Brecht And Zola Use Language To Practice free essay sample

And Convey The Conventional Image Of Maternal Instinct Essay, Research Paper Bertolt Brecht s Mother Courage and Emile Zola s Therese Raquin are both plants with characters that possess maternal inherent aptitude. There is non a definite account for maternal inherent aptitude because it can be viewed otherwise. Although this is true, there is frequently a stereotype adult female with the right qualities of maternal inherent aptitude. This frequently articulates unrealistic images in people s heads. Instinct means an imposed set of values, imposed by the society and the manner they think a female parent should of course move by. Realistically, the replete depends on the female parent s temperament, the manner she wants to act depends on her emotions, which can non be articulated. Therefore, it is non possible to enforce a definite set of values for how a female parent should move for it varies from one female parent to another. Mother Courage is a female parent who fights for a life so that her three kids can last the war. War to her is a necessity because she needs the concern from the soldiers in order to last, but on the other manus, war is her ultimate enemy. She is making everything to maintain her and her kids from being involved with the war. It was her hubby s decease that lead to her natural defences for her kids and the war which in bend resulted in showing her strong maternal inherent aptitude. Besides, Mother Courage is forced to do determinations and puts a batch of attempt into seeking to remain with her kids. For illustration, when the Cook proposes to Mother Courage, Kattrin realizes that the Cook thinks she is a load and does non like her. Therefore, she decides to go forth, but Mother Courage chooses to go forth the Cook and follow Kattrin alternatively. Here, Mother Courage has sacrificed her possible public assistance in order to protect her lone kid left. [ Mother Courage ] We ll travel off in T other way, and we ll throw cook s material out so he finds it, silly adult male. But merely by looking at this protection towards her kids, one can non readily Assume that she is a good female parent. Through assorted forfeits made by her kids, Brecht portrayed traits of human selfishness. For illustration, when the Recruiter took her bravest boy, Eilif off: [ Recruiter to Eilif ] Got your premium money here, come along. Eilif stands open. [ Mother Courage ] Half a guilder it is. Mother Courage, who had ever distasted war, loses her most valuable thing, her bravest boy to war whilst dickering the monetary value of a best with the Sergeant. Here, Brecht uses situational sarcasm as an illustration of how Mother Courage did non run into the standards of a stereotypic maternal inherent aptitude. Brecht gave Mother Courage an unconventional response to losing her boy, where she is really tough-minded when she realizes her boy is lost. In a similar state of affairs, when a loving female parent realizes her boy or girl is losing, she is most likely to hold a much more dramatic and concerned attitude when compared to Mother Courage. Despite the loss of her kid, Mother Courage seems to hold the antonym of this. She decides to travel off with her auto and her two other kids to go on their support ; a sense of sarcasm is present every bit good. The technique here is to utilize illustrations, once more, to turn out that Mother Courage may non be the lovingness female parent she should be. Then loses her two other kids because of her ain opportunism in seeking to protect her cart instead so her kids. First she loses Swiss Cheese when she denies of cognizing her boy as she was asked and as a consequence, he is executed in torment. So in trade for her cart, she abuses Swiss Cheese s sovereignty. Then she loses her girl while Kattrin was warning the town of Halle of invasion. These three experiences of trade with war shows that Mother Courage embodies the qualities of cowardliness ; for preferring the cart for he R ain public assistance over her kids, dishonesty ; when she denies to the Sargent of cognizing Swiss Cheese, and selfishness ; for taking her ain benefits one time once more. Madame Raquin occupies the function of a really protective female parent in the work, Th R Se Raquin. She besides holds great duty for taking attention of Camille and his female cousin, Th R Se. Camille has been ill since his childhood, so she is besides considered Camille s guardian angel. During the ulterior old ages of her life, she virtually had to take attention of Camille s friend, Th R Se s 2nd hubby, Laurent, every bit good. From this, Zola decides to utilize Camille, Th R Se and Laurent to show what he perceives as the ideal maternal inherent aptitude. From Camille s childhood until he reaches maturity, Madame Raquin would neer life an oculus off him. She makes certain that he is safe wherever he went ; he is neer allowed to travel to school or learn to swim. Through this over-protection, she shapes Camille s character. She merely allows Camille to play with Th R Se, which makes him go really dependent on Th R Se as they coddled like an ailing kid, shared bed and medicine together and maintain in the hot house ambiance of the small invalid s room Not merely did Madame Raquin restrict Camille s life, but besides Th R Se s life. Discontent accumulated in her bosom as she is described as person with supreme self-denial, an external repose that concealed awful explosions of passion, ensuing to her unmanageable pique that lead to adultery. This besides made Camille miss the ability to pass on with people other so his household members, which shrunk his societal life. His lone opportunity to socialise is every Thursday, when Laurent and other friends come and visit him. Zola chose to utilize sarcasm to demo the great impact that Madame Raquin s regulations over Camille s life has on his hereafter, besides demoing the method that Madame Raquin idea was the best manner to learn and protect Camille. Madame Raquin is so disquieted about the life and decease of Camille, that at any suggestion that he should travel off to get oning school or the idea of books would be the decease of him, she would tremble all over and believed that off from her he would decease. Zola is besides an impressionistic author, which means Zola efforts to show the immediate esthesiss of the universe and events. He used the narrow, dark, moist, soiled, evil and glooming span to give an feeling of the limitations that Madame Raquin imposes on Camille. This emphasizes on how Madame Raquin s manner of protecting her boy is dry because of the feeling of isolation from the society and the sense of asphyxiation of limitations. The sarcasm is, by non leting freedom in Camille s life, Madame Raquin is indirectly taking him onto the route to no adult male s land. He believes that everything Madame Raquin is making is for his good. The other impressionistic image is the absence of visible radiation in the glooming span, hence it gives an feeling that it is someplace that is isolated, as if detached from the remainder of the influential and crying elements of society. Consequently here, Madame Raquin shapes Camille s character by forestalling him from holding an wild bosom whi ch may kill him, ironically. Conclusively, the two female parents in these two novels both have their ain features and their ain manner of covering with their kids. But non everyone may admit the ways they deal with their single jobs, some people may O.K. of it as being maternal love, and some others may differ. Even the writers may non hold entirely approved, they may hold used intentionalist false belief in order to portray the stereotypic female parent. Either manner, both writers chose to utilize state of affairss where maternal love was either needed or lacked ; as in Mother Courage, or was otiose ; as in Th R Se Raquin, to uncover maternal inherent aptitudes through different subdivisions of the secret plan.

