The Spread of Religions Essay Example

The Spread of Religions Paper Short Writing Assignment # 2 Topic: The Spread of Religions 11/20/2011 Question 1: How did Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam spread across the world, and why are they practiced so far from their origins? Answer 1: Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam spread across the world by use of four common practices. Missionaries spread the faith to new areas. These missionaries adapted their message to the existing culture of the area and adopted elements of existing religious traditions. Pilgrimage was encouraged and allowed the pilgrim to express devotion through the hardships of travel and expand their world-view. Through the use of relics, people were allowed a personal connection to the story of the religion. They are practiced all over the globe, far from their origins. One reason is forced conversion such as the conversion of the Saxons by Charlemagne under threat of death. Another is diaspora such as when the Romans expelled the Jews from Judea and they scatted all over the earth. Question 2: How did these three major world religions change and adapt to diverse cultural circumstances? Answer 2: Buddhism adapted the Chinese culture in China and flourished there to an extent that China became the center of pilgrimage and dispersion even though India was the source. It adapted to Chinese culture easily because the Chinese idea of Wuwei was very similar to the idea of Nirvana as taught by Buddha. Christianity adapted to the indigenous religions in many ways. We will write a custom essay sample on The Spread of Religions specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Spread of Religions specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Spread of Religions specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Just a few: The Church of the Holy Sepulcher was once the site of a shrine to Aphrodite. Christmas is now the celebration of Christ’s birth even though no one knows the day he was born. European Christians absorbed their old pagan tradition of the celebration of Yule into the practice of their new religion. Sufi missionaries adopted local cultural practices into the practice of Islam to attract converts. Question 3: Why did Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam emerge when and where they did? Answer 3: Each religion spread mostly in near proximity to its source: Buddhism throughout eastern Asia from India to China then on to Japan and Korea. Islam spread from Arabia through western Asia and across North Africa. Christianity spread across the Mediterranean from Judea then through Europe during the dark ages when Europeans needed a sense of unity and stability after the loss of the same after the fall of the Roman Empire. Europeans then carried it with them when they settled the New World. Question 4: How did Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam interact with, provide justification for, and conflict with various states and empires in Afro-Eurasia? Answer 4: Buddhism became the state religion of China as the nobles embraced and patronized it. Christianity became the state religion throughout Europe after the nobles embraced it then forced the conversion of their subjects as in Kiev and the mass conversion of the Saxons under the threat of death. Islam supports trade so Arabian traders spread it throughout their travels.

Hate Relationship with Writers and theInternet

Talkin About a Revolution The Love/Hate Relationship with Writers and theInternet When the masses first realized the power and reach of the Internet, it was a bit like the fences being torn down at Woodstock. They werent very effective anyway, but once they were down, everyone, the dirty, the silly, the outrageous, and the dull stormed into the mudpit. In the days before the Internet, it was mighty hard to get published in any sense of the word.   Writers without the backing of a traditional media house had to resort to zines, vanity presses, or just weeping quietly over their Chai teas in sporadically attended coffee-house gatherings. All that would soon change. While there still may not be a lot of money out there for the majority of writers, there is coveted exposure.   Consider this. In 2003, there were 500,000 blogs on the Web. By 2004, there were 4 million. The latest statistics available reveal that by December of 2010, there were 152 million blogs. Some real writers were, and are, skeptical.   And with the dawning of social media such as Facebook, the chance for anyone who fancies himself a writer to post whatever and whenever the muse strikes them, only makes many of those authors roll their eyes even farther back into their heads. Consider the poem    The New Yorker   published this week by mega-star author Sherman Alexie: The Facebook Sonnet Welcome to the endless high school Reunion. Welcome to past friends And lovers, however kind or cruel. Lets undervalue and unmend The present. Why cant we pretend Every stage of life is the same? Lets exhume, resume, and extend Childhood. Lets all play the games That occupy the young. Let fame And shame intertwine. Let ones search For God become public domain. Let church.com become our church. Lets sign up, sign in, and confess Here at the altar of loneliness. While Alexies sonnet does not speak directly about the irritations many published authors feel about lesser known or obscure writers, the themes comes across as a bit cranky, and perhaps somewhat patronizing towards those who put their thoughts out there in written form for all to see. I have spoken to many authors who do not feel blogging is real writing (and granted, a lot of it is not, but some of it is).   And Facebook?. PLUUUEEEZE. The way I see it, the good writers will eventually win out and there is no harm in letting the poorer ones at least try to improve their skills.   Many of my friends are writers, and they regularly post their poems, essays, or just general witticisms on Facebook.   The feedback I personally get is invaluable, and I enjoy being able to be exposed to the thoughts of my friend and colleagues, as well as helping them in return by way of comment, support, or constructive criticism. While writers like Alexie may poo-poo the common man and his attempt at communicating, other writers are more accepting. I was surprised when I asked some very famous authors like Marge Piercy to friend me (not just become a fan of her page) and she accepted, as did Albert Brooks and Lewis Black. Now, I cant know if they personally ever view their Facebook pages, but they might and who knows? Im one of the 152 million vying for a spot at the table in Olympus.

