Problem Solving free essay sample

I have worked in the restaurant field for over 6years and it can be very stressful. In this field I have encountered many problems especially since my promotion. Being that I was a waitress for 4 years and then being promoted as manager. I feel I have encountered more problems now than ever. I believe a lot of my staff has a problem with transition. I have worked around many of my coworkers for so long that I do not believe they see the difference in me as a manager now and a waitress then. I have bonded so much with my fellow coworkers that I believe I am reason for occurring issues we may have. One of the main reasons I accepted the position was for growth. I wanted the company to succeed and make more money than ever. Being that I was once in their place one would think they would understand. We will write a custom essay sample on Problem Solving or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page As a manager I try be firm and always stand my ground. When I was serving one of my biggest issues with my managers was communication. As a manager I wanted people to know what they are supposed to do and what is expected of them. Real managers are individuals I believe are relentless communicators who speak clearly listen always, and learn from what they see and hear. Part of being an effective communicator is being seen as well as heard. Good communicators also learn to ask questions as a means of finding out what is going on and also demonstrating that they care. As a manager I try to use y previous experience as a waitress to reflect on my position today. Nevertheless I still have the non-believers who doubt my intentions. Even with these problems I still focus on the issues at hand. Not only am I manager I am a leader. Every day I continue to motivate my team to peak performance. I believe that motivating a team is worthless unless I can provide direction, unless I can turn that motivation toward a goal and lead the team to it. One day I decided to have a meeting before the shift stared and see what where their main concerns with me as a manager. They complain about hosting issues, Tip out, and issues with the time for getting bar drinks. As far as I know from the servers their issues with the host were double seating them and not giving them time to greet the next customer in sufficient time. My solution was to talk to the host and to get them to better communicate with the servers so this problem would not continue. So far I have not heard anything so I believe that the problem is under control. Another issue they had was tipping out the bussers. Their concern was that the waitress did more that pre bus the tables so they felt they should not have to tip the busser. So I had to do a little investigating and I spoke with some of the bussers and they inform me that the servers intentionally bus their tables so they would not have to tip out. I spoke with servers and inform them all that they know what policy is and is not for them to bus their own tables. I also mentioned that maybe that is why they are having problems with greeting their tables on time. I explain to the server that had they come to me sooner they would not have these issues. Last but not least the server last concern was about getting their bar drinks out in a timely manner. So I had to go speak with my bartenders and see what their take on the situation was. The bartenders felt like they were understaffed and it was not enough people to run the bar and get the servers drinks also. So After watching the bartenders for about 5 shifts I decided it was time to hire another bartender. Since I made these changes with the staff I have notice a difference with the way every one works. I finally felt like we were getting somewhere with the restaurant. Problem solving free essay sample This time, each of Mr. Hodges children wants the same color gumball out of the three-color gumball machine. What is the most amount of money that Mr. Hodges would have to spend on his triplets in order to get them each the same color gumballs? Process: In the process of solving the first question I drew up different color gumballs. These are both the different colored gumballs. If this was the outcome after spending two pennies on two gumballs, then the next gumball would have to be one of the previous color gumballs that already came out of the machine. For the next scenario it was a little trickier that the first problem. Since there were still only two children involved and there were three colored gumballs it wasn’t too hard. Once again, I drew up the three different colored gumballs in the gumball machine. The gumballs were red, white, and blue. We will write a custom essay sample on Problem solving or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page These colors can be the color of the gumballs that come out of the gumball machine. The last gumball that would come out of the machine would make a set of two of the same color gumballs which would make the overall total of money spent 4 cents. For the last scenario, there were still only three different color gumballs in the gumball machine. But this time there were three kids. So I drew up another set of possible gumballs that could roll out of the machine. If this happened, then the last gumball will be either red white or blue, and the last gumball would allow each of the triplets to have the same color gumball. Soltuion: I actually received help from a friend of mine in the same cohort on a soulution to use. She explained that an accurate formula to figure out the amount of money to spend would be the number of kids times the number of colors in the gumball machine minus the quuantity of the number of colors minus one. So the formula would look something like this: M=k*c- (c-1) This formula really works and all you do is just plug in the numbers from the senario. For example, in senario one I figured out by myself that three cents is the most amount of money that Ms. Hernandez would have to spend on her children. Evaluation : I consider this POW educationally worthwhile because it enables you to work with real life scenarios. I learned that actually several equations can be used to solve just one problem. I discovered that there are numerous possibilities to solving problems. I would have made the problem better by making it more challenging. I could’ve changed it by increasing the number of children and the number of gumballs in the scenario. I really enjoyed working on POW number four because it was fun to connect and combine candy with math. I think this POW was just right because it was easy doing the first scenario, but trying to figure out a formula to go with all of them was rather difficult. In class, we discussed a total of three problems for the fourth problem of the week. The first problem is that Ms. Hernandez and her twins are walking and see a gumball machine. Ms. Hernandez decides to treat the both of them to a gumball. The twins both want the same color gumball and each gumball costs one cent. Why is three cents the most amount of money that Ms. Hernandez will have to pay in order to get her twins the same colored gumball?

