Changing Behavior Case Analysis

Changing Behavior Case Analysis Carlissa Tigue Psychology Narketta Sparkman Baker College October 25, 2012 The client, Mrs Freeman has been a drinker for 15 years and she currently drinks a fifth of Vodka a day and a six pack of beer. She is the mother of three girls and three boys. She has developed health issues related to her long term drinking habit. Mrs. Freeman wants to quit drinking for her own health and the health of her children. Classical conditioning could explain Mrs. Freeman’s drinking addition. Her drinking acted as an unconditioned stimulus.As she continued to drink, she craved for more drinks and then stronger drinks this becomes her unconditioned response. Over time social, environmental and psychological influences became the conditioned stimulus for Mrs. Freeman’s drinking habit. When Mrs. Freeman finds herself in certain situations that make her feel uncomfortable her conditioned response is to have a drink. An example of this would be that Mrs. Fre eman finds having depending solely on herself stressful, so she has a drink or two or maybe three.Mrs Freeman knows that this is not the behavior she wants to continue but because of classical conditioning (Morris & Maisto, p. 153), she continues to drink whenever possible. The negative effects of her drinking are poor health for her and her children. The cost of buying liquid and beer on a regular bases are things Mrs. Freeman wants to stop. Mrs Freeman could use classical conditioning to learn to quit drinking. She also could go to AA meetings and get a sponsor. The meetings would be the unconditioned stimulus (Morris & Maisto, p. 154). Every time Mrs.Freeman wants a drink she could go to a meeting or call her sponsor. Mrs. Freeman should pay attention to things that upset her and led her to having a drink. She should continue to go to her AA meetings and talking to her sponsor. In time the continued behavior of going to AA and speaking with her sponsor would become her conditione d stimulus. When Mrs Freeman finds herself in a situation that she cannot handle, she calls her sponsor or attend a meeting, this would become her conditioned response to situation that she cannot handle. Operant Conditioning could also play a part in Mrs.Freeman’s drinking habit. Mrs. Freeman started drinking when she was younger, as she got older she drunk more due to pressure. She continued to drink because she had so much going on, that she could not handle. The good feeling associated with drinking acted as a positive reinforcement, that made her continue her behavior. Now that Mrs. Freeman is grown and all on her own drinking has had a negative effect on Mrs. Freeman’s life. She has gone to work drinking, and been warn not to do it again. This has not stop Mrs. Freeman from drinking, she now just hides her drinking better. Mrs.Freeman knows that if she continues this behavior, she could loss her job. She has been affected by both positive and negative reinforceme nt (Morris & Maisto, p 159). The negative reinforcement of drinking is poor health and the possibility of losing her job. These things have made Mrs. Freeman motivated to quit drinking. Instead of having a drink Mrs. Freeman will call her sponsor or even have a cup of coffee. She will reward herself by buying herself a new dress every time, she doesn’t pick up a drink. Mrs. Freeman is motivated to quit drinking for her health and the health of her children.Cognitive and social learning also play a role in maintain unwanted behaviors (Morris & Maisto, p 174). Growing up with a father who was drinking everyday played a part in Mrs. Freeman’s emotional state. She grew up not knowing that the same thing could happen to her. Mrs Freeman saw her father drinking every day, she stole drinks when her father was not around. Mrs. Freeman modified her behavior so that her mother nor father knew she was drinking. Seeing her father get yelled at by her mother led Mrs. Freeman to lea rning how to not get caught drinking.When she reached adulthood, she had tried to quit drinking on several occasion. She felt that it was something wrong with her. As a young adult just finishing school Mrs. Freeman felt overwhelmed, and the drinking become worst. This type of behavior is known as learned helplessness (Morris & Mastio, p. 164). My conclusion is that after speaking with Mrs Freeman, and hearing her story with drinking. Mrs. Freeman will continue to seek help to overcome her addition. With the right people and motivation, she will be fine. Mrs. Freeman will live a productive life in society if she continues to follow the plans that she has set forth.

Singing in the Rain

Singing in The Rain Brianna Walsh The Use of Singing and Dance in Singin’ In the Rain Singin’ In the Rain is a fantastic movie that shows the transition between silent films and â€Å"talkies. † This film, however, would have no impact what so ever if it were not a musical. The dancing in the movie gave it something different making the movie a classic, while the singing gave the premise of the movie. Lina Lamont would be the first problem with a normal film. If the movie did not have singing, the impact of how bad her voice really was would not be heard. The shocking shrill of her voice is really the premise of the whole movie.To really be appreciated, Lina waited a little before talking in the movie creating anticipation in the viewers. Her lack of dancing abilities just furthered her distance from the â€Å"talkies† and made the audience root against her. Kathy Selden really shined in this movie because of the singing and dancing. Her voice was fantasti c and her dancing, especially paired with Don Lockwood, was better than many audiences had ever seen before. Without these two aspects in place, Kathy would not have been as likeable and her position as the underdog would have affected how the audience viewed her.Don Lockwood swooned all the ladies in this film with his charming singing and amazing tap dancing. He was really the star, in my eyes, of both of the categories. He was impossible to look away from because of his complicated choreography with his co-stars. Don would be nothing in this film if not for the singing and dancing. His part in the film would lessen immensely and he wouldn’t have made such an impact with the viewers. This film is a classic in American history solely because of the singing and dancing scenes. If these two things were not included in the film, it would have been lost among other movies of the time.

Assignment †OUMH1203 English for Written Communication- SEP 13 Essay

ASSIGNMENT SUBMISSION AND ASSESSMENT ______________________________________________________________________________ OUMH1203 ENGLISH FOR WRITTEN COMMUNICATION SEPTEMBER 2013 ______________________________________________________________________________ INSTRUCTIONS TO STUDENTS 1.This assignment contains TWO (2) questions that is set in the language of the printed module for the course. 2. Your assignment should be typed using 12 point Times New Roman font and 1.5 line spacing. 3.Your assignment should be between 500 to 800 words excluding references. The number of words should be shown at the end of your assignment. Do not copy the assignment question and instructions to your answer. 4. You must submit your assignment BY MAIL to fes.assignments@villacollege.edu.mv by 18:00 hrs. You are advised to keep a copy of your submitted assignment for personal reference. 5.You can submit your assignment ONCE only in a SINGLE file. 6. Your first assignment must be submitted on 27th October and the second assignment on 10th November. Submission after 1800 hrs on this date will be accepted as LATE SUBMISSION. 10% of your assignment marks will be deducted for each delayed day. 7. You should not copy another person’s assignment. You should also not plagiarise another person’s work as your own. EVALUATION This assignment accounts for 50 % of the marks for the course mentioned and shall be assessed based on the Rubrics or Answer Scheme. You would be informed of the assignment mark before the Final Semester Examination commences. PLAGIARISM : MARKS DEDUCTION Warning: The submitted assignment will undergo a similarity check. If plagiarism is detected, marks would be deducted as follows: Assignments with 10 – 30 % overlap with others: 20% deduction from the total marks scored. Assignments with more than 30% overlap with others: Zero mark would be given. ASSIGNMENT QUESTION This assignment consists of TWO parts. PART A: IN CLASS ASSESSMENT_ (INDIVIDUAL TASK-30%) From the list of topics below you need to choose any THREE topics and this must be done in class during your tutorial sessions. Each of these essays carries 10% of the total marks. Each essay should be approximately 500-800 words long. a) In many countries, old people are sent to live in old-age homes where there are nurses to look after them. Sometimes governments pay for this care. Who should be responsible for our old people? Use specific reasons and details to explain your choice. b) The Expectancy Theory of Motivation by Victor H. Vroom suggests that an individual’s perceived view of an outcome will determine the level of motivation. How can this theory be applied in the Maldivian classrooms to improve the performance of secondary students? c) Though not out of choice, the current situation requires students to join evening classes to complete their tertiary education at colleges and universities. What are the advantages and disadvantages of attending classes in the evening? d) Co-education is the current system followed in Maldivian schools. While some think students study better in single-sex schools, others believe they need to be mixed for various reasons. In your opinion, what is the best system for the Maldivian schools? Justify your opinion with specific reasons and details. PART B: GROUP TASK (20%) You need to complete these TWO tasks in groups of 3 or 4. Work in groups of three or four people. Choose TWO of the topics given below. Write a research essay on each of your chosen topic. Your research essay carries 10% of the total marks each. Each essay must be between 500 to 800 words long. . a) International research has found numerous benefits which apprenticeship brings for those apprentices who complete their programme. How important is a national level apprenticeship programme for the Maldivians? Write a report on this including recommendations to improve the current situation. b) The customs and traditions of a country help to maintain its uniqueness. It is believed that many customs and traditions of the Maldivians are dying out due to globalisation. Write a report based on the impact of globalisation on the Maldivian customs and traditions. c) The number of motor vehicles imported to the Maldives is increasing at an alarming rate. Write a report based on the potential transportation problems  of Male’ in 15 years’ time, and provide suggestions to overcome them. d) Many believe heavy exposure to TV carnage during childhood leads to imitation of what they see on TV, acceptance of violence as normal, desensitization to real people’s suffering and arousal by images on television, triggering violent responses. Write a report on how critical this issue is in the Maldives? Include recommendations to overcome this problem in the future. Thank you and Good luck! ____________________________________________________________________________ END OF PAGE

