Alexander Hamilton vs. Thomas Jefferson

Philosophically speaking, Thomas Jefferson based his political ideals from the writings of John Locke who assumed that the function of the government (as a trustee of the people) is to protect the rights, property, and liberty of the individual, in the pursuit of happiness. Thomas Jefferson put this primary axiom when he wrote the Declaration of Independence, stating that governments created by men ought to protect the rights and liberties of an individual, moreso of the fecundity of every states under the protection of the United States confederation (that the state is the trustee of its citizens.If the government then fails its duty, the people have the right to overthrow it. The implication of this principle is to establish a truly representative government; a government ruled by separated powers (to ensure the stability of the state) – the executive, legislative, and judiciary, – as in their case, the federal and state government. It was necessary for Jefferson to e nsure that every state be given equal amounts of freedom, unconstrained by the functions of the federal government. This is not the case with Alexander Hamilton.This two-star general and secretary of Treasury saw the future of political stability lying in the hands of a strong government, represented by a strong leader (accompanied in governance by an assembly elected by the people). In his words, â€Å"An executive for life has not this motive for forgetting his fidelity and will therefore be a safer depository of power† (Zaide 392) He was in effect suggesting an executive elected for life, for which it is generally unconstrained by the rudiments of politicking.Thus, in every occasion to which he was asked to explain his plans for the newly-born republic, he always made it clear that an elected executive for life is not tantamount to a monarch. Nevertheless, in the latter part of his life, he abandoned the idea, focusing instead on strengthening the powers of the federal gov ernment, often making many enemies at the state governments. On the Credit System When Hamilton became secretary of treasury, he had a ready made plan for transforming America’s economy into a credit-based economy, unhampered by the problems of agricultural production (land based economy).Basing his policies from David Hume, an English economist, he argued that the only way for the private sector to participate in the economy is in the credit system. Private wealth would be converted into bonds, used as paper capital, which could be lent to foreign states. In such case, both the public and the government would benefit. Money would float in the economy, lowering interest rates, and hastening capital accumulation.Although, the credit system has some advantages, Hume warned the dangers of this system (which Hamilton disregarded), included of which is an oppressive tax system, vulnerability to indebtedness, and of course wealth gap among the citizens. Jefferson dismissed Hamilton ’s action in writing, claiming that such economic policies will put the nation in a state of limbo, hampered by the lack of respectability in the arts of economics, and infiltration of economic principles in the form and nature of the government to which they established.He also noted that such schemes implemented by Hamilton where in themselves the representation of his interests; the tyranny to which he was and was always represented. Together with Madison, Jefferson indicated his concerned as to who should be paid and how much by the federal government; a proposition that Hamilton left without considerable measures. Nevertheless, a public credit policy would left the government at the mercy of the public sector via in the court of law, for which contracts are well-established to be good and sincere.On the National Bank Hamilton was on the idea of establishing a national bank, governed by private individuals. He argued that efficiency would be the lasting mark of a bank rul ed by the private sector (based from Adam Smith). Corruption would be a no-no for this group of entrepreneurs. Capital accumulation would hasten, giving the federal government revenues to finance its activities.In his words, â€Å"It is in therefore in the interest of the federal government to give the private sector a freehand in the economy; for an economy closely governed by the government seemed to be inefficient and lacked the motive to accumulate capital, be it in monetary monetary and discretionary forms†( Zaide 392). The bank then would be a safe haven of federal banks, for the governing body is itself not corrupt. Jefferson, on the other hand advocated for the establishment of a national bank, but unlike Hamilton, this bank will be predominantly governed by the federal government, with some representation from the private sector.This would ensure according to him the efficacy of the federal government’s power over fiscal matters. Nonetheless, together with Mad ison, he argued that if such bank governed by the private sector is established, what are the chances then that such bank would represent the interest of the nation (Toynbee 359). On Taxation Hamilton implemented strict excise tax on liquors arguing that liquors was a good source of revenue, as it is dangerous for the health and morality of the citizens of the nations.It was liquor that destroyed the dignity of the American nation during the Continental war (indiscipline broke among the soldiers of the revolution because of liquor). Nevertheless, economically, taxes on liquor would serve as the point of capital accumulation for other industries developing in the United States. Because of his policies, a peaceful Whiskey Rebellion followed. Although the citizens of Pennsylvania did not resist (when Washington and Hamilton came in with the militia), Hamilton ordered the detention of suspected dissidents.Jefferson bitterly criticized the actions of Secretary Hamilton claiming that such acts were acts of tyranny. The tax on liquor itself was impinging the right of every citizen to the pursuit of common happiness. He put his views into action when he abolished taxes on liquor during his presidency. He simply backslide the policies of Hamilton, putting pressure on congress to adopt his own scheme, which Jefferson claimed would benefit the nation. Policies on War Hamilton did not support the French revolution and its ideals claiming that such revolution was too radical and dangerous for the nation of America.Jefferson bitterly opposed his plan to declare war on France, claiming that such actions would put the United States in the same footing as the Western imperial powers; of which represented the pinning of a tyrant and oppressive monarchical system of government. Jefferson however, supported the war against the Barbary States in North Africa, claiming that the pirates residing in the said states were harassing American shipping in the Mediterranean. Prospect for t he Future of America Hamilton believed that the future of the United States lies in its economy and military strength.The economic success of America would lift the status of the United States to a position of power. Thus, to maintain its status as a power, the United States then should maintain or create a large armed force capable of pressuring other nations to obedience, which is, following its political and economic agenda. Jefferson, during his presidency slashed the budget of the army and navy. War and aggression had no place in Jefferson’s policies. For him, prosperity lies in foreign diplomacy and fair trading.There was definitely no room for imperialism. References: Declaration of Independence. USHistory. Org. http://www. ushistory. org/declaration/document/index. htm. June 28, 2007. Johnson, Paul. A History of the American People. Chapter V, VI. Harper Publisher’s. 1963. Thomas Jefferson. The White House. http://www. whitehouse. gov/history/presidents/tj3. ht ml. June 28, 2007. Toynbee, Arnold. A Study of History. (Abridged) Oxford University Press, 1987). Zaide, Gregorio. World History. Manila: Rex Publishing House, 1965.

Literary Analysis: Sonny’s Blues

In â€Å"Sonny’s Blues,† by James Baldwin, the two main characters, Sonny and the narrator, face many conflicts with each other. These conflicts all contribute and lead to the climax of the story, the scene in the narrator’s apartment. The first conflict between these two characters occurs after their mother dies when the narrator discovers Sonny’s dream to become a jazz piano player, which the narrator believes is a waste of his life. Their inability to see eye-to-eye on this matter is what causes so much tension in their relationship throughout the rest of their lives. The narrator feels that it was his job to steer Sonny in the right direction after remembering the promise he made to his mother, a promise he made before she died. To help his brother, the narrator decides Sonny should live with his wife’s family, Sonny reluctantly agrees, which leads to the next conflict. The narrator believes that it is in Sonny’s best interest for him to live with his wife’s family while he is finishing college. Sonny is not thrilled with the idea but reluctantly agrees in order to avoid another argument. While living with his sister-in-law’s family, Sonny spends all of his spare time practicing the piano, which his hosts do not care for. Then, despite Sonny’s efforts to hide it, his sister-in-law’s mother discovers Sonny’s truancy. The two fight and Sonny understands the burden he has put onto the family, causing him to join the navy. When Sonny finally comes back from the war, the two brothers finally see each other weeks after Sonny returned home, leading to the climax of the story. When Sonny returned from the war to New York, the two brothers did not see each other for quite some time. When they finally did see each other they get into a huge fight about Sonny’s decisions in life. The narrator is upset about Sonny’s drug abuse and decision to waste his life and become a jazz pianist. Sonny is angered at his brother for abandoning him when he needed his brother most and for his brother’s inability to see him as a musician. The narrator learns about Sonny’s frustration but still cannot see his brother’s point of view and ends up walking away commenting on how Sonny will need him one day. This brutally honest argument serves as the climax between these brothers in the story. The two conflicts at the beginning of the story pave the way to the major argument towards the end of the story. The reoccurring problem between these two is the narrator’s inability to understand and be there for his brother. Each of the conflict between the two never gets resolved, just brushed off to the side, building up tensions between the two and end up boiling over. The narrator believes that his brother is below him because of his drug abuse and life choices. Most of his life he wants nothing to do with him because he cannot understand him. He ends up pushing Sonny away for most of the story after each conflict, not caring where Sonny is or whether he is alive or not. Unfortunately this is a reoccurring problem with sibling, especially with the older sibling. Like the narrator, many older siblings believe that they know best for their younger sibling, and when their brother/sister goes against what they say the two begin to become distant. Luckily for Sonny and the narrator, they were able to put aside their differences and the narrator was there for Sonny when he performed, and watching him on stage allows the narrator to finally understand Sonny and realize what he is made of. Due to their upbringing and the differences between Sonny and the narrator, they went through many conflicts in the story which all led up to the climax of the story. Their arguments all consisted of the narrator’s misunderstanding of Sonny and who he really is, and trying to change who he wanted to be. Also, each of their arguments never were really solved, just brushed of to the side causing more tension between the two. All these arguments eventually add up to the final big argument between the two. Surprisingly enough, this argument is what brings them together and allows the narrator to get to know Sonny and learn that he never really knew who his brother was.

