Empathy in To Kill A Mockingbird Essay

In the grand scheme of things, each of us is working hard to see ourselves prosper. When we are fighting for survival, why should any of us take the time to feel for our fellow human beings? In her novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee implies that having the ability to feel for others or to show empathy not only benefits others, but can lead to personal gains as well. This is best demonstrated through the characters of Atticus, Jem, and Scout Finch. An obvious example of this claim is through the character of Atticus Finch. Because of Atticus’ ability to empathize with everyone, he is well respected by the town, even when he is doing some controversial things such as defending Tom Robinson. Atticus’ use of empathy is apparent during the trial, where Atticus is blaming Mayella Ewell for falsely accusing Tom Robinson of rape. Rather than explicitly attacking Mayella, Atticus says, â€Å"I have nothing but pity in my heart for the chief witness of state, but my pity d oes not extend so far as to her putting a man’s life at stake.† (Lee-203). Atticus is still delivering the same basic message, but rather than blatantly accusing Mayella of lying, he is empathizing with her and in a way justifying her actions, however wrong they may have been. By conveying his points in ways that do not make others feel like they are being personally attacked, Atticus is a well-respected member of society. We learn of the extent of this respect when Scout complains: â€Å"Despite Atticus’ shortcomings as a parent, people were content to reelect him to the state legislature without opposition. I came to the conclusion that people were just peculiar.† (Lee- 243). Even after he lost the controversial Tom Robinson case, the town still elected Atticus to serve on the state legislature since he was so respected because of his ability to empathize with each and every member of Maycomb. We also see this empathy in Jem, who clearly demonstrates more understanding by the end of the novel. We first get a glimpse of this after he helped end Ms. Dubose’s morphine addiction before her eventual death. After she dies, Jem receives a white camellia flower from Ms. Dubose. At first, Jem is angry, since he thinks Ms. Dubose is getting back at him, but Atticus explains how Ms. Dubose was a brave lady because she was able to end her morphine addiction  before she died. â€Å"Jem pic ked up the camellia, and when I went off to bed, I saw him fingering the wide petals.† (Lee-112). Jem is listening to Atticus’ advice and is trying to empathize with Ms. Dubose, whom he is finally able to respect. We see Jem’s newfound maturity develop throughout the novel. After Atticus loses the case, Jem begins to make sense of the world. â€Å"If everyone’s alike, why do they go out of their way to despise each other? Scout, I think I’m beginning to understand why Boo Radley’s stayed shut up in the house all this time†¦ it’s because he wants to stay inside.† (Lee-227). Jem is obviously maturing when he empathizes with Boo Radley, a character everyone despises despite not even knowing him. As he makes sense of the world, Jem begins to empathize with even the most unlikely of people, leading to increased wisdom. Even Scout, the least mature and most clueless of the Finches, learns the skill of empathy by the end of the novel. Initially, Scout was always quick to judge others and saw things only as black or white. She saw Aunt Alexandra as mean and unfair. However, she changes her opinion after seeing her aunt stay calm and ladylike even after ne ws of Tom Robinson’s death. â€Å"After all, if Aunty could be a lady at a time like this, so could I.† (Lee-237). Scout is beginning to respect Aunt Alexandra for her positive aspects, rather than showing disdain for her shortcomings. Scout also demonstrates a heightened sense of understanding to Boo Radley, specifically, when Boo wants Scout to walk him home. â€Å"I would lead him through our house, but I would never lead him home.† (Lee- 278). Scout understands that it would be embarrassing to Boo to have an eight year old girl leading him home and it would give possible onlookers the wrong impression. Instead, Scout had Boo hold her hand so it would look like he is walking Scout, which would seem normal. By empathizing with people she once did not respect, Scout has obviously come a long way from the immature little girl that she was at the start of the novel. Empathy is not just there to make us feel good about ourselves. Rather, the ability to empathize makes us better human beings and it lifts society up as well. The Finch family is a shining example of this ability to empathize, a s they combat racism in To Kill a Mockingbird.

