Pygmalion: the Play and Higgins Essay

Pygmalion is a primarily Shavian reworking of Ovid’s Metamorphoses with undertones of Cinderella. Romance and satire dominate both the play’s plot as well as style. Shaw takes a strong central situation–the transformation of a common flower girl into a lady–and surrounds it with superficial trimmings. There is technical innovation in the plot structure since Shaw, under the influence of Ibsen, replaces the stock Victorian formula of exposition, situation and unraveling with exposition, situation and discussion. The plot thus has three distinct stages of development. In the first stage Professor Henry Higgins, who is an expert in phonetics, transforms a common flower girl into an artificial replica of a lady by teaching her how to speak correctly. Prior to this Eliza’s life has been miserable. As a poor flower girl she coaxes money out of prospective customers and is thrilled when she suddenly receives a handful of coins that Higgins throws into her basket. She lacks the capacity to express her feelings articulately and an indiscriminate sound of vowels â€Å"Ah – ah – ow – ow – oo† serves to connote a multitude of emotions ranging from pain, wonder, and fear to delight. However she is not entirely depraved and is at least self-reliant enough to earn her own livelihood by selling flowers. In Act Two Eliza arrives at Higgins’ laboratory at Wimpole Street and haughtily demands that Higgins teach her to speak correctly so that she can become a lady in a flower shop. This desire for financial security and social respectability constitutes a step forward in her larger quest for self- realization. For Higgins Eliza is simply a phonetic experiment, a view that dehumanizes her and results in the creation of an artificial automaton-like replica of a lady. In the second stage of the play the audience encounters an Eliza who has become an artificial duchess. She is no longer a flower girl but is not quite a lady. During Mrs. Higgins’ at-home she proceeds to deliver Lisson Grove gossip with an upper class accent. She is nothing more than a live doll and there is an element of crudity in her parrot-like conversation. The mask of gentility that she wears only partially hides her low class background. Shaw demonstrates here that having fine clothes and the right accent are not enough to make a lady. The fact that the Eynsford-Hills fail to see through her facade implies that they too do not possess true gentility. By the time that Eliza returns after her triumphant society appearance at the Ambassador’s ball, she no longer exhibits this element of crudity. She has benefited from Higgins’s lessons in achieving social poise and has acquired the ability to articulate her thoughts and feelings. She has begun to think for herself and is capable of manipulating any situation to her advantage. The play enters into the third phase of development in Act Four. Eliza now encounters the great moment of truth and reality of her situation. Her education has created in her an intense dissatisfaction with the old way of life and she is not exactly pleased about the avenues open to her as a lady. She realizes that her social acquisitions do not enable her to fulfill her aspirations or even earn a living. She becomes aware of the wide disparity between her desires and the inadequacy of the means for fulfilling them. She repudiates Higgins’ suggestion that she could marry a wealthy husband and wryly comments that earlier â€Å"I sold flowers, I didn’t sell myself† while now that she has been made a lady she isn’t fit to sell anything. She has thrown away her mask and reveals a newfound maturity. She throws Higgins’ slippers at him and thereby breaks free from a life of subjugation and dependence. Critics feel that at this point the play enters into a period of calm and the main impetus of the action dissipates. Eliza’s society appearance has been a tremendous success and after the climatic encounter between Higgins and Eliza in Act Four the dramatic tension disappears. Eliza runs away to Mrs. Higgins and the only issue left is the resolution of her relationship with Higgins. The readers have to agree that the main impetus of the action has disappeared since all the preceding acts had been gearing up for the crucial moment of Eliza’s test. Now Alfred Doolittle’s strategic second appearance performs a resuscitating act for the play in its dying stage. Doolittle’s transformation from a dustman to a gentleman also provides an ironic comment on Eliza’s metamorphosis. After this brief spirit of energy the action returns to the issue at hand – the relationship between Eliza and Higgins. Eliza has developed into a self-sufficient woman and has become a perfect match for Higgins. She has garnered the requisite strength of character and maturity of thought to face life courageously. Gentility has become an integral aspect of her personality. No longer afraid of Higgins, she treats him as an equal. She negates his role in her transformation and insists that it was the Colonel’s generosity and courteous behavior, which truly made her a lady. She rejects Higgins’ proposal that he, she and Pickering live together like old bachelor friends and astounds him by announcing that she will marry Freddy instead and support him by offering herself as an assistant to Nepommuck. Higgins, although hurt at Eliza’s suggestion of assisting the detestable Nepommuck, is nevertheless happy that Eliza is no longer a whining helpless creature but a tower of strength and a woman at last. The play concludes on an uncertain note and the readers do not know whether she might indeed marry Higgins. This reflects Shaw’s inherent distaste for finality. In the majority of his plays the issues and conflicts they deal with are never quite resolved and the audience is left wondering about what will happen after the curtain falls. However Shaw realizing the importance of an ending does provide a resolution in the epilogue. The dramalies neither in the conflict, nor in the discussion or the exposition. The conflict itself arises over the issue of the resolution of the problem. Unless there is a resolution, there is no drama, for the action remains incomplete. Action always has to be completed either comically or tragically. Hence in the epilogue, Shaw resolves the issue by making Eliza marry Freddy Hill. It was typical of Shaw to have provided such an anti-romantic conclusion to the play. Many commentators accuse Shaw of deliberately twisting the natural end of Pygmalion merely to make the play unromantic. But critics would do well to remember that the actual point of ending is not the issue of Eliza’s marriage but her achievement of liberty. While throughout the play Higgins boasts of having transformed a common flower girl into a duchess, after Eliza’s climactic assertion of independence from his domination he remarks, â€Å"I said I’d make a woman of you; and I have. † In this perspective the original ambiguous ending seems preferable to the neat resolution given in the epilogue.

Analysis of Factors Influencing Attrition in It Sector Essay

With the economy of India booming at an all time high despite the impact of recession, it is an employee’s market. A large number of multiple jobs are being circulated in organizations and across industries, employees take little time to ponder and leave for greener pastures. In the event the employee feels dissatisfied with his job content, colleagues, boss or a general feeling of discontentment, disillusionment or disappointment creeps in him, considering present market conditions he need not think twice but can easily chucks for good. But obviously it is not good for the employers. Organizations spend a major buck in inducting an employee, beginning from the recruitment process to his internalization in the organization. After reaping rich benefits in the organization in terms of learning, growth, development and availing every possible opportunity in that time span he feels he should go. The HR department is left in the hanging as how to fill in the gap between the demand and supply in terms of human resources. But it helps organizations understand why at all attrition takes place. Why at all at the first place did the idea for leaving come in the mind of the employee. And if at all it came, then why the organization was not pro-active enough to have sensed his dissatisfaction. Furthermore why was it not well equipped to have stopped him from leaving? The entire cycle is vicious. Normally no one welcomes change unless it is forced to be applied. Similarly when an employee joins the organization, he really has no intension of leaving. Circumstances and conditions arise which make him think towards cutting ties. If negative conditions continue to exist then he is confirmed to leave. We all know people do crib about money, not good perks and facilities but if they are happy they stay for the sake of that happiness. People also join organizations for their need for socialization. When they form friends at their work stations; they look forward coming to office every morning. People leave because of boredom and disenchantment from everything. They find no other recluse other than leaving towards somewhere else.

Public Service and Commercial Broadcasting in British TV Assignment

Public Service and Commercial Broadcasting in British TV - Assignment Example With the television industry required to turn digital and with increasing political interference, the role of PSB and its future has been under debate recently. While programmes such as Master Mind, Dr. Who, and Blue Peter have been hallmarks of PSB, there are certain episodes such as the Hutton Case that has cast PSB under a negative light. In this paper, an attempt has been made to understand the role of PSB in Britain and the controversy that surrounds it. The aim of the paper is to suggest ideas for the future of PSB and commercial broadcasting on British TV. British TV is unique in the sense that it is greatly dominated by public service broadcasting; a prime example of which is British Broadcasting Company (BBC). This corporation and others of its kind are funded by the government and the contents that they produce are thus controlled and scrutinized before being presented to the public (Scannell, n.d). In Britain, there are four principal broadcasters: BBC, Channel 4, Channel 5 and Independent Television (ITV). BBC is the main provider of public service broadcasting and is funded by the government which uses a license fee from consumers to fund the operations of BBC (The House of Commons: Culture, Media, and Sports Committee, 2010). All of these broadcasters are controlled by Ofcom, an organization responsible for controlling and monitoring communications in Britain. Ofcom has placed a mandate on all broadcasters to provide public service broadcasting in order to earn their right of broadcasting in Britain under the IBA Act for Indepen dent Television and Royal Charter for the BBC (Negrine, 1994). Public service broadcasting in the UK serves four main important purposes. These being: to provide knowledge relating to current events to the public; increase the scope of informal learning and its interest in different fields including science, arts, and humanities; to bring into consideration the different perspectives to a story.