Tuition Reimbursement Implementation Report Essay

Tuition Reimbursement Implementation Report - Essay Example Since the program will enhance the employees retention, this alone will be a significant move for the business. The contemporary challenge that is facing most businesses perennially is the inability to retain the employees (Arthur, 2008). The business will no longer experience the tedious exercise of recruiting and doing orientation to the new employees who also needs a period of time to acclimatize to the environment during which the efficiency level is much dwindling. If the business can be able to retain the employees who have had experience in the daily running of the business, it will be a great move since the intermittent trend being realized by the workforce turnover will cease (Arthur, 2008). An employee that is given the tuition reimbursement normally have and demonstrates the feeling of responsibility owed to the business to even do extra as a way of compensating for the program. The advantages of the program come in a cascading manner, business is a dynamic venture and req uires constant ability to engage and cope with. Allowing the employees to acquire further skills and training will only be much advantageous to the business since they will now have to make critical contribution in the management and running of the business in the daily basis (Phillips, & Connell, 2010). The era in which the management and decision making were a preserve of the top management body is long gone, the decision making today spiral from the employees upwards. This can only be possible if the employees are encouraged to advance in their academic life so as to enable them actively participates in their capacity effectively. Experienced, properly educated and relevantly trained employees is an essential recipe in success in the business, this is owing to the much dynamic and fluid status of the business panorama (Phillips, & Connell, 2010). A business that does not put this into account will not only experience perennial departure of the employees but also risk retaining di nosaurs. This program will also open new avenues for the employees in the same business environment. This is because employees values the most any more that is mindful of there career growth and advancement. This program will also build the confidence on the employees that their employers values them and are much interested in their unique skills and will want to retain them in their current position to serve better rather than moving and scouting for the best next job available (Downey, March, & Berkman, 2007). This move will settle the psychological part of the employees about moving and searching for the best job. In implementing the program, the business will also be in a position of ascending their employees for greater position from the existing pool of employees rather than sourcing from outside the business, at least the business will get top management employees from the experienced individuals already in the business. A classical example is when an employee has just comple ted his/her bachelors in human

Current and Fixed Assets Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Current and Fixed Assets - Essay Example The exchanging over or turning over of this assets is usually done during the normal business environment. These assets include cash and cash in-equivalents which re the liquid assets. These include currency, deposit accounts and negotiable instruments like money orders and bank drafts. There are also short term investments which include trading securities. Other items are receivable assets, inventory and prepaid expenses (Ingram & Albright, 2006.pp.298). Fixed assets are generally termed as PPE to mean property plant, and equipment. These assets are purchased mainly for long term use. They are used in earning the business profits. These may include land, buildings, machinery, tools, and furniture. They are usually written off against profits in the balance sheet. In management accounting fixed assets are also called capital assets. These assets are attached with monetary value and not the liquid cash like in current assets (Bott, 2005.pp.165). Discussion In a balance sheet there are usually decreases and increases in the assets of the company, both fixed assets and current assets. in the balance sheet an increase in the fixed and current assets is usually debited while a decrease in the two is usually credited. If the asset is capital plus liability then debits are the same as the credits. For double entry to be reflected in the accounts every debit must have a corresponding credit entry. The assets are usually different from liabilities and they take different sides in the balance sheet. To balance an account will simply mean to obtain the difference between the totals of the two sides of an account. If the details of the on the debit side is higher than of the credit side the balance is said to be a debit balance. If the totals on the credit side are higher than of the debit side, the balance is said to be a credit balance (Ingram & Albright, 2006.pp.300). In this company the fixed asset is the file server which is worthy $15,000. This is property of the com pany thus it will be debited. The amount which the company has paid will be credited and the amount that they will get from the same will be credited. What really happens is as shown on the next page: ACCOUNT TO RECORD ENTRY IN ACCOUNT SIDE Asset(fixed and current) An increase Debit Left Asset(fixed and current) A decrease Credit Right The debit side is usually left while the credit is usually one the left side. The $15,000 will therefore be on the left side since it will be an increase in assets of the company. This is a fixed asset because it cannot be converted in quick or liquid cash. The amount which was paid by the company, that is, $5,000 will be a decrease in asset and this will be credited on the right side of the balance sheet. The money which they will get after selling the software packages will be an increase in the company’s current assets and this will be debited on the left side of the balance sheet (Bott, 2005.pp.159). The profits that are got after selling t he software packages will reduce the company’s properties but this will be replaced by the cash that flows in the bank. The two will be written in different sides of the balance sheet. After the property is sold, the value of them will increase since it will bring in addition profits to the company (Ingram & Albright, 2006.pp.291). When there is no change in the assets then the company

Meat Cloning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Meat Cloning - Essay Example According to Bartholet (2011), the repulsion to meat cloning results from some people’s objection to genetically modified products. The study by Mattick & Allenby (2013) indicates that a fear of potential competition for ranching is what makes people object to meat cloning. This fear is underpinned by the potential that meat cloning has to produce meat in large scale hence the possibility of overtaking and overshadowing conventional meat production. The high cost of establishing meat-cloning technology is the aspect cited by Omholt (2008) and Bartholet (2011) as the important economic consideration to meat cloning. This draws from the scarcity and high cost of the ingredients required to grow meat in the laboratory. Bhat & Bhat (2011) endorse fungi as one of the meat cloning media that can be sustainable. These authors advise that the solution to the high cost of meat cloning lie in the recyclability of the media used. Edwards (2010) propose that technology improvement would b oost the establishment of meat cloning. This is because improved technology would make it more efficient and economical.The current literature documents the moral and economic considerations associated with meat cloning. A few studies propose ways that can help address moral issues separately from economic issues. This study recognizes lack of a single way of addressing both considerations concurrently. It seeks to fill this gap by proposing an integrative approach to addressing these issues.

Contemporary Issues in Business and Management Essay

Contemporary Issues in Business and Management - Essay Example The external business environment includes demographic, social, cultural, political, legal, economical, technological, and environmental factors. The environment in which an organization operates, significantly impacts every aspects of the business. The business strategy, marketing strategy as well as the operational strategy of a company is highly dependent on its external business environment. In addition, the internal functions of the business are also impacted to a large extent (Lamb, Hair and McDaniel, 2010). In the same way, corporate culture is also a crucial factor for a business to operate efficiently in the market place. According to Daft (2009), corporate culture acts as the most important mechanism for attracting, retaining and motivating the talent. In the similar manner, different scholars have laid emphasis to the fact that a company’s value is dependent upon the way people are treated in an organization (Daft and Marcic, 2010). In this study, we will try to unc over the importance of business environment and corporate culture in an organization. The company chosen for conducting the study is Nokia and according to the report Nokia is currently dealing with issues pertaining to external business environment and corporate culture. This study will also underpin how the company is dealing with these prevailing situations. Now getting further deep into the study, a brief overview of Nokia is presented below. Nokia: A Brief Overview Nokia is a Finland based multinational company that operates in the field of information and communication technology. The company was founded in the year 1865 and is presently headquartered at Keilaniemi, Espoo, Finland. The founders of the company were Leo Mechelin and Fredrik Idestam. From the date of its incorporation, the company has always tried to offer customers with high product value (Bontje Musterd and Pelzer, 2011). In addition, the company also aims to connect the whole world with their technology offeri ngs. Such intentions also reflect in their tagline which states â€Å"connecting people†. The principal products of the company are portable IT devices and mobile telephones. Apart from that, Nokia also sells different type of games, application, media, music, and messaging platform through the company’s OVI platform. Similarly digital map and navigator services are also provided without any cost through Navteq, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Nokia. The company is divided into three divisions namely mobile phones, mobile solutions, and markets. The mobile solutions division is responsible for overseeing Nokia’s portfolio of mobile computers and Smartphone, whereas the mobile phone division is responsible for administering the product portfolio of mobile phone. The market division looks after the supply chain and distribution activities (Yahoo Finance, 2012). The company has also entered into various strategic alliances which helps them to cater to diversi fied customer base and large geographical locations. Vertu, Navteq and Nokia Siemens networks are some of the strategic alliances of the company (Plunkett, 2009). Some of the major competitors of the company are Samsung, Apple, HTC, Motorola and the local players of the market (where Nokia is having its operations). Until 31 December, 2011, the company had an employee strength of 130, 050. As of financial year 2011, the company

Injustice of Healthcare Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Injustice of Healthcare - Essay Example The health care system's systematic exploitation of the many for the benefit of the privileged few has been over-looked, underestimated, or conveniently ignored by analysts and policymakers. Contrary to the assumptions of many observers, ordinary Americans are not well served by health policies and practices founded on the premise that health care should be beyond price. There are numerous identifiable ways in which political and legal systems in the United States directly or indirectly foreclose opportunities for lower- and middle-income consumers to enhance their own, as well as aggregate, welfare by purchasing low-cost, arguably lower-quality health care and health coverage. In this essay, the over regulation of the providers has been outlined and the various theological and philosophical perspectives on the injustice have been produced in the subsequent sections. The most wide spread kind of regulation of the health care sector is entry control through occupational licensure. The barring from the market of individuals who do not meet minimum standards of competence in the regulated field of endeavor, can enhance consumers' welfare by minimizing both their exposure to risks of bad service and their uncertainty in purchasing complex services. However, entry controls raise costs by excluding providers who might serve some clients adequately and cheaply, thus forcing those clients (mostly lower-income individuals) to pay higher prices for arguably more reliable services. The resulting higher prices cause some consumers to forgo needed services, with adverse health consequences. The lower-income segment of the population, even if protected against costly mistakes, bears many more of the costs of exclusionary licensure than more affluent interests. In any field in which government regulates entry, entry standards will be inefficiently high, causing more hardship than is optimal. Although quality-enhancing standards limit opportunities for cost-reducing innovations, the consumers tend to value disproportionately the added security they are supplied. Occupational regulation has other costs besides those flowing from state-imposed restrictions on entry. State legislatures typically also delegate responsibility for regulating practice of a licensed occupation to its licensing board. Such boards make rules not only curtailing the supply of competitors but also suppressing advertising, corporate or commercial practice, and other practices that might intensify competition and foster consumer choice. Moreover, at the same time that they largely control the regulatory apparatus, the licensees in each field generally organize themselves privately not only to advance their political objectives, but also to set private standards for professional practice, educational programs, and institutional providers of services. Although such private entities may not directly enforce the standards they set, these standards and their accompanying certifications of compliance usually carry decisive weight in the marketplace and with state regulators. With the public generally unaware of the cost and competitive implications of such publicly sanctioned self-regulatory regimes, the interests of the regulated are commonly advanced at consumers' expense, with cost increases a

Dissertation style research, geothermal piles and carbon accounting Literature review

