Hamlet Act Iii Climax Essay

In The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark Shakespeare uses personification, allusion, and a rhetorical question to advocate that the climatic moment of Act III is when King Claudius admits to the murder of King Hamlet because, by definition, it is the act that turns the action of the scene around, leading toward an inevitable conclusion. Shakespeare uses personification when King Claudius says that â€Å"[his] offense is rank, it smells to heaven† (line 36). Claudius’ guilt of killing his very own brother, King Hamlet, is constantly on his conscious, which is why he gives the â€Å"offense† the trait of a rank smell, something whose presence is constant and putrid. The purpose of personifying Claudius’ â€Å"offense† to have a smell that reaches to heaven is because Claudius is aware that heaven is where King Hamlet’s spirit lies due to his own fault, and his admit to the murder will drive the scene to an inevitable conclusion because he has released key information to a driving mystery in the plot line. Shakespeare makes a biblical allusion to Abel and Cain in lines 37-38 of the play when Claudius says that his â€Å"offense [†¦] hath the primal eldest curse upon’t, / A brother’s murder! †. Shakespeare is atoning that murder is never outdated; no matter the era or the place, the murder of a brother by a brother is never acceptable in the eyes of society or God. This allusion purposefully informs us that King Claudius did kill his brother, King Hamlet, as a warning that falling action concerning Claudius’ unforgivable acts is to proceed. Claudius rhetorically asks, â€Å"O, what form of prayer / Can serve my turn? † (lines 51-52). Claudius’ asks this with the knowledge that there is no form of prayer that would serve his turn because his acts were unforgivable and he must face the consequences for them. Rhetorical questions are always immediately answered, whether directly or indirectly, and King Claudius’ question is consequently to be answered via the falling action that is to proceed after his soliloquy. In King Claudius’ soliloquy in Act III he admits to the murder of his own brother, the late King Hamlet, while also admitting that it is unforgivable, giving the act nowhere else to turn, but to conclusive consequences to King Claudius’ faulty actions.

Literature: China Essay

The Epic of Gilgamesh is one of the earliest known literary works. This Babylonian epic poem arises from stories in the Sumerian language. Although the Sumerian stories are older (probably dating to at least 2100 B.C.), it was probably composed around 1900 BC. The epic deals with themes of heroism, friendship, loss, and the quest for eternal life. Different historical periods are reflected in literature. National and tribal sagas, accounts of the origin of the world and of customs, and myths which sometimes carry moral or spiritual messages predominate in the preurban eras. The epics of Homer, dating from the early to middle Iron age, and the great Indian epics of a slightly later period, have more evidence of deliberate literary authorship, surviving like the older myths through oral tradition for long periods before being written down. As a more urban culture developed, academies provided a means of transmission for speculative and philosophical literature in early civilizations, r esulting in the prevalence of literature in Ancient China, Ancient India, Persia and Ancient Greece and Rome. Many works of earlier periods, even in narrative form, had a covert moral or didactic purpose, such as the Sanskrit Panchatantra or the Metamorphoses of Ovid. Drama and satire also developed as urban culture provided a larger public audience, and later readership, for literary production. Lyric poetry (as opposed to epic poetry) was often the speciality of courts and aristocratic circles, particularly in East Asia where songs were collected by the Chinese aristocracy as poems, the most notable being the Shijing or Book of Songs. Over a long period, the poetry of popular pre-literate balladry and song interpenetrated and eventually influenced poetry in the literary medium. In ancient China, early literature was primarily focused on philosophy, historiography, military science, agriculture, and poetry. China, the origin of modern paper making and woodblock printing, produced one of the world’s first print cultures.[1] Much of Chinese literature originates with the Hundred Schools of Thought period that occurred during the Eastern Zhou Dynasty (769-269 BCE). The most important of these include the Classics of Confucianism, of Daoism, o f Mohism, of Legalism, as well as works of military science (e.g. Sun Tzu’s The Art of War) and Chinese history (e.g. Sima Qian’s Records of the Grand Historian). Ancient Chinese literature had a heavy emphasis on historiography, with often very detailed court records. An exemplary piece of narrative history of ancient China was  the Zuo Zhuan, which was compiled no later than 389 BCE, and attributed to the blind 5th century BCE historian Zuo Qiuming. In ancient India, literature originated from stories that were originally orally transmitted. Early genres included drama, fables, sutras and epic poetry. Sanskrit literature begins with the Vedas, dating back to 1500–1000 BCE, and continues with the Sanskrit Epics of Iron Age India. The Vedas are among the oldest sacred texts. The Samhitas (vedic collections) date to roughly 1500–1000 BCE, and the â€Å"circum-Vedic† texts, as well as the redaction of the Samhitas, date to c. 1000-500 BCE, resulting in a Vedic period, spanning the mid 2nd to mid 1st millennium BCE, or the Late Bronze Age and the Iron Age.[2] The period between approximately the 6th to 1st centuries BC saw the composition and redaction of the two most influential Indian epics, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, with subsequent redaction progressing down to the 4th century AD. In ancient Greece, the epics of Homer, who wrote the Iliad and the Odyssey, and Hesiod, who wrote Works and Days and Theogony, are some of the earliest, and most influential, of Ancient Greek literature. Classical Greek genres included philosophy, poetry, historiography, comedies and dramas. Plato and Aristotle authored philosophical texts that are the foundation of Western philosophy, Sappho and Pindar were influential lyrical poets, and Herodotus and Thucydides were early Greek historians. Although drama was popular in Ancient Greece, of the hundreds of tragedies written and performed during the classical age, only a limited number of plays by three authors still exist: Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides. The plays of Aristophanes provide the only real examples of a genre of comic drama known as Old Comedy, the earliest form of Greek Comedy, and are in fact used to define the genre.[3] Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, German writer and author of the Faust books Roman histories and biographies anticipated the extensive mediaeval literature of lives of saints and miraculous chronicles, but the most characteristic form of the Middle Ages was the romance, an adventurous and sometimes magical narrative with strong popular appeal. Controversial, religious, political and instructional literature proliferated during the Renaissance as a result of the invention of printing, while the mediaeval romance developed into a more character-based and psychological form of narrative, the novel, of  which early and important examples are the Chinese Monkey and the German Faust books. In the Age of Reason philosophical tracts and speculations on history and human nature integrated literature with social and political developments. The inevitable reaction was the explosion of Romanticism in the later 18th century which reclaimed the imaginative and fantastical bias of old romances and folk-literature and asserted the primacy of individual experience and emotion. But as the 19th-century went on, European fiction evolved towards realism and naturalism, the meticulous documentation of real life and social trends. Much of the output of naturalism was implicitly polemical, and influenced social and political change, but 20th century fiction and drama moved back towards the subjective, emphasising unconscious motivations and social and environmental pressures on the individual. Writers such as Proust, Eliot, Joyce, Kafka and Pirandello exemplify the trend of documenting internal rather than external realities. Genre fiction also showed it could question reality in its 20th century forms, in spite of its fixed formulas, through the enquiries of the skeptical detective and the alternative realities of science fiction. The separation of â€Å"mainstream† and â€Å"genre† forms (including journalism) continued to blur during the period up to our own times. William Burroughs, in his early works, and Hunter S. Thompson expanded documentary reporting into strong subjective statements after the second World War, and post-modern critics have disparaged the idea of objective realism in general.