Nursing research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 7

Nursing research - Essay Example On the other hand, components of a research study involve  logical flow since one step leads to the other step as a researcher builds on the  previous  step to progress with research. In effect, careful planning of the study will ensure that the researcher addressed expected limitations effectively, which eliminates the possibility of unexpected variables affecting the direction of research. It is common knowledge that study designs are plans that indicate the process of collecting data, the research subjects, and the process of data analysis in order to answer the research questions. In line with this, researchers should select data collection instruments carefully and ensure that the instruments passed the reliability and validity tests in order to ensure that the results were beneficial to the nursing practice. In order to establish the validity and reliability of the instruments of research, it is important to carry out reliability and validity tests. During the tests, a reliable research instrument will produce the expected results from a research study while an unreliable tool will not produce the expected results. In effect, the instrument will not be valid, and a researcher should find other tools that will be reliable and

Employee motivation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Employee motivation - Essay Example This is because the workers feel safe in an environment that is tightly controlled by management. On the other hand, theory Y workers are self-motivated to perform their job responsibilities to the best of their abilities. For these workers, their work is simply an extension of themselves. If they perform poorly in the workplace, then they feel that it reflects badly on them as a person. In business organizations that contain many employees of this type, very little instruction is required from top management because the employees are naturally motivated to perform their tasks and use creative thinking to do so. No matter which type of employees an organization deals with, there needs to be incentives offered that will encourage employees to strive to do their best. An individual goal for an employee could be a bonus depending on how many sales they make in a month. For employees who are not involved in the sales department, this could be translated as how many units of production they do. The added figure to their salaries would be a small percentage based on their work output. Another way could be to offer a promotion if they meet certain company goals. This could be by assigning them to be a manager of a new franchise or factory. Quite naturally, this would result in an increase of pay. For the organization as a whole, the employees can receive a rise in salary based on the total output of the firm. This encourages employees to work well together because it will affect everyone if there is conflict in the workplace. For organizations with a diverse group of employees, the advantage is two-fold: the employees are handsomely compensated for their work, while the total output of the firm increases due to there being less conflict among employees. However, there would need to be an appropriate measure to judge whether some employees are not performing as they should. Any group-based reward system needs to have checks and balances so that no one is

Marketing Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 3

Marketing - Research Paper Example The campaign included a brand which was well known is Ireland "Race Against Waste-Reduce, Reuse, Recycle". This waste management campaign is one of the most successful in history. RPS played a major role in engaging major sectors by creating awareness and implementation of sustainable waste management. Several programs were developed to address waste management throughout the country by targeting all sectors (AlMa’adeed, et al, 2011). As a result, recycling rate in Ireland rose to 35% from 13%. The success of this campaign can be measured through the many awards it won. In Qatar, there is a waste management concern throughout the country. This is because Qatar is emerging to be one of the fastest growing economies thereby increasing the total amount of waste produced. Currently, Qatar is one of the biggest generator id waste with per capita waste generation rates of 1.8kg daily, over 7,000 tons of solid waste daily and municipal wastes over 2.5 million tons annually. Municipalities handle waste management through logistics or through contracting the private sector. The main method of waste disposal in landfills where waste is discharged from collection points by trucks. Land availability in Qatar is limited, as such, landfills are not a practical waste management strategy. It is therefore imperative to note that Qatar needs a comprehensive multi-faceted waste management strategy (Wilson, 2007). The target market for this campaign is the oil companies. Qatar is one of the leading producers and suppliers of oil. As such, it is prudent for the oil and gas companies to appreciate the need for environmental protection through evaluation of their waste management practices. The oil sector produces hazardous waste which is harmful to the environment and health of the public. Waste from oil companies include industrial waste, oil sludge, shipping waste, removal of blockage from pressure technique

Keynesian Liquidity Preference Framework Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Keynesian Liquidity Preference Framework - Essay Example Apart from this optimistic approach there will be some negative characteristics of high money supply like, it will hike the inflation rate up to an optimal level (Fontana 31). Let's say the treasury printed so much in Federal Reserve Bank (FED) which made every American a millionaire, after the retirement of everyone, there would be no more workers or servants left to do the biddings which urges the industries to attract people by raising their wages. This of course is the essence of inflation; so persistency in spending the money would be required to overcome the circumstances which may arise due to higher money supply and we can say that it's a best cure of recession. A recession will change in depression if a "Liquidity Gap" occurs in it. A liquidity gap is when people hoard money and refuse to spend, no matter how much the government tries to expand the money supply. There are ample reasons why people hesitate to invest the money; it can be a consumer loss of confidence on the ec onomy probably due to stock market crash or the law and order situation in the country, natural disaster like earthquake or hurricane are also the major cause which abate the spending of the money in the country, although saving is a good thing but it is not viable if spending and investment are not on an adequate level. You know "Wars are good for economy" (it must astonish you) almost all the economist agree that World War II cured the great depression because the U.S finally began massive spending on defense. Social Programs are much more preferable over the ways to avoid depression. The success of Keynesian economics can be evaluated by having a glance over the recession periods. In U.S, before the World War II, eight recessions worsened into depression which happened in (1807, 1837, 1882, 1893, 1920, 1933 and 1937) and since world war II there have been nine recessions under Keynesian policies happened in (1945-46, 1949, 1954, 1956, 1960-61, 1970, 1973-75, 1980-83, 1990-92) and not a single recession turned into a depression. Richard Nixon who was the 37th president of the United States (1969-1974) once declared that "We are Keynesians now" shows the importance of Keynesian Liquidity Preference Theory. As mentioned earlier savings is a must for the economy. According to Keynes saving is equal to investment; means every dollar which is saved is ultimately utilized as an investment in the economy (Keynes 150). Now the concept of money supply and price level effect comes into place; if the economy reaches on an optimal level then people become less interested to invest and under this influence price level increases because the income level also increases. In liquidity preference framework, Keynes (211) states that the money demand can be equated with the term Marginal Efficiency Unit (MEU). Keynes further apprises that nothing will induce the people to invest money if they are on a consensus that the economy is on its peak point from where the prices of the commodities begin to rise and result in increasing the inflation rate up to a vulnerable position (Handa, 511). The industry which badly gets hurt from this jeopardous situation is the banking industry because

Visual analysis of an artwork Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Visual analysis of an artwork - Essay Example The appreciations of Art as a significant and integral part of the society lead to the development of Visual Arts and Film Studies as a discipline of study by the scholars. In that respect, this paper seeks to give a vivid description of the Georges Seurat's "A Sunday on La Grande gatte" which offers a nice scene. This marvelous piece of art is found in Museum of Modern Art, New York, New York, the United States of America and reflects the wonderful nature of Art . Seurat's balance is carefully positioned and proportioned so that the entire work is interesting to look at. The river to the left is full of yachts and rowing boats, while this balance is matched by the closely placed large figures to the right (Seurat and Hajo 36).In the center of the work is a flurry of activity, which makes the painting's center as appealing to look at as the left and the right. Despite the activity in the piece, however, the artist's placing of his figures lends a degree of formality and static to his piece.His decision to only depict people facing sideways or straight on makes the entire scene seem very rigid and like toy soldiers, which was a criticism leveled against the artist at the time. Seurat utilizes this blending technique through his use of shadows. In traditional painting, shadows are primarily represented by the color black. Following the principles of pointillism, Seurat is able to define his shadows by the color that they come into contact with. The skirts of the women provide the best examples for this. The clothing of the women in the center of the piece seems to be casting a blue shadow on the ground (Seurat and Hajo 37). Seurat's shadows here are not being defined by traditional means but are instead a combination of the colors in its proximity. Here the mix of green provides a blue shadow, which does not follow the conventions of shadow casting. Such a different approach in the creation of shadows is repeated in the dress of the woman on the right. Where the mix of light and green casts a yellow halo for the trees the same effect is mimicked here. The woman's dress creates a slight yellow line before the onset of the shadow and this yellow hue can be seen particularly towards the back of her skirt. Furthermore, the shadow of her dress is a slight shade of blue as Seurat's green grass dots intermingle with the dress' blue and purple dots (Seurat and Hajo 39). Seurat's use of light is one of the unique points of the piece. The work is vibrantly portrayed and the magnificence of the sun bathes the scene's inhabitants in a celestial mid-afternoon glow. Where the technique of pointillism shows its unique aspect is where the light from the left comes into contact with people and objects in the piece. The blend of such colors is pointillism's primary concern and as its founder Seurat's work epitomizes the technique. The tree line at the top of the painting is one example of such a blended effect. The luminous bright white day to the upper left section of the piece steadily becomes less and less white until it blends seamlessly with the vibrant greens of the trees leaves. Seurat's technique means that such tiny dots of white are placed next to dots of green until the relevant effect is actualized (Seurat and Hajo 46).The mix of white and green creates a halo like yellow in parts before it turns fully into green. Seurat's techniq

