Barista Ccd Starbucks Costa Coffee

Building the Starbucks Brand So far, Starbucks has spent very little money on advertising, preferring instead to build the brand cup by cup with customers and depend on word-of-mouth and the appeal of its storefronts. The company was, however, engaged in a growing effort to extend the Starbucks brand and penetrate new markets. In addition to expanding internationally, venturing into ice cream with Dreyer's and into Frappuccino with Pepsi, partnering with licensees, and developing specialty and mail-order sales. STARBUCKS MISSION â€Å"To inspire and nurture the human spirit— one person, one cup, and one neighbourhood at a time. EXPERIENCE is about these 3 P’s: 1. People- the baristas and their connection with customers. 2. Place – the physical stores, their design and aroma 3. Product – the beverages, food, and merchandise 4. Price – 5. Promotion – 6. Physical Evidence – 7. Process – †¢(People & Product) Customer connectio n and a fresh, hand-made beverage. The newer automatic machines that replaced the La Marzoccos are faster, but blocked the visual sight line the customer previously had to watch the drink being made, and for the intimate experience with the barista. It seems that the personal connection between the baristas and the customers is the core of their experience. †¢(Place) The Aroma. â€Å"†¦ The loss of our people scooping fresh coffee from the bins and grinding it fresh in front of the customer, †¦Ã¢â‚¬  Some say the sale of hot food has detracted from the coffee aroma that customers attach to Starbucks stores. †¢(Place) Store Design. Design of their stores has taken on a more streamlined feel to gain efficiencies. But that resulted in the stores losing their charm and uniqueness. Starbucks has â€Å"stores that no longer have the soul of the past and reflect a chain of stores vs. he warm feeling of a neighborhood store. Some people even call the stores sterile, c ookie cutter, no longer reflecting the passion their partners feel about our coffee. † †¢(Product) Coffee related merchandise. As a purveyor of fine coffee and tea, Starbucks has struggled as of late to get their merchandise to reflect their brand and their history. â€Å"Some stores don’t have coffee grinders, French presses from Bodum, or even coffee filters. † A more focused approach would be: (a)Participating in social media and (b) Gathering customer suggestions would be easier for a company with no meaningful social media experience to manage. It would also make it easier for Starbucks customers to follow-along. The current MyStarbucksIdea website is already unwieldy — lots of wayward ideas have been suggested and many of the ideas suggested are repeated numerous times in various categories. This website will only get more unwieldy. Points of difference: 1. Starbucks provides its customers with a Starbucks Card through which they can have an easy and fast access to the menu items and discounts. These cards are customizable and can be designed by the customers themselves as per their likings. 2. Starbucks follows an environment friendly drive in which every time a customer brings a reusable travel mug gets a 10 cent discount on any Starbucks beverage, anytime. Starbucks passion for reducing cup waste did not start with the Green Project. Since 1985, they have offered a discount to customers who bring in a reusable travel mug and will continue doing so. This is just one of the ways they are fulfilling their commitment to environmental stewardship while working towards a long-term goal of 100% reusable or recyclable cups by 2015. 3. It also offers its customers with various coffee and tea gifts. Customers can register and participate in a 3 months program in which they are sent special exotic flavors of coffee from around the world. BARISTA As of today, Barista exists in over 22 cities, and operates over 140 outlets nationally. In the last 2 years, Barista has opened over 100 outlets in the country and with a new outlet opening nationally every 14 dates, Barista is currently experiencing phenomenal growth. With outlets opening in Sri Lanka and Dubai, Barista is looking at potential growth opportunities in Asia, making it highly competitive international brand. Product Source: Barista sources its coffee beans from around the world, but a major supplier is TATA Coffee, part of the TATA Group that owns a large stake holding in Barista. These coffee beans are then sent to Venice, Italy where they are roasted into a blend exclusively for Barista. The food and desserts at Barista is exclusively catered to by the Taj, who ensures a high standard of quality with all its products. Barista also sells merchandise through its store, all of which is imported. The merchandise accounts for nearly 1/6th of Barista’s overall sales. Barista has a check on the quality of its products every 14 days. Barista also incorporates TQM at its headquarters in Delhi. Since Delhi is the base for all its distribution, quality control measures are adopted there to avoid any poor quality products being distributed. Pricing: Barista has a ‘Skim Pricing Policy’. They began with a higher price, and skimmed the cream for the market. With the sudden spurt of growth in number of outlets, came the benefits of economies of scale. Because of this, they have been able to gradually lower their prices, and appeal to different segments of their target market. Currently, their prices are the lowest they have ever been, and they can competitively match their prices against Cafe Coffee Day’s prices. The prices are constantly changing though, and the last 1-year has seen 3 changes (mostly reductions) in prices. This gradual price reduction meant that Barista could maintain its profit- maximization policy until it could earn large cost savings because of the benefits of high volume. The main factors that affect their pricing are their cost of goods sold. The costs are quite high because imports a majority of its products and product- sources. ? Process: The order and delivery process at Barista is based on self-service, where a customer goes up to the counter to place his order, and goes back to the counter to pick his delivery once it is prepared. Brand Image: Barista positions itself as a brand for anyone who loves coffee. Their products, services and outlets are more like the traditional European cafes, where people would meet for the love of coffee, and for an intellectual appealing time. They position their outlets as a place â€Å"where the world meets†, and they look to appeal to anyone in the 14- 60 age group that loves good coffee and looks for a nice quiet time. Products: Barista’s product mix constitutes a wide range of products that appeal primarily to traditional coffee lovers. Their products themselves are traditional products with traditional names. Food items like croissant, pastas, and sandwiches are complimentary to their coffee, and project a very classic image of Barista. Their merchandising also consists of primarily coffee related products like coffee beans, coffee machines, etc. Prices: Considering that Barista is trying to target a market whose age range is between 18 and 60 years, a pricing policy appealing to this segment is difficult. Extremely low prices act as a deterrent to some customers who might regard it as an indicator or quality, while very high prices cannot be afforded by most of the youth. But since Barista’s current consumer profile is quite young, their prices are mostly inexpensive, and at par with their competitors. People: The people at Barista are characteristically trained to be Pleasant, Polite and Positive. They ensure you have a quiet, uninterrupted visit and provide an escape from the daily pressures of life. Their uniforms are in sober shades of brown and orange, and contribute to the overall laid-back feeling of the cafe. Physical Evidence: Logo, Colors, Images: Barista, since the beginning has looked to use colors in its cafe interiors, logos and images; to project a â€Å"warm, earth glow, synonymous with coffee†. Barista uses shades of Orange & Brown to good effect to promote its â€Å"laid- back† atmosphere. The logo is a combination of Brown, Orange and Light Yell ow; with the word â€Å"Barista† written in an upward curve, and the word â€Å"Coffee† underneath. A simple logo that perfectly expresses Barista’s brand image, A traditional cafe for coffee lovers. Decor and Architecture: Barista’s internal decor and architecture expresses the simplicity you would normally associate with traditional cafes. The furniture is made of light shades of wood, and there are comfortable sofas in bigger cafes. The walls are shades of orange, with various photographs of the love for coffee spread around each outlet. Literature: The literature provided by Barista is indicative of its brand image. The menus, posters, pamphlets are all traditionally designed, with a classic and simple look. One aspect of particular note is their magazine, which is privately circulated in the cafes. The magazine encourages customers write, draw, make etc anything creative; and this is then published in the magazine. The magazine not only provides an avenue for advertising, but also an opportunity for Barista to express its brand image. ? Place: Barista looks to cater to their target market with strategically located outlets. Their outlets are generally located at High Street/ Family Entertainment Centers. Considering their generic appeal, there are Barista outlets in and around Malls, Cinemas, Colleges, and Offices etc. his endorses their brand image of a cafe that appeals to coffee lovers of all ages. Promotions: Barista currently carries out mass promotion campaigns. This is mainly in the form of promotions in the Press, TV and Radio Medias. At present, they do not rely heavily on advertising, but rely more on sponsorships and strategic alliances with other corporations. Barista also takes part in various sales promotion activities to help increase sales at their outlets. a) S ponsorships: Barista sponsors various events and festivals, which provides them valuable promotion directed at strategic markets. The sponsorships are mainly in kind, although major events are sponsored in cash also. b) Sales Promotion: Barista uses a special â€Å"Barista Coffee Card† for its sales promotion activities. Barista Coffee Card entitles you to one complimentary hot beverage when you are done sipping seven. It is available to all Barista coffee regulars. No membership fees, no references required. Fill out the card and you are a member. As a Coffee Card holder, you earn one stamp on the card every time you purchase a beverage. Simply present the card to the cashier when you place your order at any of their outlets. Once you have collected seven stamps, you can hand over the card to receive your complimentary hot beverage. Barista hopes this card can help drive sales growth, and increase customer retention. COSTA COFFEE When you walk into a Costa store you'll notice it's different to other coffee shops. First of all, there's the warm and welcoming atmosphere. Then the great range of authentic coffee drinks. Next the Ferrari