Prisoner Reentry in Michigan

The state of Michigan spends more money on jails and prisons than it does on education, but is this money well spent? The Michigan Prisoner ReEntry Initiative would suggest that it is. The MPRI is a collaborative effort that draws from the commitment of community groups, the Michigan Department of Corrections, and other state agencies. Launched in 2003 and expanded statewide in 2008, the initiative’s mission is to equip every released offender with tools to succeed in the community.The MPRI is a nationally recognized commitment to public safety that gives prisoners the tools they need to succeed in a process that begins when they enter prison and continues through parole and reintegration into the community. The MPRI has effectively reduced Michigan’s prison population, recidivism rate, and crime rate. (Figure 1) It has broken the cycle of soaring Corrections costs by investing in safe alternatives to costly and unnecessarily long stays in prisons.By breaking the cycle of crime and incarceration, the MPRI has managed to cut spending on prisons down by 293 million dollars annually, and although that may be the biggest benefit it is one of many. (1) The number one goal of the MPRI is to reduce crime. It does that by better preparing parolees before they return to the community, making smarter decisions about who is released and when, and providing enhanced supervision and services in the community. It ensures what Lansing Prison Warden Kenneth McKee calls â€Å"a game plan for success,† which includes a team of supporters from the community who will help them carry out the plan. 1) MPRI begins at intake, when a prisoner’s risk, needs and strengths are measured to develop individualized programming. Prior to parole, offenders are transferred to a reentry facility, and a transition plan, which addresses employment, housing, transportation, mentoring, counseling and any necessary treatment for mental illness or addictions, is finalized in close collaboration with community service providers. After release, officers use firm but flexible graduated sanctions- including short stays in a reentry center if needed-to manage rule breaking before it escalates to more serious transgressions.All correctional jargon aside, the basic message remains; you can’t put offenders back into the situation and lifestyle they came from before prison and expect the outcome to be different. This is where â€Å"reentry† comes into play. (2) The MPRI was built in three phases to create seamless transitions back into society. Phase one is the â€Å"getting ready† phase. This phase begins the day the prisoner enters the prison. It starts at the reception center with a comprehensive assessment of each prisoner’s risk factors, needs and strengths.A Transition Accountability Plan is formed to determine the services the prisoner will need to prepare them for life after prison. This plan also establishes a set of expecta tions for the prisoner and how well they adhere to the plan weighs heavily in decisions made by the Parole and Commutation Board. Phase two is the â€Å"going home† phase. This phase begins about two months before the prisoners expected release date. During this phase, prisoners identified as needing more intensive preparation and support are transferred to an â€Å"in-reach† center, a prison closer to home.This helps set the stage for a smooth and successful transition. The focus during this phase is also to help the prisoner find work and become â€Å"employable† as well as setting up stable housing. Depending on their needs, prisoners are linked with community services such as substance abuse treatment, mental health services, or sex offender therapy. The conventional role of a parole officer is transformed to a case manager in an effort to help the transition team get a support system in place.When the parole date arrives the prisoner is armed with a structu re and support network in place to help them succeed. Lastly, phase three is called the â€Å"staying home† phase. As opposed to a decade ago where parolees were released on a Friday and had a weekend or more to get into trouble before their first meeting with their parole agent, they are now released earlier in the week and they promptly meet with their parole agent and service providers. This first meeting is used to establish job leads, assist with resumes, ensure medical assistance if needed and identify stable housing. 1) This transformation of Michigan’s corrections system has been remarkable, but it did not happen overnight. Over the course of eight years the MPRI has moved from an idea of fixing a broken system to a comprehensive strategy that is changing the nature of prisons. In doing this the MDOC has created many employment opportunities for positions such as parole agents, corrections officers, teachers and case managers. The transformation has also change d the way former prisoners view people in these positions.Grand Raids police officer Terry Dixon runs a weekly support group for MPRI participants and says that â€Å"Many are looking at police officers in a new way, as supporters. † (1) The MPRI is constantly meeting challenges; one of the largest being special needs prisoners. Those include youths, the medically fragile, those with mental health issues and sex offenders. Before the MPRI, says Michigan Parole and Commutation Board Chairwoman Barbara Sampson, parole board members were reluctant to grant parole to the mentally ill because they knew services were not in place to help them succeed.Now, she said, the transition accountability plans are designed to ensure a smooth transition to the community. Similarly, she said, effective new treatment programs are in place for sex offenders. (1) The $56 million spent on the MPRI in fiscal year 2011 is substantial, but it is only a small fraction of the $2 billion Michigan Depart ment of Corrections budget, and it is paying back dividends in public safety and reducing the prison population.The rate of parolees returning to prison for new crimes or technical violations is at its lowest level since record keeping began 23 years ago. Even though there are more parolees, the number returning to prison for new crimes fell from 2. 020 in 2006 to a projected 1,836 in 2010. Michigan’s prison population grew by nearly 500% between 1973 and 2003, consuming a much greater share of tax payer dollars. The number of prisoners has safely declined by almost 7,500 since March of 2007 and is at its lowest level since 1999.As a result the state has been able to close 14 correctional facilities. (1) It is important to recognize what the MPRI is and what it is not. It is not a magic potion that will eliminate crime. It is also not an early release program. Every parolee has served at least the minimum court imposed sentence. MPRI is a strategy that pulls together the stat e, the community, police, mentors, therapists, and others to give each returning prisoner a game plan for success.Former Saint Clair County Community College professor Michael Berro explains the MPRI bottom line as being â€Å"the understanding that the majority of felony offenders will return to our community. We should prepare them for it so they don’t end up back here, spending our tax dollars again. † (3) Michigan may be spending more money on jails and prisons than it does on education, but consider the effect the MPRI has had on repeat criminal offenses, inmates in prison and the general crime rate. It has successfully managed to lower all three.When the state’s budget is squeezed by declining tax revenue, and areas of spending are under question, it seems the success of a government funded program couldn’t come at a better time. WORKS SITED 1. Michigan Department of Corrections. (2010). Michigan Prisoner ReEntry Initiative 2010 Progress Report. Lan sing: Public Policy Associates, Inc. 2. Wesoloski, E. (2011, April 15). Pew Center Report Lauds Michigan Prisoner Reentry Initiative. Prisons and Prisoners, p. 1. 3. Berro, M. (2006, March 13). Former Maccomb County Parole Supervisor, College Professor. (R. Spangler, Interviewer)