The Law on Recovery for Psychiatric Injury Caused by Negligence is Essay

The Law on Recovery for Psychiatric Injury Caused by Negligence is Strongly in Need of Reform - Essay Example This is because there must be actual psychiatric injury that is easy to prove which makes sorrow, grief and fear not sufficient to win a case. For a defendant to be established as negligent, the claimant must be able to prove three things.2 First aspect, the claimant must prove that the defendant owed the claimant a duty of care which is a responsibility to avoid sloppy actions that could cause damage to one or more persons. The duty of care is further explained as the responsibility of ensuring that you do not do any harm or fail to do something that may likely injure your neighbor. The law however does not give details on who the neighbor is supposed to be. This is one of the reasons that the law should be amended since it does not give a clear definition of who our neighbor is, if it is a person one closely relates to, people defined by property proximity or people you relate with everyday. The next factor considered in duty of care, the claimant must provide evidence that the def endant failed to grant the appropriate standard of care that a sensible person would have provided in similar circumstances.3 The standard of care is explained as a way of measuring how well and much care a reasonable person owes another. There are rules that come with this duty, whether the defendant is a learner, child or a professional because standards differ from one person to another. Some people’s standards of care are higher than others depending on your call of duty or even your line of work. Drivers and doctors, for example, have a higher standard of care toward other people than the reasonable human being because there are responsible to other people’s lives than themselves. It does not matter whether they are learners of profession since there standards of duty are set much higher than other professions. This law is determined by so many factors which makes it ambiguous to prove ones guilt or innocence. Example for people with the skill to do something that any reasonable person would not be able to do is charged with negligence for lack of standard to care of duty. There is also the situation where a child commits a deed with intention of harming others are judged as adults yet there are other rules applied to the same misconduct if the person is of a certain age group. There should be many factors when deciding reasonable standards of duty and care for reasonable people. Example, if there could have been prevention from both parties to avoid more harm and what cautions could be taken by reasonable persons. All the risks involved and the degree of the same by the claimant to reasonable person. Extent of the harm will also be well thought-out in court. The damage to the claimant will be taken into account as there may be two similar damages but of different magnitude which will be unfair to rule equally yet the extent of damage to one was more than the other. It is important to ensure that all the three consideration are taken into ac count so that all the claimants affected by psychiatric disorder caused by negligence are given a fair trial. The claimant must also verify that the events of the defendant were the reason of the plaintiff’s injuries or breakdown. Influencing the cause, known as getting facts, is time and again done by applying but for experiment. Damage would not have happened but for the defendant’s measures. If a driver takes a group of people on a road trip and fails to install seat belts in the car and they

The play - A Dolls House Essay Example for Free

The play A Dolls House Essay This play is about a womans marriage and how it is altered by the lie she has told. The supporting characters in the play enhance the emotional effect of the play and cause us (the reader) to have various emotions which, range from annoyance to sympathy for all characters in the play. The play is about relationships in particular a picture perfect marriage, which is not all as it seems. From a more social point of view it is about womens role in society during Ibsens (the author) lifetime. The play is a reminder to modern day women that the things we take for granted now (our independence i. e. taking out a loan without father/husbands authorisation. ) were very difficult if not impossible to achieve then. The play reaches its climax in three acts, and uses its acts to get the point of the story across. Act one is the introduction to the story. It is where we (the reader) find out about Noras (the main character) secret. It sets the scene very well, as this is where we really get to know Noras personality, which is not at all as it first seems. Act two develops the story, this is where the supporting characters really add their personalities to the play and bring another image of Nora to the forefront and also add more depth to the story. Act three is the conclusion. This is where all the drama from the first two acts is thrown together to form a very dramatic end. A Dolls House builds up tension and atmosphere like a pressure cooker. Towards the end of the play it explodes into a surprising but excellent finale, but although it has a dramatic end it is not frantic or hurried, it is actually rather to the point. Torvald is married to the central character of the play, Nora. Torvalds complete ignorance of his wifes true nature only builds up the tension and atmosphere once you begin to understand Nora. Torvald is a petty and arrogant man; this contributes towards the tension for the reader because we soon begin to dislike his character. He appears to be very patronising and sexist and treats his wife as a possession, cant I look at my most treasured possession? At all this loveliness thats mine and mine alone, completely and utterly mine. However in Ibsens time (1879 the Victorian period) this was the acceptable, if not expected behaviour of a husband. Torvald thinks that the more unintelligent a woman is the lovelier she is. But do you think I love you any the less for that; just because you dont know how to act on your own responsibility I wouldnt be a proper man if I didnt find a woman doubly attractive for being so obviously helpless

