Analysis Of Abe Kobos The Red Cocoon Essays - Oddworld, Kb Abe

Analysis Of Abe Kobo's The Red Cocoon Essays - Oddworld, Kb Abe Analysis Of Abe Kobo's The Red Cocoon Generally speaking, the purpose of most forms of artistic expression such as literary art, music, or art itself is a mode by which the author can express him/herself with. They use their respective skills and/or interests to convey feelings or thoughts on any given topic. Short fiction is by no means exempt from this. Many writers use their literary skills to express dreams, aspirations, opinions, or even political viewpoints. In order to make a dertermination of a probable origin for a story, research into the authors life and beliefs most likely will prove benefical. With this in mind, Abe Kobos story The Red Cocoon seems to be a prime example of an author expressing his political viewpoints and his personal conflicts with society through literature. Given this, researching his life and political stance might help to support or negate such an assumption. The Red Cocoon begins with a man walking down a street discussing with himself the problem of not having a house to go home to. The narrator, who is also the main character, jumps abruptly from topic to topic throughout the story, but this reoccuring theme of the lack of a house seems to be a central idea. As the narrator comtemplates, he wonders if he has just forgotten his house and proceeds to knock on the door of a random house to find out if this is what has happened. After he has explained his plight to the woman who answers the door, he begins arguing with her over having proof that it is not his house. Shortly thereafter, the narrator begins to ponder wether or not things such as concrete pipes or park benches are his house. Deciding that they are on their way to belonging to someone or that they belong to everyone and not just one person, he begins to wonder if anything exsists that belongs to no one. At the end of the story, he finds that one of his legs begins to unwind in to a silk thread and wrap him up in a cocoon. Abe Kobos story is quite abstract and seems to have little meaning. In fact, that is just the opposite. After reading some information about Abe Kobo, the story seems to take on a new meaning. Abe Kobo is considered to be one of the leading authors during the post-WWII era of Japanese history. Many of his works use what was then radical artistic methods of literature (Abe Kobo). In his early childhood, Abe was living in Manchuria which was occupied by the Japanese at the time. Being born in Japan, altough Abe felt strong ties to the chinese, he was left feeling like an outsider and rejected by both societes. After the war, Abe became more and more antinationalist and was interested in marxism and communism. Soon, he even joined the Japanese Communist Party (Abe Kobo). He was quite involved in political issues at this time and many of his early writings preceding the early 60s deal with his issues about society says Clerk and Seigal in Modern Literatures of the Non-Western World (136) . With this information about Abe Kobo, an interpretation of The Red Cocoon emerges with heavy political and social tones. The narators central problem of attempting to find out why he does not have a house seems to point to not only Abes feelings of isolation during his childhood, but also his socialist political viewpoints at the time. The Red Cocoon was written in 1949, a period of Abes life when he was a strong political activist (Clerk and Seigal, 136). Utopian marxist or communist views on society center around a flat heirarchial structure where no one is more powerful or of a higher class than any other. The property of the country is reffered to as property of everyone and ownership is somewhat denounced in the strictist forms of the political stance. Abes character in The Red Cocoon seems to be having problems with ownership of houses and other pieces of property. The question is asked, Even if it isnt mine, cant there be just one thing that doesnt belong to anyone? This quest ion appears to have socialist undertones

Frankenstein vs. Blade Runner Essay Example

Frankenstein vs. Blade Runner Essay Example Frankenstein vs. Blade Runner Essay Frankenstein vs. Blade Runner Essay Both Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner are classic science fiction stories that deal with the themes of technology’s effect on humanity and the question of ‘What does it mean to be human? ’ In Blade Runner, the film portrays the human race having a diminished sense of ‘humanity’ because the collective cultures and communities that exist in present day are non-existent in Blade Runner’s dystopian earth. Take for example the confrontation between Chief Bryant and Deckard over whether to ‘retire’ the rogue replicants. First Bryant tries to passively push Deckard to come out of retirement; but when Deckard refuses to comply, Bryant resorts to using abusive threats and bullying to get Deckard to do the dirty work and kill the replicants. This theme continues to appear throughout the movie as the human characters bark and snap at each other constantly. Which indicates the lack of respect they have for each other, showing the breakdown of human relationships in this dystopian world. In contrast, the Replicants, who by all accounts are the most synthetic aspects of the film, appear to have the most genuine compassion, companionship, morality, empathy and courtesy for each other. This makes them appear more human than the actual protagonists in the film. Throughout Blade Runner the replicants tend to hold more civil and polite conversations with one another, demonstrating the compassion they have for each other and a caring empathy that lacks between the humans. : By the end of Bladrunner, the replicants appear to have a identity that is more human when compared to the actual humans in the film. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein also functions in a similar way. Frankenstein compares Victor Frankenstein’s creature to Victor himself and by the end, the roles of ‘human’ and ‘creature’ are reversed. Initially the creature is frustrated and is full of hatred for his creator’s abandonment and society’s abhorrence of his appearance. Frankensteins creature explains his anger, saying, There was non among the myriads of men that existed who would pity or assist me; and should I feel kindness towards my enemies? No: from that moment I declared everlasting war against the species, and, more than all, against him who had formed me and sent me forth to this insupportable misery. After realizing that his creator will eventually do nothing to help him cope with being alone in the world and detested by society, the creature kills off Victor’s family, turning the nce urbane gentleman into a monster not unlike the creature. Echoes of the creature’s earlier statements now appear in Victor’s deathbed speech, illustrating the degree in which Victor has become dehumanized. â€Å"I was cursed by some devil,† he cries, â€Å"and carried about with me my eternal hell† (142). Driven by his hatred for the other, the ‘human’ – Victor – distances himself farther and farthe r away from human society and sanity and becomes a creature possessed in finding and killing his creation. After his creator’s passing the creature pays one final visit to his former master and while Victor in the end believes him to be a  insensitive brute, Shelley casts the creature as a martyred classical hero: â€Å"I shall ascend my funeral pile triumphantly and exult in the agony of the torturing flames,† he says (149). Fittingly, the last few pages of the story are taken up with the creature’s own words as he preaches to the reader about his apparent moralistic change in an attempt to give himself self-definition. Another theme that can be seen in both Blade Runner and Frankenstein, is the question of ‘Are creations of science born inherently evil? ’ To put it into context for Blade Runner, Dr. Eldon Tyrell – inventor of the replicants – created machines that functioned almost the same as humans, but they were thrust into the world without any memories and experiences. The replicants were also expected to work and adapt to a changing world with an underdeveloped brain on par with a pre-pubescent child. Dr. Tyrell realised this and thus implanted within them a four-year lifespan with which time they would automatically die. This was due to the fear that the replicants, who were born with a mind of ‘tabula rasa’ or a blank slate, would develop humanistic feelings and become human. From this the movie illustrates that as the replicants (especially the seven rouge replicants) reach the end of their lifespan, they become scared of ceasing to exist and then take drastic measures to allow themselves to live Frankenstein functions in a similar way, the gothic horror novel explores what makes us human and questions the reader to pinpoint what are the attributes of a human being and how do humans become integrated into society. The creature shows that humans and man-made creatures alike are born with inherently good, and nature and the conditions around determine future personality, or the old nature/nurture argument. When Frankenstein’s creation turns against him, the novel shows that it is not the fault of the creature, but rather the wrongdoings of society that forced the creature to act the way he did.

