PRICE RANGE OF PRODUCTS

PRICE RANGE OF PRODUCTS Above is the price range of all Apple products between the years of 1975 to present. Steve Jobs manufactured products that were not just far advanced than other products in the same category, but they were also out of reach for most consumers. When Apple Computer launch its Apple II in 1977, it cost $1,298 and if you wanted a more powerful version it would cost you a twice that amount. In 1984, Apple Computer released the Macintosh at a price of $2,495. At these prices many consumers could not afford to own a Macintosh.Upon Steve Jobs return to Apple Computer in 1984, Apple products price drop allowing most price conscious consumers to own a Macintosh. The new iMac carry a price of $1,300 which would cost $1800 in today’s current dollar value. As technology advance, the price of Apple Computer products continued to decline. Since 1996, Apple had released the MacBook Air for $900 and MacMini for $600. (Felix Salmon, 2011) Apple now offers products in add ition to Macintosh products. These products have been very profitable for Apple Computer.The products below are sold on Apple store online: Computer technology has enable manufacturers to build cheaper, higher-quality and more powerful computers that are also more accessible and affordable to the average consumer. For example, the iPad 2 has been compared to the 1980’s Cray supercomputer, but at a price that millions of people can afford. Steve Jobs realized that technology had advance to a point that he could now make products that could not just deliver high quality but also be â€Å"price accessible to the broad non-geek middle classes.He could not make his â€Å"NeXT workstation which was value at $6500 in 1990, or $11,267 in 2011 â€Å"which was placed on many workstations across the world† at price that many not only be affordable but hard for competitors to match. For example, the iPad 2 price is $499 and the IPhone 4s is price at $199, both sold at competitiv e price that is hard to competitors to match and within the price range of most consumers. (Felix Salmon, 2011) PRICING OBJECTIVE S OF BRANDAccording to Steve Jobs, â€Å"Apple is breaking the rules in terms of its pricing model,† he told Reuters by telephone. â€Å"It's doing what luxury brands do, where the higher price the brand is, the more it seems to underpin and reinforce the desire. † â€Å"Obviously, it has to be allied to great products and a great experience, and Apple has nurtured that. † (David Cowell, 2012) After all Apple is a luxury brand that demand a premium price and Apple customers do are not looking to save money but to get the highest quality product in the market.This adds up to three main factors that help Apple keep the iPad and other Apple products price so low: 1. Apple stores – Apple makes a large chunk of its iPad sales directly to its customers through the Apple retail stores and the online Apple store, which enables the comp any to keep even more of the profits. While running retail stores are expensive, Apple runs one of the most profitable retail businesses in the US and these direct sales give Apple the ability to directly follow up with customers to entice them with future upgrades. 2.Supply chain – As others have explained, Apple has a major supply chain management advantage. That means that it controls the components that go into its product (and the price it pays for them) better than its rivals do. Apple makes the software, designs the chips, and buys flash memory and LCD displays in huge quantities (in combination with iPhones and iPods). That significantly whittles down the raw cost of each iPad. 3. The 3% factor – Apple sells the iPad to retail partners at a minimal 3% discount (which is likely much lower than competitors).Because of the strength of Apple’s brand and the customer demand of the iPad, retailers are willing to take very little profit on iPad sales in order t o drive store traffic and make money on add-on purchases like accessories and extended warranties. (Jason Hiner, 2011) Apple has been so successful by opening their own stores which has made a huge impact for iPad, when iPad2 was released CEO Steve Jobs said: â€Å"One of the things that enabled us to roll out this technology so fast was our Apple retail stores. They were built for moments like this.They were built to take new technology and roll it out and educate customers about it and be there when they have questions and issues. We have hundreds of Apple stores now, as you know. This is one of our newest ones in Chicago [pointing to a slide]. And, without these stores I don’t think we would have been as successful either. † [ (Jason Hiner, 2011) ] Alternatives tablets from other competitors have not be able to compete with Apple iPad and have had to cut their prices to retailer. Apple has taken notice and has taken advantage of its pricing strategy and has lowered the iPad price to its retailer.Motorola and Samsung may sell their tablets at 97% at retail price but if the product is not as desirable as the iPad the 97% may not make any difference. The margins are more like 5-15% off retail price for competitors. [ (Jason Hiner, 2011) ] DISCOUNT/ALLOWANCES Apple is not currently offering any discount for the iPad but has in the past offer student discounts. For example, it has offered students a discount of $200 for MacBooks. In 2011, Apple also offered a back to school promotion in which students could save about $229 and get a â€Å"free iPOd Touch 8GB with the purchase. (Andrew, 2010) ] Apple student pricing for iPad is $499, just like regular buyers GEOGRAPHICAL PRICING In May 28th 2010, Apple broaden their market to outside of the United States by offering iPad’s to nine other countries which included Canada, Germany, Australia, France, Japan Italy, Switzerland, Spain and United Kingdom. Pricing for these countries were â€Å"the suggested retail price in UK has been confirmed and for WiFi-only model – the 16GB version will be available at ? 429, 32GB version for ? 499, 64GB version for ? 599, while for the WiFi + 3G 16GB model will be available at ? 29, 32GB version for ? 599 and 64GB version for ? 699. † Apple will continue to add more countries by July 2010 by adding Austria, Belgium, Hong Kong, Ireland, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand and Singapore to the mix. The price of the iPad was not disclosed but it’s was suggested that pricing for iPad would be slightly higher than the United States pricing. Apple is also trying to expand into the Asian market where tablet are being sold much cheaper than the Apple IPAD. (Wong, 2010) APPLE PROMOTIONAL PRICINGApple continues to offer back to school promotions in 2011, Apple offered free $100 iTunes gift certificate with a purchase of Mac computers. Apple offers are not as generous as most consumers would like them too be but itâ₠¬â„¢s better than nothing at all. Apple offers discounts for MacBooks desktops and laptop every year for students. Apple has created a special Education store link on Apple online which shows current offers and discounts that can range between 8 and 10% of the regular price for MacBooks. [ (Andrew, 2011) ] Works Cited Andrew. (2010, April 23). Is there an Apple Ipad Student discount.Retrieved from Student buying guide: http://www. studentbuyingguide. com/2010/04/apple-ipad-student-discount/ Andrew. (2011, September 16). Last Weekend for Apple Back to School 2011 $100 Gift Card Promotion. Retrieved from Student Buying Guide: http://www. studentbuyingguide. com/2011/09/last-weekend-for-apple-back-to-school-2011-100-gift-card-promotion/ David Cowell. (2012, April 17). Apple Passes Google To Become World's Most Valuable Brand. Retrieved from Huffing Post Business: http://www. huffingtonpost. com/2011/05/09/apple-google-most-valuable-brand_n_859265. html Felix Salmon. (2011, June 06).Reu ters. Retrieved from Reuters. com: http://blogs. reuters. com/felix-salmon/2011/10/06/chart-of-the-day-apple-price-edition/ Jason Hiner. (2011, March 11). The iPad's other big advantage: Retailers only get 3% off. Retrieved from Tech Republic: http://www. techrepublic. com/blog/hiner/the-ipads-other-big-advantage-retailers-only-get-3-off/7880? tag=content;siu-container Wong, S. (2010, May 8). Apple's iPad International Pricing and Availability on May 28th. Retrieved from My Digital Life: http://www. mydigitallife. info/apples-ipad-international-pricing-and-availability-on-may-28th/

José Cuervo Tequila Essay

Expansion to foreign markets is one of the ways in which companies increase their revenues. This expansion is normally preceded by analysis of that market and coming up with strategies to be used. The commonly used business strategy formulation method is SWOT analysis. Business strategies are aimed at improving a company’s competitive position or business unit within an industry or segment. Business strategies can be cooperative or competitive (Wheelen, 2003). Competitive strategies largely focus on costs and differentiation. The various strategies that can be adopted to achieve competitive edge include cost leadership, differentiation, cost focus, or differentiation focus Jose Cuervo Tequila entry strategies This product is manufactured in the Mexican city of Tequila. This tequila is made from agave plant found in Mexico. Tequila is a premium brand targeted at the premium beverage market segment. Before introducing the product to the market, the main factors to consider are marketing, supply of the product and investment as well as control measures e. g. nter the market by acquisition, joint venture etc (Wheelen, 2003). Given the fact that Jose Cuervo Company is a family owned business, the company may not have the resources to counter competitors in an advanced market like the USA. Therefore the company can grant license rights to other companies to manufacture market and distribute the product. In this way, the company can penetrate the market without investing substantial amounts of resources (Diageo Inc, 2009) Jose Cuevo tequila is a premium brand and therefore differentiation focus is the other strategy that the company can use. This type of differentiation focuses on a particular group, segment or geographical market. Since the company makes premium brand tequila, differentiation focus strategy is another possible option that the company can adopt Exporting is the other market entry strategy that the company can adopt to enter the USA market. This strategy will require lower investment although to create awareness about the product, the company has to invest substantial resources on marketing Control and Evaluation. This is the monitoring of corporate activities and performance results so that actual performance can be compared with the desired results. It typically involves determining what to measure, establishing standards of performance, measuring actual performance, comparison of actual performance with standards and taking corrective actions (Wheelen, 2003) Evaluation of the company’s strategies and operations can be done using performance measures such as return on investment, earnings per share, balanced scorecard, benchmarking etc. In this way, the company can be able to tell whether it is performing as expected. The company can evaluate the performance of its target market by using the above measures Controls instituted by the company should be in line with its strategies so as to avoid conflicts that may hinder achievement of objectives. Controls should depict true picture by monitoring important events, being timely, short and long term. Therefore the controls set by the company should not affect its quest to penetrate the market (Wheelen, 2003). Contingency plan In charting new territories e. g. a foreign market, the company should be able to take the necessary measures to ensure business continuity in case of uncertainties. This can be done through the development of a contingency plan. The first step is by identifying potential threats e. g. economic slowdown, changes in laws etc. Coming up with solutions e. g. by diversification or scaling back operations to reduce costs is the next step of a contingency plan (Wheelen, 2003). Implementing the plan by instituting specific measures e. g. by investing in research to come up with new products and setting up a recovery team is the other step. The implemented plan should be tested and agreed upon by everybody in the company to ensure that it achieves the desired results The plan should be maintained by incorporating current conditions e. g. the company should include the current economic slowdown and its effects like lack of credit to the plan. This ensures that the plan is updated.

