SWOT Analysis: A Small Family Business

SWOT Analysis: A Small Family Business Privately-run company is certainly a quality for RCDC as in a family claimed business, the proprietors see their as a resource for give to their relatives instead of riches to expend during their lifetimes (carron,1999). Furthermore, as of late contended by Zellweger(2007), the all-inclusive time skyline that portrays family firms diminishes the negligible danger of a venture and subsequently the comparing hazard equal expense of value capital (McNulty,Yeh,schulze and Lubatkin,2002). Subsequently, family claimed firms can take advantage of speculation lucky breaks their non-family rivals don't consider as adequately appealing or consider too risky;such a circumstance offers family possessed firms the chance of building up their exercises unhindered by forceful contenders and of overcoming markets that contenders can't enter(Zellweger,2007,p-9) Besides, families may carry with them critical money related and physical resources,called survivability capital(Simon and Hitt,2003),which can be utilized to continue the business during monetary hardship or after fruitless vital films (Dyer,2006). These components are generally known by clients and suppliers,who may set up and develop enduring connections on account of the generosity and reliability created by the family responsibility (dollinger 1995). 2) Strong Criticism from investors: The ceaseless negative criticism from executives of warwick speculations in regards to the poor profit installment record and the absence of vital heading is really a quality of RCDC as it goes about as a drive for development .It is a result of this critism and the drop in turnover that the Lancasters and Yorks are attempting to locate each conceivable method to spare their business and fulfill the partners. 3) Long-term involvement with the laundry business: According to the case RCDC has been in the laundry business for over 10 years and they have figured out how to maintain the business sensibly well which implies that they have had a decent piece of the overall industry and enough clients to belittle and a genuinely decent information on the specific business. They can utilize this experience to defeat the weaknesss and exceed expectations in their customary business. 4)Flexi-timing: The RCDC has both full time and low maintenance staff which is a quality as it builds the worker confidence ,commitment and duty to the organisation.It diminishes the non-attendance to a specific level and increment the odds of enlisting extraordinary employees.It even aides in decreasing the staff turnover and building up the picture of the business. Shortcomings: 1)High staff turnover: As referenced for the situation, RCDC is confronting a hgh level of staff turnover at both staff and administrative level which is one of the reasons for the decreased authoritative exhibition .Excessive representative turnover can hurt the general profitability of a firm and is regularly an indication of other difficulties.Every association endeavors to have high productivity,lesser turnovers and most extreme profitability.managing turnover effectively is an unquestionable requirement to accomplish the above goals.Abassi and Hollman(200) focused on that the administrators must perceive the workers as significant supporter of the proficient accomplishment of the associations success.Furthermore,highly persuaded and performing people are the urgent components of the hierarchical efficiency. Therefore,there is have to build up a careful comprehension of the worker turnover from the point of view of causes,effect and techniques to limit turnover. 2) Absence of preparing and improvement: This another shortcoming of RCDC which merits referencing as this can be a significant reason for worker turnover as there is no development inside the organisation.according to the case ,the preparation and improvement intercessions are totally nonexistent which implies that there is no degree for representatives to create or achiveve some sort aptitude in their specific professions.Moreover,Training and advancement is asource of upper hand for organizations which assists with expelling execution lacks in workers. There I more noteworthy stability,flexibility and limit with regards to development in an organisation.Training adds to worker steadiness in any event two different ways .Employees become proficient in the wake of experiencing preparing. Effective representatives add to the development of the association and development in trn renders dependability to the workforce. 3)safety Measures at work: The setback that occurred with one of the representatives at RCDC makes it apparent that security measures are totally absent in the organization which implies RCDC is putting the ife of its workers in danger by making them work in a risky situation which thus ruins the picture of the organization. 