Monday, December 30, 2019

Main Ideas Of The Kite Runner Novel - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 6 Words: 1713 Downloads: 6 Date added: 2019/06/14 Category Literature Essay Level High school Tags: The Kite Runner Essay Did you like this example? The novel begins with a flashback in order layout for the reader about Amirrs life before he had moved to San Francisco. Amirrs flashback allows the reader to understand that in the winter of 1975, everything had changed and shaped him into who he is today. It states how he has been trying to avoid his past, but it always finds a way to claw out. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Main Ideas Of The Kite Runner Novel" essay for you Create order In addition, he received a phone call from Rahim Khan: a person who brings the narrator memories of past and his sins. Finally, you learn that the narrator has a friend named, Hassan, who he recalls saying that he would do anything for him. Hassan is Alirs son who grew up serving Amirrs family. The two boys grew up together with Amir living in Babars mansion and Hassan in a mud shack. Hassan has an almost perfectly rounded faced which is compared to a Chinese doll. He has a flat broad nose and slanting narrow eyes compared to bamboo leaves and sapphire. In addition, he has a low set of tiny ears and a cleft lip: a birth defect. Hassan has a mother named, Sanaubar, who had banned him for a group of singers and dancers. His first word is Amir which is important because it shows his relationship with the protagonist. He had come to Amirrs life because Ali and Baba had grown up together after Alirs parents were killed by a car accident. For example, Babars father took in Ali, who is now an orphan, and raised him as his own. Like Baba and Ali who grew up to be childhood playmates, Hassan and Amir are similar. Amir lives with a more wealthy lifestyle, in contrast, Hassan is a servant. To be a Hazara is to be a mice-eating, flat-nosed, or load carrying donkeys. This is because of their history when the Hazara were oppressed by the Pashtun. They were killed with unspeakable violence when trying to fight back. The Pashtun took away their land, burned their homes and sold off women. Hassanrs family, Hassan, Ali and Sanaubar are Hazaras. To be a Pashtun is to be the more dominated and stronger group within the Muslim religion. They had oppressed and persecuted the Khazars killing them. Therefore with their history, they feel more superior as they are known to be the majority group in their country. Amirrs family including his mother Baba and himself are Pashtun. Later in the story, the reader finds out by Assef is a Pashtun. Amir describes his home as this beautiful house in the community of Wair Akbar Khan district with a lot of details to back up his reasoning. Leading up to the house a is a wide entryway lined with rose bushes. The house has marble flooring and gold tapestries. Amir bedroom is located upstairs along with Babys room and his smoking room. He elaborates this description to show how everyone considers it a beautiful house. In addition, a big house usually correlates with parents working hard in order to earn such wealth, therefore shows the lack o f bond between Amir and Baba. The details of his family photo shows the relationship between Amir and Baba. Baba is next to his smiling wife in one photo and then not smiling in the next photo when he is holding his son. Later on in the book, Amir makes the connection that he has caused Baba to dislike him before he stole his mother life away when she was giving birth. Amir is holding Rahim Khanrs pinky finger in the photo which shows that he has a more stronger and closer relationship with his dadrs best friend. Sanaubar is Hassanrs mother and Alirs wife. She is a beautiful yet a notoriously unscrupulous nineteen years old women. Like her husband, she is a Shia Muslim and an ethnic Hazara too. Ali and Sanaubar got married because they were first cousins. However, they were nothing alike. Ali was a strong religious man who followed the Koran while Sanaubar tempted men into doing sinful things. In 1964 on a cold winter day, she gave birth to Hassan in a small shack but later left him to join a clan of singers and dancers. In contrast to Amirrs mother who died when she has giving birth to her son. Ali is Hassanrs father as well as a servant to Baba and Amir. The neighborhood children call him Babalu which means the Boogeyman to mock him. They call him this because Ali face and his walk due to the effect of polio caused some of the younger children to be scared. Amir feels like he is not worthy to his father and his feelings were confirmed when he had overheard his father conversation with Rahmid Khan. For example, Baba stated that if he had not seen the doctor pull him out, he wouldnt believe that Amir is his so n. Baba is disappointed that Amir did not inherit his athletic ability, but rather his mothers interest in literature. Baba is also disappointed that Amir can not stand up and fight for himself. Amir also feels the need to fight for his fatherrs attention. Anything he says to his father, his father seems to take no interest in. In addition, when Baba invited Hassan to go on a trip to the lake, Amir lied to his father that Hassan had the runs in order to be able to spend time alone with him. He wanted to spend time alone with him because Amir has a jealousy feeling when being around Hassan and his father. Hassan was more athletic in throwing rocks down the river and was rewarded with Babars arm him, making Amir jealous. His feelings about his father are also present when he states that it was an honor for him to hold his fathers hat when it blew off because it showed to the crowd that that was his father. Zahir Shahrs (the king) cousin is Daoud Khan. He is responsible for the night shots on July 17 1973 that destroyed the Afghanistanrs monarchy. When the king was away, Daoud Khan decided take over and become the new president so he ended his cousinrs forty years reign with a bloodless coup. This new republic had lead to people like Assef to believe that this leader would save Afghanistan from the Hazara and allows the Pashtuns to take over their rightful place. Baba is Amirrs father and a husband to Sofia Akrami: the most respected women in Kabul. His life revolved around trying to prove many people wrong that had doubted him. Many expected him to study law because his dad was a judge; however, Baba decided to not only run his own business and he becomes the richest merchants in Kabul. In addition, since Sofia is royal in blood, many doubt that Baba would be able to marry such a women. He perceived the world in black and white and decided which is what color. What he believes to be a sin is not drinking, but theft. Stealing away something from someone just stems or branches out to other sins that comes along with theft. He doesnt believe in such religious people like Mullah Fatiullah, referring them to bearded idiots who recited the Quran but doesnt understand a word. In addition, Baba states that they would be in a dangerous situation of Afghanistan where to fill under a self righteous religious monkey. Baba gave Hassan for his birthday a plastic surgery procedure. For example, when Hassan had walked in the house, he was greeted by an Indian man dressed in a brown suit and red tie named Dr. Kumar from New Delhi. This present suggest that Baba has a care and showed sympathy Hassan. Baba states that although it is a weird gift, this gift was a long term gift that would last forever. While Hassan believed that it was not going to hurt, Amirrs reaction was that Hassan was being fooled. Amir related to his past experience with a painful surgery when he got circumcised. In addition, he had hope that he has some kind of scar in order to get such sympathy from his own dad. Once the swelling had stopped the following winter it was ionic for Hassan to smile because it was that winter that Hassan was no longer smiling this foreshadowing a situation. Assef is known to be the neighborhood bully in the Wazir Akbar Khan section. He is the son of Mohammed: Babars friend and an airplane pilot. Assef has a German mother and an Afghan dad therefore his physical a ppearance of being blonde and blue eyed makes him stand out. Hers famous stainless-steel brass knuckles because of his earned reputation among the kids for savagery. In addition, he was the one that had came up all the names for Ali. HIs political vision is to get rid of all the Hazara with the new president. He wants the Pashtuns to rightly take back the country. He uses Hitler to help create his political perspective but unlike Hitler he believes that the new Afghanistan president can succeed. Wali and Kamal are Assefrs friends who obeys Assefrs orders. Assef and his friends encounter with Amir and Hassan lead to Hassan threatening them. For example, after many rude comments especially towards Amir, Hassan pulled out his slingshot and threaten them to go away. Although Amir could tell that he was in fear, his voice was convincing enough for the boys to walk away. However, Assef threaten that although he is a patience person, he will be back. He commented that his return will be when Amir is alone so they can face each other without the help of Hassan. This foreshadows that Assef will return again in the story when Hassan is not there by Amir side to protect him as he always does. Amir thinks its ironic that he can finally smile normally because it was that following winter when Hassan had no longer smiled. Amir wants to tell Assed that they arent friends rather Hassan to him is only a servant. Despite almost bursting this out, Amir knows that he treats Hassan as more of a friend, he treats him as a brother but he also acknowledges that he always leaves Hassan out.

Sunday, December 22, 2019

The Synecdochic Motif in Sherwood Andersons Winesburg, Ohio

The Synecdochic Motif in Winesburg, Ohio The sum of the parts of the vignettes of townsfolk of Winesburg, Ohio is greater than the whole novel. Winesburg, too, is only one town in all of Ohio, which is one of a host of states in the U.S. This magnification is at the heart of the novel, in which synecdoche is the main lens through which Sherwood Anderson allows us to regard the grotesques. This narrow aperture of perception does not compromise full characterization, but instead forces the reader into searching for subtle connections within and across the sketches. The opening story, Hands, launches the titular synecdochic motif whose pairings Anderson systematically and symmetrically deploys. Discounting the final†¦show more content†¦The paradox features an impossible or illogical state of being for the hand, but one that exists nonetheless. Anderson cues us to the paradoxs importance by showing Wing Biddlebaum rubbing his hands together and looking up and down the road (5). The gesture has little to d o with his vision at the moment, but suggests that the reader similarly look both ways when reading through the book and exercise his depth perception. We take note of the perplexing admixture of human emotion under the surface of a simple handshake: He put out his hand as though to greet the younger man and then awkwardly drew it back again (141). The relationship between the two men†¹that of a doctor greeting a dead patients son†¹is summed up by the handshake, a formalized mode of greeting in a situation that requires the tact of more informal tactility. The ambivalence that meets a person when thrust into society, of desiring intimacy but fearing the proximity, is the central motivation of the grotesques, as voiced by an eighteen-year-old George Willard, who later recants his vows with angry, forced aloofness: With all his heart he wants to come close to some other human, touch someone with his hands, be touched by the hand of anotherÃ…  He wants, most of al l, understanding (145). But such an understanding is difficult when the paradoxes reveal their irreconcilable and incomprehensible origins. Insecure about his baldness, Wings hands futilely