Socialization is done when children follow the footsteps Essay

Socialization can be referred to as the process by where adults and children learn from each other. It is often said that socialization begins at home and this is true because it is the responsibility of the family to teach children from a very early age the norms and values of society. It is the process by which they learn right from wrong. Socialization is done when children follow the footsteps of their parents, teachers or older siblings. Socialization never really stops because all through life, people learn new things and they are never knowledgeable enough to know everything. During this process of socialization children develop a sense of self and become their own person. They become unique and have a distinct personality. Individuals develop their potential and learn culture through this process of socialization. Humans are unlike any other species and they need to learn things and how to survive. It is important for humans to learn their culture for it is a part of who they are. We learn by internalizing which is the process when people take norms values beliefs and language as their own and accept them as their own. Importance of socialization Socialization is important for many reasons: It helps a person become who they really are. It provides the basics for a person to learn about their culture and their way of behavior. Socialization helps people discover their talents and they find out that they are really good at something and they enjoy that. Through socialization children can develop as a person and acquire normal social graces. Children need to feel cared for and loved so when parents take time out for their children and teach them values and norms this helps them to develop properly. Learn ways on how to think talk and actions that are important for social living Is a way by which the society can pass culture along to the next generation We achieve harmony and are able to it into society We develop skills and learn not to always act on instinct It avoids isolation and improper development of children It allows us to develop our potential to develop or maximize skills We develop proper learning Agents of socialization The family is a major agent of socialization. It gives individuals their first experience, earliest and deepest experience to relationships and their exposure to the way of life. The family also teaches their own about the social and physical environment and teaches them to follow it. Children learn from the type of environment that elders create. The family also gives children a social place when it comes to religion race or culture. This makes up the child’s self-concept. The family are the ones responsible to teach children manners, respect and obedience. They cannot allow their children to go to school without teaching them how to talk to older people with respect or how to obey when told to do something. The school also plays a role in the socialization of children. The school is a port way for children to learn about their ancestors and to teach them of the way people behaved in the older times compared to the way they behave now. They learn how society is connected to race and gender. The school is their first experience to bureaucracy. This means that the school prepares them for the future because it runs on a time schedule and is governed by rules. This is helpful because it prepares them for when they get a job. It is also proven that schools mold children into gender roles. School also open opportunities or children to join peer groups in which they meet people with similar interests or talents. The mass media is also an agent of socialization. The mass media provides a vast amount of information to a huge audience at the same time. It is proven to have a great impact on the behavior and attitude of children. The media is also a port way for people to learn about different cultures and to meet people of different race and ethnicity. The media can inspire people to achieve access and to follow their dreams. Children will view successful people on the television and aspire to be like them. This is a good thing because children will have ambition. Theories on socialization George Herbert Mead: He developed a theory on social behaviorism. It explained how a person’s personality can be affected by social experience. He saw the power that environment had when it came to shaping behavior. He studied inward thinking. His main concept was self. He described this as the part of a person’s personality composed of self- awareness and self- image. He considered that self only develops when people interact with others. He said that humans care what others think of them and that is what they think of themselves as well. Lawrence Kohlberg: He studied how people distinguish between right and wrong. At an early age for children, they think that whatever feel good to them is right. Another aspect of his is that teenagers in the adolescent stage lose their selfishness and learn to act according to what parents tell them and by the rules of their school. He also said that individuals learn not to argue with what is legal or right. Jean Piaget: he studied human cognition. This refers to how people think. He wondered how children made sense of the world. He described the way children made their way through life based on what they thought of it. Piaget believed that biological maturation and increasing social experience was reflected by human behavior. He stated four stages of cognitive development which included sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational and formal operational. Sigmund Freud: He studied mental disorder and personality. He believed that biology played a major role in the way people develop. He said that the human personality had three parts which include: The id which represents the innate human drives, this would be the human life and death instincts, the ego which refers to the internalized cultural values and norms and the ego which he considered resolved the competition between the restraints of the superego and the demands of the id. . Family Basic Concepts Family is a group of people who are closely related to each other by blood, adaption or marriage. The family is considered the basic unit of society. A family is considered to be the people who will always be there for you, no matter the situation you are involved in. Whenever in need of something the first place you run to is home. You are confident that there you can be safe and that there will be the people you can depend on. The family is the group of people who play a significant role in an individual’s life. Bonds within a family are considered kinship. Within every society there are families, however the views of people and whom they consider to be their family may vary depending on historical changes and culture. Family of orientation refers to when individuals are born into a family that includes parents and siblings living together. This plays an important role in socialization. A family of procreation is when adults decide to start their own family either naturally or through adaption. Marriage is an important aspect when considering starting a family. Marriage is a legal union between two people who commit to each other and this involves economic cooperation, sexual activity and childbearing. Children born out of marriage are considered to be illegitimate. Global Variations Types of families: Extended family: Is a family that includes more than three generations living in the same household. Everyone is connected by blood. Nuclear family: A family that includes a mother, father and their children living under the same roof. Sibling household: This is a family that an older brother or sister is the one in charge of the rest of children. They are required to be the parents and take care of the younger ones. Reconstituted family: This is a family type formed by the combination of two single- parent families. Single- parent family: Is a family type that involves one parent taking care of the household. Marriage patterns This refers to the way in which individuals are required to marry: Endogamy: This refers to marriage between people of the same social category. This limits marriage prospects to other people of the same gender, social class or race. Exogamy: This is when people of different social class get married. This type of marriage promotes cultural diffusion and builds alliances. Monogamy: This is marriage between two people. Polygamy: This is a type of marriage that unites two or more people. Polygyny: This refers to marriage of one man to two or more women. Polyandry: This refers to marriage of one woman to two or more men. Residential Patterns This talks about where a couple resides after being married: Patrilocality: This pattern refers to when the married couple lives with or close to the husband’s parents or family. Matrilocality: This is when the married couple lives close by or with the wife’s family. Neolocality: This refers to when the married couple live in a new place away from any side of their families. Patterns of Decent This refers to a system families used to trace their kinship over generations. Patrilineal descent: This is when individuals trace their kinship through men. This is when sons are the ones who inherit or get property passed on to them by their fathers. Matrilineal descent: This is a system used to trace kinship through women. This is when mothers pass on property or inheritance to their daughters. Bilateral Descent: in order to promote gender equality, this system traces kinship through both men and women. Theoretical Analysis of the Family Functions of the family Structural and functional analysis: Socialization: The teaching of right from wrong to children. Regulation of sexual activity: Every culture tries to regulate sexual activity in order to maintain property rights and kinship organization. Social Placement: Families try to maintain social organization in order to confer their social identity. Material, emotional and financial security: Families provide financial assistance, physical protection and emotional support. Inequality and the family: Social- Conflict analysis Property and Inheritance: Identifying heirs in order to transmit property. Patriarchy: This is how men own women as their sexual and economic property. Racial and ethnic inequality: Families promote people marry others like themselves. Stages of Family Life This is the way how a family evolves. Courtship: Is when partners get to know each other and see if they are compatible. Settling in: This involves romantic love where partners fall in love with each other and usually plan to marry or not. Child rearing: This is the raising of children on the right path showing them love and kindness. The family in later life: This is when people stay married but for the final years of their marriage they return to living with only one spouse. Transitions and problems in family They are many things that break up the family: Divorce is the dissolution of a marriage. Causes: Individualism is on the rise: This is when family members stop spending as much time with each other. Romantic love often subsides: When sexual passion fades this is when relationships fade. Women are now less dependent on men: Women leave unhappy marriages because wives are now not financially dependent on husbands. Many of today’s marriages are stressful: Most families face the problem of not having enough time or energy for family. Divorce is socially acceptable: Divorce is no longer being discouraged. Legally, a divorce is easier to get: Now divorces are easy to get as long as the couple says the marriage has fail. References Macionis John J., Sociology- (13th Edition). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2009

Indonesia Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Indonesia Environment - Essay Example Indonesia is an archipelago in Southeast Asia. This country comprises of 17 000 islands. Of these islands, 6 000 are inhabited. Nonetheless, the name Indonesia originates from the Greek language, and means â€Å"island.† This could therefore, be attributed to the numerous islands that make up the country. The immediate neighbor countries of Indonesia include Malaysia and Papua New Guinea, to the north and east, respectively. The country of Indonesia is known for being part of the â€Å"ring of fire.† This has the largest number of active volcanoes in the world today. In addition, Indonesia is known for its frequent earthquakes, and this is quite related with its active vulcanicity (BBC News Web). According to the BBC News (Web), Indonesia is a highly diverse and multicultural country. It has high ethnic diversity, and is home to more than 300 local languages. Indonesia hosts diverse cultures and indigenous beliefs. The people living in Indonesia, who are of different cu ltures adopt varying lifestyles. These range from the rural hunter-gatherers to the urban elites. The people’s staple food is rice, and side dishes include vegetables and meat. With regard to religion, Indonesia has a population that mainly consists of Muslims. This country is known for having the world’s largest Muslim population. According to Friends of Indonesia (Web), the religious systems found in Indonesia include a wide variety of beliefs, of which 90% claim to be of the Islamic religion. Although Indonesia is known to be the country with the largest Muslim population, the Islamic practices and beliefs of Indonesian Muslims vary slightly from the mainstream Islam. Apart from Islam, Indonesia also hosts other religious groups including Buddhism, Hinduism, Shamatic Animism, Christianity, and Greek Paganism, among others (Friends of Indonesia Web). Nonetheless, because of the dominance of the Islamic religion in Indonesia, other religions have become unpopular, eve n as more people shift from their religions to Islam. Indonesia is located in Southeast Asia. With regard to the economy of Indonesia, the country is known to be the largest economy in Southeast Asia. The nature of the economy of Indonesia is mixed, whereby the government and private sector contributes significantly to the economy. The country engages in exportations, and was in the past years ranked among the top 30 top exporters in the world. Indonesia mainly exports to Japan, the U.S.A., Singapore, and China. In addition, the country also imports goods from China, Singapore, and Japan. Furthermore, natural resources are important to the economy of a country, and contribute to a country’s economy. Indonesia is endowed with a variety of natural resources, which have a significant influence on the country’s economy. These include crude oil, coal, gold, tin, copper, and natural gas (The Economist Web). The country exports some of its natural resources, and imports chemi cals, foodstuffs, machinery, fuels, and equipment, among others. According to The Economist (Web), Indonesia in the past years has shown great economic prowess and sustainability as compared to other countries in Southeast Asia. The booming economy of Indonesia had attracted many investors in the Indonesian market. Additionally, there was a high demand for

Education to Children of Illegal Immigrants Essay

Education to Children of Illegal Immigrants - Essay Example At the height of immigration to North America, the country coined the title â€Å"land of opportunity.† Denying free education to children of illegal immigrants defies the American dream and the hopes that people had for the new country (Schrag, 2010). Free education for all was the main factor that differentiated America from other European nations. American progress and development was based on the government’s ability to create uniformity among its citizens through free education for all. The American legal system recognizes a child as a person who is below the age of 18 years. Such individuals are not entitled to voting or making major decisions concerning their life. In addition, the US is a leading nation in terms of respect for human rights. It is evident that most children are illegal immigrants out of their own choice. Most of the children were born when their parents had already immigrated to the country. Thus, these children cannot be identified as illegal im migrants since they did not make a choice to be in the country. The government should respect their rights to free education until they are old enough to make concrete decisions about their citizenship. The American government should consider the long-term impacts of denying free education to the immigrants. Obviously, most immigrants have hopes of becoming legal citizens of the United States. If the government continuously denies education to its citizens based on their migration status, the country will experience an education gap (Hing, 2004). Education is a major factor in the country’s development, and hence the country should not tolerate illiteracy. Denying education to such children will create long-term economic hardships for the country. Educating children prevents them from... The American government should consider the long-term impacts of denying free education to the immigrants. Obviously, most immigrants have hopes of becoming legal citizens of the United States. If the government continuously denies education to its citizens based on their migration status, the country will experience an education gap (Hing, 2004). Education is a major factor in the country’s development, and hence the country should not tolerate illiteracy. Denying education to such children will create long-term economic hardships for the country. Educating children prevents them from engaging in other social evils such as crime, drug abuse, and terrorism. Therefore, the government should provide free education to the children of illegal immigrants to promote their integration into the American society.America has a global obligation that goes beyond its domestic affairs. However, due to economic constraints, America often overlooks its global obligations. America’s in volvement in global politics and economics has made the country a key factor in promoting stability and development. Since the end of World War II, the United States has been involved in all conflicts around the world. Most of these conflicts create immigrants, most of whom end up in America. For instance, the Cold War forced many people from former Soviet states to immigrate to America for fear of persecution. Lack of proper immigration policies made most of the immigrants end up in America as illegal immigrants.