4) Conflict among the proprietors: There is a ton of contention among the proprietors of the RCDC which is one of the underlying drivers of the underperformance of the company.There is no vital arranging ,no control and no course by any means. Dangers: 1)Competion: One of the primary dangers to all the businesss is rivalry and RCDC is no special case. RCDCs fundamental contender is Bletcheys quick clean plc which operstes around in the equivalent land territory .The Bletcheys can even exploit the interior issues looked by RCDC to take more noteworthy market share.as contrasted with RCDC, the showcasing techniques and estimating approaches of Bletcheys.are better and their prosperity rate is additionally very high which is the reason a large number of the RCDC representatives have joined Bletchey and they have had the option to pull a considerable lot of the clients alongside them. 2) Seasonal work : Typically individuals consider cleaning for woolen and costly garments so the business will in general be higher in winter and fall where as summer is set apart with diminished deals as the garments are machine launderable. 3) Increasing nmber of grocery stores Another danger representing the conventional neighborhood cleaning business is the expanding number of markets having the laundry stores.Most of the pople nowa-a-days think that its helpful to shop from these general stores where they get their garments likewise drycleaned.This can inevitably prompt total elimination of the customary drycleaning. 4)Legal issues: Legal disputes recorded against RCDC by its workers is another danger to the smooth working of the business.Firstly it can ruin the picture of the organization by decreasing the deals and furthermore it doesn't permit the administration to focus totally on their business as the greater part of their time goes in finding better approaches to manage these issues. Openings: 1)Diversification of business: One of the open doors is to enhance their business into zones, for example, shoe repairs,film processing,key cutting and agreement cleaning notwithstanding achieveing a degree of greatness in their center business i.e cleaning.Diversifiacation can help RCDC with expanded productivity and occasional difficulties. 2)Innovative Marketing systems: RCDC can think of some inventive advertising thoughts to top the market e.g:E-marketing,offering limits to its dedicated clients etc.It can likewise improve its client care by giving the choice of home conveyance which can demonstrate helpful to clients having a bustling day by day schedule and can even beat the danger of one quit shopping. 3)Improved organistioanl procedures: RCDC needs to actualize preparing and improvement programs for representatives which can help in pulling in an ever increasing number of individuals for work,reduce worker turnover and will make the procedure more organised.Safety gauges likewise should be remembered for this program so the pace of mishap is limited. 4)Centralisation of tasks: Decentralization Iis a superior open door than centralisation as decentralization would prompt better client care and quick cleaning which could be useful in getting more clients and expanding the benefits .notwithstanding this senior supervisors ought to be given greater obligation and powers with the goal that they can take choices in regards to an issue identified with the particular store as and required and don't need to rely upon getting orders from home office. Present and potential issues looked by RCDC in the accompanying regions: a)Operations the board and authoritative issues: Tasks the board is the movement of dealing with the assets which create and convey items and services.The tasks work is the piece of the oranisation that is liable for this activity.Every association has a tasks work in light of the fact that each association delivers some kind of items and/or services.Page 4 No association can get by in the long haul on the off chance that it can't flexibly its clients effectively.And this is basically what activity s the executives is tied in with designing,producing and conveying items and administrations that fulfill advertise requirements.For any business,it is a fundamentally significant movement. General issues in activities the board looked by little and medium measured associations : Activities the executives is similarly as significant in little associations for what it's worth in enormous ones.Irrespective of their size,all organizations need to create and convey their items and administrations productively and effectively.However,in practice,managing activities in a little or medium size associations has its own arrangement of problems.Large organizations may have the assets to commit people to specific assignments however littler organizations frequently cannot,so individuals may need to do various employments as the need arises.such a casual structure can permit the organization to react rapidly as circumstances or issues present themselves.But dynamic can likewise get confounded as people jobs overlap.small organizations may have the very same tasks the board issues as huge ones yet they can be progressively hard to isolate from the mass of different issues in the association. Present and potential activities the executives issues looked by RCDC can be talked about a follows: 1)No comprehension of the activities vital execution targets: The most importantly obligation

Physical Activity and Gain in Abdominal Adiposity