Saturday, December 14, 2019

Digital Fortress Chapter 22 Free Essays

string(50) " the extent of it,† Becker said sheepishly\." David Becker strode over and stared down at the old man asleep on the cot. The man’s right wrist was wrapped in a cast. He was between sixty and seventy years old. We will write a custom essay sample on Digital Fortress Chapter 22 or any similar topic only for you Order Now His snow-white hair was parted neatly to the side, and in the center of his forehead was a deep purple welt that spread down into his right eye. A little bump? he thought, recalling the lieutenant’s words. Becker checked the man’s fingers. There was no gold ring anywhere. Becker reached down and touched the man’s arm. â€Å"Sir?† He shook him lightly. â€Å"Excuse me†¦ sir?† The man didn’t move. Becker tried again, a little louder. â€Å"Sir?† The man stirred. â€Å"Qu’est-ce†¦ quelle heure est-† He slowly opened his eyes and focused on Becker. He scowled at having been disturbed. â€Å"Qu’est-ce-que vous voulez?† Yes, Becker thought, a French Canadian! Becker smiled down at him. â€Å"Do you have a moment?† Although Becker’s French was perfect, he spoke in what he hoped would be the man’s weaker language, English. Convincing a total stranger to hand over a gold ring might be a little tricky; Becker figured he could use any edge he could get. There was a long silence as the man got his bearings. He surveyed his surroundings and lifted a long finger to smooth his limp white mustache. Finally he spoke. â€Å"What do you want?† His English carried a thin, nasal accent. â€Å"Sir,† Becker said, over pronouncing his words as if speaking to a deaf person, â€Å"I need to ask you a few questions.† The man glared up at him with a strange look on his face. â€Å"Do you have some sort of problem?† Becker frowned; the man’s English was impeccable. He immediately lost the condescending tone. â€Å"I’m sorry to bother you, sir, but were you by any chance at the Plaza de Espana today?† The old man’s eyes narrowed. â€Å"Are you from the City Council?† â€Å"No, actually I’m-â€Å" â€Å"Bureau of Tourism?† â€Å"No, I’m-â€Å" â€Å"Look, I know why you’re here!† The old man struggled to sit up. â€Å"I’m not going to be intimidated! If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times-Pierre Cloucharde writes the world the way he lives the world. Some of your corporate guidebooks might sweep this under the table for a free night on the town, but the Montreal Times is not for hire! I refuse!† â€Å"I’m sorry, sir. I don’t think you under-â€Å" â€Å"Merde alors! I understand perfectly!† He wagged a bony finger at Becker, and his voice echoed through the gymnasium. â€Å"You’re not the first! They tried the same thing at the Moulin Rouge, Brown’s Palace, and the Golfigno in Lagos! But what went to press? The truth! The worst Wellington I’ve ever eaten! The filthiest tub I’ve ever seen! And the rockiest beach I’ve ever walked! My readers expect no less!† Patients on nearby cots began sitting up to see what was going on. Becker looked around nervously for a nurse. The last thing he needed was to get kicked out. Cloucharde was raging. â€Å"That miserable excuse for a police officer works for your city! He made me get on his motorcycle! Look at me!† He tried to lift his wrist. â€Å"Now who’s going to write my column?† â€Å"Sir, I-â€Å" â€Å"I’ve never been so uncomfortable in my forty-three years of travel! Look at this place! You know, my column is syndicated in over-â€Å" â€Å"Sir!† Becker held up both hands urgently signaling truce. â€Å"I’m not interested in your column; I’m from the Canadian Consulate. I’m here to make sure you’re okay!† Suddenly there was a dead quiet in the gymnasium. The old man looked up from his bed and eyed the intruder suspiciously. Becker ventured on in almost a whisper. â€Å"I’m here to see if there’s anything I can do to help.† Like bring you a couple of Valium. After a long pause, the Canadian spoke. â€Å"The consulate?† His tone softened considerably. Becker nodded. â€Å"So, you’re not here about my column?† â€Å"No, sir.† It was as if a giant bubble had burst for Pierre Cloucharde. He settled slowly back down onto his mound of pillows. He looked heartbroken. â€Å"I thought you were from the city†¦ trying to get me to†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He faded off and then looked up. â€Å"If it’s not about my column, then why are you here?† It was a good question, Becker thought, picturing the Smoky Mountains. â€Å"Just an informal diplomatic courtesy,† he lied. The man looked surprised. â€Å"A diplomatic courtesy?† â€Å"Yes, sir. As I’m sure a man of your stature is well aware, the Canadian government works hard to protect its countrymen from the indignities suffered in these, er-shall we say-less refined countries.† Cloucharde’s thin lips parted in a knowing smile. â€Å"But of course†¦ how pleasant.† â€Å"You are a Canadian citizen, aren’t you?† â€Å"Yes, of course. How silly of me. Please forgive me. Someone in my position is often approached with†¦ well†¦ you understand.† â€Å"Yes, Mr. Cloucharde, I certainly do. The price one pays for celebrity.† â€Å"Indeed.† Cloucharde let out a tragic sigh. He was an unwilling martyr tolerating the masses. â€Å"Can you believe this hideous place?† He rolled his eyes at the bizarre surroundings. â€Å"It’s a mockery. And they’ve decided to keep me overnight.† Becker looked around. â€Å"I know. It’s terrible. I’m sorry it took me so long to get here.† Cloucharde looked confused. â€Å"I wasn’t even aware you were coming.† Becker changed the subject. â€Å"Looks like a nasty bump on your head. Does it hurt?† â€Å"No, not really. I took a spill this morning-the price one pays for being a good Samaritan. The wrist is the thing that’s hurting me. Stupid Guardia. I mean, really! Putting a man of my age on a motorcycle. It’s reprehensible.† â€Å"Is there anything I can get for you?† Cloucharde thought a moment, enjoying the attention. â€Å"Well, actually†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He stretched his neck and tilted his head left and right. â€Å"I could use another pillow if it’s not too much trouble.† â€Å"Not at all.† Becker grabbed a pillow off a nearby cot and helped Cloucharde get comfortable. The old man sighed contentedly. â€Å"Much better†¦ thank you.† â€Å"Pas du tout,† Becker replied. â€Å"Ah!† The man smiled warmly. â€Å"So you do speak the language of the civilized world.† â€Å"That’s about the extent of it,† Becker said sheepishly. You read "Digital Fortress Chapter 22" in category "Essay examples" â€Å"Not a problem,† Cloucharde declared proudly. â€Å"My column is syndicated in the U.S.; my English is first rate.† â€Å"So I’ve heard.† Becker smiled. He sat down on the edge of Cloucharde’s cot. â€Å"Now, if you don’t mind my asking, Mr. Cloucharde, why would a man such as yourself come to a place like this? There are far better hospitals in Seville.† Cloucharde looked angry. â€Å"That police officer†¦ he bucked me off his motorcycle and then left me bleeding in the street like a stuck pig. I had to walk over here.† â€Å"He didn’t offer to take you to a better facility?† â€Å"On that godawful bike of his? No thanks!† â€Å"What exactly happened this morning?† â€Å"I told it all to the lieutenant.† â€Å"I’ve spoken to the officer and-â€Å" â€Å"I hope you reprimanded him!† Cloucharde interrupted. Becker nodded. â€Å"In the severest terms. My office will be following up.† â€Å"I should hope so.† â€Å"Monsieur Cloucharde.† Becker smiled, pulling a pen out of his jacket pocket. â€Å"I’d like to make a formal complaint to the city. Would you help? A man of your reputation would be a valuable witness.† Cloucharde looked buoyed by the prospect of being quoted. He sat up. â€Å"Why, yes†¦ of course. It would be my pleasure.† Becker took out a small note pad and looked up. â€Å"Okay, let’s start with this morning. Tell me about the accident.† The old man sighed. â€Å"It was sad really. The poor Asian fellow just collapsed. I tried to help him-but it was no use.† â€Å"You gave him CPR?† Cloucharde looked ashamed. â€Å"I’m afraid I don’t know how. I called an ambulance.† Becker remembered the bluish bruises on Tankado’s chest. â€Å"Did the paramedics administer CPR?† â€Å"Heavens, no!† Cloucharde laughed. â€Å"No reason to whip a dead horse-the fellow was long gone by the time the ambulance got there. They checked his pulse and carted him off, leaving me with that horrific policeman.† That’s strange, Becker thought, wondering where the bruise had come from. He pushed it from his mind and got to the matter at hand. â€Å"What about the ring?† he said as nonchalantly as possible. Cloucharde looked surprised. â€Å"The lieutenant told you about the ring?† â€Å"Yes, he did.† Cloucharde seemed amazed. â€Å"Really? I didn’t think he believed my story. He was so rude-as if he thought I were lying. But my story was accurate, of course. I pride myself on accuracy.† â€Å"Where is the ring?† Becker pressed. Cloucharde didn’t seem to hear. He was glassy-eyed, staring into space. â€Å"Strange piece really, all those letters-looked like no language I’d ever seen.† â€Å"Japanese, maybe?† Becker offered. â€Å"Definitely not.† â€Å"So you got a good look at it?† â€Å"Heavens, yes! When I knelt down to help, the man kept pushing his fingers in my face. He wanted to give me the ring. It was most bizarre, horrible really-his hands were quite dreadful.† â€Å"And that’s when you took the ring?† Cloucharde went wide-eyed. â€Å"That’s what the officer told you! That I took the ring?† Becker shifted uneasily. Cloucharde exploded. â€Å"I knew he wasn’t listening! That’s how rumors get started! I told him the Jap fellow gave away the ring-but not to me! There’s no way I would take anything from a dying man! My heavens! The thought of it!† Becker sensed trouble. â€Å"So you don’t have the ring?† â€Å"Heavens, no!† A dull ache crept through the pit of his stomach. â€Å"Then who has it?† Cloucharde glared at Becker indignantly. â€Å"The German! The German has it!† Becker felt like the floor had been pulled out from under him. â€Å"German? What German?† â€Å"The German in the park! I told the officer about him! I refused the ring but the fascist swine accepted it!† Becker set down his pen and paper. The charade was over. This was trouble. â€Å"So a German has the ring?† â€Å"Indeed.† â€Å"Where did he go?† â€Å"No idea. I ran to call the police. When I got back, he was gone.† â€Å"Do you know who he was?† â€Å"Some tourist.† â€Å"Are you sure?† â€Å"My life is tourists,† Cloucharde snapped. â€Å"I know one when I see one. He and his lady friend were out strolling the park.† Becker was more and more confused every moment. â€Å"Lady friend? There was somebody with the German?† Cloucharde nodded. â€Å"An escort. Gorgeous redhead. Mon Dieu! Beautiful.† â€Å"An escort?† Becker was stunned. â€Å"As in†¦ a prostitute?† Cloucharde grimaced. â€Å"Yes, if you must use the vulgar term.† â€Å"But†¦ the officer said nothing about-â€Å" â€Å"Of course not! I never mentioned the escort.† Cloucharde dismissed Becker with a patronizing wave of his good hand. â€Å"They aren’t criminals-it’s absurd that they’re harassed like common thieves.† Becker was still in a mild state of shock. â€Å"Was there anyone else there?† â€Å"No, just the three of us. It was hot.† â€Å"And you’re positive the woman was a prostitute?† â€Å"Absolutely. No woman that beautiful would be with a manlike that unless she were well paid! Mon Dieu! He was fat, fat, fat! A loudmouthed, overweight, obnoxious German!† Cloucharde winced momentarily as he shifted his weight, but he ignored the pain and plowed on. â€Å"This man was a beast-three hundred pounds at least. He locked onto that poor dear like she was about to run away-not that I’d blame her. I mean really! Hands all over her. Bragged that he had her all weekend for three hundred dollars! He’s the one who should have dropped dead, not that poor Asian fellow.† Cloucharde came up for air, and Becker jumped in. â€Å"Did you get his name?† Cloucharde thought for a moment and then shook his head. â€Å"No idea.† He winced in pain again and settled slowly back into his pillows. Becker sighed. The ring had just evaporated before his eyes. Commander Strathmore was not going to be happy. Cloucharde dabbed at his forehead. His burst of enthusiasm had taken its toll. He suddenly looked ill. Becker tried another approach. â€Å"Mr. Cloucharde, I’d like to get a statement from the German and his escort as well. Do you have any idea where they’re staying?† Cloucharde closed his eyes, his strength fading. His breathing grew shallow. â€Å"Anything at all?† Becker pressed. â€Å"The escort’s name? There was a long silence. Cloucharde rubbed his right temple. He was suddenly looking pale. â€Å"Well†¦ ah†¦ no. I don’t believe†¦Ã¢â‚¬  His voice was shaky. Becker leaned toward him. â€Å"Are you all right?† Cloucharde nodded lightly. â€Å"Yes, fine†¦ just a little†¦ the excitement maybe†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He trailed off. â€Å"Think, Mr. Cloucharde.† Becker urged quietly. â€Å"It’s important.† Cloucharde winced. â€Å"I don’t know†¦ the woman†¦ the man kept calling her†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He closed his eyes and groaned. â€Å"What was her name?† â€Å"I really don’t recall†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Cloucharde was fading fast. â€Å"Think.† Becker prodded. â€Å"It’s important that the consular file be as complete as possible. I’ll need to support your story with statements from the other witnesses. Any information you can give me to help locate them†¦Ã¢â‚¬  But Cloucharde was not listening. He was dabbing his forehead with the sheet. â€Å"I’m sorry†¦ perhaps tomorrow†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He looked nauseated. â€Å"Mr. Cloucharde, it’s important you remember this now.† Becker suddenly realized he was speaking too loudly. People on nearby cots were still sitting up watching what was going on. On the far side of the room a nurse appeared through the double doors and strode briskly toward them. â€Å"Anything at all,† Becker pressed urgently. â€Å"The German called the woman-â€Å" Becker lightly shook Cloucharde, trying to bring him back. Cloucharde’s eyes flickered momentarily. â€Å"Her name†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Stay with me, old fella†¦ â€Å"Dew†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Cloucharde’s eyes closed again. The nurse was closing in. She looked furious. â€Å"Dew?† Becker shook Cloucharde’s arm. The old man groaned. â€Å"He called her†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Cloucharde was mumbling now, barely audible. The nurse was less than ten feet away yelling at Becker in angry Spanish. Becker heard nothing. His eyes were fixed on the old man’s lips. He shook Cloucharde one last time as the nurse bore down on him. The nurse grabbed David Becker’s shoulder. She pulled him to his feet just as Cloucharde’s lips parted. The single word leaving the old man’s mouth was not actually spoken. It was softly sighed-like a distant sensual remembrance. â€Å"Dewdrop†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The scolding grasp yanked Becker away. Dewdrop? Becker wondered. What the hell kind of name is Dewdrop? He spun away from the nurse and turned one last time to Cloucharde. â€Å"Dewdrop? Are you sure?† But Pierre Cloucharde was fast asleep. How to cite Digital Fortress Chapter 22, Essay examples