Iron Crowned Chapter 24

â€Å"What?† exclaimed Jasmine. I didn't share her concern. â€Å"Damn it. I should have banished you the first time I saw you. I don't have time for this, not with everything else. You should be in the Underworld by now. Kiyo isn't going to kill me.† â€Å"I'm serious!† said Deanna, as frantic as a ghost could get. â€Å"You're in danger!† I shook my head. â€Å"Look, I'm sorry about your husband †¦ really, I am. But not every guy is homicidal. Don't transfer this to me.† â€Å"I'm not! This is real. I was going to move on after †¦ after †¦ well, after my husband was arrested†¦.† There was a mournful pause. Her story had come to a close, but it hadn't had a happy ending. â€Å"I wanted to say good-bye formally and went looking for you †¦ but found Kiyo instead †¦Ã¢â‚¬  I put my hands on my hips, wishing I'd brought my wand. I did not need a delusional ghost, not with everything else right now. â€Å"And then he said he was going to kill me?† â€Å"No. He told that other queen he would.† That cut off my snark, leaving me speechless for a moment. â€Å"What other queen?† demanded Jasmine. â€Å"The blond one. The Willow Queen.† Jasmine and I exchanged looks. Suddenly, Deanna's crazy statements had become slightly less crazy. â€Å"What exactly did you overhear?† I asked quietly. â€Å"He told her you were pregnant and that you'd have an abortion if it was a boy †¦ but that he was concerned. He was worried because you hadn't just done it already.† Deanna looked back and forth between our faces, desperate for either of us to believe her. â€Å"He said it was probably just shock and that you'd ‘do the right thing,' but that if you didn't †¦ well, Maiwenn said they'd have to make you lose the baby. Or †¦ if that didn't work †¦ that Kiyo would kill you.† â€Å"That's insane,† I said. â€Å"Kiyo wouldn't kill me.† â€Å"Kiyo doesn't want the prophecy to come true,† said Jasmine. â€Å"It's not that insane.† I turned on her. â€Å"He loves me. This whole idea †¦ it's ridiculous.† â€Å"Why would I lie?† said Deanna. â€Å"You helped me. I'm helping you by warning you before I move on to the next world. I'm telling you, I heard them. Kiyo swore he'd make sure the prophecy couldn't be fulfilled.† â€Å"Kiyo. Loves. Me.† â€Å"Dorian loves you too,† pointed out Jasmine. â€Å"And look what he did. When you think about it, Kiyo's the type who'd think one tragic loss of life was worth saving many. Or something stupid like that.† â€Å"He would.† Admitting it surprised me, and yet †¦ as the meaning of Deanna's words sank deeper and deeper, I remembered my first meeting with Kiyo. He'd found me on Maiwenn's orders. They hadn't known what kind of person I was, if I'd wanted to fulfill the prophecy or not. He'd never said so explicitly, but my impression had been that both were willing to go to extreme means to stop Storm King's heir from being born. Our relationship had obviously changed since then, but maybe †¦ maybe some things hadn't†¦. â€Å"But he wouldn't go that far,† I finished. â€Å"Do you want to take that chance?† asked Jasmine softly. â€Å"Maybe he wouldn't really kill you, but you heard what he said about Maiwenn's ‘magic' abortion.† What had Deanna claimed? That Kiyo and Maiwenn had planned to make me terminate the pregnancy if I wouldn't willingly? â€Å"We just need to talk,† I said, hoping I sounded convincing. My next words gave me away. â€Å"Somewhere I know I'm safe.† â€Å"Kiyo's in the waiting room,† said Jasmine, seeing that I was finally taking this seriously. â€Å"Is this a safe place?† â€Å"Probably not.† I had finished getting dressed. â€Å"There must be a back door. There's always a back door. We'll go †¦ we'll go home. I'll get my weapons, and then we'll go to the Otherworld. He and I can talk about this reasonably in the Thorn Land. I'll be safe there.† â€Å"You'll never make it there,† said Deanna. I'd practically forgotten about her. â€Å"He can follow you. As soon as you leave here, he'll know and come after you.† â€Å"How could he – â€Å" I lightly touched my upper arm, the spot where Kiyo's nails had barely dug in the other night. I took a deep, shaking breath. â€Å"He marked me,† I said. He'd scratched me the first night we'd met too, leaving a long-healing wound that allowed him to track me wherever I went. This one was smaller but would work just as well. Jasmine was already moving toward the door, so full of tension and purpose that she seemed much older. â€Å"We'll just go straight to the Otherworld then. You'll be safe there. Where's the nearest gateway?† I racked my brain, thinking of our location. â€Å"By Morriswood Park. Farther than I'd like.† â€Å"Well, we have to go soon. If we stay here any longer, the doctor'll come ask what's wrong,† said Jasmine. â€Å"And we can't let Kiyo find us in the parking lot.† â€Å"You'll never make it to the park in time,† wailed Deanna. I scowled, but she was right. Jasmine looked at me questioningly. For a moment, I considered calling Volusian, but he might happily kill Kiyo and claim it was in my defense. I wasn't ready for that. â€Å"I know where we can go,† I said. â€Å"Come on.† We left the exam room, stepping out into the hallway. I turned with purpose, opposite the direction of the waiting room we'd entered from. This took us deeper into the clinic, past more examining rooms and their lab. A couple staff members passed us, but we walked confidently enough that no one stopped us. They probably assumed we'd been directed somewhere. Meanwhile, my eyes were searching for an exit sign. There had to be a back door. Surely hypocritical health professionals had to go somewhere to smoke. â€Å"There.† I nodded toward an exit sign, praying it didn't lead to a fire door, which would be of no use to us. Nope. It was just an ordinary door, one probably used for maintenance or shipments. Someone did notice us then and start to ask what we were doing, but by then, we were outside and behind the building. â€Å"Eugenie, where are we going?† asked Jasmine anxiously. Deanna had faded away, perhaps now finally leaving this world after fulfilling what she believed to be her last duty. As we walked briskly toward my car, some part of me kept wanting to think she'd lied. But why? As she'd said, she had no reason. She'd held true to me before. And with every passing second, I grew more and more conflicted, wondering what I should believe. Kiyo loved me. He'd gone out of his way to win me back †¦ but he was firmly set on protecting the human world. At any cost? We'd see. Deanna was mistaken; she had to be. My worst fate was probably going to be Kiyo's talking me to death. We got in the car, and I did briefly consider trying to make a break for Morriswood Park and its Otherworldly gate. After all, what was Kiyo going to do? Get in a high speed chase with us? The thing was, with that mark, he would be able to track me. He could probably feel me moving away now. If we headed anywhere near the park he'd figure it out. He'd either try to beat us there or just catch up with us on the other side. No, I had to go somewhere else. Somewhere with protection. Somewhere I could be sure I was safe until all of this madness was settled. Jasmine's face grew increasingly troubled as we drove away from the doctor's office. She kept glancing back, as though expecting to see Kiyo right on our bumper. When we turned into a suburban neighborhood, her worry shifted to confusion. â€Å"What is this?† â€Å"Home,† I replied, pulling into the driveway of a well-kept house surrounded by trees and flowers. A fence enclosed the backyard but couldn't hide the efforts someone had made to turn a Tucson backyard into something lush and green. The gate in the fence was unlocked as I'd known it would be. The yard was unoccupied, save for birds and insects. The house's patio door had its glass open, covered only by a screen that let in the afternoon air. It too would be unlocked. â€Å"Kiyo won't really do it,† I muttered, as I jerked the door open. â€Å"Maybe he's upset †¦ but we can talk this out. Deanna overreacted. We're overreacting.† We stepped into a small breakfast nook, and in the adjacent kitchen, a man spun around. My heart leapt when I saw him. The familiar, kind face. The graying hair. The tattoos of whorls and fishes. It felt like a lifetime since our last meeting. Roland. I'd gone to my parents' house. Roland's reactions were those of a man who'd spent years fighting and training, but even that didn't prepare him for the sight of us. Astonishment filled his features, quickly giving way to outrage. â€Å"Eugenie! What are you – â€Å" â€Å"Get your weapons,† I ordered, casting an uneasy glance behind me. Jasmine followed as I strode toward him. â€Å"Whatever you've got in the house.† He didn't move. â€Å"You know you're not – â€Å" â€Å"Get them!† I exclaimed. â€Å"We don't have time for this!† I don't know what look I wore on my face, but it was enough to pierce the walls of hurt and anger he'd built between us since learning of my involvement in the Otherworld. I'd taken a risk coming here, a gamble that no matter what happened, Roland would protect me. And I was right. He transformed before my eyes, suddenly the concerned and caring stepfather I'd grown up with. â€Å"What's – â€Å" Before he could finish, the screen door flew open. Kiyo stood there, face dark and stormy. â€Å"What the hell are you doing?† he demanded. â€Å"Why did you take off?† â€Å"You first,† I said, taking a step back toward Roland. â€Å"What are you doing?† Jasmine moved to my other side. My eyes were on Kiyo, but I could sense Roland bracing for battle. Maybe he didn't know what was going on, but anyone could have seen how dangerous Kiyo was. â€Å"I wanted to talk to you, and you disappeared!† Kiyo moved forward a little but stopped, recognizing the united front that Roland and I – and yes, even Jasmine – presented. â€Å"Talk? Is that all you wanted to do?† â€Å"Yes. Of course.† Kiyo glanced between all of us. â€Å"You promised, Eugenie. You promised if it was a boy, you'd get rid of it.† â€Å"There's a girl too!† I exclaimed. â€Å"You can't get rid of one without the other.† â€Å"It doesn't matter,† he said. â€Å"The consequences are too big.† â€Å"I can't kill an innocent. She hasn't done anything.† â€Å"Not directly. Letting her live means he lives. And there's nothing innocent there. He can't live. Eugenie, you know that. I'm not trying to be cruel. Please. Do what's right.† Jasmine and Roland remained silent as this drama played out. Meanwhile, I realized how sickened the language of this whole matter continued to make me. Get rid of it. He can't live. â€Å"You're so quick to kill your own children,† I said in disbelief, echoing what Jasmine had said a few days before. â€Å"Don't you feel any remorse? You know better than me what it's like to be a parent!† â€Å"Yes,† he said, clenching his fists. â€Å"I do know. And it's amazing. I wish you could know what it's like†¦.† â€Å"But I can't? I can't have the same chance you and Maiwenn had?† Kiyo shook his head. â€Å"You aren't the same as Maiwenn. You can't ever be.† It was like a gut-punch. I was stunned into silence, and a bit of his fierceness eased. I think he read my reaction as acceptance. â€Å"Look, I don't get this,† he said. â€Å"I don't get why you're resisting all of this after what you've always said! You never wanted a baby – any baby. If you've changed your mind, then †¦ well, try again. You just can't have these.† â€Å"And what then? I just keep having abortions until a girl comes along? What kind of a sick bastard are you?† I moved forward without realizing it, my anger exploding. Roland put a hand on my arm, keeping me back. It wasn't affection. It was a warning. It was defensive strategy, keeping us together. â€Å"I'm trying to protect the human world,† Kiyo said. He hadn't come any closer, but he was as ready as we were, his reflexes even faster. â€Å"And you should be too.† â€Å"And what happens if I don't do what you want?† I asked quietly. Here it was, the moment of truth. He sighed. â€Å"I don't want it to come to that.† â€Å"To what?† My voice rose sharply, the anguish in me ready to explode. â€Å"What will you do?† â€Å"I'll take you to Maiwenn – by force. And then †¦ and then she'll take care of it.† â€Å"The hell you will,† I said. Goddamnit, I wished I had a weapon. I almost always traveled with them – but not to the doctor's office. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Roland's hand rest on the counter and wrap around something. A wand. He'd had his wand in the kitchen. But of course he would. Unlike me, he hadn't become careless. â€Å"I'll never let that happen. You guys aren't going to experiment on me!† Kiyo's face displayed a mix of emotions. There was sorrow and disappointment. He did care. He didn't want this fight between us – but he also believed in his greater good. He believed he had to do anything to stop the prophecy, and I knew then that Deanna had spoken the truth. Ideally, he just wanted the pregnancy to end. If that wasn't possible, then I was what needed to be eliminated. â€Å"How can you do this?† he asked, his voice both a threat and a plea. â€Å"How can you risk all this – just to save one life?† It was only in that moment, as the words left my lips, that I learned the truth about myself, what I'd been holding deep inside. The girl and boy thing didn't matter. Only the heartbeats did – those tiny, rapid heartbeats pounding in my ears †¦ â€Å"I'm not,† I told him. â€Å"I'm saving two lives.† I sealed my fate with that. Kiyo moved so fast that I wasn't prepared for the attack. He sprang toward me, shape-shifting as he did into his giant fox form, fangs out, snarling. A blast of wind slowed – but didn't stop – his leap, providing enough time for Roland to jerk me out of the way. The wind magic hadn't come from me. It had been Jasmine, which was why the power hadn't packed much of a punch. The unaccustomed magic left her gasping, but it had been enough to buy us a brief escape. Roland pulled me out of the kitchen, out to where we had more space to maneuver in the living room. Kiyo followed without hesitation, all brute strength and speed. â€Å"He can be banished,† I gasped out to Roland. â€Å"The same as a gentry.† Roland gave a brisk nod of acknowledgment. He already knew this, but in the sudden flurry, he didn't have the necessary pause to do a full banishing. Kiyo reached us, throwing himself on me and pushing me away from Roland. I fell hard to the ground, Kiyo's weight pinning me there. As quickly as he'd turned fox, he transformed back into a man. Still displaying amazing speed, he pulled me up by the arm. I didn't know if his intentions were simply to cart me out of the house or to attempt a world-jump then and there, but I didn't give him the chance. I'd recovered my senses and took hold of my magic. The air grew thick, and a hurricane-worthy gust blasted him away – along with a substantial part of my parents' furniture. Kiyo grimaced as he regained his footing and agonizingly took one step at a time toward me. â€Å"Damn it!† he yelled over the roar of the wind. â€Å"Stop this!† â€Å"You stop this!† I shouted back. The magic burned in my blood, and no matter how annoyingly weak the pregnancy had made me, my power hadn't diminished too much. â€Å"We don't even know that this prophecy's real! I've already met one fake seeress. It could all be for nothing.† Roland and my mother had once told me that prophecies were a dime a dozen in the Otherworld, and I'd seen that to a certain extent. Until now, I'd never wanted to take the chance that mine wouldn't come true. â€Å"But we don't know!† Kiyo countered. I could see the irritation on his face. I was keeping a storm raging around me, one that held him at bay while hopefully Roland began a banishing. â€Å"We can't risk it. Please. Please come back with me to Maiwenn. We'll fix this.† I didn't answer and instead kept the storm going. My gaze stayed on Kiyo, but I felt the tingle of shamanic magic – human magic – beginning to glimmer. Roland was indeed performing a banishing spell. Kiyo transformed into a fox again, and with that extra strength, he managed to push through the storm-shield around me and knock me to the ground again. He stayed as a fox this time, holding onto that strength. His teeth bit into my shirt, through to my shoulder, and I yelled out in pain. My magic wavered, and to my astonishment, he began dragging me – slowly – across the living room. His progress was halted when a small end table slammed into his back. I tell you, those things are lethal. Instinctively, he reared up against his attacker: Jasmine. He shoved her away, and she stumbled back. Snarling, Kiyo returned to me, and I had the uneasy feeling my odds were getting worse as to whether he'd cart me away or just kill me. He could hold on to human thoughts in fox form, but they became increasingly influenced by animal reactions the longer he stayed transformed. He suddenly looked away from me, gold eyes on Roland, who stood planted firmly across the room with his wand extended. I'd sensed the banishing earlier because of my training. Now, with the spell in full force, Kiyo could feel it too. Abandoning me for the new threat, Kiyo raced toward Roland. I screamed as all that animal power slammed into my stepfather, pinning him against the wall. The wand flew from Roland's hand. The banishing spell disintegrated. Kiyo shifted to human form again, still trapping Roland. Roland was strong but couldn't match Kiyo's strength. Struggling was useless. â€Å"Stop it,† cried Kiyo. â€Å"Both of you.† His arm pressed against Roland's neck. Roland managed a gasp as the grip cut off his air. Immediately, I let the storm magic around me drop. As I did, I felt that Jasmine had been lending her strength to me without me even realizing it. She too ceased her wielding and struggled up from where she'd been knocked down, coming to stand with me once again. The room fell eerily still. â€Å"Let him go,† I growled, moving slightly forward. I knew I couldn't win against Kiyo in a physical fight, but I also couldn't let him harm Roland. â€Å"This isn't about him. Don't hurt him.† â€Å"Believe me,† said Kiyo, â€Å"I don't want to.† His eyes were dark and human again, but there was still some feral glint in there. â€Å"Come with me, and I'll release him.† â€Å"Come with you,† I said flatly. â€Å"To Maiwenn's?† â€Å"You'll thank me later,† said Kiyo. My mind raced frantically. Roland was struggling for breath. How much longer did he have? Would Kiyo really kill him? I wondered if I could get off another blast of magic. Another attack of wind? Lightning? I could create a controlled bolt indoors, but it'd probably kill both men. And if I went with Kiyo †¦ let him take me to Maiwenn †¦ well. There'd be no getting out of that, no escape. Roland looked ready to pass out. His blue eyes were fixed on me, and then, quickly, he glanced toward my feet. I thought it was him about to lose consciousness, but then I saw the purpose in his eyes. His wand was near my feet, within easy reach. I didn't let on to Kiyo that I'd noticed. Roland's eyes returned to me, some message there. â€Å"Please,† I begged, wondering frantically what Roland wanted me to do. â€Å"Let him go.† I couldn't pull off a banishing spell. There wasn't enough time. Kiyo would release Roland, true, but then I'd be the one attacked again. I honestly didn't know how long Kiyo would play it safe. He was attempting â€Å"reasonable† solutions: force me to go to Maiwenn, blackmail with Roland, et cetera. Sooner or later, if he truly believed the prophecy's threat, he would simply eliminate me. Roland was still staring at me, still wanting me to do something he thought would save us. He'd trained me. Surely I could figure it out. I had to. What could a wand do? It cast spells. It banished creatures, sending them out of this world†¦. I felt my eyes widen. I knew what he was telling me to do. Doing it would save him, I was certain, because Kiyo would release him and come after me †¦ into the Otherworld. Roland wanted me to open a gateway for myself. I could do it. It was a fast spell, one I had the power for. Forcing another being through was what took so much time and effort. But opening the gate and stepping through? That could be done quickly. If it could be done. Getting in was easy. Passing through the worlds unassisted was hard, and I'd even had trouble going through fixed, physical gates lately in my weakened state. Making a blind, unaided transition might not even be possible for me. I'd done it once before, and it had required a lot of power. And dear God, had it hurt. If I could do it, though †¦ I'd get away from Kiyo, and Kiyo would let Roland go in order to chase me down. This could buy me the time to flee to safety. The only thing that might make it possible was that I had anchors in the Otherworld to help pull me in. If I jumped with no solid destination, I could end up trapped between the worlds, my essence disintegrated. Hell, that might still happen, but an anchor would reduce the likelihood. I didn't know where I was in relation to the Otherworld's layout, but the closest anchor would pull me in if this worked. Time to find out. With speed that rivaled Kiyo's, I reached for the wand and then grabbed hold of Jasmine's hand. Bringing her only made my task more difficult, but I wouldn't leave her to Kiyo. With the wand, I summoned the necessary magic and ripped open a gate to the Otherworld. Kiyo realized what was happening and released Roland, trying to reach me – but it was too late. I threw myself into the opening, clinging to Jasmine, and knew it would shut immediately behind us, simply because I couldn't hold open a personal gate for long. It felt just as painful as last time, like I was crashing through the floors in a building. Down, down, down. Smash, smash, smash. Each layer was more agonizing than the last, and with each blow, I felt like I was being torn apart. It was likely I was, and I would destroy Jasmine with me, ripping our souls from our bodies. Then, I sensed a tug. My soul turned toward it, and I felt my fractured self coalesce and become whole, even as that falling, excruciating sensation continued. Then – there was only one impact left: a real one. Jasmine and I slammed into a hard stone floor. My body cried out at the pain. True, physical pain. I had already been hurting from the fight with Kiyo, and now, crashing through the worlds had taken that pain to new levels. Nausea welled up in me, and I fought hard not to throw up. I could hear Jasmine whimpering, but the sights around us were a blur as my disoriented mind tried to get a hold of itself. Finally, the world came into focus, the colors and lines growing sharp once more. A faint hum of magic in the air, one that was always present, told me I'd made it intact to the Otherworld. And Dorian was looking down at me.