Homosexuality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Homosexuality - Essay Example This paper analyses both the genetic and environmental factors involved in homosexuality. One study revealed that â€Å"if one identical twin was gay, the other was also gay 50% of the time. If they were fraternal twins, they were both gay 22% of the time. And if one was adopted, the chances fell to 11%† (Dr.Starr). Ciani et al (n. d) also have pointed out that â€Å"homosexuals have more maternal than paternal male homosexual relatives†. The above statistics and conclusions clearly point towards genetic factors involved in homosexuality. Even though the percentage has slight differences, both identical twins and fraternal twins shows the tendency of becoming homosexuals if they genetic elements of homosexuality. The possibility of existence of homosexuality gene is widely discussed at present. â€Å"Although biologists are still far from answering this question, scattered evidence for a possible gene influencing sexual orientation has recently encouraged scientists to map out a guide to future research† (Is there a homosexuality gene?). Even though, such a gene has not been discovered yet, many of the biologists are confident of identifying such a gene which will answer all the questions related to the reasons of homosexuality. â€Å"Writing in the scientific journal Archives of Sexual Behavior, researchers from Queen Mary's School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, and Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm report that genetics and environmental factors are important determinants of homosexual behavior† (Homosexual behavior due to genetics and environmental factors). Homosexuality is common in military.

Operations Management - Managing Quality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Operations Management - Managing Quality - Essay Example Here are my recommendations for improving the speed and quality of loan requests department. Firstly, we should amend the loan approval procedure for consumers by categorizing consumers in two categories. First category should be of new customers or the people availing this service from us first time. Consumers availing this service from us second time or more should be constitutes the second category. The checking criteria for providing loan to the customers of first category should be very strict while people from second category should be provided loan to nearly previous amount of money checking the client's relationship with the bank in previous transaction or transactions. I also suggest changing the payment method of the loan underwriters from time period basis to the combination of time based salary plus incentive with respect to number of loan requests processed. In this way the loan underwriters will try to complete maximum number of loan requests in order to gain more incentive. Complexities and deficiencies in quality measurement are, in part, associated with the intricacies in defining quality and the varied application of the term. The term quality stands for a high level of quality in an economic terms but the term quality to explain fitness for purpose is the one that is most pertinent to the development of performance indicators for contracts.

Vietnam War and America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Vietnam War and America - Essay Example Was the Vietnam War a design politique of the US Government? Was it really a mistake on the part of US? Was it a ‘design’ and ‘mistake’ both? These are the questions we must consider. It will be interesting to quote noted political scientist and the author of Politics Among Nations Hans J. Morgenthau from his article in New York Times Magazine and web publication here: The address President Johnson delivered on April 7, 1965 at Johns Hopkins University is important for two reasons. On the one hand, the President has shown for the first time a way out of the impasse in which we find ourselves in Vietnam. By agreeing to negotiations without preconditions he has opened the door to negotiations which those preconditions had made impossible from the outset. By proposing a project for the economic development of Southeast Asia—with North Vietnam a beneficiary and the Soviet Union a supporter—he has implicitly recognized the variety of national interests in the communist world and the need for varied American responses tailored to those interests. By asking â€Å"that the people of South Vietnam be allowed to guide their own country in their own way.† he has left all possibilities open for future evolution of relations between North and South Vietnam. On the other hand, the President reiterated the intellectual assumptions and policy proposals which brought us to an impasse and which make it impossible to extricate ourselves. The President has linked our involvement in Vietnam with our war of independence and has proclaimed the freedom of all nations as the goal of our foreign policy. He has started from the assumption that there are two Vietnamese nations, one of which has attacked the other, and he sees that attack as an integral part of unlimited Chinese aggression. Consistent with this assumption, the President is willing to negotiate with China and North Vietnam but not with the Viet Cong. Yet we cannot have it both ways. We cannot at the same time embrace these false assumptions and pursue new sound policies. Thus we are faced with a real dilemma. This dilemma is by no means of the President's making. We are militarily engaged in Vietnam by virtue of a basic principle of our foreign policy that was implicit in the Truman Doctrine of 1947 and was put into practice by John Foster Dulles from 1954 onward. This principle is the military containment of Communism. Containment had its

The best time to get married Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The best time to get married - Research Paper Example This paper describes the best time to get married and marriage as it is. Before investigating the ideal time of getting married, it is important to investigate the reasons why people marry in the first place. Lamanna, et al, defines marriage as â€Å"an association between a man and woman, which give due legal recognition to the children born to the woman as offspring of both partners†. This definition implies that a heterosexual marriage is a universally socially recognised union, which excludes other unions that do not result to procreation. Marriage comprises of responsibilities and it accords the partners and the resulting children several rights and privileges. In a typical heterosexual relationship, the issue of children plays a critical role in making decisions on when to settle down in a marriage. In single couple relationships where the man and the woman do not have children either adopted or biological from previous relationships, two scenarios could arise regarding children, which determine the time to get married. One scenario is that the couple aspires to get children in the marriage. In such a case, the ability of both of them to biologically sire children of their own comes into question. The biological ability of the woman to conceive is time bound unlike that of the man. Marriage counsellors recommend the couples in relationship to date for a considerable length of time in order to learn about their partners and make informed decision on whether they are ready to cope and live with them in marriage.

Method of finance used by Chow Tai Fook and roles played by HSBC Assignment

Method of finance used by Chow Tai Fook and roles played by HSBC - Assignment Example Gold loans amounted to HK$ 2060.8 million, HK$ 2189.2 million and HK$ 3931.6 million for the financial years 2009, 2010 2011 respectively. Loans or advances from related parties which are due amounted to HK$ 4726.8 million, HK$ 4639.8 million and HK$ 7833.3 million for financial years 2009, 2010 and 2011 respectively. The unsecured bank borrowings of CTF primarily serve the purpose of financing working capital, purchase of materials, etc. CTFE guarantees some of these Honk Kong unsecured bank borrowings. Secured bank borrowings of CTF are totally guaranteed by CTFE and certain assets owned by related companies are held as security of these loans. The bank borrowings carry a variable interest rates ranging from 0.30 % to 1.25% per annum over HIBOR or 90-110 % of the PBOC lending rate benchmark per annum. The figures show that there was a significant increase in bank borrowings in the FY2011, primarily due to increase in inventory because of the expansion efforts of the company. Gold l oans include both secured and unsecured short term gold related facilities provided by major financial institutions of the world. The interest rates of gold loans are quite low ranging from 1.25% to 3.5% per annum. There was a significant increase in gold loans in the FY2011 attributed to the fact of increase in gold inventories and business expansion. Regarding advances from related parties, they are unsecured; carrying no interest charges and is repayable on demand. The related parties include the CTFE group and close family members of a director of the Company and an entity having common director of the Company. Until recently, CTF have made a global offering of 1,050,000,000 shares to raise its... This study will begin with the presentation of Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group Limited. Chow Tai Fook is a leading brand worldwide engaged in different types of business which include property development, transportation, hotel, casino, jewelry, etc. It is an enterprise based in Hong Kong based. The brand name ‘Chow Tai Fook’ is most common Chinese speaking people. Since its foundation, Chow Tai Fook or CTF is a leader in its market segment and enjoys the top position in market share of PRC, as well as Hong Kong and Macau. CTF possess a very wide range of jewellery products with its main focus on producing high-end luxury jewellery items along with gem-set jewellery, platinum jewellery, watches, etc. The retail network of CTF is quite extensive with its points of sale (POS) of jewellery and watches spread all across PRC, Hong Kong and Macau, thus maximizing its exposure and taking sales to new heights every year. Authenticity and trustworthiness are the two main key aspect s on which the brand of CTF is recognized. CTF uses a vertically integrated model which is quite effective in having a good control over the entire business process. Hong Kong Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited or HSBC is one of the largest banks in the world and provide financial services globally across the world. HSBC is primarily involved in four global businesses. They are: a. Retail Banking and Wealth Management b. Commercial Banking c. Investment Banking and d. Global Private Banking.

