The role of multi-channel retailing in Singapore service retail Essay

The role of multi-channel retailing in Singapore service retail industry - Essay Example Thus with the development of internet communication the consumers can now easily make purchases through the web sphere and also through their personal gadgets like Personal Digital Assistants having internet connectivity. Moreover the customers can also make relevant purchases based on catalogues or visiting kiosks of the retail stores. These services largely enabled by multi-channel retailing systems have helped in transforming the pattern of services generated in the retail sphere. Furthermore the retail firms based on multi-channel systems are also helping the consumers to avail a large number of options where the consumer can locate products in one outlet and purchase such from another belonging to the same company. Again multi-channel retailing system has also helped the consumers to gain the advantage of returning commodities in one retail outlet which was purchased from another outlet of the same company. (Berman, Retail Management, A Strategic Approach, 10E (India: Pearson Ed ucation India, 2007), 183.; Willard N. Ander and Neil Z. Stern, Winning at retail: developing a sustained model for retail success (New York: John Wiley and Sons, 2004; Lena Fitzen, Multi Channel Retailing in the Automotive Industry: Determinants of Consumer Retail Choice (Germany: GRIN Verlag, 2009), 16.) Different retail companies pertaining to categories like apparel and other consumer durables make expanded use of multi-channel retail systems to reach wide number of consumers thereby focusing on market expansion and augmentation of revenues. Big retail firms through the opening up of different retail formats and through increased web presence can fulfill the business objectives of market expansion in both new and existing territories. (Joachim Zentes, Dirk Moschett and Hanna Schramm-Klein, Strategic Retail Management: Text and International Cases (Germany: Gabler Verlag, 2007), 55; Diamond, Fashion Retailing: A Multi-Channel Approach (India: Pearson Education India, 2007), 374). Multi-Channel Retailing-Advantages and Challenges The growth of multi-channel retail systems around the world led to the increase of large number of advantages and disadvantages related to it. Firstly the retail companies tending to use the multi-channel retail systems need to strategize their retail offerings and services in a homogeneous manner so that it can well percolate along the several marketing mixes. Retailers through the use of multi-channel retail concept tend to draw consumer attention to specially designed products which are not easily displayed in retail counters. These retail companies through the use of the online sphere tend to create a huge display of different types of products thus enhancing the width of the product assortments. Moreover retail companies can also cause consumer hype by creating displays of new product and service launches in their websites. Again the retailers can make use of multi-channel retailing concept to create a mass promotion of the pro ducts and services. The retailers can make use of utilities like kiosks and catalogues to help in generating large number of information to the consumes pertaining to the availability of store outlets, product and servi

Russia's Afghan War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Russia's Afghan War - Essay Example About 1,500 military advisers who worked in the country sabotaged equipment Afghan army and discouraged any kind of resistance by Afghan troops and officers (Hill, p.5). Discussion Preparation for Attack On Christmas Eve of 1979, the usually quiet airport in the Afghan capital resembles  Kabul  said a European metropolis.  The large machines with Soviet insignia, landing every three minutes, but have no regular passengers on board, but well-equipped soldiers, armored vehicles, weapons and ammunition. Observers suggested earlier, the company had long been part of the usual military support from  Moscow.  Two days later, on the evening of 27  December, a storm troop towards the city center is on the march, headed by units of the Soviet secret service  KGB  responsible under the leadership of Colonel GI Bojarinow, the head of the training center for special operations of the infamous Pay Department of the KGB, which stands for "wet stuff" (mokryje dela) is for assassinat ions and sabotage.  The military vehicles carry the Afghan national emblem, the soldiers hidden behind the closed hatches, Afghan uniforms.  First destination is the telegraph office, which can blow Bojarinow.  After then, the radio station has been occupied, the column continues to Darulaman Palace on the outskirts.  Despite fierce opposition from the guard of storm troopers penetrates rapidly.  In the top-floor bar the invaders find the one man they are looking for: President Hafisullah Amine, together with his mistress.  Both were shot in the melee. As far as the look, Christopher Andrew and Oleg Gordiewsky KGB in her book - the story of its foreign operations from Lenin to  Gorbachev  give.  The work is based to a large extent on the information and detailed knowledge of a party: Gordiewsky was KGB man in London, and in 1985 changed sides.  His report following prisoners were not made, there would be no witnesses.  Bojarinow also came at the storming of the palace killed. Presumably he was confused because of the Afghan Uniform and shot by his own people (Grau, p.129-145). Warfare and Combat This Hollywood mature coup began in December 1979, the war in  Afghanistan. From the point of view of the Kremlin, there had been a few good reasons for intervention in the Hindu Kush.  As they were aware that the country had been skeptical from the beginning, due to this they had discouraged the war which was a right act.  