Question: Talk about the Physical Activity and Gain in Abdominal Adiposity. Answer: Presentation Grown-up weight in Victoria has expanded by roughly 40% in the course of the most recent two decades and right now there are in excess of 2,000,000 fat individuals (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2013f). Except if intercessions at the populace level are acquainted with diminish weight, future may decrease which may bring about an inversion where youth will have shorter lives than what their folks had (American Heart Association, 2016). In this report the predominance of stoutness in Shire board will be examined. The pervasiveness of stoutness in men will be talked about with the principle factors that have added to corpulence deconstructed as being low pay status and emotional well-being. A chunk of ice model is utilized in depicting the contributory elements and the means taken by the committee to turn around the circumstance. The Victorian general wellbeing and prosperity plan 20152019 Platform of Change on People Centered Approach has been proposed for enduring change in the Hindmarsh chamber. Corpulence or overweight as characterized by the World Health Organization is the inordinate or strange collection of fat that disables one's health.(World Health Organization, 2016).The unreasonable and irregular amassing of fat emerges from vitality awkwardness that is supported over a significant stretch of time when there is exorbitant vitality consumption through drinking and eating contrasted with using of vitality through physical movement. Being fat or overweight builds one's danger of getting incessant illness, for example, CVD including stroke and coronary illness, musculoskeletal conditions, type 2diabetes, some emotional wellness and malignancy conditions. The danger of mortality additionally increments as weight builds (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2016) WHO characterizes grown-up overweight and weight as BMI equivalent or more prominent than 25 and 30 individually. For kids under 5 years, the weight-for-stature with standard deviation of 2 and 3 over the Growth Standard Median set by WHO is considered as overweight and stout separately. For kids somewhere in the range of 5 and 19 years, the SD is set at 1 and 2 for overweight and stoutness individually (WHO, 2016). Late worldwide assessments made by WHO on overweight and weight uncover that in 2014, the all out number of overweight grown-ups matured 18 or more was 1.9 billion of whom 600 million were hefty. Around the same time, roughly 1% of the worldwide populace was corpulent (15% of ladies and 11% of men). 3% Of the populace was overweight in 2014 (40% of ladies and 38% of men). The commonness of stoutness multiplied over a time of 34 years in 2014. 41 million youngsters underneath 5years were corpulent or overweight. Further, weight and overweigh has been on the ascent in center and low pay nations and all the more so in the urban settings(WHO,2016). The quantity of corpulent and overweight youngsters in 2014 in Africa was around 10.8 million which was twofold the number in 1990 while in Asia near half of kids underneath 5 years were hefty or overweight. What's more, death rates because of corpulence and overweight are higher than those because of underweight. There are more individuals on the planet that are hefty than those that are underweight with the exception of in Asia and Sub Sahara Africa (WHO, 2016). In 20142015, the report by Australian Bureau of Statistics showed that roughly 63% of grown-ups (11.2 million) were hefty or overweight-those that were overweight were around 63% (6.3 million) while 28% (4.9 million) were corpulent. 27% of kids matured somewhere in the range of 5 and 17 years were large or overweight which implies 1 in each 4 kids (1milllion kids) (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2015). Men had a higher level of stoutness and overweight at 71% contrast with ladies who were at 56%. The p matured between 65-74 years recorded at 74% (AIHW, 2016). People living in high financial territories had a lower predominance contrasted with those in lower financial regions (58% and 66% separately). Indigenous grown-ups had high heftiness and overweigh commonness in contrast with non Indigenous in 2011 to 2013(43% and 27% separately) (AIHW, 2016). Overweight and heftiness drifts in Victoria The level of grown-up people that were corpulent or overweight was 63% in 2014-2015, an ascent from 56% in 1995. The expansion of normal weight was at 4.4kgs for guys and females. The BMI has seen a move in dissemination with lesser quantities of individuals in the overweight and ordinary classifications and more individuals at present in the large class (AIHW, 2016). The most recent two decades has seen grown-up fat and overweight predominance increment by around 40% with in excess of 2,000,000 individuals as of now fat or overweight (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2013b). 10.5% of the nation's weight of ailment is a direct result of dangers that are dietary in nature with 8.5% credited to high BMI and 4.6% because of physical idleness (Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, 2013). Dietary dangers have likewise added to Australia's diabetes and coronary illness at 22% and 79% individually. Of these, 33% and 71% of coronary illness and diabetes trouble separately are ascribed to high BMI (Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, 2013). Optional nourishments represent 39% of the complete vitality consumption in youngsters with 12% of kids living in Victoria expending adequate vegetables and 75% devouring adequate measures of organic product (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2014a). 