obtener dicho beneficio, deber incluir en esta carta una explicacià ³n de las razones por las que dicha prohibicià ³n no le aplica. Por ejemplo, es relativamente comà ºn que el gobierno niegue el asilo alegando que el solicitante se ha establecido previamente de manera fija en un tercer paà ­s. Si eso no es asà ­, deber aclararse este punto. Documentacià ³n de apoyo Una vez que se tiene la carta escrita debe buscarse otra documentacià ³n que sirva para corroborar razonablemente las condiciones que se describen sobre el paà ­s del que se huye y los hechos especà ­ficos que se alegan que le  han sucedido a la persona que pide el asilo.   Para ello pueden utilizarse recortes de perià ³dicos, declaraciones juradas de expertos y testigos, rà ©cords mà ©dicos o psicolà ³gicos, fotografà ­as que demuestren golpes, diarios personales, documentos oficiales como rà ©cords de detenciones, cualquier documento  con amenazas, carnets de pertenencia a un determinado partido polà ­tico,  declaraciones personales del solicitante de asilo en forma de carta, etc. En realidad, se puede presentar cualquier prueba que sirva para demostrar lo que se afirma en la carta de declaracià ³n personal, pero siempre tiene que ser pertinente y relevante.   Tener en cuenta que el gobierno de Estados Unidos es muy consciente de que determinados documentos del paà ­s de origen del solicitante de asilo no es posible obtenerlos. En estos casos es suficiente explicar que se ha intentado pero no ha sido posible. Lo que nunca debe hacerse es presentar documentacià ³n falsa. Idioma de la carta de declaracià ³n y documentos adicionales El solicitante de asilo puede escribir la carta de declaracià ³n en el idioma en que mejor pueda explicarse. La carta y todos los documentos que se adjunta en apoyo de la misma deben estar traducidos al inglà ©s, si es que estn redactados en otro idioma.   Para ello, no es necesario pagar los servicios de un traductor jurado, siendo suficiente que traduzca toda la documentacià ³n una persona con conocimientos fluidos de espaà ±ol e inglà ©s y que certifique la traduccià ³n adecuadamente. Adems, es recomendable no adjuntar ningà ºn documento oficial, como por ejemplo un carnet de identificacià ³n, una carta emitida por otro gobierno, etc. y sà ­ enviar en su lugar una copia legible del mismo. El dà ­a de la entrevista con el oficial del USCIS o de presentacià ³n en Corte migratoria se deben llevar esos documentos originales para que se puedan cotejar con las copias que previamente se enviaron. Si se envà ­an los originales lo que probablemente suceda es que nunca podrn recuperarse, de ahà ­ que se envà ­an solo fotocopias. La importancia vital de contar con un abogado migratorio para casos de asilo En los à ºltimos aà ±os ha habido un fuerte incremento de peticiones de asilo en Estados Unidos por parte de ciudadanos de Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mà ©xico y Venezuela, pero  la mayorà ­a de dichas peticiones son negadas, particularmente las que se intentan defender sin abogado. Por ejemplo, en el caso de asilo afirmativo, solo un 1,5% de los casos de mujeres y nià ±os centroamericanos que se presentan sin abogado a la entrevista de miedo creà ­ble logran aprobarla. Por otro lado, los abogados migratorios estn teniendo à ©xito presentando los casos en cortes receptivas. Por ejemplo, mientras que en Georgia se niegan un 90% de los casos, en Nueva York se aprueban el 75%.   Asimismo, los letrados estn siendo exitosos a la hora de convencer a un buen nà ºmero de jueces de que las amenazas y los daà ±os perpetrados contra mujeres y nià ±os por pandilleros encajan en los casos de persecucià ³n por pertenecer a un grupo social y, por lo tanto, ameritan la consideracià ³n de asilo. La presencia de un abogado en un caso de asilo es altamente recomendable desde el comienzo, contando con su asesoramiento en la redaccià ³n de la carta de declaracià ³n de peticià ³n de asilo ya que esta determina la razà ³n por la que se hace la solicitud y posteriormente no se puede cambiar su esencia ni contradecir su esencia. Si no se puede pagar a un abogado, se recomienda contactar con alguna organizacià ³n de apoyo legal a inmigrantes con buena reputacià ³n en la defensa de este tipo de casos. Este es un artà ­culo informativo. No es asesorà ­a legal.

Definition and Examples of Therapeutic Metaphor

Definition and Examples of Therapeutic Metaphor Definition A therapeutic metaphor is a  metaphor (or figurative comparison) used by a therapist to assist a client in the process of personal transformation, healing, and growth. Joseph Campbell attributed the broad appeal of metaphor to its inherent ability to establish or recognize connections, especially those connections that exist between emotions and past events (​The Power of Myth, 1988). In the book Imagery and Verbal Process (1979), Allan Paivio metaphorically characterized a therapeutic metaphor as a solar eclipse that hides the object of study and at the same time reveals some of its most salient and interesting characteristics when viewed through the right telescope. See Examples and Observations below. Also see: Thirteen Ways of Looking at a MetaphorWhat Is a Metaphor? Examples and Observations Where description is the main function of a literary metaphor, altering, reinterpreting, and reframing are the main goals of the therapeutic metaphor. In order to achieve these, the therapeutic metaphor must evoke both the imagistic familiarity of the literary metaphor and a relational familiarity based on a sense of personal experience. The story itselfthe characters, events, and settingsmust speak to the common life experience of those listening, and it must do so in language that is familiar. An example from a modern fairy tale might be The Wizard of Oz (Baum, 1900), which functions as a metaphor for the common theme of searching for magical solutions somewhere outside the self. The image of a wicked witch, a good witch, a tinman, scarecrow, lion, and wizard all depict aspects of the listeners experience as mirrored in Dorothy.(Joyce C. Mills and R. J. Crowley, Therapeutic Metaphors for Children and the Child Within. Psychology Press, 2001) Extended Metaphors[T]herapists can corro borate the aptness of a metaphor [by helping to] construct a chain, to assist in weaving an elaborate web of correspondences that tease out additional ramifications and add new dimensions. Rather than presenting metaphors of their choosing, therapists can try to emphasize the raw material presented by clients, and, if possible, use the lead established by them to spin out further connections. In this fourth manner, they can exploit a natural aspect of language, lexico-semantic cohesion, as a strategy to densely layer semantic associations in jointly constructed extended metaphor.(Kathleen Ferrara, Therapeutic Ways With Words. Oxford University Press, 1994) The Power of Storytelling[T]he concept of therapeutic story-telling . . . [emphasizes] the power of metaphor to slip past the defences of the conscious mind.Such practitioners have little acquaintance with literary historyotherwise they would surely have recognized that their therapeutic metaphor amounts to little more than a relabelling of the time-honoured genres of allegory and fable. What is new is their highly individualised focus. Therapeutic stories, they maintain, must be constructed specifically to suit the emotional dynamics of individuals.(Hugh Crago, Bibliotherapy and Psychology. International Companion Encyclopedia of Childrens Literature, 2nd ed., edited by Peter Hunt. Routledge, 2004)

Inequality for women in the workplace Research Paper

Inequality for women in the workplace - Research Paper Example 565) and yet just over thirty-years later, The Glass Ceiling Commission reported that equity was far from being achieved. The report noted that women continued to earn proportionately less than men for the same work or that there was a wage-gap, and that they made up only a very small fraction of the upper-level positions in U.S. Organizations (Russell, 1995, p. 8). Hence, where there are no visible or concrete (legal) barriers for advancement, the barriers are invisible or made of glass. The following will examine the barriers faced by women in the workplace, and this essay will try and make the transparent visible. It will be argued that inequality can only be explained by how the dominant class in society legitimates and perpetuates power, and how the distinction between gender and sex is important to understanding the actual barriers to equality. In order to arrive at understanding the invisible or glass barriers for women in the workplace, a brief overview of some of the legal o bstacles will first be presented. While it is true that many barriers remain for women in the workplace, it can also be held that the twentieth-century was marked by a significant amount of progress. At the turn of the twentieth century, many obstacles existed for women in the workforce. ... 154). However, as science progressed this form of legitimation proved untenable. Likewise, attitudes changed significantly, and access to higher education meant access to better positions in the workforce. As with progress in education, likewise with the the percentage of women in the workforce in the twentieth century. One of the main contributing causes for this change, are the two World Wars (1914-1918 and 1939-1945) where women were needed to work in the place of men who were participating military action. For example, in 1900 only 5.6 % of all women worked outside of the home, and following the First World War this percentage rose to 23.6 % (Webb, 2010, pp. 1-2). During the era of the Great Depression after the stock market crash of 1929, there was a public sentiment that maintained that the few jobs that existed ought to be given to men, but again, the Second World War changed the workforce demographics again and between 1942 and 1945 over 6.5 million women entered the workforc e in the U.S. (Webb, 2010, p. 2). And, while attitudes were still negative about women in the workforce, there were many public campaigns that promoted it because of the necessity of the War. This had a significant impact on changing attitudes toward women in the workforce, and as with the period following the First World War, the period following the Second was marked by a higher percentage of women who remained employed outside of the home (Webb, 2010, p. 2). Along with the barrier's of access to education and the workforce, a number of legal or legislative changes improved egalitarian conditions in the twentieth-century. The right to vote for women largely came about through the lobbying and