However, the war proved to be futile, it seriously damaged the reputation of Moscow and accelerated the implosion of the  Soviet Union.  Afghanistan had become "Moscow's Vietnam". Always the policy of the Kremlin had aimed to closely to tie the southern neighboring country itself.  A non-aggression and neutrality pact in 1926 was followed in the fifties and sixties, a broad-based policy support.  The Soviet Union gave large loans, sent millions of business and technology consultants, built roads to the north and b ought generously export goods.  They Willingly trained the officer corps of the Afghan army by the Soviet Army, so that Kabul fell into complete dependence on Moscow (Grau, p.129-145). After King Zahir Shah was deposed in 1973, the coalition process was continued and Prince Mohammed Daoud initially led a coalition with the Pro-Moscow

Reading the poem Essay Example for Free

Reading the poem Essay In his poem Slough Betjeman uses a number of ways to put across his views. The title itself suggests he feels that Slough is an appropriate title, that a poem on the place deserves no better or imaginative title than just its name because the place is dull and unimaginative also, or that Slough says it all already. The first line of the first stanza means you immediately know what he thinks, his opinion being straight to the point, asking Come, friendly bombs, and fall on Slough which is a good use of juxtaposition as bombs are never seen as friendly, but in this case they would be if they bombed Slough as they would be doing him a favour. Asking for bombs to fall on Slough is an outrageous, extreme demand which he repeats in the second stanza and in the final stanza to reinforce his plea, and he also uses other extreme terms such as the people have Slough having tasted Hell which shows clear dislike. He is very flippant about asking the bombs to blow Slough to smithereens as if he wants no part of it left and its a reasonable demand. Betjemans phrases such as Its not their fault that they are mad, they do not know and they often go makes it sound like he feels the people of Slough are alienated and are very different to himself, as if they were another species altogether, calling them they, disassociating them from himself, and being patronising about their lives. He also conveys his attitude of Slough by describing what he thinks of the people that live there such as the man with the double chin who will always cheat and always win and who he also refers to as a stinking cad. He is not complimentary about the people of Slough, like the wives with peroxide hair and the men who sit in bogus Tudor bars with nothing better to do. His descriptions of the people help explain why he dislikes Slough, and he is saying that it may be the people who live there that help to make it a bad place, so this is a view he has of Slough. But he also pities the people , saying its not their fault so I think he is unsure himself whether it is the people making Slough a terrible place, or Slough making the people terrible. Either way, he subtly ridicules the people of Slough and their ways of life as he feels the wives sit and paint their nails and the men talk of cars andbelch. Betjeman makes use of repetition such as the first line Come, friendly bombs and, in the second stanza Tinned fruit, tinned meat As repetition is a way of reinforcing and strengthening a statement or opinion. Making everything from the food to the minds and breath tinned makes it sound like the people of Slough are all the same and are dull and lifeless. He also uses alliteration in the form of cabbages are coming and grass to graze which help the lines to flow easily. He uses negative words clusters such as Hell, repulsive, stinking and dirty which show his view of Slough with strong words that appeal to the senses and the imagination of the reader. The tone of the poem is one of dislike, where Betjeman cares so little for Slough that he would cheerfully see it bombed and destroyed. This is a strong image because it must take extreme dislike for someone to want something bombed. The rhyme scheme of the poem also reveals his views because the pattern is AAAB so the first three lines of each stanza flow easily and quickly, and rhyme so the poem seems almost cheerful and happy. But the last line of each stanza is used to put across his point in a harsh phrase such as Theyve tasted Hell and Swarm over, Death! which brings the flowing stanza to an abrupt, harsher sounder end like death, tears, Hell and yell. The majority of the stanzas finish at the end of a sentence and this is used to make strong end statements, then the next stanza will begin again in the slightly humorous tone, ridiculing Slough. The rhythm of the first three lines of each stanza is fast and light, but the rhythm is broken by the abrupt end of each stanza which breaks up the flow to remind the reader of what Slough is like. The rhythm of the poem is also Iambic Pentameter which means that Betjeman has used this to make the stresses of each line land on important words such as bombs, blow and mess so these words are emphasised when reading the poem, and stand out so they are noticed more. Betjeman uses certain phrases to imply that Slough is a fake, manufactured place because of the air-conditioned, bright canteens, the bogus Tudor bars and the synthetic air. He seems to hate the fact that Slough is a place that has been built up with labour-saving homes and has ruined the land so much that There isnt grass to graze a cow meaning they have built over all the land and ruined the landscape. In the final stanza, he wants to bomb Slough again so that it can be turned back into a nice place again where they can grow food and make use of the land, rather