The Complete College Application Process Expert Guide

The Complete College Application Process Expert Guide SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you want to successfully complete the college application process and make yourself as competitive for college admission as possible, you’ll be directly or indirectly working on your college applications well before the deadlines approach. In fact, if you have any intention of applying to selective colleges, this process can really begin as early as your freshman year. In this article, I’ll describe all of the tasks you should complete to maximize your chances of getting into the best possible college. Furthermore, I’ll let you know when you should be completing these tasks so that you’re able to stay on top of the process. Feature image source: Scott Savage/Flickr Overview of the College Application Process The major components of your application that will be evaluated are your transcript, your standardized test scores, your recommendations, your personal essay, and your extracurricular activities. I'll walk you through all the steps you need to take to strengthen each component of your application. If you follow my advice and timeline, you'll make yourself an extremely strong candidate for any college. Read on to learn the specific things you should be doing and when to do them. Take the Right Classes When to start: Before freshman year Colleges will evaluate you based on the classes you’ve taken. The most selective schools want to admit students who have challenged themselves and are willing to push themselves academically. You don’t have to take every single honors and AP course that’s offered at your school, but if you want to get into a top college, you should be able to demonstrate that you can excel in some of the hardest courses that are available to you. Also, it's best to take the most difficult classes in the subjects related to your academic strengths or your intended major. You should begin thinking about whichclasses totake before your freshman year of high school. In many schools, the math or foreign language class you take during your freshman year will determine what level you’re able to reach when you’re a senior in high school. Spend ample time considering which classes to takeand whether those classes will allow you to pursue your academic interests and reach your college goals. Specifically, consider whichscience, math, history, foreign language, English, elective, and AP classes you should take. Challenging yourself makes you stronger. Get Good Grades When to start: Freshman year I think this is pretty obvious, but your grades matter to colleges. The majority of colleges will focus on your sophomore and junior year grades, but schoolswill also look at your freshman and senior year grades. Also, your high school GPA is typically calculated from your grades from all four years of high school. You should try to maintain the mentality that every semester counts, and do as well as you can each year of high school. For inspiration and useful information, check out our article on how to get a 4.0 GPA and better grades. Excel in Extracurriculars When to start: Freshman year Other than your grades and test scores, your extracurricular activities probably have the biggest influence on the quality of your college application. Colleges, especially the most selective ones, want their students to have exceptional achievements outside of the classroom, and they’re looking for individuals who use their leisure time to pursue their passions. You should participate in extracurricular activities throughout high school. Colleges prefer to see a sustained commitment to your activities; it’s more impressive to do one activity for four years and continue to show growth in that activity than it is to do four activities for one year each. Some students believe they need to be well-rounded and do a ton of extracurriculars; however, for college admissions, it may be more advantageous for you to develop a â€Å"spike† and exhibit excellence in a particular activity or field. Instead of playing every sport, writing for the school newspaper, participating in speech and debate, and joining student government, you may be better served to focus your extracurricularefforts on becoming a superstar field hockey player. Or, if you're passionate about science, you may want to spend your free time creating an award-winning project for science fair or competing in Science Olympiad. If you have multiple interests, it's perfectly acceptable to explore all of them; just keep in mind that you don't have to do every possible extracurricular to get into a great college, and, generally, reaching the highest level in a given activity requires such an incredible time commitment that you won't have time to participate in many other activities outside of school. Learn what to do if you’re struggling to find extracurriculars. Also, when you’re filling out your college applications, know how to write about your extracurriculars. Maybe the marching band is a good extracurricular for you. Image source:Utah Department of Transportation/Flickr Rock Your Standardized Tests When to start: Sophomore year Even though some colleges have minimized the importance of standardized tests in admissions, your standardized test scores are still a crucial component of your application to most colleges. I advise starting your studying for the SAT/ACT during your sophomore year. Also, you may want to take the PSAT or PreACT during your sophomore year to familiarize yourself with standardized tests. To give yourself the best chance of reaching your target score and to decrease your stress level, we recommend first taking your SAT/ACT in the fall of your junior year. If you don’t reach your target score on your first attempt, you can do more studying and retake the test in the spring of your junior year. If you achieve the score you’re hoping for by the end of your junior year, you’ll have more time duringyour senior year to focus on your schoolwork, extracurriculars, and college applications. If you’re still unsatisfied with your score at the end of your junior year, you have more time to study over the summer and retake the test in the fall. Make sure you know when is the last time you can take the SAT/ACT. Your deadline for taking the SAT/ACT is dependent upon the specific schools you apply to and whether or not you apply early. For most schools, for early decision, you have to take the SAT/ACT by October or November of your senior year, and for regular decision, you have to take the SAT/ACT by December of your senior year. However, there are a few colleges that will accept the January SAT or the February ACT. If you’re considering applying to a school that requires SAT Subject Tests, I also recommend taking those by the end of your junior year. Research Colleges When to start: Junior year Before you apply to college, you need to know which colleges to apply to. You can start learning about colleges as early as your freshman year, especially if you want to get an idea of what you need to do to be a competitive applicant, but you should actively research colleges starting in your junior year at the latest. Use college search websites, finders, guidebooks, and ranking lists to help find colleges that would be a good fit for you. You can also use college fairs and tours to gain more exposure to different colleges and get a better idea of what you’re looking for in a school. By the start of your senior year of high school, you should have a list of colleges to apply to. I recommend applying to reach schools, target schools, and at least a couple of safety schools. College Fair fun. Image source:Patrick Giblin/Flickr Get Superb Recommendations When to start: Spring of junior year Recommendations are also an important part of your college applications. Colleges want assessments from others on your abilities as a student and your character. Be aware of what constitutes a good recommendation and how to ask for a letter of recommendation. It’s best to initially ask teachers to write your recommendations in the spring of your junior year. By asking early, you’ll be able to get your teachers to agree before they become inundated with requests during your senior year, and they’ll have more time to think about what they’re going to write. Make sure you know whom to ask to write your letters. At the beginning of your senior year, you can submit formal requests for your recommendation letters. Also, for your reference, check out these recommendation letters that got a student admitted to Harvard and other Ivy League schools. Write Outstanding College Essays When to start: Summer before senior year Writing your college essays is the most challenging and time-consuming part of the actual application process. Learn everything you need to know about the college essay and how to come up with great college essay ideas.I recommend starting to work on your college essays during the summer before your senior year. The absolute latest you'd want to wait isthe beginning of your senior year, as soon as you’ve finalized thelist of colleges you’re applying to. Even though college essays aren’t particularly long, in my experience, they do take much longer than you’d anticipate, and you’re less likely to be able to write good essays if you wait until the last minute to start. Give yourself enough time to have a trusted teacher or counselor proofread your essays. And you’ll also need time to revise them. Obviously, the essays have to be completed before you submit your applications. If you’re applying early, most deadlines are in mid-November. If you’re applying regular decision, most deadlines are around January 1st. Make sure you keep track of deadlines forthe schools you’re applying to because deadlines will vary. For example, the application deadline for University of California schools is November 30th. Final Thoughts and Additional Steps For most students, the steps listed above are the major components of the college application process. However, some of you may have to do extra work depending on your situation and the colleges you apply to. For example, if you're an aspiring college athlete, you may participate in the athletic recruiting process. If you're applying to an art school or program, you may have to make an art portfolio. Also, some colleges recommend or require interviews. If you interview, know what questions to ask and prepare for. For those of you seeking financial aid, you’ll have to go through the financial aid process, and you may want to apply for scholarships. You should find out the status of earlyapplications in mid-December and regular applications by late March. Then, you may find yourself with multiple options and have to face the task ofchoosing a college. While the application process can feel overwhelming and incredibly stressful, you can minimize your stress by having a plan and avoiding procrastination. Don’t worry too much. Regardless of what you do, there’s no absolute guarantee that you’ll get into the most selective colleges, but if you try hard and follow our advice, you’ll get into a good college and develop the attributes that will enable your future success. What's Next? If you're looking for an example of what you need to do to get into the best colleges, check out this successful Harvard application. Perhaps you've heard people reference Ivy League schools, but you're not exactly sure what they are. Learn about Ivy League colleges and read our article ranking the Ivy League schools. Finally, figure out where in the country you should go to college. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Autobiography of a Face Essays

