Antitheatricalism – Ben Jonson

Antitheatricalism in Light of Ben Jonson's  Volpone Commentary by Joel Culpepper Crossdressing in England was mostly opposed by the Fundamentalist branch of the Protestant Church known as the Puritans. The Puritan dogma, much like the concept of transvestism, was constantly challenged. Puritans found resistance in the religious authorities of the Church of England and the English government. Before 1536, the Roman Catholic Church was unimpeded and always won over Puritan proposals regarding legislation. Without a cooperative political ear, the Puritans resorted to experimental spiritual expression by changing their social behavior and structuring. Due to these changes, a formidable way of attacking the theater's use of crossdressing was developed- public preaching and pamphlets. Other individuals and groups (like the Juvenalians) supported the moral and social reform movement by speaking and writing essays and books on the subject. Due to the nature the actor's role in Ben Jonson's  Volpone, the play was also implicated in this moral battle. The ideology behind the Puritan protest was based on biblical sentiment and the patristic literary tradition of Roman writers like Tertullian and St. Augustine. The Puritan's religious banner for combatting gender transgression was Deuteronomy 22:5- ‘The woman shall not wear that which pertains to a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment' (Tiffany 58). In general, pagan myths were also associated with crossdressing. Puritans like William Pryne labeled these actors as â€Å"beastly male monsters† that â€Å"degenerate into women† (Tiffany 59). Further, the Puritans feared that men dressing as women caused the men in the audience to lust for real females and to form homoerotic desires for the male actors (the reverse was also true for women). The Puritan fear also opposed androgynous Renaissance clothing and women's â€Å"male† hairstyles, as documented in Phillip Stubbes' 1583  Anatomy of Abuses. Jonson was more than aware of these Puritan sentiments. In  Volpone, Volpone hopes Celia will submit sexually and â€Å"have [her] in more modern forms†¦ such as a â€Å"Brave Tuscan lady, or proud Spanish beauty† (Campbell 3. 7. 226, 228). Volpone seems to be conveyor of Jonson's acknowledgment of the actor's transformative ability – a part of the playwright's (and the actor's) self concern of the real drama within a play, or metadrama. In Volpone's subsequent proposal to Celia, crossdressing is coupled with androgyny. Male and female spirits are joined in harmony because their lips â€Å"transfuse [their] wandering souls† (Campbell 3. 7. 234). One's point of view might relate this as a matter of homosexual or heterosexual sex. The passage could also (ironically) refer to the Puritan sponsored sacrament of marriage- a holy sacrament. It must also be mentioned thatVolpone's ending also provides an element of punishment for sins- lust, avarice and deception being among them. Jonson's blatant use of classical satire as farce links the feminine male with naivety or aggressiveness that demeans love and advocates the scholarly, independent male identity. The female image in his plays is often masculine- true to the actor's real physicality and the surrounding male chauvinist population. Interestingly, Jonson allows the head male character ,Volpone, to be exceedingly great at his craft of deception while the virtuous Celia adopts an irrational, painful way to keep herself a virgin. Celia vows she will swallow hot coals rather than submit to Volpone's desires. The Puritans' homophobia is also apparent in  Volpone. Volpone makes sure (through explanation) that even though he acted the part of Antonias (a supposed lover of a gay king) for the non-heterosexual King Henry III, he is a ladies' man. Volpone claims that he â€Å"attracted/ The eyes and ears of all the ladies present† (Campbell 3. 7. 164). In another reversal of gender, Lady Would-be notices her husband with someone she believes to be a female prostitute dressed as a young man. After belittling her husband for this by calling him a client of a â€Å"female devil,† she realizes her mistake and apologizes. This situation supports the possibility that Jonson believed the Puritans were making a mistake (like Lady Would-Be) in ignoring permanent, masculine reality and challenging the temporary ,imaginative, and effeminate role of actors for immorality. Morality, the main goal of the Antitheatrical movement in the Renaissance, was both supported and denounced by Jonson in various ways. However, the general perception is that Jonson (unlike Shakespeare) fueled the fires of degradation- implicating women with the weakness, lack of intelligence, and reason they were believed to exude. In the annals of theatrical history, Jonson's metadrama could be said to perpetuate this social stereotype. Nevertheless, Jonson's crossing of the gender line and sexual scenes like Volpone's â€Å"flashing† of Celia were enough to have religious, moral, and social commentators screaming blood murder. Two issues demand prominence in the play. While outwardly a play driven by blatant genderless controversy, the inward thematic, character-driven nature of  Volpone  suggests a conformity and adherence to the intellectual and theological moralism of the time. http://www. english. uga. edu/cdesmet/joel/PURITAN. html

Fast Moving Consumer Goods Essay

FMCG are products that have a quick shelf turnover, at relatively low-cost and don’t require a lot of thought, time and financial investment to purchase. The margin of profit on every individual FMCG product is less. However the huge number of goods sold is what makes the difference. Hence profit in FMCG goods always translates to number of goods sold. Fast Moving Consumer Goods is a classification that refers to a wide range of frequently purchased consumer products including: toiletries, soaps, cosmetics, teeth cleaning products, shaving products, detergents, other non-durables such as glassware, bulbs, batteries, paper products and plastic goods, such as buckets. ‘Fast Moving’ is in opposition to consumer durables such as kitchen appliances that are generally replaced less than once a year. The category may include pharmaceuticals, consumer electronics and packaged food products and drinks, although these are often categorized separately. The term Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) is used interchangeably with Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG). Three of the largest and best known examples of Fast Moving Consumer Goods companies are Nestlà ©, Unilever and Procter & Gamble. Examples of FMCGs are soft drinks, tissue paper, and chocolate bars. Examples of FMCG brands are Coca-Cola, Kleenex, Pepsi and Believe. The FMCG sector represents consumer goods required for daily or frequent use. The main segments of this sector are personal care (oral care, hair care, soaps, cosmetics, toiletries), household care (fabric wash and household cleaners), branded and packaged food, beverages (health beverages, soft drinks, staples, cereals, dairy products, chocolates, bakery products) and tobacco. The Indian FMCG sector is an important contributor to the country’s GDP. It is the fourth largest sector in the economy and is responsible for  5% of the total factory employment in India. The industry also creates employment for 3 people in downstream activities, much of which is disbursed in small towns and rural India. This industry has witnessed strong growth in the past decade. This has been due to liberalization, urbanization, increase in the disposable incomes and altered lifestyle. Furthermore, the boom has also been fuelled by the reduction in excise duties, de-reservation from the small-scale sector and the concerted efforts of personal care companies to attract the burgeoning affluent segment in the middle-class through product and packaging innovations. Unlike the perception that the FMCG sector is a producer of luxury items targeted at the elite, in reality, the sector meets the everyday needs of the masses. The lower-middle income group accounts for over 60% of the sector’s sales. Rural markets account for 56% of the total domestic FMCG demand. Many of the global FMCG majors have been present in the country for many decades. But in the last ten yea rs, many of the smaller rung Indian FMCG companies have gained in scale. As a result, the unorganized and regional players have witnessed erosion in market share. History of FMCG in India In India, companies like ITC, HLL, Colgate, Cadbury and Nestle have been a dominant force in the FMCG sector well supported by relatively less competition and high entry barriers (import duty was high). These companies were, therefore, able to charge a premium for their products. In this context, the margins were also on the higher side. With the gradual opening up of the economy over the last decade, FMCG companies have been forced to fight for a market share. In the process, margins have been compromised, more so in the last six years (FMCG sector witnessed decline in demand). Current Scenario The growth potential for FMCG companies looks promising over the long term horizon, as the per-capita consumption of almost all products in the country is amongst the lowest in the world. As per the Consumer Survey by KSAT echnopak, of the total consumption expenditure, almost 40% and 8% was accounted by groceries and personal care products respectively. Rapid  urbanization, increased literacy and rising per capita income are the key growth drivers for the sector. Around 45% of the population in India is below 20 years of age and the proportion of the young population is expected to increase in the next five years. Aspiration levels in this age group have been fuelled by greater media exposure, unleashing a latent demand with more money and anew mindset. In this backdrop, industry estimates suggest that the industry could triple in value by 2015 (by some estimates, the industry could double in size by2010). In our view, testing times for the FMCG sector are over and driving rural penetration will be the key going forward. Due to infrastructure constraints (this influences the cost-effectiveness of the supply chain), companies were unable to grow faster. Although companies like HLL and ITC have dedicated initiatives targeted at the rural market, these are still at a relatively nascent stage. The bottlenecks of the conventional distribution system are likely to be removed once organized retailing gains in scale. Currently, organized retailing accounts for just 3% of total retail sales and is likely to touch 10% over the next 3-5years. In our view, organized retailing results in discounted prices, forced-buying by offering many choices and also opens up new avenues for growth for the FMCG sector. Given the aggressive expansion plans of players like Pantaloons, Trent ,Shopper’s Stop and Shoprite, we are confident that the FMCG sector has a bright future. Budget Measures to Promote FMCG Sector 2% education cess corporation tax, excise duties and custom duties Concessional rate of 5% custom duty on tea and coffee plantation machinery Budget Impact The education cess will add marginally to the tax burden of all FMCG companies The dividend distribution tax on debt funds is likely to adversely affect the other income components of companies like Britannia, Nestle and HLL The measure to abolish excise duty on dairy machinery is a positive for companies like Nestle Concessional rate for tea and coffee plantation machinery is a positive for Tata Tea, HLL, Tata Coffee and other such companies Top Ten Players in FMCG Sector Companies:- 1. Hindustan Unilever Ltd. 2. ITC (Indian Tobacco Company) 3. Nestlà © India 4. GCMMF (AMUL) 5. Dabur India 6. Asian Paints (India) 7. Cadbury India 8. Britannia Industries 9. Marico Industries 10. Procter & Gamble Hygiene and Health Care In order to carry out any research investigation there is a need of a Systematic method and to adopt a well-defined procedure for each and every research there is also a need of methodology. Methodology of any research constitutes the selection of representative sample of the universe or the general population, application of the appropriate research tools and the techniques. There is an old saying in Spain â€Å"TO BE A BULLFIGHTER YOU MUST LEARN TO BE BULL† means you never really understand a Person until you consider things from his point of view . In the same way to meet and satisfy the target customer the study of customers behavior of crucial important because he is king. Customer behavior studies , how individuals , groups and organizations selected buy use and dispose of goods , services, ideas or experiences to satisfy their needs and Desires. According to JAMES F. FUGAL, â€Å"Customers behavior consists of the acts of individuals in obtain and using goods and services including the decision process that precede and determine these acts. The research involves the following steps:- 1. DEFINE THE PROBLEM AND RESEARCH OBJECTIVE:- If the problem is clearly defined, it is half solved .The problem/Objective here to assess the scope of rural marketing for FMCG sector. 2 – COLLECT THE INFORMATION:- The information is collected from secondary sources-websites, magazines, newspapers, and magazines. 3- ANLAYZE THE INFORMATION:- The next step in the marketing research process is to exact Findings from the collected data. 4-PRESENT THE FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS:- As the last step, the findings and conclusion of whole Research are presented in the end. ANALYSIS OF FMCG MARKET The research report offers insights into the dynamics of growth in a competitive market environment. The salient features of development the survey have identified include:- The improvement has been much more pronounced in volume terms than in value terms for most of the products. One of the greatest achievements made by the FMCG industry has been the ‘sachet’ bugs which have helped the companies to introduce products in smaller package sizes, at lower price points and reach new users and to expand market share for value added products in urban India. Several cost saving measures, various tax benefits, rising demand, good monsoon have helped the industry to achieve positive growth. Most of the multinational companies have started sourcing their products from India. HLL has become the production center in respect of personal consumer products like oral care, skin care products, soap, detergents globally for Unilever. There  has been a trend from shift to own manufacturing from third party manufacturing or procuring goods from third party small-scale manufacturers. Though the companies are going global, they are focusing on the overseas markets like Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, Middle East and CiS countries because of the lifestyles, consumption habits similar to India. Godrej Consumer, Marico, Dabur, Vicco laboratories are among the companies. The offshoots and mushrooming of regional companies which are posing a threat to bigger FMCG companies like HLL. The rise of Jyothi Laboratories, throwing challenge to Reckitt Benckiser is a case in point. FMCG market remains highly fragmented with almost half of the market representing unbranded, unpackaged home made products. This presents a tremendous opportunity for makers of branded products who can convert consumers to branded products. There is competition between the organized and the unorganized sectors in the FMCG sector. Marketing and distribution are very important in FMCG companies. New products require a large investment in product development, market research, and awareness campaign, developing franchise for a new brand advertisements, free samples and product promotions. All these developments have made the consumers strong, who are in a position now to choose a variety of products, from a number of companies, at different price points. Bargaining power of customers is high. Key factors to success are distribution (in rural markets) and advertising (in urban markets). Critical factors for success are the ability to build, develop and maintain a robust distribution network. The fact that a lot of women have started looking for specialized products has driven growth. Post liberalization period provided the consumers the opportunity to make choices amongst the products of domestic companies and imported products