of coffee machines. And finally, the most passionate and well trained baristas around. It's this unique combination that makes them stand out from the others. Costa believes that Hand-making a cup of coffee is an art. It takes time and skill to perfect. That's why every single barista, in every single Costa store is professionally trained in the art of coffee by experts. It's a little thing, but it makes a big difference, because it means you'll get a perfect cup of Costa coffee every time. †¢Costa Coffee has overtaken Starbucks as the leading coffee chain in the UK †¢The company has reported strong sales due to aggressive expansion †¢Costa now has more UK stores than Starbucks †¢Costa aims to double store numbers by 2013 Costa is to boost its UK growth through tie-ins with retailers and grocery stores †¢The company is planning an aggressive global expansion strategy, focused on under-represented countries †¢The company is expanding its India-located stores, aiming to make the country its third largest in terms of store numbers †¢Costa trains its coffee roasters at a special academy, highlighting its aims to create a premium coffee drinking experience †¢The company markets its traditional roasting methods as a key point of difference †¢The company has addressed ethical consumer concerns through new coffee sources and a coffee foundation †¢Costa is set to become the first major coffee chain to source its coffee through the Rainforest Alliance ? CCD CAFE COFFEE DAY VALUES- PRISM PRIDE – I take pride in my work and in my organization. RESPECT – I respect my customers, my subordinates, my peers and my superiors. INTEGRITY – I will show the highest level of integrity towards my work and my company under all circumstances. SELF – DISCIPLINE – I will imbibe and practice self-discipline in all my daily activities. MOTIVATION – I will always be motivated to give the best for my organization, my team and my customers. ? MISSION STATEMENT INTRODUCTION Coffee Day sources coffee from 5000 acres of coffee estates, the 2nd largest in Asia, that is owned by a sister concern and from 11,000 small growers. It is one of India’s leading coffee exporters with clients across USA, Europe & Japan. With its roots in the golden soil of Chickmaglur, the home of some of the best Indian Coffees and with the vision of a true entrepreneur nurturing it, Coffee Day has its business spanning the entire value chain of coffee consumption in India. Its different divisions include: Coffee Day Fresh n Ground (which owns 350 Coffee bean and powder retail outlets), Coffee Day Xpress (which owns 251 Coffee Day Kiosk), Coffee Day Take away (which owns 7000 Vending Machines), Coffee Day Exports and Coffee Day Perfect (FMCG Packaged Coffee) division. Cafe Coffee Day (CCD) pioneered the cafe concept in India in 1996 by opening its first cafe at Brigade Road in Bangalore. Till about the late 1990’s coffee drinking in India was restricted to the intellectual, the South Indian traditionalist and the five star coffee shop visitor. As the pure (as opposed to instant coffee) coffee cafe culture in neighbouring international markets grew, the need for a relaxed and fun â€Å"hangout† for the emerging urban youth in the country was clearly seen. Recognizing the potential that lay ahead on the horizon, Cafe Coffee Day embarked on a dynamic journey to become a large organized retail cafe chain with a distinct brand identity of its own. From a handful of cafes in six cites in the first 5 years, CCD has become India’s largest and premier retail chain of cafes with 251 cafes in 58 cities around the country. Cafe Coffee Day introduced the cafe culture in India with its first cafe at Brigade Road in Bangalore in 1996. There has been no looking back for their company from then till now, in fact they have grown from strength to strength. Cafe Coffee day is the regular meeting place for 18 to 35 year olds, both male and female, who are waited on by friendly and informed staff, and are offered the best made, hot or cold , in an invigorating ambience. They provide invigorating ambience and excellent customer service clubbed with excellent coffee to their customers. About the Logo For a brand to stand out and be successful there has to be a personal commitment from staff at all levels. The target customers must identify with it. It should be vibrant and have a â€Å"life† of its own. Liveliness, growth, fun and passion depicts the brand, the customers, the staff and the future– this is embodied in this design and colour. Cafe Coffee Day, has unveiled its strategy to strengthen its leadership position with an all new brand identity that syncs with its vision to be the friendly and stylish social hub. Developed from in-depth dialogue with customers, coffee lovers and stakeholders, the new change entails an all new smart menu, changes in furniture design and placement, new uniforms, new cutlery and total cafe rebranding. The famous Cafe Coffee Day squared logo in its fresh new avatar – a ‘Dialogue Box’ – with the words Cafe Coffee Day written in a distinct, specially created font. The new trendy dialogue logo symbolizes the essence of what a Cafe Coffee Day cafe is all really all about – a perfect place to ‘relax and dialogue’. And as we all know, a lot does happen over coffee! ? BUSINESS ASSOCIATION CCD has emerged as an interactive alternative media for brands to communicate with the ‘young at heart’. Other media, such as electronic, print and outdoor, offer brand communication through visual and audio modes to a large section of the populace, both relevant and irrelevant. Cafe Coffee Day offers a much more interactive, targeted communication, sometimes adding even a taste dimension to a brand idea! Various in-cafe collaterals used to impart visibility to a brand inside a cafe or to add the element of interactivity to a campaign are Posters, Tent Cards, Danglers, Leaflets, Brochures, Coasters, Drop boxes, Contest Forms, Stirrers, Standees etc. Over the years, CCD has successfully promoted a number of brands/products/events through various innovative tactics and promo ideas. Cashing in on its mass captive audience. ? DEPARTMENTS AT CAFE COFFEE DAY BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT: The team decides upon a suitable site where the cafes can be set up. They identify, shortlist, and finalize a site by negotiating with property owners. A significant effort is involved in getting legal clearances and statutory compliances. After all formalities are completed, the site is handed over to the projects team. The projects team comprises of some of the best designers who ensure that the coffee culture is spread across the country through beautiful outlets, They are in touch with a lot of property owners who are interested in franchising and licensing CCD. They normally take up places on long lease. All new cafes are built with a standardized design and the look of the cafe is in sync with the brand positioning. They aim to build cafes in the shortest possible time, at the least possible costs to capital outlay. OPERATIONS: This team achieves their sales objectives and is responsible for the daily running of their cafes in a profitable manner. Customer interaction is very important for this team, as they are the ones who interface with the customer and provide them with a satisfactory service and product experience. Cafe managers train all their employees who are involved in day-to-day operations. The cafe staff is their brand ambassador. The brand image of cafe coffee day is and will be reflected through them by the way they dress, behave and carry themselves , both within the organization and outside. They are the face of the company since they will be the first point of interaction with the customer. FOOD AND BEVERAGES (F & B): CCD are a lot more than coffee. Apart from serving the best coffee in the country they also serve a wide assortment of savories and desserts. The various coffee concoctions that they serve are the creations of their F&B team. They also ensure the highest level of hygiene and food quality. They impart training to the team on the preparation of the best quality of coffees and food at their cafes. The F&B team sources and manages vendors who supply food to the cafes. †¢Quality checks Quality checks take place all the time and in several aspects. The operational in-charge will go around checking business, record keeping, service and check the feedback forms. The food in-charge will look at the way food is being stored, coffee is being made, what is the time take to extract the coffee and so on. Marketing person will go about checking displays, how the merchandise are displayed. MARKETING: The marketing team is responsible for the brand positioning and all brand building activities that result in increased sales and greater visibility. They are also responsible for the various sales promotion activities and tie-ups. This team designs and manages the merchandise category, which is displayed and sold at their cafes. They constantly track loyalty programs and promotions at the cafes to help maximize sales. HUMAN RESOURCE AND TRAINING: The HR team deals with all matters pertaining to people within their team. They are responsible for recruitment and selection at all levels from team members to the management staff. They are responsible for employee salaries, career development and counseling. Constant efforts are made for employee up gradation in terms of improving skills and job satisfaction to meet the aspirations of all employees. FINANCE / ACCOUNTS: They look after the day to day accounting and financial activities and also provide them with the financial reports, which will help them, find out the profitability of the outlet. They help them reduce the costs and ensure compliance and fiscal discipline at the cafes. ? QUESTIONNAIRE Name: Age: Occupation: Gender: Question 1: Name any three Cafe Chains that you know. 1. ________________________ 2. ________________________ 3. ________________________ Question 2: How often do you visit a Coffee Shop? ?2-3 times a week ?Once a week ?Once a Month ?Very Rarely Question 3: How much money do you spend on an average visit to a Coffee Shop? ?Less than Rs. 70 ?Rs. 70-120 ?Rs. 120-150 ?Greater than Rs. 150 Question 4: How much time do you spend at a Coffee Shop? ?Less than ? hours to 1 hour ?1 to 2 hours ?Greater than 2 hours Question 5: Why do you go to a Coffee shop? ?Only for the Coffee ?To enjoy and have a Fun filled time To catch up with friends ?For group activities ?Specify if any Other:____________________________ Question 6: What do you look for when you choose a Coffee Shop to go to? ?Convenience ?Ambience ?Service ?Quality of Food ?Price Question 7: What factors according to you are applicable in case of Cafe Coffee Day? ?Convenience ?Ambience ?Ser vice ?Quality of Food ?Price Question 8: Mark the Cafe brands known to you. ?Cafe Coffee Day ?Costa Coffee ?Starbucks ?Barista ?Beans And Brews Question 9: Rank the factors in order of your preference for the following Brands. COSTA COFFEESTARBUCKSBARISTA CONVENIENCE / ACCESSIBILITY AMBIENCE SERVICE QUALITY OF FOOD PRICE