than wasting it like it is being misused now. He claims the people are false and materialistic as they do not know the birdsong from the radio and darent look up and see the stars because birdsong and stars are two of the beauties of nature that the people of Slough couldnt possibly appreciate, in Betjemans opinion. Betjeman uses irony in his poem as he describes the polished oak desk belonging to the man with double chin and I think Betjeman has mentioned this because he feels that the land that was there before, has now been destroyed, with the trees all being cut down to make room for the buildings, and as if this wasnt bad enough, the trees have been used to make the desks for the people who are responsible for ruining Slough which he sees as sadly ironic. One of Betjemans key phrases is It isnt fit for humans now which is a strong statement about the state of the place but also the use of the word now at the end suggests how he feels Slough was not always like this and it has slowly been ruined over the years. In this way, I think the poem is tinged with sadness as he feels it has been ruined to the point where there is no way to solve it but to destroy it which is a very emotive, strong view. I think you can sum up Betjemans view of Slough by the line repeated at the beginning and end of the poem Come, friendly bombs, and fall on Slough.

The Competitive Elements Of Illovo Malawi Business Essay

The Competitive Elements Of Illovo Malawi Business Essay Critically assess the strategic context within which your firm operates using any conceptual framework, which you think is appropriate, and explain which are the most important general business trends and competitive elements. Which of these should strategic decision makers in the company of your choice consider the most and why? Illovo Sugar (Malawi) Ltd is a subsidiary of a South African company Illovo Sugar South Africa. Illovo Sugar Malawi is the countrys largest sugar producer. There are two other companies that have just set up within the previous two years, however, they can not be acknowledged as of yet as they are yet to commence operations. Illovo sugar is a large multinational company that spans across six African countries that include Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia, Mozambique, Swaziland and South Africa. They are the largest sugar producers within each respective country that they are present in. Illovo Sugar operates through subsidiaries within each of the mentioned countries. When we analyse to total volume of sugar produced amongst all the facilities that Illovo owns, it shows that they are the largest producer of sugar within the African subcontinent. Illovo Sugar is listed on the Johannesburg Stock exchange and on the Malawian and Zambian Stock Exchange respectively (as subsidiaries). The majority ownership of Illovo Sugar, 51% of it, belongs to a FTSE 100 Company Associated British Foods Plc. Illovo Sugar Malawi, along with its other subsidiaries within Africa, have shown year on year consistent growth for the entire Illovo Group in Africa, it is this level of performance which has labelled Illovo the largest sugar producer in Africa. PESTEL Analysis: I will now outline a PESTEL analysis for Illovo Sugar Ltd, within which I will cover all the political, economical, social, technological, environmental and legal aspects that affect Illovo Sugar. Political: Political stability within Malawi has been an issue for Illovo Sugar Malawi during 2012. The autocratic rule of the former president came to an unexpected end when he died due to cardiac arrest. This meant that Illovo had to form new connections with the new president (former vice president) who had her own political party. Doing so, it would give Illovo access right to the top of the tree; it could therefore exercise this communion whenever it needed to. When the government attitude is looked upon, due to the economical problems in Malawi, the extreme lack of forex has led to many problems and it has crippled the economy. The current regime is on the move to increase exports in order to generate the much-needed forex, this being a direct presidential initiative. Due to Illovo Sugar Malawi being one of the top exporters within Malawi, it is therefore one of the favourable organisations directly from the offices of the president. Corrupt governments usually impact organisations when they make decisions at firm levels. The impact of corrupt ministers and even presidents in some cases prove to be a vital political problem to a large company such as Illovo Sugar. In this case, as far as it can be noted, it seems that Illovo Sugar Malawi has steered away from being influenced by such people or governments. Economical: Malawi is currently enduring one of the harshest conditions related to its economy. It has literally crippled, from being the second fastest growing economy in the world in 2008, it has fallen at such an alarming rate, at the expense of the autocratic rule of the former president who despised the western donor countries. It led to intense shortages of forex within Malawi, and with Malawi being a predominantly importing country, it crippled many sectors and inflation started to rise at an alarming rate. The biggest cause for concern is the devaluation of the Malawi Kwacha it will increase costs from all aspects for Illovo Malawi, however, due to the floatation of the currency within the international markets, it will therefore obtain better prices for its commodity on the international market. Credit availability and interest rates are also a problem for Illovo Sugar Malawi. The credit is available but due to liquidity shortages of the Malawi kwacha, the Reserve Bank of Malawi has put high interest charges on credit facilities. Due to this problem, Illovo Malawi will take