UK Crime Rate Indicators Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

UK Crime Rate Indicators - Essay Example The current paper will look into these issues and finally draw conclusions with certain issues that should be incorporated to improve their quality and acceptance. The United Kingdom offers an open society where people of different ethnic origins and nationalities are living together and are contributing to the overall country's economic and social setup. The society itself including the government aims to provide an environment where conformity and balance among cultural and social values can be achieved. However, with economic and social challenges arising disparities and evil emerges. This is important to understand as the crimes in the country are soaring and the authorities attempt to tackle the staggering crime levels. The current paper will discuss the current crime situation in the country as presented by Home Office in its yearly statistical bulletin. The yearly bulletin derives its data and subsequent analysis from two resources that include firstly, reporting from police stations across the country and secondly from British Crime Survey. ... The current paper will look into these issues and finally draw conclusions with certain issues that should be incorporated to improve their quality and acceptance. The crime levels in the United Kingdom are considered to be at higher level as compared to other countries including United States, Australia, Middle East and few other European countries. The UK is listed among Ireland, Estonia, Denmark and Netherland which have crime victim rates at 30% higher than the European average. The survey carried out by Gallup Europe for UN crime prevention agency has marked the capital city of London as the "crime capital of Europe" with 32% of the resident admitting that they have been victim of 10 categories of offences ranging from assault to sexual harassment. Furthermore, the U.K. is estimated to have the highest burglary rate, hate crimes and risk of thefts from car compared to European counterparts (Guardian, 2007). But all this is presented differently by the government of the U.K and claims are made through its Crime Statistical Bulletin that crimes in the U.K. are reducing. Crime Statistical Bulletin is published every year which incorporates st atistics and analysis of crimes under different defined categories. Through this report the U.K.'s Home Office attempts to measure and analyse crime statistics in view of estimating crime trends and reviewing its achievement in lieu of crime reduction and its impact on the individuals and society as all. The bulletin draws its statistics from two resources which include reporting from police records and an independent British Crime Survey (Home Office, 2008). The police records consist of figures collected and reported by regional police stations. These consolidated records on monthly

SEE BELOW FOR INSTRUCTION Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

SEE BELOW FOR INSTRUCTION - Research Paper Example This paper discusses the components of Betty Neuman’s theory and how they can be employed in the nursing practice Every system that deals with patients is an exceptional array instrument that responds to the environment. Ideally, the responses are covered in a structure that determines the relationship with the environment. Consequently, the theory assumes that there are stressors that have universal tendencies that have a potential of upsetting the stability of the patients. The theory also assumes that the line of defense should act as a caveat to environmental stressors (Meleis, 2011). Essentially, the assumption is that in the absence of a barrier enables the stressor to penetrate the line of defense effectively affecting the well-being of the patient. Every patient has the internal mechanisms that act as a resistance to any form of external aggression. It is essential that potential risks to patients are determined and appropriate measures taken to deal with the issues that may affect the stability of the clients. The theory also notes that clients in hospital environments constantly exchange energy with external surroundings. Moreover, the model intimates that there should be prioritization in terms of identifying the first line of action in so far as dealing with the stressors is concerned (Meleis, 2011). The treatments should be ranked as a consequence of making treatment effective. Neuman’s theory focuses on the extent to which an individual can interact and relate to the environment. Patients have a basic reaction to the environment, and the degree of response leads to the depletion of energy effectively leading to illness. The flexible line of defense is an important component that acts as a barrier to potential threats (Meleis, 2011). Stressors portend a number of negatives that may affect the stability of a patient. Prevention is critical in dealing with the stressors. The primary treatment is important and

American history between 1800 and 1877 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

American history between 1800 and 1877 - Essay Example Overview of the battle As discussed by Campbell the battle ensued with the Union and the Confederate taking sides on their meeting in Manassas, Virginia (109). With both sides planning to attack the other’s side, the armies were prepared for the toughest battle of the time. However, the plan aborted on the side of the Union, as the Confederates discovered the Union’s plan to attack the Confederate’s side; thus, a withdrawal to the north, in Washington. However, the army of the Confederate did not follow the Union’s troops. Young is clear to say that the confederate army was not well prepared to fight the Union, and their failure was more of automatic (178). This First Battle of Bull Run did not have a lasting significance in terms of military ability. Young is of the opinion that the battle was simply one that was keen to draw an army of amateurs, and led by amateurs (178). Campbell adds on to say that the 1861 Battle of Bull Run was one that was really hu miliating and the defeat of the 35000 men under General McDowell Irvin is one that is notable(108). In this case, it is justifiable to say that this historical moment is memorable in the history of the great nation. Campbell insists that the Bull Run was a dismay series of the Union’s loss in the battlefield under Lincoln administration (108). Implications of the 1861, 1st Battle of Bull Run The Battle- End of slavery and segregation Carlisle & Golson indicate that the Southern defeat in the Battle had a profound implication on the military history of USA, as well as the entire political arena (54). The defeat of the Confederation disrupted the conditions of coming up with a Civil Rights Movement in the 1860s and completely end the discrimination and segregation of persons in the United States of America (54). In as much the war led to the loss of a lot of lives, discrimination was still prevalent in the society, though the war was instrumental in the ban of slave trade and s lavery in USA. However, Carlisle& Golson argue that despite the fact that the war was short-lived, the society in America was slowly being reconstructed and that a new identity was beginning to unfold in America (54). No party was fighting for supremacy and control of territory and that amendments were made to improve the social landscape of the country (Carlisle & Golson 54). In this case, the Battle of Bull Run was instrumental in creating a civil war that would see to the rights of Americans adhered to, and the abolition of slave trade that had profound effects on the lives of the Americans. The Battle can then be described as the pillar of hope to the equality, justice and impartiality enjoyed by the American citizens. It is evident that the Confederate side won the 1861, Battle of Bull Run. However, it is of great importance to note the challenges facing the Confederate in the quest to succeed in the battle. It is evident that the troops were terribly disorganized in such a way that they could barely administer authority on pursuing the Yankees, who had earlier arrived in Washington by 22nd July (Haven 60). The First Manassas in the South cost the Union about 3000 casualties as opposed to the 1750 on the side of the Confederates (Haven 58). According to Haven, the outcome of the war rendered the persons of the north hold on to a false hope, and the southerners’ false hope of being the successful group (59). In real sense, the Union and

A Worn Path Eudora Welty Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

A Worn Path Eudora Welty - Research Paper Example The old woman’s eyesight is fast failing her but she had to make it to the hospital in the city for the sake of her grandson. Welty gave her work rich symbolic meanings in her attempt to pass her message to her readers. The title itself ‘A Worn Path’ is symbolic of the old woman’s sufferings and determination to have her grandson healed (Deakins 14). The woman must have made repeated journeys to the hospital without giving up on her hope that one day, her grandson would get well. In Phoenix, the writes captures the spirit of perseverance in desperation, the story presents the theme determination and courage through characterization of Phoenix. Nothing other than determination is what inspires the old frail woman to make repeated journeys to the city on foot to seek for a relief for her ailing grandson. Through the actions and treatment of Phoenix by other characters, the theme of courage becomes clear to readers. Eudora Welty has used different literary sty les in achieving her purpose in writing the story. This paper shall focus on her use of symbolism, characterization, and setting to develop the theme of courage in ‘A Worn Path’. Characterization There are several characters in the short story in whose reception and treatment of the old Phoenix portrays her resilient character traits. She is determined to ensure that she gets the medication for he ailing grandson. On her way to Natchez city, the old woman with a failing vision encounters a White Hunter, Black American children, a pedestrian in the city, attendant at the hospital, a nurse at the hospital, and her ailing grandson whom she has lefty back at home. Her courage is seen when she is determined to go through all the hurdles that are presented by nature on her path that passes through the jungle. Phoenix says on her way â€Å"out of my way you foxes, owls, beetles, jack rabbits, coons, and wild animals†¦.† (Welty para 3). When the old woman was trudgi ng through the path uphill, she pauses and looks backs and says â€Å"Up through the pines. Now down through the oak.† (Welty para 5). The woman’s journey is largely tormenting but she is courageous that she would eventually reach the city to get medication for her grandson. When the White Hunter tells her to stay home where there is safety for her frail figure, the old woman says that she must reach Natchez city. Her main goal is to get to the city undeterred by the thorny bushes, steeps, and creeks of the jungle. Her abilities to keep trudging despite her numerous challenges brings her fourth as a very determined old woman who would not bow down to anything other than achieving her desires. Phoenix resilience helps the author in building the theme of courage in the story (Wampler para 1). Phoenix is treated condescendingly by the White Hunter that picks her from a ditch where she fell into. Due to the fact that Christmas holiday was just looming, the White Hunter pre sumes that the old black woman was making such a long journey just to lay her eyes on Santa Claus. He tells Phoenix â€Å"I know you old colored people! Wouldn't miss going to town to see Santa Claus!† (Welty para 19). This statement insinuates some kind of racial bias. The White Hunter is presuming that old black people are such obsessed with Santa Claus to an extent that the woman would just make many miles of a perilous journey just to see Santa Claus. Even when the White Hunter points his gun at her, Phoenix seemed unperturbed by the threat of the gun. At the clinic from