Atwood presents women in the novel? Essay

   Atwood includes in the novel Offred as a young child watching her mother burning pornographic magazines because she wants her readers to question how far the women in the society at the time the novel was set involved in creating the Gilead regime; feminists takes part in activities such as campaigning against pornographic materials and disrupting beauty contests because they believe that they are degrading to women, Atwood is saying that by protesting against such, they are agreeing that censorship should be brought in and that women should be ‘protected’ from such material; at the heart of the Gilead regime is the ‘protection women’. Margaret Atwood is challenging militant feminists to decide at what cost are they ready to pay in order create the matriarchal society they are campaigning for. Also Atwood is warning the readers that the notion of the need ‘protect women’ can be dangerous; it could slip from a demand for more freedom to a kind of neo-Victorianism, after all it was the need to ‘protect women’ that justified all manners of women subordination in the 19th Century including confining women to the kitchen and barring them from voting. Before writing this novel, Atwood collected newspaper clippings and reporting events from the feminist movement, religious right-wing groups and various cultural practices around the world so, this tangled debate could also be referring to the views contemporary Islamic women who argues that the veil and the all-enveloping clothing is aimed at dealing with sexual harassment and sexual objectification. By including this in the novel, Margaret Atwood is warning her reader to be careful of such promises; the language is feminist, but the results could be deeply patriarchal-as it is in the book. Throughout, Atwood presents different types of women and their different responses to the patriarchal regime of Gilead, two of which are Janine and Moira. Moira is flamboyantly unconventional and possesses unshakeable self-assurance, refusing to subscribe to the ideologies of Gilead by her subversive attitude to life. Atwood presents Moira as a symbol of hope for Offred. Like Offred, her function in Gilead is to conceive, but she does not let this bother her as she sees herself escaping Gilead one day, in fact it is this determination that helps her escape the mental madness. Moira in the novel is also portrayed as an asset to the other handmaids in the Red Centre because her seditious humour is used as a weapon against the tyranny of the Aunts. The author also presents Moira as the voice of reason e. g. in chapter 28, Offred tells of how critical Moira was when she found out that Offred was involved in an extra-marital affair with Luke â€Å"she disapprove back then. Not of Luke but the fact that he was married†. As mentioned before, feminism is not a uniform body of thought hence different feminists have different feminist beliefs; Margaret Atwood is using the character of Moira to show the readers the other strands of feminism. Moira is a lesbian and like Offred’s mother, she is also a politically aware feminist and conscious of her right as women but unlike Offred’s mother, she does not have to go to extreme lengths to fight for equality; Moira’s idea of feminism is being assertive as a women and being loyal to other women (hence she accuses Offred of â€Å"stealing† Luke) Moira’s reluctance to conform to rules of Gilead is crucial to her mental stability and her survival. Margaret Atwood contrast Moira’s reluctance to subscribe to the ideologies of Gilead with Janine, who deeply believes and accepts the Gilead regime. Janine is both a victim of freedom and oppression. In the novel, we told that as a handmaid, she was left to wound her own emotional scares when her baby was declared ‘unborn’ and destroyed because it was deformed and also that before the Gilead regime she was gang-raped something she is made to believe by the Aunts that it is her fault â€Å"her fault, her fault, we chant in unison†. There are great parallels between these events; in each case, she is a powerless individual, victimised as a women and her baby is destroyed. Janine’s fragility reinforces Moira’s inner strength. Janine’s drift into madness in chapter 43 serves as Atwood’s way of telling the readers that people can not be forced into believing in something imposed on them and that true converts of the Gilead regime are eventually into driven insane by the system’s inhumane practices. Page 1 of 3 Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Margaret Atwood section.

Developing leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Developing leadership - Essay Example However, introducing these data systems to health facilities in rural areas that have operated manually for so long may present certain challenges. This is because many of the employees as well as the facility itself may consider the effects of the data systems overwhelming. This paper will discuss the challenges faced by healthcare facilities in their efforts to adopt technology. Healthcare facilities have exhibited their commitment in adopting technology with the purpose of delivering quality services to the customers. The main role of healthcare facilities is to provide quality healthcare to patients. Many factors in the healthcare system and management system of the facility may compromise the quality of the healthcare delivered to patients. For example, the manual system that relies on book records and is the only available form of communication between nurses and doctors as well as other medical practitioners wastes a lot of time that could find use in delivering prompt healthcare to patients. This explains why healthcare facilities are adopting data systems that can replace the manual records. The data systems offer an interconnected platform whereby all the practitioners can consult on the health needs of a certain patients, share data concerning the patient’s progress, diagnostics, prescriptions, and assessments of the efficiency of drugs1. Fr om the reception point in the healthcare facilities, health history of the patients as well as the demographic factors defines the patient’s entry into the data system. Patients can access information concerning their healthcare needs from any of the practitioners because the data systems circulate across the healthcare facility. However, despite the numerous benefits presented by the adoption of database systems in the healthcare facilities, certain challenges are noticeable. One of the

History of China Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

History of China - Essay Example Mao used an approach similar to that of Qin dynasty that is ruling with spreading fear and hatred against himself due to his policies and style. After his victory over Chiang Kai-shek in 1949 that was a communist leader, and the creating of the People's Republic of China, Mao's position was seen as very strong in China. Although Chinese people had endured a lot during this time, but it seemed not too hard for Mao to persuade them of his visionary force and practical need for the Great Leap Forward of the late 1950s and he was successful in doing so. Despite the deaths of millions he caused, Mao was both a creative thinker and a practical person. He learned as a youth not only how Shang Yang a previous Qin Dynasty leader brought cruel laws to the Chinese people. Mao also knew that the Qin rulers had been both hated and feared and that there dynasty was soon ended due to their actions, despite its strength of force and efficient use of terror. Finally Mao died in 1976 but left a mark o n the history of China. Mao had difficulty during his time to establish a successful domestic economic and social policy for China. In 1958, Mao placed a Great Leap Forward, which was mainly a trial to break with the Russian model of Communism and to fill the Chinese people with renewed radical energy. Approximately 20-30 million people died in the food crisis as the program badly failed, between the years 1958-61. Thus, Mao withdrew temporarily from public view. As the result of the failure, help from Soviet Union also ended which was another shock for China. The major cause of the failing of every strategy implied by Chairman Mao whether its socialism, capitalism, dictatorship or democracy was his way of ruling over the people. A solid proof is his continuous changing of the five-year plan. Chairman Mao is held in high regard in China and is often portrayed as a great revolutionary leader and a military and political genius. He led China through difficult times such as of the War of Resistance and the Ci vil War and changed China from a weak country into a major power through his social and economic reforms. However a number of the reforms put into action by Mao have been condemned and held responsible by critics from inside and across the borders of the territory of China to result in stern harm to the culture, economy, society, and foreign relations of the country on the whole. Mao launched the First Five Year Plan in 1953-58. It aimed to end Chinese reliance upon agriculture in order to become a world power. With assistance from USSR, new plants were set-up and agricultural production declined heavily and low enough from the point where the industrialization prospered enough that the country needed no further support from the USSR. The success of the First Five Year Plan gave confidence to Mao to instigate the Second Five Year Plan, the Great Leap Forward, in 1958, which turned out to be a major failure because of his tyranny. The opposition against him was so large and strong that he had to take some action, which he did in the form of massive killings. Another reason for the failing of all kinds of reforms implemented by Chairman Mao was the motive behind them. According to many writers this is proved that every five-year plan and every social or economic policy Chairman Mao implemented was to reduce the power of his opponents or was to eliminate them. During the Great Leap Fo

Research Paper on Children Toys Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

On Children Toys - Research Paper Example In addition to this the educator also needs to take into deliberation few factors while indulging in toy purchases. The factors in relation to the toys purchased for the children should entail aspects such as cost-effectiveness, ensuring creative prospects for the children along with the safety feature of such toys. While purchasing toys it a vigilant examination of the design of the toys needs to be conducted in order to ascertain the sharp and pointed corners which might harm the children. The children needs to be kept away from materials like knives, blades and other sorts of sharp materials as these might result in creating a sense of violence and power among the children (National Association for the Education of Young Children, â€Å"Good Toys for Young Children by Age and Stage†). There are a numbers of factors which requires to be considered while purchasing toys for the children among which few have been explained below: Children’s’ Age It is quite impor tant that the toys selected for the children must comply with their age and stage. It should also meet the basic safety requirements identified with regard to the children (National Association for the Education of Young Children, â€Å"Good Toys for Young Children by Age and Stage†). ... Safety Aspects Every parent needs to ensure increased cautiousness with regard to the safety needs of their children. Hence, the toys selected for their children must be non toxic in nature, well painted and should be completely non-harmful for the children (National Association for the Education of Young Children, â€Å"Good Toys for Young Children by Age and Stage†). Educational Aspects Toys selected for the children should entail characteristics for the purpose of enhancing and developing skills within the children such as promoting emotional and intellectual characteristics. The toys selected must serve dual functions by helping the children to learn and understand new things and also by serving the purpose of an object to play with thus, providing increased degree of fun to the children (National Association for the Education of Young Children, â€Å"Good Toys for Young Children by Age and Stage†). Part 2 Toys for Six to Twelve Months Old Children Usually the child ren of 6 to 12 months of age slowly move towards comprehending their surroundings. At this stage the babies are learnt to make attempts in order to stand by taking the support of furniture or such other things. For this particular age group toys such as dolls, wooden vehicles, water toys, musical toys and balls are considered to be quite appropriate. Dolls are the image of the human beings which are found to be available in different sizes, shapes and colors. These toys are believed to aid the children in comprehending the diverse form of emotions and along with triggering the development of certain skills. Wooden toys are found to be quite cheaper in comparison to the plastic toys. It also needs to be