and now he’ll shrivel up like a prune if you let him. With any luck, I’ll have him holding his own fishing pole by this spring, and I’ve already got my eyes on a little pair of water skis. Who knows, maybe 20 years from now, he’ll be writing an autobiography about how growing up on the water help shape his life too.†¦ Irish Autobiographies Adapted for Film This image of mid-twentieth century Ireland embodied in the themes of emigration, cultural isolation, economic depression, literary censorship and religious conservatism have become a fixed concept in the collective imaginative and cultural production. At the start of the twenty-first century, far from seeking to exorcise such associations, Joe Cleary has noted that "the period is repeatedly evoked because it serves as the definitive image of the anti-modern†¦ Online classes or Face-to-face? Students learn at different paces and different ways. Online classes is one of the ways for students to learn different subjects, and it proves to be a good for some students. Online classes allow you work at your own pace which most students enjoy. The other way is the traditional sitting in a desk, listening to a teacher/professor teach on and on, and trying to stay awake until its over. Classroom makes you have a good sense of time management. Students need to†¦ Multicultural Education Autobiography and Reflection Throughout the entire course, as a class we have covered a variety of different topics ranging from ethnicity to gender and sexual orientation. Some of the topics covered in our class were easier to discuss while being able to express our own thoughts. Other topics were topics that we had been aware of, yet we did not feel so comfortable discussing because as humans we tend to care what others might think of us when we speak up. For example, sexual†¦ race, gender or beliefs. Gandhi: An Autobiography and The Help portray multiple insights of the world in the 1900’s compared to modern day society. Social justice is a major theme in The Help and Gandhi: An Autobiography. In these two books we see how society can be a cruel mistress. How people of different races are treated throughout time and how the main characters never give up on hope for a better future in our community. In Gandhi: An Autobiography and The Help, the social aspect of†¦ Introduction In 1946, the book simply titled Autobiography of a Yogi was published. It was written by a hitherto unknown saint from India named Paramahansa Yogananda. Paramahansa Yogananda was an Indian Yogi who left the shores of India in 1920 to teach God realization to people of the West. In this inspiring book, he describes his meetings with miracle performing yogis in India such as the levitating saint, a tiger fighting swami, a yogi who bilocates and other great saints search for a guru, and†¦ Sexual Autobiography Shaping my sexual behavior was generally influenced by my mom. I learned to be dependent on men and use safe sex through media. Gender sex roles also placed me to be secretive with my sex life and nurturing. My body image makes me insecure when it comes to intimacy. There were no specific sexual guidelines that my family made me follow. I was raised in a family where I was able to explore and have my own opinions about sexual situations. Not having guidelines or a path made†¦ Lucy Grealy's Autobiography of a Face "Language supplies us with ways to express ever subtle levels of meaning, but does that imply language gives meaning, or robs us of it when we are at a loss to name things?"(Grealy 44). Throughout her childhood and young adulthood, Lucy Grealy attempts to create a self-image based on her looks, through the reactions of others, and her own hopefulness, but these fail and she learns to forget her image completely. It is at this time of forgetting her image that†¦ need to take big steps and make sacrifices. After reading the autobiography of Malcolm X its admirable that he became such an intellectual man even thought he didn 't finish school and had a difficult time pronouncing words. He was someone that went through many changes in his life to fight for equality and never give up on his dreams. His passion and his aspirations in life to fight against racial discrimination in America help him face all his academic struggles and to become a intellectual and knowledgeable†¦ From an Electrician to a Teacher: An Autobiography â€Å"The heart of human excellence often begins to beat when you discover a pursuit that absorbs you, frees you, challenges you, and gives you a sense of joy, meaning and passion.† – Angel Chernoof* I firmly believe that to be successful and flourish in education and childhood learning, your heart must lead you to this passion – as my heart did a year ago. Coming out of high school, my dreams were far beyond teaching and spending a lifetime discovering†¦