The Concept of Strategic Planning and Its Relevance

Abstract The purpose of this essay is to analyse the concept of strategic planning and its relevance to the activities of an organization. Strategic planning has been viewed as an important cornerstone in the decision making activities of an organization. It enables an organization to achieve its goals and objectives through the development of plans. These plans can either be long term, medium or short term depending on the type of business and the context that strategic planning will be used in.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Concept of Strategic Planning and Its Relevance specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Introduction Strategic practitioners recognised the importance of strategies in the processes and operations of an organization which saw a lot of emphasis being placed on strategy which later saw the development of strategic planning as an organizational concept. Strategic planning slowly replaced corpora te planning which mostly involved developing formal plans that lacked any strategic focus. This change was largely due to the emphasis placed on the planning activities of an organization. The relationships that were meant to result from this change sometimes could not be achieved. Researchers found that only few organizations were able to succeed in achieving their goals and objectives through the use of strategies. Practitioners of strategic planning have founded their research efforts on the assumption that the creative task of formulating and implementing strategies can be designed into a series of actions referred to as planning that will lead to results that can be repeated in the future. Definition of Strategic Planning Strategic planning is a technique that is used to organize the present activities of an organization to reflect the desired future projections of what the organization wants to achieve over a certain period of time. A strategic plan is a map or guide that will be used to lead the organization from where it is now to where it would like to be. Strategic planning mostly focuses on the external environment of an organization. Since every organization has different activities and operations that set it apart from other companies, the strategic plans of every organization will therefore be different from that of the other organization; therefore Strategic planning systems will be designed to deal with the unique characteristics of organizations (Samson and Daft 2009). Strategic planning is derived from strategy which is the layout of a plan or set of actions that will be used by the organization to achieve their objectives. Strategic planning is the systematic and formalised effort made by an organization to develop detailed plans that would be used to implement the objectives, goals, strategies, and policies of an organization (Wittman and Reuter, 2008). Planning deals with looking at the future results of current decisions that are made by decision makers. This means that strategic planning provides managers and people in positions of decision making with the cause and effect of consequences that would occur over time if that particular decision was made. If the decision maker does not like the results of the decision, he can easily change it to one that would yield positive results. Strategic planning looks at the alternative courses of action that are available in the future and what options are chosen from these alternatives, they are used as a basis for making present day decisionsAdvertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Grunic and Kuhn (2008) viewed strategic planning as a process that began with the identification of objectives and goals which later led to the development of organizational strategies, plans and policies that would be used to achieve these goals. Strategic planning was seen to be a process of mak ing decisions in advance that would determine what kind of planning activities would be undertaken and how these activities would be done. The process was also systematic as the various activities were organized in a sequence. Strategic planning process was geared towards companies that had their operations and activities in one particular industry within the market. The basic format of a strategic planning process that is used by most organizations is to first develop the company’s mission, objectives and goals as a first step. Once this is done the organization’s internal and external environment is assessed to determine the strengths and weaknesses as well as the opportunities and threats. The next step will involve selecting strategies that will be used to deal with the identified strengths and weaknesses as well as the opportunities and threats. The organization should ensure that the identified strategies are in line with its mission ad goals. After the appropria te strategies are identified and developed, they are finally implemented. Hills and Jones (2009) note that organizations go through a new process of strategic planning every year as a result of changing business environments and the global economy. This however does not mean that new strategies have to be identified and implemented every year. What usually happens in most organizations is that the strategies are modified or reaffirmed since the strategic plan is usually designed for a period of more than five years. Strategic Planning for Small businesses and Improved Performance Given all the evidence on the benefits of strategic planning, most small businesses still do not practice planning. Most of the concepts and research on strategic planning have been geared towards helping larger organizations. Managers of small businesses mostly focus on the short term rather than on the long term strategies. Their decision making technique is characterised to be reactive instead of proacti ve and deliberate. For those managers who do practice strategic planning, the process is mostly characterised by ad hoc instead of formal activities (Wang et al. 2006).