The Struggle Between Tradition and Change

October 17, 2012 In Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, the reader is taken on a literary journey to a Nigerian tribe, the Umuofia, to experience first-hand the struggles of a warrior named Okonkwo. At first glance, the novel appears to be written for a very specific audience: scholars familiar with Nigerian history, traditions, and culture. However, upon further examination the novel reveals itself to be a striking chronicle of human experiences, universal themes, and timeless struggles that appeal to every human, regardless of familiarity with Nigerian culture.Taken as a whole, the novel appears to be much more than the sum of its parts: syntax, diction, figurative language, imagery, repetition, and symbols. Things Fall Apart is definitely a novel with literary worth. As a story about a culture on the verge of change, Things Fall Apart deals with how the viewpoint and reality of change affect a number of characters. The tension about whether change should be privileged over traditi on often contains questions of personal status.Okonkwo, for example, resists the new political and religious orders because he feels that they are not manly and that he himself will not be manly if his agreements to join or even tolerate them. To some extent, Okonkwo’s resistance of cultural change is also due to his fear of being like his father, or in other words, loss his societal status. His sense of self-worth is dependent upon the traditional standards by which society judges him. This system of evaluating the self inspires many of the clan’s outcasts to embrace Christianity.Long scorned, these outcasts find in the Christian value system a refuge from the Igbo cultural values that place them below everyone else. In their new community, these converts enjoy a more elevated status. The villagers in general are caught between resisting and embracing change and they face the dilemma of trying to determine how best to adapt to the reality of change. Many of the villag ers are excited about the new opportunities and techniques that the missionaries bring.This European influence, however, threatens to extinguish the need for the mastery of traditional methods of farming, harvesting, building, and cooking. These traditional methods, once crucial for survival, are now to a degree, dispensable. Throughout the novel, Achebe shows how dependent such traditions are upon storytelling and language and thus how quickly the abandonment of the Igbo language for English could lead to the extinction of these traditions. In addition to cultural clash, Achebe explores the theme of masculinity versus femininity, and reveals Okonkwo’s fatal character flaw: hyper-masculinity.Okonkwo is motivated by a desire to prove himself superior to his father, who was cowardly and careless and died a poor man with many unpaid debts. He viewed his father as overly pensive, slow to act and womanly. For this reason, he frequently beats his wives, even threatening to kill the m from time to time. Therefore, Okonkwo adopts opposite traits; Okonkwo is rash, quick to act, and excessively violent. Okonkwo always associated violence with masculinity. Achebe uses figurative language like metaphors and similes to compare Okonkwo to a fire. during this time Okonkwo's fame had grown like a bush-fire in the harmattan† (1). Okonkwo gained power and importance in Umuofian society by burning lesser people as fuel. Just like a brush-fire, Okonkwo’s fame, importance, and prestige grew stronger the longer he burned. He continued to burn strong into adulthood. â€Å"[The drums] filled him with fire as it had always done from his youth. He trembled with the desire to conquer and subdue† (42). Okonkwo’s inner fire is what allowed him to conquer Umuofian society and rise above the disgrace of his father.As his fame and popularity increased, Okonkwo pursued his ideal of masculinity. Okonkwo constantly distanced himself from anything even remotely f eminine. He constantly reminded himself of his masculinity and strove to make sure all his clansmen knew of it as well. â€Å"Okonkwo was popularly called the ‘Roaring Flame. ’ As he looked into the log fire he recalled the name. He was a flaming fire† (153). The metaphor of fire is perfect to describe Okonkwo’s character, and yields a deep analysis of human feelings and personality. Like a fire, Okonkwo is violent, and burns whatever he touches.In many cases, he â€Å"burns† his own family. Throughout the novel, Okonkwo harasses on his wives and son, beats his family, and kills three innocent people not including him. In many cases, he hurts his family for trivial reasons. For instance, Okonkwo chastised and beat his son, Nwoye, for merely listening to his mother’s stories. He beat Nwoye again when he discovered him helping women with their household tasks. Okonkwo saw within Nwoye the same â€Å"effeminate† essence of his the father whom he hates so much. Ultimately, the success of Things FallApart as a novel of literary merit is due to Achebe’s use of universal literary themes like self-exploration, change, tradition, cultural clash, and masculinity versus femininity. No matter what language is spoken by the reader or what time period they come from, Achebe’s writing about the human experience is relevant and significant. Mankind has many different faces. Although fear and anger are reactions that all men have, if left unchecked, they will consume all one has worked for and eventually destroy everything that one holds dear.Because of that, before actions are taken, much consideration should be taken to make sure that personal flaws as well as flaws in society do not interfere with one's judgment. Of course, not all scholars agree with the assertion that Things Fall Apart has literary worth. Achebe’s skillful use of literary devices like metaphor, simile, imagery, and repetition demonstrate the quality of writing. Achebe’s understanding of the â€Å"human experience† demonstrates the relevance of theme. And the number of copies of the novel sold, over two million worldwide, demonstrates the universality of the story. It is safe to say that Things Fall Apart has earned widespread acceptance as a quality piece of literature.Works Cited Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. New York: Anchor, 1994. Print. â€Å"Things Fall Apart. † Enotes. com. Enotes. com, n. d. Web. 29 Oct. 2012. <http://www. enotes. com/things-fall-apart>. â€Å"Things Fall Apart Summary. † Study Guides & Essay Editing. N. p. , n. d. Web. 29 Oct. 2012. <http://www. gradesaver. com/things-fall-apart/study-guide/short-summary/>.

Other Voices, Other Rooms †Analysis Essay

Capote’s Other Voices, Other Rooms is an exploration into role reversal, gender definitions, and the risk involved in sexuality and love against the harsh contrast of southern ideals. The novel acts as Capote’s catharsis in developing his younger self, in the character of Joel Knox, innocent and self-exploring, as he transforms into his older, liberated self in the character of Randolph who truly is the voice carrying the books message. However, to reach his destination of Randolph, Joel must begin his journey with Idabel Tompkins. Joel sees Idabel soon after entering Noon City, and is so mesmerized with her boyish antics that he is oblivious to the man offering him a nickle to capture her, something Joel would not be capable of anyway. She notices him later as well, watching Joel in the soda shop from the doorway and asking about him in her†boy-husky† voice. Immediately, Joel is intrigued on the verge of infatuation and most often referencing her boyish attributes in the same breath. On the way to the Landing, his new home, he finds Idabel on the road and picks her out from her sister as, â€Å"[t]he other moved as jerky and quick as a boy† (p31). The pair become friends and later during a fishing trip, Joel learns not only the risks invilved in loving someone but also Idabel’s evaluation of what they are together.. When she tells him to undress so they can swim naked Joel sheepishly replied, â€Å"But you’re a girl† (p131) Idabel, frustrated, replies, â€Å"What you’ve got in your britches is no news to me, and no concern of mine†¦.I never think like I’m a girl; you’ve got to remember that, or we can’t never be friends† later on proclaiming, â€Å"I want so much to be a boy† (p132). During the same trip, Joel felt he needed to put his arms around Idabel as, â€Å"the only means of expressing all he felt† he kisses her cheek and in return she becomes so mad that he pulls his hair and fights him. Joel learns the danger of loving someone, could mean loosing them or being betrayed by them. Idabel comes to get Joel at the Landing, in hopes of picking up a partner in crime to run away with. Joel mistakes this as affection and suggests they  run off and get married, picking grapes to support themselves. Idabel rebukes him sternly, â€Å"I don’t want to get married†¦.Who the hell said I wanted to get married? Now you listen, boy: you behave decent, you behave like we’re brothers, or you don’t behave at all. Anyway, we don’t want to do no sissy thing like pick grapes. I thought maybe we could join the Navy† (p174) on their way to running away, they first stop at the carnival in Noon City where they meet the alluring blonde midget Mrs. Wisteria, a 25 year old carnival worker who also wants to be loved in a society that does not value her. Idabel is immediately smitten with her and Joel notices, to his dismay, â€Å"Idabel, more excited than Joel had ever seen her, rushed up and asked [Miss Wisteria], please, wouldn’t she have some soda pop with them† (p191) Joel Later realizes Idabel is in love with the circus performer. This provokes Joel into a dream where he fears Idabel’s loss and tells her he loves her. He begins to realize he can never have her love. During their conversation, Miss Wisteria talks about her horrible experiences trying to find love and her sorrow that boys must grow tall and therefor, never want her. We see the perfect triangle of unrequited love that can never be fulfilled and can only bring sorrow. Joel longs for Idabel who is in love with the golden curls of Miss Wisteria, who molests Joel while trapped in a ferris wheel in her attempt to find a boy who will never grow tall. In an affirming signal of Joels realization of who he is, Joel sees Randolph, the homosexual transvestite cousin of his step-mother, at the carnival, while being molested by Miss Wisteria. He runs off scared looking for Idabel and hides from Miss Wisteria in the old abandoned house in town. He realizes he has a home and a bed at the Landing with Randolph, while Miss Wisteria is doomed to always be searching rooms for love, as she is now looking for Joel in the old mansion, until she finds her final room, where death awaits. Joel realizes who he is now and is almost comforted by it. He forgets Idabel for most of the rest of the story and assumes she has run off with her circus girl. Joel is content to remain at the Landing, especially after his one connection to the real world is lost when his friend Zoo comes back to stay after a rape has driven her a little crazy as well. He knows he belongs there with Randolph, the ‘ghostly lady’ in the window who wears women’s clothes and wig, but is more like him than whats outside. He hides from his old life in the form of a visit from his  original caretaker, his aunt Ellen, and moves towards Randolph, looking back and leaving his innocent self, the other Joel Knox. Works Cited Capote, Truman. Other Voices, Other Rooms. New York: Vintage, 1994. Print.

