Purity Steel Corporation

Harvard Business School 9-197-082 rP os t Rev. February 15, 2000 Purity Steel Corporation, 1995 op yo â€Å"I’m no expert in high finance,† said Larry Hoffman, manager of the Denver branch for the Warehouse Sales Division of Purity Steel Corporation, to Harold Higgins, general manager of the division, â€Å"so it didn't occur to me that I might be better off by leasing my new warehouse instead of owning it. But I was talking to Jack Dorenbush over in Omaha the other day and he said that he's getting a lot better return on the investment in his district because he's in a leased building.I'm sure that the incentive compensation plan you put in last year is fair, but I didn't know whether it adjusted automatically for the difference between owning and leasing and I just thought I'd raise the question. There's still time to try to find someone to take over my construction contract and then lease the building to me when it's finished, if you think that's what I ought to do. † Purity Steel Corporation was an integrated steel producer with annual sales of about $4. 5 billion in 1995. The Warehouse Sales Division was an autonomous unit that operated 21 field warehouses throughout the United States.Total sales of the division were approximately $225 million in 1995, of which roughly half represented steel products (rod, bar, wire, tube, sheet, and plate) purchased from Purity's Mill Products Division. The balance of the Warehouse Sales Division volume was copper, brass, and aluminum products purchased from large producers of those metals. The Warehouse Sales Division competed with other producer-affiliated and independent steel warehousing companies and purchased its steel requirements from the Mill Products Division at the same prices paid by outside purchasers.No tC Harold Higgins was appointed general manager of the Warehouse Sales Division in mid1994, after spending 12 years in the sales function with the Mill Products Division. Subject only to the approval of his annual profit plan and proposed capital expenditures by corporate headquarters, Higgins was given full authority for his division's operations, and was charged with the responsibility to â€Å"make the division grow, both in sales volume and in the rate of return on its investment. † Prior to his arrival at division headquarters in St.Louis, the Warehouse Sales Division had been operated in a centralized manner; all purchase orders had been issued by division headquarters, and most other operating decisions at any particular warehouse had required prior divisional approval. Higgins decided to decentralize the management of his division by making each branch (warehouse) manager responsible for the division's activities in his or her geographic area. In Higgins's opinion, one of the key features of his decentralization policy was an incentive compensation plan announced in late 1994 to become effective January 1, 1995.The description of the plan, as presente d to the branch managers, is reproduced in Exhibits 1, 2, and 3. Monthly operating statements had been prepared for each warehouse for many years; implementing the new plan Do Doctoral Candidate Antonio Davila and Professor Robert Simons prepared this updated case based on an earlier version. Case material of the Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration is prepared as a basis for class discussion and not to illustrate either effective or ineffective handling of administrative problems.Copyright  © 1997 by the President and Fellows of Harvard College. To order copies or request permission to reproduce materials, call 1-800-545-7685 or write Harvard Business School Publishing, Boston, MA 02163. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, used in a spreadsheet, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without the permission of Harvard Business School. 1 This docume nt is authorized for use only by Corrado Cuccurullo at Second University of Naples until October 2013.Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. [email  protected] harvard. edu or 617. 783. 7860. 197-082 Purity Steel Corporation, 1995 rP os t required only the preparation of balance sheets for each warehouse. Two major asset categories, inventories and fixed assets (buildings and equipment), were easy to attribute to specific locations. Accounts receivable were collected directly at Purity's central accounting department, but an investment in receivables equal to 35 days' sales (the average for the Warehouse Sales Division) was charged to each warehouse.Finally, a small cash fund deposited in a local bank was recorded as an asset of each branch. No current or long-term liabilities were recognized in the balance sheets at the division or branch level. At the meeting in December 1994, when the new incentive compensation plan was presented to the branch managers, Higgins had said: tC op yo Howard Percy [division sales manager] and I have spent a lot of time during the last few months working out the details of this plan. Our objective was to devise a fair way to compensate those branch managers who do a superior job of improving the performance in their areas.First, we reviewed our salary structure and made a few adjustments so that branch managers do not have to apologize to their families for the regular pay check they bring home. Next, we worked out a simple growth incentive to recognize that one part of our job is simply to sell steel, although we didn't restrict it to steel alone. But more importantly, we've got to improve the profit performance of this division. We established 5% as the return-on-investment floor representing minimum performance eligible for a bonus.As you know, we don't even do that well for 1994, but our budget for next year anticipates 5% before taxes. Thus, in 1995 we expect about a third of the branches to be below 5%? and e arn no ROI bonus? while the other two-thirds will be the ones who really carry the weight. This plan will pay a bonus to all managers who help the division increase its average rate of return. We also decided on a sliding scale arrangement for those above 5%, trying to recognize that the manager who makes a 5% return on a $10 million investment is doing as good a job as one who makes a 10% return on only a half million dollars.Finally, we put a $50,000 limit on the ROI bonus because we felt that the bonus shouldn't exceed 50% of salary, but we can always make salary adjustments in those cases where the bonus plan doesn't seem to adequately compensate a branch manager for his or her performance. No After the telephone call from Larry Hoffman in May 1996, quoted in the opening paragraph, Harold Higgins called Howard Percy into his office and told him the question that Hoffman had raised. â€Å"We knew that we probably had some bugs to iron out of this system,† Percy responded. Let me review the Denver situation and we'll discuss it this afternoon. † At a meeting later that day, Percy summarized the problem for Higgins: Do As you know, Larry Hoffman is planning a big expansion at Denver. He's been limping along in an old multistory building with an inadequate variety of inventory, and his sales actually declined last year. About a year ago he worked up an RFE [request for expenditure] for a new warehouse which we approved here and sent forward. It was approved at corporate headquarters last fall, the contract was let, and it's to be completed by the end of this year.I pulled out one page of the RFE which summarizes the financial story [Exhibit 4]. Larry forecasts nearly a triple in his sales volume over the next eight years, and the project will pay out in about seven and a half years. Here [Exhibit 5] is a summary of the incentive compensation calculations for Denver that I worked up after I talked to you this morning. Larry had a very high ROI last year, and received one of the biggest bonuses we paid. Against that background, I next worked up a projection of what his bonus will be in 1997 assuming that he moves into his new facility at the end of the year.As you can see, 2 This document is authorized for use only by Corrado Cuccurullo at Second University of Naples until October 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. [email  protected] harvard. edu or 617. 783. 7860. Purity Steel Corporation, 1995 197-082 rP os t his ROI will drop from 17. 3% to only 7. 2%, and even on the bigger investment his bonus in 1997 will go down substantially. Finally, I dug out the file on New Orleans where we're leasing the new warehouse that was completed a few months ago.Our lease there is a so-called operating lease, which means that we pay the insurance, taxes, and maintenance just as if we owned it. The lease runs for 20 years with renewal options at reduced rates for two additional 10-year periods. Assuming that we could get a similar deal for Denver, and adjusting for the difference in the cost of the land and building at the two locations, our lease payments at Denver during the first 20 years would be just under $250,000 per year. Pushing that through the bonus formula for Denver's projected 1997 operations shows an ROI of 7. %, but Larry's bonus would be about 15% less than if he was in an owned building. op yo â€Å"On balance, therefore,† Percy concluded, â€Å"there's not a very big difference in the bonus payment as between owning and leasing, but in either event Larry will be taking a substantial cut in his incentive compensation. † As the discussion continued, Larry Hoffman and Howard Percy revisited the formula for ROI: Net Income Return-on-investment = Investment in Operating Assets Net Income Sales x Sales Investment in Operating Assets = ( Return on Sales) x (Asset Turnover) No tC = DoBoth wondered whether the proposed bonus plan needed further revision or clarification. 3 This document is authorized for use only by Corrado Cuccurullo at Second University of Naples until October 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. [email  protected] harvard. edu or 617. 783. 7860. 197-082 Purity Steel Corporation, 1995 I. Branch Managers’ Compensation Plan, Warehouse Sales Division Objectives rP os t Exhibit 1 The Warehouse Sales Division has three major objectives: A. To operate the Division and its branches at a profit. B. To utilize efficiently the assets of the Division. C. To grow.This compensation plan is a combination of base salary and incentive earnings. Incentive earnings will be paid to those managers who contribute to the achievement of these objectives and in proportion to their individual performance. op yo II. Compensation Plan Components There are three components to this plan: A. Base Salary Base salary ranges are determined for the most part on dollar sales volume of the district(s) in the prior year. The higher the sales volume, the higher range to which the manager becomes eligible. The profitability of dollar sales or increases in dollar sales is an important consideration.Actual salaries will be established by the General Manager, Warehouse Sales Division, and the salary ranges will be reviewed periodically in order to keep this Division competitive with companies similar to ours. tC B. Growth Incentive If the district earns a net profit before federal income tax for the calendar year, the manager will earn $1,750 for every $500,000 of increased sales over the prior year. Proportionate amounts will be paid for greater or lesser growth. C. Return-on-Investment Incentive No In this feature of the plan, incentive will be paid in relation to the size of investment and the return-on-investment.The manager will be paid in direct proportion to his effective use of assets placed at his disposal. The main emphasis of this portion of the plan is on increasing the return at any level of investment, hi gh or low. Do III. Limitations on Return-on-Investment Incentive A. No incentive will be paid to a manager whose branch earns less than 5% return-oninvestment before federal taxes. B. No increase in incentive payment will be made for performance in excess of 20% return-on-investment before federal taxes. C. No payment will be made in excess of $50,000 regardless of performance. 4This document is authorized for use only by Corrado Cuccurullo at Second University of Naples until October 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. [email  protected] harvard. edu or 617. 783. 7860. 197-082 Exhibit 1 (continued) IV. Calculations on Return-on-Investment Incentive rP os t Purity Steel Corporation, 1995 Exhibit 2 is a graphic presentation of this portion of the incentive. Since all possible levels of investment and return-on-investment cannot be detailed on the chart, exact incentive figures cannot be determined. However, a rough estimate can be made by: A.Finding the approx imate level of investment on the horizontal scale. B. Drawing a line vertically from that point to the approximate return-on-investment percent. op yo C. Drawing a line horizontally from that point to the vertical scale which indicates the approximate incentive payment. The exact amount of incentive can be determined from Exhibit 3 by the following procedure and example. Example: Investment: ROI: Step 1. $8,263,750 7. 3% Subtract 500,000 from the last six digits of investment figures if they are above 500,000. tC EXAMPLE: 263,750 is below 500,000; nothing is subtracted.Step 2. Divide the number from step 1 by 500,000. The result is a percentage. EXAMPLE: 263,750/ 500,000 = . 5275 No Step 3. Do Step 4. In the 1% Column in Exhibit 3, take the difference between the next highest investment and next lowest investment. EXAMPLE: Investment 1% $8,000,000 $2,100 Difference $50 $8,500,000 $2,150 Multiply the result of Step 3 by the result of Step 2 and add to the 1% Column figure for the nex t lowest investment. EXAMPLE: $50 x . 5275 = $26. 37 + $2,100 = $2,126. 37 Step 5. Multiply the result of Step 4 by the actual ROI%. EXAMPLE: $2,126. 37 x 7. = $15,522. 54 Incentive Payment 5 This document is authorized for use only by Corrado Cuccurullo at Second University of Naples until October 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. [email  protected] harvard. edu or 617. 783. 7860. Purity Steel Corporation, 1995 Exhibit 2 Incentive Payments at Various ROI Percentages 50 20% 45 40 15% 35 30 Series1 25 10% 20 15 10 5 0 0. 5 1. 5 2. 5 3. 5 op yo Incentive Payment ($ thousands) rP os t 197-082 4. 5 5. 5 6. 5 7. 5 8. 5 Series2 Series3 Series4 5% 9. 5 10. 5 11. 5 12. 5 13. 5 14. 5 Do No tC Investment ($ millions) This document is authorized for use only by Corrado Cuccurullo at Second University of Naples until October 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. [email  protected] harvard. edu or 617. 783. 7860. Purity Steel Corporation, 1995 Ince ntive Payments at Various Investments and ROI Percentages Investment 5% 10%No incentive will be paid for less than 5% ROI. 7 This document is authorized for use only by Corrado Cuccurullo at Second University of Naples until October 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. [email  protected] harvard. edu or 617. 783. 7860. This document is authorized for use only by Corrado Cuccurullo at Second University of Naples until October 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. [email  protected] harvard. edu or 617. 783. 7860. No (24) Payback period 300,000 2,612,500 1,059,650 100,000 153 Add back depreciation and relocationAnnual return of funds $ 7. 3 years 4,072,150 5,534,549 96 (177) Less 35% tax Net income $ (220) (53) (273) Less depreciation Total return over 8 years (in dollars) Capital expenditures required (in dollars): Land Building Equipment Relocation expenseForecast Additional Sales, Expenses, and After-Tax Profits Due to New Facility (doll ars in thousands) Gross profit dollars Service income Total income Less expenses excluding depreciation Sales dollars Exhibit 4 Do Purity Steel Corporation, 1995 Return-on-investment and Incentive Compensation (in dollars) rP os t Exhibit 5 197-082 Denver Branch 1997 Projected Total Warehouse Sales Division 1995 Investment at Year-end Land $ Buildings (net of depreciation) 5,144,500 $ 13,950,500 Equipment (net of depreciation) 124,500 $ 300,000 $ – 1,010,425 1,010,425 481,000 3,879,385 1,010,425 50,000 1,382,500 ,568,960 32,000 21,817,000 Accounts receivable Building 50,000 50,000 op yo Subtotal Leased Building 324,500 2,722,000 Cash fund Owned Actual 1995 Actual – Total year-end investment Investment at start of year 22,517,500 Less: depreciation Less: lease payments Net pre-tax profit 3,466,250 4,904,500 8,782,135 5,913,175 5,263,500 8,395,650 5,483,150 100,404,000 5,084,000 8,588,895 5,698,150 4,147,310 917,870 710,000 710,000 (40,000) (92,765) (49,225) (648,705) (4 20,565) $ tC Return on investment 1,386,500 3,466,250 99,795,500 Profit before depreciation & taxes 1,386,500 3,132,000 101,012,500Average investment during year 1,241,500 55,295,500 Inventories 3,078,040 – $ 3. 07% 877,870 $ 17. 27% (243,200) 617,235 $ 417,575 7. 19% 7. 33% Incentive Compensation Sales volume increase (decrease) $ Bonus @ $1,750 per $500,000 ROI bonus: $ – 1,565,000 $ 1,565,000 8,500,000 5,500,000 2,150 1,810 60 Difference to next base 5,478 1,750 Value for 1% column, Exhibit 3 5,478 5,000,000 Base investment No (870,000) 50 65 25. 76 Interpolated portion 10. 08 8. 89 Total value per percentage point 1,760 2,159 1,836 30,392 15,515 13,453 ROI bonus Total incentive compensation $ 30,392 $ 20,993 $ 18,931Assumptions used for 1997 projections at Denver: Old facility and equipment sold at the end of 1996, proceeds remitted to corporate headquarters. Depreciation on new facilities in 1997 is $43,540 (60 years, straight line) and $49,225 on equipment (vario us lives, straight line). Year-end investment in receivables and inventory will approximate 1995 relationship: receivables at 10% of annual sales, inventories at 25% of annual sales. Average total investment assumes that new fixed assets are acquired on December 31, 1996, and that other assets at that date are the same as at the end of 1995.Profit taken from RFE (Exhibit 4) as $995,000 less $185,000 first-year decline, less $100,000 relocation expense. Additional mill profit of $65,000 does not reflect on divisional books and was used only at corporate headquarters for capital expenditures evaluation purposes. Do 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 9 This document is authorized for use only by Corrado Cuccurullo at Second University of Naples until October 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. [email  protected] harvard. edu or 617. 783. 7860.