Gaggaet Essay Example for Free

Gaggaet Essay Kuma Maka Msenge wewe Unafirwa wewe Kuma wewe Your mum’s pussy Your gay Sexual intercourse of gay Your pussy What kinds of swear words do you use in your own language? Korean English Sexual intercourse Reproductive Organs Idiotic Animalize Malay Babi Pig One of the rudest word in Malaysia Malaysia is a Muslim country and Islam is restricted to pork. The religion has food restrictions according to their own dietary laws, which is â€Å"Halaal† Swahili Msenge Wewe Gay One of the rudest word in Tanzania Homosexuality is not forgived in Tanzania. It’s new to their culture. It is also defined as man is using you. Have you ever spotted some differences between the swear language women and men use? Men tend to use the rudest one. Men use swear words more than women do. -? To establish a masculine identity or to express group solidarity. Men tend to use more swear words related to sexual intercourse and reproductive organs than women do. Men (1) You’re a pussy, dick, jerk, cunt (2) What/Why/How/When the fuck Women (1) You’re a bitch, ass, shit (2) What/Why/How/When the hell Men (1) Unafirwa (2) Pumbaru (silly) Women (1) Malaya wewe (your bitch) (2) Mshenzi (nasty attitude and behavior) Men often use swear words to show or express friendliness ; Women don’t. Hey what the fuck?! How the fuck did you get here? Come and have a bite you dickhead. Why do language learners often find it easy to remember swear words in English? The brain treats swear words differently than other words. From a scientific research, swearing is a motor activity with a strong emotional content. This is one reason that most people remember swear words four times better than they do other words. Swear words trigger emotion. Effects from Mass media Books Society Trend Slang Thank You

Resource Based And Market Based View Of Strategy

Resource Based And Market Based View Of Strategy Resource based view (RBV) of strategy concentrates in recognising and utilising the organizations resources. It is an important, essential and an inside out management concept that is useful in developing a successful strategy. The company evaluates the environment on the basis of available resources at its expense. Market based view (MBV) of strategy designs the company policies and strategy based on the trends and the nature of the industrys environment. It helps in selecting the market combination for the product, in which the company utilises its strategy. The strategy helps in designing the structure and strategy of the company based on the market analysis of the industry. Dells Strategy Dell had moved on from its prior resource based view of strategy to market based view of strategy, due to the hurdles faced after recession and from its market competitors like HP. Dell started outsourcing for its product manufacturing like Taiwans Foxconn Group and sales to stores like PC World, Wal-Mart and many more. The company started to restructure its strategy just as it lost the position as the worldwide market share leader in computer industry to HP. According to research firm IDC, HP had a worldwide PC market share of 19.3% for the quarter ending June 30 compared to Dells 16.1%. In 2005, Dell dominated the playing field with 18.2% market share compared to HPs 15.7%. (Can Dells Turnaround Strategy Keep HP at Bay, 2007). Dells success had been its customer approach, You tell us what you want and we will build it for you. That approach has worked well with corporate [information technology] people and professional users. But that is a cut-throat market since these people have a good knowledge of prices. Dell always had a hard time with the non-expert buyers. (Can Dells Turnaround Strategy Keep HP at Bay, 2007). Dell started to refashion the companys strategy to largely compete with its rival HP. With the change in the companys strategy challenges were faced, with its two pillars of business model supply chain efficiency and built to order product sales to its customer (Can Dells Turnaround Strategy Keep HP at Bay, 2007). Strategic Options Product Development Pursue Mid-Range Server Growth By 2001, Dell was the market leader in entry level servers, but had no presence in the mid-range server market. Pursuing this growth option could result in increased market share and higher profits due to the higher selling prices and markups of these units, but could be risky if technology suddenly changes. Increased post sale costs are also a concern, as server sales dont just stop upon delivery; they require continued service regarding reliability, serviceability, availability, and manageability. Pursue Associated Services Growth within the US, 2000 service revenues accounted for over 37% of $2 billion in total revenues. This business unit was becoming an increasingly important part of Dells portfolio with longevity, able to stand the test of time and market uncertainty, no matter what turn technology took. Market Stagnation While the market is recovering from recession, Dell should focus on its current market share. Once, the market is up and moving, Dell can start employing its strategies for achieving traction. Though, this option could prove risky and increase the gap between its competitors in the process. RECOMMENDATIONS IMPLEMENTATION Since, the market growth has stopped significantly compared to late 20th and early 21st century. The only improvements are required in the form of limited PC software/hardware upgrades until the state of the economy is revived. Thus, Dell needs to start investing in other areas like mass storage, servers and services in new markets. Dells ability to offer its products at minimal rates, would allow it to gain a competitive advantage against its rivals. Also, the customer service provided by Dell would aid the company in keeping hold of its customers. An expansion of the services group should also be pursued based on customer needs, which will vary around the globe. While, Dell continued to partner with third-party services firms, it should also bulk up on its own services capabilities so it can provide customers with more competitive broad services offerings. Dell needs to realize that it would have to expand its services capability significantly in order to be taken seriously in the industry (Breen, Bill, 2004, living in Dell Time. Fast Company). Dell should also consider its entry in new markets with its current products which have been left untapped such as Chin in Asia, Brazil and Argentina in South America. Being the first to enter these markets would allow dell mark it dominance. The company should study the trends and nature of the new markets in minute detail to gain complete advantage and increase its market share segment around the globe. Hence, Dell should need to consider a wide range of options, including the ones mentioned above and, plan and design its strategy in accordance to its resources. References: Wharton School of University of Pennsylvania, 2007, Can Dells Turnaround Strategy Keep HP at Bay viewed 10th April 2011 Breen, Bill, (2004), Living in Dell Time, media release, November 2004, Fast Company, viewed 12th April 2011, Bibliography Nanette Byrnes and Peter Burrows, Where Dell Went Wrong, Business Week, February 19, 2007, pp. 62-63 Stefan Stern, Dells Chief Kevin Rollins-My Part in His Downfall, Financial Times, Febru ­ary 6, 2007, p. 10. Thomas J. Peters and Robert H. Waterman, Jr., In Search of Excellence: Lessons from Americas Best-Run Companies (New York, NY: Warner Books, 1982). About Dell Ventures. 2004. Dell Computer Corporation. 30 Apr 2004. http://www.dell.com. Hill, Charles W. L., and Jones, Gareth R. Strategic Management Theory: An Integrated Approach. USA: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. Pearson Publication, Exploring Corporate Strategy by Gerry Johnson, Kevan Scholes and Richard Whittington Answer 4) Dell is the worlds leading computer systems company. They design, build and customize products and services to satisfy a wide range of customer requirements. From the server, storage and Premier Services needs of the largest global corporations, to those of consumers at home. They do business directly with customers, one at a time, and believe. They do it better than anyone on the planet. We attribute Dells success within the computer industry to its unique, low-cost business model, direct sales approach and collaborative research and development. By focusing on leveraging its core competency in supply-chain management and low-cost manufacturing within mature technology segments, such as PCs, Dell has a proven strategy to disrupt traditional technology business models that rely on proprietary technology or multistage sales and distribution. A key part of Dells success stems from leveraging widely available industry technology within a low-cost manufacturing framework as a way of displacing the competition. All this was made possible because of the Vision of one man, Michael Dell. Michael Saul Dell (born February 23, 1965) is an American business magnate and the founder and chief executive officer of Dell Inc. He is one of the richest people in the world, ranked 44 with a net worth of US$14.6 billion in 2011. Michael Dell is considered a very accessible CEO and a role model for young executives because he had done what many of them were trying to do. He delegated authority to subordinates, believeing that the results came from tuning loose talented people who can be relied upon to do what they are supposed to do. He was a visionary leader!! Visionary leadership goes beyond charisma. Visionary leadership is the ability to create and articulate a realistic, credible, attractive vision of the future for an organization or organizational unit that grows out of and improves upon the present. This vision is so energizing that it in effect jump-starts the future by calling forth the skills, talents, and resources to make it happen. A vision differs from other forms of direction setting in several ways: A vision has clear and compelling imagery that offers an innovative way to improve Vision taps peoples emotions and energy ( Leadership Team Management) Michael Dell had them both. The key properties of a vision seem to be inspirational possibilities that are value-centered, realizable, with superior imagery and articulation. A vision is likely to fail if it doesnt offer a view of the future that is clearly and demonstrably better for the organization and its members (Inspirational Approaches to Leadership, 2008). Desirable visions fit the times and circumstances and reflect the uniqueness of the organization. People in the organization must also believe that the vision is attainable. Michael Dell has created a vision of a business that allows Dell Computer to sell and deliver a finished PC directly to a customer in fewer than eight days. The uniqueness of Michael Dells management style lies in its combination of reaching for the heights of perfection while burrowing down into every last data point. No rival has been able to imitate it. He believes that the status quo is never good enough and that once a problem is discovered, it must be dealt with quickly. He refuses to dwell on success, and instead focuses upon how improvements can be made. Excuses are not accepted. Being a hero at Dell means saving money and every employee is expected to focus on cost control. Michael Dell appears to embrace the following Fayol principles: Authority and Responsibility: Michael Dell exhibited his right to give orders and his power to exhort subordinates for obedience when he fired his top European managers because they didnt cut costs deeply enough. Unity of Direction: There is a singleness of purpose (continuous improvement and cost control) that makes possible a single plan of action to guide managers and workers in their use of organizational resources. Initiative: Initiative is required by employees, who are expected to identify ways to continuously improve upon the companys past accomplishments. Discipline: only highly disciplines employees are capable of overcoming the temptation to make excuses and consistently strive towards the achievement of corporate goals. Dell announced an aggressive global target of $62B in revenue by 2006, which meant the firm would need to make talent acquisition and development a global priority. At the same time, Dell wanted to continue to focus on cost effectiveness and operational efficiency. The companys cornerstone values and philosophy are expressed as five elements, which together comprise The Soul of Dell: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Customers à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The Dell Team à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Direct Relationships à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Global Citizenship à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Winning The company was at a point where it was asking its managers and leaders to lead differently than they ever have before. While reaching the aggressive numbers was essential, it was not enough. Instead, leaders were being called on to get to the numbers while engaging their people by offering inspiration and extraordinary leadership, integrating the Soul of Dell into their leadership styles (Kathleen Woodhouse, Michael Reidy; 2004). Below is the diagrammatic view of strategic decision making and leadership skill development at Dell. Image courtesy of : http://www.interactionassociates.com/sites/default/files/Dellcase.pdf Outcomes: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Prepared for greater leadership roles à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Expanded support network à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Greater insight into self and others à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Development Plan For any organization to be successful, leadership and management style should get altered with the life cycle of the organization. The style should match the organizations phase. Figure below shows different leadership and delegation of authority styles with organizations life cycle. Image courtesy of : http://www.interactionassociates.com/sites/default/files/Dellcase.pdf Dells strategies were also very well matched with organizations internal and external environments. Five Forces Analysis The framework formed using Michael Porters Five Forces model helps the managers to analyse the competitive forces within an industry, which assists in identifying threats and opportunities to an organization within the industry to which it belongs. Rivalry among the established firms, substitute products, potential competitors, bargaining power of buyers and, bargaining power of suppliers are the Michael Porters Five Forces. Another force, which is referred very rarely, called the complementors. Following three of the five forces, which primarily affect the personal computer industry and Dell in particular, are discussed, proving the personal computer industrys unfavourable features. The Rivalry among established firms is the most dominant forces within the personal computer industry. Based on Dells Strategic group, the industry can be studied as a consolidated industry sector, due to the industrys nature of limited competition established by the leaders like Dell, Hewlett Packard and Gateway. As a reason of oligopoly nature of the industry, the stakes for rivalry are high, as a result of a particular companys actions or moves directly aimed at affecting its competitors. A primary example can be made of HPs action selling home computers for $500, as a result of which other manufactures like Dell were forced to offer similar low-end systems. This affected the profit of rival manufactures, as the customers started flocking to get their hands on the new low-end systems, rather than the mid-range computers priced at $1000 which were sold prior to that time. Additionally, the demand has been declining, as the customers were satisfied or the real urge to upgrade their computers. As a result of which, the intensity of rivals rose, compelling the manufactures to combat to maintain their share of the market and customers. Due to these factors and high exit barriers for large manufacturers the rivalry between the established organizations within the personal computer industry is very high. The second force is the bargaining power of the buyers, which is also high in this industry. The common masses may not have the ability to bargain at large with the computer manufactures. However, large buyers like corporations and, educational institutions have significant power, due to the simple reason of buying products in massive quantities, enabling them to influence the price of the products set by the manufacturers. Whether large or individual customers the cost for switching from one manufacturer to another are minimal. Since most of the systems are based upon Wintel standard design specifications. Lastly, the ease of configuring a system yourself by purchasing the necessary components directly from the hardware suppliers or from retail outlets allow the customers to back away from the manufacturers, threatening the industry as a whole. The last force is the power of the suppliers of the industry, that is the industry providing the computer components, is also high. The primary reason to account for this force to exist is, because of the limited substitutes to majority of the components, like microprocessors and operating systems. Moreover, the costs for switching between the suppliers are significant. It would also cause problems due to hardware and software incompatibilities. For instance, was a company to move from Intel to AMD processors, they would have to go to another supplier for their motherboards, which could ultimately cause other incompatibilities, forcing them to find yet other suppliers for other components. Another example is if a company decided to move from Windows to a variant of Linux. While the operating system itself is less expensive, it is much more difficult to find applications for Linux, there are many hardware components which do not have the drivers necessary to run upon Linux, and the le arning curve is quite steep for customers, which would force a manufacturer to invest in a larger customer support staff. This analysis provided a great deal of insightful and intriguing information into Dells success, both within the personal computer industry, as well as their other ventures into the consumer electronics and computer peripheral industries. Although extremely successful in its own right, this analysis proves that without their competition, Dell would most likely not have been so successful. Much of their success came from the fact that their rivals, namely HP/Compaq and Gateway pushed Dell to improve their customer service to differentiate themselves from the competition. Furthermore, due to significant price wars within the industry, Dell had to improve their manufacturing process, quickly adopting a just-in-type system, in order to keep their manufacturing costs low, allowing them to pursue a low-cost leadership strategy alongside their differentiation strategy. References:- Kathleen Woodhouse, Michael Reidy, Accelerating the Development of High Potentials: Strategic Leadership @Dell, 2004, viewed on 8th April 2011, Inspirational Approaches to Leadership, April 2008, viewed on 8th April 2011, Leadership and Team Management, Transactional, Charismatic and Transformational Leadership, viewed on 6th April 2011,