Resolving Ethical Business Challenges Essay

Peter had been a human resource (HR) manager for 18 years and vice president for 2 more years for Zyedego Corporation, a small company in New Orleans. In the last decade, there have been many changes to what potential/actual employees can be asked and what constitutes fair and equitable treatment. Frankly, the situation Peter was in was partly his own fault. The first issue began when Gwyn, one of Peter’s HR managers, was planning on rehiring Dana Gonzales but found out that Dana was pregnant. Because of the â€Å"rough† condition of the workplace, Gwyn was concerned for Diana’s safety. If Dana were rehired, employees’ hourly wages should be decreased by 25 percent because the company had experienced setbacks during the hurricane and had to work with a reduced budget. In addition, Gwyn had some concerns over Dana’s citizenship because her passport appeared to be questionable. Dana had been slowing providing the documents since the flood destroyed th e original documents. Then Dana stated that if not rehired she would go to a competitor and expected the company to pay severance of two weeks’ wages for the time she was out of work during the hurricane. Another issue is the hiring of truck drivers. Zyedego hires many truck drivers and routinely requests driving records as a part of the preemployment process. Several of the potential new hires have past DWI records. Gwyn has hired some drivers with infractions to secure the necessary number of drivers needed to the company. Zyedego has even deeper problems when Hurricane Katrina killed Guy Martin. The company’s death benefits provide only 50% of the deceased pension for a surviving spouse. Also, because the body had not been found, there was legal question of death. Darell Lambert, the chief adjuster for Zyedego’s insurance and pension provider, proposed that it will be helpful for the company’s recovery and survival to reduce the total reimbursements by 40%. Here is the point where Peter’s decision making comes to play. QUESTIONS: 1. What are the legal and ethical risks associated with the decision about hiring truck drivers at Zyedego? * 2. What should Peter recommend to Gwyn about Dana’s case? * Peter should recommend to Gwyn not to rehire Dana due to questionable citizenship. The company may be liable if proven that Dana is not a resident of New Orleans. 3. Do you think Peter is too emotionally attached to the Martin case to make an objective decision? * Yes. Because Peter wanted to help the 100 families even if there is a need to cut down the total reimbursement by 40%. There is the assurance that the 100 families will receive financial assistance from the company but not the exact amount as stated. Conclusion: * Regarding the issue of hiring the truck drivers, it is unethical for Gwyn to hire employees only for the sake of securing the numbers of workers needed to perform the job. Gwyn should take consider of the implications of her ineffective decision making on hiring drivers with records of infractions. Still, there is a probability of recurrence. * On Dana’s case, it will be ethical for Peter to recommend not rehiring Dana because of the â€Å"uncertainty† about her citizenship. If proven that Dana is not a citizen of New Orleans, then there is misconduct on Dana’s point of view because she had not provided a reliable document regarding her nationality requirements if she is really permitted to work in New Orleans. * On Martin case, Peter had to take some considerations of implementing some actions for the survival of the business. As an ethical leader, Peter should consider stakeholder’s interest at the same time. His decision should be in the process that is respectful of them not only for the firm’s survival.

Course Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Course Project - Essay Example tatement The employee performance need to be evaluated as the productivity of the employee is seen as a problem due conflicts, layoffs and violation of standards. First, there will be a strategic planning where the human resource department needs to make planning as to what they want to achieve and in what manner. There will be surveys with employees and management .With this human resource managers can acquire information about the working pattern and attitude of employees .Also the managers can give information regarding the employee performance strengths and weaknesses. Then analysis would be done and a performance appraisal and evaluation strategy would be formulated. In performance appraisal the training and development needs of the employees will be analysed and suitable training program will be implemented to increase productivity. As per ( Scullen 2) â€Å"Developmental feedback on strengths and weaknesses would likely be more effective if it came on an ongoing basis, rather than in an annual or semi-annual performance appraisal†.Then the mission, goals and values will be instructed to the employee in training sessions. Later, the performance of the employees will be studied to see the effectiveness of the training and development program. As per (People Stream) â€Å"Performance Management is used to ensure that employees activities and outcomes are congruent with the organisations objectives and entails specifying those activities and outcomes that will result in the firm successfully implementing the strategy†. Thus the employee performance appraisal project will bring the company back to it

Benefits of free music download in iTunes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Benefits of free music download in iTunes - Essay Example This suggestion to have free music download in iTunes has received many critics from several quotas because it is argued as a violation of copyrights laws of the reproduction (Jost, 6). However, iTunes should acknowledge that free music download has more advantages than the disadvantages thus people should be allowed to download music freely on their website (Small, 41-68). The need for free music download has facilitated over one-hundred artists and hundreds of thousands of songs to be made available free download on the internet (Raw Downloads 1). iTunes has been left behind due to the charges it levies of the songs. Some of the reason music should be downloaded freely includes the benefits from great promotion.  When iTunes accepts the need for free download of music on their website, it would provide a better technique of marketing. This should be the chief reason iTunes should offer free music downloads on their website. Through making free music downloads, the music get playe d by people’s listening cars, devices, radios, major events, clubs, the online websites on the iTunes.  When a mass of people are truly attracted to an artist’s music, they will share the music freely through software like Bluetooth. Moreover, this would promote the artist brand name and music thus would get a lot of corporate endorsement (Jost 22).

What is the role of the state in your life in society Assignment

What is the role of the state in your life in society - Assignment Example tutions that govern a society, including the government, government bureaucracy, the judiciary, the armed forces and so on† (Henslin, Possamai and Possamai-Inesedy 2011, p.358). Even in a sociological approach, the role of state can be seen and understood in many ways like the Marxian approach that views state as a tool of oppression of the capitalist class, and the â€Å"state autonomy perspective† where the state is understood to have a role to safeguard its citizens within the economic and social limitations that it is bound to have (Henslin, Possamai and Possamai-Inesedy 2011, p.358). Anyway, when examined in relation with the state, the individual belongs to the civil sphere â€Å"outside of the formal state in which individuals and groups of individuals connect and act, independent of, but often in connection with, the state and the household (Henslin, Possamai and Possamai-Inesedy 2011, p.359). It is this inter-connectedness of the state and the individual that becomes the subject of evaluation in this paper. Health and employment have been considered as the â€Å"key determinants of our well-being† and also they have been accepted as â€Å"major objectives of European welfare state† (Borsch-Supan and Schroder, p.1). From this, it becomes clear that health and employment (which is a derivative of education), are two areas where the state has a major role to play. Security is another field where the state has always played an important role to such an extent that it has to shoulder the responsibility of â€Å"increasing than decreasing life chances for subjects/citizens† (Bedeski, 2007, p.62). The relationship between individual and the state in this regard has two aspects- the responsibility of subjects/citizens towards the state and the reciprocity of this responsibility. The responsibility of subjects/citizens â€Å"include, military service, taxes, obedience to laws, some subordination to officials, and tolerance of other particular interests† (Bedeski, 200 7,

The Portrait Of Christ Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Portrait Of Christ - Essay Example They want a straight message that is verifiable by evidence and testimonials. America is a complex society, with many educated and globally-aware citizens suffering just as much stress as those who are struggling on welfare or homeless, single parents or factory workers. Therefore, any message, in order to be relevant in such a complex society, will need to make people feel like there is a way out of stress, that there is hope. Americans are concerned about nuclear threat, terrorism, discrimination, financial stability, safety, pollution, cholesterol, the ozone layer, global warming, therapeutic issues, and a whole variety of threats. Consequently, Americans are a bit on the defensive side, meaning that they need to be approached gently, not further threatened. A fifth element that characterizes Americans is their friendliness, their outgoing style and willingness to help others, to share resources, so long as they are not taken undue advantage of. These five characteristics shape my argument for why the Gospel of John has such a compelling message and delivery style for Americans at the beginning of the 21st century. Mark’s portrait of Christ emphasizes his suffering and how believers share in his suffering. This is a portrait that Americans can relate to at times because, like everyone else, Americans are subject to the death and loss of friends and family members, housing foreclosures, cancer and other health problems, parenting issues, incidents with traumatic consequences.

Standard Battles in Media Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Standard Battles in Media Industry - Essay Example This is known as interoperability, and is important for the developer as well as the consumer. As the necessity for interoperability results from widespread innovation, it also facilitates such innovation (Digital TV over Broadband, 1). Yet in today's high-technological industry, these innovators and developers are faced with challenges when adoptions of standards become imminent. The rigors of standard adoption procedures, including the very real possibility of standard wars, can place these companies in positions that force drastic action. Because of the ability of standards to affect welfare and economic development, even governmental bodies sometimes see the need to become involved in setting standard. It is therefore often the case that technology companies move in and out of technological arenas based on outcomes of these standard-establishing battles. Consumers and manufacturers take keen interest in the interoperability of technological components that perform similar or complementary functions. It is, for example, very important that appliances plug into electric socket and that pencils fit into sharpeners. This is one of the benefits of standards, and it offers a significantly large incentive for the acquisition of a product. Likewise, manufacturers pay close attention to standards when conducting research and development, as the existence of these standards often guides the direction of development and sets parameters in which such innovation can take place. Standards are capable of removing much of the risk involved in research and development, as a certain amount of certainty is conferred upon a project in the knowledge that it cannot be rejected on such grounds that are held by the standard to which it adheres. When companies are certain of a market for their products, they are likely to be confident in producing new and v ariable products. Also, security in the market allows for the dedication of time and concern to such ventures as improvement of technology and reduction of expense (van Tassel, 2001). The interaction of consumers, manufacturers, standard-setting committees and sometimes the government is responsible for the ultimate adoption of standards, and several models for such action exist. Adoption of standards under de facto condition involves sponsorship by these technology companies, and it is these that are mainly determining of the fate or direction of the companies. However, adoption through industry consensus is possible and may also affect the companies' future. Especially in the case of de facto standards, several models exist for adoption proceedings, and examples for each exist empirically in the actions of several real companies around the world (Stango, 2004). Technological innovation has, as mentioned earlier, much to do with the establishment of standards. Since standards can determine the direction (or even survival) of technology companies, it can be seen then that innovation is a very important part of the life of any such company. Backward-compatible software gave RCA the edge in the CBS v RCA bid for the adoption of their version of the colored television set as the network standard in the United States. RCA was the official distributor of the standard black-and-white television sets in the country, but alongside the incumbent, the CBS network had been developing a mechanical colored television (Shapiro & Varian, 1999). RCA was much slower in its development of an electronic colored televisio