Discuss the concept of post heritage in relation to two more films Essay

Discuss the concept of post heritage in relation to two more films that you have studied - Essay Example The Duchess of Devonshire had an extravagant personal life and her political life. These films become the new significance of the heritage of the United Kingdom. The films contain contemporary political and social events that are not normal for the royal families in Europe. There were massive social and political implications of Princess Diana’s death and funeral. There was public hysteria during her funeral service that did not sit well with the public. The royal family did not want the death of Princess Diana to be a public affair, but the media could not listen to the family. The views of the royal family were a contrast to that of the then Prime Minister Tony Blair and Diana’s husband Prince Charles. The two believe the funeral of Princess Diana should be made a public affair since she was a public figure. The media naturally complicate the issues surrounding Princess Diana’s death and her funeral (Frears 2006). No one knows the official status of Diana as she had a divorce from her husband during the time of her death. The society loves controversies and spectacles. The drama is surrounding Diana’s death fit right in the popular culture of the people. The heritage film made the people challenge the knowledge they had of the past royal family to the present royal family surrounded by controversy. The experience of the movie is very significant to the present day United Kingdom regarding protocols during the death of a royal family member. Tony Blair’s fortune takes for the worst after the funeral of Princess Diana the release of the film â€Å"The Queen† coincides with his downfall and resignation afterwards. Queen Elizabeth in the film is worried about how Tony Blair is going to modernize Britain as the new Labor Prime Minister. The Prime Minister, however, promises Queen Elizabeth of respecting British’s heritage and the Royal Family order of doing things. Blair, however, goes against the

Fluid mechanical Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Fluid mechanical - Coursework Example Looking at those pipes, you might notice that they have different diameters creating an illusion (Kezerashvili & Sapozhnikov 2000, 1). This causes an imbalance when water is put in the thick end, and no water in the thinner opening of the pipe. The construction made in the pipe make the liquid not to come to equilibrium; as a result, the water in the thick end exert weight pushing the water down the thick pipe. The kilogram of water that was situated at the most elevated point on one end moves in the opposite direction to the following side, precisely as a pendulum would when swigged (Kezerashvili & Sapozhnikov 2000, 1). The overbalancing mass of water getaways from the slight end because the channel is so short, it is impractical hold 1 kg of water. On the peculiarity, you comprehend that the surge is redirected to the thick end of the channel, where it extends the measure of time required for the liquid to accomplish concordance while encountering the tight end. The structure will accomplish amicability in the unmistakable measure of time that it takes for the water to pass through the restricted tube. Note: This charm Fountain examination will certainly for two reasons: at first, it relies on upon pneumatic power, which runs out once the first holder gets filled.  Furthermore, the fundamental thing that goes to the second compartment is vaporous pressure and not water. In this manner, it moves the water in the second compartment to the third, yet nothing refills the second holder! No water ever moves into that holder. Munson, B., & Okiishi, T. (2009).Fundamentals of fluid mechanics  (6th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: J. Wiley & Sons. Kezerashvili, R., & Sapozhnikov, A. (2000). Magic Fountain. Retrieved November 13, 2014, from

United Nations And International Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

United Nations And International Law - Essay Example The role of the United Nations through its different affiliate organs; the United Nations Secretariat, International Court of Justice and the Security Council carry this important function of ensuring peace in the world. the International Court of Justice have affiliate courts and tribunals that aid in reprimanding people and states who have committed acts against people in different parts of the globe. These include International Criminal Court-created by the Rome Statute, Secretary-General's Trust Fund and the Special Tribunal for Lebanon amongst others. International law is very beneficial in that without it there would be chaos this is based on a set of the outline on states as the key actors in the international legal system. The international law defines each and every states individual and collective role in their performance with one another, within each and every state's boundary and their treatment of their citizens of those member countries. International law covers very m any different areas primal to their interest is the value of human rights, disarmament of militia communities and other unauthorized militias, refugees, migration, statelessness, organized crime, and treatment of inmates among others. Secretariat The headquarters of the United Nations hence the Secretariat is based in New York, although the body maintains the formidable presence in various cities across the globe and these include Ethiopia, Austria, Kenya, Santiago, Thailand, Switzerland, and Beirut.... International law is very beneficial in that without it there would be chaos this is based on a set of outline on states as the key actors in the international legal system. The international law defines each and every states individual and collective role in their performance with one another, within each and every state’s boundary and their treatment of their citizens of those member countries. International law covers very many different areas primal to their interest is the value of human rights, disarmament of militia communities and other unauthorized militias, refugees, migration, statelessness, organized crime and treatment of inmates among others. Secretariat The headquarters of the United Nations hence the Secretariat is based in New York, although the body maintains formidable presence in various cities across the globe and these include Ethiopia, Austria, Kenya, Santiago, Thailand, Switzerland and Beirut. This refers to a host of international staff working in very many different duty stations around the world, they carry out diverse functions that relate to day-to- day roles of their offices and the general core values of the body. The Secretariat enhances the activities of other agencies and primary organs of the UN and thereafter oversees the programmes and functions established by them. At the heart ofUN-secretariat there is a Secretary-General who is appointed by the UNGA with the assistance from UNSC, and serves a five-year term, which is renewable. The secretariat is the core body of the United Nations and runs most of its day-to-day activities, coordinating the mandate of the United Nations all over the world. The range of duties includes but not limited to

Andean and mesoamerican societies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Andean and mesoamerican societies - Essay Example In this discussion, the war methods of the two societies are explored. Both Andeans and Mesoamericans did not have complicated weapons for war fighting. They both used traditional war tools for hunting purposes, however, the approach in fighting their enemies varied. Mesoamericans had organized war fare than the Andeans. Andeans had poor weapons against their enemies and they majorly relied on the old war tactic methods. They used tools such as, flint- tipped spears, and cotton quilted tunics, bows and arrows to fight their enemies.1 In addition, they had no technologically advanced weapons, and this made them suffer defeat in many war stages. 2 Their poor war methods and choice of traditional weapons made Spanish triumph over them during the war. This led to the capture of their emperor by the enemies because of their technological vulnerability and cultural gap. Mesoamerican’s war was occasionally based on raids. Their wars fare rose as a result of the destruction and seizing of fixed assets. They had different methods of fighting. These methods were based on experience and skills, which they had learnt over the years. During wars, they retreated strategically to their familiar territories. Notably, they had to siege cities during the wars to counter their enemy. They also used alliances method. The alliances made the weaker enemies defeat the most powerful enemies, who were likely to beat them in the war. This method worked greatly in their favour. Another method of fighting the enemy was the destruction warfare methods. This method majorly included burning. The jungle terrain of their land also made it more complicated for their enemies to reach them. 3The warfare used was also through control of trade routes, which made them defend their cities with defensive structures like gateways, earthworks, and palisades. At some point, they could use hunting tools for war purposes. Moreover,

Auditing Ethics among Public Accountants Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Auditing Ethics among Public Accountants - Essay Example However, auditing or attestation is the only professional service for which Auditors have a legal monopoly and the right to place restrictions on the form of practice. Professional associations are therefore unable to dictate the organizational forms through which auditing services, such as tax preparation and consulting, are provided. Â  In the past few years several publicly held "consolidators," including American Express and H&R Block, entered the public accounting market by acquiring the attestation practices of Auditor firms. Given that the performance of attestation engagements is restricted to traditional Auditor firms, the consolidators developed a variety of approaches that allow the Auditor firm and the financial services corporation to legally coexist subsequent to the consolidation of their practices. In cases like American Express, the employees of the Auditor firm work for the consolidator corporation, and the Auditor practice leases office space and employees from the corporation to perform attestation engagements. In other cases like H&R Block, the employees continue to work for the Auditor firm and are leased on an as-needed basis to the consolidator corporation. ... Â  Questions arise over issues such as appropriate compensation schemes for partners with dual employment status, potential financial relationships between the public corporation and audit clients of the Auditor firm, and whether independence requirements should be extended to non-Auditor supervisors of Auditor employees (ISB 2003). Because it can be argued that, in substance, public corporations are performing audit engagements, at a recent New York State Board of Regents Conference on the Professions, the public accounting profession was criticized for allowing audits to be performed through these types of organizational arrangements (Huefner 2000). Â  Previous discussions of the consolidation movement focus primarily on the implications of APS arrangements for auditor independence (Huefner 2004). This article suggests that corporate ownership poses additional threats to Auditor professionalism and ethics. For example, if consolidation places Auditors under the effective control of nonprofessional managers of publicly owned corporations, it may place greater emphasis on commercialism and profitability, in lieu of traditional professional values such as objectivity and integrity. As consolidators grow in size and influence, they may adopt strategies aimed at modifying accepted standards of performance in public accounting. Â  

Karl Marx and Islam in Kuwait Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Karl Marx and Islam in Kuwait - Essay Example This essay will discuss the influence of Karl Max ideologies and Islam in Kuwait. To start with, several ideologies advocated by Karl Max are easily integrated to Islamic religious beliefs. Firstly, even though Karl Marx was considered to negatively criticize religions, it is evident that he acknowledged the role of religions in an economy. Karl Marx identified religion as a source of comfort for people facing economic challenges in a country. This may not necessarily imply that Karl Marx promoted atheism, but it is evident that religion played a central role in encouraging people despite the tough economic situations. Similarly, the Islamic religion promotes the principle by promoting principles that provide refuge to the poor and economically challenged citizens. It is because of this ideology of religious support that major relief organizations like Kuwait Joint Relief Committee, an International Islamic Relief Organization, were initiated in Kuwait. However, on a rather negative point, Karl Marx criticized religion as being the greatest reason why the poor were unable to face the harsh economic realities. According to Universidad de Puerto Rico, Karl Marx criticized religions for providing an ideology that did not offer permanent solution to the poor, who were being exploited by the wealthy class (n.d). In most cases, the poor community members hold tightly to their religious beliefs because they offer some sought of relief to the harsh economic realities in the world. This can be reflected to the Islamic religious beliefs in Kuwait. Being an Islamic country, majority of the population in Kuwait belief in having a better life after death if at all they follow the Islamic teachings strictly. This has affected the economic and political developments in the country because people are not free to criticize malpractices in the political system. As a result, many people have adapted to the political and economic status quo position m aking