How We Market your Products

Our vision is that every business and organization will eventually have a web site to market their company, products, and services. Users will migrate from the off-line yellow pages to the web to find and contact local businesses. Current online search tools do a good job of indexing the web, but finding location-specific businesses is haphazard and inaccurate. We focus on cataloging every business and organization web site into a single commercial database so that users can quickly and easily find local, national, or global businesses online. 1. Become the definitive source for listing & displaying business & organization web site information. Similar to the off-line yellow pages, we want to be the single source of information about every commercial web site and keep it the most current and up-to-date. 2. Instead of becoming a destination site, we deliver our robust database to navigation sites (search engines & directories), media companies, local portals & government sites, and any other web property that want to help their users find a complete source of business web sites in one spot. 3. Help manage the navigation tools at the smaller sites by delivering navigation data and allowing them to outsource their search engine content maintenance to create a network of smaller portals that share navigation content and resources. We have developed technology to spider the web and categorize & database commerical sites. The technology is similar to a search engine spider in that it gathers the URL and description of sites by following links. But we use a process that assigns each link to one of our 15,000 yellow-pages type categories by using specific keywords and comparing where it is categorized in other online databases. Also, our spider gathers business contact information, such as address, phone numbers, and email information. This allows us to follow-up our efforts with a direct contact to each business to ensure their listing information and category is correct. Our active technique ensures we gather 5 times more web sites in each category than the average online directory maintains. By categorizing each listing and recording the contact data, we provide much-needed â€Å"periphery† for the web: our technique allows the user to see all of the particular businesses in a particular geographic location. It is a cross between the yellow pages and an online search engine of web sites. The process of updating our data is one the most robust on the web. First our spider revisits each site at least once every quarter to verify the information. Unlike other services & software that just check if a link is â€Å"live,† we can tell if the site is under contraction, or the domain name is for sale, or other signs that the business is unavailable although the link remains active. More importantly, we e-mail the business at least once a year for changes, and reward companies that respond with a higher ranking. This gives us a good repsonse rate and ensures a proactive interest from each company to keep their data up-to-date. The primary targets are those established portal and navigation sites online that have a need to deliver this content. These include: Web-based directories and search engines, such as yahoo, excite, lycos Business directories and smaller search portals Industry-related sites & portals (apparel.net, lawyers.com, etc.) Media sites (newspapers, television stations, radio) Direct mail services & mailing list providers Content providers & other infomediaries Together I have databased 500,000 web sites so far, and many of them are businesses in these categories. Each listing includes a link, business name, address, phone numbers, and email. For our meeting next week, I will provide an Access database of all the companies I have categorized in these fields. I want to see if there is a need for my product in any of the markets that I†ve described above. My biggest concern is finding a market for the product I†ve developed, and these questions might help answer that. What is their biggest need in terms of their site? Do they maintain a listing of links to web sites relating to their field? How do they add new information and keep existing information current? How much time and money is spent on managing this data? Would they be willing to share this data with us, in return for receiving the information shared by other sites in our network? If we could save them time and money, would they be willing to outsource the management and upkeep of this information? Do they have a need for the type of data we†ve gathered and services we provide? Do they think their users would benefit from being able to find a complete listing of other web sites related to their subject matter? Would they be willing to pay to use our current and complete database at their site? Who else would be willing to use this data? What other types of businesses have I†ve missed? For an example to goal #3 above, it takes a lot of time & energy for a local portal to gather the links of businesses in their area. They only catch the ones that are submitted to them, or the ones they find using their human editors. Likewise, a site focusing on the apparel industry can use a lot of energy & effort to record and display links to clothing & fashion sites in its industry. On the maintenance side, it can be time consuming to categorize their listings, check them to make sure they are current, and modify/delete old & dead links. We want to partner with each site and provide the infomediary to exchange data: since they both share data with Speedy Pete†s database, they have access to not only our spider†s adds, but the other site†s listings, as well. The local portal may have listings related to the clothing industry that the apparel portal does not have and vice versa. We keep the data current and updated using our technology, and deliver a robust database of â€Å"shared† navigation data to each site.