Wild Swan Dies of Bird Flu in UK Essay Example for Free

Wild Swan Dies of Bird Flu in UK Essay On Thursday 6 April 2006 the tabloid newspaper the Sun and the broadsheet newspaper the Daily Telegraph both featured front page articles on the first wild bird dying from bird flu in the UK. On the following, day, Friday 7 April, both papers once again featured follow up articles on their front pages. On Thursday 6 April the Sun has a small story of the suspected bird flu in the bottom left corner of the page, while a story of Eminems impending divorce dominates nearly all of the bottom half of the page. The rest of the front page is taken up with a large colourful advert for holidays abroad from i 15, and a large photograph of a young lady with a caption Girls Alewd. The Suns masthead is in sans serif white lettering on a block of bright red which implies modern clean lines. The profusion of eye catching colour in the holiday advertisement with the offer of a cheap holiday would attract the young working class family and the main feature story on a popular rap singers divorce would appeal to the younger generation who seem to have a fascination with any news relating to celebrities. The image the Sun seems to portray, with its attention grapping headlines, is to provide an upbeat lively entertainment paper. The sixty word article on the Suns front page has the following headline underlined and in bold print, UK swan is hit by bird flu, with a small picture of two swans captioned with, Fear. swan is Britains first wild bird flu case. Instead of using the words, swan catches bird flu, the Sun chooses to create more of an impact by using the word, hit, which is associated with violence, and the word, Fear, in the caption evokes an element of alarm, perhaps implying the readers should now be fearful for their own health. The article mentions anonymous experts rushing to the scene to carry out tests, and this portrays a feeling of urgency. The article then directs the readers to page four for the full story. (Appendix 1) On page four of the Sun the bird flu article takes up nearly a third of the page, sharing the rest of the page with an advert for purchasing property overseas, another celebrity taking their clothes off, and a row over a wage dispute at a Butlins camp. The relationship between the overseas property and trouble at a Butlins camp with the report of bird flu in Britain is perhaps insinuating readers should consider a trip overseas, away from the bird flu. (Appendix 2) The headline, BIRD FLU ZONE IS SEALED OFF, is blazoned across the top of the page with a small picture to the left showing two swans standing next to a dead bird with the caption, Deadly bird flu killed this swan in Germany last month. The Suns deliberate use of the word, Deadly, and, killed, in the one caption is aimed specifically to add to the overall tone of creating fear and apprehension. The picture is from the archives and has not been taken in the UK, yet the Sun is anticipating its readers will make the association of similar events happening in the UK. The opening paragraph, in a bold font, tells us that, Experts have put a 3km protection zone around the site were a dead swan was found, yet we are not told who the experts are and the Sun has made a conscious choice not to inform the reader exactly where in Britain the protection zone is leading to speculation and apprehension that it could be near where they live. The readers are told, if the H5N1 virus is confirmed a massive public protection operation will, swing into action, and that, this could include people having to leave their homes and a restriction on where they can travel. At this stage no tests have confirmed it is the virus yet the Sun are already creating scenarios that strike at the heart of what its readers value, their homes and their freedom to travel, and reinforcing the intended tone of alarm and trepidation. The location of the dead swan, in a small coastal village in Fife, Scotland, was hidden well into the article in an attempt by the Sun to keep the reader speculating and adding to the mood of alarm. The rest of the article quotes unnamed officials all reciting various warnings to the public and reinforcing the Suns initial warning headlines of fear and death. The Daily Telegraphs front page for Thursday 6 April has three main stories, one on how Brown will backdate wealth tax, another with a large colour picture of the writer JK Rowling and her condemnation of thin models and the third covers the alert of bird flu in Scotland. Immediately underneath the Daily Telegraphs masthead are two colourful adverts, one advertising a free golf guide to the Masters 2006 and the other on an interview with Boris Johnson. (Appendix 3) The style of the Daily Telegraphs masthead is in a conservative black ornate font with serifs, in complete contrast to the Suns bright eye catching simple font. The Daily Telegraphs style suggests tradition and is likely to attract the more conservative reader who is looking for news that is factual without the drama and sensationalism that the red top tabloids seem to adhere to. The Daily Telegraph has retained its original broadsheet size, unlike its rival the Times, who downsized to the more seemingly popular tabloid size. The front page of the Daily Telegraph is quite colourful which suggests a move to a more modern approach and, the inclusion of the picture of JK Rowling, might appeal to a wider range of people, although the articles on wealth tax and the advert on the Masters golf guide certainly will narrow the interest down to a more middle class readership. There is also far less advertising in the Daily Telegraph and this is probably due to the price of 65p against the Suns price of 35p. So, although there is far less advertising in the Daily Telegraph the Suns cheaper price might attract those on lower incomes. In contrast to the Sun, the Daily Telegraph has placed the bird flu article on the left of the middle section of the page and its headline, Alert as wild swan dies of avian flu in Scotland, immediately tells the reader where the outbreak has occurred, unlike the Suns report. The Daily Telegraph quotes specific experts by their names and their professional position and this creates an impression of credibility. Where the Governments chief veterinary officer is quoted as saying, I have every confidence , or a professor of virology saying, still a big step away from a domestic chicken or even a human being infected, both quotes intending to create a feeling of security and confidence in the authorities to handle the outbreak. It also mentions, The H5N1 strain has killed more than 100 people, mostly Asian, since 2003, but then it balances this statement with, However, it has not mutated to be able to transfer between humans. The entire article is well balanced without emotive language and with a tone which is focused to create a feeling of reassurance to the reader by setting out the contingency plans. (Appendix 3) On the following day, 7 April, the Suns main story, which dominates two thirds of the front page, is of the murder of a nurse and the top part advertises a free sweepstake kit for the Grand National. The story of bird flu features again on the front page with the headline, Bird flu search widens, but it is only a small article of fifty words and placed once again in the bottom corner on the left of the page. Even in such a small article, the words, search widens, and deadly are used to capture the readers attention and direct them to read the, Full story pages 4 5. A small photograph at the top of the article shows a dead swan with the caption, Bug alert.. dead swan. and is probably aimed at eliciting feelings of both sadness for the dead swan, fear of more deaths and, plays on the fact that the British are a nation of animal lovers. (Appendix 4) In contrast to the small and quite subdued front page article both page four and five are dedicated entirely to the bird flu story with, FORBIDDEN ZONE in a 5cm font splashed across the centre of both pages with the word, ZONE in red. Across the top of both pages the headline announces, BIRD FLU BRITAIN: THE DAY WE ALL DREADED and both these headlines are shouting warnings and danger with the words, DREADED and FORBIDDEN, clearly set to elicit alarm. A large picture on page four shows two men in protective white suits handling, what we presume to be a dead swan, wearing protective suits, supporting the headlines with the fear of contamination. (Appendix 5) The main article begins in bold print and points out police road blocks being thrown into place, but no mention of where this is taking place, implying by its absence that its nationally. Throughout the article certain words are highlighted in bold print to create more emphasis and draw the readers eye to the negative aspects An example of this is, a SECOND observation zone, NOT been contaminated abroad, both of which create an impression that the contamination zone is larger than first reported and that the swan didnt catch the bird flu from abroad. An interesting aspect is the contrast from the Suns previous days article when it was reported that, experts rushed to the scene, to the article on the 7 April where the Sun reports DEFRA officials were, blasted, after it took them, EIGHT DAYS, to perform tests on the carcass and how it took, 16 hours, to collect the dead bird after it had been reported to them. The tone of the whole article has been written to create an impression of incompetence by the various agencies dealing with the bird flu outbreak and undermines their ability to manage it. Two thirds of page five is given over to three pictures, one is a map of Scotland pointing to where the dead swan was found, a policeman, On guard, at the harbour and, a picture of the dead bird with the caption, Still there. . Pictures intended to reinforce the incompetence of DEFRA and the implication of danger by the police guard. Unlike the Suns small front page article, the Daily Telegraph on 7 April has nearly half of its front page given over to a striking picture of Scotland with the large bold white headlines, BRITAINS FIRST BIRD FLU ZONE, on a black background. Two other main stories on the lower section, one covering the murder of a nurse and the other covering a religious document by Judas, seem less important as they are overwhelmed by the dramatic bird flu picture and accompanying article. It may be that the Daily Telegraph decided to use the bird flu as its main headline, unlike the other daily newspapers, to capture those readers more interested in the bird flu than a story of another murder. (Appendix 6) The front page article describes the current situation in a very clear and factual tone and this is carried over onto the lower part of page two and various named experts reassuring the public that the risk to public health is still very low. At the top of page two is the identical picture used in the Sun with the caption, Vets remove the carcasses of dead swans from a field in County Antrim. The second picture is a time line recording the number of bird flu cases and deaths over the last few years with a map of Europe showing where outbreaks have occurred. The centre of page two concentrates on the speculation of how the swan in Scotland could have caught the bird flu and the headline, Threat to public health is very low indeed, generates reassurance to the readers and this again is a balanced factual account with reassuring quotes from various named experts and with practical advice to the public if they find a dead bird. (Appendix 7) Most of page three covers the impact the finding of the dead swan has had on the village and the headlines, Seaside village weathers the media storm, proposes that its the media attention and, not the finding of a swan killed by bird flu, that is disrupting the village life. The article seek to reassure once again that if the residents of this village dont fear catching bird flu then the rest of the country should not be anxious. To contribute to this, the top third of page three has a colour picture of a resident walking his dog on the beach, a perfect picture of normality. (Appendix 8) The Daily Telegraph has designated an enormous amount of space to the bird flu and this clearly shows it isnt underplaying the seriousness of the situation. What it has done is to document all the available facts in a clear unemotional approach which suggests that by giving the readers all existing knowledge they will be intelligent enough to form their own opinions. The Sun on the other hand, talks of roadblocks, the impact it could have on domestic birds and the incompetence of the various agencies involved, all contributing to the inference that bird flu is going to have a major impact on the man in the street.