How Religion Affects Society Essay

More generally, social scientists are discovering the continuing power of religion to protect the family from the forces that would tear it down. 13 Professor Bergin’s summary was echoed two years later by nationally syndicated columnist William Raspberry: â€Å"Almost every commentator on the current scene bemoans the increase of violence, lowered ethical standards and loss of civility that mark American society. Is the decline of religious influence part of what is happening to us? Is it not Just possible that anti-religious bias masquerading as religious neutrality is costing more than we have been willing to acknowledge? † 14 Other reviewsl 5 also list the positive effects of religious belief and practice in reducing uch problems as suicide, substance abuse, divorce, and marital dissatisfaction. Such evidence indicates clearly that religious practice contributes significantly to the quality of American life. Given this evidence, Congress should: Begin a new national debate to help renew the role of religion in American life; Ask the General Accounting Office (GAO) to review the evidence on the beneficial effects of religious practice in the relevant social science literature and report its findings to a national commission formed to promote the consideration of religious Fund federal experiments with school choice that ractice among U. S. citizens; include religiously affiliated schools; Pass a sense-of-the-congress resolution that data on religious practice are useful for policymakers and researchers as part of the public policy debate; and Mandate a census question on religious practice. It religious practice in America. The President should: Appoint Judges who are more sensitive to the role of religion in public life, with the Senate ensuring that such is the case by ascertaining the stand of Judges on matters of religion and its relationship to the Constitution; Direct the Bureau of he Census to record levels of religious practice in the census for the year 2000 (time is running out for preparation of the census questionnaire); and Issue a directive to all federal agencies making clear that cooperation between government entities and the social, medical, and educational services of faith-based organizations does not violate separation of church and state. The U. S. Supreme Court should: Review the decisions in which it has changed the laws of the land by changing commonly held beliefs regarding the Constitution and religion and send to Congress hose that should have been the object of legislative action rather than Judicial reinterpretation. America’s religious leaders should: Be much more assertive in emphasizing the contribution of religion to the health of the nation and in resisting efforts to minimize religion in public discourse; Make clear to their congregations that they are contributing not only to their own welfare, but also to the well-being of the nation by their regular attendance at religious worship; Take special care of the religious formation of children, especially during the transition period from childhood to adolescence, when they are ost likely to lose their religious faith; Recognize that the church in the inner city, especially the black church, has a vital role to play in helping its people escape from the degrading culture of inner-city poverty;

CCI - Capturing learning from innovation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

CCI - Capturing learning from innovation - Essay Example Today in the fast pacing world, organizations having innovative approach towards business and keen and committed efforts towards change and innovation are only able to cope up with the furious competition and achieve business goals. In this technology and cost motivated international market, it is inevitable to change and this should be conveyed to the employees by showing management commitment to foster an environment of creativity and openness. Creative and sincere ideas from the employees should be welcomed and implemented. Train, train and train! Employees should be rewarded with extensive trainings to keep them up with the current technologies, skills and business performance strategies. Relevant training makes sure the employees fit best in the changing business environment and responsibilities. A schedule should be chalked out by management for implementing change; but, in the mean time, management shall make itself ready to alter this time line and schedule in case if modifications are inevitable before implementation. It is best when change is constant and continual, but it should be

Materials for Snowboard Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Materials for Snowboard - Essay Example It had a rope attached to the front tip of the snurfer (board) which offered the rider some control, and there were steel tacks poking through the upper deck for putting the rider's feet in place. Snowboarding then gradually started gaining popularity in the 1970's and 80's, when Snowboarding pioneers like Dimitrije Milovich, (East Coast surfer), and Jake Burton Carpenter unveiled new snowboard designs, related materials and machineries. The development has been quite phenomenal since then. By the end of 20th century there are hardly any Ski-resorts around the world without the snowboarding facility. This game has so far gained more popularity in Europe and USA, with rapid stride in other parts of the world as well. Snowboards are generally similar in construction with exception to some tooling modifications. Some designers think that Cap Construction enhances edge hold on hard snow and generally improves board responsiveness while others contend that caps are harder to repair if the sidewall is damaged. Both types have proved their merits though. Snowboards are categorized into groups like race, alpine, all-mountain/all-around/free-riding and half-pipe/free-style depending upon the style of snowboarding. Snowboards are fabricated from advanced composite materials. Composites are combinations of two materials. One of the materials, called the reinforcing phase, is in the form of fibers, sheets, or particles, and is embedded in the other material/s called the matrix phase. The reinforcing material and the matrix material can be metal, ceramic, or polymer. Typically, reinforcing materials are strong with low densities while the matrix is usually a ductile, or tough, material. The eight main materials in a snowboard are: Topsheet with printed graphic Fiber glass or epoxy Wood or foam core Steel inserts Plastic base, (P-tex) Metal edges Resin Sytsem (glue) Rubber Foil Anatomy of Snowboard The length of metal edge on the Snowboard which touches the snow is the effective part that is used to make a turn. So, it does not include the edge of the tip and tail. The effective edge is in contact with the snow when the board is in a carved turn. A longer effective edge makes for a more stable, controlled ride; a shorter effective edge makes for a looser, easier turning board. Contact points are the points at which the board makes contact with the snow without the pressure of the rider being displaced on the board. This is also called the board's "wheel base". Snowboard construction also differs in the type of materials used in several layers. A Snowboard is constructed in the following steps; i. A layer of UHMW (Ultra High Molecular Weight) polyethylene or plastic commonly known as P-Tex (its brand name) is placed at the bottom of the board. This provides the slippery surface that makes the snowboard slide on snow. During the winter months wax is added to this base to keep it running fast. ii. This

Personal Reflection on education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Personal Reflection on education - Essay Example Knowing the value of the degree that will be awarded from Strayer University, I expect to get a reputable post in a well known organization. I expect that the masters’ degree programme at Strayer University will provide me with better professional career and will assist me throughout my working life by the knowledge it will give. I also expect to use the concepts being taught and the experience gained in my regular life. The reason for choosing Strayer University is the goodwill that it has earned through years of excellent teaching. The high achievers being qualified for degrees from this university are being called in by various organizations. The excellence of the university, hence, becomes a part of the students’ name and the student becomes an efficient professional in his latter life. Hence, I have chosen this university for the knowledge it conveys and the experiences it transfers in the students. I work for the Saudi Embassy as a captain in Saudi Army. This degree would also be helpful in getting a promotion from a captain to a major’s post. The requirements set by the organization to acquire higher degrees led me to pursue this programme.

C & C Grocery Stores Case Analysis Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

C & C Grocery Stores Case Analysis - Article Example Recent structure of C&C also fails to change its environment, i.e. stores that are in sub urban areas are similar to those that are present in low income areas. New systems for supply and chain management were not yet implemented in stores. The friendly and informal environment that is created by the Doug Cummins in C&C was disregarded and therefore the within stores the cooperation get worsened. For instance an issue takes place in Louisiana store between store manager and grocery merchandiser when they decide to improve Diet Coke and Coke as a featured article of merchandise sold at a loss in order to draw customers. But the cooperation among these was poor and result in lack of preparation and communication led to their unwilling to cooperate regarding where the Coke can be displayed by the store manager. These issues could be resolved by powering the store manager in order to coordinate effectively in the stores. By doing this the cooperation would increase as the store manager got the authority and power to change whatever he or she requires for the sales improvement. This power would also increase the satisfaction of the store manager and they run their store in a profitable manner, and also can get training they require for their promotion as well as improvement of store. From my perspective I believe the new structure as much effective. This structure allows distinct responsibility areas and management. However, in the previous structure the name of responsible person was hard to determine, because whenever the store fails and the store manager is blamed he only talk about the way he desire to do something but can’t do the same way he wants because of meat/produce reject that by saying that it was not for their benefit. This issue is one of the core issues of the old structure, and it is entirely eliminated in the recent

National security policymaking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

National security policymaking - Essay Example An ideal civil-military relationship is one where civil leadership provides the broad political and security objectives, while military leadership is primarily concerned with the execution of such civilian policies on the field (Elliot, 2002:2). The military institution functions on the basis of a set of values that restricts individual behavior since it emphasizes organizational success and victory in war over the elevation of personal goals.3 However as Feaver and Kohn (2000) point out, since there is currently an absence of an urgent threat to the nation’s security, democratic society will not support an adequate military, as a result of which the military’s loyalty to civilian authority is likely to diminish. Hooker (2003-4) asserts that civilian control over the military is undisputed, since Presidential approval is required for all senior military officers and Congressional approval is mandated for all officer promotions4. Military structure, pay and budgets are regulated by civilians, therefore civilian authority can disregard independent military advice. However, as Hooker points out, the reality is that civilian authority which attempts to force the military to do its bidding may pay a political price, since opposition parties are likely to exploit such differences of opinion, especially in war time. Besides, political leaders consistently seek affirmation from the military for their programs and policies. Military leaders are obligated to testify honestly to Congress about policy decisions affecting their service – especially those they disagree with, while simultaneously refraining from publicly exposing differences within the Administration due to the acknowledged preceden ce of civilian authority, which again blurs the dividing line between civil and military. A survey conducted by Hooker5 demonstrates that the civil-military gap is widening, with the increasingly

