Ancient Greek Civilisation Essays - Racism, Abuse,

Ancient Greek Civilisation The earliest Greek civilization thrived around 4,000 years ago. Some of the things that they had that we still use today are the arts, science, math, literature, and politics. The Greeks were known for their great intelligence, military strategies, and their buildings. All Greek's spoke the same language. This made it easier to trade and to communicate between different parts of the country. All Greeks believed in the same gods and also shared some common heritage. The Greeks believed that there was a god for everything on earth. A few examples of these gods are Zeus, ruler of the gods. Posidon was the god of the ocean and Hades, god of the under world. The Greek government was not a monarchy with a king and queen. Instead the Greek government was a city-state. A city-state is when each city has its own separate political unit. The men were a very important part of the Greek civilization because they were the ones that ran the government. The men were also the ones who would plant and work the fields or would oversee them. They would also spend time sailing, hunting, or manufacturing things for trade. For fun, the men would attend drinking parties, would wrestle, and enjoyed horse back riding. When the men held drinking parties for his friends the wives and daughters were not aloud to attend. The women in the Greek civilization were very limited to what they were allowed to do. They were permitted to attend weddings, funerals, and visit female neighbors for brief periods. The main responsibility for the women were to bear children and to watch over the house and make sure it was cleaned by one of the slaves because women were rarely ever responsible for cleaning the house. Women slaves were the cooks, cleaners, and sometimes even worked in the fields. The male slaves would act as a guard and would stand at the door and protect the women when the man was away. Only other women were allowed to enter when the man was away. Women were not allowed to participate in the Olympic games except for the chariot racing, which they were only allowed to participate in if they owned a horse. There were several different ways in which a person could be made a slave. If you were captured in battle then you could be sold as a slave. If a child was abandoned and then was found he could be kept by the person as his slave or could be sold. Sometimes a poor family might sell their baby as a slave to earn some money and in hopes that the baby might have a better life as a slave than with them. The worse thing that could happen to someone that was then put into slavery was when the baby or child was kidnapped and sold for money. Many houses in Greece in the 5th and 6th century were made up of clay, stone, and wood. They usually had two to three rooms and were built around an open air courtyard. If you were richer you might have had a kitchen, men's drinking area, and maybe even a room for bathing. The Greek's used an irrigation system to get water to their crops which consisted of olives, grapes, and figs. They would also keep goat to get milk and cheese. Many Greek's made their own wine which was a very popular thing in Greece. Meat was very expensive and was rarely eaten but was often used for religious sacrifices. The types of clothing that the Greek's wore were wool in he winter and linen in the summer. Since Clothing was very expensive to buy most families made their own clothes and just bleached them white or a bright color. All cloths if made at home were made by the mother, daughter, or female slave. We use many of the things that the Greek's have discovered today in our modern society. We should be thankful that we have used merchant's to create cultural diffusion. If we hadn't done this than we wouldn't have many of the things that we considered important or even vital to our society. History Essays

Comparison of Matisses and Legers works essays

Comparison of Matisse's and Leger's works essays Henri Matisse and Fernand Leger were two of the most influential artist of the Twentieth Century. Their styles though very different, came from similar beginnings. Both of these artists took their beginnings and lead them into a whole New World for art. Two examples of their unique styles are Matisses The Young Sailor, 1906 and Legers Women with a Cat, 1921. In The Young Sailor, Matisse brings forth this abstract, intellectual use of color. His characteristic style was formed with use of flat, brilliant color and fluid lines. He uses a simplistic composition, where the subject is placed in the middle of the canvas. He also uses vivid bold color patches to give the work balance and depth. Matisse achieves this sense of space through an intense, luminous orange surrounding and a deep purple and green in the subjects clothing. The intensive orange color pushes the dull purple and green forward, and the orange is sustained to the background. Also through the subjects body positioning we can establish a sense of space because the artist has you looking down upon the subject. In Legers Women with a Cat the shapes and tones gives this painting a different sense of depth and space. In Legers painting you achieve a sense of depth because the figure's body is positioned. We are obviously looking down on the subject, but because of the hard black shapes behind the figure it makes the space shallow. Leger uses very dull tones and colors that make the painting seem flat and give the work a cold mechanic feeling, and with these dull tones you are not able to grab a sense of depth. Leger handles his painting as if he was creating a composition through pattern not focusing too much on realism. His composition is simplistic because he centers his subject in the middle of the canvas, but unlike Matisses painting where the subject seems relaxed in his space, Leger uses hard black lines behind the figure that run across...