Chinese Features on Hamlet

Chinese Features on Hamlet By Xia Chen Student Number: 3070313019 Supervisor: Lu Junyan A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Degree of Bachelor of Arts in the School of Foreign Language Studies, Ningbo Institute of Technology, Zhejiang University May 10, 2011 Abstract Hamlet is considered as one of the greatest works of Shakespeare, since the play Hamlet is a magnificent example of western classic tragedies and the hero Hamlet is a combination of various personalities and contradictive human values.It becomes valuable as an important source material of study for not only literature but also sociology and anthropology. This paper is composed of four parts including introduction, main body and conclusion. The main body could be divided into two parts, which are Hamlet’s Chinese features as a human and Hamlet’s Chinese features as a tragedy. In the first part, Hamlet’s characters will be compared with Chinese traditional culture: fili al piety, the concept of family, morality and sexual discrimination. Filial piety is considered as one of the most important Chinese traditional criterions.In the play Hamlet, when the ghost of the died king, who was Hamlet’s father, asks Hamlet to revenge for him, it seems that the revenging becomes the most important thing of Hamlet, even more important than his love with Ophelia, it shows that Hamlet has a strong sense of filial piety. What’s more, to Chinese people, family is as important as one’s life. Hamlet also tries his best to protect his family in the play. In addition, Hamlet has the sense of sexual discrimination. He thinks women are petty and low, and he does not think men and women are equal, which is also a feudal character in acient China.In the second part, the play Hamlet is compared with Chinese tragedy the Orphan of Chao’s on theme and the enjoyment of tragedy. By this way, the relationship between Hamlet and Chinese culture will be c learly expressed. Keywords: revenge; love; family; Chinese culture Contents 1 Introduction1 1. 1 Research Background1 1. 3 Research Purpose2 2 Hamlet’s Chinese Fetures as a Human3 2. 1 Hamlet’s Character3 2. 2 Hamlet's Chinese Fetures6 2. 2. 1 Hamlet’s Filial Piety8 2. 2. 2 Hamlet’s Concept of Family4 2. 2. 3 Hamlet’s Sense of Sexual Discrimination4 . 2. 2 Hamlet and Golden Mean4 3 Hamlet’s Chinese Fetures As a Tragedy5 3. 1 The Orphan of Chao’s4 3. 2. A Chinese Topic: Revenge4 3. 3 A Chinese Way To Enjoy The Tragedy4 4 Conclusion10 References12 Acknowledgements13 1 Introduction 1. 1 Research Background The play Hamlet, written by Shakespeare, is considered as one of the most magnificent art works in the world, and it has been long studied by scholars all around the world. Hamlet is a story about the princess of Denmark, Hamlet, whose father was murdered by Hamlet's uncle.Hamlet's uncle married Hamlet's mother, the queen, and became t he new king, which made Hamlet so despaired and angry that he was eager to revenge for his died father. However, Hamlet was a contradictive young man and he was always hesitating, which made him feel painful in his mental world and he almost committed suicide. By the leading of a ghost, which was Hamlet's died father, Hamlet found out the truth of his father's death, then he began to pretend as he was mad so that he might have a chance to kill his uncle, the new king.Hamlet tried to show the truth to the public by a play, which made the new king angry and he decided to banish Hamlet. Fortunately, Hamlet was so clever that he made a stratagem to get rid of the punishment, and he went back to Denmark. Then, Hamlet killed his fiancee’s father as a manslaughter, which made Hamlet's fiancee Ophelia lose her mind. Ophelia's brother asked him to duel with him in front of the new king and queen. The queen drank a bottle of poisonous wine which was for Hamlet when she was watching the duel and she died.Hamlet was stabbed by a poisonous sword in the duel, before he died, Hamlet killed the new king by that poisonous sword. Hamlet is an epitome of human being. His personality is complicated and everyone might find some similarities with Hamlet. This makes Hamlet a symbolic character, and the studies on Hamlet could not only help people to know western classic literature better but also make people think deeper about their life. In this essay, the author would like to make a comparison between Hamlet and Chinese culture. 1. 2 Research PurposeMany authors emphasize on certain aspects of literature study on Hamlet or Chinese culture, like the tradition of filial piety, the comparison of Hamlet and Chinese classic literature, Hamlet’s personality and Hamlet’s value system. The author thinks that many studies on this thesis have already been done but there is not anyone who has done a general study on the topic of Hamlet’s Chinese feature, so there is the possibility for the author to do some research on it. The weakness of recent study is that most of the studies are isolated from each other.For instance, â€Å"Tradition of filial piety in China and Western culture† [1] is talking about what is common that the Chinese people tend to extremely value such filial duties as serving, respecting, filially obeying the aged parents, and worshiping their ancestors whereas such acts of filial piety are not taken so seriously in the Western culture. It could be a point that supports what mentioned in â€Å"The family relationship in Shakespeare's plays† [2], and it can help readers to go deeper into each of these two essays. However, few authors have done any study on the filial piety in Shakespeare’s plays, which makes this field blank.What's more, when Chinese readers are reading the play Hamlet, what might help them to understand the literal meaning is a dictionary or a translation work, but they may always get c onfused about the story’s culture background and Hamlet’s thoughts about love, family and life. Bacause there was not many literature which can help Chinese readers to understand Hamlet from comparing Chinese culture with Hamlet, it is necessary for the author to do some research on it so that more Chinese readers can understand Hamlet easier. 2 Hamlet’s Chinese Features as a human 2. 1 Hamlet’s characterThe Tragedy of Hamlet is one of the four most famous tragedies written by Shakespeare, and Hamlet is the protagonist in it. Throughout the whole play, the contradictory sides of his character could be seen easily. On one hand, Hamlet is a wise, brave, and kind-hearted young man; on the other hand, he is sometimes timid, careless, and even a little bit cruel. Hamlet enjoys a high social position and has a good reputation among his people. But once he is called back from the university to Danmark by his father’s sudden death, he is involved in misery and the arduous task of avenging.Life suddenly becomes so complicated and challenging for Hamlet because of his mother’s hasty marriage to his uncle, the new king and also the one who killed his father. Hamlet is young and inexperienced, and his strong character enables him to stand firm under such a difficulty. Although he feels isolated and lonely, he remains calm, contend with his uncle’s repeated persecutions by using his intelligence, and carrying out the revenge finally, though at the cost of his own life.Through the whole play, â€Å"we can see that Hamlet is neither a frail and weak minded youth nor a thought sick dreamer, on the contrary, he is fearless and impetuous in action† [3] His rushing after the ghost, killing Polonius, dealing with the King’s commission on the ship, jumping into the grave of Ophelia out of honest love and executing his final revenge during the duel with Laertes make him appears insensible to the fear of any ordinary kin d. In the play, Hamlet’s delay and hesitations in carrying out his task of revenge is also obvious.Hamlet even appears to be slow and shrinking sometimes. There are several good chances for him to kill Claudius bu everytime he just lets them slip by. Sometimes, when he fails to make good use of a chance, he will find some excuses for his inaction to comfort himself. For instance, when Hamlet is on his way to his mother’s chambe, he finds the new king is praying, he could kill the new king on the spot by his sword, but he give up the chance and he tells himself it will send someone to the heaven if kill him when he is praying.If his delay is due to the lack of evidence of the new king's crime, now he has got evidence and he should have taken immediate action, but he still fails. Hamlet often reproaches himself bitterly for the neglect of his duty. He even asks himself in genuine hesitation, â€Å"What should such fellows as I do crawling between earth and heaven? Do I linger? Can the cause be cowardice? What is it that makes me sit idle when I feel it is shameful to do so, and when I have cause, and will, and strength, and means to act ? Why in the world did not Hamlet obey the Ghost at once, and save seven of those eight lives? If he had been Laertes or Fortinbras, he would have accomplished his task in wears mourning dress and appears depressed at his mother’s marriage. † [4] When Hamlet’s mother asks him to exchange his clothing and â€Å"look like a friend on Denmark†, he says, â€Å"together with all forms, moods and shapes of grief that can demote me truly. These indeed seem, for they are actions that a man play, But I have that within which passeth show; these but the trappings and the suits of woe. The words of â€Å"play, and trappings and suits of woe† indicates that he suspects the cause of his father’s death. Knowing clearly that he is under the close watch by the new king and his followers, à ¢â‚¬Å"he speaks out the King’s crime in his mother chamber, A murderer and a villain, A slave that is not twentieth part the tithe of your precedent lord, a vice of kings, a cutpurse of the empire and the rule, that from a shelf the precious diadem stole And put it in his pocket. † [4]Fortunately, the eavesdropper Plonius is killed by mistake.But Hamlet has made a big mistake. Though his mother promises to keep what he says a secret, his rush act leads to the death of Ophelia, and the King has another reason to kill him, that is, the duel with Laertes at the end of the play. 2. 2 Chinese fetures 2. 2. 1 Hamlet’s filial piety In Chinese traditional culture, filial piety is as important as one’s life. One will get a bad reputation if he or she is considered as doing things against his or her parents. Young people are supposed to obey their parents and take good care of their parents.Especially for the well educated people, filial piety is one of the most imp ortant criterions. In acient China, people even could get an official position by treating their parents well enough. Confucius once said â€Å"Filial duty is the foundation of other duties. † [5]From this, we can see that filial piety is almost the core of Chinese social structure. However, in the western culture, people are more likely to be independent rather than always do what their parents ask them to do, and the concept of filial piety is quite different from Chinese’s view.For example, in western countries, going abroad and living far away from parents means being independent and competent, while living away from parents in acient China means being selfish and irresponsible. In the play Hamlet, when the ghost of the died king, who was Hamlet’s father, asks Hamlet to revenge for him, it seems that the revenging becomes the most important thing of Hamlet, even more important than his love with Ophelia. It is unusual that father’s order becomes the m ost important thing to a western young man, and Hamlet even lost his life for his father.There was a saying in China â€Å"It is the father's fault if a son doesn't do right. † It reflects that in China, the most important part of the relationship between father and son is succession. On one hand, it is father's responsibility to teach his son, and on the other hand, the son should always obey his father. In the play Hamlet, the old king is not only his son's father but also the idol of his son, when Hamlet said â€Å"O, that this too too solid flesh would melt, Thaw and resolve itself into a dew Or that the Everlasting had no fixed His canon ‘gainst self-slaughter. O God, God,How weary, stale, flat and unprofitable Seem to me all the uses of this world! Fie on't, ah fie, 'tis an unweeded garden That grows to seed; things rank and gross in nature Possess it merely. That it should come to this! But two months dead—nay not so much, not two—So excellent a ki ng, that was to this Hyperion to a satyr. † It is obviously that Hamlet respects his father, the old king very much. Hamlet's duty in the whole story is to revenge for his died father, meanwhile, ancient Chinese people thought the most shameful thing to a man is being unable to revenge for his father.Chinese story The orphan of the Chao's is also about revenging for one's father. So, Hamlet has Chinese futures of revenging, too. 2. 1. 2 Hamlet’s Concept of Family An important Chinese feature that Hamlet has is the concept of family. From my point of view, Shakespeare's idea of family is a kind of humanism thought. It affects the characters' behavior directly and it puts forward the plots from developing or it even influences the end of a play. â€Å"Shakespeare advocates for pure love, for instance, the love betweenHamlet and Ophelia; he demotes carnal love like the love between Hamlet's mother and Hamlet's uncle. Shakespeare also promotes the harmonious conjugal relat ion which is based on love; he demotes the conjugal relation which is based on ambitions or benefits, for example, Macbeth and Mrs. Macbeth. † [6] Another thing that Shakespeare promotes is the fairness and trust between family members. He believes what breaks the love between family members is the power and influence, what’s more, power and influence also deprive the fairness between different people and lead people to guilty.In Hamlet, Hamlet demotes the love between his mother and his uncle, because it is a kind of incest, and Hamlet thinks it is sick. Chinese people think what prevent the society from collapsing are morality and ethics. Ethics means the relationship between family members should be regular and normal. Fornication must be forbidden. In China, if one's uncle married with his or her mother, he or she will be a joke of other people. 2. 1. 3 Hamlet’s Sense of Sexual DiscriminationAnother traditional Chinese feature that can be found on Hamlet is t he sense of sexual discrimination, which has influenced Chinese society for thousands of years. In ancient China, women were forbided to go to school, and they had no right to choose their husband. Women were considered as timid and inability, they had to stay home and look after their children, always obey their husband. In the play Hamlet, Hamlet says â€Å"Frailty, thy name is woman! † and â€Å"O God, a heast that want discourse of reason would have mourned longer. It shows that Hamlet looks down upon woman because his mother married his uncle soon after his father's death and he doesn't think man and woman are equal, women are more like heast than human. What's more, when Hamlet says â€Å"Ay truly, for the power of beauty will sooner transform honesty from what it is to a bawd, than the force of honesty can translate beauty into his likeness. This was sometimes a paradox, but now the time gives it proof. I did love you once. † Hamlet seems look down upon his lov er, Ophelia, too. Hamlet praises human being as the gift by god, while he thinks women are petty and low. . 1. 4 Hamlet and Golden Mean It is obvious that Hamlet is a character with hesitation, in the play, Shakespeare includes a number of other characters capable of taking resolute and headstrong revenge as required to highlight Hamlet’s inability to take action,. Fortinbras travels thousands of miles to take his revenge and finally succeeds in conquering Denmark; the plot that Laertes kills Hamlet to revenge for the death of his father, Polonius. Compared to these characters, Hamlet’s revenge is ineffectual. Once Hamlet decides to take action, he delays any action until the end of the play.What makes Hamlet a great unique piece of writing is the remarkable way in which Shakespeare uses the delay to build Hamlet’s emotional and psychological complexity. Hamlet’s revenge is delayed in three significant ways: 1. Hamlet must first find out Claudius’ guilt and tell it to the public, which he does in Act 3, Scene 2 by representing the murder of his father in a play. When Claudius went out during the performance, Hamlet becomes convinced about Clausius’s guilt. 2. Then, Hamlet intellectualizes his revenge, to contrast with the rash actions of Fortinbras and Laertes.For instance, Hamlet has the opportunity to kill Claudius in Act 3, Scene 3. He already draws his sword, but is concerned that Claudius will be sent to heaven if he is killed while praying. 3. After killing Polonius, Hamlet is sent to England and it becomes impossible for him to gain access to Claudius and do his revenge. During his trip, he decides to be more headstrong in his desire for revenge. Although he does kill Claudius in the final scene of the play, we cannot credit Hamlet will kill Claudius if Claudius does not ask him to have a duel with others.Hamlet’s inability to take action might reflect a characteristic that Chinese traditional culture has , that is the sense of â€Å"golden mean†, which is an important rule of Confucian school. â€Å"Golden mean†means that one should not do things in a radical way and never go to the extreme, there is no absolute good or bad. Hamlet’s behavior shows that he is always struggling for right and wrong, do and undo, he does not make a decision until he has no way to go. 3 Hamlet’s Chinese Features as a Tragedy 3. 1 The Orphan of the Zhao’sThe Orphan of Zhao, or Orphan of the House Tcho is a Chinese play of the Yuan Dynasty, attributed to someone named Ji Junxiang, about whom almost nothing is known. Based on an episode in Shiji, the play has its full name The Great Revenge of the Orphan of Zhao Family. Loyalty is the theme of the play Zhaoshi guer (The Orphan of Zhao), written in the second half of the 13th century. In it the hero sacrifices his son to save the life of young Zhao so that Zhao can later avenge the death of his family. It is the first Chin ese play that known in Europe.Joseph Henri Marie de Premare translated the play into French as Tchao-chi-cou-eulh, ou L'orphelin de la maison de Tchao, tragedie chinoise, which was collected in Jean Baptiste Du Halde's Description geographique, historique, chronologique, politique et physique de l'empire de la Chine et de la Tartarie Chinoise, published in 1735 (the play was published separately in 1755). Thomas Hatchett (active 1721-1741) published an adaptation of the play in English, â€Å"The Orphan of China† (1741) that changes the ending significantly so that the play conforms to classical conventions of the three unities 3. A Chinese Topic : Revenge Revenge is a common topic of Chinese traditional drama, since there was a saying in acient China â€Å"An eye to an eye and a tooth for a tooth. † Which means that if any other people hurts one, one should revenge in the same way. â€Å"The orphan of the zhao’s is considered as the Hamlet of China, because th e mean character, Zhao Wu, whose destiny is similar to Hamlet’s, and they both have the duty to revenge for their father. Zhao Wu’s father is killed by his god-father, and he lives with his god-father to bear patiently for twenty years until finally he kills his god-father. [7] Hamlet’s father is killed by Hamlet’s uncle, and Hamlet pretends to be crazy to cheat others so that he has the chance to stay with his uncle and finally he kills his uncle and revenges for his father successfully. In addition, it is full of meaning that both tragedies share the same theme: revenge. The play Hamlet describes the story of Hamlet, the Danmark prince, who takes revenge for his father. The prince Hamlet learns from his father’s ghost that his uncle Claudius poisons the king, takes the power, and marries the queen. The ghost asks Hamlet to avenge him.After several trials and struggles between evil and good, Hamlet and his uncle, the fraud whose crime is finally e xposed, perish together. Zhao the Orphan describes the story of the Zhao's suffer from slaughter because the treacherous court official named Tu An’gu frames up Zhao Dun, the official loyal to his sovereign. The disciple, Cheng Ying, in Zhao’s place sacrifices his own son to save the infant of Zhao’s family and bring him up. After the orphan acquires his life experience, he takes the revenge for his family by killing Tu An’gu.As can be seen, the two tragedies share the common topic that the evil may succeed for a while, however, destines to receive the punishment of justice. 3. 3 A Chinese Way to Enjoy the Tragedy The main idea of the Confucians is â€Å"Ren†, which can be understood as sympathy. It is said that only people who have a heart of sympathy can be considered as a person of noble character and integrity. The tragedy of Hamlet and the tragedy of the Orphan of Chao’s are very popular among people all around the world.An important fa ctor that contributes to the enjoyment of these tragedies is sympathy. It is neither the sympathy in the ethical or moral sense, nor the feeling of pity and sorrow for somebody. It is aesthetic sympathy, which means the identification of ourselves without persons or things with the result that we participate in their feelings, emotions and sentiments. In actual life, we have only one life and most of us are living a very ordinary and calm life, which sometimes seems a little monotonous.One of the charms of dramas is that in them we can live a great number of different lives, experience what we cannot experience in real life , laugh and cry with the characters as long as we substitute ourselves in their places in imagination. For example, in Hamlet, we may identify ourselves with Hamlet. With Hamlet we mourn over the death of the old king, complain of the hasty marriage of Gertrude, feel friendly towards Horatio, despise Polonius, love and suspect Ophelia and fightt heduel with Laert es.In The Orphan of Zhao, we can imagine ourselves to be the hero Cheng Ying and feel his hesitation at the princess’ request of taking the orphan out of the court, his hatred for Tuan Ku when he declared to kill all the babies in the country to search for the orphan of Zhao, his agony to see his own son being killed and his final joy at Tuan Ku’s punishment. In one word , sympathy plays a great part in the enjoyment of tragedy, both the Shakespearean tragedy and the classical Chinese tragedy. 4. ConclusionHamlet has been studied by scholars from different countries with various ethnics in almost every possible aspects for a long time, so many people might hold the idea that Hamlet is a play which has been studied throughly. However, when Chinese students and readers study on Hamlet, they always find that it is difficult to understand because of the lack of culture background and language skill. If they were told that Hamlet has some similarities with Chinese culture, the study of Hamlet might be much easier. This is one reason for the author to study on Hamlet’s Chinese features.Another reason is that few scholars have studied on the Chinese features of Hamlet. On one hand, China has a 5000 years’ history which is profound and diversified, and the Chinese values have greatly influenced the world, so the importance of Chinese culture could not be ignored; on the other hand, China has its specific traditional thoughts of ethics and human natures, so some western scholars thought there were few similarities between Chinese traditional culture and western culture. Nevertheless, Chinese culture, just like the other cultures of the world, has many assosiations with western culture, including the classic literatures.The essay has concluded some Chinese fetures on Hamlet. It provides readers to have a more distinctive mind on the relationship between Shakespeare’s works and Chinese traditional culture, and more study on this topic w ill be done in the future. References [1]. â€Å"? † [J]. ,2010(3):83-86. [2]. [J]. ,2009(4):119-121. [3]. [J]. , 2008(6):80-82. [4]. [J]. , 2009(3):52-55. [5]. The Personality Determines Destiny——The Image Building Quesitions About Hamlet [J]. ,2010(1):199-201. [6].The Contradictory Sides of Hamlet’s Character[J]. ,2004(33):429-432. [7] David L. Hall. Thinking Through Confucius [M]. New York: Albany, 1987. [8]Arthur Kleinman. Normal and Abnormal Behavior in Chinese Culture [M]. Holland: Reidel, 1981. [9]Barbara Marshall Matthews. The Chinese Value Survey: An interpretation of value — scales and consideration of some preliminary results[J]. International Education Journal, 2000(1): 117-126. Acknowledgements I would like to take this opportunity to extend my heart-felt gratitude to all my teachers and professors who have lent me a help in the process of the completion of this thesis.I am especially indebted to Mrs Lu Junyan, my supervisor, who has provided me with information, advice, criticism and encouragement. My thesis couldn’t have come out without the countless instruction and patient guidance from my supervisor. His invaluable insights and hearty encouragement have enabled me to fulfill and improve the quality of my paper. Meanwhile, my appreciation also goes to my classmates and friends. They were always willing to give me assistance and encouragement whenever I sought help from them. Finally, I wish to thank my family for their unconditional support and encouragement through my undergraduate study.