Corporate finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 5

Corporate finance - Essay Example However, the board decided to acquire Forthnet in Greece on the premise that overseas buy-out will result in higher revenues in the long run. Regrettably, the acquisition of Forthnet was proved to be disastrous for Go Plc, and this demonstrates that how holding excessive cash could destabilise an earlier profit-making company. The choice by Go Plc to go for acquisition instead of paying out the excess cash to shareholders by way dividend has been exceptionally disadvantageous as corroborated by constant fall in its share price and the erosion of shareholder value immediately after the acquisition. The optimum level of cash balances that a company can have is the cash balances to meet their expenses, interest and capital expenditures and some level of cash balances to meet any extraordinary scenarios. Anything more than that will be regarded as too much cash reserves held by a company. The quick ratio and the current ratio will help to understand whether a company is having adequate cash reserves to cater their real time cash needs. Naturally, investors get worried about companies that hold â€Å"too much† cash because huge cash balances minimise the shareholder’s value as they offer lesser returns on their capital. The main contention of the David Einhorn, who is the manager of Greenlight Hedge Fund who successfully obtained an injection from the court against Apple Inc to declare dividend from its cash reserves there by compelling to declare the dividend from the Apple’s cash reserves. Hence, there is a likelihood that the value of shares of the Apple may increase by $50 per share or more after such a dividend declaration. Further, Apple shareholders are more worried that Apple may use these excess cash balances for negative mergers or acquisitions. This is supported by the precedents such as Microsoft’s blunder acquisition of aQuantive at $6.3 bn, EBay’s bad

No Topic Required Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

No Topic Required - Assignment Example ly, it shows that Jack Levine may have learnt to make use of several skills such as cubism in accord to both the atmosphere, and the various images that have been noted in his painting. Although, the location of the painting is not very clear, there is a representation of both men and women in the society posing in anticipation of a certain event. One wonders whether the painter may have intended to communicate anything through this painting or was it a way of indicating how art can be useful (Bender 13). What is striking about the painting is how each element that has been noted is so distinct yet it is almost the same colour that was used to make a painting. This is noted from the background, which displays a housing structure, the individuals themselves and their clothing and lastly the dogs. The strokes of the painting display different edges and the colours schemes are distinctly applied to show a clear linkage between the various structures of the body. For example, the arms and the faces of the individual clearly show they are black people. Also notably, the painting shows the mood. The dogs are barking and held by the various individuals. This act of barking in itself portrays agitation, an excitement that is not clear. The faces of the individuals on the painting are also expressionless and looking to the same direction, which probably reaffirms why the dogs could be under some excitement. The surrealism in Birmingham 63 not only does denote how different individuals are at a specific time of the day, but also it brings out some element of surprise all which sums up to our initial thought of the intention of the painter in the first place. Clearly, the painting only shows one side of the coin, which are people going about their daily activities and an events halts them to look in the direction they are currently looking. The kind of dressing by these individuals notes the possibility that they may go about their daily activities (Bender 15). Bender

Conflict, Decision Making, and Organizational Design Research Paper

Conflict, Decision Making, and Organizational Design - Research Paper Example One way is to engage negotiation strategies. Negotiation can be observed everywhere in strong and subtle ways – in the market, haggling for the best prices, commissioning a young, talented artist for a new project; or closing a huge deal with a known company. There is more to negotiation than mere compromise. Negotiation is an interaction that occurs when 2 or more parties attempt to agree on a mutually acceptable outcome in a situation where their preferences for outcomes are negatively related. Two opposing positions come to a compromise. Lax and Sebenius (1986) add that in negotiation, a better outcome through joint action is achieved rather than when each party would act independently. The element of conflict also arises due to varying preferences and priorities of the different parties. Negotiation becomes a way to resolve such conflicts and compromise on a joint decision, usually, the middle ground stand. McGrath (1984) claims that negotiation is a mixed-motive process - the negotiating parties cooperate to reach an agreement and at the same time, compete to fulfill their own interests. From these definitions of negotiation, it is apparent that negotiators should possess several skills in order to be successful in getting what they bargain for. At the same time, negotiation entails multiple processes that occur simultaneously within each negotiating party such as decision making, research, critical judgment and effective communication, among others. Negotiating strategies involve bringing opposing parties together face to face wherein each individual or group brainstorm on their decisions for the negotiation. When each of the negotiating party becomes aware of the other’s proposed stand or idea, it then becomes the time for bargaining. In the case of business negotiations, this is the space between their reservation prices for the product or service offered and the assumed reservation price of the other party. They come up with their own BAT NA or their â€Å"best alternative to a negotiated agreement†, a strategy proposed by Fisher & Ury (1981). Thompson and Leonardelli (2004) explain that when the first cards set out the table during negotiations fail, then BATNA becomes a fall back alternative of negotiators. BATNA considers all options available for both parties including the reservation price, market information and aspiration levels of each negotiating party. Knowing the other party’s alternatives will help facilitate one’s decision-making process if these are compared with one’s own alternatives (Buelens & Van Poucke, 2004). 2. Determine how evidence-based management could be applied to the work environment you researched. Reay, Berta & Kohn (2009) defined evidence-based management as being â€Å"about making decisions through the conscientious, explicit, and judicious use of four sources of information: practitioner expertise and judgment, evidence from the local context, a critical evaluation of the best available research evidence, and the perspectives of those people who might be affected by the decision† (as mentioned in Briner, Denyer, and Rousseau, 2009, p. 19) Applied in the work environment of health care and health insurance this definition would translate to upholding high standards of care. Integration of the best available evidences from thorough research and practice should deliver high quality patient-centered care considering the patient’