Assingment 3 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Assingment 3 - Assignment Example As disclosed, they found that effective leaders have attributes, to wit: â€Å"(1) self-confident, well-integrated, and emotionally stable; (2) warm, sensitive and sympathetic toward other people and give practical, helpful suggestions; (3) intelligent in relation to the group members; (4) identify with the goals and values of the groups they lead; (5) want to take leadership responsibility and are competent in handling new situations; (6) can be relied on to perform leadership functions consistently; and (7) in elected or public positions, usually possess more enthusiasm and capacity for expression than other types of leaders† (Ross and Hendry 59-60). According to Martires and Fule, if a consistent relationship between leadership effectiveness and personality traits exist, as manifested in the traits approach to leadership, it would be easy to pinpoint people who could be effective leaders by testing whether these people possess such traits. However, no consistent pattern of relationship between traits and leadership ability were evidently found. In many instances, people who possess many of the traits do not become effective leaders while those who possess only a few can also be effective. As a result, the trait approach to leadership has lost much of its appeal. The behavioral approach was noted to endeavor finding answers to the question of what behaviors, actions, and skills make effective leadership possible. Compared to the trait approach, the behavioral approach has great practical usefulness since behavior, actions, and skills can be modified and learned. In this regard, the basic skills identified to be a must to be equi pped in effective leaders include: building credibility, communication, listening, assertiveness, conducting meetings, effective stress management, problem solving and improving creativity (Hughes, Ginnett and Curphy). The effects of personality and intelligence on the effectiveness of a leader have

Primary color Essay Example for Free

Primary color Essay Light reveals a world of colors by painting everything it touches. Our plain and soulless furniture gains meaning. Our brown bookshelf, gray study table, green mug carpets, rugs, curtains the yellow wheat fields in the harvest picture, the blue china vase, our favorite brown sweater the striking green of a tree surrounded by concrete buildings, the blue sky, and the carousel of life that becomes worth living by being embellished with colors. Lets travel through the wonderful world of colors. Each color conceals a story. Some virtuous and sensitive eyes see the truth through them, while others see rage, anger, and all the evils dictated by the alter ego. Colors carry such feelings as anger and hope, and symbolize such concepts as sinfulness and innocence. They are abused or sacrificed, and widely preferred or despised. Literally, color is a phenomenon of light or visual perception that enables people to differentiate otherwise identical objects. Being one of matters distinguishing characteristics, in a sense its meanings are the meanings of life. As truth is interwoven with life, truth might be viewed through colors. Their Influence on People The most important aspect of color in daily life is probably the aesthetic and psychological responses that they evoke†our psychological perception†and the resulting influences on art, fashion, commerce, and even physical and emotional sensations. For example, reds, oranges, yellows, and browns are warm, whereas blues, greens, and grays are cold. Reds, oranges, and yellows are said to induce excitement, cheerfulness, stimulation, and aggression; blues and greens to induce security, calm, and peace; and browns, grays, and blacks to bring sadness, depression, and melancholy. However, we can only generalize about such subjective perceptions. Age, mood, mental health, and other factors affect color perception. People sharing distinct personal traits often share color perceptions and preferences. For example, schizophrenics are said to have abnormal color perception, and very young children learning to distinguish colors usually prefer red or orange. Many psychologists believe that analyzing ones use of and response to color reveals relevant physiological and psychological information. Some even suggest that specific colors have a therapeutic effect on physical and mental disabilities. In China, India, and Japan, colors are used in alternative medicine. Orange is considered good for depression, yellow for diabetes, green for ulcers and spiritual fatigue, and blue-violet for epilepsy. What is important here is the bodys receptor of color, such as eyes or skin. Each colors wavelength carries and transmits energy to the bodily part having that color. This energy removes physical and emotional disorders, and colorful rays directly influence the neural system. Thus, different illnesses are treated with different rays of colors having different tones and impacts. Although these medical benefits are still in question, color does cause definite physical and emotional reactions. Rooms and objects that are white or have light shades of cool colors may seem larger than those with intense dark or warm colors. As designers and decorators know, black or very dark colors have a slimming or shrinking effect. A cool room decorated in pale blue requires a higher thermostat setting than a warm room painted pale orange to achieve the same sensation of warmth. People viewing unusual colors produced by special illumination may experience headaches and nervous disorders. Tasty wholesome food served under such conditions appears repulsive and may induce illness. Other colors induce pleasure. When an affectively positive or pleasurably perceived color is viewed after a less pleasant color, it produces more pleasure than when viewed by itself. This effect is known as affective contrast enhancement. What Colors Have Experienced Colors are not universal. Some languages do not have separate words for green and blue or yellow and orange, whereas Eskimos use 17 different words for white to describe different snow conditions. Comparing color terminology reveals certain consistent patterns. All languages have designations for black and white. If a third hue is distinguished, it is red; next comes yellow or green, and then other colors. Consider soccer fanatics who so love their teams colors that they tear and burn the other teams flag. They dye their hair and faces yellow-red, blue-white, or red-white to match their teams colors, but cannot stand the opponents colors. They taunt the opposing team with clothes in their own teams colors, even to the extent of injury or death. Most important, they gain identity, send a message, and enjoy the confidence that comes with belonging to a peer group. Colors are gifts, not a cause of separatism. As sociologist Orhan Kologlu points out, people of different religions and nations chose different colors. In the Balkans, blue and white are considered to be Greeces colors (its flag is blue and white). During conflicts, people do not use the colors of other nations flags. But this is emotional and irrational, for no nation owns a color. During a time of Turkishâ€Å"Greek tension, red-white clothes were despised in Greece, and blue-white clothes in Turkey. Bulent Ecevit (current prime minister of Turkey) broke a taboo with his poem Blue Magic, which contains the lines: Like a blue magic, lies a warm sea between us / We are two nations, as beautiful as the other, at its shores. He also chose blue and white as his political partys colors. Ironically, this party whose emblem is in Greek (! ) colors now is now in power Turkey. A nations color choices change over time. Ancient Turks considered blue as sacred, for it was the color of the sky. Some Turkic nations still use it as their national color. In medieval Europe, blue stood for nobility and aristocracy, and the latter were believed to have blue blood. But in America, blue is associated with low spirits, melancholy, and depression (a blue funk). For women it means learned and intellectual, while in morality it means puritanical. It also means profane or indecent (blue movies), off-color or risquA © (blue jokes), and a kind of music (the Blues) dominated by sad and melancholic themes. Red and black are most commonly associated with sociopolitical conflict. For years red symbolized violence, pillage, murder, oppression, anti-democracy, and terrorism. In emotional terms, it means a face flushed with anger or embarrassment (red in the face), or bloody (red eyes). In politics, it means inciting or endorsing radical sociopolitical change, especially by force, as in red uprising or anything associated with communism (the former USSRs Red Square). There are even two Red armies: the Soviet army established after the 1917 Revolution, and the Japanese Red Army formed in 1969. The first was renowned for its strict penal codes and discipline, such as punishing battalions by sending them on suicide missions. New regulations in 1960 considerably lightened the Soviet Armys redness. The second army, a small-structured Japanese terrorist organization, remained active until 1990. Italys Red Brigades, an extreme left-wing terrorist organization, chose red and violence as it sought to prepare 1970s Italy for a Marxist uprising. Chinese revolutionaries seeking to end Chinas traditional culture chose red and violence, as did Cambodias radical Khmer Rouge (Red Khmers). This latter group massacred an entire generation, an estimated 1.5 million people out of an estimated population of 5. 7 million, during their 3. 5-year reign. It is used for heavy or serious (black intrigue); dirty and soiled (black hands); thoroughly sinister, evil, or wicked (black deed); negative (a black mark in ones record); the supernatural or Satan (black magic); very sad, gloomy, or calamitous (black despair); a disaster (black Saturday); hostility, angry discontent, sullenness (black resentment); grim, distorted, grotesque satire (black humor); or covert intelligence operations (black government missions). Although we associate black with negative meanings, we cannot deny that it also symbolizes seriousness, respectability, and nobility. There are occasions when white, the symbol of purity and innocence, is inappropriate says social psychiatrist Ibrahim Ballioglu. Colors should be used with the proper tones and combinations. He claims that it is logical to associate white with positive and black with negative concepts. Black and white are like night and day. The dark of night scares people, whereas the light of day relieves them. The colors hidden at night come forward in daytime. People are inclined to like light and bright colors. We apply white light in our depression patients therapy. Ones interest in dark colors gives clues about ones mood. A patients wearing white signals that he or she is getting well. In history, such groups as the Black Hand,1 Black Faces, and Black Shirts favored violence and vandalism. Mussolinis fascist Black Shirts group is the most interesting. After his overthrow 1943 and the Black Shirts dismissal, people avoided wearing black shirts. White means free of color; light or pallid (white hair, lips white with fear); without spot, blemish, or moral impurity; innocent or chaste (white wedding); harmless (white lie, white magic); and favorable or fortunate (white days of life). It also means politically conservative or reactionary people who undertake counter-revolutionary measures (white terror). In music, it is associated with a musical tone quality characterized by a controlled pure sound and a lack of warmth, color, and resonance. Green means mild and clement (green winter); pleasantly alluring; youthful and vigorous; not ripened or matured (green apples, tender green grasses); fresh and new; marked by a pale, sickly, or nauseated appearance; envious (green with envy); somehow deficient or unsophisticated; and an environmentalist political movement (Green Peace) or individual working to preserve environmental quality. Yellow is associated with sensationalized scandal items or distorted ordinary news (yellow journalism), and cowardice (a yellow streak up ones back). Pink signifies moderately radical and usually socialistic political or economic views, as well as emotional excitement (tickled pink). Do Nations or Religions Have Their Own Color? Color harmony, preferences, symbolism, and other psychological aspects are culturally conditioned and vary with time and place. For instance, American and Japanese concepts of warm and cold colors are essentially the same. However, Japanese consider blues and greens good and the red-purple range bad, while Americans consider the red-yellow-green range good and oranges and red-purples bad. In the West, black signifies mourning; other cultures use white, purple, or gold.