Jazz Music Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Jazz Music - Essay Example In fact the pecuniary limitations of the multi million dollar music publishing business make it necessary to package musical genres with appropriate labels so as to facilitate their mass marketing and sale. Yet, there exists one musical genre that defies all definitions and commercial constraints and stands apart in a class of its own. That musical tradition is known as Jazz. Jazz is an art form of contradictions and surprises and happens to be a strange mix of conformity and rebellion, tradition and novelty, practice and improvisation, discipline and impetuosity. Jazz is every thing that one seeks in a musical composition and still it always seems to be so fresh, new and exotic (Miles 37). In fact, it is this very quality of Jazz that makes it so typically American. Jazz originated in the port city of New Orleans at some time around 1895, that was and is the home to a diverse and multicultural population that included blacks, Hispanics and European immigrants. The history of Jazz is in fact akin to the history of America. The various ethnic communities residing in New Orleans happened to be the custodians of musical traditions originating from Europe, Africa and Latin America. It is difficult to say when and how, but Jazz emerged as a formative tradition that was the result of the juxtaposition and coalescing of these diverse musical traditions. Initially it was performed and played by really small groups who mostly resorted to improvisation and spontaneous composition, while exhibiting an astonishing aptitude for classical music and a diehard instinct for African and Latin notes (Aaberg 1). One special thing about these performances was that no one performance sounded likes the other, even if it involved the same musicians and singers. Even today this trait happens to be the hallmark of jazz music. Eventually the Jazz groups gradually started moving to Chicago in the 20s (Aaberg 2). These vagrant performers continuously experimented with their music and the J azz music that developed in these times is known as the early Jazz (Aaberg 2). As expected, Jazz was never to loose its panache for evolution. The music that was till now confined to small groups gave way to big bands in the early 40s. Still there was no dearth of performers who preferred to go solo. This period in the history of Jazz is known as the swing era (Aaberg 3). Some of the noteworthy bands of this era were Jimmy Lunceford, Duke Ellington and Fletcher Henderson (Aaberg 3). There also existed a special class of bands who were more into the dance music. Yet, the era of big Jazz bands was not to last for very long. In the 50s and 60s, Jazz musical split into a range of styles such as Be pop, More, Cool, Funky and Free Jazz (Aaberg 4). Be pop was a more straight jacketed approach to Jazz in the sense that it insisted on pleasing the musicians rather then appealing to the masses (Aaberg 4). Thus it had a limited financial scope. Cool Jazz was more experimental in its perspective and often incorporated musical instruments like oboe and flute that were never traditionally related to Jazz (Aaberg 4). Funky Jazz was basically inspired from the black spirituals. One common thing about all these Jazz styles was that they were primarily solo driven. However, sometime around the end of 1970, the age of big bands was to come back. The introduction of electrical instruments on the scene ushered in new opportunities and possibilities for the musicians and composers. Jazz was also not averse to this new trend. Hence originated the most

Process and Change Managment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Process and Change Managment - Research Paper Example This continuous change has affected the relationship status of people with places, things, ideas, organization and other people. These changes require new adaptability level for organizations and individuals. 2.2 Business process reengineering In the current business environment, global organizations are going through a change which is continuous and rapid. Increasingly driven by competition, consumers and change, companies are vigorously trying new ways in order to make their business and organizations more competitive and effective. Companies are evaluating and analyzing their current structures, goals and systems in order to find out new and more efficient solutions to their business issues. A new era came into existence, when high profile organizations such as Taco Bell and IBM came up with an extraordinary solution to improve their present condition. This solution was business process reengineering. This solution then became a rage and was followed by many others such as Hallmar k which totally re-engineered its process of new-product development and Kodak, who went on to reengineer its black and white process of film manufacturing (Hindle, 2008). BPR was regarded a novel approach for organizational and corporate change and since then, it is quite popular. During the early 19th century, the concept of reengineering was first developed. After examining the way information technology affected the business process, it was renamed as business process reengineering (Sturdy, 2010). BPR was then described as radical redesign and fundamental rethinking of business process with the objective of achieving dramatic improvements in contemporary and critical performance measures such as quality, cost, speed and service. 2.3 Challenges... This paper approves that in the current business environment, global organizations are going through a change which is continuous and rapid. Increasingly driven by competition, consumers and change, companies are vigorously trying new ways in order to make their business and organizations more competitive and effective. Companies are evaluating and analyzing their current structures, goals and systems in order to find out new and more efficient solutions to their business issues. Even though BPR has been recognized for its effective and quick recovery strategies, there are many challenges during its implementations. This essay makes a conclusion that In the current study, one of the most recognized concepts â€Å"Business Process Reengineering (BPR) has been evaluated as a tool for change management. BPR has been recognized as an effective approach to management which is applied and adopted widely by organizations for successful and effective results. Support and commitment are important factors for success in BPR projects. Support of top management in terms of resources, capital and leadership for project life is essential which otherwise will weaken the projects and its success chances. Proper communication and teamwork are also vital for successful BPR applications. Apart from the above factors a BPR project will be successful if it is conducted according to the overall strategy of the organization. If the company strategy and BPR projects do not complement each other, the business will only achieve gains which are short term and will lose chances of long term improvements in performance.

Interview with a Teaching Professional Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Interview with a Teaching Professional - Essay Example I believe the best way to return to the society that had been spoon feeding you the whole life, is to deliver your knowledge and information to other seekers. With this motive in my mind I entered the profession and since then I am contended with my life. I feel as if I have found an inner peace by pursuing teaching. Interviewer: What is the success behind your achievements to date? Teacher: Dedication and sincerity towards my work is the sole reason for where I am standing today. There is no short way of achieving a lasting glory. One needs a lot of energy and hard work to invest and of course unmatchable patience. Interviewer: Coming on to the basics of teaching, what are some examples of typical, quick decisions teachers make on a daily basis? Teacher: Every day is different for a teacher in some way or the other. Although, one of the best practices of a teacher is that s/he is well-planned and organized before entering the class. Yet at times we have to make certain sudden decisi ons not initially planned. For abrupt decision making, the teacher should be capable, confident and decisive about the relevant issues. A change in lesson plan to accommodate with the mood of children and their learning capability is one of the examples. Something effective and interesting needs to be made up instantly to deliver the lesson in a different way as planned earlier. Moreover, a short notice of surprise visit of principal or other professionals to monitor our performance poses a challenge on our decision making ability. We have to modify our plans a little to adjust to the requirement. Sometimes children get ill or injured and deciding quickly as to what to do is an ordeal; whether to treat him/her in the school or call off the day for him/her and send the student home. The teachers are appointed certain duties other then teaching to deal with the other school affairs. If any teacher on duty is absent on that specific day, a change in the schedule cause some difficulties and then the newly appointed teacher has to delay her planned activities. Also here it is a policy that if any teacher is absent, any other teacher needs to take his/her class. In such a case it has to be decided instantly what to teach students. Interviewer: What were the five most difficult school-related decisions you made this week? What made them difficult? Teacher: Just recently we had a load of activity going on in the school, both for teachers and students. I was enrolled in a short course which I had to attend once a week, during week days. This meant that I would be sacrificing my class related plans. Since exams are approaching I had to make certain changes in the lesson plans and shift that one day’s work to other days. This certainly was difficult adjusting as it is recommended not to overload students with work. Then we have a sports day coming up in two weeks time. Preparation for it requires a lot of time which again means sacrificing the teaching-learning sc hedule and making it up for this short fall on other days. We had an unfortunate day in this week when a fire erupted in library wing due to negligence of one of the student. The fire siren created quite a scene with children petrified and struggling to get out of their classes. Organizing them in proper queues, helping them out safely and relaxing them was quite a task. During school break, children often get into fighting with each other while

Metaphysics and Theories of Reality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Metaphysics and Theories of Reality - Essay Example Through these representations, philosophers able to find logic on each other's work. The find meaning and answers to each ideas; answers find its way resulting to another answer. Therefore, based on disagreements and debates from one century to another there's always a never ending process to the meaning of each statements whether it is factual or not. "The Father of all things is war"; I firmly believe that Order and Chaos co-exist with one another and without this, war will be the result. Order and Chaos should be balanced and complement each other. Order is there to make sure that everything is organize, logically formed in a presentable manner and guidelines to follow. If any of these things were not followed accordingly, chaos will be the end result. These two are like a big circle that continuously moving into one direction and is never ending that is why it is a must that each one should follow what is directed. "You can't step into the same river twice"; In my opinion this is a perfect example of what has St. Augustine has mentioned that time is both a combination of linear and progress. Progress in such a way that life is a moving process, each day that we live, we are going and moving forward to one direction. Every path that we crossed is something that we need to think about and needs some changes over time. Linear in a way like parallel to the progress that each one is undertaking daily. Everything that we do cannot whether good or bad decisions affect the linear and progress directions of our lives. It is also one way of saying that change is inevitable. "The only thing that stays the same is nothing stays the same"; Yes, it's actually true that the only permanent thing in this world is change as quoted by one of our great philosophers. It is also true that Eternity and Time has something to do with stability and change. We know that Eternity is God, our creator and the most high. Yet, he's the one who has a full control of our destiny, our path and the one who creates stability. Time is something that can be changed but hard to get back since we can't bring back what was happened in the past though we know that we can change the future or even foresee it and learn from it. The three ideas selected are of great relevance and of importance to our everyday lives. These three are basic human foundation in order for us to be able to survive, reach our goals, target specific aims and use as a guidelines in order to have a clear path and a smooth road towards gaining experience, learning from it and achieving the things that we are aiming for. Likewise, these are ruling principles wherein we could adapt in order to measure how effective are we doing in terms of relationships, goals, and decisions. Through these principles we can then say that in one way or another we can apply it to our activities of daily living. We know for a fact that whatever the religion is, we all believe that we have one supreme being who is above all creations and that through HIM that's the main reason why we are here in this planet. Every day we make our decisions and every day through mistakes we all learn from it this is where we apply that change is the only permanen

Personal statement for graduate school Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