Dissertation style research, geothermal piles and carbon accounting - Literature review Example In geothermal pipes, the pipes are vertically laid for the construction so that they can be incorporated into the foundations of piles. The structural piles are converted into heat exchangers through the addition of one or more plastic pipes down their length. During the construction of the geothermal pipes, the diameter of the pipe and the length need to be designed in order to resist the applicable structural loads. They are not designed to suit the requirement of the geothermal. When constructing the geothermal piles, first the soil is extracted from the ground. Later the welded and rigid reinforcement cage is inserted (Ghasemi-Fare & Basu, n.d.). Various close-ended loops consisting of polythene plastic and absorber pipes are evenly fixed around the reinforcement cage for the entire depth. The close-ended loops are fabricated with off-site and composed of the heat transfer fluid. The heat transfer fluid consists of the saline solution or water with the antifreeze. The loops are fitted with the manometer and locking valve at the pile cage top. Before the concreting process, the absorber pipes undergo pressurised for integrity test, and in preventing collapse because of the fluid concrete. The pressure is maintained, as it waits for the concrete to harden and reapplied prior to enclosure of the absorber pipes. During the concreting process, the pipes tops are withdrawn to avoid the damage and the tremie pipe is positioned to the pile base. Then concrete is poured into the tremie then raised until the pipe is filled with concrete. After finishing the pile, the absorber pipes are the then connected to heat exchanger. The heat exchanger is connected to the pipe’s secondary circuit in the walls and floors of the building construction. The geothermal heat exchangers is one of the most technological heating, refrigerating, and cooling method any enclosure need to condition. The principle behind the

Doppelganger Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 4

Doppelganger - Essay Example The Nolans use nonlinear narrative approach to capture the themes in the screenplay in a whole new fashion that not only entertains, but captures new aesthetics of a 21st century film. This paper analyses how different styles such as mise-en-scene, cinematography, editing and sound design affect the overall outcome of the themes and aesthetics in â€Å"The Prestige.† Robert Angier and Alfred Borden cut the image of two would-be illusionists working in harmony in Victorian London, but upon the unintended elimination of Angier’s wife, the two characters turn against each other; Bordwell (2013) noted that â€Å"with Julia’s death, the men become enemies.† Hell-bent on proving that the other is weaker and incapable, both parties discover a new center or focus in the elegant Olivia Wenscombe. By virtue of Wenscome, each of the two sinks deeper into mystery in an attempt to demonstrate that they he is the more powerful magician. â€Å"The Prestige† takes an atmospheric turn that seamlessly integrates magic’s natural mystery and secrecies with well-connected scenes that constantly ensure the audiences follow the story to the end while chasing unending solutions to the mysteries. Although, the storyline jumps from one time period to another in an effort to underscore the seriousness of the rivalry between the magicians, director Christopher Nolan clearly delineates the scenes to avoid any confusion among the audience. The carefully designed mise-en-scenes style featuring the two characters on the foreground at night in the outdoor scene, with lines of bulbs planted to the background, for example, not only creates an intriguing social life of the two characters at the beginning of the film, but also evokes a particular dreamlike value that is both attractive and mysterious (Bordwell, 2013). Neither of the two protagonists is predominantly likeable especially in the dark clothes they adorn and their shadowy movements. Both men have somehow

Journal on The Lost Colony Of Roanoke Essay Example for Free

Journal on The Lost Colony Of Roanoke Essay 1587, Day 1 We arrived today on the island of Roanoke. Queen Elizabeth of England had sent us over here to start a colony in the new world. There were about one hundred and twenty people on board that tiny vessel consisting of men, women, and children. I am very happy to make it onto land after so long on the water in a crowded ship. The land is dense with forests, and the bodies of water that surround us are beautiful. John White has been named governor of our colony. Day 20 I have been inside the huts all day taking care of the children and trying to make it more like a home. Ive conversed with another one of the ladies and she told me that some of the men have ventured into the forest today looking for the lost colonists. There were many gentlemen sent over during Englands last trip; they were to start building a camp, but ran out of supplies so one ship returned to England while the rest of the men stayed here. The fifteen of them that stayed have disappeared without any clues as to what happened to them. I also heard rumors that they have made friends with the Croatoan Indians, and that they will help us with getting supplies. When they returned this afternoon they announced that their days expedition was to no avail. Soon we all have to start figuring out a way to get food, we have enough to last for a long time, but eventually we will run out. Day 30 The days are starting out to be the same each day. I have taken care of the children all day and cleaned this filthy shack up. Some of the men ventured out again for hope of the lost colonists, but again to no avail. Others worked all day building homes. Hopefully they will be finished soon so we can get a proper roof over our heads. John White is talking of another trip to return to England for more supplies soon. Day 100 The natives have brought us food today and have taught the men what plants are edible. We still are in need of supplies though and a ship will be leaving soon to collect. Our men have lost all hope of finding the 15 men who had disappeared, so groups have been on missions to find gold or some sort of precious metals to present to her majesty that the new Colonies are profitable. Day 300 The ship left to go back to England months ago, and weve lost all hope of its return. We have run out of supplies, the natives are helping us, but to stay at Roanoke is hopeless. Colonists have decided to start a move somewhere else. John White had organized an attack on the enemy Indians who we had heard attacked and killed our 15 men left on Roanoke, a few months back, but instead we attacked the Croatoans by accident. The Indians are not very keen on us now so we cannot rely on them for shelter and food. We have packed all our supplies left and ventured inland. The ship sent back to England didnt return to the colony for 3 years. During that time England was at war with Spain and couldnt afford to let one of its ships return to Roanoke with supplies no matter how much John White begged the Queen. When England had won the war in 1590, a ship was sent back with supplies for the colony. Once arrived on land, they discovered that the hundred and sixteen people had abandoned Roanoke. All that was left was the word Croatoan carved into a tree. The colony was never found and the ship returned to England not knowing the fate of the colonists.