Thursday, December 5, 2019

Business of Law

Question: Describe about the Australian Consumer Law. Answer: Introduction Australian Consumer Law provides uniform protection to all consumers as well as to the small businesses in all sectors and jurisdiction. Australian Consumer Law sets out the principles and the standards that a business enterprise needs to observe while carrying out their business transaction with the consumers. It prohibits unfair trade practices in respect of small business as well as the consumers. The Treasury Legislation Amendment (Small Business and Unfair Contract Terms) Bill 2015 amended the Australian Consumer Law and was enumerated in Schedule 2 of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010[1] and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission Act 2001. The primary objective of this Bill was to protect the interest of the small business from unfair trade contracts and by safeguarding its bargaining power in the market. Discussion In Australia, consumers are given adequate protection from unfair trade practices since 2010 whereas, protection towards the small business were quite realized lately by the government. A small business refers to the organization that employs less than twenty employees or has less than prescribed threshold for a multi-year contract of $100,000 0r $250,000[2]. The government selected the transaction value threshold of the small business after consultation with different stakeholders. The purpose was to provide protection to the small business when they engage in day-to-day trade and transact with the consumers. The principles will also encourage the small business to conduct large contract with due care and diligence for the fundamental success of their business[3]. The ACCC plays a significant role in communicating the small business promptly and evidently. It also provides them guidance while dealing with their individual matters. It also advises them on alternative dispute resolution processes. As ACCC has a unique center of attention on small business, franchising, business liaison and business associations, it enables an effective competition in the sector of small business, encourages fair-trading, and strengthens its position in the free economy[4]. The business practices must not limit competitions. The small business must be aware of their rights and obligations when they deal with the whole sellers, other business organizations, and suppliers. The small businesses are protected from anti-competitive behavior and false or misleading claims under the Australian Consumer Law. The ACCC has protected the collective bargaining of the small business by offering a streamlined process for the parties to seek authorization arrangements of collective bargaining. Few such unfair trade practices are to enter into a contract that will permit either of one party to terminate or limit the performance of the contract or penalizing the other party for the breach of any provisions or vary the terms of the contract at its own will without any negotiations or taking due advantage of the bargaining power of the other party[5]. The court is empowered to strike down any terms of the contract that appears to it as unfair. The small business must enter into the contract having standard forms in consistent with the new unfair contract terms laws. Any such unfair contract terms shall be held void in the eyes of the law[6]. However, the small business must not enter into any unfair trade practices and must treat their consumers honestly and fairly. They are not supposed to sell banned products to the consumers. They must meet the requirements as seller under the Australian Consumer Law such as they must not engage in misleading and deceptive trade practices. The business organizations must not engage in unconscionable trade practices particularly, which are unfair and oppressive. The High Court noted that the aim of the law was to protect the competitive process and not protect the interest of a particular person. If any competition is sufficiently proved harmful, then such competitors can be eliminated[7]. It is often seen that small business becomes the victims of misuse of market powers. They face different competitive issues compared to the large business houses. Thus, they are included under the competitive laws and are provided protection from harsh competitions. As the small business lacks the sophisticated modern means to attain information on the trade laws and lacks resources, they are also vulnerable as the consumers. They too need to be protected from unfair trade practices and unconscionable conducts in the marketplace. Thus, they are also protected under the Consumer Law[8]. The small suppliers need to be protected from the big supermarkets so that their legitimate needs are not shadowed. In the competitive market, they must be safeguarded so that the competitive process does not worsen their condition. In ACCC v Coles[9], the Federal Court ordered Coles to pay pecuniary penalties of $10 million for engaging in unconscionable trade practice with the suppliers. Coles is one of the famous supermarkets in Australia. Therefore, it provides good access to the customers. Coles had demanded high payments from the suppliers, which it was not supposed to do. It also withheld money from them illegally. Therefore, the threatening of Coles was alleged to be deliberate, serious and repeated misconduct as it misused the bargaining powers. The conduct was not done in good faith and conscience and was against the accepted standard norms of trade. Conclusion Thus, we see that small business being vulnerable and unconscious of the standard trade practices must be protected in the same ways as the consumers. Therefore, they are protected under the Consumer Laws. As they have weak bargaining power compared to the big business organization, they are often exploited. The Australian Courts imposes heavy penalties as deterrence on those who exploits the small business by inducing unfair trade practices and engaging in misleading and deceptive trade practices. ACCC acts as a watchdog to safeguard the interests of the small business consistently. They also provide valuable advice to the small business so that they can protect themselves from any exploitations. Under any competitive laws reviews the legitimate needs of the small business are always given due consideration. Thus, we can say that the future small businesses are adequately protected and safeguarded under Australian Consumer Law. References ACCC,. "Court Finds Coles Engaged In Unconscionable Conduct And Orders Coles Pay $10 Million Penalties". ACCC,. "Small Business".Www.Accc.Gov.Au. Last modified 2016. Accessed May 31, 2016. ACCC,. "Unfair Contract Terms".Www.Accc.Gov.Au/. Last modified 2016. Accessed May 31, 2016. ASIC,. "Unfair Contract Terms Law".Asic.Gov.Au. Last modified 2016. Accessed May 31, 2016. "COMPETITION AND CONSUMER ACT 2010 - SCHEDULE 2The Australian Consumer Law".Austlii.Edu.Au. Last modified 2016. "Federal Register Of Legislation".Www.Legislation.Gov.Au. Last modified 2016. Accessed May 31, 2016. "SMALL BUSINESS AND THE COMPETITION AND CONSUMER ACT".Www.Accc.Gov.Au. The Conversation,. "Why The Australian Consumer Law Can Help Small Business".Theconversation.Com. "Treasury Portfolio Ministers".Bfb.Ministers.Treasury.Gov.Au/. Last modified 2016. Accessed May 31, 2016.