Woodrow Wilsons Scandal

Woodrow Wilsons Scandal Woodrow Wilson was the 28th president of the United States. Wilson was born on December 28th, 1856, he was an American scholar who was best remembered for leading the United States into World War I. Woodrow was born into a religious family and also very well-educated. In 1885 future President Wilson married his first wife, Ellen Louise Axson. Ellen was the daughter of a Presbyterian minister. Wilson and Axson met at her fathers church in Rome, Georgia, they were instantly attracted to each other, together they shared a strong religious belief and an even stronger passion for arts and reading. A year into Woodrows presidency, Ellen succumbed to kidney failure brought on by Brights disease. Brights disease is involving chronic inflammation of the kidneys. The main individual involved in Woodrow Wilsons engagement/affair was Woodrow Wilson who was the 28th president and was born in 1856. Ellen Louise Axson who was born in Savannah, Georgia, graduated from Romeis Female College and was recognized for her artistic ability, she had 3 children and one died in 1905, then Axson died on August 6, 1914. Woodrow married Ellen Axson and had 3 children, Axson died then a year later after her death Wilson married Edith Galt.Galt was married to Wilson in 1915 and believes to be a descendent of Pocahontas. Wilsons affair started in his marriage with Ellen and went through his marriage with Edith. Woodrow had an affair with Mary Allen Hulbert. Hulbert met Wilson when he showed up at her door and said he was on a mission of national urgency. This scandal has many facts to prove what has happened. It was during Wilsons tenure at Princeton University that Ellen found herself in the role of the betrayed wife (Wilson A portrait). During this time Ellen had sent Wilson alone to Bermuda while she stayed home to watch after the children. Wilson was absolutely devastated by Ellens death she had been his greatest emotional support. And now suddenly she was taken away (Wilson A portrait). Before Ellen passed away she was always concerned with her husbands well being, she had the family physician make a promise to her to always make sure to look after Wilson when she no longer could. Wilson wandered alone through the White House. He was heard by his staff to mutter one phrase, again and again My God, what am I to do? (Wilson A portrait). Wilson wanted to love and support a strong woman like Ellen. Wilson was not a widower for long. He met and married Edith Bolling Galt, in December 1915 (Woodrow Wilson marries Ellen Axson in Sav annah, Georgia). The couple was introduced by Wilsons cousin and a mutual friend. In 1916 when the presidential campaign started to fire up, many of the advisors for Wilson worried that his marriage to Edith so soon after his first wifes death would become a political responsibility. Edith Bolling Galt, with whom he was in love, and would soon marry (An Honorable Affair). Edith was always at Wilsons side but her presence irritated and frustrated Wilsons advisors. ..she was accused of signing Wilsons signature without consulting him, though she insisted this was not the case and blamed the accusations on her husbands political opponents (Woodrow Wilson marries Edith Bolling Galt). In October of 1919 Wilson suffered a stroke while touring the nation to promote his plan for the League of Nations, the League of Nations was an international organization designed to prevent any further conflicts like World War I. During Wilsons recovery from the stroke Edith consumed the role of steward, screening his mail and official papers. Hulbert and Wilson met in 1907 in midwinter on the island of Bermuda. She was 44 and temporarily alone, on her yearly escape from a loveless marriage in Massachusetts. Wilson was 50, then president of Princeton University, also vacationing alone, decompressing from a grueling fight with university trustees and a popular dean over the disposition of private endowments to the graduate school. Ellen, was back in New Jersey, ailing, beset by a depression that strained their marriage (An Honorable Affair). In Bermuda the bougainvillea, a flower, was in bloom. Bermuda was the setting for an affair, Hulbert owned Shoreby, a huge, estate on the island. Hulbert entertained governors and captains of industry like Mark Twain. She was everything the Princeton president was not, vivacious, free spirited, and fun loving. Hulbert was to have said; if any letters are to exist they would only be from Wilson and give him a bad reputation. Wilson was said to ha ve been a virgin until his first marriage at 28. His long face and glasses gave him a look of impossible correct thinking, and the high starched collars and stovepipe hat in which he was frequently photographed in. Wilson seemed more modern but also unapproachable. The story of the alleged love affair, more or less, died with her Dearest friend is how the married Woodrow Wilson addresses his most ardent letters to Hulbert. With infinite tenderness is how he signs them. He was smitten (An Honorable Affair). The time of this affair ranges from 1885 to 1961. In 1885 Wilson married Ellen Axson, although they both became instantly attracted to each other they did not marry until 1885, because Ellen was unwilling to leave her heartbroken father. 27 years later, Wilson became president and Ellen became the 28th first lady; of those who knew Ellen in the White House they described her as calm and sweet, a motherly woman, pretty, and refined (Ellen Axson Wilson). In 1914 Ellen died at the age of 54, it was still the Victorian Age. Doctors didnt share any prognosis they didnt know of with the patient or the patients family, but Dr. Grayson knew Ellen, she was a steel magnolia who demanded the truth. A year after Ellens death Wilson married Edith Galt in 1915. Edith, who claimed to be directly descended from Pocahontas, was the wealthy widow of a jewelry store owner and a member of Washington high society (Woodrow Wilson marries Edith Bolling Galt). In 1916 Wilson had an affair with Mary Allen Hu lbert. Theirs may have been the most proper and dignified and discreet and downright honorable illicit affair in history. Hulbert, the woman in the hotel room, was said to have possessed compromising letters that attested to a lengthy extramarital dalliance between herself and Wilson (An Honorable Affair). 1919, Wilson had suffered a stroke. 8,000 miles in 22 days had cost Wilson his health, Wilson had just cut his tour short of the country to promote the League of Nations. Wilsons suffered constant headaches, collapsing from exhaustion in Colorado, he managed to return back to Washington to suffer a near-fatal stroke on October 2nd. Wilson left office in March of 1921, he and a partner established a law firm, Wilson died at his home on February 3, 1924 at the age of 67. Woodrow was buried in the Washington National Cathedral and he was the only president to be buried in the nations capital. Circumstances surrounding this case are results of an affair between Woodrow Wilson and Mary Allen Hulbert. That a serious sex scandal would have been devastating to Wilsons presidency, and eroded his moral authority at a critical time in history (An Honorable Affair). Hulbert said that any letters that could possibly exist would only hurt Wilsons credit and further burnish his good name. When rumors of an affair initially surfaced during Wilsons first presidential campaign in 1912, his opponent, Teddy Roosevelt, peremptorily dismissed them: You cant cast a man as a Romeo when he looks and acts so much like an apothecarys clerk (An Honorable Affair). Wilson had an eventful eight-years of presidency, the gossip of Mary Hulbert then known as by her married name, Mary Peck, escalated. , the presidents second wife, tens of thousands of his personal papers became available for publication by the Liberty of Congress (An Honorable Affair). These papers, Hulbert sold to an official biographe r, long after Wilson passed. All along There had long been rumors to that effect. Hulbert and Wilson had long denied them. But now there was, apparently, an offer on the table (An Honorable Affair). This rumor was never proven because Mary Hulbert wouldnt talk, Ms. Hulbert claims that the only letters that could possibly be found would be the ones that Wilson sent to her. The government was affected in many ways. enjoyed having her sit in the Oval Office while he conducted business, which led to accusations that she had undue influence over who was allowed access to the president (Woodrow Wilson marries Edith Bolling Galt). At this time Wilson was recovering from his stroke, Galt assumed the role of looking after Wilson, screening his mail and official papers. In their first year she convinced her scrupulous husband that it would be perfectly proper to invite influential legislators to a private dinner, and when such an evening led to an agreement on a tariff bill, he told a friend, You see what a wise wife I have! (Ellen Axson Wilson). The Wilsons preferred to being without an inaugural ball and the First Ladys entertainments were simple, but her disorganized feelings made her partys successful. The story of the alleged hotel room bribe appeared in the 1925 series of memories Hulbert wrote for the Liberty magazine, a year after Wilsons death. When i t was published, there was a one-day furor in Congress. Rep. Frank Reid, an Illinois Democrat, introduced a resolution demanding an investigation (An Honorable Affair). If Hulbert would have been right there had been much effort to give up on an innocent man and underestimate the Constitution for political gain. During this time he would abandon his lifelong caution, initiating a series of moves that would lead to his resignation from Princeton (An Honorable Affair). This would cause a political career that would lead him first to the governorship of New Jersey and then to one of the great presidents in American history. Wilson lost stature as an academic administrators but gained a national reputation as a fighter for intellectual freedom and an enemy of the monied elite (An Honorable Affair). Speaking before the next graduating class when his letters indicated a growing passion for Hulbert, he told the graduates that there are things one does for duty and things one does for joy. Had President Wilson not met Edith Galt and had been defeated in the 1916 re-election, Wilson might have married Mary Hulbert. But for a presidential candidate to have acknowledge any serious intentions toward her, a divorce, would have been, social and political suicide.The story of her alleged love affair, more or less, died with her (An Honorable Affair). Edith Wilson may never have been able to read the letters her husband wrote to Hulbert but in her last years she told Wilsons scholars Arthur S. Link and David W. Hirst that there probably wasnt much of anything in them. For the rest of Ediths life she was dedicated above all else to preserve her husbands image of greatness. As the 1916 presidential campaign heated up, many of Wilsons advisors worried that his whirlwind courtship and marriage to Edith so soon after his first wifes death would become a political liability (Woodrow Wilson marries Edith Bolling Galt). A man and a woman loved and respected each other. They did not permit whatever passion they shared to destroy marriage. What happend, happend. They took it it to their graves. Whatever degree of intimacy they enjoyed, the details should remain as one might argue these matters should remain completely, eternally, gloriously private (An Honorable Affair). Hulbert always found men with agendas, and politicians more attractive but she always denied it. It was said by Gene Weingarten that Wilson and Hulbert loved each other and that the relationship they had was a mystery to Wilsons presidency. Weingarten also had the question of But were they lovers? (An Honorable Affair). When the married Wilson addressed his letters to Hulbert it would start with Dearest friend and signed With infinite tenderness. Wilson told Hulbert he missed her when she was not in Bermuda while he was. Yet she must have instinctively realized that Wilsons secret romance had been restorative and life enhancing to h im and that, she, too, owed a debt of gratitude to Mary Hulbert (An Honorable Affair).

A Clash of Cultures in A Passage To India Essay -- A Passage To India E

     Ã‚  Ã‚   A Passage To India is a classic example of how different cultures, when forced to intermix, misunderstand each other, and what consequences stem from those misunderstandings. All of Forster's greatest works deal with the failure of humans being able to communicate satisfactorily, and their failure to eliminate prejudice to establish possible relationships. A Passage To India is no exception. (Riley, Moore 107) To understand Forster's motive, it must be established that he is a humanistic writer. Harry T. Moore states "Of all imaginative works in English in this century, Forster's stand highest among those which may properly be called humanistic." (Riley, Moore 107) His main belief is that individual human beings fail to connect because the humanistic virtues, tolerance, good temper, and sympathy are ineffective in this world of religious and racial persecution. However, he also believes that personal relationships aan succeed, provided they are not publicly exposed, because values and noble impulses do exist within human nature. "Life is not a failure but a tragedy principally because it is difficult to translate private decencies into public ones." (Riley, McDowell 108) Forster is conscious of the evil that exists in human nature. Forster feels men do not know enough to control that evil, and he takes on the humanistic responsibility to secure internal and external order by utilizing reason. f orster depended on the individual's conscience and sense of identification with others as equal components of the human race as his basis for maintaining that order. He also gives the individual social, political and metaphysical worth, and favors the individual when in conflict with society. (Riley, McDowell 108) It is fo... ...ia University Press, 1979. Riley, Carolyn, ed., Contemporary Literary Criticism. 4. Detroit, Michigan: Gale Research, 1975. Bradbury, Malcolm, "E. M. Forster as Victorian And Modern: 'Howard's End' and 'A Passage To India',"     Possibilities: Essays on the State of the Novel (1973 by Malcolm Bradbury; reprinted by permission of   Oxford University Press), Oxford University Press, 1973. Riley, Carolyn, ed., Contemporary Literary Criticism. 3. Detroit, Michigan: Gale Research, 1975. Johnstone, J. K., "E. M. Forster (1879-1970)"" The Politics of Twentieth Century Novelists, edited by George      A. Panichas (reprinted by permission of Hawthorn Books; 1971 by the University of Maryland;)   Hawthorn, 1971. Riley, Carolyn, ed., Contemporary Literary Criticism. 1. Detroit, Michigan: Gale Research, 1973.   McDowell, E. M. Forster, Twayne, 1969.   