Expo 67 (1967 International and Universal Exposition) Essay

Expo 67 (1967 International and Universal Exposition) - Essay Example er of visitors that toured the general exhibition fair, as well as the entertainment, different Expo pavilions elected by different countries and the wonderful La Ronde, which represented everything that an amusement park should be (10). The theme of Nationalism was pronounced the loudest during this fair, than in any other event of the Canadian history. Nevertheless, the success of the 1967 Canadian International and Universal Exposition did not occur without challenges, and the success was only achieved through the sacrifices, determination, commitment and hard work of various key individuals (). Nevertheless, despite the wave of nationalism that was created by the Expo 67 general fair, the concept of male dominance is reflected in the buildup, construction and planning of Expo 67, where all the major players in the preparation of the Expo happened to be men (). Additionally, while the event is one of the major nationalism pronounced event, the nationalism, patriotism and loyalty of the Canadian business community was put into question during this major event. Therefore, this discussion seeks to analyze the Canadian 1967 International and Universal Exposition as a major Canadian nationalism pronouncement event, wh ile still assessing the concept of male dominance in Canada in 20th century, as represented by this major event. The accomplishment and success of Canadian 1967 International and Universal Exposition did not come easy, and it took the strong will of a group of men who later came to be known as the ‘Les Durs’, interpreted to mean’ the tough guys’ (). Jean Drapeau, a key figure in the planning, construction and launch of the Expo 67 was the mayor of Montreal at the time, and his commitment to the success of the project still stands as a great show of nationalism. Jean Drapeau did no6t only have a vision for the Expo 67, but also for Expo 68, 69, 70 and so on, by seeking to use the Expo 67 infrastructure as the fairground that would fulfill its

The Exploitative Nature of Beauty Pageants Essay

The Exploitative Nature of Beauty Pageants - Essay Example The author researched the subject and acquired statistics demonstrating the malevolent influence of beauty pageants on young vulnerable girls as well as mature women. He was also able to locate and speak with a number of former beauty queens who were quite frank in giving the details of how their lives had been affected by their participation in the beauty pageants. The author’s friends were somewhat skeptical about his choice of topic because they are all models. Moreover, all the information he got about what life really is like for a beauty queen convinced him that the benefits of the title ‘beauty queen’ are far outweighed by the drawbacks caused by it. The researcher’s aim was to inform the audience, which consisted of young women and men in their twenties and thirties about the many emerging beauty queen competitions in the area and convince them that these pageants were destructive and would ruin the self-esteem of any woman or girl that agreed to pa rticipate in them. The author had done a lot of research and documented his discussions with former beauty queens who gave him permission to use their stories. The author was able to use such information in his speech with astounding success. He also mentioned the dates on which he had conducted the interviews so as to demonstrate how recent the issue is. Usually, the researcher is quite nervous before delivering a speech. However, this time he was pleasantly surprised to find that he was excited and could not wait to deliver his speech; particularly when the author saw the gathering audience. Corporate workers and a large group of models sat at the front while the youth occupied large spaces in the back. The researcher’s model friends and he had sat up arguing about the reasons why beauty contents are destructive, and he was still charged for that experience. The author launched into his speech with gusto, though he tried to avoid speaking too fast in order to cover all the points in his speech. The author asked a few models he recognized in the audience about what they did o a daily basis to maintain their low weight. This sparked immediate discussions among the audience members; with some shouting answers and others murmuring about anorexia. From the stance adopted by nearly all the members of the audience, the author could tell that his subject was very interesting.

Critically compare and contrast Karl Marx's attack on capitalism with Essay

Critically compare and contrast Karl Marx's attack on capitalism with Susan Mendus's attack on individualism. How would Ward Churchill evaluate their arguments - Essay Example n a similar way, Susan Mendus also rejects individualism on the basis that â€Å"the language of domination and subordination is a central factor to individualism†. She also argues for equality between men and women, believing that individualism does not generate equality (Mendes 1993). She equates the individualists to the bourgeois, who elevate themselves at the expense of others. Marx states that a person’s spirituality is the labor power he has. He argues that a case of alienation develops when man is deprived of the opportunity to exercise this labor power. He believes that religion is the â€Å"opium of the masses† and states that religion is the response of the oppressed person, trying to find heart in a heartless world and the soul of soulless conditions (Marx 1970). He views religion as the means by which people try to deal with social inequalities. Mendus on the other hand, believes that religion is brainwashing to make people believe in certain things, but merely because they espouse such beliefs, it does not necessarily indicate that they are true. She believes that applying moral rules to love and relationships is basically flawed.(Mendus 1996). While Marx believes religion is purely palliative and does not achieve anything constructive, Mendus on the other hand states that individualism cannot serve the cause of religion or the commo n good. Ward Churchill launches an attack on the â€Å"pious† Christians of America who have been at the forefront of their leaders’ war initiatives, unleashing death and destruction upon the less fortunate world. (Churchill 2001). He would perhaps agree with Marx, who viewed religion as the opium that drugs the majority, so that they can be led to their slaughter. Similarly, religion is also functioning as the opium that dulls the individual American’s ability to think clearly and rationally about the concepts of equality and justice among people. Marx’s views on the power of the proleterait are relevant here,