Consumer Behavior Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Consumer Behavior - Assignment Example Many individuals have convictions that the theory not only provides the platform for individual performance but also for the success of the businesses. The theory illuminates that people or human needs can be faceted using five sets. The existence of these needs is in a particular order of which if one is fulfilled, the desire to fulfill the next one crop up. The first need encompasses the basic needs that aid in the functioning of the body. The examples of such need are activities such as eating, drinking et cetera. At times, the sexual needs are usually category. The next need entails the deep inherent desire to be secure and safe. Security in this context refers to having the knowledge that those basic are to be fulfilled in future. The third needs involve the need for love, company or friendship. Humans tend to forget that once they had forgotten that they were hungry in the past, they cared little about love. The immediate subsequent stage consists of the social needs (Kremer & Hammond, 2014). The social needs may involve the need for an individual to belong in the highest status, social recognition, and the need for respect. In the last set of the needs is the self-actualization need. Maslow’s initial work did not entail the used of either triangle or pyramid to represents the human motivational needs. However, the contemporary Maslow’s needs have the illustration of the needs in a pyramid format where the preferential order of the needs begins at the pyramid’s based to the top. In the management approach the needs were as follows: the physiological needs, safety needs, social needs, esteem needs, and self actualization needs. Managers often use the model to identify the employees’ needs with the aim of aiding them to fulfill the needs. These needs are so essential in the life of individuals that if not met, makes it difficult to move up the pyramid. In the physiological needs, the basic needs hotels can offer are in

Economical Markets Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Economical Markets Paper - Essay Example Monopoly is an economic structure where there one participant which controls the marketplace. . In such a market the firm realizing business controls the price, but it is not immune to the law of demand and supply. The price is set at the quantity and price point which maximizes profit for a company.. The market demand is downward sloping, but the difference is that in order to maximize profits price is not part of the equation and the formula is determined by the following equation, MR=MC. An example of an intangible asset which allows the formation of a monopoly in Parkersburg is Water – City of Parkersburg Utility. The company is the only firm that produces water within the region, thus they are monopoly. Utility monopolies are at times received governmental incentives so that the basic utility services such as water and electricity become cheaper for the people living below the poverty. Another economic market structure is monopolistic competition. Monopolistic competition is a market structure in which there are lots of competitors and the players utilized differentiation in order to bring uniqueness to their produce offer discrepancies among similar products. In order to effectively compete in such a market it is important to differentiate the product. This can be accomplished though expert advertising, innovation or better production methods. The market demand curve in monopolistic competition slopes downward, thus the equation to maximize profits is MR=MC. Graphically to determine the price for this output the economist extends the quantity line to the demand curve. In Virginia a company that operates in monopolistic market structure is Dairy Queen Brazier. Dairy Queen is a company in the fast food industry which delivers a product that is unique for the industry. The offers classic burgers and hotdogs, but the company also offers gourmet dairy product such as fresh bread,