Strategic Business Management And Planning A Swot Analysis Of Pepsico Business Essay

Strategic Business Management And Planning A Swot Analysis Of Pepsico Business Essay The greatest rival of Pepsi is Coca Cola. Coca Cola is an international recognized brand. Its brand name is its basic strength. But Pepsi is successfully maintaining its No.1 position in India as with its aggressive marketing planning and quick diversification in creating and developing more ideas and product packaging. Pepsi is operating in India, through 36 bottlers all over India. These bottlers are Pepsis strength. Pepsi has given franchise to these bottlers. Bottlers distribute, produce and help in promoting the brand. Pepsi also launched its fast food chain KFC i.e. Kentucky Fried Chicken. Pepsi is a very well organized multinational company, which operates almost all over the world even in India it has also proved to be the No.1 soft drink. The purpose of this assignment is study the strategies which Pepsi has applied in India market for its product Pepsi Cola. Pepsi International is a world renowned brand. Also did analysis of the soft drink industry in India and worldwide. The worlds leading beverage sector are soft drinks. Global consumption of soft drinks is rising by 7-9% a year and soft drink consumption increased by almost 500% during last 50 years (Putnam and allshouse 1999). Contents Index Page No. Introduction Pepsi operates almost all over the world and it is a very well organized multinational company. Pepsi International is world renowned brand. One of the best carbonated drink producers is Pepsi. It is best in quality, hygiene and serving all over the world. The production of Cola by Pepsi is more than 100 years and it has controlled the world market for over a century now, its head office is situated in New York. About PepsiCo in India PepsiCo arrived in India in 1989 and has become the countrys largest selling food and beverages Company. PepsiCo has created a business which serves the long term dynamic needs of consumers in India and it is one of the largest multinational investors in the country. Soft drinks observe healthy growth in India. The group has developed an expansive beverage and foods business. There are 36 bottling plants in India of which 13 are owned by the company and 12 are owned by the franchisee, to support its operations. In expansion to this, PepsiCos Frito Lay foods division has 3 state-of-the-art plants. PepsiCos vision is to make tomorrow better than today as it business is based on sustainability. Its commitment to living by this vision every day is visible in its contribution to the country, consumers and farmers. Mission Every business starts with mission and vision. A mission statement is an approved, short, written statement of the purpose of the company or organization. The mission statement should teach the activity of the organization, give out its overall goal, and guide the sense of direction and decision making. It arranges the framework or context within which companys strategies are designed. (hughes K 2005) According to the companys official site, PepsiCo Incorporateds mission is to make it: the worlds chair consumer products company, focusing on benefitted foods and beverages. PepsiCo contest to produce healthier financial rewards to investors as it provides chances for growth and enhancement to its employees. So the overall mission of PepsiCo is to expand the value of shareholders investments. This is resulted through growth of sales, cost controls and wise investments of resources. PepsiCo believes in providing products that are safe, wholesome, economically efficient and environmentally sound and also believes that their commercial success depends upon offering quality and value to their customers and consumers. Vision PepsiCo is one of the largest companies in the world. It is the worlds largest consumer products companies. PepsiCo initiates in focusing various strategies and believes that they will drive growth and ensure the companys success. When planning any change in mission and objectives it is important to consider their result of such a change on the companys long term strategies. Whatever PepsiCo is doing, it seems to be doing well. The biggest exposure combined in changing mission and objectives would be a loss of focus and loss of momentum. (PepsiCo Vision and Strategy) SWOT Analysis Strength-Weakness-Opportunities-Threats A SWOT analysis summarizes the key issues from the business environment and the strategic capability of an organization. SWOT helps the company to look itself for better and for worse. SWOT is a mean by which the company can better understand what it does very well and where its shortcomings are. It helps company size up the competitive landscape and gets some insight into the vagaries of market place. SWOT is centered to make an internal analysis effective and accurate so that specific strengths and weaknesses of the company with the sound strategy can be built. Source: www.scribd.com/doc/30755295/swot-analysis-pepsi Porter Five Forces Strengths One of PepsiCos top brands i.e. Pepsi is one of the most acknowledgeable brands of the world, ranked according to Interbrand. It was ranked 26th amongst top 100 global brands since 2008. The strength of the brands of PepsiCo is distinct in PepsiCos presence in over 200 countries. It has the largest market share at 39% in the US beverage and at 25% in snack food. It is a multinational company which is very strong and has strong and vast distribution channels. It has a very good relation with Franchise. This company is quality conscious and provides good quality products. Technological Factor Technology is used in manufacturing and packaging of the product, transportation of raw material or delivery of product. Technology affects the transportation costs, production costs and unskilled labor. It also plays an important role in packing of product. The market need to study several important topics to make the best use of modern information technology and marketing information system as strategic asset. The company has a tag line Ye Hi Hai Right Choice Baby. Technology is shaping peoples lives as the most dramatic forces. PESTEL Framework relates this factor. PESTEL Framework Weakness By using weakness analysis we can know about the companys weaknesses and shortcomings so that the profit can be rebuilt. PepsiCo is reliant upon particular carbonated drinks and there is a