out as little credit facilities as its needs in order to avoid high interest charges  [1]  . When the overall industry growth is analysed, it can be compared, volumetrically, that Illovo Sugar Malawi has continued to grow despite all the problems it faces. It continues to be the largest contributor to the Illovo Sugar Group at 39% of its overall operating profit  [2]  . Therefore, the industry continues to grow and the prospect for the future for Illovo Malawi looks good in terms of an economical aspect. Social: Illovo Sugar Malawi operates two relatively large facilities within Malawi. They employ approximately 5400 people fulltime and around 4500 seasonal employees. They provide employment to local Malawians with added benefits as part of their corporate citizenship scheme. Illovo Sugar Malawi also works hard in maintaining their corporate social responsibility image. They have built schools and medical centres within the local communities. Every employee has access to medical and educational care, with his or her dependants included too. Apart from this, they provide housing to over 4500 people with amenities such as running water, electricity and waste management services  [3]  . Apart from the above, Illovo also carries out other social acts of charity in the form of donations to hospitals and of aid to relief victims of natural disasters within Malawi. Apart from maintaining its own sugarcane growing facilities, Illovo plays a socially responsible role when it comes to purchasing sugarcane from local smallholder farmers. They account for up to 13% of Illovo Malawis total raw material volume  [4]  . Technological: Illovo Sugar, as mentioned is the largest sugar producer in Africa, therefore they are bound to keep their technological mind-set at its peak performance. In the current world, technology is known for making processes much simpler and carried out faster and efficiently. In regards to plant and machinery at Illovo, which is the core of the entire business, they will pay the highest attention to new technological entrants within the market. Efficiency, cost saving and speed is what drives any manufacturing business and it is the same with Illovo Malawi. New process technologies within this line of business can rapidly give the edge over competitors and Illovo can utilise this to their advantage. If a new technological concept is trialled on one site, if proven to be successful, provided all factors are considered, they can easily apply this to all their sites and reap the benefits. Illovo grows their own sugarcane and technological advances in farming methods are constantly advancing, therefore they are always developing and making the entire process easier in order for the stakeholder to gain maximum benefits, i.e. maximum output of raw material. Environmental: Illovo Sugar Malawi consumes a lot of electrical power, in order to be environmentally efficient, they use the waste material known as bagasse to generate the needed levels of electricity. The bagasse is a bio-renewable fuel source and it helps to keep the environmental impact of the entire operations at a minimum. In this way, Illovo is also totally self sufficient in terms of electricity supplies. Illovo also controls all wastewater from the sugar making process; it treats and recycles the water for use in its cane growing operations  [5]  . Both sites of Illovo in Malawi annually plant new trees in order to counteract environmental degradation and soil erosion that may be caused during the farming stages  [6]  . As a by-product of the sugar making process, various alcohols can be extracted from the process. Illovo Malawi therefore contributes to fuel alcohol distilleries in Malawi and they produce ethanol, which is an alternative bio-fuel. Legal: Health and Safety is one of the legal challenges that Illovo faces. They run a large health and safety campaign in order to prevent any incidents. They continue to influence the mind-set of all its employees on the various health and safety aspects to be safety conscious. They also design safety programmes for the wider communities spread across the two estates thereby increasing safety awareness and improving safety habits. General Business Trends: Within Malawi, Illovo operates on two tremendously large sites that are situated within the southern and northern districts of Malawi respectively. Illovo Sugar Malawi Produces, on average, 300000 Metric Tons of Sugar within the two sites combined. Almost 60% of this is sold within Malawi itself due to the high demand throughout the year. The remaining 40% is supplied to neighbouring markets, with Zimbabwe being the largest buyer. Through the remaining 40%, it either ends up within the European markets or within the local regional countries, i.e. Zimbabwe, Kenya and Uganda  [7]  . Illovo Sugar Malawi is the highest contributor within the entire Illovo group, by virtue of its operating profit. When analysed, it is the third largest out of six subsidiaries in terms of volumetric sugar production, however one can only come to the conclusion that Illovo Malawi is fetching better prices for its refined, non refined and speciality sugars within the international market. The percentage of internationally supplied sugar is expected to increase from 40% and valuable markets such as the EU are showing high potential due to good prices being achieved. According to the 2012 Annual report, market conditions were considered by strong demand from European importers who recognise Malawis quality standards and ability to deliver contracted consignments on time. (Annual Malawi reports 8). Competitive Elements: Identifying the competitive elements of Illovo Malawi will show that it has two main elements that prove to also be two valuable advantages over their rivals. The quality and