THE PHYSIOLOGY OF TRANSFER TO ALTITUDE. ADVICE TO TRAVELLERS Essay

THE PHYSIOLOGY OF TRANSFER TO ALTITUDE. ADVICE TO TRAVELLERS - Essay Example Remote mountainous areas generally lack the medical facilities which we take for granted at lower altitudes of normal habitation, and at sea level. Trekkers and climbers from the plains have therefore to be equipped with knowledge, aids, and medicines to prevent and to treat illnesses which tend to arise at unusually high altitudes (Peacock, 1998). Even medical practitioners with primary health experiences and specialist skills in unrelated areas, require orientation in the nature and ways of high altitude health care, to say nothing of the lay public which is so attracted to make sudden and quick visits to mountainous destinations. This report dwells on the prevention and treatment of common ailments at high altitudes, after defining the situation and enumerating the effects on physiology when a body is transported to a significant height where extreme atmospheric conditions prevail. It is intended for a general audience, rather than for health care professionals, and is not a substitute for personal medical consultation in specific cases. All people who travel in aircraft or visit high altitudes should consult with their primary care physicians for individual prescriptions, which this article does not seek to provide. The 5 thousand and 9 thousand meter marks of height above sea level are significant for people in normal states of health. This is because oxygen availability, air pressure, temperature, and wind conditions are so different at these altitudes compared to those which normally prevail at sea level. Though changes in these parameters are proportional to height gained in a climb, people in normal health who climb to less than 5 thousand meters need take no special precautions, other than to dress appropriately to combat the cold and icy and strong breeze. Conditions at the 9 thousand meter height mark deteriorate sharply from those at lower altitudes, making illnesses and medical emergencies more likely for even those who have been

Major Oil Isssues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Major Oil Isssues - Essay Example However the supply of crude oil in the international market has been rigid. This creates the pressure on the prices of the oil. This fundamental theory of the international market as well as the economy of the world provides the explanation for the process or the trend of the fluctuation in the price of crude oil. Within the period 2004 - 2006 the capacity of the production of the global oil had not been able to keep in pace with its demand that had been increasing rapidly. The demand for oil had been on an increase more for the emerging economies of the continent of Asia, China, and also the United States of America. The demands for oil have an increase of 1.4 million barrels per day for the year 2005 as compared to 2.7 million barrels per day increase in 2004. This increased demand of oil had been accompanied by a continuous increase in the price of the same. According to the market specialists the price of oil is expected to remain jumpy and almost volatile. Moreover the price of this particular resource is expected to face a continuous rise rather than decrease. There is a high probability that the price will remain above the expected mean value of the price. (Krichene, 2006, pp 3- 4: Gautier, 2008, p 110) However predictions about the persisting trend of oil price vary among scholars. In the words of Xu, Chen and Han the main obstacle that arises in the prediction of the price of the crude oil is uncertainty. The various models along with the methods for computation that are present help to forecast the price trend in literatures. However most of the methods have not been able to predict the existing and the future variability of the prices of crude oil in the most effective way. For the betterment of the methods of computing the variations in the price econometricians have made several attempts and they have suggested different methods that are suitable for measuring and predicting the volatility. (Huynh, 2008, p 353) The paper aims at studying the expect ed trend of the oil price in the recent future with special emphasis to Australia. Peak Oil Phenomenon and Discussions around the World The past century had experienced a major growth of population but lesser instances of food shortages. The material requirements of the people had also surged. All this was achieved due to the growth of production of oil. The immense growth of oil production hugely benefited the food productions, wiped out the occurrence of famines, and made other daily human activities simpler (Hall & Day, 2009). The huge oil production made oil cheaper and the civilization moved forward based on oil-based energies. However, this also led to a huge depletion of oil reserves and ecologists predict that Peak Oil is not far away. Peak Oil is a phenomenon by which the global oil production will reach its highest stage and then it will start to fall at a very fast rate (Cork, 2010). M King Hubbert, a geologist working with Shell predicted a bell like life span of petrole um production in United States in 1956. According to Colin Campbell, the peak of discovering new fields had reached during the 1960s. He gives a fair assessment of the situation. According to him, the peak depends on the discovery of new fields, which has slowly decelerated, and the extraction rate of oils, which depends on the nature of the reservoir (Campbell, 2002). Presently the world consumes about four times the oil that is

Research Methods Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 3

Research Methods - Essay Example Opposite relationships hold for net asset positions, which are denominated in an FC. As a result of the cash flow impact of transaction exposures and the requirements of Financial Accounting Standards Board Statement no. 52, Foreign Currency Translation, to include foreign exchange transaction gains and losses in the determination of net income, most companies are hedging these exposures. In fact, a 1986 FASB research report, Foreign Exchange Risk Management under Statement 52, revealed that 84% of 162 company treasurers engaged in foreign trade regularly or selectively hedge foreign transaction exposures. The research of the problem of the foreign currency risk is important because the globalization of the world economy and the devaluation of the U.S. dollar have allowed more American companies to enter the export/import markets. Additionally, many managers who previously avoided these markets are finding that international transactions can make their companies more competitive in marketing products and procuring parts and/materials. As new companies are exposed to foreign exchange risk, managers will necessarily be concerned with the development of an effective hedging program. While the task of managing financial risks generally falls to the CFO or treasurer, it is often others in the accounting department who are asked to evaluate the bottom line impact of these risks. The proposed research paper will introduce several of the most widely practiced hedging policies and strategies that will add a new knowledge to the field of foreign exchange currency trading risk and management thr ough the research within a number of multinational companies that face the risk. Besides providing a real organizational case, the research focuses on the modern risk management strategies that include applying foreign exchange derivatives. Employing the sample of firms for the

Drawing on what you have learned about Essay Example for Free

Drawing on what you have learned about Essay Drawing on what you have learned about City Road, outline some of the inequalities on a street that you know. The purpose of this assignment is to outline some of the inequalities on a street that I know, namely Balham High Road, in order to draw comparisons to that on City Road. Balham High Road forms part of the A24 which runs from Clapham to Tooting, south west London. It appears a typical high street serving a local population of 21,000 and provides a variety of retail options, banks and numerous coffee shops. It is well served by public transport with both the Northern Line tube and overground rail into Victoria via Clapham Junction. Balham is served by at least four bus routes providing links to a wide range of destinations. In addition, there is one night bus route that runs through the town centre. The street has witnessed a significant change in recent years with private sector investment assisting in ‘upgrading’ the area. There are an abundance of restaurants and bars which provides evening entertainment in a buzzy atmosphere. Despite the higher than average proportion of affluent residents, there is an unequal division of wealth and this will form part of my discussion, particularly in relation to shopping and housing. I will then move on to discuss the inequalities that exist in the Polish immigrant community. One of the first things that struck me when comparing the subject street to City Road was the inequality relating to the type of shops i.e. the number of branded retailers in comparison to independent traders. ‘The Street’ DVD showed several examples of prosperous independents such as the Sari Shop and Xquisite Africa whereas Balham High Road appears a clone of most other London high streets accommodating the usual suspects – WH Smiths, Boots, Carphone Warehouse along with Waitrose and Sainsbury’s. A few independent shops exist but many have shut down over recent years due to unfair competitive pressure from the multiples and more recently the banks who are adding further pressure by not lending to smaller businesses. Learning Companion 1 asks that we bear in mind a question asked by Simon Bromley, How are inequalities produced? The obvious inequality between the busy, wealthy high street retailers that occupy prime retail space and that of the poorly stocked independents who are being pushed out of the high street is a trend seen across the high streets in the country and came about from 1996 when the town centre first policy redirecting retail developments from out of town back into the town centres emerged. In addition, demand on time means its easier for consumers to buy everything they need in a supermarket, rather than the time consuming exercise of buying meat from the local butcher, potatoes from the market and so on. Another inequality relates to housing. Balham High Road contains a mix of social and private housing. The obvious inequality here is between those that can afford to purchase their own property or rent privately and pay the associated costs (utilities, council tax etc) and those on little or no income who cannot and require subsidised living. Further inequalities exist such as the environment and quality of these dwellings. Damp is much more common in low income homes as is overcrowding which leads to health problems and antisocial behaviour. The private dwellings on Balham High Road tend to be high spec new apartments or large detached buildings and are all well maintained with double glazing, private parking and some with alternative energy solutions. Despite the above, it must be noted that in terms of condition of buildings, the Labour government introduced the Decent Homes Standard in 2000 and this assisted in improving the condition of public housing. This agenda is still active. It could be perceived that the inequality tends towards the private sector who are obliged to pay for the upgrade and maintenance of their properties whilst also incurring taxes etc. The final inequality I noticed is in the Polish community. There are two Polish shops, along with a community centre and a church. The Polish population in Balham has hugely increased since 2006, though Balham has been one of the centres of the community in London since World War II. In order for such a presence to exist, the Polish population here at one time must  have felt isolated and their needs not catered for as did the proprietor of Xquisite Africa. The purpose of this paper was to highlight some of the inequalities on a street I know and compare where possible to that of City Road using the study materials provided. Balham High Road, like City Road was similar in terms of diversity but perhaps not in terms of housing which I hope I have gone some way to expand upon. References Blakely, G., Clarke, J., Raghuram, P., Silva, E., and Taylor, S., (2009) Learning Companion 1, Introducing the social sciences: part one, Milton Keynes, The Open University. ‘The Street’ (2009) Making Social Lives (DVD), Milton Keynes, The Open University. Self Reflection Having not studied in many years, the most difficult part of this assignment was determining how to approach it. I overcame this by watching the DVD and reading the associated material, then I studied my subject street from the vantage point of a coffee shop and wrote down a plan for the structure and content. I struggled most with keeping to the point and providing a focussed piece of writing.