The Major Themes of Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness Essay -- Heart D

The two major themes of Heart of Darkness are the conflict between â€Å"reality† and â€Å"darkness,† and the idea of restraint and whether or not it is necessary. Conrad’s passage describing the restraint of the hungry cannibals exemplifies both themes:   It describes how reality shapes human behavior, and contrasts the characters of Kurtz and Marlow.   â€Å"Reality,† as it is used here, is defined as â€Å"that which is civilized.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Conrad emphasizes the idea of what is real versus what is â€Å"dark,† what is civilized versus what is primitive, what colonizes versus what is colonized, repeatedly throughout Heart of Darkness.   As stated above, â€Å"real,† in this case, contains all the implications of a civilized society:   clothing which covers a person’s sexual organs, restraint from gluttony, a constant reliance on clocks as dictators of action, etc.   The cannibals in the aforementioned passage face a horrendous conflict between what is real and what is â€Å"dark,† or, in their case, what is natural and what must be restrained.   Marlow cannot fathom how these â€Å"big powerful men, with not much capacity to weigh the consequences† could restrain their desires to consume him and the pilgrims:   â€Å"Restraint!   What possible restraint?   Was it superstition, disgust, patience, fear – or some kind of primitive honor?   N o fear can stand up to hunger, no patience can wear it out.†Ã‚   The â€Å"darkness† these men restrain is the part of every person that wants fulfillment, the Id in psychoanalytic terms, the part almost every orthodox religion looks down upon.   Along with every civilized society, one which requires some form of government, the citizens are expected to restrain, to a certain extent, their most basic desires.   This theme can be taken a step farther, and c... ...ssage describing the cannibals exemplifies both.   The cannibals are practicing a sort of enigmatic restraint that keeps them from fulfilling a basic human need; on a second level, they are facing the issue of what is reality (what is civilized) versus what is natural.   Although there is no concrete evidence that these peoples are cannibalistic, the natural solution to their hunger is to eat, and they do not.   Marlow, the character symbolic of the reality of civilization, practices this restraint, a sort of religious emulation of what he has seen of civilized peoples up to this point.   Kurtz, on the other hand, has abandoned his restraint, has stepped into the â€Å"darkness† so to speak.   â€Å"The horror! The horror!† he utters on his deathbed, perhaps expressing contempt at his own actions, perhaps at all existence.   Perhaps at the reality and restraints of civilization.  

Essay --

Living with Lupus Lauren Choate College of the Mainland â€Æ' Lupus is a dangerous disease that can affect anyone. It has no cure and is known to affect 9 out of 10 adults. â€Å"Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), also called lupus, is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease characterized by unusual antibodies in the blood that target tissues of the body.† (Frazier & Drzymkowski, 2008) Autoimmune means that your immune system cannot tell the difference between foreign invaders and your body’s healthy tissues and creates autoantibodies that attack and destroy healthy tissue. These autoantibodies cause inflammation, pain, and damage in various parts of the body. Lupus affects each individual differently and it may be worse for one person than it is for another. My grandmother, Carolyn, was diagnosed with Systemic lupus erythematosus in her early forties. She suffered a long time before she was diagnosed with Lupus. â€Å"The worst part of my lupus is the flare-ups† Carolyn said, â€Å"It feels as if I am on fire sometimes and every single inch of my body hurts in the most awful way I have ev...