My American Scholarly Experience Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

My American Scholarly Experience - Essay Example I hope to gain more from the university and the American society in general. This essay provides a comprehensive narrative of my experience as a Chinese student in America, forming a potential foundation for others in my position to adjust and reap maximum benefits from the American society. Before coming to America, I always had a dream to study abroad in the hope of pursuing high quality education. In addition, I hoped to experience other people’s cultures, while getting a global point of view of issues surrounding the modern society. My parents and peers encouraged the move, terming it as a path towards self-discovery and exploration of my career options. Given all these factors, my move to America was filled with high expectations, hopes to make friends immediately, and enjoying all the things that the new culture had to offer. Even though I was slightly nervous during my flight from Beijing, my excitement was more than any concerns. For this reason, I did not take possibl e challenges into consideration and as a result, I was not fully prepared for the American life. On arrival from China, I was welcomed quickly but warmly at the airport. It is here that I began observing the differences between China and America. For example, while back at home people take their time to show you around or at least give you directions to wherever you want to go, majority of Americans do not have the patience for that. I also came to realize that many people in America are highly suspicious of strangers and therefore.

Supply chain management - Bose Corporation case study Essay

Supply chain management - Bose Corporation case study - Essay Example Being a customer driven company, Bose has adopted a refined transport system which is deemed to be among best systems in the country. The EDI system always operates close to the real time. In addition, it supports two-way communication between every party of freight handlers in 230 terminals. Bose, therefore, performs analysis on shipping and distribution easily since information in the system is updated automatically several times in a day. Thus, with this system, the company is in a position to lower the total costs in various scenarios. Bose Corporation has an effective supply chain management system that has come a long way to lower the operational costs in the organization. The company uses the latest or rather the modern technology to develop and update these systems. Thus, it has control and can instantly monitor all the shipping of its supplies to over 200 terminals due to the effectiveness in communication between the terminals and the head office. In addition, these systems applies to all the transactions that take place between the organization and its suppliers; JIT system is functional for such transactions since the individual who can be perfect in managing inventories is the supplier himself. Strategy development process at Bose Corporation can be effectively implemented due to the company’s functional systems. Implementation of any strategy in any organization involves all the stakeholders; customers, suppliers and the organization itself. The EDI system at Bose Corporation supports a two-way communication which makes communication effective. Thus, implementation of a strategy or any changes in the organization can take effect with ease as all the company’s stakeholders can easily be reached at once. Bose Corporation’s priority is the purchased quality. Being a customer-driven company, the organization’s key goal is to deliver