Thursday, November 28, 2019

A Separate Peace Essays (579 words) - Phillips Exeter Academy

A Separate Peace A Separate Peace is a coming-of-age novel about two boys at boarding school and their friendship during World War II. There are three significant scenes of violence that occur in the novel; however, the core of the plot is based upon one. The first and most poignant is the incident where Gene, the narrator, jiggles the tree branch while he and Phineas, his best friend, are preparing to jump, causing Phineas to fall and break his leg. The next scene of violence is when Quackenbush calls Gene a lame and Gene pushes him into the water. Lastly, Gene pushes Leper out of his chair while visiting him after he is accused of causing Phineas injury. All of these occurrences contribute to the overall meaning of the work. One of the climaxes of A Separate Peace happens at the first scene of violence. Until this scene, the reader is unaware of Genes evil side. He is so overtaken by his jealousy and rage toward Phineas that he succumbs to his emotions and causes Finny to fall off of the tree branch. This shows the immature, childish side of the characters. Not only are they climbing trees, which is a behavior commonly practiced among children, but children also do not know how to handle feelings and emotions, and commonly react with violence. Gene then proceeds to dive off of the branch like nothing happened, apparently satisfied with his achievement; showing the reader that, like a child, there is little or no remorse for ones actions. The next scene of violence, in which Gene reacts to Quackenbush, is caused by Quackenbushs referral to Gene as a lame for deciding to be a crew manager instead of going out for a sport. This is after Phineas accident, which Gene feels responsible for; and he takes the insult personally. Genes reaction to the insult shows the reader the actual closeness between Gene and Phineas. By taking the insult to such a personal level, the reader is able to understand how Gene and Finny have become almost as one person. Gene feels as though he is crippled himself because of the tightness of the bond between them, and the guilt he feels for Finnys injury. The theme of maturation also becomes clear, as Gene feels heavy-laden with guilt and responsibility for the decision he made to jounce the branch. The last violent scene also depicts Genes struggle between maturity and immaturity. He causes Lepers chair to fall over when accused of making Finny fall from the tree. On one hand, the child-like trait of resorting to violence when confronted with anger and embarrassment is shown. He is aware Leper knows the truth, but is unwilling to face it. However, on the other hand, by becoming angry and defensive in the first place, Gene shows he is remorseful and responsible for his actions. Violence in some form is a part of most every mans youth, and it can even be paralleled to the fighting occurring in Europe at that time. Though the violent scenes in A Separate Peace are few, they contain great purpose and are significant contributors to the novel as a whole. Each event is symbolic to the rite of passage traveled by Gene and his peers, not only becoming men fighting for a peace within, but soldiers fighting for a peace of nations. English Essays

Monday, November 25, 2019

Free Essays on The Chrysanthemums

In John Steinbeck’s short story, â€Å"The Chrysanthemums,† the author uses the flower to symbolize the main character, Elisa. Like the title flower, Elisa is soft and delicate with a tough, protective shell. She worries for herself and her flowers that an insensitive person will be able to get inside the gates and wreak havoc among her feelings and flowers. Both the woman and the chrysanthemums have a unique beauty. Both the woman and the flowers possess attractiveness, but in comparison to other woman and flowers, Elisa’s beauty has become muted internally. Just like the flower, she needs to be pampered in order to bloom. As the story comes to a close, Elisa begins to blossom and show confidence, and allows the protective gates to be broken down around herself and her flowers. Chrysanthemums symbolize Elisa by having sensitivity under a strong outer layer. Steinbeck describes Elisa’s face as â€Å"lean and strong and her eyes were as clear as water† (246). When reading this passage, the reader pictures a hard working face, but a meek soul as one looks through Elisa’s kind eyes. The author portrays Elisa as a sweet young woman afraid to show her true feelings out of fear of having her sensitive side trampled by a less caring human being. Her figure â€Å"looked blocked and heavy in her gardening costume, a man’s hat pulled low down over her eyes, clod-hopper shoes, a figured print dress almost completely covered by a big corduroy apron† (246). Here one sees that Elisa hides her feminine form with manly apparel. Also, she â€Å"wore heavy leather gloves to protect her hands† (246). A feeling of fear comes from Elisa as if she is afraid to show her true self because she worries about being hurt. However, she wears a barely noticeable print dress because she enjoys ! being a woman. When a woman dresses up for an event she will almost always wear a dress because it symbolizes femininity. Elisa wears a dress, but covers it with... Free Essays on The Chrysanthemums Free Essays on The Chrysanthemums In John Steinbeck’s short story, â€Å"The Chrysanthemums,† the author uses the flower to symbolize the main character, Elisa. Like the title flower, Elisa is soft and delicate with a tough, protective shell. She worries for herself and her flowers that an insensitive person will be able to get inside the gates and wreak havoc among her feelings and flowers. Both the woman and the chrysanthemums have a unique beauty. Both the woman and the flowers possess attractiveness, but in comparison to other woman and flowers, Elisa’s beauty has become muted internally. Just like the flower, she needs to be pampered in order to bloom. As the story comes to a close, Elisa begins to blossom and show confidence, and allows the protective gates to be broken down around herself and her flowers. Chrysanthemums symbolize Elisa by having sensitivity under a strong outer layer. Steinbeck describes Elisa’s face as â€Å"lean and strong and her eyes were as clear as water† (246). When reading this passage, the reader pictures a hard working face, but a meek soul as one looks through Elisa’s kind eyes. The author portrays Elisa as a sweet young woman afraid to show her true feelings out of fear of having her sensitive side trampled by a less caring human being. Her figure â€Å"looked blocked and heavy in her gardening costume, a man’s hat pulled low down over her eyes, clod-hopper shoes, a figured print dress almost completely covered by a big corduroy apron† (246). Here one sees that Elisa hides her feminine form with manly apparel. Also, she â€Å"wore heavy leather gloves to protect her hands† (246). A feeling of fear comes from Elisa as if she is afraid to show her true self because she worries about being hurt. However, she wears a barely noticeable print dress because she enjoys ! being a woman. When a woman dresses up for an event she will almost always wear a dress because it symbolizes femininity. Elisa wears a dress, but covers it with...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Freeman Stakeholder Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Freeman Stakeholder Theory - Essay Example Employees have their jobs and livelihoods at stake and suppliers provide raw materials to the corporation, hence its success is vital to their success. Similarly, managers, customers and the community are other stakeholders in the corporation, all of whom stand to benefit from it. (Freeman, 1984). On this basis, Freeman argues that changes that have occurred in corporations law have resulted in constraints, in that stakeholder interests are being compromised in the interest of promoting the interests of stockholders, which has produced an outcome that is not conducive to the general good. He therefore contends that all stakeholders have the right to benefit equally and need to participate in determining the future direction of the firm. The purpose of the firm cannot be described as merely that of maximizing profits for stockholders (Freeman, 1999). Freeman bases his Doctrine of Fair Contracts on a normative basis, i.e, that fairness dictates that the purpose of the firm and its operations should be such as to ensure that there is a basic equality maintained among all groups of stakeholders. Therefore, the normative basis applies justice and fairness, as outlined in Rawls’ theory, using the device of the social contract. Under the social contract, every person has the right to certain basic liberties, which are equal to that which others have (Rawls, 1971:53). Furthermore, opportunities should be available to everyone without restriction and they must be of the greatest benefit to the least advantaged members of society (Rawls, 1971:303). Applying a normative basis to stakeholder holder theory, the guiding principle is that a firm should be managed in such a way that the benefits are balanced for all stakeholders and this is achieved by the Fair Doctrine principles outlined above. When a firm is managed in such a way that only stockholders benefit, then this may undermine the