Christianity and Popular Culture Essay -- Religion God Jesus Papers

Christianity and Popular Culture In his classic work Christ and Culture, H. Richard Niebuhr asserts that the relationship between earnest followers of Jesus Christ and human culture has been an "enduring problem."1 How should believers who are "disciplining themselves for the purpose of godliness" (1 Tim. 4:7) relate to a world whose culture is dominated by "the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life" (1 John 2: 16)? Culture is God's gift and task for human beings created in His image and likeness. At creation humanity received a "cultural mandate" from the sovereign Creator to have dominion over the earth and to cultivate and keep it (Gen. 1:26, 28; 2:15). But sin's effects are total, and culture—whether high, popular, or folk—has been corrupted thoroughly by rebellion, idolatry, and immorality. How, then, should Christians, who have been redeemed, "not with perishable things like gold or silver . . . but with precious blood, as of a lamb, unblemished and spotless , the blood of Christ" (1 Pet. 1:18-19) live in relation to culture? According to Jesus in His high priestly prayer, believers are to be in the world but not of it (John 17:11-16). But in what way? How do believers act in and interact with the "crooked and perverse generation" (Phil. 2:15) that surrounds them and of which they are a part? This is not an easy question, and yet the Church cannot avoid responding to it. Over the centuries, various Christian communities have developed alternative perspectives on this very influential Christ-culture connection. In the extreme, some believers have advocated a complete rejection of culture (Anabaptists, fundamentalists), while others at the opposite end of the ecclesiastical spectrum ... ...se two extremes. It serves as an alternative to both manipulation and meaninglessness. It is an agency of common grace. Since TV manufactures audiences to sell products to, they cannot be manipulated as machines. They cannot be told that life is nihilistic. Rather, they must be entertained. So Jacobson sees a redemptive role for popular culture as an antidote to the present cultural mess. His advice is unique: Turn your TV back on. You will find things worth watching and thinking about. He tells readers what to look for in a variety of programs, and even shows how expressions of grace can be found in Bufy the Vampire Slayer. Notes 1.H. Richard Niebuhr, Christ and Culture (New York: Harper and Row, Publishers, Harper Torchbooks, 1951), chap. 1. 2.Richard J. Mouw, He Shines in All That's Fair: Culture and Common Grace (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2001), p. 9.

Polar Bears :: essays research papers

Habitat Polar bears prefer to live in extremely cold artic climates. They live only in the Northern Hemisphere, on the arctic ice cap, and they spend most of their time on coastal areas. Polar bears are widely spread in Canada, extending from the northern arctic islands south to the Hudson Bay area. They are also found in Greenland, on islands off the shore of Norway, on the northern coast of the former Soviet Union, and on the northern and northwestern coasts of Alaska in the United States. Physical Features The polar bear is one the largest members of the bear family. Males Polar Bears stand from eight to 11 feet tall and generally weigh from 500 to 1,000 pounds, but can weigh as much as 1,400 pounds. Female bears generally stand eight feet tall and weigh 400 to 600 pounds, except some, which can reach 700 pounds. The reason the polar bear weighs so much is that is stores about a four-inch layer of fat to keep it warm. The polar bear has a long, narrower head and nose, and small ears. The polar bear has coat that appears white but, each individual hair is actually a clear and hollow. This helps the polar bear keep warm. The polar bear's coat helps it blend in with its snowy surroundings, this adaptation helps the Polar Bear hide while hunting. The polar bear's front legs are slightly pigeon-toed, and fur covers the bottoms of its paws. These adaptations help the polar bear keep them from slipping on ice. Diet The polar bear rarely eats plants. That is why it is considered a carnivore, or meat-eater. The ringed seal is the polar bear's primary prey. A polar bear hunts a seal by waiting quietly for it to emerge from an opening a seal makes in the ice allowing them to breathe or climb out of the water to rest. Polar bears eat only the seal's skin and blubber of the seal. The remaining meat provides a food source for other animals in the Arctic. Polar bears also prey on young walrus’s. The remains of whale, seal, and walrus are also important sources of food for polar bears. In fact, because of their acute sense of smell, polar bears can sense animal remains from far away. Breeding Breeding usually takes place in April to June. Polar bears reach breeding maturity at three to five years of age.

The Board of Directors †Roles and Responsibilities

The Board of Directors – roles and responsibilities The board's key purpose is to ensure the company's prosperity by collectively directing the company's affairs, whilst meeting the appropriate interests of its shareholders and stakeholders. The objects of the company are defined in the Memorandum of Association and regulations are laid out in the Articles of Association. Appointment of directors The ultimate control as to the composition of the board of directors rests with the shareholders, who can always appoint, and – more importantly, sometimes – dismiss a director.The shareholders can also fix the minimum and maximum number of directors. However, the board can usually appoint (but not dismiss) a director to his office as well. A director may be dismissed from office by a majority vote of the shareholders, provided that a special procedure is followed. The procedure is complex, and legal advice will always be required. Role of the board of directors Boards c an be helped greatly by focusing on four key areas: Establish vision, mission and values †¢ Determine the company's vision and mission to guide and set the pace for its current operations and future development. †¢ †¢ Determine the values to be promoted throughout the company. Determine and review company goals. Determine company policies Set strategy and structure †¢ Review and evaluate present and future opportunities, threats and risks in the external environment and current and future strengths, weaknesses and risks relating to the company. †¢ †¢ †¢ Determine strategic options, select those to be pursued, and decide the means to implement and support them. Determine the business strategies and plans that underpin the corporate strategy.Ensure that the company's organisational structure and capability are appropriate for implementing the chosen strategies. Delegate to management †¢ Delegate authority to management, and monitor and evaluate the implementation of policies, strategies and business plans. †¢ †¢ †¢ Determine monitoring criteria to be used by the board. Ensure that internal controls are effective. Communicate with senior management. Exercise accountability to shareholders and be responsible to relevant stakeholders †¢ Ensure that communications both to and from shareholders and relevant stakeholders are effective. †¢ †¢ Understand and take into account the interests of shareholders and relevant stakeholders. Monitor relations with shareholders and relevant stakeholders by gathering and evaluation of appropriate information. Promote the goodwill and support of shareholders and relevant stakeholders. Responsibilities of directors Directors look after the affairs of the company, and are in a position of trust. They might abuse their position in order to profit at the expense of their company, and, therefore, at the expense of the shareholders of the company.Consequently, the law i mposes a number of duties, burdens and responsibilities upon directors, to prevent abuse. Much of company law can be seen as a balance between allowing directors to manage the company's business so as to make a profit, and preventing them from abusing this freedom. Directors are responsible for ensuring that proper books of account are kept. In some circumstances, a director can be required to help pay the debts of his company, even though it is a separate legal person.For example, directors of a company who try to ‘trade out of difficulty' and fail may be found guilty of ‘wrongful trading' and can be made personally liable. Directors are particularly vulnerable if they have acted in a way which benefits themselves. †¢ The directors must always exercise their powers for a ‘proper purpose' – that is, in furtherance of the reason for which they were given those powers by the shareholders. Directors must act in good faith in what they honestly believe to b e the best interests of the company, and not for any collateral purpose.This means that, particularly in the event of a conflict of interest between the company's interests and their own, the directors must always favour the company. Directors must act with due skill and care. Directors must consider the interests of employees of the company. †¢ †¢ †¢ Calling a directors' meeting A director, or the secretary at the request of a director, may call a directors' meeting. A secretary may not call a meeting unless requested to do so by a director or the directors. Each director must be given reasonable notice of the meeting, stating its date, time and place.Commonly, seven days is given but what is ‘reasonable' depends in the last resort on the circumstances Non-executive directors Legally speaking, there is no distinction between an executive and non-executive director. Yet there is inescapably a sense that the non-executive's role can be seen as balancing that of t he executive director, so as to ensure the board as a whole functions effectively. Where the executive director has an intimate knowledge of the company, the non-executive director may be expected to have a wider perspective of the world at large. 2The chairman of the board The articles usually provide for the election of a chairman of the board. They empower the directors to appoint one of their own number as chairman and to determine the period for which he is to hold office. If no chairman is elected, or the elected chairman is not present within five minutes of the time fixed for the meeting or is unwilling to preside, those directors in attendance may usually elect one of their number as chairman of the meeting. The chairman will usually have a second of casting vote in the case of equality of votes.Unless the articles confer such a vote upon him, however, a chairman has no casting vote merely by virtue of his office. Since the chairman's position is of great importance, it is vital that his election is clearly in accordance with any special procedure laid down by the articles and that it is unambiguously minuted; this is especially important to avoid disputes as to his period in office. Usually there is no special procedure for resignation. As for removal, articles usually empower the board to remove the chairman from office at any time. Proper and clear minutes are important in order to avoid disputes.Role of the chairman The chairman's role includes managing the board's business and acting as its facilitator and guide. This can include: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Determining board composition and organisation; Clarifying board and management responsibilities; Planning and managing board and board committee meetings; Developing the effectiveness of the board. Shadow directors In many circumstances, the law applies not only to a director, but to a ‘shadow director'. A shadow director is a person in accordance with whose directions or instructi ons the directors of a company are accustomed to act.Under this definition, it is possible that a director, or the whole board, of a holding company, and the holding company itself, could be treated as a shadow director of a subsidiary. Professional advisers giving advice in their professional capacity are specifically excluded from the definition of a shadow director in the companies legislation. RCW 5/11/2000Sources: Standards for the Board, Institute of Directors The Independent Director, IoD/Ernst ; Young Running a limited company, David Impney ; Nicholas Montague, Jordans  © 2000 Brefi Group Limited http://www. corporatecoach. co. uk/

