street car named Desire Essay Example for Free

street car named Desire Essay The play â€Å"A street car named Desire† by Tennessee Williams is a play that explores different characterizations in the society, by using three prime characters Stanley, Blanche, and Stella. Stanley is a person who lives in the realm of reality while Blanche seeks to live in a fantasy world. Stella is person who is deceived by Blanche’s illusions but comes back to reality when Stanley acts as a mirror and reflects all that Blanche loathes about herself. The characters in the play hide from their reality by acting as if the events they went through didn’t happen or were not important. Norton Juster in his masterpiece â€Å"The phantom tollbooth† said â€Å"if something is there, you can only see it with your eyes open, but if it isnt there, you can see it just as well with your eyes closed. Thats why imaginary things are often easier to see than real ones. † Blanche chose a see something that is not there in order to hide from the present misfortune and past failures, which gave her happiness, peace and kindness than the real world. Similarly when Blanche reveals the truth about the rape, Stella chose to believe in the fantasy and discard the truth by saying â€Å"I couldnt go on believing her story and live with Stanley† (Stella 1862). Blanche may be a person who lives in an unrealistic world. She lied and hid the truth but she never tried to hide the truth. She always believed in the best of anyone she loves, and believe them incapable of cruelty. This can be evident as she says â€Å"Deliberate cruelty is not forgivable. It is the one unforgivable thing in my opinion and it is the one thing of which I have never, never been guilty. †(Blanche 1859). Blanche knows what part of her story is illusion, and Stanley sees through it all. This eventually leads to the implicating moment. Stella reacts in an interesting manner in this scene. She says â€Å"I couldnt go on believing her story and live with Stanley† (Stella 1862) on knowing the truth. She resolved the conflict that is going through her soul in the only way possible. As Blanche reveals the truth about the rape, Stella either has to believe her and leave Stanley or consider Blanches story as a part of her illusion. Even though Stella knows that Blanche was speaking out the reality, she followed the principles of illusion over reality in order to continue living the life she had before Blanche’s arrival. Living in Illusions in the present day is very common. We consume a lot of lies daily. The key to happiness lies in how we show ourselves to the world. Celebrities who come from humble backgrounds are shown as proof that anyone can be adored by the world. For example the flamboyant lives of celebrities and the outrageous characters on television, movies, professional wrestling and sensational talk shows are promoted to us, promising to fill up the emptiness in our own lives. However it is cultivating a self-sustaining cycle that drives the frustrated and alienated individual with even greater desperation and hunger away from reality, back towards the empty promises of those who seduce us, who tell us what we want to hear. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the steady deterioration of the dollars, the climbing unemployment, the melting of the polar ice caps and the awful reality that makes us run out of money doesnt fit into the cheerful happy talk that we maintain in our day to day life. The worse things get, the more we beg for fantasy. Escaping the reality and living in a fantasy world will leave oneself blind to the things around us. In some cases, if we are strong enough to withhold from the fantasy and illusions around us, we may end up in the reality, like Mitch. Both Stella and Blanche found it best in their minds to live in a fantasy but if you live in it too long it can take over your reality.