Are Harry Potter Harmful for Children

Are Harry Potter Books Harmful for Children? As far as I'm concerned, the Harry Potter series are quite suitable for children to read. As we all know, this set of books is written about a boy who is a wizard, and he fights with the devil for the justice, during the process it also show us how to treat our real friends and our family.Some parents and censors consider this book harmful for children to read and try to ban it, because of the manipulation, lying, violence, witchcraft (which they think is against god) and rebellion in Harry Potter books are unfit for children to read, for they will imitate the same thing and learn something adults don't want them to acquire that early. But I have to say it is just a book, in today's world if a child wants to know these things, all he need is just to go online and google it, so if they want to protect their children, why don't they ban the Internet?If you think that because there is witchcraft and devils in the novels which supports satan a nd defies God, I have to say that you are definitely wrong. If you have ever read this set of books, you'll find out that it's just the background and a part of this novel. The witchcraft is just the background which the author set to entertain readers. , because this field is very attracting and can satisfy children's curiosity. And it also keeps children's minds open. This world is nothing like the real world, so they can imagine lots of things which can develop their imagination and creation. When J. K.Rolling wrote about this darkness part, she also mentioned the right part. And it is a tale of good triumphing over evil. I think we can't see this series from just one perspective. We can't deny it for the author writes about the darkness and the devil then forget that from all perspectives, what she real emphasize and want readers to learn is the braveness, the justice, the friendship, the love, and the family. It taught our children, even adults how to become an upright person. For example, when Harry Potter, Hermione and Ron play â€Å"chess†, for the friendship and the justice Ron sacrifice himself to save Harry.In this real world, many adults can't do the same thing when they meet with difficulties. If we banned this book, what about Snow White? It i also filled with wicked, blackness things. Instead, we taught our children the correct and proper way by telling Snow White when they are very little. Therefore, why can't we treat the Harry Potter series the same way or even kinder. It is also a tale for children to learn the world by means of using the metaphor, changing the scene to the magic world. The dark part is not the point, but the love, the moral part that hit the nail on the head.If parents really worried about the darkness part, he/she can read the book for children while explain these for children instead of banning it. Although the censors think that their efforts are benefiting children, in the long run it is destroying them. We are d estroying our children's imagination. We put them in the same frame we set up for them. We decide which kind of books they read, which friend of children they make friends with, which kind of games they play, etc. If all these matters had to be approved and set up by adults, each child would be a mindless, characterless character.There would be no unique qualities to distinguish one from another, all children being of the same mold. If our children grew up with out creativity or imagination and only knew what was approved, this world would become numbing, vapid and meaningless. The Harry Potter series is encouraging the growth of a child’s imagination, allowing our children to grow into fully functioning, creative adults. As for the religious part, they say the book encourages witchcraft. I think they are too mean, too extreme. There are lots of fairy tale and legend for children about witchcraft or magic.We can't ban and criticize all these things. It is the same with Harry Potter. Just because Harry Potter is so popular and attractive to children, so they afraid the witchcraft will take the place of god, and they try to ban it. They say it's harmful for children actually on behalf of their own interest, not really for the children's sake. In conclusion, the Harry Potter books are not harmful for children. On contrary, it will enhance children's moral standard and imagination. Therefore, we should really recommend our children to read it.

Elevator Pitch

The concept of the Elevator Pitch is borne from the idea that if you met an investor on an elevator and only had 30 seconds to pitch your business, what would it sound like? In fact 30 seconds is about as much attention as you are going to get from an investor to begin with, so thinking in that time frame makes a lot of sense. The formula for the perfect Elevator Pitch involves three ingredients – the Problem, the Solution, and the Market Size. The Problem Every great company starts by solving an important problem.The more accurately you articulate the Problem, the more valuable the Solution will be. Think about how NetFlix. com solved the problem of having to go to the video store in order to rent a movie. No one enjoyed having to travel back and forth to the video store for a rental, nor did they appreciate paying late fees (which we all have done, and hate! ) NetFlix solved the problem of never having to visit a video store to rent a movie and never having to pay late fees again. It was a real problem that everyone could identify with (much to the chagrin of Blockbuster! The Elevator Pitch has three main ingredients: The Problem, The Solution and The Market Size. With only the Problem in hand, our Elevator Pitch would start like this: â€Å"Going to the video store is a pain. People don't like traveling back and forth just to rent a movie and they hate paying late fees even more. † What's important about this explanation of the Problem is that everyone can relate to the problem. The more relate-able the problem, the more likely you are to get someone's attention to it.Think about ways to modify your â€Å"Problem† so that anyone you meet could easily understand it. It’s more important that the problem is relate-able than complicated. Now let's find a solution. The Solution Once you've articulated the Problem your next step is to think about how your Solution fixes that Problem beautifully. Sticking with our NetFlix example, hereâ €™s how we might articulate our Solution: â€Å"NetFlix provides customers with a huge selection of movies that they can order right to their doorstep and never have to pay a single late fee for. Notice how the Solution ties directly back to the pain points of the problem, namely the fact that you don't have to leave your house and you don't have to pay late fees. A good Solution is a direct reflection of the Problem. As a side note, a Solution with no Problem preceding it is a lot less valuable. Take a second look at the Solution for NetFlix above without the Problem before it, and think about how much less exciting that Solution is without understanding the Problem that it solves. The Market SizeSolving the Problem beautifully is nice and all, but if the Market Size of the Problem isn't big enough, you're not likely get investors very excited. The Market Size explains just how big and widespread the market is, which implies how big of a company you can build by solving that p roblem. Investors want to know you're solving a painful problem in a giant market. If you can combine those two factors, you'll generate a lot more interest. Watch what happens when we reduce the size of NetFlix's Market Size by just adding a few words to the Problem: Going to the video store to rent the movie Fletch is a pain. People don't like traveling back and forth just to rent Fletch and they hate paying late fees even more. † We haven't even explained the Solution yet and already you're probably thinking â€Å"How big of a business could you build on helping people rent Fletch? I mean hey, it's a good movie, and probably a seminal work by Chevy Chase, but c'mon! † Now let's try that again, only this time we'll use a real Market Size: â€Å"For over 90 million Americans going to the video store is a pain.People don't like traveling back and forth just to rent a movie and they hate paying late fees even more. † Notice how with just a small modification we ga ve you a real good indication of how big this Problem really is. 90 million Americans represent a lot of dollars spent. Even if you don't entirely understand the problem, you can certainly understand that 90 million people probably add up to a pretty big market opportunity. Picking the right Market Size is about identifying a portion of the market that is likely to buy your product.It's not everyone that's ever seen a movie; it's everyone that is currently renting movies. Maybe it's less than that if some percentage of those consumers don't use the Internet. You don't need to have the world's largest market, but be mindful of going after a market that is obviously too small (like the people renting Fletch) for fear of turning people away before they even have the opportunity to hear you out. Put it Together, then Pare it Down Now we've got a nice understanding of the Problem, Solution and Market Size. The next step is to distill that explanation down to an easy-to-remember ite-sized sound bite that still covers all the bases. Let's try a shorter version: â€Å"NetFlix helps over 90 million Americans avoid driving to the video store by delivering movies directly to their doorstep without ever paying late fees. † In one sentence we've tackled the Market Size, Problem, and Solution in a way people can easily remember. Most importantly, in a way you can remember when you're explaining what you do a million times over! In many cases, you'll be lucky if you get just enough time to get this one message across, so refining the message is key.Don't worry about getting it right the first time. Pitch it a few times to strangers, get some reactions and modify. It takes some practice. The Tag Line Distilling the Elevator Pitch down to one sentence isn't always enough. You'll often need something that's just a few words in order to arm others with an easy explanation of your company. You'll personally remember that 90 million Americans have a movie rental problem and that you help people avoid late fees. No one else will. Investors won't remember more than the general concept.Your advisors who mention you at cocktail parties won't be able to recite your beautiful pitch. You need a Tag Line. The Tag Line is an explanation of what you do without the details. It's how people reference you before getting into the pitch. It's how you probably remember most of the products you use today. Here's a Tag Line for Netflix: â€Å"Mail Order DVD Rentals† Notice how simple that is? That's the point. In just four words it explains what NetFlix does, without going into the details of the problem it solves or how big that problem may be.Take some time and really refine your Tag Line. Put it on your Web site, your business card and all of your collateral items. You're building a brand after all, and your Tag Line is what makes that brand memorable. Summary Your Elevator Pitch may be one of the single most important tools you use to communicate your brilli ant idea to the world. Most great pitches you hear, like famous advertising slogans, are the result of countless hours spent refining, gathering input and refining some more.