Beliefs, Philosophy and Religion

One of the most notable conflicts that have been debated by many scholars since the medieval ages is the controversy regarding the place of philosophy and religion in a society. The two have been used to attack each other in order to uphold their own credibility. The study of Philosophy is directed towards the speculation of the things that govern the world and its processes, and the nature of man and his relationship with other individuals as well as with the world (Gasset, 1964). Philosophy attempts to scrutinize and make rational explication of almost everything that can be grasped by the human mind.Yet, it does not really provide sufficient and concrete answers to all its queries. Religion, on the other hand, focuses its scope on explaining things and phenomena that cannot be explained by science and at some point even those that cannot really be made explicit by philosophy. It tries to give reason for everything that is happening. Its justification for every reason that it provi des is primarily founded on faith (Nasr, 1996). Hence, by faith, it need not be verifiable. A strong faith or believe could suffice one’s doubt and hesitation. However, philosophy would not really admit faith as the justification of something.Reason cannot be supported by merely appealing to one’s faith (Leahy, 2003). Philosophy moves away from dogmatism, which is a character present in religion. Philosophy has a character of skepticism. This means that not unless something is proven to be certain (that which is indubitable or cannot be doubted) philosophy would recognize its validity (Heidegger, 1956). It entails careful and keen analysis of the subject that is being studied. Whereas in religion, it is enough that someone has faith on something in order for it to become valid (Nasr, 1996).These are the most common distinctions that distinguish philosophy from religion. The purpose of this paper is to discuss how philosophy and religion are realized in particular Schoo ls of Thought that influence China namely: Confucianism, Buddhism and Daoism/Taoism. This paper will also compare and contrast these three Schools of Thoughts with Christianity by appealing to their own definitions of Philosophy and Religion. Schools of Thought Confucianism Confucianism is an anthology of ethical values and beliefs that is often equated with religion.These values and beliefs were rooted and developed from the teachings of one of the great thinkers in China, Confucius. His teachings and philosophy were used as the foundations of laws and way of government China and later on in other Asian regions (Chai & Chai, 1973). The teachings of Confucius, like that of Socrates, were neither formally written nor published. Yet his students and disciples made the spread of his teachings. However, according to the Chinese History, most of the recordings of the Confucian teachings were burned up at some point in the Qin Dynasty (Chai & Chai, 1973).Hence, there was a conflict of int erpretation of the Confucian teachings that is evident in various strands of Confucianism. The rebirth of Confucianism was made during the Han Dynasty. It was the motivation for instituting the laws and set of rules of China. Nonetheless, it again faded after the fall of the Han Dynasty wherein Buddhism was introduced to China. Only in the seventh century that Confucianism was revived (Elman, 2002). The chief ideas that the Confucian teachings has were directed toward the ruler, upper class and scholars.Such is a great difference between Confucianism and Buddhism where the latter aims to include the common masses. The instillation of virtues to rulers and noble men is the most original concept in the Confucian teachings. The Golden Rule (Do not do unto others what you do not want others do unto you) is its most celebrated principle that which promotes harmony among all people (Chai & Chai, 1973). With this, Confucianism detests war and the employment of too many laws. Confucianism u pholds its defined five most fundamental relationships which entails varying responsibilities.These relationships include husband and wife, parent and child (filial piety), the elders and the younger ones, ruler and subject, and friendship (Elman, 2002). Among these five, filial piety is the most important relationship that is nevertheless accentuated these days in contemporary China. Lastly, Confucianism puts high regard with the notions of Heaven’s decree, Great Men and Saints, as well as in performing rituals or Li. Buddhism As mentioned earlier, Buddhism’s teachings are directed towards the general populace (Ch'en, 1972).The very concept of Buddhism is founded on the idea of the Enlightenment (wherein Buddha is said to be the Enlightened One). From then on, the goal of Buddhism is to bring man into Perfect Enlightenment or Nirvana (Hanh, 1999). Siddhartha Gautama is the Buddha. He reached nirvana or the enlightenment period through passionate contemplation. Reachin g nirvana would make one free from hunger and selfish desires. It also marks the end of suffering. Once one reaches the enlightenment period, his mind will have everlasting peace (Hanh, 1999). Buddhism advocates the method of truthful inquiry. It tells man not to be overwhelmed by their blind faith.It teaches man to become open-minded and skeptic about the things around him. In accordance with this suggested way of inquiry, Buddhism has established the Four Noble Truths. This tells man that: 1. ) all forms of being, human and other wise are afflicted with suffering, 2. ) the cause of suffering is craving (an illusion of the soul), 3. ) suffering has a lasting end in the experience of nirvana, and 4. ) enlightenment is achieved by a gradual training of the Eightfold Path. These eightfold path is directed towards the clearing of mind and action from indulgence and lustful desires (Ch'en, 1972).Buddhism does not believe in a God or the likes. There is no one that can fully control oneà ¢â‚¬â„¢s own self than him alone. Thus, one has the full responsibility of himself and his actions. And these are not predetermined by a Supreme Being. The concept of Karma is also one of the most distinct features in Buddhism (Ch'en, 1972). It pertains to the belief that all actions have subsequent consequences that are directed to the acting agent. Karma can be a good one or bad one. It depends on the nature of the action performed that produced the consequence that is reflected on the performer of such action.The concept of Rebirth can be best understood by appealing to the principle or doctrine of Karma (Hanh, 1999). Taoism/Daoism Taoism is a school of thought pioneered by Lao Tze or Lao Tzu, also one of the great thinkers in China. Taoism means the path or the way of living to obtain a harmonious relationship with the world and all its definitive processes (Po-Tuan, 2001). Taoism was started as simple philosophical discourse but eventually evolved and took the form of religion. One of its beliefs is the concept of Tao which is defined as the root cause of everything.Tao motivated the rise of the Yin Yang which causes the formation of the universe. Taoism highlights that man should live in harmony with the nature (Po-Tuan, 2001). And only when man achieves such harmony that he will leave in peace and prosperity. Taoism maintains the principle of Wu Wei or non-action which means that man should not go against the nature and must instead go with its operation (Taoist Association of China, 2002). Man need not act since the nature will do the action provided that man lives in harmony with it. Unlike, Buddhism, Taoism believes in multiple Gods.It has hierarchy of Gods that represents system of government in the ancient China (Taoist Association of China, 2002). The ethics defined in Taoism is represented by the three Jewels that which symbolizes compassion, moderation and humility (Po-Tuan, 2001). Taoism encourages the people to examine their way of living by f irst making them realize that living with accordance to nature would mean peace. It also suggests that man should not overly use his being a man. It says that man should prioritize his needs and lessen his wants and desires. Lastly, it orders man not to become egocentric and egotistic.Christianity in China Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism are the prevailing religions in China. Before the entrance of Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism are two most notable and most patronized religions in China (Legge, 2004). In fact, the two seemed to be opponents of each other primarily because of their consistent difference on particular viewpoints and issues. But the penetration of Buddhism marks a turning point with regards to the religious inclinations in China. When Buddhism entered China, it signaled the redistribution and reconstruction of religions all throughout China.Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism have been even combined at particular regions to serve as one religion. Hence, Chinaâ€⠄¢s religion cannot really be said to be concentrated with one of its three most recognized religions (Legge, 2004). In the seventh century A. D. , Christianity was introduced to China (during the Ming Dynasty) (Bays, 1999). Christianity is a very different religion as compared to the earlier religions in China. From then on, Christianity has been said to be the fastest growing religion in China. It is recorded that 40 million to 100 million of population in China are either Catholic or Protestant.This means that China has started to embrace the western religion that is very unlike with their traditional and ancient religions (Bays, 1999). The arrival of Robert Morrison in China has started the spread of Christianity towards China. The Bible has been even translated to Chinese in order to communicate with Chinese people and for them to have easy access to it. Since then, several Christian missionaries have visited and taught the doctrine of the Christian Faith (Bays, 1999). Christia nity The most celebrated feature of Christianity is the fact that it deifies one God. This God is the cause of everything and the director of everything.All man’s action is caused by this all-powerful and all-knowing God. But these descriptions do not suffice the notion of the Christian God. The concept of the Holy Trinity, salvation, and life after death are also included in the doctrine of the Christian Faith (Borg, 2004). The story of Jesus Christ and His death on the Cross is also the highlights of the Christian Faith (Borg, 2004). It represents the martyrdom of the Son of the God in order to save mankind. All in all, the Christian Faith equates all the happening in this world to what God has originally ordained to occur.And no one can interfere nor change what God has decreed. God and Fate or Destiny have been often characterized as the same thing (Borg, 2004). But the former has the most perfect and powerful character. Analysis: Compare and Contrast Confucianism and Chr istianity Among the other school of thoughts (discussed in this paper), Confucianism is the most compatible religion with Christianity. They both advocate that Heaven’s decree is the most fundamental source of order in the world (Chai & Chai, 1973). Only that, in Confucianism, there is no stress given to a god or a deity to be worshipped (Elman, 2002).Such obedience is directed to the Heaven itself. Whereas in Christianity, there is a God that is the end of one’s being obedient (Borg, 2004). As mentioned in the introduction, the defining mark that distinguishes philosophy from religion is the fact that the former repudiates dogmas that tend to confine and limits one’s way of thinking while the latter deliberately suggests and recommends particular doctrines in which one needs not to be certain of (Leahy, 2003). Philosophy speculates and examines the very concept of faith which is often used to justify religions and their established tenets.The belief of the Conf ucianism and the Christianity about the notion of Heaven’s decree obviously falls under the sphere of religion. It is primarily because the existence of such decree from heaven cannot be verified or confirmed yet can be justified through faith. Yet philosophy does not admit such finality. As cited, philosophy is still at the period of examining the very nature of faith as a source of justification of knowledge (Gasset, 1964). With regards to ethical patterns included in the Confucian and Christian faith implies that man should be virtuous in order for him to have a harmonious life.Yet both have different ways of looking at the concept of a harmonious life. For Confucianism, a harmonious life is the achievement of order in human relationships (Chai & Chai, 1973). On the contrary, for Christians, a harmonious life is being free from sins which separate man from God (Borg, 2004). Seemingly Confucian notion of a harmonious life is philosophic in nature which really explains how h armony could be affected by human relationships – that is verifiable and can be validated. Conversely, the Christian notion of a harmonious relationship is really superficial and metaphysical.One cannot really confirm the truthfulness of such statement. And it cannot even be explained by reasoning. But only faith can support it. Hence it is more of a religious belief rather than a philosophic one. Buddhism and Christianity On the other hand, Buddhisma and Christianity is not really compatible with each other (as religions). As discussed above, Christianity advocates a religion that which is primarily directed towards the belief to a God. Yet Buddhism undermines the concept of a Supreme Being that which is all-powerful and all-knowing, and that which controls man’s actions.Buddhism maintains that man can have the full control over his life therefore he does not need a god that would provide guidance and direction for him (Ch'en, 1972). Perfect enlightenment is the stage wherein a man successful reached the point of having a complete understanding of everything including his being (Hanh, 1999). For this reason, God and Buddha is never really equal to each other. Having such distinction, it can be inferred that Buddhism tends to avoid metaphysical speculation since it does not allow the concept of a supernatural entity as cause of man’s actions.Buddhism keeps its teachings to the moral standpoint and its reliance on experiential insight. Whereas, Christianity admits the existence of a God though there is no concrete and material evidence for such existence. The two can be analyzed in the light of a rationalist and an empiricist wherein Buddhism most likely supports the empiricist view of knowledge, that which lies in experience. However, Christianity supports the rationalist’s view that only reason itself even without experience can prove God’s existence. Thus, Buddhism and Christianity is really opposites of one another.Neverth eless, both of them considers codes or doctrines that are needed to achieved their established purpose (Buddhism is for enlightenment; Christianity is for salvation). Hence both suggest dogma that which their disciples must follow in order to achieved their goals. This is where religion is obviously manifested. In the first place, one can go against these codes and doctrines and look for other ways that can also bring the actualization of their goals. Philosophy suggests that one should not limit himself from what is traditionally accepted as true or what is traditionally accpeted the right way of doing something (Heidegger, 1956).Taoism and Christianity Like Buddhism, Taoism is also not compatible with Christianity. There are two major factors that make Taoism and Christianity very different with each other. The first one is that, Chirtianity is a monotheistic religion while Taoism adheres to mulitple gods hence making it a polytheistic religion (Legge, 2004). For Christians, there is only one God (The Holy Trinity is a representation of One God) (Bays, 1999). For Taoists, they have different and particular deities that vary in different regions (in China) (Taoist Association of China, 2002).Secondly, Christians believed that the order in the universe is predetermined and directed by God. On the contrary, Taoists believed that nature is responsible for whatever order the universe has. Such conceptions are significantly and obviously different. There is a semblance of philosophic character that is evident from the two. By appealing to ehtical or moral principles, Taoism suggests that man should live in harmony with nature thus also implying that man should act in accordance with what nature ordained. This appears like the Natural Law Theory.Nonetheless, Christianity upholds the Divine Command Theory which states that man’s action and all the process in the world is ordered and commanded by God or a Divine Entity. Such regard for who or what implies the order of the universe and all its processes can be considered as a philosophical discourse. Yet such is not really explicit in Christianity. On the other hand, Taoism is most likely illustratiing how nature directs and affects the universe and all the things that lie within it including the human persons and their relationship among each other (Po-Tuan, 2001).Conclusion Philosophy and religion are two different spheres. Philosophy does not provide all answers to all the questions that one can give but can provide different ways and approaches on arriving at the possible answers. Religion, in contrast, tends to have answers for all man’s questions that are founded and based on particular doctrines that it has. Yet, it does not give man the chance of verifying the truthfulness of each doctrine by means of other method but faith. Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism are the most recognize and extensively used religions in China.But after the entrance of Christianity, the Chinese tr aditional culture and relgion have changed significantly due to differences that are distinguishable from the three schools of thoughts and Christianity. The most important note here is the fact that before these schools of thought became religions themselves, they first became philosophical underpinnings which aim to make people realize the obscurity of the world. But eventually they became religions when people started to impose doctrines and rules that are grounded from these teachings in order to live harmoniously with the world.