Is there such a thing as genuine emotion Discuss with reference to the Essay - 1

Is there such a thing as genuine emotion Discuss with reference to the concept of emotional labour in the workplace - Essay Example Many CEOs believed that emotions would get in the way of managers being able to make good decisions (Grandey, 2000). Research has shown however, that emotions can be a very positive aspect of the workplace and can be used to meet organizational goals. In his play, â€Å"As You Like It,† Shakespeare wrote, â€Å"All the world’s a stage and all the men and women merely players †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Shakespeare, 2003). If this is true, then each of us is an emotional actor who plays various roles upon the state of home, work and the community. At home with family and friends, we act one way and with friends we act in a different way. In the workplace, most people have a totally different persona because they want to do their best and they may feel that emotions make them vulnerable. The challenge is that the average person cannot leave who they are totally at home; they will bring some of who they are to the workplace and this includes their emotions. According to Grandey (2000) emotional labor can involve â€Å"enhancing, faking or suppressing emotions to modify the emotional expression† (p. 95). Emotional labor has display rules that decide how emotions are to be expressed inside the organization. The rules may be told in some way to employees through training materials or they may be learned by observing other co-workers. There may be specific emotions that must be used in specific situations in organizations. As an example, anyone working in customer service will need to smile and be friendly to customers in order to keep customers happy. This is one example of how emotions come into an organization and can be used successfully. There are many theories about emotional labor in the workplace. The first theory began with Hochschild in 1983. Hochschild is a sociologist and saw emotional labor as â€Å"the management of feeling to create a publicly observable facial and bodily display† (Grandey, 2000, p. 96). He observed this from the perspective of the

HLT362V exercise 27 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

HLT362V exercise 27 - Assignment Example As the hours of postnatal increase, the Systolic Blood Pressure also increases, which is a positive relationship. Postnatal age hours (x) which is the independent variable is positively related to the Diastolic Blood Pressure (DBP) i.e. as the postnatal age hour increases so is SBP. This can be observed also from the graph, the graph for Figure 2 B has a positive slope since the line extends from the lower left corner to the upper right corner and shows a positive relationship. This line shows that the increase in x (independent variable) is also associated with an increase in y (dependent variable). Thus, the independent variable postnatal age is used to predict the dependent variable of Diastolic Blood Pressure (DBP). As the hours of postnatal increase, the Systolic Blood Pressure also increases, which is a positive relationship. Postnatal age hours (x) which is the independent variable is positively related to the Mean Blood Pressure (MBP) i.e. as the postnatal age hour increases so is MBP. This can be observed also from the graph; the graph for Figure 2 C has a positive slope since the line extends from the lower left corner to the upper right corner and shows a positive relationship. This line shows that the increase in x (independent variable) is also associated with an increase in y (dependent variable). Thus, the independent variable postnatal age is used to predict the dependent variable of Mean Blood Pressure (MBP). As the hours of postnatal increase, the Systolic Blood Pressure also increases, which is a positive relationship. Postnatal age hours (x) which is the independent variable is positively related to the Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP) i.e. as the postnatal age hour increases so is SBP. This can be observed also from the graph; the graph for Figure 3A has a positive slope since the line extends from the lower left corner to the upper right corner and shows a positive relationship. This line