24% of kids in Victoria are stout or overweight with 6% and 18% being hefty and overweight separately (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2013c). Of the youngsters matured between 5-12 years, 62% meet the adequate physical movement guidelines(Department of Education and Training 2015b), while just 26% of Year 11, 8, and 5 kids meet the said rules (Department of Education and Training 2015a). Optional nourishments make for 35% of grown-ups' absolute vitality admission with 7% of grown-ups devouring adequate measures of vegetables and another 47% expending adequate measure of organic product (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2015). The grown-up populace that is fat or overweight is 61% with 26% and 35% being corpulent and overweight separately (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2013c). Grown-ups that met the adequate physical movement rules were 64% (Department of Health 2014c). Hindmarsh Shire Council From the table above (Hindmarsh MPHWP, 2013, p.12), it tends to be seen that the quantity of overweight and stout men in Shire gathering is at disturbing rates. The absolute number of male fat populace surpasses that of Victoria by an edge of 3.7%. A worldwide patterns overview uncovered that stoutness was the second reason for sudden passing in Europe in the wake of smoking. The examination likewise uncovered that men who were overweight had a higher probability of kicking the bucket rashly contrasted with ladies who were overweight (BBC News, 2016). The above tables(Hindmarsh MPHWP, 2013, p.11) demonstrate the financial condition of the individuals of Shire committee. The populace gains lesser pay per individual and family in contrast with Victoria. The low salary status is a contributory factor to corpulence commonness among the grown-ups and all the more so the guys in Shire chamber. How destitution adds to weight Low salary families have a constrained decision and food financial plan and frequently, they stretch their provisions to arrive at the month's end when the following check will be in. This outcomes in practices that are undesirable in various ways(Lee, Harris, Larsen, 2009, p.505). Families will pick to buy nourishments that are high in fat and vitality thick, for example, prepared meats potatoes, oats, and sugars on the grounds that these nourishments last more and are more moderate than fish, lean meats, and new fruits(Lee,et al., 2009, p.505). At last, monetary frailty, for example, battling to take care of lease and utilities tabs lead to pressure and the most widely recognized method of managing pressure is through eating sweet, high fat nourishments (Lee,et al., 2009, p.505) Other contributory components (other than low income)to corpulence among men in Shire chamber include: Mental Health: This can be delegated an essential driver as found in the ice sheet model. Individuals with sorrows or tension issue or gloom frequently will in general arrangement with their negative sentiments by eating nourishments high in calories (Diamond, 2010). Stationary way of life and physical inertia: These can be delegated an optional reason as found in the ice sheet model above. Physical action is identified with numerous medical advantages (Strasser, 2013, p.141) including limiting the odds of building up various ceaseless ailments, for example, heftiness (Ekelund, Besson, Luan et al., 2011, p.826),metabolic condition (MS)( Hahn, Halle, Schmidt et al., 2009, p.511),and malignant growth (Friedenreich, Neilson, Lynch, 2010, p. 2593). Less than stellar eating routine low foods grown from the ground admission: Studies have indicated that expanded utilization of vegetables a nd organic product in blend with different practices lessens adiposity among grown-ups that are large or overweight (Ledoux, Hingle, Baranowski., 2011, p. 143). Explicit Strategy in Shire committee This will remember raising a mindfulness for more beneficial decisions of food (through web based life) that are accessible in the network. Individuals' information on sound food arrangement will be expanded and solid feast alternatives will be conveyed through Meals on Wheels. Schools will be urged to utilize their projects and customary classes to advance solid eating(Hindmarsh MPHWP, 2013, p.16). Advancement by means of internet based life and bulletins of physical exercises offered inside Shire. Creating and improving existing and new recreational projects and exercises. Formation of conditions that empower commitment in physical activity(Hindmarsh MPHWP, 2013, p.17). Give guiding meetings that are youth centered for guardians and understudies. Offer help for Wimmera Uniting Cares Rural and Remote Engagement Officer. Backing and advancement of Men's shed as a gathering place for men inside Shire. Offer directing and backing for helping hardship from dry season/flood/fire as

Dorm Companion #1 Art