saturation of carbonated soft drink segment. The company has centralized making factor. One of the strongest weaknesses of this company is that the products it produces target only the young customers. The Franchises are political. Not all products bear the company name. Overdependence on Wal-Mart The largest customer of PepsiCo is Wal-Mart. Therefore the business strategy of Wal-Mart influenced the PepsiCos fortunes. PepsiCo is in pressure to hold down its prices because of Wal-Marts low price themes. Bargaining Power of Customers The power of buyers is the force that customers have on a producing industry. In general, when buyer power is strong the relationship to the producing industry is near to what economist terms- a market in which there are many suppliers and one buyer. Under such market conditions the buyer sets the price. In India the bargaining power is low as the products produces the company is accepted by the consumers. There is no participation of consumers in deciding the taste of soft drink. (Porters Five Forces) Bargaining Power of Suppliers For carbonated soft drink industry there are few suppliers. Every producing industry requires raw materials- components, labor and other supplies. This enhances the buyer-supplier relationship between the industry and the firms that provide it the raw materials used to create products. Also, it is safe to assume that Pepsi and Coke sales account for a large percentage of the suppliers total revenues. The overall bargaining power of suppliers is resulted to be low. Porters Five Forces model can be applied from the above. Today the people are very trendy sensitive towards the advertisement. Therefore people drink Dew on fashionable and trendy. Considering this PepsiCo targeted new generation people and they are able to differentiate between them, few people are conscious about caffeine so they might have negative anticipation about soft drink. Also some people think that in manufacturing process soft drink companies spreading the pollution. We can relate this above statement by applying PESTEL analysis as the social factor is affected because of above point. Opportunities By the increasing population in India it increases the opportunities to the company. As more people keep more demands and also the continuous shifting trend of population also increases the opportunities for the company. For instance, people will exchange to soft drinks from juice and fast foods as the effect from changing social trends. One of the most potential weaknesses seeking by PepsiCo is dependency on US Markets by acquiring Russias leading Juice Company, Lebedyansky in the United Kingdom. By introducing TrueNorth Nut Snacks and increasing its Lipton Tea venture with Unilever, it continues to expand its product based. These recent initiatives enable PepsiCo to regulate in changing lifestyles of its consumers. The demand of Pepsi is over the competitor. PepsiCo can join with major showrooms restaurants with more opportunities. New products can easily penetrate in the market and the most benefitted chance for this company is that non-carbonated is fast growing industry in the world. With increasing opportunities the company does internet promotions and ordering processes. Threats New Entrants Any firm can enter or exit in a market and if free entry or exit exists, then profits always could e nominal. As the raw materials, machinery, labors are easily available in the country there are no barriers to entry in the soft drink processing industry. Because of the generations of loyal customers, the retaliation level of the companies in the industry is very low. According to Porters Five Forces model a new entrant to an industry brings new competence a wish to gain market share position and rather new approaches to serving customer. New player means price will be decreased and margin squeezes which results in low profitability in long run. (Michael Porter, competitive strategy 1980 pp7- 33). The challenge to Pepsi is to build further the brand loyalty in their core cola products so that the consumers will not switch to the cheaper, private label imitations products. Pepsi must maintain the good relations with large retailers as the access to distribution channels is currently one of the largest barriers to entry. Rivalries can also affect the threats of the company. From the model of Porters Five Forces rivalry refers to the actions taken by the firms in the industry to improve their position and gain advantage over each other. All the companies are charging the same prices against their products in the industry. If Pepsi increases the prices of the soft drink, all the companies follow the same path. In a maturing market such as the domestic carbonated sodas, the only way to gain market share is to steal from ones rivals. Substitutes- Substitute products refer to the products in other industries. A threat of substitutes occurs in the change of prices and the product demand is affected of a substitute product. If the more substitute products become available of Pepsi, the demand becomes stretchier since customers have more alternatives. (Michael E Porter Competitive Strategy 1980 pp7-33) Pepsi has a substitute available in the market so that the cola consumption decreases it increases the consumption of bottled water, juices, teas and energy drinks of Pepsi. Conclusion From the above discussion on PepsiCo should increase its market share by tie up with different restaurants and clubs as well as continue or go up with already adopted strategies increase its share through huge advertisement and through sponsoring different events such as it continuously sponsoring cricket matches at national and international levels. It is concluded that the strategies bought up by PepsiCo is not making any effect on the sale of Cola, whereas one is cannibalizing others market only. It is also found that Pepsi brand is behind the Coke especially in Muslim dominated area, which makes a major difference in the market. Pepsi should also focus on increasing pricing advantage. This can be done by one of the ways by giving reverse quantity discounts on new packaging. Another strategy can be used y providing bundled products to convenience stores and restaurants. It can be said that although lagging behind in different products or different areas Pepsi has been able to market their products and increase market share and market growth by applying different strategies and approaches.

