Zap and Electric Vehicle free essay sample

The competition to develop and market electric vehicles has increased during the last year and is expected to continue to increase. The electric bicycle industry has four major manufacturers and a large group of small companies. The major manufacturers are Honda, Suzuki, Sanyo and Yamaha. They mainly sell products to Japan and Europe. The other group of manufacturers is much smaller in size and sales volume. These manufacturers have products they sell into the U. S. , European and Asian markets.Porters five-forces model is a powerful tool for systematically diagnosing the principal competitive pressures in a market and assessing how strong and important each one is. The electric vehicle industry is a definite for applying this technique. These are my observations about the five forces affecting the EV industry: †¢ The rivalry among competing sellers in the EV industry is .. Zap Case Study Summary: Provides a case study of the Zap and the Electric Vehicle Industry. We will write a custom essay sample on Zap and Electric Vehicle or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Describes how competition to develop and market electric vehicles has increased during the last year and is expected to continue to increase.Provides marketing suggestions. 1. The competition to develop and market electric vehicles has increased during the last year and is expected to continue to increase. The electric bicycle industry has four major manufacturers and a large group of small companies. The major manufacturers are Honda, Suzuki, Sanyo and Yamaha. They mainly sell products to Japan and Europe. The other group of manufacturers is much smaller in size and sales volume. These manufacturers have products they sell into the U. S. , European and Asian markets. Porters five-forces model is a powerful tool for systematically diagnosing the principal competitive pressures in a market and assessing how strong and important each one is. The electric vehicle industry is a definite for applying this technique. These are my observations about the five forces affecting the EV industry: †¢ The rivalry among competing sellers in the EV industry is high, with new businesses popping up every year. †¢ The barriers to entry for new competitors at this time is low, which is why rivalry is becoming stronger among companies with new companies forming left and right. The threat of substitute products is also high because new technology combined with new and innovative companies has created many product options in the EV industry. †¢ The bargaining power of suppliers is the EV industry is low because so many companies exist that create the parts EV markers are looking for. This gives companies more options at finding the cheapest prices fo r the parts they need. †¢ Finally, the bargaining power of customers is high, because there are so many companies out there offering electric vehicles.This allows consumers to pick and choose whom they want to deal with, thus lowering the bargaining power of the business itself. The major factors causing the EV industrys competitive structure to change is product innovation and regulatory influences. With product innovation, the key to success is capturing the imagination of the customers. Also, with the rising energy costs facing the world today, governments might require permits or licenses on the EV industry thus dampening the attractiveness of the market.Before the energy problem, recharging an EV was cost-efficient, but with this rise in energy prices, a potential alteration of consumer perception about the cost of owning an EV might occur. In my opinion, these driving forces only dampen the industry thus allowing only early-movers to be the most likely to survive the competition of this industr y. Is the industry attraction? Basing my decision on Porters five-forces model, I would have to say that the EV industry in unattractive. This is because anyone can enter into the industry thus creating too much competition which will drive prices down.This driving of prices downward will cause new entrants into the business to see no real profit growth. Also, new products being created keeps giving consumers new ideas to buy. This also makes it harder for businesses in the EV industry to find ways to make buyers choose their business. Also, suppliers have strong bargaining power so industries have a difficult time trying to shop around for the best prices on the parts they need. However, Zap was an early mover and is a current market leader in the industry and with a good strategy can have a profitable future that new entries find they cant get. Because Zap was an early mover into the EV industry, they have positioned themselves very high in the marketplace. This is a result of several acquisitions made including a major acquisition of EV Systems, CA. They also acquired several patents which helped keep other companies from copying their designs and what they put into their designs. They also conducted most of their business overseas which helped to save Zap money, which allowed them to focus on their distribution methods. Also, they are environmental friendly which allows consumers to look at them when deciding between electric and gas powered vehicles.Their present strategy is to develop, acquire and commercialize electric vehicles and electric vehicle propulsion systems that have fundamental, practical and environmental advantages over available internal combustion modes of transportation, while also having the ability to be produced commercially on an economically competitive basis. Also, they have positioned themselves as the premier EV provider, have strong focus on aggressive sales activity and a strong emphasis on product RD. 5. Sizing up a firms resource strengths and weaknesses and its external opportunities and threats, is commonly known as a SWOT analysis.After reading the Zap analysis, I have determined these strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats: Strengths †¢ Important Patents Through internal development and acquisition, Zap had procured 14 patents associated with EV design implementation. †¢ Strong Global Distribution Increasing demand coupled with increasing competition prompted Starr to shift production of high-volume products to Taiwan (the leading country in sales of electric bikes) to trim costs and to allow the company to focus its efforts on improving distribution. †¢ Joint Ventures Zap formed a joint venture agreement with Nongbo Topp Industrial Company Ltd.Of China to manufacture and distribute EVs in China. †¢ Strong Advertising Twelve electric bikes were used at the 2000 Olympics for regular patrols of the Olympic villages. Also, Actor Kevin Spacey drove a Zap scooter when appearing on the Tonight Show with David Letterman. Also, Zap scooters had found their way into four big screen movie productions in the summer of 2001. Weaknesses †¢ Higher overall unit costs relative to key competitors are a big problem facing Zap. †¢ Sub-par profitability †¢ Zap is short on financial resources to fund promising strategic initiatives.Opportunities †¢ Serving additional customer groups or expanding into new