The Future Success of Sony Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 5

The Future Success of Sony - Essay Example One of the main market segments, where Sony is still the market leader, is the gaming market. But competitors are soon catching up and it needs to innovate and make its But competitors are soon catching up and it needs to innovate and make its PlayStation better as competitors. Microsoft and Nintendo have already released their next generation consoles and it is high time that Sony releases its and makes the experience far better than the previous ones. The portable music player is another segment that the company has lost its market share, mainly to competitor Apple. In order to regain its market share, it has to come up with a new and innovative product that is more than just a music player. Instead of competing directly with iPod, Sony must try coming up with a product that is going to shake up the segment, like it has done with Walkman years ago or for matter for of fact Apple has done with iPod. It needs to reinvent itself in the television market as dominance in this market will result in an increase in demand for other products also. As it failed to identify the potential in the LCD market, it is now trying to play catch up. Instead, it must try coming up with next-generation televisions which is better than the LCDs. There are other segments to where the company needs to implement product innovation if it has to justice to the brand name it has achieved and replicate the success of the past. One of the major strengths of Sony us that it is considered to be a premium brand by consumers as it has gained the reputation of producing high quality, technically superior, innovative and reliable products. Hence, products coming out of it are generally considered by the consumers to be among the best. Like Apple, it is also a lifestyle brand which means that consumers take pride in owning Sony products. This is a great platform for the company to market and sell its products. The main weakness of the company is the brand image that it has acquired in the recent past. It is now seen as the shadow of its past successes. It has been criticised for not tapping new opportunities and failing to innovate. The company was once a market leader/innovator but now has become a follower. Its overall financial performance has not been encouraging to shareholders.

The Custom Woodworking Company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Custom Woodworking Company - Essay Example First of all, the project went wrong from the initiation phase itself. In fact, in the initiation phase, the idea for the project is to be ‘fully explored and elaborated’ (Baars, 2006, p. 3). In addition, a proper decision regarding the purpose of the project, the parties to be involved, and the base of support to be provided should all be decided. Evidently, the initiation phase had to answer such questions as the purpose of the project, the feasibility of the project, the people to be included in the project, what results are to be obtained, and the possible boundaries of the project. In other words, according to Heyworth (2002, p. 12), the project concept phase requires solid and clear decision-making process. For this purpose, first of all, a project priority list should be made with clearly defined goals of the project. In fact, there is a lack of this understanding of priority in the case of Woody 2000. For example, there is no project priority list. Instead the pr oject is trying to achieve a number of goals at the same time. Firstly, there is the desire to expand the manufacturing process in order to harvest the benefits of the commercial construction in south-western BC. Secondly, the company wanted to solve the problem of falling production efficiency due to less manufacturing space. When the company develops the project concept, it is not clear as to which goal it is trying to get. One can see that this happened because of lack of coordinated leadership. To illustrate, the company management brought too many people to the concept phase, including Bruce Sharpe who wanted to expand business, Miles Faster who wants to increase production efficiency, John Carpenter who wants computer controlled automation, and Kim Cashman and Spencer Moneysworth who want to cut costs. As a result, what happened was a disjoined decision making. It happens because the people in the phase possessed various ideas about what the project should be. In order to solv e the problem, it was necessary for the team to decide what has to be the priority. As a result of all of these, even when the project was approved, it lacked a specific definition as the project was trying to reach various outcomes at the same time. In other words, different members were concerned about different outcomes. In addition, one can see that the estimated cost is $17 million. However, Woody has decided to spend a maximum of $17 million. It is very evident that a project is likely to cost more than the roughly estimated cost. Thus, the decision to spend not more than the roughly estimated amount will cause financial troubles for the project The real objective of the project could have been to expand the manufacturing process in order benefit from the boom in construction. In order to achieve this objective, the company could adopt a number of different strategies. First of all, the company could start another manufacturing unit in a different place. As already seen in the case study, there was a property available at attractive price some fifteen miles away from the head office. It was possible for the company to develop a new production unit without disrupting the existing production unit. Another option for the company was to expand its existing production plant, and thus raise production capacity. However, the best possible solution at this point is to start a new production plant in the new profitable location with all modern

The Hypocrisy Of The Civilized Society English Literature Essay