Personal Trainer Essay

1. What options does Personal Trainer have for developing a new system? What are some specific issues and options that Susan should consider in making a decision Creating a web site that allows members to login and access information about their personalized fitness program. Susan needs to do some research and find out what internet development environments she wants to use such as web sphere or .net by Microsoft. Susan needs to look at the similarities and differences between the old and new center. 2. Susan has been asked to prepare a system requirements document and deliver a presentation to the management team. What should be the main elements of the system requirements document? Susan needs to create a document that includes an introduction, summary, findings, recommendations, time and cost estimates, expected benefits and an appendix, and maybe to also include charts, graphs, and/or other helpful visuals in the document to support her presentation. 3. Based on the suggestions in Part A of the Systems Analyst’s Toolkit, what visual aids should Susan use during her presentation? Susan should use power point as a visual aid, some flip charts, overhead transparencies, videos, slides, to improve her presentation. She should also prepare a contingency plan in case anything was to happen to her presentation. 4. Susan wants to prepare a presentation that will calculate the total cost of ownership for the system. What financial analysis tools are available to her, and what are the advantages (and possible disadvantages) of each tool? Payback Analysis – is the process of determining how long it takes an information system to pay for itself. The time it takes to recover the systems cost is called the payback period. Susan Can use this tool to see how long it will take to recoup her costs. Return on Investment (ROI) – percentage rate that measures profitability by comparing the total net benefits (return) received from a project to the total costs. Susan can use this tool to calculate how long it will take to see a return on her investments Net Present Value (NPV) – This tool will

The iliad and the odyssey Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The iliad and the odyssey - Essay Example Composed in the dactylic hexameter poetic style, this too is a lengthy poem, stretching to 12,110 lines. The plot of Odyssey is centered on Greek war hero Odysseus and his beautiful wife Penelope. Although both these masterpieces of Western literature were written in pre-Christian times when the written tradition was still in its infancy, they still remain relevant today. Events such as war, love, betrayal, bravery, etc are universal human experiences than span centuries and continents. While some of the specific details of the two epic poems might be irrelevant in contemporary times, their essence remains highly relevant. What it shows is that Western civilization has not changed drastically since the beginning of recorded history; and that societies continue to be disturbed by greed, war, lust, betrayal, etc. In other words, some of the vices and failings displayed by characters in the two poems are still afflicting humanity today. In this respect, a careful study of the interpersonal, social and political aspects of the two epic poems can lead us to insights into human nature. Apart from this practical utility of the two great epics, the literary techniques employed by Hom er in composing the works are very instructive for current generation of writers. For example, the non-linear plot structure employed by Homer is a highly sophisticated narrative structure, which finds application in plays, motion pictures and novels of

Hervey Dunns and the Indian artwork Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Hervey Dunns and the Indian artwork - Essay Example Regarding movement, both artists have directed the viewers’ eyes across their artwork. The artists have showed direction and action in the manner through which they direct the movement of eyes across the artwork. The artists have utilised rhythm in the manner they direct the movement of the eyes across the artwork. Rhythms are displayed in the way the elements are arranged in the artwork. The artists organised the elements in an orderly manners, such that, the artists follow the elements in an orderly manner. Hervey Dunn’s art displays a unity design, where everything works, or fits together as a team. The Unity design is highlighted through continuity, where the alignment of the shape and figures ensures that a viewer moves from one part to another in a definite order. Proximity is another unity design elements, all the parts of the art are grouped together, clustered, and enclosed into sets. The art displays harmony, where related materials, colours, and textures are used. The unity design is brought about by harmony, whereby, the related colours and materials are utilised in the elements, such as flowers. In the Indian artwork, the unity is displayed through proximity; the elements of the artwork are grouped together. About the colour, Hervey Dunn and the Indian artwork utilises hue that is, they use primary colours. In chroma, the intensity of the colour in the images can be characterised as bright. The colour value of the image as light, with the intensity of the hue, such as, red, yellow, etc.

Write a Critical Review paper on Students with disabilities enrolled Research

Write a Critical Review on Students with disabilities enrolled at educational institutions at all levels - Research Paper Example On top of that, the lawsuit also alleged that the state of New Jersey had violated its constitutional obligation to oversee the implementation of IDEA requirements at the grassroots; in defense, the state of New Jersey filed a motion to dismiss citing a constitutional challenge to the implementation of the IDEA. According to the state of New Jersey, it was immune to private lawsuits regarding enforcement of the IDEA under the provisions of the Eleventh Amendment but the section of parents were not convinced by this argument. In their earnest search for justice, the section went ahead to seek intervention in defending the constitutionality of IDEA, which was eventually granted to them; in their battle to defend the constitutionality of IDEA, the section fronted two strong arguments as the foundation of their case. In their first argument, the section proposed that the state of New Jersey had accepted the federal IDEA funds that were meant to meet the cost of educating students with disabilities consequently agreeing to act in accordance with the IDEA by relinquishing its sovereign immunity. In the second argument, the section contended that following the enactment of the Fourteenth Amendment, Congress had in fact genuinely repealed the state sovereign immunity, which the New Jersey was still claiming to have in its argument for a dismissal motion. In accordance with the Rules 12(b) (1) and (b)(6), of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, the NJDOE and the State officials filed a motion of dismissal of the complaint by arguing that they were immune to the suit under the provisions of the Eleventh Amendment. They also held that the plaintiff’s complaint should be dismissed for failure to exhaust administrative remedies and that given the state’s sovereign immunity, it was wrong for an injunctive relief to be entered against it, particularly because it was not the right subject of an order for the provision of free and appropriate public

Outline why can change be a problem for organisations Essay

Outline why can change be a problem for organisations - Essay Example rganizations’ strategies as well as structures guarantee that the company is present and willing to do more than just provide products and services to the end consumers. It wants to make the people realize that the company is there and wants to do its very best by tailoring its strategies in such a manner that can only benefit them nonetheless. A company or an organization without the target people is nothing more than an office set up with employees and employers working for no one, at the end of the day. Also the fact that organizations need to evolve over a period of time is testimony enough for them to grow within themselves and thus adopt and hold on to a new path altogether, one that will be their torchbearer as well as reap rich dividends for them not only in the present times but also in the future. These strategies are so much in alignment with the future goals and tactical perspectives that they fulfill what is really expected of them, both in terms of short term expectations as well as the long run. Planning is thus the key word here and for any multinational to succeed in the long run, it is of paramount significance to have a safe and sound plan ready and not only that but also be proactive in its approach towards the accomplishment of the plan nonetheless. (Shiplett, 2000) The basis of all strategies and structural changes that usually happen from time to time is on the shoulders of the top management where they have to decide whether or not the adopted strategy be the source of light in the coming quarters or years for that matter. It is only upon their insistence to have the same within their ranks that the new strategic planning is done in the first place. If the top management is not ready, it is very difficult for the knowledge organization, which really is the middle management of present times, to do even an iota of struggle. The multinationals for that matter depend a lot on the parental concerns, which at times, might be located off