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Taxation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 11

Taxation - Essay Example In the 2011 budget, Mr. Alistar made no changes on the income tax rate but stated that if the tax rate remained permanent, it would lead to long lasting damage to UK’s economy. Since 2009 when the tax rate was introduce, to date, the tax rate has been questioned and changed on several occasion in the budgets. In the 2012 budget, Mr. Osborne, who was the Chancellor by then, announced a tax cut from the 50% to 45% and thus the taxpayers could escape the 50% tax rate at a cost of  £1 billion to the taxpayer. This tax rate change was implemented by the Government and the additional tax rate has since remained at 45%. There have been many discussions as to whether the tax rate should remain at 45% or be added back to 50% (Seely, 2014:21). This paper argues against the restoration of the 50% additional rate of income tax by the UK government. Several arguments have been brought forth against of a restored tax rate of 50%. One of the arguments is that a low tax rate has an affirmative impact on output, and employment because it offers incentives to boost these activities. If the taxes are raised, people avoid the kind of work that attracts high tax rates. This means that if people do not carry out work that has high tax rate, the output in the country is reduced and the same happens to the level of employment. With unemployment and output levels reduced, then this additional tax rate will act as a barricade to economic growth, and thus Britain will lag behind other nations on matters regarding the growth of the economy. Raising the tax rate will castigate activities that are taxed. The overall result of this is that less tax is attained because the more something taxed then the less is gotten from it. Since some people have built up enough capital that they can contentedly leave on, high taxes push such people to quit wor king or even work less. Those that continue working stop working hard in order to avoid earning extra amounts. The effect of reduced work,

Monday, November 18, 2019

Literature Review 'Family Business Sustainability' Essay

Literature Review 'Family Business Sustainability' - Essay Example Frequently a dichotomy is made amid the "family" and "business" where these two aspects forms distinctive subsystems which interact so as to form a complete structure named "family business". When family forces and business forces demonstrably interrelate and impact one another, then scholars agree that a blend is exists among the two aspects, implying a new and exclusive system which is termed a family business. Previous studies sought to define family business in relations to ownership or management and the controlling systems, and also intergenerational transfers, this view offered some insights into the manner of business. (Rosenblatt, 1995) However, this approach had some limitations, currently there has been a shift on how a family business is described and the focus presently is on establishing the business intention and its vision as ways of knowing is the business can be defined as family business. Alongside this new "strategic" perspective of a business, there is also a new approach which looks on the resources (capital, human, knowledge, materials) accessible to a specific business as a method of determining its standing. Resources based view (RBV) of a business suggests a business is a "family business" where the function of a family has a confirmable effect on role and also performance of a particular business. Though the past definitions and descriptions have not been completely replaced, there is a current change in analytical basis to encompass significant elements of business practice, for example visions, culture and intentions. (Rosenblatt, 1995) Business management of family business Business management of family businesses varies deeply from the management of broadly held public businesses. Family owners focus on management and also facilitates making of decisions, that can equally lower management costs and allow unusual though strategically beneficial decisions. (Rosenblatt, 1995) A well-functioning business system assist build trust and conviction in the family, and a excellent family dynamic, which in turn is an asset to the family business since it enables every separate part of management to work better and be able to add extra value whilst remaining inline with the different constituents of the management system. These management benefits can present apparent economic gains. (Rosenblatt, 1995) Nonetheless, a rising business turns into more and more complex and crafts its own requirements for a further formal organizational arrangement or structure. At such a time Family business managers have to adjust their management practices as a result. Certainly, success compels the want to adjust and modify, and every one of family businesses finally face this truth. (Rosenblatt, 1995) The character of Family Ownership Family members mainly have a high focus on management and leadership, on top of having a high emotional connection to the business. A family could have a feeling of moral commitment to other business stakeholders, or view the family business as means for creating a positive input to community. Furthermore, family members at