Natural Disasters and Their Effect on the Macro Economy Essay Example for Free

Natural Disasters and Their Effect on the Macro Economy Essay Natural Disasters can have both a positive and negative impact on the local, national and the global economy. However it is rare, but not out of the question, to see the positive impact it may have on an economy. For instance, when disaster struck in Haiti from the 7. 3 magnitude earthquake in 2010, between 200,000-250,000 people were killed. That is 2 percent of the total Haitian population of only 10 million. Comparatively New York City alone totals nearly as much as the entire population of Haiti with about 8. 2 million people (U. S. Census Bureau, 2010). The Inter-American Development Bank estimated that it cost 8.5 billion dollars in damage to Haitis economy. The earthquake caused the countrys gross domestic product (GDP) to contract 5. 1 percent that year. Considering that Haiti’s economy only produced 12 billion dollars in 2008, 8. 5 billion dollars is a huge deficit to the overall production and functionality of their economic and social growth. That is less than a tenth of a percent of U. S. GDP of 14 trillion dollars, but Haiti’s GDP per capita is only 1,300 dollars compared to over 40,000 dollars per person in the U. S. (CIA. gov). With all of this said, Haiti brought in nearly fifteen billion dollars through donations. So although there was catastrophic and disastrous losses to both the social and economic stimulus, on donations alone, Haiti was able to receive three billion dollars more than even their best year in 2008 with only twelve billion dollars. Proposing a theoretical situation, if an earthquake destroyed capital stock but left the labor force intact, the real rental price of capital would increase. The real rental price equals the marginal product of capital and having less capital stock available raises the marginal product of capital and therefore, raises its real rental price. This situation would also make the labor force larger in relation to available capital. Since this would lead to a declining marginal product of labor as workers have less equipment to use, the real wage would decrease as well. Due to rising world population, climate change, and environmental degradation, natural disasters are increasing in frequency. They are also becoming costlier and deadlier, according to Swiss Re, a reinsurance company; the U. S. suffered a cost of 145 billion dollars in 2004, which was up from 65 billion dollars in 2003. In 2009, natural disasters cost insurers about 110 billion dollars. In 2010, the cost was double that, at 218 billion dollars. So as you can see, in the past 10 years there have been jumps nearly doubling the cost that a country suffers to natural disasters from year to year. According to the World Bank, there are several factors that affect a country’s vulnerability to natural disasters: its geographic size, the type of disaster, the strength and structure of its economy, and prevailing socioeconomic conditions. In a globalized economy, all these factors, as well as others, also play into how the world’s finances will be affected. A common belief is that short-term economic hits after a disaster, even those as large as this year’s earthquake and tsunami in Japan or Hurricane Katrina in the U. S. in 2005 are more than offset by the reconstruction boom that follows. However this is only in countries that are large and rich enough to have short-term stabilization to the immediate economic hit. The nature of the disaster and the size of the victim count in an economy are key when determining whether or not natural disasters have a negative impact on macroeconomic growth. So in a country such as Haiti and their disastrous earthquake, although a lot of money was pumped into the economy in order to help in the rebuilding, that does not do much when they are still in need of the proper man power that can produce new development or ideas for rebuilding the structures that were destroyed. Incidences of natural disasters have increased by 30 percent since the 1960s, and risk-modeling companies have raised the likelihood of a Katrina-like event happening once every 20 years, rather than once every 40 years (SKOUFIAS, 2003). Because of the possibility of large natural disasters happening more often as well as more frequent smaller natural disasters occurring, how will the economy be affected? Especially if before the reconstruction both socially and economically is finished from the original disaster, another strikes in the same area. Another problem that is faced with economic downfalls due to natural disasters is how other countries may view the stability of that country. For example, 75 percent of Haiti’s national income came through the export of retail apparel to the United States. If Haiti were to have any kind of smaller disasters before they can properly rebuild their economic and working communities, then other countries will only see them as a reoccurring high-risk investment and will no longer look to invest in Haiti, only deepening their turmoil from an economic stand point. Droughts cannot be forgotten either. 2010 set records as the hottest year in one of the hottest decades in history. Climate change, exacerbated by the effects of El Nino, sparked off a series of global heat waves. In Pakistan, temperatures rose to 128. 3 degrees Fahrenheit on May 26, the highest temperature seen in Asia. Russia was plagued by a series of wildfires, destroying crops and woodland, and blanketing cities in smog. People across Europe had to be hospitalized for heat strokes and dehydration as air-conditioning failed to bring relief. Asia had one of the most severe droughts across the globe. The drought caused an estimated 3. 5 million dollars in immediate damage, both to agriculture and to the country’s hydroelectric sector. There are also other uncounted losses, but still very real costs from the drought: a drought can lower the overall productivity of land due to erosion and topsoil loss. It can reduce the numbers in livestock herds, which most of Asia relies on for everyday living needs as well as economic income. Before the end of the summer, the death toll would rise into the thousands. 15 million people were evacuated, and over a million homes destroyed. Nearly 34 million acres of crops were affected by floodwaters, with at least two million completely destroyed. By August, direct damage from the floods was estimated at $41 billion. This is something that affected the worldwide agricultural need and demand (PreventionWeb, 2010). Proving the destructive power of natural disasters, even in highly developed nations, Hurricane Katrina crushed the gulf coast. Just east of the Bahamas on August 24, 2005 a small, unlikely tropical depression intensified into a tropical storm which was given the name Katrina. This storm slowly made its way to Florida’s southern coast on the 25th where most experts believed the storm would dissipate. Unfortunately, Katrina’s path took it over the everglades allowing it to maintain its category 1 standing that it had acquired before it first made landfall, then entered the Gulf of Mexico. The warm waters of the Gulf fostered the rapid development of Katrina (Kempler 2010). The above image shows Hurricane Katrina at the height of her power. Estimates had Katrina making landfall as a category 4, but thankfully it weakened a bit and before it rolled in as a strong category 3. Katrina became been responsible for an estimated 1,800 deaths, as well as 100 billion dollars total in damages, of which about 60percent were uninsured losses. Some economists would put the total economic loss at around 250 Billion dollars (Amadeo 2011). That made Katrina the most destructive natural disaster ever to hit the United States. With all of Katrina’s destruction, the short term effects on the economy were very evident. Only one year after the disaster the United States, the economy was back to normal. In the first three quarters of 2006 the United States had GDP growth of 5. 6 percent, some of the most rapid growth in recent years (Herman 2006). Even though the nation as a whole made a quick economic recovery after Katrina, locations that were struck directly, like New Orleans, did not make the turnaround quite as rapidly as hoped. The first few months after Katrina the United States economy went into a downward trend. The GDP growth rate dropped from the 4. 2 percent that it had experienced in the first three quarters to 1. 8 percent in the last quarter of 2005. The reason for this impact goes beyond the destruction of property and the primary economic concern; the loss of goods and production capabilities (Herman 2006). Perhaps the most important resource that the gulf region produces is oil. The gulf makes up about 30 percent of America’s oil production and distribution. The effects of Katrina resulted in the destruction of 113 offshore platforms, and nearly 500 oil and gas pipelines (Amadeo 2011). The loss of this production led to a drastic increase in gas prices soaring to over 4 dollars per gallon. This drastic rise in prices created a panic, and people rushed to the gas stations to fill up before prices rose again, creating massive lines and much talk about the gloomy forecast of economic woes come. The only positive result from the increasing gas prices was when the Federal government opened the strategic petrollium reserves. This increase in gasoline prices surprisingly did not have as much of an impact as speculators feared, other than people’s outlook on the situation. There were some effects.mthough mostly food price centered. The three main goods that saw a notable impact were the prices of bananas, rice and sugar (Leibtag 2006). The primary reason for the increase in the rice and sugar prices is because the Louisiana Mississippi area is responsible for 85 percent of the sugar cane production, and 14 percent of the rice production in the United States (Leibtag 2006). The drastic loss in production from that area was softened by short-run increases in the other producers of those crops. This ability to increase short-run production is a factor that contributes to the resiliancy of free-market economies. Though the nationwide effects were not all that staggering, the effects in New Orleans the months following Katrina were devastating. With 80 percent of the city flooded, hundreds of thousands of people were forced to flee the city of New Orleans, many never to return again (Blackburn 2010). This drastic loss in population coupled with the destruction of approximately 200,000 homes and businesses led New Orleans and the surrounding areas into a dire economic situation. In the first few months after Katrina, Louisiana lost 12 percent of the state’s 214,000 jobs (Herman 2006). One result of the loss of jobs was a drastic raise in mortgage delinquancy rates (Herman 2006). This inability to pay is more than likely a contributing factor to the very low rate of return from people who were forced to evacuate their homes by Katrina. Those that did find the resolve to return to stay were in a desperate situation. New Orleans, whose primary industry is tourism, suffered great losses after the storm. They desperately needed to be able to find a way to bring back the American and foreign tourist in order to fuel the creation for more jobs. The drop in tourism is best reflected by the attendance rates in New Orleans famous Mardi-Gras and Jazz Festivals. Both events had roughly a 30 percent drop in attendance from previous years (A year after Katrina, New Orleans desperately seeking tourists 2006). Part of the reason for the delay in the return of the tourism industry is the mass clean-up that had to take place first. Before anyone could return and maintain normal operations, there was still 118 million cubic yards of debris to be cleaned up.(Amadeo 2011) Thanks to efforts by FEMA, the Red Cross and many church ministries across the country, there was much help to be found. However, despite the efforts of all these groups, New Orleans a year after the incident was still working its way very slowly towards full recovery. With the aid that had come into the city, organizations were able to rebuild infrastructure and make great improvements to both education and government. In fact, post Katrina New Orleans has experienced steady growth in almost every way, including education levels, over the last 6 years as shown by the chart below Though it took about a year for it the effects to show and recovery to really make a strong step forward, the relief money that came into New Orleans and the other areas affected by Hurricane Katrina did what the nation was hoping it would; help restore one of Americas cultural and industrial centers. The economic turnaround in New Orleans shows how an initial investment in the form of government aid, insurance claims, and private donations can improve the economy of an area affected by a natural disaster. If this idea can hold to be true with the most costly natural disaster in American history, it should work with other costly natural disasters as well. Though maybe part of New Orleans success lay in the restructuring of their government and school systems in addition to the monetary support. Though the economy of the areas affected improve without bringing down the rest of the nation’s economy, suffering this type of event might not prove to be true in countries with weaker economies. Also, if a disaster like this was to hit a city like Los Angelas or New York, like Irene almost did, it is still speculator to say if there would be similar results. One thing can be said for certain, America’s ability to maintain long term economic growth despite short term impacts, like Katrina shows the resiliency of America as an economic super-power. Other economic super powers, like Japan, are trying to find this same formula for economic recovery. In the case of Japan’s 9.0 magnitude earthquake on March 11, 2011, the loss of clean water, electricity, infrastructure, production lines, financial institutions, and more than 15,000 lives caused what the Prime Minister of Japan called the â€Å"The most difficult crisis for Japan† since World War II. However difficult it has been, people have been recovering from the loss of loved ones, injury, and the general trauma of the disaster. Perhaps the greatest and most uncertain long term effects brewing are the econ omic impacts on the world market. Many large industries and economic functions have been hurt, causing price inflation in those industries throughout the world. Since March 11, 2011, nations around the world have had to adjust their consumption in accordance with the loss of production in Japan. Several car companies, such as Toyota and Honda, had their production of car parts slowed, and electronics producers experienced the same effects (Syed, 2011). This has been felt worldwide. For example, Toshiba, who produces roughly 30 percent of the world’s computer chips that store data in smart phones, cameras, and laptops, closed down several factories due to economic losses and physical damages. Events like this are what caused the average price of a chip with eight gigabytes of memory to rise from 7. 30 dollars to around 10 dollars just three days after the earthquake and tsunami struck (Helft, 2011). Obviously, the price of computer chips is not the only price that has risen. Because computer chips are more expensive, new phones, laptops, televisions, cars, cameras, electronic billboards, and complex machinery will have a rise in price to cover the cost of parts and production. This effect will be felt for months, and maybe even years in an already instable world economy. Many of these products are produced in Japan; the world export market has been greatly affected because of that. Japan’s exports have decreased, causing increased economic uncertainty. The macroeconomic result of this is that investors tend to pull away from the increasing risk of pumping money into Japan and look for safer and smarter industries and nations to try to grow their profits (Kihara, 2011). One of the most fascinating things about today’s economy is that everything is so globally connected. Because of this and the slow in Japanese exports, the United States level of consumption of Japanese goods dove 3.4 percent following the earthquake (Guardian. uk, 2011). If this trend continued throughout the year, then the Japanese economy would have lost 4. 2 billion dollars from 2010 levels of United States consumption alone (State. gov, 2011). The disaster and surrounding effects not only caused a decrease of funds going into Japan, but the economic instability caused by the earthquake was devastating in its timing. Japanese and other Asian stock markets plunged as the news of the disaster spread, and this is coming on the heels of the U. S.stock market falling nearly 2 percent the date before. Not only that, but the earthquake caused struggling European stocks to fall to three month lows (CBSnews. com 2011). This goes to show that natural disasters can cause a myriad of negative factors in an economy, and that a spike in uncertainty can be one of the most demoralizing. That uncertainty does not just surface in the stock markets, but also in global financing. The Japanese currency, the Yen, had a significant surge the day after the massive earthq uake struck (Bloomberg. com, 2011). This is said to be credited to the immediate cleanup, repair, and reconstruction needs that Japan incurred following the damages. The long-term effects of the boost in the value of the Yen are still unknown, but it has made the Yen rise in demand in recent months, despite fluctuations since the initial rise in trading worth (Bernard, 2011). The Yen is currently becoming stable once again, eight months after its spike in March then fall in April. Japan has done well in its recovery considering that the Yen hit recent year record lows in April. This graph shows the trading value of the Yen in the past year (Forexblog.org, 2011). The value of the Yen is not the only financial issue at stake. Japan is one of the major foreign holders of U. S. government and corporation debt. With Japan’s Debt-to-GDP ratio at 200 percent, and massive amounts of government spending looming in the rebuilding of the thousands of buildings and roadways lost, Japan is in great need of more money (CIA. g ov, 2010). Because of this, the current interest rates that U. S. corporations are paying on their international loans could increase in an effort to generate more revenue in Japan (Nanto, 2011). In turn, corporations would not be able to borrow as much money for new capital investment, thus hurting the consumption and job creation in the United States at a time when jobs are greatly needed with unemployment rates near nine percent (BLS. gov, 2011). Jobs are a big issue in Japan too. With many of the more than 15,000 killed and nearly 6,000 injured people being a part of the Japanese work force, and tons of cleanup and construction to be done, companies and the government have had to hire thousands of new workers to satisfy the demand for work (Japanese National Police Agency, 2011). After a brief climb in unemployment because of the direct aftermath of the earthquake, numbers dropped to a recent history record low of 4. 1 percent (Tradingeconomics. com, 2011). Once organization was restored, Japan began to utilize its workforce to combat the challenge of rebuilding cities. It is perhaps a gruesome yet effective means of increasing job demand in a nation when its economy was unsettlingly devastated. Since the record drop in unemployment, Japan has had what could be considered a â€Å"Recovery boom. On November 14, 2011, a news article stated: Gross domestic product grew at an annualized 6 percent in the three months ending Sept. 30, the fastest pace in 1 1/2- years, the Cabinet Office said today in Tokyo. At 543 trillion yen ($7 trillion), economic output was back to levels seen before the March 11 earthquake, the report showed. Japan’s return to growth after three quarters of contraction was driven by companies including Toyota Motor Corp. making up for lost output from the disaster. A sustained rebound will depend on how much reconstruction demand can offset a slowdown in global growth as Europe’s debt crisis damps global confidence and an appreciating yen erodes profits (Sharp, 2011). The fact the Japan is now back to its pre-earthquake GDP level is remarkable. It initiates again the idea of what is known to economists as â€Å"The Broken Window Fallacy. † The theory is that an economy can create jobs and achieve higher employment levels though the destruction of the current goods that exist. However, the destruction comes at a cost of replacement that, in the end, is not going to create a net gain, but will instead create a loss or â€Å"quick-fix† break even because businesses will be stimulated, but run less efficiently in the long run. Only time will tell if Japan’s growth over the last few months is simply a rebound or if the disaster caused a rethinking of how things should be done and built, therefore creating a more efficient, productive Japanese economy. Economists will be watching closely to spot trends. Another disaster that could have the same categories of effects on a much smaller scale is Hurricane Irene. The northeastern U. S. experienced the worst flooding since the existence of many towns and buildings of the region. Since only three months have passed since Irene made landfall on the New England area on August 28, 2011, the long term impact of the estimated 45 billion dollars in losses are still speculative (Morici, 2011). Given the current status of the American economy, any damages of the storm are probably being felt most nationwide right now, if compared to the time table of Japan’s economic fall and rise with respect to the earthquake in March. The U. S. may see a slight drop in unemployment and a rise in capital investment as part of the restoration of Irene’s damages, but most likely, no real growth will come out of it. However, the increase in consumption in order to rebuild the damaged parts of the northeast may spark a rise in consumer confidence, and that is what America desperately needs. A natural disaster in a third world country might bring in more money in aid than that country’s economy could have ever produced on its own, making a very positive economic impact. But, as far as the number go, in a developed nation like the United States or Japan, natural disasters cause little more than a large scale broken window fallacy case study. A hurricane, earthquake, or other disaster can bring forth events that build intangible benefits such as consumer confidence, improved organization of infrastructure, or more efficient ideas, but most real development and confidence comes from ingenuity, not devastation. However, it is hard to argue against the fact that necessity is the mother of invention, or in this case, restructured success. Works Cited