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Concept of Strategic Planning and Its Relevance specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More According to May (2010), small business owners today are realising more than ever that they need strategic planning to make decisions. This has emerged out of their uneasiness about what the future holds for their businesses or the fact that they have attained the present level of small business success without any strategic planning and they don’t feel like proceeding with ventures that they are unsure will yield any profits. Such uncertainties lead them to secure stable and predictable styles of management that mostly involve strategic planning. The main difference of strategic planning for both the large and small busines ses is that the larger organization can financially afford to conduct extensive strategic planning activities which at times might be very expensive while the small business has a limited amount of financial resources. The strategic activities of the smaller organization might be limited or constrained due to finances; the smaller business will also mostly rely on its internal resources do the planning (May, 2010). Wang et al (2006) conducted investigations on why some small businesses failed in their activities and operations. They noted that the major reason was attributed to the lack of strategic planning and poor business motivation. Previous studies by scholars such as Mintzberg, Crawford and Lefebvre also suggested that formal strategic planning systems in small organizations were absent. The authors noted that small business strategic planning was mostly characterized by informal planning systems that were unstructured and sporadic. Other characteristics were that the process was viewed to be incomprehensive, incremental and reactive. Wang et al (2006) note that the motivation for a small business owner to be in business was mostly interwoven with their personal lives. Most small businesses are family owned which shows that the personal motivation in starting the business lies in trying to provide a better life for the business owners and their families. Some of these owner usually lack a business background or the technical known how of running the business. This means that they lack basic strategic planning information. Such a situation enables the businesses owners and entrepreneurs to get away with developing short term strategic plans for their businesses .Because of the size of the firm and constant uncertainty in the global business environment, small business have a limited ability to control events. That is why their focus is on short term and medium planning instead of long term. The strategic model should be designed in a simple and inexpensi ve way Pitfalls of Strategic Planning The main problems experienced by small businesses when trying to initiate the planning process have been identified as the lack of time and lack of proper strategic planning knowledge. But when managers discover ways to overcome these constraints, strategic planning can lead to the improved performance of the business.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Small business managers need to gain an understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of small businesses which will set a strong foundation for strategic planning activities. The size and simple structure of small firms allows them to increase their responsiveness to external changes. In discussing the failure of the concept, various studies have been referred to further explain why strategic planning sometimes fails in organizations. One pitfall is that no one study has been found that has assessed the outcomes of deviating from the long range plans. All studies that have been conducted on the subject do not show whether there has been any negative consequences of not following the long range strategic plan. Another pitfall came from an earlier study that highlighted that while particular companies engaged in systematically planned activities, other organizations that did not engage in strategic planning were able to surpass these companies performance wise; this showed that t he best planners did not always perform the best (Dimitrou and Thompson, 2007). Studies done in the 1970s by scholars such as Malik and Karger found favourable results when strategic planning was used while other studies such as those done by Sheehan, Grinyer and Norburn did not see any benefits of practicing strategic planning. Henry Mintzberg after a review of these studies came up with a conclusion that planning was not the only best way. He noted that in some circumstances it did not pay and that when planning was at its best, it might have had some suitability to particular and not all organizational contexts. Another pitfall of strategic planning is that most companies find the solutions derived from the formal process of strategic planning to not be what they had actually expected. They usually had a basic idea of the kind of results to expect once the process was done. Strategic planning makes a majority of the firms today to engage in less risky forms of long range planning in their decision making activities which often at times do not yield the best results. Major criticisms have been drawn to the fact that strategic planning does not in any way contribute to the strategic thinking of major decision makers in organizations. Many of the benefits that accrue from strategic planning cannot be measured and it is difficult to prove the planning process in absolute terms. This is due to the fact when the planning process is initiated; it becomes hard to compare what has happened with what could have happened. This leads to a lot of speculations and formation of assumptions that are in most cases usually wrong. There is also another pitfall in the form of identifying the amount of costs that have been used in the planning process (Hill and Jones, 2009). These costs can only be seen if additional profit made by the organization exceeds the additional costs used in planning. Logical expectations of most organizations are that strategic planning will lead the company to be successful in the future; this is a big misconception. Most managers view strategic plans to be the key that will lead the organization to market success which explains why they become devastated when the strategic plans fail (Hill and Jones, 2009). Conclusion Planning activities are important to an organization to ensure that everything moves in a systematic and orderly manner. Without planning the members of an organization would lack a guide or plan that would direct them to achieve the organizational mission, vision, goals and objectives. Planning is therefore to be the most important activity that an organization should undertake to ensure that it runs smoothly and effectively. Strategic planning should also be given the same level of importance as general organizational planning. While strategic planning for organizations has been going on for a very long time, the smaller businesses are yet to catch on, yet planning is very important for an organization to achi eve optimum success through the proper utilization of resources. Strategic planning might have some pitfalls but when used in the proper way and in the right organizational context, it can improve the performance of both large and small businesses. Managers should therefore exercise this concept to ensure the decisions they make now will reflect what the organization wants to achieve in the future. References Dimitrou, H.T., and Thompson, R. (2007) Strategic planning for regional development in  the UK. Oxford, UK: Routledge Grunic, R. and Kuhn, R. (2008) Process based strategic planning. 5th Edition. Berlin: Springer- Verlag Hill, C., and Jones, G. (2009) Strategic management theory: an integrated approach.  Ohio, US: South Western Cengage Learning May, M.G. (2010) Strategic planning. New York: Business Expert Press Samson, D., and Daft, R.L. (2009) Management Third Asia Pacific Edition. Australia: Cengage Learning Wang, C., Walker, E.A., and Redmond, J. (2006) Ownership motiva tion and strategic planning in small businesses. Journal of Asia Entrepreneurship and  Sustainability. Vol II, No.4 Wittman, R. and Reuter, M.P. (2008) Strategic planning: how to deliver maximum value  through effective business. London: Kogan Page This essay on The Concept of Strategic Planning and Its Relevance was written and submitted by user Natal1a to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