Explore the character of Lady Macbeth Coursework

Explore the character of Lady Macbeth - Coursework Example Lady Macbeth belongs and functions within the nobility besides being a respected wife of Macbeth that her father-in-law, King Duncan treats her as their â€Å"honored hostess†. While she exhibits the positive trait of remaining faithful and loving toward her husband, Lady Macbeth is severely determined for Macbeth to acquire the thrown as the next king. Her wild ambition sets the conflict for Macbeth to ponder on seizing immediate kingship as she presses him to plot a murderous act against King Duncan. She appears completely aware that the good-natured Macbeth himself is far from capable of scheming as such, hence, she finds it appropriate to take control of the situation that leads to the accomplishment of her design through him and by repressing her own conscience, Macbeth grows with confidence under mutual preference to carry out the wicked plan. Shakespeare occurs to allude the strong connection between ‘masculinity’ and violence as well as the height of ambit ion for which the level of employed aggression is proportional yet rather than making reference via a male character, the notion is channelled through Lady Macbeth’s femininity which according to her husband is rather made of a masculine spirit. At a crucial stage, the lady is found wishing for an opposite gender so she would not hesitate having to commit the murder, had the king not â€Å"resembled [her] father as he slept† also, and this quite implies how gender issue plays a significant function in determining where huge potentials and power lie. Eventually, this portion of the theme that describes the association of power to gender becomes the key point by which to develop the meaning in Lady Macbeth’s portrayal of her essential part in the story. Macbeth’s idea with â€Å"undaunted mettle should compose / Nothing but males†, through his primary incapacity to render aggressive behavior, is shifted between the witches and Lady Macbeth who posses ses a higher degree of conviction about all means in pursuit of one’s ends. In order to be relentless and not be held back by any sense of guilt, Macbeth’s wife invokes upon evil spirits so as to â€Å"stop up th' access and passage to remorse† prior to the full implementation of the scheme. As she goes about her manipulative attitude, Macbeth initially complies yet is later consumed with indecisions, contemplating on rational grounds for relief or what would drive him to kill his father, King Duncan. Lady Macbeth, however, believes highly that it is an unconscious desire of Macbeth to obtain the status of becoming a ruler overall, convincing him that once he gets to be king, it would earn them both security and prosperity in the kingdom. Thus, Lady Macbeth attacks the uncertainty of her better half by manipulating him with questions concerning the validity of his manhood and his affectionate regard for her. The lady’s effective manipulation works even in castigating up to the slightest objection of Macbeth so that with the manner of repeated questioning, he finally realizes the will to follow the dictates of his wife and so attain success in killing Duncan as a proof of his unfailing love and unquestionable manhood. By her phenomenal strength, Lady Macbeth seems to bear a will that persists even after the crime, when she manages to

Films and Filming Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Films and Filming - Essay Example On the other hand cinema is making the viewer believe that the train coming towards him is real, making the unreal look real. These two qualities of Cinema led to the division of cinema into documentaries and feature films. Of these the feature films or story telling films developed into the commercial cinema or the mainstream cinema. The revolt against the commercialization of the art of cinema led to the emergence of the experimental cinema. Side by side with these the documentary cinema existed as one of the greatest traditions of cinema. This paper examines Hollywood Cinema as a model of Commercial cinema or the main stream cinema. The French New wave film movement, with Jean Luc Godard and his film Breathless will be analyzed as an example for the experimental cinema. HOLLYWOOD: Hollywood, in Los Angeles, California is all about stars and glitter. The area now known as Hollywood was sparsely populated in the seventeenth century when the Spanish explorers entered there .Santa Mon ica Mountains towered over the area and in the canyons of these mountains lived the Native Americans. By 1870s the area was a flourishing agricultural area, with crops like hay and grain, bananas and pine apple. In 1910, film maker D.W. Griffith working for Biograph Company, came to Downtown Los Angeles, and with his acting troop to shoot films. Thus it was Griffith who shot the first ever movie in Hollywood, then without a studio. The film was called â€Å"In Old California†. It was a Biograph melodrama.

Dance Elements Essay Example for Free

Dance Elements Essay Literal meaning of the word kathak is related to katha, the art of story-telling, â€Å"Katha Kahe So Kathaka Kahave†, which means â€Å"one who tells a story is a story-teller†. According to M. Monier Williams, Katha denotes conversation, story, speech, tale or fable. Katha also means to ‘ sing in praise’, ‘to say or inform something’. Thus, kathakars were originally a caste of story-tellers who were attached to temples in certain parts of Northern India. These kathakars used to go around the countryside narrating the stories of the Epics and other Legends. The modes employed were poetry, music and dance. All these three arts were closely inter-linked. The aim of kathaks was to educate the people in the knowledge of Gods and Mythological Legends. Historically kathak dates back to the Vedic period which are full of descriptions and stories which give us an insight into the mind of those who wrote or composed jthem. Kathak dance is evolved from religious and mythological concepts. In Ramayana period, we can see many glimpses of music and dance. The Ramayana tells the story of an ideal heroic prince Rama of Ayodhya and his devoted wife Sita. This ancient tale has been treasured and retold for countless generation in every Hindu house; they worshipped Rama as the seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu. In Ramayana we find a mention of recitors who were specialised in story-telling. Lava and Kusha, the two brave sons of Rama rendered Ramayana in verses composed by Sage Valmiki. While reciting the stories, they also added the element of acting-Abhinaya. From that time nomadic bards who narrated the Ramayana were known as ‘Kushilavas’. As a matter of fact, the term kushilavas has been associated with dancers and actors. Likewise, many mythological stories were depicted through gestures, postures and abhinaya. The another story of Ramayana which tells us that how Ravana, the king of Lanka worshipped Lord Shiva with song and dance. Also the story of Ravana assaulting Rambha, one of the main Apsaras. According to Kapila Vatsyayan, in Ramayana, the Apsaras are the most important mythological characters who danced and performed both in heaven and earth. There are various other instances like the stories of the grand act of breaking Shiva’s bow in â€Å"Sita Swayamvar†, the evil plotting of Kaikayee, the Banishment of Rama to a fourteen-year exile, Sita’s kidnapping by Ravana and the war that ensued leading to Rama’s victory and Sita’s rescue. Thus, Ramayana is rich in incident and moral concept. We come across many references to perfomances of dances from the Mahabharata. In this period, worship and adoration of Bramha, Vishnu and Mahesh started with music and dance. Krishna is the ‘Sutradhara’ (around whom the entire Mahabharata developed) and he was an expert dancer. The Mahabharata depicts episodes of Krishna’s life that how he is adopted and raised by a family of cowherds. The stories of his childhood of stealing butter and milkmaids known as â€Å"MakhanChori†. His dance of his youth with Radha and Braj narees is known as â€Å"Rasa Lila†. His spiritual love dance with Gopis or Milkmaids by the bank of Yamuna river in moonlit night is known as â€Å"MahaRaas†. The story of â€Å"Kaliya Daman† which tells us how Krishna defeated the poisonous snake Kaliya and danced on his hoods. The story of â€Å"Govardhan Dharan† which tells us how krishna picked and hold the Govardhan mountain to protect