Business Analysis & Requirements Frameworks Essay

Business Analysis & Requirements Frameworks - Essay Example He is in charge of operation in the development together with the different Project Leaders including Software Trainers, Business analysts, Software Developers and one Technical Author. The study finds out that there are about ten different projects running at any time in Ambridge Software Ltd. The different departments are expected each to contribute to the development of software in Ambridge Software Ltd through specialization (Kotonya & Sommerville, 1998). There are different scenarios that occur from time to time, and prompt different actions to create transformation. 2. Introduction This study evaluates different scenarios and recommends the appropriate actions for the management of the scenario in Ambridge Software Ltd (Robertson & Robertson, 2006). It considers the position of a staff member of Ambridge Software Ltd in relation to the decisions of Software development, as well as the position of an employee of one of the clients of Ambridge Software Ltd (Sommerville & Sawyer, 1997). This takes place in various scenarios, involving different authorities including the project managers, Software Developer, Software Trainer, Technical author, Business analysts and support staff. The scenarios further consider the different stages of software development such as functional specification, Design specification, programming phase. Each leader has responsibilities to manage in the process of the development process (Kotonya & Sommerville, 1996). This report selects scenario 1 where the company realizes that there is the realization that misunderstanding led to certain unplanned changes on some projects. In this, there was poor understanding between the customers and the development team in Ambridge Software Ltd. The system developers apparently failed to understand the software requirements and their documentation (Macaulay, 1996). From the scenario, it was appropriately decided that there should be an update in the protocol and system documentation will be insta lled (Yeates & Paul, 2006). In the initial stages, there was a meeting held with the Ambridge Software Ltd customer at different durations before the beginning of development project. At the same time, there are three intervals every month while the project is in progress (Goquen & Linde, 1993). The processes and the stages involve the development of reports to the project coordinator. The project leader then has the task to distribute the information to the members of the teams who are working on the project. 2. Scenario One: Report 2.1. Discussion The division of labor and specialization is a special opportunity for the Ambridge Software Ltd staff to exercise their knowledge, experience and skills in the development of the software. There should be an understanding between the customers and the development team such that the final product is satisfactory and considerate of the issues affecting the Ambridge Software Ltd customers (Finkelstein et al, 1992). This requires frequent vi sits to the customers’ sites to identify their needs. It becomes easy to know how the system can implement them. The second recommendation is to involve the customers in the process of testing and evaluation of the system. This removes the misunderstanding between the development team and the customers. 2.2. Recommended Approach 2.2.1. Cost and benefit Analysis The costs involved here include the costs of travelling

The role of expectation, performance, and other elements Essay

The role of expectation, performance, and other elements - Essay Example As the primary research is to be conducted in two parts, the objectives for the different parts will differ from each other. At the first stage, a preliminary research is to be conducted that will endeavor to present a list of factors that go into making of customer expectations as quoted by the surveyed marketing managers. In the second stage, the survey is undertaken to collect the data on how the different people develop their expectations, and satisfaction. Customer satisfaction has gained prominence in the marketing literature as well as in marketing practice due to its impact on customer retention and long term revenue streams. Owing to the importance of customer satisfaction, there has been considerable effort made in researching the antecedent conditions of the same. Since very early times of developing the marketing literature, customer expectations have been considered as an important aspect of customer satisfaction

The treatment of vertical agreements in EC competition law has changed Essay - 1

The treatment of vertical agreements in EC competition law has changed significantly during the last ten years - Essay Example n years, it is necessary to explain of Article 81 EC, the requirements for the exemption under Article 81(3) and under Commission Regulation 2790/99 on vertical restraints and considering old regulations and relevant case law1. Article 81 regulates anti-competitive behaviour in a wide range of scenarios and has been applied with reference to what the EU is trying to achieve: a level playing field2 for competition within an internal market. The aim of achieving market integration between the Member States is apparent in many rulings of the Commission and European courts. Article 81(1) provides that â€Å"all agreements between undertakings, decisions by associations of undertakings and concerted practices and which may affect trade between Member States and which have as their object or effect the prevention, restriction or distortion of competition within the common market shall be prohibited. In Article 81(3) the conditions for exemption from Article 81(1) are laid down. The way in which the ECJ has interpreted these concepts and requirements will be examined in the following subsection. According to the (C-41/90 Hofner and Elser3), the meaning of undertakings is ‘The concept of undertaking encompasses every entity engaged in an economic activity regardless of the legal status of the entity and the way in which it is financed’. This means that any entity carrying on a commercial or economic activity (company, partnership, sole trader, co-operative) is subject to the competition rules, including individual professionals, non-profit- making services, public utilities, and even public authorities when they are acting commercially, but not when exercising their official authority [Case 30/87 Corinne Bodson v Pompes Funà ¨bres des Regions Libà ©rà ©es4]. Under Article 81, there is first a finding of infringement under Article 81(1). The weighing of the pro- and anti-competitive effects of an agreement only takes place under Article 81(3) which allows exemption for

Making a Chocolate Cake Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Making a Chocolate Cake - Essay Example A birthday or any anniversary is not complete without a perfect chocolate cake. It is the best when it comes to surprises and celebrations. IClosed once can be surprised most by a self made chocolate cake rather than any shop baked cake. The ingredients needed for baking a chocolate cake are all easily available at any nearby store. The first and the foremost ingredients needed is butter, partially sweet chocolate chips divided, all purpose flour, vanilla exact, eggs and sugar. Apart from this crushed sugar, baking soda, salt and water are required in the process. Measurement is very important. For the measuring spoon, measuring cup, a mixing bowl and a baking pan will be needed. The process usually begins with two cups of semi sweet chocolate chips, three fourth cup or one and a half stick of butter, one and a half cup of refined sugar, three eggs, two tablespoons of pure vanilla extract, two and half cups of all purpose flour, one teaspoon of baking soda, half teaspoon salt and one and a half cups of water. When the baking part is done, the cake is now ready to get served but since it is a chocolate cake, decorating it with chocolate is important. Decoration plays a great role to make the cake look eye-catching. How somebody wants to decorate a cake depends on his/her personal preference. Icing or can simple decoration can be done with the melted chocolate which can serve the purpose of icing.... Flour and water are added to make the batter smooth. Stirring is continued at this stage. The longer the stirring process is, the better is the mixture and the next stage is more convenient. In order to bake the chocolate cake, the baking pan is prepared by spraying the vegetable pan stray. This is usually the most significant part. This spray makes sure that the batter or mixture does not stick with the baking pan spoiling the cake. Next the oven is preheated at three fifty degree Fahrenheit. The mixture prepared is poured now on the baking pan from the electric mixture bowl. Normally forty to forty five minutes bake serves the purpose. Personal observation regarding the baking is highly recommended. The cake is baked until it becomes puffy and tasty. A chocolate cake is not always bad for health. In fact it is supposed to be good for human heart and such cakes are mostly preferred by women and children. When chocolate cake is made for children it is better to use less fillings and chocos and to keep it simple. However for special occasions one can experiment with high amounts of chocolates and sweet items to adorn the cake. Pregnant women often prefer the fudge type cakes. A fudge cake is fast to bake in fact. Using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula in the baking process is helpful. It can be made at home and stored in the fridge. Now when the baking part is done, the cake is now ready to get served but since it is a chocolate cake, decorating it with chocolate is important. Decoration plays a great role to make the cake look eye-catching. How somebody wants to decorate a cake depends on his/her personal preference. Icing or can simple decoration can be done with the melted chocolate which can serve the purpose of icing. Icing

An essay about the supply and demand Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