For graduate school - Personal Statement Example By serving at the air force, I have developed a very scheduled and organized lifestyle. Spending my time at the air force has allowed me to gain the skills that help in responding, reacting, interacting and dealing with different types of people. Working with the air force has really helped me to recognize my limits, abilities, skills and true potential. My experience with the air force has taught me to be calm, tolerant, and cool. It has trained me to work under all sorts of pressure and stress, and still gain the best possible outcomes. I am currently working at the airport and in order to advance professionally, I need to be equipped with management skills. Hence I firmly believe that having a master’s degree in Business Management and Leadership will not only enhance the leadership and management skills but will also open the doors of opportunities for me. Choosing what is best for me and looking at the best available options I have applied at CUNY School of Professional Studies to gain the extra skills to become a successful and highly qualified airport manager. Looking at the extensive business education that is being provided by CUNY and the analytical leadership skills that I will gain from the school, I can anticipate that it is really going to be helpful for me in managing and handling the affairs that I will encoun ter at the air port. I, being a single parent, have learned how to organize my time, my priorities and how to get things done in the best possible way even during emergencies. Living the life of a militant and a single parent, I have learned not take everything for granted. Being the air force and serving for the troops at Afghanistan, I have discovered what volunteering means and how it pays off when you see the smiles on people’s faces who had given up on everything, who had given up on hope. Learning is an ongoing process and I

Why Stalin emerged as the dominant political force by 1929 Essay Example for Free

Why Stalin emerged as the dominant political force by 1929 Essay A ruthless tyrant (Totsky), Stalin built up power within the Bolshevik party, at first quietly and almost unnoticeably, but then used the combination of his position to assure him almost limitless powers. He removed his opposition step by step tactically switching sides of the party, and thus clearing his way up to the top. Essentially Stalin emerged the dominant political force by 1929 because he removed all opposition from the party making him the prime leader of the party. Stalin held a number of what at first seemed as insignificant posts, which later gave Stalin as extensive amount of power within the party. His titles were Commissar of Nationalities (1917), Chairman of Orgburo (1919), Chairman of Workers and Inspectorate (1919) and later General Secretary of the Party (1921). With these posts Stalin had access to personnel files on all of the party members. Due to the structure of the party at the time this unintentionally gave him prerogative, as he became the indispensable link in the chain of command. Stalin also gained the right to appoint and withdraw individuals to/ from official positions within the party. He used this to his advantage and appointed his own people, (ie: those who were loyal to Stalin and followed the same ideology as him,) in key positions. Stalin therefore replaced individuals from key positions and replaced them with his supporters. This in result gave him overwhelming power as he could count on these people to vote for him and therefore no matter the ability of the individuals or groups that opposed him, he could always out-vote and out-manoeuvre them. Hence Stalin could now influence the party leading to him becoming a dominant political force by 1929. Starting from 1923 Lenin decided to increase the membership of the party with more industrial workers, which carried on until 1925 and was known as Lenins Enrolment. Over 500,000 workers were recruited, doubling the partys membership and this was to have important consequences. The new members were largely uneducated and politically naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve. As a general secretary, it was Stalin who was responsible for supervising Lenins Enrolment. E.H. Carr pointed out that the Bolshevik Party changed from the elite party of Lenin to the mass party of Stalin. Stalin was therefore building prodigious support, later leading to him becoming the dominant political force in Soviet politics. Stalin was also strengthened unintentionally by Lenin and his attack on the Factionalism. Lenin condemned the party squabbling and the opposition to party from within the party. Lenin effectively quelled and frustrated any serious attempt to reprehended party policy or decisions. This made it increasingly difficult to form legitimate opposition from within the party. This bourgeoned Stalins power as firstly he was a beneficiary of the attack on factionalism and the charge of factionalism provided him with a ready weapon for resisting challenges to the authority he had already began to exercise. This was one of the tactics employed by Stalin to secure him the next successor to Lenin. Due to these tactics Stalin emerged as the dominant political force by 1929. The party was divided among many issues with the New Economic Policy having the greatest significance. Those who were critical of the NEP were branded left communists and those who accepted that as long as the NEP continued to meet the nations food needs then it should be preserved, were branded right communists. Stalins view was that a rivals attitude towards the NEP might be weakness to be exploited; if it could be established that his views indicated deviant Marxist thinking it becomes possible to undermine, if not destroy, his position within the party. Stalin therefore switched sides of the party by switching sides of the argument to undermine his rivals step by step. Therefore his rivals would loose credit while he would gain credit. However the main and most notorious tactic used by Stalin was to keep his political status within the party centre. This way Stalin could easily move from left to right to weaken and plot against his rivals. The Politburo saw Trotsky as a grater danger than Stalin. Stalin therefore first formed triumvirate with Zinoviev and Kamenev to block Trotsky, who was soon accused of criticising the Cult of Lenin and his absence in Lenins funeral was made to be seen as heresy. The new proletarian membership helped Stalin to remove Trotsky as the party was not impressed by the cultured image of Trotsky. As a result Trotsky was outvoted in 1927, which led to congress accepting the proposal that Trotsky is to be expelled from the party and was soon internally exiled. As his next step, Stalin used the fact that Zinoviev and Kamenev sided with Trotsky over the issue of NEP against them and to also get them out of his way. Stalin moved to support the right of the party, who believed in NEP as a saviour of Russias present economy. In result, the 1925 party congress defeated all left wing motions and denounced the lefts as traitors of the revolution. Hence Kamenev and Zinoviev were exiled from the party. After the left of the party had been defeated Stalin started work to defeat the right of the party. After two good harvests at the end of 1925 Stalin used the argument that grain prices were falling as peasants were withholding grain to force up the price of grain. Stalin saw this as capitalism at the expense of the cities. He introduced a criminal law causing the concealment of grain to be a crime. He sent soldiers into the countryside to punish the peasants, This led to fighting in some areas and Bukharin in result denounced Stalin as a tyrant. Bukharin and his followers were condemned as right-wing deviationists. At the end of 1928 Bukharin resigned as editor of Pravda and along with Trotsky and Rykov they were expelled from the party. Therefore now Stalin had successfully removed the opposition from both sides of the party, filling the gaps in the party with his followers and in result leaving him as the only political force to rule the Soviet Union. In conclusion Stalin destroyed his opposition in order to leave him as the only obvious candidate to succeed Lenin as the leader of the Bolshevik Party. Stalin rose to power using his strategic position as the General Secretary to his advantage. The structure of the party also benefited him as his actions did not seem to be that significant in his fight for power at first hand and therefore hiding him from condemnation.

Canada Statutory Law Analysis

Canada Statutory Law Analysis David Kafka Californias statutory law establishes that employment, having no specified term, may be terminated at will by either the employer or employee. Cal. Lab. Code ÂÂ § 2922 (2017). This presumption is subject to contrary evidence, such as an implied or expressed agreement that an employment relationship will continue indefinitely. The issue in this case is whether Reynaldo Perez had an implied contract of employment with Malloys Department Store that could be terminated only for cause. If an employer has created an implied or expressed contract for permanent employment, that employee may be terminable only for good cause. When determining if an implied agreement exists, the court will look at a number of factors. These include: personnel policies or practices of the employer, employees longevity of service, assurances by the employer for continued employment, and practices of the industry. Formal handbooks and manuals outlining employment terms are also given consideration. An implied covenant of good faith protects the parties right to receive the benefit of their agreement, but does not necessarily create any other duty outside of the contract. Pugh was found to have had an implied agreement with Sees Candies based on his duration of employment, lack of criticism for work, assurances given, and his employers acknowledged policies. Pugh v. Sees Candies, Inc., 116 Cal. App. 3d 311 (1981). Pugh was frequently told that if he did a good job, his future with the company was secure. There was also a policy where administrative staff would only be fired for good cause. Pugh was not given a reason for his termination, nor was it based on good cause. The court found that an implied contract existed, and Pugh was wrongfully terminated. Id. At will provisions in company manuals are significant in determining the policies of an employer. Parol evidence is admissible to explain, supplement, or even contradict the terms on an unintegrated agreement Guz v. Bechtel Natl, Inc., 8 P.3d 1089 (Cal. 2000). When an employer has policies in formal handbooks, it create[s] a clear and uniform alternative to haphazard practices, understanding, and arrangements within the company. Id. Guz was told by a Bechtel official that the company avoids arbitrary firings. However, the court found that the company did not waive its right to discharge its employees at will based on this statement. Id. The court places great credence in what is included in formal handbooks when determining if employment is at will. An official cannot waive those policies simply by making his or her own arrangements. Guz received no promises that he would be retained except for good cause. His long employment, raises, promotions, and good reviews were not sufficient enough to prove that an implied contract existed where he was no longer an at will employee. The court found that the implied covenant of good faith did not protect Guz from termination. Id. Perez was employed at Malloys for a total of 20 years, consistently received good evaluations, had salary increases, and on one occasion was given assurance his job was safe if he kept performing at a certain level. Perez was told early in his employment by the president of Malloys that his job would always be safe, and that the company doesnt just fire people. The length and success of his employment might also benefit his argument for an implied contract. The companys application form contained ambiguous language which could be interpreted as a contract for continued employment. It stated that Malloys hires and retains hard-working people. However, both the application form and employee manual reiterate that employment is at will. The application stated our employment relationship will end whenever we determine that it should. The employee manual had similar language, stating that an employee could be fired at any time, for any reason. It is likely that the employee manual and job application form will be given great consideration. Malloys clear policy of employment at will was outlined in these documents and contradict any promise that was made to Perez early in his career. As in Guz v. Bechtel Natl, Inc., 8 P.3d 1089 (Cal. 2000), an employee handbook is admissible in court to explain or contradict terms of an unintegrated agreement. In Perezs case, the handbook will likely contradict the presidents statement that his job would always be safe. Perez agreed with the company president that he was fine with his reassignment. He continued working in this position for an entire year. There was never a clear agreement that Perez would only be fired for just cause, and there was no indication that this was Malloys company policy. Therefore, it is unlikely that the court will find that Perez had an implied contract of employment that could be terminated only for cause.