Lost Boys by James Garbarino: A Review

Through the ‘Lost Boys, by Dr. James Garbarino discusses the phenomenon of youth violence in America, with emphasis on understanding its causes as a major tool for dealing with the menace. This essay seeks to explore the main points and arguments pointed about in the book, ways in which society has failed in curbing the disorder, and what can be done to INTRODUCTION: A TYPICAL SCENARIO A 15-year African American Ken lived in the inner-city trouble zone of Los Angeles, with parents who are both poor and uncaring. He grew up to protect himself, seeing the world as an unsafe place: He saw form his point of view, that life is unbearable and one must be aggressive to make your way through life, especially to possess the material things that mattered to him. He understood that he was not cared for by his parents, but seen as an outsider; he was detached. On many occasions when he was young, he had been abused by his father, bullied seriously at school and for that he developed an aggressive approach to living as he grew up. He also hated his father for his violent activities and unwholesome behavior of drinking and smoking. At his age, he got hooked up in a gang of five boys who called themselves ‘Fox Army’. Because of his dedication to these gang activities, his performance at school dwindled. For this, his father expresses serious harsh words on him, telling him he would never be anything good in life. In the whole of this picture stood a fearful mother who was always quiet and strictly aligned to the father’s opinion. Ken wondered on several occasions why he and his siblings were treated as such. He was ashamed of himself and his family. Having being threatened by his violent father with guns on several occasions, he felt the gun was a tool to silence enemies. In the gang, they all seem to share the same experiences of parental neglect and abuse, depression and confusion about the essence of living. They never felt any emotions nor did they perceive anything positive about schooling, family and other things around them. They share same schema of life: fight to protect yourself, enemies are out there in the world planning to eliminate you. The faster of us win to survive and see the light of another day. To see another to get others, use illegal means to make money and acquire material possessions in an attempt to use such things to eliminate the deep-seated feelings of worthlessness and shame. They were eager to make money by all means; so, they got into illegal drug sales. They also started smoking and drinking, adventures they felt would relieve them of the burden they carried. In no time, they had access to the guns of their parents for protection. Even with these, Ken did not make as much money as his friends. He got really frustrated and distressed because he needed the money to add up to that he got from his parents to stay in school. He woke up one morning by hammering slaps of his violent father who accused him of theft. He was guilty of the offence; yet, he denied it. His father started threatening hi with guns again. He left his bedroom and headed to the sitting where he kept his gun: he reached for it, and with it, killed his parents. In this vexation, he started saying all sorts of things like: ‘Fox soldier, go for the bait. Kill the enemy with sharpened teeth of the fox. Go and deal with the wicked world’ He kicked the main entrance door open and shot in the crowd of school children going early to school. He shot continuously, until he became so vexed and put the gun into his head, pulled the trigger and said, ‘it all ends here’. As the noise of the approaching cop intensifies, he pulled the trigger and shot himself. It was reported that five people died including Ken. The news was carried by a local newspaper. The only national daily that featured it described the teenager as ‘brutal’ and ‘horribly terrible’. And that was where it ended. Nobody wanted to know more. ‘WHAT IS NOT SEEN AT THE SCENE’ The main intention of the writer is to draw the attention of the Public to the menace of youth homicide with emphasis on understanding what is not seen at the scene, as a tool to stemming its tide. The scenario created above typifies the main point and arguments enunciated in the ‘Lost Boys’. The ideas launched in the text were based on statistical date from reliable sources, the experiences of those who have been affected in one way or the other by acts of youth violence and a ‘systematic’ approach to understanding what is not seen at the scene of the incident. He also drew ideas from the research and writings of other experts in the field to arrive at the following salient points: Youth violence is a major societal disorder that is quite extensive. However, it is obscured from its staggering reality by the national homicide picture which is reportedly stable. Lethal violence is common among the poor African-Americans and Hispanics, those who form the minority groups, with only few cases by Americans. These groups are concentrated in the inner city and suburbs of the South. As a result of those involved, the media and the general Public ignore ‘making sense’ of such crimes giving limited attention to it. This is claimed to be as a result of racism and class bias, as well as the perceived immunity Native Americans think they have. With the current tide of the menace sweeping to the abode of the ‘immunized’, he argues that no one is really immune. The current incidents recorded with new white faces awakened the Public to the reality of the issue: white teenagers are joining the train. With this pointed established, everyone sees a problem to be checked and it is easier to do. Having established that everyone is endangered, he seeks to lay a foundation for finding lasting solutions. First, he emphasizes the need to understand why the killers kill others and themselves. He believes that this would invariably be achieved by learning from the lives and experiences of those who have lived with it for the past two decades. Drawing form this point of strength where everyone’s attention is drawn, he shows that the accumulation of risk factors such as smoking, involvement in gang activity and illegal drug deals, access to guns, family history of violence, psychiatric disorders is central to the distorted behavior of killers.   He emphasizes that the causes of youth violence are complex and cannot be associated with a single factor. He notes that culprits are no animals but humans who have been strongly influenced by risk factors they grew with, and only live to bury their deep-seated shame by acts of violence; they are like Ken, who did not see any cogent reason for living. THE WAY OUT Having stated the reality of violence, the ‘Southern’ location of its prevalence because of prevailing factors and the lessons of the past, he then proposes ways of dealing with the violence: Both the individual and the community, are involved.   The individual needs proper parental care, protection, training and mentoring; these would help to build a strong self-image and create positive outlook to life. The home is the first community that is pertinent in building a good child: this should be stable, loving and full of positive affirmations for the growing child; necessary needs should also be met. The government has a major role to play; it should enact laws that reduce crime, promote community campaigns against violence and crime, provide funds for educational and health institutions. A credible and fair justice system must be on present. He particularly suggested a ‘Visiting Nurse Program’. He also emphasized good working relationships between professionals involved with the menace of youth violence. In conclusion, a society who fails to wake up to the roar of a wandering lion by getting hunters ready, should be prepared to dance to the music of the Vulture that would feast on their carcasses.   