Economics of Competitive Advantage Essay Example for Free

Economics of Competitive Advantage Essay A globalized economy in its theory entails opening up of the local economy of a certain country towards internationalization, creating a â€Å"borderless world economy†. Thus, ideally, it should pave the way for economic interdependence and promote economic fair play amongst participating countries. Globalization shall surely expose an economy towards the world market due to increased amount of global trade and exchanges in products and services and by encouraging application for an open-economy. Globalization has imposed too many changes on the international monetary policies. On the other hand, international monetary has seriously influenced trade and investment policies, finance, tourism and many other aspects that are coincided with the modernity imposed by globalization. Moreover, open-economy principles have profoundly affected exchange rate policies on the macro level. Thus, international economic migration has increased exposure towards international financial changes and commercial flows. (Frieden, p. 1) Moreover, according to Betts and Kehoe (2004), the aggregate real exchange rate movements are believed to be influenced by inter-country movements with regards to the relative prices of their traded goods within countries. Also, the currency denomination of international trade widely influences the trade prices of goods and services. Thus, it also turns out that changes or fluctuation in the on currency will decrease the buying power of a particular currency if compared to other currencies that have less amount of fluctuations in their market. In addition, the strong market competitors in this case, are those who are believed to have strong economic relations with participating countries, thus they carry an edge towards their trade practices. Nevertheless, they don’t act to stabilize world exchange rates, rather they only work to provide balance of trades and multi-lateral interaction amongst participating nations. There are several factors that affect the bilateral rate movements which have significant economic effects. According to the Reserve Bank of Australia Bulletin (RBAB) (1998, p. 2) These are: (1) divergences between export and import and aggregated trade-weighted exchange rates; (2) role of US dollar as currency for international trade; (3) longer-term pricing of commodity exports in terms of other major currencies; and (4) importance of bilateral rates vis-a vis competitor countries with relatively little direct trade. These changes however, the depreciation or appreciation can create effects on international competitiveness. Moreover, aside from purely economic reasons of rate fluctuations, the political side behind changes in the market activity is also significant. This political-economic aspect is important most especially amongst developing nations. The emergence of developing countries and the continuing influence of strong countries amongst less empowered countries create domestic and international political pressures that are integral to the competitiveness of the participating countries (Freiden, p. 12) Thus, economically speaking, exchange rate fluctuations have impacts on the country’s competitiveness. Stability or non-stability of their currency has adverse effects on the currency’s buying and trading power. On the political aspect, excluding the changes and fluctuations in the currency rates, powerful groups and powerful consumers affect international economic integration. And thus the openness of world economy therefore pushes more politicized movements and political pressures in the economic arena.