Religion In Life Of Pi Theology Religion Essay

Religion In Life Of Pi Theology Religion Essay If you stumble about believability, what are you living for. Love is hard to believe, ask any lover. Life is hard to believe, ask any scientist. God is hard to believe, ask any believer. What is your problem with hard to believe. Life of Pi is a tale about survival, belief in God and coming of age that unfolds while the protagonist is floating in a lifeboat on the Pacific Ocean. Belief in God is clearly a major theme in this novel, and has been the most controversial in reviews of the book. Throughout the novel, Pi makes his belief in and love of God clear. This exhilarating story begins with an old man in Pondicherry who tells the narrator, I have a story that will make you believe in God. The protagonist explores the different issues of religion and spirituality from an early age and survives even 227 days shipwrecked in the ocean. Storytelling and religious beliefs are two closely linked ideas in the novel. On a literal level, each of Pis three religions, Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam, come with its own set of tales and fables, which are used to spread the teachings and illustrate the beliefs of the faith. This book defends not only the common spirit behind these three religions, but the rituals and ce remonies of each. Its as if all three religions find harmonious common ground in this character. Seems unlikely, but then again, the protagonist argues passionately that the miraculous happens in our darkest moments. These three religions are really all the same except for small differences in the practice of their faith. Hindus have a great capacity for love; Muslims see God in everything; and Christians are quite devout. In this case, Pi enjoys the wealth of stories, but he also senses that, as Father Martin assured him was true of Christianity, each of these stories might simply be aspects of a greater, universal story about love. Pi remains unattached to any one interpretation of God. Sure, he believes each religion but he doesnt guard their specific tenets jealously. Pi shares a rich parable: Each time the milkmaids try to possess Krishna he vanishes. Likewise, each time a religious faith tries to claim sole ownership of God, true religion vanishes. This story reveals a few of the workings of Pis complex religious beliefs. You may have wondered how anyone could ever hold Hindu, Christian, and Muslim beliefs all at once. Pis answer: without a trace of jealousy. Stories and religious beliefs are also linked in Life of Pi because Pi asserts that both require faith on the part of the listener or devotee. Surprisingly for such a religious boy, Pi admires atheists. To him, the important thing is to believe in something, and Pi can appreciate an atheists ability to believe in the absence of God with no concrete proof of that absence. Pi has nothing but disdain, however, for agnostics, who claim that it is impossible to know either way, and, who therefore refrain from making a definitive statement on the question of God. So Pi sees that this as an evidence of a shameful lack of imagination. To him, agnostics who cannot make a leap of faith in either direction are like listeners who cannot appreciate the non-literal truth a fictional story might provide. Regarding with the plot of this novel, we begin with a little boy, Pi Patel, who is the main character of Yann Martels novel Life of Pi. Hes the son of a zookeeper who runs a small zoo in India. Despite all his familys ideas of modern secularism, Pi is drawn to religion. In his adolescence he adopts not only the beliefs of Hinduism, but Catholicism and Islam as well. Each religion gives Pi something that he felt was missing in his spiritual life so, because of this, he never feels compelled to choose one belief system over the other. Religion will save us, I said. Since when I could remember, religions had always been close to my heart. So, in this case and because of his family, he was first introduced to Hinduism and describes it as the religion of his birth and a deep part of himself. For him, Hinduism is not a religion to be left behind when he discovers another, but rather the intrinsic framework of his own spirituality. Then, when he finds out Catholicism, he studies it through curiosity for what it entails, not because of any dissatisfaction with his current understanding of Hinduism, largely for his own pleasure. The same is true at the time that he later adds the religion of Islam to his quilt of religious beliefs. While the young boy is comfortable with his firm and serious belief in three seemingly disparate religions, the leaders of these religions are obviously not so happy when they learn of his expanded view of religion. As chance would have it, Pis priest, pandit and imam all happen upon Pi and his parents at the same time. This ensuing conversation captures current religious discord as all of the religious leaders agree that Pi cannot be Hindu, Catholic, and Muslim at the same time and despite their prodding, Pi insists that he simply wants to love and adore God. He says: I just want to love God (Martel 69) and will not choose between religions. Then, during his adolescence, he also discovers atheism through his biology teacher, Mr. Kumar. Though Pi greatly respects Mr. Kumar, and calls him his favourite teacher, Pi isnt comfortable exploring all the ideas of atheism or seeing how science holds its own beauty without need for a deity. He decides that atheists are his brothers and sisters of a different faith, but it is not a belief that he understands or chooses to explore. In fact, the concept of atheism frightens him so much. Pi, who asks many questions when he is presented with other religions, is very silent when Mr. Kumar always offers some of his atheistic views: Religion? Mr. Kumar grinned broadly. I dont believe in religion. Religion is darkness. Pi answers: Darkness? I was puzzled. I thought, Darkness is the last thing that religion is. Religion is light. Was he testing me? Was he saying, Religion is darkness, the way he sometimes said in class things like Mammals lay eggs, to see if someone would correct him? (Only platypuses, sir.)(1.7.9 11) and finally explains: It wasnt for fear of angering Mr. Kumar. I was more afraid that in a few words thrown out he might destroy something that I loved. Pis education includes both science and religion; he comes to love both these disciplines but agnosticism the suspension of belief (e.g., I dont have enough evidence to believe in God so I wont commit one way or the other.) drives the boy bonkers. For Pi, belief is one of the most beautiful actions of human life. To live otherwise is to live statically. One can either choose a rich, dynamic life or a static, uncommitted life. Yet, this religious discussion takes place well before Pi is set adrift in a lifeboat filled with wild zoo animals. Here it is the groundwork that shapes the rest of the story, a wonderful and incredible story that is only and exclusively meant to make listeners believe in god. Part two of the book begins the tale of Pis shipwreck and subsequent survival. When Pi is 16, his family decides to sell the zoo and immigrate to Canada to escape the increasingly undesirable political developments in 1970s India. They will get a better price for many of their animals in America, so the family and several of the animals of the zoo begin their journey on a Japanese cargo ship named Tsimtsum. Midway to Midway the ship suddenly and quickly sinks for unknown reasons. When this unfortunate event takes place, Pi finds himself in a lifeboat with a hyena, an orangutan, a wounded zebra, and an adult Bengal tiger. There are no other human survivors, and it is not long before the animals do away with each other-the hyena dispatches the zebra and the orangutan and the tiger dispatch the hyena-, leaving Pi and the tiger alone in the lifeboat. In the same way, we can clearly assert that Pi Patel wins lots of different challenges covering from his psychic and spiritual learning to his basic and essential instinct and survival throughout his horrific and very hard adventures at sea. The most relevant fact is that his unbelievable believing in God, helps him to survive multiple obstacles that he faces on the lifeboat. His study about all three religions, serves as a great defensive safeguard from the difficult harsh situations of life. It is a very long journey filled with too much danger, loneliness and doubt, but most of all an exploration of faith. This astonishing character maintains all his religious beliefs while on the life boat through his daily ritual prayers, which helps to sustain him. Hes faced with physical difficulty almost all time, ranging from salt-water boils, to the threat of death by a tiger, to cold, to starvation, to dehydration, to dementia and many other difficulties. He continues to pray regularly, an d must plead to God in order to survive his ordeal. He remembers the misery he felt after such a long time away from God, saying: It was natural that, bereft and desperate as I was, in the throes of unremitting suffering, I should turn to God (Martel 315). With Pi keeping his ritual prayers going, that helped him to survive. Also, he was able to maintain somewhat the religious lifestyle that he had prior to the sinking of the Tsimtsum. He also makes many religious relationships throughout his journey and lots of comparisons between Orange Juice and the Virgin Mary. She came floating on an island of bananas in a halo of light, as lovely as the Virgin Mary (Martel 111). Truly, Pis religious faith remained strong throughout his journey on the Pacific Ocean. Straightway, when Pi eventually washes up on the shores of Mexico, and the tiger dashes off into the jungle never to be seen again, he is nursed back to health by locals. While Pi is recovering, two men from the company that owned the Japanese cargo ship come to visit him. They are very anxious because they are looking for answers about what might have caused the ship to sink so then he tells them the fantastic and amazing tale that he experienced and was presented through the book. Obviously, the men do not believe him so they became very upset and tell Pi that they want to know what really happened. They only want to know a rational truth. After some discussion, Pi agrees to tell them another story, another one that does not involve animals or any marvellous fact. His second boring story involves a handful of human survivors, including one who kills the others, even including Pis mother. He affirms that at the end of the story he kills the killer and is left as the only survivor. N either story sheds any light on why the ship might have sunk. Before the men leave, Pi asks him about which of the two stories is the best, since neither provides factual information that they can use. The men who appears at the beginning, who was listening the whole story, agree that the story with the animals was a better story. This is the point of the book. It is the reason why readers are supposed to now believe in god. When it comes down to a choice between realism and fantasy, or science and religion, which story is the best? Religious minded readers may find comfort in the notion that it is better to believe in an uplifting story over more believable, but less entertaining facts. However, this argument is unlikely to be persuasive to atheists or encourage them to believe in God.