Business Analysis Of The Sony Corporation

Business Analysis Of The Sony Corporation As directed by the Board of Directors of Sony Corporation, this report will analyse the companys situation from 1999-2005. Sony, a world class consumer electronics makers, was facing serious concerns since the late of 1990s, such as Asian financial crisis in 1997, the tech bubble and the terrorist attacks in America in 2001. Besides, the ever increasing competition from competitors and rapid market changes are eroding the market shares of Sony. The top management confront their difficulties bravely and executed a series of actions to respond to those difficulties. This report focuses on the structure of Sony in 1999 and the restructuring in 2003, as well as the analysis of difficulties faced by Sony and how the management responded to those issues. The structure of the report starts with the business description and the corporation strategy which has significant relationship with the following sections. Then, the focus will move to structure 1999 follow with the restructuring of Sony in 2003 called Transformation 60. After the discussions about the business structure, the report will concentrate on analysing the issues associated with Sony and state the responses taken by the management and its underlying principle before concluding and with appropriate recommendations. 2.0 Business Description and Corporation Strategy Sony is one of the worlds top consumer electronics makers and employs over 167900 workers (Sony, 2010). The business operates in over 200 countries and covers the games, electronics, financial services, entertainment markets and others (ibid.). After 65 years of growth, today, the group has established a world class brand and the strong brand image can benefit its bargaining power and make the business move into new markets easily. 2.1 Key Figures Some key figures of Sony from 1997 to 2010 are listed below (Graph12). The Sales figure remained in the reasonably floating level before 2007. Unfortunately, the management and shareholders are unsatisfied with the profits, since 1998 the profits reduced nearly every year, this might have been the trigger to ignite the restructuring of Sony. Graph 1 Source: Sony Annual Report 2001, 2006, 2010- Five-Year Summary of Selected Financial Data Graph 2 Source: Sony Annual Report 2001, 2006, 2010- Five-Year Summary of Selected Financial Data 2.2 Correlation between Organisation Strategy and Organisation Structure Strategy and organisation structure are correlated to each other, even the debate of whether strategy or structure comes first is still in existence (Lynch, 2006). Therefore, to understand Sonys corporation strategy (Graph34) is significantly important before discussing the structure and restructuring of Sony. Besides, an essential portion of the study of Sonys actions is an understanding of the nature of business strategy for the Sony corporation as a whole (Mullins, 2010). Graph 3 Source: Sony Annual Report 1998 pp6, 7 Sony Annual Report 1999 pp26 Graph 4 Source: Sony Annual Report 2003 pp5-management discusses key issues 3.0 Organisational Structure This section is classified into two parts, 3.1 focuses on the structure of Sony in 1999 while section 3.2 concentrates on the restructuring in 2003. 3.1 Structure of Sony in 1999 Sony as a world class player in a diversified high-tech market was challenged with the fierce competition during the late 1990s (Sony, 1999). Therefore, the restructuring was necessary for Sony to survive in the competitive market. The group announced the organisations restructure plan in March 1999 to seize further growth opportunities in the new century and the Internet era (Sony, 1999). The structure of the organisation is determined by its age and size, technical system, power and environment (Mintzberg, 1979). Furthermore, in relation to the environment, the diversity of the environment will largely determine the structure of organization and directly affects the organisation functions into goal-seeking activities through the formal structure to achieve aims and objectives (Mullins, 2007; Mintzberg, 1979). In this diverse environment, different structures will be taken in specific department to meet different aspects of situation for Sony. 3.1.1 Internal Structure of Sony as a Whole The internal structure of Sony is a tall hierarchical structure as Sony consists of three main business areas which are electronic business, entertainment business and insurance and finance business (Graph 5). Besides, the setting up of the unified dispersed management model is to face the rapid change in market in the aforementioned pillars of Sony (Ravi, 2005). As a result, the overall structure of Sony in 1999 was divisionalized form. Schwartz and Thompson (1986) suggested that the divisionalization form can facilitate the various divisions to compete fiercely among them, with effective operations to face rapid changes in external environment. Graph 5 Source: www.HYPERLINK http://www.sony.net/Sony.net, Press Archive, March 29, 1999 Besides, centralization and decentralization depends on how organisational power is dispersed and is determined by the organization structure for decision-making and problem-solving (Schmidt, 2006). The structure of Sony in 1999 displayed Sonys trend to be decentralization to distribute the power yield. For example, Sony set up a unified dispersed management model which facilitates more functional and operational autonomy (Ravi, 2005). 3.1.2 Divisional Structures of Sony After the discussion above, the focus now moves to the structure of different divisions. The electronic business consists of various subsidiaries (Graph 6). Each subsidiary is responsible for its own different products and makes business decisions in different markets. There is little interdependence that exists between each other. Thus, the structure of electronic business was divisionalized form. Entertainment business displayed adhocracy due to its little formalisation of behaviour. Insurance Finance business displayed a Professional Bureaucracy structure due to its complex environment with highly trained skills and knowledge to offer standardisation of products and services (Mintzberg, 1979). Graph 6 Source: www.HYPERLINK http://www.sony.net/Sony.net, Press Archive, March 29, 1999 Each business division has the autonomous to make decisions in its daily operation. The Group headquarters concentrated on coordinating these business divisions to make a long-term business strategy. Nevertheless, under the complex, diverse and dynamic environment, perhaps the more organic and decentralized structure is more suitable for Sony. 3.2 Structure of Sony in 2003 Indeed, Sony restructured its organisation in 1999 into a more divisionalized and decentralised form using the unified dispersed model as a means of a Value Creation Model. Transformation 60 saw some changes in the architectural structure of the organisation with it becoming more centralised, management-wise and financial-wise. It was aimed to refining the organisational responsibilities in carrying out the operating strategies and restructuring the marketing strategies in profitable niches. The goals are to achieve more profit margins, reducing annual cost, and component outsourcing (Sony, 2003). 3.2.1 Divisional Structure of Transformation 60 Transformation 60 saw the convergence of the three pillars of Sony electronics, entertainment and financial as opposed to the unified dispersed model. The following are the divisional changes: In the electronics business, the management combined the Semiconductor Network Company, Home Electronics, Mobile Electronics and Information Technology (Sony, 2003). The entertainment business saw the joint of assets of pictures, music, game, electronics and services to enhance its position as a worldwide media company. The constructed financial holding company absorbed Sony Life Insurance Company Ltd, Sony Assurance Inc. and Sony Bank Inc. By these convergences, Sony clarified the operational structure and concentrated on the engineering, innovation and financial resources. According to the converging strategy, the new operation structure of Sony seems like a basic Machine Bureaucracy structure (Mintzberg, 1983). Although it is less dispersed than the structure in 1999, the pull to formalize by the technostructure of Sony could be seen in Transformation 60 (Mintzberg, 1981). The restructuring of Sony in 2003 was more centralised than before as a result of the serious convergences of several businesses. The tactical and strategic plans were permitted to each sectors, which points that the divisionalized form still existed. However, the power on personnel issues was controlled by the top management, as well as the supportive finance and the ultimate goal were allocated and formulated by the headquarters (Ravi, 2005). Moreover, the restructured Sony in 2003 did not belong to any specific structure of Mintzbergs pentagon t heory but the combined one (Graph 7). Graph 7 Sony organisational chart: electronics-related business (as of 1 April 2001) Source: www.sony.net, Press Release, 29th March 2001(a) 3.2.2 Financial Structure of Transformation 60 In the light of improving its fiscal position, the consolidation of fixed costs and the combining of assets reflected the change of a more centralized structure in Sony. The company aims to achieve an annualized cost reduction of approximately  ¥300 billion (Ravi, 2005). The cut in employees due to the off-shore strategy to China establish the Contribution equal to Compensation principal of paying for performances, as Schein (2004) stated that employees have worked well enough to be considered valid. Deactivating employees from Sony had cost the company financially and it might have explained the poor financial performance of Sony after the transformation was done. 4.0 Problems and Responses This section will discuss the problems associated with Sony alongside with the responses taken and its rationale. The difficulties faced by Sony have been separated into different categories mainly the rapid evolution of technology, competition in the market and the differences of national culture. 