the people of Vrindavan from heavy rain. Another important episode of Mahabharata is known as â€Å"Vastraharan†, in which Krishna saves the honour of the Pandava Queen Draupadi. The story goes that Dushasana, one of the Kaurava brothers attempted to humilate her by disrobing her. Draupadi called out to Krishna to save her and miraculously, as layer after layer of her saree was pulled, the number of sarees went on increasing. This episode is a popular theme in Kathak dance. Mahabharata also depicts the story of the five Pandava brothers who were unjustly deprived of their kingdom by their cousins, the kauravas, and of the great battle of Kurukshetra that established the victory of the Pandavas after much suffering and bloodshed. The Mahabharata also describes Krishna’s role as the Charioteer of Arjuna during the battle of Kurukshetra, and his conversation on the battlefield constitutes the text of the Bhagavad-Gita, the celebrated philosophical work. Thus, it is clear that by the time of Mahabharata, the arts of music and dance developed sufficient content, form, style to be taught in a systematic order. The training also seems to be elaborate with rules and regulations. Natyashastra is an encyclopedic work having 36 chapters and it deals with various topics such as the first 3 chapters deal with the origin of Natya, construction of theatre, Rangapooja, etc. , 4th and 5th chapters deal with the varieties of Dance. The 6th and 7th deal with Rasa and Bhava. From the 8th chapter of the 15th one, the different poses of Dance are being dealt with. The different aspects of Abhinaya are described in 15 to 22 and from 22nd to 28th describe the costumes elaborately. The chapters from 28th to 34 deal with music and musical instruments and the last two deal with the different characters and costumes. Natyashastra also describes the divine character and dance of the Nataraja, the dancing Lord Shiva who is considered the king of actors and dancers and also the supreme Lord of Dance. The moon which he adorns in his head is the symbol complete control of his senses. The serpents wound around his body is the proof of his complete control over vital life forces. His foot raised high over the wicked demon, a symbol of victory over the ego. This divine art form is performed by Shiva and his wife Goddess Parvati. The Dance performed Lord Shiva is known as â€Å"Tandava†, which depicts his violent nature as the destructor of the Universe. The Dance performed by Goddess Parvati is known as â€Å"Lasya†, in which the movements are gentle, graceful, erotic and it is also called the feminine version of Tandava. Therefore, according to Kapila Vatsyayan, Bharata attributes to dancing a divine origin, a literary and religious heritage both in thought and technique and aesthetic secular purpose. It has also been mentioned in Natyashastra, how to interpret the different moods of man accompanied by Bhava, Raga and Tal – all directed to create rasa or emotion in the spectators who are called â€Å"Rasikaas†. From the 7th and 8th century, â€Å"Sangeet† occupied a prominent place in the society. The art of sculptures also made great strides and most of the sculptures depicted various dance poses. Temples were the places of origin whereas the dancers or the priests danced in praise of the Lord enacting various mythological stories. Temples sprang up where the devotees gathered to pray to the Almighty God or hear stories about Him. The Temple connection is well established as can be seen in the art of â€Å"Kathavachakas† who carry on the tradition to this day in the North in the Temple boundaries and in open spaces. With the passage of time, in the medieval period, the Bhakti movement influenced all over India. The vast spiritual empire established by Vaishnavism in the North embraces life in its totality. The fine arts found a fuller expression by the 15th and the 16th centuries A. D. Literature, music, dance, painting and other fine arts flourished with the patronage extended by the temples, priests and devotees. In particular the Rasa Lilas in Braj and the neighbouring areas of Mathura in the North sustained the tradition that centered round Vishnu and his recognization as Krishna. The Bhakti movement inspired a whole new school of poetry, dance and music. Krishna and radha are the presiding deities of Vaishnavism and it was on the basis of Leelas of Krishna that precious and distinctive art heritage of Vaishnavism was built up. Mirabai, Surdas and Tulsidas for e. g. wrote powerful devotional verses on longing and separation, expressing the yearning of the human soul for union with God. They chosen the themes was the love of radha for krishna. Krishna Leela though brought out in high relief by Vaishnavism but it had its origin in the past and it can be traced easily to the periods of Mahabharata and Bhasa. In Braj, the Rasa lila’s developed as a combination of music, dance and narration that was used to enact the Krishna Legends – especially the Radha-Krishna idea and stories of Krishna’s youth with the gopis or milkmaids. Hence, the earliest compositions in kathak were based on the religious and stylised music of North India, notably the Dhrupad, Keertan, Hori, Dhamar, Pad and Bhajan. According to Mohan Khokar, Keertans are similar style to dhrupad, but they may, unlike the latter, also be sung in chorus. Keertan is a spiritual practice belonging to the path of Bhakti (devotion). Keertan more specifically means the chanting of sacred sounds or mantras. The Rasa Lila miracle plays of Braj were formerly staged to the accompaniment of keertan music only. Keertans were meant both for singing and dancing. Whereas Bhajans are strictly devotional songs and are in praise of deities such as Krishna, Shiva, Rama, Ganesha, Durga, etc. The songs are rendered in ragas, but improvised tunes are also freely used. Stories and episodes from scriptures, the teachings of saints and description of Gods have all been the subject of Bhajan. Bhajans of Mirabai, Tulsidas, Surdas, Kabir, the Ashtachhap poets and other composers are a part of kathak repertoire. Some of the Famous Bhajans of Mirabai is the following: â€Å"Baso more nanun mein nandlal, Mor mukut makrakrit kundal, arun tilak diyo bhal, Mohni murat – saavari surat, naina bane bisaal, Adhar sudha – ras murli rajat, ur baijanti maal. Chhudra ghantika kati tat sobhit, nupur sabad rasaal, Mira’ prabhu santan sukhdai, bhagat – bachhal gopal† With the advent of the Mughals, the Hindustani music underwent a drastic change. The stylised music absorbed the Mughal influence in a remarkable manner. The dancers moved from the temple courtyard to the palace dubar and this necessitated changes in presentation as Muslim kings could not enjoy the bhava of Bhakti Rasa. Kathak received encouragement at the hands of Nawabs and Rajas. Whereas formerly it was religious and devotional in mood and temperament, now it turned into a means of entertainment. The forms like Thumri, Dadra, Ghazal evolved and became a part of the Hindustani music. The word â€Å"Thumri† has been derived from a combination of two terms i. e. ‘thumak’ (or the chaal) and ‘rijhana’ (or to please). Thus, together meaning graceful stamping of the foot. Thumri is a verse that has Krishna and Radha or Krishna and Gopi’s as its central theme. It is essentially based on the divine romance portraying both aspects of separation and union. The last Nawab of Oudh, Wajid Ali Shah was an accomplished dancer and musician. He composed thumries in classical style and these were sung by the kathak dancers. His contemporaries and the court musicians like Kadarpiya, Akhtar Piya, Lallan Piya, Sikandar Piya and others contributed to its popularity. Although he was a muslim, he liked the Radha-Krishna themes. He himself presented a dance on the Rasa Lila which he called ‘Rahas’. His famous thumries are the following: â€Å"Babul mora nehar chhuto jaye, Chaar kahar mil, doliya uthave, Apna begana chhuto jaye. † Another Thumri: â€Å"Jab chod chale lucknow nagri, Tab hale ‘ali’ par kya guzri, Mahal mahal mein begum rove, Jab hum guzre duniya guzri. † According to PeterLamarche Manuel, Bindadin Maharaj is regarded as one of the most important figures in the development of Thumri as well as Kathak. The kathak Masters Bindadin and his brother Kalka Prasad composed Thumries that were suitable for kathak dancing. Some of the famous Thumri of Bindadin Maharaj is the following: â€Å"Mohe chhedo na, nand ki suno challa, Badi der bhai, ghar jane de mohe.