Does left hander are more intelligent than right hander Essay

Does left hander are more intelligent than right hander - Essay Example I believe this will be an intriguing topic to look into. In his book Chris McManus(2003) who is a psychologist tried to explain some of the myths surrounding left-handed people. He states that even though there are claims that left-handed people can be more creative, there is not enough scientific evidence to support such thesis. Another myth, proclaimed by Geschwind, is that left-handed people are more prone to immune disorders. McManus (2003) processed and studied data taken from 21 000 patients. He concluded based on the research collected that lthere is no evidence to conclusively state that more left-handed people develop or suffer from immune system disorders than right-handed. Another myth is that left-handers have been persecuted. In his book â€Å"The Puzzle of Left Handedness†, Rik Smits (2012) notes that there existed an inexplicable prejudice against left-handed people. Certainly in the past, there was a deeply rooted bias. Right was thought to be good and left was believed to be evil. This can be observed across many cultures. Muslims for example use their right hand to eat with and the left to wash wish. There are also linguistic traces. â€Å"Right-hand man† meaning the most important person standing next to the boss and â€Å"having two left feet† are only handful of expressions, demonstrating this preconception. To debunk the myth that left-handed people are somehow treated harsh in life Smits (2012) looks at some statistical facts that 5 out of the 7 US presidents were left-handed. This clearly indicates that persecutions were no longer applicable for left-handed people in this modern era. Moreover they appear to be as succ essful and powerful as the right-handed. One of the established facts is that left-handed people are less likely to be dominated by the left-hemisphere which is responsible for the language. For example language function is located in the left-hemisphere of the brain, thus people suffering from head

Thirteen Days Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Thirteen Days - Research Paper Example He is facing world war 3 in the near future. They have to come up with a quick plan on how to stop the war heads from being operational. President Kennedy does not want to invade Cuba, though the chiefs of staff really think that invading Cuba would be the best solution at the moment. He says the same course of events led to the break out World War 1. This time the risks were high because nuclear weapons were involved. They settle on blockade as the first measure which technically is an act of war that would help remove the missiles from Cuba as well as avoid war. They agree not to call it a blockade but quarantine. This is where the US navy ships will stop any ships that enter Cuban water for inspection to make sure they are not carrying any lethal weapons into Cuba. Cuban ambassador to the US at first assures president Kennedy that there are weapons in Cuba but they are only for defensive but not offensive purposes, which the president sees as lies and sends US ambassador to the UN Mr. Aldai Stevenson to a council meeting where he roughs up the Cuban ambassador with questions to categorically state if whether there are nuclear weapons placed in Cuba by the Soviet Union or not. The ambassador avoids the questions and says that the American government was spreading malicious information to incite nations. Throughout the entire process president Kennedy is pressurized by the chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staffs, General Maxwell Taylor to hasten an invasion before the whole chance of removing the missiles from Cuba become impossible. The president does not wish to subject innocent American citizens to an act world war 3. But all the same information starts spreading fast across all the American states about the possibility of a world war 3 which drives a major panic to the people who now shop for food stuff and other things in plenty just case a war breaks

Decision Support Systems in Medicine Research Paper

Decision Support Systems in Medicine - Research Paper Example This computerized system would ease the timely calculation of the organization’s payroll and with very little chance of any errors in those calculations. Information Systems can be viewed as work systems where all activities are centered towards digital processing of data provided to them. An information system constitutes of: A Computing device, A storage device in order to store data being processed and also the outputs. Previous data bank Instructions and procedures. INFORAMTION SYSTEMS TYPES Categorically there may be several types of information systems. This categorization is with respect to the difference in the organizational levels that exist. The types may be narrated as follows: Transaction Processing Systems- example: Payroll systems, Order Processing System. Office Automation Systems- example: Word Processing Systems. Knowledge Work Systems- example: Engineering Workstation. Decision Support Systems- Clinical Support Systems. Management Information Systems  œ Sales Management Systems. Executive Support Systems – High Level Managerial Forecasting Systems MEDICAL INFORMATICS The infusion of Information Technology in the field of health and medicine has led to the rebirth of the said field. Technological advancements that have affected the field of health have affected the human society as a whole directly and have mostly proved to be beneficial rather than hazardous. Formally speaking, the definition of Medical Informatics, as quoted at openclinical.com, is stated as follows:   Medical Informatics  is the "scientific field that deals with biomedical information, data, and knowledge - their storage, retrieval, and optimal use for problem solving and decision making. It accordingly touches on all basic and applied fields in... According to the research medical informatics is the "scientific field that deals with biomedical information, data, and knowledge - their storage, retrieval, and optimal use for problem solving and decision making. It accordingly touches on all basic and applied fields in biomedical science and is closely tied to modern information technologies, notably in the areas of computing and communication (medical computer science)". Thus, in the light of the above-mentioned definition, medical informatics can very well be termed as the handling of data with respect to health and medicine with the assistance of computers and computer related systems. Medical information management, or simply put, the managing of all information related to health and medicine has become an integral part of the health care profession in the modern times. The present state of health and medicine cannot be executed without the involvement of information systems that are computer based. Decision support systems a re one of the types of information systems that assist in medicine. They can be termed as information systems that assist in decision making. Improved decision making can be achieved by information systems that are flexible, interactive and adaptable. Recent advancements in Health informatics pertaining specifically to the implementation of information technology in the present day hospitals is ideally referred to as a means of reduction of distress for the patient as well as the practitioner.

Individual summary report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Individual summary report - Essay Example The research also revealed that there was a robust demand for sweets in the university, chocolates being the most preferred item, followed by hard-boiled sweets. More imporatantly, majority of the respondents said that they would visit a sweet shop weekly, followed by x% who said they would visit daily! The average consumer expenditure on sweets was determined to be between one and five pounds. Therefore, the market seems to be buoyant and MM would like to cash in on the prevailing demand and the consumer’s willingness to spend. A set of well-defined objectives is paramount for any organistion, irrespective of the scale of operations.Oraganizational and individual objectives must be integrated, and endeavored to be accomplished within a finite time. Clearly spelled objectives, enable devising of appropriate means for the realization of those ends. Thus, strategies and policies can be formulated accordingly. Offering quality products and good customer service are the inherent goals of any organization. It ensures sustainability for a business, and helps in winning consumer’s confidence and brand loyalty. Enhancement of individual experience is also stated, thereby integrating personal and organizational goals. Improving profitability is the most important aspect of any corporate activity. It is an economic index to measure success. However here it is also proposed that how the profit shall be used, ie; charity.Keeping in mind the above objectives, the mission statement was made: â€Å"We endeavor to offer best possible range of confectionary to our consumers conducive to the creation of lasting memories and magic moments.† An analysis of this statement reveals the overriding importance given to consumers and giving them not only quality products but memorable experience as well. Key competitors for Magic Moments are the Students Shop on

Complex Computer Systems Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Complex Computer Systems - Research Paper Example Most computer systems that are considered successful demonstrate a positive direct effect on the perceived eases of use. Therefore, some computer systems are never fully accepted by their intended users, and are underutilized (Hasan, 2007). Also, very few IT systems have been categorized as truly successful. There are numerous factors and processes that make IT projects complex (The British ComputerSociety, 2006). Understanding and proper management of these projects is important to comprehend why such projects fail. It also helps to understand how proper management of complexity can increase success for computer systems. Technology is an important source of complexity of computer systems, but the key source of complexity is the scope of the project, as set by management (The British Computer Society, 2006). Among the success or failure factors are social, economic and technical factors. These factors influence whether the complex computer system project succeeds or fails in its obje ctives. There must be technical and social strategies designed to detect and manage external and internal influences to ensure success of any complex computer system. ... esign and production of prepayment gas meters, introduced to the United Kingdom energy market to make work easier for energy suppliers and domestic clients (The British Computer Society, 2006). Central service installed on server database and application server. These have interfaces and tier supplier infrastructure The Smart Meter System has several components. First, the Smart Meter’s Central System has a web interface and Oracle database (TheBritishComputerSociety, 2006). The web interface and Oracle database have been built on a Distributed Computing Infrastructure. Integration of these components with the central system allows for online payment. The payment is identified by the payment agent. A Short Message (SMS) is processed by the SMS provider system. Also, every Smart Meter System has an Apache web server, which is used to deliver user interfaces. The Oracle 9i database component of the system is was used to produce the database, while the Tomcat servlet container is driven by Java and the STRUTS framework (TheBritishComputerSociety, 2006). This uses Java Server Pages and cascading style sheets for presentation layer. The Prepayment Metering Infrastructure Provider application allows suppliers to interact with their meters in real time (The British Computer Society, 2006). The Smart Meter System is a complex computer system because it allows domestic clients and domestic energy provision customers to make prepayments for their gas, using their mobile phones. The Smart Meter System is also complex because it is can be used by both vendors and end user clients. Therefore, the system accepts top ups in terms of monetary values by customers via their mobile phones (The British Computer Society, 2006). Consequently, plans were put in place to sell the Smart

Music -Blues Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Music -Blues - Assignment Example The new living conditions experienced by the Negros made them to start blues music as a form of appropriating and deconstructing white musical elements. These musical conducts created the images of solitary and a need for modifying the Negro’s way of life and new structure. Most blues-singers were considered as outcasts even among their own race because many of the laws that had been made at the time, which divided the Africans amongst themselves. The AAB format uses the 12 bar structure and is a common structure in blues music. AAB denotes the structure of every individual verse in a song and is often used as a compound form in both melody and lyrics. An example of a song, which uses the format, is Pride and Joy 1983 uploaded on February 8, 2010 and was produced on December 6 1983 at the CHCH Studios in Canada-Hamilton. The recording artists for the song are Stevie Ray Vaughan and Albert King. The song is about love and does not comprise one of the topics that reflected the hostility and desire for success among the

The Teacher as a Hero Essay Example for Free

The Teacher as a Hero Essay T here are heroes and heroes, national and local. Some of them are born, others are made. Many are still living while many others have long been gone. It is to the latter that monuments and museums were built to keep alive their memory in our hearts and mind. Public buildings, parks and plazas, streets and a few provinces have been named after them. Important dates and events are usually marked red in the calendar to remind us of their birth or death anniversary. During the celebration of these events, program speakers take turns extolling to high heavens whatever good they had done for the country. Sad enough the hero who is apparently taken for granted and therefore unsung is the poor teacher. Not having a pedigreed name, she has no influence, no power. She is regarded as belonging to the marginalized sector of society. Tactless people look down on her with contempt saying, â€Å"She’s only a teacher. † After all, unlike OFWs, teachers do not contribute to the national economy. What many do not seem to realize is that a teacher is truly a hero in her own way. For a teacher is not only about her lesson plans, her teaching methods, strategies and techniques. A teacher is also about her personal character, her values and her attitude. And more importantly a teacher is also about her missionary work which entails a great deal of sacrifice on her part and her family. Indeed, the pro-bono services that she renders involve numerous risks to life and limb. We have heard of teachers who were kidnapped for ransom, forced into marriage under pain of bodily harm, physically abused and the unfortunate, even beheaded. I remember a male teacher who reprimanded a student for provoking trouble in class. That afternoon the huffy father with fire in his eyes sought the teacher in school and mercilessly hacked him to death. I had a relative who was summoned to the Comelec office in Manila and made to explain her inadvertence to affix her signature on a pair of election forms. The financially distressed teacher was forced to take a long-term loan which she used to pay for her transportation fare, board and lodging while in Manila. In the meantime her family had to be sparing and frugal in order to tide them over until such period that the loan was fully paid. While other government employees are off after five, the teacher spends long hours of work at home writing lesson plans, checking test papers or preparing visual aids and similar teaching devices. Compared to those who work in the comfort of their office, thousands of our teachers go on long hours of journey to their far-flung stations over hill and dale, many times in harsh weather condition. It is no wonder that many of these teachers become decrepit long before their age or they get pitifully sick before retirement from the service. And yet their take-home pay is a mere pittance. Any increase in their starvation salary comes far apart and in trickles because this is dependent upon the members of Congress who remember the teachers only on election time. Come May of next year teachers will again be called upon to man the electoral ramparts of our democracy. They will be there to help safeguard the sanctity of the ballot, armed only with the nobility and integrity of their profession. Whatever people say to the contrary, the teacher as a hero is ready to lay down her life for the sake of country sans a loud flourish of trumpets. I salute our teachers as heroes, living or dead! ANTONIO A. MORAN of Camalig, Albay is a retired general education supervisor of the Department of Education.