Dorm Companion #1 Art Want a Warhol in your dorm room? This is exhibition week of the Student Loan Art Collection at MITs List Visual Arts Center. The Student Loan Art Program allows MIT students (and only MIT students) to borrow for the entire academic year one of more than 400 noted pieces of artwork from MITs collection. Artists represented in the collection include: Alexander Calder Roy Lichtenstein Joan Miro Cindy Sherman Andy Warhol Each piece in the collection is framed and signed by a leading contemporary artist. Some are photographs, like the original by the late MIT Professor Harold Doc Edgerton above, Making Applesauce At MIT. Others are more abstract works, like the Francesco Clemente at right. Unfortunately, the online collection is only viewable within the MIT community, but the annual fall showing before it is loaned out to students is open to the general public. Students view the collection and enter their top choices into a lottery. Over 4 years, 80% of students should win at least one year. And the chances increase as time goes on, as pieces are added to the collection each year. Selected students pick up their art beginning next week. Any winnings not collected by the end of the week are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis to any student who lost out in the lottery. The LVAC says about this plan B, Each year, bleary-eyed students wake up early to be at the head of the line outside the gallery doors for a second chance to participate in this extraordinarily popular program. Why would MIT do this? And isnt there a big risk? The curator of the program told the Weekly Dig: One of the goals of the program is to put art directly in students lives, expresses List Visual Arts Center curator Bill Arning. Theres a really fundamental difference between going to the campus gallery to view art, and waking up and living with it. MIT students are really comfortable doing research, explains Arning on collective campus braininess. If they put something on their walls, at the end of the year theyll know more about it than anyone else; I like how its a trigger for inquiry and learning. Despite this free-for-all handover of moderately expensive framed artworks, theres not much reason for worrying over damage. The worst thing that usually ever happens is that a student forgets to return the piece on time, Arning acknowledges, which leads to some detective work to track down the responsible roommates. Theres been very little loss over the years, he says; though he does recall one peculiar incident: We did have one sculpture [a transparent plastic Buddha by Michael Joo], and someone had it over their salamander tank. It got infested with fruit flies, and we had to get it fumigated. Not a bad concept piece as it turns out; but alas, the infested Buddha is no longer available for loan. Students who live with art in their room learn theres a difference between living with posters and living with real work, Arning notes. MIT lives are better if you can put art directly into them. The artwork is the students to keep until the following May. What a way to decorate your room! Whoever said MIT students dont know fine art?

Beechy6eVol2 SM Ch15 Essay examples - 14166 Words

Chapter 15: Financial Instruments: Complex Debt and Equity Case 15-1 Zebo Limited 15-2 On-the-Crest Ltd. 15-3 Techno Wizard Ltd. Suggested Time Technical Review TR15-1 Convertible Debt, Investor’s Option 10 TR15-2 Convertible Debt, Mandatory Conversion 10 TR15-3 Options and Warrants 10 TR15-4 Share-Based Compensation; Equity-Settled 10 TR15-5 Share-Based Compensation; Cash-Settled 10 Assignment A15-1 Classification; Impact of Debt versus Equity 20 A15-2 Classification 20 A15-3 Classification (*W) 15 A15-4 Classification 25 A15-5 Classification 25 A15-6 Classification 20 A15-7†¦show more content†¦Thus, the security is compound financial instrument. If the convertible debt is convertible at the investor’s option, the initial proceeds are divided between the debt element (both principal and interest) and the equity element, the conversion option. 7. If a convertible bond has a conversion price that is set in reference to the fair market value of shares on the conversion date, then the bond is classified entirely as debt. No (price) risk or reward is transferred to the investor and therefore there is no equity element. 8. When a convertible bond is converted, the common share conversion option account is transferred into the common stock account. If the bond is not converted, this account is still left in equity, but transferred to a different contributed capital account. 9. Interest expense, $76,400 x .08 = $6,112 Annual payment, $400,000 x .08 = $32,000 10. Stock options provide the holder with an option to acquire a specified number of shares in a corporation under prescribed conditions and within a stated future time period. Options that are issued as an attachment to other securities are called stock warrants. Warrants may trade separately while options do not. Options often have a limited life while warrants often have no expiry date. 11. A share-based payment to a supplier is measured based on the fair value of the goods or services rendered. In the rare

The Rape Of Nanking And The Art - 1504 Words