Investigation Of British Airways PLC Strategy

Investigation Of British Airways PLC Strategy Flying an extensive route network of more than 300 different destinations in more than 70 countries, with nearly 250 aircrafts in service, British Airways is today the largest airline in the UK and the leader in terms of transatlantic flights globally. They are a group mainly based in Heathrow Airport, London Gatwick and Manchester, where they operate international domestic scheduled air services for carriage of passengers, freight mail. In addition, British Airways is part of the oneworld alliance that together comprises 700 destinations. Founded in 1999, American Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, Lan Airlines, Malà ©v, Qantas and Royal Jordanian are also members of this association. The establishment of this kind of business partnership benefits customers expanding their access to a much wider network of destinations. In terms of shareholding, for instance, the group has participation of 13.5% in the Spanish airline Iberia and 15% in Flybe. According to Key Note (2009), other British Airways ventures include a 10% stake in Eurostar (UK) Ltd as part of the InterCapital and Regional Rail alliance. BA also operates a number of subsidiaries and franchises organisations, for example, British Airways World Cargo, BA Cityflyer and OpenSkies. BAs financial overview defined by Key Note (2009) says that in the year ending in 31st March 2008, British Airways PLC increased its turnover to  £8.76bn from  £8.49bn in 2007. Pre-tax profit increased to  £922m in 2008 from  £611m in 2007. In the year ending 31st March 2009, turnover was up to  £8.99bn and there was pre-tax loss of  £401m. The companys annual report of 2009 describes in more details that 87.1% of this revenue is from passenger traffic, 7.5 % from cargo and 5.4 remains from other activities. The great financial results in the year that anticipated the credit crisis, a record of profitability in BAs history, left the company in a good position to a much harder period that should arrive in 2008/09. The airline industry Key Note (2009) considers Aviation an important sector of the economy, enabling people to visit countries it contributes to the development of other sectors and to warm the economy in general. It is a competitive field which has been recently affected by the low-cost companies, specially the scheduled flights market, where price pressure has being on emphasis influenced by short-term issues as, for instance, the economic recession, oil price fluctuation, government taxation and international environmental and health concerns. In accordance to Key Note, the number of companies on the air travel market significantly increased since 2004, the main reason to explain the expansion was the increasing operation of non-scheduled flights, which represented 48.7% of the overall total on that year and 63.9% in 2008. Even though the rising demand stopped in 2008, this period was a continuous growth for airline enterprises, companies were still able to operate revenues of  £18.25bn that year, which means an increase of 6% on 2007 figures. In summary, all the positive results are certainly a consequence of globalisation, the airline industry has an important role in this process as it stimulates tourism, global trade, foreign investments and therefore despite the recent economic recession it remains a large and growing industry. Environmental Influences Political and Legal There have been some major political issues since the start of the millennium, which have affected the airline industry and British Airways in particular. One specific event was the September 11th 2001 terrorist attack to the world trade centre in New York and the London attack on July 7th 2005, which have resulted in introducing new regulation and security procedures in European countries and the United States. The new regulations have come into effect in 2006 to try to combat the threat of terrorism and illegal immigration which have indirectly affected the buyers travelling confidence (BAs Annual Report). In addition, the 2003 war in Iraq and, the political situation in the same nation have contributed to drive oil prices high and therefore, higher cost of fuel for airline companies were experienced. In recent years, substantial deregulations like open skies agreement 2008, has given more opportunity to airlines and also had a great impact on the long-term business strategies in British Airways. In addition, there are some legal factors affecting BA which are as the results of trade unions power in the UK. British Airways has suffered significantly from the strikes over the last decades which are believed to be taken place under the implication of trade unions. The strikes are mainly concerned with the employee rights, environmental and ecological issues (Clarke, 2007). According to Key Note, from November 2009 the new Air Passenger Duty (APD) will be implemented increasing charges applied for every passenger flying from an UK airport. This measure is going to be based on distance and will make long flights significantly more expensive, which consequently might reduce overseas travellers demand. Moreover, increasing government taxation might affect competitiveness against other transports in the domestic market, as can be observed in the economic effects below. Economic With the economic downturn in 2008 the demand for air travel declined, this is due to the lower demand by business travellers as a cost reduction strategy of their organizations. Key Note defines the effects of the current recession as one of the worst experiences passed by the air travel trading market, specially occurred because of the incremental rising of oil price in the recent past years. Companies were vulnerable to surges in oil price, what could easily affect their trading and profitability. Even though it has fallen since the peak of nearly $150 a barrel during 2008, many companies were locked with fuel bills acquired through hedging into higher prices. Lastly, the financial impact caused by the global recession might persist until 2010/11. Apart from the economic downturn, according to features presented by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), in comparison to other forms of transport, the air travel industry had its prices increased by more than a third (34.3%) in 2008, against for instance, annual increases of 4.3% and 6.8% of road rail and sea, respectively (Key Note, 2009). Social As BA is a global organization operating in different countries it needs to consider different social and cultural factors. These factors are important as they can affect customer needs and the size of potential market. Nowadays, for example, the changes in demographics has changed the customers needs with new life styles, tastes and fashions, customers seek opportunities to go for long-haul destinations interested in new holidays places. Since 2001, after the terrorists attacks in the US, Great Britain did not suffer such decline in the percentage of adults travelling by air. In the year ending in March 2008 this percentage fell to a 3-year low of 47.3%, making it the first annual fall in 8 years (Key Note, 2009). Despite the fact that the domestic demand suffered a considerable decline, air travel is very popular among UK costumers and often the only way of transport to international destinations. International scheduled flights are mentioned by Key Note as the growth sector of the airline industry. In 2008, more than 83 million passengers represented 5.1% increase in demand for international travels, a considerable part of that can be attributed to the large volume of tourists visiting the UK even in a time of economic crisis. Following the same idea, although the industry expected a decline on the number of passengers uplifted until the end of 2009, this situation will be surely recovered from 2010. The UK is a leading tourist and business destination and a boost is forecast on 2012 when the London Olympics should provide a significant increasing on air travel, therefore the number of passengers uplifted is expected to jump from 123.5 million in 2009 to 134 million in 2013, according to Key Note. Finally, an issue that was recently observed in a global perspective was the spread of diseases such as the Swine Flu; such phenomenon might reduce travel and tourism, consequently affecting the airline performance. Technological BA is not different from any company of the 21st century. The aviation sector has grown together with the fast advances in high technology systems, and nowadays it is considerably dependent on its IT structure. At the same time IT is a defining agent in BAs strategic position contributing to various facilities that comprise customers high expectations and satisfaction; on the other hand BA is exposed to a great risk whether this system comes to a failure. Hence, it is extremely necessary that the organization prepares itself through prevention and recovery plans in order to minimize reputation impacts among customers in case of disruption. For example, different strategies (operational, commercial and social) mentioned in this report could not be possibly implemented if the technology was not available; actually this tool is essential for the company to follow the rise in customer needs as well as their competitors innovations. In the aviation industry, technology plays a significant role. Premium airlines want to serve the passenger a convenience journey, starting from the booking to the entertainment onboard, what can only be possible through incremental advances in IT solutions. In addition, efficient engines can consume less fuel and gives more mileage. It can reduce the cost and fulfil quality. BA is trying to minimize the average noise per flight it operates by 15% by 2015 with the use of new technology. Lastly, all the investments in technology helps air travel to remain as one of the safest modes of transport. Environmental Regarding environmental concerns, Key Note (2009) states that the EU is planning to include aviation as part of its emissions trading scheme, this can be considered a reaction to respond critics received for the reluctance of airlines in taking climate-change initiative. Cooperation between BA and Virgin proposes a carbon trading agreement; they are among other companies who volunteer to initiate a process to develop the emissions trading system to the airline industry. Because of the global warming, protection of environment has become a substantial issue for the organizations to consider. Today many of the airlines are trying to reduce CO2 emission and BA is one of them. BAs long term goal is to reduce the Carbon Dioxide by 50% by the year 2050. BA also aims at zero waste to the landfill by the end of 2010 in the UK and reuse or recycling of all the waste. To the airline industry, severe changes in weather conditions represent lost of revenue, things such as heavy snow might disrupt air schedule and lead to operations disruption. Industry Structure and Attractiveness Porters five forces model facilitates an analysis on the competitive environment as well as identifying the forces that affect the level of competition in the airline industry. Existing Competitive Rivalry in the Industry Air travel industry is a large industry with high speed of growth which results in creating more opportunity for competition. According to the annual report, BA faces fierce competition in most of its markets whereby different routs have different levels of competition. The high Competition in short-haul market comes from the free market for internal flights, where European airlines are allowed to choose any route within Europe and set its own fares. Additionally, the emergence of no frills companies like EasyJet and Ryan Air contributes further to the intense rivalry in the short-haul market. The longhaul market is significantly influenced by deregulation. Due to the EU-US Open Skies liberalisations, which allow any EU or US airline to operate flights to US from Heathrow, the competitive environment on transatlantic routes increased dramatically. However, there are few international routs with competition restricted to national airlines. Threat of Entry Most new comers to the airline industry would find it difficult to enter the market as it needs high investments to establish a competitive structure, for example, an aircraft fleet covering the airlines route network. Over the last decade, however, there were a number of newcomers within the low-cost niche; EasyJet and Ryan Air in the European market have dominated the segment. Established airlines, while dominating the market, would not allow new companies to easily compete with them. They would always defend themselves strategically through price reductions, special offers and most of the times a better service. Lastly, these days, it is even more costly to adopt new requirements regarding legal concerning over health and safety regulations that are in evidence in this industry worldwide. The power of Buyer Due to the high competition and an increase in the number of airlines in todays market the buyer has got a large number of airlines to choose from and therefore, has got high power. Therefore, the quality of service the customers receive has become even more important these days. The switching cost for the leisure travellers is very low and so they can easily switch from one airline to the other. As a result, airlines like British Airways would focus on keeping loyalty of business travellers who tend to travel more frequently by introducing incentives such as air miles, hotel reservations or car hire. Power of Supplier Bargaining supplier power will be high with the dominance of Boeing and Airbus as the suppliers of aircraft and there is not much of competition amongst suppliers, therefore, there is a low possibility of vertical integration. Threat of Substitutes As the product and services in the airline industry are similar in nature, therefore, the threat of substitute is considerably high. This can be presumably higher for the local airlines for example for UK or French local airlines. Euro star as train service operating between London and Paris can be considered a threat. However, for the international airlines operating in long distances, trains and sea craft cannot be considered as substitution. Travelling with airplane is no longer a luxury; therefore, some people prefer to travel with cheaper airlines which are sometimes even cheaper than travelling by car or train. These cheap airlines have made the threat of substitutes lower than before. However, there is still higher expectation from airlines, therefore, better service and higher frequency of flights would help lowering the threat of substitute. Capabilities and Core Competences Strengths British Airways PLC is the largest UK airline with  £8.75bn sales in the year ending 31st March 2008, it is nearly four times the second-largest carrier, easyJet with  £2.35bn. This difference can become even greater as according to Key Note, British Airways is allowed by the Government to merge with Iberia and maybe become a Spanish company. What makes BA successful is the companys capability to effectively deploy its resources through its activities and processes. Although financially the company goes through very difficult times, operationally however, BA is achieving levels of excellence never experienced before. BA has made remarkable operational progress during the last year. In accordance to its annual report last year, improvement of 20% in punctuality is achieved and, nearly 82.5% of the flights at Heathrow, Terminal 5 have delay less than 15 minutes of their scheduled time. In addition, 72% less mislaid or misdirected bags during the year compared with the previous one (British Airways Annual report 2009). Furthermore, according to the companys investor relations