Illegally evidence Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Illegally evidence - Case Study Example Within this framework consideration will be given of the factors that judges have taken into account when deciding whether or not to exclude such evidence. This will involve looking at policy issues in relation to the use of illegally obtained evidence in order to reach a conclusion as to whether in general terms the courts will opt to include or exclude such evidence. In reaching a decision as to the uniformity of the application of this discretion consideration will be given to whether changes that have occurred with regard to the rights of the suspect under the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 have impacted on the admissibility of such evidence. Although there have been many changes in the law with regard to the use of evidence that has been illegally obtained many judges still use the case of R v Sang [1980]1 as a yardstick by which to measure whether evidence such be excluded. In this case Lord Diplock commented that "(1) A trial judge in a criminal trial has always a discretion to refuse to admit evidence if in his opinion its prejudicial effect outweighs its probative value. (2) Save with regard to admissions and confessions and generally with regard to evidence obtained from the accused after commission of the offence, he has no discretion to refuse to admit relevant admissible evidence on the ground that it was obtained by improper or unfair means."(at p 437) In this case In this case the court following the comments made by Lord Diplock concluded that the judge would have no power to exclude the evidence on the basis that it had been obtained through the use of an agent provocateur2. In many ways the decision whether or not to exclude illegally obtained evidence seems to centre on fairness. Sang remains as an authority of the rules on the exclusion of evidence as was demonstrated in the case of R v Nadir [1993]3 where Lord Taylor CJ said that if a judge "considers evidence the Crown wish to lead would have an adverse effect on the fairness of the trial, he can exclude it under s 78 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984....He also has a general discretion to exclude evidence which was preserved by s.82(3) of the 1984 Act which would allow the judge to exclude evidence he considers more prejudicial than probative." In the later case of R v Khan [1994] 4 All ER 4264, Lord Taylor seemed to change his opinion of the use of Sang as an authority stating that "Since, on any view, the discretion conferred on the judge by s 78 is at least as wide as that identified in R v Sang it is only necessary to consider the question of the exercise of discretion under s 78 - which is what the judge did." In general terms although the judge has the discretion to be able to rule the evidence as inadmissible it is more common for the courts to allow the evidence to be adduced. Many judges are of the opinion that the effect of s78 does not make very much difference to the cases brought before the court as most judges seem to decide in favour of inclusion rather then exclusion of such evidence as was the case of R v Mason [1987]5 and in the subsequent case of R v Samuel [1988]6. Mason was later quashed on appeal when it was discovered that the only real evidence against the defendant was the confession and that this had been obtained by telling the defendant that his fingerprints had been found