Brief History Of Japanese Cinema Film

Brief History Of Japanese Cinema Film For the basis of my essay I shall try and delve into how Japanese cinema reflects and challenges the culture of the country, I will also look into several films and analyse them to show what connection they have with the cultural aspect of japan as a nation and also provide a brief history of Japanese cinema. The issues I will look at will involve the Hiroshima bombings and the effects of nuclear warfare as mentioned above and the relevance to Godzilla, as well as the cultural aspects of seven Samurai and how it reflects Japanese mentality in terms of lifestyle and also looking at the huge emphasis that martial arts plays in there cinema which sometimes may form a stereo type for Japanese people. Film makers I will look at will include Akira kurosawa and the creator of Dragon ball Z Akira Toriyama and Maseki Kobayahi. In terms of observations I will focus on mainly the culture which includes clothing/ mentality of the Japanese people and lifestyle. I will also look at the original Ja panese film, The Ringu which inspired the 2002 film The Ring and talk about how it acted as almost a renaissance for Japanese horror films, ultimately finishing with a conclusion on my thoughts about my findings and give my opinion on how culture is reflected. Japanese cinema dates back over a hundred years and is the fourth largest in terms of yearly films produced in the world. The arrival of the Lumià ¨re brothers cinematograph in 1897 marked the true beginning of cinema in Japan. The first moving-picture camera imported into the country was a Gaumont camera that was used on a few instances to film fashionable geishas in the traditional restaurants of Shimbashi, which received the approval of the Japanese audiences. The film made from these shots of the geishas is considered to be the first film made for entertainment in Japan. In 1899, a photographic engineer named Tsunekichi Shibata made what is thought to be the first Japanese cinematographic production, a film of purely theatrical content that showed a kabuki play named Maple Viewing or Momijigari. In 1908, ShÃ…Â zÃ…Â  Makino, considered the pioneer director of Japanese cinema, started his influential career with HonnÃ…Â ji gassen, produced for Yokota ShÃ…Â kai. ShÃ…Â zÃ…Â  then cast Matsunosuke Onoe, a former kabuki actor, to star in his work. Onoe became Japans first real film star, appearing in over a thousand films, most of them were shorts, between 1909 and 1926. The pair pioneered the jidaigeki genre. Tokihiko Okada was a popular romantic lead of the same era. Likewise the he first female Japanese performer to appear in a film professionally was the dancer/actress Tokuko Nagai Takagi, who appeared in four shorts for the American-based Thanhouser Company between 1911 and 1914. In the 1950s which is considered the Golden Age of Japanese cinema. Three Japanese films from this decade (Rashomon, Seven Samurai and Tokyo Story) made the list of Sight Sounds 2002 Critics and Directors Poll for the best films of all time. This led to a rise in diversity in movie distribution thanks to the increased amount of films produced and popularity of the film studios of Toho, Daiei, Shochiku, Nikkatsu, and Toei.It started with Akira Kurosawas Rashomon (1950), which won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival Which firmly put Japanese cinema on the map globally. It was also the breakout role for legendary Japanese star Toshiro Mifune The first Japanese film in color was Carmen Comes Home directed by Ke isuke Kinoshita and released in 1951. There was also a black-and-white version of this film available. Gate of Hell, a 1953 film by Teinosuke Kinugasa, was the first movie that filmed using the Eastman color film, Gate of Hell was both Daieis first color film and the first Japanese color movie to be released outside of Japan internationally, receiving an Oscar in 1954 for Best Costume Design by Sanzo Wada and an Honorary Award for Best Foreign Language Film. It also won the Palme dOr at the Cannes Film Festival, the first Japanese film to achieve that honour. Also that year of 1954 saw arguably the two of Japans most influential films released. The first was the Kurosawa Seven Samurai, about a group of hired samurai who protect a helpless village from a dangerous gang of thieves. The same year, IshirÃ…Â  Honda released the anti-nuclear horror film Gojira, which was translated in the English as Godzilla. Though it was severely edited for its Western release, Godzilla became an international icon of Japan and spawned an entire new genre in Japanses film known as Kaiju films which were basically monster movies. The 1980s saw the decline of many of the massive Japanese film studios and their associated cinemas, with major studios Toho responsible for Godzilla and Toei barely managing to be stable in business, Shochiku supported almost solely by the Otoko wa tsurai films, and Nikkatsu declining even further. Because of economic recessions, the number of movie theatres in Japan had been steadily declining ever since the 1960s. The 1990s saw the reversal of this trend and the introduction of the Multiplex in Japan. In the 2000s the number of movies being shown in Japan steadily started to increase, with about 821 films released in 2006. Movies based on Japanese television series were especially popular during this period. Anime films now accounted for 60 percent of Japanese film production. The 1990s and 2000s are considered to be Japanese Cinemas Second Golden Age, due to the immense popularity of anime, both within Japan and overseas. In anime, Hayao Miyazaki directed Spirited Away in 2001, b reaking Japanese box office records and winning several awards, followed by Howls Moving Castle and Ponyo in 2004 and 2008. Japanese films have been given several genres within them with Jidaigeki being historic pieces of work that are set during the Edo period (1603-1868) or earlier. Jidaigeki, which is covers films like seven samurai and the term meaning the sound of swords clashing, Horror films such as Ring Kaiju films which mentioned above are monster films which were stemmed mainly from the birth of Godzilla. Pink films which are soft core pornographic films. Yakuz, movies about the Yakuza mobsters, Gendaigeki which is the opposite of Jidaigeki are films set in the present day with contemporary themes. Shomingeki are realistic films about common working people and lifestyles. Anime which is Japanese animation and has become a massive boon in the Japanese film industry accounting for almost as much as 60% of productions and then Mecha Science fiction and Cyberpunk. Godzilla (1954) Moving on to the core of my essay the film I picked out and arguably being one of Japanese cinemas most important globally successful and iconic films, Godzilla.Initially appearing in IshirÃ…Â  Hondas 1954 monster film Godzilla, ever since then, Godzilla has then gone on to become a international pop culture icon appearing in 28 films produced by Toho Co Ltd. The monster has appeared in other numerous other mediums including video games, novels, comic books, and an American animated television series. A 1998 American remake was produced titled Godzilla but received mixed reviews and showed a different version to that of its Japanese roots and a second American version is currently in development at legendary pictures a warner bros that will be directed by Gareth Edwards after they acquired the rights from Toho with it promising to return to his original Japanese roots, with the producers behind it describing Godzilla as being a force of nature. Originally Godzilla was created after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the Daigo FukuryÃ…Â « Maru incident still fresh in the minds of the Japanese people, He was portrayed as a monster created by nuclear mutation by the detonations of nuclear warfare and is supposed to be a metaphor for nuclear weapons in general. As the film series expanded and got bigger and bigger, the latter stories took on less serious undertones and began being more mainstream by portraying Godzilla as a hero while other plots still had him as a destructive creature. Baring in mind Godzillas nuclear origin, his abilities were stemmed as visual representations of the bombing by having atomic breath and a nuclear aura. By somewhat embodying the kaiju genre he has been viewed as a visual film graphic representation for the United States by giving the Japanese audience a very negative perception of America in general as well as an allegory of nuclear weapons in general. The earlier Godzilla fi lms, especially the original, showed Godzilla as a terrifying monster born of nuclear origin. Godzilla represented the fear that Japan as a nation had about the horrible nuclear attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and always counting the possibility of any recurrence. As the series progressed it also changed Godzilla into a less destructive and more heroic character as the films started to become aimed towards younger audiences. Godzilla remains one of the most recognisable fictional heroes in the history of film, and is also the second of only three fictional characters to have won the MTV Lifetime Achievement Award, which was awarded in 1996. It is clear the cultural reflection Godzilla has with Japan as a nation due to the bombing also portraying America in a negative vein. The idea of the atomic bomb was reflected in the second Godzilla movie. Gigantis, the Fire Monster. In the movie Godzilla fights for Japan against Angilas, who was also mutated by an atomic explosion. In Godzil la vs King Ghidorah, Ghidora starts out as a bat, but turns into a monster after exposure to an atom bomb test. Here it is not the idea of lizards and bats fighting but looking deeper it raises the issue of atomic bomb testing in a farcical manner. However, Godzillas status as a symbol for Japans collective fears carried on the next 40 years, Godzilla was used to symbolize other concerns as well being not only used to symbolise the atomic bomb but also the cold war. Godzilla also had a way of destroying symbols of the Japanese political establishment, including the national parliament. This can be seen in the 1992 release of Godzilla vs. Mothra. Here, the larva of the giant moth, Mothra, spins a cocoon around the countrys parliament building. Mothra was a comical insect created to do what Japan could never achieve single-handedly: stop a one party government that frustrated the nation. The aspect of women restoring the natural balance is seen again in Godzilla vs. The Thing released in the U.S. as Godzilla vs. Mothra. After a violent storm, an enormous egg is found floating in the ocean. It actually contains Mothras offspring. An entrepreneur decides to buy it and make it a tourist attraction by building a glass case around it. Metaphorically this man is Westernized in his hope to control and contain nature rather than live in harmony with it. So, a women reporter, two tiny women who are in a symbiotic and telepathic relationship with Mothra, and Mothra, herself, attempt to rescue the egg. This represents their attempt to restore the natural balance. Unfortunately, Godzilla also threatens the wellbeing of the egg and Mothra dies attempting to defend it. Eventually, though, two larvae hatch from the egg and envelope Godzilla in a chrysalis. He falls back into the water from which he came. Again, it is the women whether of the human or moth species who struggle and sacrifice themselves to resolve the films crises in favor of balance and harmony. The constant dep iction of an antagonist being a symbolic reference to the western shows that the nation of japan is united to a common threat outside their own walls showing external struggles so basically suggesting that they as a nation they stand together and dont show the internal struggles again referring back to the bombing. Foreign nations often wonder what the appeal of a giant latex dinosaur could possibly be, but I think the answer is simple, Godzilla is, after all, the overall opposite to the typical Japanese stereotype. Aggressive and monstrous in a country where people tend to be graceful and polite and honourable. He is spontaneous in a place that values the impassive, studied response. He is confrontational where conciliation is considered proper behaviour. He is, in essence, a nuclear bomb in a country that is emphatically opposed to nuclear weapons in effect challenging the countries culture. From looking at the hospital scenes after Godzilla destroys Tokyo, you get an accurate vie w to what it may have been for the unfortunate survivors of the Hiroshima blast. This was the first and only occasion in a kaiju film, the distress and suffering of innocent citizens is shown, with piles of dead bodies in hospitals that were seen. As Gojira is a hauntingly representation to the bombing of Hiroshima, Gojira no Gyakushu made in 1955 was a representation and reminder to the bombing of Nagasaki. Seven Samurai Seven Samurai was a 1954 Japanese adventure/drama film directed by Akira Kurosawa, the film is set in 1587 during the warring states period of Japan. The story revolves around a village of farmers that recruits seven master less samurai to fight against bandits who aim to steal the crops after the farms harvest. The film is looked back upon by many critics as one of the greatest and influential films of all time ever made and one of the films aswell as Godzilla which is widely known in the west and was subjected to critical acclaim voted in the list of greatest films of all time. Seven samurai has also inspired the 1960 film Magnificent seven in the west where the Samurai are replaced with gunslingers. The film also reflected Japanese agriculture with the emphasis being on a farm and crops acting almost like a metaphoric currency. It reflected the warrior culture of the nation incredibly well but in somewhat almost creates a stereotype of Japanese people. Akira Kurosawa Kurosawa was a Japanese film director/producer/screen writer and is considered by many as one of the most influential people in not only Japanese cinema but worldwide. He made his debut in Japanese film in 1936 and made his directorial debut in 1943 with Shansiro sugata. Kurosawa also left his mark on American cinema by influencing George Lucass epic science fiction Star wars from Akiras own Hidden fortress. If American film in full of action, European film has character, leaving the Japanese film rich in mood and atmosphere as Kurosawas work showed. It presented characters in nature, it raised issues like the universal topic in relation to basic humanity. However, how the story is told and the way it is viewed brand its identity to the worldwide stage. Traditional theatre Kabuki. It is a form of traditional Maseki Kobayahi The film Harakiri directed by Masaki Kobayahi in (1962) was a film made about throwing thousands of Samurai out of work and into poverty. This film took the form of militaristic power and they pose the same moral conflict in terms of the struggle of the individual against society. Japanese director Masaki Kobayashi came of age in the postwar moment, a time when filmmakers were at the frontline of dissident expression in japan. Drawing upon a rich history of protest in Japanese cinema, which had fallen dormant during the war and occupation years, filmmakers took the opportunity to challenge those institutions that remained wedded to the nations feudal past. Out of all the director in Japan Masaki Kobayashi was know to be the most passionate directors of them all and his films were marked by a insolence of tradition and authority, whether feudal or contemporary. Kobayashi found the present time to be no more different to the violation of personal freedoms than they did in the pre-meiji past, under official feudalism, had been. Kobayashi often showed his political disagreement when filming jidai-geki films, In which the historical past becomes a substitute for modern japan. When filming jidai-geki films Kobayashi exposed the historical roots of contemporary injustice. Most Japanese audiences were well schooled in history so this allowed them to connect the critique of the past with abuses in the present. The film Harakiri that was made in 1962 highlighted this. Japanese theatre, known for the stylization of its drama and for the elaborate makeup worn by some of its performers, like the Gieshas. This was all present in Kurosawas work especially Seven Samurai. Japanese society in film Japanese society and its culture is also a core of what cinema in the country portray or want to portray, Tokyo story is a brilliant example. It tells the story of an aging couple who travel to Tokyo to visit their grown children. The film contrasts the behaviour of their children, who are too busy to pay them much attention, and their widowed daughter-in-law, who manages to host them properly. It is often regarded as Ozus masterpiece. It tells a realistic grounded. It reflected on the culture by showing day to day Japanese family life. Memoirs from a Giesha gives us an inside into the perspective female lifestyle of a Geisha, They are a Japanese entertainer often wearing the historic kimono dress which is almost like a visual representation of a common mans image of a common Japanese woman. It reflected culture of the feminine side and how it showed women were considered not to have any skills and that it was just there looks which could be used for entertainment. Gieshas are also sometimes referred to as prostitutes due to them having the entertainer tag for the fact of not having it label them vulgar and obscene and censorship issues in Japanese cinema. Anime has also been a huge part of recent Japanese cinema, often portraying culture and history. Conclusion Concluding my essay I feel that I have given examples of instances where the culture is reflected and where the culture is challenged, Godzilla provided a visual symbolic representation of the mind set of japan during the bombing, along with addressing issues with Japanese parliament as seen in a later instalment of Godzilla and also the countries mentality as united against a common threat in this case being the western. Referring to how I think it challenges the culture in a negative sense is Another issue is the constant depiction of martial arts often in Anime and in live action Japanese cinema, which is commonly exported to western territories due to their action-packed content, and so gives an unrealistic view of Japanese culture and creates a racial stereotype. . From looking at the film Memoirs of a Geisha and where she is sold shows an example of people trafficking which can create a negative perception of Japanese culture, this in my opinion challenges the culture. From thi s research and evidence I have found out that the cinema of japan does indeed http://www.gojapango.com/culture/culture.html 10 Essential Japanese  Films http://filmstudiesforfree.blogspot.co.uk/2010/07/on-japanese- cinema.html