4.1 Rapid Evolution of Technology The rapid evolution of technology as pointed out by Idei (Ravi, 2005) has affected the electronics, entertainment and insurance and finance sectors of Sony. The constant improvements in technology have caused the company to respond to the demand of the market. The following are the responses made by the company alongside with its underlying rationale: Investments: Sony invested heavily in RD, capital equipment and facilities in order to meet demands and improve profitability. Technology for Inspiration and Shared Experience and Creating New Value are Sonys RD missions (Sony, 2011). The company believes that technology is capable of linking inspiration and shared experiences on top of creating new values and capturing emotions of customers (ibid.). Investment strategies link to the capability of top management of Sony. Organisation restructuring: The Company believes that the new group architecture can help gain market share besides increasing shareholders value (Sony, 1999). In this Value Creation Model, the unified dispersed management method saw changes in the electronics operations, establishment of Digital Network Solutions (DNS), changes in composition of workforce which could ultimately affect the morale of employees, implementation of new value-based performance measurement system and the separation of headquarters into two distinct functions (Ravi, 2005; Sony, 1999). Indeed, the model brings competitive advantage to Sony (Jayaranam Luo, 2007). In such a stiff market, it is understandable as to the measures taken to seize every opportunity. Unfortunately, in 2001, the September 11 attacks caused the consolidated drop in sales, affecting the fiscal position of the company (Sony, 2001b). This has proven that the Value Creation Model had loopholes, hence Transformation 60 took course. Severe cost saving measures were taken but by 2005, as a result of pressure from shareholder, a top management reshuffling with Howard Stringer as CEO (Ravi, 2005). This proves that investors of Sony began to lose confidence of the previous management team therefore it was necessary for the company to overhaul its board. 4.2 Market Competition Among Sonys competitors are LG, Samsung, Sharp, Dell and Canon. Each competitor seemed to have an advantage over Sony in different products. Below are among the steps taken by Sony to beat the competition in the market: Partnership with Solectron Corporation in year 2000 and off-shoring to China were to aid the outsourcing process of production of electronics was a step to help the company meet fluctuations in demands, cost reduction, quality improvisation and customer satisfaction (Sony, 2003; Sony, 2000). Outsourcing may be beneficial to the company as a whole but it could ultimately decrease the motivational level of employees, as there is a tendency of decrease of power of managers, and failure rate is between 40%-70% (Purse, 2009). This may explain the Sony Shock (Ravi, 2005) incident that happened in 2003 despite the laborious process of organisation restructuring. The cost-benefit consideration was not given much thought before the outsourcing was done. The takeover of Aiwa Co. Ltd. as a wholly owned subsidiary in 2002 was for the benefit of the electronics business of the company, particularly the audio and visual (AV) industry (Sony, 2002). The takeover became part of Transformation 60. It helped accelerate the structural reform of the electronics business of Sony on top of the creation of synergy as a result of the merger. 4.3 Differences in National Culture As Howard Stringer took over as the CEO of Sony in 2005, a major problem he would experience would be the differences in organisational culture. Culture refers to the way we do things around here (Sanchez, 2004). Being one of the few foreigners to be part of the top management in a Japanese company, Stringer has the responsibility of considering whether to impose the Western culture in a Japanese company. Azumi Mcmillan (1975) found that both the U.S. and Japanese culture are quite highly centralized and companys rules and procedures are abided. In Sony, although divisionalization form can be seen, the Headquarter still plays its role as a coordinator, meaning that ultimately, the decision-making process will need approval from the top management. Also, in Japan, traditional values that emphasises on hard work and details are a common practice due to its religion influences but in the U.S., creativity and innovation are the common values (Webster White, 2009). Hence, in U.S., risk-taking is very much observed. The open management style of Stringer, his understanding towards Sonys tradition and his international viewpoints could be the key to influence the cultural organisation (Sony, 2005). This can explain Stringers successes in streamlining Sonys movie and music businesses. 5.0 Conclusion Due to the external environment effect such as the Asian financial crisis, the ever increasing competition, as well as the internal business issues like the low efficiency, the profits of Sony has been reduced dramatically since 1998. Therefore the management had to execute some restructuring plan to respond to those concerns. According to the restructuring plan announced in March 1999, the structure of the group was divisionalized and more decentralization, in order to seize further growth opportunities in the 21st century. Besides, the group launched a unified dispersed management model to ensure that the business operate more efficiently and to be able to survive the rapid change of environment. Sony did a mass of changes to adapt to the market changes; unfortunately, the pace of the latter was overtaking the managements expectations. Consequently, Sony had to accelerate the reform plan and announced another restructuring plan called Transformation 60 in 2003. The change in 2003 s aw a stronger pull to formalize in the technostructure although it can be seen that there is a mixture between the machine bureaucracy and divisionalized forms. Convergences in the three sectors saw power being more focused at the top management. The change of technology, market competition and the differences in organisational culture, especially after the takeover of Stringer, were the main concerns of Sony. Organisational restructuring and investment strategies were among the solutions in coping with technological changes. Market competition forced Sony to deal with vast partnerships, joint ventures and mergers with other companies for outsourcing purposes. Finally, the change to a foreigner to lead a Japanese company spark concerns on the future of Sonys organisational culture. Nevertheless, based on the analysis that has been done, it can be concluded that Sonys management and business strategies affects its organisational structure. It was the drop in profits that led investors to force the overhauling of top management, as a result, the unified dispersed model and Transformation 60. Unfortunately, both measures failed to bring positive impacts to the companys fiscal positions. In light of the situation above, the new team led by Stringer with the probable change in organisational culture could probably help turn things around. 6.0 Recommendations Two main recommendations should be taken into account: Firstly, the future of the organisational culture of Sony has to be determined from two aspects based on the organization structure and the differences in national culture since the takeover of Stringer as CEO. Perhaps, Stringer could consider integrating the Eastern and the Western cultures to obtain the best of both worlds. Next, investment strategies of Sony may have to be re-evaluated again, as after the study of the company was done, there are hints of possibilities that failures in the companys fiscal position may have been caused by past investment decisions. Outsourcing may be beneficial but a thorough cost-benefit analysis has to be done. Investment decisions will reflect the capability of top management to stakeholders. Appendices Value Creation Model refers to the combination of intangible assets and monetary items to create additional value of the business for stakeholders, particularly shareholders (Qureshi, Briggs Hlupic, 2006; Haksever, Chaganti Cook, 2004). 2 The performance measurement system is capable of reflecting the current cost of capital of Sony 3 Before being elected as the CEO of Sony Corporation, he was the Chairman and CEO of Sony Corporation of America. Bibliographies Azumi, K Mcmillan, C (2004) Culture and organisation structure: a comparison of Japanese and British organisation, International Studies of Management and Organization. Vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 35-47. Available from: Business Source Premier. [Accessed 16 January 2011] Datamonitor (2010), Sony Corporation-Company Profile, pp4, 5 and 21, Publication date: 12 Mar 2010 Elkington, J. Masaki, T. (2004) CSR Report 2004, [online]. 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Odysseus Cannot Return Home in Homers Odyssey Essay -- Odyssey essays