Preschool Education System Essay Example for Free

Preschool Education System Essay Ramona is a hard-working, loving, single mother of two preschool aged girls, Theresa and Rosa. She works overtime every week, just to make ends meet for her and her children. Ramona and her children are in poverty. Unfortunately, statistics indicate that Theresa and Rosa will struggle to receive the quality preschool education they need to in order to succeed throughout Kindergarten, grade school, high school and into adulthood. According to one study by Sum and Fogs, students living in poverty rank in the 19th percentile on academic assessments, while their peers who are part of mid-upper income families rank in the 66th percentile on the same assessments (Lacour and Tissington, 2011). â€Å"The achievement gap refers to significant disparity in low educational success between groups of children: low-income and minority children as compared to higher income and non-minority children† (Early Education for All). This academic achievement gap is unacceptable and every child deserves the chance to excel to their fullest potential in school, in order to prepare for adulthood. Preschool is a pertinent part of a young child’s education, which has been proven successful many times in preparing children for grades K-12, and beyond. â€Å"Practitioners and researchers alike contend that the enrichment of preschool makes a difference especially for children living in poverty† (Loucks, Slaby, and Stelwagon). By providing all children with access to preschool programs, the educational achievement gap can be reduced. Unfortunately, since preschool is not a government mandated educational requirement, preschool must be privately funded, leaving families who are unable to pay tuition costs are. This is an opportunity that Theresa and Rosa would miss out on because Ramona cannot afford the tuition. Because of these lasting cognitive and social development benefits that preschool can provide, it should federally funded educational requirement. Quality preschool education needs to be regarded as a constitutional right, not a socioeconomic privilege. There is an increasing educational achievement gap in the United States, between children of low-income families, and their peers, due to their limited access to a preschool education. It has been proven time and time again, that underprivileged children, who are not provided with the access to a preschool education, perform lower in later academic learning, than those who were afforded a preschool education. One study in California revealed that second and third grade students of low-income families who did not attend preschool were significantly less proficient in English and Mathematics (Loucks, Slaby, Stelwagon, 2005). Another California survey illustrated that poverty stricken children entering kindergarten were six months behind their wealthy peers in pre-reading skills. (Loucks, Slaby, Stelwagon, 2005). Children of low-income families are also much more likely to encounter environmental and health risk factors. (Early Education for All). These risks can potentially impede on a child’s readiness for school. For example, children living in poverty have been proven to begin kindergarten with significantly less mathematical knowledge than their peers. â€Å"This would suggest that the preschool experience is a mechanism to level the playing field and fully prepare students to succeed in kindergarten† (Loucks, Slaby, Stelwagon, 2005). By entering the early grades without having the proper pre-requisite education and skill sets, children run the risk of falling behind in class. When a student enters kindergarten unprepared, the students risk of grade retention increases, not only in kindergarten, but also in the grade school years to follow. Catching up to the required proficiency level becomes harder and harder for the student, and in some cases, the student will simply giv e up and either fail or drop out. Access to preschool education for these children can help to close the educational achievement gap, and prevent grade retention, by providing these children with the tools and skills necessary to prepare for Kindergarten and beyond. The United States of America prides itself on its educational standards, and even has ratified educational laws which require children to meet proficiency standards in reading and mathematics at certain grade levels, as indicated in the No Child Left Behind Act. The law incentivizes those school districts which show improvement in test scores, and enforce corrective actions upon those districts who continuously fail to improve student proficiencies. Still, these underprivileged children are left behind, and find it continually challenging to catch up, as the school grades progress. A child’s odds of academic accomplishment are maximized when attending a high quality preschool program, especially within the lower-income communities. This theory has been put to the test. In New Jersey lays a group of the thirty one most poverty stricken districts in the state called the Abbott Districts. The state of New Jersey granted these districts a program which funds preschool education within the districts to their children in order to close the achievement gap for poverty stricken students. The results were noteworthy, and the funds allocated to this cause were well spent. Children who attended this program improved on their math, language and literacy skills. The kindergartners who had previously attended the program closed the academic achievement gap by a remarkable fifty percent between their own literacy scores and those of the national average (Early Education for All, 2005). These results proved the program to be a great success. Studies have been conducted all over the United States, pertaining to children in poverty and the profound effect a preschool program can have on each child’s continued education. In a fifteen year follow up study in Chicago, Illinois, children who attended preschool were proven to be significantly more academically successful than their peers who did not attend preschool. At the age of thirteen, this group of children’s academic scores was sixty percent higher than those who did not attend. By the age of twenty, this same group who had attended preschool was thirty percent more likely to complete high school, and forty percent less likely to experience grade retention or be enrolled in special education classes (Early Education for All, 2005). It is important to remember, however, that although the strongest support for the advantages of preschool education indicates that underprivileged children benefit most, all children, regardless of socioeconomic status can benefi t academically from a preschool education. When a child has had the privilege of attending a quality preschool program, that child is also much more likely to adjust socially in adulthood, than those who did not attend a preschool program. According to Loucks, Sharon, Slaby and Stelwagon, those who have attended a quality preschool program are also less likely to have long periods of unemployment or welfare, and drop out of school. (â€Å"Why is preschool essential in closing the achievement gap?† par. 1). Adults who attended preschool as a child also have been proven to reduce delinquency and crime throughout adulthood (Barnett, 2008). Preschools are not only about cognitive learning, but they give a formal education to pre-kindergarten aged children on the developmental concepts of interaction with their peers. These lessons stay with the children through the remainder of their life. Without those lessons, many do not develop the social skills needed to succeed in our society. Preschool education is not only beneficial to the individuals who attend the programs, but it also benefits community and the local economy as a whole. Funds invested into preschool programs provide a significant return to the community. The RAND Corporation, a non-profit organization which provides objective analysis through surveys and research (The RAND Corporation), recently performed a study which found that for every on dollar invested into quality preschool programs for underprivileged children, two dollars and sixty-two cents was returned into the labor force and economy (Loucks, Slaby, and Stelwagon, Fall 2005). That is a two hundred and sixty percent return on investment. The direct return on this investment alone is more than enough to warrant a universal program. This study does not even include other potential indirect financial returns. Other financial returns from a public preschool investment would also be present in the lowering of state Medicaid costs, law enforcements costs, and other low-income assistance costs, such as food vouchers, homeless shelters and unemployment pay, which cost the government and tax payers a significant amount of money every year. Preschool is a necessary business investme nt for our economy to yield a higher return rate, than the current K-12 requirements today. The concept of a universal preschool program is not unheard of, not even in the United States. Most state government funded preschool programs are targeted toward children of lower income households. These programs have been put into place in a collaborative effort to close the educational achievement gap that exists in our society. However, some states, and even entire countries have already begun governmentally funding preschool programs, not just for underprivileged children whose families cannot afford the tuition, but for all pre-kindergarten aged children. In 1998, Oklahoma legislation ruled to make all four year olds eligible for a universal quality pre-kindergarten program (Sacks and Brown Ruzzi, 2005). Of course, a program as significant as this would not go without continued research and analysis. In a study performed between 2002 and 2003, significant supporting evidence was found which indicated that the program was a success. The study showed increased academic test scor es in the subjects of reading, spelling, writing and mathematics skills (Gormley, Gayer, Phillips and Dawson). Oklahoma is not the only state to equalize education for all children, regardless of their socioeconomic status. With the revenues from a state lottery, and the leadership of, then governor, Zell Miller, Georgia was the first state in the United States to offer a publically funded preschool program (Early Education for All, 2005). Similar to the findings in the study of Oklahoma’s program, Georgia’s program was also proven to be successful. A study found that more than eight percent of students who had attended the program ranked average or above upon evaluation third-grade readiness (Sacks and Brown Ruzzi, 2005). A universal preschool program is not just a theory waiting to be tested, it is already in effect in some areas, and is proving its value in this country’s educational achievement. If we do not put into place the appropriate interventions in the society, the educational achievement gap will only widen, costing more and more tax dollars, and most importantly, costing children the equal opportunity of prosperity in this country. This gap can be diminished significantly by providing each and every child in this country with the equal educational opportunity of a quality preschool program. Such a program provides this nation’s youngsters with the skills they need in order to meet the countries educational standards throughout the span of their education. It is unfortunate that in this land of opportunity and prosperity, that in order to grown and succeed; our children are subject to exclusion of such a beneficial educational tool, because of his or her parents’ inability to afford tuition costs. With our current economic status, our children, the future of this nation, must be provided every advantage possible in order to change this economy around. An investment should be made in our future today by providing a constitutional right to a quality and inclusive preschool program to all children. Works Cited Loucks, Sharon, Slaby, Robert, and Stelwagon, Patricia. Why is preschool essential in closing the achievement gap? Educational Leadership and Administration Fall 2005: 47+. Academic OneFile. Web. 7 Oct. 2012. Document URL: http://go.galegroup.com.ezp1r.riosalado.edu/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA142874683v=2.1u=mccweb_riosaladoit=rp=AONEsw=w Strategies for Children. â€Å"Early Childhood Education: A Strategy for closing the Acheivement Gap†. Spring 2005. Web. 06 Oct. 2012. Document URL: http://www.strategiesforchildren.org/eea/6research_summaries/07_AchievementGap.pdf Marcon, Rebecca A. Moving up the Grades: Relationship between Preschool Model and Later School Success. Early Childhood Research and Practice 4.1 (2002). 06 October 2012. Document URL: . Gormley, William T., Jr., Gayer, Ted, Phillips, Deborah and Dawson, Brittany. The Effects of Universal Pre-K on Cognitive Development. National Institute for Early Education Research. 06 October 2012. Document URL: http://www.crocus.georgetown.edu/reports/oklahoma9z.pdf Barnett, W. S. (2008). Preschool educati on and its lasting effects: Research and policy implications. Boulder and Tempe: Education and the Public Interest Center Education Policy Research Unit. Retrieved 10/06/2012 from http://epicpolicy.org/publication/preschooleducation Sacks, Lynne and Brown Ruzzi, Betsy (2005). Early Childhood Education: Lessons from the States and Abroad: 2005. National Center on Education and the Economy. The New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce. Retrieved 1027/2012. Document URL: http://www.ncee.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Early-Childhood-Education.pdf Lacour, Misty and Tissington, Laura D. (2011). The effects of poverty on academic achievement.. Retrieved 11/03/2012. Document URL: http://www.academicjournals.org/err/pdf/pdf%202011/july/lacour%20and%20tissington.pdf The RAND Corporation. (n.d.). RAND Corporation: Obective Analysis. Effective Solutions. Retrieved November 03, 2012, from The RAND Corperation: http://www.rand.org/