Hong Kong Market Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Hong Kong Market - Essay Example The paper tells that market research is understood to be a scientific process concerned with gathering and processing critical information, which can be used in marketing management decisions. Due to this, marketing research is considered a critical part of a marketing intelligence system that in most cases functions to improve management decisions using timely, relevant, and accurate information. Marketing research has become popular in many organizations due to perceived benefits the process is seen to generate. For instance, smart organizations have been able to achieve and sustain their competitive advantage by using market information in the most creative manner. Moreover, organizations that adequately satisfy the needs of their consumers have done so by intelligently and creatively using appropriate market research information. Therefore, at this point it can be stated that market research is critical in the modern world especially in the age of globalization and increased cons umerism. Consumers in Hong Kong, just like consumers in other societies are likely to exhibit varied behaviors with regard to consumption. Although consumption is an aspect that is synonymous with all societies, numerous evidences have shown that societies across cultures differ in terms of consumption behavior, consumption pattern, and the overall consumption culture. This is to say, consumption behaviors exhibited by consumers in Hong Kong are likely to differ to behaviors exhibited by consumers in other regions. ... erous evidences have shown that societies across cultures differ in terms of consumption behavior, consumption pattern, and the overall consumption culture (Hoyer and Macinnis, 2009). This is to say, consumption behaviors exhibited by consumers in Hong Kong are likely to differ to behaviors exhibited by consumers in other regions. Therefore, the discovery makes it virtually impossible to generalize consumer behavior across cultures. As a result, introducing a new flavor of soft drink in Hong Kong market will require the company to undertake a detailed market research that aims to identify specific consumer behaviors that are likely to influence or impact the marketing process. Accurate intelligence information about how consumers in Hong Kong consumer products in terms of beliefs, values, demographic factors, socio-economic aspects, cultural issues, lifestyles, and many more (Hoyer and Macinnis 2009). This is critically important since such information will help the management team o f the company to initiate appropriate strategies of marketing for the new product to succeed in the new market. Marketing Research Design In order to successfully carry out market research, the researchers have to develop and implement the most appropriate research design techniques. Consequently, the usefulness of research project is likely to be realized when there is evidence of quality of research design, coupled with appropriate data collection and analysis process based on the design. Research design in marketing research involves identifying the best research methods that are appropriate in obtaining the required data (Churchill and Lacobucci, 2009). As a result, validity and reliability of data to be collected, which is critical in research process depends a lot on the type of

Financial options are easier to value than the common stocks to which Essay

Financial options are easier to value than the common stocks to which they relate. Discuss - Essay Example In case of payment of dividends also, the common stocks are allocated dividends only after the preferred stockholders are paid in full. Thus the valuation of common stock is an area of interest for the investors as it gives an idea of the financial health of the company and also a forecast of the future in terms of profit and loss to be incurred by the company. The valuation of common stock is represented in terms of its present value or fair value or intrinsic value (Moyer,  Moyer, McGuigan,  Rao  and Kretlow, p.249). Financial Options Financial options are contracts which give the right to the owner of the Option to buy or sell an underlying stock at certain agreed upon price within a certain period of time. The owner of the financial option is, however, not obligated to buy or sell the underlying stock within the specified time frame. The agreed upon price is called the strike price. When the buyer executes the option of buying the underlying security at the strike price, it is called â€Å"call† option. When the buyer executes the option of selling the underlying security at the strike price, it is called â€Å"put† option. ... Financial options are a part of the financial derivatives. The valuation of option depends on the difference between the market price of the underlying security and the strike price and subsequently the discounted expected value of that difference at the time of expiration of the option (Brigham and  Ehrhardt, p.273). Valuation: Financial Options and Common Stock The valuation of common stock is based on the determination of present value of the stock taking into account the expected cash flows of the company in future. The methods applied for valuation of common stock are discounted cash flow method, dividend discount model, etc. The DCF (discounted cash flow model) takes into account the forecasted future cash flows which are determined on the basis of growth rate and terminal growth rate of the company. Factors like depreciation, net profit, capital expenditure, change of working capital, cost of equity as discounting factor is considered for determining the fair value of common stock (Pinto, CFA,  Henry, CFA,  Robinson, CFA,  Stowe and CFA, p.183). The DDM (dividend discount model) for common stock valuation assumes constant payment of dividends by the company. The model includes forecasting future dividend payout ratio and earnings per share in order to calculate future dividend payments by the company. The determination of present value of common stock is done by discounting the future dividend payments by the cost of equity. The valuation of common stock thus takes into account the expected future cash flows which are affected according to the risk factors. Therefore, valuation of common stock is affected by the company risk, industry risk and market risk. The company risk and the overall industry risk of common stock could be mitigated by