Servant Leadership Transformational And Transactional Theories Management Essay

Servant Leadership Transformational And Transactional Theories Management Essay Executive summary: Purpose of this study is to examine the similarities of Servant leadership, transformational and transactional theories and also examine the Contribution those theories make to the understanding of leadership. Introduction: Leadership has a major role in 21st century in all sectors. Here I am going to discuss about understanding of what leadership is, is there any similarities among three theorists on what fine or valuable leadership ought to be. Expectation, in the 21st Century leader should be moral, social and ethical responsible. What is leadership? Leadership is a process of influencing the people to obtain the desired goal. There are many authors giving different definition. Goleman (2000): ‘A leaders singular job is to get results. House et al (2004): ‘Leadership is the ability to motivate, influence and enable individuals To contribute to the objectives of organizations of which they are members. Stogdill (1974): ‘Leadership is an influencing process aimed at goal achievement. Johns T (2008) says: ‘A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they dont necessarily want to be, but ought to be.There are a number of types of leaders who adopt different leadership styles According to Richard Bolden (2004), Different leadership theories were revealed and classified. And also only few leadership theories reached to people. They are: Great Man Trait Contingency Situational Behavioral Participative Management ( transactional leadership theory ) Relationship (transformation , servant and team leadership) Now I am going to discuss about transformational, transactional and servant leadership. T ransformational leadership: James Macgregor Burns was the first person who forward concept of transforming Leadership. Burns (1978) states, â€Å"Transforming leadership as a process where leaders and followers raise one another to higher levels of morality and motivation(p.20). Transforming leadership can answer in a relationship of mutual Stimulation and elevation that converts followers into leaders and may convert Leaders into moral agents(p. 4) and then bass b.m was developed the transformation leadership. Bass (1996), Transformational headship happens when a Leader encourage followers to share a vision, allowing them to achieve the vision, and providing the opportunity to develop their individual potential. covey (1992) says, The goal of transformational leadership is to transform people and organizations in a literal sense, to change them in mind and heart; enlarge vision, insight and understanding; clarify purposes; Make behavior congruent with beliefs, principles, or values; and bring about changes that are permanent, self-perpetuating, and momentum building(p.287).Transformatio nal leaders serve as role models , and also (Kelly, 2003) mentioning about how transformational leadership motivates its followers by following Maslows hierarchy. Transformational leader raise people from low levels of need (food, water, etc) to higher levels (self actualization). Components of transformational leadership : â€Å"Four common Is are, 1. Idealized influence : (II) Transformational leaders behave in ways that result in their being role models for their followers. The leaders are admired, respected, and trusted. 2.Inspirational motivation .(IM) Transformational leaders act in ways that inspire and encourage those around them by providing sense able and challenge to their followers, work. Team spirit is aroused. The leader gives clear information about mission, vision and expectations that followers want to meet and also show dedicationtowards goals and the shared long term plan. 3. Intellectual stimulation. (IS) Leaders encourage their followers hard work to be inventive and new, modern by questing assumptions, reframing the troubles, and approaching mature situations in new or different ways. Creativity is encouraged. Followers are encouraged to try new approach and are not criticized because they differ from leaders idea. 4. Individualized consideration .(IC) Transformational leaders pay special focus to each individuals needs and to help them achieve their higher level needs. Trace over individual talents. Being a coacher and mentor to his followers and colleagues are developed to consecutively higher levels of potential. Source: (Kelly, 2003) Characteristics of transformational leader : According to (Tichy and Devanna, 1986), they have seven characteristics to inspire their followers to achieve beyond the expectation. They visibly see themselves as change agents They are brave They believe in people They are driven by a strong set of values They are life-long learners They can cope with complexity, uncertainty and ambiguity They are visionaries Example of successful transformation leadership: There are many leaders succeed in the way transformational leadership qualities. Mahatma Gandhi is Transformational leader representing charismatic qualities. Lou Gerstner is a transformational leader retired Chairman and CEO of IBM (1993 to 2002). He entered in IBM when it was in $8.1 billion loss in 1993 after recognizing the companys problem are wrong validation, only looking for results and values. IBM had become small-minded and nonflexible (Sheppard, 2002). Lou Gerstner entirely transformed organizational culture. For example, shut down infamous IBMs dress code to reproduce better the clothing of their customers (Sheppard, 2002). Another example for transformational leader is Lee Iacocca , who is accredited with saving the Chrysler Corporation (1980-1992). Chrysler Corporation when it was on the edge of bankruptcy. He taken responsibility and he set about transforming the principles to his contiguous subordinates. He began to restructure the corporations culture. Because a tran sformational leader gives confidence to others to become transformational leaders, soon the whole organization was packed with successful leaders (Kelly, 2003). Transactional leadership: Transactional leadership emphasizes Social transaction or exchange between followers and a leader that involves involves a number of transactions based on reward. The transactional leader makes clear what he want, Performance expectations, goals, link between goals and rewards. The leader also watches followers performance And if any mistakes occurring towards the goal, the leader appear to correct (Burns 1978). In practice, these leaders use more closed and leading questions (Randell, 1997). Components of transactional leadership : (Bass Avolio, 1994) 1. Contingent rewards : It refers to a prearranged agreement : If you do as we agreed then † it specifies expectation and sets goals. 2. Active management-by-exception : It refers to behavior where the leader is actively monitoring a follower: I am seeing to it that you (do not) † the leader is strongly supervising and has specified corrective actions for mistakes. 3. Passive management-by-exception : It occurs when the leader is passively monitoring a follower: If I happen to notice that you (did not) ; the leader takes corrective action in the case of mistakes if these are found out. All these behaviors work on the principles of expectancy of reward and fear of punishment , related to needs that are lower on Maslows hierarchy Characteristics of transactional leadership: according to Marcbowles (2003), They setting a clear goal. They create targets for each individual and the team They spot performance gaps. They wont trust their followers, they monitor their performance. They take corrective actions when necessary. They gaining promise to performance and tasks through pay, reward, appreciation and honor. Example of successful transactional leadership: Transactional leadership is mostly follow by managers and CEO in many organizations in 21st century. Ezine (2010) mentioning about Steve Jobs chairman and CEO Apple inc.he got award best CEO OF 2009 by TIMES. Heis the famous transactional leader. Steve Jobs was famous for his down to world and job oriented nature of his leadership in apple computer. http://ezinearticles.com/?Leadership-StylesTransactional-Leadershipid=4262945 Servant leadership: Servant leadership sights a leader as a servant. Servant leadership was developed by green leaf in 1970, he said that The servant-leader is servant first. â€Å"It begins with the natural emotion or feelings that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then mindful choice brings one to aspire to lead. Such a person is sharply different from one who is Leader first, perhaps because of the need to assuage an unusual power drive or to acquire material possessions.† (Greenleaf et al, 1998). Katzenbach and Smith (1993) highlights The importance of leaders knowing when to follow The importance of the leader acting as supportive person to their followers to achieve task rather than just directing. They propose that the leader should ask questions rather than giving answers; provide opportunities for others to lead them; Components of servant leadership: According to (Laub, 1999) cited in (Smith et al, 2004), Servant leadership has six distinct components: Respecting people Rising people Building society Displaying legitimacy offering leadership shared leadership Characteristics of servant leadership: They Serve others needs before their needs They believe in people They are very simple and caring personalities They Provide opportunities to learn and grow They create Strong interpersonal relationships divide power and release control divide status and promote others Example of Successful servant leadership: Maxwell j (2007) add the new law in The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership Leaders Add Value by Serving Others, he described about serving others ,can make huge values(profit) in the organization. Adding Profits by Adding Value Costcos CEO, Jim Sinegal , believes the success of Costco comes from treating his employees well. Transactional versus Transformational leadership: According to Bass (1985) transactional leader motivates subordinates by exchanging rewards for services provided. Transactional Leader mainly focused on goal. Leader has been gaining promise to performance and goals through pay, reward, recognition and praise. Transformational leaders, on the other hand, motivate subordinates to perform beyond expectations.. Bass argued that such performance cannot be achieved through transactional leadership alone. A Comparison of Transactional and Transformational Leadership: Leithwood and Jantzi (2000) end that transactional leader more generally apply teleological principles (teleology is the study of goals, ends and purposes.) Where as transformational leaders deploy deontological ethics. Servant Leadership versus Transactional Leadership: Servant leadership and transactional leadership are evident in a number of ways. Servant leaders emphasize activities that fans of well-being, while transactional leaders focus on the activities of routine maintenance and resource allocation followers of monitoring and management to achieve organizational goals. Contrary to the chief servants who influence followers through personal development and empowerment, the transactional leader influences followers through the use of rewards, sanctions, and formal authority and position to induce behavior consistent. According to Blanchard and Johnson (1985), transactional leaders create strong expectations about the behavior of employees, as well as clear guidance on employees receive rewards for meeting the expectations of transactional leader.Li Thus, leaders use transactional contingent reward behavior to implement transactions with followers to achieve work goals (Bass, 1985). Servant Leadership versus Transactional Leadership: According to the stone and his colleague point of view servant leadership and transformational leadership, both models incorporate characteristics such as value, vision, power, molding, belief, honesty, and designation (Stone et al., 2003).Transformational leadership and servant leadership have similar qualities such as individualized appreciation and consideration of followers. A Comparative Model: Servant a nd Transformational Leadership The Servant Leader model , the leaders motivation to lead occurs from a fundamental attitude of social equality. The servant leaders system believes that He or she is no better than those headed. The All associates of the organization have equal privileges to vision, value, and information. The leaders role is to make easy the appearance of a community within the organization. According to (Laub, 1999), the key inventiveness for Servant leadership is importance of people, rising people, structuring community, displaying legitimacy and sharing management†. Possible impacts of these drivers could be: higher capable people, more moral people, better negotiator, well-built interpersonal relationships, establishment of shared visions, and clear tasks. It is discussed here that these results in combination with the leader initiatives that produce them to form a spiritual generative culture. T ransformational leader model , the key initiatives for the transformational leader is II or charisma behavior, IM, IS and IC. These Components lead to: role modeling, high moral standards, caring about others needs requirements, communication of hope, shared visions, innovations, risk taking, and quizzical of practices and systems. Servant leadership tends to develop a more fixed method to the exterior environment than transformational leadership. The transformational leaders motivation is aimed at for more toward achieving targets for the organization, which will reveal on his/her capabilities, and the success of these leaders is calculated by the level to which they acquire organizational rewards. The Servant leaders motivation is mainly focus on its follower the personal growth, thus the servant leaders achievement is calculated by the level to which the follower moves on the way to self actualization. CONCLUSION Leadership is attitude not a role. Leadership in Leadership, It seems, is increasingly becoming the universal remedy of the 21st Century and its emphasis is turning towards the moral, social and ethical responsibilities of leaders. Transformational leadership is suitable for dynamic organization and servant leadership suitable for static organization such as church, non-profit organization, non-government organization. Most of leader using transactional leadership theory while they using transformational leadership.    â€Å"There is nothing as practical as a good theory† (Lewin, 1935). So Todays leaders need to be skilled in change management to adopt in any situation CHRISTINA OSBORNE (2008).