An about the supply and demand - Essay Example In order to maximize profit, suppliers have to sell their goods and services at high prices but this has to consider the purchasing power of the intended market. This paper is a critical evaluation of supply and demand as principles of economics. Concepts of Supply and Demand The Law of Demand The law of demand states that the higher the price of a commodity, the lower the quantity demanded cateris paribus, while the lower the prices the higher the demand (Fisher 36). Cateris paribus in this case implies that all other factors that influence demand are held at a constant. These are for example weather, taste and preferences, income among others. This is due to the fact that the law of demand is basically dependent on two variables i.e. quantity demanded and price. The following diagram is a demand curve, which is a graphical depiction of the law of demand. Fig 1 From the diagram, it can be noted that the quantity demanded was highest, (Q3), at the lowest price, P1, while it was lowes t at price P3, which was highest. However, it is important to note that not all goods abide by the law of demand. These are for example giffen goods and products that act as status symbols. Giffen goods are defined as inferior commodities whose demand goes up with rising prices while the vice versa is also true (Baye 42). Inferior, in this context, does not necessarily imply that the goods are of poor quality. For example, if the staple food in a family is rice, products such as meat may be perceived as superior. If the price of rice goes up, it would be normal to find people buying more rice and less of meat and when the prices go down, more meat is bought in comparison to rice. The two goods are not substitutes and in this case, it is assumed that the consumer can afford both items therefore eliminating opportunity cost. On the other hand, status symbols are goods whose value creates a perceivable higher social standing in the society (Gorman 29). For example, if the price of a Me rcedes Benz makes it unaffordable for the common market as opposed to that of a Toyota sedan, then, any person owning a Mercedes would be perceived as having an economic advantage over the owner of a sedan. It therefore goes without saying that a reduction in the price of a Mercedes would make it lose its value as a status symbol and that would definitely make it lose its demand to other more expensive and luxurious vehicles. On the other hand, an increase in its price would increase its value as a status symbol thus increasing its demand thereby defying the law of demand. Movements along a Demand Curve versus Shifts in Demand Curve A movement along a demand curve is dependent on one variable only which is price. From the diagram below, DD1and DD2 represents the demand for a commodity, with prices plotted on the Y axis while quantity demanded on the X axis. DD1 will be used to illustrate movement along a demand curve while DD2 illustrates a shift in a demand curve. Fig. 2 On the DD1 curve, it is notable that when the price was at p1, the quantity demanded was highest at Q3. However, after the prices increased to p2 and p3, the quantity demanded moved to the lower side i.e. from Q3 to Q2 and Q1 respectively. However, the demand curve shifted entirely to the right as a result of an increase in income. Notice that prices p1 to p3 remained static but still, the quantity

Mod13 Dyn Dis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Mod13 Dyn Dis - Essay Example For example, hiring more employees during peak season may be necessary but hiring more during the low season of a business is irrational. If a change does not fit the current and future customers is may not be necessary. Any change done should match the corporate culture. Intended changes that do not match corporate culture may result in unintended consequences, and thus business leaders should avoid them. A business leader should ensure that the organization has the necessary resources to implement proposed changes (Langley et al., 2013). It may not be a beneficial idea to implement changes which the organization has no capacity to accommodate. Intended changes that do not have quantifiable value to the business are not appropriate. During the last holiday, I and my friends came up with a group whose mission was to clean up the local town twice a month. We hoped that this would motivate people to maintain the town cleanliness. All the members of the group were college and university students studying in different areas. Initially, the group looked superb but it ended up failing after we resumed school. There was no one to run the group, and it ended up being inactive. Our group failed due to lack of a good plan, lack of resources and lack of accurate speculation that are all needed for implementing changes. Langley, A., Smallman, C., Tsoukas, H., & Van De Ven, A. H. (2013). Process Studies Of Change In Organization And Management: Unveiling Temporality, Activity, And Flow.  Academy Of Management Journal,  56(1), 1-13.

Letters of Intent Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Letters of Intent - Essay Example Letters of intent basically are a non-binding statement of the future intention of the involved parties and serve as an interim contract that outlines the terms that will govern the relationship of the parties before execution of the legal contract. The legal effect of letters of intent in the construction industry is that the contractor can only be paid on ‘quantum meruit’ basis for the reasonable work done (Furmston, Norisada and Poole 1998). The contractor or the employer can stop the work at anytime without a legal notice thus no party will be able to claim any damages for delays or defective work since no legal contract has been established. Another risk of relying on the letters of intent in the construction industry is that parties may presume that a letter of intent has been replaced with a full contract after the expiry of the date of the letter thus leading to non-entitlement of payments (Furst, Ramsey, Williamson, & Uff 2012). Such documents may contain some b inding provisions such as non-disclosure agreements and covenants that the parties involved should negotiate in good faith. A letter of intent can simply be referred as an expression by one party of an intention to form a legal and binding contract. In the case of Cleveland Bridge and Engineering Co v British Steel Corporation (1984), the court held that a letter of intent is not binding since important elements of contract such a price were lacking, but contractors have a right to be compensated on a reasonable basis for their work (Furmston, Norisada and Poole 1998). Advantages and disadvantages of letters of intent There are certain advantages for the use of letters of intent in UK construction industry. Though not legally binding, the letter may save the employer the costs associated with attorney fee or accounting fees in the formation of the contract (Ashworth 2012). The letter will signify an intention to enter in to a binding contract before any substantial expenses have bee n incurred by either party. The letter is usually straightforward and is useful in the contract negotiation process since it provides the opportunity to include contract clauses such as binding terms and non-disclosure provisions. The letter will increase the confidence of both parties to the deal through establishing the time frames, expenditure and payment terms for the work activities. The letter of intent will allow the contractor the opportunity to include ‘no shop’ clause that means that the employer will not allow other contractors to solicit or negotiate for the same construction work (Knowles 2012). The letter allows both parties to adhere to the future contract terms such as non-completion covenants, special agreements, warranties and price (Lewison 2011). However, letters of intent suffer several disadvantages since they cannot bind the parties. Such letters may lead to double negotiation of the work thus delaying the completion of the construction work. Afte r signing the letter of intent, it might be difficult for the parties to renegotiate the substantive terms and conditions of the deal since such letters are non-binding. The employer is left at a disadvantaged position by the ‘no shop’ clause since he or she cannot negotiate or solicit competing offers from other potential contractors. The employer is also at risk since the contractor may dishonor his promise

Design and Entrepreneurship Schools of Strategy - Comparative Analysis Research Paper

Design and Entrepreneurship Schools of Strategy - Comparative Analysis - Research Paper Example Strategy formation is establishing a fit between the strengths and weaknesses of an organization and the opportunities available in its external environment.   Christensen, Andrews, Bower, Hamermesh and Porter (1982) are among the major proponents for the design school strategy The model of strategy formation of the design school is one in which leaders seek to attain a fit between an organization’s internal capabilities and the possibilities external to the organization (i.e., the need to bring together the organization’s internal state with its external expectations). The design school model proponents place primary emphasis on the appraisals of the external and internal situations.   Appraising the external situations is accomplished by uncovering the threats and opportunities in the environment.   Appraising the internal situations is accomplished by revealing the strengths and weaknesses of the organization (Wang 2008, p. 643). The external environment includ es technological, economic, social and political aspects of a company’s environment and also includes issues of forecasting and scanning.   The design school proponents also consider the role played by managerial values and organizational social responsibility important in the process of strategizing.   Mintzberg et al (1998) provided a diagram detailing the process in the design school. Rumelt (1997), one of the proponents of this school, proposed a framework to evaluate strategy making.   In his framework, a formulated strategy should be consistent in terms of the goals and policies of the organization and must be adaptive to the changes in the organization’s environment. Rauch et al (2004) examined this framework through collected empirical evidence and found that the framework has a positive effect on strategic outcomes. The proponents of the entrepreneurial school focus on the leader and his vision. The central construct of the entrepreneurship school is a vision: a mental representation of strategy created or at least expressed in the head of the leader.

Duality in Frankenstein Essay Example for Free

Duality in Frankenstein Essay Victor and the monster have a special relation that goes beyond any known up to date. Not even Henry Clerval has this relation with Victor; the monster is the fulfilment of Victor and vice versa, Victor hides from society whilst the monster aches for society, Victor does not appreciate the surroundings and nature, the monster lives for it. The monster is what Victor fails to be, for example at the beginning of his life the monster is naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve and a believer in Mother Nature and some superior being, whilst Victor believes he is God by creating life, he is very intelligent and plays tricks on people and he only believes in himself. The fact is that whatever the monster has, Victor is lacking for example, and the monster has love for everyone and is not prejudiced, Victor only love himself as he makes it clear during the novel and maybe he appreciates Clerval but only because Henry is what he wanted to be in the future. Also and most importantly Victor has something the monster will never have, a name, and not only a simple name he has a very well known and prosper name, the monster will never be known and disappear in oblivion, whilst the Frankenstein name will perjure forever, like he says in the begging of the novel, I was willing to achieve the fame. Another thing which marks the duality by these two characters is the social life they both have, most importantly Victor is always sad and apart from this, he lacks any feeling, whilst the monster living in a shed discovers that happiness can be achieved anywhere and is himself joyful even though he see other people being happy, the monster discovers love, Victor discover admiration, the monster learns how to appreciate what he has and what nature gives him, and Victor is not happy with what he has nor with what the nature gives him, he is so unconformity that he has to create his own being and alter nature. Most importantly the monster seeks social adaptation and love whilst Victor hides from people and love, he is repulsed by the idea that he has to marry Elizabeth and he does not have other friend than Henry. Another different thing by both these characters is their love for Elizabeth, the monster demonstrates that he loves her by her aspect, her eyes her mouth she is so perfect that the monster needs her for himself and Victor loves her because he admires her but nothing else so if you compare these two feelings you will see that the complete each other and they in conjunction create love and admiration. The emotions that Victor lacks are very powerful in the monster until the moment of his departure form the DeLacy house. Until that moment the monster does not realise his full repulsion and believes in the goodness of mankind, Victor hates mankind and Im sure that he would love to be the only man in the world and depend only on himself. And the monster is so good in attitude and feelings and so loving in his interior that we feel so bad for him and so hating for victor that we cant stand it we have to hate victor because these two characters are like the Jing and jang, the good and the bad which cannot exist with some bad in them, the monster is loving but kills and Victor plays to be good and is unsocial but loved Henry, Elizabeth and his small brother. In conclusion the monster fulfils Victor emotionally and social and most importantly with his will of survival whilst Victor fulfils the monster with that basic needs of small quantities of hate, disrespect and will to be above the others.