Lewis Ranis-Fei Model of Economic Development

Lewis Ranis-Fei Model of Economic Development William Arthur Lewis, with his most famous published work, â€Å"Economic Development with Unlimited Supplies of Labour† (Manchester School, May 1954) and â€Å"The Theory of Economic Growth† (Allen and Unwin, 1955), made a great contribution to the theories of economic development. Based on his findings, Ranis and Fei succeeded to extend the initial Lewis model and assessed the changes in the agricultural and industrial labour in more detail. I will start this paper by introducing the foundations of the model before following with the implications, basing the majority of my arguments on the analysis by Ranis and Fei in â€Å"A Theory of Economic Development† (1961). The central idea behind the Lewis model is fairly simple. Lewis divided labour force into two differentiated groups â€Å"subsistence sector† and â€Å"capitalist sector† where the former is assumed to contain unlimited supply and consequently, a pool of surplus labour[1] that sets labour-supply conditions for the latter. The concept of a dual economy is heavily criticised. As Leeson (1982) pointed out, â€Å"dual economy† models are â€Å"held to imply a false picture of the nature of the historical process of change in underdeveloped countries†. In this paper, I will not assess the strengths or weaknesses of the model, but instead, for the sake of simplicity and clarity, assume that the sectors are agricultural and industrial, respectively. Subsequently, Ranis and Feis extension to Lewis model can be analysed. They observed the model by reading it from left to right and assessed the changes in the output and wage as more and more people moved from agriculture to the industry. A new concept was added namely, disguised unemployment, which appears in the traditional subsistence sector. The marginal product of labour, which is observed as the slope of the production function, in agricultural sector is lower than in industry in fact, it is zero before point B on Figure 1.3. Under competitive assumptions, the real wage rate would fall to zero, but due to the presence of institutional or non-market forces, the institutional wage is sustained. Therefore, there are gains to be had by switching resources away to the industrial sector. Nevertheless, it is generally not likely to happen because the market, left on its own, does not change. If the industrial sector does pay according to marginal product, then, as noted by Ray (199 8), there would be efficiency gains available as long as the marginal product of the agricultural labour is less than the wage, whether it is zero or not. By decreasing the labour force in agriculture by a small amount (whilst still remaining in the surplus labour area), the total wage bill in agriculture falls along the diagonal straight line in Figure 1.3 , provided that the wage in agriculture does not rise. Since output does not fall, the reduction in the total wage bill gives an economy an agricultural surplus. Only at point C will this process come to an end because there is no more disguised unemployment it only appears at points at which the marginal product of labour is less than the institutional wage. Hence, condition for the existence of disguised unemployment is: W > MPL Ranis and Fei subsequently claimed that the average wage bill in agricultural sector is no longer measured as a straight line. At point C, the slope of the production function is parallel to the wage bill line, yielding that the disguised unemployment is no longer observed. Furthermore, beyond point C (when the disguisedly unemployed have been absorbed) the marginal product of labour exceeds the traditionally given wage rate (Ranis and Fei, 1961). The wage in agriculture begins to rise, because it becomes profitable to bid for labour[2]. As a result, wage bill falls more slowly. This brings me to the central point of the paper capturing the â€Å"turning points† in the Lewis-Ranis-Fei model. Ranis and Fei divided the model into three phases[3]. I have used Figure 1.1. to illustrate this issue. This figure contains the demand curves for labour by industry (downward sloping). The supply curve is initially a vertical line, because of surplus labour. Hence, the intersection of the labour and demand curves gives the equivalent quantity of labour and wage rate x and w*, respectively. Since the economy is in the surplus phase, there will be a certain quantity of labour transferring from agricultural to industrial sector, which explains the increase of the labour in industry from x to y whilst keeping the wage rate constant. The wage rate remains constant as long as there is surplus labour in the agriculture that can be employed more productively in the industry at a constant subsistence wage rate (Berry, 1970). It must be noted though that for any further investment, the demand curve for labour is going to shift to a point where the compensatory wage must rise. The phase where the supply wage of labour tilts upwards is referred to as the â€Å"first turning point†. At this point, redundant labour disappears altogether (Jorgenson, 1967). Employment in the industry would have risen as far as point z had the turning point not occurred. However, since it did and since the wage rate began to rise as demand was pushed upwards, employment can only rise up to z where demand meets supply. As I briefly mentioned earlier, it is evident that as more and more agricultural workers are withdrawn and no longer demand a portion of the agricultural goods, the surplus of agricultural goods begins to appear. It must be noted that each individual that moves from agricultural sector to the industry carries their own subsistence bundle together with them, meaning that they must be compensated for the transfer. Ranis and Fei named the portion of total agricultural output in excess of the consumption requirements of the agricultural labour force at the institutional wage as the total agricultural surplus TAS (Ranis and Fei, 1961). They described the TAS (captured in Figure 1.3) as the vertical distance between the straight line OX and the total physical productivity curve (with the exception of phase 3 where the distance will be reduced). In order to find out the required minimum industrial wage, the average wage must be multiplied by the relative price between agriculture and industry. In the surplus phase, it remains constant, because the average agricultural surplus is not changing (captured in Figure 1.2.). At this point, an expansion in the industrial sector would not drive up the wage rate. If an individual that moves from agriculture to the industry when labour in agriculture is at the surplus phase, there will be no compensation needed for that particular individual, as he carries his own food basket to the industry. In fact, industrial wage is constant and this individual is not worse off as a result. At the second phase, however, the average agricultural surplus begins to decline, because there will not be sufficient agricultural output to feed all the new industrial arrivals at the institutional wage level (Ranis and Fei, 1961). In other words, the same wage would not compensate them for the move anymore, b ecause the agricultural surplus has fallen below the average wage (A.W.) and it is not possible for them to buy A.W. units of food. As a result, the supply curve tilts up. There appears to be a worsening of the terms of trade. The relative prices begin to increase and in order to compensate for this price effect and facilitate the move, the industrial wage must rise. The wage must also compensate for the declining agricultural surplus and a movement of the terms of trade against industry. Put differently, the shortage of agricultural goods measured in agricultural surplus lead to a rise in the industrial wage measured in terms of industrial goods. Simultaneously, the agriculture gains some extra resources, because the agricultural output is divided between less people as more and more people move away from agriculture. If it happened that the individuals at the surplus zone wanted to consume more than the average, the government could step in and tax them to restrict their consumption. That surplus could then be used up in the investment to feed those individuals that move to the industry. In addition, it could also be used to support the new industrial arrivals as the wage rate in industry is set to increase. During phase three, this process becomes even more apparent as the now commercialized wage in agriculture becomes operative. Hence, there is an even sharper decrease in the agricultural surplus. What is more, beyond the â€Å"commercialization† point, the contribution from a worker is greater than the wage (as MPL > W). This, on the other hand, increases agricultural wage rate as was seen in Figure 1.3. From the p revious results, it is clear that after a second turning point the industry would have to compensate even more to get the workers. As a result, it gives an incentive to bargain for a worker. According to Chen (2005), Lewis-Ranis-Fei model should be considered a classical model because of the usage of industrial wage. However, Jorgenson claims that once the commercialization point is reached, instead of the classical approach, the neo-classical theory of growth for an advanced economy is to be observed (Jorgenson, 1967). Berry came to a significant conclusion of the Lewis-Ranis-Fei model. In effect, a shift in the terms of trade has a negative effect on the industry, forcing capitalist employers to pay a higher wage and thus generating less profits and less investment (Berry, 1970). However, there is a role of interdependence between the two sectors (Ranis and Fei). In fact, raising the price of goods in agriculture would give an agricultural sector an incentive to raise the output, thus encouraging investments in agriculture, leading to a decline in the terms of trade, which in turn lowers wages, increases profits and generates more investment in the industry. Consequently, there will be a balanced expansion in both, agriculture and industry. In other words, what Ranis and Fei observed was that the allocation of investment funds must be such that as to â€Å"continuously sustain investment incentives in both sectors of the economy†. The terms of trade should not deteriorate substantially agai nst either sector. I have illustrated this in Figure 2. The lower diagram in Figure 2 contains a supply curve S and a demand curve D1. Initially, the size of industrial labour force is OB and the industrial sector is making a profit equal to the area B0. This profit can be considered as an investment fund and could be allocated in part to both sectors. Consequently, the demand curve shifts up and there will be a new intersection point which lies on the balanced-growth path and this new equilibrium allows the economy to enjoy even further profits. After the first turning point, there will be a small proportion of profit that will be forgone because the first turning point occurs, yet the overall amount of profit increases. Nevertheless, it becomes clear that it is reasonable to have a policy to invest in both sectors as the economy will then maintain the balanced growth path. To conclude, I have shown the main ideas behind the Lewis-Ranis-Fei model and used the consecutive analysis of the model to explain why it is important to invest in both sectors in order to remain on the balanced growth path and maintain the rate of industrialization. The existence of surplus labour in agriculture allows the industry to continue to pay the institutional wage and therefore enjoy further profits and continued investment. At the same time, as more and more people are moving away from agriculture, there will be some amount of agricultural surplus that can be used up to fuel further development. This process continues until the surplus labour is absorbed. Hence, saving and investment are a crucial part in the Lewis-Ranis-Fei to support economic development.