Hard times by Charles Dickens Essay

The book Hard times, relates to the hard times that people were going through at the time of the industrial revolution, during the 1840’s. the book was published in 1850, so that when Charles wrote the book, he was looking back on the events that occurred 10 years earlier. In his book ‘Hard Times’ Dickens focuses on education and how children used to be taught. Dickens does not agree with the type of teaching that was going on in those times, and by making the characters of the story his object of hate, it makes them prime targets of ridiculing, and does so throughout the book. He describes how the educators insist on teaching fact, and fact alone, nothing but fact. This way he can put forward his views and feelings of this form of teaching, by ridiculing the characters and continually ripping them apart with criticism. The educators insist on teaching fact and pluck all the opinion from the tiny fragile minds that can be so easily moulded into fact filled objects. They scoop out every little fragment of imagination, not leaving the smallest detail to spare and replace it with fact, fact, fact, until they are over spilling with them. As if when filling an empty money box with pennies until it is full to the brim and over flowing, and when you take off the lid they all pour out, one after the other, penny after penny, fact after fact. Facts were ridged and solid, there was no room for interpretation, or another view on the matter, a fact could not be disproved, or argued against, a fact was a fact, and that was what the educators were trying to pour into the innocent little minds, once filled with imagination and opinion. Dickens chooses the names of characters very well. Such as Grad grind, this gives an impression of a strict, hard faced man stuck in his ways. Dickens is very descriptive which gives the reader an image of the characters, and yet at the same time he leaves other aspects to the imagination. The educators were filtering out the opinion and imagination, leaving room for only the facts to get through. This is what Dickens disliked about this form of education, he thought that each child should be independent, and have their own opinion of things and have a free imagination. Dickens himself was a very bright child, yet was denied the right to education, due to the conditions of the time, and the fact that his family were so poor. He left school at the age of 14 and went to work. This is the main reason why Dickens feels so strongly about education and he feels that people should do what they want to do not what they ‘have’ to do, as he had to leave school in order to get a bit more money for his family. In chapter 2 we learn that the teacher Gradgrind has little, if any respect for the children as he refers to them by numbers, also he criticises on of the girls names. He forms the impression of a very narrow minded man with little consideration or respect for children. He is full of fact and stuck in his ways, he believes that because he has been taught facts that every one should be taught pure fact. Dickens doesn’t like this way of learning, and continually ridicules it and the people teaching it. Dickens gets his points across through satire and comic exaggeration, he uses this to achieve humour and also as an extreme way of getting feelings across. During the Victorian times people had a very dim view of education, they did not think it was that essential for children to learn, however in the Victorian times it all came down to your social class. If you were upper class you would have had an education, however if you were lower class you would be considered very lucky if you went to school and even then you would have hat to have left school early to work to get that extra bit of money for the family. I thin these views existed because people had no idea of the importance and it all came down to your social class, also children were ill treated and expected to be seen and not heard. These views of education are very wrong as it is now important especially as we have more rights, and people are respected more.

Impact of Innovation on Economic Perfomance on Micro and Macro Level Essay

Impact of Innovation on Economic Perfomance on Micro and Macro Level - Essay Example This essay is one of the best examples of comprehensive theoretic analysis of the mechanism of the impact of technology changes on the competitiveness of a company or an entire economy of a country. The tighter and more competitive business environment is driving firms to innovate in order to maintain their existence as a market player. However, as more firms innovate, the struggle to maintain their share in the market in turn gets other firms to innovate, capturing everybody to be part of a complex economic cycle. A source of new technology is the society’s search for increased economic efficiency and a sincere desire to reduce the cost that it has to pay for the availability of goods. Whether the purpose of the technology is to improve its effective use of available natural resources or to increase or alter the supply of available resources, it has impacted what people buy (hence created new demand types), what they choose to do with their time (leading to new market for leisure events), what jobs are lost due to changes in the overall economic mix, and possibly the price of other goods that compete with the products, that were produced using new technology. Research, entrepreneurship, new start-ups, consolidation of businesses, interaction with other companies and financial markets create an environment that is conclusive to innovations. Novel trends in innovative activities are impacted by new technologies, modifications in the existing knowledge base, as well as changes in consumer needs.

Discussion Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 6

Discussion Questions - Essay Example (word count 105) Personality measurements can be used when an applicant is interested in employment. Tests have been developed that can determine certain factors of personality that are common for certain behaviors. As well, the ability to lead and make effective decisions can be made by the use of such tests. In the hiring practices in companies I have worked for these tests have been used. However, I have never seen an instance where the test actually excluded anyone from an interview or from being hired. It appears that these tests are given at the insistence of corporate, however there is no real substitute for human evaluation. (word count 104) Psychoanalytical theory uses the experiences of an individual to explain the development of abnormal behaviors. The way in which this has value is in understanding that not all behavior is derived from a physiological source, but can be developed from adverse experiences. When developing a clinical study about behavior, theories of origin can provide insight and dimension. However, psychoanalytical theory does not allow for the chemical imbalances that can influence psychological development. Using just this theory to analyze behavior is limiting and without the depth that influential physiological elements can provide within the context of developing a case study on an individual. (word count 102) Freud divided the personality into the Id, the Ego, and the Superego. The Id is the unconscious drive for basic needs in which pleasure is the driving motivation. The Ego is the conscious force that can temper the drives of the Id with reason and acknowledgement of consequences. The Superego creates a balance between the conscious and the unconscious, inhibiting drives that could be counterproductive. An understanding of this could allow for an employer to develop motivational strategies that

Engineering ethics Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Engineering ethics - Case Study Example Within any given integrated work place, a coherent code of conduct is used to manage behavioral conduct of employees. This code of conduct outlines the principles and values required of every employee when conducting any duty within a  social setting. Apart from laws and the code of conduct, ethics determine the professional behavioral pattern demonstrated by employees. Ethics relate to an individual’s philosophical principles and beliefs. Ethical practices involve adoption of elements like honesty, loyalty, commitment and avoidance of conflict of interest in professional duties. In any professional training, an individual is informed of the required ethical elements which all employees working in a certain professional accord should follow. At this juncture, we will begin by appraising the code of conduct that defines ethical principles required of engineers. Engineering, which is mostly concerned with the welfare of the society, should depict high levels of ethics in its a pplication. Therefore, engineers should display ethical conduct in every activity pertaining to their profession. With respect to the underlying case study, Giffels faces a dilemma situation where he is required to make an ethical decision within the line of duty. Before we begin evaluating Giffels’ case from a theoretical perspective, it is appropriate that we acknowledge some of the ethical requirements of every engineer in the field. From the NSPE, which outline the code of ethics for engineers, engineers have a professional obligation of informing his/her clients when they belief that a certain project has some defects. In addition, engineers should not engage in activities that serve to advance their professional status by untruthfully presenting information about projects. According to the rule of practice, engineers should prioritize safety, health and the general welfare of the public in all professional duties. When charged with a responsibility of approving a projec t, engineers should only approve projects that conform to the applicable engineering standards. Moreover, every engineer should carry out professional assignments with the highest standards of honesty and integrity. At this juncture, acknowledgement of these ethical principles facilitates appraisal of Giffels’ case in an objective manner. Relevant theories concerned with ethical standards will prove helpful in understanding professional ethics from a theoretical perspective. The underlying case concerns an engineer faced with a situation requiring an ethical decision making process. Giffels has a professional duty of installing equipment in a government facility. However, this facility does not meet the required engineering standards in its constructions. Giffels notice that the responsible designer did not consider the issue of safety in terms of fire and escape routes in the facility. In addition, the designer did not submit details on how Giffels should install the require d equipments with respect to the issues of safety. Giffels evaluated this situation from an ethical perspective. Although his duty was to install the equipments, he considered the aspect of public safety in the project. This made Giffels consider approaching the concerned parties for assistance. The designer rejected his claim saying that Giffels duty is to complete the