Courage Cowardice Bravery

Courage Cowardice Bravery ‘Private Peaceful: a critical study. The theme of bravery is contrasted with cowardice. Discuss. ‘Courage and ‘cowardice words that adorn the front cover of the book: ‘Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo and it is this theme that I intend to examine. Throughout the novel bravery is contrasted with that of cowardice and although they represent opposite ends of the spectrum, at times it proves impossible to untangle one from the other and we are left in a state of confusion as to the exact meaning of these terms. When we stop to consider bravery and cowardice it is invariably in the physical form bravery, where a person bodily performs a spectacular feat without hesitation or fear that they themselves may suffer harm; cowardice where a person is too afraid to move or act in a confrontational situation. Throughout the novel we are presented with many examples of this type of bravery and cowardice, which I will expand on later. However, bravery and cowardice can also be considered from a moral perspective. Moral heroism is when a staunch and resolute stance is taken, irrespective of the views of others, whilst moral cowardice is where a person is too frightened or weak to disobey or even question authority. Morpurgo fails to give us his definition of the terms cowardice and bravery and as I have already stated, at times it proves difficult to unravel and disentangle the two. The novel Private Peaceful is a poignant story of a young soldier who is reminiscing about his life. The novel which yo-yos between the present and the past, is written in the first person narrative through Tommos eyes (one of the protagonists), and to begin with we have a childs perspective whilst at the end, it is a young adult being reflective. Dramatic art is used in a simplistic manner to create a powerful and heart rending story. Morpurgos handling of bravery and cowardice is not prejudiced by the fact that the book will be read by schoolchildren as well as adults. The regiments camp is a pitiful place perched on the edge of ‘no-mans-land and it is through the use of imagery that the horrendous squalor and rancid conditions that the soldiers had to endure in the trenches and dugouts are vividly depicted. We acknowledge that men who are able to survive such conditions are undeniably brave soldiers. Indeed, Morpurgo manages to convey the terror and ferocity of warfare witho ut the need to be too explicit when detailing the carnage; all of which would be unsuitable for the younger readers. The novel makes compelling reading through our ability to become emotionally involved with the characters. It is through our ability to empathise that we can start to decipher the irony of bravery and cowardice depicted within the novel. The novel is full of emotion and atmosphere where Tommo is determined to recall every incident that has happened to him. The reader is left to ponder the relevance and importance of such a need and it is during this vigil that the concepts of bravery and cowardice as established, bureaucratic principles are exposed and discussed. The novel ends with a poignant postscript which highlights the plight of 290 British and Commonwealth soldiers who were court-martialled and sentenced to death by execution for alleged cowardice. It would appear that no humanitarian rationale (such as these soldiers being traumatised by the ravages of war), has been taken into consideration and therefore it could be contested that they had received an unfair trial. It also highlights the British governments failure to award posthumous pardons to these soldiers. The inclusion of this postscript establishes the books political agenda and the significance of Charlies story and unwarranted capital punishment. Mo rpurgo has developed a juxtaposed situation where a hero has been produced only to be executed by his own regiment for cowardice. The notion of people dying in war to no avail emulates the harsh cynicism of the war poet Wilfred Owen who wrote: â€Å"The old Lie; Dulce et Decorum est Pro patria mori†. (War Poems Manuscripts of Wilfred Owen, Dulce et Decorum est) In the novel, one of the protagonists is shot, not during combat, but at the mercy of those he has stood shoulder to shoulder with on the battlefield. This gives a harrowing and heart rending effect to this cynicism. For many people, death in war is irrational and pointless but death by those that are on your own side is absurd. Throughout Owens poem, ‘The Hero, contempt for the notion of ‘devotion to duty, is interspersed with a harsh but realistic representation of life on the frontline. Another World War One poet who shares the same sentiments as Owen, is that of Siegfried Sassoon. Likewise, there are similarities between his wartime experiences and those found in this novel. Sassoon, single-handed seized a German trench, was decorated with medals for bravery and sustained war injuries. He defied orders to return to the war zone following his recovery from injury but, unlike Charlie Peaceful, Sassoon was fortunate enough not to be court-martialled; instead he was sent to a hospital to recuperate. Ideological parallels exist between Sassoon and Morpurgos views on bravery and cowardice where both men can be considered to have a contemptuous attitude with regard to patriotism. The novel exposes how many people, automatically associate death during wartime with the concept of heroism. It stems from the notion that soldiers die whilst defending their country and family. However, it is the fear of cowardice that impels Tommo to sign up to go to war. The old womans teasing makes him resolute: â€Å"I had to prove myself. I had to prove myself to myself† (p.103), only to realize and discover that war has very little to do with bravery. When Charlie and Tommo pass another regiment returning from the front line, they do not consider them as victorious heroes but â€Å"haunted and hunted† (p.124) individuals. Whilst on patrol duty in the trenches, Tommo remarks that courage is not about heroic acts but instead, possessing the skill not to show your fear (p.127). He even acknowledges that the Germans are â€Å"are brave too. They do not falter† (p.140). Morpurgo does recognise and acknowledge that soldiers out on the battlefield are brave, but he proposes that true heroism manifests itself through camaraderie. After a successful attack, Tommo remarks: â€Å"I feel a surge of triumph inside me, not because we have won, but because I have stood with the others.†(p.140). It can be considered that by the time we finish the novel, Tommo fulfils his need to be brave, but this is achieved not through strength of mind and character, but instead by a betrayal of those in charge and a breaking of his inner spirit: â€Å"taken away our spirit, drained the last of our strength, destroyed our hope† (p.161). Although it is important to be able to identify the difference between ‘institutionalised bravery and a persons heroic action, the concept of bravery and cowardice becomes increasingly problematic as the novel progresses. Morpurgo fails to actually define the terms bravery and cowardice but instead opts to expose their complexities through the two protagonists, Charlie and Tommo. The two brothers personify two juxtaposed characters where Charlie is motivated by courage and impetuosity, whereas Tommo is constrained by fear and restraint. These contrasting roles are implanted from the very onset of the novel as we learn about the brothers experiences from childhood through to life in the war zone. The novel allows us to make an analogy between the terrors that Tommo suffers when he attends school for the first time, to that which he experiences on the frontline. Tommo fails to differentiate between the two feelings and repeatedly equates being afraid with that of being a coward which will result in subsequent disgrace. For him it is impossible to demarcate between acceptable anxiety and irrational fear. The start of the novel informs us about the apprehensiveness of Tommo on his first day at school along with the considered concerns of loss of innocence and change (p.8). We understand Tommo to be a shy, thoughtful and pensive person. A shy temperament is not indicative of a coward, but Tommo is powerless to interpret and comprehend it in any other way, because it is always in contrast with Charlies. As readers we progressively realize that the concept that determines a heroic action or decides whether a person can be classified as being ‘brave is down to individual perception. : Tommo perceives Charlie as â€Å"the bravest brother in the world† (p.24), whilst he sees himself as being plagued by fear. Tommo is under the delusion that having the self assurance to confront a person or problem is equivalent to bravery, especially as this is the mode that Charlies bravery takes. Tommo admires and commends Charlie for not only confronting, but also for defying authority at school, he goes head-to-head with Jimmy Parsons in the school playground, brazenly admits to the Colonels face that he stole his foxhound, and he is insubordinate when he defies Sergeant Hanley. This impulsiveness and impetuosity is balanced by Charlies feelings of dignity and pride, as exemplified by his honourable silences when caned by Mr Munnings (p.24) or smiling at Tommo as he displayed fortitude during the punishment inflicted by Sergeant Hanley (p.118). These inner qualities originate from Charlie‘s self determination, fortitude and will-power, as well as from his moral principles. His moral judgements and beliefs as to what is right and wrong often underlie his actions and behaviour. Repeatedly we see Charlie protecting the victim or underdog Bertha the old bloodhound, Big Joe his autistic brother, Molly the girl he loves and of course Tommo who causes his final demise. Charlies execution is the result of his refusal to leave his wounded brother on the battle-field, as well as for openly refuting Sergeant Hanleys orders. Charlie considered Hanleys orders to be imprudent and irrational, so he chose to defy them (p.172). Throughout the novel it is apparent how Tommo has great admiration for his brave brother in whose â€Å"glow† (p.127) he lives in; but as a reader it is important in addition, to consider ones own perspective of bravery. Tommo lacks Charlies impetuosity, recklessness and die-hard temperament and it is these traits that Tommo is in awe of. Tommo believes that these qualities, which he himself lacks, are what makes his brother brave. Charlies impulsiveness is always judged as being a positive quality never negative. It is this acceptance of Charlies bravery without any questioning, which echoes his reticence and powerlessness to make a distinction as to whether his own actions are brave or cowardly. When Jimmy Parsons calls Big Joe names, Tommy: â€Å"discovered that sometimes youve got to stand up for yourself and fight for whats right, even when you dont want to.† (p.22). Tommo fails to recognise that this stance that he took was a brave action. Although Tommo perpetually manages to conquer his early qualms and insecurities, throughout the novel, he fails to acknowledge or give recognition to his achievements. The novel opens with Tommo fearing school but no reference is made to this again, and similarly when he finally plucks up courage to take off all his clothes to go swimming in Okement Pool, or after he manages to talk to Anna from the estaminet, there is no acceptance that he has been courageous. Similarly, even though he has managed to overcome these fears, Tommo never considers himself as brave for even when he is victorious on the battle field, he views it pessimistically. Tommo believes his actions are defying cowardice as opposed to an act of bravery: â€Å"I feel a surge of triumph welling inside me, not because we have won, but because I have stood with the others. I have not run.† (p.140) Tommo fails to accept that he consciously made the decision to stay rather than abscond. Tommo has no self esteem and no confidence in his own abilities. Our observations of Tommo as a coward, is for the most part, at his own admission. Tommos perception and interpretation of his own fear as being that of a coward has been primarily shaped by a harrowing incident, where fear of death made his legs freeze and â€Å"incapable of movement† (p.14). The result was that Tommos father demonstrated the ultimate act of bravery by surrendering his own personal life for his son. When a falling tree is about to crush Tommo, James Peaceful manages to reach the child and push him out of the way, crushing him instead. Tommo blames himself for his fathers death because he was too afraid to move when danger loomed and he has shown more cowardice by not being brave enough to tell anyone the exact circumstances to his fathers death. Nevertheless, fear for Tommo metamorphoses from a weakness to an indispensable asset, as exemplified when he is on sentry duty in the trenches. It is fe ar that gives Tommo the power to stay awake all night and in doing so, it transforms into a strength. Ultimately, the novel is as much Tommos tragedy as Charlies. Charlies heroic temperament and innate bravery is scarred by being found guilty and convicted of cowardice. On the other hand, Tommos introspective temperament is shattered, and although he is involved in heroic feats they are not perceived as being brave because they come from hopelessness (p.163). When Tommo contemplates deserting even his â€Å"courage to be a coward had evaporated† (p.161). Indeed, Tommos perceptions of bravery do not coincide with the mundane concepts of bravery. We have already noted that he regards staying with his battalion as cowardly compliance. Tommo, on the other hand, considers that desertion would represent true bravery because it necessitates insubordination to authority coupled with courage for any punitive reprisals that may be inflicted. Morpurgo infers, without overtly stating, that cowards are not those that are afraid, which is how Tommo misguidedly perceives it, but, are those that prey on the weak and take advantage of their vulnerability. In the novel, the cowards are: the colonel who would have no reservations about evicting a widow and her three children and threatens to shoot a harmless old dog, an aunt that maltreats a child with learning difficulties, a vindictive sergeant who intimidates and persecutes his troops to attain power. So who are the true heroes of the novel? These can be identified as Charlie, Tommo, Mother, Molly and Sergeant Wilke, all of whom were committed to shielding those who were more vulnerable than themselves. The novels underlying message on individual bravery is implicit from the first page. When Tommo nervously sets off to school for the first time, Charlie takes him by the hand and reassures him that all will be alright and it is Molly who helps restore self confidence when she shows him how to tie his shoelaces. Morpurgo illustrates how friendship and camaraderie are the essential ingredients to conquer fear and generate bravery. The nursery rhyme ‘Oranges and Lemons, is a theme which surfaces when there is a dilemma or a situation of conflict. When sung it unites families, friends and troops who are all trying to overcome fear in the face of adversity. Within the novel, bravery and cowardice are presented as a paradox. We are left to decide whether it is braver to conform, obey rules and orders and so become a model soldier or whether it is braver to listen to and follow ones own inner beliefs. Charlie and Tommo represent each of the questions, Tommo the first and Charlie the second. However, throughout the novel both brothers exhibit their own mode of bravery and neither can be considered a coward. This corroborates the belief that how a person perceives bravery and cowardice is personal and does not follow an institutionalized ideal. In the end, Tommo survives not through fearlessness but because he has promises to keep and a family to protect. This brave view is in marked contrast to the Tommo we met at the start of the novel who was weak and afraid. BIBLIOGRAPHY: Morpurgo, M. (2003), Private Peaceful, HarperCollins Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/secondary/keystage3/downloads/en_novel_privatepeaceful.doc (Accessed on 23rd February) Private Peaceful, (Durrington High School) http://www.tes.co.uk/resources/Resource.aspx?resourceId=473sitestat=resourcebank.from.search_results (Accessed on 23rd February) The Thin Line Between Bravery and Cowardice in the Things They Carried www.researchover.com/termpaper/The_Thin_Line_Between_Br (Accessed on 23rd February) War Poems Manuscripts of Wilfred Owen, Dulce et Decorum est, http://www.hcu.ox.ac.uk/jtap/warpoems.htm#12 (Accessed on 23rd February) http://www.quotationsbook.com/quote/7973/ (Accessed on 11th March) http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/003321.php(Accessed on 11th March)