The Marketing Strategy Of Nokia Corporation Marketing Essay

The Marketing Strategy Of Nokia Corporation Marketing Essay Nokia Corporation applied the marketing strategy and helps the organization achieve the maximum profit potential. Marketing strategy is a process that company applies to focus its limited resources on the best opportunities to increase sales achieve the goals of the company and gain the competitive advantages in the markets. Marketing strategy is an important planning that involve the basic and long-term activities of company with the considered of the situation and challenge of company faced and therefore contribute to the companys goals. Actually marketing strategy is one of the functional strategies. The functional strategies are the decision rules or guidelines in each functional area of company. Functional areas that company may implement a functional strategy include research and development, finance, public relation, human resources and marketing departments. 4 Ps of Marketing Marketing is not only about delivered the product or service to the end user, should containing the benefits to the end user. Inside the marketing strategy of Nokia Corporation contain the marketing tool call Marketing Mix which introduced by Neil Borden in year 1953. Marketing Mix is one of the most fundamental theories in marketing area and is a combination of element of company in promoting companys product or brand to achieve marketing objectives and customer satisfaction. The element combination of marketing mix is product, price, place and promotion and was proposed by E. Jerome McCarthy in 1960. Product is the first element in the marketing mix and can consider as customer solution. Product should satisfy the customers need or wants, more advanced is the superiority of the product against the competitor and what advantages the company gain from it products. According to the marketing principle of Philip Kolter, the product should be in three components. The three components were core product, actual product and augmented product. Since the Nokia primary products are mobile telephones and portable IT devices. The core component is the end benefits of product for the buyer. The actual product is the characteristics of product such as quality level, features and branding. The augmented product is the support items of product like the after-sale service, warranty and delivery. On 11 February 2011, Nokias CEO Stephan Elop have announced a new strategic to alliance with Microsoft Corporation. This strategy purposed is to replace the mobile operating system Symbian and MeeGo with t he Microsofts Windows Phone operating system. The Windows Phone Lumia is the major shot of Nokia to winning back a market lost to Apple, Samsung and Google. Windows Phone Lumia had been announced by Nokia as the worlds most innovative smart phone. The features of Lumia are contain the Carl Zeiss lens that can capture blur-free video even in the non-ideal environment condition, the new technology PureMotion HD+ display make the Lumia is the worlds brightest, fastest, and most sensitive touchscreen and the wireless charging that enable customers charge up without plugging in. All of these features are for the purpose of customers convenient and satisfaction when using Nokias products. Nokia also provided after-sale service for customers. If customers facing some problem of products can contact nokia support through the phone or directly visit to the Nokia store and also can give some feedback through the social network such as Facebook and Twitter. Customers also can download games, t hemes, ringtones and wallpapers at Nokia Ovi store. For the products characteristics, Nokia Lumia have more beautiful color and people was said this is to against Nokia biggest competitor; Apple Computer. Inc. This is because Apple product, IPhone only had black and white color. Price Determination of the price of company product is important because this is related with profit of company. When company releases a new product, the price is estimate by the cost and products value and must be aware because it has a great impact to the demand and sales. The basic pricing strategies are market skimming pricing, market penetration pricing and neutral pricing. Market skimming pricing strategy is the process setting the highest price initially based on the product value to make highest profit. After the demand of first group customers is satisfied, company will lowers the price to attract another. The Neutral strategy is process set the price by the general market and competitors prices. The disadvantage is company cant maximize profit although this is the most safety way to compete with other company. Nokia had cut the price of Lumia 900 after Microsoft announced that Windows Phone 7 wont be upgradeable to the Windows Phone 8. Nokia cut almost price almost half is to att ract more demands to clear the store and to cut the cost. Penetration strategy is about the deepest price cuts to make sure company product always the lowest on the markets and mostly apply when new product are release. Price Nokia Lumia 920 in US is $100 less than Samsung Galaxy S3 and $200 less than Apples IPhone 5 and the ATT, second largest telecom operator in US also sell Lumia 920 in $99.99 is less $100 than other Windows Phone 8-HTC 8X. Promotion Promotion is about the delivery of information of product to the several parties through the method such as advertising, personal selling, public relations and sales promotion. Nokia has used its Connecting People since 1992 as an advertising slogan. This slogan meaning is Nokia mobile help people connect with each other wherever near and far in various geographical locations. Nokia also popped up their Lumia commercial on their YouTube Channel. Nokia had sold over 85 million devices and 4.5 million of those are Lumia in the Quarter 4 of 2012. This is because Nokia announce Lumia as a boost for Q4 sales to placing the product in front the media and public.

Grapes Of Wrath :: essays research papers

Released from an Oklahoma state prison after serving four years of a manslaughter conviction, Tom Joad makes his way back to his family’s farm amid the desolation of the Dust Bowl. He meets Jim Casy, a former preacher who gave up his calling out of a belief that all life is holy, and that simply being among the people as an equal is a sacred endeavor. Jim accompanies Tom to his home; when they find it deserted, fronted by withered crops, they travel to Tom’s Uncle John’s house, where they find the Joads preparing for a long trip to California in search of work. Large California landowners have poster announcement for employment throughout western Oklahoma, and Ma and Pa Joad have decided to move their family their; evicted from their farm by the bank that owned it, they feel as though they have no choice.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The journey to California in a rickety used truck is long and arduous, and results in the deaths of both Tom’s grandparents. Traveling along Highway 66, which is clogged with cars making the same trip to California for the same reasons, the Joads meet the Wilsons, a couple plagued with car trouble whom Ma Joad invites to travel with the family. Sairy Wilson is sick with cancer, and, near the California border, is unable to continue on the journey.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As the Joads near California, they hear ominous rumors of overcrowded camps and an overflowing labor market; one migrant tells Pa Joad that twenty thousand people show up for every eight hundred jobs, and that his own children starved to death in California. But the Joads press on, and eventually reach their destination. They move from camp to camp to squalid camp, looking in vain for work, struggling to find food, and struggling to hold the family together. Tom’s younger sister Rose of Sharon is pregnant and fearful that her child will be born deformed or even dead; eventually, her husband Connie abandons the family.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The environment in California is hostile in the extreme: the camps are overcrowded and full of starving migrants, the locals are fearful and angry at the flood of newcomers, whom they derisively label â€Å"Oakies,† prices are skyrocketing and work is almost impossible to find; when there is work, it never pays enough to keep food on the table. The large landowners do everything in their power to keep the migrants as poor and dependent as they can.