Friday, November 15, 2019

Critical Regionalism In Free Movement Cultural Studies Essay

Critical Regionalism In Free Movement Cultural Studies Essay In an era where free movement of information, products and services has increased tremendously, the society is increasingly experiencing incidences of homogeneity. More than ever, the global population is assuming a common culture that is characterized by a high level of uniformity. Although this is in most instances considered to be western culture, it is notable that local cultural aspects are also being incorporated in the global culture. Just like other aspects of culture, it can not be disputed that architecture has equally experienced increased homogeneity. Emergent research argues that although internationalization of culture is an indication of societal advancement, it can also have detrimental effects on local culture. In this respect, it is particularly feared that internationalization undermines creativity and innovation as local efforts are integrated in to designs that are then accorded a global orientation. The current trend has culminated in a conflict between internationalization and regional artists who argue that their efforts are increasingly undermined by the former. Increasingly, preservation of local and regional architecture and culture in general is becoming tricky. Preservation and conservation of local culture and architectural designs is requiring complex efforts in order to attain optimal results. It is against this background that this paper provides an explicit review of the concept of critical regionalism form Kenneth Framptons point of view. In order to enhance a harmonic consideration, the essay is classified in different phases that exhaustively review particularistic aspects of this conception, the contribution of Jorn Utzon to the subject under review, practical examples with respect to how culture has been unified in the modern cities, the response of critical universalism to future technology and several other concerns that are related in different ways to the co ncept of critical regionalism. According to Butler and Spivak (2007), critical regionalism refers to the concentrated efforts or attempts that seek to synthesize or mainstream the rooted aspects of a given region such as physical attributes and cultural characteristics with the relevant technology being employed in development at that given time. The main aim of the efforts is to counter the inherent lack of identity and placelessness by putting in consideration the unique aspects that are found within the context or environment of the given building. Besides being mindful of the local environmental aspects, the ultimate architecture also incorporates the universal aspects that characterize the contemporary mobile society. In the long run, the final architecture can be considered to be sustainable and unique in different ways. This is fundamental in preserving the local culture, encouraging creativity and innovation and at he same time enhancing societal advancement. The notion of sustainability is integral to thi s conception as the final piece of architecture needs to be both functional and aesthetic n nature. Critical regionalism is a concept that has been accorded increased attention since historical times. The term was initially coined by Liane Lefaivre and Alexander Tzonis. It was later analyzed and accorded new meanings by Kenneth Frampton in the preceding years. In his Towards a Critical Regionalism, Frampton provides an explicit analysis and review of different methodologies that can be employed in embracing modernity without compromising the role of the local knowledge. He also cites a host of modern construction practices that compromise the ability of the developers to incorporate important cultural aspects in constructions. His main argument revolves around the contention that as much as assuming modern values and attributes is imperative for enhancing competitiveness within the global sphere, equal attention also needs to be accorded to diverse features that are found in the environment that the building would be located. Several authors of whom Powell (2007) is represented contend that internationalization has increasingly contributed to the erosion of critical traditional values, culture and attributes. Almost all aspects of the global population are undergoing a significant transition and more emphasis is being placed on homogenous cultures. In his review, Ricoeur (1965) contends that the current trend towards modernization can be implicated for disregarding the role of old civilizations in development. He argues that critical regionalization provides a credible alternative that can be employed in resolving the emergent challenges. The fact that the concept recognizes the importance of continuous evolution makes it instrumental in sustainable decision making as past lessons are used in determining the nature of future decisions and moves. The activities that are proposed by this conception tend to be flexible and can be employed in redefining the current decisions in order to adopt timely intervent ions that would reverse the current destructive trend. In his critical review of culture and civilization, Frampton (1983) indicates that the current state of architecture and building is essentially conditioned by the building industry. This has led to the development of building restrictions and regulations that determine not only the design but also the citing of the buildings that are set up in different areas. The fact that the respective building codes and regulations are standardized and replicated in different areas undermines the ability of mainstreaming vital cultural concerns during construction of buildings. Contravention of the set restrictions and regulations often exposes the given developer to stringent measures that impact negatively on their welfare. This has led to the increase in high rise buildings that in most instances assume a similar design. At this point, it can be argued that this has played a leading role in suppressing cultural expression as well as creativity and innovation. In his research, Jameson (1983) c ites that the current developments in this regard are laying undue emphasis on the concept of utility as opposed to different aspects whose interplay culminates in a sustainable construction practices. The concept of critical regionalization according to Powell (2007) seeks to counter this trend by ensuring that as much as certain building codes are strictly adhered to, room is also provided for creativity, innovation and incorporation of critical cultural aspects. In essence, modernization is placed within the traditional concept and vice versa. In current times, arts are increasingly employed in enhancing creativity and innovation. Artists use this medium to express their diverse cultural aspects to the entire world. It is also a viable way through which culture is preserved by the respective society and used for educational purposes in future. The fact that innovation and creativity is slowly but progressively being undermined through the gravitation of arts is also worrying. In this regard, it is argued that entertainment and manufacturing of commodities are providing avenues through which the society is increasingly developing a hybrid global culture. Specific techniques, methodologies and standards of constructing buildings provide limited room for inculcation of vital cultural aspects in the same. This is where critical regionalism comes in handy in a bit to counter the scenario. In this regard, the concept initiates and maintains an acceptable level of resistance that contravenes the set standards and procedures. This according to Frampton (1983) has been critical in putting brakes on the avant-garde pendulum. Respective efforts are geared towards a noble cause of preserving certain ideals that characterize the present day culture. As indicated earlier, Frampton (1983) postulates that the current arrierre-garde holding position is likely to culminate in incidences of resistance and a persistent identity giving culture that is characterized by universal techniques. Seemingly, it is defined by the enlightenment progress myth that does not advocate for a return to vernacular forms. Critical regionalism at this point is defined as a bridge whose central position demands that the future architecture must pass over it in order to attain optimal results. Essentially, it is argued that position of critical regionalism demands that both universal civilization and world culture accord it utmost attention. This recognition is characterized by deconstruction of alien forms that have been forcefully or intentionally acquired by the global society and limitation of the economy that entirely depend son technological production. A classic example of such a situation has been cited by Frampton to constitute Jorn Utzons Bagsvaerd Church that was built in 1976 and is located in Copenhagen. This is an exemplary illustration of the concepts of world culture and universal civilization. The construction of the exterior part was basically based on the universal technique. This is built using concrete blocks and concrete wall panels that are pre-cast. These are set up in a repetitive manner that creates an impression of a grid. Notably, this building code is found across the globe and it constitutes one of the important regulations that are set forth by the industry. Thus it can be considered a universal attribute that is in line with the global expectations with regards to building and construction. Interior Design of Jorn Utzons Bagsvaerd Church However, the interior part can be considered to express the world culture or secular culture that is typical to Copenhagen. One dominant feature of the interior pertains to the concrete vault that is not economic in nature and is not common on a universal scale. The inherent manipulation of light is only typical to sacred places found in the region. As mentioned afore, this is not an implication of western culture; rather it can only be likened to Chinese pagoda roof that is a representation of world culture. Also worth acknowledging with regard to the concept of critical regionalism is the mainstreaming of the regional peculiarities in the construction process. In this respect, Lovine (2004) asserts that buildings need to put in consideration the environmental features and attributes of the locales within which they are situated. Generally, modernization puts lays particular emphasis on economizing the available space and in most instances, it is forced to get rid of certain aspects such as topography. The elimination of such aspects is a clear indication that certain techniques are employed during construction. Notably, other important aspects such as climate have also been controlled by human techniques during construction. In his research, Norberg-Schulz (1980) asserts that these aspects are important as they represent certain cultural aspects of the developer. Critical regionalism counters this by assuming the principle of building the site that incorporates diverse environmental asp ects that are also a reflection of the cultural aspects of the given population. A classical illustration of the importance of preferring tectonic over scenographic features is exemplified by the Aaltos SSynatsalo Town hall that was constructed in 1952. In this, a tactile surface is successfully employed in enhancing the legibility of the architecture. The brick steps that line the exterior and lead to the chambers of the council create a harmonic impression that arguably affirms the feet as it meets each tread. The inside of the chambers are then made up of wood that presents a different feeling and reading altogether. Generally, Slessor (2004) contends that designers that put in consideration regional criticism need to incorporate aspects of a physical as well as localized sense of place. Respective elements that can be effectively employed in attaining this included orientation, topography, lighting characteristics, micro climatic conditions and vegetation. Further, probabilities for natural ventilation, natural lighting and shading for cooling purposes are equally important. The benefits that accrue from this are not only economic in nature but they also place the building within the physical environmental surroundings and enhance the general harmony of the two. The inherent sense of interaction with the natural surroundings is an indication of environmental sensitivity that is critical in the twenty first century. Of great importance would be the employment of local materials for construction that not only cuts down economic costs but also enhances the performance of the given building. Also worth mentioning with regard to critical regionalism is the ability of the designer to clearly interpret the passage of time using the building. According to Foucault (1986), a building that provides clear ways of recording and understanding the passage of time is a clear expression of the period that it was constructed. This is important as it enables the society to understand it in light of historical revolution. The respective recording methods can also offer a basement upon which future construction can be devised as well as understood. In particular, attitudes regarding durability, permanence, change and decay that are related to recording are a vital expression of the sensibility of the region. Further, Butler and Spivak (2007) indicate that emphasis on the importance of human interaction during construction is also an important aspect of regional criticism. In this regard, the given design needs to consider the organization as well as structure of the family that would reside therein. In certain communities, concerns expand beyond the domestic sphere and incorporate the dimensions of the community within which the family is situated as well as the economic and political structures that characterize the region. Issues pertaining to power, the ability of the design to either express invitation or exclusion is also accorded utmost attention during this time. Other concepts include democracy, hierarchy and bureaucracy. These need to be clearly defined as they are critical in the understanding of the places and spaces that buildings present. Also equally important to critical regionalism is a clear understanding of human dignity and organization within the building. Emergent aspects such as leisure time need to be put in consideration during the construction process. In this regard, Jameson (1983) indicates that the twenty first century tendencies lay particular importance on the separation of spaces employed in production and consumption. These differences have been identified to have diverse impacts on the holistic functioning of the society. Relative concerns also involve the responsibility of individuals within vast business environments, the compartmentalization and separation of activities in the course of the process of production and the role of machines in the production process are important architectural concerns that need to be interpreted effectively. Arguably, all the above concepts interlink and interrelate with each other to culminate to culminate in a suitable environment that is supportive of the activities of the post industrial society. Questions revolving around mass production and participation of individuals in the entire process need to be addressed accordingly. Human dignity needs to be upheld to attain optimal production that is fundamental for successful operation. At this juncture, it can be ascertained that critical regionalism is an all inclusive concept that generally seeks to enhance sustainable development with respect to architecture and construction. In his research, Davey (2001) ascertains that the concept of regulation of building codes across the globe has led to unification of designs. Most cities adapt their design from the grid structure. The buildings contained therein tend to be of a similar design that is influenced by the set and standardized regulations. For instance, commercial buildings that are mostly found within the central business districts of cities such as New York and London tend to be of a similar design. This differs from those employed for constructing buildings in residential areas. Again, these tend to adopt a distinct design hat is stipulated by the technical expertise in the industry. The fact that developing economies are also increasingly adopting this trend has various implications on future construction and architecture in general. According to Slessor (2000), the replication of these designs in developing countries can be attributed to the concept of westernization that is perceived to be more ideal than the cultural aspect. This is likely to have detrimental effects on the cultural welfare of the societies in general. In particular, this would probably be unified and would compromise the concept of diversity n the long run. Also worth mentioning are the current trends that tend to consider local and regional designs to be global in nature. Basically, this is contributed to by changes in perceptions that tend to accord certain cultural designs more importance and preference than others. At this point, it can be contended that future architecture is compounded by various complexities that need to be effectively addressed by relevant institutions, persons and authorities. Certainly, creativity, innovation and cultural diversity are increasingly being compromised by internationalization of building codes. The loss of diversity is likely to have devastating effects on the wellbeing of the society as it would negatively impact on the ability of the given society to cushion itself against destructive environmental effects. Several factors have been put forth by relative studies in a bit to address this glaring shortcoming. Powell (2007) maintains that the concept of sustainability needs to be revisited and made a mainstream factor during construction and architectural design. In this respect, it is suggested that practical measures need to be undertaken to significantly reduce energy consumption of buildings. Statistical evidence shows that the amount of energy consumed by the buildings is equal to those employed in the industrial sector. This can be attained if natural resources found in the given environment are employed in construction of buildings found therein. This implies that the architectural designs that are employed in such areas need to be localized. Capitalization on the topography and other natural features found in the given environment also need to be assumed in order to reduce the resources employed in construction. Powell (2007) indicates that the current trend is leading to unification of architectural designs that undermines diversity. Environmental aesthetics is also being compromised by the internationalization of architectural designs. Techno-scientific-cum-economic agendas have inherent problems that could be difficult to resolve in future. Therefore, viable alternatives that reflect distinctive cultural aspects of a community need to be explored. Conclusion From the preceding analysis, it is certain that critical regionalism is an all inclusive concept that is based on the principle of sustainability. It is made up of various concepts that are imperative for sustainable development. It not only appreciates the importance of modernization in architectural design and building construction but also ensures that relative decisions are informed by important lessons learnt in the past. Traditional cultural aspects are integrated in architectural designs and construction that is driven by critical regionalism. The current trends have raised various concerns with regard to architectural designs and building codes being employed on a global scale. As it has been prescribed by this study, practical intervention measures need to be undertaken in order to counter the current scenario. The concepts of sustainability and inclusion of physical features like topography need to influence the development of modern architectural designs. This will not onl y save resources but will enhance diversity that is critical in cushioning the society against various threats.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Wal-Mart?s SMART Inventory System Essay -- essays research papers

After extensive last minute digging, I finally found a manager who trusted me enough to supply me with the name of the inventory system that is used. Unfortunately for me this is all I could uncover from my employer, but it is a start. Wal-Mart uses the SMART system. Because of the way it is spelled I can only assume that it is an acronym. I have been searching for over an hour on Google.com and finally produced some meager results, but here they are. Background From the results produced, I am at the deduction that SMART is not an acronym after all. SMART is basically a tracking system, it keeps track of all our inventory, the on-hand counts, and can automatically reorder product that is low or empty. As stated last week, most interaction with the SMART system is through the Telxon. Just to recap, the Telxon is a 900 MHz wireless handheld terminal equipped with a barcode scanner. When a barcode is scanned, almost instantly the item number, a short description, on hand counts and amount on order are displayed. The technicalities are a mystery to me but I can only assume that the Telxon is linking to the SMART database to retrieve all of this information. All from a simple thing like a barcode which is just a set of numbers that are unique, like a primary key. Strengths of SMART The actual database has to be enormous. There are so many products that the Wally keeps track of. All of which must be in the same database because products we don’t carry will still scan and give...