Essay --

2. What were weaknesses of the Weimar Republic? How did different political groups seek to remedy these weaknesses? The Treaty of Versailles, which put an end to World War I, caused a number of positive and negative outcomes in Germany. Germany was in need of a democratic government in order to meet the harsh provisions of the Treaty of Versailles. Established by members from the Social Democrat Party in 1919, the Weimar Republic became the central power in Germany for the following years. The republic was found in the city of Weimar and was a replacement, so to say, for the imperial government that had previously stood as the central authority. Even though the Weimar Republic managed to lead Germany for 15 years, it experienced devastating drawbacks such as hyperinflation, lack of support from the public, and the constant efforts from different groups to overthrow the government; because of these factors, different political groups sought a resolution, such as overthrowing the government and pushing for a strong leader. Severe economic problems arose in Germany essentially due to the punitive provisions of the Treaty of Versailles. â€Å"The German government began to print money to pay its bills.† (McKay, 872). In order to make up for the massive debt and reparations connected to the Treaty of Versailles, the government started to print loads of money. The influx of money across Germany due to newly printed bills caused prices to rise. Money became rather worthless with an abundance of it, which hurt many people’s incomes. Hyperinflation soon occurred, which put the economy in a weak position and further contributed to the downfall of the Weimar Republic. Many resented the government because of its agreement to the ... ..., Lativia, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Hungary, Russia, Romania, and Yugoslavia. 4.) How were the principles of national self-determination applied to the redrawing of Europe after the war and why didn't this theory work in practice? The map of Europe was redrawn after World War I such that the countries that desired independence had their own self-governing nation. This caused the German Empire, for instance, to grow smaller and not encompass the small countries that had previously been a part of the empire. Although these territorial changes were seemingly beneficial to some, they ultimately did not work in practice for various reasons. The countries that achieved independence were not successful for reasons such as their failure to establish diplomatic relations with other countries and weak infrastructure; these reasons combined resulted in a weak country.

The Impact of Music on Intellectual Development :: Free Essays

The Impact of Music on Intellectual Development Listening to music has given people the opportunity to develop different types of appreciation and understanding for the music being played. Through the skills obtained one can develop qualities for their self for future development. Music allows people to grow intellectually by delivering the fundamental aspects of basic emotions or thoughts onto a page of music. When a symphony is playing an orchestrated piece of music, you can hear the large kettledrums setting the mood. Quick taps that crescendo to a loud abrupt halt or the steady, slow thundering thud of the bass drum can give us a sense of what the composer is trying to convey. This, along with the orchestra, allows us to feel the emotion in ourselves by the music that is being played. The music allows us to feel fright, anger, anticipation, or happiness, or other emotions that we have. When we are young, we are learning to recognize and label such emotions and thoughts. As we mature we are better able to comprehend and voice our feelings better by being able to recognize these feelings when they come upon us. Music gives us a way to develop and grow in ways that other intellectual stimulus cannot do for us. When hearing different scores of music we begin to develop an appreciation for the music pieces being played. We then may want to learn about who composed this piece of music, and where did that person live, and other vital information about the composer. We then may want to learn more about the different instruments being played in the orchestra. The drums are large and impressive and the woodwinds or the string instruments may seem delicate to use. Over a period of time our thinking has broadened and our intellectual capabilities have broadened. Music has a way of planting seeds for

Using Love to Justify Sex in A Very Short Story Essay -- Very Short St

Using Love to Justify Sex in A Very Short Story    At first glance unusually normal, at second glance unusually striking, the title "A Very Short Story" reveals Hemingway's perception of a perhaps unforgotten war experience. Man went to war. He met woman. They spent many nights together. They considered marriage. He went home without her. She moved on. He moved on. The end. The story, the relation of events, is indeed short. This is not eternal spiritual love; instead, this is the animalistic, barbaric sexual act- sex and love for the sole purpose and convenience of sex itself. Then it is over.    The story begins on "ONE HOT evening in Padua" (Hemingway, 65), "hot" relating to passionate feelings, and "evening" as the perfect time for an affair. The reader can deduct from the reference to Padua, a city in northeast Italy, that perhaps the character is at war, and in fact, this is confirmed in the fourth paragraph with a reference of an "armistice" (65). The main character himself is referred to as "he", though, knowing the author's biographical history, and presence in the war, "Hemingway" is a presumable substitution. "They" (65), his war buddies, "carried him up onto the roof", they carried him because he was injured, but also, as "the others went down and took the bottles with them", very likely intoxicated. There, he and the female figure, "Luz" meet, she "sat on the bed", and "was cool and fresh in the hot night". Immediately, alcohol, guy and girl, a rather convenient bed, and a "hot" night left alone on the rooftop combine, forming a passionate love affair.    So, who is this Luz? Well, apparently, as she was "on night duty" (65), and she was the one who "prepared him for the operating table", she is a... ...ncoln Park." (66).    Man went to war. He met woman. They spent many nights together. They considered marriage. He went home without her. She moved on. He moved on. The end.    It is a short story, and it is a simple one. Simple attraction of the opposite sexes. Simple sex. Simple break up. Simple recovery. Without the talk of marriage, it resembles any animal mating ritual on the Discovery Channel.    Interesting that the story ends with the onslaught of gonorrhea, as the cycle is continued, and thus, the simple recovery transforms magically to painful consequences. Perhaps, in Hemingway's own life, the simple recovery of losing a mistress after the war transforms and somehow contributes partly to his own suicide many years later.    Works Cited Hemingway, Ernest. "A Very Short Story." In Our Time. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1925.

Solar Energy Outline

Solar Energy Outline: Abstract Recently, the solar energy technology market has experienced phenomenal growth. Due to growing public awareness of environmental issues, clean energy research funding has increased. This funding increase has created dramatic technological improvements. Compared with traditional energy, solar energy is showing many remarkable advantages. Despite its technical and economic limitations in the present, it is expected that solar energy will play an important role in the transportation sector in the future. Key words: Solar energy; Solar panels; Solar technology; Solar power; Solar energy policy.Background Knowledge of Solar Energy 1. Status of Solar Energy Technology 1. 1 Potential of Solar Energy 1. 2 Photovoltaics 1. 3 Solar Thermal heating and cooling 2. Development of Solar Energy Technologies 2. 1 History of Solar Energy Technologies 2. 2 Barriers in Solar Energy Utilization 3. Life Cycle Analysis of Solar and Non-Solar Energy 3. 1 Comparison for Centra lized Power Generation Technologies 3. 2 Comparison for Distributed Power Generation Technologies 3. 3 Comparison of the LCOEs for Distributed and Central Station Renewable Energy Technologies 4. Policy supporting Solar Energy Development (Solar Thermal Heating and Electric) 4. European countries’ Policy (Germany) 4. 2 United States 4. 3 Asian Developing Countries (China and India) 5. Carbon Finance Mechanisms and Solar Energy Development 5. 1 Clean Development Mechanisms 5. 2 Barriers in the CDM 5. 3 Improvement of the CDM 6. Solar Energy Supply in Future 6. 1 Photovoltaics 6. 2 Solar Thermal Heating and Cooling 6. 3 Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) 7. Conclusion 7. 1 Advantage from Solar Energy 7. 2 Confines and Prospects References John Byrne, World Solar Energy Review: Technology, markets and Polices, Environment and Energy Unit, Development Research Group, The World BankAldo Steinfeld, Solar thermochemical production of hydrogen––a review, 0038-092X/ $ doi:1 0. 1016/j. solener. 2003. 12. 012, Solar Energy. Nathan S. Lewis, Powering the planet: Chemical challenges in solar energy utilization, PNAS October 24, 2006 vol. 103 no. 43 15729–15735 R. D. Schaller, High Efficiency Carrier Multiplication in PbSe Nanocrystals: Implications for Solar Energy Conversion, Physical Review Letters Volume 92 Number 18, May 2004 Solar Energy Industries Association. (2004). Our solar power future: The US photovoltaics industry roadmap through 2030 and beyond. Golden, CO: National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