Slovenias transition from labor managed economy to privately owned capitalism :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1991 following a ten day military resistance to the Yugoslav National Army, Slovenia achieved its independence. Since then the country has established itself through economic prosperity and stability that is not always the case for countries transforming from a communist dominated system. During the period that Slovenia was a part of Yugoslavia the government consisted of a socialist system dominated by the communist party with most aspects of political power centered at regional levels. As a part of Yugoslavia Slovenia made up one fifth of its GDP and since its independence it has maintained a consistent GDP growth rate of 4% and has been successful in its transformation to a market dominated system by taking a policy of diversification of trade and an advocate of bilateral and regional free trade agreements.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Slovenia is a small country in central Europe. It borders the Adriatic Sea and lies between Austria and Croatia. Slovenia is slightly smaller than New Jersey and has a population of just over two million people. Its strong historical ties to Western Europe along with many other factors such as a literacy rate of 99.7% have resulted in Slovenia enjoying a much higher per capita GDP than other transitioning economies in Central Europe.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The policy change that Slovenia experienced upon its independence involved a change from labor managed enterprises to a privately owned capitalist system. This task involves the privatization of the entire market from a socially owned and planned system. The changes to the labor market that took place were the transformation from wage controls to a competitive labor market. This was not as big of an issue in Slovenia due to the negative influence that labor-managed enterprises had on wage and price controls. The attempts to distance itself from central planning and the ideal of a functioning labor market is one of the primary reasons that Slovenia has made the transition to a capitalist economy with relative ease.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Towards the late 1980s the Yugoslav government recognized the need for economic change in order to prevent stagflation from occurring and to spur production. Actions taken included â€Å"liberalizing prices, wages, imports, and personal foreign currency accounts, which together would bring about equilibrium of relative prices.† These stabilization policies allowed corporations to act more autonomously and set the stage for the eventual transition to a capitalist economy by Slovenia after its independence.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Prior to the Slovene independence in 1991, the Yugoslav economy was based on labor-managed enterprises and basic price and wage controls.

The Structure of Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown Essay -- Young Goodma

â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† – the Structure  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   Q. D. Leavis in â€Å"Hawthorne as Poet† mentions Nathaniel Hawthorne’s â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† as â€Å"essentially dramatic† : â€Å"The first batch of works I specified [including â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†] is essentially dramatic, its use of language is poetic, and it is symbolic, and richly so, as is the dramatic poet’s. . . â€Å" (27) This essay will examine this and other features of the structure of Hawthorne’s short story.    Leavis’ evaluation of the story’s structure as â€Å"essentially dramatic† is consistent with the view expressed by Clarice Swisher in â€Å"Nathaniel Hawthorne: a Biography.† She states: â€Å"Biographers and critics of Nathaniel Hawthorne must deal with opposites – determination and self-doubt, imagery of light and dark, flowers and weeds – paradoxes† (13). Swisher’s â€Å"opposites† and Leavis’ â€Å"essentially dramatic† are the same concept, in the estimation of this reader. Let’s examine the text to see evidence of this; notice how the â€Å"opposites† say their lines in the fashion of a drama:    "Dearest heart," whispered she, softly and rather sadly, when her lips were close to his ear, "pr'ythee, put off your journey until sunrise, and sleep in your own bed tonight. A lone woman is troubled with such dreams and such thoughts, that she's afeard of herself, sometimes. Pray, tarry with me this night, dear husband, of all nights in the year!"    "My love and my Faith," replied young Goodman Brown, "of all nights in the year, this one night must I tarry away from thee. My journey, as thou callest it, forth and back again, must needs be done 'twixt now and sunrise. What, my sweet, pretty wife, dost thou doubt me already, and we but three months married!"    ... ...n Brown,† including the time-frame, the use of foreshadowing, suspenseful incidents, the â€Å"dramatic† aspect, the climax and denouement.    WORKS CITED    Abrams, M. H. A Glossary of Literary Terms, 7th ed. New York: Harcourt Brace College Publishers, 1999.    Hawthorne, Nathaniel. â€Å"Young Goodman Brown.† 1835. http://www.cwrl.utexas.edu/~daniel/amlit/goodman/goodmantext.html    Kaul, A.N. â€Å"Introduction.† In Hawthorne – A Collection of Critical Essays, edited by A.N. Kaul. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1966.    Leavis, Q.D. â€Å"Hawthorne as Poet.† In Hawthorne – A Collection of Critical Essays, edited by A.N. Kaul. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1966.    Swisher, Clarice. â€Å"Nathaniel Hawthorne: a Biography.† In Readings on Nathaniel Hawthorne, edited by Clarice Swisher. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 1996.

Hiding Places :: essays research papers

We go to places of comfort to get away from the burden of harsh realities. People use hiding places of physical means like a closet or library, to maybe think of things they care for and things that make them happy and . Whether it be your bedroom, your closet, you know you can always count on the satisfaction of you hidden place to be there for you and blanket you. No matter what, your hiding place is always going to be easily accessible and very accommodating . People enjoy this because it is a place they can go to for a guaranteed refreshing experience. Someone might resort to their room with the door shut and locked after a break up with a partner and write about the past experiences that they have endured together. The hiding place gives off an aura of familiarity and comfort. Something we can all use in a desperate time. Essentially, a hiding place has to provide a familiar physical stimuli. Hiding places often reside in the pages of literature. Within literature lies the tales of people lives, experiences, and knowledge. People love to play the part in Shakespeare, or be one of the knights from King Arthur’s Round table. It sets them closer to freedom. In books, inhibitions are set free, and people can ultimately be what they want. This is important when someone is feeling insignificant. Everyone needs to feel wanted, loved, and noticed, and if someone can not obtain these needs from someone, they will resort to someWHERE they can. Potential problems for hiding places is the disregard for the realities of the modern world. Someone who spends all there time in books is living there life falsely and will face tasks that they will not be able to conquer due to insecurities. Examples of the insecurities they endure are lack of confidence and lack of trust in others.