Interpretation of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri

Interpretation of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri The process of analysis for this English Extended Essay on Interpretation of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri was definitely a journey where in I discovered and learnt a lot. When I was assigned this project, initially I was a little apprehensive about how to execute this extended essay. My teacher gave me a good briefing about the entire process which I had to follow for the execution of this analysis. I began by reading the novel in its entirety several times. Every time I read the different stories in this novel, it was like going on a new literary journey altogether. The realistic presentation of the characters by the author brought in life to them and at a point I no longer felt that I was a mere reader but transcended into the stories with the characters and played a mute spectator. Post having sufficient understanding of each story, I made note of the thematic aspects of each story, the stage setting and how this helped in portrayal of the mindset of each characters. I employed literary analytical aspects of thematic analysis, language analysis, stage setting analysis to give an in-depth analysis of the novel Interpretation of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri. In the concluding part of this extended essay, I wound up by indicating the effect of the stories on the readers and why the readers could relate to each character as this is an important aspect of story narration and effective engagement of the reader. Introduction: The Interpreter of Maladies reflects the trauma of self-transformation through immigration which ends up being an attempt in futility as resultantly there is a series of broken identities that form multiple anchorages. Lahiris stories present the futile diasporic struggle to keep hold of culture as primary characters that of her stories create new lives in foreign cultures. Relationships, language, rituals, and religion all help these characters maintain their culture in new surroundings even as they build a hybrid realization as Asian Americans. But the lack of harmony and happiness ultimately makes the attempt a futile experience. Interpretation of Maladies brings to the forefront many complex issues with identity confronted by the Diaspora community. The book has the tales and experiences of first and second generation immigrants who are Indians, as well as a few tales comprising involving ideas of otherness among Indian communities. The stories focus around the complexities of several relationships, communication and a feeling of a loss of identity for individuals in diaspora. Despite where the tale takes place, the major players struggle with the similar feelings of exile and the struggle between the dual worlds by which they feel torn apart. The stories essentially deal with the always shifting lines between gender, sexuality, and social status within a diaspora. Whether the player in the tale is a homeless woman belonging to India or an Indian male pupil in the United States, all the characters show the effects of displacement in a diaspora. The characters in her stories dwell with a sense of dissatisfaction on account of their personal lives and experiences. The settings, narration, the mindsets of the characters and the interaction characters have with each other assist the readers in comprehending their plight and the futility of the situation. Findings and Analysis: Interpreter of Maladies: Jhumpas thematic presentation of futility in the Interpreter of Maladies is somewhat subtle yet effective. The setting is just about perfect with the character placement effectively facilitating the futility in their relationships and aspirations. The Central characters in this tale are Mr. and Mrs. Das and the tour guide Mr. Kapasi. The writer through the interactions of the Das couple with their children Tina, Bobby and Ronny present to us the fact that their relationship with their children lack perfection and to a great extent seems futile as the children do not seem to obey their parents and Mr. and Mrs. Das seem more of sibling to their children than their parents as they are constantly squabbling among themselves. Mrs. Das is evidently not interested in the relationship which seems futile to her and the very fact that she describes Mr. Kapasis job as an interpreter of maladies as a romantic one leads Mr. Kapasi to fantasize about her which eventually turns out to be a futile e xercise. An aspect which does not fail to draw attention of the reader is the instance when the Das couple are engaged in an argument as to who would take Tina to the bathroom is indicative of each one desire to shun responsibility. Here, a sense of futility is existent in the parental relationship the couple share towards their children. Jhumpa has utilized the lack of communication as an aspect to present the futility of the relationship all the characters are dwelling in. Mr. Das is presented as a character always buried in his guide book while Mrs. Das hides her inner self behind her sunglasses. Mr. Kapasi is trapped in a loveless futile marriage spending lonely nights drinking tea by himself. The futility of the relationship the Das family is in is very evident in the action of Mrs Das especially when she fails to offer puffed rice which she was gorging on by herself. The element of family sharing a meal fails to be present. This action of Mrs. Das indicates indifference and an underlying sense of hostility towards her spouse and children. The relationships they share is thus understood as being a futile relationship. Mr Kapasi reveals the futility of his existence as he is working as an interpreter feels that his job is a failure as he is a scholar of many languages. The dissatisfaction he experiences in the job of an interpreter leads to a sense of futility within him. Futility is further expressed by the character when he states that the job of an interpreter was taken to pay of medical bills of his son who had contracted thyroid. His sons death made his sacrifice of sorts a futile effort. Mr. Kapasis fantasy ride commences with Mrs. Das. It becomes very evident to Mr. Kapasi that the Das Couples relationship lacks charm and harmony and is futile. He begins to fantasize about Mrs. Das when she admires his job as that of an interpreter. His fantasy leads to a peak when he and Mrs. Das are conversing while staring at the nudity depicted in the form of temple carvings. The sensuality of the situation is well created by the writer by placing her characters in a setting which is erotic leading to temptation but futile desires. He decided to begin with the most obvious question, to get to the heart of the matter, and so he asked, Is it really pain you feel, Mrs. Das, or is it guilt? This quote appears towards the end of the story where Mrs. Das reveals the fact that Bobby is the son of a friend of Mr. Das whom she was intimate with while her husband was away. Mr. Kapasi questions her about her feeling and Mr. Kapasi makes one final interpretation. Mr. Kapasi feels that Mrs. Das desires absolution and not questioning, relief and not reflection. She and Mr. Kapasi are both lonely but the fact that they have differences keeps them apart thus making the possibility of a relationship futile. Revelation leads to futility. The revelation made by Mrs Das about the legitimacy of her child to Mr. Kapasi was the blow which tarnishes the fantasy of Mr. Kapasi. For a short spell of time, Mr. Kapasi was on an imaginative trip which proved baseless and futile as he failed to accept the person who he was daydreaming about to have a scandalous past as such. The revelation of Mrs. Das proves her infidelity further shattering the image of the Das family proving the fact that the relationship is more of an arrangement than a bonding of love. The writer has aptly used setting to bring all her vital characters in the scene and weaving a storyline in a natural way facilitating the flow of human emotions at their various moment of interaction. The writer crafts every character in a natural and believable manner leading us to realize the fact that there are several relationships where people are bound together for the sake of fulfilling an arrangement commenced to fulfill a certain purpose but the lack of depth and gravity of the relationship proves the relationship to be a futile on as in the case of Mr. and Mrs. Das and their relationship, Mr. Kapasi and his profession as an interpreter and a tour guide and his fascination for Mrs. Das which later on sours as he learns about her real self. With regards to being in India, Mr. and Mrs. Das fail to connect with the country India as their home but have a tourists perspective which is very evident when Mr. Das snaps away a picture of the starving peasant instead of helping him. When Bobby is need of help when surrounded by monkeys, Mr. Das is excited about the picture he clicks instead of immediately helping the boy. This indicates a lack of understanding and connection with each other and the country they are in which they understand as being home. Thus the trip too can be safely understood as being an exercise in futility. The camera of Mr. Das is symbolically employed by the writer to present the fact that Mr. Das view the world through his camera and in not in direct touch with reality. The camera proves to be an obstruction and proves to be a futile aspect blocking Mr. Dass chance to view the real world devoid his camera. Interpreter of Maladies is a story with a setting and dialogues which may not be larger than life but is as close and real as life could be though the writer presents her work as a fictionalized account of her imagination and creativity. A Temporary Matter: In this tale, the writer in all clarity wishes to point out that lack of trust and deceit in a relationship makes the existence of that relationship futile. The futility of the relationship of Shukumar and Shoba is visible to the reader as the play the game wherein they reveal to each other their secrets. We the readers learn that the element of deception is predominant and this causes the relationship to be extremely strained and leads to a point of deterioration and a point of no return. The couple indulges in lying to each other and the lies have been with selfish motives in mind. They avoid bring in discomfort to each other and their selves by indulging in not speaking the truth. They have lied to each other, and the lies have been selfish ones-told not to spare the others feelings but to allow the person telling the lie to escape some discomfort or sacrifice. The sanctity of their marriage to a good extent is at stake and to a large extent they do not seem to care about this fac t. The sweater incident reveals to the reader that they lie about petty issues. Shukumar had returned the sweater to get some money which he could use in order to get drunk to the core. The couple drifting apart commenced after the loss of their baby and the began to care less for each other and this is revealed by the fact that they have been lying unceremoniously. They no longer connect with each other emotionally and this indicates the fading of their relationship. When Shoba displays the fact that their sorrow was on account of a deceptive game, she is following a pattern which is established. All through the week of electricity cuts, Shoba can be seen attempting to reach out Shukumar. But in truth, she is working out her final separation from Shukumar. During the same time frame, the game that seems to be putting them together also displays a past filled with lies. Matters have hardly been as they seemed between these two individuals. To add to this, readers understand early in the tale that Shoba has always been the person to plan way ahead and that she maintains a separate bank account. Readers are left to think as to whether the pattern of deception will end or increase beyond repair. The story indicates a shift decisively towards a happy finale when, on the fifth evening, the writer declares, They had survived a difficult time. Shobas silent behavior that particular evening has been disrupted as the calm after a storm. But that understanding is as misleading as Shobas pattern of conduct has been. We, the readers, like the character of Shukumar, have been given complex signals and only understand at the end which set of aspects was reliable. The stage setting adds to the realm of this tale. To depict futility of the relationship of the protagonists, the writer places the Bradford couple as neighbors Mr. and Mrs. Bradford are neighbors of Shoba and Shukumar. Shoba and Shukumar often witness them strolling by, holding arm in arm, on their path to the bookshop on the second night of the power cut or failure. The Bradfords appear to be a happily married pair and as such make provision of a contrast to the main lead pair i.e. Shoba and Shukumar. The writer specifically mentions that the Bradfords kept a card of sympathy as a goodwill gesture in Shoba and Shukumars mailbox when their baby was lost. The light and dark stage setting present a realistic scenario where the reader can identify with the inner feeling of the characters. As the primary characters have their conflicts within their selves and with each other, the lightning assists in quick identification of their inert feeling. Here the writer, I opine has very meticulously employed the element of light and darkness to reveal the thought, apprehensions and turmoil of the characters making the presentation of the entire story line noteworthy. You went to answer the telephone in the other room. It was your mother, and I figured it would be a long call. I wanted to know if youd promoted me from the margins of your newspaper. Instead of looking for clues about her future husband or finding something of earth-shattering importance, she looks to see if she is making up the little details of Shukumars life. Again, it is clear that the little things mask the greater realities. Alienation further triggers of futility of the relationship. Shoba and Shukumars grief has led them to withdraw from each other. Until the nightly power outages began, they avoided each other. Shoba leaves for work early each morning, returns late, and often brings home extra work to occupy her evenings and weekends. When Shoba is home, Shukumar retreats to his computer and pretends to work on his dissertation. He has put the computer in the room that was to be the nursery because he knows that Shoba avoids that room. She comes in briefly each evening to tell him goodnight. He resents even this brief interaction, which Shoba initiates only out of a sense of obligation. Shoba and Shukumar do not attempt to comfort or support each other. Each withdraws from the relationship, and they endure their grief as if they were two strangers living in a boardinghouse. An important aspect to be noted about this story is the fact that the writers tone in presentation of this tale of grief, tragedy and deception is in totality neutral. This neutral tone is essentially employed to by the writer as the writer, I believe desires the readers form their own individual perspectives of each character and decide who and why they wish to empathize with. This style of presentation makes provision for an unbiased formation of a point of view on the part of the reader facilitated primarily by the writer. Many a times, writer tend to shadow their narrative with their personal and judgmental opinion which I believe that the writer here has refrained from doing so making this an exemplary work of art. Mrs. Sen: Mrs. Sen, the titular character of Lahiris story demonstrates the power that physical objects have over the human experience. This aspect is employed by the writer to display a sense of futility in the thoughts and existence of the titular character. During the entire story, Mrs. Sen is preoccupied with the presence or lack of material objects that she once had. Physically though Mrs. Sen is there where she is but mentally or rather emotionally she seems to be dwelling in another world, a world of the past. Whether it is fish from her native Calcutta or her special vegetable cutting blade, she has the tendency to cling to the material possessions that she is accustomed to, while firmly rejecting new experiences such as canned fish or even something as mundane as driving a car. At home that is all you have to do. Not everybody has a telephone. But just raise your voice a bit, or express grief or joy of any kind, and one whole neighborhood and half of another has come to share the news, to help with arrangements This moment illustrates that Mrs. Sen is referring to her neighborhood at home as a much more closely-knit community than that of the area where Eliot lives. Here she uses a slightly superior attitude when referring to her culture as opposed to Eliots, which helps her remain confident about staying true to her Indian roots while she physically lives in a different place. Lack of the ability of the central character of Mrs. Sen to transcend successfully and accept her new world presents the futility of the situation. Mrs. Sen being homesick is certainly understandable given her meaningless social life, her reflective nostalgic feeling deepens the situation to such an extent that she fails to relate to the individuals she meets in America and the eventually end up as no barrier to her acclimation. The person selling fish at the market fails to immediately address her as Mrs. Sen but he surely reserves special fish for her. The man of the law does not book her but just asks her questions after her car accident does not indict her. The writer presents all characters in the story as people who make life easy for her and facilitate the process of her settling down comfortable in America. But Inspite of all this, Mrs. Sen fails to settle in to any degree, drapes herself always in saris, serving to the mother of Eliot, Indian canapà ©s and putting aside com pletely the prospect of learning to drive. By conducting her life differently through recollected tales imprinted on her her saris, and her aerograms which are grainy, Mrs. Sen deliberately stays away from any kind of assimilation through the empowerment of material objects and what they mean to her. In this tale, 11-year old Eliot commences living with Mrs. Sen a professors wife after school. Mrs. Sen who is the caretaker cuts and makes meals as she tells Elliot tales of her past life in Calcutta, thereby assisting in crafting of her identity. Like A Temporary Matter, this stale is full of lists of produce, catalogs and recipes with descriptions. Stress is placed on ingredients and the mode of preparation. Other aspects are definitely emphasized as well, such as Mrs. Sens collection of saris which are multicolored brought in by her from India. The The entire storyline rotates around Mrs. Sens customary practice of purchasing fish from a seafood market locally. This fish helps in reminding Mrs. Sen of her house back and holds great importance to her. But reaching the seafood market needs driving, a skill that Mrs. Sen has failed to learn and is not interested in learning either. Towards the finale of the story, Mrs. Sen tries to learn to drive to the market without her better h alf but this attempt leads to a car accident. Eliot soon stops living with Mrs. Sen after this. Conclusion: To conclude with, I am of the conviction that Jhumpa Lahiri, the Pulitzer prize winner for this literary work of art The Interpretation of Maladies has undoubtedly excelled in creating a work of literary expression which presents human emotion and interaction in its rawest form. This makes each story believable and close to the readers heart. She has very well employed the human emotion of sorrow in most of the stories as this I believe is one emotion which every individual can deeply identify with and relate to. Her characters such as that of Mrs. Sen, Shoba, Sukumar, Mrs Das and the others are very realistic as they are presented as ordinary humans with issues which every other individual deals with. The added aspect to this realistic presentation is the fact that her characters are primarily migrants finding it hard to get acquainted to a European culture and are being confronted with culture issues and discrimination. She has woven a beautiful story line in each story and the rea ders are drawn enigmatically into her world and her style of storytelling which is essentially different in a unique way than their contemporaries. The stage setting employed in each story differs and is highly apt to the story complementing the story and presenting the characters in a comprehensive way. The Temporary Matter, Mrs. Sen, Interpretation of Maladies etc. has stage setting which make the story realistic and not deviate the attention of the writer. This is an important aspect which can be understood in her works. The language employed by the writer to present her characters is another vital aspect. The language is simple and precise without being dramatic. More importantly the body language of the character plays vital part in communicating the essence and the feeling within the characters. Each story of hers has message or a theme which is learnt by the reader in the process of acquainting himself in her stories. Her bring out themes of deception, love, tragedy, discrimination in a manner most beautiful and subtle.