The Impact of Prejudice in Harper Lees Novel, To Kill a Mockingbird Es

The Impact of Prejudice in Harper Lee's Novel, To Kill a Mockingbird The prejudice seen in the fictional novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee corresponds with the real narrow-mindedness during this time period. A fair trial would be unlikely during this time period between a white and a black man. Tom Robinson was presumed guilty because of his race. Prejudice is â€Å"an adverse opinion or leaning formed without just grounds or before sufficient knowledge† (Merriam); according to Lystra Moore Richardson of Yale University: â€Å"prejudice†¦ was part of the very fiber of Southern life [during the Great Depression].† With these two pieces of information, it is derived that people formed judgments and opinions of a person without just grounds; most commonly, they based them on race. It is because of prejudice that a black man could not receive a fair trial in the South during the Great Depression. Many judges and most juries exhibited prejudice in the courtroom. The Scottsboro Trials held in Jackson County, Alabama were an excellent example of prejudice. During the Scottsboro trials, the prejudice of a judge is shown when Judge Hawkins â€Å"pronounce[d] the death sentence on [all] eight who had been tried† (First). He continued to show prejudice by setting the execution date for â€Å"the earliest date he was permitted to name under the law† (First). Because this was a display of prejudice, it can be assumed that in the event that the convicts were white, the penalty may have been lessened and possibly delayed longer than the minimum time allowed. The jury also showed signs of prejudice in the Scottsboro case. All twelve of the jurymen concluded a guilty verdict for the first trial – despite even medical evidence: â€Å"it was [J... ...at winning this trial due to the prejudice of the jury. The jury was all white and in a southern location during the Great Depression. Prejudice was part of their way of life. He was found guilty as charged based on circumstantial evidence. Works Cited First Scottsboro Trials, The. Hollace Ransdell. 1931. University of Missouri-Kansas City. 10 March 2002. Merriam-Webster OnLine. 10 March 2002. South in Literature, the. Lystra Moore Richardson. 2001. Yale Law School. 10 March 2002. Trials of â€Å"The Scottsboro Boys†, The. Douglas O. Linder. 1999. University of Missouri- Kansas City. 10 March 2002.

Georgiana in The Birthmark by Nathaniel Hawthorne :: essays research papers

In “The Birthmark,'; by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Georgiana’s futile attempt to be flawless by cooperating in her own murder doesn’t make her any wiser, especially because such a sacrifice does not earn her closeness with her husband. The character of Georgiana epitomizes the virtues upheld by the conventions of her time; she is beautiful, docile and has no ambitions of her own other than to make her husband happy. In addition to this apparent perfect union is a "singular mark, deeply interwoven, as it were, with the texture and substance of her face" (Hawthorne 11). The birthmark is differently interpreted by all. Initially Georgiana thinks of the birthmark, as “a charm,'; and Aylmer knows not “whether to term [the birthmark] a defect or a beauty . . .'; (Hawthorne 11). Most persons of her own sex refers it as “the bloody hand,'; that “Quite destroy(s) the effect of Georgiana’s beauty . . .'; (Hawthorne 11). While her admirers “were won’t to say that some fairy at her birth-hour had laid her tiny hand upon the infant’s cheek, and left this impress [the birthmark] there in token of the magic endowments that were to give her such sway over all hearts'; (Hawthorne 11). Georgiana’s casual approach towards the birthmark reveals while she answers “No, indeed,'; when her husband asks her “has it never occurred to you [Georgiana] that the mark upon your cheek might be removed?'; (Hawthorne 10). Aylmer however visions the birthmark as Hawthorne s ays “small blue stains which sometimes occur in the purest statuary marble . . .'; (11). Later on “Georgiana soon learn(s) to shudder'; as her husband’s hatred towards the birthmark considerably increases (Hawthorne 12). Aylmer’s obsession soon starts reflecting in Georgiana. She at this point ignores all warnings and falls prey to her husband’s ambition of removing the birthmark, of which, he although is “convinced of the perfect practicability . . .'; (Hawthorne 13). Georgiana learns from Aylmer’s dream that, there might be a situation in the course of the operation when he might be “inexorably resolved to cut or wrench it [her heart] away'; (Hawthorne 13). Her recent interpretation of the birthmark overshadows this dream as she now even at the “remotest possibility'; wants that “the attempt be made, at whatever risk'; (Hawthorne 13). Aylemer’s dream however is not the only warning that Georgiana receives. Aylmer to gain confidence in her wife and to declare success in his new venture performs a couple of experiments, which results futile.

Failure in the American Dream in the Great Gatsby by F. Scoot Fitzgeral

The American Dream as shown in The Great Gatsby has been proven by F. Scott Fitzgerald to be an unattainable belief in the â€Å"Pursuit of Happiness† through the fault of morality. Typically, happiness is being content with ones standing in life regarding wealth, family, love, class, and friendship. Throughout the 1920’s, the decline in morality had shaped the dream into a materialistic goal by accumulating wealth, love, social class, friendship and power. The novel never mentions a specific dream or goal that was to be obtained, only the idea. Bewley has stated, â€Å"In Gatsby’s America, the dream is undefined to itself.† (Bewley 12). The American Dream is not something that is merely obtained. It is much like a destination; the journey is what makes the dream come to life. Focal characters such as Gatsby, Daisy, and Tom, each go through a journey to understand what happiness is and how their morality ultimately failed them in the end. Each character wa nts what they cannot have. Although the characters are thought to have no morals at all, it is the morals they have that lead them to understand they cannot be happy with themselves. Gatsby’s theory of happiness was based on the idea of wealth, love, and power. Residing on the West Egg, home to the new rich – his intentions were questionable. Without fully disclosing where his money came from, most assumed Gatsby earned his wealth from the Prohibition. Something money could not buy was power. Although those who lived in the West Egg were extremely wealthy, they did not hold the power that those from the East Egg held. Power came from old wealth, money brought down from generation. Having already obtained wealth, the only thing he needed was power and love. To obtain power, he needed somet... ...times they feel they need to be set aside to achieve what they were setting out for. Daisy, Gatsby, and Tom had all interloped within someone's life - a place where they had to business being. Gatsby failed to understand that he couldn’t make Daisy fall in love with him. Even if she did, he would not have had the power he was looking for anyways – Daisy would. Although Daisy appeared to be the foolish character, she knew what she had done wrong and used her feelings as a way to hide how she really felt. Tom failed to achieve happiness because he felt as if he always needed something more to grasp on to. Without the journey each character took, none of them would have realized what made them into who they were, even if they didn’t completely understand it themselves. Happiness was to be content, and in a time of endless possibilities, the impossible has been found.

“Cat in the Rain” by Ernest Hemingway Essay

The story under the title â€Å"Cat in the Rain† was written by Ernest Hemingway, one of the most favourite American novelists, short-story writer and essayist, whose deceptively simple prose style has influenced wide range of writers. So, the story begins with the description of the hotel where two Americans stopped. It was raining, that’s why the couple stayed in and just a cat in the rain attracted the young woman’s attention. She wanted to get the cat inside but failed and was brought another cat. The problem of the story lies very deeply and we are to uncover it. The story is written in one mood which constantly and directly increases. It starts from the beginning where it’s created by a persistent and repeated use of the â€Å"rain† with a number of phrases associating it, such as puddles, deserted square, glistening war monument. Repetition is one of the widely used and favourite stylistic devices of Hemingway. Here he applies it to reveal the relationship of the protagonist to the old hotel owner (she liked †¦ , she liked†¦ ). As the verb â€Å"to like† is not used to characterize relations of the wife to her husband, this contrast is full of the concealed but easily read meaning. Though the cases of repetition in the story may seem a bit obtrusive, their modifications enter into the core of the narration very organically. They carry emotional character, however penetrating the story the deep sorrow becomes evident gradually. We realize that little, as if meaningless, capricious wishes of a young woman reveal the drama of her fate, the absence of comfort in her life, comparable with the cat in the rain. The title of the story anticipates this confrontation and the fact that the cat’s image makes great play twice – just increases the total effect. In fact, the young woman pines for love, for home, for her family. And the purring cat she’d like to have and to stroke is a traditional symbol of home and comfort she lacks so much. She wants warmth, attention, care, joy, happiness; however she is brought the cat – a pitiful substitution of that, what she, a young, beautiful woman needs incredibly. This is the main problem of the novel we tried to uncover. Perhaps the hotel owner didn’t get the reason of her yearnings and took her wish for whim. But dignity, deference and respectfulness of the old man are confronted to egoism and carelessness of George not occasionally. The war monument is also mentioned deliberately. The world George and his wife belong to – is uncomfortable, homeless after-war world, where the fates of young people joined with such hardships and troubles. If to speak about the text itself, it is told in the 3rd person narrative. the description is interlaced with descriptive passages and dialogues of the personages. The author makes extensive use of repetitions to render the story more vivid, convincing, more real and emotional. The author’s style is remarkable for its powerful sweep, brilliant illustrations and deep psychological analysis. Everything he touches seems to reflect the feelings of the heroes. The story reveals the author’s great knowledge of man’s inner world. He penetrates into the subtlest windings of the human heart.

How does the author create suspense in chapter two of the novel, in which Carl Heine’s body is discovered?