Mark Twain, the Classic American Writer Essay -- Biography Biographies

Mark Twain, the Classic American Writer Christened as Samuel Langhorne Clemens, Mark Twain was born on November 30, 1835 in the small river town of Florida, Missouri. He was the sixth child to John Marshall Clemens Jane Lampton, Twain grew up amid small-town life in Florida until the age of four, when his family relocated to Hannibal in hopes of an improved living situation. He is considered to be one of the major authors of American fiction. Twain’s varied works include novels, travel narratives, short stories, sketches, and essays. His writings about the Mississippi River, such as The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Life on the Mississippi, and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, have been especially popular among modern readers (Gribben: Boyhood and Travels). Twain’s formal schooling ended after the age of 12, when his father passed away. First learning as an apprentice in a printer’s shop, and then working under his brother, Orion, Twain quickly became familiar with the newspaper trade. Twain indulged in the frontier humor that flourished in journalism at the time: tall tales, satirical pranks, and jokes. However, Twain was restless due to his inability to save his wages, and ultimately switched professions after realizing an old boyhood dream of becoming a river pilot. The profession of riverboat piloting paid well and brought Twain much attention, which he enjoyed. His piloting experiences also allowed him to observe the many kinds of people who traveled aboard the steamboats. He later reported that "in that brief, sharp schooling, I got personally and familiarly acquainted with about all the different types of human nature that are to be found in fiction, biography, or history." He first began publishing under his p... ...ber of the literati, honored by Yale, the University of Missouri, and Oxford with literary degrees. Perhaps more than any other classic American writer, Mark Twain is seen not only as an author, but also as a personality that defined an era (Encarta Mark Twain). Works Cited Anonymous. â€Å"Twain, Mark," Microsoft Encarta 98 Encyclopedia. Anonymous. â€Å"Mark Twain.† Monkeyshines on America April 1996: 32. Gribben, Alan, "Twain, Mark: Boyhood and Travels, Newspaper Work in the West," World Book Online Americas Edition, http://www.aolsvc.worldbook.aol.com/wbol/wbPage/na/ar/co/571880, September 28, 2001. Cooper, Robert. Around The World With Mark Twain. ed. Lewis Leary. New York: Arcade, 2000. Emerson, Everett. Mark Twain: A Literary Life. Philadelphia: U of P Press, 1999. Tenney, Thomas A. Mark Twain: A Reference Guide. Boston: G. K. Hall, 1977.