The Hypocrisy Of The Civilized Society English Literature Essay In the relatively short time of the existence of the United States, society has allowed the written word to seep into our everyday existence. What has been written forms our everyday lives; our country, democracy, freedom, laws, religions, news, stories, and our history that is passed on through generations. Much of the written word has found its way to be presented in rather elegant form, but not always so in subject matter. Throughout the history of America, the views of civility and civilized society have changed through times of progress, conflict and peace. Perception of ideals has shifted, political correctness has emerged, and cultural rules have changed. The literature of America reflects the hypocrisy of civilized society and uncovers truths that need to be told and that want to be heard. Annotated Bibliography of The Selling of Joseph, by Samuel Sewall Amacher, Richard E. Samuel Sewall. American Colonial Writers, 1606-1734. Ed. Emory Elliott. Detroit: Gale Research, 1984. Dictionary of Literary Biography Vol. 24. Literature Resource Center. Web. 6 Mar. 2011. When delving into the some of the early American Literature, one does not expect to find much available in defense of the African American race, and the common mistreatment endured by the people of a certain birthright or skin color. The Selling of Joseph, written in 1700, by Samuel Sewell, is one such surprising piece. Richard E. Amacher, in his Biographical Essay on Samuel Sewall, contrasts The Selling of Joseph, with work that focused on taming African Americans and rationalized their slavery, sale and mistreatment. In as much as the Puritans used the bible and the Word of their God to rationalize societys treatment of African Americans as slaves, Sewall uses the bible and quotes it directly to show that their God certainly does not agree with the mistreatment of any human. Sewell argues that in the common mans belief of Adam and Eve, that all men were heirs of the couple who fell from grace with temptation and gained their liberty, for better or worse. All heirs were entitled as equals to Adam and Eve. The gift of liberty was violated by the sale of Joseph by his brothers. (Amacher 13) Gods word in Exodus 21:16 supported this argument; This Law being of Everlasting Equity, wherein Man Stealing is ranked amongst the most atrocious of Capital Crimes. (Amacher 13) (Sewell 2) Richard E. Amachers comparison of Samuel Sewells The Selling of Joseph with other work of the same time period confirms that not all people of society agreed with the ownership of people or their employ or indenture as servants or slaves. A cultural rule of the 1700s was wide acceptance of slavery. Sewall looked at the Humanitarian aspect, and how society should treat all people. His attempt to influence society to change this pattern would not be realized for a great many years, yet his literary contributions show that not all bought into this ideal. Amacher emphasizes that: Sewalls [work] concentrated on human liberty as such, although he, too, good Calvinist that he was, buttressed his mainly humanitarian interests with many scriptural quotations. (Amacher 13) Theologically, the people of a society owe liberty to all descendants of Adam and Eve, as equals. Each side of the argument of slave ownership is supported by the same book, and end in different interpretations; each claiming to be correct based on their texts. Annotated Bibliography of The Gettysburg Address, by Abraham Lincoln Lodge, Henry Cabot. The Democracy of Abraham Lincoln The Democracy of the Constitution and Other Addresses and Essays. Charles Scribners Sons, 1915. 122-159. Rpt. In Nineteenth- Century Literature Criticism. Ed. Janet Mullane. Vol. 18. Detroit: Gale Research, 1988. Literature Resource Center. Web. 7, Mar. 2011. Henry Lodge Cabot speaks of the true meaning behind the words of Lincolns Gettysburg Address, in his essay titled the Democracy of Abraham Lincoln. Cabot explains his opinion about Lincolns idea concerning the government of the people. It is a government made up the citizens (the people) and its purpose is for governing of the people. The constitution is shown to be a continual pillar in our country. The document has basically been the same since the foundation of our nation. There have been some changes to the Constitution, such as three war time amendments, and the establishment of the income tax. The paper continues to state that Lincoln stated his opinion so clearly that there was no escape from its meaning. The Democracy of Abraham Lincoln is a good source about Lincolns Gettysburg Address as Cabot seems to fully grasp Lincolns meaning behind this famous speech. The information stated seems to show Lincolns belief that he could just deliver a basic message and with his words were fully understood. It is an example of a man who took his beliefs that the government should be for all the people. On review of this authors work I can definitely agree with his statement as follows; In his usual fashion he stated his proposition so clearly and with such finality that there is no escape from his meaning. This actually shows the fact that Lincoln simply told it how it was, with no fluff or exaggeration. The true meaning behind The Democracy of Abraham Lincoln supports the statement that as time change, the literature of that time changes to reflect the views of society. This address was a major turning point in civilized society. For the United States, the address was to be a benefit to the entire nation. The point of the address was to show that it is for all people but our society did and continues to show hypocrisy. It was not the original intent of our government but has shown to be a real issue in the world. Cabot explained Lincolns reasoning behind this speech but the overall result is not truly carried out in our country. Annotated Bibliography of Self Reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson Grimm, Reverend David E. Introducing Unitarian Universalism. Interfaith Conference. Washburn University. Yager Stadium, Topeka, Kansas. October, 11, 2003. Web. 3 March 2011. Reverend David E. Grimm is a Unitarian Universalist minister, as was Emerson. The Unitarian Universalists have held Ralph Waldo Emerson in high regard for a great many years. Some of their principals come directly from the work of Emerson, and others were influenced by it. One of their principals is the free and responsible search for truth and meaning. Reverend Grimm gave a speech on Unitarian Universalism, where he introduced the Religion at an interfaith conference. In this speech, he gave a brief overview of Emerson, and stated that the desirable state of affairs where one could actually read the moral law directly for oneself was called self-reliance by a young Unitarian minister named Ralph Waldo Emerson. Grimm interprets the Essay by Emerson to mean that one should learn to trust the power within yourself to discern the higher law, to know whats right. This idea that a person could discern right from wrong without the guidance of the bible was not necessarily a new idea, but was not put out in the open so eloquently until Emerson wrote Self Reliance. Emerson was a Unitarian minister, but he left the church to pursue a career of writing. His writing still reflected his Unitarian beliefs, and in todays time, they are not only Unitarian, but more Unitarian Universalist, which only came to be after a merging of the two religions. The implications from the insight of Emerson brought an understanding of moral norms to Unitarianism. Grim States: After all, in the light of self-reliance, the Bible was seen for what it was: second-hand religion, a religion handed down from the past to us, from somebody elses original reading of the moral