Does 'free trade' advance or retard development in poor countries Essay

Does 'free trade' advance or retard development in poor countries - Essay Example The following paper evaluates the effectiveness of the free trade policies as far as the betterment of the poor nations is concerned. It analyses the arguments in favor and against of free trade with references of the development of the developing nations or the poor trading partner in the equation. Free trade has become one of the debated topics around the economic world. The terminologies of globalization, free trade, liberalization, socialization are also discussed in this paradigm. Before the actual argument can be established, it is imperative to understand the different terms and concepts that can have an impact on the argument itself. As the name suggests, globalisation refers to strengthening relationship between organisations, governments and individuals across geographical horizons. The term is generally used to regard economic globalisation. Economic globalisation can be explained as: increasing economic activities across the globe, through distribution of products or services by reducing international trade barriers. International trade barriers are placed by countries for various reasons. Some strong reasons could be to stipulate the use of local products, not compromising taxes, fear of rise in un-employments, pressure in maintaining budgets and dilution of long held customs and culture. Trade barriers can be tariff, import quotas, exchange rates, conflicting cultures and export fees etc. A dramatic increase in the process has been witnessed in the last decade. Technology has reduced the communication gaps between geographies. Travelling across national borders has been made easier and as a result doing business internationally has lesser complications in the modern age. The introduction and implementation of International Accounting Standards (IAS’s) and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS’s) has made comparisons between organisations appropriate. Comparable and understandable flow of

Impact of Information and Communication Technology Policy on Firms Essay

Impact of Information and Communication Technology Policy on Firms worldwide Operations - Essay Example Please continue to update the olders ones, "A good study should use approximately 100 + peer reviewed references with 80 to 85% being published within the last 3 – 5 years." Please review my comments below: Abstract [Impact of Information and Communication Technology Policy on Firm’s worldwide Operations] By Nisrine Hammache DBA, Walden University, 2010 Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Business Administration Walden University December 2011 Abstract In the contemporary world, information and communication technology is being rated as one of the basic requirements for the success of a business organization. Lately, it has been observed that even after implementing well dedicated architecture of information and communication technology, businesses have still failed. This has created a spur in the minds of small business owners on whether it is worth undertaking such a huge investment. The research paper is div ided into three sections. The first section provides a general overview about the importance of the discipline of information and communication technology; it offers the background, purpose and nature of the study. The hypothesis and the assumptions along with the implications of the social change are clearly stated in this section. The second section deals with the particular project. This comprises the narration and analysis of data, as well as the reliability and the validity of the process and output. Section three encapsulates the presentation of the study and the application of the frame work of information and communication technology in terms of professional practices. The section also comprises the implications of social change, as well as the recommendations and the reflection. In the reading of the subsequent chapters, the essence of information and communication technology increases profitability; better management of international operations is increasingly substantiate d and so the hypothesis is proved in due course. [Impact of Information and Communication Technology Policy on Firm’s Worldwide Operations] by Nisrine Hammache DBA, Walden University, 2010 Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Business Administration Walden University December 2011 Dedication Acknowledgments Table of Contents List of Figures 9 Section 1: Foundation of the Study 10 Background of the Problem 10 Purpose Statement 12 Nature of the Study 13 Research Question 13 Assumptions 15 Reduction of Gaps 17 Implications for Social Change 18 A Review of the Professional and Academic Literature 19 Transition and Summary 20 List of Figures Fig 1 – Page 15 Fig 2 – Page 16 Fig 3 – Page 17 Fig 4 – Page 18 Fig 5 – Page 19 Fig 6 – Page 20 Fig 7 – Page 21 Fig 8 – Page 22 Fig 9 – Page 23 Fig 10 – Page 24 Section 1: Foundation of the Study An official script w ritten to resolve an immediate business predicament by addressing an existing gap in business practice is referred to as a DBA Doctoral Study. This study will focus on the impact that information and Communication technology policies have on firm’s worldwide operations. In overall, the study comprises three main segments: foundation of the study, the project and application to professional practice, and implications for change. Background of the Problem In every sphere of life change is inevitable, and the information and c

Explain and discuss how Wilson and Roosevelt changed the role of the Essay

Explain and discuss how Wilson and Roosevelt changed the role of the presidency in legislative initiatives and how they made the presidency more powerful during - Essay Example He used the Sherman Anti-trust Act of 1890 to do what no one before him had been able to accomplish: attacking the huge Northern Securities Company, which held a monopoly over railroads in the northwest. He filed dozens of antitrust suits ("The Sherman Antitrust Act"). Though his efforts were aggressive, he realized he needed a different tact to achieve widespread victory over the trusts. Roosevelt continued his legislative attack on the railroads with the Elkins Act, which made it illegal to give rebates to shippers who used particular railroads. In an act of huge significance, it also stated railroads could not change set rates without notifying the public ("The Elkins Act"). The Hepburn Act of 1906 regulated free railroad passes, which the companies passed out as a "perk" to those in Washington, DC, who could provide assistance to the causes of the railroads (Kubiszewski par. 1, 2). After reading Upton Sinclair's The Jungle, Roosevelt led Congress to enact the Meat Inspection Act (1906) to establish cleanliness standards and processing requirements for the meatpacking industry. The Pure Food and Drug Act (1906) followed, calling for truth in labeling of food and medical products ("Turn of the Century"). In what would be called a "green" law today, Roosevelt-initiated legislation also extended to conservation of natu

Stakeholder Analysis Model of Change Essay Example for Free

Stakeholder Analysis Model of Change Essay There are several models of change available for use when organizations begin the process of implementing change. The stakeholder analysis model focuses on the position of key stakeholders in regard to the planned change. Stakeholders in a company include individuals or groups inside or outside the company who can influence the success of the change (Palmer, Dunford, and Akin, 2006). This review involves a six step process and includes identifying stakeholders, recognizing the capacity to influence change, checking stakeholder track record, interest in change, ability to affect change, and determine position on change. The main purpose of the stakeholder analysis is to inform the change manager of the likelihood of the change being successful and widely accepted. As a supplement to the analysis, the change manager may use the power-interest matrix to plot the level of stakeholder interest against stakeholder power. The matrix can identify specific action to be taken based on the classification of specific stakeholders. Upon concluding the analysis and power-interest matrix, if the change manager determines weak favorability by key stakeholders, steps can be taken to improve the projection of the change initiative (Palmer, Dunford, and Akin, 2006). The change manager can take action by adding agreeable stakeholders, removing oppositional individuals, or modifying the proposed change to address stakeholder concerns without compromising the initiative. As with all things, there are pros and cons of the stakeholder analysis. A pro is that this analysis is a thorough way to review the business and needs of stakeholders. In addition, it helps to determine the appropriate changes that would benefit the majority. This detailed approach to implementing a change may lead to better results with respect to stakeholder acceptance of the change. A con to this study is that it seems very involved and time-consuming. Depending on the timeline of the company to implement and train stakeholders on the change in processes and systems, the stakeholder analysis model of change may not be the best option.  Something to consider when determining the best model of change for an organization is to assess if the costs outweigh the benefits. Often this will be the deciding factor in regard to which model to use and what changes are advantageous for the business. Six-Box Model Organizational Development is an important aspect along with the culture of the business. The Six-Box Model proposes is six broad categories that can be broken down into purposes, structures, relationships, leadership, rewards, and helpful mechanisms. The organization’s mission and goals defines how the structure in which the organization is organized and the purposes. Goals include programs or projects where teams work together to meet an objective weather it be sales or implementing change. Relationships are the interaction among individuals in the organization or the way employees interact with technology. Rewards are also a fundamental way to get motivation among employees to meet goals. The typical management tasks include balancing the other boxes. The mechanisms include, scheduling, monitoring, budgeting, and information systems that aid to meet organizational goals. The external environment depicted in by the model is represented by the box surrounding these key compon ents. Inputs defined in his model include money, people, ideas, and machinery. Outputs are merchandise and services. Employees buy in is used to determine if the organizational members agree with and support the organization’s mission and goals. Structuring everything correctly will get the purpose and the internal structure of the organization to coincide with one another. This can be achieved by forming the key relationships between individuals in different departments to avoid conflict. Rewarding the organizational members feel, they are rewarded within the environment. Leadership defines the purposes and embodies it in their programs. â€Å"Helpful Mechanisms can help or hinder the accomplishment of organizational objectives, (Organizational Development Models Weisbord’s Six-Box Model, 2009).† The model has guidelines that focus on internal issues in the organization. Primarily the six-box model poses many interconnections in the organization. The biggest down fall is concerning the impact of the external environment in the model, which is vaguely described. References Organizational Development Models Weisbord’s Six-Box Model. (2009, July 31). Retrieved 5 17, 2014, from every one a leader: http://everyonealeader.blogspot.com/2009/08/organizational-development-models.html Palmer, I., Dunford, R., Akin, G. (2006). Managing organization change: a multiple perspectives approach. New York, NY: Mcgraw-Hill Irwin.