geographic markets or product segments. †¢ Acquisition of rival firms or companies with attractive technological expertise. (Zap purchased Electric Motorbike Inc. , a firm that developed electric scooters, motorbikes and motorcycles. ) †¢ Expanding the companys product line to meet a broader range of customer needs. (In May 2000 Starr introduced a new generation of non-powered scooter called The Kick, that used inline skate technology. Threats †¢ Likely entry of potent new competitors. Zap stayed busy with litigations protecting them from patent infringement by other copycat products. ) †¢ Slowdowns in market growth. (A shift in buyer needs and tastes away from the industrys product. There is a growing concern that the boost in sales of electronic scooters may just be a fad. ) †¢ Vulnerability to industry driving forces. (Advances in battery technology area driving force in the rise in interest and investment in the short-range EV market. Rapidly rising gasoline prices and an electric power crisis in California during 2000 has contributed to the growing concern about the external environment of EVs. Given the four lists above, I am able to draw the following conclusion about Zaps overall attractiveness. Zap has what appears to be a winning and competitively powerful strategy with a broader product line than most rivals. The companys early presence in the industry gives it important first-mover advantages and a competitive advantage over most other rivals. After reviewing case exhibits 2 and 3, I have determined that their operating expenses are too high. Zaps profit margins have increased over the last five year period from 22. 3% in 1997 to 36. % in 2000. However, they were still unable to cover their operating expenses that increased over the same period, resulting in losses from operations. Also, Zap was unable to provide a return on investments for its shareholders, which can have an impact on future investment opportunities. Zaps current ratios over the last five years have increased with a ratio of 5. 15 in 2000. This shows that Zap has been able to pay off its current debt when due without having to sell off its inventory. Finally, Zap has recorded a net loss for 6 consecutive years.Since it is an emerging industry, it is expected that Zap would incur losses until the industry is consolidated and they are able to achieve greater market penetration. Overall, Zap is on track for most emerging businesses, and because it was an early-mover, will have to the advantage to grow into a profitable company. After reviewing case exhibits 12-17, I have come up with the following five year sales forecast with minimum, maximum and expected sales with regards to their global penetration and the sales of just electric bicycles and scooters. (Note: estimates are in the millions. Year 1Year 2Year 3Year 4Year 5 Scooters215. 0 minimum 0 maximum 58 expected226. 0 minimum 75 maximum 0 expected236. 0 minimum 0 maximum 7 expected241. 0 minimum 7 maximum 0 expected249. 0 minimum 0 maximum 75 expected Bicycles260. 0 minimum 7 maximum 0 expected269. 0 minimum 0 maximum 5 expected280. 0 minimum 0 maximum 7 expected290. 0 minimum 0 maximum 73 expected295. 0 minimum 5 maximum 7 expected The increasing population of China and the rapid increasing in the sale of EVs in this market will help Zap to continue its market growth over the next five years with increase in sales and distribution.This trend might also take effect with the growing users of EVs in European markets as well. This trend might not affect U. S. markets because of our cultures need for gas powered vehicles. 8. The first challenge the company faces is trying to sell as many electric bikes as they do electric scooters. At the same time that Zap was transferring its manufacturing overseas, it was also trying to reposition itself as an overall provider of premier EV products with a primary focus on aggressive sales activity. However, in trying to accomplish both these tasks at the same time, Zaps market for electric bikes took a big dive.In 2000, scooter sales were leading bike sales by a ratio of 7 to 1. Zap cannot call itself the overall provider of premier EV products with its electric bikes sales plummeting significantly. The next challenge facing the company is creating a forecast of the demand for electric bikes. Since Zap is lagging in its electric bike sales, they are in desperation to create a forecast for demand in order to have a numeric goal. Finally, the company wants to alter its current generic strategy for obtaining a significant position in an industry still in its infancy.In order to accomplish this, Zap should be asking themselves; what is the best way to become the overall provider of premier EV products 9. The first problem was trying to accomplish two major ventures (one international venture and one market penetration venture) at the same time, thus causing electric bike sales to plummet. One alternative to this situation is to allow Hutchins, Rocklemwitz and Cronk (international gurus) to head the Taiwanese production venture and allow others who are strong in marketing to focus on ensuring that Zap becomes the overall provider of premier EV products. A second alternative would b e to focus first on transferring manufacturing to Taiwan then work on becoming the overall provider of premier EV products. The second issue was forecasting. One alternative is to center the forecast around similar recreational products. It is always good to benchmark your products; however, companies must be careful to benchmark according to product lines and not companies as a whole. Another alternative to this could also be to focus on market demographics and environmental variables.Warning: Environmental variables, depending on location, may differ drastically. Finally, an alternative for their generic strategy should be a market penetration strategy, which could help create a higher volume of sales at lower prices. Lowering the prices of their products could help increase their demand and limit future opportunities for lower-priced competitors that were already driving down the average selling prices of EVs. Another alternative to this could also be a skimming strategy, by estricting demand by maintaining a high price, which could create better results. Higher prices may provide higher profit margins and allow Zaps products to maintain a position of superiority in the EV industry. My final recommendations as far as forecasting would be to utilize both benchmarking and market demographics. When weighing the pros and cons, I find it strange for a company to use one forecasting tool without the other. Benchmarking will help Zap better understand the strategies of competitors.Then they can take the information gathered here and use it in trying to study market demographics for their own industry. Also, I would recommend Zap use the skimming strategy. They dont want to make mistakes that might jeopardize their current superiority. If they were to go with a market penetration strategy, they would be sacrificing quality products to help gain market entry at lower prices, but they dont want their profits to suffer because consumers sense a lack of quality.