Is Walmart Good? Essay -- Business, Global Powerhouse

Wal-Mart, the multi-billion company and the second largest employer in the world, is the most controversial corporation in the world. Wal-Mart is a global powerhouse and affects many people around the world. Wal-Mart is constantly getting attacked from unions, human rights groups, small towns and small businesses. Wal-Mart is accused of treating their workers poorly and driving small businesses out of business. But however these accusations are false or over exaggerated. Wal-Mart offers families and low income people quality products. Also, they pay their workers competitive wages and treat them with respect. Wal-Mart opens their stores in rural and under developed areas. Wal-Mart improves the lives of the people who live rural area and improves their lifestyles. Wal-Mart opens stores at rural areas that are destitute. These people don’t have the ability to buy the newest and best products around. That lifestyle of buying and getting the newest item is foreign to them. Thanks to Wal-Mart these people are able to see this lifestyle and experience themselves (Coster 1). Wal-Mart provides low prices for people to afford more of these great products and to stretch their dollar more. People are saving hundreds of dollars and those savings due add up. According to a study by the New England Consulting group, U.S. consumers save $100 billion annually, or $600 for the average America family (Maich 6). These savings for consumers and families are astounding. This data is not only about for those who shop at Wal-Mart but this data is about all consumers. This is so because â€Å"Wal-Mart sells for less, it forces competitors to cut prices in order to compete† (Maich 6). A study by a UBS Warburg analysts show the impact Wal-Mart has on c ompet... ...ses. No other retailers offer these benefits. Wal-Mart employees are content because of these benefits. Hewitt Associates, a human resource consulting firm, ranked Wal-Mart as the best retailor for workers satisfaction for three years. (Maich 5) This data shows that Wal-Mart is a great place to work for. Wal-Mart is beneficial to many types of people. Wal-Mart is good for the economy and good to it workers. Wal-Mart hires many people from different walks of life and offers their workers many benefits that others retailers don’t offer. Wal-Mart with their low prices benefits consumers and help consumers to save. Wal-Mart is a positive to local economies and improves profits of local businesses. Wal-Mart is not a monster as critics’ states and all these attacks by critics are incorrect. Wal-Mart is not perfect but it is better than most of the other corporations.