Fj Benjamin

FJ Benjamin Holdings Ltd# (SGX: FJB) 18 July 2012 Receding tides at the fashion and timepieces retailer UNDERWEIGHTTarget Price: S$ 0. 09 Price (as at 18 July 2012) | Bloomberg| 12-month Range| Market Capitalization| S$ 0. 33| SGD 0. 3300| SGD 0. 26 – 0. 365| SGD 203 Million| 3 Points that convince us of a Sell rating: * Something 1 Explanation * Something 2 Explanation * Something 3 Explanation Year End: Jul| 3QFY11Results| 3QFY12Results| YoY % Growth| YTD % as of FY2012| Revenue (S$’000)| | | | | Retail| | | | | Distribution| | | | | Licensing| | | | | Gross Profit| | | | |Gross Margin| | | | | EBIT (S$’000)| | | | | EBIT Margin| | | | | Net Profit| | | | | Net Margin| | | | | EPS| | | | | DPS| | | | | NAV/Share| | | | | Headquartered in Singapore, SGX-listed F J Benjamin Holdings Ltd. (FJB) builds in-house and develops international lifestyle and luxury brands across Asia and recently in the Western markets too. With a portfolio of over 20 celebrated brands, t he group divides itself into four core businesses: 1. Luxury and Lifestyle Fashion Retailing and Distribution; 2. Timepiece Distribution; 3. Design and Manufacturing of their in-house brand RAOUL . Investing in Lifestyle Concepts Section I: Industry Analysis SWOT Analysis Strengths Wide retail network FJB operates 191 stores across Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Indonesia in prime locations to cater to its premium customers and tourists and help maintain the competitiveness of the Group. Wide diversified luxury and lifestyle brand portfolio The brand portfolio comprises over 20 iconic luxury and lifestyle brands. A diversified portfolio of scalable brands helps the Group mitigate the vulnerability of luxury brands in an economic downturn.Multilingual retail staff improves customer service * FJB believes in investing heavily in retail staff training to increase service quality and language proficiency to serve tourists who visit the stores from various regions. Strong balance she et and positive cash flow allow FJB to fund its CAPEX plans FJB maintained SGD7. 7m of net cash at the end of FY2012 despite incurring capital expenditure rising by 8% due to the opening and refurbishment of stores Weaknesses Geographic diversity and exposure to high tax rates FJB Operates in 190 stores across the world.With many stores located in Malaysia and China, where the effective tax rate is close to 30%, FJB faces a high tax bill and thus lower overall profits. Highly cyclical earnings FJB’s earnings are highly cyclical and they tend to peak in the late stages of a cyclical upturn. This translates into a risk of over expansion during good times. FJB’s total revenue increased 38% YoY for FY 2007. Poor presence and performance in Australia, Europe and North America FBJ classifies it’s geographical segments into South East Asia, North Asia and Other, which includes their franchised brands in North America and Australia.This segment has historically made up less than 2% of total revenue. Opportunities Strong brand name of RAOUL FJB’s proprietary brand was one of the brands topping the high fashion category in a recent Mystery Shopping Survey. It has grown well over the last few years as FJB was able to raise RAOUL’s brand value and expand the business to Europe and the United States. New international brands to accelerate earnings potential The Group is working to bring in affordable international fashion brands. Recently, the Group signed an exclusive distribution agreement with the Padini Group for VNC shoes to venture into the growing Indonesian market.Threats Competition The majority of FJB’s competitors operate with large store numbers (Esprit – 1,128, Dickson Concepts – more than 1,000, WINGT – more than 180, Metro – 879,000 square feet). The rise of blogshops in the SE Asia have also increased competition within the industry. Macroeconomic instability Macroeconomic instability thr eatens growth. Grim economic sentiment worldwide poses an explicit threat to FJB’s growth as it caters to the premium fashion retailing market. Porter’s Five Forces Highly competitive climateOur team analyzed the macroeconomic conditions and the special characteristics of the fashion retail industry, we have determined that FJ Benjamin operates in a highly competitive market. The largest drivers of competition are the degree of rivalry, new entrants and the supplier power. Exposure to foreign currency shocks and the threats from competing businesses are substantial factors to look out for. Buyer Power (High) Buyer Power (High) Supplier Power (Strong) Supplier Power (Strong) Substitutes (Moderate) Substitutes (Moderate) New Entrants (High) New Entrants (High)Degree of Rivalry (Strong) Degree of Rivalry (Strong) Many competitors offering diverse choices Many competitors offering diverse choices Low customer loyalty in retail industry Low customer loyalty in retail indust ry Many firms competing for market share Many firms competing for market share Saturated Market Saturated Market Price inelasticity Price inelasticity High product differentiation High product differentiation High Capital Outlay High Capital Outlay Fall in brand perception will result in customer turnover Fall in brand perception will result in customer turnoverIncreasing wealth may lead to consumers using premium brands Increasing wealth may lead to consumers using premium brands Healthy relationships with suppliers to sustain franchises Healthy relationships with suppliers to sustain franchises Constantly changing fashion trends Constantly changing fashion trends Exposure to foreign currency shocks Exposure to foreign currency shocks High marketing expenditure needed to maintain brand perception High marketing expenditure needed to maintain brand perception Section II: Accounting Analysis & Adjustments Accounting Analysis – Faithful representationThe auditors’ report demonstrated that the accounts present a true and fair view of the company. It is noteworthy that it was highlighted in the corporate governance report that there are no employees who are relatives of directors paid above $150,000. In addition, all members of the nomination, remuneration and audit committee are independent non-executive directors. There is also a whistle-blowing policy for the Group, which encourages a high level of non-tolerance against fraud. There was also adequate disclosure of interested transactions between its subsidiaries and its newly acquired associate prior to the acquisition.However, a potential conflict of interest in the area of the risk management committee, which usually comprises majority of non-executive directors, but in the case of MPM, is managed by executive directors. There might be the possibility of them not being objective in assessing the risks that the company faces. Understandability There is thorough explanation of accounting policies adopted in the notes, supplemented with definitions of accounting terms where appropriate. While the assets and liabilities of associates are mentioned, no further breakdown is given as to the comprisal of them.Assets and liabilities of subsidiaries are also absent from the notes. This applies for jointly controlled entities too. It was hard to determine where personnel expenses and the disclosures under profit before income tax fall into the income statement, making it confusing how to account for them. The cash figure in the balance sheet and cash flow statement differed due to fixed deposits, bank overdraft and pledged fixed deposits and bank balances, making forecasting of financial statements relatively inconvenient. ComparabilityThere is clear disclosure when amendments are made to FRS, accompanied with a statement whether the change is applied retrospectively or prospectively, as well as the materiality of the amounts presented. Where changes are to be expected, these are sta ted beforehand with their effective period of commencement stated methodically. Details of other operating expenses were provided in the notes from 2009 to 2011, but absent in the notes in 2007 and 2008, making comparison of detailed expenses difficult. Segment reporting was available to enable investors to compare across companies that might be similar to MPM in one of their business segments.Accounting Distortions Adjusted Non-recurring items The notes were inspected to identify line items that could potentially be non-recurring and should thus be removed from the financial statements to provide a clearer picture of the sustainable earnings of the company. Items recognized as non-recurring included bad debts written off, investment in associate, and other expenses in which no details were given. Other possible non-recurring items included government grant received, though this could possibly recur due to the achievement of the conditions under the Capability Development Scheme in 2010.Foreign exchange gain was also thought of to be recurring due to the entrance into forward currency contracts. Equity to proportionate consolidation MPM’s subsidiary Marco Polo Shipping Co Pte Ltd holds a 49% stake in PT Pelayaran Nasional Bina Buana Raya (BRR), an Indonesian shipping company which engages in ship agency, chartering and transshipment of vessels. The 49% stake is the maximum equity stake allowed to be taken by a foreigner without affecting the ability of BBR to ply the Indonesian waters as a domestic shipping company.By the substance over form principle, Marco Polo has effective control over BRR, thus we carried out proportionate consolidation on the entity. Joint ventures were also consolidated to provide a more accurate picture of the group. Operating leases MPM has several operating leases with lease period not amounting to more than 5 years. The leases were capitalized based on the implicit interest rate in the finance leases, except for 2008, where a figure of interest expenses over beginning long term debt was used, due to the absence of finance leases in 2007.Capitalizing the operating lease would result in a more accurate representation of liabilities and assets. Guarantees and litigations MPM was involved in two lawsuits over the period under purview. One involved $106,000 for late delivery of vessels while the other involved arbitration against a subsidiary of the Company in relation to certain charter party disputes. These were included in contingent liabilities during 2007 and 2008 respectively, though in the opinion of the directors, both lawsuits had no merit or basis and would not have financial impact on the company. Fj Benjamin FJ Benjamin Holdings Ltd# (SGX: FJB) 18 July 2012 Receding tides at the fashion and timepieces retailer UNDERWEIGHTTarget Price: S$ 0. 