standards of the products that are manufactured by Illovo Malawi are second to none, as mentioned above; it is one of the main factors upon which the European customers look for and value. Due to the differences between quality standards in Africa which are lower than European and worldwide standards, Illovo can easily sell the highest quality goods within the European and north American market and obtain high prices while at the same time sell medium quality products which in the African region are regarded as the top quality, it therefore puts them in a sort of win-win situation. The second element that gives Illovo Malawi a competitive advantage is the logistics system it has. As mentioned above, European buyers value commitments more than anything else. Receiving their shipments on time is of utmost importance when they are competing in strong markets where time and money play the most crucial goal. Abiding to their commitments is therefore the elements that gives Illovo Malawi the advantage in this scenario. Question 2: Identify the stock of internally developed assets, resources and competences in the company of your choice. In your view, how do these compare with the companys most immediate (maximum 3) competitor firms in the industry? Do they or do they not allow your firm to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage, and in which areas? Answer: Illovo Sugar Malawi has various assets that include two large sugar mills in the northern and southern districts of Malawi. Along with the two high capacity sugar mills, they also own their own sugar plantations at both respective sites. According to the 2012 annual report for Illovo Sugar Malawi, their valuation of property, plant and machinery stands at 8.6 Billion Malawi Kwacha and their sugar plantations are valued at 10.1 Billion Malawi Kwacha. When we look at the total area that has been leased from the government of Malawi for 99 years amounts to 34,250 Hectares approximately. When we analyse the resources of Illovo Sugar Malawi, we can split it and analyse it via financial, physical and human resources. Financial resources: Illovo Sugar Malawi is listed on the Malawi stock exchange and this plays a vital role when it comes to attracting investment or capital into the company. Apart from attracting investment, if Illovo were to increase production or output, they would require the financial resources to be able to meet that strategy. Financial resources therefore play an important role in aiding the overall strategy that the company may be implementing. If the strategy requires additional funds to be raised, Illovo Malawi would easily be able to raise the needed funds, simply due to the investment returns that current investors are receiving, it will seem like the most viable investment to new and potential investors. Therefore it can be said that the attractiveness of this particular market is high as can be seen from the continued year-on-year growth at Illovo Sugar Malawi. Human resources: Human resources play a vital role in any strategic decision that the company makes, since it is this very workforce that will endeavour to accomplish the strategy that it has set out to achieve. Human resources also identifies all the skills-base of a business, the skills it possesses through its workforce and whether or not they are sufficient enough to meet the strategy. When it comes to analysing the human resources at Illovo Sugar Malawi, upon reading the profiles of the senior management from the annual report, it is easily noticed that experience is a key denominator amongst employees at Illovo. Illovo employees have vast knowledge and experience, that is absolutely vital to this industry and it is highly possessed at Illovo. It is these vital factors that allow Illovo Malawi to perform at it level best and this is shown via its continual growth and the financial profits it achieves. Illovo also maintains a high business morale and reputation that it strives to maintain, as Africas largest sugar producer it has to have an immense reputation that allows it to dominate markets and give it an edge over its competitors. Apart from this, employees at Illovo also possess vast amounts of experience when analysed. The experience varies from business through to manufacturing, refining, farming and other key tasks within the business. People within each sector will possess varied amounts of experience that help it add value within the entire business. Illovo firmly believes in maintaining an employee development programme which will prove to be highly important in regards to the future sustainability of the business, it has therefore setup staff training programmes to further develop their technical skills. (Malawi report 8). According to Prahalad and Hamels work, they mention the following Core competencies are the glue that binds existing business. They are the engines for new business development  [8]  . In regards to competency at Illovo, the first major achievement that is being accomplished is the quality of the products manufactured. High quality products will meet high quality standards set by international regulatory authorities and Illovo Sugar Malawi is currently producing such products that continually meet the stringent requirements. It is this level of competence that attracts the right customers for its product; it therefore serves high profile customers who are willing to pay the price for value added high quality products manufactured by Illovo. The prices and profits therefore obtained from such customers help Illovo to grow year-on-year. It is the above reasons that give Illovo an edge over its competitors, they strive to produce high quality products, which therefore give them increased revenues as compared to their immediate competitors, and this is also the