Concept of Humanity Essay Example

Concept of Humanity Essay Example Concept of Humanity Paper Concept of Humanity Paper The theories proposed by various psychologists are seen in the light of their concept of humanity. If I were to propose a theory, it would be characterized by my concept of humanity as one with free choice, optimism, driven by expectations of the future (Teleology), conscious thought, social relationships environment and the uniqueness of each human being. 1. Determinism vs Free Choice My view on the nature of human nature would fall on free choice. There are Indeed forces beyond our control but we how we behave, react or respond to these forces are purely out of our own choice. We have total control over ourselves to choose to do what we think is the right action at any given situation. This is why we were given the faculty of reasoning and free will that we may not feel as if we are mere victims of fate but are actually proactive beings capable of choosing what they think is right for them. 2. Pessimism vs Optimism People can change and grow into psychologically healthy, happy, fully functional human beings (Feisty, 2006). This comes with the fact that I believe in free choice. We are not mere victims of fate. We are human beings who are capable of changing to e able to adapt to any given situation which then gives way for us to become psychologically healthy and fully functional at any given situation or environment. Again, we are beings who take action. 3. Causality vs Teleology Our past experiences do hold a lot of lessons but I think that people behave the way they do because of what their present actions consequences may bring In the future They get something from the past, yes. But their behaviors are mainly driven by certain expectations of what may happen In the future. 4. Conscious vs Unconscious People are generally driven by their conscious thoughts. We are fully aware of what we are doing and why we are doing it. I believe that this is a characteristic of a human being: we are capable of rational thought. This is what separates us from animals because we do not act based solely on satisfying drives. We also put into perspective what is right and wrong when it comes to satisfying drives. Personalities are shaped by social relationships and environment than Just being mere creatures of biology. As how I would always answer the nature vs Nurture this way, Nature could only do so much. Nurture, however, may improve on what limits nature has set. We have seen this through a lot of experiments done through the years, where one may have thought that a child has limited brain power but given a rich and stimulating environment, changes may be seen with this child. . Uniqueness vs Similarities The study of personality should concentrate on traits that make people different. We often try hard to categorize one personality as this and that and forget to account for the individual differences of each human being. Though it might help that we sort them out through their similarities first and then work our way to understanding or accounting for the differences in these said traits.

What were the rights and responsibilities of a citizen in the early Essay

What were the rights and responsibilities of a citizen in the early Greek polisHow did the idea of citizenship arise - Essay Example The citizens consisted of tribes which were further divided into phratries and gentes. Foreigners and slaves were considered to be outside the scope of citizenship. Descent was the criteria which determined the citizenship of individuals (Grant 56, 1990). The citizens were divided into three types. The first types of citizens were those with political rights. The second of type of citizens was those without any political rights. The third type consisted of foreigners and slaves who were not considered as citizens. Ancient Greece made many strides in the creation of organized and centralized nation. It was initially composed of warring states which fought against each other. These city states lacked any central administration or government. Athens would give birth to the concept of political participation and democracy. Solon was the first aristocrat who gave a comprehensive set of political rules and regulations. These reforms gave power and responsibility to moderately well off non aristocrats. It also protected the citizens from much of the repressive measures of governments. By 508 BC, an exile named Cleisthenes was instrumental in removing the Athenian tyrant Hippias from power. He offered a package of reforms to the Athenian citizens which would give them political power and representation in the government (Starr 91, 1986). The Archaic Greek period divided society on the basis of three economic groups. The aristocrats acquired power which was inherited from their fathers. They made significant profits by ruthlessly exploiting the poor farmers (Starr 100, 1977). The poor people represented the bottom of the three groups. They could be indebted or reduced as slaves by the powerful elite. A middle class was also present which had the largest degree of social and economic differences. Some of them had acquired prosperity while others were barely above the lower classes. The lower class had little