09 Price (as at 18 July 2012) | Bloomberg| 12-month Range| Market Capitalization| S$ 0. 33| SGD 0. 3300| SGD 0. 26 – 0. 365| SGD 203 Million| 3 Points that convince us of a Sell rating: * Something 1 Explanation * Something 2 Explanation * Something 3 Explanation Year End: Jul| 3QFY11Results| 3QFY12Results| YoY % Growth| YTD % as of FY2012| Revenue (S$’000)| | | | | Retail| | | | | Distribution| | | | | Licensing| | | | | Gross Profit| | | | |Gross Margin| | | | | EBIT (S$’000)| | | | | EBIT Margin| | | | | Net Profit| | | | | Net Margin| | | | | EPS| | | | | DPS| | | | | NAV/Share| | | | | Headquartered in Singapore, SGX-listed F J Benjamin Holdings Ltd. (FJB) builds in-house and develops international lifestyle and luxury brands across Asia and recently in the Western markets too. With a portfolio of over 20 celebrated brands, t he group divides itself into four core businesses: 1. Luxury and Lifestyle Fashion Retailing and Distribution; 2. Timepiece Distribution; 3. Design and Manufacturing of their in-house brand RAOUL . Investing in Lifestyle Concepts Section I: Industry Analysis SWOT Analysis Strengths Wide retail network FJB operates 191 stores across Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Indonesia in prime locations to cater to its premium customers and tourists and help maintain the competitiveness of the Group. Wide diversified luxury and lifestyle brand portfolio The brand portfolio comprises over 20 iconic luxury and lifestyle brands. A diversified portfolio of scalable brands helps the Group mitigate the vulnerability of luxury brands in an economic downturn.Multilingual retail staff improves customer service * FJB believes in investing heavily in retail staff training to increase service quality and language proficiency to serve tourists who visit the stores from various regions. Strong balance she et and positive cash flow allow FJB to fund its CAPEX plans FJB maintained SGD7. 7m of net cash at the end of FY2012 despite incurring capital expenditure rising by 8% due to the opening and refurbishment of stores Weaknesses Geographic diversity and exposure to high tax rates FJB Operates in 190 stores across the world.With many stores located in Malaysia and China, where the effective tax rate is close to 30%, FJB faces a high tax bill and thus lower overall profits. Highly cyclical earnings FJB’s earnings are highly cyclical and they tend to peak in the late stages of a cyclical upturn. This translates into a risk of over expansion during good times. FJB’s total revenue increased 38% YoY for FY 2007. Poor presence and performance in Australia, Europe and North America FBJ classifies it’s geographical segments into South East Asia, North Asia and Other, which includes their franchised brands in North America and Australia.This segment has historically made up less than 2% of total revenue. Opportunities Strong brand name of RAOUL FJB’s proprietary brand was one of the brands topping the high fashion category in a recent Mystery Shopping Survey. It has grown well over the last few years as FJB was able to raise RAOUL’s brand value and expand the business to Europe and the United States. New international brands to accelerate earnings potential The Group is working to bring in affordable international fashion brands. Recently, the Group signed an exclusive distribution agreement with the Padini Group for VNC shoes to venture into the growing Indonesian market.Threats Competition The majority of FJB’s competitors operate with large store numbers (Esprit – 1,128, Dickson Concepts – more than 1,000, WINGT – more than 180, Metro – 879,000 square feet). The rise of blogshops in the SE Asia have also increased competition within the industry. Macroeconomic instability Macroeconomic instability thr eatens growth. Grim economic sentiment worldwide poses an explicit threat to FJB’s growth as it caters to the premium fashion retailing market. Porter’s Five Forces Highly competitive climateOur team analyzed the macroeconomic conditions and the special characteristics of the fashion retail industry, we have determined that FJ Benjamin operates in a highly competitive market. The largest drivers of competition are the degree of rivalry, new entrants and the supplier power. Exposure to foreign currency shocks and the threats from competing businesses are substantial factors to look out for. Buyer Power (High) Buyer Power (High) Supplier Power (Strong) Supplier Power (Strong) Substitutes (Moderate) Substitutes (Moderate) New Entrants (High) New Entrants (High)Degree of Rivalry (Strong) Degree of Rivalry (Strong) Many competitors offering diverse choices Many competitors offering diverse choices Low customer loyalty in retail industry Low customer loyalty in retail indust ry Many firms competing for market share Many firms competing for market share Saturated Market Saturated Market Price inelasticity Price inelasticity High product differentiation High product differentiation High Capital Outlay High Capital Outlay Fall in brand perception will result in customer turnover Fall in brand perception will result in customer turnoverIncreasing wealth may lead to consumers using premium brands Increasing wealth may lead to consumers using premium brands Healthy relationships with suppliers to sustain franchises Healthy relationships with suppliers to sustain franchises Constantly changing fashion trends Constantly changing fashion trends Exposure to foreign currency shocks Exposure to foreign currency shocks High marketing expenditure needed to maintain brand perception High marketing expenditure needed to maintain brand perception Section II: Accounting Analysis & Adjustments Accounting Analysis – Faithful representationThe auditors’ report demonstrated that the accounts present a true and fair view of the company. It is noteworthy that it was highlighted in the corporate governance report that there are no employees who are relatives of directors paid above $150,000. In addition, all members of the nomination, remuneration and audit committee are independent non-executive directors. There is also a whistle-blowing policy for the Group, which encourages a high level of non-tolerance against fraud. There was also adequate disclosure of interested transactions between its subsidiaries and its newly acquired associate prior to the acquisition.However, a potential conflict of interest in the area of the risk management committee, which usually comprises majority of non-executive directors, but in the case of MPM, is managed by executive directors. There might be the possibility of them not being objective in assessing the risks that the company faces. Understandability There is thorough explanation of accounting policies adopted in the notes, supplemented with definitions of accounting terms where appropriate. While the assets and liabilities of associates are mentioned, no further breakdown is given as to the comprisal of them.Assets and liabilities of subsidiaries are also absent from the notes. This applies for jointly controlled entities too. It was hard to determine where personnel expenses and the disclosures under profit before income tax fall into the income statement, making it confusing how to account for them. The cash figure in the balance sheet and cash flow statement differed due to fixed deposits, bank overdraft and pledged fixed deposits and bank balances, making forecasting of financial statements relatively inconvenient. ComparabilityThere is clear disclosure when amendments are made to FRS, accompanied with a statement whether the change is applied retrospectively or prospectively, as well as the materiality of the amounts presented. Where changes are to be expected, these are sta ted beforehand with their effective period of commencement stated methodically. Details of other operating expenses were provided in the notes from 2009 to 2011, but absent in the notes in 2007 and 2008, making comparison of detailed expenses difficult. Segment reporting was available to enable investors to compare across companies that might be similar to MPM in one of their business segments.Accounting Distortions Adjusted Non-recurring items The notes were inspected to identify line items that could potentially be non-recurring and should thus be removed from the financial statements to provide a clearer picture of the sustainable earnings of the company. Items recognized as non-recurring included bad debts written off, investment in associate, and other expenses in which no details were given. Other possible non-recurring items included government grant received, though this could possibly recur due to the achievement of the conditions under the Capability Development Scheme in 2010.Foreign exchange gain was also thought of to be recurring due to the entrance into forward currency contracts. Equity to proportionate consolidation MPM’s subsidiary Marco Polo Shipping Co Pte Ltd holds a 49% stake in PT Pelayaran Nasional Bina Buana Raya (BRR), an Indonesian shipping company which engages in ship agency, chartering and transshipment of vessels. The 49% stake is the maximum equity stake allowed to be taken by a foreigner without affecting the ability of BBR to ply the Indonesian waters as a domestic shipping company.By the substance over form principle, Marco Polo has effective control over BRR, thus we carried out proportionate consolidation on the entity. Joint ventures were also consolidated to provide a more accurate picture of the group. Operating leases MPM has several operating leases with lease period not amounting to more than 5 years. The leases were capitalized based on the implicit interest rate in the finance leases, except for 2008, where a figure of interest expenses over beginning long term debt was used, due to the absence of finance leases in 2007.Capitalizing the operating lease would result in a more accurate representation of liabilities and assets. Guarantees and litigations MPM was involved in two lawsuits over the period under purview. One involved $106,000 for late delivery of vessels while the other involved arbitration against a subsidiary of the Company in relation to certain charter party disputes. These were included in contingent liabilities during 2007 and 2008 respectively, though in the opinion of the directors, both lawsuits had no merit or basis and would not have financial impact on the company.