Tobacco Smoking :: Argumentative Persuasive Example Essays

Tobacco smoking first started sometime in the 1400s. It was invented by natives in the Bahamas Islands. Instead of just pulling out a paper rolled cigarette, they had pipes. One end of the pipe was filled with burning tobacco leaves, while the other end of the pipe was where they inhaled the smoke. Many people all over the world today have been taken into this habit. Worldwide, there are approximately one billion smokers. This habit is extremely addicting because of a substance called nicotine found within each cigarette. Once a person is sucked into this dirty habit, it is hard for them to quit.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The smoke from a cigarette, consists of 100 million more harmful substances than the most polluted air. It also contains chemicals in it that many people don’t know of. Some of these chemicals include acetone (nail polish remover), ammonia (a household cleaner), cadmium (battery acid),and formaldehyde (preserves dead bodies). All of these chemicals are found in just one cigarette. These chemicals aggravate asthma and allergies by directly bothering the respiratory membranes. Because of this, it can trigger the production of excess mucus and cause sensitive airways in the lungs to tighten.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Tobacco smoking is the largest cause of death that can be prevented. Everyday, about a few thousand people die from this fatal death stick. This means that every eight seconds. This kills more people than the worst epidemic diseases. Tobacco even affects your physical appearance. It can make your skin wrinkled and older looking, cause your teeth to turn yellow, and give your breath and clothes a dingy odor. Researchers say that smokers who smoke 10-20 cigarettes a day live on an average of five years less than non-smokers. To look on the bright side, if smokers quit, it is possible that the damage done to the lungs can be repaired.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cigarette smoke is so dangerous and so powerful that it can cause 17 different kinds of cancer. The cancer that is the most obvious and seen most often is lung cancer. Other places where cancer can sprout are in the throat, gullet, mouth, esophagus, pancreas, stomach, kidney and the bladder. Not only does tobacco smoke cause cancer, it can cause chronicle cough and bronchitis.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  However, tobacco smoke doesn’t only cause many harmful and fatal diseases, but it also influences things like asthma, angina, hay fever, allergic rhinitis and shiver. Inhaling the smoke does a lot of harm to both

Gender Roles in The Yellow Wallpaper -- Yellow Wallpaper essays

Gender Roles in The Yellow Wallpaper  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   In Charlotte Perkins Gilman's short story "The Yellow Wallpaper," the reader is treated to an intimate portrait of developing insanity. At the same time, the story's first person narrator provides insight into the social attitudes of the story's late Victorian time period. The story sets up a sense of gradually increasing distrust between the narrator and her husband, John, a doctor, which suggests that gender roles were strictly defined; however, as the story is just one representation of the time period, the examination of other sources is necessary to better understand the nature of American attitudes in the late 1800s. Specifically, this essay will analyze the representation of women's roles in "The Yellow Wallpaper" alongside two other texts produced during this time period, in the effort to discover whether Gilman's depiction of women accurately reflects the society that produced it.    "The Yellow Wallpaper" features an unnamed female narrator who serves to exemplify the expectations placed upon women of the time period. As we are told early on, she is suffering from a "nervous condition" (Gilman 1). While we are not told the specific nature of this condition, we do discover that the cure prescribed by John, the narrator's husband and doctor, entails taking "phosphates or phosphites--whichever it is, and tonics, and journeys, and air, and exercise" while intellectual "work" is "absolutely forbidden Ãâ€" until [she is] well again"   (Gilman 1). This poses a particular problem for the narrator, due to her desire to write, which she continues to do "in spite of them," and causes her to hide her writing to avoid facing "heavy opposition" (Gilman 1). The treatment to which t... ...Mitchell, seems all the more plausible. After all, her socially-defined role as the dutiful wife and mother was being constrained by her inability to withstand the treatment foisted upon her by a man trained to disregard his patients' feelings. As a woman, she had no socially sanctioned way to respond to the problems she faced. Rather than wonder, as John does throughout the story, why his wife is becoming increasingly deranged, readers of this story should only wonder why, given the mores of the time period, there weren't far more stories like it.    Works Cited Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. "The Yellow Wallpaper." English 101 Homepage. August 1999 . Mitchell, S. Weir. The Evolution of the Rest Treatment. English 101 Course Packet. Chico: Mr Kopy, 1999. Power, Susan. The Ugly-Girl Papers. English 101 Course Packet. Chico: Mr Kopy, 1999.      