Compare and Contrast the customs of Mexican Americans and Puerto Term Paper

Compare and Contrast the customs of Mexican Americans and Puerto Ricans - Term Paper Example There are as many Puerto Ricans living in the United States than those living in the small island that has a population of four million (CountryWatch, 2011). Puerto Rico became property of the United States back in 1898 after the United States won the Spaniard-American war. A common trait between both ethnicities is that they are typically bilingual (English / Spanish). The Spanish spoken by Puerto Ricans is a bit different than the Spanish spoken by Mexican Americans in terms of words and accent. The parents of Puerto Ricans and Mexican Americans teach their kids Spanish at home and Spanish is often spoken in their households. Both races are sports fanatics. In boxing there is a big rivalry between Mexicans and Puerto Ricans. The Oscar De la Hoya vs. Tito Trinidad bout at the time was the biggest revenue generating non heavyweight pay per view bout in the history of boxing. Oscar De La Hoya is the most successful Mexican American fighter in the history of boxing. Baseball is the national pastime of Puerto Ricans, while many Mexican Americans prefer to play soccer. The tourism and travel tendencies of the two groups are different as Puerto Ricans often travel back and forth from the mainland US to the island of Puerto Rico. Sometimes Mexican Americans due to immigration issues of their parents do not travel as much back and forth. When they travel Puerto Ricans do not have to worry about foreign exchange considerations since Puerto Rico shares the same currency with the United States. Both ethnic groups believe a lot in the value of being a good host to their guests. Offering food and drinks to guests is a mutual custom of both groups of Latinos. The traditional foods of each Latino group are very different. Mexican Americans often eat a diet associated with floor tortillas, corn, refried beans, and rice, and chilies, spices, vegetables, beef, and cheese (CultureGrams, 2011). In Puerto Rico the most common meal is

Information Security Issues Associated with Internet Connectivity Essay

Information Security Issues Associated with Internet Connectivity - Essay Example The report presents some recommendations such as apply some policy, training their employers and employing softwares for security checks. With the advanced technology that we have right now, security issue has become an essential problem for any organization, which uses the Internet, around the world. As stated by Charles and Shari (23, 2002), the security of an organization is important to protect it from any criminal damage. The software vulnerabilities and social engineering in an organization system that cyber-criminals target is the most important issue in security measures. The aim of this research is to investigate how to protect an organization that uses Internet connection from being targeted because of the vulnerability of their system. This report will discuss general issues related to Internet connectivity, software vulnerabilities, social engineering and specific vulnerability which is Cross Site Scripting (XSS). It will also provide a discussion and recommendation that will help organizations against hackers and other criminal activities directed in breaching their security. Hacking a system or a database is the largest threat to network security for most organizations. IP addresses can easily be obtained through search engines like Google and Yahoo. As a result, the Internet gives easy access to an organization’s system or database for millions of unknown users in the world. And because the users are unknown, it creates additional challenges to the security departments. In addition to the countless unknown users, the links of different systems and database between organizations through the use of the World Wide Web makes it easier for one to access the linked systems. Moreover, the linked access introduces a considerably magnified potential for virus spread. The vulnerability of the system is the primary weakness of an

Macbeth- Character Connection Essay Example for Free

Macbeth- Character Connection Essay William Shakespere:MacBeth- Character Connection (feelings) The feeling toward Macbeth and reaction to the end of the play differ amongst readers. Although everyone perceives the horrifying tone that ends the play, the feeling of sympathy for Macbeth is also present. Sympathy might be expressed toward Macbeth because of the fact that something or someone else caused the beginning of his downfall. The witches and Lady Macbeth are to blame for this. Relating to Macbeths character and understanding how he feels and acts is a crucial aspect in understanding the play fully. Shakespeares method of letting the readers react and connect to Macbeths character is one of the many concepts that makes Shakespeare such a great author, and makes Macbeth such a remarkable play. Macbeths complete self-destruction originated with his encounter with the witches. In the beginning of the play, he is a soldier with good intentions and no aspiration for harm. At this point, Macbeth has not yet been influenced by the witches and the ambition they provoked. As soon as he meets the witches his demise begins. Being truly interested in the witches predictions, Macbeth quickly rises in power and begins to neglect his conscience. The witches seem to have total control over his mind and his behavior. They trigger Macbeths destructive actions, which ultimately become his habit to kill. Macbeths wrongdoing did not originate in his mind and soul, but rather resulted from him being a victim of circumstance and misfortune, and therefore, he deserves sympathy. Lady Macbeths aggressive and ambitious nature is another key influence on Macbeths behavior. Lady Macbeth challenges her husbands manhood by taunting him and forcing him to kill Duncan. Since he fulfilled her order, he started losing his integrity and relying less on his conscience. It is easier to have sympathy for a person who is not entirely to blame for his actions. In Macbeths case, his wife was at least partly responsible for his demise. As a reader of Macbeth, I can indirectly relate to Macbeths character. I recognize that it is possible to be influenced by someone into acting immoral. Under the affect of peer pressure, for instance, a person can act irresponsibly causing harm. Although we cannot justify the wrongdoing of a person, we feel sympathy for him or her, realizing that their decisions were not created solely by their mind, but rather resulted from other multiple factors. Macbeth is at the mercy of the witches and Lady Macbeth and therefore not entirely responsible for all his actions. Despite his wrongful actions, Macbeth does not exemplify pure evil. Thus, sympathy toward him is not uncommon. His being weak and imperfect gives us the ability to relate to him as a human being. -a1b2c3ff