William Lyon Mackenzie King, Canadian Prime Minister

William Lyon Mackenzie King, Canadian Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King (December 17, 1874–July 22, 1950) was prime minister of Canada on and off for a total of 22 years. A compromiser and conciliator, Mackenzie King- as he was more simply known- was mild-mannered and had a bland public personality. The private personality of Mackenzie King was more exotic, as his diaries show. A devout Christian, he believed in an afterlife, and consulted fortune tellers, communicated with his dead relatives in seances, and pursued psychical research. Mackenzie King was also extremely superstitious. Mackenzie King followed the political path set by Prime Minister Wilfrid Laurier in emphasizing national unity. He also started a Canadian Liberal tradition of his own by setting Canada on the road toward social welfare. Fast Facts: Mackenzie King Known For: Longest-serving prime minister of CanadaBorn: December 17, 1874 in Kitchener, Ontario, CanadaParents: John King and Isabel Grace Mackenzie.Died: July 22, 1950  in Chelsea, Quebec, CanadaEducation: University College, Toronto, Osgoode Hall Law School, University of Chicago, Harvard University  Published Works:  Industry and Humanity, extensive diariesAwards and Honors:  MacKenzie received many honorary degrees and national and international honors. He is also the namesake for numerous roads, schools, and other public institutions.Notable Quote: Where there is little or no public opinion, there is likely to be bad government, which sooner or later becomes autocratic government. Early Life Mackenzie King was born into a struggling middle-class family. His maternal grandfather, whose name he bore, had been a leader of the Canadian Rebellion of 1837, which aimed to establish self-government in Upper Canada. As a boy, the younger Mackenzie was encouraged to follow in his grandfathers footsteps. King was an outstanding student; he attended the University of Toronto and then went on to earn advanced degrees there and at the University of Chicago, Harvard University, and the London School of Economics. Early Career King was offered an academic position at Harvard but turned it down. Instead, he accepted the position of deputy minister of labor in Ottawa, where he developed a talent for mediating labor disputes. In 1908, King resigned from his position to run as the liberal candidate for Parliament, representing North Waterloo (his birthplace). He was elected in 1908 and was quickly given the position of minister of labor by Prime Minister Wilfrid Laurier. Laurier, however, was defeated in 1909, after which King took a post with the Rockefeller Foundation in the United States. Kings work involved investigation of industrial relations in the U.S. and it resulted in the publication of his 1918 book, Industry and Humanity. Elected Prime Minister of Canada In 1919, Lauriers death left an opening for King to be named the leader of the Liberal Party. In 1921, he became prime minister- although his government was made up largely of conservatives. A master mediator, King was able to muster a vote of confidence. Despite this success, however, a scandal led to Kings resignation in 1926. Just a few months later, after the new Conservative government failed, King once again became prime minister. He quickly took a leading role in securing the equality of self-governing nations of the British Empire (the Commonwealth). Second Stint as Prime Minister In 1930, King once again lost the election and, instead of leading Canada as its prime minister, he led the opposition throughout the Great Depression. In 1935, he was once again elected prime minister in a landslide victory and continued in that role until his 1948 retirement. He led his nation through World War II and, following his resignation, continued to sit as a member of Parliament. Louis St. Laurent took over as leader of the Liberal Party and Prime Minister of Canada in 1948. Some of Kings accomplishments included: Development of social programs such as unemployment insurance, old age pensions, welfare, and the family allowance.Leading Canada through World War II, surviving a conscription crisis that split Canada along English French lines.Introducing the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP), which trained more than 130,000 aircrew members in Canada for the Allied war effort. King continues to hold the record for the most elections to the position of prime minister of Canada: he was elected six times. Kings Published Diaries While King was seen as a rather dull but competent bachelor and statesman throughout his life, in the 1970s his personal diaries began to appear in print. These provided a very different view of the man. Specifically, they revealed that Kings personal life was quite different from his public persona. In fact, he was a spiritualist who believed it was possible to talk with the dead through a medium. According to his diaries, King frequently worked with mediums to contact his dead friends and relatives. According to the Canadian Broadcasting Company, Thousands of pages of diaries, spanning half a century, exposed him as an oddball and eccentric- a lifelong bachelor who was extremely close to his mother, adored his dog, availed himself of hookers, and communed with the spiritual world. Death King died of pneumonia at the age of 75 on July 22, 1950, at Kingsmere. He was in the process of writing his memoirs. He is buried near his mother at Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Toronto.   Legacy King was a consummate politician and deal maker with the ability to mediate agreements between disparate groups over the course of decades. While not the nations most exciting leader, his longevity and consistency helped mold Canada into the nation it is today. Sources Pickersgill, John Whitney. â€Å"W.L. Mackenzie King.†Ã‚  Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica, 13 Dec. 2018.â€Å"Unbuttoned: A History of Mackenzie Kings Secret Life. CBC.ca, 24 Aug. 2018.â€Å"William Lyon Mackenzie King.†Ã‚  The Canadian Encyclopedia.