Boys And Girls Short Story English Literature Essay

Boys And Girls Short Story English Literature Essay The short story by Alice Munro belongs to the collection of works Dance of the Happy Shades and is entitled Boys and Girls. It is written from the female perspective that makes it original, as the writers more often turn to description of the world with the eyes of men, the type of story dealing with girls world-view is less common. However, it appears to be remarkably interesting to trace the changes that occur in the mind of the female narrator, as she describes the events from childhood with youthful viewpoint. This makes her descriptions of life filled with social prejudice where women are often inferior to men are true to life and dynamic due to Munros irony. The example can be made as Munro describes the female narrator being harsh and at times wild and at the same time shows her reverent attitude to her appearance. Besides the feminist theme of the short story and a strife for freedom in the society that lived according to the unwritten rules where men always dominated, it can be noticed that there unfolds a common family drama in all the complexity of human relations in terms of which the generation gap comes to the scene. Moreover, the situation is aggravated as the narrator overcomes transitional period in her life, the girl leaves her childhood and enters her adulthood. The alternations are demonstrated in the narrators attitude to life, parents, new responsibilities and expectations. She reasons feeling the inner changes as well as the status changes within the relatively short period of her life: The word girl had formerly seemed to me innocent and unburdened like the word child; now it appeared that it was no such thing. A girl wasà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ what I had to become. It was a definition, always touched with emphasis, with reproach and disappointment. The social position of a woman is clearly seen on the example of the girls mother that, by the way, along with her father plays a considerable role in the storyline. Ex facte parents seem to be perfect and provide their children with everything necessary for their development. The narrators father is shown as readers get to know about the family business that is shouldered on the householder. Munro portrays him as a man in the know who is tirelessly inventive in making a world for his horses, the pelting operation that included killing, skinning, furs preparation that was accompanied with a distinctive seasonal smell. It created an atmosphere that was predetermined by the family business. Father looked forward to his daughter become a helping hand for the whole family as she grows up, he treats her with respect and flatters calling her a new hired hand. As the narrator obeys her father, appreciates his wisdom and industry, she feels his role in her upbringing, one day she, however, contrives to disobey him. The girl does not know the reason of her deed but she opens the gate wide instead of shutting it as her father asks and the horse gallops away. She fears to lose his trust that is important for her, but she did not regret. Trying to conceal her fault was vain as her younger brother Laird gives her away. Father is wise enough to be quite and speaks with resignation dropping only several words: Shes only a girl. Earlier they would strike her like a thunder, but it turned out that she grew up, something changed in her forever and she got rid of her childhood fears and habits, the girl was turning into a woman, revealing her female nature, hence, she said: I didnt protest that, even in my heart. The girls mother that is contrasted to father seems to be more friendly towards her daughter, if she was feeling cheerfulà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦she could tell all sorts of things, while her father didnt talkà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦unless it was about the job they did. The girl was shy about her father and did not ask him questions, but worked willingly under his eyes and was proud of that. The girl tells of her mixed feeling towards mother, she feels the pressure and hurries to leave the house before mother gives her another task to do, in turn mother blames her for not helping about the house. Mother seems too preoccupied with her housework, though it may be also regarded as lack of attention and care for her children who were needed mainly as a helping hand for the endless work in the house. Mother denounced her daughters actions and often talked to her in a dead-quiet regretful way and she was always plotting striving to keep the girl inside the house, exercising her power. This resulted in the childs rebellion, her obstinacy as the narrator tried to keep herself free from the unwritten rules of the society as well as total control of her actions. Despite mother was, according to the girl, kinder than father and more easily fooled, but you couldnt depend on her, as she showed that she did not know about the way things really were. Mother did not seem so dear to the heart of the girl as father was, numerously proving his humaneness and love, in spite of the cruelty he had to resort to in everyday life. Readers are shown the stereotypical farm life in Canada, but the characters revive on the pages of the story and readers witness all the transformation they undergo, may judge about their life, actions and motives, sympathize and condemn them.

Assess The Company Pixar Media Essay

Assess The Company Pixar Media Essay This report is going to assess the company Pixar from an innovation perspective. This report will focus on the good and bad points of the company to give an insight into its attitude towards innovation. A number of different methods were used to gather the information in this report, such as websites, interviews, articles and books. Steve Jobs (Apple CEO) purchased the computer graphics section of Lucasfilm Ltd in 1986 and called this new company Pixar. Pixar started as a very small company with only 44 employees. Pixar started making short animations films which were at the forefront of CGI technology. Pixar also created a number of adverts for companies such as Listerine in their early years. The first feature length movie Pixar created was Toy Story and it was the first fully computer generated animated film ever, Toy Story grossed $362 million worldwide. Pixar did not just create animations, they also developed a lot of the technology which allowed them to create their films. Work teams and some individuals won numerous awards from organisations like The Scientific and Engineering Academy Awards in fields such as Digital scanning and Direct input devices. One huge advantage Pixar has over other animation companies is their unique understanding of innovation in company structure and employee relations, this report will aim to discuss this in further detail. Section 2 Employee relations Pixar is a very organic company which disagrees with the structure of mechanistic organisations. A mechanistic organisation has a very hierarchical structure and the companies future is dictated by those in senior roles. Section 2.1 Brad Bird Steve Jobs hired Brad Bird into the company after its first three successful films, Jobs was worried that they had ran out of creativity and he did not want the company to go stale. Brad Bird understood that there was room for improvement in the companies creative process. Bird understood that every employees input is valid and has its use. He knew that communication is vital in the innovation process so everyone can help each other to create the best work possible. The main problem with this is that It is difficult to get employees to speak their minds as they are often afraid of criticism from their peers, and they have good reason to fear this as they are working with some of the best animators in the world. Birds solution to this problem was to get the employees in groups to look at the work each member had done that day. Bird wanted to encourage people to speak their minds, he talked about the strong and weak points of each persons work and praised people for challenging his cri ticisms. At first this did not work very well, before Bird was introduced to the company the animators were afraid to criticise any work as previous managers did not take kindly to criticism, however constructive it was. It took nearly two months for any of the employees to actively participate in these group discussions, however one employee finally did and the rest of the employees saw that Bird praised this employee for doing so as he knew it was the best way to get everyone comfortable with this process. Section 2.2 Open Philosophy Pixar has a very open philosophy towards its business. Pixar encourage employees across its company to interact with each other. They want employees of all levels to talk about their ideas and problems so the company can benefit through this interaction. Even the lowest level employees have the option to speak to the highest level employees as Pixar has an open door policy in its offices. This idea originated from the quotation below. Interaction = innovation Steve Jobs Pixar also has a open approach when it comes to their technology and advancements. Pixar encourages employees to publish their work in academic journals as they dont believe in hiding success. At first this may seem like a bad idea from a business perspective as they will be helping rival companies to better their productions. When you look at it more closely it starts to make a lot of sense. Pixar does this because it attracts talent to the company, talented individuals become aware of the new advances being made at Pixar and are often very keen to be hired by them so they can be at the forefront of this technology. Pixar is very interested in bringing new employees into the company as they challenge the status quo and often lead to new and exciting ideas. Section 2.3 Pixar University Pixar wants its employees to branch out and learn new things. Pixar University was created to allow its employees to do so. Every single employee is given up to four hours a week to take courses. Some of these courses are on related subjects such as animation and some are completely unrelated such as yoga. These courses bring employees from different corners of the company together and it helps them all learn new skills or it can simply help them relax. This scheme seems to have paid off as some employees have realised they have a certain talent in a new field and they switch to a different department where their skills are put to better use. Employees are allowed to reject work and meetings if they coincide with these courses, this shows how strongly Pixar feels about learning in their company. Section 2.4 Perfection holds back innovation Brad Bird brought a number of new things to Pixar and one of them has changed the company dramatically in the way it produces its films. Bird believes that perfection is something that holds back innovation. This is something that shocked employees when he joined the company, the below quotation shows exactly what he means. Look, I dont have to do the water through a computer simulation programà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Im perfectly content to film a splash in a swimming pool and just composite the water in. Brad Bird (2008) This was a new innovative approach to how the animators worked. Before this, animators had always painstakingly created every part of an animation and never used shortcuts to create the same effect. Bird understood that some pieces of work needed to be perfect but for some pieces it was unnecessary as the same result could be achieved by different means. It was this kind of innovative thinking that helps the company produce at a faster and cheaper rate. Section 2.5 Concluding employee relations This section of the report has talked about how Pixar treats its employees and how it stimulates them to become better at their work. Its difficult to criticise Pixar from this perspective as they have an extremely good understanding of what employees want and how to develop their creative skills. It is evident that their approach to employee relations is working as they continue to create new and exciting films which could only be produced by employees who enjoy their work. Section 3 Environmental innovations Pixar has an unorthodox approach to the environment that their employees work in. The offices in which Pixar employees work are specifically designed to maximise creativity and interaction. Section 3.1 Cubicles The animators are allowed to completely customise their working cubicles. In a business as creative as Pixar you cant sit the employees in blank cubicles. (http://www.home-designing.com) Most of the employees like to give their cubicles a homely feel by bringing personal items and making the atmosphere as friendly as possible. This sort of environment is best for a creative business like Pixar. Section 3.2 Pixar HQ The building in which Pixar is based also has a slightly different design to conventional working spaces. Steve Jobs who as we mentioned earlier believes that interaction = innovation designed the office with this in mind. The main building has a large atrium situated in the centre of the office which people at first thought was unnecessary, but Jobs designed this atrium to contain the cafeteria, mailboxes and toilets. At first this seemed like a strange idea as everybody had to move from their individual areas to go to the bathroom or to collect mail. The reason for this was that people are essentially forced to see each other on a daily basis which leads to interaction which in turn leads to innovation. Section 3.3 Social environment The environment Pixar creates isnt just physical. There is also an important role in the social environment of the company. During an interview Brad Bird was asked Weve been talking a lot about how you promote innovation. What undermines it? (The Quarterly 2008) His response was the following Passive-aggressive people-people who dont show their colours in the group but then get behind the scenes and peck away-are poisonous. I can usually spot those people fairly soon and I weed them out. (Brad Bird 2008) Brad Bird made it his goal to get rid off people who hindered the innovation process as to him they were a cancer eating away at the creativity of the company. Section 3.4 Concluding environmental innovations The way Pixar designed its working space does seem very suited to the type of business that they are, a creative industry should have a creative environment. The idea of situating all the things people need on a daily basis in the atrium is essentially a good one, however it may not be to every employees liking as it may grow tiresome for people who have to take a long trip to just go to the bathroom. The social environment created by Pixar is very good as it is designed to embrace creative and happy people and it is also designed to eliminate people who bring innovative processes down. Section 4 Films Section 4.1 Films and reviews To date Pixar has produced 11 feature films which are listed below as well as ratings received by the popular movie critic website rottentomatoes.com. Toy story (1995) Rating 100% A Bugs Life (1998) Rating 91% Toy Story 2 (1999) Rating 100% Monsters, Inc (2001) Rating 95% Finding Nemo (2003) Rating 98% The Incredibles (2004) Rating 97% Cars (2006) Rating 74% Ratatouille (2007) Rating 96% WALL-E (2008) Rating 96% Up (2009) Rating 98% Toy Story 3 (2010) Rating 99% The above ratings show that Pixar have a tremendously good track record when it comes to producing films. You can also see that the latest films were produced much quicker. Since 2006 Pixar have been producing a film every year, this could be down to some of the innovative ideas from Brad Bird which were discussed earlier. Section 4.2 Cars In the rating system one film stands out from the crowd, and that films is Cars. (http://reponses.qctop.com) Every film Pixar has done has been rated over 90% except for Cars which received a much lower rating of 74%. There must be a reason for this dramatic drop in rating, and that reason is that Cars displayed a lack of innovation, the visual elements of the film were very good however the story lacked the Pixar magic a lot of critics refer too. The story was unoriginal and it was clear that something was missing when they were working on this film. While this film was being produced Pixar could have used an innovation method such as SWOT analysis to assess their strong and weak points. Below is an example of what they could have done to assess Cars. Strengths Good Animators Effective Marketing Strong Brand Productive work environment Weaknesses Bad basis for a film, Car racing is hard for a lot of people to relate too Unimaginative storyline compared to previous films Opportunities Further strengthen market position Huge profit potential Merchandise Threats Rival companies Growing dislike for cars as an environmental hazard. Above is a basic example of how SWOT analysis could have been used to ensure that Cars was received as well as all the other films they have produced. It would have been difficicult for this to have been performed by Pixar themselves as it is often hard to criticise your own work especially if it took 2 years to produce so an external person could have done the evaluation. Section 4.3 Attitudes towards money Some methods of analysis would not have worked in a company like Pixar such as The Boston Matrix which focuses on market growth and revenue. One of the key values that Pixar holds is that making profit can not be your focus in producing a good film. I dont make movies to make money-I make money to make movies. (Walt Disney) Above is Walt Disneys philosophy on making movies, Pixar as a creative organisation tries to adhere to this as they believe it will lead to greater success in the long term. Pixar has clearly learnt what they did wrong in Cars as the four movies they have produced since have all received above 96% which is an extremely high score. It is unclear what Pixar did, but it has worked. They may have used a method like SWOT analysis or maybe they hired new employees with a fresh perspective. Section 5 Conclusion Overall Pixar are a very good company to assess from an innovation perspective. Rival companies such as Dreamworks create similar films but often these films are overshadowed by the work of Pixar and this is down to the way that Pixar as a company works. Few companies are as organic as Pixar in their organisational structure and a lot of larger companies tend to have a mechanistic approach towards film making. You only have to look at the success that Pixar has had to realise how difficult it is to be critical of Pixar as a company. They are the worlds leading animation company who only have one film which let them down, and even that film was still extremely popular. Pixar are an extremely innovative company which is shown through their work and the dedication that the employees have towards their films. Pixar have had an incredibly good track record with their films and we can only wait to discover the new ways they will continue to spur creativity in their organisation. Section 6 References Pixars company history http://www.pixar.com/companyinfo/history/1986.html Interview with Brad Bird http://gigaom.com/2008/04/17/pixars-brad-bird-on-fostering-innovation/ Details of Pixar films and ratings http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Pixar_films Images references Title page http://userlogos.org/files/logos/AlexT/PixarLogoLight.png Work cubicles http://www.home-designing.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/pixar-494539.jpg Cars http://reponses.qctop.com/upload/FlashMcqueen-21976.jpg Section 7 Bibliography Books Capodagli, B. Jackson, L. (2009) Innovate The Pixar Way McGraw Hill Interviews Interview with Ed Catmull http://blogs.hbr.org/hbr/hbreditors/2009/02/creating_a_safe_haven_for_crea.html Websites http://corporatelearning.hbsp.org/corporate/assets/content/Pixararticle.pdf https://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/Innovation_lessons_from_Pixar_An_interview_with_Oscar-winning_director_Brad_Bird_2127# Pixars Brad Bird on Fostering Innovation http://benfry.com/writing/archives/179 http://consultaglobal.wordpress.com/2008/09/22/pixars-innovation-recipe/ http://www.irishideas.org/GreatJournal7.pdf http://www.getdriven.com/2008/01/pixar-university/