As a species, humans have a long and bloodied history of attempting to eliminate one another to become dominant, from the Armenian genocide to the ethnic cleansing of the Tutsis in Rwanda. This mentality is not a new phenomenon, but has evolved to become even more lethal and prolific with the innovations in weaponry and transportation. Due to this disturbing universality, parallels are easily drawn between Iris Chang’s The Rape of Nanking and the art that was being created in Europe and the United States during the time of Hitler’s reign, including the work Seligmann, Stael and Albright. We must look to other global sources for this insight, due to the lack of photographic documentation in China and creation of art after the fact. The war crimes Japanese soldiers inflicted upon the people of Nanking are one of the most heinous examples of this idea of extermination, resulting in the loss of an estimated 200,000 to 300,000 lives. Thousands of women were raped, forced to take pictures with their assailants in pornographic poses, shamed and seen as being dirty, viewed as being subhuman. Soldiers were warned to eliminate the women they had raped, disposing of the evidence of what they had done. â€Å"‘Perhaps when we were raping her, we looked at her as a woman,’ Azuma [a soldier] wrote, â€Å"‘but when we killed her, we just thought of her as something like a pig’† (50). Rape was often rooted in superstition, the belief that the violation of virgins would provide strength andShow MoreRelatedThe Rape Of Nanking And The Three Of The Art Works During World War II1266 Words   |  6 PagesChinese faced during the war was the rape. Women were the most vulnerable existence during the war, and they were easiest existence to control. We can learn how the horror of the war affects on women. Through out the Iris Chang’s The Rape of Nanking and the three of the art works during World War II, which are Henri Matisseâ₠¬â„¢s Daisies in 1939, Wilhelm Freddie’s Portable Garbo in 1941, and Jean Dubuffet’s Two Nude Woman in 1942, we can recognize how the book and art use the same object, women in differentRead MorePleasing Films for Historians and Mainstream Audiences3072 Words   |  12 Pagesmainstream audiences. The topic of Sino-Japanese relations and China’s anti-Japanese war is frequently explored in the medium of film. Films such as City of Life and Death, Norman Bethune: The Making of a Hero, Devils on the Doorstep, The Last Emperor, Nanking, Flowers of War and The Inn of the Sixth Happiness all seek to investigate this turbulent period in Chinese history and to reflect upon the many different perspectives involved. Although the medium of film can never accurately portray history orRead MoreYear 1 Ib History839 Words   |  4 PagesReforms | * 1925: Emperor Hirohito * 1928: Zhang Zoulin assassination * 1931: Manchurian Incident Manchukuo * 1933: withdraw from LON * 1936: Imperial Way Coup d’etat (Control Faction V.S. Imperial Way) * 1937: Sino Japanese War Rape of Nanking * 1940: New Order in East Asia * 1940: Tripartite Pact (Germany, Japan, Italy) * 1941: US ban oil exports Dec. 7 Pearl Harbor attack | Japan During WWII | Political: * instability due to the frequent change in PM * National GeneralRead MoreChina s Education System Of China Essay2085 Words   |  9 Pagesand science began being taught in schools (China Education Center). Even with these changes, the educational system in the late Qing era were focused on the â€Å"Six Arts†. These â€Å"arts† included music, archery, horsemanship, writing arithmetic, history and knowledge of the public and private life rituals and ceremonies. On top of these arts, there were other subjects taught in this era such as military strategy, civil law, revenue and taxation, agriculture and geography all while keeping the ConfuciousRead MoreEducation2333 Words   |  10 Pagesimprove the economy progress of Singapore, at the same time; we will still remain as harmonious multi-racial country. On the other end, I disagree with Ms. K Bhavani as she is the Press Secretary to the Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts. Since she is working under the government, she has the obligation to defend the government by portraying a good image of Singapore’s media. She mentioned that the public is allowed to raise their thoughts on the Internet, in letters to the pressRead MoreEssay The Lucifer Effect: Understanding How Good People Turn Evil1788 Words   |  8 Pagesshall here be considering less dramatic transformations on a human scale that potentially can engage any of us. I lay the groundwork for the rest of the book by vivid descriptions of torture in the Inquisition, in the massacre in Rwanda, the rape of Nanking, and other venues where human nature has run amok. I also provide the initial scaffolding for how the Stanford Prison Experiment may help us make sense of corporate malfeasance, of â€Å"administrative evil,† and most particularly, the abuse and tortureRead MoreRelationship Between China And The United States4301 Words   |  18 Pagesmediation of the 13 merchants in Canton, the British were allowed try the murderers in England (Carroll 59). The Canton System of relations was abolished following the British-Chinese War, commonly called The Opium Wars, resulting the treaties of Nanking and Whanghia. The importation of opium had been illegal in China since 1796, but like the other rules of The Canton System, enforcement was erratic and smuggling was rampant (Latourette 111). Eventually, there was a concerted effort to enforce theRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 Pagesopportunities available to them at different times and in diverse settings. She places special emphasis on the important but often overlooked roles they played in politics, particularly those associated with resistance movements, and their contributions to arts and letters worldwide. Drawing on the essay collections and series on women in world history that she has edited over the past decade, Smith’s fully global perspectives make clear that even though gender parity has rarely been attained in any society