reason as to why Illovo Malawi is the leading contributor to Illovo groups operating profits. Illovo Sugar Malawis two competitors are small firms that have recently set up in Malawi. They have sugarcane plantations of both 850 (planned 5000) and 200 hectares respectively. Limphasa Sugar Corporation, the first and direct competitor will likely become the number two producer of sugar in Malawi and with an export market already lined up to be supplied, they are awaiting final installations and plan to produce 90,000 tons of sugar a year at full capacity, however upon analysing Illovos operations, its highly doubtful that they will achieve that level at such an early stage as they will not have enough sugarcane. The second competitor Mtalimanja Sugar Corporation have only 200 hectares of sugarcane and they are only a small producer, which also aims to support smallholder farmers. Mtalimanja has recently run into problems and they are awaiting engineers to fix their plant at the moment. Therefore, when we analyse the two direct competitors of Illovo Malawi, it is fair to say that Illovo is miles ahead in terms of production of sugarcane and sugar based products. They are fully capable of handling large volumes in both categories and that it would take a good number of years for their competitors to catch up to them. However, this does not guarantee that there are not any threats towards Illovo, if their competitors produce high quality products they will find themselves competing for customers. However, for the current outlook, its fair enough to say that Illovo still maintains the number one spot in the market and due to its experience and the strategies it sets out to achieve, it keeps itself ahead in the market. Conclusion: Upon further reading within the group report, Illovo group clearly outlines that their primary strategic objective is to improve earnings and remain as the market leader. Their secondary aims included increasing sugar production to 1.8 million tons, increase domestic market presence and increase revenues by sales to higher priced markets  [9]  . (main report 8).Increasing capacity and output at Illovo Malawi will help it to producer larger volumes which will help it serve higher priced markets better and obtain better prices and increase profits. References: (2012) Illovo Integrated Annual Report. [Report] South Africa: Illovo Sugar Ltd, p.10. 2 (2012) Illovo Integrated Annual Report. [Report] South Africa: Illovo Sugar Ltd, p.10. 3 (2012) Illovo Sugar (Malawi) Ltd Annual Report. [report] Malawi: Illovo Sugar (Malawi) Ltd, p.12. 4 (2012) Illovo Sugar (Malawi) Ltd Annual Report. [report] Malawi: Illovo Sugar (Malawi) Ltd, p.7. 5 (2012) Illovo Sugar (Malawi) Ltd Annual Report. [report] Malawi: Illovo Sugar (Malawi) Ltd, p.12. 6 (2012) Illovo Sugar (Malawi) Ltd Annual Report. [report] Malawi: Illovo Sugar (Malawi) Ltd, p.12. 7 (2012) Illovo Integrated Annual Report. [Report] South Africa: Illovo Sugar Ltd, p.10. 8 Prahalad, C. K. and Hamel, G. (1990) The Core Competence of the Organization, Harvard Business Review, (5). 9 (2012) Illovo Integrated Annual Report. [Report] South Africa: Illovo Sugar Ltd, p.8.

Essay on Toni Morrisons Beloved - Misuse of Language -- Toni Morrison

The Misuse of Language in Beloved In Toni Morrison's Beloved many negative methods of communication used by the white people are effectively hijacked by the black people. The black people create a completely new message and a positive form of communication. These forms of communication, in turn, empower the oppressed black people, providing channels for the expression of ideas, thoughts, and memories. Such was the case in the American culture of the mid 1800's as depicted in Beloved because of the gap in the social status and power of black versus white Americans. The language of the whites was not able to effectively communicate the thoughts of all and was used many times as a method of coercion. Largely, I am referring to oral and written communication. Oral communication done by whites in the book tends to be in the manner of orders, or to demean, dismiss, or condemn. This gives standard oral communication a somewhat negative air. Written communication is also tainted by the white people who abuse it. For example, on pages 155-6, as Paul D is reading the newspaper clipping given to him by Stamp Paid about Sethe, he is filled with a sense of foreboding. "A whip of fear broke through the heart chambers as soon as one saw a Negro's face in a paper, since the face was not there because the person had a healthy baby, or outran a street mob. Nor was it there because the person had been killed, or maimed or caught or burned or jailed or whipped or evicted or stomped or raped or cheated, since that would hardly qualify as news in a newspaper. It would have to be something out of the ordinary--something white people would find interesting, truly different, worth a few minutes of teeth sucking if ... ...y subvert this message of dehumanization. Instead, they choose to make their scars work for them in ways other options of communication may fail. Scars prove themselves to be something solid, physical, unchanging to which people may depend on when written and spoken words may fail them. In this way, scars function as a viable alternative form of communication, acting as a medium for storytelling, identification, and shared bond between people. Scars empower those otherwise oppressed. This disproves the assumption that "definitions belong to the definers, not to the defined" in the context that whites make the definitions and rule over blacks. Instead it changed the meaning in that the black people in the book are also definers, breaking away from the rule of the oppressor's language by developing their own interpretations and means of communication.