Standardized tests in Illinois Essay example -- Standardized Testing Es

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Standardized tests are administered to allow reliable and valid comparisons to be made among students taking the test. Two major types of standardized tests are currently in use; norm-referenced and criterion-referenced. A norm-referenced test is a test that has been given to representative samples of students such that norms of performance are established. Each student taking the test receives a score that can be compared to the norm or normal or sample of students. The scores are then reported in percentiles. The main purpose of these tests is to rank students along a distribution of performance. Because of this tests are likely to have items that are very difficult for the grade level so students can be ranked. A criterion-referenced test looks like a norm-referenced test but multiple choice items are used and directions are standardized. The reason these tests are administered is based upon the content that all students are expected to learn. Scores are based on the amount learned by the student and a passing score is then given. These scores are not compared to other students. Standardized tests are used to show how a student is doing. They can show if a program is working well and can show if the educators are using effective teaching methods. Schools are graded to see if there overall program is helping the student to achieve their goals. In the next paragraphs I am going to explain to you about the purpose of the American College Testing Program (ACT) and the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Learned helplessness is a phenomenon containing three components: contingency, cognition, and behavior. Contingency addresses the uncontrollability of the situation. Cognition refers to the attributions that people make regarding their situation or surroundings of which they are a part. Behavior allows individuals to decide whether they will give up or proceed with the obstacle set before them† (Peterson, Maier, & Seligman, 1993; Firmin, Hwang, Copella, & Clark, 2004). When a student thinks about college he must take either the ACT or the SAT test to be admitted into the college. Students have a lot of decisions to make that can be stressful. Failure is an aspect that students fear and can determine whether they will succeed in life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The ACT was founded in 1959. A l... ...t you are allowed to guess on the ACT and on the SAT if you are unsure you want to leave it blank because getting it wrong will give you a lower score.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If you are graduating high school in 2006 and beyond there will be a new SAT test. The test will contain three sections: Math, Critical Reading, and Writing. The math section will have 44 multiple-choice questions and 10 in-grid questions. You will be allowed 70 minutes to complete this section. The critical reading section will have 67 multiple-choice questions and you will be given 70 minutes to complete. The writing section has 49 multiple-choice questions and you are given 60 minutes. You are graded on Grammar, usage, and word choice.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The need, as we view it, is to develop a number of different alternative evaluation instruments and strategies that provide hard data but are not in the form of the standard paper-and pencil multiple-choice tests now being used in most testing programs. What we advocate are assessment instruments that support proven methods in the visual arts and also take advantage of all the newer imaging technology† (Medeja, Dom, & Sabol, 2004).

Down To Who? :: essays research papers

Down To Who?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Does the magic of young love ever stand a chance? Down to You tells the story of two college students who fall madly in love with one another after meeting in a crowded, college bar. Throughout their relationship, there are the usual ups and downs of first love. Trust, loyalty, and friendship are all big factors between Al (Freddie Prinze, Jr.) and Imogen (Julia Stiles). Their relationship matures over the years and their love is tested by time and temptation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Al plays an unbelievably sympathetic role. He’s portrays the â€Å"perfect† boyfriend. He’s very cute, sensitive, caring and he’ll do just about anything for Imogen. Al is an aspiring chef. He has a good family background. Both of his parents are very loving and extremely supportive of his goal for being a chef. They also love Imogen. Imogen is very sympathetic in the beginning of the movie. She and Al hit it off from the moment they laid eyes on each other in that bar. She is a cheery, enthusiastic freshman that is out to have a good time. She is very into art and painting. Al is particularly impressed with Imogen’s artistic talent. She gets scared of their commitment after a summer vacation in France and their relationship gets a little rocky after that. The two have quite an array of interesting friends that give the plot more depth. Monk (Zak Orth) is a good friend of Al’s. He is a porn star that has lost all faith in love. He gives the movie somewhat of a comical twist. After he becomes famous with his adult entertainment career, he develops a Shakespearian way of talking. It sounds very archaic and much more educated. Since he doesn’t really believe in love, he tries to convince Al that love is simply illusion. Al’s other friend Hicks (Shawn Hatosy) is much less complex. He is an average college guy that is pretty much out to get girls. He says and does a lot of comical things throughout the movie. One of my favorite parts is when he is working out, and he has a new hairstyle called a â€Å"mullet†. That’s when hair is short on the top and sides, but long in the back. Al and Imogen’s love is constantly tested in the movie. Cyrus (Selma Blair) is one of Monk’s co-stars in his adult movies. She tried to seduce Al numerous times throughout the movie, but he was strong and persistent about telling Cyrus that he was in love with Imogen.