The Role of Religion in the Middle East

The Role of Religion in the Middle East The Role of Religion in the Middle East Religion is one of the most powerful defining forces of a culture. For example, stores would be closed on Saturday in Israel because that is the Sabbath in the Jewish religion. The hijab fashions in Muslim nations find their origin in the Koran’s prescriptions for modesty among women. However, religion makes the most profound impact on a culture when it is sponsored by the State. For example, many Middle Eastern and African nations have adopted Sharia Law, where thieves are punished by losing a hand, adulterers are stoned to death, and those failing to conform to the dress code are lashed. Before the Muslim Expansion, the predominant religions of the region were Judaism, Christianity, and Zoroastrianism. Tribal religions and local deities were also worshiped, as monism was not yet universal in the region. During the early seventh century C.E., Muhammad and his soldiers of faith left the Arabian Peninsula and spread their faith throughout the modern Middle East and Asia Minor. According to Cleveland (2004), this was able to happen because the Byzantine Empire of the West and the Sassanian Empire of Iran were becoming weaker after decades of warfare (p. 6). Since the Emperors could no longer adequately defend their territories, it was the perfect time for the fledgling Muslim Empire to take its place in history. Curiously, there is a strong tradition in the West of viewing the Middle East as a monolithic people of Arab extraction that are culturally and religiously similar. Although Islam is the dominant religion in the area, there are certainly ethnic and cultural differences as to how it is practiced (similar to the cultures formed around the Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant churches in predominantly Christian nations). The three states that will be examined in this paper are Israel, Iran, and Iraq: a Jewish state, a non-Arab Muslim state, and an Arab Muslim state. The choice of these countries will show the religious and cultural diversity of the Midd le East as well as explain how these forces clash when they come into contact. The Jewish State of Israel (formerly Palestine) is by far one of the most ethnically diverse nations in the Middle4 East. Because the Jewish people were scattered all over the world, today we have Jews with African, European, and Asian ethnic characteristics. At the beginning of Israel’s settlement, people had divided themselves by ethnicity, but today they are more divided by sect (degree of religious observance) and social class (Ayalon, Ben-Rafael, Sharot, 1991, p. 280). Shortly thereafter, they had to learn to work together because hostilities with their Arab neighbours threatened the existence of the new state. Suffice it to say, Israel had become accustomed to a siege mentality—segregating themselves from Palestinian and other Arab groups, creating a modern apartheid. Politically, their reasons for holding the territory and seeking foreign aid are rooted in the conviction that the land is theirs by right, as promised by God in their Scriptures (Cleveland, 2004, p . 240). There was also the very basic fear of facing extinction at the hands of an unjust government such as Hitler’s Germany and the pogroms sponsored by tsarist Russia. However, even within the Jewish community, there are several splits. According to Ayalon, Ben-Rafael Sharot (1991), there were reports of â€Å"numerous conflicts, some involving violent confrontations, between religious and secular Jews over such issues as public transportation on the Sabbath, opening cinemas on the Sabbath Eve, burning bus stations, displaying advertisements featuring women in swimming costumes or underwear, free movement of private transportation in areas close to religious neighbourhoods on the Sabbath†¦ and the question of who is a Jew† (p. 279). In Israel, there are those that identify as ethnic Jews even though they do not participate in the religious traditions of Judaism. With this question of definition, there is an implicit question of whether an individual can consider themselves Jewish if they do not identify with the teachings with Judaism. However, these questions have been rendered moot for Israeli citizenship, as non-practicing Jews were also targeted by major world government. For other religions, identity is determined by practice such as profession of faith, attendance at places of worship, and prayer. In other words, there is no such thing as a non-practicing Muslim. However, the Jewish religious spectrum is from Orthodox to the secular and non-practicing (Ayalon, Ben-Rafael, Sharot, 1991, p. 287). There are some Israelis that are atheist and do not observe any of the Jewish holidays or traditions and the Orthodox whose lives are still governed by laws written several thousand years ago. Most of Israel’s Jews fall somewhere in the middle, observing some of the traditions such as the Yom Kippur fast and Hanukkah. Around the time that Greece and Rome were building their sphere of influence, Iran (formerly Persia) was one of the most powerful empires in the world known for its progressive system of justice and great learning and recognized as the birthplace of Zoroastrianism, the Ba’hai religion, and Mithraism (which shares much in common with modern Christianity). Having a history of conquering and being conquered, the Iranian people were influenced by several cultural and religious traditions. However, since the twelfth century, almost 100% of the Iranian population embraced Islam (Cleveland, 2004, p. 33). Even so, the Iranians still resisted ‘Arabization’ and adopted the practice of their religion to Persian life and culture. For instance, unlike Arabs, most Persian Muslims are of the Shi’a sect. In addition, in pre-revolution Iran, professional women were not expected to wear the chador unless they were going to visit family friends or religious events (DeGroot, 2 007, p. 113). However, women of the lower classes were generally expected to wear them at all times. As we have mentioned before, there appears to be an inverse relationship between religious observance and income, which would explain this phenomenon. The Islamic revolution of 1979 was a strong rejection of Western power and the separation of the sexes in all social fields, though females are still allowed access to higher education. Given that the West equates itself with all that is noble and just, this was a surprising leap into backwardness, according to Western cultural commentators. However, to fully understand, Keddie Richard (2006) argues that we must take several factors into account such as the depressed standard of living for the middle class, rising unemployment and the decline of traditional values: â€Å"Once dependence on the West was associated with Western culture, and Western culture with moral decay, it was natural to seek Iran’s salvation not in the West ernization pushed by the shah’s regime but in a return to an idealized indigenous Islam† (Keddie Richard, 2006, p. 188). The revolution also brought about the enmity of Hussein’s Iraq as the Sunni leader was apprehensive that the Shi’a majority would stage a similar revolution and wrest power away from him—a factor strongly contributing to the Iran-Iraq War of the 1980’s (Cleveland, 2004, p. 415). This was quite a change from the past where the people were not very closely controlled by the government. When the Ottoman Turks ruled in Iraq, they confined themselves to the large cities and the people in outlying rural areas lived by their own rules more or less. Turning these pockets of autonomous tribes into a nation was far more difficult than any one administration could bring (Cleveland, 2004, p.204). In Iraq, there was always an enmity between the Sunni and Shi’a sects of Islam, and the nation was often beset with civil war. One of the more bitter cultural struggles are between those that want to adapt their faith to the modern era and the more conservative faction that want to preserve the social climate of their predecessors (Nakash, 2003, p. 262). Ethnically, Arabs comprise 80% of the population, however, slightly over half belong to the Shi’a sect and the minority were Sunnis. Sunni Kurds made up the remainder of the population, and they sought to remain culturally distinct from the Arabs (Cleveland, 2004, p. 205). Today, Iraq is occupied by the U.S. and a civil war between Sunni and Shi’a sects are raging. In sum, religion has shaped these countries profoundly. Israel attempts to expand its borders because her citizens believe that the land was given to them by God, Iran vacillates between modernization and radical Islam as many young Iranians have become quite progressive, and the Shi’a and Sunni Muslims of Iraq are engaged in a great battle for supremacy. In these regimes, there is no room for compromise on an international or social level because the current leadership and prevailing ruling class in each of these countries believes that they are on the right path. References Ayalon, H., Ben-Rafael, E. Sharot, S. (1991). Religious, Ethnic, and Class Divisions in Israel: Conversion or Cross-Cutting?. Tradition, Innovation, Conflict: Jewishness and Judaism in Contemporary Israel. (Sobel, Z. Beit-Hallahmi, B. eds,) New York: SUNY Press Cleveland, W.L. (2004). A History of the Modern Middle East (3rd ed.). Boulder, CO: Westview Press DeGroot, J. (2007). Religion, Culture and Politics in Iran: from the Qajars to Khomeini. London: I.B. Tauris Publishers Keddie, N.R. Richard, Y. (2006). Modern Iran: Roots and Results of Revolution. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press Nakash, Y. (2003). The Shi’is of Iraq. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press