John Updikes a & P Is a Coming of Age Story Essay

John Updikes short story, A & P is about a 19-year-old boy, Sammy, and his short but decisive transformation from a carefree teenager to a grown man with the consequences of his actions weighing heavy on him in the end. On an otherwise ordinary day, the course of Sammys life is changed by an out of the ordinary experience which challenges him and compels him to make a rash decision that is based on what he knows in his heart is right for him. Sammy tells the story as if it is just another day while the life-changing event unfolds in a manner of minutes. He gives insight about the town by giving short character descriptions that are revealing, not only of each character, but also of Sammys feelings about the town, the people in it, and his personal perspective on the life that he is living there. Although the character descriptions paint a negative picture, the negativity has more to do with Sammys thought of living in this town with these characters for much more of his young life. It is clear that Sammy is more than ready to move on, beyond where his life is now. Sammy offers few facts about himself other than that he is 19 and lives with his parents in a small, conservative, New England town. Sammy points out that the town is not far from the location of the Salem witch-hunts and burnings in centuries past. The elusion to Salem leaves an image of a lingering puritanical cloud over the town and its people. The story takes place in the A & P grocery store in the heart of the downtown area where Sammy works as a checkout clerk. Sammys co-worker, Stokes, is 22 years old and married with two children. Stokes station in life represents a lifestyle that is not out of reach for Sammy, but certainly not the lifestyle that Sammy desires for his life although it is not clear even to Sammy what exactly the lifestyle that he desires is. Sammys boss, Mr. Lengel, who is a conservative and outspoken man, is a Sunday school teacher and the manager of the A & P. Mr. Lengel is the living image of everything that Sammy does not ever want to be. The customer that Sammy refers to as the cash-register-watchers and a witch (560) is a character that epitomizes Sammys disdain for the attitude of the usual customer that comes through his check out line on a daily basis, as well as the entire citizenry of his small hometown. The life-altering event begins to unfold in the very first line of the story. In walks these three girls in nothing but bathing suites (560). The very first characters who are introduced in the story are everything that is not acceptable in this ultra conservative town, although the three girls bring with them a burst of pure innocent sunshine. Everyone in the store gawks at the three girls as if they have never seen a girl in a bathing suit. The fact is that they probably had never seen a girl in a bathing suit anywhere other than a place to swim which emphasizes that this is an ultra conservative town with puritanical attitudes. Sammy and Stokes are very preoccupied with the sight of the girls and they enjoy every second of it. Mr. Lengle, who doesnt miss that much (563) is fully aware of the enjoyment that Sammy and Stokes are having. Mr. Lengle insults the girls by telling them that they are not decently dressed. In the girls minds, uncluttered by the collective oppressive attitude that is the norm in the store, they are decent and see nothing wrong with their appearance. At this point, Sammy feels embarrassment for the girls and at the same time realizes that he is part of their embarrassment, because he is a part of the collective puritanical attitude. He also realizes that this is a turning point for him. Sammy has arrived at a cross road in his young life and he realizes that if he is ever going to become what he sees for himself in his future, and if he is ever going to reach what he truly desires in his life, he must make a decision. He must decide to break free from the collective attitude or remain a part of it. Sammy makes the decision to break free from the puritanical and oppressive attitude of all of the generations before him. Sammy quits his job and he does it while the girls are still in the store hoping that the girls will take notice that he does not have the same attitude and moral judgment of them and that he does not condone it. He hopes that the girls will see him as their hero. As Sammy takes off his A & P apron and bow tie, he is shedding the old puritanical views and attitudes. As he walks out of the store, he embraces his newfound freedom and coming of age, although he also realizes that his parents will not be pleased. Sammy has known for some time that this is what he would eventually do, and this was the day, because the three girls provided a good reason and the opportunity for Sammy to assert himself, to become his own person with his own perspective, values, morals, beliefs and attitudes. Works Cited Updike, John. A & P. The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature. Ed. Michael Meyer. 8th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2009. 560-64.

The Early Moral development of Huck Magnanimous Huck

The Early Moral development of Huck Magnanimous Huck Free Online Research Papers The Early Moral development of Huck Magnanimous Huck The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn can be read as the story of Huck’s moral development. The essay traces this development by focusing on the following† the influence of Huck’s early education in Hannibal, Missouri; the teachings and behavior of his birth father, Pap; and Lessons he learns through his relationship with Jim. Huck grew up as an outcast with his abusive father pap. He distrusts the morality of the society because it could not protect him from his abused childhood and also treats him like an outcast. Huck chooses to â€Å"go to hell† rather than follow society’s rules and â€Å"go to heaven†. He has been treated as an outcast for so long that he develops the concept of coming to a decision through intense introspection. Huck bases his decisions on his past experience and his conscience; he is untainted by the influences of society. In the novel, Mark Twain depicts a hypocritical society; the people in the novel go to church, and preach for salvation; however, they do not see the cruelty of Society. Aunt Sally provides the perfect example for such hypocrisy; she is generous character in the novel yet she also own slaves. Huck lives outside the hypocrisy and he is able to see the wrongs of slavery and society. Pap is very racist and he always tells Huck about how unworthy African American slaves are. Under these influences, Huck also sees the slaves as inferior beings. Though through his journey, Huck develops an intimate relationship with Jim. Even though Huck still could not completely throw off society’s influence on him, he makes the decision of helping Jim at the risk of going to hell. Huck is torn between the outcast world and the civilized world. Adapted by the Widow Douglas, Huck learns that stealing is wrong. However, Pap always tells Huck that stealing is just borrowing. Entangled in this dilemma, Huck decides stealing certain thing is all right but there are certain things that he could not steal. This situation also tells the readers about the society. Society always loathes parents who abuse their children and devoted Christians make their life’s purpose to help people; however, Society also see it fit to abuse slaves and treat them like property. Huck’s father, Pap, is a strong initial influence to Huck; even after he left Huck, his actions still affects Huck’s decisions and values. â€Å"If I never learnt nothing else out of pap, I learnt that the best way to get along with his kind of people is to let them have their own way.† (Pg. 137) Huck was abused by pap when he was a child. These experiences left a scare that will never disappear in Huck’s heart, he learns from pap to fear authorities or adults. Like an abused child, Huck always blames himself and sees himself unworthy. Later in the story, Huck entangles himself in a situation where he has to go against the authorities and help Jim, the runaway slave, escape. Huck is able to overcome his fear of authorities, and his sense of shame to help Jim because he lacks guidance of a â€Å"proper family†, though ironically, he knows better than the adults around him. The King and the Duke are con artists that cause Huck many troubles. However, Huck still wants to warn them when he found out that the town’s people is going to tar them. Huck forgives people easily because he believes that he is wicked himself. Jim is also a great influence to Huck as they traveled down the Missouri River. In the beginning, Huck saw Jim merely as something that keeps him busy. However, through the fog adventure and the Sheperdsons feud. Huck learns that Jim truly cared about him and develops a sense of respect for Jim. From the time Huck meets Jim on Jackson’s island until the end of the novel, Jim acts as a fatherly figure to Huck. He protects Huck from pap’s corpse, he worries about Huck during the misty scene, and he is the first person that taught Huck a valuable value. He taught Huck that every man is equal and love can be inter- racial. Jim truly cared about Huck and did everything in his power to make Huck happy and comfortable. He also worries about Huck whenever Huck is not around. Jim is the true father figure for Huck. Through their trip, Huck develops an intimate relationship with Jim. This relationship with a runaway slave causes Huck’s conscience to battle with the rule of society. Even though Huck knows that society loathes runaway slaves, his conscience tells him that it is right to help Jim. Huck learns from Ms. Watson that such an act is ignominious and he will go to hell for it. Yet, he still helps Jim because he thinks that he is wicked himself and probably deserves to go to hell. Even though this decision is made under the wrong circumstance, it is the morally right decision. In the novel, Mark Twain depicts a society of hypocrisy. Huck is more righteous than any adult in the novel. He learns to read the world around him, to distinguish good, bad, right, and wrong using his own set of logic. It is because that Huck lived as an outcast that he is able to develop an unbiased personality. The apprehension of society and his relationship with Jim lead Huck to question many teachings of society. Huck chooses to go to hell rather than follow the society rules in which he finds false. Mark Twain successfully developed the character Huck, allowing the reader to travel with Huck and observe his moral development. Research Papers on The Early Moral development of Huck Magnanimous HuckComparison: Letter from Birmingham and Crito19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraCapital PunishmentRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenThree Concepts of PsychodynamicThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows EssayMind TravelInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married Males