Boy in the Striped Pyjamas

What does the text edition sidle up ab come in the concept of be? The consume testifys a story commandn by dint of the ingenuous eyes of a 8 social path of age(predicate) boy, Bruno, who is unsure of his place in the humanness. The most evident concept of be is his hitch in his transition from tykehood to magnanimoushood. Through proscribed the select, he faces the conflict amidst accepting the harsh Jew-killing reality of the world or stay immersed in his tremendous world modify with adventure.Bruno also feels alienate from con provideeration having been moved from Berlin to the countryside, resulting in his isolation. On an early(a) level, he must more thanoer decide his place and to whether support his national socialist makes actions and stay true to his Fatherland or stay a companion with Schmal, the 8 year old Jew that Bruno befriends. 5. What connections close belong crapper you make mingled with this text and your prescribed text? In Dickinsons po ems, at that place is a sense of disconnection with society that the poet experiences collect to her isolation and seclusion from the world.Similarly, Bruno, in The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, experiences the kindred sense of disconnection cod to his unsurity over what is cover or wrong. He feels out of place and conf utilise byout the film as a result of his spring chicken as well as his overleap of get alongledge about the hostile perspective in the world. Also, w here Dickinson regards her relationship with nature as the most dominant peerless in her life as depicted in What mystery pervades a well, Bruno does the equivalent in reference to his relationship with the Jew minor, Schmal. wish nature, Schmal is an enigmatic character which Bruno does non intuitive feeling to fully connect throughout the film, largely due to physical barriers such as the galvanic fence and mental factors uniform the judgemental character of Lt. Kotler and his contract. Lastly, Dick inson attains her importance and place in the world due to her seclusion. Likewise, for the boy Bruno, it is leftover for him sole(prenominal) to decide where he belongs in the world despite his age. Throughout the film, although Bruno is fed Nazi propoganda, we realise that it is ultimately up to him to decide his al unmatchediances as what he sees in the world is not quite what tidy sum describe. . What techniques does the composer use to convey his/her idas about belonging? (techniques, example, explain) Through the use of camera angles, Herman il zestrates a sense of alienation amongst Bruno and his sur routineings. He achieves this with a low shot of the parvenu home, overshadowing and looming over a timid and disbelieving Bruno. Furthermore, the first scene that we see in the vernal home is Bruno sitting on the st miens, behind full-length banister rails, suggesting a sense of entrapment within the plate.The use of costuming in the blue and white striped pyjamas by H erman illustrates Brunos innocence and his inability to comprehend what is right or wrong. He does not realise that the c broadcasthing is the uniform for captured Jews unless as the film progresses, harsh reality short overtakes his naive outlook of the world. The uniforms also fabricate how disparate the prisoners be to Bruno. Brunos conflict betwixt childhood and adulthood is further insinuated through the quote My dads a soldier, exclusively not the sort that takes states clothes away. The use of spectacular irony suggests again Brunos innocence and how he is solace genuinely much a child in what is a hostile, adult world. The character of Schmul represents the power and solidarity of human relationships. What was inti e very(prenominal)(prenominal)y a temporary friendship becomes permanent when Bruno becomes filled with regret after he betrays Schmal. A shake of the hands through the electric fence suggests that a connection surrounded by Bruno and Schmal exists reg ardless of any barriers.Boy in the Striped PyjamasBrunos diary social class 1943, age 9 years old as I was born on the 15th april 1934. sidereal solar day one of hostile happenings Today I came home from nurture and maria was in my bedway going away through MY things change surface out my secret things. She is however a servant except I tried to be polite when I asked what she thought she was doing. Maria never takes all in all my private things out, she puts things away uniform shes supposed excessively. I asked find wherefore maria is packing my things but she wint answer me properly. She moreover keeps reflexion we be all going away because of m otherwises speculate. She say Ill have to say goodbye to my friends, my scoop up long life friends.I breakt want to say goodbye to my friends because of fathers job. I know hes important but why backsidet father go by himself and come gage posterior? Its not fair. I smooth have lots of plans with my friends t hat I have to do. I wonder if grandma and grandad ar coming on this spend as well? We cant authentically leave them behindthough I get intot mind if Gretel stays shes hopeless. Gretel can look after the stand so we can come back to it if this new one isnt as good. I wonder if the other phratry has a walloping bannister same this one that I can chute down? I hope so because its my favourite thing to do.Day both of strange happenings We are at the new house and its horrible It only has three floors, not five analogous the other one and there are no other children around to laugher with. I dont a wish well(p) this place but mother wont take me back home, she says this is where we stick up now but I dont want to live here. Gretel doesnt like it all, or maria, so it emphatically is a horrible place to live. Ill only if have to tell father what a mistake hes made and then we can all go back home to berlin. Even the people here are scarey and boring, like that man th at came out of fathers room today.I dont think back I like himhes too serious. Maria says to steer clear of him anyway. Day three of the horrible place I scared Gretel today when I showed her the supernatural children out-of-door my window. She is three years aged than me and quite scary, so scaring her isnt an slowly thing to do. I dont know why she has come with us anyway, all she does is cause trouble. Thats what mother and father say anyway. At to the lowest degree her friends cant come round anymore. She has horrible friends that call me six when Im actually nine She still has her dolls though.I bet they spy on me when Im in her room, so I dont go in there much. Gretel verbalise father said we are going to stay here for the foreseeable future, whatever that means. Gretel thinks its about 3 weeks, so at least(prenominal) it isnt a month I suppose. She doesnt like this place either though so maybe we go away move back sooner. Day quad of the horrible place The people out side my window are still there. Gretel thinks that we are in the countryside and that they must be farmers. I dont think they are farmers though because there are no animals and the ground is all brown and dirty.It doesnt look like a beautiful place anyway, there are soldiers cheering at people and for some agent everyone is wearing pyjamas. I wish Gretel knew who they were and would tell me. Shes the brightest girl in her class apparently. I found them though, so they are my people, not hers. I am a high and mighty king in my bedroom and they are my minions that Gretel cant have. I shall have to ask father what they are doing there and why they dont have baths. Ill know more than Gretel then, even though shes older. Day fiveFather came to the house today. We had to leave earlier than father on the take up. There were a lot of other people coming this way on the tag toobut they were all on one big sort out squashed together. I dont know why they didnt just come on the same trai n as us because we had lots of exculpate seats they could have used. I was very brave today and asked father when we were going home because its horrible here. I thought father would get very angry because Im not supposed to go into his office or waste his time saying how-do-you-do or asking silly questions.Father said we have to do things we dont like though because other people know whats best for us. He said we have to accept the detail we find ourselves in and then everything will become easieror something like that. I still dont like it here though and it will never be home. I dont know why father cant see that hes made a mistake. I even told him to apologise to the fury and then we can go back to berlin. Father is a very respectable man but I still think he is wrong. Why doesnt he just listen to us instead of his job? Extract from chapter 12, pages 128 129 we had to move to a different part of Cracow, where the soldiers built a big wall and my mother and father and my fam iliar and I all had to live in one roomThere was one small window in it but I didnt like to look out of it because then I would see the wall and I hated the wall because our real home was on the other side of it. And this part of town was the heavy(a) part because it was always noisy and it was unaccepted to sleepThen one day the soldiers all came with huge trucks And everyone was told to leave the houses. split up of people didnt want to and they hid wheresoever they could find a place but in the end I think they caught everyone.And the trucks took us to a train and the train The train was horrible There were too many of us in the carriages for one thing. And there was no air to breathe. And it smelled awful. Shmuels exposition provides necessary background tuition that allows the endorser to identify with the character. In this particular extract, the author conjures a lot of vision to convey emotion and mood, which is implemented through structural and lingual techniques. Ellipses are used repeatedly throughout the extract, creating a pause, which causes the reader to consider and empathise with the characters ordeal.It also contributes to the verse of the paragraph, setting a slow and reckon pace, evoking heightened emotions of fear and apprehension. The simplistic language, combined with head rhyme delivers a childlike and innocent approach, which draws sympathy from the reader in relation to the childs traumatic experience. For example, the soldiers built a big wall contrasts against shmuel and his family living in a small room, emphasising how small and unguarded they are. The use of repetition such as the train is effective in this extract, as it creates a sense of urgency and distress, dowery to set a despondent line.This atmosphere is intensified with short sentences and a magnification to fightd the end of the paragraph (There was no air to breathe) for a dramatic impact. The boy in the striped pyjamas is a fable found on the holoca ust. The protagonist of the story, Bruno, comes home from instill one day to find his place packed and told to say goodbye to his friends due to his dads promotion. Mourning his old home Bruno sets out exploring areas he shouldnt his naivety and meddling innocence, lead him to the outskirts of a concentration camp, where he befriends a boy just like himself, albeit religious boundaries.It is this friendship between two young boys that leads to a cruel wring of fate. The hamartia of bruno, in this case his innocence, leads to his downfall. It is middling ironic, that the innocence and accepting nature of a child is essentially a flunk that leads to a cruel fate, whilst those that deserve casualty are without tragedy. It also conveys a moral, classifying this phonograph record as a fable. In relation, Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare share the same themes as the boy in the striped pyjamas.Innocent characters lose their lives unnecessarily because of events that are ou t of their control, caused by blemish and contrariety. another(prenominal) similar feature between the two novels is that Shakespeare uses dynasties/houses to create differences and segregation between parties. In correspondence, the author of the boy in the striped pyjamas, uses clothes to create differences and correspond their status in society. For example, the striped pyjamas indicates inferiority, failing and suffering of the jews, whilst the uniforms of the soldiers uphold authority, cruelty and dominance.As contend to Shakespeare, what makes this book so despairing and affectional is the reality of it. It is not a romantic, put on play based on lust and fate it is representative of real events where usurious tragedys took thousands of innocent lives for reasons due to nothing but social status, discrimination and prejudice. It can be argued, that such events would not have occurred in reality firstly, diachronic records show that more than 6000 soldiers were presen t in the aushwitz camp, making it unlikely that a child could escape their notice to sit at the edge of a camp and conference to an outsider.Secondly, most women and children were gassed upon their arrival, leaving the men to work. Another point raised, is that most credible 9 year olds have a lot more common sense in reality than is portrayed in this fable. battle of Boynes story depends on the provoke naivety of his character, who is completely oblivious to the war despite his father working for Hitler. In conclusion, for a short fable aimed at children, I believe it to be a powerfully emotive tale that strikes primeval points. The innocence and reality of the events that took place in the book make it that much more touching, horrific and powerful.