Black Colour And Black Consciousness History Essay

Black Colour And Black Consciousness History Essay Slavery, Henry Clay proclaimed in 1816, forms an exception to the general liberty prevailing in the United States. Based on the firm belief that blacks were innately inferior to whites and unsuited for life in any condition other than slavery, slavery was argued by many as essential to human progress. Despite this, many white southerners hypocritically declared themselves to be the true heirs of the American Revolution; inspired by the same spirit of freedom and independence that motivated the fathering generations. The proslavery writers began to manipulate the words of the founding documents to change the peoples perception of freedom: the language of the Declaration of Independence that all men were created equal and entitled to liberty was the most false and dangerous of all political errors, insisted the pro-slavery minister John C. Calhoun. Slaves never abandoned their desire for freedom or their determination to resist subordination to the whites. The creation of an independent culture centred on the family and church created strength in morality and values which could pass from generation to generation fundamentally at odds with those of their masters. Historians have documented rebellions and revolts by slaves; however these are rare and have led some historians to question the extent and nature of slave resistance. I believe that the more subtle forms of resistance that may have been overlooked by historians still stand as rebellions, or silent sabotage, such as purposeful negligence in manual work, obstruction, ignorance, illness, and the destruction of property. In the narrative of Linda Brent, a North Carolina slave, we find an interesting account of how the refusal of women slaves to submit to sexual advances of the slaveholder can be seen as resistance to slavery.[1] However other historians such as George Fred rickson and Christopher Lasch have claimed that such acts should not qualify as acts of resistance; they believe resistance should constitute acts that involved the planning of actual or potential violence. These would have included committing crimes such as arson, poisoning and armed assaults against individual whites. Even small instances of violent resistance were sometimes effective; an Arkansas overseer decided to make an example of a slave woman named Lucy to show the slaves that he was impartial. Lucy, however, was not to be made an example of. According to her son, she jumped on him and like to tore him up. Word got around that Lucy would not be beaten; she was sold by her master soon after, but she was never whipped again.[2] Considerably more crippling to the stability of the slave system was running away, despite the trying and potentially fatal obstacles in their vulnerable escape methods. As Solomon Northup recalled, Every white mans hand is raised against him, the patrollers are watching for him, the hounds are ready to follow in his track.[3] In Frederick Douglasss slave memoir, The Life of Frederick Douglass, he tells us of the plan formulated by him and a group of slaves to escape via canoe to escape to the north. Slaves generally had little or no knowledge of geography but many understood that the North Star led to freedom: Douglass himself planned to follow the guidance of the north star till we got beyond the limits of Maryland. Douglass knew the dangers of becoming a fugitive, but firmly wrote in his memoir For my part, I should prefer death to hopeless bondage. Aged twenty at the time of his escape, there was a general trend of the majority of fugitives being young men. Most slave women were unwilling to leave children and taking them along proved arduous and almost impossible to survive. Some freed slaves also engaged in achieving freedom for others, a highly complex and dangerous undertaking. Enslaved blacks and their white sympathizers planned secret flight strategies and escape routes for runaways to make their way to freedom. Although it was neither subterranean nor a mechanized means of travel, this network of routes and hiding places was known as the underground railroad. Some free blacks were active conductors on the underground railroad while others simply harboured runaways in their homes. No one knows the exact number of slaves that succeeded in reaching the North the most common rough estimate is about 1,000 per year. Most of those who succeeded lived in the Upper South, like Douglass, who went on to publish his brilliant memoir which inspired the huge abolitionist movement. Harriet Tubman escaped to Philadelphia in 1849 and spent ten years risking her life by making some twenty or so trips back to her place of enslavement to lead relatives and other slaves to freedom. Probably one of the most famous instances of slave resistance was the case of the seizing of the Amistad, a slave ship transporting 53 slaves from one port in Cuba to another. The slaves succeeded in gaining control of the ship, and attempted to force the navigator to steer it to Africa. A slave by the name of The Amistad worked its way up the Atlantic coast till it was seized by an American vessel off the coast of Long Island. While the President Martin Van Buren wished to return the slaves to Cuba, abolitionists brought their case to the Supreme Court, where former president John Quincy Adams argued that since they had been recently brought from Africa in violation of international treaties banning the slave trade, the captives should be freed.[4] The court accepted Adams reasoning and most of the captives made their way back to Africa; a huge triumph for the commandeering slaves. This may well have inspired a similar uprising that occurred in 1841 when 135 slaves seized control of the ship they were being carried on, and to the dismay of the administration back home were given refuge by the British. One of the largest scale rebellions was the revolt led by Nat Turner in 1831. Nat Turner was a slave preacher who believed he was chosen by God to lead an uprising. By the time militia could stop the rebellion it had become eighty slaves strong and had killed some sixty whites in neighbouring farms. Turner was subsequently captured and condemned to die; on being asked before his death whether he felt any remorse, he replied was not Christ crucified? Despite Nat Turners rebellion being one of the most significant rebellions in southern history, it proved largely ineffective. Instead of moving the south towards emancipation, the Virginia legislature of 1832 increased in severity the laws which bonded slaves. New laws prohibited all blacks, free or enslaved, from acting as preachers; blacks could not own firearms; and it was illegal to teach a slave to read. Free blacks in the antebellum period the years from the formation of the Union until the Civil War were quite outspoken about the injustice of slavery. Their ability to express themselves, however, was determined by whether they lived in the North or the South. Free Southern blacks continued to live under the shadow of slavery, unable to travel or assemble as freely as those in the North; this made it almost impossible for them to organize and sustain churches, schools, or fraternal orders such as the Masons. Although their lives were circumscribed by numerous discriminatory laws even in the colonial period, freed African Americans, especially in the North, were active participants in American society. Black men enlisted as soldiers and fought in the American Revolution and the War of 1812. Some owned land, homes, businesses, and paid taxes. In some Northern cities, for brief periods of time, black property owners voted. A very small number of free blacks owned slaves, and usually these were members of their own family that they had bought off slaveholders to later emancipate. A few free blacks also owned slave holding plantations in Louisiana, Virginia, and South Carolina. Free African American Christians founded their own churches which became the hub of the economic, social, and intellectual lives of blacks in many areas of the fledgling nation. Blacks were also outspoken in print. Freedoms Journal, the first black-owned newspaper, appeared in 1827. This paper and other early writings by blacks fuelled the attack against slavery and racist conceptions about the intellectual inferiority of African Americans. Free people of colour like Richard Allen, Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth, David Walker, and Prince Hall earned national reputations for themselves by writing, speaking, organizing, and agitating on behalf of their enslaved compatriots. For Frederick Douglass, the most beneficial step for him to the road to freedom was learning to read and recognizing his enslavement was morally wrong. For him, resistance came in the form of giving speeches and writing books about slavery and his experiences, rousing tumultuous crowds and touching the hearts of many. Throughout his Narrative, literacy, education and reason are deemed crucial tools in the fight for emancipation. After reading speeches on behalf of Catholic emancipation in The Columbian Orator Douglass explained that they gave tongue to interesting thoughts of (his) own soul, which had frequently flashed through (his) mind, and died away for want of utterance.[5] Douglass noted that slaveholders were right in forbidding their slaves from learning to read because literacy and therefore access to enlightenment would undermine the system by strengthening slaves recognition of their own humanity and desire to be free. Henry Bibb was born a slave in Kentucky in 1815. He recounts his sufferings, escapes, recaptures, and unsuccessful attempts to free his family. Bibb lectured for the Liberty party in Ohio and Michigan during the 1840s and fled to Canada after the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, as did thousands of other fugitives living in the North. His narrative includes many illustrations, including the depiction of the celebration of the Sabbath among the slaves and a slave sale. In the text Bibb mentions that slaves were not allowed books, pen, ink, nor paper, to improve their minds. He stated that such circumstances gave him a longing desire . . . a fire of liberty within my breast which has never yet been quenched. Bibb believed that he too had a right to liberty and the pursuit of happiness. In Black Culture and Black Consciousness, historian Lawrence Levine summarizes the important role that slave resistance legends played in the black community: For an understanding of the post-slave generations, the history of slave resistance is less important than the legends concerning it, though the two by no means contradict each other. Looking back upon the past, ex slaves and their descendants painted a picture not of a cowed and timorous black mass but of a people who, however circumscribed by misfortune and oppression, were never without their means of resistance and never lacked the inner resources to oppose the master class, however extreme the price they had to pay.[6] These legacies of resistance, which led to the final emancipation after the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, marked the generations of change that followed the slave period and have continued to build on the past right up until today. Bibliography Howard McGary and Bill E. Lawson, Between Slavery and Freedom: Philosophy and American Slavery, Indiana University Press 1992 John Hope Franklin, The Free Negro in North Carolina 1790-1860, Norton Library 1971 Ulrich B. Phillips, American Negro Slavery, Louisiana State University Press 1966 Eric Foner, Give Me Liberty! An American History, Norton Company 2009 Edmund S. Morgan, American Slavery, American Freedom: The Ordeal of Colonial Virginia, Norton Company, New York, 1975 Deborah Gray White, Arnt I a Woman? Female Slaves in the Plantation South, Norton Company 1995 Frederick Douglass, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Penguin Classics 1982 Lawrence Levine, Black Colour and Black Consciousness, New York 1977 K.Sue Jewell, From Mammy to Miss America and Beyond: Cultural Images and the Shaping of U.S Social Policy London, Routledge 1993