law long ago. (Grimm 15) Grim concludes that Self reliance unseated the hold of not only the Bible, but the sacred texts of other religions as well. All were someone elses interpretation of the moral law. It was the act of the interpretation that Emerson explained that a person could do for themselves. Grimm claims that Self Reliance put a truth out for people to consider: And so, over time, not just the Bible, but sacred texts from all of the worlds religions, came to be honored among us [Unitarian Universalists] as expressions of this universal human attempt to know what is right, and to do it. (Grimm 15) Emerson said Whoso would be a man, must be a non-conformist. (Emerson 7) meaning not to revolt against the system of man, but to question it, and gain knowledge that it holds. To accept answers on the basis of anothers opinion was trust not placed well. The major religions relied on their bible to relay right and wrong. Emerson attempts to tell the people that they already know right from wrong, and they only need to pull these morals from within. The work of Self Reliance coincides with the literary periods of Romanticism and of the Transcendentalists. This was a time of discovery and appreciation for nature. It was an enlightenment of the people, yet a grim realization by Emerson that dependence on societys demands and behaving correctly was becoming a major part of the human existence. Emerson says that men are overly concerned with reputations and the opinion of others so much so that they can no longer be genuine, and instead become hypocritical and cynical. Emerson further states that Society Never Advances. (Emerson 45) For every advancement, something is taken away. Emerson details this in a large selection: The civilized man has built a coach, but has lost the use of his feet. He is supported on crutches, but lacks so much support of the muscle. He has got a fine Geneva watch, but he has lost the skill to tell the hour by the sun. A Greenwich nautical almanac he has, and so being sure of the information when he wants it, the man in the street does not know a star in the sky. The solstice he does not observe; the equinox he knows as little; and the whole bright calendar of the year is without a dial in his mind. His notebooks impair his memory; his libraries overload his wit; the insurance-office increases the number of accidents; and it may be a question whether machinery does not encumber; whether we have not lost by refinement some energy, by a Christianity entrenched in establishments and forms some vigor of wild virtue. For every stoic was a stoic; but in Christendom where is the Christian? (Emerson 46) These statements prove that throughout history, the views of civility have changed, and that the perception of such has changed with political correctness thus changing cultural rules. Emersons Self Reliance shows that civilized society is indeed flawed, and is inherently tainted with hypocrisy. Annotated Bibliography of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain Grant, William E. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Masterplots, Fourth Edition (2010): 1-4. Literary Reference Center. EBSCO. Web. 10 Mar. 2011. Mark Twain gave the world The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in 1876. It was a sequel to The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Twain opens this novel by explaining to the reader that he is being true to the characters of the book by keeping their regional dialects. According to William E. Grant, in his criticism titled Adventures of Huckleberry Finn published in Masterplots, states: The skill with which Twain elevates the dialect of an illiterate village boy to the highest levels of poetry established the spoken American idiom as a literary language and earned for Twain the reputation, proclaimed for him by Ernest Hemingway, William Faulkner, and many others, as the father of the modern American novel. (Grant 13) Aside from the dialect of the characters, Twain manages to bring forth an uncanny goodness in most of the characters. Twain successfully depicts the world the characters live in as volatile and ever changing. Every character is in some sort of conflict. Themes of the novel are: Society in itself is hypocritical, Freedom, Slavery, Search for a Father Figure, the common man versus the world (or society) and the brotherhood of man. According to Grant, Twain believed human beings to be innately good though increasingly corrupted by social influences that replace their intuitive sense of right and wrong. (Grant 14) The character of Huck battles with his conscience many times in trying to decide what would be the right thing to do. He fakes his death in order to save himself, yet, feels it could be the reason his father died. Huck struggles with Jims status as a slave and if he should turn him in or not. Huck eventually decides to go to Hell and maintain his decision to break what is considered morally and legally wrong, and not turn Jim in; in fact, he protects Jim at every turn. Edwards feels that Twain compellingly establishes the irony that Hucks sin against the social establishment affirms the best that is possible in the individual. Within the novel, references are made to code of Honor with the Shepherdson boys, who live under the law of vendetta against the Grangerfords. There are also numerous references to civilize. The Widow Douglass attempts to Civilize Huck, making him wear fancies on Sundays and act proper and sit up straight. She wanted to teach him religion, yet she ironically holds slaves. She seemingly does not hold herself to what even she feels is not wholly right; she will not have her slaves sold to anyone else because she cares for them very well and she would not have them sent to someone who would treat them as good as she. Grant is of the opinion that slavery provides Twain his largest metaphor for both social bondage and institutionalized injustice and inhumanity. He further feels that the novel is not an anti-slavery novel per say, but rather than attacking an institution already legally dead, Twain uses the idea of slavery as a metaphor for all social bondage and injustice. (Grant 15) The novel was published nearly thirteen years after the end of the civil war, yet opinions and perceptions on race were not yet settled. Both Huck and Jim were literally and in perceptual slavery to the Widow Douglass. They both flee to begin a new life in a slave free state, yet cast off headed south on the Mississippi. Grant offered insight to the direction of the raft as It is almost irrelevant that Twain has Huck and Jim running deeper into the South rather than north toward free soil. Freedom exists neither in the North nor in the South but in the ideal and idyllic world of the raft and river. (Grant 15) The raft and the River both play catalyst to the heart of the relationship of Huck and Jim. The two see themselves fleeing the same situations, in their minds. Both take risks for one another, and there are consequences of being caught for both Huck and Jim. Huck is perceived as an abolitionist, punishable by death. Jim is seen as the murderer of Huck, punishable by death. While each has their life on the line for the other, they sincerely protect each another, almost as father and son. They make stops along the river for supplies and rest, each stop bringing an adventure that sends them fleeing once again for the sanctuary of their raft. Grant considers It is onshore that Huck encounters the worst excesses of which the damned human race is capable, but with each return to the raft comes a renewal of spiritual hope and idealism. Grant 16) William E. Grants essay enforces the idea of Hypocrisy in Civilized Society. The novel brings situations of Slavery, Civility, rules and wrongs that many people of the 19th century simply did not want to hear about, speak of, or deal with. They would have to turn the mirror inward and have a good look at themselves, because most people simply followed the cultural rules, and did not speak out even if they thought something was wrong. Grant ends his essay of criticism of the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn with a most well written statement: Through the adventures of an escaped slave and a runaway boy, both representatives of the ignorant and lowly of the earth, Twain affirms that true humanity is found in humans rather than institutions. (Grant 14) While this novel continually takes a beating for its content, the underlying moral truths that are exposed can still be applied to current times, with only a slight twist. It is literature such as The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn that should remain as originally written, unedited, in order to maintain the integrity with which it was intended. Annotated Bibliography of The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost Grimes, Linda Sue. Robert Frosts Tricky Poem. Analysis of The Road Not Taken. Suite101.com Media Inc., 14 Apr. 2008. Web. 9 Mar. 2011. . The Road Not Taken was written by Robert Frost. This poem characterizes an assertion of individualism. In Robert Frosts Tricky Poem, an analysis by Linda Sue Grimes, she states that Frost claims this poem was about his friend Edward Thomas. They [Frost and Thomas] would periodically go on walks in the woods near London. While they would be enjoying their walk they would come across two different roads to take. After choosing one road, rumor has it; Thomas would always wonder what was down the other road. According to Grimes in Robert Frosts Tricky Poem, the first stanza is describing the situation, which was the dilemma of choosing one road over the other. The second stanza describes the road he decides to take. Because it was grassy and wanted wear he takes the road that is less traveled on, even though he stated that they were and were not exactly the same. The third stanza continuities to describe the roads, he notices the difference between the two. Such as the leaves were freshly fallen and both had not been walked on. Â  The forth stanza has tricky words, I shall be telling this with a sigh, the word this can be interpreted as a relief or regret in the decision of the road he takes. (Frost 16) Different interpretations can be identified after reading The Road Not Taken, such as views upon friendship or his future behind the road he has taken and his experiences because of his choice. In the beginning of the 20th century there was a strong focus on individuality and nature, as it offered an escape from focus of World War I. Various processes in industrialism were taking shape in the country and changing views of society. Frosts poetry served as a system check back to reality from the chaos of the times. As Grimes says: In this poem, it is important to be careful with the time frame. When the speaker says he will be reporting sometime in the future how his road choice turned out, he clearly states that he cannot assign meaning to sigh and difference yet, because he cannot know how his choice will affect his future, until after he has lived it. (Grimes 11) Annotated Bibliography of Resistance to Civil Government by Henry David Thoreau Yarborough, Wynn. Readings of Thoreaus Resistance to Civil Government. American Transcendentalism Web. Virginia Commonwealth University. 1995. Web. March 11, 2011. Wynn Yarboroughs paper, titled Readings of Thoreaus Resistance to Civil Government, is an overview of Thoreaus Resistance to Civil Government, which is sometimes simply called Civil Disobedience, is based on a variety of sources from the 1920s through the 1970s. In the early paragraphs, Mr. Yarborough goes through the stages of Thoreaus life and different ways in which his work was perceived through the years. The remainder of the paper consists primarily of variety of different opinions and how each of them plays a part in certain time periods. The overall view of the references used by Mr. Yarborough is that Thoreau was a man with a great ability to justify his beliefs. Each of the views expressed by him seems to be validated by others in the years to come. It is my belief that Mr. Yarborough was very informative with this paper. It was an overview complied from many sources over an extended period of time. Each of the critics shows a side of Thoreau and they use his beliefs to back up their choices. The government is reflected in different ways during each of the reviews that Mr. Yarborough states. I feel that each of the critics of Thoreau may believe that his ways were not justified and that perhaps he was not rational. Critics such as Vivas, Parrington and MacKayne all show a variety of beliefs which may be justified by critiquing Thoreau. One example in Mr. Yarboroughs research that speaks to the significance of Thoreaus writings is In the 1960s, Thoreau became not only relevant but almost a popular icon. The statement that as time changes the literature of that time changes to reflect the views of society is shown correct with this review and how Thoreaus work is used to further many causes. Each time period from the 1920s through the 1970s has shown that the government had ever changing values. While time continues to change literature, time changes to reflect the views of society. Hypocrisy will always be a part of the government as it was so many years ago and it continues today. It is not the intention of the people involved but it is how society seems to function as a whole. Annotated Bibliography of Smoke and Steel by Carl Sandburg Niven, Penelope. Carl (August) Sandburg. American Poets, 1880-1945: Third Series. Ed. Peter Quartermain. Detroit: Gale Research, 1987. Dictionary of Literary Biography Vol. 54. Literature Resource Center. Web. 14 Mar. 2011. Penelope Nivens Critical essay, titled Carl (August) Sandburg, offers a look at the life and work of Carl Sandberg, an American Poet. Niven opens with a brief biographical essay, highlighting that Sandburg came from humble beginnings as the child of immigrants from Sweden. His parents met after they arrived in the United States, in Illinois. They were in search of a share of American democracy and prosperity. (Niven 4) His father was a hard worker, being employed by the railroad yard as a blacksmith. Sandburg was born in 1878, and was raised speaking both English and Swedish. According to Niven, Carl Sandberg was eager to assimilate into American Culture and Society at a very early age. When he was in grade school, he changed his name from a Swedish sounding Carl to a more American Sounding Charles. (Niven 4) There were many children in the Sandburg household, and after the deaths of two of the children, in 1892, Charles was forced to leave school to help with the familys needed income. In 1897, Sandburg left his family, at the age of eighteen, and toured the United States on the rails as a hobo. He gained knowledge of different areas, and worked odd jobs with the local working class people to get a small bit of money that helped him from one place to another. His desire to travel was immense, and he eventually volunteered for service in the Spanish American War in 1898. (Niven 6) His status as a veteran allowed him to attend college at no cost. He did attend, but did not excel, and eventually left. Sandburg was more interested with people and the landscape than he was with proper schooling. Sandberg began to write about the American people being candid and rugged, speaking in individual free-verse style which spoke clearly, directly, and often crudely to the audience which was also his subject. (Niven 10) He became an investigative reporter for the Chicago Daily News; he further developed passionate social concerns. Nivens states: He covered war, racial strife, lynchings, mob violence, and the inequities of the industrial society, such as child labor, and disease and injury induced in the workplace. These concerns were transmuted into poetry. Sandberg published several books of poetry, the first being Chicago Poems, that gave realistic views from the working class, children, and the inexplicable fate of the vulnerable and struggling human victims of war, progress, business. The following volume of poetry was titled Smoke and Steel (1920), which focused on the harsh reality of the times. The volume vividly depicts the daily toil of the working man and woman, the people who must sing or die.' Within the volume, a poem also titled Smoke and Steel, Sandburg uses Smoke from steel mills, spring fields, and autumn leaves as metaphors for the blood of a man. He considers them a life force, but also that which gives the people commonality. The poem details the struggle of the common man. Nivens finds that the Volume as a collection is uneven and concludes with contradictory critical views. She further states that other critics have labeled Sandburg as having no sense of the past or vision of the future. Some critics, however, did find that this son of Swedish immigrants was particularly suited to write about the incomplete, but urgent and hopeful American democracy and that Sandberg allows others to see our national life in the largeits beauty and glory, its baseness and shame. This article by Penelope Nivens offers a great look at the life and times of Carl Sandberg, and does relate his work, as a whole, to spotlighting the hypocrisy of American Society, within the time period that it is written, the 1920s, in the height of the Industrial Revolution. Within the poem, Smoke and Steel, the focus is on the lifeblood of all the people and what the people must do and conform to in order to make society work, and work for each of them. Even those who wish to escape the hypocrisy of civilized society and do something else will eventually return because of the jobs provided by industry. The anthem learned by the steel is: Do this or go hungry. (Sandburg 104, 105) Nivens concludes Yet as the spokesman for the great human family, Carl Sandburg, biographer, historian, troubadour, and poet, speaks to any period, any place. Annotated Bibliography of Smoke and Steel by Carl Sandburg Yannella, Philip. The Other Carl Sandburg. Univ. Press of Mississippi, 1996. Google Books. Web. 14 Mar. 2011. http://books.google.com/books?id=9T9h_xAdxGwCprintsec=frontcover#v=onepage qf=false Phillip Yannella has written immense material analyzing the poetry and works of Carl Sandburg, a poet of the early 20th century. In his book titled, The Other Carl Sandburg, Yanella looks at several of the books that Sandburg wrote, and attempts to shed light onto each volume, and give a bit of a representation to some of the more important individual poems contained within the volumes. The volume, Smoke and Steel, comprised many poems, and was the second book for Carl Sandburg. The first book reflected positively on the working class, and its eventual happiness to be active and productive. The second book, Smoke and Steel, has no heroic working class about to rise up to take its just due, no models of proper working class behavior, no noble immigrant workers, no happy autonomous humanistic workers, workers who danced and sang in spite of their lowness. (Yannella 144) Instead, with Smoke and Steel, Sandburg portrayed the worker as an angry and violent soul, and who harbored hostility against society. The worker was invisible. The time when the work was written, the 1920s, is important because the Race Riots had just happened, and there was a steel dispute that caused workers to decline in numbers, the union to strike, and allowed technology to take many a workers job. The poem titled Smoke and Steel is the longest in the volume of the same name. It contains some of the most intense, suggestive language he ever wrote. (Yanella 145) Sandburg metaphorically compares the smoke to the blood of man. He says that there is smoke in the mills, in the fields, in the burning leaves, and this smoke is from the work done by the common man. This man puts so much of himself into the task that the smoke becomes his blood and without it he cannot sustain, as the work cannot sustain without the worker. Smoke into blood, and blood into steel. They make the steel with men. The work of Sandburg and the Analysis by Phillip Yannella prove the thesis that society is hypocritical in itself, by requiring things to be made through industry to support it, yet it is the man who works in industry, and in doing so, suffers. The poem, Smoke and Steel, has powerful language that exposes the fact that steel is part of our everyday life, and it creeps into the everyday existence of every person. What is of the person and family who worked so hard and sometimes gave their life to give these often meaningless things to society? Sandburg states Smoke and blood is the mix of steel connecting the product with what has gone into making it. (Sandburg 45) He continues, as if every other person in the country is named Steve. Steve and the rest of us end on the same stars; we all wear a hat in hell together, in hell or heaven. (Sandburg 71) Sandburg touches on the environmental aspect as the byproduct of the steel that is made, slag, is washed out by fire and wind, and states Forever the slag gets washed in fire and wind because slag will contaminate wherever it lies forever. Sandberg shows that in our time or progress, we find need for steel and other industry, for our planes, our warships, and our rails. Sandburg humanizes the workers as brothers, and extends their reach as smoke from all industry to reach every American. Annotated Bibliography of I have a Dream by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dlugan, Andrew. Speech Analysis: I Have a Dream Martin Luther King Jr. Six Minutes. Six Minutes, Jan. 2009. Web. 14 Mar. 2011. . On August 28, 1963 the anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther Kings I Have a Dream speech, is called Dream Day. Andrew Dlugan, in his speech analysis, states I Have A Dream is one of the most memorable speeches of all time. (Dlugan). That title represents an uplifting illusion to all who had the honor of listening to the speech, at least once in their lifetime. According to Dlugan, There are many uses of literally terms in the topics of Kings speech, such as rhetorical methods, including repetition, metaphors, inspiration, identification and persuasion. Dlugan points out that I Have A Dream is repeated eight times. This is an example of anaphora in modern rhetoric. The repetition of words is common within the speech. Freedom is repeated 20 times, mainly because freedom is the primary theme. The words, we, 30 times, our, seventeen times and dream, eleven times. In paragraph two of Kings speech, Five score years ago refers to Lincolns famous Gettysburg Address speech which began Four score and seven years ago This allusion is particularly poignant given that King was speaking in front of the Lincoln Memorial (Dlugan). Geographic reference was mention throughout the speech, Mississippi and New York (paragraph 13), Georgia (paragraph 19) and Alabama (paragraph 22). Lastly, metaphors are highlighting the contrast between two abstract concepts. Joyous daybreak to end the long night captivity (Paragraph 2). The Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity (Paragraph 3). This speech and analysis of it prove the thesis by showing that the people do not stand on the moral ground that they think that they do. Society has been living without seeing that other people, who share the same lands as they, are not affo

An Emotional Slave in The Slave Dancer :: Slave Dancer Essays

An Emotional Slave in The Slave Dancer I found The Slave Dancer, by Paula Fox, to be a very commendable historical fiction. When I had finished reading the final sentence, I was left with a feeling of appreciation. I felt imperfect. For it easily could have been my ancestors who tortured the multitudes of helpless slaves. The Slave Dancer was a difficult book to get into, but it soon captured my interest and turned into an excellent, yet emotional, piece of literature. The Slave Dancer was a story that was so real and likewise so powerful. It was such an immaculate piece of work that it should be read by all. I truly enjoyed the main character, Jessie. He was slowly, throughout the story, transformed from an innocent young boy, captured and taken aboard a slave ship to play his fife to "dance the slaves", into a man who realizes the true meaning of friendship, life, survival, hardships, and love. Paula Fox's writing style is very admirable, and it genuinely shows with this Newberry Honor wining book. There were few things I disliked about this book. I disliked the beginning of The Slave Dancer because it was a very difficult book to get into. I did not like the lack of detail when it came to describing the crew members aboard The Moonlight, which is the name of the slave ship. The book kept referring to crew members, and I could not tell them apart. I could not picture something different about each one of them. I believe that The Slave Dancer would help everyone understand the misfortune that all of the African slaves went through. I anticipate that there will be some who would not enjoy this book, however, I think that everybody should read The Slave Dancer. I would certainly read this book again and still benefit from its text. I recommend this book to all who have lost the true meaning of appreciation and wish to grasp that significance once again. After reading The Slave Dancer I was transposed into a different person. I was more aware of the views of each person and each cherished life. I took back a lesson; a sad lesson. I was reminded of how precious every person's life is, and how just one experience can change one's perspective of life.

Colorism in the African American Society

Racism has been a very prominent issue most commonly between black and white people. Although it is the most acknowledged; it is not the only example of race discrimination. Race discrimination occurs among other ethnicities and backgrounds of people. Sometimes race discrimination can transpire because of people’s point of views on certain things, such as religion, color, age, or even gender. In the stories, â€Å"The Wife of His Youth† and â€Å"Desiree’s Baby† racism and some other forms of discrimination are present, but surprisingly it isn’t one race opposing another. It is black on black racism, or more specifically â€Å"colorism;† this is discrimination based on skin color (Nittle 1). â€Å"Wife of His Youth,† a short story by Charles Chesnutt addresses the tussles of race as a light skinned and dark African American subsequently to the American civil war, through the characters Mr. Ryder and Liza Jane. While equally black; the lighter skin (Mr. Ryder) had a social advantage during segregation eras. Kate Chopin’s story â€Å"Desiree’s Baby† has a comparable theme in despite of its setting; it took place previous to the civil war. It concerns Desiree and her husband Armand; who give birth to a darker skinned child. Their fear that society would discard them leads the story to a tragic ending. Although, Charles Chesnutt’s story was written after the civil war and Kate Chopin’s was written prior to the civil war, both stories show that discrimination still existed categorically within African American ethnic groups. A gross amount of Charles Chesnutt works exemplifies the hardships he endured in the south as a light African American more specifically â€Å"Wife of His Youth,† which is a short story that took place after the civil war. Chesnutt satirically reveals not only the difficulties faced by racially blended individuals but also their intense prejudices against more darkly shaded African Americans. Chesnutt himself was a product of mixed marriage as well: indeed he was identified as an African American however he often referred to himself as white American too (Rossetti 1). Mr. Ryder who was the main character in the short story, â€Å"The Wife of His Youth† by Charles Chesnutt, had a similar biography as Chesnutt. Mr. Ryder was well respected by his society called the Blue Veins. According to Fleischmann, â€Å"Their existence, as little society of colored persons [whose] purpose it was to establish and maintain correct social standard among a people whose social condition presented almost unlimited room for improvement† ( Chesnutt 463). This Blue Veins society was a society within the larger society. The larger society also known as the â€Å"white powered society† had no place for African Americans. There was no room for middle ground where African American and Caucasians could prosper. The Blue Veins society was created so that lighter skinned, colored people whose skin appeared so white that their veins showed like Mr. Ryder, could have significant membership in this white society. (Chesnutt 1)They did not want to be categorized with the darker African American groups. In the short story, â€Å"No one was eligible for membership who was not white enough to show Blue Veins† (Chesnutt 1). With this short story Chesnutt demonstrates that color matters within the race. The Blue Veins society does not emphasize culture of the race but how light their skin color appears. People like Liza Jane, the wife of Mr. Ryder would not be qualified for membership in his society because she was exceptionally black and her social rank in society was a former as a plantation worker. As the reader’s proceeds towards the end, some may detest Mr. Ryder true emotions. The reader may realize that although Mr. Ryder initially tried to abscond from his black ancestry through the Blue Veins society; he is conflicted with this guilt. Liza Jane suddenly shows up at Mr. Ryder’s house with determination to find her husband (originally named Same Taylor but now known as Mr. Ryder). Unaware that she is indeed talking to Mr. Ryder; she starts telling him her story, and how she has been scouring around town for her husband. Eventually, Mr. Ryder confesses that he is Liza Jane’s long lost husband however it was not until he gained recognition from the Blue Veins Society. In the short story it says: My friends, what would the man do? I will suppose that he was one who loved honor, and tried to deal justly with all men. I will even carry the case further, and suppose that perhaps he had set his heart upon another, whom he had hoped to call his own. What would he do, or rather what ought he to do, in such a crisis of a lifetime? â€Å"It seemed to me that he might hesitate, and I imagined that I was an old friend, a near friend, and that he had come to me for advice; and I argued the case with him. I tried to discuss it impartially. After we had looked upon the matter from every point of view, I said to him, in words that we all know: ‘This above all: to thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man. Then, finally, I put the question to him, ‘Shall you acknowledge her? ‘(Chesnutt 796) The Blue Veins society is so fixated on looks that, Mr. Ryder is almost afraid to acknowledge his wife without the approval from their society. He knew that this society discriminated against darker complexion African Americans so he was unsure on whether or not they would admit Liza Jane. Charles Chesnutt demonstrates that racism within race exists and that color does m atters. However, the challenge is for the person to understand their racial history and to mature from these understandings. Another character that has been overpowered by his racial history is Armand Aubigny from the short story, â€Å"Desiree’s Baby,† written by Kate Chopin. â€Å"Of all her works Kate Chopin is perhaps best known for ‘Desiree’s Baby. ’ It is the most Anthologized of all her short stories† (Cruz 430). Chopin tells the story about Desiree an adopted child whose parent’s heritage was unknown. When she became a woman, her beauty attracted the attention of Armand Aubigny, a neighboring plantation owner. These two characters later get married and bear a son. As time goes by the child starts to appear more black than white. When Desiree confronts situation about the child’s complexion; Armand holds her accountable because of her unknown parentage; not knowing that he too has some responsibility in the baby’s complexion. â€Å"Desiree’s Baby,† takes place in the south prior to the Civil War. In fact, it is one of the few short stories written by Kate Chopin that is set before the Civil War (Kate Chopin â€Å"Desiree’s† Baby 1) Around this era, many mixed blood children like Armand and Desiree leaned towards their white heritage to avoid difficulties that the dark African American had to experience such as: lynching, beating, theft, sexual humiliation, slavery, etc. Armand Aubigny, one of the characters in this short story was forced by this era to suppress his past and keep his African American ancestry hidden. He knew being from a darker descent; it would bring complications and unfair treatment for him in the white society. Two ways he concealed his past and his ancestry was: after discovering that the baby’s darker complexion; he threw Desiree and the baby out of his home. In the short story Desiree says to him â€Å"Shall I go Armand? † and he replied back, â€Å"Yes go† (Chopin 3). He also confiscated all the things that reminded him of his African American ancestry, and burnt them; leaving no evidence of him ever being black. One of the items burnt was a letter from his mom to his father saying that, she â€Å"belongs to the race that is cursed with the brand of slavery† (Chopin 4). The reader is uncertain on whether Armand was successful with keeping his secret however such secrets are painful to hold. Oslyn Reso Foy states in one of her articles that â€Å"Armand moved out of the conventions that have governed his life and Chopin strips him of the veils that have hidden his real self† (223). Armand learns that it is important to embrace your own ethnicity instead of trying to affiliate with another. A different illustration of discrimination within the race in â€Å"Desiree’s Baby† is the behavior towards of the baby’s complexion. In the beginning of the story, Madame Valmonde had arrived for a visit at Desiree’s Home. She was shaken by the baby and hesitated to believe that it was theirs. â€Å"This is not the baby! † Madame Valmonde exclaimed, in startled tone (Chopin 2). By the way she responded to the baby’s appearance validates her concern the outcome of the baby’s appearance. This leaves the audience with a matter of uncertainty on whether the baby would have gotten the same treatment; if it was a lighter complexion. Armand actions too changed when he realizes the baby is dark skin. In the article, â€Å"Semiotic Subversion in â€Å"Desiree’s Baby†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ announces that â€Å"before he turned against his wife and baby, Armand was the proudest father†¦Marriage and later the birth of his son had softened Armand Aubigny imperious and exacting nature greatly† ( Peel 226). Armand wanted a son however he preferred a white skinned baby instead of a dark skinned baby. Not knowing Desiree’s unknown heritage backfired on him and left him with a son whose complexion was darker than both of theirs instead of lighter. In today society racism, segregation, discrimination, etc. is generally publically terminated and against the law; we see ample amount of mixed couples especially in the media, who seem to disregard race or even skin color. However this doesn’t mean that â€Å"colorism† is nonexistent. This type of prejudice happens but it is so taboo that it is kept hidden from the society. A lot African Americans have to take on the hardships of being segregated from within their own thnic group. Ever since days of slavery prior to the civil war, many people felt that light skin color is better and more favorable than darker skin color. Time after time white Americans’ view of authority and the violation of dark skin color have made the African American to dismiss and categorize one another. For example in the media now, we s ee less and less of the darker complexion actresses. In an article, called â€Å"What They Don’t Want You to Know,† it says â€Å"In Hollywood, Black male characters are played by black actors while black female characters are played by actresses that are more often than no mixed† (2). Although society has not made massive news headline on this specific topic, it does not mean it is not dually noticed as an issue. For instance in today’s society, you are not considered as beautiful if don’t have the same characteristics as the white people. The men in the short stories, â€Å"My Wife of His Youth† and â€Å"Desiree’s Baby† were attracted some of these females characters because they favored white women. As mention before, Armand and Mr. Ryder wanted to escape their African American ancestry and all the tribulations that came with it. In order to forget their past; they needed a woman that could give them a white skinned baby. Someone that can lower the chances of their child being dark skinned. In â€Å"Desiree’s Baby, Desiree had long silky brown hair that hung about her shoulders, her eyes were grey and her skin was whiter than her husband, Armand (Chopin 3). All these characteristics which Armand considered to be beauty resembled of a white woman. In the story â€Å"The Wife of His Youth,† before Liza Jane’s arrival, Mr. Ryder was ready to propose to Mrs. Dixon. In the story â€Å"Molly Dixon possessed many attractive qualities†¦. she was whiter than he† (Chesnutt 790). In retrospect, Charles Chesnutt and Kate Chopin works provide developing ideas of discrimination between races during and after the civil war. This theme is exemplified through their short stories particularly in â€Å"The Wife of His Youth and â€Å"Desiree’s Baby. † In conclusion whether or not you are of substantially a lighter skinned complexion or a darker skinned complexion, individuals in the African American community should not be treated differently by society due to this aspect.

Beowulf Question Essay

8) Does the Green Knight play by the rules of courtesy? Is he ultimately a negative or a positive figure? The Green Knight plays by the rules of courtesy. The Green Knight keeps to his word and is loyal, which is a big aspect to keeping with the rules of courtesy. He shows this when he first explains the game to Sir Gawain. The Green Knight game allows Gawain to take the first swing at him, â€Å"Now hold your grim tool steady And show us how it hacks.† (ln.412-413). He makes sure that Sir Gawain understands the rules and that he will stick to the game, as the Green Knight will too. This is shown when he repeats the part of the game where Sir Gawain must find the Green Knight after a year, â€Å"Sir Gawain, forget not to go as agreed, And cease not to seek till me, sir, you find† (ln. 447-448)The Green Knight is kind when approaching King Arthur and the knights about the game he wants to play, which is also playing by the rules of courtesy, but â€Å"Where is,† h e said, â€Å"The captain of this crowd?† Keenly I wish To see that sire with sight and to himself say my say.(ln.224-226) The Green Knight is ultimately a positive figure because although his game is not very courteous, he does play by the rules of courtesy in such ways as remaining loyal, truthful, and kind. 2) What is the symbolism of the three beast hunted by Bertilak? The symbolism within the three beasts hunted by Bertilak is that the manner of the animal was the manner of the lady of the house on that given day. The first day a deer was being hunted. On this day, the lady of the house was acting like a deer in ways that she did not go straight to her point, but instead darted around the subject, much like a deer would do in the woods. â€Å"Not, not so, sweet sir,† said the smiling lady, â€Å"You shall not rise from your bed; I direct you better: I shall hem and hol you on either hand,† (ln. 1223-1225) The lady approaches Sir Gawain on the first day very nice and gentle, but avoids going straight to the point. Second day a boar was being hunted. The lady of the house was very straight forward and rough on this day, just like a boar would act in its habitat. â€Å"You are stout enough to constrain with strength, if you choose, Were any so ungracious as to grudge you aught,† (ln.1496-1497) which shows how she is being more straight forward with her attraction and want for Sir Gawain. On the last day, a fox was being hunted. Foxes are clever, sneaky, and intelligent, and that is how the lady of the house acted on the last day. â€Å"Those words,† said the woman, â€Å"are the worst of all, But I have had my answer, and hard do I find it! Kiss me now kindly† (ln. 1792-1793) This is showing how she is being sneaky with her point, trying to guilt him into kissing her. Which is what a fox would do, be clever and sneaky. 3) What is the relationship between the scenery and Sir Gawain’s mental state? The relationship between the scenery and Sir Gawain’s mental state is that the scenery tends to represent what is happening in Sir Gawain’s mind. When Sir Gawain was feeling relaxed and calm, the scenery was â€Å"bliss and hearth-fire†(ln. 1368). Therefore the bliss scenery was representing his calmness. When Sir Gawain was on his way to meet the Green Knight, he had a negative mental state which is represented by the scenery as stated, â€Å"a ragged rock and a roughhewn-craig†(ln.2166).This connection between the scenery and Sir Gawain’s mental state is again showed when stated, â€Å"with coarse grass inclumps all without and all hollow within’’(ln.2181), which shows his negative mental state again.