Macbeth :: English Literature Essays

Macbeth The character of Macbeth is a classic example of a Shakespearean tragic hero. Some of the factors that justify this title to Macbeth are his greatness and outstanding potential, both as a warrior and a nobleman, his very powerful sense of ambition, and the outweighing of this flaw over his exceptional goodness. One of the many reasons that Macbeth is categorized as a tragic hero is his courage and success as a war hero. This is evident when, in the beginning of the play, the Captain narrates Macbeth’s braveries to Duncan, and the king himself refers to Macbeth as â€Å"noble Macbeth†. Right from the beginning of the play, Shakespeare clearly defines Macbeth as a well-respected war hero. The Captain talks about how Macbeth killed everybody in his path to get to Macdonwald and then â€Å"unseamed him from the nave to th’ chops† before finally spearing the head of his enemy. Furthermore, King Duncan himself refers to the protagonist as â€Å"noble Macbeth†, as he tells his noblemen, â€Å"What he (the Thane of Cawdor) hath lost, noble Macbeth had won† Therefore, the above mentioned instances convince the reader that Macbeth is indeed heroic, popular and courageous. Another reason leading to Macbeth’s tragic ending is his overpowering sense of ambition. This is discussed by his wife, Lady Macbeth, and Macbeth himself.After reading Macbeth’s letter, his wife voices concerns for him, one of which includes his ambition. She says that her husband has the ambition to be anything he wants, but not the heart to do what he has to do to get there. Moreover, Macbeth also characterizes himself as having a "vaulting ambition" which takes control of him and consumes his thoughts. Thus, Macbeth’s tragic flaw eventually leads to his self-destruction Yet another example of Macbeth’s tragic heroism is his flaw overtaking his capability to be naturally good. The murders of Duncan, Banquo and Macduff’s family are proof enough to show that Macbeth’s inner goodness and humanity have been destroyed and replaced by his ambition. When Duncan names Malcolm the Prince of Cumberland, Macbeth decides on the murder of the king. This involves him having to overcome hesitations, but aided by the persuasion of his wife, he undertakes this task. Additionally, Macbeth hires murderers to kill Banquo and his son, due to the witch’s prediction of Fleance becoming king. Finally, the slaughter of Macduff’s household by the same murderers, to ensure he would reach his ambition without obstacles, is a final seal to prove that Macbeth’s sense of ambition drives him to near-insanity. Macbeth :: English Literature Essays Macbeth The character of Macbeth is a classic example of a Shakespearean tragic hero. Some of the factors that justify this title to Macbeth are his greatness and outstanding potential, both as a warrior and a nobleman, his very powerful sense of ambition, and the outweighing of this flaw over his exceptional goodness. One of the many reasons that Macbeth is categorized as a tragic hero is his courage and success as a war hero. This is evident when, in the beginning of the play, the Captain narrates Macbeth’s braveries to Duncan, and the king himself refers to Macbeth as â€Å"noble Macbeth†. Right from the beginning of the play, Shakespeare clearly defines Macbeth as a well-respected war hero. The Captain talks about how Macbeth killed everybody in his path to get to Macdonwald and then â€Å"unseamed him from the nave to th’ chops† before finally spearing the head of his enemy. Furthermore, King Duncan himself refers to the protagonist as â€Å"noble Macbeth†, as he tells his noblemen, â€Å"What he (the Thane of Cawdor) hath lost, noble Macbeth had won† Therefore, the above mentioned instances convince the reader that Macbeth is indeed heroic, popular and courageous. Another reason leading to Macbeth’s tragic ending is his overpowering sense of ambition. This is discussed by his wife, Lady Macbeth, and Macbeth himself.After reading Macbeth’s letter, his wife voices concerns for him, one of which includes his ambition. She says that her husband has the ambition to be anything he wants, but not the heart to do what he has to do to get there. Moreover, Macbeth also characterizes himself as having a "vaulting ambition" which takes control of him and consumes his thoughts. Thus, Macbeth’s tragic flaw eventually leads to his self-destruction Yet another example of Macbeth’s tragic heroism is his flaw overtaking his capability to be naturally good. The murders of Duncan, Banquo and Macduff’s family are proof enough to show that Macbeth’s inner goodness and humanity have been destroyed and replaced by his ambition. When Duncan names Malcolm the Prince of Cumberland, Macbeth decides on the murder of the king. This involves him having to overcome hesitations, but aided by the persuasion of his wife, he undertakes this task. Additionally, Macbeth hires murderers to kill Banquo and his son, due to the witch’s prediction of Fleance becoming king. Finally, the slaughter of Macduff’s household by the same murderers, to ensure he would reach his ambition without obstacles, is a final seal to prove that Macbeth’s sense of ambition drives him to near-insanity.