Affirmative Action Essay

What would the business world be like with no affirmative action? One can only imagine the discrimination that would be going on. This is why our company needs to take action towards taking the right steps to implementing this very important concept. Not only must we follow equal employment opportunity laws, but we must ensure the comfort, security, and safety of our employees. No person regardless of age, race, color, religion, disability, or sex be denied of employment based on those factors. With the implementation of the affirmative action policy taking affect within our company, we can expand our family of employees to a much more diverse workforce. We will gain a plethora of knowledge from those with all different types of prior work experiences. Our actions will lead to unity and harmony between those who are of different national origins, and will help eliminate discrimination on the job. It is incredibly important for those we employ to know we take pride in our company and care about their opinions, concerns, and well-being. Happy and well taken care of employees, make for enthusiastic and productive employees! The idea is to hire people based on their experience, knowledge of the occupation, education, and whatever skills they may encompass. It is important for employees to know some of the basic skills required for the job; however, on the job training is an excellent opportunity for growth and learning new techniques. Affirmative action allows for room for advancement to those with seniority within the company, as well as room to hire more new employees to fill their old positions. By enforcing affirmative action we are creating job security which encourages employees to strive to constantly improve and create goals within the company which benefits everyone involved. Affirmative Action3 As positive as affirmative action can be, there can also be negative results of this concept. In some cases, one protected class may be considered as favored by employers, while others feel they have been prejudged which has become known as reverse discrimination. Because of any one group being favored, the possibilities of conflict occurring in the work place could rise; for this reason, it is extremely important to apply and use the concept of affirmative action the way it was meant to be used. Each and every individual must be treated fairly, and situations will be dealt with according to the position they hold within the company. Equally as wrong as preferential treatment are those companies who sometimes are either forced or volunteer for affirmative action; they are only trying to fill their quota to meet requirements, which also eventually leads to more discrimination. As long as we take all of the appropriate steps to work this into our workforce and are doing it for all of the right reasons, we will have a successful multicultural corporation who can work together peacefully. The reason this policy would benefit our company is mainly because we are being given the opportunity to fix past instances of discrimination which have occurred within our establishments. We have the chance to start with a clean slate, and be known as an inviting and stable place to work. By implementing affirmative action we can ensure to our employees that they will enjoy working for us. By knowing what to expect every day they will be happier, loyal, enthusiastic, supportive, and eager to come back. They will gain an appreciation for the company which treats them with respect and equal to their coworkers. The positive possibilities are endless as long as everyone is compliant with the policy. There will be an individual to monitor and make sure all policy regulations are being followed and cooperated with, as well as an Affirmative Action  informative document which explains all details. We will encourage all to be involved in programs or groups which will lead to meeting goals related to the policy. And last but not least, there will be a mandatory meeting to ensure that everyone is fully aware of the changes to come and that any  further instances of discrimination in the workplace will not be tolerated. With that said, we look forward to the new cultural diversity we will have within our company and expect many good things to come from it! Affirmative Action5 Reference Page Bohlander, G. W., & Snell, S. A., (2007). Managing human resources (14th ed.). Florence, KY: Thomson Learning Higher Education.

Financial Statement Risk Analysis for Orrstown Financial Services

Financial Statement Risk Analysis for Orrstown Financial Services Introduction The purpose of this ex-post risk analysis is to determine the profitability, earnings and future financial ratios for Orrston Finacial services. It addresses threats, vulnerability and place mitigating factors in place to shield against bankruptcy and future lawsuit by customer, competitors and the government. The report outlines the actual stability and paints a factual picture of its performance in the market since 2006.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Financial Statement Risk Analysis for Orrstown Financial Services specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In the mid 2011 Orrstown bank faced a federal class action for misrepresenting its financial status, which was in decline after receiving $32 million loss due to series of bad commercial loans in 2011. In June 2012 it lost again $17 million in a span of only six months (Orrstown Financial case study; Annual Reports, 2006-2011). Writing about the loan o f Yorktown Funding Inc. was one of the major undoing of the bank for failing to properly evaluate the companies’ viability and the market trend before offering loans. The scope of the ex-post analysis is based on the financial statement report starting from 2006 to determine the stability of Orrston Finacial services in the near future. The report also compares the approach used by MT Bank, which prides itself for having a conservative credit strategy though difference in size, reputation, financial and balance sheet statements. Challenges currently faced by Orrstown bank The biggest challenge that Orrstown bank faced was the cost of complying with the new regulations by the US government regarding accountability and transparency. Inability to pay its short-term liabilities in end of 2001 and first two quarters of 2012 posted negatively. However, operating income and cash ratio improved significantly. Market valuation for Orrstown is rather low and volatile compared to MT Ban ks marketing.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Proportional capital to assets level is 7-9% compared to MT with 10-13%. This ratio might create problem for Orrstown bank (Orrstown Financial case study; Annual Reports, 2006-2011†8). This table shows Orrstown Bank degree of survival in the market against MT High Orrstown Bank has a good market reputation and understanding of the economy compared to M T, though the management failed to use it when it was much required. This can be used as advantage to regain its position in the market with ease. Orrstown Bank capital and asset base is much high than MTs rate, which are $70 million and $11million respectively. This is a positive element for survival if performance is managed well. Its 1.5 billion asset worth guarantees its survival in the industry. Medium In 2011, Orrstown Bank lost $32 milion due to poo r commercial loan and $17 million in only 6 months (Orrstown Financial case study; Annual Reports, 2006-2011). This is a grave matter if not corrected in good times. Measures should be put in place to thoroughly evaluate all companies before loans are processed. Low Leadership requires experience and good qualifications. In the middle of August, David P. Boyle became a new CFO. This time his qualifications were in question and all achievements were unimpressive. If Orrstown can come up with criteria and strictly follow them, survival is guaranteed. Market lacks confidence in Orrstown Bank compared to MT. Their estimated P/B rations are 0.6 and 1.33 respectively (Orrstown Financial case study; Annual Reports, 2006-2011). It is fair to conclude that Increase in regulation and reduction in ROE might place Orrstown in a difficult situation. Recommendations Strictly Abiding US government financial regulation policy. Factual representation of the bank at all times to prevent any fut ure lawsuit by investors. Thorough evaluations of companies before loans are released. Timely research of economy and market trends to reduce dangers of none performing loans and take the right steps at the right time. Developing business that improves leadership. Orrstown Financial case study, Annual Reports, 2006-2011. Print. Orrstown-MT Financial Draft 2, Annual Report, 2006-2011. Print.