American Dream Essay Example for Free

American Dream Essay The idea of dreams is integral to the main protagonists throughout The Bell Jar and Death of a Salesman. These ideas stem from the concept known as the American Dream, which is the belief that with enough work anyone can be what they want to be. The American Dream can often be related to the term Manifest Destiny, which is the belief in Americas mission in the world and can often be related to expanding their control over land. There are different types of American Dreams in the texts. These include Material, academic, 19th Century (outdoors), 20th Century (business) and Happiness, which the authors use to give us an inside look into the characters. The concept of the American Dream is presented in Plaths The Bell Jar in a similar way to Millers Death of a Salesman, when Plath states, look at what can happen in this country suggesting that the American Dream is a predominant thought in the American minds. In contrast to Millers main character, Willy, that foolishly follows the American Dream, the main character of The Bell Jar, Esther, does not believe this to be true and fights against the current of mainstream ideas and belief that if you work hard enough you can achieve anything. This is represented in the character, Doreen who is successful for just being beautiful, showing the shallowness of society. The American Dream is shown in Millers Death of a Salesman through characters such as Ben. Ben is the exemplary man with the American Dream; Miller writes that he walked out into the jungle and that when he came out he was rich. This belief that the American Dream can happen to anybody eventually drives his brother Willy to the tragic heroism of his suicide. This is a very depressing view and one that a lot of people can relate to, that the concept of the American Dream has a base of lies, deceit and luck such as Ben who ended up in Africa which then later made him rich. Although they both have differing attitudes toward the American Dream they both seek to achieve their own goals in a different manner. Willy is much more of a protagonist; he talks about being successful and how he will take action in the morning. On the other hand Esther is more pro-active in the pursuit of her dream as she is very academically successful and has never answered one test question wrong. Both of these approaches to seeking their dreams give us an insight into how the characters should have followed their dream and where their mistakes were, such as with Willy who often reminisces that he should have gone with Ben to the mines. Willy is so disillusioned that he will do anything in order to help Biff and Happy to achieve their dreams, which is the main factor in Willys suicide. We also get a sense of selfishness from this act of disillusionment as Willy seems to use his sons as an excuse for him to commit this act he has been clinging onto the American Dream so tightly that it became a veil over his eyes that left him blind to see he has the wrong dreams. Plath often uses the happiness dream in conjunction with the academic and material dreams to contrast with each other and to explore what the American Dream is and how to achieve it. We see this when Esther fed her clothes into the night wind which is Plath showing the reader that in order for Esther to achieve her happiness dream she does not need material objects. Plath uses techniques such as interior monologues to give us the deep feeling of failure residing in Esther and this gives us the impression that we should follow our own dream, instead of following a fake dream. While in contrast Miller uses the 19th and 20th century dreams in order to explore what the American Dream really is and how to achieve it. We can see this when Biff asks, Why am I trying to become what I dont want to be and states he desires to be outdoors with his shirt off for him to build a future. Biff represents freedom from the shackles of society, often breaking the convention, such as committing crimes in order to rebel. These explorations of the American Dream are very different in the way they are presented but both lead to the same conclusion, which is that you need to do more than strive and talk about your dreams, but act upon them, which both characters try, but evidently fail. Both writers look to expose the myth of the American Dream and the harsh reality within the characters of the respective texts. This idea is shown predominantly through the main characters, Willy and Esther, who are complete opposites in this view. Miller portrays Willy as the average low-middle class American who only has the hope of the dream to cling to and keep him going, this is why Willy doesnt understand the true meaning of the American Dream, as he himself has fallen into the cast to what he thinks society wants him to be. This is evident when he exaggerates; it is his way of following the American dream. He talks about how popular he is and how his funeral will be massive, whereas in reality he is unknown. His dream is to be rich and famous and to an extent he fools himself into believing this, such as when he talks about how he sold five hundred in Providence but then realises that he only sold two hundred gross on the whole trip. This gives us a sense of tragedy, that no matter how hard he tries to provide for his family, he is destined to fail, which Miller hints at with the attempted suicide with the rubber tube. However, Plath portrays Esther as a bright young women, who has the opportunity of living the American Dream but she can see through the illusion of what society thinks she should be. When she has her photo taken, she has to hold a fake rose and the rose doesnt represent her as a person or what she aspires to be, which is the point that Plath explores with regards to the American Dream in The Bell Jar. Plath and Miller use very different techniques to represent the American Dream. This is due to the texts being of different styles; one is a novel and the other a play. That said they do share some similarities, such as non-linear narratives to give us an insight into the key themes. The techniques used give different insights into the individual thoughts of the American Dream. One technique used by Plath is the interior monologue, which gives us the intimate thoughts of Esther and what she thinks of the world around her. Plath uses this technique to show her thoughts about the American Dream, as though they are her own thoughts represented in Esther. This gives us a very powerful opinion on the American Dream, as it is an opinion that is close to what we may also think from reading the novel. However Miller uses the flash-back technique in order to show where the idea of the American Dream originates and Willy and Esther perceive it this way. This form of stream-of-consciousness gives us a clear-cut view into what the character perceives and can often help us to understand of why the characters act as they do. One way that both authors explore the concept of the American Dream is by how the characters can achieve their individual dreams; this often leads to pressure to pursue the wrong dream. This is present in a lot of the characters in both texts such as Biff, who is the only realistic one in the Loman family. He realises his boundaries and abilities but in spite of this he still attempts to make a businessman out of himself though it is not what he wants, which he shows when he says, Why am I trying to become what I dont want to be. He also informs us that Willy has all the wrong dreams. This idea of becoming a successful businessman is a carbon copy of Willys dreams, pressed onto Biff. Though Biff, unlike Willy, doesnt procrastinate, everything for Willy is done in the morning and this is the main reason why he is unsuccessful, he talks instead of taking action as we are shown when Charley says that Bernards gonna do it instead of saying it, which Willy seems to admire. On the other hand Esther is the opposite of Willy; she is academically successful, more popular and has the chance to grasp the American Dream. Esther says I was supposed to be having the time of my life but the only problem with Esthers dream is that society wants her to be something else and this pressure is one of the reasons for her latter depression, when she was meant to be happy. When Plath uses the stream-of-consciousness technique we see that Esthers thoughts about the American Dream seem to deteriorate as her mental stability does, not even noticing when she could have potentially had a dream life in the fashion industry saying its somebody else in the magazine photo. Another character that Miller shows is following the wrong dream is Happy. He follows what Willy thinks he should be and he is always looking for his father to notice him, such as when he comments on how he is losing weight. This is an example of following the wrong dream. Happy has fallen prey to trying to make someone else happy by living their dream instead of following his own ambitions, which is the point that Miller explores. Miller has deliberately set up the brothers to have contrasts as we can see within the dreams they possess. Miller also explores the idea that the American Dream is possible if you try; this is in the case of Bernard. Bernard, like Ben, is the prime example of the American Dream coming true. Although he isnt as popular as Biff or Happy, he manages to be an academic and now presents cases in the supreme court, which genuinely shocks Willy as he recognises that Bernards dream has come true. For Willy there is also an air of envy that Bernard has followed the right dream. We see how Willy blindly follows the American Dream and that he doesnt truly understand what it is, he thinks that a personally attractive man will be able to be successful in the world of business. Willys understanding of the American Dream is limited as he believes that superficial qualities such as being liked is all a man needs whereas we are shown that it is hard work and risks that allow men to live the dream, such as Bernard who he often ridiculed for being an anaemic. Another point that shows us Willys little understanding of the American Dream is the metaphor its dark there, but full of diamonds. This metaphor means that through the hardship there will be a reward and is the main notion that drives Willy but it often appears in the form of Ben who reminds him. Ben gives the impression to Willy that he can do it, but also shows us Willys loosening grip to distinguish from reality and dream. The pressure to be something else or something great can have a massive strain on ones being and we can see this through the various suicide attempts by both Willy, with the rubber tube, and Esther with her trying to hang herself. In conclusion, I believe that each text explores the concept of the American Dream in very independent ways that express the opinions of the authors. Miller presents to us ideas such as to achieve the dream you have to be disillusioned which we see in the main protagonist, Willy. The combinations of techniques that Miller uses gives us the impression that nothing good can come out of the American Dream, as if almost hopeless to even have a dream. On the other hand, Plath uses the ideas of isolation being the problem, which we see in Esthers case. Plath uses the ideas of isolation coupled with depression to show the bleakness of striving to achieve a dream, which is a belief that Plath shares. This idea of isolation resonates in both main protagonists and leads back to the notion of society being the problem. Both characters dont fit in with society and are both under strain to be something they do not want to be. This gives us the sense that they are born into the wrong society and this I believe is the point that both authors try to explore, that there is nothing wrong with the characters themselves but it is the world around them that is flawed and through various narrative and stage techniques the authors convey this conclusion successfully. Bibliography Plath. S The Bell Jar Faber (1966) Miller. A Death of a Salesman Heinemann (1949) Dan Clarke