19th Century of American Literature Essay

Choose one short story and one poem from the 19th century. Write to compare the ways in which each of these may be considered representative of American culture during the time period in which it was written. Cite specific evidence from the literature to support your ideas. Short story: The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin A woman by the name of Mrs. Mallard has some heart problems so those around her are worried that revealing the news of her husband’s recent death might cause her a lot of stress and sadness which might in turn make her heart worse. See more: Satirical elements in the adventure of Huckleberry Finn essay â€Å"Knowing that Mrs. Mallard was afflicted with a heart trouble, great care was taken to break to her as gently as possible the news of her husband’s death.† (Chopin) Upon hearing the news she breaks into tears, just as her loved ones had feared. She is expressing sadness over her husband’s death. â€Å"She did not hear the story as many women have heard the same, with a paralyzed inability to accept its significance. She wept at once, with sudden, wild abandonment, in her sister’s arms.† (Chopin) She then experiences grief, where she doesn’t want anything to do with anyone at the moment because her mind is in such a fragile state, plagued with emotions and thoughts, that she needs space alone to clear it. â€Å"She did not hear the story as many women have heard the same, with a paralyzed inability to accept its significance. She wept at once, with sudden, wild abandonment, in her sister’s arms.† (Chopin) After being in her room for some time her thoughts are starting to get to her. She doesn’t know it yet, but she is so sad that she’s allowing her thoughts to get the better of her and she is not in a strong state to deal  with them which will only cause things to get worse. â€Å"There was something coming to her and she was waiting for it, fearfully. What was it?† (Chopin) She is dying from a broken heart and she is welcoming death to take her and free her from the pain she is feeling of missing her husband. â€Å"Free! Body and soul free!† she kept whispering.† (Chopin) She was feeling such sadness and grief that is had but a lot of stress on her heart and weakened it to the point of fatality. â€Å"When the doctors came they said she had died of heart disease–of the joy that kills.† (Chopin) â€Å"The Story of an Hour† was written during the romantic period which was a time where writers and artists worked to free humanity from the mindset that everything was based upon logic and explanation. This story was written to bring light to the idea that emotions are important and that they are so important, they can affect you physically and can kill you. This story touches heavily on grief and sorrow and it connects physical problems with emotional ones which portrays the goals of many writers and artists through the romantic period because they wanted to express emotion and this sort story definitely did just that. Poem: Raven by Edgar Allan Poe The Raven is a story about a person who is mourning over the loss of a love . â€Å"ONCE upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary, Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore† (Poe) The â€Å"tapping† he hears are his own thoughts, the answer to a question that he longs to know the answer to. He represents it in the form of a physical object coming to him in the middle of the night. â€Å"While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping, As of someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.† (Poe) He wants his lover back because he is still deeply in love with her. â€Å"From my books surcease of sorrow—sorrow for the lost Lenore, 10 For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore: Nameless here for evermore.† (Poe) He is afraid of his own thoughts because deep in his mind he knows that he will never see his lover again and that she is gone for good, but he still refuses to believe she is gone for good so he searches for some reassurance that it’s not true, but he’s scared to find the answer because he’s scared he’ll be proven right. â€Å"Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing, 25 Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortals ever dared to dream before;† (Poe) The poem â€Å"The Raven† was written during the romantic period, a time where literature and art expressed senses and emotion rather than reason and logic. This poem is reflecting deeply on the emotions of love, sorrow, grief, and a possible anger. It touches on human emotions and brought attention to humanity and what it is like to be a human from an emotional view which was the goal in the romantic period.