Free Essays on Book Report For Kevin Phillips “William McKinley“

â€Å"Evaluating William McKinley† I. Identification Phillips Kevin. William McKinley. New York: Times Books, 2003. II. Author Information Kevin Phillips wrote William McKinley, Which is part of American President Series. Phillips was born on November 30, 1940 in New York, New York. Phillips has very significant educational background with Bachelors of Arts from Colgate University, Bachelor of Law from Harvard University, and he also attended University of Edinburgh. Although Phillips is a republican many regard him and his political views as â€Å"liberal Republican† (Gale). Phillips is known as one of America’s very influential political analyst. Phillips has been involved in political arena since 1964 holding jobs as Administrative assistant of congressman, special assistant to campaign manager for â€Å"Nixon for president†, special assistant to U.S. Attorney General etc. Besides that he was also a Commentator on major news networks such as National Public Radio, CBS Radio Network, and CBS Television. (Gale) Phillips wrote this book to Walter Dean Burnham and Samuel Lubell Who introduced him to the meaning of the election of 1896 (Phillips). He has written many different books and articles about politics, government, and American Economy. Some of his works include The Emerging Republican Majority; Mediacracy: American Parties and Politics in Information Age; The Politics of Rich and Poor: Wealth and the American Electorate in the Reagan Aftermath; The Cousins Wars: Religion, Politics, and the Triumph of Anglo-America; Wealth and Democracy: A Political History of the Rich; The Dynastic Presidency: Family, Politics, and Fortune in the Bush Era; among many others publications (Gale). When writing this book Phillips wanted to give his readers very clear examples of why William McKinley should be ranked in the company of great presidents in American history such as Lincoln, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Washington, and Jackson... Free Essays on Book Report For Kevin Phillips â€Å"William McKinleyâ€Å" Free Essays on Book Report For Kevin Phillips â€Å"William McKinleyâ€Å" â€Å"Evaluating William McKinley† I. Identification Phillips Kevin. William McKinley. New York: Times Books, 2003. II. Author Information Kevin Phillips wrote William McKinley, Which is part of American President Series. Phillips was born on November 30, 1940 in New York, New York. Phillips has very significant educational background with Bachelors of Arts from Colgate University, Bachelor of Law from Harvard University, and he also attended University of Edinburgh. Although Phillips is a republican many regard him and his political views as â€Å"liberal Republican† (Gale). Phillips is known as one of America’s very influential political analyst. Phillips has been involved in political arena since 1964 holding jobs as Administrative assistant of congressman, special assistant to campaign manager for â€Å"Nixon for president†, special assistant to U.S. Attorney General etc. Besides that he was also a Commentator on major news networks such as National Public Radio, CBS Radio Network, and CBS Television. (Gale) Phillips wrote this book to Walter Dean Burnham and Samuel Lubell Who introduced him to the meaning of the election of 1896 (Phillips). He has written many different books and articles about politics, government, and American Economy. Some of his works include The Emerging Republican Majority; Mediacracy: American Parties and Politics in Information Age; The Politics of Rich and Poor: Wealth and the American Electorate in the Reagan Aftermath; The Cousins Wars: Religion, Politics, and the Triumph of Anglo-America; Wealth and Democracy: A Political History of the Rich; The Dynastic Presidency: Family, Politics, and Fortune in the Bush Era; among many others publications (Gale). When writing this book Phillips wanted to give his readers very clear examples of why William McKinley should be ranked in the company of great presidents in American history such as Lincoln, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Washington, and Jackson...