Strategic Investment Decision Making Case Study

Strategic Investment Decision Making - Case Study Example This paper addresses a critical question "Should TAM Airlines buy Airplanes of the Model: Fokker F-100 or the Airbus A-320" The research is carried out in the form of a case study where drawing information from different search engines such as Google and previous research we compared the two aircraft. Drawing from prior studies the evidence suggests that Airbus 320 represents a better option for TAM Airline considering, it flight capacity, its flexibilities, and its technological advancement attached to the changing time. Airbus 320 offers the management an opportunity for a long term suppliers relationship management. The difference is attributed to differences in the level market systems that characterized both economies. Fokker F100 is characterized by a Short route for regional flight limited to 3111km where as Airbus 320 is a long route flight. The features and flexibilities offered by airbus gave us grounds to recommend it to TAM Airline Adler (2000) suggests that strategic investment decision making involves the process of identifying, evaluating, and selecting projects that are likely to have a big impact on a company's competitive advantage. Strategic investment decisions influence what the company is doing, that is, the set of products and services as well as their attributes that it offers to customers. These decisions also influence where the company offers these products and services and how it offers them. (Adler, 2000). It is therefore very essential to ensure that the right decision is made as regards the products and services on offer, where such products are offered and how they are offered. Investment decision making involves the elements of a classic cost-benefit analysis. (Adler, 2000). According to Akalu and Turner (2001, 2002) finding a reliable method of investment appraisal is not only a matter of concern for company management. Investment appraisal has now become a matter of concern to both share holders and investors. (Turner, 2001, 2002). Customer satisfaction lies at the heart of all modern thinking on quality and business management. Customers and suppliers are important stakeholders. "Stakeholders are those individual or groups who depend on the organisation to fulfill their own goals and on whom, in turn, the organization depends" (JSW: 2005:179). TAM Airlines now faces a critical purchase / Suppliers management decision to discontinue with it much heralded Fokker F-100 and go in for the Airbus -320. Thus, the central theme in this paper is to find out which of the two airplanes represent a better investment or purchase decision for TAM Airlines. 1.1Problem Statement and Research Questions The supplier selection process must be an integral part of an effective

Conservative Approach of Organosations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Conservative Approach of Organosations - Essay Example Some say, â€Å"Attack is the best defense† while others preach, â€Å"defense is the best attack† (Shim, pp. 62, 2011). This paper is an attempt to capture a glance of this debate by exploring the arguments of both sides of the debate. Discussion Arguments in favour of aggressive approach Following could be some of the advantages in favour of the aggressive approach of companies. First, it is always difficult for firms to compete with each other when the switching costs incurred by the buyer for a product or service are high. This is more likely to be true in the technological market since the switching costs goes on to include the high fixed investments, training expenditure and others (Markides & Geroski, pp. 139-140, 2005). Therefore, when a new firm tries to compete with the first mover in the industry, it always has to consider the switching costs of buyers that are high in case of technology related or technology based products. Therefore, the new firms has to co me up with a value proposition that not only offers more value than the existing product but that value should also be sufficient to induce the customers in incurring the switching costs (Geel, pp. 351, 2011). ... 20-21, 2009). Third, there are no doubts in the fact that firms that are quick in capitalizing on technological opportunities also develop a unique relation with their buyers that other firms fail to have. These firms get more time to exploit the distribution and supplier channels thus their relationship with all of distribution and supplier channels stands out of the crowd (Skarzynski & Gibson, pp. 168-169, 2008). Further researches reveal that not only firms that capitalize on technological opportunities end up getting hold of those superior and innovative technologies but at the same time, they also end up acquiring the lion’s share of many other resources associated with the same. For example, if there any assets or natural resources associated with the business that is unique, the firm may be able to acquire that on well below the market price or may have great bargaining advantage over the suppliers, which other firms will not have when they enter into a crowded market ( Shim, pp. 62, 2011; Porter, pp. 46-47, 1998). The importance of adopting new technologies is also evident from the blue ocean strategy as well, which is, in itself, a new and unique chapter in the field of strategic management. The strategy argues that the entire field of strategic management is faulty and flawed in the sense that it encourages firm to remain and fight in the red oceans. The blue ocean strategy divides the marketplace into blue oceans and red oceans. Most of the firms are in Red Ocean that is characterized by their fierce competitive environment, cutthroat competition, increasing pressuring on firms to beat competition (Markides &

The Power of Film as Propaganda