Wendys Old Fashioned Hamburgersis

Wendys Old Fashioned Hamburgersis 1. Executive Summary Wendys Old Fashioned Hamburgersis an international fast foodchain restaurant founded byDave Thomason November 15, 1969, inColumbus, Ohio, and moved its headquarters toDublin, Ohioon January 29, 2006. Wendys was Americas national food, and the worlds third largest hamburger fast food chain with approximately 6,700 locations. On April 24, 2008, the company announced a merger withTriarc, which is the parent company ofArbys. Following the merger, Triarc came to be known asWendys/Arbys Group. Arbys Group is the parent company of Wendys, and is a publicly traded company. Arbys group of restaurants is a wholly owned subsidiary of Wendys/Arbys Group, Inc. This report will be focusing on Wendys Burgers of the Wendys/Arbys Group. The main aim of this report is to investigate and analyze the marketing activities of Wendys Burgers. What is the Wendys orientation? What are the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) of Wendys? What are the competitive advantages of Wendys? What is the impact of Wendys marketing mix? And its positive and negative effects on the market and competitors in similar segment. This report in its further course, will try to address the above questions and more. 2.INTRODUCTION Wendys/Arbys Group is the parent company of Wendys, and is a well known publicly traded company. Approximately 77% of Wendys restaurants are franchised, the majority of which are located in North America. Wendys and its affiliates, employs more than 46,000 people in its global operations. In fiscal year 2006, the firm had $9.45 billion (USD) in total sales.While Wendys sets its standards for exterior store appearance, food quality and menu, individual owners have control over the hours of operations, interior dà ©cor/design, pricing, staff uniforms and their wages. Wendys ended the fiscal year 2007 with just under 6000 Wendys Old Fashioned Hamburgers restaurants in operation. Of these, 1,274 (21%) were company owned and operated by the company itself while the remaining 4,662 restaurants were franchised. In addition to Wendys Old Fashioned Hamburgers, Wendys has invested in the Cafe Express and Pasta Pomodoro restaurant chains, owning 70% and 29% of those chains, respectively. Until 2006 Wendys International, Inc. also owned the ‘Tim Hortons and ‘Baja Fresh franchises. The chain is known for itssquareground beef patties in itshamburgers and the Frosty, a form of soft serve ice cream mixed with frozen starches contracted from potato products. The idea for Wendys old fashioned hamburgers was actually inspired by Dave Thomass trips toKewpee Hamburgersin his home town ofKalamazoo, Michigan. The Kewpee sold square hamburgers and thick malt shakes, much like the well-known restaurant that Thomas eventually founded inColumbus, Ohio, in 1969. Thomas named the restaurant after his fourth childMelinda Lou Wendy Thomas. 3.WENDYS ORIENTATION Nature of demand Over the past century, market for fast food has increased drastically, time being one of the major constraints. A recession in the early 1980s, combined with high beef prices and Wendys explosive as well as threatening growth incited the burger wars†. Wendys moved into the number three spot behind McDonalds and Burger King, fueled by its introduction of a chainwide salad bar, chicken breast sandwiches, fish sandwiches, and baked potatoes. Extent of demand As of December 2006, Wendys was Americas national food, and the worlds third largest hamburger fast food chain with approximately 6,700 locations. Approximately 77% of Wendys restaurants arefranchised and the majority of which are located in North America. Wendys and its affiliates employs more than 46,000 people in its global operations. In fiscal year 2006, the firm had $9.45 billion (USD) in total sales and earned total revenue of $2.5 billion (USD) in 2007. Orientation Wendys tries to sense the customers needs and demands. This proves that the company is purely marketing oriented. Wendys puts in much effort for orientation towards the marketplace and its market share. Companies have their respective beliefs concerning their marketing efforts which are usually varied from company to company. The challenging concepts beneath which companies perform their marketing activities are as follows: Wendys Production Concept Customers are attracted to those products which are readily available and cheaper in price. Organizations following this concept targets on accomplishing the large production competence, minimal costs and bulk distribution. Wendys Product Concept The way that Wendys Old Fashioned Hamburgers does business and markets its products to consumers is due to the change in our society to where the consumer wants the biggest, quickest, and best product that they can get for their money. Wendys introduced healthier options amid rising obesity levels and a general interest in healthier foods, some fast-food companies have been going in the opposite direction, introducing ever more calorific and fat-laden burgers in a bid to win customers. Wendys Selling Concept The concept of ready-cooked food for sale is the primitive and foremost selling concept of Wendys burgers. Wendys uses ‘fresh, never frozen beef/fresh ground beef in their hamburgers. Wendys has moved in line with the Quick Service Restaurant or QSR industry and has been working to offer healthy food choices. Wendys has added sandwiches and salads to its menu, and offers side dish substitutes for French fries like salads for health conscious customers. Wendys Marketing concept Marketing is the science of actualizing the buying potentials of a market for a specific product. It in turn reflects a selling concept because it centers on promoting a product rather than meeting a defined area of consumer needs. The marketing concept sidetracks the basic conflict between the buyer and the seller. Consumers want good quantity and quality products for less prices, where as producers wants to sell at high prices. The marketing concept does not provide a solution to the classic bargaining problem which is widely prevalent. Holistic Marketing Concept This involves development, design and implementation of marketing programs, processes, and activities that recognizes organizations breadth and inter-dependencies. Precisely, this concept is an approach to marketing that tries to identify and resolve the opportunity and difficulties of marketing activities. There are 4 main elements in Holistic marketing namely (Kotler and Keller 2006: 16): * Integrated marketing involving communications, products services, channels. * Social responsibility marketing involving Ethics, Environment, Legal and Community. * Relationship marketing involving Customers, Channel and Partners. * Internal marketing involving Marketing department, senior management and other departments. Wendys strictly follows the above concepts as it includes most of the marketing activities. Wendys Business Strategies Wendys new strategy puts its food products on center stage and changes its media-buying habits to zero in more narrowly on different market segments. TV spots and print ads will focus on specific audiences instead of delivering the same message to all demographic groups, tailoring the messages to the required audiences, broadening its scope. In addition, the nearly 6,700-unit chain will advertise on the Internet to attract younger consumers and use a character named Smart Square to appeal to them in TV spots/advertisements. Globally, all the Wendys employees work together to achieve in Driving Growth, Funding Growth and become Best Place to Work. 4.S.W.O.T Analysis â€Å"SWOT analysis is a structured approach for evaluating the strategic position of a business by indentifying its Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats† (Jobber 2007: 63). To get a clear idea of Wendys/Arbys groups outlook, it is useful to analyze the restaurants Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT). Additionally, a SWOT analysis summarizes the outcome of marketing audit of the company (Jobber 2007: 61). Positive factors Internal factors Negative or potential to be negative Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats External factors Strengths Positive, tangible and intangible attributes internal to an organization and within the organizations control forms the strengths of a company. * A strength in Wendys manufacturing is that their food is known for its freshness and quality. * This quality of food is said to be one of the main reasons why Wendys has outpaced the annual sales gain of McDonalds from 1998 to 2002 (â€Å"Industry Surveys,† 2003, p. 3). * The expert management system of Wendys burgers adds to its much strength in time managing and store managing skills. * The pleasant atmosphere of all the Wendys stores adds value to its strong customer oriented approach. * Hamburgers are made with fresh, never frozen beef which is a huge hit with the customers. * Being a Global brand, Wendys is capable of worldwide expansion with huge market left to be tapped and consumer base to capture. * Strong supply chain is one of the key strengths of Wendys burgers with the suppliers meeting the fast food chains constant demand for the in time supply of raw materials in turn meeting the customers requirements. * Another major strength of Wendys is its ‘mid night push plan, it is operating its stores after the mid night also, which attracts the teenage and young people a lot. * One of the major strength of the Wendys is its nutritional valued menu for the people who are maintaining a balanced diet. * Wendys is the first restaurant which is offering a special menu for children and even for the kids. Weaknesses Internal factors within an organizations control that detract from the organizations ability to attain the desired goal are the weaknesses of an organization. * A manufacturing weakness could be that it will be difficult for Wendys to make dramatic improvements in the area of store management in the future. * Breakfast menu Wendys experimented with serving breakfast for a short time, but the endeavor was unsuccessful due to several issues. * Constant management changes have lead to a reduction in customer as well as employee satisfaction hindering its growth and expansion. * The franchisee stores are given freedom to have their own store atmosphere and layout and also employee uniforms. * High dependence on a major country is the main weakness of the Wendys. Though it is globalized, it was operating mostly in USA and Canada. In the year 2007, more than 70% of its revenue is from the USA, this phenomenon leads to loss in profit rates in international market. * The Wendys spreading of its stores is relatively very less, when compared to its close rivals, McDonalds and Burger King. The McDonalds opening 200 stores per year, the Burger King is opening at a rate of 150 per year, but Wendys is opening only 50 stores per year, so the expansion of business is very less comparatively. Opportunities External attractive factors that represent the reason for an organization to exist and develop. Brand recognition is the significant factor affecting their competitive position. * Wendys international brand image gives it a scope for expansion into International markets. * Recession has little or no effect on the fast food industry which provides a great opportunity for growth and expansion. * Wendys was the first to introduce ‘fish sandwich making its mark and grabbing a huge market share. * Rising of restaurant business in USA is great opportunity for Wendys. According to the Forbs magazine survey, in the year 2007 more than 25% of USA government revenue from fast food sector. The reasons for increment in convenient food consumption is, increasing single parent families, dual working households, no time for active cooking at home, hike in living standards of people etc. Wendys can utilize this as a great opportunity to increase its business * Increasing population of teenagers and young people is a great opportunity for Wendys, as it was targeting them. According to the census in 2008, more than 40% of American people are teenagers, which was a great opportunity for Wendys. * Increasing opportunities in developing countries like China and India. In 2007 Wendys make one percent of its revenue from India and two percent from China, still to be increased. There is a great opportunity for Wendys to develop its business in developing countries as there is less operating cost when compared to the developed countries. Threats External factors beyond the organizations control which could place the organization mission or operation at risk. * Accusation Wendys was accused recently as a consumer found a human finger in one of its item (Chili). Such kind of accusations would surely affect the brand image and high chances of drop in the market share. Much time and money is consumed to regain the lost share of the fast food market. * Competitors Wendys faces stiff competition in the overall fast food industry, as McDonalds holds a dominating 18% share of the market with Wendys and Burger King holding shares of approximately 2% each. In recent years Wendys has been lagging behind McDonalds and Burger King in same store sales growth, an indicator of how established franchises are faring in the market. In addition to traditional hamburger-based fast food restaurants, Wendys must compete with chains such as Subway, Yum! Brands (YUM) and Jack In The Box (JBX). * Controversy Wendys found itself the focus of a boycott bygay rightsgroups when the company pulled advertising from the sitcomEllenin 1997, which it deemed controversial. * Illnesses caused by food are the major threat for any fast food company. Though more care was taken, there was chance of food borne illnesses like e coli, gastric trouble etc. This was a major threat for Wendys. * Food storage and transportation is also a major threat for Wendys. As it is more difficult to store raw materials as there are highly vulnerable to decomposition. * Targeting a particular section of people is a major threat for Wendys, as it is targeting the teenagers only. This leads to a loss in the satisfaction of people of other sections. * International Business expansion Limiting the business to the USA is the major threat to Wendys at international level. Limiting the business may leads to limiting the globalization and decreasing the brand name, profits and sales. Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Make the most of these Watch competition closely Threats Restore strengths Strategic turn around required 4.1 .Conclusion Wendys/Arbys group has to maintain all their strengths and grab all the opportunities. On the other hand, Wendys/Arbys group should sooner overcome all its weaknesses and work harder in overcoming the threats. 