Principles of Strategic Marketing Management

Principles of Strategic Marketing Management Organizations use Strategic Marketing to create a plan to better reach and satisfy customers while increasing profitability and productivity. Read on to learn more about what Strategic Marketing is and how businesses use it. Companies use Strategic Marketing to identify customer needs and to create a marketing plan to meet those needs and increase profit. Typically, an organization will create a written Strategic Marketing plan that dictates what type of marketing programs it will use during a given time frame and how those programs will be implemented. Marketing promotes your business and all that your business offers to your customers, brings customers to your business, and makes your business stand out in the crowd. A solid Marketing Strategy brings consistent traffic and a constant flow of customers to your business. TASK 1 Principles of Strategic Marketing Management The principles of Strategic marketing deals with the big picture marketing planning. It analyses how a company can best satisfy its customers and make a profit  at it. Strategic marketing planning is directed from the top of the company and is extremely important in any for-profit organization. Several key principles govern strategic marketing. History of TARIK FOODS: I am going to construct a strategy on a grocery store (TARIK FOOD) in east London market. We aim to make the selection process through and challenging for a number of reasons, firstly to make sure us employee those people that are right for the role and just as important who will fit in with TARIK food culture. TARIK food started life in 1995 when Mar. TARIK started selling surplus groceries from a stall in the east of London Mr TARIK made a profit of  £1 from sales of  £4 on his first day. The TARIK brand first appeared two years later in 1997 when he bought a shipment of Asian stuff food from Pakistan. The nature of this business is sole proprietorship. Though there are so many grocery stores like TARIK FOODS, Vijays Store, Khan Super Food, Johan Supermarket Store and Sainsburys. People demand some change in their taste with higher quality food at lower price. So, we need competitive edge in the grocery market. Thats why we are going to launch something new according to consume r requirement in better way! This differentiation supposes to be a big profit for me. Growth of TARIK Food in 1999 represents increase of 4% compared to 1998. Growth in 2005 and 2006 represent 7% compared to 1999. Growth is forecasted at the same rate in 2010. The role of strategic marketing in TARIK FOODS As companies strive to ensure future growth and profitability, they are turning to their marketing organizations to accelerate and guide their paths. Marketing is expected to provide a competitive advantage in shaping not just brand and corporate positioning but also in driving corporate strategy and setting the agenda for innovation and growth. Marketing plays an important role in the strategic planning process for many organizations. Although some marketing positions are represented at the corporate level, most are at the functional level within the business units of an organization. As shown in Exhibit 3-3, however, marketing is involved in strategic planning at all organizational levels in TARIK FOODS Strategic marketing is describing the the marketing activities that are affecting the functioning of the TARIK FOODS in the competitive market of food products. The role of strategic marketing can be described in the three basic types and functions. First : This helps everyone in TARIK FOODS towards the market and the customers. Thus they are responsible to excute the marketing philosophy throughout. Second :- This help gather and analyse the information required to examine the current situation , identify the trends in the marketing environment for TARIK FOODS and assess the potential impact of these trends. Third :- The role of marketing is varied in the TARIK FOODS . For it is a organisation which is driven by the marketing philosophy , so it plays a key role in the strategic decision making. The trend is pushing towards the strategic marketing and its planning responsibility further down the organisation, which is increasing the clout in the organisation`s strategic planning process. Processes involved in strategic marketing in TARIK FOODS Setting up of marketing goals.  Once they have decided to market their products, they set realistic and measurable goals to achieve over the next 18 to 24 months. This time span allows them to plan activities around community events that are in line with their marketing goals. For example, TARIK FOODS might help sponsor an annual walkathon for breast cancer or speak at a nearby communitys annual health fair. Because of the rapid changes occurring in the health food and care environment. TARIK FOODS dont recommend planning specific activities more than two years in advance. Conduct market research.  The purpose of market research is to draw a realistic picture of their practice, the community they serve in and their current position in that locality . With this research, TARIK FOODS can make fairly accurate projections about future growth in the community, locality and Region and as well as identifies the competitive factors and explore non-traditional opportunities   Determine a budget.  Before TARIK FOODS can decide what specific marketing strategies they want to implement to achieve their goals, they examine ther financial information and come up with a marketing budget. Marketing budgets vary by the type of market a practice is in, the age of a practice and whether the practice has marketed before. Develop an implementation schedule.  An implementation schedule is a time-line that shows which marketing actions will be done when and by whom. TARIK FOODS decides the schedule should also include the cost of each marketing action and how it fits into the budget estimates for the 24-month period. While the management of TARIK FOODS creates the schedule, they carefully consider how the activities will affect the current practice operations and whether there are sufficient resources (such as staff, time and money) to accomplish the necessary tasks.   Creating an evaluation process.  The management of TARIK FOODS belives in the the value of a marketing plan is its effectiveness, which requires deliberate and timely implementation  and  monitoring and evaluation of results. Thus they pay importance to measure their results against the standards they had set in establishing your goals.This helps them achieve the said process laid down by them. Link between strategic marketing and corporate strategy in TARIK FOODS In TARIK FOODS the Corporate structure is very well laid and thus each and every strategies are linked and are co-releated to each other . This helps them to achieve each and every goal and the laid down of various marketing and organistaional stratergies very effectively . Corporate strategy is the  overall  scope  and  direction  of a  corporation  and the way in which its various  business operations  work  together to  achieve  particular  goals. Where as Strategic marketing is promotes your business and all that your business offers to your customers, brings customers to your business. In TARIK FOODS we can see that that the management which is promoting its business with the techniques of the strategic marketing , is also simultanesouly incorporating the said similar type of guuodelines in some of its corporate environment , which is controlling the few other branches of the stores and distributon and control of its staff. So it is very obvious that the lin between the corporate and the strategic marketing is evident. TASK 2 Tools used to develop a strategic marketing strategy In TARIK FOODS the management follows the following chart which is best describing the strategic marketing that they are using in oreder to develop and promote and bring in the growth for the organization . They are at present using the 5 Step Planning Process . Below here is the chart which describes it the best. C:UsersdineshDesktopplanprocess.jpg 2.1) The Models used in strategic marketing planning in TARIK FOODS SWOT Model : The SWOT tool is one of the most important tools in strategic marketing.  Ã‚  It is also one of the most maligned and misunderstood.  Ã‚  90% of the SWOTs that we see are done badly and have little use in developing strategy. SWOT means Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats.  Ã‚  Done correctly , it should provide a one-page summary of your entire market audit and point towards the key issues that need to be addressed in the marketing plan. This simple tool will help you undertake your own SWOT effectively and provide a professional situation summary in your marketing plan.   McDonald Marketing Plan :- 2.2) The Link between strategic positioning and marketing TACTICS IN TARIK FOODS Strategic positioning is Primarily, strategic positioning is a differentiation tactic by customer segment, with the goal to dominate one market niche as much as possible, thus matching production costs, locations, price and product to maximize the ROI on that combination. Where as Marketing tactics is the tactics that are used by the TARIK FOODS or say any organization for its promotion of a particular product. In TARIK FOODS the whole concepot is to focus on the dominance of the market in the area and the adjoining areas in the particular segment of food business that they do, thus they lay down their marketing tactics in sucha manner that they bring out the best outcome from the straatergies of marketing that they lay down that helps them position their own organization at a place that helps them to expand their profits and help them grow and be positioned at a dominating position in the market. 2.3) Analyse the merits of relationship Marketing in TARIK FOODS strategic marketing strategy Retaining customers for the long-term offers always benefits this is what TARIK FOODS has in mind when the stratergies are laid down by the management. The aim is for the company to obtain life time customer. Some of the merits of relationship marketing which TARIK FOODS belives is it includes :- Loyal customers will recommend your business to others, thus expanding your business for you. Loyal customers are willing to try some of your new products, because they trust you. Customers will be willing to pay more for your services/products if there are adjustments in pricing because they are loyal to you and trust your services/products. Loyal customers will tell you about problems with your products/services enabling to improve your products/services. The ultimate benefit will be an increase sales, market share and dominance. Task 3 Using of the strategic marketing techniques In TARIK FOODS the appropriate use of the strategic marketing techiniques is very essentioal for the success of the branch. As they belive in dominating the market , so they have this thing in mind that they have to use the strategic mareting techniques to the success as its implementation will only bring out a result. 3.1) Marketing techniques by TARIK FOODS There are a few small types of marketing techniques but very effectively used by the TARIK FOODS , this ascertain growth opportunities in the market for TARIK FOODS. The below mentioned techniques are used by TARIK FOODS :- Outdoor Advertising:  Hoardings and roadside boards are put up so that displays their exsistance and their current offers. This is quite effective for displaying a marketing message or introducing a new brand among public . The Management believes that the probability of message transmission is strong with outdoor advertising. Brochures and Leaflets:  Brochures and leaflets let them reach out to specific customer group through  the direct marketing, means  these can be distributed by hand to specific groups of people. This allows the management a guaranteed message delivery.May it be a particular offer that is running in the outlet or say a particular rate reduction in the offering. Internet Search Engine Marketing:  This specific type of marketing lets them reach out to targeted audiences with specific interest for their variety of eatable products and also lets the customers know about their customer service experiance. This often leads to product awareness and even sales in many cases. Search engine optimization and paid search marketing are two most effective methods utilized by TARIK FOODS for the stratergy of their marketing. 3.2) Plan how to use marketing strategy options in the market where tarik foods is operating MARKET DOMINANCE STRATEGIES Looking at the way the area has been dominated by TARIK FOODS the market dominance strategy is the one which will suit the management style of interest for them . As they have been dominating the market in the area, as well as in the surrounding also. Typically there are four types of market dominance strategies that they should consider: They are à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Market leader: It typically is the industry leader in developing innovative new business models and new products (although not always). Of the four dominance strategies, it has the most flexibility in crafting strategy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The main options available to TARIK FOODS are: Expand the total market by finding   Ã‚  New users of the product or more usage on each use occasion Protecting TARIK FOODS existing market share by: Developing new product ideas and improved customer service and improved distribution effectiveness as well as reduce costs Expand TARIK FOODS market share: By targeting one or more competitor and without being noticed by government regulators à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Market challenger:- A market challenger is a firm in a strong, but not dominant position that is following an aggressive strategy of trying to gain market share. It typically targets the industry leader (for example, Pepsi targets Coke), but it could also target smaller,more vulnerable competitors. TARIK FOODS should ssess the strength of the target competitor. Considering the amount of support that the target might muster from allies. Choose only one target at a time. Find a weakness in the target Position. Attack at this point. Consider how long it will take for the target to realign their resources so as to reinforce this weak spot. Launch the attack on as narrow a front as possible. Whereas a defender must defend all their borders,an attacker has the advantage of being able to concentrate their forces at one place. Launch the attack quickly, and then consolidate.Some of the options open to a market challenger are: price discounts or price cutting line extensions Introduce new products Reduce product quality Increase product quality Improve service Change distribution Cost reductions and Intensify promotional activity à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Market follower:- A market follower is a firm in a strong, but not dominant position that is content to stay at that position.The advantages TARIK FOODS will derive from these strategies are: No expensive RD failures   No risk of bad business model   Best practices? are already established   Able to capitalize on the promotional activities of the market leader   Minimal risk of competitive attacks Market nicher:- In this niche strategy TARIK FOODS should concentrates on a select few target markets. It is also called a focus strategy. TARIK FOODS tend to be in high value added market and are able to obtain high margins. TARIK FOODS tend to be highly focused on a specific market segment. TARIK FOODS tend to market high end products and are able to use a premium pricing strategy. TARIK FOODS tend to keep their operating expenses down by spending less on RD, advertising, and personal selling. 3.3) Create appropriate strategic marketing objectives for the market where TARIK FOODS is operating TARIK FOODS should look into the following strategic marketing objectives :- Purpose of setting OBJECTIVES is to  Convert TARIK FOODS into market performance targets  creating yardsticks to track market/sales performance. Establish performance goals requiring stretch  . Also they should push firm to be inventive, intentional, focused   products/services setting CHALLENGING but ACHIEVABLE objectives  such as SALES MARKET   SHARE DISTRIBUTION PROFIT/SALES   RATIO TWO TYPES OF OBJECTIVES NEEDED Outcomes that relate to improving firms financial performance Outcomes that will result in greater competitiveness stronger long-term market position Financial Objectives Strategic Marketing   Objectives example :- STRATEGIC   MARKETING   OBJECTIVES improve   market   share position as the number one .  Build a strong brand name   in growing   market develop new   products that women need and want.  Explore the market   to develop   international   market.  Increase   the   distribution   coverage to   maximize   sales.Increase   the   gross   profit   margin   by   Ã‚  5 %. CRAFTING A MARKETING   STRATEGY Strategy-Making concerns HOW to  develop strategy   to   achieve   Ã‚  desired the brand   acceptance   Ã‚  objectives   Position all   products to   win a competitive advantage   devise   a   channel   strategy   to   meet   outsmart   Ã‚  competition and devise   a   incentive   strategy   to   Ã‚  stimulate   the   trade/distributors also devise   a   retail   strategy   Ã‚  to   Grow the company   business Task 4 Changes in the marketing environment   Ã‚  Marketing environment comprises of the combination of two words marketing and environment. Marketing means responding to the needs and demands of the consumers to provide optimum satisfaction. Similarly environment refers to external factors influences and organizational power which is related to the aim and effective working of a firm. Thus marketing environment refers to external or macro factors and forces which not only influence a company but also the components which affect the consumers analyzing its trend and impact on the operations and performance of the company. 4.1) Impact of changes in the external environment on the marketing strategy of TARIK FOODS The impact of EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT has a very big change on the marketing stratergies in TARIK FOODS Considering the taste : Looking at the type of the people that live close by in a specific area the management in TARIK FOODS , takes utmost care while laying down the selling stratergy, so that the likes and dislikes of the people who will be eating and buying are matched appropriately. Atmospheric Change : The Cliate change forces the TARIKK FOODS to sell those food stuff which are the thing that are more preferred by the people who eat and buy the products . As this enables the management to get a high amount of sales for achieving the stratergic targets of their strategic marketing . 4.2) Conduct an internal analysis to identify current strengths and weaknesses in TARIK FOODSs marketing strategy Looking into the swot analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of TARIK FOODS , it can be observed the following. SWOT analysis of TARIK FOODS Weaknesses On performing a SWOT analysis of TARIK FOODSs the weaknesses,that can be seen are like Its very small in the amount of business it does when compared with the big wigs in the same industry Its serving a few selected categories of people , where in a larger chunk of people are left out Its looking more towards the market dominance and less towards the customer service TARIK FOODS is bound to reveal several weaknesses. One example, of many, is the amount of fossil fuel used in its transport network. With increasing oil prices,   TARIK FOODS needs to keep a close eye on transport costs. Another weakness come from TARIK FOODSs dependence on the UK grocery market. Hence, it is increasing its foreign outlets and selling other goods. SWOT analysis of TARIK FOODS Strengths TARIK FOODSs strengths in grocery retail allow it to compete easily with local businesses . This has led to its brand name and financial power becoming strengths in themselves. This has led to many more stores being built at the nearby areas as well, leading to geographical strength. The following strengths can be seen : The ability to perform with terms of revenue generation The abilty to deliver to customer at times when the other stores cant deliver The model of successful implementation of the Strategic marketing techniques. 4.3) Propose strategic marketing responses to key emerging themes TARIK FOODS marketing strategy The responses to the strategic marketing of the key themes that are emerging from TARIK FOODS , marketing strategy are very special in terms looking at their market capture in the area. They are also having a very good and healty competition in the industry , which is giving a run for the money to even the best known , international brands of food outlets and the product selling industry with in the area.