Monday, November 11, 2019

Gloablization Positive and Negative Impact

Advantages of Globalization Globalization means increasing the interdependence, connectivity and integration on a global level with respect to the social, cultural, political, technological, economic and ecological levels. Advantages * Goods and people are transported with ease and speed * the possibility of war between the developed countries decreases * free trade between countries increases * global mass media connects all the people in the world as the cultural barriers reduce, the global village dream becomes more realistic * there is a propagation of democratic ideals * the interdependence of the nation-states increases * as the liquidity of capital increases, developed countries can invest in developing ones * the flexibility of corporations to operate across borders increases * the communication between the individuals and corporations in the world increases * environmental protection in developed countries increases Effects of Globalization enhancement in the information flo w between geographically remote locations * the global common market has a freedom of exchange of goods and capital * there is a broad access to a range of goods for consumers and companies * worldwide production markets emerge * free circulation of people of different nations leads to social benefits * global environmental problems like cross-boundary pollution, over fishing on oceans, climate changes are solved by discussions * more trans-border data flow using communication satellites, the Internet, wireless telephones, etc. international criminal courts and international justice movements are launched * the standards applied globally like patents, copyright laws and world trade agreements increase * corporate, national and sub-national borrowers have a better access to external finance * worldwide financial markets emerge * multiculturalism spreads as there is individual access to cultural diversity. This diversity decreases due to hybridization or assimilation * international t ravel and tourism increases * worldwide sporting events like the Olympic Games and the FIFA World Cup are held * enhancement in worldwide fads and pop culture local consumer products are exported to other countries * immigration between countries increases * cross-cultural contacts grow and cultural diffusion takes place * there is an increase in the desire to use foreign ideas and products, adopt new practices and technologies and be a part of world culture * free trade zones are formed having less or no tariffs * due to development of containerization for ocean shipping, the transportation costs are reduced * subsidies for local businesses decrease * capital controls reduce or vanquish there is supranational recognition of intellectual property restrictions, i. e. patents authorized by one country are recognized in another Advantages in the Developing World It is claimed that globalization increases the economic prosperity and opportunity in the developing world. The civil liberti es are enhanced and there is a more efficient use of resources. All the countries involved in the free trade are at a profit. As a result, there are lower prices, more employment and a better standard of life in these developing nations.It is feared that some developing regions progress at the expense of other developed regions. However, such doubts are futile as globalization is a positive-sum chance in which the skills and technologies enable to increase the living standards throughout the world. Liberals look at globalization as an efficient tool to eliminate penury and allow the poor people a firm foothold in the global economy. In two decades from 1981 to 2001, the number of people surviving on $1 or less per day decreased from 1. 5 billion to 1. 1 billion.Simultaneously, the world population also increased. Thus, the percentage of such people decreased from 40% to 20% in such developing countries. Globalization means increasing the interdependence, connectivity and integration on a global level with respect to the social, cultural, political, technological, economic and ecological levels. Advantages * Goods and people are transported with ease and speed * the possibility of war between the developed countries decreases * free trade between countries increases * global mass media connects all the people in the world as the cultural barriers reduce, the global village dream becomes more realistic * there is a propagation of democratic ideals * the interdependence of the nation-states increases * as the liquidity of capital increases, developed countries can invest in developing ones * the flexibility of corporations to operate across borders increases * the communication between the individuals and corporations in the world increases * environmental protection in developed countries increases Effects of Globalization enhancement in the information flow between geographically remote locations * the global common market has a freedom of exchange of goods and capital * there is a broad access to a range of goods for consumers and companies * worldwide production markets emerge * free circulation of people of different nations leads to social benefits * global environmental problems like cross-boundary pollution, over fishing on oceans, climate changes are solved by discussions * more trans-border data flow using communication satellites, the Internet, wireless telephones, etc. international criminal courts and international justice movements are launched * the standards applied globally like patents, copyright laws and world trade agreements increase * corporate, national and sub-national borrowers have a better access to external finance * worldwide financial markets emerge * multiculturalism spreads as there is individual access to cultural diversity. This diversity decreases due to hybridization or assimilation * international travel and tourism increases * worldwide sporting events like the Olympic Games and the FIFA World Cup re he ld * enhancement in worldwide fads and pop culture * local consumer products are exported to other countries * immigration between countries increases * cross-cultural contacts grow and cultural diffusion takes place * there is an increase in the desire to use foreign ideas and products, adopt new practices and technologies and be a part of world culture * free trade zones are formed having less or no tariffs * due to development of containerization for ocean shipping, the transportation costs are reduced * subsidies for local businesses decrease capital controls reduce or vanquish * there is supranational recognition of intellectual property restrictions, i. e. patents authorized by one country are recognized in another Advantages in the Developing World It is claimed that globalization increases the economic prosperity and opportunity in the developing world. The civil liberties are enhanced and there is a more efficient use of resources. All the countries involved in the free tra de are at a profit. As a result, there are lower prices, more employment and a better standard of life in these developing nations.It is feared that some developing regions progress at the expense of other developed regions. However, such doubts are futile as globalization is a positive-sum chance in which the skills and technologies enable to increase the living standards throughout the world. Liberals look at globalization as an efficient tool to eliminate penury and allow the poor people a firm foothold in the global economy. In two decades from 1981 to 2001, the number of people surviving on $1 or less per day decreased from 1. 5 billion to 1. 1 billion. Simultaneously, the world population also increased.Thus, the percentage of such people decreased from 40% to 20% in such developing countries. The Negative Effects of Globalization globalization point out to its negative effects. Some of them are listed below. * Developed nations have outsourced manufacturing and white collar j obs. That means less jobs for their people. This has happened because manufacturing work is outsourced to developing nations like China where the cost of manufacturing goods and wages are lower. Programmers, editors, scientists and accountants have lost their jobs due to outsourcing to cheaper locations like India. Globalization has led to exploitation of labor. Prisoners and child workers are used to work in inhumane conditions. Safety standards are ignored to produce cheap goods. * Job insecurity. Earlier people had stable, permanent jobs. Now people live in constant dread of losing their jobs to competition. Increased job competition has led to reduction in wages and consequently lower standards of living. * Terrorists have access to sophisticated weapons enhancing their ability to inflict damage. Terrorists use the Internet for communicating among themselves. Companies have set up industries causing pollution in countries with poor regulation of pollution. * Fast food chains lik e McDonalds and KFC are spreading in the developing world. People are consuming more junk food from these joints which has an adverse impact on their health. * The benefits of globalization is not universal. The rich are getting richer and the poor are becoming poorer. * Bad apects of foreign cultures are affecting the local cultures through TV and the Internet. * Enemy nations can spread propaganda through the Internet. Deadly diseases like HIV/AIDS are being spread by travelers to the remotest corners of the globe. * Local industries are being taken over by foreign multinationals. * The increase in prices has reduced the government's ability to sustain social welfare schemes in developed countries. * There is increase in human trafficking. * Multinational Companies and corporations which were previously restricted to commercial activities are increasingly influencing political decisions. Disadvantages of Globalization So what's the harm if the entire world is coming together on a common platform?Why are we even discussing whether globalization is good or bad for the world? As we said earlier, everything has a good side and a bad side. The bad side of globalization predominantly revolves around the fact that the preferences differ from nation to nation, and coming to a consensus on any issue becomes more difficult when too many nods are required. When it comes to globalization, the difference between the rich and poor nation can be a major hindrance. Even though the richer nations will try to assimilate and help poor nations come up, they will not sacrifice on their national interests willingly.Economic Problems:Â  If the entire world becomes a global village, any sort of economic disruption in one nation will have a disastrous impact on various other nations which are closely related to it in terms of trade and commerce. It will be a domino-effect wherein disturbance in one economy would result in disturbance in another, and so on! Cultural Problems:Â  Cul ture and globalization also seem to be at the loggerheads. Critics of globalization are also of the opinion that it will hamper the age-old cultures which have been followed religiously all over the world.There are many countries in the world which would never agree to compromise when it comes to culture or religion. Migration will become even easier, and the influence of local cultures and traditions will slowly start to wear down. Incessant westernization of Southeast Asian nations has already put western cultural beliefs and traditions under the scanner in these countries. Unemployment:Â  One may feel that globalization is promoting employment, but the fact is exactly reverse of this is happening, especially in developed countries wherein people are losing jobs as a result of outsourcing.Several major companies from the United States and United Kingdom have outsourced their jobs to the developing nations in Asia, this has in turn resulted in unemployment in these countries. Spre ad of Diseases:Â  Increase in flow of people will also result in spread of diseases, and thus make people more vulnerable to health issues. We do have many examples in history wherein outbreak of a particular disease happened in some part of the world, and before we could realize it spread throughout the world.The critics of globalization and those involved in anti-globalization movement often argue that the implications of this phenomenon will be seen in economics, culture, health and employment, and most of the countries are not ready to take on these disadvantages head-on. Taking their seriousness into consideration, it is not at all possible to turn a blind eye towards these negative effects of globalization. The need of the hour, therefore, is to evaluate the pros and cons of this concept to find out which of the two have an edge over the other.