A Review of The Old Man and The Sea: Hemingway’s Tragic Vision of Man

The Old Man and the Sea is one of the most famous novel written by Ernest Hemingway. In this novel, Hemingway shows the world the story about the great Santiago, an old Cuban fisherman who fights for his honor and pride. In the critical essay, â€Å"Hemingway’s Tragic Vision of Man,† Clinton S. Burhans, Jr writes that he and other authors have interpreted this novel, and he takes into account the following points: heroic individualism, interdependence, and Christian themes. I agree with Burhans’ essay. In the novel, Hemingway addresses the character of Santiago so properly that he inspires these points without doubt. â€Å"He was an old man who fished alone in a skiff in the Gulf Stream and he had gone eighty-four days now without taking a fish† (Hemingway 1): This is how the story begins. The old man had spent almost three months without catching anything, so the next day he made up his mind and proposed to himself that he would take a big fish. That day he went far in the ocean. In the beginning, he feels that he has to redeem his bad luck by catching a big fish. He wants to demostra...

Into The Wild: Test Essay

McCandless was brave enough to do things most people would not even think about doing. â€Å"He was looking for more adventure and freedom than today’s society gives people,† comments one of Chris’s friends† (Krakauer 174). What modern society offers did not appeal to Chris McCandless; he wanted a different life that most people had themselves. He saw the influences society puts on our lives and decided he did not want to live that way. â€Å"No longer would he answer to Chris McCandless; he was now Alexander Supertramp, master of his own destiny† (23). McCandless, now known as Alexander Supertramp, did not want to be held back in any way; to insure he would get full freedom he changed his name so he was able to start fresh. McCandless took charge of his new life and was brave to be able to just leave everything he knew and was comfortable with to start new. Whatever makes you happy you should pursue, McCandless did just that even with all the negati ve people telling him it was a bad idea. People find happiness in multiple ways; through relationships, nature, religion, and many more ways. In a letter to Franz, Alex writes, â€Å"You are wrong if you think joy emanates only or principally from human relationships. God has placed it all around us† (57). McCandless knew that although it is nice to have relationships you can find happiness in nature and that is where he found true happiness. â€Å"He is smiling in the picture, and there is no mistaking the look in his eyes: Chris McCandless was at peace, serene as a monk gone to God† (199). Before McCandless’s death he took a picture and in the picture he was at peace and happy even though he was alone and going through the pain of starvation. He was happy because he finally found true happiness. McCandless found happiness in ways most did not, once he found what made him happy he pursued in no matter what the consequences were. â€Å"In the final postcard he sent to Wayne Westerberg, McCandless had  written, if this adventure proves fatal and you don’t ever hear from me again I want you to know you’re a great man. I now walk into the wild† (133). He wrote this to acknowledge the chance that he might not survive. He does not want to die but he knows that he is embarking on a dangerous adventure. McCandless also feels that the whole adventure is worth it, however, for the real experience of living completely independently and freely, and his excitement was expressed at the end of the final postcard to Westerberg. People called McCandless foolish for his mistakes but everyone makes mistakes. â€Å"Instead of feeling distraught over this turn of events, moreover, McCandless was exhilarated: He saw the flash flood as an opportunity to shed unnecessary baggage† (29). Although he made a mistake of sleeping in an area where there are flash floods and lost his car, he accepted it and used it as a way to get further into his adventure by just living off what he needed. â€Å"Chastity and moral purity were qualities McCandless mulled over long and often† (65). Although Chris made fatal mistakes he knew what was right and wrong and would think about it a lot. McCandless overall had respect and good morals but made fatal mistakes which led to his death. â€Å"Awkwardly, s tiff with fear, I started working my way back down. The rime gradually thickened. After descending about eighty feet, I got back on reasonably solid ground. I stopped for a long time to let my nerves settle, then leaned back from my tools and stared up at the face above, searching for a hint of solid ice, for some variation in the underlying rock strata, for anything that would allow passage over the frosted slabs. (137)† That quote really explains what a brave man he is and how he can overcome obstacles that the others like Rosellini, McCunn, and Waterman couldn’t. People who did not think McCandless was courageous thought he was a young foolish man who caused many pain with his leaving and death. Chris did make mistakes but so did others and that does not mean he is foolish. He did not want to cause others pain but he needed to start fresh and away from everyone he knew. â€Å"Alex is a nut in my book,† wrote a resident of Healy, the hamlet at the head of the Stampede Trail. â€Å"The author describes a man who has given away a small fortune , forsaken a living family, abandoned his car, watch and map and burned the last of his money before traipsing off into the ‘wilderness’ west of Healy†(71). Although McCandless did all of those things, he did it to have a fresh  start. He did not want to be held back from anything and in the end it made him happy. A reader of the Outside magazine asked, â€Å"Why would any son cause his parents and family such permanent and perplexing pain?†(71) McCandless did not want to cause his loved ones pain but ended up causing them pain since the only way he could find true happiness was to leave everyone he loved. Although some may not be able to see the reasons McCandless left all his opportunities and loved ones behind to go on an adventure that caused him his death, he only did it because that was what made him happy. Chris McCandless was a young man that went against society and found happiness in things most people would be afraid to try. He had the bravery it took to go against society to find his happiness and although he made mistakes he did what he enjoyed even if people thought he was foolish. People should not judge others for what they do that makes them happy and being brave enough to do something diffe rent than what most do.