Sympathy In The Story Perfume English Literature Essay

Sympathy In The Story Perfume English Literature Essay As Perfume created by Suskind unravels the story of an olfactory vampire, the reader is introduced to its tragic anti-hero   JeanBaptiste Grenouille the literal translation of which is frog, an amphibian known for its despicable appearance and keen sense of smell. Grenouille is introduced with traits like arrogance, misanthropy, immorality, or, more succinctly, wickedness  [1]  . Born amidst the stench and the squalor of Paris with streets that stank of manure, the stench of costic Iyes from the tanneries  [2]  , Grenouille is rejected by his mother at his birth and by cutting of the umbilical cord with her gutting knife  [3]  she disassociates and distances herself from him forever. Unlike her four still births, who she left to die, Grenouille survived in this repulsive and sickening neighborhood to evolve into a serial killer.  This childhood trauma of abandonment and abuse and the grotesque way in which the mother literally leaves Grenouille to fend for himself in the foetid odour of burnt animal horn  [4]  evokes pity and sympathy for the baby.These smells create an atmosphere and prepare the reader for what has yet to come. He is callously dumped in an orphanage where the other children almost asphyxiate him to death but he survived the measles, chicken pox, a twenty foot fall into a well and a scalding with boiling water poured over his ch est  [5]  which left him with a slightly crippled foot  [6]  and a limp but he lived.  [7]  Any other child faced with such traumatic experience without the care of a mothers warmth would have breathed his last, but not Grenouille. He was a survivor and ironically lived in the claustrophobic world of eighteenth century France in which he was overpowered by olfactory  experiences. The House of the Spirits crafted by Isabelle Allende is set against the backdrop of political turmoil and social upheaval of Chile   a politically volatile country in Latin America. Esteban Trueba belonged to that minority of socially and economically elite class which controlled the fortunes of the majority: peasants and laborers. He is the outcome of an alliance between his wealthy mother Dona Ester Trueba and a good for nothing immigrant  [8]  father who squandered away the wealth leaving his children to resurrect their lives. Esteban is, like Grenouille, devoid of warm, caring touch of his mother since she was immobile in her chair and was put back into her bed, propped up in the half seated position that was the only one her arthritis allowed  [9]  . Being in the company of a money driven father and a bed ridden mother, Esteban Trueba is a character sculpted by the circumstances. His had been a childhood of privations, discomfort, harshness, interminable night-time ros aries, fear, and guilt.  [10]  Ã‚   In Perfume the uncanny description of Grenouille committing his first murder accidentally to capture the smell of a young virgin elicits two strong emotions from the reader: repulsion for killing an innocent; bafflement at having not assaulted her;However,Grenouillerealized the meaning and goal and purpose of his life had a higher destiny: nothing less than to revolutionize the odiferous world.  [11]  A murder had been start of his splendor. If he was at all aware of the fact, it was a matter of total indifference to him.  [12]  Later, when he begs Baldini to give him work the reader wants him to succeed even though we hope that he fails. Moreover, in his ruthless killing of young girls in pursuit of a distilled, pure scent, we are morbidly fascinated by the vials of perfume yet sickened by our own thoughts. The reader is confronted with Grenouilles desperation and his need for acceptance for which he would go to any length. At the end of his self imposed hibernation, he real izes that only one odour was not there-his own odor  [13]  , a scream as dreadful and loud as if he were being burned alive  [14]  came out of him.Since Grenouille determines identity through smell and the fact that he cannot smell himself brings himthe realisation that he does not have an identity. He experiences the fear of not knowing anything about himself. The reader identifies and sympathises with the insecurity that Grenouille possesses, because he has no odour and thus he is an outcast in society. Similarly, Esteban is a savage and a barbaric in Tres Marias tumbling young girls on the rushes of the riverbankà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦sowing the entire region with his bastard offspring.  [15]  However, Tres Marias is the microcosm of the systematic and generational abuse of the labour class and Esteban represents the autocratic dictator. he could tolerate no opposition; he viewed the slightest disagreement as a provocation  [16]  This evokes extreme dislike for Esteban but by bringing out the callous and insensitive side of Esteban, Allende depicts the oligarchy that controlled the government, preventing the voice of the people from being expressed.The peasants had not heard of unions, or Sundays off, or the minimum wages.  [17]  Atrocities were committed against the citizens as torture, beatings, and rape was common practice. Esteban Truebas rape of PanchaGarcà ­a is a reflection of the exploitation of the peasant classes by the upper classes. Thus, Esteban is a metaphor for all the ills plaguing the society at that time. He has to be seen not as a cruel patriarch but embodiment of the rotting, declining system that mirrors the class struggle, the gender bias and the political dichotomy.   Both books follow the tradition of bildungsroman: the protagonists suffer an emotional loss in the beginning of the story and both feature their journey through life, conflicts between them and society and their steely determination to excel and follow the path they have chartered for themselves. Grenouille found purpose to his life in Baldinis perfumery and Suskind cheats the reader into believing that they are witness to a genius in making. Grenouille is driven, excessively obsessed with the idea of perfecting the best perfume. The reader admires his passion, his frantic pace of rushing against time to prove something to himself for which he suffered tiny cramped living quarters, surviving on bare minimum food and winning the battle against life threatening syphilitic small pox. In The House of the spirits Esteban Truebas cruel treatment of his wife, daughter, and female workers represents Allendes depiction of females as sexual objects. But despite the fact that Esteban rapes, pillages, kills and conspires, he never entirely loses the readers sympathy. It is a remarkable achievement to make the old monster lovable not just to his wife, daughter, and granddaughter, and the other women in his life, but also to the reader. This is done through the third voice that belongs to Esteban Trueba, whose first person accounts serve to express either his intense passion or his acute suffering. Im the patron here now. Esteban is a complex character as his words would reveal. Had these words not been there, we would have summarily dismissed him as a fiendish rogue. Despite his hatred of peasants, Esteban is driven by a desire for the attention and affection of others. Approaching death however, he begins to see the negative outcomes of his violent, selfish actions and be comes increasingly aware of how lonely he is.   The gothic and the gruesome start early in The House of the Spirits with Clara witnessing the autopsy of her sister and the assistant ravaging her corpse. When Nivea meets with an accident and her head is split from her body and thrown away in the bushes an acute chill runs down the readers spine which is further accentuated by the head being brought and placed in the basement of the house. These gory images coupled with a matter of fact tone to bring forth the massacre, violence and Albas captivity during the coup serve to highlight that the characters and their situations are mirrors of the clash and turmoil in Chile at that time. We respond to the tragic and repulsive nature of the unfortunate Grenouille and Esteban with a certain amount of horror and pity. Grenouilles mastery at creating an unparalleled perfume is not overshadowed by the mass orgy that he evokes on dousing himself with this perfume made from the skin of virgins. It is ironic that each man, each woman, in the hands of the little man in the blue frock coat for better or worse loved him.  [18]  Ironic also because of the terror instilled by the murders that went into the making of the scent.   We admire his intelligence and his amazing sense of smell which leads to his success in achieving acceptance from society. He does not kill others for pleasure, but to obtain their scent. For this reasons his victims were only the ones who Grenouille thought had extraordinary scents. Since the reader knows that scent represents identity it could be said that Grenouilles motive for murdering his victims is to acquire an identity. Suskind and Alendes writing techniques are also distinctive in the way that they use phrases and imagery to make violent and grotesque descriptions realistic and repulsive. They drove their claws and teeth into his flesh, they attacked him like hyenas  [19]  and Esteban wore a tiny suede bag à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦in it were his wifes false teeth, which he treated as a token of good luck and expiation  [20]  Through these techniques, we are drawn into the world of Grenouille and Esteban. Esteban and Grenouille follow the path that they charter for themselves. In their pursuit to seek identity and acceptance, they commit unforgivable crimes for which the reader does not pardon them but accepts their reasons for doing so. They hold a mirror to the society and ask the question: who really is the monster?