5.Competitive Advantage â€Å"Competitive advantage is the achievement of superior performance through differentiation to provide superior customer value or by managing to achieve lowest delivered cost† (Jobber 2007: 27). Competitive Factors Factors like being the third largest chain restaurant, having a large market share in USA and its target consumers being teenagers who form a majority of consumer base are considered as the competitive factors by Wendys. Product Strength Ââ€" Lack of differentiation- Consumers have accessibility to similar menu that is used by other hamburger chains of the same segment. Hence fulfilling consumers needs. Ââ€" Unique patty shape- Wendys burgers have a unique square shaped patty instead of a regular round patty, which other hamburger chains use. Customer Loyalty and Satisfaction Ââ€" Convenience- The ease of accessibility of its stores by deploying them in prime locations adds to consumers convenience. Ââ€" Speed of service- Implementing drive through and home delivery system in all its stores to attain speedy customer service. Market Share Ââ€" Third largest company in QSR or Quick Service Restaurants Ââ€" Introduction of new products like fish sandwich, square shaped fresh ground beef patty, salads in its breakfast menu, etc have been introduced by Wendys. Ââ€" Fifth in terms of highest total revenue generated next to McDonalds Corporation, Doctors Associates, Yum! Brands and Jack in the Box. Customer Concentration Ââ€" Location variables Setting up Wendys restaurants where the potential consumer(working class, teenagers, etc) concentration is high. Ââ€" Strengthen penetration To attain a firm grip in the market where it is already existing. Cost Control Ââ€" Centralized distribution center Wendys has the strongest supply chain management system which is very efficient in saving unnecessary expenses thus reducing the number of distributing centers in turn cutting down on costs. Ââ€" Reduce labor costs Costs associated with labor is a major factor in the success of any business. Wendys labor costs include upper management, but the bulk of Wendys employees are the workers at individual restaurants. Wendys achieved to cut labor cost by downsizing the number of managers from 3.6 to 3.3 by June of 2007. Wendys expects that this will not only decrease labor costs but also enhance efficiency at individual restaurants as they have found that a high number of managers can result in division of responsibility and confusion. In 2007 Wendys total operating costs were approximately $2.29 billion while total revenue was about $2.45 billion, leaving a slim operating income of approximately $156 million. If Wendys labor cost reduction initiative can successfully decrease labor costs without negatively impacting revenues, Wendys could see a substantial increase margins and operating profits. http://cdn.wikinvest.com/i/px.gif Ââ€" Economies of scale- Economies of Scale is achieved by balancing the capital invested and reducing costs. Investments Ââ€" International fast food market is the best place to invest in as far as Wendys investment options are considered. Ââ€" Research on untapped foreign markets in order to gain knowledge for future investments. Forces that Affect Competition Ââ€" The Economy caused businesses everywhere to focus on low cost to the customer, this presents a problem when every firm lowers its prices. Ââ€" The end result is that the low price becomes the new standard so competition now lies in value. Ââ€" Wendys has taken this road before during the inflationary period of the 1970s, with the slogan â€Å"Quality is Our Recipe†. Ââ€" The Super Size Me Documentary also affected competition among the major fastfood chain restaurants. Ââ€" Caused a public backlash against fast-food restaurants. Ââ€" In response to the 2004 film, Wendys introduced the Chicken Temptation ® selections to their existing menu. Competing in the Industry Ââ€" Overall Wendys needs to stand by their strategy of creating a niche market by way of their side dish offerings. Ââ€" Expand competition base by being innovative and effective. 5.1.Conclusion The major competitive advantage of Wendys is ‘Healthy Fast Food. 6.Marketing Mix Analysis †¢ The tools available to a business to gain the reaction it is seeking from its target market in relation to its marketing objectives †¢ 7Ps Price, Product, Promotion, Place, People, Process, Physical Environment †¢ Traditional 4Ps extended to encompass growth of service industry Marketing strategy is generally obtained by the 3 key elements namely the target markets, competitors targets and the competitive advantage (Anderson 2008). Once the marketing strategy is finalized, the company starts looking into the facts of the marketing mix. â€Å"Marketing mix is the set of controllable, tactical marketing tools that the firm blends to produce the response it wants in the target market.† (Armstrong and Kotler 2009). Marketing mix is essential for the company to develop the demand for its products. This can be collectively done by the four vital categories which are well-known as 4-Ps of marketing mix. The 4-Ps are namely Product, Price, Place and Promotion (Armstrong and Kotler 2009: 83). Product Customer solution â€Å"Product is a good or service offered or performed by an organization or individual, which is capable of satisfying customer needs† (Jobber 2007: 28). Brand name and Quality The brand image is obtained by utilizing the fundamentals of marketing mix (Jobber 2007: 332). Wendys/Arbys Group is the parent company of Wendys, and is a publicly traded company. Wendys Restaurant Group, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Wendys/Arbys Group, Inc. Wendys/Arbys Group, Inc. is the franchisor of the Arbys and Wendys restaurant systems and trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol WEN. A change in the companys ownership set the course for menu expansion and a strengthened brand. On September 29, 2008, Triarc Companies Inc. merged with Wendys International, Inc. to form Wendys/Arbys Group, Inc. Wendys/Arbys Group, Inc. is the third largest quick-service restaurant company in the United States. Wendys restructured its cleanliness standards, menu and other operational details to ensure that stores met the goals and standards of the parent company so that its franchises were competitive in the market. Wendys mission is to deliver superior quality products and services for their customers and communities through leadership, innovation and partnerships. Their vision is to be the quality leader in everything they do. Wendys has a strategic vision focused on these core values: Quality: Freshly-made products and superior service are their passion; consistent excellence in customer service is their goal. All actions are guided by absolute honesty, fairness and respect for every individual. People (consumers) are the key to success; they value all members of the diverse family for their individual contributions and their team achievements. Satisfying internal and external customers needs is the focus of everything they do. Continuous improvement is how they think and innovative change provides competitive opportunities. Features and Variety The Wendys menu features a variety of products that are stated below which are unique from its competitors. * Signature roast beef, including Roast burger. * Market Fresh deli sandwiches. * Market Fresh salads. * Toasted subs. * Jamocha and specialty shakes. * Curly Fries and Side kickers. * Wendys featuresFrench friesas a primary side item, but also offers a number of options for side items/dips, includingsalads(side and Caesar side),chili,yogurtwithgranola,mandarin oranges, andbaked potatoes. In several markets, the customer may request any of these side items to be substituted for fries in its value meals. * In June 2006, Wendys removed their classic Biggie and also the Great Biggie sizes in favor of a more traditional sizing system like; Small, Medium, and Large. * Frostydessert It is asoft serve ice creamdessert sold in chocolate or vanilla flavours. Also sold as a floatand a mix-in dessert called the Twisted Frosty. * In Japan, Wendys offers ared bean pasteand cheese sandwich called as an An Burger * Big Classic- It is a sandwich that directly competes with the Burger Kings Whopper. * Mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato,pickle, ketchup and onion served on aKaiser-style roll. A second version with bacon is available, called the Big Bacon Classic. * Baconator- with mayonnaise, 6 strips of bacon, two 1/4 pound (113.4 gram) patties, ketchup and two pieces of American cheese. * In Dec 2006, Wendys phased out and stopped offering their fried Home style chicken strips in most of its U.S.locations. There is now a chicken club combo in the place of the strips, which features a Home style chicken patty, Spicy chicken patty or a Grilled Chicken patty with Swiss cheese and also bacon. The Home style chicken strips are still available in parts of Canada. * In the Philippines they serve fried chicken, which forms staple at most fast food restaurants in that country. Price Customer cost â€Å"Price is the amount of money customers must pay to obtain(buy) the product.† (Armstrong and Kotler 2009: 83). The price of any product partially highlights its quality. Pricing Strategy The Pricing strategy primarily consists of * Getting to know the market. * Elasticity. * Keeping in pace with the competitors. * Because Price and Convenience are near universal throughout firms in the industry, Wendys must focus on becoming the â€Å"highly favored† fast-food choice. Doing so will give customers more inclination to visit store locations. Place Convenience â€Å"Place includes company activities that make the product available to target consumers.† (Armstrong and Kotler 2009). The vital role of marketing is the process of how the product is being sent from seller to buyer. The means by which the products and services reach the consumer from the producer and where they can be accessed by the consumer. The more places to buy the product and the easier it is made to buy it, the better for the business (and the consumer). Availability Approximately 77% of Wendys restaurants are franchised, the majority of which are located in North America. Wendys and its affiliates employ more than 46,000 people in its global operations. While Wendys sets standards for exterior store appearance, food quality and menu, individual owners have control over hours of operations, interior decor, pricing and staff uniforms and wages. Wendys operates in 19 countries around the world while its headquarters is based in Dublin, Ohio. It operated in more countries, but closed down in some of them due to certain circumstances. Inventory Wendys never uses frozen beef, its always fresh. Promotion Communication â€Å"Promotion means activities that communicate the merits of the product and persuade target customers to buy it.† (Armstrong and Kotler 2009). Different ways of promoting the product are Advertising Advertising is a major phase of overall product or service development and management. Advertising is specifically part of the outbound marketing activities, or activities geared to communicate to the market, e.g., advertising, promotions, public relations, etc. Wendys recently began a cross-promotion withNintendo. When you buy specific Wendys items you receive a code on that can be entered on the web siteFrostyFloat.comand be entered to win aWii. Wendys marketing arm engages inproduct placementin films (such asThe Day After Tomorrow,Mr. Deeds,Garfield: The Movie, andClick) and television and is sometimes seen on ABCs hitreality showExtreme Makeover: Home Editionserving food to the more than 100 construction workers. A recent Wendys commercial features the tune from theViolent Femmessong Blister in the Sun.ScrubsstarZach Braffcan currently be heard invoiceoverin Wendys newest commercials. With the launch of the new ad campaign, Wendys has also unveiled a new slogan, Thats right. Few of the advertising slogans of Wendys are given below US Canada * 1970 Present:Quality Is Our Recipe * 1978:Juicy hamburgers and lots of napkins * 1979: Hot-N-Juicy * 1980:Wendys Has the Taste * 1981:Aint No Reason to Go Anyplace Else * 1982:Youre Wendys Kind of People * 1983:Parts is parts * 1984:Wheres the beef? * 1986:Choose Fresh, choose Wendys * 1987:Give a little nibble * Circa 1990:The best burgers and a whole lot more(also was printed inside the hamburger wrappers during the 1990s) * 1997 Present:Eat great, even late * 2002:Its hamburger bliss. * 2004:Its better here * 2004:Always Great, Even Late. * 2005 2007:Do what tastes right.(primary slogan) * 2005 Present:It takes flair to be square. * 2007:Thats right. * 2007:Uh Huh. * 2007:Hot Juicy Burgers International * 1983:Its the best time forWendys(Philippines) * 2000 (approx) Present:We dont cut corners(New Zealand) * 2000 (approx) Present:Wendys cuadra contigo(Wendys fits with you). The wordcuadra(fit) is a reference to the wordcuadrothat meanssquare(Venezuela) * 2001 (approx) Present:El Sabor de lo Recien Hecho(The Flavor of the Brand New Made) (Honduras) * 2007 (approx) Present:Wendys es Sensacional(Wendys is Sensational) (El Salvador) Personal selling Personal selling involves incentive programs, sales presentations and trade shows (Armstrong and Kotler 2009: 383). Personal selling is oral communication with potential buyers of a product with the intention of making a sale. The personal selling may focus initially on developing a relationship with the potential buyer, but will always ultimately end with an attempt to close the sale Personal selling is one of the oldest forms of promotion. It involves the use of asales forceto support apush strategy(encouraging intermediaries to buy the product) or apull strategy(where the role of the sales force may be limited to supporting retailers and providing after-sales service). Sales Promotion Sales promotion is any initiative undertaken by an organization to promote an increase in sales, usage or trial of a product or service. Sales promotions can be directed at either thecustomer, sales staff, ordistributionchannel members (such asretailers). Public Relations Public relations can be used to build rapport withemployees,customers,investors,voters, or the general public. There are various kinds of public relations, but the most important are financial relations with public, product relations with public,and crisis public relations.  § Financial public relations providing information mainly to business reporters.  § Product public relations gaining publicity for a particular product or service (rather than using advertising).  § Crisis public relations responding to negative accusations or information.  § Wendys has their official worldwide websites where the it regularly updates information such as yearly annual report, products, interviews with management faculties etc. 6.1.Ad