Alan Bennetts Talking Heads Essay -- Alan Bennett Talking Heads Essay

Alan Bennett's "Talking Heads" "Talking heads" by Alan Bennett is a collection of monologues in which the audience are showed into the life of a character and given an insight into the character's personality and situation.peoples lives are portrayed in comic ways leaving the audience feeling sympathy and guilt for the character in laughing at their misfortune. Monologues are a long speech made by one person. This style of script is really effective and has a powerful effect on the audience. These monologues were written for television broadcasting, programmes presented in this way are put under the genre of tragi-comedy. This style of script has a dramatic effect upon the audience because from one statement , several emotions arise, for example Irene writing to someone informing them that their wife is a prostitute it is comic that she would care to write a letter about something that does not concern her of this sort of information but in another way it displays pathos because she is has enough time to spare to have such an interest in finding out information such as this. The talking heads monologues often give an exaggerated story largely influenced by the environment and era in which the characters live in. For example Doris' jaded views of nursing homes which are perhaps stereotypically nursing homes from the era in which she brought up in. This cynical view also emphasises the lack of respect in the ironic way that an elderly person has been influenced by negative views of the older generation. Within this essay I am going to analyse the talking heads scripts and bring about my point of views as well as also using my background knowledge on the era and several other topics which seem to o... ...eotype people which displays irony as they fit into 3 groups of people which are well known to be stereotyped: porn stars, o.a.p's and interfering busy-bodies. "When I saw his vest it had electrician written all over it." Lesley says on meeting a man with a tattoo. I think these stereotypical associations are made due to their ignorance towards different cultures, classes and race. As a conclusion to this essay I feel that Alan Bennett has created these monologues effectively through the use of pathos which is present through all the monologues. He enforces feeling brought about by the pathos with metaphors as well as clichà © phrases.The television episodes are simple but effective in setting an atmosphere appropriate to the monologue. He brings the characters to a level which we can all relate to in some way which makes the impact of tragedy far deeper.