Strategic Positioning Of The Ryanair Airline Commerce Essay

Strategic Positioning Of The Ryanair Airline Commerce Essay Ryanair is a leading no frill airline in Europe and across the globe, it has managed to outperform all other airlines and in 2006, it carried over 34.8 million passengers. Ryanair is targeting low income earners and cost conscience customers 1. 2.1 PESTEL Analysis: (See appendix 7.5) PESTEL analysis is a useful strategic tool for understanding market growth or decline, business position, potential and direction for operations. It is a framework for reviewing a situation and can be applied by Ryanair to review strategic direction as well as marketing intention 4. When one aspect in the PESTEL analysis is affected, the rest will also be affected for example if the political situation of Ireland changes then the economical, technological, social, legal, economical and even environmental aspects will change 4. Ryanair is not in good terms with some governments in the European Union as well as airline industry authorities and airport regulatory bodies due to the rules and regulations they set. The EU wanted to charge tax on aviation fuel due to carbon emissions generated by the airline industries before 2010, Ryanair argued that any environmental taxations scheme should be to the benefit of more efficient carriers, so airlines with low load factors that generate high fuel consumption and emission per passenger and airline that offer connecting rather than point to point flights should be penalised thus excluding itself 5. Secondly, Ryanair protested against charges and conditions on some airports such as Stansted and Dublin. Economical conditions also affect both capital availability and cost, as well as demand 4. If demand is high and the capital is low, it will be attractive for Ryanair to invest and grow with expectations of being profitable. To influence demand Ryanair must continue to use its current strategy and improve its services and upgrade its customer care policies. The currency exchange rates affect Ryanair as they may determine whether customers will book a flight or not. If the exchange rate is high, customers will opt to use other means of transport such as the EURO express. To avoid this situation, customers can use the Euro to book flights 1. Moreover, jet fuel prices are dominated in US dollars and therefore Ryanair will have to risk paying more or less for fuel as it will include the exchange rate. The opportunity to exploit a particular strategy successfully may depend on demand which exists in growth conditions and does not in recession. Although a depressed economy will generally be a treat which results in a number of organizations going out of business, it can provide opportunities for some4. The recession decreased the number of competitors in the industry as well as weakening the remaining competition. In and after recession, customers are more willing to fly with a no frill or low cost carriers rather than a differentiated or hybrid carrier. Therefore, to certain extent the recession has had a positive impact Ryanair. The socio or cultural environment involves demand and tastes, which vary with fashion and disposable income, and general changes, can provide both opportunities and threats for Ryanair 4. Ryanair should be aware of demographics changes as the structure of the population by ages, affluence, regions, number working and so on so as to be able to take advantage when an opportunity occurs. Technological breakthroughs affect the airline industry the most. If the organization can adapt to the technological change then it will be able to overcome competition and increase its market share. The global focus in the 21st century is environmental protection. Ryanair has been able to meet the demand and standards of the world market by offering eco friendly airlines. The aircrafts produce 50% less emissions, 45% lower noise emissions per seat. A winglet modification programme on the fleet is providing better aircraft performance and a 2% reduction in fleet fuel consumption, a saving which Ryanair hopes to improve in the coming years 1. Ryanair has been using one type of airline, Boeing 737 to save cost on training staff. As Ryanair cannot dump expenses on its customers it should look for ways to reduce costs and the author believes that this is one of it 1. Legal factors affecting Ryanair is that of labour unions. Ryanair does not have a good relationship with its employees as it has refused to acknowledge unions. Secondly it is providing poor working conditions and low salaries. Although Ryanair has argued that its pilots are the best paid short haul pilots in Europe. In the autumn 2006 pilots in Ryanair lodge a complaint with the Irish Labour Relations Commission on the basis that there were significant in net salary between Ryanair and Aer Lingus pilots. 2.2 Michael Porters 5 Forces Analysis: (see appendix 7.8) The threat of substitutes in the airline industry is high as there are other means of transport to and from Europe as well as within Europe. Customers are opting to use the Euro Express (train) rather than using an airplane as it is cheaper and offers extra benefits. The Euro Express enables its customers to enjoy the scenario while offering more or less the same services as the airplane. Rivalry amongst existing firms; there are a number of competitors within the market and when the European Union commenced even more competitors entered the market. The industry is competitive and is becoming saturated. Each competitor is using a strategy to get a foot hold in the industry. Although some of the airlines are using the no frill strategy, Ryanair has been able to best them by creating a strong brand offering the lowest price fare. Bargaining power of suppliers, the bargaining power of suppliers is low as there are many suppliers in the industry. The suppliers of the airline industry are those who supply the airline with parts such as the blades and engines, food, uniforms for the air hostess and so on. They are easily replaceable as Ryanair can get these services from any country within and outside of Europe. Ryanair as a supplier has a high bargaining power as it offers services that are unique in the market (it is the only no frill airline in the United Kingdom). Bargaining power of buyers, the bargaining power of buyers is very high as there are a lot of substitutes and competitors in the market. The customer can easily use his/her car to go Dublin rather than take an airplane. Secondly, as there are a number of competitors in the market, the airlines will offer discounts and promotions to attract customers and therefore customers can easily switch from one airline to another. Threats of new entrants; the biggest barrier to entering the airline industry is capital but nowadays entrepreneurs can take a loan with the bank or form an alliance such as a joint venture to overcome this barrier. The industry regulations can help decrease the number of new entrants and reduce competition within the market. There is no union among the existing firm to keep new entrants out, in other industries the existing firm come together to keep new entrants out of the industry as they would saturate the market even more. 2.3 Ratios Analysis: Ryanairs financial performance is positive, although there is still room for improvement (see appendix 7.9). The net profit margin in 2006 was lower than 2005 but Ryanair managed to increase it in the second half of 2006. The return on capital employee has been constant from 2005 to 2006. 3.0 STRATEGY CHOICES: 3.1 Strategy: Ryanairs objective is to firmly establish itself as Europes leading low-fares scheduled passenger airline through continued improvements and expanded offerings of its low-fares service. Ryanair aims to offer low fares that generate increased passenger traffic while maintaining a continuous focus on cost-containment and operating efficiencies 1. Ryanair was initially a hybrid (see appendix 7.4) as it was a full service conventional airline, in the early 1990s it become a no frill carrier under the management of Michael O Leary 1. The author believe that this move by the Chief Executive Officer has enable Ryanair to create a market peak for itself and gain market share and therefore I would not suggest a change in strategy. The industry is very competitive and is becoming saturated thus if Ryanair decides to change its strategy it will have to design and implement a new strategy that is not being used by its competitor or that has never been used in the industry. This is next to impossible as all of the strategies i.e. differentiation, cost leadership are already being used. Secondly, Ryanair would lose the foothold it has in the industry and its market share and it would have to start from scratch, which will mean more capital will have to be invested into the new strategy. Although Ryanair is using the no frill strategy1 they must be careful to not devalue the company. Currently, it has a large customer base but most of which have a very low opinion of the airline 6. Moreover, Ryanair should increase more benefits to its customers for example they should remove the 50 cent wheelchair levy that was impose on every passenger ticket 6. These small charges are making customers opt to fly with a different airline. The airline offers point to point flight 1. Ryanair uses secondary terminals to avoid crowding in the terminals as well as to decrease its turnaround time. The turnaround time is also kept to a minimum by the flight attendants cleaning the airplane instead of outsourcing professionals. Building on its success in the Ireland-U.K. market and its expansion of service to continental Europe, Ryanair intends to follow a manageable growth plan targeting specific markets to gain an advantage over its competitors. Ryanair believes it will have opportunities for continued growth by 1: Initiating additional routes from the U.K. or Ireland to other locations in continental Europe that are currently served by higher-cost, higher-fare carriers Increasing the frequency of service on its existing routes Starting new domestic routes within EU countries Considering possible acquisitions that may become available in the future Connecting airports within its existing route network (triangulation) 3.2 Competitive Advantage Analysis: Ryanair has many competitive advantages (See appendix 7.7). According to Ryanairs official website the following are some of its competitive advantage; 3.2.1 Low Fares: Ryanair sets fares on the basis of demand for particular flights and by reference to the period remaining to the date of departure of the flight, with higher fares charged on flights with higher levels of demand for bookings made nearer to the date of departure. The airline sells seats on a one-way basis, thus eliminating minimum stay requirements from all travel on Ryanair scheduled services, regardless of fare. Ryanairs competitors generally do not operate a one-way pricing policy, so direct comparison is not possible, but current round-trip fares on Aer Lingus, Ryanairs largest competitor on the London- Dublin route, for travel in September 2004 were 82.27 Euro for economy restricted return tickets, 218.27 Euro for economy flexible return and 353.75 pounds for business class tickets. 3.2.2 Customer Service: Ryanair delivers the best customer service performance in its peer group. According to reports by the Association of European Airlines and the airlines own published statistics, Ryanair has achieved better punctuality, fewer lost bags and fewer cancellations than all of the rest of its peer grouping in Europe. Ryanair achieves this by focusing strongly on the execution of these services and by operating from uncongested airports. 3.2.3 Frequent Point-to-Point Flights on Short-Haul Routes: Ryanair provides frequent point-to-point service on short-haul routes to secondary and regional airports in and around major population centres and travel destinations. Short-haul routes allow Ryanair to offer frequent service, while eliminating the necessity to provide frill services otherwise expected by customers on longer flights. Point-to-point flying allows Ryanair to offer direct, non-stop routes and avoid the costs of providing through service for connecting passengers, including baggage transfer and transit passenger assistance costs. In choosing its routes, Ryanair favours secondary airports with convenient transportation to major population centres and regional airports. Secondary and regional airports are generally less congested than major airports and, as a result, can be expected to provide higher rates of onetime departures, faster turnaround times, fewer terminal delays and more competitive airport access an d handling costs. Faster turnaround times are a key element in Ryanairs efforts to maximize aircraft utilization. Ryanairs average scheduled turnaround time for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2004 was approximately 25 minutes. Secondary and regional airports also generally do not maintain slot requirements or other operating restrictions that can increase operating expenses and limit the number of allowed take-offs and landings. 3.2.4 Low Operating Costs: Management believes that Ryanairs operating costs are among the lowest of any European scheduled passenger airline thus being advantageous to the airline. Ryanair strives to reduce or control four of the primary expenses involved in running a major scheduled airline: Aircraft equipment costs Personnel productivity Customer service costs Airport access and handling costs 3.2.5 Aircraft Equipment Costs: Ryanairs initial strategy for controlling aircraft acquisition costs was to purchase used aircraft of a single type Boeing 737, there was a significant reduction in the number of such used aircraft available for purchase in the market. The 737-800s represent the latest generation of Boeings 737 aircraft and share certain basic attributes in common with Ryanairs current fleet. Although Ryanairs acquisition of the 737-800s has already, and will continue to significantly increase the size of its fleet from that in 1998 and thus significantly increase its aircraft equipment and related costs, the purchase of aircraft from a single manufacturer enables it to limit the costs associated with personnel training, maintenance and the purchase and storage of spare parts, as well as affording greater flexibility in the scheduling of crews and equipment. 3.2.6 Personnel Productivity: Ryanair endeavours to control its labour costs by continually improving the productivity of its already highly-productive work force. Compensation for employees emphasizes productivity-based pay incentives, including commissions for on-board sales of products for flight attendants and payments based on the number of hours or sectors flown by pilots and cabin crew personnel within limits set by industry standards or regulations fixing maximum working hours, as well as participation in Ryanairs stock option programs. 3.2.7 Customer Service: Ryanair has entered into agreements on competitive terms with third party contractors at certain airports for passenger and aircraft handling, ticketing and other services that management believes can be more cost efficiently provided by third parties. Management attempts to obtain competitive rates for such services by negotiating multi-year contracts at prices that are fixed or subject only to periodic increases linked to inflation. The development of its own internet booking facility and reservations centre has advantaged Ryanair to eliminate travel agent commissions. 3.2.8 Airport Access Fees: Ryanair attempts to control airport access and service charges by focusing on airports that offer competitive cost terms. Management believes that Ryanairs record of delivering a consistently high volume of passenger traffic growth at many of these airports has allowed it to negotiate favourable contracts with such airports for access to their facilities. Ryanair further endeavours to reduce its airport charges by opting, when practicable, for less expensive gate locations as well as outdoor boarding stairs rather than more expensive jet ways. 3.2.9 Ecommerce: During January 2000, Ryanair converted its host reservation system from the BABS (British Airways Booking System) to a new system called Flight speed, which it operates under a 10 year hosting agreement with Accenture Open Skies (Open Skies). As part of the implementation of the new reservation system, Open Skies developed an internet booking facility called Skylights. The Skylights system allows internet users to access Ryanairs host reservation system and to make and pay for confirmed reservations in real time through Ryanairs website which accounts for a 96% reservation of all flights. 3.2.10 Safety: Ryanairs commitment to safety is a primary priority of the Company and its management. This commitment begins with the hiring and training of Ryanairs pilots, cabin crews and maintenance personnel and includes a policy of maintaining its aircraft in accordance with the highest European airline industry standards. Ryanair has not had a single incident involving major injury to passengers or flight crew in its 20 year operating history. Although Ryanair seeks to maintain its fleet in a cost-effective manner, management does not seek to extend Ryanairs low cost operating strategy to the areas of safety, maintenance, training or quality assurance. Routine aircraft maintenance and repair services are performed at Dublin, London (Stansted), Glasgow (Prestwick), Shannon and Milan (Bergamo) by Ryanair and, at other airports maintenance contractors. 4.0 STRATEGY IN ACTION: According to Ryanairs website the company plans to initiate new services and improve existing ones and therefore the author will suggest ways the company can do so. The first is initiating additional routes from the U.K. or Ireland to other locations in continental Europe that are currently served by higher-cost and higher-fare carriers. As economies have just emerge from a recession, customers are more cost conscience and therefore if Ryanair continues to use its no frill strategy it will be able to quickly gain market share and dominance. Increasing the frequency of service on its existing routes, as seen in appendix 13 the most used route is from Dublin to London, therefore Ryanair should increase flights from Dublin to London and vice versa. Starting new domestic routes within EU countries, as the EU Union continues to grow, more markets will open up. Ryanair should try to enter these markets the first so as to gain the first mover advantage such as being the first to exploit the market thus gaining more knowledge about the market. Considering possible acquisitions that may become available in the future. Ryanair acquired a small Dutch budget, short haul, carrier buzz and wanted to acquire Aer Lingus its Irish rival and long haul airline. Although the acquisition failed at the time, Ryanair can still try again but using a different strategy. In the future the airline should appoint a stockbroker to purchase Aer Lingus as it did when its stockbroker Davy purchased the Aer Lingus shares. Secondly, Ryanair should negotiate behind closed doors, the first attempt failed because of media interference. Ryanair should state that it will bring in an expert to handle the organizational structure so that the 2 organizations can be able to work together and allow trade unions so as to win over the trust of the government and the Aer Lingus board. Connecting airports within its existing route network, currently Ryanair is using secondary terminals to avoid traffic and increase its turnaround time. But most customers prefer to use the main terminals and therefore if Ryanair uses both the main and secondary terminals it will be able to increase its customer base. 5.0 CONCLUSION: As seen in section 3.2 Ryanair is using the no frill strategy, the company has positioned itself well in the market and has manage under the leadership of the Chief Executive Officer and shareholder Michael O Leary to become a household name. Although Ryanair is targeting a niche in the market where its customers are willing to forgo extra benefits for the low fare, the company should try to add value for its customers where ever it can and when ever it can to increase brand loyalty and ultimately sales. 6.0 REFERENCE: Ryanairs official website, http://www.ryanair.com obtained on 21st November 2009 at 12:11 P.M G. Johnson, k. Scholes, R. Whittington 2008, Exploring Corporate Culture, 8th Edition, Prentice Hall Ryanairs history 2009 obtained from http://en.Wikipedia.org/Ryanair on 19th November 2009 at 11:23 A.M PESTEL Analysis, obtained from http://university-essays.tripod.com on 19th November 2009 at 12:00 P.M S. Cairns and C. Newson, predict and decide: Aviation, climate change and UK policy, ECI Research Report 33, Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford 2006 D. Milmo, Ryanair the world least favorite airline, Guardian 26 October 2006 Center for Asia Pacific Aviation 2009, obtained from http://www.cntreforpacificaviation.com on 15th November 2009 at 2:12 P.M BBC WORL NEWS, fast track, interview with Michael OLeary time 11:55 28th December 2009 Ryanairs marketing mix 2009 obtained from http://www.marketingteacher.com on the 27th of November 2009 at 12:06 P.M. Ryanairs competitive advantage obtained from http://www.slideshare.net/puya455/newanalysis-of-ryanairs on the 27th November 2009 at 1:00 P.M Ryanairs value chain analysis obtained from http://www.peerpapers.com/essays/Ryanair-Value-Chain-Analysis/171123.html?topic