Monster Energy Drink Target Audience and Company Objectives Essay

Consumer Behavior Monster Energy Target Market Because the energy drink is still part of a new and developing industry, the energy drink target market is different than in some of the other beverage industries. Monster energy drinks have become a very popular, â€Å"hip† part of society, but the market at which they are aimed is not as wide and expansive, or diverse, as some might think. Early in energy drink history, when they were first being sold in the United States, athletes were the primary consumers. This shows that even initially energy drinks were directed at a select crowd, a group of people with specific interests. Although the consumer base for energy drinks has now expanded beyond that of simply athletes, the target market is still more particular than in other industries. When thinking about the energy drink target market, it is important to consider who is most receptive to the purported effects of the beverages. Although everyone is susceptible to the fatigue of the super-charged, over-worked lifestyle, young people are especially vulnerable to persistent exhaustion and insufficient energy. This group of people, more specifically male teenagers and people in their 20s, are also most likely to believe in the veracity of the energy drinks’ claims. As a result, the majority of energy drinks are developed for and advertised to this younger generation. In addition to focusing on a specific age group, many energy drink companies are even more exclusive in their marketing efforts, gearing their products and advertising to appeal to very specialized groups, such as gamers, extreme sports enthusiasts, and the hip-hop crowd. The effects of this emphasis on such a target market can be seen in the advertising campaigns of the energy drinks. Many of the names of the beverages, such as Monster LoCarb appeal to these specific consumers and the marketing strategies that revolve around sponsoring public events or celebrity endorsements reflect this focus. The design and packaging of many energy drinks also relates to the target market. Although the energy drink industry currently caters to a very specific target market, as it continues to grow and develop, it is likely that marketing efforts and the focus consumer base will be more diverse and expansive. The Monster Energy Drink, distributed by Monster Beverages Co., uses concentrated targeting as a marketing strategy. Strong promotion strategies including product hand-outs by young attractive vendors in powerful trucks blasting music are common ways The Company promotes in cities. The Company also uses Ricky Carmichael, a motocross legend, to endorse their products. 40 foot posters are used to target motocross fans which are a major target market for Monster Beverages Co. (Murr, 2006). Other effective advertisements include using high contrast, recognizable posters in retail stores and high energy, adrenaline rushed TV ads. Advantages of concentrated marketing include concentration of resources, better meeting the needs of the target audience, and strong positioning. Disadvantages include segments being too small or changing, and large competitors such as red bull to more effectively market to niche. According to Rodney Sacks, CEO, the target audience is 18 – 25 year old males (Murr, 2006). This market is focused on a product which offers an energy boost, so any audience that is involved in sports, or high endurance activity is a clear target. The green claw marks resemble adrenaline, power, and testosterone, accompanying its motto, â€Å"unleash the monster within†. High schools and colleges are clear niches for these high energy markets. The demographics for the target market for Monster energy drink are: Major Cities 18-25 year olds Males Athletes/ High endurance activities Income ? middle class According to the 2000 census, there are approximately 10 million males who fall under Sacks’ audience of 18 – 25 year old males. But I believe the target market is expanding to be much wider than that including women and older men. Judging by the effectiveness of free handout promotions in hot locations such as South beach, Florida, I see a target market of males and females ages 12 – 35. According to the census this number is around 80 million (US Census Bureau, 2007). Hansen’s Monster Energy drinks offer giant doses of caffeine and sugar in big black cans adorned with neon-colored claw marks. The scary packaging, plus a bevy of extreme-sports sponsorships, positions Monster as an edgy alternative to Red Bull in the fast-growing, $2 billion a year energy-drink market. Monster’s slogan: Unleash the beast. † Monster has certainly energized Hansen. The company has seen its sales more than double since it introduced the brand in April, 2002. Last year, Hansen earned $20 million on sales of $180 million, up from just $3 million of profits on sales of $80 million in 2001. Sales nearly doubled, while profits quadrupled, in this year’s first quarter. Those results helped Hansen earn the No. 26 spot on BusinessWeek’s annual ranking of Hot Growth Companies. Monster Objectives Hansen has jolted the Monster brand with a dose of guerrilla marketing. Teams of Monster ambassadors† give out samples of the product at concerts, beach parties, and other events. The company also sponsors motocross, surfing, and skateboarding competitions. Hansen representatives in black Monster vans supplement the company’s network of 300 independent distributors by assembling store displays and restocking specially designed racks in convenience store coolers. Hansen now owns an 18% share of the energy-drink category, according to the trade publication _Beverage Digest_. While Red Bull remains the leader with nearly half of the market, Hansen’s energy-drink sales increased 162% last year — more than three times Red Bull’s growth rate. A small subset of consumers is going wild over these drinks,† says Beverage Digest editor and publisher John Sicher. Hansen is really riding a tiger. † It’s a jungle out there, though. Coca-Cola Co. ([**KO**](.. /javascript:%20void%20showTicker(‘KO’)) ) is promoting its new Full Throttle energy drink. PepsiCo Inc. ([**PFE**](../javascript:%20void%20showTicker(‘PFE’)) ) is marketing energy drinks under its SoBe and Mountain Dew brands. And independent entrepreneurs have elbowed their way in with products such as Rockstar and FUZE Mega Energy. Every month we pick up a new product or two,† says George Kalil, who runs an independent bottling company in Tucson. Sacks estimates that the energy-drink category is growing 50% a year and that there’s room in the market for everybody. These are the new soft drinks of the world,† he declares. Sacks and Schlosberg are fending off the attack by diversifying. They’ve launched Joker, an energy drink sold exclusively in Circle K convenience stores, and Rumba, a caffeine-laced juice drink designed to be a morning pick-me-up. And they introduced Monster Assault, which comes in a black-and-gray camouflage can that saysDeclare war on the ordinary! † It’s a slogan that could describe the juiced-up strategy of this formerly sleepy beverage player. It is apparent that Monster has become a major player in the energy beverage market. We hope to be the number one choice of energy drinks among consumers.