The Power of Film as Propaganda The power of film as propaganda reality or myth? Throughout history various persons and administrations in power have attempted to win the hearts and supports of their constituents, often through reframing or reinterpreting historical events in a light favourable to them. This was certainly the case in the Russian Revolution of1917. The Bolsheviks and Lenin, their leader, sought to use film to recast events of the revolution in such a way as to rally and unify the Russian peasantry. Filmmaker Sergei Eisenstein was one of those recruited for the task, and while many government-sponsored films of the time have disappeared into the massive pile of poor quality filmmaking, two of his works in particular, Battleship Potemkin and October, were powerful in framing the Russian Revolution in the eyes of the world and his own people. These works demonstrate the power of film, even those recognised as containing elements of propaganda. Hostility and outbreaks had been building prior to the1917 Revolution, with general dissatisfaction for the Tsarist regime. One such event, a naval uprising in Odessa, was chosen by Eisenstein to show the liberation needed by the working class under the csars, which he considered had been subsequently provided by the Bolsheviks. Historically, the event was a mutiny of the seamen against the officers, and had been a major event in the earlier Revolution of 1905. Commissioned by the Soviet Central Committee to create a film commemorating the twentieth anniversary of the 1905 Revolution, Eisenstein originally planned a sweeping series of eight films, forming a panoramic view of 1905 events. However, when confronted with the communist definition of a workable budget, he quickly reduced the number to one. The film included significant license with the actual historical events of the incident, as Eisenstein and his government backers both made changes to portray the situation in a way supportive of the then-current Bolshevik regime. For example, whilst in reality the sailors were captured and incarcerated, Eisenstein ends the movie with the sailors in a rallying cry of class solidarity, rather than being herded off to prison. Eisenstein also used a variety of cinematic devices to reinforce his theme, regardless of historical accuracy. He staged the slaughter of civilians by the Cossacks on a series of steps in Odessa, undercutting close-ups of guns and faces with scenes of fleeing civilians and attacking soldiers to depict the slaughter of the populace by the czars troops. Overseas the film was a rousing success. European and American viewers and critics alike were impressed with the realism of the film and its filmmaking firsts. Eisenstein was the first to use editing to juxtapose apparently unrelated images, to create rapid and dynamic shifts in rhythm, and to compress and expand physical action rather than function simply as a storytelling device. The newsreel-like style of the film was another innovation praised by foreign critics. Americas National Board of Review reported at the time the faithful reproduction of this historical event by adhering as much as possible to a literal transcription and reproduction of officially documented facts Nothing approaching the reality of these scenes has ever occurred in cinematicsbefore. Interestingly, most American audiences regarded Potemkin as a celebration of freedom and liberation, rather than a support of a particular political agenda(Browne 182). Initial critics, with the exception of Gerstein who briefly mentions the propagandistic nature of the final scene, also viewed the film as historically accurate. Given only the partial and fragmentary information about the Soviet Union, the American agencies of interpretation the journalists and the critics sought to sketch a picture of something very new and unknown and used the figure of Eisenstein and the realism of his film to do so. However, by the late 1920s, critics were reconsidering the propaganda elements in Soviet films. For example, in his profile on Eisenstein in 1928, Alfred Barr openly explained the Russian governments involvement in the Potemkin and filmmaking in general, and the propagandistic elements of the movie. Intellects on both sides of the Atlantic appeared to have been quite taken with the reality of the movie, enough to overlook such elements of propaganda, and praise the Soviet filmmaker for his reality, a stark contrast to the to the fictionality and to t he vulgar artifice of the Hollywood image so despised by many of the intellectual elite. The film was not so well received in Russia. While by the 1930s, the Civil War became something of a focus for the revolutionary myth in Soviet cinema just the way the West was won fulfilled a similar function in Hollywood, at the time of its release Soviet audiences preferred lighter and more conventional faire. The problem was that, as long as Soviet audiences had a choice, they preferred the films that were popular elsewhere in Europe, and were happy with a diet of Hollywood hits or Soviet imitations. In addition, Potemkin featured no central hero with whom audiences could identify; the main character of the movie is best described as the collective masses. While Eisensteins lack of a central character fascinated Western audiences, it dehumanised Soviets, who were uninterested in the Cine-Eyes more perfect visions of reality. Potemkin had to be taken off after only two weeks, to be replaced with are turn of Robin Hood starring Douglas Fairbanks, the film featured before its releas e. While the power of Potemkin as propaganda was far more convincing, at least initially, abroad, Eisensteins next great work, October, enjoyed tremendous success at home and was valuable as a way of reframing the October events for decades. Scholar recognise the inaccuracies and license of the film. Figes, for example, contends October is Eisensteins brilliant but largely fictional propaganda film. Rosenstone also acknowledges both the initial impact and lasting influence of the film.  October  has become and remains one of the best known and most enduring accounts of October so well known that it seems no exaggeration to suggest that more people have probably learned about the Bolshevik Revolution from the film than from any other single source. As October had a much stronger impact on the Russian public, both as a movie and as propaganda, it is important to consider the situation in Russia at the time and how it influenced the films creation and support. The Russian peasantry, accounting for eighty percent of the population, was largely hostile and overwhelmingly illiterate speaking more than a hundred different languages. In addition, peasants as a group were largely politically ignorant, and needed, it was felt by government leaders, to be properly informed. Peasants were inclined to believe naively in every printed word, and therefore open to persuasion from a variety of sources. Lack of vocabulary amongst the group and misunderstandings with speakers sent by the Bolshevik regime to educate them further compounded the communication problem. Furthermore, the peasants had not supported the Bolsheviks coming into power. Immediately after the overthrow in October, in November 1917, the Bolsheviks held an election as they had promised. Unfortunately for them, they were not the most supported party, although no group received a majority vote. The Bolsheviks lost the November 1917 election to the Socialist Revolutionaries, who received forty-four percent of the vote to the Bolsheviks twenty-seven percent. Although they lost, the Bolsheviks nonetheless seized and consolidated power. This left the government as one in need of persuasive means to address its constituents. Not having been elected by the people, it depended largely on the power of the word to establish its authority. The