Of Mice and Men: How does the author show sympathy for Curley’s wife Essay

On the ranch there is a well known woman merely referred to as ‘Curley’s Wife’. As the characters develop we find that she is not in fact the unimportant, nameless character we first perceive her as, but rather she is a relatively complex one, with much more to her than we first gather, causing us to feel sympathy for her later in the novel. In this essay I will state how John Steinbeck influenced the reader to feel sympathy for Curley’s wife, especially after making the reader prejudice towards her. Steinbeck creates sympathy for Curley’s wife in numerous ways, one being her name. The fact that she never has a name outside of the reference to her husband clearly shows the reader that her identity is surrendered to a heartless husband. Evidence of this is when she admits that her husband ‘aint a nice man’ and that she never truly wanted to marry him. This leaves the reader with a impression of a unhappy, isolated woman to the extent that there is sympathy regardless of her outrageous behavior towards Crooks. Alternatively, the lack of a name for this woman could could suggest she is insignificant and not as important of a character as George, Lennie or any of the other men on the ranch. It could also be referring to how during the Great Depression, women were oppressed and treated less equally. Steinbeck may have portrayed Curley’s wife in this light to allow the reader to recognize the inferior role of women at that time. The lack of name relegates Cur ley’s wife to an insignificant status like a lot of women in a 1930s society. Steinbeck enables the reader to see Curley’s Wife through migrant worker Candy’s eyes on their first encounter her, as in his dialogue he refers to her as a ‘tart’. Through his words, we develop an initial perception of Curley’s Wife as as a bit of a ‘floozie’. Furthermore, Candy effectively accuses her of acting disloyal to her newly married husband Curley by saying, ‘she got the eye’ for other men. The word ‘tart’ suggests she presents herself in an ostentatious manner. Before even being introduced to the woman, the reader is convinced she’s to blame for anything that goes wrong in Solidad. Her physical appearance of ‘†¦full, rouged lips†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢, as  well as ‘fingernail painted red’ and elaborate hair, emphasize our preconceptions of her. I believe her attire is very significant to how we perceive her. She is said to be ‘heavily made up’ in primary colours (making her almost impossible to ignore or dismiss). This could be interpreted as her silent cry out for attention due to her being so isolated and lonely, after all there are no other woman on the ranch. Her appearance is portrayed as one of an actress or someone who has means of great luxury, this is why she is so incongruous on the ranch as she is not your typical housewife.. Her mien could also be construed as though she believes she is above any other woman who lives on a ranch, indicating she wants escape from her current lifestyle as her attire is suited for anything but her own. The description of her face being, ‘heavily made up’ could also propose the idea that she is insecure with her natural complexion. In other words, her face is a mask – it’s fake and not the real her. This makes a big connection of her ambitions of being an actress, a person that is constantly pretending to be someone they’re not. All of this contributes to the reader sympathising with her as she is so hopelessly insecure. On the other hand, Curley’s Wife’s appearance could be seen as naivety, and simply desire to be appreciated/noticed. Steinbeck may have portrayed Curley’s Wife with’ wide eyes’ to illustrate her as gullible or even that she is searching for something – which I believe was to be appreciated. If the text is analysed thoroughly, Steinbeck leaves subtle traces of evidence to help the reader understand her behaviour and fashionistic choices. ‘He says he was gonna put me in the movies’ is evidence of the ‘dream life’ Curley’s wife believed she was destined to have as she details twice ‘ I coulda been in movies†¦ I coulda sat in big hotels’ had her chance not have been stolen. This theme of lost opportunity or shattered dreams is often repeated throughout the story. The delusional mindset that leads to her cruel nature is the theme that makes the reader sympathetic to her. Red is a primary colour therefore people are attracted to it hence why Curley’s Wife wearing a lot of red may symbolise she desperately wants the  spotlight (attention) – much like many film stars. The description of ‘full rouged lips’ could be evidence of her attempt to be appreciated by the ranch workers; by drawing their attention to her lips it forces them to listen to what she has to say. Furthermore, another connotation of the colour is danger. A reason for Steinbeck portraying her as an associate of this colour may have been the foreshadowing of the blood that was to be shed. Finally, it is also a reminder of the girl in Weed who had a ‘red velvet’ dress that Lennie grabbed which caused him and George to go on the run, which we also know happens at the end of this novel. I believe Steinbeck structures Curley’s Wife’s character very intelligently as this subtle foreshadow indirectly makes a connection of the beginning and ending of the novel, also relating to her ambitions of being a movie star by the emphasis of a red ‘velvet’ dress. This indistinct description is often unnoticed causing the ‘reality vs: fantasy’ connection to be dismissed between Curley’s wife wearing a ‘cotton’ dress which immediately makes her no more than a housewife, however much she tries. Also on Curley’s Wife’s first appearance, the reader is made apparent of her alleged promiscuity as, ‘she put her hands behind her back and leaned against the door frame so that her body was thrown forward’, This suggestive and provocative body language justifies Candy’s statement of her and is hard evidence to the reader that she in fact a tart. However, we know this is not true. Curley’s wife shows similar traits to Crooks by standing in the door frame as he is isolated from it too. This causes the reader to feel sympathetic for her as she is secluded for being conceived as something she actually isn’t. Through no fault of her own, the men do not want to associate with her due them believing she is ‘jailbate’ ‘and a ‘rattrap’. This infers that the men are scared of her, something that frustrates her because she can’t comprehend why the men’s attitudes to her are so negative. The ‘rattrap’ could also be a forewarning of her escape to freedom which was only achievable by death. This is because once the rat trap’ (ie her) had been set off, it could no longer be used again, so effectively she committed suicide. I think that Curley’s wife and a rat are arguably similar as they are both hated by their relative society for being who / what they are, which is completely unfair. Also, rats are relatively small animals, this  could link to Curley’s wife as she feels and is perceived as dramatically insignificant on the Boss’ ranch. Curleys’ wife both talks and acts playfully and flirtatiously in front of the other workers. In my opinion she behaves in this manner because her sex is her only weapon to gain attention. Steinbeck could have been trying to make a point of her actions being relative to the era she lived in. I believe he deliberately portrayed her in this light with the intentions of making the reader feel sympathetic towards her in later chapters, but also to make the reader feel apologetic and penitent for labeling and being prejudice towards her. On one of her ‘looking for Curley’ routines she says, ‘They left all the weak ones here’ alluding to the three men, all ‘weak’ in their respective ways. However there is irony in this comment because she is seen as unworthy of a name thus why the reader can conclude that she’s unimportant. It is also ironic because she was left behind by all the men too, ‘Even Curley’. This causes the reader to feel sympathy for her as she is aware that she is just as marginalized as the ‘weak’ men. Evidence of this is when she rhetorically questions them. Here, the author is not only trying to show that Curley is a major obstacle in her having a proper conversation but Steinbeck is also emphasizing the fragmented relationship the couple have.The lonely and hostile side of the woman is revealed when she admits to feeling a shameless dissatisfaction with her life which inevitably causes the reader to feel remorse for her. Curley’s wife is again shown to be dislikeable by expressing bitterness when reffering to the men as ‘bindle stiffs- a nigger an’ a dum dum† The author presents her intense anger by stating â€Å"breathless with indignation† which explains her frustration. Finally, Steineck creates sympathy for Curley’s wife in the way that he portrayed her death as her true vulnerability is unmasked. ‘Ever’one knowed you’d mess things up.’ were the words from Candy when left in the barn with her body. The fact that none of the ranch workers, or even her husband, seemed to be particularly saddened of her death causes the reader to feel sympathy for her because it cements just how unappreciated she was. We  finally see her for the young victim she is as ‘the meanness and the plannings and the discontent and the ache were all gone from her face’. This repetition of discontent symbolizes that death was her escape because she is now away from being negatively labelled and misinterpreted. Steinbeck uses imagery to present her at peace after her death as she is described as, ‘†¦very pretty†¦sweet and young†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ This causes the reader to feel sympathetic as the character we first perceived her as is gone. Also, the description of ‘young’ furthered my sympathy towards her as it suggests to me she had a short and unfulfilled life. My sympathy for her is also heightened in this chapter because her vulnerability is now clearly identifiable, for example she failed to understand the danger of Lennie – despite the evidence of his violent power in her husband’s mutilated hand and the dead pup he is grasping. The basic idea in Steinbeck’s description of Curley’s wife’s corpse is that in death her beauty can finally be appreciated. Furthermore, who can’t feel sympathy for somebody that is dead from no fault of their own? Personally, I feel most sympathetic towards Curley’s wife more than any other character in the book because she was in a constant battle to be accepted. What makes me most sympathetic though is that in finally letting her guard down to confide in Lennie, she was murdered. Even in her death she is nothing more than a scapegoat as she is referred to as ‘no good’ by Candy. She was never considered as a person, only as Curley’s showcase trophy. Curley’s wife, as Steinbeck depicts her, does not share Lennie’s innocence. Steinbeck rests a measure of blame for the killing on the victim herself which causes the reader to yet again pity her unfortunate life. Moreover, I feel sympathetic towards her because her dreams were futile and it was only at death that she could be rid of all the male dominance that corrupted and controlled her life. After all, it was a man who gave her the ‘false hopes entity’ that followed her to her life on the ranch, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t leave the past behind. She ‘had the eye’ restlessly searching for true love and affection. Steinbeck gave Curley’s wife a circular structure that represents no matter how hard she tried to progress to her ambitions, her cycle always involved her finishing at her starting point, therefore no progress could ever made because her life was the  Ã¢â‚¬Ëœbeginning of the end’.