A Brief Analysis of William Blakes The Fly Essays

A Brief Analysis of William Blakes The Fly Essays A Brief Analysis of William Blakes The Fly Paper A Brief Analysis of William Blakes The Fly Paper William Blake has a very loose structure, and uses a trimester rhyme scheme. The purpose of using trimester is for the short lines to symbolize the brevity of life. The first of the five stanzas describes an innocent fly being thoughtlessly killed by a human being. The second compares a man too fly and a fly too man. The third and fourth explain how flies and humans are similar, and the fifth affirms that man is indeed like a fly. Death is repeatedly referred to as a hand. The fly is killed by being brushed away by the humans thoughtless hand. The human is killed by the blind hand of death. Blake uses the technique of Juxtaposition of the fly and the speaker. The human sees the fly as powerless, and then realizes that humans could be seen in the same manner by a higher order. He says he is fated to live his life Till some blind hand/ Shall brush my wing, comparing his death to that of the fly. The iris stanza uses the imagery of the human placed in a God-like position when he kills the fly. When the human speaking from the point of view of a human, the fly symbolizes those below the speaker In society. The theme of The Fly is mans extreme weakness in comparison to God/death/fate. The poem also uses a common theme of Flakes: innocence and experience. The fly is totally innocent and powerless. The speaker realizes that human beings are powerless In the same way, and this passes him into the realm of experience.

How do International Students cope with culture shock The WritePass Journal

How do International Students cope with culture shock Introduction How do International Students cope with culture shock Introduction Culture according to anthropologist Peacock refers to taken-for-granted but powerfully influential understandings and codes that are learned and shared by members of a group. (Peacock 1988,7)â‚ . Oberg (1960,cited in Kim 1988,23) defines Culture Shock as the anxiety   which results from losing all familiar signs and symbols of social intercourseâ‚ . These shocks include living with host families, the gap between the expectations of the host culture and the reality and the difference between the language acquired in the home country compared to the language faced in the socio-cultural environment of the country where it is spoken. According to Furnham and Bochner (1986), international students face several difficulties as compared to native students when they try to adjust in a new culture. Sometimes these difficulties are related to academic stress when students are expected to work very hard with complex material and loads of assignments while there are times when they ar e confronted with other difficulties like accommodation problem, separation reactions, financial stress, misunderstandings and loneliness. All these difficulties can have a significant psychological impact on the students which can prove to be detrimental to their over-all being and academic life. International students are really different when compared to local students when it comes to culture, language and educational experience and they have to deal with a lot of challenges and adjustments when they move to a Western University. According to Beasley and Pearson (1999), while many international students would have done their first year of study elsewhere, their first experience of a western university is especially challenging because they are doing their second year of study often without the same support and infrastructure which would be offered to first year students. This leads to an increase in the culture clash of language or dialect and the worldview that most internation al students are likely to experience. The international students are not only trying to adjust themselves   with another culture or language but they are also dealing with the need to change their ways of thinking , studying and learning to meet the demands of the foreign education system. Literature on both local and international graduate students experiences show that there are perceptions of isolation, unfamiliar approaches to study and distance supervisors ( Channel, 1990; Elsey, 1990; Aspland ODonoghue,1994; Zuber-Skerritt,1994; Spencer-Oatey,1997). For example, in a study that took cultural differences as the starting point, Spencer-Oatey (1997) examined students and tutors perceptions about an unequal role relationship in two kinds of society- a high power- distance (Chinese) society and a low power-distance ( British) society. The Chinese respondents viewed the role relationship to be closer and related the power differential to their customs and culture whereas the Brit ish respondents gave a thought on the legitimacy of the power differential. Coping strategies are the various methods which the international students adopt when they try to adjust themselves in the new environment of academic cultural transition. Some of these strategies include self- determination where the students change their way of learning and become more independent in their studies. However, sometimes this strategy varies from student to student depending on their educational background and how they have been taught previously. Sometimes, its hard for international students to cope with culture shock especially when they dont have a strong support system on their arrival in a new place. This can either be due to their own family problems which they get along with them in the new environment and then dont know how to deal with them in the new situation or it can also be due to the fact that they were not ready to adapt to the new phase of academic   transition but had to c ompromise on the situation much against their willingness to do so.   As a result of all this , when the students come into contact with a new culture and a new environment, they find it hard to mentally adjust to the new life. This results in a severe culture shock where they find themselves suffering from things like loneliness, homesickness, depression, lack of concentration on studies and the inability to complete their assignments, inability to speak about their feelings and situation with someone and excessive drinking. In order to help the students with this shock, there has to be a strong emotional support especially in a place like a university where they are made to feel settled in their new home. The people in the host culture have to understand that culture shock is something which is a part of students experiences in trying to adapt to the their culture and moreover it cannot be prevented although with adequate help and assistance  Ã‚   it can become a part of their learning that they have to do in the transition to a new phase. Some people view culture shock as a disease or a psychological disorder especially with the signs related to the shock but they have to realize its not a disease instead its something that the students experience when   they are thrown into an unfamiliar environment away from home, family and friends and a completely new academic life. Orientation in the home country   such as cross-cultural seminar, workshops and may be again repeated in the induction programme on their arrival in the new country on some of the main aspects of   â€Å" difference† ,   can prove to very effective in preparing the international students to face the shocks and identify the   areas where these may happen. The development of a proper support system is important in order to to help international students reconstruct an important identity or role in the new culture. The greater the perceived differences in the work and socia l environment, the greater the adjustment, complexity and culture shock. Social isolation for international students may arise from various sources which include being born and brought up in a home country where â€Å" collectivism† rather than â€Å" individualism† is the main norm, perceived and actual racial discrimination and confrontation with cultural differences when international students do not understand the host culture norms and social rules. Problems with proficiency in English language can severely affect international students ability to succeed in academics, to communicate effectively with the lecturers and classmates and also to establish friendships with fellow students and others. International students who are not confident about the language find it hard to adjust to their new environment. Transition shock may influence the academic life   and can also affect the overall success and well-being especially mental health. Since international student s prefer to seek advice about their personal issues from their family and friends, they rarely use the university services especially personal counseling. Another reason due to which international students rarely use the personal counseling depends on their country of origin and culture. For some counseling as an option would be new because it may not be available to them or practiced in their own culture. Therefore, it is important that some universities develop ways to provide counseling services to international students in informal settings and in non-traditional ways such as presentations and group settings. The university could also pair new international students with other international students from their home countries who are already there to mentor the new arrived students. The system of independent study   over time management, the indispensable skills   which students have to achieve in the English system also leads to students experiencing culture shock and this a ffects all the international students in a big way. The overall consequences of such stress is that it is easier to opt   from interaction but this only results in isolation, failure, to form bonds or friendships with other students and the failure to establish a communicative relationship with teachers as well. Such   an isolation as result only makes the progress with the study even harder for students. International students do not face a totally different set of problems from their â€Å" home† student counterparts. Group work, presentations can be more stressful because a student who is generally silent is more or less excluded, whether its voluntarily   or not and therefore, they have a great difficulty in dealing with them because of lack of integration into the new system. Therefore, they find it hard to develop social networks to effectively communicate with their tutors and peers and to express their concerns to the host community that is providing the support services. Thus , culture shock   is a totally a personal experience. It does not effect all the people in the same way or even the same person in the same way when it reoccurs. It something that occurs inside each individual when they face unfamiliar events and circumstances. As the situation changes in unexpected directions, the individual needs to construct   new perspectives on self, others and the environment that fit with the new situation. References 1)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Xiaoqiong, Hu (2008). The Culture Shock that Asian Students Experience in Immersion Education. Changing English: Studies in Culture and Education,15/1, pp 101-105 2)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   aaa.uni-augsburg.de/ausland/downloads_vz/furnham_foreign_students.pdf ( retrieved on 15th May 2011) 3)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Sayers, Janet; Franklin, Trish (2008). Culture Shock! Cultural issues in a tertiary course using reflective techniques. Reflective Practice, 9/1, pp 79-88 4)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   McClure, Joanne (2007).   International graduates cross-cultural adjustment: experiences, coping strategies and suggested programmatic responses. Teaching ij Higher Education,12/2, pp 199-217 5)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   McLachlan, Debra A.;Justice, Jessica (2009). A Grounded Theory of International Student Well-being. Journal of Theory construction and testing ,13/1, pp 27.32 6)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Sovic, Silvia (2007). Coping with stress : the perspective of international students.   Art, Design and Communication in Higher Education,6/3, pp 145-158