Civil War that occurred following the Revolution necessitated urgent, cheap and effective measures to win over the hearts and minds of the people in whose name the Bolsheviks claimed to govern. In response, Lenin realised the importance of the dyna mic visual propaganda that cinema could offer and set the government on a course of creating propaganda films. Films would serve to not only entertain, but to allow the Bolsheviks to construct their particular utopia out of the ruins of Tsarist Russia. However, By the 1930s, the Party functionaries recognized that the films were not useful propaganda instruments as long as they could not attract a mass audience. Russians clearly preferred Hollywood-type films, and had similar response to government-produced propaganda films as they had to Potemkin, although such works had little of its quality or creativity. Government leaders recognised that their greatest artists, who made experimental, innovative films, could not communicate with the simple people who wanted to be entertained. They developed a new slogan for art in the Soviet Republics, loosely translated as movies for the masses. Experimentation was denounced as formalism, as something alien to Soviet art, and now each film had to be immediately comprehensible even to the least educated. Many artists and writers immediately following the 1917 Revolution also recognised the need to enlighten the peasantry, and the potential for creative media to communicate new life options to them, and initially joined in government efforts. Filmmakers such as Eisenstein and Kozintsev, for example, were determined in their different ways to use their new art form to construct a new Sovietman. However, with the increasing and ever more intrusive censorship, in combination with limitations on creativity and severe punishments for violations of government guidelines, many film producers simply stopped making movies. Whilst the cinema became increasingly popular, movie selection decreased. By the 1930s, foreign films had been banned; Soviet films also decreased. Whilst in the 1920s over one hundred movies were made annually, but this number had dropped to less than forty by the 1930s. Content was for the most part centred on the benefits of the Bolshevik regime and the evils of the Tsarist one. Class consciousness could usually be reduced to an understanding that there were enemies everywhere, that the Soviet was of life was superior, that it was the duty of decent people to participate in the building of socialism, that the primary allegiance one owes is to Soviet society and not to the family. As Kenez wryly notes, if one judged the world entirely on the basis of Soviet films, one might have imagined that the task of Soviet border guards was to keep out all those who hoped to enter. The Bolshevik government needed to rally illiterate masses to its support, whilst the Soviet Republic spanned a gigantic geographical and cultural plethora, and a number of events leading up to the current regime seizing power were morally questionable, at best. The question is whether propaganda films really exerted the influence over the public that many have long held unquestionably that they do. The Soviets certainly committed a surprising amount of scarce resources, although not as much as the filmmakers would have liked, to this novel form of propaganda, recognising the apparent potential of the medium of cinema for powerful, mass, political propaganda. Reeves contends that in many countries, including the UK and Soviet Republic, the power of film propaganda was simply assumed. Through the 1950s,politicians and commentators alike seem to have become only more convinced that the mass media in general, cinema in particular, provided a weapon uniquely capable of effectively moulding the ideology of the masses. Reeves further contends that empirical studies in Britain between the First and Second World Wars are primarily supportive of the power of film propaganda and the media to influence the general populace. Almost without exception int er-war studies stressed their enormous power, using metaphors like hypodermic needle or magic bullet to characterise that power in contrast to the weakness of the mass of people who, whether they liked it or not, received the messages which the media generated. While there have been more recent challenges to these findings, Eisensteins October is widely held to have had a profound impact both on the Russian people and foreigners in shaping their perception and understanding of the Bolsheviks rise to power. Although October was made before the changes to filmmaking of the 1930s, it very much followed the type of movie propaganda scheme the government would later require. The film was commissioned by the Soviet agency in charge of the production and distribution of films, Sovkino, as part of the tenth anniversary celebration of the 1917events. Ever the visionary, Eisenstein first planned to create a heroic epic, spanning from the February 1917 overthrow of the Czar to the end of the Civil War in 1921.Pressures of time (both on the screen and in the production process) led to aversion that covered a smaller slice of the past: from February through October1917. The story the movie tells, and the way it tells that story are surely part of along tradition of explaining why and how the Bolsheviks took power. One might even argue that October had a significant role in creating that tradition. The film neither accurately represents what happened nor entirely fictionalises events, instead combining the two to create a picture in the minds of many of the Revolution. The film opens with the downfall of the Russian Czar in February of 1917.While it overdoes the evilness of the Tsarist regime a bit from an historical standpoint, this presents a strong contrast for the following events. Of particular note is the handling of the July Days protests in July of 1917.The Bolsheviks had assembled over fifty thousand supporters, had surrounded the Tauride Palace, and had taken hostage a representative of the Provisional Government during the protest. Bolshevik leaders truly did decide not to overthrown the government during this time, calming the crowd and a voiding bloodshed. Eisenstein is considered by many scholars to be relatively accurate in his rendition of the July events, although he creates from a decidedly Bolshevik point of view. Eisenstein shows us the masses of marching protesters, the bloodshed on the Nevsky Prospekt, the anger of the middle classes against the lower orders, the Bolshevik speakers calming the soldiers, insisting it is not time to seize power. Similarly, Rosenstone states that historians have little dissent over much of the things that led up to the October events, or how Eisenstein handled them. The February Revolution, he contends, was truly popular