The Difference Between Truth And Belief

The Difference Between Truth And Belief The word truth can have a variety of meanings, from honesty and faith to a verified fact in particular.[1] The term has no single definition about which a majority of professional philosophers and scholars agree, and various theories of truth continue to be debated. There are differing claims on the roles that revealed and acquired knowledge play; and whether truth is subjective, objective, or absolute. Though truth is generally believed to be both subjective and objective, belief is assumed to be objective which means it differs from person to person. For example, I believe that the sky is blue entails that I think that this proposition is true. The ways by which we acquire knowledge, can be differentiated into four broad categories, sense perception, language, emotion and reasoning. The four ways of knowing help us to identify and differentiate between subjective and objective truths. It is generally assumed language gives us access to subjective truths while reason gives us access to objective truths. For example, the various mathematical proofs, theories and formulae that are in use today are in practice because of they have been proved by reason and are considered as objective mathematical truths. However, some theories and formulas are axiomatic truths. Axiomatic truths are self evident truths or basic facts which are accepted without any proof. On the contrary, perception and emotion are believed to result in subjective truths. From past experiences, I have generalized that objects left out in the rain get wet. Through reasoning I apply this understanding to tonights rainfall, and conclude that my own bicycle will get wet if it is left out in the backyard. Reason can help us to identify both subjective and objective truths. For example, reason can help to distinguish between objective mathematical truths and subjective artistic truths. Thus, from the above examples it can be seen that the various ways of knowing , alone can help to identify truths. But, the ways of knowing may also work together to give us the truth. For example, in science the way of knowing of reason and sense perception may work collaboratively to give us the objective truths. Some examples are objects falling on the ground with an acceleration of 9.8 m/s2. However, if reason helps us to identify and distinguish between objective mathematical truths such as the sum of the angles of a triangle is 180 and subjective artistic truths such as Beethovens 9th symphony is his best, it does not mean that reason is superior to the other ways of knowing because each of the ways of knowing has its own limitations and may not necessarily g ive us the absolute truth. The way of classical inductive reasoning can lead to false claims. Consider this example, I saw a duck and it was black. I saw a second duck and it was black. I saw a third duck and it was black. I saw an Nth duck and it was black. A general statement becomes the conclusion All ducks must be black. After tens of thousands of instances of black ducks in Africa, Asia and North America I go to the UK and see a white duck, right in the middle of a lake. One false instance is enough to topple over the general conclusion I had painstakingly reached. In the wake of the development in sciences and the extensive use of reason in daily life, a question is raised Is reason the most superior way of knowing?. Reason has give rise to many scientific explanations and theories such as the formulae of mathematics and the laws of physics. In the AOK of science, the various laws of gravity in physics have been defined after reason and research. For example, if I observe that the gravity is always same when I undertake an experiment, by inductive reasoning I will assume that this will always be the case if I measure gravity on any X place in the world. The general statement becomes the conclusion The acceleration due to gravity is 9.8 m/s2. But, if I were to conduct the same experiment at the North or the South pole I would find that the value of gravity is more than what I had found before, as the earth is elliptical and the poles are closer to the earths core. Also, the value of gravity would be quite different if I were to conduct the same experiment at the equatorial regions .Thus, as we can see, the reasoned assumption can sometimes lead to a paradigm shift i.e. true in specific environments so not a universal truth. Even if the experiment is conducted hundreds of times, there is always a possibility that an exception will be found and the theory would be falsified like in the case of the white duck. Thus, it is suggested that a hypothetical deductive method should be used, which is a continual interplay between deductive and inductive reasoning, mediated by testing done in the real world, whereby false hypotheses are discarded through trial and disproof. However, there is a possibility that somebody may stumble upon a case that falsifies the conclusion. The other knowledge issue raised is How far do our cultural beliefs distort our attempts to distinguish between subjective and objective theories?. For example, a recent case in India, where cultural beliefs are followed on a large extent, the idols of Lord Ganesha in temples all over the country were believed to be drinking milk from the offerings by visitors and followers. Thus, the subjective truth of all the followers was that the idol of Lord Ganesha was drinking milk. However, scientists conducted various experiments on the idols thereafter and came out with an objective explanation whereby the subjective truth of the followers was falsified. The rationalists and the scientists proved that the result was because of the surface tension and the absorption capabilities of the materials of which the idols were made .Thus, the cultural belief in India that the offerings by devotees are consumed by the god , gave rise to the subjective truth and distorted the objective truth. Also , another knowledge issue which is raised is How to do we get from our subjective beliefs to our objective truths ? . Darwins theory of evolution was based on his observations and is believed to be true especially by most of todays scientists. Darwins subjective belief in evolutionary theory was transformed into an objective truth. He proposed that all of the millions of species of organisms present today, including humans, evolved slowly over billions of years, from a common ancestor by way of natural selection  [1]  . However, certain counter-claims make us believe that the theory of evolution is false. According to the theory of natural selection birds could never evolve to fly  [2]  while this is certainly not the case. Though subjective beliefs can be and have been transformed into objective truths by repeated experimentation, it is possible that a single counter-claim could forge the conclusion and prove the theory to be wrong. The distinction between subjective and objective truths also raises the knowledge issue Is emotion an effective way of distinguishing between subjective and objective truths ? . For example, in Ethics we may use reason effectively to distinguish between the reasons why we should switch off a life-support machine on a family member and why we shouldnt, but reason may not take into account the emotional pressures we feel in the moment of flicking the switch, or emotion may even over-rule reason to some extent. The ongoing debate between subjective and objective truths also raises the knowledge issue Are there any absolutely certain objective truths independent of what we believe to be true? . This knowledge issue takes into account absolute truths. An absolute truth, sometimes called a universal truth, is an unalterable and permanent fact  [3]  . Many religions contain absolute truths. For example, a Christian might believe Lord Jesus to be his savior. To the Christian this may be an absolute truth. While many may agree that the Christian believes absolutely that Jesus is his Lord, they are unlikely to agree that Jesus is everyones Lord is an absolute truth. Centuries of missionary work is evidence of the human sense of infallibility in this area and is shown by the movie the mission in which a Spanish jesuist travels to the south American wilderness in the hope of converting the Indians into Christians . When a persons absolute truth is extended to all other people, it can be viewed as a philosophical statement of exclusion. Those who do not endorse the absolute truth of another are either pitied or attacked  [4]  and results in war and oppression. The method of the natural sciences involves perception as part of the collection of data to prove or disprove theories about the natural world for example , the development of the big bang theory by Edwin Hubble was based on his investigation of mysterious masses of stars called Nebulae. However, the problem is that a scientists observations may be limited by the instruments they use to make their observations. However, several of these theories are considered as absolute truths today inspite of what we believe. Again, Historians might provide primary sources to represent the absolute objective truth of the horrors of Stalins reign of terror, but the problem is this: how do we know that those sources havent been tampered with if Stalins regime was capable of doctoring evidence during his rule, isnt this even more rife in an age where everyone has access to Photoshop?

The Loneliness Of mice and Men :: essays research papers

The Loneliness Of Mice and Men   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the touching and gripping tale of John Steinbeck’s novel, Of Mice and Men, he explains many themes throughout the books. One of the major themes is loneliness, which is shown throughout many different characters, for example, Curley’s wife, the stable buck (Crooks), and Lennie.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"’I get lonely’ she said ‘You can talk to people, but I can’t talk to nobody but Curley, else he gets mad. How’d you like not to talk to nobody?’† (Page 87) This quote is said by Curley’s wife when all the men went to town, including her husband. It shows that she spends all her time alone, in her house as the men work in the fields. She is also not allowed to talk to anyone but her husband who spends all of this time in the fields, so she feels like she is living alone all her life. This forces her to talk to anybody she finds. This shows her case of loneliness, and Crooks almost has the same situation. â€Å"A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody. Don’t make no difference who the guy is, long’s he’s with you. ‘I tell ya’ he cried. ‘I tell ya a guy gets too lonely an’ he gets sick.† (Page 72-73) As you can see, Crooks also spends most of his time alone because he is black. He is not allowed to enter the bunk house nor go to town with the guys. He is not allowed to enter the bunk house, he is not allowed to go to town with the guys and nobody likes him because he is black. This shows that he has no friendship and his whole life is filled with loneliness. His case is different from Lennie’s.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"You ain’t gonna leave me, are ya George. I know you ain’t (page 103)†¦ S’pose George don’t come back, s’pose he took a powder and just ain’t comin back.

Diary Of Hatchet Essay -- essays research papers

Diary of Hatchet Brian Robeson, the main character, is a very interesting kid. After the first few pages you could tell that he was strong-minded, twelve or thirteen year old kid. His parents were divorced and he spent some time with his dad. He lived far away so Brian had to take a plane. From the back of the book I knew that he gets in to a plane accident and has to survive on his own. I was surprised that the author went right to the plane wreck. I thought it would have a somewhat boring beginning like most other books I read. Brian keeps talking about how his parents got divorced and he cries every time he thinks about it. He calls it the big "secret." Brian keeps describing visions of his mom kissing some new man, not his father. You can tell that he takes the divorce very seriously and sometimes gets emotional. 10/05 In this part of the book, Jake, the pilot, has a heart attack and dies. To be honest, I, myself, have thought about what I would do if I was on plane and the pilot died. I really don't know what I would do, I don't know how to fly a plane. Luckily, Brian had been taught by Jake how to fly the plane. Brian didn't know how to land so he flew the plane into a lake. This part of the book was hard to believe, there was a lot of "coincidents." Brian showed his intellectual side when he realized that when Jake was suffering from his heart attack he turned the plane to the left. That could greatly increase the time it ...