Bush on Cloning :: essays research papers

Human cloning is the laboratory production of individuals who are genetically identical to another human being. Cloning is achieved by putting the genetic material from a donor into a woman's egg, which has had its nucleus removed. As a result, the new or cloned embryo is an identical copy of only the donor. Human cloning has moved from science fiction into science. One biotech company has already began producing embryonic human clones for research purposes. Chinese scientists have derived stem cells from cloned embryos created by combining human DNA and rabbit eggs. Others have announced plans to produce cloned children, despite the fact that laboratory cloning of animals has lead to spontaneous abortions and terrible, terrible abnormalities. Human cloning is deeply troubling to me, and to most Americans. Life is a creation, not a commodity. (Applause.) Our children are gifts to be loved and protected, not products to be designed and manufactured. Allowing cloning would be taking a significant step toward a society in which human beings are grown for spare body parts, and children are engineered to custom specifications; and that's not acceptable. In the current debate over human cloning, two terms are being used: reproductive cloning and research cloning. Reproductive cloning involves creating a cloned embryo and implanting it into a woman with the goal of creating a child. Fortunately, nearly every American agrees that this practice should be banned. Research cloning, on the other hand, involves the creation of cloned human embryos which are then destroyed to derive stem cells. I believe all human cloning is wrong, and both forms of cloning ought to be banned, for the following reasons. First, anything other than a total ban on human cloning would be unethical. Research cloning would contradict the most fundamental principle of medical ethics, that no human life should be exploited or extinguished for the benefit of another. (Applause.) Yet a law permitting research cloning, while forbidding the birth of a cloned child, would require the destruction of nascent human life. Secondly, anything other than a total ban on human cloning would be virtually impossible to enforce. Cloned human embryos created for research would be widely available in laboratories and embryo farms. Once cloned embryos were available, implantation would take place. Even the tightest regulations and strict policing would not prevent or detect the birth of cloned babies. Third, the benefits of research cloning are highly speculative.

Cameron’s The Terminator and Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale as Responses to Neo-conservatism :: Movie Film Essays

From abortion to pornography, the â€Å"war on drugs† to the end of the Cold War, the 1980s played host to considerable controversy; amidst such political uneasiness, then, it seems that Reagan Era rejuvenated middle-America’s latent conservatism. This return to the traditional Puritan values of the â€Å"nuclear family† also sponsored heightened State intervention and policing of the private sphere, thereby buttressing cultural myths of the dangerous, unknown â€Å"Other†. As such a fear of the Other was socially perpetuated, it seemed the responsibility of liberal-minded skeptics to note such propaganda as an alarming preparation for totalitarianism. Many cultural texts from the period, such as James Cameron’s 1984 science-fiction film, â€Å"The Terminator†, and Margaret Atwood’s 1986 feminist predictive-text, â€Å"The Handmaid’s Tale†, used this opportunity to illustrate the drastic outcomes of a society founded on such mass ignorance. Following in the tradition of â€Å"dystopian†, or anti-utopian, fiction, both texts use a depiction of a â€Å"perfect† future world in order to isolate, exaggerate and expose certain problematic social trends. While not intended as realistic or plausible predictions, these dystopian texts seek to expose extremist attitudes (such as radical conservatism, religiosity, or technological reliance) as fundamentally threatening to human nature and individualism. Dystopia, then, can be understood as a locale for the constant impediment of human freedom, maintained by a regime’s oppressive control of technology, gender and ideology. What makes this fictional society so fascinating, however, is its cunning transformation from utopia to dystopia, or from Heaven to Hell; each of these corrupt worlds is originally presented as a safer, more stable and efficient alternative to contemporary society. Atwood’s tale, for example, presents a portrait of a society, Gilead, which is superficially ideal: it is free of (visible) violence, hatred or suffering. Yet this apparent perfection comes with sacrifice, for all aspects of the population are controlled: social class and intellectual ability are all carefully regulated, with stability maintained at all costs. Similarly, Cameron’s â€Å"Terminator† presents members of modern-day (circa 1984) Los Angeles in a beneficial symbiotic relationship with machinery: as technology improves daily life for humans, so too do humans improve technology. Yet this techno-friendly society based on social alliance is jaded once the machines begin to overpower and out-wit humans; here the oppressive regime that threatens humanity is technology itself. In both texts it seems clear that both technological advancement and control are imperative to the succession of an autocratic state. And as the audience is always kept keenly aware of the dangers that homogeneity poses to the quality of life, these dystopian texts question whether technology necessitates a sacrifice of human individuality.