Odysseus Cannot Return Home in Homer's Odyssey   Ã‚  Ã‚   Webster's College Dictionary defines home as: An environment offering security and happiness" and "a valued place regarded as refuge or place of origin." Anyone can build a house but the emotional security a home provides is created by the people who live there. In Homer's Odyssey, the Greek hero Odysseus leaves his home in Ithica to fight in the Trojan war. The Odyssey tells the story of his treacherous journey back to Ithica, and the turmoil he experiences. Due to his strong desire to return to the place he remembered as home, Odysseus endurs the hardships of his journey. He hopes his homecoming will return him to the same home, and same life he built twenty years ago. Odysseus will never truly return home because he is not the same king, husband, or man he once was; He is not capable of recreating the home he once had. Ulysses' quote," I am part of all that I have met," is the epitome of why Odysseus can never again truly return home. Throughout his journeys he has experienced multiple life changing events. As the quotation states, he has become a part of everything he has experienced. Victimized by kleos, arrogance, and emotional weakness, Odysseus is forever changed from the Trojan war, and his journey home. Fighting on the battle grounds of the Trojan war, left Odysseus narcissistic, and controlled by his desire for kleos. Odysseus desire for recognition is demonstrated often before he reaches Ithica. It eventually leads to the death of all of his men. An earlier example is the manner in which he dealt with the Cyclops. When Odysseys and his men were sailing back to sea, after escaping the beast, he called out to the already furious Cyclops,... ...the suitors and the women who were in some way connected to them. Odysseus will never be the same husband, because he broke the trust between himself and Penelope, and the security of marriage. Emotionally damaged and belligerent, Odysseus is not the same man and will never be able to play the role of the person he was. The home he once had, the security, attachment, and people that are associated with it, will all be effected by him. The home Odysseus, the all mighty Trojan hero once built, will never again be more than a memory. Works Consulted: Bloom, Harold.   Homer's Odyssey: Edited and with an Introduction, NY, Chelsea House 1988 Crane, Gregory.   Backgrounds and Conventions of the Odyssey,   Frankfurt, Athenaeum 1988 Homer. The Odyssey. Trans. Robert Fagles. New York: 1996 Tracy, Stephen V. The Story of the Odyssey Princeton UP 1990