Code of Ethics Essay

The code of ethics is a very important part of the business workplace and must be managed in the right way in order to become successful and maintain the perfect work role. Being able to come up with ideas and plans for code of ethics is a good thing in the workplace because it gives the employees boundaries and policies that have to be followed in order to have a good code of conduct. Code of conduct is a little different from code of ethics because conduct talks about behavior skills in the workplace and ethics plays a role as choosing the right ethical behavior that an employee might show. There are many organizations out there and mostly all of them have either a code of ethics, code of conduct, or even both. These codes are put into the working industry and the environment of the workplace in order to run a business that has no complications and employees have to do what their told. In order to create a code of ethics for an organization, you need to know the components to which can be referenced back to the code of ethics. A code of ethics is also to be accompanied by plans for organizational education, implementation and audit. The overall achievement for creating the code of ethics for the workplace is to come up with a perfect solution theory and be able to translate it into a code that speaks out to the employees and lets them know the rules and regulations of their present day work environment. There are many components that make up the code of ethics because it is initially the rite of passage for workers in a business working environment. What does a statement mean when it is called unethical? Who is the one to decide on whether or not a situation is ethical or not? What are the exact theories and solutions of ethics in the workplace? All these questions relate in a way because of how the work environment is suppose to play a role only by following the right code of ethics and conduct. But there are some who say that the code of ethics cannot be morally wrong or right. Some others believe though that the ethics of code should not have a place in the business industry. We live in a world that is filled with competition and every single individual is trying to be the best they can be at trying to get ahead of one another. In order for this theory to play out, it would be practically impossible for a code of conduct or ethics to be able to be played out in the work environment. By being ethical, there are many ways to win over certain individuals and be at the top of the rat race. In order to be a winner, it is a long journey and passage, but with cretin components of ethics, a positive individual is able to build up work power and use it towards a workplace in a professional way. No matter how badly you need something to be done, going beyond the established code of ethics in the workplace to achieve it is simply unacceptable. † (Lalwani, 2010) Before someone goes into the path of work ethics, one must first take a look at the ethics and benefits of a workplace in order to become a winner of the business industry. Soon as an organization has an established code of conduct and ethics, it is always better to be able to have a greater image and function than a normal man. When a code of ethics is established in the workplace, it enables self-regulation on part of the employees, and it is this code of ethics that guides employees when challenging decisions have to be made. † (Lalwani, 2010) This quality is able to enforce professionalism in the working environment and can also be a provider of products and services in and around an organizations capital. If none of these accusations are able to be produced and made ethically, it is due to the lack of inspiration towards the ethical code of conduct. These are some examples of code of conduct and code of ethics: â€Å"Misrepresentation of data, taking advantage of a professional situation just for personal benefits, working for an organization whose values and ethics conflict with your personal ethics, instigating colleagues and fellow employees to follow unethical paths for group benefits or gains, stealing or misrepresenting information for personal benefit, or on behalf of the employer for the benefit of the organization, stealing or misrepresenting information for personal benefit, or on behalf of the employer for the benefit of the organization, flouting the norm of confidentiality in the workplace regarding sensitive information that will benefit the organization, engaging in corporate espionage, misreporting the amount or number of hours worked, taking credit for work done by another colleague, dressing inappropriately or against the dress code set by the organization, getting personal with any colleague or superior in a professional setup, being dishonest in professional situations for personal or group gain, being insincere, uncommitted, and disloyal towards the organization, violating the established code of ethics in the workplace in the name of individual rights, disrespecting the personal values and beliefs of colleagues in the workplace, with which you have no concern, and dealing with problems in the workplace in an unprofessional manner by making the issue personal. (Lalwani, 2010) By all these rules and codes being engage in opportunity and failure, by following these codes of ethics, you can be the best employee that you possible can be in a work place. A workplace should be able to have ethical organizational subjects helping to decide what is right from wrong. But there are many certain business basics that one must follow and endure in order to play a role as a fellow works men. The basic role of ethics in the work place is for employees to make sure that productivity and progression of the business stay to a descent speed. In not doing so, unprofessional actions can start to take place and employee management will be harder to deal with. By carrying out suitable training to establish workplace ethics, these ethics can be imbibed by every person that comprises an organization, to achieve a common goal that has been laid out by this organization. † (Lalwani, 2010) There are many goals that employees set themselves to and to accomplish those daily goals, they must follow the code of ethics and the code of conduct in the workplace. There are multiple key components of work ethics in the business industry. But there are some organizations that go above and beyond the code of ethics and would soon end up violating the key components of an ethical work environment. There are companies such as Enron and Goldman Sachs show, which have dealt with violations towards the ethics code of conducts and have gone outside of their boundaries only to have failed. The code of ethics is the set of behavioral rules employees should follow to ensure the company’s values are reflected in all business dealings. Regardless of the size of the business, clearly defined codes and closely monitored transactions should keep your company from violating laws and make it a place where employees feel comfortable doing the right thing. † (Sullivan) The first major component of ethics is the values of ethical decision making. Businesses are able to express the performance of a company or an organization in terms of how they work with suppliers, employees, and customers on a day to day basis. â€Å"A primary objective of the code of ethics is to define what the company is about and make it clear that the company is based on honesty and fairness. (Sullivan) Values are defined as a word that describes interactions and the importance of what a company has to offer. A second component of ethics would be the principles of it and how they work towards the company’s performance. The principles come into play by supporting a value of the business industry then having employees of a company following the right scheduled operations. When principles play a role in the business world, customer satisfaction is the most important subject of running a business. No customers, no business. â€Å"Corporate responsibility to the environmentally friendly use of natural resources is another business principle that often is found in code of ethics. (Sullivan) Manager support comes from both the principles and values of the code of ethics. This subject is able to include a process of reporting any ethic violations towards the code of ethics and by the process of which people can run an organization. â€Å"To reflect how seriously management considers the code, some businesses display the code of ethics with management signatures in prominent areas, such as the break room, where employees will see it on a daily basis. † (Sullivan) The fourth component that comes into play with the code of ethics is personal responsibility. Personal responsibility regards that each of the employees working in an organization have total responsibility to uphold and keep with the program of ethics. There are both legal and moral issues regarding this certain component because if an employee decides to violate an ethic of code, he or she will have to deal with the consequences. The requirement for personal responsibility is that it can relate to the other components towards the code of ethics. If an employee goes against the rules of ethics, the violators will become an issue towards the company. â€Å"This is meant to show that it is not sufficient to merely adhere to the values and principles but to help ensure every employee supports the code of ethics by reporting violators. † (Sullivan) One of the final components of ethical decision making is compliance. Compliance comes into play when any laws or regulations are referenced as rules towards an association or organization. Relating back to the Enron case, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act was the execution of falsified financial records and became a big problem for Enron. The full details of financial filing is that when a file becomes a record, is has a lot of information towards any company or organization. â€Å"Compliance to all financial reporting and any licensing requirements such as ISO 9000 by the International Organization for Standardization can be documented, along with the expectation that all licenses will be maintained and legal regulations met. (Sullivan) Overall, the code of ethics is a great way to pursue organizational skills in a company and by doing so an organization is able to come up with a code of ethics that employees can follow on a day to day basis. The construction of ethics is how a company or organization is built around by provided a good work environment for certain individuals in the workplace. In order to build an ethics program that helps and supports a company’s actions, you must have a compliance program that is in relation to the code of ethics. There have been recent financial scandals that have been seen by corporate companies. Financial scandals have shown us that there is more need for compliance programs and the need of better business ethics throughout organizations. Out of the National Association of Corporate Directors, there are about 280 corporate CEO’s that have been discussing the problems of the code of ethics being dealt with in all companies. It’s about one out of three CEO’s that talk about how highly they were affected by ensuring legal compliance. When it comes down to the brass tacks of a corporate organization, every organization should have a code of ethics and the only way to come up with one is to construct multiple ideas that support and help the employees of a major organization. By building an ethics and compliance program, most companies are entitled to realize that it takes a lot of development and time to be put into the creation of an ethics and compliance program. Businesses are filled with all sorts of different codes, but here are some examples that can relate to an ethics program and be able to support the company in a long term effective program: â€Å"Establish a code of conduct that reduces risk of criminal behavior, detect wrongdoing, foster quick investigations, minimize consequences, demonstrate company’s ethical/legal philosophy during an investigation, reduce fines if company is found guilty of wrongdoing, and enhance company reputation and stature. † (How to Build a Business Ethics Program) It is not all just about coming up with the code of ethics and that’s it. A company or an organization always has to look at the options they are able to deal with in order to create the perfect effective program. A lot of companies have the power to create the best programs possible, but with just three options to look at, a program can go from a failure to a progressives and successful plan. Here are the three examples that are able to help out building the perfect effective program: â€Å"Develop in house from scratch, hire and external consultant, and use a pre written manual. † (How to Build a Business Ethics Program) Most companies use these options to create the perfect system, but some company’s decision makings go the wrong direction and they eventually have to find of decisions the hard way. A company or organization must have strong decision making skills because creating a code of ethics from scratch is the hard part of developing a program. The company also might have to fully understand the complexity of creating a knowledge list of codes that can be support in the workplace. Companies are dealing with the hiring’s of an extra consultant to help them out with an organizations decision making. Organizations say that an extra consultant might be a cost effective plan, but the question is, what else is left? It all comes down to actually building the ethics program of choice. A company or organization should either use a manual of choice or a pre written template that they can base their ideas off of. By using these two subjects of choice, organizations and companies find it a lot easier to make guidelines towards the production of building a code of ethics. Companies are looking for the strength in an idea to be produced in the program of needs. In order to come up with the best ideas and tools for running a business, it is important to look for the right tools that can implement the ethics of business and strive to create the perfect program. Here are some examples of what a successful compliance program should provide in their development of ethics: â€Å"Sample policies and procedures, step-by-step instructions for the development of a program, a business ethics training program outline with classroom materials and a detailed session leader’s guide, business ethics and compliance officer position description, templates for employee involvement, and sample code of conduct. † (How to Build a Business Ethics Program) After coming up with the perfect ideas to support a company’s foundation, an organization must start to implement the ethics program into the business workplace. The next step to creating a perfect code of ethics is to bring the ideas to the corporate office of the company and have the executives take full responsibility for implementing the code of ethics into the company’s compliance program. By taking the idea to corporate, the effectiveness of the tools needs to be yielded with a solid program that the company or organization can work with. Such as understanding it, endorsing the program, and being able to monitor the code of ethics for total true effectiveness. â€Å"With step-by-step guidelines and accompanying examples of policies, procedures, a training program and an employee survey, such an effective tool provides an excellent road map for implementing an ethics and compliance initiative. † (How to Build a Business Ethics Program) After all the hard work is completed by creating the compliance program, certain companies have to make certain decisions that can be related to the code of ethics from the workplace. The compliance manual should provide the full files of what the code of ethics is suppose to represent and how it is suppose to be reliable with the company’s boundaries. The files can be written with policies, surveys, forms and training session outline for the organizations progression levels. â€Å"Also, businesses should ensure their ethics compliance system manual is fully endorsed by The National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) as a tool to maintain a culture of integrity. † (How to Build a Business Ethics Program) Overall, the construction of building the code of ethics come from a lot of planning and brainstorming ideas towards the relations of an organizations boundary limit and employee’s satisfaction.