Civil War :: American America History

Civil War Writing about recorded history should be a relatively easy task to accomplish. Recorded history is based on facts. Regardless of what time period one may write about, one will find enough information about that time of period. The key is to put everything in a logical and understandable manner. This paper will be about the Civil War. I will try, to the best of my knowledge, to discuss the North's and South's positions and Arguments for going to war, their initial military strategies and their strength and weaknesses. The paper will actually be a summary from chapter 10 of the book Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era By: James McPherson, "Amateurs Go To War". Before discussing the war itself, one must understand the Union's and the Confederate's arguments and reasons for going to war. Let's start at the beginning, when the South was first showing animosity for the North, which eventually led to sessionist ideas by the South. The Compromise of 1850 was drafted in response to the threat of a Southern Convention, because of Zachary Taylors decision to carve out two huge territories in the Far West and to admit them in the union as free states. Henry Clay drafted the compromise, which includes eight parts. "The first pair would admit California as a State and organize the remainder of the Mexican cession without "any restriction or condition on the subject of slavery". The second pair of resolutions settled the boundary dispute between Texas and New Mexico in favor of the latter and compensated Texas by federal assumption of debts contracted during its existence as an Independent Republic. Clay's third pair of resolutions called for abolition of the slave trade in the District of Columbia but a guarantee of slavery itself in the District. As if these six proposals yielded more to the North then to the South, Clay's final pair of resolutions tipped the balance Southward by denying congressional power over the interstate slave trade and calling for a stronger law to enable slave holders to recover their property when they fled to free states" Battle Cry of freedom: The Civil War Era, McPherson James, (p.70-71). The Northerners hated the fugitive slave law, because in the past it was never enforced and it never gave a trial by jury to any runaway slaves. The only testimony heard was that of the slaveholder and he usually recovered his slave. Civil War :: American America History Civil War Writing about recorded history should be a relatively easy task to accomplish. Recorded history is based on facts. Regardless of what time period one may write about, one will find enough information about that time of period. The key is to put everything in a logical and understandable manner. This paper will be about the Civil War. I will try, to the best of my knowledge, to discuss the North's and South's positions and Arguments for going to war, their initial military strategies and their strength and weaknesses. The paper will actually be a summary from chapter 10 of the book Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era By: James McPherson, "Amateurs Go To War". Before discussing the war itself, one must understand the Union's and the Confederate's arguments and reasons for going to war. Let's start at the beginning, when the South was first showing animosity for the North, which eventually led to sessionist ideas by the South. The Compromise of 1850 was drafted in response to the threat of a Southern Convention, because of Zachary Taylors decision to carve out two huge territories in the Far West and to admit them in the union as free states. Henry Clay drafted the compromise, which includes eight parts. "The first pair would admit California as a State and organize the remainder of the Mexican cession without "any restriction or condition on the subject of slavery". The second pair of resolutions settled the boundary dispute between Texas and New Mexico in favor of the latter and compensated Texas by federal assumption of debts contracted during its existence as an Independent Republic. Clay's third pair of resolutions called for abolition of the slave trade in the District of Columbia but a guarantee of slavery itself in the District. As if these six proposals yielded more to the North then to the South, Clay's final pair of resolutions tipped the balance Southward by denying congressional power over the interstate slave trade and calling for a stronger law to enable slave holders to recover their property when they fled to free states" Battle Cry of freedom: The Civil War Era, McPherson James, (p.70-71). The Northerners hated the fugitive slave law, because in the past it was never enforced and it never gave a trial by jury to any runaway slaves. The only testimony heard was that of the slaveholder and he usually recovered his slave.