No Fear Shakespeare Essay

In English class, everyone lets out loud groans when they hear about their next units: Shakespeare. With the class complaining about the hard language and the difficulty of understanding the plays, the teacher might grow exasperated and let them read the infamously talked about book No Fear Shakespeare. The teachers are doing question thing when they keep a supplementary text with the original. Yes, 15th century Elizabethan era is a tad difficult to understand, but that is one of the beauties of Shakespeare. No Fear has a good translation but is missing a few key elements such as symbolism, poetry, allusions, and other literary techniques. I think the original version is much better than the translated version because it has more appeal. No Fear Shakespeare is a series of translations of the Bard’s famous works to the modern-day language that is used today to make it easier to understand. I must admit that the translation is well written and is a much easier read than the original. No fear should be used for non-English speakers to read along but still have the original. Shakespeare’s language is broken down in the translation and takes away the finesse the original has. In the first soliloquy of infamously â€Å"emo-tastic† Hamlet, his first line in the speech is â€Å"Oh, what a rogue and peasant slave am I! † in the original as opposed to the translated one that says â€Å"Now I’m alone. Oh what a mean low-life I am! † Now compare them and see which sounds more poetic and more passionate. Shakespeare has a way of making such a self-loathing speech sound so passionately powerful and beautiful. The translated version is too literal while Shakespeare was all about the symbolisms and metaphors that was his trademark. In this famous â€Å"to be or not to be† speech is another example. â€Å"To be or not to be? That is the question. † Is destroyed with â€Å"the question is: is it better to be alive or dead? † The point of that line is to be used for a variety of situations it has been taken too seriously. It’s more poetic and a bit dramatic (in a good way) to say â€Å"to be or not to be† rather than â€Å"should I kill myself to end all the hardships or just live with it miserably? † It’s almost as if Shakespeare’s version is a pretty girl who wears a lot of make-up and looks attractive until you see her without the make-up and see what she actually looks like unmasked so to speak when it is taken into No Fear Shakespeare. The last line of this speech is worse saying â€Å"But shh, here comes the beautiful Ophelia. Pretty lady; please remember me when you pray. Instead the original â€Å"The fair Ophelia-Nymph, in thy orisons be all my sins remembered. † The allusion to Greek mythology is one of the things that make Shakespeare’s work significant because his world was controlled by the monotheistic Roman Church. He uses a polytheistic religion for his allusions but No fear gets rid of some of it to make it more comprehensible. The No Fear Shakespeare series should not be taught in regular English speaking class because it takes away the symbolism, rhyme, and beauty of the literature. It should be used as a reference outside of school. As one of my friend said â€Å"the teacher is supposed to teach you what it means and if you don’t get that then you can use the book translation. † I agree with this completely. They’re supposed to be teaching Shakespeare to enlighten the students in ways that connects to them. If they have a bad teacher that is when the translator is depended on to teach what Shakespeare is writing. If the language was better understood by students you’d be able to realize that the themes and plots are so relatable. What teenager doesn’t relate to Hamlet with his depression or with his feeling of being misunderstood? As Alexandra Petri’s article â€Å"On the Bard’s Birthday: Is Shakespeare Still Relevant? † it states â€Å"If we want to do a modern staging of his work, we’ll have to stipulate that ‘In fair Verona, where we lay our scene/the cell reception was spotty/from ancient grudge that brake AT&T. † Sure we can’t exactly relate because most teens have cell phones to communicate, but it gives us a feel of if this was to happen in the â€Å"electronically deprived† centuries. It gives a link from the 21st century to the 15th century. The translation’s text book definition of Shakespeare does not give you that link, it just tells a story; it doesn’t have meaning behind it. Shakespeare has great insults as well, so why insult in modern language when you can confuse a fellow peer with beautiful Elizabethan. We shouldn’t fear Shakespeare we should learn to love him. He brings beauty and richness into literature that no other could do, especially in this age. He is thought to be a genius of the theatre. He has this originality that has influenced a lot of famous authors of modern-day literature so I say â€Å"Long live Shakespeare! †