“Of Mice and Men” By John Steinbeck †Coursework Essay

â€Å"Of Mice and Men† was set in the 1930’s in North California. This was a time of economic hardship due to the Wall Street Crash. Men were forced to leave their families and find work on ranches. Pay and working conditions were poor. Men scraped by, spending any extra money they had gambling or in one of the many whore houses. This is where Steinbeck drew his inspiration from; he spent time on the ranches experiencing the hardships experienced by the workers. The book is about these workers and the extremely lonely lives they led. It also exposes underlying themes of racism and how badly the disabled were treated. This was a time when people looked after number one, as there was nobody else to do this for them. The two main characters are somewhat different, as they travel and work together, looking out for each other. This was very unusual because life would have been hard enough without the extra responsibility of looking after another person. The two main characters have just been evicted from their work in a town called â€Å"Soledad† (which means loneliness). They are the only people in the book whose names Christian names are actually used. It shows that nobody makes the effort to make friends enough to be on first name terms. This is symbolic of the loneliness of each of the characters and shows how unusual the two main characters are. The two main characters are called George ands Lennie. There is very little information about them in the book. They work for their keep on the ranches. Lennie is slightly brain damaged and has a very limited memory. He is an enormous man and Steinbeck often compares his actions with those of a large, clumsy animal using similes and metaphors: â€Å"Dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags his paws.† These are intended to subtly give the reader the impression that Lennie is big and clumsy, like an animal that does not know its own strength; â€Å"Lennie dabbled his big paw in the water.† George is exactly the opposite of Lennie. He is small, dark and quick, and is cautious about his surroundings; â€Å"The small man stepped nervously†¦Ã¢â‚¬  George is always on the look out and he knows how to look after himself. The town they had just come from was called â€Å"Weed† which could signify that they were unwanted, like a weed, there: they were forced out of there because Lennie made a mistake. He had grabbed a woman and she said that he had raped her. George is very much the dominant figure in the relationship and makes all the decisions. At the very start you can tell this because Lennie copies George in the way he looks and acts; â€Å"Lennie, who had been watching imitated George exactly.† This suggests that Lennie looks up to George and wants to be j ust like him. This is quite sad really as he has ended up nothing like him. Lennie hates to make George angry, like a dog that hates to make his master angry. George feels responsible for Lennie. He is like a father figure to him, and he knows that Lennie would never be able to survive without him. He feels a sense of duty because â€Å"Aunt Clara† told him to look after Lennie. The other reason they travel together is George, though he doesn’t like to admit it, enjoys Lennie’s company and he doesn’t want to let go of the â€Å"American Dream†. They share the dream of owning their own place with a few animals; â€Å"livin’ off the fatta’ the lan'†. George knows it is very unlikely to happen but Lennie still believes and always likes to hear the story of â€Å"how it’s gonna be†. This is painful for George and he is reluctant to talk about it. You can tell it is important to Lennie because he forgets anything he is told but he re members the dream. George and Lennie are always dreaming of the future. When George and Lennie arrive on the ranch, the ranch hands and the boss are suspicious of their relationship. They suspect that George is taking Lennie’s stake for himself; â€Å"I said what stake you got in this guy? You takin’ his pay away from him?† They cannot see why someone else would travel with someone who would restrict them unless they were getting paid. They are lonelier than George and Lennie, and have no real concept of friendship. Despite having Lennie as a companion, George is also lonely. He is alone in his responsibility for Lennie. In a way it is more like speaking to an animal than a human when speaking to Lennie because George knows that whatever he says to him will be forgotten and mean nothing. From the very beginning we get a hint of this by the way Lennie is made to seem more like a responsibility than a friend to George. Lennie is made to seen like an animal, â€Å"like a terrier that doesn’t want to bring his ball back to his master†, maybe signifying that he is like a pet that always needs looking after. Steinbeck also uses George playing solitaire as a metaphor for his loneliness; â€Å"George cut the cards again and put out a solitaire lay, slowly and deliberately.† George lays the cards out like he has done it many time’ before. Solitaire is a single player game (and solitaire is derived from solitary), this shows that Lennie is not capable of acting like an adult and so George must play on his own. George is held from having his own life by the responsibility of caring for Lennie. He continuously tells Lennie how life would be without him; how he could have a girl and a decent job: â€Å"God a’mighty, if I was alone I could live so easy† The truth though, is that George would be even lonely without Lennie. It is ironic at the end of the book that George should be so upset by the death of Lennie, because then he realizes that he will have to spend all the rest if his time alone. You never know what you have until it is gone. One of the ranch workers, Candy, features heavily in the book. He tries to join the friendship of George and Lennie. Candy is extremely lonely. He has been working on the ranch for many years and due to his disability. He is unable to leave because he knows that no other employer would take him on. The only reason he has got work now, is that he suffered the injury to his hand on the ranch. He has seen many men come and go but he cannot move on. Candy knows he will probably die on the ranch. Candy is very talkative because he is so eager to make friends. He warms to this gossip because he on his own when all the workers are in the fields. As soon as he meets George and Lennie he engages them in conversation, hardly letting them speak. He lets out all the opinions, about Curley and his wife and the other ranch hands that he has formed and never had anybody to tell them to. In fact the only sort of a friend he has is an old dog. The dog is old, has no teeth and it stinks. The dog is used to symbolise Candy: old and useless. The dog is also used as a foreshadowing device for Lennie’s death. When Carlson tells him that he should kill the dog he tries to stop him by making up excuses: â€Å"Maybe it’d hurt him,† and tries to put the inevitable off; wants to spend just one more day with the dog by killing it in the morning. The only reason Candy had left to live was the dog so in a way Carlson killed a part of him. The dog is also used as a second foreshadowing device for what George has to do to Lennie in the conclusion of the book. Lennie, unlike the dog, however will be killed by the only person he trusts in the world. This will come from the pressure of other people. In the early 20th Century, blacks were heavily persecuted because of their colour. The stable buck is called Crooks and is discriminated because he is a black; â€Å"S’pose you couldn’t go into the bunkhouse and place rummy ’cause you were blackà ¢â‚¬ . He is kept apart from the other ranch hands because of his race. He is very nervous when Lennie enters his room. This is because crooks has his own living space away from the other men. The only people he sees are probably going to insult or hurt him so he is immediately on guard when someone comes in to his room. He is also discriminated against because of his crippled back, which means that he can’t work in the fields like the other men. Crooks reveals his past to Lennie in his barn. The irony that his father used to own his own ranch and once he used to lead a comfortable life must be extremely painful for him to relive when he thinks about his present lonely self. That is probably why he is so bitter towards the other men who are treating him so harshly. Crooks is always dreaming of the past; â€Å"Remember when I was a little kid on old man’s chicken ranch.† The other men would probably dream of having their own space but Crooks is so lonely he would rather be with other people; â€Å"A guy needs somebody to be near him.† All Crooks has for company is a small collection of books that he reads over and over again. It must be very lonely being on your own all the time when he thinks about what it had been like when he owned his own ranch. Sometimes he almost goes crazy with loneliness; â€Å"Maybe if he sees somethin’, he don’t know whether it’s right or not. He can’t turn to the other guy and ast him if he sees it too,† He is only admitting this because he knows that Lennie is not listening, and even if he was, he couldn’t remember and repeat what was being said anyway. Crooks is proud and doesn’t want to admit that he is lonely or that the men are getting to him by calling him names and abusing him, â€Å"If I say something, why it’s just a nigger saying it.† When someone calls somebody something enough times a person will start to absorb the names and start to believe that there is some truth to what the person is saying about them. Crooks is treated like an animal. One Christmas time they â€Å"let† him into the bunkhouse and made him fight. The word â€Å"let† is used like letting an animal in for a treat. He then leaves after his fight, for his own room. The men just use him as entertainment. His life is always under threat because he means nothing them. Curley’s wife plays a very prominent role in the book as she brings the death of Lennie and herself. She is not given a name through the whole book. This signifies how little everyone thinks of her. She is referred to as â€Å"jail bait† and â€Å"slut† by all the ranch hands. This is due to the manner she has adopted to befriend the men. She constantly flirts with any man she meets and being pretty at the same time, she is bound to get herself into some sort of trouble. She acts like this because she is lonely and it is her way of attracting attention to herself. The problem is that all the workers are afraid to talk to her because they fear what Curley would do to them if they did. Curley is always looking for a fight to show how much of man he is. If he got just the faint scent of her cheating on him he would fight. Nobody want to get on the wrong side of Curley because they know he is a good boxer and because he is the boss’s son he can probably get anyone â€Å"canned† if he wants, In reality, Curley’s wife doesn’t actually like Curley and even admits to Lennie: â€Å"I don’t like Curley.† She married him to show her mother that she could be independent and to get back at her for the letter that could have been her big break that she thinks her mother stole. Curley’s wife is dreaming of what could have been, how she could have been in the movies and what a lifestyle she could have had. The marriage between Curley and Curley’s wife is not based on love but on sexual attraction Curley’s wife is also very lonely, that is why she is always skulking around the bunkhouse with the men. She needs someone to talk to; She uses the excuse that she is looking for her husband. In the end her loneliness is the end of her when she tries to talk to Lennie (much the same way as Crooks let out his thoughts to him). The climax of the book starts in the barn. The scene begins with Lennie worrying about his puppy which he has just killed accidentally. Curley’s wife enters, as usual looking for someone to talk to. She begins telling Lennie her life story. All through the book she has been portrayed as a spiteful woman; â€Å"foolin’ around with other guys, causin’ trouble.†, but here her true character comes out. Lennie ends up telling her about his love for soft things so she lets him stroke her hair. The other men can resist her charms but Lennie is not clever enough to know. Lennie strokes it a bit too vigorously and her panic affects Lennie. He breaks her neck by accident, then thinks that if he hides the puppy, which is used as a foreshadowing device to Curley’s wife’s death George will be more likely to let him tend his precious rabbits. This is sad and ironic, as Lennie cannot grasp the enormity of the thing he has just done. Curley’s wife seemed peaceful after her death; â€Å"the ache for attention were gone from her face.† She was realised from her prison on the ranch and was now free and happy. When George hears, he despairs, for Lennie has ended their chance of achieving the impossible â€Å"American Dream†. One of the themes of this book is certainly loneliness. The people are segregated into groups. Age, disabilities, race and sex separate many people. Also the time of economic hardship forced men to look after number one. It made it very hard for the men to form friendships as they have very few responsibilities. The book is about the unusual friendship of George and Lennie who have nothing in common with each other apart from they share the American Dream. That is all that keeps them going. It is extremely sad when George is forced to kill Lennie because he was all that George had left. It was ironic because George had always spoken about what life would be like without Lennie; how he could be free. Now he had his wish he was devastated that he had had to kill the only friend that he had in the world.

Ebusiness

The SSL technology ensures that sensitive information being sent to the sever is secure and has not been altered. Through encryption, confidential information such as name, address and credit card details cannot be read by anyone other than the authorised party (Is it safe to order online? , 2013). With the help of SSL, it enhances security and users are less prone to encounter phishing attacks. 4 ASOS’s e-business system 4. 1 Tangible benefits 4. 1. 1 Enhance customer relationship With the use of social networking sites and internet, it increases awareness to large amounts of consumers in a short period of time.ASOS makes full use of this method with blogs, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube to premote its products. With the growing use of internet and social media, ASOS advertises its products and promotions online which increases customer base and brand identity. It also helps customers to give feedback or make complaints which help establish a sthronger relationship between busine ss and consumers. Therefore social media and internet are priceless resources for ASOS to increase customer base and profits. 4. 1. 2 Improve time management and cost efficiencyAs ASOS uses a pure e-commerce system, customers need not move around to select products which show there is a huge gain over physical stores. The costs of products are cheaper compared to physical stores because extra manpower is not needed to operate the physical store which mearns ASOS saves on wages and rent for physical stores. Thanks to internet marketing through Facebook or within ASOS website, it is more targeted than traditional media. It is cost efficient and recognized by millions of people. ASOS applies e-commerce systems which improves the efficiency of logistics and inventory management.With the help of e-commerce, order fulfillment is accomplished quickly, more accurately and cost effectively. There is no need for phone calls to clarify and confirm purchases. This improves the efficiency of ord er fulfilment and improves the speed of delivery which surpasses customer expectations. 4. 2Intangible Benefits 4. 2. 1Improved strategic position of company As one of the leading online fashion store, ASOS has gained a competitive advantage in the fashion industry (Greenblat, 2013). ASOS were able to implement strategic plans earlier than its competitors and managed to gain a better position in the market.As a pure online retailer, ASOS must focus on maintaining and ensuring their website is constantly updated and managed professionally. In contrary to ASOS, competitors whom are click-and-mortar based have to emphasise more towards maintaining their physical store as well as their website. 4. 2. 2Increasing customer loyalty E-commerce businesses can face problems since they are not able to communicate directly with their customers but ASOS has managed to continuously increase customer loyalty by providing excellent customer services to its customers such as ensuring efficient and e ffective payment and delivery of goods to customers.ASOS also makes sure of the convenience in finding items, comparing and checking them out. Customers who are highly satisfied with the services provided would have increased loyalty and will give positive testimonials and word of mouth to other consumers. 4. 2. 3 Vision, Mission and Strategy ASOS’s vision is to create a unique multi-channel shopping experience where twenty-something fashion lovers can network, share ideas, create their own styles and shop together. (Home – ASOS Plc. , n. d. ). Conducting their business online plays an important role in achieving their vision. With the advancement of Web 2. , ASOS websites and their participation in social network accounts not only facilitates customers to interact with one another and the company, but also encourages them the share and spread their fashion ideas and knowledge, which relates to their vision. This would then lead to achieving the company’s missio n which is â€Å"to lead the fashion revolution† (ASOS – Next Generation Pledge, 2010). With the help of the e-business systems, ASOS is able to continue to ensure all participants of the system stay connected through online network, to continue to share and grow business ideas together, since ASOS is a virtual organization. . e-Business Issues 5. 1 Security and Privacy Issues Security is crucial in every organization. Since ASOS is an online based organization there are various types of attack that they can encounter. Identity theft is one of the main problems faced which prevents consumers purchasing from ASOS. New born sites usually are not trusted by first time online purchasers. To avoid this, ASOS uses Comodo SSL certificate which help in securing online payment system and reduce identity theft. The most basic protection against technical attacks is firewalls and antivirus.These basic protections should be implemented in every e-business as even small viruses may cause websites to crash which would require a significant time to recover. This also affects the reputation of ASOS. In order to have an improved, more efficient and effective security in the long run, ASOS should invest in security to enhance pproduactivity. 5. 2 Marketing Issues One of the marketing issues ASOS face is trust issues on online shopping. Constant phishing attack on e-commerce sites make customers more aware of the risks of providing personal information online.Therefore, building trust is a crucial key to promoting products online. ASOS iintegrates the latest privacy and security technologies to enhance security online. As ASOS being a pure play organization, it faces a tough competition in the virtual business platform. Today, many organizations perform businesses online. To increase market share, ASOS have to set themselves apart from the competition by being more creative and innovative, such as providing more product or service than other competitors which in re turn attracts more customers. Another way to attract customers is to offer discounts or coupons to hike sales.