Marketing plan Essay

This Report presents the strategic Market entry plan of Victoria Secret in Singapore. Victoria Secret is an American brand owned by Limited Brands Company with retail of Lingerie, Women’s Wear and beauty products with annual revenue of USD 8. 7 billion and market share of over 50 percent in North America. It was launched in 1970 by Roy Raymond who started this chain when he had nightmare experience while showing Lingerie for his Wife. He believed that â€Å"Underwear† is not just an Innerwear but can be converted into a Fashion product by tuning in proper colours, styles and patterns and make a product a sex symbol. As it caters to large market in its home country it has been strongly based but now for better growth and more returns Victoria secret has started International expansion. It is one of the fastest growing Lingerie products under Limited Brands Company Umbrella and contributing more than 40% of profits. 1000 number of Stores give strong presence to Victoria Secret and Online shopping ads to the charm. Victoria Secret invests heavily on Advertising with USD 65 Million average for year. The brand symbolizes romance, class, love, desire and romantic moments. They marketed these products by show casing their products with angel looking models breaking ice of set standards of modelling. It is one of the most watched and appreciated Fashion Shows of the world and features world’s best Supermodel as there showstopper creating a feel of sensation in female gender. The brand also took lines from Dove Advertisements by redefining beauty and showing the product users with boosted confidence and sexier looks. The company has done horizontal integration by expanding product range from Lingerie products only to cosmetics, women wear and cosmetics. The appealing brand image gave quick returns on the new product range and helping Victoria Secret in capturing new markets at higher pace. Also what is helping Victoria Secret is its excellent supply chain and IT collaboration which have helped in cutting down overheads. As companies are looking for growth and stability the expansion into Asian market is unavoidable so is for Victoria secret. Singapore being expanding and booming economy can be next destination for Victoria Secret. Singapore also has high fashion conscious population with high income. Singapore being financial hub and supply chain hub is residence for people who have highest per capita expenditure on luxury brands in all segments. In Asia, Singapore boosts for being top market for growing luxury brands. Country also boosts strong tourism and having largest malls in South east Asia helps cater to being selected as best destination in Asia for expansion. Being business friendly government adds to positive of Singapore. Business environment Factors Demography Population rose 2. 5% in 2012. Total population was 5. 4 Million. The Demography of Singapore consists of mix of Chinese, Indians and Malays which account for 74 %, 9 %, and 13% respectively with maximum population between 20-64. Singapore also is world tourist attractor and counts for approx 12 million tourists a year. Total female population is approx 50% and this results in large market size. Female also play dominant role in the society as they also earn. This results in freedom of females and opportunity for them to satisfy their needs. Political Stability Singapore the synonym for freedom to do business was ranked in top 10 best countries to start business. It takes 3 Days on average to start business in Singapore and this is result of stable political System in the country. It has been ranked among top countries for business environment for consecutive 14 years setting benchmark. Singapore is worlds one of the least corrupt country in the world. It ranks 1’st in corruptions perception Index, 2013. The political Stability in the country has provided the most stable economy in South East Asia. Economy The Economy of Singapore is strong with 5. 1% in 3’rd of 2013. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Singapore was worth 274. 70 billion US dollars in 2012. The Expected Net GDP for Singapore is expected to beat market trends and grow more positively in 4’th quarter. The Economy is supported by FDI, skilled labour and fully planned and excellent Infrastructure. The Rising economy has lead to rising per capita income. With the current economic scenario Singapore will attract more youth and global players which will bring more fashion conscious society which will indeed help growth of luxury segment. Industry With rising brand conscious population and trending international brands today brand is equally important for innerwear as is for outer wear. This was proved by growth of this segment industry even during depression of 2008. The rising economies of scale and large production numbers has led to reduced price of product which has increased demand and purchasing capacity. The following factors have contributed largely for growth of this industry: 1) E-Commerce: With rising e-commerce trend and more sophisticated players coming in picture the market has been taken by storm by these players. The customers have not fallen but E-commerce has attracted more customers because of easy access and getting products sitting home. Singapore boosts well E-commerce network with many local players in market along with international Players. The E-commerce has led to fall in prices of product as it involves lesser overhead costs. Association with global E-Commerce players has helped Victoria Secrets attain marvel in other countries and can do the same in Singapore also. 2) Sophisticated Supply chain: With rising use of Sophisticated IT tools for inventory planning, forecasting, Designing and scheduling has helped to reduce costs and development of industry in total. Many Global Brands with innovation in Supply chain have set example for the world. Singapore boosts excellent supply chain network and being Supply chain Hub is excellent destination. Market Analysis Singapore Market size Increase in Per capita income has led to entry to Luxury and premium brands coming in Singapore. The Size of market is expanding and will have higher success rate in coming years. The Table Below shows the growth of Women’s Inner-ware in Singapore. Source: Euro monitor International from trade associations, trade press, company research, trade interviews, trade sources a) Target Females in Age group of 18-50 which means 200,000 females. Middle and Upper Class Tourists Young and Brand Conscious Generation. Competition Triumph , Aerie , Calvin Kline , Armani , Sorella , Etam , La Perla Adore-Me offers direct-to-consumer lingerie at about half of Victoria’s Secret prices Intimint asks customers to take a quiz and sends them new lingerie selections every month, based on their preferences True ; Co. sends women five bras a month, giving them the option of keeping what they like and sending back what they don’t. Low Price and high variety local Players who have well established network in Singapore c) Porters 5 Forces 1) Supplier Power: LOW, As Victoria Secret has Production facilities in Thailand and India the supplier Power is very low. Buyer Power: HIGH, As Singapore already has high end Lingerie brands in its vicinity the Customers have wider options and can shift their preferences. The market has both lower prices segment and more premium segment. 3) Competitive Rivalry: HIGH, As Singapore already houses Premium Luxury lingerie brands who have worldwide recognition, Victoria Secret has high competition. 4) Threat of substitution: HIGH, The price range plays critical role as Victoria Secret has Competition with lower, same and high price range Products. 5) Threat of New Entry: LOW, Being well established worldwide name has its own fan following which attracts masses. New entries will take time to create impact and in that mean Time Victoria secret can come up with Contingency plan. Landscape a) Independent Women: Singapore being modern and economically sound has Independent women who earn well and spend well. This has led to brand conscious population b) Internet Penetration and Media sensitivity: Singaporeans are always connected to Internet. This has led to Strong E-commerce market here. The Media plays important role as Singaporeans try new western brands more frequently and invest heavily in it if the like the brand . Population Mix: Being strong economy Singapore has attracted  nationalities from various countries which have brought in sense of fashion, demand for authentic classy items. This Demand is of high end products. d) Location: With production plants in nearby countries such as Thailand and India and Strong Supply chain hubs the Location is also ideal. Singapore being small can’t accommodate Production facility so being centre for supply chain helps. ENTRY IN SINGAPORE: MARKET FEASIBILITY STUDY Design Victoria Secret is renowned for its strong designing team which comprise mixture of people around the world to understand each geographic trend. Once they understand the trends they create new trends in the market. It defines Sexiness as youthful, mature, energetic, adorable and intimate. The competitors have targeted another value like Triumph emphasises on Simplicity. Victoria Secret will benefit from point that Singapore is mix of many. The Design Teams have large market size which they can target with larger variety. Bold and Loud Brand Promotion This brand brings sense of comfort and pride among women. This is reflected in there promotion activities. The brand highlights the beauty of every individual and helps concealing imperfections with its unique designs. It is most bought product by models. Their Catalogues feature world’s hottest and sexist women in the world. Singaporeans are vivid about Fashion and Luxury products. With Rising Per capita income and proper promotion by hiring trending models of Singapore Victoria Secret can target masses. The Footfall in malls is one of the highest in Asia which can contribute to high sales if located at proper places. Rapid Growth of High-end Female Market Women are booming rapidly in Singapore who are either in White collar jobs, Leaders, Elites, working in Multinationals, entrepreneurs etc. These women have decent jobs, High disposable income and strong purchasing power. Maximum percentage of Women are highly educated. They are open and eager to accept and use trendy and fashionable Products with good quality. They Care about their Lifestyles, Health and bodies. This is supported by fact that Singapore has low obesity Rate of 7. 3 % in females and ranks much below America where obesity is 35. 5% in females. As women consider themselves independent and delicate it is highly possible for them to spend a remarkable amount of income on underwear and branded lingerie for self rewards. This will help Victoria Secret to enter the market easily and reap Benefits of growing and educated economy. Price Barriers and Distribution Channels Normal bra Ranges from 40-80 USD in US which reduces to almost half during sales. Singapore can also cater to demand with same or lesser Price as there are production facilities in India and Thailand. This will help in taming local players who play games of lower prices. Price would not be a Barrier for Victoria Secret to enter into Singapore. Having strong supply chain network with both these countries and being placed near the demand can be met. The Retail Distribution channels are strong and can be built easily in Singapore owing to small country size and Strong local infrastructure. Being Business friendly environment will help Victoria Secret to Establish Strong Distribution channels in Shorter Periods. Overview Retail market in Singapore is up by 3. 3% in August 2013 is back on track after falling slightly. Total number of Retailers in Singapore is more than 30000 with less than 1% for Lingerie Products. The Scope of market is high. Singapore is heavily sustained on Imports from US, Malaysia, Thailand and Australia. Market Challenges and Opportunities Singapore has tightened foreign nationals working in labour market and this has led to increase in labour markets. The Rentals have gone for toss and are very high. The overheads cost the most for setting up business in Singapore. Being business friendly country the market attracts large number of players who provide cheap products, copied items from various world renowned brands. With challenges are opportunities also, being supply chain hub the country can act as stepping stone to enter bigger markets like of china. The Strong judiciary System and quick decision making helps to curb challenges faced such as intellectual copyrights and those related to design copying. SETTING UP RETAIL OUTLET IN SINGAPORE 1) Documents Required for Registration The following documents/information is required for registering a Singapore branch office: a) A certified copy of the Certificate of Incorporation of the foreign company. b) A certified copy of Memorandum and Articles (MAA) of the foreign company. c) Particulars of the directors of the foreign company. A memorandum of appointment and details of at least two persons resident in Singapore who will act as the agents for the Singapore branch office. e) A memorandum executed by or on behalf of the foreign company stating the powers of the local agents. f) Details of the registered office address in Singapore 2) Registration Procedure and Timeline The professional firm hired to handle the branch office registration will take care of all the necessary registration formalities. No physical visit of company executives is required from headquarters. The registration process consists of two basic steps: 1) Name approval 2) Entity registration. The name for the Singapore branch must be the same as that of the parent company. It will generally be approved unless it is identical to any existing company name or is vulgar in nature. Assuming necessary document are ready and there are no delays in the name approval process, registration of a Singapore branch can be completed in 1-2 days. The company registrar will send an email notification confirming the registration of the Singapore branch 3) Retail Outlets – Key Facts and Requirements a) Business Incorporation: Before one can begin operations, retail outlet must first be registered with the Singapore Companies Registrar, ACRA. This involves just two procedures that can be completed online within 24 hours. It is best if retail outlet offers unique products and services that are not currently available in Singapore’s colourful retail market. b) Approval for Premises: One must ensure that intended business premise is an approved location for retail business. To have retail outlet in a conservation building or private property, approval from the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Singapore (URA) is required for making additions or alterations to the premises. A Fire Safety Certificate from the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) must be obtained to verify that retail outlet meets all fire safety requirements. If outlet is located in a shopping mall, the landlord may expedite the necessary approvals for you. 4) Licenses for Setting Up a Retail Outlet in Singapore Depending on the nature of the merchandise or products offered by retail outlet, apply for the relevant licenses. If outlet offers products which can affect human health and safety, relevant licenses may be required. To Import and sell cosmetics products domestically, notify the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) before placing the product in the market via the HSA’s PRISM site. The fee for the notification of cosmetic products is pegged to each product’s risks and variation (colour etc). 5) Hiring Staff Starting a retail outlet or franchise means that one may need to bring on board employees from home country to oversee operations. If one intends to employ or transfer employees from home country, apply for the relevant Singapore employment pass on their behalf. The Singapore employment pass is however subject to approval by the manpower authority and must meet Singapore’s new productivity vision. 6) Taxation of Singapore Branch A Singapore branch is generally considered a non-resident company for tax purposes. Non-resident companies are not eligible for tax benefits resulting from available tax incentives and tax treaties meant for resident companies.   Annual Filing Requirements Section 373 of the Companies Act requires a foreign company to file its Annual Report and the audited accounts of its Singaporean branch office within two months of its Annual General Meeting, or within 7 months from the  end of its financial year whichever is earlier. Also, each Singapore branch is required to file a Tax Return on an annual basis. MARKET ENTRY STRATEGY Victoria secret can enter Singapore Market in following ways: American exporters use agents or distributors to serve the Singapore market and other markets in Southeast Asia. Singapore firms are aggressive when it comes to representing new products and usually respond enthusiastically to new opportunities. Singaporean companies are open to joint venture proposals. Price, quality and service are the main selling factors in Singapore. Prospective exporters to Singapore should be aware that competition is strong and that buyers expect good after-sales service. Selling techniques vary according to the industry and product, but are comparable to the techniques used in any other sophisticated market. It is also important for U. S. firms to visit their representatives and maintain a good relationship with them. Victoria Secret has expanded in Maximum countries with 100% ownership strategy expect countries where it is difficult or impossible. As Singapore is business friendly and Provides Option for 100% investment Victoria Secret should come as 100% subsidiary. RECOMMENDATIONS 1) Enter the Singapore with 100 % subsidiary 2) Launch all product range in one go from Innerwear, shoes, cosmetics and clothes. 3) Target Shopping Centres for their retail operations for better Visibility 4) Promotion using both international and domestic models for better appeal 5) Enter with 2-3 Stores in Initial Phase for better understanding and Expand Further after setting customer base 6) Join hands with E-Commerce industry both domestic and International to promote brand 7) Target not only Young but also Middle age and Old age 8) High Variety and Utmost quality to remain Core of Business in Singapore also 9) Customized Marketing using social media and Electronic Platform 10) Customized Designs for Singapore Customers as per their taste and like 11) Customer Engagement using print media 12) Virtual Trial Rooms and trained Women staff for guidance on shape and size