The Host Chapter 7 Confronted Free Essays

string(68) " at the classroom door, locked in a discussion that seemed intense\." Yes, Faces Sunward?† I asked, grateful to the raised hand for interrupting my lecture. I did not feel as comfortable behind the lectern as I usually did. My biggest strength, my only real credential-for my host body had had little in the way of a formal education, on the run since her early adolescence-was the personal experience I usually taught from. We will write a custom essay sample on The Host Chapter 7: Confronted or any similar topic only for you Order Now This was the first world’s history I’d presented this semester for which I had no memories to draw upon. I was sure my students were suffering the difference. â€Å"I’m sorry to interrupt, but†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The white-haired man paused, struggling to word his question. â€Å"I’m not sure I understand. The Fire-Tasters actually†¦ ingest the smoke from burning the Walking Flowers? Like food?† He tried to suppress the horror in his tone. It was not a soul’s place to judge another soul. But I was not surprised, given his background on the Planet of the Flowers, at his strong reaction to the fate of a similar life-form on another world. It was always amazing to me how some souls buried themselves in the affairs of whichever world they inhabited and ignored the rest of the universe. But, to be fair, perhaps Faces Sunward had been in hibernation when Fire World became notorious. â€Å"Yes, they receive essential nutrients from this smoke. And therein lies the fundamental dilemma and the controversy of Fire World-and the reason the planet has not been closed, though there has certainly been adequate time to populate it fully. There is also a high relocation percentage. â€Å"When Fire World was discovered, it was at first thought that the dominant species, the Fire-Tasters, were the only intelligent life-forms present. The Fire-Tasters did not consider the Walking Flowers to be their equals-a cultural prejudice-so it was a while, even after the first wave of settling, before the souls realized they were murdering intelligent creatures. Since then, Fire World scientists have focused their efforts on finding a replacement for the dietary needs of the Fire-Tasters. Spiders are being transported there to help, but the planets are hundreds of light-years apart. When this obstacle is overcome, as it will be soon, I’m sure, there is hope that the Walking Flowers might also be assimilated. In the meantime, much of the brutality has been removed from the equation. The, ah, burning-alive portion, of course, and other aspects as well.† â€Å"How can they†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Faces Sunward trailed off, unable to finish. Another voice completed Faces Sunward’s thought. â€Å"It seems like a very cruel ecosystem. Why was the planet not abandoned?† â€Å"That has been debated, naturally, Robert. But we do not abandon planets lightly. There are many souls for whom Fire World is home. They will not be uprooted against their will.† I looked away, back at my notes, in an attempt to end the side discussion. â€Å"But it’s barbaric!† Robert was physically younger than most of the other students-closer to my age, in fact, than any other. And truly a child in a more important way. Earth was his first world-the Mother in this case had actually been an Earth-dweller, too, before she’d given herself-and he didn’t seem to have as much perspective as older, better-traveled souls. I wondered what it would be like to be born into the overwhelming sensation and emotion of these hosts with no prior experience for balance. It would be difficult to find objectivity. I tried to remember that and be especially patient as I answered him. â€Å"Every world is a unique experience. Unless one has lived on that world, it’s impossible to truly understand the -â€Å" â€Å"But you never lived on Fire World,† he interrupted me. â€Å"You must have felt the same way†¦ Unless you had some other reason for skipping that planet? You’ve been almost everywhere else.† â€Å"Choosing a planet is a very personal and private decision, Robert, as you may someday experience.† My tone closed the subject absolutely. Why not tell them? You do think it’s barbaric-and cruel and wrong. Which is pretty ironic if you ask me-not that you ever do. What’s the problem? Are you ashamed that you agree with Robert? Because he’s more human than the others? Melanie, having found her voice, was becoming downright unbearable. How was I supposed to concentrate on my work with her opinions sounding off in my head all the time? In the seat behind Robert, a dark shadow moved. The Seeker, clad in her usual black, leaned forward, intent for the first time on the subject of discussion. I resisted the urge to scowl at her. I didn’t want Robert, already looking embarrassed, to mistake the expression as meant for him. Melanie grumbled. She wished I wouldn’t resist. Having the Seeker stalk our every footstep had been educational for Melanie; she used to think she couldn’t hate anything or anyone more than she hated me. â€Å"Our time is almost up,† I announced with relief. â€Å"I’m pleased to inform you that we will have a guest speaker next Tuesday who will be able to make up for my ignorance on this topic. Flame Tender, a recent addition to our planet, will be here to give us a more personal account of the settling of Fire World. I know that you will give him all the courtesy you accord me, and be respectful of the very young age of his host. Thank you for your time.