China’s Accession to the World Trade Organization Essay -- Essays Pape

China’s Accession to the World Trade Organization After almost 15 years of negotiations, China successfully entered the World Trade Organization on December 11, 2001. In less than three years since its accession, while China’s progress has been somewhat behind schedule, the country has made very significant changes that have helped transition it to a market economy and open the country to the multilateral trading system. Following the Uruguay Round of multilateral trade negotiations, The World Trade Organization (WTO) was established in 1995 as the successor to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). The WTO is an international organization that watches over trade relationships between nations dealing with goods, services, intellectual property and investments. The main function of the WTO is â€Å"to ensure that trade flows as smoothly, predictably and freely as possible† (â€Å"The World Trade Organization†). The WTO helps international cooperation by providing countries with a fair forum for resolving disputes over trade issues. Member countries bring their trade disputes to the WTO rather than acting unilaterally. The organization also strives to lower the cost of living and boost economic growth by reducing protectionism and promoting freer trade. Member countries enjoy the security the trading rules provide, but they are required to commit to opening their markets and abiding by the commitments they agreed to. The process of joining the World Trade Organization is very complicated. The country applying for membership must first describe all characteristics of its economic and trade policies. The prospective member will then begin parallel bilateral talks with member countries to n... ...eb. 2002. China & the WTO. 26 Nov. 2004. . â€Å"The World Trade Organization†¦..† April 2003. World Trade Organization. 7 Oct. 2004. . Walton, Julie. â€Å"WTO: China Enters Year Three.† The China Business Review. 24 Sept. 2004. The U.S.-China Business Council. 30 Sept. 2004. . â€Å"WTO Ministerial Conference approves China’s accession.† WTO News: 2001 Press Releases. April 2003. World Trade Organization. 30 Sept. 2004. . â€Å"WTO successfully concludes negotiations on China’s entry.† WTO News: 2001 Press Releases. April 2003. World Trade Organization. 30 Sept. 2004. .

My Educational Philosophy Statement Essay -- My Philosophy of Educatio

As a teacher my primary role is to be not only a teacher to my students, but a caring and loving adult who is there to help guide them along the road less taken. I believe the most important part a teacher plays is the adult role model. The teacher may not be able to make every child exactly what they think the child should be. The teacher can teach a child right and wrong. The teacher can set an example and show kids how to be good citizens. Positive views of students will promote a positive teacher-student relationship based on trust. School is the first place where children begin to recognize what they likes and dislikes are, who they are and what they want to become. A great teacher will show the children that they are all important. A student-teacher relationship can become a great... My Educational Philosophy Statement Essay -- My Philosophy of Educatio As a teacher my primary role is to be not only a teacher to my students, but a caring and loving adult who is there to help guide them along the road less taken. I believe the most important part a teacher plays is the adult role model. The teacher may not be able to make every child exactly what they think the child should be. The teacher can teach a child right and wrong. The teacher can set an example and show kids how to be good citizens. Positive views of students will promote a positive teacher-student relationship based on trust. School is the first place where children begin to recognize what they likes and dislikes are, who they are and what they want to become. A great teacher will show the children that they are all important. A student-teacher relationship can become a great...

The Internet :: Technology, e-commerce

In recent years, Internet has becomes one of the best tools in the modern society covering a wide range of areas such as business, military, communication and information exchange. It is not only limited to web browsing or sending / receiving emails only. People could even purchase tickets of the movie or concert tickets, download any favourite songs or movies and to buy things in foreign countries via the Internet without leaving the house (Pakhare, 2010). Internet is a common term in the 21st century. It is now relatively easier and lower cost to develop an e-commerce business than it was 10 years ago, therefore more individuals have bloomed up to entering into the world of Internet business. At the same time, failure cases are still rising. E-commerce has not been cooled down by the â€Å"Dot com bubble†, but it has caused e-commerce to become more flourished than before (Census and Statistics Department, 2010). It is due to the fact that Internet services are begin provided in 24 x 7 x 365 basis such as service is available all year round. Consumers could gain any marketing information and to gather other consumers’ experiences in a borderless fashion via the Internet (Backer, 2005). Thousands of forums, blogs, news-groups and social utilities are famous channels in distributing consumer to consumer (C2C) information and business to consumer (B2C) information, otherwise known as the â€Å"word of mouth†. Based on the Internet, both good and bad comments of the products could be obtained in a more effective and efficient. Reports from the Hong Kong government were available which provided an overview on the usage of Internet by Hong Kong resident. On â€Å"Usage of personal computers and internet services by Hong Kong Residents, 2000 to 2009† report (Census and Statistics Department, 2010), it showed that there was an increase in the number of families with Personal Computer (PC) connected to the internet during the years 2000 to 2009. The numbers have increased from 770 thousands families (36.4%) in the year 2000 to 1.6 million families (73.3%) in the year 2009. In 2009, there were approximately 620 thousands families (26.7%) without Internet connection. The people among the top usage of the Internet were mainly from 10 to 34 years old with more than 95% of the people in this age group with Internet connection in 2009. The number of people above the age of 45 with internet usage have also increased by nearly 10 times, during the years from around 129 thousands (5.