Report in auditing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Report in auditing - Essay Example The fact that the external auditors will not be able to physically inspect or examine the audit procedures does not comply with the GAAS (Standards of Field Work, No. 3). This standard explicitly requires the auditor's ability to examine, inspect, observe and confirm the accounting information obtained during the audit procedures. Standard No. 3 of GAAS General Standards requires "mental independence" on the part of the auditor, which might not be fulfilled because the acquiring auditing firm's principal partner is a cousin to TPC's CEO. In this situation, the auditor might not be able to give a free and independent opinion and rather be under significant pressure throughout the process. The last situation is entirely in violation of GAAS Standards of Reporting No. 1. This standard requires that the company's financial statements should be in full compliance with the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). However, according to the aforesaid situation, TPC's accounting records have not been prepared in accordance with the GAAP standards. In order to bring the audit in compliance with the GAAS standards, the first action that should be taken is to provide the auditor complete mental freedom to undertake the audit process and independently obtain the information required to carry out the process. This can be done if the influence of auditor's relative is avoided. Another step which is important to be undertaken is that the auditors should be provided an opportunity to perform physical examination wherever possible. Otherwise the auditor will need to mention his inability to perform physical inspection in the report and reflect this fact in his final opinion to bring the audit in compliance with the GAAS standards. Also any corrections in TPC's accounts and financial recording should be made, where possible, so as to

Modern Artist - Constantin Brancusi Research Paper

Modern Artist - Constantin Brancusi - Research Paper Example The paper "Modern Artist - Constantin Brancusi" investigates Constantin Brancusi's art. He was strongly influenced from the African and oriental art and most of this work pieces also reflect his admiration towards them. Some of his prominent works include Sleeping Muse (1908), The Kiss (1908), Prometheus (1911), Mademoiselle Pogany (1913), The Newborn (1915), Bird in Space (1919) and The Column of the Infinite that is commonly called with the name The Endless Column (1938).Keeping in view his interesting in wood carving, initially he got the training as a carpenter and stonemason. However, when he settled in Paris he recognized his great interest and capabilities in sculpture making. Brancusi has been regarded among the prominent central figures of the modern movements. He pioneered abstraction and paves the way towards the evolution of new genre in the field of art. Brancusi strived to make simple work pieced using few basic elements. He was also admired by the work of August Rodin however, he was most interested in searching for pure form and in the end he succeeded to convey the sense of gravity through his work pieces making from few basic elements. His art work is not only praised for the visual elegance but he also showed the sensitive use of material blended with direct peasant carving and Parisian Avant-grade. His style was based upon his non-conventional approach towards art and creation of art pieces. He believes that main purpose of art work in to reveal the hidden truth.