A Critical Evaluation of Assisi by Norman MacCaig Essay -- Assisi Norm

A Critical Evaluation of Assisi Q: Choose a poem in which the poet has put across a definite point of view. By close reference to the poetic techniques used, show how successful the poet has been in making you share his/ her point of view. â€Å"Assisi† by Norman MacCaig is an intriguing and thought-provoking poem, which has put across a definite point of view to me which I believe is that all people should be treated equally and we should try to help those less fortunate than ourselves. In this essay I will show how successful the poet has been in making me share his point of view, with the help of literary techniques such as language, word – choice and imagery. Norman MacCaig has put across a definite point of view for me and has been successful in making me share this view by using thoughtful and intense language. The first aspect of language, which he uses is metaphor in the beginning of the poem when he is describing the dwarf sitting outside the church. He uses metaphor as he says, â€Å"The dwarf with his hands on backwards Sat, slumped like a half – filled sack On tiny twisted legs from which Sawdust might run.† The metaphor here of the dwarf sitting like a ‘half filled sack’ is describing the dwarf and how he has a deformed body. He is being compared to looking like a sack, which is slumped and half empty. This is effective as it seems as though the dwarf cannot help himself and he is sitting there waiting for help. MacCaig tells us that he is a dwarf therefore he will be very short and â€Å"hands on backwards† and â€Å"tiny twisted legs† portrays his deformity as I can envisage his legs dangling from his body. Also as he is sitting like a â€Å"half –filled sack† it seems to me that he cannot do an... ...ered after him as he scattered The grain of the Word.† This shows me MacCaig is comparing the tourists to the birds and the Priest to the sower. He does not approve of the actions as it is compared to the parable of the sower of when he scatters the grain and the birds flutter after it. He does not approve of the tourists fluttering after the word and ignoring the poor dwarf, when in actual fact they should be helping him. In conclusion, â€Å"Assisi† by Norman MacCaig is an intriguing and though-provoking poem, which has put across a definite point of view for me, which I believe is that all people should be treated equally and that we should help those less fortunate than ourselves. In this I essay I have shown how successful the poet was in making me share this view by using his thoughtful and intense language, word-choice and imagery techniques.

Fear and paranoia created in the crucible Essay

The Crucible is full of heat, suspense, extramarital sex, public lies and ruthless prosecution, All of which add up to produce a book in which the theme of fear and paranoia is unquestionably a part in these small-town people’s lives. During the crucible, Miller tries to project a lot of fear and paranoia into his work, enabling the reader to physically and emotionally feel their part in Salem’s history. Salem is taken from the Hebrew Shalom meaning peace however from Millers part in the crucible; a darker, chaotic view is created for the readers, and the reality of peace is more shadowed by Salem and its characters dark paranoia. The overall effect that paranoia can set on a town is extraordinary, from being a small, well-known, blissful town; one mistake from a paranoid person can set off the whole town and can therefore disrupt and disturb it. Take Salem for example, a bunch of girls found dancing in the wood are immediately accused of doing witchcraft and trafficking with the devil, the paranoia of this town is really expressed by the fact that within the next day everybody knew about the â€Å"incident† and everybody except relatives had been quick to judge and had labelled them all witches, expressing the paranoia and fear among this small town. Miller’s attempts to create fear and paranoia are demonstrated in the way that he gives the readers and the characters something to be afraid of, fear must have a cause. Miller’s attempts at this are shown in the first scene as Parris questions and harasses Abigail because of his own paranoid ways that they were trafficking with the devil or even conjuring witchcraft in the woods, and the fear of his position and authority as reverend being taken from him and being thrown out of Salem. This fear is revealed as Parris says, â€Å"Now then, in the midst of such disruption, my own household is discovered to be the very centre of some obscene practice. † The life of many in Salem is orderly and controlled through religion fear of Gods might, not going to church could result in being sent into hell or purgatory after death. For example on page seventy three, as john proctor is quickly judged and damned and also accused by Cheever by saying â€Å"He plough on Sunday, sir†, thereby condemning proctor and heavily persuading Danforth to jail John Proctor. Fear for many of the characters is set by Miller on several different levels and so for a great number of people in the village, the churches power causes fear to do with the churches authority on how they have the power along with the law over witches, in the means of hangings, burnings and executions etc. The ordinary of the folk in the town have simple minds and can easily be manipulated or taken advantage over by the more superior of the town members, they can therefore easily be afraid of witches and their powers. These people also believed that their religion, Christianity was the only religion for the people, and straying from this religion was heresy. If a person tried to be an individual or â€Å"loner†, they were looked down upon, for that would mean they were leaving the community of belief that was supposed to be held by all members of the society. Salem was a theocracy, a type of government formed by combining the institutions of both state and church. When certain people began to be individualists, fear set into the community. It was this fear that prompted the Salem witch trials, the story that the play begins to tell. Because Salem’s inhabitants lived such ordinary lives, most of which were ruled or pressured intently by God, their lives became disorderly and the highers lose control, causing unrest among people’s lives for the reason that people need routine. However, once the highers lose control they therefore become afraid of losing their power and open to people becoming individuals and not being afraid to speak out or even proceed in the manner of life that they choose. As the play progresses, the church begins to lose power over individualists and rebels and consequently see people changing their ways of life because of the more recent happenings. This is shown in the way of the girls dancing in the woods. This act could possibly be taken as an act of witchcraft or possibly individualism; the girls (Betty, Mercy, Ruth, Mary, Abigail and Tituba) could have possibly been expressing their newfound uniqueness by dancing in the woods. In contrast to this lack of fear, the girls found dancing in the woods could possibly be taken as a taken as a very bold and daring act and an indication towards a desire for freedom or change and a desire to break control. This is indignation towards the church and their lives and is shown on page seven as she says, â€Å"Uncle, we did dance; let you tell them I confessed it – and I’ll be whipped if I must be. But they’re speakin’ of witchcraft. Betty’s not witched. † This quotation from Abigail is a suggestion to the rest of the town by expressing her point of not being witch, yet just dancing and symbolising their rebellious nature and newly found individualism. The townsfolk become confused with an alteration in the Status quo and are afraid of the unknown, so finally fear and paranoia sets in. Miller wrote the play from the stand point that people must not only be careful about how they react to certain situations, but that they also cannot avoid involvement in other issues, for that would mean to deny one’s own personal responsibility in the human race. Why are themes important to Miller? Themes are extremely and increasingly important to Miller as without these, plays or books are simply pieces of writing with no morale, theme or even point, and therefore the reader gains nothing from these books and feels no great need to read them, making them unsellable and pointless. Even the title plays a big part in the understanding of the book, for example in the crucible, this meaning a container which metals are heated to extract the poor element from dross or impurities, shows that this stands for the morale or point of the book that John Proctor is tested in a life-threatening ordeal and his death at the end rather than the betrayal of his confidence shows us that he too has come through the fire to be purified. Themes are important to Miller, the reader and the characters and this is shown in each of Millers books produced before he wrote and directed the crucible. In 1950, he wrote an adaptation of an enemy of the people, and the theme being the individual who insists he is right while the vast majority is absolutely wrong, this book even tying in with the crucible slightly. As well as all the other plays and books by Arthur Miller, like St. joan and the crucible and a man for all seasons, all his books are based on one similar thing and this is the overall main theme – a real historical happening, and this is the same case for the majority of his plays, all having a similar theme. In all three books in this case, the audience comes to value and applaud the stand made by the individual against the apparent vindictiveness of the law. From all of Millers books and plays, the crucible is renound for being the best and is shown and read all over the world, because of its meaning and theme of being somewhat different in different places and moments, giving information about the country it is being acted in, and so not only gives something extra to the reader but gives something back to the author each time it is acted out. The crucible is forever distinct of its time and maintains relevance because of its theme. The theme of the crucible however being of course, the conflict between a mans raw deeds and his conception of himself; the question of whether conscience is in fact an organic part of the human being, and what happens when it is handed over not merely to the state or the mores of the time but o one’s friend or wife. Overall, themes are important to Arthur Miller as it is shown in all of his other plays and that without one, a play is pointless and has no morale and is therefore not necessary to be produced as it is giving nothing to the human life, and is therefore extremely important to not only Arthur Millers plays but to every other playwrights plays throughout the world.