Case Study on RELE-Rouen: Language Immersion in Normandy Essay

Executive Summary Maxime is the co-founder of RELE-Rouen, a franchise language school under RELE at Rouen, France. The business took a downturn during the economic crisis from 2009 to 2011 and it has been losing money for three consecutive years. The franchise contract with RELE is due for renewal in two month. At this time, Maxime is presented with three options: 1. Renew franchise contract with RELE 2. Switch to OILT programs 3. Sell the building to EFEL This report first explored the constrains that Maxime faces in this decision making process. And then the three options are analyzed and compared in details by using a set of criteria, including financial return, franchise models comparison, and other business strategy related considerations, i.e. customers, company, distribution channels and market outlook. The people perspective in this decision making process is also being examined. Based on the findings, RELE-Roune will face another year of loss if RELE does not allow Maxime and Beatrice to run their weekend programs anymore in 2012. OILT is only more profitable if they can sell at a much higher quantity than they do now. And the 1.5m offer from EFEL is much below the valuation of the building and their business. Therefore, it is vitally important that Maxime first determine RELE’s willingness to grant Roune more freedom in program offering in the future. If RELE refuses to, Maxime and Beatrice has to choose between OILT and selling at a loss to EFEL. Maxime and Beatrice should also look for an OILT franchisee that is in a similar geographical location, i.e. a rural area in close proximity to a metropolitan city, to understand their marketing strategy and the new company identity in order to estimate their required initial investment and future business potential if they are to switch to  OILT. Constraint RELE’s centrally controlled sales activities and program offerings are largely the reason why Maxime and Beatrice can do very little to revive their business in times of crisis. It will continue to be a constrain in their future with RELE. Maxime and Beatrice’s financial situation can also restrict their decision-making. The current asset RELE-Rouen held as of 31 December 2011 is just enough to cover its current liability. Any new investment can create a considerably cash flow problem for the company. Maxime has already guaranteed a loan of â‚ ¬800,000 personally. It can be difficult for them to source for new loan or cash investment given the uncertainty of their business future. The building, which Maxime and Beatrice used to run RELE-Rouen, is jointly owned by the five siblings. It is a family heritage. Any decision made related to the use of this building will have to be in all siblings’ best interest. Criteria The three options are being evaluated based on the following criteria: Economics, Business Strategy and People. Economics This section details the financial analysis of the three options1. For RELE, three business scenarios are constructed and evaluated. An estimate of financial returns from OILT, assuming the same level of sales, is also calculated and compared with RELE’s. Lastly, an estimate for the valuation of the building and business provides an insight to EFEL’s offer. Option 1 – Renew franchise contract with RELE Scenario 1: RELE-Rouen offers only weekday programs. It is deduced from the case that Fabienne, the CEO, chose not to object to RELE-Rouen’s new weekend program because of the understanding that time was difficult. When the economy starts to recover, Fabienne may not allow this program to be offered anymore. It is estimated that RELE-Rouen will face a loss of close to â‚ ¬82,000. Scenario 2: RELE-Rouen continues its current offerings. Based on their own estimation, RELE-Rouen will have a profit of close to â‚ ¬30,000. Scenario 3: RELE-Rouen is allowed to offer both four-weekend and English program. This is the best-case scenario for RELE-Rouen. It is not clear why  RELE rejected Maxime and Beatrice’s proposal to offer English program in 2011. One of the possible reasons can be that RELE wanted to avoid new investment in selling to a new segment during crisis while their main focus was to maintain profitability of their own center. It is reasonable to assume that Maxime and Beatrice have a stronger bargaining power now given the fact that they have been approached by OILT and the economy will recover more in 2012. It is estimated that RELE-Rouen will take a profit of close to â‚ ¬91,000. From the calculation, it is clear to see that the profitability of RELE-Rouen is directly affected by the types of programs they can offer. If RELE put a stop to their weekend program, they will have another year of loss. Option 2 – Switch to OILT programs It is assumed that they will be offering both French and English classes during weekday and weekend with OILT. But without a clear understanding of the new targeted market, it is difficult to estimate a sales number. In this calculation, instead of looking at the profit based on an assumed number of sales, the profitability of the OILT programs is evaluated using the same level of sales as proposed in Scenario 3 with RELE. The comparison of the profitability can reveal the different franchise fee structure and its impact on profitability. It is also expected that certain amount of initial investments is required when switching to OILT. But at this stage, there is not sufficient information yet. The calculation simply assumed a similar cost structure as RELE, and did not include any additional investment. Based on the calculation, they will face a loss of close to â‚ ¬36,000. Compare this calculation with Scenario 3 at RELE, it can be concluded that by selling the same amount of classes, the RELE model is more profitable. Another calculation is done to prove the hypotheses that the OILT model is more profitable selling by quantity. By increasing the number of classes sold by 10% (which is still within their current capacity, therefore the same fixed cost applied), the profit almost doubled. Option 3 – Sell the building to EFEL The valuation of the building and the valuation of the business is, in total, around â‚ ¬2.6m. Details of the calculation can be found in Exhibit 3. Based on the calculation for the three options, it can be concluded that the â‚ ¬1.5m offered by EFEL is definitely not an attractive offer. Even if Maxime and Beatrice do not want to continue with their business, they should negotiate another deal with EFEL. Business Strategy Franchise model Since RELE’s only customer base is executive and it is assumed that the weekday programs are mainly sponsored by corporate, maintaining long-term corporate relationships would be RELE’s primary marketing focus. It also gives RELE reasons to centrally control their marketing effort because it is costly both in terms of time and money to build and maintain relationships with corporations and any mishandling of this relationship can adversely affect RELE’s image. The advantage of a centrally controlled sales operation reduces the franchisee’s cost in business development. The disadvantage is, RELE may not have the local knowledge to develop marketing strategy specific to the franchisees’ region and during economy downturn, franchisees have little to no freedom to recoup demand on their own. OILT on the other hand, is targeting at the mass individual consumers. It hardly controls any aspects of its franchisees’ operations. It also means that franchisees will have to decide every aspect of their growth strategy themselves. Customer As discussed earlier, RELE program is for executives while OILT program is for all adults, especially international tourists. A company’s customer base determines the identify of a company. If Maxime and Beatrice want to take up the OILT program, they may have to offer different type of food, different methods of teaching, different ways to promote their programs, different incentives to attract repeat customers and may be even different styles of decorations in the building. Company Maxime is a CEO of their family business apart from running RELE-Rouen with Beatrice. Even though they have been offering the RELE programs for 9 years now but because of the franchise policy, they have only been engaged in academic, administrative and hospitality related operations. Also due to the single type of customers, i.e. executives, they may not have the knowledge and skills in managing mass market. The professors working at RELE-Rouen  have an average age of 52. They may not adapt to new teaching methods of using multimedia very quickly. Competition Currently RELE-Rouen is enjoying a relatively low competition in the region. But OILT and EFEL are targeting at the same type of customers and both of them are interested in entering the region. If Maxime and Beatrice are to take up franchisee from OILT, EFEL is a competitor. Channels According to the financial estimate for the OILT model, it was concluded that in order to make a better profit, they have to sell a better quantity than they have now. Beatrice has little experience in sales and OILT franchise model requires an international sales coverage. OILT offers 10,000 international agents. Choosing the right agents and exploring alternative sales channel would directly determine the success of their business with OILT. Paco Valls, the OILT franchisee in Barcelona may not be a good reference to forecast Rouen’s business potential because of their different geographical location. In Barcelona, Paco Valls has direct access to both a large pool of tourists and the local residents, which Rouen does not provide. Market outlook As the economy starts to recover, Maxime and Beatrice should start to see a pick up in demand both in corporate spending and tourism. The potential of growth of the market also makes EFEL’s 1.5mn look less attractive. If Maxime and Beatrice is to switch to OILT, it is a good time to make the investment as well so that their new business will be up and running when the demand is back in full swing. People Maxime is 62 years old and will retire in 3 years. He may not want to engage in a new adventure and would prefer a stable income from a stable business. Beatrice’s only source of income is from their language school. And further losses can adversely affect her financial security. Their other siblings and the three teachers who have been working with them for close to a decade will also be affected if they decided to sell the school and the building. Synthesis After examining the three options Maxime has, it can be concluded that they will face another year of loss if RELE does not allow them to run their weekend program anymore. OILT is only more profitable if they can sell at a much higher quantity than they have now. And the 1.5m offer from EFEL is much below the valuation of the building and their business. Action Plan In view of the various potential and risks in their current business and their future alternatives, Maxime have to get an understanding with RELE if they can continue with their weekend programs in 2012 as soon as he can and if possible, he should make sure the contract reflects this provision. Maxime should also start negotiating with RELE on allowing them to offer English courses. At the same time, Maxime and Beatrice should also start doing market research in order to better understand the potential demand for OILT model in Rouen, such as the amount of tourists in the region, they can also look for OILT franchisees that are in similar geographical locations and learn from their experience and also help them estimate their financial future with OILT.