A Fairy Tale Christmas Essay

Once upon a time there was a very handsome boy. He was going on vacation with his family. The boy was called Sebastian. He was going to celebrate Christmas in Austria with his mom and dad, his grandmother, and his older brother and his older brothers wife and two kids. They were all very exited about it. They had been renting a big cabin 800m up, on a mountain. It was a skiing vacation, so the villa was in the middle of a big slope. The whole family was having a good time. They celebrated Christmas and ate some delicious food. But on the third day, something terrible happened. Sebastian and his big brother was skiing in an area were they hadn’t been skiing before. It was very exiting. The two guys knew about the famous and very dangerous tree-monster. Sebastian had heard some stories about the tree-monster. It was supposed to live in the area where they were skiing. But Sebastian didn’t care. He was very good at skiing and he was skiing very fast sometimes. He was fearless. Sebastian loved to ski off-piste. But Sebastian forgot that there is a lot of trees off-piste. And suddenly, when he was skiing very fast, something grabbed his leg. It was the dangerous tree-monster who had caught him. It tore his ski and helmet off. Luckily his big brother had heard him scream. So he was now running toward the tree-monster with a big axe. He chopped up the big tree-monster into many pieces. Sebastian was saved. The two guys skied back to the cabin where the family was waiting. They were very surprised to see that Sebastian had lost his helmet and skies. But when they heard was had happened. And they were very relieved that the two guys did not hurt themselves. So the family celebrated in seven days and seven nights. And they lived happy ever after†¦