The Protagonist and Antagonist of Crime and Punishment :: Crime Punishment Essays

The Protagonist and Antagonist of Crime and Punishment      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Crime and Punishment is considered by many to be the first of Fyodor Dostoevsky's great books.   Crime and Punishment is a psychological account of a crime.   The crime is double murder.   A book about such a broad subject can be made powerful and appealing to our intellectual interests if there is a link between the reader, the action, and the characters. Doestoevsky makes all these links at the right places.   The action takes place between the protagonists and the antagonists.   The protagonists include Dounia, the Marmeladovs, Sonia, Razumhin, Porfiry Petrovich, and Nastaya.   The antagonists of the story are Luzhin, Ilya Petrovich, and the landlady.   Raskolnikov could be considered to be the primary protagonist, while Svidrigailov could be thought of as the primary antagonist.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In every story the protagonist is the character that the reader cares most about.   In Crime and Punishment the reader cares about Rodion Raskolnikov.   He is the primary and most significant character in the novel. We are introduced to this complex character in Part 1.   We get to know the poverty stricken condition that he resides in, and we get to know his family situation as we read the long letter from Raskolnikov's mother. Then we witness the murder as it is graphically described by Doestoevsky. After reading this graphic description of the murder, how can the reader be sympathetic towards Raskolnikov?   How can the reader believe that a murderer is the protagonist?   It is, in fact,   not hard to accept this murderer as the protagonist.   Raskolnikov believed that by murdering the pawnbroker, he rid society of a pest.   We realize that if the victim would have been someone other than an evil old pawnbroker the crime would never had taken place.   He could never have found the courage to kill an innocent person.   It would not prove anything to him.   So, Raskolnikov was not a criminal. He does not repent because he does not feel that he had sinned. All he did was violate laws that were made by society.   Raskolnikov definition of crime was evil will in action.   Raskolnikov knows that he possesses no evil will, and so he does not consider himself a criminal.   He is capable of justifying his crime.

My Cultural Identity Essay -- Cultural Identity Essays

My culture identity, as I know it as is African American. My culture can be seen in food, literature, religion, language, the community, family structure, the individual, music, dance, art, and could be summed up as the symbolic level. Symbolic, because faith plays a major role in our daily lives through song, prayer, praise and worship. When I’m happy I rely on my faith, same as when I’m sad, for I know things will get better as they have before. There are different disciplines within the humanities, but there is one that I feel that has influenced my cultural identity the most†¦music. I say music because from the start music told my culture’s history; informed others about deeds or events that had taken place, also, music was and continues to be important in comforting, healing, and during labor. â€Å"African American music has evolved through various eras and styles; the powerful melodic lines and the rhythm (the all-important rhythm) remained prominent and influential† (Powell, 2007, p.1). One way that I’ve celebrated and tried to connect with what I know as my culture is to attend Juneteenth Festival of the Carolinas. â€Å"According to Welcome to Juneteenth, â€Å"this is an annual four day event celebrated in the month of June at Independence Park, in Charlotte, North Carolina, hosted by Pape Ndiaye, proprietor of the House of Africa located in Charlotte, NC since 1997† (Juneteenth, n.d.). This family event unifies Africans, African-American, and non-African people and is celebrated with drummers, dancers, faith communities, local talent, special guests, and vendors that sell clothing, jewelry, food, books, art, music, furniture, purses, and much more. One may say we already have a day set aside to celebrate freedom. The Junete... ...x.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=133&Itemid=10 Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina (n.d.). Who Are The Lumbee? Retrieved March 7, 2014, from http://www.lumbeetribe.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=135&Itemid=115 Powell, A. (2007). The Music of African Americans and its Impact on the American Culture in the 1960’s and the 1970’s. Miller African Centered Academy, 1. Retrieved from http://www.chatham.edu/pti/curriculum/units/2007/Powell.pdf Main Section | Community Tool Box. (n.d.). Retrieved March 4, 2014, from http://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/culture/cultural-competence/culture-and-diversity/main Welcome to Juneteenth. (n.d.). Retrieved March 7, 2014, from http://www.juneteenthofthecarolinas.com/ Whirty, R. (2007, March/April). The Lost Colony of Roanoke. Natives People. Retrieved from http://www.lost-colony.com/magazineNP.html