Aristotles Views on Women

Aristotles Views on Women Introduction Before the Greek physicians and philosophers of the Classical Age took up the question of the nature of women, the Greeks had serious attitudes toward women as revealed in their literature (Whaley 2003, p. 1). Generally, women were to be kept down, or some disaster would occur.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Aristotle’s Views on Women specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Ancient Greek society was fundamentally patriarchal in nature and women were always under the control of men. Women were never expected to be in charge of their own lives and were viewed essentially as evil creatures. According to Whaley (2003, p. 1), this perception can be traced back to the writings of the eighth century poet Hesiod. In one of his poems, Hesiod described human misfortunes as beginning from a woman’s curiosity. Ordinarily, the ancient Greeks tended to view women as being passive and weak. There were, however, differences in view points and the extent to which they believed such allegations. The question of whether or not women are capable of taking on certain responsibilities in society is related to the nature of the female. As such, Aristotle is of primary importance, for it is his views on the nature of women that have dominated Western civilization. With his ideologies, Aristotle thought he had provided a scientific basis for the traditional Greek belief in female inferiority (Harding Hintikka 2003). He was the first to dominate the western mind with a single theory of the concept of woman and provided a new or original definition of what it meant to be male or female. His views on women superseded those of earlier thinkers and persisted well into the early modern era.Advertising Looking for essay on philosophy? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Before Aristotle, there were philosophers who wrote on the subject of wom en and the female contribution to the reproductive process and his debate with his predecessors focused on the role of male and female in the reproductive process. Some scholars, however, held that both sexes were responsible for reproduction, a view that was the basis of their belief in some form of equality between the sexes. Aristotle’s View on Women Aristotle was the most influential non Christian source for ideas in many fields up to the seventeenth century. This had very unfortunate effects for women in general (Wiesner 2000, p. 18). Although he was Plato’s most brilliant student, he disagreed with many of his master’s theories. To Aristotle, women were imperfect men, the result of something wrong with the conception that created them. According to Aristotle, their parents were too young or too old, or too diverse in age, or one of them was not healthy. Nature always aimed at perfection, and Aristotle termed monstrous, anything less than perfect. A woman w as thus a deformity, but one which occurred in the ordinary course of nature. Aristotle’s remarks on women are generally regarded as the all-time low of his philosophy and science (Mayhew 2010, p. 1). The problem is not simply that he is wrong, nor is it simply that there are gaps in his reasoning. The problem, many believe, is that his views about women are the product of an ideological bias and not of honest science.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Aristotle’s Views on Women specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Besides his remarks on women representing gender prejudice, they are also dangerous and the source of many of the standard western arguments for the inferiority of womankind and political subordination of women to men at home and in society. In the same spirit, it is evidently the case that Aristotle’s account of women in particular and of the female gender in general both provide some kind of rationalization or accommodation of widespread Greek social attitudes (Marshall 2004, p. 25). According to Wiesner (2000, p. 10), Aristotle’s conception of women is, in general and in many details, false. Frequently, however, too little care is taken over rigorous scholarship on the part of some of his fiercest critics. Often, there is little concern for what precisely his views are on a particular issue. Nor is there much of concern with presenting support for the claim that his arguments about women are more than rationalization. There is a great deal of confusion over what Aristotle says in his biological writings about women and whether what he says about them is ideological (Green Mews 2011). This may in part be a result of the fact that, until fairly recently, scholars of ancient philosophy have tended to neglect Aristotle’s biological works including the history of animals, parts of animals, and generation of animals. Beginning in the twelfth century, theol ogians and religious writers, generally called scholastics, attempted to bring together the teachings of Aristotle and those of early Christian writers, into one grand philosophical system.Advertising Looking for essay on philosophy? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Thomas Aquinas, the most brilliant and thorough of the scholastics, synthesized classical and Christian ideas about women, stating that women’s inferiority was not simply the result of Eve’s actions, but was inherent in her original creation (Green Mews 2011). Based on Aristotle’s ideologies, Aquinas argued that even in procreation, the role of women was quite minimal, since the mother simply provided the material substance in the child while the father supplied the active force (Wiesner 2000, p. 18). Women needed male assistance in everything because of their physical and intellectual weakness, though they did have souls and so were responsible for their own salvation (Nussbaum 2001, p. 49). In Aristotle’s view, women are who they are because of their inability to produce semen (Warren 2008, p. 204). He considers men to be separate from women since they are better and more divine in that they are the principle of movement for generated things, while wom en serve as their matter. While still within the mother, a woman takes longer to develop than a man does. However, because women are weaker than men, everything reaches its perfection sooner in women than in men once birth has taken place (Warren 2008, p. 204). We should, therefore, look upon a woman’s state as though it were a deformity. Ethically, Aristotle considers man to be the master with many responsibilities such as being the head of the house. Whatever can be suitably performed by the woman is, however, handed to her by the husband. Politically, a husband rules over his wife as a constitutional requirement. Aristotle also says that the friendship of husband and wife â€Å"may even be a friendship of virtue, if they are good, for there is a virtue appropriate to each, and they can rejoice in this† (Harding Hintikka 2003). In Aristotle’s view, the virtues of women differ in kind and not in freedom from those of men. He thus quotes the popular view that à ¢â‚¬Å"silence brings glory to women† (Krikos Ingold 2004) Culture and Perceptions on Women It is not true that every thinker is guilty of rationalization. In fact, everyone is capable of objectivity. This does not, however, imply that a scientist works in a cultural vacuum, under no influence from his intellectual, historical, and social context (Green Mews 2011). There are numerous ways in which a cultural context limits or tends to limit a scientist. The nature of the debate and the key issues inherited by a scientist will tend to affect how he approaches an issue as will the state of the evidence and the period of scientific development in which a scientist works. Furthermore, the nature of society and social roles such as the status of women can create obstacles for the scientist. In Aristotle’s case, take for example the discussion of women’s role in generation. Because of how the issue was treated by scientists and non scientists, Aristotle discussed gene ration partly in terms of whether the woman contributed seed to generation (Nussbaum 2001, p. 53). Moreover, without a microscope, it was simply the case that there were certain conclusions about the nature of generation that he could not reach. Given the ancient conception of the woman as inferior to the male, there may well have been pressures on Aristotle o view the issue in a certain way, pressures not exerted on a geneticist working in the twenty first century. Cultural context sets limits to what a scientist can do and creates certain obstacles that may be difficult or even impossible to overcome. An important observation, however, is that a scientist is not trapped in this context (Krikos Ingold 2004). The context of his scientific theories is not determined or set in advance by the cultural context. One’s cultural context does not make objectivity impossible, at least not for those who are not ideologically biased. As a matter of fact, a scientist is quite capable of radically reassessing the views of his predecessors and of his culture (Warren 2008, p. 206). A lack of objectivity is not an inevitable consequence of working in a certain cultural context. It is the result of evasion, dishonesty, or other human failures. As noted by Mayhew (2010, p. 5), being influenced by one’s cultural context is not automatically evidence of ideological rationalization. For example, while almost all educated people today accept the view that women can philosophize, most people living around the Mediterranean in the fourth century B.C. were of a contrary opinion. This is, however, associated with the fact that they had few examples of women philosophizing (Green Mews 2011). Certainly, if this enormous lack of evidence for some belief is included in the meaning of social causation, then it provides no evidence of rationalization. As such, an ancient Greek denying the possibility of female philosophers would not necessarily involve any such false consciou sness. A further investigation can lead to the conclusion that a particular thinker who holds an obnoxious belief is excused of the charge of bias because of the cultural context within which he was working (Allen 2006, p. 115). Of course, if a thinker is cleared of such a charge, it does not mean that his ideas were formed or even deformed without any inclusion from the cultural context within which he was working. Although some people might hold that any negative view of women is acceptable, it may be necessary to consider whether a given negative claim in fact supports the interests of men at the expense of the interests of women (Foley 2009, p. 19). For example, one might posit that Aristotle’s claim that women contribute less to generation than men would affect how women are viewed and treated. In the present era, if a philosopher or scientist down played the role of women in generation, we would immediately reject the assumption as baseless and assume some kind of bias with a great deal of justification. It may, however, be wrong to immediately assume bias on the part of an ancient Greek thinker who made such claims considering that an ancient Greek biologist lacked a microscope and a long history of biological research to build on (Landau 2010, p. 22). It may very well be the case that, in ancient Mediterranean cultures around the time of Aristotle, women neither philosophized nor ruled. Conclusion Aristotle’s portrait of women is of tremendous importance in Western thought. It became a guide for attitudes to women in general, and because of his influence as a person, it became entrenched in Western culture. It should be noted, however, that there are other important and interesting accounts of Aristotle’s ideologies that make his views on women to appear very complex. For example, his understanding of women in the political world leads to a vision of hierarchy, but not submission on all levels. Although Aristotle does think that wo men are by nature inferior to men, he also thinks that there are many cases where nature does not fulfill itself, and in these, women may be superior to men (Wiesner 2000, p. 55). Thus, although men are superior to women by nature, not all men are better than all women. Moreover, Aristotle notes that men are rendered superior to women also by convention, but as in his discussion of slaves, he thinks that convention can be problematic. In the modern society, however, arguments presented by Aristotle to advance his ideologies can not be easily accepted. Numerous examples exist to show that women can actually perform better than men in a number of ways. Whether in politics, education, or at work, negative attitudes about women are quickly fading away. Reference List Allen, P 2006, The Concept of Woman: The Early Humanist Reformation, 1250-1500, Part 2, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, Cambridge, UK. Foley, HP 2009, Female Acts in Greek Tragedy, Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ. Gre en, K Mews CJ 2011, Virtue Ethics for Women 12501500, Springer Publishing, New York. Harding, SG Hintikka, MB 2003, Discovering Reality: Feminist Perspectives on Epistemology, Metaphysics, Methodology, and Philosophy of Science, Springer Publishing, New York. Krikos, LA Ingold, C 2004, Womens Studies: A Recommended Bibliography, Libraries Unlimited, Westport, CT. Landau, I 2010, Is Philosophy Androcentric?, Pennsylvania State University Press, University Park, PA. Marshall, T 2004, Aristotles Theory of Conduct, Kessinger Publishing, Whitefish, MT. Mayhew, R 2010, The Female in Aristotles Biology: Reason or Rationalization, University of Chicago Press, Chicago. Nussbaum, MC 2001, The Fragility of Goodness: Luck and Ethics in Greek Tragedy and Philosophy, Part 2, Cambridge University Press, New York, NY. Warren, KJ 2008, An Unconventional History of Western Philosophy: Conversations Between Men and Women Philosophers, Rowman Littlefield Publishers, Lanham, MA. Whaley, LA 2003, Wom ens History as Scientists: A Guide to the Debates, ABC-CLIO, Santa Barbara, California. Wiesner, ME 2000, Women and Gender in Early Modern Europa, Cambridge University Press, New York, NY.