Love in the Western World

This paper will trace in general the different views on love as expressed by the different speakers in Plato’s Symposium and explore in detail the theories of Eros, Philia, Storge and Agape and the bearing it has on the notions of erotic love, filial love, sacrificial love and spiritual love. Another area that will be drawn into focus is the theory of â€Å"platonic love† based on Plato’s hypothesis. The context of the symposium is a get-together of the students of Socrates who get to talking and decide to take turns and speak in praise of Eros, the God of Love. Of the speakers Phaedrus speaks first and talks about the virtuosity Eros promotes in those who experience love. He talks about the awareness that true love can inspire in humans so that man becomes conscious of the noble qualities of honor, loyalty, courage and fidelity. Pausanius is the next to speak and dwells on the different kinds of love, from the common banal love to the higher, spiritual kind of love. The earthy love is not as noble as the intellectual love which is more faithful and elevates the mind and is completely devoid of desire. According to him the pursuit of higher knowledge and wisdom is the more honorable and the wantonness of physical love is shameful. Eryximachus talks about the concept of good love that helps man to be judicious and methodical. Eryximachus is a doctor and philosopher and talks about love beyond relationships, about intellectualism, the love of ideas, concepts and the fine arts like music. He speaks of the advantages love brings to humans, the most important being the ability to discern between honor and dishonor. He believes that there are opposing kinds of loves in every living being including animals and plants. However, true love is achieved through a synthesis of these opposing elements and that it can be the fountain and source of power, friendship and happiness (Plato’s Symposium). Aristophanes, the jester and humorist came up with the concept of love as man in search of his soul mate and partner in order to feel one complete whole. He talks about man being split into half by Zeus for threatening to over run the Gods. Later Zeus modified his terrible act and allowed the two halves to marry as man and woman. It is said that ever since the two halves have been in search of the other. Socrates himself speaks last of all and talks of love as being the human desire for knowledge, wisdom and beauty. Love is the desire for what is beautiful and may not necessarily mean beauty in itself. According to Socrates love is the mere interface between what he desires and the object of his desire. When man has achieved real love he will be able to create beauty, conceptualize perfection and become wise and virtuous. In Greek mythology Eros is one of the three oldest Gods along with Cronos and Chaos and stands for love. The word ‘erotic’ is derived from the God of love, Eros, who encourages and endorses all those who seek him to perform acts of virtue and merit. As has been mentioned before, all those present at the party or symposium have laid down their postulates and have spoken about different kinds of love and what it does for man. To further explore the concept of the various kinds of love let us consider the broad definition of these categories: Agape, Storge, Philia and Eros. Agape stands for spiritual love, the kind of love God has for his creatures and the love man strives to return. This kind of love transcends physical boundaries and is a higher form of love which finds fulfillment in just being there. It kindles spirituality and is perfection itself. Nothing can tarnish this kind of love and to most mortals seems almost impossible to attain. We can find examples of this kind of love in Christianity. In literature, I have found this kind of love being depicted in certain kinds of love lyrics that belong to the Renaissance age. In Petrarch’s poetry for instance, the poet’s object of desire, the enigmatic Laura, is continually shown as someone unreachable. Laura’s eyes are compared to stars; her face is often described as being so radiant as to make looking at her impossible. This imagery often ties up with how the apprehension of God is described in Christianity. Here, the conflict between Eros and Agape is continually present. The poet often feels helplessly tied between the demands of the earthier, physical Eros and the spiritual, the allegedly purer kind of Agape (Houston). Storge is synonymous with love that engenders sacrifice and purity. This is the kind of love parents feel for their children. This kind of love does not wait for reciprocity to grow and is there notwithstanding. The story of Abraham and Isaac is an interesting biblical instance of these two kinds of love where Storge is compelled to be sacrificed for the greater Agape. In order to prove the full extent of his Agape, his total devotion to God, Abraham is asked to sacrifice the thing he loves most. This happens to be Abraham’s son Isaac, the person for who he feels the greatest Storge. In the biblical context, Agape is undeniably higher than Storge. Abraham is therefore first made to prove the full extent of his Agape before God relents and lets him keep the object of his Storge. Other instances of pronounced Storge in literature include the love Cordelia feels for her father, King Lear in Shakespeare’s play. In this case however the Storge is made to complete its sacrifice in a sense because both the king’s beloved daughter and the king himself die in the end. Philia, or brotherly love, exists between friends, brothers and neighbors. This kind of love helps people to bond closely without being passionate or amorous. This kind of love prompts the feeling of camaraderie and brotherhood. A good example at hand would be the kind of love soldiers have amongst each other, where they bond intimately and share their joys and sorrows together without a hint of any physical attraction or manifestations. In Greek history, I have noticed the love depicted in the story of Damon and Pythias to be of this form. In the legend Damon and Pythias both survive Dionysus’ wrath because of their intense love for each other. But in another tale from the bible, the ending is not nearly as fortunate. Cain and Abel, sons of Adam and Eve, at first loved each other in the truest sense of Philia. However, with the preference God showed for Abel’s sacrifice of animals over Cain’s agricultural offerings, Cain’s love turns to intense jealousy and he ends up killing Abel. This is possibly the best known example of Philia getting overturned. Eros is passionate love, which can in most cases be closely linked to physical attraction and sexual love. Eros is often closely associated with the animal kingdom and therefore classically considered to be a lower form. Eros can often contend with Agape as we have seen earlier. And a popular example of this is in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. The love that the two young nobles feel for each other is no doubt arising from a certain attraction, or Eros. And yet the manner in which they express their love for each other in a language that is similar to that of Agape. Romeo and Juliet address each other in abject terms, making it a love not of equals but of one subservient to the other. This of course is one of the most common features of Agape. Although classically Eros is considered to be a lower form than Agape, as we have seen discussed in the Symposium, I personally feel this is not entirely fair. It is true that people often consider it nobler to love a person without wanting to possess him or her in a physical or earthly way. By implication this means that a person loves someone for more than their physicality, that is to say a love founded on something deeper than superficial beauty. This is true in theory, but not always in practice. We often find that the Agape is more often than not directed towards someone of higher social standing, or towards a woman who is unreachable, like a noblewoman or even the queen. This amounts to nothing short of sycophancy sometimes. Is it then less hypocritical than loving someone for their appearance? Eros is also equated with the animal kingdom and is therefore considered â€Å"lower. † But why should something, that takes place in the natural world, be considered lower? If animals love each other erotically, does it not make it a more natural, or even a â€Å"higher† love? After all this kind of love is based on the truth of the body’s responses to the beloved; if someone is beautiful and attractive physically, why should it be wrong to feel attraction or love for this person? Even if it is based only on appearances, Eros is more genuine. There is no verbal intrusion that allows lovers to lie to each other or praise each other in hollow terms. Philia too I think is often under-rated in the present generation. Friends can often feel a lot of love between them without it being the Erotic or even the Agape type of love. We have been brainwashed by popular movies and books into always expecting friendships to turn into love as that fits in with the perfect happy ending of the plot. But why should this be? Why is simple, platonic love that expects nothing physical or romantic in return be less of a love than any other kind? After all, is it not nobler for two friends to love each other in spite of the fact that they have nothing physical or romantic to gain from each other? Storge also is often under-appreciated in popular culture. Love that exists within families has become such a rare instance in the days of divorce and estrangement that perhaps more of art needs to depict it now, more than ever. People seem to forget that our families are what we are born into. We carry our parents’ genes and share them with our siblings and nothing or no one else can ever change that. It is true that we are often unfortunate in this regard and there are many children brought into this world in an unloving family, but even so the love that exists between members of the family is something that precedes life itself. Just to think about what a pregnant mother endures for nine months and so many years following the birth, is enough to prove the argument. In conclusion, I think it is fruitless to spend hours debating on which form of love is higher than the others because each kind of love, whether borne out of devotion, lust, filial ties or friendship, is a distinct kind of love. A sort of love that is unique to itself and therefore deserving of special attention. Instead of trying to compare them it is perhaps best to be grateful to know that they all exist.