The Scarlet Letter: Passage Explication

Honors American Lit. B Kathryn Durga The Scarlet Letter: The Child at Brook-side3/22/13 In this passage Dimmesdale is speaking about Pearl standing on the other side of the stream refusing to go to him and Hester. The contrast between Pearl standing on the opposite side as them parallels the contrast in their lives. Hester, now not wearing the scarlet letter, and Dimmesdale are concealing their relationship and their sin in the forest, representing a world of secrecy. Pearl, however, is representing a world of truth by refusing to join them until Hester once again wears the ‘A’, which throughout the book has been Hester’s truth.The two separate worlds that they’re a part of cannot come together until they change; Dimmesdale wants Pearl to be the one to change by joining them in their new plan to escape to Europe and by joining them in their lie. Pearl however refuses to be with them until they join her in her truth. This is exemplified by Pearl not going to her mother until she wears the ‘A’ and by Pearl rejecting Dimmesdale. Pearl washes off Dimmesdale’s kiss after he once again refuses to hold their hands in public, showing yet again how much she rejects dishonesty.Dimmesdale refers to Pearl as an elf which is defined as, â€Å"one of a class of preternatural beings, especially from mountainous regions, with magical powers, given to capricious and often mischievous interference in human affairs, and usually imagined to be a diminutive being in human form†. This parallels to Pearl’s character very well because she is very capricious, her mood often changes very quickly and she can be really unpredictable also throughout the book she seems to be meddling in the affairs of Dimmesdale and Hester by not allowing them to live in secrecy.When Dimmesdale says Hester can never meet Pearl again it shows a strong divide between Hester and Pearl as Pearl is still very innocent and pure while her mother is conve yed as a sinner, similar to the way Christians in the bible view sin as a wall between a person and God. Hawthorne says later in the chapter that the separation was the fault of Hester not the fault of Pearl meaning that it was because of Hester’s transgression that the divide happened not because of anything Pearl did. This shows that Hawthorne believes that sin separates people and that doing something wrong to a person can damage the relationship.This moment shows how Dimmesdale doesn’t want to tell the truth; he wants to be in a loving relationship with Hester but doesn’t want to deal with the sin that they shared. At the moment Hester is carrying the full load of their punishment while Dimmesdale claims he is suffering however he has not had to face the scrutiny of the town the way Hester has. Dimmesdale is asking Pearl to join him in his deceitfulness however she is doing what her mother is not doing by refusing to love and accept Dimmesdale until he revea ls his truth and has to deal with the punishment that Hester had to deal with.Overall Hawthorne uses this quote as imagery of the brook and a simile of the separation of the worlds of sin and truth and also uses this to characterize Dimmesdale as a dishonest person. â€Å"‘I have a strange fancy,’ observed the sensitive minister, ‘that this brook is the boundary between two worlds, and that thou canst never meet thy Pearl again. Or is she an elfish spirit, who, as the legends of our childhood taught us, is forbidden to cross a running stream? Pray hasten her; for this delay has already imparted a tremor to my nerves. ’† (pg. 188)