Soap Operas Essays - Social Realism, Soap Opera, EastEnders

Soap Operas Essays - Social Realism, Soap Opera, EastEnders Soap Operas What forms of pleasure can be found in viewing the continuous serial on TV? The continuous serial is more commonly known as the soap opera, and is peculiar in that each episode cannot be watched and understood on its own; the viewer must watch the episodes before and after to understand what is happening. According to Brown the soap opera has 8 typical characteristics (see appendix 1). Television is becoming an increasingly important part of society. We have more televisions in our homes, and on those televisions there are more soap operas for the viewing public e.g. EastEnders, Coronation Street, Emmerdale, Neighbours, Home and Away, Brookside, London Bridge, and HollyOaks. Individuals undoubtedly get a lot of pleasure from them, and although the soap opera is viewed as entertainment, there should be a cautious approach to this view, because television is an influential part of our society. In this essay I will look at the pleasures and the consequences. Escapism is one form of pleasure. The soap provides an outlet for an individual to escape the responsibilities of their own life. As soon as the familiar theme music begins the viewer is transported to another world, although Mike Clark poses the question (page 19) What sort of escape is it that constantly refers to the very issues that may be troubling the viewer?. Another pleasure of soap operas is the continuity of the characters and settings (Clark, page 19). The familiar settings give a sense of a stability and order to the viewer. Most people know the Rovers Return in Coronation Street or the Old Vic in EastEnders. The individual feels at home with a soap and its characters, of which there can be up to 40; all are old friends to the regular viewer. For the most part they do not set out to shock. Because the characters are ordinary and believable, Mike Clark states that the actors must be the same in their lives outside television. He tells us that: When Peter Adamson, who played Len Fairclough, was charged with sexually molesting a child and subsequently killed off from the program, his crime was not that, precisely (he was acquitted), but rather one of deviating from the unexceptional norms of Coronation Street and of the viewers at home. Seeing someone who had been publicly associated with such an offence, and thinking I wonder what really happened, would be disruptive of the kind of low-key realism attempted by the program, therefore out he had to go. Im not sure that this argument would hold true today. His book was published in 1987 and since then I think the public has become more tolerant, and apart from that, Coronation Street has become more controversial in its storyline; these days generally any publicity is good for a soap. This leads to another pleasure derived from the soap opera. The private lives of the actors, reported in the press and on the television, provide an infinite source of pleasure for the viewing public. In the Evening Standard (Tuesday 3rd March 1998) there were three separate articles about three different actors from EastEnders: Barbara Windsor, Paul Bradley, and Patsy Palmer. However, such public interest can create a problem for the actors, in the form of admirers and stalkers and the public still perceiving them as their on screen character. Empathy with the characters can reduce the viewers own problems as they realise that other people also suffer; another good reason to watch a soap. Biancas abortion storyline, in EastEnders, may have helped people in similar situations think about the relevant issues before making their own decision. Regular soap opera viewers who have followed a particular soap for years, according to Clark acquire an expertise and a fund of archival knowledge, which enable them to experience the programs more fully, and more enjoyably. So, they understand the personalities, strengths and weaknesses of the characters in the soap, and will often know exactly how a particular character would act in a particular situation. For them, this makes soaps more pleasurable. The romantic interest in the soap holds many viewers. Who will fall in love? Who will have an affair? Who will get married? At the time of writing, in Coronation Street the

Analyze a Catholic Mass Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Analyze a Catholic Mass - Essay Example The priest used incense to reverence the alter before each one of the ministers proceeded to their seats but remained standing. The priest greeted the congregation â€Å"in the name of the father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit† to which people responded by chanting the same words and making the sign of the cross, followed by â€Å"Amen†. The priest proceeded to speaks the words of the grace to which the congregation responded. Part of the mass involved the blessing and sprinkling of water. The priest made a brief prayer thanking God for the gift of water and asking Him to bless the water in the name of â€Å"Christ our Lord† to which the congregation responded with an â€Å"Amen†. The priest proceeded to sprinkle the blessed water on the congregation using what looked like a flywhisk. As he did this, the congregation engaged in singing a song. The conclusion of this rite was marked by a brief chant or prayer from the priest asking God to cleanse our since and worthy to partake of heavenly riches. Part of the mass involved reciting of the acclamations â€Å"Lord have mercy† and the singing of the song â€Å"Glory to God in the highest†. After singing and chanting the songs, someone went to read the bible for the first reading and a minister read the second reading. Between the readings, the congregation engaged in singing a psalm. The priest then proceeded to elaborate on the sc riptures that had been read followed by the proclamation of faith which involved the chanting of the apostle’s creed. The priest presided over the Eucharist which involved the breaking of break, Holy Communion, prayer, meditation and singing. The mass ended with the priest proclaiming a blessing upon the faithful. The Catholic mass involves a lot of rights and rituals which fall within the seven dimensions of religion that were postulated by Ninian Smart. Smart noted that the dimensions of religion include

Entrepreneurship Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Entrepreneurship - Assignment Example 2. Business idea. To put up a company to be engaged in providing health care services, sell health beauty products and provide therapeutic relaxation thru the establishment of a Turkish bath, sauna and spa in UK. 3. Business name and Business structure. Business name and structure will have to be registered with proper authorities before it could start operations. A big fine and penalty will be slapped to owner for failure to register. Tentative name of MT Wellness will be registered for availability of trade name. If no one uses the name, then it will be registered and nobody can use that name while it is in operation. If necessary, a trade mark can be registered. Business should be registered in the locality where business will operate and another registration is needed if it will have a branch in other state. 4. Finance structure. Capital is required in starting a business and this could come from borrowing, bank loans, financing from friends and family, commercial mortgages and money coming from the owner. A study should be done to come up with an appropriate loan package for the business proposal. 5. Management. The business calls for hiring qualified people to help owner run the company. There are several processes required in selection and hiring of employees. Owner should have a right mix of people qualified for employment in the business. Owner needs to determine the following: Company will keep products on top of the line and look for new and innovative products and services to satisfy customers, first by keeping subscription on trade magazine for trends both local and abroad. Look for new inventions that can be used by the company. 9.2 Advertising. On line selling and marketing is one way of advertising the products and services of the company. Company should get help of advertising experts for the design to make it attractive. 9.4 Pricing. There is a need to come up with the correct strategy of