and necessary, while the Provisional Government was inept, inefficient, stupid or criminal in its attempt to continue the war. Eisensteins portrayal of Kerenskys handling of the entire situation is alsosupported by historians. Figes states that during the event, Kerensky began to strut around with comic self-importance, puffing up his puny chest and striking the pose of a Bonaparte.Rosenstone notes Eisenstein shows Kerensky as a would-be Bonaparte, by cutting from a close-up of him directly to a statue of Napoleon, and he is hardly the only historian to suggest the prime minister saw himself in that kind of heroic role. Figes and Rosenstone both note that Eisenstein used similar techniques to highlight the ineptitude of General Kornilov. Eisenstein suggests that the attempt to overthrow the Provisional Government was really based on a misunderstanding, exacerbated by Kornliov, who also saw himself as a Bonaparte figure and did not realise that most of those supporting him did so with the hope to use him in the governments overthrow .Eisenstein presents Kornilov as yet another potential Napoleon by cutting from his image to that of the same statue previously linked to Kerensky. The film shows how the generals march on Petrograd is undermined by Bolshevik agitators, who are able to convince the Cossacks of his Savage Division that the Soviet programme of Peace, Land, Bread is not meant just for the worker sof Petrograd but for everyone, including them. It is the ending of the movie, as he did in Potemkin, where Eisenstein takes the greatest license. The movie climaxes with the storming of the Winter Palace, an event that did not actually occur. Indeed the Palace was largely unoccupied by the time of the October events, and any Bolsheviks attacking it would have only had to rebuff a few women and elderly men left to tend to maintenance. While Kerenskys cabinet was inside, they were cut off from the outside and posed no threat. The Palace was taken peacefully, with cabinet members arrested. However, Eisenstein realised the film must have a strong climatic event, and as Lenin had previously used the Palace as an emblem of the Revolution conquering old regimes in the name of the masses, he used a dramatic battle to climax his historical rendition. Many Russian critics at the time were appalled that he had even considered dramatising or reframing such an important event in their history. Additional complaints included Eisensteins omission of the collapse at the front and the growth of the workers movement were also directed at the film.Rosenstone would counter that a filmmaker can never forget the demands of the medium no matter how much you are committed to putting the past on the screen, and no matter how accurate you wish that past to be, the one thing you can never do is to mirror a moment all those moments that have vanished. Even in contemporary viewing of October, however, Eisensteins theme is repeatedly that it was the stupidity and oppression of the Provisional Government, not the political desires of the Bolsheviks, that led to the October 1917 Revolution. It was the desires and action of the masses, not Lenin or a few organising leaders, that led to the governments overthrow. As propaganda, the film has long served to reinforce the validity of the Bolsheviks seizure of power, and therefore to instigate major changes on the Soviet populace. It remains the way many, both in Russia and in Western countries, view the events of 1917, an as such speaks to the effective and lasting power of film as a propaganda device. History can be recast, reinterpreted, expressed in film, and many will believe what they see .Eisensteins work reinforces both independent research and policies ofgovernments worldwide that support film propaganda as a convincing tool. BIBLIOGRAPHY Battleship Potemkin. Dirs. Sergei M. Eisenstein and GrigoriAleksandrov. White Star, 1925. Behind the screen. TheTimes (UK) 18 September 2004: Features, Films 29. Balio, Tino. Eisenstein. 21 May 2005.http://members.tripod.com/~afronord/eisen.html Browne, Nick. Eisenstein inAmerica: The First Phase. Emergences 12.2 (2002): 181-197. Encyclopedia:Propaganda Film.January 2005. 21 May 2005.. Figes, Orlando. The Russian Revolutionand Its Language in the Village. The Russian Review 56 (July 1997):323-345. Figes, Orlando. A Peoples Tragedy:The Russian Revolution 1891-1924. New York: Penguin Books. 1998. Forging the Shipof State: The Bolsheviks in Power. 21 May 2005.. Kenez, Peter. Jewish Themes in StalinistFilms. Journal of Popular Culture 31.2 Spring 1998: 159-169. October. Dirs. Sergei M. Eisenstein and Grigori Aleksandrov. WhiteStar, 1927. Reeves, Nicholas.The Power of Film Proaganda Myth or Reality? Historical Journal of Film,Radio Television 13.2 (1993). . Rosenstone, RobertA. October as History. Rethinking History 5:2 (2001): 255-274. Taylor, Richard.Russian and Soviet Cinema: Continuity and Change, Imperial War Museum,London, 17-19 July 1990. Historical Journal of Film, Radio Television 11.1 (1991). . Taylor, Richard.Soviet Cinema: The Path to Stalin. History Today July 1990: 43-48. The OctoberRevolution of 1917.21 May 2005. . Yangirov, Rashitand Taylor, Richard. Soviet Cinema in the Twenties: National Alternatives.Historical Journal of Film, Radio Television 11.2 (1991)..

The Awakening Essay -- essays research papers

The Awakening, by Kate Chopin, tells one woman’s story of her attempt to awaken to her true wants and desires for her life. When Edna Pontellier spends the summer on Grand Isle, she begins to think beyond the role of wife and mother that she has played so far. She begins to think of herself as a separate person with independent thoughts and feelings. Her transformation is difficult and she has great trouble deciding what she really wants in life. Edna attempts to discard all of the traditional values of her life to find her independence. Confused by the new feelings these experiences bring, Edna’s awakening is a failure because she does not have the necessary skills to become independent. Despite her attempts to change and embrace a new life, Edna is defeated because of her weaknesses that are symbolized in her art, the water, and her relationships with men.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the first ways that Edna begins to find her inner self is through her painting. She definitely shows some talent as an artist and throws herself into this new self expression. She spends time painting rather than spending time with her husband, children and acquaintances from the past. Even as her artistic talents develop, art becomes a symbol of failure for Edna. Edna does learn to express herself and assert her self through her art. Even though Edna learns to live through her paintings, Madame Reize sees becoming an artist as a test. She believes that becoming an artist is a test of...