Recording, Analysing and Using Human Resource Information Essay

This assignment is based around a retail organisation. This organisation is in the fashion sector, primarily selling ladies fashion (although it does have some lines for men and children). The organisation has 34 stores, primarily based in the Midlands and South of the UK. It tends to employ significant number of students during the holiday period (to help cover staff holidays) and it always employs a number of temporary workers in the busy weeks leading up to Christmas. Answer the following questions (total of 1000 words): 1. Why does this organisation need to keep employee records (identify at least two reasons?) Two reasons as to why the above mentioned organisation would need to keep employee records are as follows; 1) To satisfy legal requirements – There are numerous legal requirements regarding the recording of employee records. The key legal requirements that this or any organisation or Human Resources (HR) department would need to be aware of are; Storing records for the Inland Revenue, The Working Time Regulations 1998, The National Minimum Wage Act 1998 and the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR). This list is not exhaustive. [1]According to Martin et al ‘there is an extensive body of legislation that regulates and controls the management of personal data and information. HR records have to satisfy a number of legal principles’. 2) To provide information to support the organisation in its decision making – By keeping employee records the above mentioned organisation can support the organisation in its decision making in various ways. For example as this organisation tends to employ a significant number of students during the holiday period they would be able to look at records from previous years and perhaps re-employ students who had a good previous record in attendance and performance etc. On the other hand if they had an employee who caused them problems with areas such as attendance or performance they would know not to re-employ them. This could help to save time and resource when it comes to recruiting for the holiday period. 2. What data relating to employees might this organisation want to collect and how will this support HR or L&D practices? (Give 2 examples of types of data) Two examples of types of data the above organisation may want to collect to support with HR or L&D practices are as follows; 1) Primary employee records – These records include all employee personal information such as name, address, date of birth, start date of employment, bank details, National Insurance number, and tax information (P45 or P46). This information will support the HR department in a variety of different ways ranging from simple tasks such as producing letters to more complex tasks such as producing reports. The HR department may need to produce letters for employees relating to anything such as a change in working hours to information about a sickness absence. The employees contact information would be gathered from the primary employee records as mentioned above. The HR department may also need to produce reports; these reports may refer to the age of the workforce, or the length of service within the workforce. Again the HR department would look to these primary employee records to support. 2) Absence – It is vital for any organisation to record absence levels however, ultimately if the information gathered is not used then it is of no real benefit to the organisation. [2]According to Daniels ‘if absence data is going to be of any use it needs to be: †¢ Reported monthly †¢ Reported alongside data that shows at least the past 12 months †¢ Compared with the rate for the industry †¢ Broken down by group of employee (e.g. manual and non-manual) or by department.’ Recording absence levels will support the above mentioned organisation within the HR department in numerous ways. One example of this would be if there are any months where absence is particularly high then operationally the organisation may look at the possibility of needing temporary cover. The organisation may also look at yearly trends, therefore if they know that December for example is a month where absence levels are particularly high they can strategically plan and prepare temporary cover in advance. 3. What would you recommend as effective methods for this organisation to store the data, and why? (Give two different options) My recommendations as effective methods for this organisation to store the data relating to primary employee records and absence are as follows; 1) Primary employee records – As this organisation has a large number of employees spread across 34 different stores in different locations throughout the United Kingdom; my recommendation would be to use a Personnel Database. I believe this would be a key requirement in keeping the data stored efficiently. HR departments may need to access information from different Stores for reporting etc therefore I feel it would be necessary to have a master database for all employees. Common examples of types of data stored on a database would be name, address, start date, date of birth and salary etc. This information can then be used in a variety of different ways ranging from simple tasks such as producing letters to more complex tasks such as creating spreadsheets and reporting. [3]Martin et al cited that using databases for employee records ‘could be used in its raw, unprocessed form to send out a letter. In addition it could be processed to identify who is due to retire or to calculate salary costs for department.’ 2) Absence – My recommendation for this organisation to store their absence rates would be through Computerised Personnel Information Systems (CPIS). [4]According to Daniels, ‘as well as holding personnel records and data, there are a number of other functions that can be incorporated into CPIS. These may not always come with the standard package, but they might be bought as additional facilities’. Absence management being one of the functions Daniels refers to. One of benefits in using CPIS in relation to absence would be that all Stores would have access to absence information relating to every Store within the organisation. This would enable decision makers to efficiently and effectively analyse trends relating to all the Stores. [5]Martin et al refer to the fact that only actions taken by managers and supervisors can bring absence levels down however good records can help them to do this job. A CPIS will produce accurate data therefore making it easier for managers to monitor this. 4. Why is it important for the organisation to effectively input and retrieve information? Answer this with particular reference to payroll and personnel records. The importance of effectively inputting and retrieving information is key to the successful operation of the above organisation, or in fact any organisation. I will specifically concentrate on the areas of payroll and personnel. Firstly I will discuss the implications relating to payroll. Paying employees the correct amount of money at the correct time is essential to employee satisfaction, therefore within any business it is vital that all information needed for processing payroll has been input and retrieved accurately. As this organisation has 34 stores there will be a large number of employees, therefore there will be a large amount of information stored relating to pay. If information has been input or retrieved incorrectly this could result in incorrect payments to staff. For example if an employee left the business however someone forgot to input that they were a leaver, this could result in an incorrect payment, therefore losing the company money. On the other hand if an employee started the company however someone forgot to input the information this would mean that the new employee wasn’t paid as the information would not be in the system. This would instantly give the new employee a bad first impression of the organisation. Secondly I will discuss the implications relating to personnel records. It is vital that personnel information is input and retrieved effectively for numerous reasons. The first example would be in case of an emergency; when a new employee starts within the business they are always asked to submit a contact who is to be contacted in case of an emergency. Therefore it is very important that this information in input or retrieved in the correct manner. If the telephone number was input incorrectly and the employer came to use the number in the case of an emergency the employer would then not know who to contact especially within a large organisation as mentioned in the case study. If the information is retrieved incorrectly the employer may contact the incorrect person which may lead to unnecessary worry for someone was has been inserted as an emergency contact for another employee. Another example as to why personnel records need to be input and retrieved correctly would relate to medical information. When an employee is new to the business medical information will be gathered. For example if an employee suffers from a medical condition such as epilepsy and this has not been input into the system because of an error then staff may not understand or be aware if they had an epileptic fit. It could be the same with allergies to nuts etc. If staff are not aware they won’t be able to provide medical information to the ambulance when they arrive to support in cases like the above mentioned. Very often providing this information to the ambulance services can make the difference in life and death situations. 5. Identify three aspects of the storage of data that need to be addressed as a result of the Data Protection Act. [6]According to government legislation, The National Archives cited that The Data Protection Act is an ‘Act to make new provision for the regulation of the processing of information relating to individuals, including the obtaining, holding, use or disclosure of such information.’ Three aspects I have identified of the storage of data that need to be addressed as a result of the Data Protection Act are as follows; 1) Data that is processed must be done so fairly and lawfully. [7]The Information Commissioners Office (ICO) cites that ‘in practice, it means that you must: †¢ have legitimate grounds for collecting and using the personal data; †¢ not use the data in ways that have unjustified adverse effects on the individuals concerned; †¢ be transparent about how you intend to use the data, and give individuals appropriate privacy notices when collecting their personal data; †¢ handle people’s personal data only in ways they would reasonably expect; and †¢ make sure you do not do anything unlawful with the data. 2) Data stored must be adequate, relevant, and not excessive – This means that any information gathered must be relevant to the specific job of the employee. You must ensure that you do not hold more information than what is needed for a specific purpose. The organisation should identify the minimum amount of information that is required. 3) Data stored must be accurate and where necessary kept up to date. This principle places a responsibility to take steps to ensure accuracy of information processed and stored. When collecting the information reasonable steps must be taken to ensure the information is correct. [8]According to Martin et al ‘in employment one way to achieve this is to allow employees to check, and even update, their own records.’ Task 2 Input this data into an appropriate IT package (e.g. Excel) and then display the data in the most appropriate way. I have chosen to present my data in a line graph as I feel this is the most appropriate way to show the two variables (absence rate % in the last 12 months and staff turnover % in the last 12 months) in one graph. [pic] Now write a report (no more than 500 words) identifying what this data tells you, and suggesting how this might impact on the decision making in the organisation. Key findings within this data are as follows; †¢ Store D has the highest absence rate, that being 7.2% in the last 12 months †¢ Store C has the lowest absence rate, that being 1.8% in the last 12 months †¢ Store C has the highest staff turnover, that being 21% in the last 12 months †¢ Store F has the lowest staff turnover, that being 10% in the last 12 months As Store D’s absence rate is relatively high decision makers within the organisation and the Human Resource department (HR) should consider focusing on areas such as job motivation, employee engagement, working condition etc so as to try and improve overall absence % rate for the year. Decision makers should also ensure that the absence policy is being managed by line managers and that managers are correctly trained in following the policy. Another key area decision makers should focus on are key trends of absence types. For example sore throats and colds can be an indicator that the air conditioning is set to the wrong level. It is vital that decision makers understand why the absence rate is high so as they can take measures to improve it. Even though store C’s absence rate is the lowest at 1.8% they still have the highest staff turnover, that being 21%. A low absence rate can indicate that an employee is engaged and they want to be in the work place. One of the reasons for the highest staff turnover could be due to the significant number of students being employed in the holiday period and also the temporary workers in the busy weeks leading up to Christmas. These figures may lead the decision makers within the organisation to consider a different approach for staff cover over the holiday periods and Christmas if it is going to have a negative effect on the turnover % for that period of 12 months. An example of how they could improve this would be to offer overtime to existing employees rather than hiring temporary workers for the Christmas period. They could also have more part time employees throughout the year, for example they could employ students on a low number of hours throughout the year and then ramp up their hours at the busy periods such as Christmas. Store F has the lowest staff turnover that being 10%. This may be for numerous reasons such as location or employee engagement. Store F may not employ as many students for the Christmas or holiday period as it is in a smaller community where fewer students live. It may be that the people who are employed in the store are from a smaller community and they have worked here for years and there isn’t the need to ramp up over the Christmas period. Very often people who come from smaller communities tend to stay within the same place of work and don’t look to leave, therefore contributing to low staff turnover. Another factor could be that staff are engaged and motivated. The decision makers within the business should look to considering why Store F has the lowest staff turnover. They could look at how other Stores manage the Christmas and holiday period ramp up and also if they have any programmes with employee engagement. Then they could look to transferring skills and ideas from Store F to other stores with a high staff turnover. References †¢ Information Commissioner’s Office (2012) ‘Processing personal data fairly and lawfully (Principle 1)’ (online) (cited 6th August 2012). Available from: http://www.ico.gov.uk/for_organisations/data_protection/the_guide/principle_1.aspx †¢ The National Archives (2012) ‘Data Protection Act 1998’ (online) (cited 6th August 2012). Available from: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1998/29/introduction Bibliography †¢ Martin, M. Whiting, F. and Jackson, T. (2010) Human Resource Practice, Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, London. †¢ Daniels, K. (2010), Recording, Analysing and Using Human Resource Information, ICS Limited, Glasgow. ———————– [1] M.Martin et al (2010) Human Resource Practice, Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, London, p. 278 [2] K. Daniels (2010), Recording, Analysing and Using Human Resource Information, ICS Limited, Glasgow, p.17 [3] Martin et al, Human Resource in Practice, pp. 284 [4] Daniels, Recording, Analysing and Using Human Resource Information, pp. 29 [5] Martin et al, Human Resource in Practice, pp. 284 [6] The National Archives (1998) [7] Information Commissioner’s Office (2012) [8] Martin et al, Human Resource Practice, pp.289