Honey Bee Farming

Alabang we can see the skyscrapers, big malls and busy viable centers. In a backyard of a small house in a high village is a wood of trees and flowering plants, this is where the bees are camping and in this place Luke Macababbad lives. He is an urban farmer and a custodian of the colonies in a 50-square-meter backyard in Muntinlupa City subdivision. Bees sip the nectar of the shrubs and bushes of the wild flowering plants, vines and trees. January to May is the honey season, flowers bloom and honey flows. A 50 hives or colonies can make 30 to 50 kilograms of honey in 3 weeks. The 80% is being made into wine and the remaining is honey. According to Macababbad, the production is down because of climate change. The flowering season is not distinctive because the bees are confused. At this time, kakawati trees should be blooming but they are not. Honey is not produced after heavy rains. When you are into bee farming, the cost of a queen bee is $300 to $500. A single colony, with four frames to house 3,000 bees, costs about P6,200. Continuous labor and maintenance are the added operating costs. According to Virgilio Badajos, a staff beekeeper who was trained in Australia, bee mortality rate must be monitored. Migratory birds can eat up to 500 bees a day. He started the bee farming as a hobby at the University of the Philippines Los Banos. All we wanted was to have our own home-made honey for home use, he said. He had 4 colonies in his farm which expanded in Batangas, Lipa, Tanauan and Cavite. He harvested 100 kilograms of honey produced at Dielle's Apiary and Meadery Enterprises. With the increase in demand Macababbad seek the technology assistance from the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). And the Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program (SET UP) provided him P300,000 to purchase new stainless steel tank. This helped him increased from 1,000 bottles a year to 2,000 bottles per month. Other products were added: mango, bignay and duhat wines, the label designs and packaging were provided by DOST. Sales raised to 300 percent and on-line orders also increased. According to Dr. Teresita C. Fortuna, DOST’s Regional Director for Metro Manila, the bee colony is one of the more successful technology intervention of the DOST National Capital Region (NCR). In 2009, P8.9 million support was provided by DOST-NCR for technology acquisition to 11 microenterprises. This includes consultancies, trainings and workshops conducted in 596 firms. In Twinville Subdivision in Marikina, homeowners association uses hydroponics  or growing plants without soil. The DOST Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCARRD) provided the Hydroponic Technology. The Enriched Potting Preparation technology involves nutrient-rich compost soil extract and a specialized watering and aeration-efficient container made from used plastic bottles. Senior citizens of the Twinville Homeowner’s Association participated by planting the first crop of vegetables for home consumption. The harvested crop is sold in the city government and in nearby supermarkets. Marikina and Muntinlupa are the recipients of a bioreactor technology which converts the wastes from wet markets into organic fertilizer. While in Quezon City and Taguig, DOST NCR and PCARRD provided technical assistance and training to city agriculture technologies like edible landscaping, hydroponics and enriched potting preparation and composting.

Ernest Hemingway Essay

Ernest Hemingway is one of the most legendary figures in American literature, known for his writing as well as his love of the dangerous—deep sea fishing, big game hunting, bullfighting in Spain, etc. As an author, he covers myriad subject matter in a very distinctive style. His sentences are short and non-descriptive, and the reader must work to uncover literary elements like theme. Dialogue is his real specialty. He uses very few descriptive details. His novels tend to be more about masculine subjects and based on his adventures while his short stories are known for his exploration of roles between men and women. His novels tend to be based on his experiences. In fact, as the Hemingway Resource Center states, â€Å"When you want to find the truth about Hemingway’s life, look first to his fiction† (Hemingway resource center). In Our Time was published in 1925 and contained some very notable short stories, such as â€Å"Big Two-Hearted River. † Men Without Women was published in 1927. The Sun Also Rises was one of the first books he published, and the subject matter was a group of young people living in Spain, expatriates living abroad. The main character was in â€Å"love† with a woman who was also in love with a bullfighter. â€Å"The Sun Also Rises introduced the world to the â€Å"lost generation† and was a critical and commercial success. Set in Paris and Spain, the book was a story of unrequitable love against a backdrop of bars and bullfighting† (Hemingway Resource Center). Soon after that in 1929 came A Farewell to Arms, which some would say is the best book to come out of the experience of World War I. The tragic ending actually comes from one of Hemingway’s wives (Pauline) and her struggles with childbirth. And after that came his dissertation called Death in the Afternoon, all about bullfighting. Hemingway says that, â€Å"It is intended as an introduction to the modern Spanish bullfight and attempts to explain that spectacle both emotionally and practically. It was written because there was no book which did this in Spanish or in English. † In this dissertation he began to form his idea of the true hero as â€Å"grace under pressure. † He also outlined his â€Å"theory of omission† or â€Å"iceberg principle,† which is a theory very important to future literature. He states: â€Å"If a writer of prose knows enough about what he is writing about he may omit things that he knows and the reader, if the writer is writing truly enough, will have a feeling of those things as strongly as though the writer had stated them. The dignity of movement of the iceberg is due to only one-eighth of it being above water. The writer who omits things because he does not know them only makes hollow places in his writing. † (Hemingway Resource Center). His novel called The Green Hills of Africa in 1935 came from the fascination Hemingway had with Teddy Roosevelt’s African hunting safaris. With borrowed money from his wife’s uncle, Hemingway spent three months in Africa on a safari of his own. The novel comes from this. 1940 brought For Whom the Bell Tolls, a novel about the Spanish Civil War. Many of his novels were really about that whole idea of the Hemingway hero. The Hemingway hero must face death bravely and live life to the fullest even in the presence of death. Hemingway suffered through a long period of not being favored by the critics and was determined to gain back his previous status. This is when he published The Old Man and the Sea, the quintessential novel of courage and persistence. This book sold over 5 million copies in a very short time, and suddenly Hemingway was on top of the heap once again. This book about a man’s struggle with a humongous marlin even won the Pulitzer Prize in 1953. He simply could not duplicate the brilliance of this book again. His nonfiction sketches of Paris in the 1920s called A Moveable Feast (1964) did nothing to advance his reputation. Unfortunately, due to age and medical problems Hemingway never wrote anything close to this again. He ended up killing himself due to depression and medical problems. While the themes of his novels tend to revolve around his experience, his short stories do so too but to a lesser extent. His focus in many of his famous short stories tends to be more about the lack of communication between males and females. For example, His short stories â€Å"The Snows of Kilimanjaro† and â€Å"The Short Happy Life of Frances Macomber† both come from the safari experience as well although the focus is different. In â€Å"Snows of Kilimanjaro,† Hemingway’s main male character is a writer who has basically wasted his talent by becoming sexually involved with a rich woman who buys him everything he needs. This short story can certainly be seen as Hemingway himself lamenting the way that he was wasted his talent as a write although some say it is about F. Scott Fitzgerald. His male character, Harry, is a chauvinistic pig while the female character attends to his every need. She is weak, and this allows the writer to take total advantage of her. Again, the reader can’t help but wonder how much of this is autobiographical. Another short story that has gained much attention is from the 1927 book called men without Women. This story is called â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants† shows how much of a story Hemingway could tell with very little. It defines his minimalist style. In classic Hemingway style a couple sits at the bar of a train station discussing an unknown subject. Part of the beauty of the story is that the reader must work to uncover the subject of their conversation, but also that every detail in the setting, in the story itself goes toward making meaning. It also shows the communication breakdown between man and woman. For example, the very fact that the story is set in a train station is pure beauty. This couple must make a decision about the issue before them (abortion). There is no going back and there is not standing still. They must get on whichever train they are getting on without hesitation. As the girl looks out one side of the station, she sees green, fertile ground. As she looks out the other side, she sees dry barrenness. Again, the symbolic meaning is clear. The couple has an entire conversation and never mentions the word abortion, nor do they look at each other. They look at everything else which shows the extent to which they are uncomfortable with the subject and each other. They repeat the same phrases over and over again without any true understanding, although the girl does seem to catch on in the end. This is classic Hemingway to show the lack of communication even between two people who are supposed to be close. A sample of Hemingway’s masterful dialogue follows: Well,’ the man said, ‘if you don’t want to you don’t have to. I wouldn’t have you do it if you didn’t want to. But I know it’s perfectly simple. ‘And you really want to? ’ ‘I think it’s the best thing to do. But I don’t want you to do it if you don’t really want to. ’ ‘And if I do it you’ll be happy and things will be like they were and you’ll love me? ’ ‘I love you now. You know I love you. ’ ‘I know. But if I do it, then it will be nice again if I say things are like white elephants, and you’ll like it? ’ ‘I’ll love it. I love it now but I just can’t think about it. You know how I get when I worry. ’ ‘If I do it you won’t ever worry? ’ ‘I won’t worry about that because it’s perfectly simple. ’ To say that this man and â€Å"girl† do not understand each other is pure understatement. They are talking in circles and are just not communicating. Hemingway’s short stories are full of this kind of dialogue. Another famous story called â€Å"Cat in the Rain† discusses the sense of isolation for an American wife. As Darren Felty states, â€Å"The work revolves around the desire of Hemingway’s protagonist, an American wife vacationing in Italy, to rescue a cat from an afternoon rain storm. She fails in her attempt, revealing in the process the emotional distance she feels from her husband and the attendants at the hotel. The story employs a complex of barriers, enclosures, and geometrically defined details to represent the emotional and psychological boundaries that restrict character interaction† (Felty). This seemingly simple story uses barriers to symbolize the relationship between the man and woman. Once again, communication is a huge problem. While the wife tells her husband of this poor kitty in the rain, he barely looks up from his paper. Eventually she ends in a tantrum, much like â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants† in order to be heard. But the details of setting that Hemingway uses are genius to show the alienation of the characters. This story is told to perfect satisfaction in two pages. In following with a very important theme of Hemingway is â€Å"Big Two-Hearted River. † In this story, the reader follows Nick from innocence to knowledge. Basically Nick returns to a place he fished when he was younger, but the whole area has been destroyed by fire. However, by returning to this place of innocence from his youth, Nick is able to go forward in life as Hemingway’s heroes are. The theme of alienation is played out chillingly well in â€Å"A Clean Well-Lighted Place. † Again, we see a Hemingway hero living his life but accepting death. In this story an old man comes to this diner every night. He arrives late one night as the young waiter is closing up, but the young waiter doesn’t want to let him have a drink. An older waiter, the voice of experience, allows him to have a drink because he understands just how important it is for everyone to have â€Å"a clean well-lighted place† that is open as long as possible. In other words, he understands loneliness in a way the younger waiter could never imagine. Lastly, an important short story is â€Å"The Short and Happy Life of Frances Macomber. In this story, Hemingway’s idea of a hero is played out. On this safari, Frances is very scared. He is also ruled by his wife. However, he stands up to his wife and is happy for a few seconds until he is killed. Like Hemingway’s code hero, he becomes brave (if only for a minute). He faces his fear and overcomes it; it matters not that he dies shortly after. F. Scott Fitzgerald criticized Hemingway for writing stories in which nothing happens. That is true in a way. There is not much action in Hemingway’s novels or short stories, but the dialogue and the setting tell the reader so much. Hemingway is known for his masterful use of dialogue and his sparse details to tell more than a complete story. He describes this in his iceberg principle. â€Å"If it is any use to know it, I always try to write on the principle of the iceberg. There is seven-eighths of it underwater for every part that shows. Anything you know you can eliminate and it only strengthens your iceberg. It is the part that doesn’t show. If a writer omits something because he does not know it then there is a hole in the story† (Hemingway). Overall, Hemingway is one of the greatest American writers the world has seen.