In this essay I am going to explain how the author, David Guterson creates suspense in chapter two. The author helps create suspense by using the typical technical structure of story writing and emphasises their use. David Guterson throughout the whole of the book uses a lot of descriptive imagery, especially in this chapter, which makes a significant additive in the story line. The main protagonists in this chapter are Art Moran, the town's sheriff and Abel Martinson a young officer. The beginning of chapter two starts without informing the reader about the death of Carl Heine, so the reader doesn't know Carl is dead, this is not revealed until the end of the chapter. The setting and pace of this chapter I think are the two most important elements that help create the suspense. This is because they create the atmosphere. The setting of most of chapter two is set on Carl Heine's deserted boat, deserted as in the middle of the harbour and lonely in the thick fog, ‘A fog as palpable as cotton' Is the description used by the author to describe the weather. The suspense is built up thicker and leaves the reader wondering why the boat is alone and not moving. Just before Carl Heine's body is recovered the weather starts to change slightly and the fog starts to become clearer, which is a hidden meaning that the truth is becoming clearer, they are getting closer to the truth. On the boat Abel and Art find a lot of unforeseen objects that makes them wonder what is going on and again with the reader. ‘Silent fish' Is the word to describe the salmon that has been found and has obviously been there for a while. The word silent is the keyword as it represents the atmosphere and possibly Carls death. Then the coffee cup tipped on its side, which shows struggle. The most mysterious item found was the battery dead that I think is symbolic of Carl Heine being dead. The pace of this chapter starts off very, very slow which reflects Carl Heine's death. David uses a lot of history when describing the different characters, not to mention the specific details he goes in to describe them. ‘The sheriff was a lean figure, unimposing, who habitually chewed a stick of juicy fruit gum' Is just one example of the description used. Also the author uses very long sentences, which again slows down the pace of the chapter, this changes towards the end of the chapter. The pace increases in speed, which also increases the intensity and the fact that something is going to happen. This is similar to a movie when they use music to create the atmosphere, start it off slow and then increase the speed to let the audience know something is going to happen but music cant be used in a book so they use the sentences and words to create their atmosphere. When the author increases the pace he uses words like ‘Thrust' This is onomatopoeia, which David adds to create sound to the chapter. The pace slows down once Carl Heine's body is discovered which lets the reader come to reality that the body or what Abel and Art were looking for has finally been found. This creativity also comes into use with the language. The language often stays the same throughout the chapter, but in this sense it helps the reader create a vivid image or picture of the person in your head. The language is also very repetitive which builds up the atmosphere in a sense of panic. The author then leaves Carls face as the last thing the two see and the fact that they don't want to see it and they will have to eventually, is this sense of realisation. Not just for Abel and Art but for the reader, as it is such an intimate chapter. So therefore as seen the author very cleverly creates suspense by using and changing the language, pace, setting and using the characters wisely which makes this chapter more effective as it leaves the reader asking questions like, Why is the boat there? where's Carl Heine? And most importantly what's going to happen next? All these answered are eventually found out in the end of chapter two.

Describe and explain the value of industrial location models Essay

What is an industrial location model? [5] 1) A model is a mathematical representation that is used to show why patterns have occurred, or to predict how things will occur in the future. A location model shows why certain things have located in certain spaces and aims to show where they will locate in the future. An industrial location model therefore aims to show why industry has located in the area it has, and where it will locate in the future. The term industry includes primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary sectors. All sides of industry can be incorporated in these models, this includes tertiary and primary as well as secondary employment, although most models are designed with manufacturing specifically in mind. There are many types of industrial location model. Weber designed a model that showed where secondary manufacturing industry would locate based on the weight of raw materials used and the weight of the final product. Smith (1971) built an alternative to Weber’s model, which is more updated and takes into account new types of transport and industries other than secondary. There are also models such as the behavioural matrix which attempt to show what type of companies are more likely to choose the optimum location for their business. Describe and explain the value of industrial location models [20] 2) A model of industrial location put forward by Alfred Weber in 1909 assumes that industrialists choose a least-cost location for the development of new industry. The theory is based on a number of assumptions. Weber assumes that there is a flat relief, uniform transport, culture, climate, labour costs, political and economic system, and that markets are of fixed size and location. It is also assumed that transport costs are proportional to the weight of the goods and the distance covered by the goods, and that perfect competition exists. One of the main assumptions is that raw materials are either ubiquitous or localised. Ubiquitous raw materials are found everywhere and are evenly distributed, and therefore would affect industrial location e.g. water and clay. Localised raw materials are not evenly distributed. Weber suggested that raw materials and markets would attract the location of an industry due to transport costs. Industries with a high material index would be pulled towards the raw material. Industries with a low material index would be pulled towards the market. The material index is calculated by dividing the total weight of raw materials by the total weight of the finished product. A material index of much greater than 1 indicates that there is a loss of weight during the manufacturing process; for example butter making. The factory should therefore locate near to the raw material. A material index of less than 1, where weight is gained during manufacturing, would locate near to the market. An index of less than 1 could be achieved by an industry using largely ubiquitous materials, like water, as in the brewing industry. Once a least-cost location has been established through the material index, Weber considers the effect of labour costs in deflecting industry away from the least cost location. Isodapanes are constructed to determine the area within which an industry can locate without losing money. The critical isodapane is the greatest distance an industry can locate from the least-cost location without losing money. If a source of cheap labour lies within an isodapane below the critical isodapane, it would be more profitable to choose the site with low labour costs rather than the least transport costs location. Weber also takes into account agglomeration of industries, the model suggests that some factories locate within critical isodapanes of other factories, to share resources labour and transport costs. Weber’s model doesn’t relate well to modern conditions. This is because it doesn’t take into account many recent developments such as reduced costs of transport and government intervention. Weber assumes a lot of things that in reality wouldn’t be found e.g. perfect knowledge of the market, and physical geography is ignored. Weber also ignores changes in costs and sources of raw materials over time. Overall Weber’s model is largely applicable to heavy industries only. In 1971 David Smith provided an alternative to Weber’s model of industrial location. Smith suggested that as profits could be made anywhere where the total income is greater than total costs, then although there is a point of maximum profit, there would be a larger area where production is possible and profit is still made. Smith suggested that industries rarely located at the least-cost location, but more often at a sub optimum and practical location. He suggested that this was due to imperfect knowledge about production and market demand, imperfect decision makers, who can be influenced by other factors, or may not act ‘rationally’, or a government policy, which may tempt industry to locate in areas of high unemployment or development areas. Smith’s model takes into account all types of transport although a circular margin of profitability is rarely produced in real life. Where Weber’s model can only be used for secondary manufacturing Smith’s model can easily be modified to include all types of industry. However Smith’s model is based entirely on money and other factors such as employees needs are not taken into account. The UK iron and steel production is a good example of industrial location compared to Weber and Smith’s models. Before the 1600’s, iron making was found near to outcrops of ore, where there were plenty of trees, e.g. Forest of Dean, because transport was poor and they were unable to move raw materials large distances. This fits Weber’s model because iron making would have a material index of greater than one, due to iron ore being much greater in weight than the iron produced as the finished product. However Weber’s model says that a resource such as trees will be ubiquitous, which is not the case here. After 1700 coke began to be used to smelt iron more efficiently. The new furnaces were located near coalmines, where coal would have been the heaviest raw material to transport e.g. Sheffield and South Wales. This fits Weber’s model. Today the coalmines have run out, but the industry hasn’t relocated because good transport systems mean that ores and coal can be transported in from abroad. This complies with Smith’s model because profit has been made in a sub optimum location. Other reasons for the iron and steel industry remaining in the same areas are large amounts of labour and agglomeration, which are covered in Weber’s model.

Charles by Shirley Jackson Analysis Essay

Laurie creates an alter ego named â€Å"Charles† and uses him to take all the flaws that Laurie has in kindergarten. 2. a) The underlying message, central idea, or moral discussed in a story. b) The story teaches us that something can be going on and we may not even notice it. The mother refuses to look at what is right under her nose, for trepidation of realizing something that she doesn’t want to see- her dear, naà ¯ve little boy causing serious trouble. She adored listening to the stories her son would tell her about â€Å"Charles†. In fact, she couldn’t wait for Laurie to get home from school so she could hear them. All the while Laurie was misbehaving at home. Instead, she would relatively think that it is another little boy named Charles. Another minor theme can be: if you lie then you will in time get caught red-handed. 3. â€Å"The teacher spanked a boy, though †¦ For being fresh† (pg 8) was Laurie’s replay to his mother asking him what happened in school. When I reread this I thought that this was where Laurie decided to put on his act. Another foreshadowing example was the unusual way Laurie kept on taking about â€Å"Charles†. Another observation I made was about Laurie’s behavior. His mother also notes changes in his behavior: he no longer waves goodbye to her, slams the door when he comes home and speaks insolently to his father. Since they adore their son, his parents believe all he has to say, and this belief stops them from seeing that what he says is not the full truth. 4. When the mother discovers at the end of the story that there is no child named Charles in the class and that it is Laurie who has had trouble bending into kindergarten and has done all the bad things he credited to Charles, the reader no less than the mother is surprised. The mother’s reaction would be quite embarrassed since she is the mother of ‘Charles’. Laurie creates a double of him to do â€Å"bad† so that he might stay good in the eyes of his parents. Loving but narrow-minded, the parents do not get involved. I think after realizing that Charles is indeed Laurie, this might affect the way his parents treat him from now on. Not only that, but I think their attitude towards their own unobservant behavior might change as well. 5. This story made me think of when I was younger and the kids who acted this way to get attention from their parents. This story shows the ways children invent shadow figures as a means of confronting problematic feelings while forming their identities. I know that a lot of young children are clever enough to do a lot of things, and some times they go unnoticed, like Laurie’s travesty. In Laurie’s example mentioning Charles so much, the family’s bound to make Charlie a part of daily conversation. Why was Laurie hinting to his parents instead of coming right out and telling them? Was it because he wants his parents to shape it out on their own little heads? I too indeed might’ve lied a couple of times as of way of being included and known. Although my parents were observant and I was quick to learn that it’s not good to lie. 6. Verbal irony – contrast between what is said and what is meant. In other words, sarcasm. Dramatic irony –between what the character thinks to be true and what we (the reader) know to be true. For example: In City Lights the audience knows that Charlie Chaplin’s character is not a millionaire, but the blind flower girl (Virginia Cherrill) is unaware and believes he’s rich. Situational irony – a certain fact is perhaps highlighted by an event that is in contrast to that fact. For example: An old man turned ninety-eight. He won the lottery and died the next day. 7. The point at which we the readers realize that Laurie is tricking his parents and from then on we also know— or suspect — more than the narrator about his misbehaving and amused the mothers lack of observance is an example of dramatic irony. Parents, by definition are thought to be mentally advanced than their children (when they are at such a young age such as Laurie) but are outsmarted by the imagination and creativity of a clever little nipper.