Marketing strategy of amazon

Marketing strategy is necessary in every business. No matter how rich a certain business is, its resources are always restricted. Thus marketing strategy provides a certain business to allocate his resources properly in order for his business to be more productive. Marketing mix is also essential in the marketing field, and it is basically the reason why the marketing mix (4 P’s) is tackled under marketing strategy. The four essential P’s are the product, the price, the place, and the promotion. Without considering these four essential P’s ones business is doomed to fail. A marketing manager needs to have enough knowledge in order to better determine how to properly organize this marketing mix. This paper aims to focus on whether the Amazon.com is doing a great marketing strategy. It is a well-known fact that many businesses aims on promoting their products in order to receive better responses from their customers. The necessity of promoting their products are included in the marketing mix and thus a business that knows how to promote his product well would succeed most likely than those who do not have any knowledge in product promotions. Going back to the strategy of amazon.com many wonders why they promote their new products side by side with used and old products. There are people who question the rationality behind this because people think that most consumers would tend to buy things which are cheaper compared to the newer and more expensive items particularly books. Thus, this paper aim to analyze what was the reason behind this particular strategy of amazon.com, whether their strategy is effective or not and the like. Amazon.com is one of the most famous e-commerce companies. Amazon.com sells their products via internet thus making it more convenient for people who do not have enough time to do their shopping outside their homes. Jeff Bezos started amazon.com in 1994 and up to now amazon.com is still continuing with their business. Amazon.com started by selling books online but as of today they are no longer limited on selling books via the internet. Amazon.com’s products ranges from cd’s, dvd’s, books, clothes, cars, etc. The Amazon.com is a little off the track with their marketing strategy. For one, they are willing to ship products ranging from $25 or more for free. Such shipments could be very costly even from an established business as Amazon. However, in spite of the losses of Amazon.com they are still well-liked by their customers due to their good services and customer satisfaction is very important in every business. Thus, in this regard Amazon.com shows good marketing strategy in terms of pleasing their customers. However this particular aspect where amazon.com is good at is very short-lived. The strategy Amazon found to reconstruct their selves is by contacting retailers and asking them to sell some of their products at Amazon. Thus, companies such as Gaps, Circuit City Stores Inc and the like sell some of their products at Amazon as well as on their own websites. This particular strategy raised Amazon’s profit to 22%. However, business experts saw that Amazon’s sale could still grow by the year of 2008 if they would improve some aspects on their websites. By doing this Amazon could draw more retailing companies to join forces with them. Their website had also gotten so full to the point that shopping online on Amazon is no longer as convenient and as easy as it used to especially since so many url’s links customers from one website to another. Thus, if only Amazon.com would try to lessen the mess their website is in then the better their business would be. In terms of using the 4 P’s Amazon.com is doing fine in the price part since their prices are very reasonable added to the fact that they gives free shipment for some products. Amazon.com could also be found nationwide because they have opened stores on different countries such as Japan, Germany, etc. This particular strategy is good because it allows them to cover customers in a wide-range basis. However, Amazon.com shows difficulty in promoting most of their products because their website is not very organized. Searching for your desire product could be very strenuous for many insignificant links appears one after another. In terms of products they may be doing alright for they sell products with qualities however, their promotion of their product is not really good and thus they should focus on their marketing promotion to in order to attract customers and other retailers more. (Behr). Amazon.com has certain advantages though as mentioned earlier especially on their venture to merging with other retailers. They are also one of the most well-known on the e-commerce aside from the fact that they are managing to compete head on with other well-known businesses such as IBM, Microsoft, etc. In terms of selling old books side-by-side with new ones, Amazon has a good reason for that one too. Amazon.com aims to cater to the needs of different kinds of consumers. There are those who want new things no matter how expensive those things may be. However, there are those who does not really care on whether they are buying something old or new as long as they could afford the price. Thus in this regard Amazon.com is doing a great strategy by catering to the needs and wants of different kinds of consumers. By showing old books side by side with new ones they are also making it easier for their customers to better analyze which one they would pick. For example if Book A costs $15 if it is new and $13 if it is old and used then I would better analyze the pros and cons of buying a new book to that of buying the old one especially if the price difference is only $2. Overall this particular strategy of Amazon could be looked at in different light. However, this particular strategy may be serving Amazon’s purposes well and thus in this regard I think that showing your customer new products as compared to new ones is a good strategy. In a way it is the same as shopping in a certain shop wherein you ask for a particular book whose price is $25 and your money is only $20. Part of a business strategy is to provide an alternative thus it would be of no surprise if the saleslady would ask how much money you have with you and when you say $20 she would tend to show you a copy of the same book although the second one is used but in a lower price as compared to the new book. I am sure that Amazon is using this particular tactic in the same light as the hypothetical saleslady did. Reference: Behr, Mary E. â€Å"Case Study: Amazon.Com.† 2003.      

Going Back to School Essay

Returning to school was something I alway intended to do in my life. I knew there would be some obstacles and hurdles i would have to overcome to make my dream come true. Here are some obstacles I had to overcome in my past with previous school experinces I have had to return back to school. When I was younger, I remember my mom waking my older brother up and sending him off to school. I would get so mad, because I wanted to go. Than finally my day came, I got up and off to school I went. Elementary school was the great. I loved playing with the other kids. Kindergarten through fifth grade made me feel like school was a game. Yeah, we learned our basic studies, but we had fun doing it. Than came time for moving on up to middle school. My first couple of weeks were okay, but the work started getting harder, the other kids weren’t very nice and we didn’t have much free time. I didn’t like it, but it was something I got used too and I stuck it out. Finally, my ninth year came, I was a freshman in high school. I hated it, I was always getting pushed around and made fun of because my family didn’t have much money. I didn’t have name brand shoes or clothes. Everybody kept telling me I needed an eduacation to get anywhere in this world. Well I tried, finally when I was seventeen, only six months before graduation, I got so fed up, I dropped out. Once I turned eighteen, I realized it was time to make a life of my own. My family shouldn’t have to support me. So I went out and found me a job. I was so proud of this job. I was doing good, or so I thought. After a few years of working for this company, I figured out I was already at the top of the ladder, I couldn’t go up anymore. I had to better my life. I needed a higher education. I got it in my head and went and got my GED. Than once again my learning process stopped right there. Out of the blue one day, my mom calls and tells me about these online college courses. She knew I didn’t I didn’t want to go sit in a classroom. This struck some interest in me. It took me a few days, but I called and got enrolled. When I started my first class, I was a bit nervous, it took sometime to get back into the swing of things. I’m still somewhat nervous but it gets better with each class. Going back to school was the hardest decision I have ever had to make. Well, it took the longest time anyway. I am so glad I decided to go back. Being back at school makes me feel so much better about myself. This is one thing I won’t quit again.