website, British Airways launched a 32-seat flight from London City airport to New York that for the first time ever will provide internet services on a transatlantic flight, an exclusive service to attend the business demand. This can be certainly an example that any strategic change that will be taken by BA is going to happen gradually, without leaving behind the nature and history that makes the company a synonym of high quality services. In addition, a unique resource that underpins BAs competitive advantage and represents their major strength is the companys long-established brand, which is synonym of high quality services and represents BA as a high-performing, customer orientated, and global premium airline. During 2008 the satisfaction level across BAs network has risen to 72 per cent. Furthermore, the opening of Terminal 5 at Heathrow and the way BA organises its operations and services at the new Terminal delivered a steady rise in customers satisfaction reaching 76 per cent at the end of 2008. During its first year of operation Terminal 5 has served 21 million passengers (British Airways Annual report 2009). Moreover, BAs participation in oneworld alliance builds unique relationships with other airlines and allows the company to offer its customers much wider network of destinations. This business relationship, along with the ability to manage effectively its resources represents a core competence, which helps BA to build its competitive advantage over other airlines. BAs strong fleet base allows the company to serve its robust rout network. At the end of 2008 the company possess 245 aircrafts. Although BA experiences difficult financial times, the company continuously invests in new aircraft, its lounges, a new in-flight entertainment system, cabin upgrades across their longhaul fleet and premium service training in order to further increase the customers satisfaction and sustain competitive advantage (British Airways Annual report 2009). Weaknesses Brand erosion The merge with Iberia and the joint ATI application could cause brand erosion, which will adversely impact relationship with customers and will result in decrease of revenues (British Air ways Annual report 2009).. Breakdown in the bargaining process (unionised workforce) BA planes to cut costs wherever it is possible in order to survive the difficult financial times. In this respect, the airline plans to cut 1,700 jobs and to freeze pay for current staff, in accordance to BBC News. This will increase the risk of workers strike actions, which will interrupt operations and adversely affect business performance (British Air ways Annual report 2009). Failure of a key supplier BAs sole source of in-flight meals at Heathrow was Gate Gourmet. In 2005 Gate Gourmet failed to supply BA with the necessary in-flight meals due to internal argument with its staff over working conditions, which led to a strike supported by BAs own workers. This caused major operational disruption in BA, which resulted in huge additional costs of 40 million  £ (Waters, 2007). This is one example for how a failure of a key supplier may cause disruption to the operations of the airline and adversely affect business performance. Another such example is BAs dependence on fuel supply. Any problem as contamination or breakdown in the infrastructure that provides jet fuel to Heathrow will cause a huge operational impact. Failure to prevent or respond to a major safety or security incident A major security failure could consequently damage the reputation of BA as a high secure airline (British Airways Annual report 2009). Failure to adopt an integrated environmental strategy BA markets itself as being a responsible airline. BA has set industry-leading targets for reducing its carbon emissions from 110 to 83 grammes per passenger kilometre between 2005 and 2025 and to halve its net CO2 emissions till 2005. Failure to implement this strategy could damage the reputation of BA as a responsible company (British Airways Annual report 2009). Substantial debt burden BAs net debt in 2009 is  £2,382 million, which represents an increase of  £1,072 million in comparison to the previous year. Accordingly, the companys net debt to total capital ratio is 27.6% higher than the previous year. The substantial increase in debt obligations means that considerable part of BAs operational cash flow will be spent on interest, principal and lease payments. This not only lowers the ability of the company to finance working capital and other general corporate requirements, but also limits its flexibility in planning and reacting to environmental changes (British Airways Annual report 2009). Overdependence on the European market According to Datamonitor 62.5% of BAs profit is made from serving the European Market. Taking into consideration the current unfavourable economic situation in European, the overdependence on this weak market will prevent the company from increasing its future profits. Organizational Structure and Processes There are major factors that influence an organizations strategic position, for instance, it might be its overall strategic purpose and corporate governance policy, expectations of stakeholders, social responsibility and ethics are also part of this list. The recent annual report 2008-2009 shows that BA places high importance on corporate governance. The Board is responsible for the leadership of the organization to the shareholders. Accordingly, The Board directs the Companys risk assessment, resource management, strategic planning and financial and operational management to ensure that obligations to shareholders and other stakeholders are understood and met (Annual report 2008-2009, p. 56). The principal-agent conflict might arise owing to the leadership of the business by managers, whereas they might put their interests first instead of meeting shareholders interests ladder (Johnson et al., 2009). The New Companies Act from 2006 aims to overcome this problem though. Authority and control responsibilities are determined by the clear organizational structure of BA. The companys personnel is highly qualified which is assured through the thorough recruitment process, the internal performance appraisal system and the appropriate training requirements. The performance of employees is evaluated according to action plans and targets established by the performance appraisal system to ensure that employees have all the skills necessary to complete their responsibilities. Clear and specific objectives are established for the staff in order to make their contribution to the overall performance of the company more transparent. This increases the motivation and the responsibilities awareness of the staff. Also the staff is trained to behave in a way that will create a warm and friendly atmosphere in the work place and that they are happy to work for BA. In order to measure its performance and to make its managers accountable for delivery of the set targets BA uses a comprehensive management accounting system. This system provides financial and operational performance measurement indicators which allow the company to regulate its expenses more accurately and make financial decisions more precisely. Customer recommendation carried out by an independent research company assessed the number of satisfied customers and is supposed to be a one of the most significant indicators due to the potential to affect the profitability in the future. Companys operations are evaluated via a broad scope of methods across a variety of levels; however, the most important is departure functionality. It consequently shows that the other processes are performed in a high standard and ultimately effects customer satisfaction. (British Airways Annual Report 2009). British Airways Current and Future Strategy Perspective Based on Porters generic strategies, British Airways strategic analysis is built under the importance of employing a plan through one of the three strategies, Differentiation, Overall Cost Leadership and Focus. Those three strategies are relevant factors on the process of outperforming competitors in the industry. Even though it is possible to pursue more than one strategy, this is rarely seen because of their own different characteristics as will be evident on this topic. After the initial analysis of British Airways current situation in the air travel industry, it is clear that during all its modern history as a passenger carrier, the company stayed committed to its principles and invested on what could enforce its plans to continue being very successful. As a leading airline company its brand was always associated with the best service and treat available to customers in the market. In this point of view, the company service differentiation strategies and development of new services appear to be the considerable competitive advantage to outperform its competitors. There are some authors that argue in favour that differentiation and overall cost leadership are not always mutually exclusive although it is very complicated to match both strategies in most industries. However, the market is showing a rising positive trend to companies with an overall cost leadership strategy and they are growing their market share considerably. It becomes obvious that BA could not ignore low-cost rivals if the company wants to sustain its market position. Therefore, BA established a low-cost company called Go, created in response to falling profits after 1998 due to the emerging no-frills companies. Go was later sold to easyJet in 2002 it was a proof that an opposite price-based strategy is difficult to be applied even creating a new company under the same governance. The cost leadership strategic failure pushed the company to focus on differentiating its services even more. Nevertheless, in some price sensitive segments the differentiation strategy might not be sufficient to compete successfully. Therefore, BA concentrates on long-haul flights where there are not no frills companies. Furthermore, the company operates slots on popular and convenient airports such as Heathrow, what further attracts some short-haul customers (Kumar, 2006). Additionally, BA has successfully segmented its markets by offering different ticket classes which allows them to attract price sensitive customers from no frills airlines as well as manage to cover costs and increase revenues. The airline also succeeded to reduce costs through the successful implementation and management of an online booking system. BA tries to increase the economies of scale by raising the frequency of flights to popular holiday destinations like Caribbean islands or seasonal increase in the frequency of flights to religious destinations like Mecca and Vatican (Kumar, 2006). All these strategies made BA very successful during the last few years (in 2007 BA achieved the highest profit in its history) and created competitive advantages over companys traditional and low cost competitors. Reducing cost activities are taking place since 2008 over the companys renewal strategies in order to fight against the short-term crisis effects. Job-cutting would increase profitability within the company in short term, but this could lead to decrease in the quality of customer service. Furthermore, job-cuttings would lead also to confrontations with unions and employee strikes, which will disrupt the companys operations. Hence, this change in the organisational structure could damage BAs image reputation as a premium service airline in the long run. Other problems are the companys  £2.7bn pension deficit and its high debt burden. On the other hand, in an innovation sense, after huge investments and improvements on operating activities, a proof of the continually effort to maintain its first quality standard is the new terminal in Heathrow airport, which brings lots of new facilities to customers and improvement of conditions at the working place to all its employees. Despite the impact of the recent recession, in comparison to easyJet, British Airways is focused on pursuing to offer its customers the best possible service that makes its brand a synonym of first class, the innovation appears into new customer needs, environmental forces and trends to reinforce its differentiation for which people are willing to pay more. To cope with future environment trends BA has started tuning its current strategy and differentiating itself from competitors according to new patterns of responsible attitude, especially within big companies. To adapt its structure to a green efficient standard is not an easy process and requires huge investments. The environmental concern is a topic highly discussed worldwide and has become a popular issue; BA is certainly paying attention to that and has the objective of becoming reference as the most responsible airline. Sustaining and developing its current strategy BA believes that is the right decision in order to achieve always the best possible satisfaction of its stakeholders. To illustrate British Airways future actions, for instance, Terminal 5 is a set of procedures already working that underpins BAs long-term goal of creating a world-leading global premium airline with a reputation for being the very best at meeting its customers needs, according to its website, for instance: à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â€ž ¢ At T5, most of the rainwater will be collected and re-used for non-potable uses. à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â€ž ¢ 85% of T5s heat will be supplied by excess heat produced from the Heathrow heat and power station. à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â€ž ¢ 30,000 native woodland plants and 4,000 trees and shrubs are being planted around T5. à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â€ž ¢ Smarter runway and airport design means aircraft engines idle less, reducing emissions. Aircraft will do less taxiing too. à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â€ž ¢ T5 offers 96 Check-in Kiosks designed to eliminate queuing. à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â€ž ¢ The rapid transit system connection between the two buildings making up T5 means youll move swiftly and smoothly to where you need to be. à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â€ž ¢ The baggage system has been designed to move your baggage efficiently to the aircraft ready for departure and to minimise waiting time when you land. In addition to that, a new internal program developed in parallel with the 2012 Olympic Games spirit has definitely enforced the importance of BAs culture, which has the customer as its core. Compete 2012 aims to inspire the spirit of team work and competition in all corners of the company, and as a result establish a level of excellence that competitors aspire to. The strategy of being one of the UK sponsors and the official airline for the event matches BAs future vision and reinforce its credibility among its target customers. Above, they are examples of the evolution in British Airways culture that, when added to the companys capabilities and competences and the strengths earlier described, its value chain can be clearly understood. The evolution of BAs strategy easily refers to Porters conclusion that competitive advantage frequently comes from perceiving new ways to configure and manage the entire value system. In terms of suitability, BAs current strategy successfully exploits its core competences and unique resources and allows the company to respond appropriately to key environmental trends such as economic downturn, political and legal changes and changes in social perceptions. Also their strategy is aligned with their culture. However, the current differentiation strategy could prevent some of BAs weaknesses such as brand erosion. In terms of feasibility of the strategy, BA has the financial resources and competences to invest and differentiate furt