Algebra I Chapter Review

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Compare and Contrast of Renaissance Furniture - Research Paper Example The chairs had turned legs which were also carved by hand. Drawer fronts and doors were also carved delicately. This comparison gives us the idea that renaissance furniture was at first influenced by the Roman and Greek designs, and sooner they were adopted by the Italian craftsmen. The Italian renaissance furniture influenced many other styles as well as the Art revival period led to the enhancement of a different and unique style. The Italian renaissance furniture further inspired the Dutch furniture. Overall, the renaissance period had different periods in which different styles of furniture were present. All of the furniture pieces were carved and painted using themes of culture and history. The antiques were greatly inspired by historic and cultural symbols such as palaces, buildings, figures, flowers, and other significant figures. The renaissance furniture shows the transformation from Gothic designs, to historical and methodological, to cultural. Early furniture pieces were made and designed for the wealthy and royals while later it was seen that more domestic and original designs wer e made. With great changes in the renaissance era seen in education, arts, and literature, there was also significant change seen in the furniture characteristics. History of Furniture Design in the Renaissance. (n.d.).  History of Furniture Design in the Renaissance. Retrieved October 15, 2014, from

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Under Armour's global expansion in a foreign market - Essay Example This paper recommends that Under Armour carry out an in-depth analysis on its internal capabilities and the unique Chinese market as well as learn from the examples of Coca-Cola and Nike. One of the main challenges in entering China is the political system which has long been influenced by communist thought. In this huge economy, political intervention is very much prevalent in the private and industrial sector thus curbing competition among industry players. The Chinese government is a strong adherent of local industry protection which makes it very much in tuned and sensitive to the concerns of domestic business organizations to the detriment of multinationals. It should be noted that the political system often hinders growth of foreign companies through legislations which protects the interest of the local players. The political environment posts a significant barrier to entry together with Chinese people’s cultural attitudes towards Western or foreign companies. Unlike other Asian countries which are imbued with colonial mentality, Chinese are known for their preference of buying from domestic companies. The experience of Coca-cola and Nike in the Chinese market suggests that Under Armour enters China by forming an alliance with the government and establishing a joint venture with a local player. Coca-cola’s phenomenal success in this country is its partnership with the government and local companies in production and distribution of its products. Another notable strategy is localizing the products to suit the preference of this unique market. Coca-cola undertakes this by introducing tea products which takes into account the market’s penchant for tea. Even Nike creates products which carries Chinese elements like dragon inspired patterns, red-silk accents, and Chinese characters. Under Armour should also

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Evolution and Revolution as Organizations Grow - Assignment Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that the term revolution of growth has been used to describe substantial turmoil in the trading periods of the organization. Established companies have been able to distinguish the clues that will define their future. On the other hand, those that fail to establish these clues are not lucky to realize their main goal of doing business. Many organizations are in apposition to overcome the external force but do face challenges dealing with their own history of management. This can be termed as direction phase where the company needs the directions. The third phase is the delegation phase. The main aim to start any form of business is not only to make profits but also grow and develop. These developments can be subdivided into phases. There are key forces of developments in this paper will discuss. This paper highlights the main dimensions used to determine the model of any organization development. To start with, the age of the business, the si ze of the business, the various stages of evolution, the stages of the revolution and the general growth in the industry. All this needs good management team in place as well illustrated in BPW Australia. The fourth phase is the coordination phase. Each stage of evolution gives birth to a new revolution. The managerial team is busy looking for solutions and this revolution dictates the next evolution in the business sector. Another important model is the age of the organization, the experience that the company gains over time helps a lot in its growth and development. Every procedure is extensively reviewed. The top executives are there to maintain high business standards. The fifth phase is the collaboration phase. The Size of the business has now fully grown sales volumes of the company have increased, its employees and the like. The level of the hierarchy is established, creating more opportunities within the organization internally and externally. This has the effects that evolu tion can be prolonged whereas revolution can delay when the profits of the business are achieved in a faster way. Again at this phase regular top management meeting are done regularly, to spot any issues arising.

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The chinese economy in may 2013 - Research Paper Example According to a report by Anderlini, the rise noted in May is the eighth record of consecutive improvement of the economy with the expansion notable from the over 50% mark in the PMI. This trend implies that the Chinese economy is expanding and hence providing incentives to investors. HSBC manufacturing PMI was 49.2 in May, compared to 50.4 reported for April with a Median forecast of 49.6, which is actually a contradiction within the sector. Exports equally moved from 48.6 in April to 49.4 in the month of May (Anderlini, 2013, para 1-13). However, despite the notable slight expansion, IMF has lowered their expectation of the Chinese economic expansion from the initial 8% for this year to slightly lower figure of 7.75%. Hsu from the Taipei Times reports that HSBC speculates the current trends observable in the performance of Yuan currency, which will lead to full conversion of the currency by 2017. This is evident from the deliberate move by the government of China to increase flexibi lity of exchange rates and simplification of the cross boarder dynamics for business transactions (Hsu, 2013, para 1-6). With these speculations, the use of the Yuan currency would be more acceptable across borders, which would translate to higher economic performance. The cost price index (CPI) in China for the month of May 2013 recorded a decline from 2.4% to 2.1% and left low - the phenomenon was explained by the moderating food prices experienced, while inflation in service industry remained mildly at 2.8% for the month, because of salary and wage increases. The overall growth domestic product (GDP) for the month of May shows a slight reduction in comparison with the preceding month. This is partly explained by a notable reduction in investment within the property and manufacturing sector of the economy. However, there was a disparity in industrial performance with the tertiary industry remaining unchanged within the market, while the primary and secondary industries recorded a decline. The decline in PMI indicates a constriction in the general manufacturing sector as per the month (UOB Kay Hian, 2013, 2-7). Lower than 50% of PMI indicates that the economic manufacturing sector has constricted as compared to the preceding month, while a record of PMI (which is above 50%) is an indicator that the economy has expanded in that month as compared to the preceding one. According to ‘China Macro Flash† June 3rd 2013 publication, the notable 7.8%YoY GDP growth in 2Q together with the improved performance in PMI are negative indicators to investors that the government would not work on cutting the interest rates, as earlier forecasted with the prior performance (Cheng, 2013, 1; Anon, 2013, 4). Moreover, according the ‘Korea Macro Flash† June 3rd 2013 publication, the export growth in China for the period between April and May this year increased from 16.1% YoY to 16.6% YoY. China's exports rose by +1.0% in May from a year earlier, compared t o an increase of +14.7% reported for April (Karunungan and Kim, 2013). On the other hand, the import growth in China declined from 8.3% in April to 5.5% in May 2013 showing a negative improvement by 2.4 % YoY (Chang, 2013, 3). China's imports fell by -0.3% in May since the last year, compared to an

Finance international business Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

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