Buenavista Plywood Corporation

Buenavista Plywood Corporation The Problem The problem confronting Mr. Antonio Garcia, the Plant Superintendent of Buenavista Plywood Corporation is how to deal with the absentee rates of the employees from Bohol such that the production of the plant will operate at capacity, with adequate workforce and the interests of the company and employees be served. Objectives More specifically, the problem resolves itself into the following objectives which Mr. Garcia has to achieve in the course of action he has to take: 1. To maintain a stable and reliable workforce; 2.To protect the company’s reputation by avoiding confrontation with formal union groups; 3. To address production problems and costs; 4. To meet the rated capacity of the plant; 5. To safeguard the long-run profitability and stability of Buenavista Plywood Corporation. Situational Analysis The Buenavista Plywood Corporation was organized in Cagayan de Oro City in 1950 by the Santiago Family. Don Jose Santiago, the prese nt head of the family, was well qualified to carry the traditions of this prominent family. The Santiagos have been involved in politics in nearby Bohol, the ancestral home.They had been pioneering industrialists in the plywood business. Don Jose had been an early advocate of local processing of lumber as opposed to the shipping of log abroad. VISTAWOOD, the trademark chosen for their plywood, was one of the first export plywood production in the Philippines. Late in the fall of 1960, at a time when the plant was operating at capacity, working three shifts a day, some representatives of a national labor organization gained the allegiance of a large group of workers to establish a union at VISTAWOOD.Over the period of several months, the union activists who were assigned to the logging concessions left the company at their own initiative. These events marked the end of any organized activity at VISTAWOOD. As a matter of general policy, management preferred to hire people from Bohol a nd even tolerate some irregularities due to this peculiar working arrangement, than to risk another confrontation with formal union organizations. In fact, Don Jose soon began to rely on political leverage this group of workers afforded him in his election campaigns in Bohol. Late in 1967, VISTAWOOD was facing serious production problems.Rated capacity and management profit goals had not been attained for several years. Fierce competition in the export market and decreasing selling prices, coupled with new duties being levied by importing countries had aggravated the situation. It was apparent to management that the only source of improvement would have to be the production function. Costs of operating the plant had been steadily rising without no accompanying rise in production volume. Mr. Antonio Garcia was brought to VISTAWOOD Superintendent in the hope that he could bring some improvements in the plywood plant.Discovering the absentee rate of the plant, Mr. Garcia began to exami ne this and other related problems at VISTAWOOD. It became increasingly clear that: (1) production was low and highly erratic and (2) one of the main causes of this gloomy situation was the unstable and unreliable workforce. The absentee rates fluctuated between 50% during Monday and Saturday nights and 30% during the rest of the week. Daily production was so adversely affected by this shifting workforce, that Sundays had to be regarded as regular work days but with higher labor costs. Mr.Garcia was convinced that the plant could be run on a six-day schedule and meets the rated capacity if an adequate workforce could be maintained in the ratio of 3:2. Decision Framework Constraints Given the problematic framework on situation described, Mr. Garcia now had to decide what to do with the problem on the imported workers from Bohol. The fluctuating absentee rates of these employees has resulted to serious problems such as the unstable, unreliable and inadequate workforce unable to meet t he rated capacity at the plant and resulted to low and highly erratic roduction. Rated capacity and management profit goals had not been attained for several years. Aside from the fierce competition in the export market, decreasing selling prices, and rising production costs, imported workers from Bohol have created greater problems. Increasing the production volume through having an adequate stable workforce is the only solution to the problems faced by the company. And that would mean to fire those workers from Bohol who have absentee problems. These people create greater inefficiencies for the company.However, this will risk the company to face formal union organizations. And these would mean putting the company in bad public image ore reputation. Retaining the employees from Bohol will protect the company’s reputation but the absentee rates of these employees affect production costs and volume. And if not addressed will result to financial ruin for the company. Mr. Garcia is therefore caught in a seemingly difficult dilemma and has to formulate a decision which would both safeguard stability and profitability at the company and at the same time, protect the reputation of the company.DECISION ALTERNATIVES The following choices are open to Mr. Garcia: 1. Fine the employees from Bohol who have absentee problems but spell ruin on the company’s reputation; or 2. Retain the employees from Bohol but creates problems on the production costs and volume and eventually spell financial ruin to the company. RECOMMENDATION The first alternative to fine employees from Bohol is preferable given the following considerations: 1.It will decrease absentee rates of employees and having a stable and reliable workforce will result in meeting the rated capacity and volume of the plant. 2. It will dissociate political expediency from management decisions. 3. Mr. Garcia could talk to the workforce from Bohol to avoid establishing a union at VISTAWOOD. CONCLUSION Firin g the workers from Bohol will address production problems of the company and insure the long-run stability and profitability of VISTAWOOD. Such a course of action, therefore, would achieve all the objectives set out earlier in the present dilemma.