awakening Essay -- essays research papers

The Awakening   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the short story â€Å"The Awakening† by Kate Chopin the main character Edna commits suicide as a finale escape from the oppression of the Victorian society she lives in. The reader is prepared for this conclusion to the story because the plot line evolves in only one direction, downward. There are also sufficient clues as to the conclusion woven into the experiences Edna faces. Two of these clues lie in the awakening Edna experiences and the rejection she faces because of this.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first time the reader gains a glimpse of the horrendous conclusion is when Edna experiences her Awakening in the novella. Edna becomes self-aware of this at the birth of Madame Adà ¨le Ratignolle child. During this scene Edna confesses to the reader that she could never become the mother type. This is in strict contradiction with Victorian societies expectations of a female. Another prime example of Edna’s awakening is the move she undertakes. She is overcome with the feeling that she can no longer stay in a house that her husband paid for and she moves just around the corner. This was simply unheard of in Victorian society and was completely opposite society. Due to this complete and total rejection of the societal norm the reader is able to infer that this story has a twist to it that is abnormal or expected.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The next big clue that the reader receives to the conclusion of this story is the reje...

East Of Eden :: essays research papers

East of Eden   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Some of the most aspiring and influential authors show to be American novelists. American novelists brought about a new style of writing, which became very popular. John Steinbeck shows this style of writing in his novel, East of Eden. This makes Steinbeck one of the most significant American novelists in the twentieth century. East of Eden contains many parts, which add detail and interest to the novel. Many of Steinbeck’s novels and other works remain and continue to be nationally acclaimed. Many elements exist in East of Eden that bring about the meaning and concept of the novel. The study of John Steinbeck and his book, East of Eden, will help the reader better understand the element of fiction and interpret the meaning of the work.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  John Steinbeck was born on February 27, 1902 in Salinas, California. Between 1919 and 1925 Steinbeck was acknowledged as a special student at Stanford University. According to Peter Lisac, â€Å"Variously employed as a had-carrier, fruit-picker, apprentice printer, laboratory assistant, caretaker, surveyor, reporter, writer, and foreign correspondent let him acquire knowledge in many areas.† (1) Even in his youth, Steinbeck developed a love of the natural world and diverse cultures. Steinbeck produced two children from his second wife, Elaine Scott. The early 1930’s became a struggle for Steinbeck, both in his Long 2 attempts to improve his writing and his day-to-day existence. Yet, in the 1940’s he turned his main interest from sociology and biology to individual ethics. Steinbeck was honored in 1962 with the Nobel Prize in Literature. He regarded East of Eden as the accumulation of his career. Steinbeck died of heart disease in New York on November 20, 1968.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In addition to East of Eden, Steinbeck produced many other novels and several volumes of short fiction in his early career. Most of Steinbeck’s novels and stories are set in the Salinas Valley in California where he spent most of his life. Steinbeck won the Pulitzer Prize for his novel, Grapes of Wrath which makes him best known. According to John Timmerman, †Grapes of Wrath studies the problems migrant workers encountered while traveling from Oklahoma to California.† (1) Steinbeck wrote eighteen books through his life span. Some of his novels included Of Mice and Men, Cannery Row, Tortilla Flat, The Moon is Down, The Red Pony, and many others. Of Mice and Men gained Steinbeck national recognition. Saint Katy the Virgin, Nothing So Monstrous, The Long Valley, How Edith McGillcuddy, and The Crapshooter are Steinbeck’s volumes of short stories. East Of Eden :: essays research papers East of Eden   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Some of the most aspiring and influential authors show to be American novelists. American novelists brought about a new style of writing, which became very popular. John Steinbeck shows this style of writing in his novel, East of Eden. This makes Steinbeck one of the most significant American novelists in the twentieth century. East of Eden contains many parts, which add detail and interest to the novel. Many of Steinbeck’s novels and other works remain and continue to be nationally acclaimed. Many elements exist in East of Eden that bring about the meaning and concept of the novel. The study of John Steinbeck and his book, East of Eden, will help the reader better understand the element of fiction and interpret the meaning of the work.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  John Steinbeck was born on February 27, 1902 in Salinas, California. Between 1919 and 1925 Steinbeck was acknowledged as a special student at Stanford University. According to Peter Lisac, â€Å"Variously employed as a had-carrier, fruit-picker, apprentice printer, laboratory assistant, caretaker, surveyor, reporter, writer, and foreign correspondent let him acquire knowledge in many areas.† (1) Even in his youth, Steinbeck developed a love of the natural world and diverse cultures. Steinbeck produced two children from his second wife, Elaine Scott. The early 1930’s became a struggle for Steinbeck, both in his Long 2 attempts to improve his writing and his day-to-day existence. Yet, in the 1940’s he turned his main interest from sociology and biology to individual ethics. Steinbeck was honored in 1962 with the Nobel Prize in Literature. He regarded East of Eden as the accumulation of his career. Steinbeck died of heart disease in New York on November 20, 1968.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In addition to East of Eden, Steinbeck produced many other novels and several volumes of short fiction in his early career. Most of Steinbeck’s novels and stories are set in the Salinas Valley in California where he spent most of his life. Steinbeck won the Pulitzer Prize for his novel, Grapes of Wrath which makes him best known. According to John Timmerman, †Grapes of Wrath studies the problems migrant workers encountered while traveling from Oklahoma to California.† (1) Steinbeck wrote eighteen books through his life span. Some of his novels included Of Mice and Men, Cannery Row, Tortilla Flat, The Moon is Down, The Red Pony, and many others. Of Mice and Men gained Steinbeck national recognition. Saint Katy the Virgin, Nothing So Monstrous, The Long Valley, How Edith McGillcuddy, and The Crapshooter are Steinbeck’s volumes of short stories.

Combating The Health Hazards of Technology Use Essay -- Technology neg

Technology has multifaceted benefits. Your smartphone can keep you connected with friends and family, find you healthy dining options nearby, and entertain you with games, music, and videos. Unfortunately technology also has a darker side. Being plugged-in or â€Å"on† all the time can take a toll on our physical and mental health. This essay will explore how we can combat the more common health issues that could be related to our use of technology. The good news is that many of the more common health health problems related to our use of technology can easily be fixed with a few moderations infused in society’s mindset. First, existent health organizations have dedicated their money and time to ensuring proper health guidelines. For example, the United States’ Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) have issued guidelines for proper ergonomics, which are the principals of quality and movement, when using technology (Health and Technology). Another example includes the International Ergonomics Association, â€Å"which boasts members from around the globe, and is dedicated to improving quality of life by focusing attention on body mechanics and work environments† (Technology and Health). These organizations have already dedicated their time to improving life quality. By making few changes to their works, these organizations can provide a more significant change in society to help correc t society’s addiction to modern technology. First, OSHA has general enforcement authority for workplace safety and health, with the other agencies having enforcement authority for particular types of workplace hazards. OSHA’s primary mission statement states, â€Å"Congress created OSHA to assure safe and healthful condit... ...ity." "Occupational Safety And Health: Federal Agencies Identified As Promoting Workplace Safety And Health: HEHS-00-45R." GAO Reports (2000): 1. MAS Ultra - School Edition. Web. 10 Mar. 2014. Schwartz, Katrina. â€Å"What Students Think About Using iPads in Schools.† MindShift. 13 Feb. 2014. Web. 02 Feb. 2014 "Sports Physical Therapy Institute." Sports Physical Therapy. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Mar. 2014. "Technology and Health." Global Issues in Context Online Collection. Detroit: Gale, 2014. Global Issues In Context. Web. 12 Feb. 2014. "Teens and Technology." Global Issues in Context Online Collection. Detroit: Gale, 2014. Tim, Parker. "More Concerning Statistics About Twitter's User Base." Benzinga 15 Apr. 2014: Newspaper Source Plus. Web. 22 Apr. 2014. "THE STUDYMODE." Potentially Negative Effects of Technology on Student Attention Spans. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Mar. 2014.

Persuasive Memo

TO: Harri Karvinen, President FROM: Saurabh Mishra, Regional Manager of Sales DATE: 19th July, 2009 SUBJECT: Review of proposal to eliminate STP On behalf of all the regional sales managers and the salespersons in TeknoSport, I would like to put forth this request to kindly review the pending decision to eliminate the legendary TeknoSport’s Sales training programme(STP). Being part of the business for a long time, and from the rich ground work experience that we all believe we have, we feel that STP has been at the forefront of pitching TeknoSport into a position that it enjoys right now. STP has been an integral part of the success story of TeknoSport and there are various reasons for which there is a need to continue the STP. They are enlisted below: †¢Rigorous training before on-the-job training – STP takes the new employees through a rigorous 5 day schedule, adapting them to the skills which differentiates an STP salespersons from the rest †¢Holistic training – STP incorporates the accumulated learning of various salespersons over so many years. This would not be provided by a buddy system where scope is limited to just one mentor †¢Training of long time sales personnel – Currently, there are no programs in place which would train the long time sales personnel with the new products, new methodology and new communication systems in place. This is very crucial for our successful salespersons to adapt to the changing paradigm †¢Employee Satisfaction – STP is one of the major contributors to employee satisfaction in our firm. It provides an enriching experience to the long time sales persons, and to the new employees, it imparts new confidence levels and makes them feel important to TeknoSport. Apart from that, it helps them learn the new communications systems, thus enabling them in better workload management, making them more efficient †¢Contribution to success – Our success has been driven by amazing performances by our sales personnel. Our innovative products are definitely important, however, if not for the amazing skills and knowledge shown by our sales personnel trained in STP, none of our products would see even their first customers †¢Employee Retention – STP has been the biggest factor in reducing employee turnover in our company. If we need to maintain the same, we need to continue STP, as it is undoubtedly the biggest favorite amongst all our employees and has lready proved to be the single most important contributor to reducing employee turnover Instead of completely eliminating STP, we can think of other alternatives, for example †¢Combining STP with the suggested buddy program †¢Shortening the duration of STP †¢Providing STP to certain percentage of sales personnel and then spreading the learning through buddy system †¢Making it biannually instead of quarterly To cut a long story short, we believe that STP has been at the heart of TeknoSport’s success story. Our USP is our superior, highly knowledgeable team of Sales Personnel, which are being churned out by STP year after year. Elimination of STP would compromise the quality of our sales personnel as well as their satisfaction levels and this is bound to have a major impact on our market position. Even though STP requires investment on the part of the company, these investments provide unparalleled long term benefits both in terms of our success as well as employee satisfaction. To cut down STP would be to cut down the driving force behind our success. We earnestly request you to kindly review the proposal of eliminating STP in light of the arguments purported by us and to look into the alternatives. Attachments – Employee ratings of STP, market survey, customer survey

Scenario Analysis

In this case, there is an ethical dilemma in that I am visiting my friends place as a friend and not as an officer. Therefore, my friends would not want me to act on anything that I notice strange as an officer. On the other hand, whatever is happening is illegal and I just cannot let it go. As Fuller, (1975) says, one needs to act out of principles and leaving these people doing drugs is not at all a sign of a principled person. Since doing drugs such as cocaine is illegal, the law requires that an officer who notices such an activity take immediate action such as arresting the victim or the person in the possession of the drugs. The criterion that would guide me in this case is assessing the effect of what these people are doing, to themselves and to the large majority. It is illegal to do such drugs and therefore if I stop them, I will have done more good than harm. I would therefore consider the effect of stopping these people from doing drugs being greater that losing friendship. The first thing that I would do is to look for my friend and try to find out whether he is aware of the people who are doing drugs at the party. However, his outcome would not change my mind. If he says that, he is aware of these people doing drugs, I would tell him that this is illegal and leaving them as an officer is unethical on my part. If he does not know, I would inform him of some people who are doing drugs within his compound. I would then try to convince him that whether he knows this on not, the fact is that the act is illegal and wrong and that I would go ahead and arrest these people. I would try to convince him the effects and the dangers that these friends who are doing drugs are exposing to all the other people in the party. I would then go ahead and make arrests of these people. Scenario 2 What I do at the community policing office is out of my free will and the passion to serve the community. I therefore do not expect that someone out there should bring me any type of gift as a sign of appreciation. I believe in honest and a world that is free of corruption. In this case, the ethical dilemma presented is the fact that the person who visits me comes after I have done something for him. Even though the timing is good, the intentions of the gift are not good and therefore I would not feel right accepting it. The reason is that I would consider such a gift a bribe as he presents it behind the counter and only after I had served him. (Fuller, 1975) In this case, I would try to explain to him that I do not feel comfortable accepting the gift and much less behind the counter. I would try to explain to him that I served him not as a favor but because it is the right thing to do and I enjoy doing it. There is therefore no need for him to show that gesture as a sign of appreciation. I would try to reject the gift and at the same time not make him to see as if he was bribing me. If he insists, I would advise him to address the gift to the organization through the counter and assure him that I will surely get it. In this case, the gift will be an appreciation to the organization and the entire organization staff members will take the fruits. Scenario 3 There is an ethical dilemma in this case in that, there are some people who still do not appreciate homosexuality and therefore they cannot accept it. This means that such an officer may not give the best to the force as he is working under conditions that he does not appreciate. On the other hand, the law prohibits any form of discrimination and if I agree to Officer Davis wish and assign him to another officer, I would look as if am acting out of discrimination. I believe that we should not discriminate any person on basis of skin color, sexual orientation or any other basis. Just because Officer Davis does not like Officer Jones’ private life does not mean that they cannot work together. (Fuller, 1975) The first thing that I would do is to try to get the reason why Officer Davis wants to another officer assigned to him. I would try to get the real reason whether it is because Officer Jones is makings some unwelcomed sexual advances to office Davis or whether it is just because Officer Jones is a homosexual. If there happen to be no cases of sexual advancement, then I would not assign Officer Davis to another officer. I would explain to him that we should try to be professional in our duties and we should not interfere with other people’s private life. Officer Jones’ sexual orientation is private and it does not interfere with his professional duties. There is no reason to feel inferior or inappropriate working with him not unless he is making some sexual advances to Officer Davis, which Officer Davis does not like.