Friday, November 8, 2019

a genius at work essays

a genius at work essays I saw the movie and the book Tuck Everlasting. There were many similarities and some differences between to movie and the book. I will name some. In the movie Jesse falls from a Ferris Wheel. In the book he falls from a tree. In the movie Winnie was talking to a turtle. In the book she was talking to a toad. In both the movie and the book Winnie runs away from home and meets Jesse. She is about to drink the water from the spring but Jesse stopped her. In both the Tucks kidnapped Winnie and took her to their home. They then explained their secret to her. She ate and slept over that night. In both the Man in the yellow suit follows the Tucks, but in the movie he tries to stop them from getting any further than they already were. He shot Miles and he noticed something was peculiar about the Tucks. In the movie Angus (Tuck) put his hand in fire and then placed in it cold water. The burns instantly disappeared and thats how Winnie knew the secret was true. They could live forever. In both Angus and Winnie went into the boat and he told her about the significance of the wheel. In both the movie and the book the Man in the yellow suit took The Tucks horse and rode back into Treegap with it. Then he makes a deal with the Fosters that if he brought Winnie home he would get the wood. They agreed and the search was on for Winnie. In both Jesse asked Winnie if she could drink the spring water when she was 17 so they could be together. In the movie it started to snow the next morning. In the book the Man in the yellow suit knocked on the door to the Tucks house. In the movie he just went inside uninvited. In both the Man in the yellow suit planned to sell the spring water to people who deserved it. In the book Mae hit the Man in the yellow suit in the back of the head with a gun. In the movie Angus shot him in the chest. In the movie Angus went to jail. In the book ...

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

The Semantic Web Essays

The Semantic Web Essays The Semantic Web Essay The Semantic Web Essay BMO Internet Security Final Project Paper University of Toronto SCS 2115 Professor: Dr. Ken K. Wong By: Kevin Fernando 13/06/2010 The semantic web is a vision created and promoted by Tim-Berners-Lee and the World Wide Web Consortium. In his article the Semantic Web in Scientific American (2001) Berners-Lee explains that The Semantic Web is not a separate Web but an extension of the current one, in which information is given well-defined meaning, better enabling computers and people to work in cooperation What Berners-Lee means by this is that in its current state, internet technology is not designed in a way in which computers and machines can interact with each other most efficiently. The primary reason for this disconnect is lies in the difference between information produced primarily for human consumption and that produced mainly for machines. Currently most web technologies are created for human interpretation and merely use machines to store and transfer this information. For example in a search engine, the use of key words and database descriptions allow machines to cross reference the search syntax provided by the ender user and locate the best matching result based on this syntax. However the issue here is that while the machine can read the syntax (the raw structure) of the terms presented it does not know the semantics or the meaning of the phrase/words entered. So if the user was looking for â€Å"cheap cars in Toronto† listings with â€Å"economical vehicles In the GTA† may be by passed by the search engine. Therefore, Berners-Lee’s vision with the Semantic Web is to provide a language that expresses both data and rules for reasoning about the data and that allows rules from any existing knowledge-representation system to be exported onto the Web. One of the best applications of the benefits of the Semantic web is through the example of two users seeking medical attention for their mother. In this example the users dispatch their personal Semantic Web Agents (a software search engine) to cross reference various parameters (availability time, insurance terms, distance, service rating etc. ) and work with each other in finding a hospital solution that satisfies all of the desired stipulations. The primary technologies/techniques involved in developing the semantic web are XML, RDF, URI, and ontologies. Through their implementation in meta-data, these methods enable the Semantic web to â€Å"understand† the relationships within the queries of its users and aid them in locating information. In my opinion â€Å"The Semantic Web† as a term will become not a fad, but a marketing cliche much like the term Web 2. 0 has. However, I am certain that while not all, some, of the underlying principles behind it will definitely surface as web technologies advance. I say this because if one is too look closely enough it is easy to spot sites and technologies that already display â€Å"semantic web† concepts. For example, www. Amazon. com will aggregate user reviews and page views to display recommended other products that other individuals with interest in the same item liked when you search for a specific item. Another example I find remarkable is a feature within Google maps. If you would like to search for pizza restaurants around a particular area, you can simply type â€Å"pizza near [the address, land mark or postal code of your choosing]. Google will then display all pizza restaurants indexed within the vicinity of stated geographical location. This is interesting because in this example the user is asking a question in the way that they would normally direct it to another person rather than translating the question to search syntax the machine can search for. Ultimately, I think this is the direction the semantic web will take – better database indexing, greater understanding of synonymous terms/phrases by search engines, and personalized recommendations based on user trends. While I do not think it would be impossible, I think it would be quite a few years before the emergence of a user deployable, effective software agent that can conduct complex multi-variable search tasks is realized. I say this because in order for this to occur in a useful fashion, the meta-tag data techniques used by the semantic web would need to be universally incorporated into virtually every website ever built – no easy task by any stretch of the imagination. In short, I think that while the concept of a true Semantic Web may be too utopian for reality, some of the guiding principles will be adopted in the inevitable transition to what might be later coined â€Å"Web 3. 0† For Electricite de France, the implemented Semantic web technologies have many potential benefits for their consumer end users. For example, within the research and innovation section, interlinking tags, RDF information, ontology instances and tagged content will enable these individuals to locate articles, films, books, services etc. more efficiently than prior to its implementation. Similarly, shareholders and investors may be able to locate critical decision making financial information with greater accuracy because of the inclusion of these methods. Furthermore, if blogging, RSS and wiki contribution features are available to the general consumer public, then such contributions can easily be located, edited, searched and viewed by various users. In addition, collaboration and discussions between end users and employees such as engineers and researchers can be made more efficient. This will be a key factor if voice of the consumer research and feedback were to be integrated into engineering efforts. Lastly, as a result of the embedded ontology meta-data, the site will be able to dynamically suggest related content for viewing based on a user’s search criteria and related other user search trends. Based on the potential of semantic web technologies, I am confident that its implementation would greatly increase the efficiency at my place of employment in the online learning industry. Firstly, from inter employee relations and collaboration perspective, as with Electricite de France, Semantic technologies would aid personnel with locating, organizing and working with organizational information resources. For example, the benefits could be realized in greater screening accuracy when selecting new candidates for Human resources, better database query tools for consumer trend data in marketing, and more efficient sharing of coding scripts for course development, to name a few uses. The other benefits that would arise would be from a consumer end user perspective. Currently, in the client services department (composed of technical support and student services) there is a knowledge base whereby end users such as students and instructors can search for already documented solutions for any inquires they may have. However, this search could be made vastly more superior and effective if semantic technologies were implemented within it. In such a scenario users would be able to find not only the solution to their own issue, but related issues as well as the ontology information would create these relationships. Moreover, less tech savvy users would have more success using the knowledge base then before as the system would be able to reference their search strings with synonymous words and phrases in finding a solution. So these are a few examples of the many conceivable benefits that could be derived from the implementation of this technology by my current employer. Kevin Fernando

Monday, November 4, 2019

English Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

English Assignment - Essay Example One of the most apparent similarities these films have was the inclusion and introduction of a new dance routine apart from the previous routines of the lead characters. The introduction and its corresponding activities paved way in the establishment of a love affair between them. In the case of Dirty Dancing, the newly incorporated dance routine was the ‘Mambo’, ‘Paso Doble’ for Strictly Ballroom and ‘Hip-hop’ for Save the Last Dance. Another similarity that could easily be observed was that the lead females for the movies have been struggling, as a newbie, to unleash their full potential in dancing. As what we have observed, they had acquired the confidence to move forward and become proactive through the encouragement, motivation and inspiration given to them by their teacher/partner. It could also be noted that among the films, there was a presence of supportive and loving father which initially will be the cause of hindrances in their relat ionship and activities but eventually the differences and constraints was sorted out. Finally all the movies portrayed awesome finale performances by the lead characters (Ardolino; Carter; and Luhrmann). Aside from differences, these three films also depicted differences. Some of the notable variances were the gender of the lead characters and their family conditions. Baby for Dirty Dancing is a girl that came from a rich family not literally involved in dancing, Scott on Strictly Ballroom is a male coming from a middle income family that is into ballroom dancing, and Sara on Save the Last Dance is a female dreaming to be a ballerina and living with her estranged father since her mother died from a car accident. Another difference that these films had were the hindrances that the lead characters encountered in their pursuit of excellence, one is from the father who misunderstood the situation and prevented her daughter to have any form of affair to the instructor, another is from a deceitful friend that never wanted them to win their much coveted competition and lastly was from an ex-girlfriend and a friend with illegal undertakings (Ardolino; Carter; and Luhrmann). Though there are several differences and similarities in the main plot, it can be inferred that dance was used in these movies in such a way that it aided the main characters in their search for love, fame, happiness and self-expression. It was evident that dancing was used to express their feelings and serves as an outlet for what they strongly felt about. Also, dancing encouraged and motivated the main characters to be an achiever and discover along the way their true potentials. For every movie we had watched before, there were these characters that catch our attention, not because they are the main characters but because the characters they portray have either big or small resemblance to our own experiences or experiences of the people we know and love. In these particular movies, the character s that I can relate the most are the lead characters of Strictly Ballroom and Save the Last Dance; Fran, Scott, Sara, and Derek (Ardolino; Carter; and Luhrmann). Fran, being a daughter of a not so well off family and initially an ugly duckling who dreamt of becoming a grand prix dancer, seized the opportunity to achieve her dream the moment it was available. She never let disappointments,