Cicuits essays

Cicuits essays Effects and Aspects of a Grasshopper Grasshoppers have been studied, collected, and named from all parts of the earth except for the most frigid regions. More than 10,000 species have been classified and given scientific names. In addition the scientific name, species of grasshoppers may have good common names. The basic classification and identification of grasshoppers consists of the external features of the body. Grasshoppers belong to the phylum Arthropoda as evidence show by the ring like segments of their body, jointed appendages, and exoskeleton. Further segregation places the grasshopper in the class Insecta. Within the Insecta, grasshoppers belong to the order Orthoptera. The name Orthoptera derived from the Greek ortho meaning straight and ptera meaning wing, which refers to the parallel-sided structure of the front wings. Orthoptera is hypothesized to arise during the middle of the Carboniferous period. Most living organisms from this order are terrestrial with modified hind legs that are used for jumping. Also many species have the ability to make and detect sounds. Orthoptera is basically considered as a dominant group in most terrestrial habits. These insects feed on all types of plants and often cause economic damage. Swarms of grasshoppers regularly appear in parts of Africa, Asia, and North America, which destroy crops over wide land areas. The body of the grasshopper has three distinctive groups, the head, thorax, and abdomen. A stiff shell covers the body, much like a crab. The head contains two antennae which grow forward and curve upward from the head. The grasshoppers use the antennas to examine food before it eats. There are also two lips and two powerful jaws with sharp teeth to form the mouth. These fingerlike parts called palpi grow on both sides of the mouth and on the lower lip. This contains the insects taste buds. The grasshopper has five eyes lo...

The Abolitionist Movement and its Influence on the Civil War Research Paper

The Abolitionist Movement and its Influence on the Civil War - Research Paper Example Worse than that was the way that they were treated. The Abolitionists believed in slavery being sin and that every American should rise against it until something was done about it. However, â€Å"the clash between those who wished to end slavery and those who wished to expand and extend the institution escalated† (Hoffman). The latter did not believe in what the Abolitionists wanted – that slavery be eradicated from America by gradually shipping out the slaves back to Africa. Instead, they thought that getting rid of the slaves would result in chaos. There were â€Å"practical economic and status advantages associated with slavery and racial oppression† (Clark 239). Without the slaves, there would be no racial order and the people who worked in the cotton fields would have to be paid for their hard work. That would lead to a rise in the cotton prices or a decrease in the profits earned as they would have to cover up the cost incurred of paying the wages. Thus, t he whole process of finally managing to abolish slavery took a really long period of time. Of course, there were many people who worked hard to make their beliefs come true. One such man was Abraham Lincoln who later ended up becoming the President of the United States of America. He is most popular for being a far sighted and open minded politician who saw and understood enough to realize that what was going on in his country was wrong, that the whole tradition of buying people was against every morals that there are. He had the courage to go against the majority and work on trying to do what he thought was right. In fact, it was his passion for justice which led to him stepping in the political field and eventually running as president. However, he was not a conventional abolitionist. In fact, in the beginning, he was not an abolitionist all; he just greatly disliked the whole concept behind slavery and spoke quite strongly about it. Initially, Abraham Lincoln had run several camp aigns against expanding slavery into more states and territories. He had realized that the Constitution did not allow the American government to get rid of slavery completely so he could not do much about the Africans who already were part of the order and helped run the land smoothly without disrupting the whole process. But he could work on stopping it from happening in the future in places where there was no concept of slavery and the people were not dependent on the Africans to do their work for them. He has been recorded as been saying â€Å"I have always hated slavery, I think as much as any Abolitionist† (Burlingame). Even after he became the President, he tried to reconcile those living in the South who were owners of many slaves with the Northerners who were the opposing party. This effort, of course, did not prove to be fruitful. It was later on during his political career – sometime after he was elected as the President – that he declared himself to b e a supporter of the Abolitionist Movement and started working on using his power to overcome the injustice shown towards the Africans. The Civil War had started in 1861 due to the â€Å"long-standing sectional differences and questions not fully resolved when the United States Constitution was ratified in 1789†; the whole country was in turmoil (The Civil War). It was a year later that Lincoln decided to put a stop to all that was happening. He â€Å"

Globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Globalization - Essay Example Before the United States of America was the ultimate supreme ruler and countries like India were low-level underdeveloped nations. However, globalization has changed this. Although these countries cannot yet rise to the same level in terms of development, they are able to learn and understand better the culture and other aspects of development such as in technology and innovations about other countries. Communication has definitely increased in growth. People are now integrated in their thinking to improve and modernize their ways of doing things. Lower level countries can now understand the good concepts of other countries and integrate them in their own country for development. Technology, especially computers, paved the way for Internet, which has made communication so much faster. Freidman, in his book, realizes that the world is flat when he visited several technology companies and call centers in India and also in China. Friedman is later told that the playing field right now h as been leveled, a condition in which all companies and businesses have an equal chance of being successful and on top. Now, countries like India can participate in the competition for worldwide understanding and knowledge, flattening to the point where businesses, small or big, can collaborate and vie globally. Globalization has caused several effects in the development of many areas in development and growth. In the military, it has flattened through the use of computer technology. Now, low-status officers and recruited men could gain access to different kinds of information through the Internet. Education is also now available through the Internet. Online schooling is now possible. American people can be lectured, coached and instructed online by Indian tutors. Information is spread throughout the world and is now continually flowing to even the remote locations in several countries. In terms of trade and commerce, advertising and sales can be done through television and the inte rnet as well which is seen by more audiences in a cheaper and a more low-cost way. Because of the flat world, there is an emergence and the beginning of worldwide production markets that have dramatically increased the development of international trade within the past five decades. In addition, in terms of economy, in my opinion, countries now have the same and equal opportunity to become the number one power in terms of wealth. Before, the United States was the main world power and it has maintained a sturdy and rich economy. But because of globalization, China grew tremendously, competing with America, and it has been predicted that in twenty years time with this kind of rate from China, it will have enough to rival with the United States. Communication to the social public has now effectively increased and grew. Tri media has now become cheaper and cheaper to the point where it has become affordable to everyone, enabling it to reach a larger audience faster and in a more afforda ble way. Culture has also become influenced and has changed. Cultural diffusion, or the sharing an the spreading of ideas, the contact between cultural countries, adopting new cultures and practices and technology has bloomed, flourished and tremendously grew. Cultural diversity is now more apparent such as the emergence of international pop culture and trends. With all this development and the rise