Human and American Scholar Essay

Transcendentalism in America The transcendentalist movement hit America full force by the mid 19th century, crafting a passionate spiritual idealism in its wake and leaving a unique mark on the history of American literature. Transcendentalism stems from the broader Romanticist time period, which depends on intuition rather than reasoning. Transcendentalism takes a step further into the realm of spirituality with the principle that in order to discover the divine truth that the individual seeks, he or she must transcend, or exceed, the â€Å"everyday human experience in the physical world† (â€Å"Elements of Literature: Fifth Course† 146). Nature, the physical world, is seen as a doorway to the divine world; beings can cross over into this divine world by not only observing nature, but also looking within themselves. As a result, individuality and self-assurance are seen as virtues, since they come from the heart of the individual. William Cullen Bryant and his poem Thanatopsis, Ralph Waldo Emerson’s The American Scholar, and Walt Whitman’s A Noiseless Patient Spider all display fundamental characteristics of Transcendentalism. William Cullen Bryant was a famous American poet of the 1800s, integrating major themes of transcendentalism into his poems and short stories. Thanatopsis is one of Bryant’s most famous works, and combines the themes of nature, death, and the unity of these two with humanity. He starts by personifying nature, and claims he has a unique relationship with â€Å"her† and all her different â€Å"forms†, referring to sights that adorn the landscape. Valleys, brooks, and plant life are all her different forms. Bryant explains that nature speaks differently to an individual according to their mood: â€Å"Communion with her visible forms, she speaks/A various language; for his gayer hours/She has a voice of gladness, and a smile† (2-4). When that individual’s attitude changes, so does nature’s character: â€Å"and she glides/Into his darker musings, with a mild/And healing sympathy, that steals away/Their sharpness, ere he is aware. † (5-8). Nature seemingly heals the individual’s pain before they are conscious of it. Bryant then transfers to the melancholy thoughts of death. He states that when we die, we will become one with nature. He describes all the ways the earth will reuse us in the soil, for the trees, and we will become as indifferent as rocks that scatter about the world. Therefore, we should not feel disheartened towards death. He continues to persuade the reader not to worry, for everyone will one day lie down â€Å"in one mighty sepulcher† (37) together. He ends on the note that we should not greet death with hopelessness, as if entering a prison, but embrace it as if it were just an opportunity to lie down and sleep dreamily. Transcendentalism is a sector of romanticism, and therefore, like romanticism, can be said to encompass the philosophy of â€Å"reverence for nature† (Benet’s Reader’s Encyclopedia). Many transcendentalist believers took to nature to gain inspiration and descend into a state of divinity. Wildlife was connected to God, and by embracing the wild you embraced spirituality itself. Living in an untamed environment and functioning in the works of nature was the essence of transcendentalism. Bryant perceives the personified Nature as a celestial being that takes many forms in the world, and he calls out to those who see her similarly. In his first line he addresses â€Å"To him who in the love of Nature holds/ Communion with her visible forms†(1-2). He is calling out to those who hold a special relationship with Nature’s various spectacles. He continues to admire nature’s wisdom, urging readers to â€Å"Go forth, under the open sky, and list/To Nature’s teachings, while from all around/ Earth and her waters, and the depths of air/Comes a still voice† (14-17). One author notes â€Å" ‘Thanatopsis’ then exhorts anyone overcome with morbid thoughts of human mortality to venture into Nature for the sake of uplifting lessons to be derived from the elements of air, earth, and water that constitute the universe† (Curley). Another characteristic of the transcendental literary time period is human mortality, and this is the main concern in Thanatopsis, which literally translates into â€Å"a meditation on death†. As one critic puts it, Thanatopsis grants â€Å"consolation for human mortality through mankind’s unity with nature† (Curley). Death, no matter what time period it is observed in, can be daunting to an individual. Since death is a part of nature, transcendentalism embraces it as a cycle of life. Thanatopsis is intertwined with the perspective of nature, it is Nature’s lessons that ease the fear of death: â€Å"Nature then begins to speak, and does so for the remainder of the poem, directly addressing the person oppressed by human mortality with a reminder that while the body will dissolve in the grave, one’s identity will be lost in its commingling with the elements. † (Price). Many transcendentalists like this idea of the human body becoming one with nature, giving back to the place from where it originated, such as in Bryant’s words: â€Å"Earth, that nourished thee, shall claim/Thy growth, to be resolved to earth again/And, lost each human trace, surrendering up/Thine individual being, shalt thou go†(22-25). The main reason transcendentalists do not dread mortality is the solace that â€Å"the body will dissolve in the grave, one’s identity will be lost in its commingling with the elements† (Curley). Additionally, Bryant offered further explanations as to why death should be accepted, rather than fled from. Humanity itself is not permanent, and no man has ever been immortal; Bryant amplifies this truth: â€Å"All that breathe/Will share thy destiny. The gay will laugh/When thou art gone, the solemn brood of care/Plod on, and each one as before will chase/His favorite phantom; yet all these shall leave† (60-64). To this, one critic comments â€Å"an individual’s death merges with the mortality of the entire human race anywhere in time, anywhere in place, and therefore, merely fulfills the universal human destiny†¦The living may be carefree or sad, but in the end they share the same mortal fate† (Curley). Ralph Waldo Emerson also exemplified various themes of transcendentalism in his work. Emerson’s The American Scholar encourages individualism, nonconformity, originality, and reliance on the inner spirit. He discusses different sources that the human mind should rely on, such as nature, literature, and action. He embraces an understanding of oneself. Emerson criticizes those who focus too much on the great minds of the past, rather than being inspired by them, and don’t actually think for themselves. He explains that work leaves an individual empty, almost becoming a simple machine, like the growing factories in America. Emerson directs this speech at a particular issue: America’s influence from European literature. This came to bother Emerson, who believed in inspiration from oneself. The individual is so special. This speech directly targets America’s unknown identity during this time, which he wishes to establish by inspiring each and every â€Å"American scholar†. An important aspect of transcendentalism in The American Scholar was individualism and self-confidence: â€Å"If the single man plant himself indomitably on his instincts, and there abide, the huge world will come round to him† (The American Scholar). Individualism is what spins the planet of creativity; to Emerson, without it human beings would not be able to achieve their full potential. In order for a person to free their individuality, they would have to first disengage from society itself. Emerson believes that society limits an individual’s capacity. One critic notes that Emerson sees the American scholar as a reformation project, where one must have â€Å"an idealized portrait of intellectual life rooted in the liberated humanity of the individual thinker. In practice this means an outright rejection of conformity and groupthink, including the uncritical acceptance of established creeds and dogmas† (Yang). Before the transcendentalism period hit America, industrialization had taken a toll on the American people; work was the central focus, and it left many tired and empty. Emerson observed, â€Å"Equated with their occupational function, people become tool-like, with a corresponding social arrangement that reinforces this state of affairs. He views this deformation as inherent in the mercantile and manufacturing culture then emerging in the United States. This social fragmentation not only inhibits human potential†¦ its soul-destroying consequences are dehumanizing† (Matuozzi). Another more obscure issue that Emerson dealt with was America’s tendency to hang on to past great writers and philosophers, rather than coming to revelations with their own minds. As Emerson put it, â€Å"Books are written on it [the world] by thinkers, not by Man Thinking, by men of talent, that is, who start wrong, who set out from accepted dogmas, not from their own sight of principles. Meek young men grow up in libraries, believing it their duty to accept the views which Cicero, which Locke, which Bacon, have given; forgetful that Cicero, Locke and Bacon were only young men in libraries when they wrote these books† (The American Scholar). One critic explains this quote: â€Å"Emerson criticizes those scholars who allow themselves to be dominated by the past great minds to the extent that they think for the historical figures rather than for themselves, thereby becoming bookworms instead of â€Å"Man Thinking† (Yang). While looking to historical figures is oftentimes needed to understand what a person needs to do in their life, it does more harm than good to sculpt yourself into that exact person. It is confidence in oneself that is needed for transcendentalist philosophy to prevail. A central theme in The American Scholar is striving for wholeness. Since this private aspiration is linked with an individualist ethic and often clashes with social norms and public institutions, Emerson’s project would seem to require a powerful will†¦ the harmonization of will, intellect, and soul is difficult, perhaps the chief impediment to the full realization of self-reliance and self-trust†¦In the end, Emers on’s espousal of self-reliant individualism in The American Scholar is an unwavering rejection of whatever blunts creative human potential. Wherever circumstances threaten the value of autonomy, the outspoken message of The American Scholar will offer encouragement, proving a clear alternative to debilitating conformity and spiritual alienation. † (Matuozzi) Emerson also expands on the idea of action. Without it, transcendentalism would be nothing but talk of reformation. It would do no good to anyone in the world. Transcendentalist ideas were based on constantly living, rather than constantly contemplating. Emerson sees that action is relevant to human potential. The scholar immerses him- or herself in the world rather than fleeing it. The world is an occasion to gain valuable knowledge through focused, mindful participation. † (Matuozzi). The critic is directly stemming from a statement made in The American Scholar by Emerson: â€Å"Action is with the scholar subordinate, but it is essential. Without it he is not yet man. Without it thought can never ripen into truth. Whilst the world hangs before the eye as a cloud of beauty, we cannot even see its beauty. Inaction is cowardice, but there can be no scholar without the heroic mind. (The American Scholar). A Noiseless Patient Spider by Walt Whitman has a key trait of the characteristics of transcendentalism as well. The first stanza of the poem starts out by describing one isolated spider. Whitman describes the actions of this spider, as it flings its filaments, or silk webs, into the air. The arachnid is doing this in the hope of latching on to some sort of solid, stable surface. This would ensure it an easy groundwork for setting up the rest of its web. The observer in the poem remarks that he can see this spider as it repeats this tedious task over and over again. In the second stanza, Whitman changes perspectives, instead focused on a human mortal. In the first stanza, the poet saw the desolate world the spider resided in. â€Å"I mark’d where on a little promontory it stood isolated/Mark’d how to explore the vacant vast surrounding† (2-3). In the second stanza, the poet takes this lone spider and turns the creature into a metaphorical form of the human soul. He describes how his own soul is â€Å"Ceaselessly musing, venturing, throwing, seeking the spheres to connect them† (8). Just like the spider, uncertain of its future, the human soul also wanders about aimlessly, hoping to grasp something stable that it can cling to. It is just as lonesome. This literary piece adds to the transcendental theme of the unknown. Oftentimes, people find themselves drifting along in life, not knowing where they are headed. â€Å"A miniscule spider, attempting to chart a boundless vacuity with grossly inadequate equipment, becomes a living symbol of the pathetic plight of human mortality. The human soul, too, must deal with the unknown. (Scherle). We search for a purpose, a meaning in our lives that will stabilize us. â€Å"The experience of the spider becomes a metaphor symbolizing the soul’s quest for the unification of earthly and heavenly existence†¦the person visualizes in the spider’s action a reflection of the pathetic yet heroic struggle he is waging to find immortality. † (Scherle). Without purpose, a person can stray from a better path; tr anscendentalists found comfort in knowing that the unknown is connected with some mystical higher being. As one critic notes, â€Å"The sense of human insignificance is monstrous† (Scherle). Along those lines, Whitman shows that finding that sole purpose can be a long and tiresome task. Oftentimes it is repetitive and dismal, and the outcome is unspecified. â€Å"Everything (immortality) is hanging on a silken thread, which is being tossed tentatively and figuratively into an unidentified, undefined ‘somewhere’† (Scherle). Whitman sees his soul in â€Å"Surrounded, detached, in measureless oceans of space† just as the spider â€Å"stood isolated† in a â€Å"vacant vast surrounding† (2-7). What the critic realizes is that â€Å"A Noiseless Patient Spider is a poem about loneliness†¦this is a loneliness that grows out of an inherent tendency of the body and soul to attempt to unite with an elusive divine entity in order to gain immortality† (Scherle). Whitman uses the transcendental â€Å"concept of nature as a wayseer for human truth† (Scherle). Transcendentalism is portrayed through the literary works of William Cullen Bryant and Thanatopsis, Ralph Waldo Emerson and The American Scholar, and Walt Whitman and A Noiseless Patient Spider. Thanatopsis exemplifies themes of nature and death. Transcendentalists immersed themselves in the natural world to connect with the divine otherworld. The American Scholar argued that in order to transcend the human body into a spiritual realm, you must first disengage from society. A Noiseless Patient Spider explains the isolation and uncertainty we have throughout our lives. We search for purpose and reason, never knowing what to expect. Transcendentalism was a unique literary time period in America that consisted of a love for nature, the divine, and the individual human mind. Works Cited Page * â€Å"Romanticism. † HarperCollins Benet’s Reader’s Encyclopedia. 1996). ebscohost. Web. 18 Mar 2013. * Price, Victoria. â€Å"Thanatopsis, Poems. † Salem Press Masterplots. (2010). ebscohost. Database. 18 Mar 2013. * Curley, Thomas M. â€Å"Thanatopsis, Poems. † Salem Press Masterplots II. (2010). ebscohost. Database. 18 Mar 2013. * Scherle, Phillis J. â€Å"A Noiseless Patient Spider, Leaves of Grass. à ¢â‚¬  Salem Press Masterplots II (2002). ebscohost. Database. 18 Mar 2013. * Matuozzi, Robert N. â€Å"A Noiseless Patient Spider, Leaves of Grass. † Salem Press Masterplots (2010). ebscohost. Database. 18 Mar 2013. * Yang, Vincent. â€Å"The American Scholar. † Salem Press Magill’s