Comparative Analysis Essay Example

Comparative Analysis Essay Example Comparative Analysis Paper Comparative Analysis Paper 0906 Writing May 30, 2011 Comparative Analysis The poem â€Å"Against Idleness and Mischief† written by Isaac Watts and the poem â€Å"How Doth the Little Crocodile† written by Lewis Carroll are two pieces of work that are always being compared and contrasted. The two poems are written by different poets in different times, however, they are very similar with each other in perspectives like the form, writing style, subject. Comparing to Carroll’s poem, â€Å"Against Idleness and Mischief† is more positive, educational and more suitable for children. There are a lot of similarities between two poems, such as form, structure and writing style. However, the two poems differ from each other in other sides. For instance, the length of two poems and purposes to write two poems are different. Therefore, it is worth analyzing Watts and Carroll’s works together to find what the similarities and differences are. One of the most obvious similarities is the form of two poems. Both of the two poets choose animals as subjects, for Watts chooses bees and Carroll chooses crocodile. They are also short poems and belong to poems that are written for children. Another conspicuous thing that the two poems have in common is that the writing structure. The rhyme scheme using in poems are very similar in Watts and Carroll’s works. For instance, both of two poems using alternate rhymes. In Watts’ poem, like the sentence â€Å"in works of labor or of skill, I would be busy too; for Satan finds some mischief still, for idle hands to do†, words like â€Å"skill† and â€Å"still†, â€Å"too† and â€Å"do† shows the using of alternate rhymes. It is the same in Carroll’s poem. In the sentence â€Å"How cheerfully he seems to grin, how neatly spreads his claws, and welcome the little fish in, with gentle smiling jaws†, â€Å"grin†, â€Å"in†, â€Å"claws† and â€Å"jaws† are groups of words that have same rhyme scheme. Moreover, both of the two poems use some rhetorical devices, like exclamation and personification. In the two poems, there are several exclamatory sentences starting with â€Å"How† to enrich the emotion, like the sentences â€Å"How skillfully she builds her cell! † and â€Å"How doth the little crocodile†. Personification is also discernible in the two poems through the usage of personal pronouns like â€Å"she† and â€Å"his† and some personified behaviors. For example, like the action of the little crocodile, â€Å"welcome the little fish in, with gentle smiling jaws! † vividly describes a personified image in front of readers. However, differences still exist between the two poems. First point is that the two poems are written in different times. Isaac Watts is a hymn writer and was born nearly two hundred years earlier than Lewis Carroll. Therefore, there exists possibility that Lewis Carroll imitates the writing style of Watts’. What’s more, themes of two poems are different. Watts’ poem mainly conveys a clear massage that is against idleness and mischief by praising the labor of those lovely bees. On the contrary, Carroll’s poem emphasizes on greed and the predatory nature by depicting the cunning image of crocodile. What the two poems similar and different causes the different purpose of the two poems. Carroll’s poem offers readers an image of a fierce, cunning image of crocodile. He uses sentences which have an irony sense, which wants to warn readers to be conscious of the predatory nature and against selfishness, but it may be a little harsh for children. Comparing to Carroll, Watts conveys a more positive massage that labor should be praised by praising the busy life of bees. Watts’ poem can play a better role in educating children because the poem is of a kind and soft style, which is easily accepted by children. For example, the gender of bees can improve that. In Watts’ poem, the bees is considered as females, thus they will bring a feeling of softness and kindness and an emotion of love, and that is why this poem is more interesting to children. In a conclusion, both of Watts and Carroll’s poems are very similar in some aspects. However, each of the two poems has points that are unique and different from the other. Watts’ work is more suitable for children and positive comparing to Carroll’s poem and can play an better role in educating children and that’s why it is recommended.