Is Man Naturally Good or Evil? Philosophy of Man University of Santo Tomas Essay

I. Summary All men are equal by nature, are we not? We all have the same faculties, all needing the same provisions. From this equality and needs comes the survival of the fittest. One could go to any length just to attain his ends, ends such as dominion over the majority. Now, dominance can only exist if there are people you can dominate on. If one feels that his companion is a threat, there is a possibility of him subduing this companion, or maybe looking for another company he could dominate over. The existence of these competitions could be attributed to the principle that man is inherently evil. With these competitions, comes diffidence and glory. Man is constantly in pursuit of these three, whether we are aware of it or not. Man exists in the external world as a reactive creature that senses objects and is driven to act by the constant motions of the world. These constant motions lead to man’s constant and insatiable desires and wants, which in a state of nature pits everyone against another in a perpetual state of war. Here men are equal in that anyone can kill anyone else, and as such men live in a constant state of fear and anxiety. Humans live to survive. This goes way back to our very beginnings as cave people who, would hunt and do anything to live and keep on living. Now, living consists of more than just eating and not being killed. There are ones that live in the lap of luxury, and ones that live with much lower standards. As so, selfishness also has different levels depending upon lifestyle and what makes you ‘live’. So, technically, selfishness is something that we as humans are born with, but it’s perceived differently usually depending upon how the person was brought up as a child or has learned over time. However, overtime, it can be proven that everything we do will always lead back to one point: We do it for ourselves. Man is basically good since it is a fact that man is a social animal whose existence depends on the continued physical and spiritual relations between human beings, these relations must be based either on affinity, solidarity and love, or on hostility and struggle. If each individual thinks only of his well-being, or perhaps that of his small consanguinity or territorial group, he will obviously find himself in conflict with others, and will emerge as victor or vanquished; as the oppressor if he wins, as the oppressed if he loses. Natural harmony, the natural marriage of the good of each with that of all, is the invention of human laziness, which rather than struggle to achieve what it wants assumes that it will be achieved spontaneously, by natural law. In reality, however, natural Man is in a state of continuous conflict with his fellows in his quest for the best, and healthiest site, the most fertile land, and in time, to exploit the many and varied opportunities that social life creates for some or for others. For this reason human history is full of violence, wars, carnage (besides the ruthless exploitation of the labour of others) and innumerable tyrannies and slavery. If in the human essence there had only existed this punitive instinct of wanting to prevail and to profit at the expense of others, humanity would have remained in its barbaric state and the development of order as recorded in antiquity, or in our own times, would not have been possible. This order even at its nastiest, always signifies a kind of mitigating of the despotic spirit with a minimum of social solidarity, indispensable for a more civilised life. But fortuitously there exists in man another feeling which lures him closer to his neighbour, the feeling of sympathy, of love, and, thanks to it, mankind became more civilised, and from it grew our idea which aims at making society a true gathering, all working for the common good. Reaction The topic of human nature has been debated over for years, maybe even centuries. Who wouldn’t be tempted to wonder about the logic of human behaviour? Nonetheless, the bigger question is: Is the answer a sheer ‘good’ or ‘evil’? If your answer to that is a yes, then I beg to disagree. Experiences have pushed me to the conclusion that there is no such thing as good or evil. This notion is a meagre attempt to the conception of the underpinning of an organization. We are all different; we would cease to exist otherwise. People have diverse everything: perspectives, habits, feelings, senses, and methods. God made us so. Each of us has functions vital to each society we belong in. The loss of one function would create a ripple effect that would spread all over the society that could bring it to its demise. . The good and evil that you see don’t even exist in reality, at least outside of the mind that believes in them. They are only judgments passed by the individual from their own unique perspective. What one person sees as bad or evil may seem to be the only logical thing to do from some other perspective. The ideas of both good and evil are point of view specific. To sum it all up good is the name we give to people who do things that we think we like. Evil is the name we give to people who do the things that we don’t like. This is of course based solely on our particular point of view. This ‘Good and Evil’ concept DOES NOT EXIST. It is merely an illusion. What people have is what we should call ‘diverse perceptions’. I don’t think we have to the right to judge a person ‘evil’ especially if we do not know their story. After all, we are mere human beings giving our best shot at survival.

Frankenstein or his creature? Essay

† This is Frankenstein’s first descriptions of the creature after it has been â€Å"born†, we can see that at first the describes the monster with words such as having beautiful features, then he goes on to repeat the word making it seam like he is being sarcastic, then he says â€Å"Great God! † This is short and effective sentence, which makes the reader, think that he does not think that his creature is beautiful, but in fact ugly and disfigured. The way that Shelley put this phrasing together, making it a long sentence, makes us think that Frankenstein is thinking carefully about his words, choosing them carefully. Here it is that he realises that the full extend of his arrogance and naivety. He describes his emotions after the event as † The beauty of the dream had vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart. † He then rushed out of the room and into his bedroom, the events and how he describes how he is feeling, makes the reader’s of today think that he is experiencing what we today would call a nervous breakdown. Luckily, his friend Clerval comes to his rescue and nurses him better. Even as he is on the better side of his recovery, he does not bear to think about what he has done, if he even thinks about it he starts to shake and tremble. Shelley here is describing how we all would feel if we had done something wrong, a sort of guilt of knowing that one has done something that one should not have done in the first place. In the next chapter, we have a letter from Elizabeth, telling Frankenstein of a Justine Moritz, this letter goes into great detail of this characters past, as Shelley is wanting the reader to find out, as she did with Walton in the beginning, this particular characters past. We hear of how her father had died and he mother had almost disowned her. Is this another coincidence that Justine is left almost parentless, as her relationship was never very good with her mother? In this letter we also hear of Frankenstein’s youngest brother William, who we find out in the beginning of chapter seven is dead, another coincidence? We do not here of the creature again until chapter ten, when Frankenstein meets the creature, the language changes considerably in the way that we now feel that it is more formal and almost biblical. It feels like the creator, or God is talking to its’ creation, Adam. The creature then goes on and it tells it’s tale in chapter’s eleven through to chapter seventeen. It tells us how it learnt to read and write from the people living in the cottage, how it was rejected by society. This is an interesting point that Shelley makes, one of her father’s philosophies was that you could not separate a human being from society, which is exactly what Shelley does with the monster, and also in a way what she does to Frankenstein when he is in the process of creating the monster itself. The creature also speaks of how he becomes angry and cannot understand his emotions. He tells Frankenstein of how he read his diary that he left behind in his home, how he felt about some of the things that Frankenstein said about him, and how he feels about being made from dismembered bodies. After the creature finishes telling his story, we recognise how the creature and Frankenstein speak similarly, they both use complex sentence structures and they know how to talk about how they feel emotionally. We can sympathise with the creature on an emotional level, because of the way the book is written. Shelley, very cleverly, gave the book three viewpoints. From the view of Walton, Frankenstein and of the creature. This gives us an insight into how the creature’s mind works, so we can empathise with how he is feeling, so we do not get a one sided view of him from Frankenstein. We get to understand why the creature feels angry and also that the creature does not see what he is doing as wrong. He does not care about killing William or framing Justine, he describes her as â€Å"Another one I could not have. † This in his eyes, made her just as guilty as every other person for not accepting him. He says â€Å"I am malicious because I am miserable,† this is the creatures’ justification for killing people. He also resents Frankenstein for abandoning him after his â€Å"birth† like a child would if its’ father left it after or before its birth. The creature sees Frankenstein very much as its, father. This is not what Frankenstein wants, and he is now thinking about the coincidences for his actions, even though now, he cannot do anything about it. The creature says, â€Å"I am chained in an eternal hell. † Here the creature describes his life away from society, he describes it as his version of â€Å"hell† because that is how most people would hate to live. Nobody likes to feel alone in the world. At the end of the book, the creature weeps to the death of his â€Å"father†, when Frankenstein dies, he is most grievous though, about the fact that Frankenstein never gave him a name, and he feels that his name is very important. In some cultures of the world if you commit a crime your name can be taken off you, this is felt more of a punishment as being outlawed or being sent to prison. T In conclusion, I still think that Frankenstein is the most monstrous. Even though the creature killed innocent people, it can by saying it didn’t know better, justifies its’ actions, also I think that Frankenstein has a part to play in this because the creature never asked to be born. It was out of arrogance and out of naivety that Frankenstein thought that he could get away with creating life and not having to live with the consequences, much I think how some people act towards life today. I think that this story still plays a part in today’s world. I think that this story has a moral, and that the moral of the story is, â€Å"You should always think before you act. † You should always think about the repercussions of your actions. If everybody thought a little bit more about what they were doing and how it would affect other people, the world would be a much better place for us all to live in. Rebecca Wood 10/4 Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Mary Shelley section.