The Ways in Which Mansfield Presents Leila’s Thoughts and Feelings About the Ball:

Mansfield describes a young lady first introduction to society. She describes the young girl’s emotions and excitement in a way that submerges the readers in Leila’s fantasy world, with a lot of different feelings and emotions. Mansfield wrote this story with third omniscient person. This gives the reader the opportunity to see and know Leila’s feelings, thoughts, the atmosphere, etc. Mansfield illustrated a colourful, rich fairy tale as Leila’s world. The reader can sense how Leila’s perception of the balls seems a dreamlike event.The story begins with a description of Leila’s feelings as it was her first ball. She feels mostly joy and excited. She feels mostly joy and excited, because for her â€Å"Every single thing was so new and exciting†. Even though the ball has nearly started she was sure â€Å"She would remember (the ball) for ever†. Her desire and impatience to dance is felt when she is in the cab passing by â€Å"wal tzing lamp-posts and houses and fences, and trees†. It creates a mental image of the cab dancing a waltz with the trees, houses, and fences throughout their journey to the ball.This shows how Leila is wondering how the ball is going to be, and how she looks forward to it. Mansfield creation of a dream world is revealed in Leila’s views of everything. It gives the impression that she look at everything with wide eyes and astonishment. This can be seen in the simple common details, such as â€Å"Meg’s tuberoses, Jose’s long loop of amber, Laura’s little dark head†. Everything is seen by her as most charming and extraordinary. Yet as she gets to the ball, she becomes extremely nervous but still excited, since she has never experienced anything like this.The reader knows it is her first ball, not just because of the title, also because of the question of the e Sheridan girls â€Å"Have you really never been to a ball before, Leila? † Leila ’s response is not straight forward, but an excuse, which she said it â€Å"softly, opening and shutting her fan†. The fact that the action is written in present continuous shows that the action is happening at that moment and that it is continuous. We can imagine how she is opening, and shutting her fan, continuously, which shows her nervousness.Apparently, Leila’s heart is beating fast, this is specially evoke when â€Å"she tried not to smile too much; she tried not to care†. There was something that promotes this emotion and the reader can locate it at the part where Leila wonders of thoughts about the ball through completely unrelated objects, such as â€Å"the bolster on which her hand rested (which) felt like the sleeve of an unknown young man’s dress†. This shows her nervous feeling and how she looks forward to dance at the same time.When they arrive Leila is still nervous which is emphasized by using imagery, â€Å"A great quiverin g jet of gas lighted the ladies’ room. It couldn’t wait; it was dancing already†. The action of the story starts when Leila arrives at the ball. Everything to her is so magical, as so new. This is emphasized by the exaggerated description of the place, â€Å"The noise was deafening†. (I can’t remember the literature effect’s name. Even though I think it is wrong. ). As we mentioned before, the simplest thing astonishes her.This time is conveyed by the detailed description of what is happening on the Ladies’ room. One clear example, is the description of how â€Å"Dark girls, fair girls were patting their hair, typing ribbons again, tucking handkerchiefs down the fronts of their bodies, smoothing marble-white gloves. And because they were all laughing it seemed to Leila that they were all lovely†. The dream-like world idea continues when Leila enters to the drill hall, her excitement and astonishment for everything, made Leila fo rget â€Å"to be shy†, and also to forget how her nervousness was about to made her not go to the ball.This is showed in a flashback when she was â€Å"in the middle of dressing (and) she had sat down on the bed with one shoe off and one show one and begged her mother to ring up her cousins and say she couldn’t go after all†. This whole idea of the fairy- tale world is emphasized with Leila’s thoughts: â€Å"How heavenly; how simple heavenly! † Mansfield compares the ball with heaven which shows Leila’s perfect and magic view of the ball. The rhetorical questions Leila makes throughout the short story emphasizes her naive and her thrill, â€Å"’Am I mean to have one too? †, â€Å"Why didn’t the men begin? What were they waiting for? † The music starts and Leila dances with two different young men. Mansfield uses the dialogue to show Leila’s and her partner thoughts. The fact that the partner â€Å"sounded tired† is a way that Mansfield uses to show the reader that Leila is dancing as if there was no tomorrow. Leila does not care answering to the same questions that every partner asked her, for her â€Å"it was thrilling. Her first ball! †. She just thinks that the ball is magical, majestic and beautiful. (Do you think I should put something more in here? The climax occurs when Leila begins to dance with the old fat man. Mansfield description of this man is a rupture in the stereotype of the men that have been dancing with Leila. â€Å"when Leila compared him with her other partners he looked shabby†. This gives the reader a clue that this character is going to break Leila’s magic and beautiful world. The fat man upset her by revealing the might-be-true fact of what age could do to her. He says â€Å"long before that you’ll be sitting up there on the stage, looking on, in you nice black velvet.And these pretty arms will have turned into little short fat ones, and you’ll beat time with such a different king of fan-a black bony one†. After this eye-opener of what might be her future, the reader can see how Leila’s thoughts start to turn into pessimistic and how she questions herself, â€Å"Was this first ball only the beginning of her last ball, after all? †. The falling action occurs when â€Å"the music seemed to change; it sounded sad†. Pathetic fallacy is used by Mansfield with the music to represent Leila’s mood. Leila goes back in to time when â€Å"deep inside her a little girl threw her pinafore over her head and sobbed†.She has stopped dancing and â€Å"didn’t want to dance more†. There are two ways of facing this problem, being pessimistic or optimistic. Suddenly another man asks her to dance with him, and she then has to make a decision. At first Mansfield presents Leila’s decision to dance with the â€Å"young man with curly hair† as a matter of politeness (it sounds a little bit strange, but I don’t know how to say it, â€Å"una cuestion de educacion†), but the magic of the ball makes her forget the whole conversation with the old man. So she decided to choose the second one.When she steps on the dance floor, â€Å"in one minute, in one turn, her feet glided, glided. The light, the azaleas, the dresses, the pink face, the velvet chairs, all became one beautiful flying wheel†. Mansfield joins the end with the starting, by the word play of the words wheel and the cab bowled, â€Å"they bowled†,(I’m not sure if this makes sense), showing the return of the feelings of happiness and joy. She has forgotten totally the harsh conversation that even when she dances again with the old fat man â€Å"She didn’t even recognise him again. † The Ways in Which Mansfield Presents Leila’s Thoughts and Feelings About the Ball: Mansfield describes a young lady first introduction to society. She describes the young girl’s emotions and excitement in a way that submerges the readers in Leila’s fantasy world, with a lot of different feelings and emotions. Mansfield wrote this story with third omniscient person. This gives the reader the opportunity to see and know Leila’s feelings, thoughts, the atmosphere, etc. Mansfield illustrated a colourful, rich fairy tale as Leila’s world. The reader can sense how Leila’s perception of the balls seems a dreamlike event.The story begins with a description of Leila’s feelings as it was her first ball. She feels mostly joy and excited. She feels mostly joy and excited, because for her â€Å"Every single thing was so new and exciting†. Even though the ball has nearly started she was sure â€Å"She would remember (the ball) for ever†. Her desire and impatience to dance is felt when she is in the cab passing by â€Å"wal tzing lamp-posts and houses and fences, and trees†. It creates a mental image of the cab dancing a waltz with the trees, houses, and fences throughout their journey to the ball.This shows how Leila is wondering how the ball is going to be, and how she looks forward to it. Mansfield creation of a dream world is revealed in Leila’s views of everything. It gives the impression that she look at everything with wide eyes and astonishment. This can be seen in the simple common details, such as â€Å"Meg’s tuberoses, Jose’s long loop of amber, Laura’s little dark head†. Everything is seen by her as most charming and extraordinary. Yet as she gets to the ball, she becomes extremely nervous but still excited, since she has never experienced anything like this.The reader knows it is her first ball, not just because of the title, also because of the question of the e Sheridan girls â€Å"Have you really never been to a ball before, Leila? † Leila ’s response is not straight forward, but an excuse, which she said it â€Å"softly, opening and shutting her fan†. The fact that the action is written in present continuous shows that the action is happening at that moment and that it is continuous. We can imagine how she is opening, and shutting her fan, continuously, which shows her nervousness.Apparently, Leila’s heart is beating fast, this is specially evoke when â€Å"she tried not to smile too much; she tried not to care†. There was something that promotes this emotion and the reader can locate it at the part where Leila wonders of thoughts about the ball through completely unrelated objects, such as â€Å"the bolster on which her hand rested (which) felt like the sleeve of an unknown young man’s dress†. This shows her nervous feeling and how she looks forward to dance at the same time.When they arrive Leila is still nervous which is emphasized by using imagery, â€Å"A great quiverin g jet of gas lighted the ladies’ room. It couldn’t wait; it was dancing already†. The action of the story starts when Leila arrives at the ball. Everything to her is so magical, as so new. This is emphasized by the exaggerated description of the place, â€Å"The noise was deafening†. (I can’t remember the literature effect’s name. Even though I think it is wrong. ). As we mentioned before, the simplest thing astonishes her.This time is conveyed by the detailed description of what is happening on the Ladies’ room. One clear example, is the description of how â€Å"Dark girls, fair girls were patting their hair, typing ribbons again, tucking handkerchiefs down the fronts of their bodies, smoothing marble-white gloves. And because they were all laughing it seemed to Leila that they were all lovely†. The dream-like world idea continues when Leila enters to the drill hall, her excitement and astonishment for everything, made Leila fo rget â€Å"to be shy†, and also to forget how her nervousness was about to made her not go to the ball.This is showed in a flashback when she was â€Å"in the middle of dressing (and) she had sat down on the bed with one shoe off and one show one and begged her mother to ring up her cousins and say she couldn’t go after all†. This whole idea of the fairy- tale world is emphasized with Leila’s thoughts: â€Å"How heavenly; how simple heavenly! † Mansfield compares the ball with heaven which shows Leila’s perfect and magic view of the ball. The rhetorical questions Leila makes throughout the short story emphasizes her naive and her thrill, â€Å"’Am I mean to have one too? †, â€Å"Why didn’t the men begin? What were they waiting for? † The music starts and Leila dances with two different young men. Mansfield uses the dialogue to show Leila’s and her partner thoughts. The fact that the partner â€Å"sounded tired† is a way that Mansfield uses to show the reader that Leila is dancing as if there was no tomorrow. Leila does not care answering to the same questions that every partner asked her, for her â€Å"it was thrilling. Her first ball! †. She just thinks that the ball is magical, majestic and beautiful. (Do you think I should put something more in here? The climax occurs when Leila begins to dance with the old fat man. Mansfield description of this man is a rupture in the stereotype of the men that have been dancing with Leila. â€Å"when Leila compared him with her other partners he looked shabby†. This gives the reader a clue that this character is going to break Leila’s magic and beautiful world. The fat man upset her by revealing the might-be-true fact of what age could do to her. He says â€Å"long before that you’ll be sitting up there on the stage, looking on, in you nice black velvet.And these pretty arms will have turned into little short fat ones, and you’ll beat time with such a different king of fan-a black bony one†. After this eye-opener of what might be her future, the reader can see how Leila’s thoughts start to turn into pessimistic and how she questions herself, â€Å"Was this first ball only the beginning of her last ball, after all? †. The falling action occurs when â€Å"the music seemed to change; it sounded sad†. Pathetic fallacy is used by Mansfield with the music to represent Leila’s mood. Leila goes back in to time when â€Å"deep inside her a little girl threw her pinafore over her head and sobbed†.She has stopped dancing and â€Å"didn’t want to dance more†. There are two ways of facing this problem, being pessimistic or optimistic. Suddenly another man asks her to dance with him, and she then has to make a decision. At first Mansfield presents Leila’s decision to dance with the â€Å"young man with curly hair† as a matter of politeness (it sounds a little bit strange, but I don’t know how to say it, â€Å"una cuestion de educacion†), but the magic of the ball makes her forget the whole conversation with the old man. So she decided to choose the second one.When she steps on the dance floor, â€Å"in one minute, in one turn, her feet glided, glided. The light, the azaleas, the dresses, the pink face, the velvet chairs, all became one beautiful flying wheel†. Mansfield joins the end with the starting, by the word play of the words wheel and the cab bowled, â€Å"they bowled†,(I’m not sure if this makes sense), showing the return of the feelings of happiness and joy. She has forgotten totally the harsh conversation that even when she dances again with the old fat man â€Å"She didn’t even recognise him again. †

Arthur Miller, an Enemy of the People Essay

An Enemy of the People, depicts an intriguing playwright in which the differences of opinions between two brothers leads to a town revolution and the expulsion of one brother from the community. One brother, Dr. Stockmann, believed the contamination of the water in the town’s health spa was sufficient reasoning to be shut down. The other brother, Peter Stockmann, took an opposing stance believing that the health spa was the towns only means to economic salvation, and that closing the spa would detrimentally affect the entire population of the town. The town stood behind Peter, and the town kept the spa and maintained its financial prosperity, while Dr. Stockmann was shunned and left feeling that the town he loved had chosen the wrong priorities and was not fulfilling the moral duty to preserve life. As Peter is the protagonist in this story, the question to whether his actions were moral or immoral must be raised. The stance that this essay will take in answering this question is the Utilitarian standpoint described by John Stuart Mill. Utilitarianism must be defined if to be applied to this question. Before Mill, Utilitarianism promoted the idea of utility, or the promotion of pleasure over pain. Pleasure is then described as a happiness that all people wish to achieve. John Stuart Mill goes further to contribute that â€Å"some kinds of pleasures are more desirable and more valuable than others,† therefore, â€Å"the estimation of pleasures should be supposed to depend on quantity alone (Mill 162). † Mill also argues that the consequences are more important than the intentions behind actions. Therefore, if the consequences are good then the motivations don’t matter. Complementing the principle of utility, the greatest good for the greatest number, Mill’s definition of happiness would justify the morality of Peter Stockmann’s actions towards his brother. Peter Stockmann strongly felt that closing the health spa would drastically affect the entire town that his family had worked so hard to build. In his soapbox to the crowd Peter says, â€Å"we know what this town was without our Institute. We could barely afford to keep the streets in condition. It was a dead, third-rate hamlet (Ibsen 90). † Following with, â€Å"within five years the ncome of every man in this room will be immensely greater, and someday we will be one of the richest and most beautiful resort towns in the world. † Many good consequences come from a town that had nothing to a town with a beautiful and prosperous resort, these consequences include; a higher standard of living, better education, and a higher morale with a new sense dignity in the town. Af ter realizing these consequences, the town will never want to go back to the old ways. Just as Mill would do, Peter fights for the greater good of the society. In doing so he is providing the greatest good for the greatest amount of people regardless if a few people have the risk of being injured from the contaminated water. Dr. Stockmann had good intentions to protect the people in his town, but by standing up against the masses he actually made more harm than if he would have kept silent, these consequences include; causing a revolution in the town, the town losing him as a doctor, his daughter getting fired from her job, and his son not being able to go back to school. Dr. Stockmann had good intentions, but the horrendous outcome makes his efforts immoral according Mill. Peter Stockmann hurt a few to save many, whereas Dr. Stockmann wanted to potentially hurt many to save a few. Mill would conclude that Dr. Stockmann had to the duty to protect the health of humanity, but if he was not able to do so without keeping the happiness of society he should have let his duty go. Being raised with the ideology of treating your neighbor as you would treat yourself leaves me with a bitter taste in my mouth after arguing that Peter Stockmann was just in his course of actions. Family is family, and no matter how different views can become I do not agree in expulsing a family member. Democracy in society is a very controversial issue, because it brings up the question, are the decisions made by the masses the right decisions? Morally speaking the masses can be wrong. Like Dr. Stockmann said, â€Å"was it morally right for the masses to crucify Jesus? † The more the issue is confronted it almost makes sense that society is willing to hurt a few to save so many. I find this story very interesting because it brings up multiple issues.