The Trial of Martha Stewart essay question type

Discussing the Trial of Martha Stewart - Essay Example The evidence as presented in her trial assisted the jurors in believing beyond a reasonable doubt that Martha was guilty on four of the indictments against her. The jury could not agree that the government had proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Stewart and Bacanovic fabricated the $60 sale agreement and acquitted both parties on these counts. Stewart was not found guilty of the crime of insider trading when she sold her ImClone shares on December 27th 2001. She did, however, settle in 2006 on the case filed against her by the SEC. They had filed a civil case of insider trading against there in 2003 to which she did not admit or refute her guilt to the charge of insider trading, rather she settled. In my opinion, the U.S, Attorneys, and the Securities and Exchange Commission appeared to use sound and consistent judgment in indicting Martha Stewart. The indictments against Stewarts and Bacanovic did not happen until a year after the December 27th 2001 incident. The indictments came on June 4th 2003. This gap of time allowed enough time to investigate the situation at hand while gathering evidence from all involved parties. There is a law on the books against insider trading. The government entities are responsible for persecuting those that break the law. Martha Stewart was found guilty of breaking laws relating to the incident on December 27th, even if she could not be convicted of the crime of insider trading. Based on the information I read I have no reason to believe that prosecutors had additional motives for pursuing the case. When money is involved it is always a motivator, especially when dealing with a case of a crime against someone who is a millionaire. It would not s urprise me if there was an additional motivation; however, the information on the case was very straightforward and businesslike.

Icts role in primarks operations strategy Essay

Icts role in primarks operations strategy - Essay Example This paper discusses the operations strategy of Primark Stores Limited, a fast fashion retail company that currently operates in Ireland, United Kingdom, Portugal, Spain, Belgium, Netherlands and Germany. Primark is owned by the diversified British giant, Associated British Foods (ABF) and as at the end of 2011 had 232 stores spread in continental Europe . In 2010 Primark beat Marks & Spencer and ASDA to become was UK’s largest clothing retailer by turnover, with sales of  £3,043m. Primark sells a range of fashion items targeted at people under 35 years old who are fashion-conscious. It is identified as the retailer that offers the lowest prices on the high street. Primark is a player in the relatively young retail apparel industry known as fast fashion. Fast fashion refers to the strategy where retailers count on speed of production and adoption to current and emerging design trends to market their merchandise. While fast fashion may be heaven to buyers it can be disastrous to retailers who have to keep changing their inventory rapidly if they are to capture their fashion conscious target market. This however does not prevent the industry from being very profitable. Consider this: in the apparel industry, fast fashion companies have surpassed traditional rivals in growth by seizing their market share. Furthermore, â€Å"fast fashion leaders typically earn higher profit margins than their old-guard competitors, averaging 16 per cent, versus 7 per cent for the typical specialty-apparel retailer†. (Sull & Turconi, 2008, p.5).† However, to better comprehend Primark’s industry and resulting strategies we shall first analyse the industry using Porter’s five forces. 2.1. Five Forces Analysis of Primark’s Industry The strengths of Porter’s five competitive forces has an effect on costs, prices, investments and other factors needed to compete thus they affect the average level of profitability for a given industry (P orter, 2008). This implies that these five forces have a direct correlation with the industry participants’ profitability. Using this line of thought one can therefore state that a firm’s industry structure is a major factor that determines an organization’s competitive strategy (Laudon & Laudon, 2009). The first strong force is competitive rivalry. The UK’s retail fashion industry is according to Mintel (2005) is more consolidated than the rest of Europe with the top five UK retailers account for almost 45% of sales. Secondly, following from the effect of 2008 recession on consumer disposable incomes, the industry is not a basic need category and as such has continued to experience slow growth. All the above attributes are symptomatic of industries where intensity of competitive rivalry is great (Porter, 2008). Another strong force in Primark’s industry is the threat of substitutes largely as a result of the following three characteristics: (1) the garments sold in fast fashion are not durable; (2) Primark’s offerings are low-cost; and (3) the cost of switching from one retailer to the other is very low. These three traits make it