Definition and Examples of Verbal Paradox

Definition and Examples of Verbal Paradox Definition A verbal paradox is a  figure of speech in which a seemingly self-contradictory statement is nevertheless foundin some senseto be true. Also called a  paradoxical statement. In  A Dictionary of Literary Devices (1991),  Bernard Marie Dupriez defines verbal paradox as an assertion which runs counter to received opinion, and whose very formulation contradicts current ideas.   Irish author Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) was a master of the verbal paradox. He once said, Life is much too important to be taken seriously. See Examples and Observations below. also: ParadoxContradictory PremisesEnantiosisOxymoron Examples and Observations The old verbal paradox still holds tree, that blackberries are green when they are red.(Ezra Brainerd, The Blackberries of New England. Rhodora, Feb. 1900) It is the wonderful paradox . . . that the best way to achieve happiness for oneself is to give happiness to others.†(David Michie, The Dalai Lamas Cat. Hay House, 2012) Paradoxes of G.K. Chesterton- It is so easy to be solemn; it is so hard to be frivolous. . . .These articles have another disadvantage arising from the scurry in which they were written; they are too long-winded and elaborate. One of the great disadvantages of hurry is that it takes such a long time.(G.K. Chesterton, The Case for the Ephemeral. All Things Considered, 1908)- There is nothing that fails like success.(G.K. Chesterton, Heretics, 1905)- It is of the new things that men tireof fashions and proposals and improvements and change. It is the old things that startle and intoxicate. It is the old things that are young.(G.K. Chesterton, The Napoleon of Notting Hill, 1904)- The object of verbal paradox, then, is persuasion, and its principle is the inadequacy of words to thoughts, unless they be very careful ly chosen words.(Hugh Kenner, Paradox in Chesterton. Sheed, 1948) Paradoxes of Oscar Wilde- Lord Caversham: I dont know how you stand society. A lot of damned nobodies talking about nothing.Lord Arthur Goring: I love talking about nothing, Father. Its the only thing I know anything about.Lord Caversham: That is a paradox, sir. I hate paradoxes.(Oscar Wilde, An Ideal Husband, 1895)- If one tells the truth, one is sure, sooner or later, to be found out.(Oscar Wilde, The Chameleon, 1894)- Cyril: But you dont mean to say that you seriously believe that Life imitates Art, that Life in fact is the mirror, and Art the reality?Vivian: Certainly I do. Paradox though it may seemand paradoxes are always dangerous thingsit is nonetheless true that Life imitates Art far more than Art imitates Life.(Oscar Wilde, The Decay of Lying. Intentions, 1891) More Verbal Paradoxes Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains.(Jean-Jacques Rousseau, The Social Contract, 1762)â€Å"Im an atheist, thank God.†(Luis Buà ±uel)- Much is published, but little printed.(Henry David Thoreau, Walden, 1854)- Of course, what [Thoreau is] saying here is that with all of the flood of publishing, virtually none of it is ever imprintednone of it ever makes a difference.(Donald Harrington, quoted by Paul A. Doyle in Henry David Thoreau: Studies and Commentaries. Associated University Presses, 1972)[W]hereas a world rises to fall, a spirit descends to ascend.(E. E. Cummings, I: Six Nonlectures. Harvard Univ. Press, 1953)Most marriages recognize this paradox: Passion destroys passion; we want what puts an end to wanting what we want.(attributed to John Fowles)This statement is false.(Greek philosopher Eubulides, The Liar Paradox or pseudomenon) Paradox itself is paradoxical; that is what makes it paradox. It cannot be reduced to lowest terms, only deferred. But neither is it ever present before our eyes; it is always in a state of deferral. . . .Paradox is the form taken within the world of representation by the conflict that representation was created to avoid.(Eric L. Gans, Signs of Paradox: Irony, Resentment, and Other Mimetic Structures. Stanford University Press, 1997)

Facilitate Continuous Improvement Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Facilitate Continuous Improvement - Assignment Example Maintaining the customers is very important to a business since they determine its progress. Through product improvement, the business retains and wins more customers. TQM promotes consistency since the business will be motivated to improve it product. That is, the rate at which a business product varies from its substitute is reduced by TQM. The manufacturing industry provides quality products at a price which is acceptable to the consumers thus increasing the value of the business. Therefore, total quality management plays a major role in maintain and improving business position. (Chase, 1991) Lean manufacturing aims at reducing and eliminating wastage and improving overall performance of the company. Companies tend to use the â€Å"Five S† aiming at maximizing output and overall performance. In manufacturing environment, incidents rates, machine breakdown/downtime, stored parts inventory, and call time and training cycles. (Feld, 2011) â€Å"Five S† consist of five disciplines that forms the method of organizing and managing a work place. The five disciplines are; sort, set in order, shine, standardize and systemize. Sort means separating those needed in the workplace from who are not required. For example, separating working photocopying machines from damaged ones and dispose them to create space. Set in order refers to arranging every particular need in the workplace in a logical manner which will reduce movements, over processing and transportation of items within the organization. An example include arranging the photocopying machines in a manner that they reduce commotion in the office. Also distributing the work to all workers to eliminate over-tasking. Shine means that the workplace is at its best condition since it is clean and every item is well arranged. Measurement of system is done at this discipline to allow better comprehension of variation. Example is testing the speed at which the different printers are operating in a

CURRENT ISSUES IN HEALTH AND HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS Essay

CURRENT ISSUES IN HEALTH AND HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS - Essay Example entions of the participants to seek health intervention, different methods used in primary care, the changes in the incidences of the disease under investigation, and the form of diagnosis. The study results showed that social marketing made most patients change their attitude through affirming that they would visit a practitioner and receive an X-ray process. The study registered a 20% increase in the rates of X-rays among the cancer patients. The results of the study showed that people would change their attitude towards evolving trends with the increase in the level of awareness or promotion. This is an affirmation that early awareness strategies and recognition initiatives facilitates health improvement. However, the study did not follow up to confirm the sincerity of the study participants to confirm whether they really visited the practitioners or they were just agreeing verbally. Additionally, the study was not fully inclusive because it only focused on areas with high cancer rates. The study asserts that two-thirds of the deaths caused by diseases to the occurrence of non-communicable diseases such as cancers. Most of the deaths are registered in developing countries. This calls for urgent preventive strategies that reduces the rate of spread or positively changes the people’s attitudes towards medication. Some of the strategies suggested by the study include control of tobacco and alcohol use through increasing taxes, regulating sales and most importantly, banning advertisements related to tobacco or alcohol promotion. Increased prices of alcohol and tobacco products resulting from increase in taxation as well as regulations discourage users. This promotes the impact of health related strategies. The study posits that increase in negative promotion leads to subsequent rise in the consumption of the product being advertised. Ezzati and Riboli suggest that advertisements should only focus on the strategies geared towards educating the public on the