Best Summary and Analysis The Great Gatsby

Best Summary and Analysis The Great Gatsby SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Maybe you’ve just finished The Great Gatsby and need some guidance for unpacking its complex themes and symbols. Or maybe it’s been awhile since you last read this novel, so you need a refresher on its plot and characters. Or maybe you’re in the middle of reading it and want to double check that you’re not missing the important stuff. Whatever you need - we’ve got you covered with this comprehensive summary of one of the great American novels of all time! Not only does this complete The Great Gatsby summary provide a detailed synopsis of the plot, but it’ll also give you: capsule descriptions for the book’s major characters, short explanations of most important themes, as well as links to in-depth articles about these and other topics. (Image: Molasz / Wikimedia Commons) Quick Note on Our Citations Our citation format in this guide is (chapter.paragraph). We're using this system since there are many editions of Gatsby, so using page numbers would only work for students with our copy of the book. To find a quotation we cite via chapter and paragraph in your book, you can either eyeball it (Paragraph 1-50: beginning of chapter; 50-100: middle of chapter; 100-on: end of chapter), or use the search function if you're using an online or eReader version of the text. The Great GatsbySummary: The Full Plot Our narrator, Nick Carraway, moves to the East Coast to work as a bond trader in Manhattan. He rents a small house in West Egg, a nouveau riche town in Long Island. In East Egg, the next town over, where old money people live, Nick reconnects with his cousin Daisy Buchanan, her husband Tom, and meets their friend Jordan Baker. Tom takes Nick to meet his mistress, Myrtle Wilson. Myrtle is married to George Wilson, who runs a gas station in a gross and dirty neighborhood in Queens. Tom, Nick, and Myrtle go to Manhattan, where she hosts a small party that ends with Tom punching her in the face. Nick meets his next-door neighbor, Jay Gatsby, a very rich man who lives in a giant mansion and throws wildly extravagant parties every weekend, and who is a mysterious person no one knows much about. Gatsby takes Nick to lunch and introduces him to his business partner - a gangster named Meyer Wolfshiem. Nick starts a relationship with Jordan. Through her, Nick finds out that Gatsby and Daisy were in love five years ago, and that Gatsby would like to see her again. Nick arranges for Daisy to come over to his house so that Gatsby can â€Å"accidentally† drop by. Daisy and Gatsby start having an affair. Tom and Daisy come to one of Gatsby’s parties. Daisy is disgusted by the ostentatiously vulgar display of wealth, and Tom immediately sees that Gatsby’s money most likely comes from crime. We learn that Gatsby was born intoa poor farming family as James Gatz. He has always been extremely ambitious, creating the Jay Gatsby persona as a way of transforming himself into a successful self-made man - the ideal of the American Dream. Nick, Gatsby, Daisy, Tom, and Jordan get together for lunch. At this lunch, Daisy and Gatsby are planning to tell Tom that she is leaving him. Gatsby suddenly feels uncomfortable doing this in Tom’s house, and Daisy suggests going to Manhattan instead. In Manhattan, the five of them get a suite at the Plaza Hotel where many secrets come out. Gatsby reveals that Daisy is in love with him. Tom in turn reveals that Gatsby is a bootlegger, and is probably engaged in other criminal activities as well. Gatsby demands that Daisy renounce Tom entirely, and say that she has never loved him. Daisy can’t bring herself to say this because it isn’t true, crushing Gatsby’s dream and obsession. It’s clear that their relationship is over and that Daisy has chosen to stay with Tom. That evening, Daisy and Gatsby drive home in his car, with Daisy behind the wheel. When they drive by the Wilson gas station, Myrtle runs out to the car because she thinks it’s Tom driving by. Daisy hits and kills her, driving off without stopping. Nick, Jordan, and Tom investigate the accident. Tom tells George Wilson that the car that struck Myrtle belongs to Gatsby, and George decides that Gatsby must also be Myrtle’s lover. That night, Gatsby decides to take the blame for the accident. He is still waiting for Daisy to change her mind and come back to him, but she and Tom skip town the next day. Nick breaks up with Jordan because she is completely unconcerned about Myrtle’s death. Gatsby tells Nick some more of his story. As an officer in the army, he met and fell in love with Daisy, but after a month had to ship out to fight in WWI. Two years later, before he could get home, she married Tom. Gatsby has been obsessed with getting Daisy back since he shipped out to fight five years earlier. The next day, George Wilson shoots and kills Gatsby, and then himself. The police leave the Buchanans and Myrtle’s affair out of the report on the murder-suicide. Nick tries to find people to come to Gatsby’s funeral, but everyone who pretended to be Gatsby’s friend and came to his parties now refuses to come. Even Gatsby’s partner Wolfshiem doesn’t want to go to the funeral. Wolfshiem explains that he first gave Gatsby a job after WWI and that they have been partners in many illegal activities together. Gatsby’s father comes to the funeral from Minnesota. He shows Nick a self-improvement plan that Gatsby had written for himself as a boy. Disillusioned with his time on the East coast, Nick decides to return to his home in the Midwest. Other Ways to Study the Plot of The Great Gatsby See what happens when in actual chronological order and without flashbacks in our Great Gatsby timeline. Read our individualThe Great Gatsby chapter summariesfor more in-depth details about plot, important quotes and character beats, and how the novel’s major themes get reflected: Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Learn the significance behind the novel’s title, itsbeginning, and its ending. List of the Major Characters in The Great Gatsby Click on each character's name to read an in-depth article analyzing their place in the novel. Nick Carraway - our narrator, but not the book’s main character. Coming East from the Midwest to learn the bond business, Nick is horrified by the materialism and superficiality he finds in Manhattan and Long Island. He ends up admiring Gatsby as a hopeful dreamer and despising the rest of the people he encounters. Jay Gatsby - a self-made man who is driven by his love for, and obsession with, Daisy Buchanan. Born a poor farmer, Gatsby becomes materially successful through crime and spends the novel trying to recreate the perfect love he and Daisy had five years before. When she cannot renounce her marriage, Gatsby’s dream is crushed. Daisy Buchanan - a very rich young woman who is trapped in a dysfunctional marriage and oppressed by her meaningless life. Daisy has an affair with Gatsby, but is ultimately unwilling to say that she has been as obsessed with him as he has with her, and goes back to her unsatisfying, but also less demanding, relationship with her husband, Tom. Tom Buchanan - Daisy’s very rich, adulterous, bullying, racist husband. Tom is having a physically abusiveaffair with Myrtle Wilson. He investigates Gatsby and reveals some measure of his criminal involvement, demonstrating to Daisy that Gatsby isn’t someone she should run off with. After Daisy runs over Myrtle Wilson, Tom makes up with Daisyand they skip town together. Jordan Baker - a professional golfer who has a relationship with Nick. At first, Jordan is attractive because of her jaded, cynical attitude, but then Nick slowly sees that her inveterate lying and her complete lack of concern for other people are deal breakers. Myrtle Wilson - the somewhat vulgar wife of a car mechanic who is unhappy in her marriage. Myrtle is having an affair with Tom, whom she likes for his rugged and brutal masculinity and for his money. Daisy runs Myrtle over, killing herin agruesome and shocking way. George Wilson - Myrtle’s browbeaten, weak, and working class husband. George is enraged when he finds out about Myrtle’s affair, and then that rage is transformed into unhinged madness when Myrtle is killed. George kills Gatsby and himself in the murder-suicide that seems to erase Gatsby and his lasting impact on the world entirely. Other Ways to Study Great Gatsby Characters Need a refresher on all the other people in this book? Check out our overview of the charactersor dive deeper with our detailed character analyses. Get some help for tackling the common assignment of comparing and contrasting the novel’s characters. Start gathering relevant character quotesto beef up your essay assignments with evidence from the text. List of the Major Themes in The Great Gatsby Get a broadoverview of the novel’s themes, or click on each theme to read a detailed individual analysis. Money and Materialism- the novel is fascinated by how people make their money, what they can and can’t buy with it, and how the pursuit of wealth shapes the decisions people make and the paths their lives follow. In the novel, is it possible to be happy without a lot of money? Is it possible to be happy with it? Society and Class- the novel can also be read as a clash between the old money set and the nouveau riche strivers and wannabes that are trying to either become them or replace them. If the novel ends with the strivers and the poor being killed off and the old money literally getting away with murder, who wins this class battle? The American Dream- does the novel endorse or mock the dream of the rags-to-riches success story, the ideal of the self-made man? Is Gatsby a successful example of what’s possible through hard work and dedication, or a sham whose crime and death demonstrate that the American Dream is a work of fiction? Love, Desire, and Relationships- most of the major characters are driven by either love or sexual desire, but none of these connections prove lasting or stable. Is the novel saying that these are destructive forces, or is just that these characters use and feel them in the wrong way? Death and Failure - a tone of sadness and elegy (an elegy is a song of sadness for the dead) suffuses the book, as Nick looks back at a summer that ended with three violent deaths and the defeat of one man’s delusional dream. Areambition and overreach doomed to this level of epic failure, orare theyexamples of the way we sweep the past under the rug when looking to the future? Morality and Ethics - despite the fact that most of the characters in this novel cheat on their significant others, one is an accidental killer, one is an actual criminal, and one a murderer, at the end of the novel no one is punished either by the law or by public censure. Is there a way to fix the lawless, amoral, Wild East that this book describes, or does the replacement of God with a figure from a billboard mean that this is a permanent state of affairs? The Mutability of Identity - the key to answering the title’s implied questions (What makes Gatsby great? Is Gatsby great?) is whether it is possible to change oneself for good, or whether past history and experiences leave their marks forever. Gatsby wants to have it both ways: to change himself from James Gatz into a glamorous figure, but also to recapitulate and preserve in amber a moment from his past with Daisy. Does he fail because it’s impossible to change? Because it’s impossible to repeat the past? Or both? Other Ways to Study Great Gatsby Themes Often, themes are represented by the a novel's symbols. Check out our overview of the main symbols in The Great Gatsby, or click on an individual symbol for a deeper exploration of its meaning and relevance: The green light at the end of Daisy's dock The eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg The valley of ashes Themes are also often reinforced by recurring motifs. Delve into a guide to the way motifs color and enrich this work. The Bottom Line Our guide toThe Great Gatsbyoffers a variety of ways to study the novel's: plot characters themes symbols motifs Use our analysis, gathered quotations, and description for help with homework assignments, tests, and essays on this novel. What’s Next? More Great Gatsby Analysis and Study Guides! Understand how the book is put together by looking at its genre, narrator, andsetting. Learn the background of and context for the novel in our explanations of the history of the composition of the bookand the biography of F. Scott Fitzgerald. Get a sense of how the novel has been adapted by reading about its many film versions. Hammer out the nitty gritty basics of the novel’s hardest vocab words. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now: