Ellen Foster :: essays research papers

At the age of ten, most children are dependent on their parents for everything in their lives needing a great deal of attention and care. However, Ellen, the main character and protagonist of the novel Ellen Foster, exemplifies a substantial amount of independence and mature, rational thought as a ten-year-old girl. The recent death of her mother sends her on a quest for the ideal family, or anywhere her father, who had shown apathy to both she and her fragile mother, was not. Kaye Gibbons’ use of simple diction, unmarked dialogue, and a unique story structure in her first novel, Ellen Foster, allows the reader to explore the emotions and thoughts of this heroic, ten-year-old girl modeled after Gibbons’ own experiences as a young girl. Kaye Gibbons’ experiences as a child are the foundations for this breathtaking saga of a young girl’s tragic memories of her childhood. As with Ellen, Gibbons’ parents both died before she was twelve-years-old forming the basis of the plot and themes of this novel. The fond memories she possessed of her mother and the harsh ones of her father are reflected in the thoughts and actions of Ellen. The simplistic and humble attitude that both Gibbons and Ellen epitomize in the novel is portrayed through diction and dialogue throughout the novel allows the audience to gain a better understanding and personal compassion for both the character and author. The novel is written in a short, choppy sentence structure using simple word choice, or diction, in a stream of consciousness to enable the reader to perceive the novel in the rational of an eleven-year-old girl. One short, simple sentence is followed by another , relating each in an easy flow of thoughts. Gibbons allows this stream of thoughts to again emphasize the childish perception of life’s greatest tragedies. For example, Gibbons uses the simple diction and stream of consciousness as Ellen searches herself for the true person she is. Gibbons uses this to show the reader how Ellen is an average girl who enjoys all of the things normal children relish and to contrast the naive lucidity of the sentences to the depth of the conceptions which Ellen has such a simplistic way of explaining. Gibbons’ and Ellen’s harrowing past is related in the novel through Ellen’s inner thoughts and the dialogue between characters. However, when Ellen converses with other characters, Gibbons chose not to use quotation marks or any of the formal methods of documenting dialogue between characters; she Ellen Foster :: essays research papers At the age of ten, most children are dependent on their parents for everything in their lives needing a great deal of attention and care. However, Ellen, the main character and protagonist of the novel Ellen Foster, exemplifies a substantial amount of independence and mature, rational thought as a ten-year-old girl. The recent death of her mother sends her on a quest for the ideal family, or anywhere her father, who had shown apathy to both she and her fragile mother, was not. Kaye Gibbons’ use of simple diction, unmarked dialogue, and a unique story structure in her first novel, Ellen Foster, allows the reader to explore the emotions and thoughts of this heroic, ten-year-old girl modeled after Gibbons’ own experiences as a young girl. Kaye Gibbons’ experiences as a child are the foundations for this breathtaking saga of a young girl’s tragic memories of her childhood. As with Ellen, Gibbons’ parents both died before she was twelve-years-old forming the basis of the plot and themes of this novel. The fond memories she possessed of her mother and the harsh ones of her father are reflected in the thoughts and actions of Ellen. The simplistic and humble attitude that both Gibbons and Ellen epitomize in the novel is portrayed through diction and dialogue throughout the novel allows the audience to gain a better understanding and personal compassion for both the character and author. The novel is written in a short, choppy sentence structure using simple word choice, or diction, in a stream of consciousness to enable the reader to perceive the novel in the rational of an eleven-year-old girl. One short, simple sentence is followed by another , relating each in an easy flow of thoughts. Gibbons allows this stream of thoughts to again emphasize the childish perception of life’s greatest tragedies. For example, Gibbons uses the simple diction and stream of consciousness as Ellen searches herself for the true person she is. Gibbons uses this to show the reader how Ellen is an average girl who enjoys all of the things normal children relish and to contrast the naive lucidity of the sentences to the depth of the conceptions which Ellen has such a simplistic way of explaining. Gibbons’ and Ellen’s harrowing past is related in the novel through Ellen’s inner thoughts and the dialogue between characters. However, when Ellen converses with other characters, Gibbons chose not to use quotation marks or any of the formal methods of documenting dialogue between characters; she

How religion was affected by Industrialization Essay -- Essays Papers

How religion was affected by Industrialization The Communist Manifesto Great changes took place in the lives and work of people in several parts of the world, resulting from the development of the Industrial Revolution. Just before the outbreak of revolutionary violence in Paris due to the consequences of industrialization, Karl Marx wrote â€Å"The Communist Manifesto.† He saw this revolutionary violence as â€Å"the opening episode of a worldwide communist revolution.†1 There was no such revolution, however the communist ideals had been brought about and had taken a toll on society. The relationship between economic development and Communist party strength is significant. Also the significance of religion during this period had changed in large part due to this communist â€Å"revolution.† Marx’s concentration to radical social change and atheism was spread during industrialization. Labor was of such demand that even priests were converted into paid wage-laborers. The â€Å"Communist Manifesto† states, à ¢â‚¬Å"All that is holy is profaned, and man is at last compelled to face with sober senses, his real conditions of life.†2 Industrialization caused many great changes economically as well as socially. France was dramatically different in many aspects after this revolution. Industrialization caused the communist â€Å"revolution† which in turn caused religious issues in France. The Industrial Revolution was a time in western cultures when the production of goods became urbanized. Spreading from Great Britain, industrialization had become widespread in Western Europe by the mid-1800’s. France, in particular, progressed in the industrialization process from about 1830 to 1850. Industrialization created an enormous increase in th... ...vided by World Book Online, http://www.discoveryschool.com/homeworkhelp/worldbook/atozhistory/i/27588.html (25 October 2001) 7. Peter N. Stearns, The Impact of the Industrial Revolution (Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1972) 126, 127, 92-4 8. John H. Kautsky, Communism and the Politics of Development (New York: John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 1968) 10 9. The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, (Houghton Mifflin Company, 2000) http://www.dictionary.com (25 October 2001) 10. John H. Kautsky, Communism and the Politics of Development (New York: John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 1968) 185, 186 11. Lawrence J. Flockerzie and Dennis M. Doyle, â€Å"The Manifesto of the Communist Party† in Sources from the Humanities, trans. by Samuel Moore (Chicago: Charles H. Kerr Publishing Company, 1989) 40

Louis Vuitton in Japan

1. What are the key success factors of LV in Japan? Since Louis Vuitton entered the Japan market in 1968, it became the most popular luxury brand in Japan by having 28 percent share in Japan’s market. The key success of LV in Japan is mainly contributed by the appropriate balance in keeping the brand globalized while localized at certain areas for the Japanese. To achieve this outcome, the consistency in product quality, fashion appeal and brand image were carefully controlled and ultimately the Japanese developed an obsession towards LV. Being a world-class luxury brand having a long history, LV does not need to localize its brand image in order to be successful in Japan. What the Japanese consumers seek from LV is a European luxurious image and lifestyle which can enhance their status. Thus, LV uses the foreign consumer culture positioning as a European (or French) brand to market its products in Japan. In order to maintain its image, product quality is a basic requirement for consumers to recognize the brand’s value. Therefore LV maintains high quality products and most of them were manufactured in France. In additional, the image of the brand is maintained by keeping up with the trends while enduring prestige of the brand’s culture. For advertising, as they understand the Japanese consumers, LV did not hire Japanese celebrities to be the spokesperson. They still use the international superstars like Jennifer Lopez and Madonna, top models like Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss to be the spokesperson in their advertisement. All these controls have emphasized LV’s consistent high-end image for the Japanese consumers. Although LV remains globalization in Japanese market, it still has some areas that is localized and suit the Japanese culture. For instant, LV’s classic Monogram Canvas pattern was inspired by Japanese floral print and the collaboration with Japanese artist Takashi Murakami in designing the bag have let the patriotic Japanese to recognized LV as they appreciate their own culture and support their own country in a large extent. Therefore, Japanese consumers are more willing to accept the brand and have a positive attitude towards LV. 2. What accounts for the two tiered economy? Why are Japanese consumers (especially women) purchasing luxury goods during economically instable times? The two tiered economy is a global phenomenon which is similar to the idea of M-shaped society in Japan. It refers to the polarization of the economy in two tiers. The two tiered economy was shown in this case by the increasing number of demand for the luxury product while the income of the Japanese was decreasing and the unemployment rate is increasing. Globalization is the main factor contributed to the two tiered economy as it stimulate the strength and speed of competition in different industries and also the shifting of wealth. There are several reasons for Japanese consumers to purchase luxury goods during economic downturn. The first reason is that some of the young Japanese women who are living with their parents were given money to spend. They are not directly affected by the economic conditions and therefore they are still affordable for the luxury goods. Also, some of the Japanese women may have no faith in the future and believe that they should concentrate on fulfilling their current need only. Some Japanese consumers even purchase luxury goods to maintain their identity and status in groups and social contact. If everyone in a particular group owned a LV good and you belong to that group, typical Japanese will definitely own one LV bag also. 3. What stimulates such a high demand for LV in Japan? What puts Louis Vuitton over its competitors in Japan? LV was demanded by a large amount of Japanese because it understands their consumers more. Japanese shoppers have a quest for perfection with their culture. LV providing high quality products which made it distinctive when comparing to its competitors thus fulfill the need of the Japanese consumers. In order to make sure the quality of the products, each product produced by LV must pass a rigorous control. They also have a perfect balance between mechanization and handmade. For the product design, not only the designer is responsible for this category. When the marketing team found that consumers have high demand for a certain product, they modified an existing bag and sent it to production later on. It is clear that LV response to their consumers more and quicker. 4. Was there any strategy undertaken by LV to enter the Japanese market? When entering the Japanese market initially, LV is hoping to tackle the problem of counterfeit goods in Asia region. Therefore LV has not changed its image or localized itself in different aspects so as to attract the Japanese consumers. However, it is also a kind of strategy that is appropriate for the Japanese consumers. As the Japanese consumers thirst for a high-end European brand which is the image of what a luxury brand should be liked, LV entered the Japanese market successfully. Some examples included the globalization of the advertisements used and also the price in Japan was even higher than the one in Paris. In addition, LV stores are designed with sleek and modern interior design and become a landmark in Japan. Consumers will then feel more luxurious when shopping in the stores. 5. What are the challenges facing LV? And how should LV address them? The main challenge of LV is the problem of counterfeit goods, loss of lead designers and the balance between expansion and protection in its own brand’s exclusive features. Indeed, counterfeit good is already a global problem for all the luxury brands. In order to tackle this problem, LV should restrict the information outflow of the production of its products. For instant, LV already closed down a huge factory in Guangzhou. Also, LV should be aware of the after sale service for the consumers, especially the Japanese consumers. When the consumers realized the quality and also services worth the high price, they will be encouraged to buy the real products rather than the counterfeit one. For the problem of loss of lead designers, LV should train some young and talented designers (e.g. graduates from Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design where a lot of famous fashion designer graduated) to let them work for the brand and develop a deeper understanding in the brand. For the problem of balancing its expansion while keeping the brand’s own personality, LV is already doing a good job as it controls its own distribution network. Even when the economy is in its downturn, LV insisted not to mark down its product. All these have helped LV to protect its own image.

Catholic form of Christianity Essay

The Eastern Orthodox form of Christianity and the Roman Catholic form of Christianity as said to differ on many fundamental issues. Most individuals, in attempting to distinguish between Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism, immediately just cite that the differences are in the Pope or Purgatory or even sometimes the filioque. Historically, however, the differences are far more numerous and quite profound. The first fundamental difference between these two religions is on the issue of the fall of man. Roman Catholicism teaches that all humanity is liable for their â€Å"original sin† and that all men are born with â€Å"original sin†. The implications of Adam and Eve’s banishment from the Garden of Eden in the Roman Catholic Faith are that man is born with original sin and nothing more, unlike the beliefs of the Eastern Orthodox, who believe that when Adam sinned against God, he introduced death into the world. The fall of Adam or the fall of man in the view of the Eastern Orthodox form of Christianity signifies the mortality of man and that death highlights the passions in man such as anger, hate, lust and greed which are borne out of the realization of death. Roman Catholicism ignores the Orthodox conception of man as slave to death and instead believes that man’s passions are manipulated by the devil. Another fundamental difference between Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholicism is on the issue regarding the interpretations of canons. In the Roman Catholic faith, canons are rules or guides for governing The Roman Catholic Church. The Roman Catholic Church also continually evolves these canons by introducing new ones or revising them to suit the needs of the changing times and cultures. The Eastern Orthodox does not regard these canons as laws, which regulate human relationships or secure human rights. The Orthodoxy views canons as the means of forging the â€Å"new man† or â€Å"new creature† through obedience. Canons are trainings in virtue that are meant to produce holiness. While the Roman Catholic Church, as previously mentioned, currently updates the canons and discards the old ones, the Eastern Orthodox Church Orthodoxy never discards the old ones because of their belief that those cannons were also inspired by the Holy Spirit. Arguably, the most important fundamental difference between the Eastern Orthodox and the Roman Catholic forms of Christianity is in the manner of knowing the existence of God. The Eastern Orthodox faith believes that man’s knowledge of God is intrinsic in his nature. Man is born with the knowledge of God because it is inherent in human nature and that is how man knows that God truly exists. This belief also holds that man’s knowledge of God is fixed in nature and man cannot know anything more about the truths of God unless God chooses to reveal this to man. This belief is contrary to the Roman Catholic belief that God’s existence is constantly known, felt and verified by an examination of the other things that God has created in this world. Human reason, as the Roman Catholic Church believes, is capable of knowing and proving the existence of God. Man is capable of beholding the essence of God with his intellect and with the assistance of grace. The Eastern Orthodox Church therefore believes that God’s existence is already known to man by his nature while the Roman Catholic Church establishes the existence of God through man’s use of reason. These Three (3) fundamental differences, fall of man, canons and proof of God’s existence, differentiate what seem to be similar if not identical branches of Christianity. But as many have said, it really does not matter how you worship and revere God in so much as you follow the truths in life such as charity, love, peace and respect for all of mankind.

An Investigation Into the Differences Between Retail and Investment Banks Essay

Over the past decades, retail banks have remained the main commercial bank for consumers, rather than corporations or other banks. The investment bank has become more popular amongst individuals, corporations and governments which are interested in raising their profits. Retail banks and investment banks have different organizational structures and activities. So they have many differences, such as services, customers and profits. And this report aims to distinguish between the retail bank and the investment bank in order to identify their specific service areas. Firstly, the author will review some literature focusing on the definitions. Secondly, the author will illustrate the differences between them from their target activities and functions. Retail banks offer a range of services to individual customers and small businesses, rather than to large companies and other banks. These include: savings and transactional accounts, mortgages, personal loans, debit cards and credit cards. An investment bank is a bank which specializes in providing funds to corporate borrowers for startup or expansion and does not accept deposits but provides services to those who offer securities to investors, and to those investors themselves. It may also assist and support companies which are involved in mergers and acquisitions, and provides ancillary services such as market making, trading of derivatives, fixed income instruments, foreign exchange, commodities, and equity securities. From the definitions above, it clearly shows that the two types of bank provide substantially different services to customers. As a normal customer, I think the retail banks are better than the investment banks. And there are three advantages of the retail banks. Firstly, the retail banks have more branches than the investment banks. For example, Lloyds TSB Bank is a retail bank in the United Kingdom, and according to Lloyds TSB website, the bank has nearly 1,900 branches across the UK. This means that you can find the branches of TSB almost everywhere. So you can deal with some normal business easily, the branches of retail banks can be found almost everywhere. For example, you want to make emergency loans, you do not have enough time to find an investment bank to make loans, so you must choose the retail banks. Moreover, the retail banks can supply some services which the investment banks do not provide. When you want to transfer from one account to another account, you can not go to the investment banks, because the investment banks do not offer this kind of service. Therefore, if you want to deal with some normal business (such as savings, mortgages and credit cards) at a bank, it would be better to choose the retail banks. The Royal Bank of Scotland is one of the retail banking is part of the Royal Bank of Scotland Group, and together with NatWest and Ulster Bank, provides branch banking facilities throughout the UK. And it can provide almost every service that the retail banks have. So it has a good reputation in Scotland. Finally, the risk of retail banks is relatively lower than the investment banks. You can get money from the rate of interest which can be higher than the other banks. Such as Barclays Corporate which belongs to the Barclays Group and provide these kinds of services (such as savings, transactional accounts, mortgages, debit cards, credit cards). It offers a service called monthly savings which is its regular savings plan that allows you to save regularly over 12 months, and you can get higher interest rates are paid where no withdrawals have been made in the previous month. This means that you can get high fixed interest of up to 3. 25% AER / 3. 20% in months when no withdrawals are made. And the revenue of the retail banks is stability and fixed. So you do not need to pay more attention to the asset in the retail banks. These advantages of the retail banks are the reasons why the retail banks are better as a normal customer. As an advanced person or a company, I think the investment banks are better. There are also many advantages of the investment banks which usually provide services for the company. First of all, most of the investment banks are global company and it can provide services more widely than the retail banks. Such as Morgan Stanley is a leading global financial services firm providing a wide range of investment banking, securities, investment management and wealth management It reports US$779 billion as assets under its management. Its headquarter located in Midtown Manhattan , New York City. It has companies in 37 countries with over 1,200 offices, employees dedicated to local businesses, government agencies, institutions and individuals. So the investment banks can provide the services (such as trading of derivatives, fixed income instruments, foreign exchange and commodities) all over the world. Secondly, the revenue of the investment banks significantly more than profit of other types of banks. If you save your extra money in the retail banks, you can only get the interest from the rates. But if you sand your money to the investment banks you can get remarkable returns although it has a high risk. For example the Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. is an American investment bank and securities. And it provides mergers and acquisitions advice, underwriting services, asset management, and prime brokerage to its clients, which include corporations, governments and individuals. Amazingly, the company in US profits reached a record $ 13. 39 billion in 2010, on average common shareholders’ equity rate of return is 22. 5%. At last, the investment banks also can provide some special services that the retail banks do not offer. For instance, it can supply a particularly serving called â€Å"financial advice† what can make financial of a company more reasonability and determine the future line of development. UBS AG is a diversified global financial services company, with its main headquarters in Basel and Zurich, Switzerland and UBS is present in all major financial centers worldwide. With â€Å"Premier Advisory Services†, UBS offers you the opportunity to schedule individual one-on-one consultations with CEFS experts who understand your equity-linked compensation as an integrative part of your total wealth management, know about the different plan vehicles and can support you on issues such as â€Å"How can I best align my equity-linked compensation with my total wealth management† or â€Å"When should I exercise, which strategy is the best†.

Using the Word Humility Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Using the Word Humility - Essay Example Applying this term can assume different articulation with the same effect of being modest and lowly. The word often has a positive connotation because it meant being non-offensive and is neither rash nor arrogant. Humility also has the religious connotation that it is considered a virtue. Taking on its religious meaning, humility meant the acknowledgment of his or her defect and shortcomings being a mere creature of a Supreme Being. Being such, humility is the acceptance of a divine grace for assistance, guide, wisdom, etch of a deity of an organized and hierarchal religion. Humility is often a precursor of any divine grace because it makes one a loyal servant deserving of God’s grace of any religious affiliation. Humility can also be taken as deference to a god or Supreme Being that our talents, capabilities and whatever we have come from Him. The philosophical meaning of humility can take in the form of ethics. Philosophically, being humble or modest meant being non-offensive to those who do not possess exemplary characteristic or those who do not have much in life. It is the modest estimation of one’s capability or worth so as not to intimidate or make others uncomfortable. In short, humility is also taken as a way to level down to others so as to make them feel welcome or not to intimidate them with one’s stature or bearing. Humility can be taken as a way to subordinate to oneself to authority. This is the realization that the act of submission to a higher authority will be good to everybody and thus humble enough to submit. This can be observed in government, organizations, and associations of people. For example, we can cite the government and its subjects on how humility assumes a different meaning. The people must humbly submit before the law that governs society to establish order. This is to subordinate the individual’s caprices to the greater good of society.

Multicultural Research Project education Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Multicultural Project education - Research Paper Example Many researchers explains that cultural diversity at workplaces is not very good for the faster growth as it tends to increase intercultural conflicts among the diverse personnel (Martin) . When culturally diverse individuals are put together to perform a given task, the difference in norms, perception of things culture, religion, opinions and other variables may hinder the development of unity. This problem does not just stop at there, difference in language brings a communication barrier. However, this difference in culture brings in a difference in how people see things. Different cultures have different ways of thinking and thus can analyze a matter at hand from different angles (Martin). This variation in experiences is beneficial to the organization as it provide a diverse base of knowledge to the organization. Secondly, as the business expands, the temptation to go across the border increases with availability of market. The diversity will help to overcome the language barrier. This gives the company an upper hand in capturing the available market (Martin). Going by these arguments, it is quite clear that the reasoning surrounds the overall effects on the organization performance resulting from the effect of diversity. It is for this reason that this research will try to investigate a fresh the demographic characteristics that contributes positively to the success of the organization and which ones are negative. I did a quick survey of five organizations with culturally diverse workforce and five others with relatively less diverse labor force. The organizations selected were from different countries but are in the same industry. Out of the five less diverse organizations, three admitted that they are experiencing problem in expansion to other countries because of their state and were considering diversity while one had already initiated the process of diversifying their labor force, the