† The class filed out slowly, many of the students taking a minute to chat with one another as they gathered their things. What Kathy had said about friendships ran through my head, but I felt no desire to join any of them. They were strangers. Was that the way I felt? Or the way Melanie felt? It was hard to tell. Maybe I was naturally antisocial. My personal history supported that theory, I supposed. I’d never formed an attachment strong enough to keep me on any planet for more than one life. I noticed Robert and Faces Sunward lingering at the classroom door, locked in a discussion that seemed intense. You read "The Host Chapter 7: Confronted" in category "Essay examples" I could guess the subject. â€Å"Fire World stories ruffle feathers.† I started slightly. The Seeker was standing at my elbow. The woman usually announced her approach with the quick tap of her hard shoes. I looked down now to see that she was wearing sneakers for once-black, of course. She was even tinier without the extra inches. â€Å"It’s not my favorite subject,† I said in a bland voice. â€Å"I prefer to have firsthand experience to share.† â€Å"Strong reactions from the class.† â€Å"Yes.† She looked at me expectantly, as if waiting for more. I gathered my notes and turned to put them in my bag. â€Å"You seemed to react as well.† I placed my papers in the bag carefully, not turning. â€Å"I wondered why you didn’t answer the question.† There was a pause while she waited for me to respond. I didn’t. â€Å"So†¦ why didn’t you answer the question?† I turned around, not concealing the impatience on my face. â€Å"Because it wasn’t pertinent to the lesson, because Robert needs to learn some manners, and because it’s no one else’s business.† I swung my bag to my shoulder and headed for the door. She stayed right beside me, rushing to keep up with my longer legs. We walked down the hallway in silence. It wasn’t until we were outside, where the afternoon sun lit the dust motes in the salty air, that she spoke again. â€Å"Do you think you’ll ever settle, Wanderer? On this planet, maybe? You seem to have an affinity for their†¦ feelings.† I bridled at the implied insult in her tone. I wasn’t even sure how she meant to insult me, but it was clear that she did. Melanie stirred resentfully. â€Å"I’m not sure what you mean.† â€Å"Tell me something, Wanderer. Do you pity them?† â€Å"Who?† I asked blankly. â€Å"The Walking Flowers?† â€Å"No, the humans.† I stopped walking, and she skidded to a halt beside me. We were only a few blocks from my apartment, and I’d been hurrying in hopes of getting away from her, though likely as not, she’d invite herself in. But her question caught me off guard. â€Å"The humans?† â€Å"Yes. Do you pity them?† â€Å"Don’t you?† â€Å"No. They were quite the brutal race. They were lucky to survive each other as long as they did.† â€Å"Not every one of them was bad.† â€Å"It was a predilection of their genetics. Brutality was part of their species. But you pity them, it seems.† â€Å"It’s a lot to lose, don’t you think?† I gestured around us. We stood in a parklike space between two ivy-covered dormitories. The deep green of the ivy was pleasing to the eye, especially in contrast to the faded red of the old bricks. The air was golden and soft, and the smell of the ocean gave a briny edge to the honey sweet fragrance of the flowers in the bushes. The breeze caressed the bare skin of my arms. â€Å"In your other lives, you can’t have felt anything so vivid. Wouldn’t you pity anyone who had this taken from them?† Her expression stayed flat, unmoved. I made an attempt to draw her in, to make her consider another viewpoint. â€Å"Which other worlds have you lived on?† She hesitated, then squared her shoulders. â€Å"None. I’ve only lived on Earth.† That surprised me. She was as much a child as Robert. â€Å"Only one planet? And you chose to be a Seeker in your first life?† She nodded once, her chin set. â€Å"Well. Well, that’s your business.† I started walking again. Maybe if I respected her privacy, she would return the favor. â€Å"I spoke to your Comforter.† And maybe not, Melanie thought sourly. â€Å"What?† I gasped. â€Å"I gather you’ve been having more trouble than just accessing the information I need. Have you considered trying another, more pliable host? She suggested that, did she not?† â€Å"Kathy wouldn’t tell you anything!† The Seeker’s face was smug. â€Å"She didn’t have to answer. I’m very good at reading human expressions. I could tell when my questions struck a nerve.† â€Å"How dare you? The relationship between a soul and her Comforter -â€Å" â€Å"Is sacrosanct, yes; I know the theory. But the acceptable means of investigation don’t seem to be working with your case. I have to get creative.† â€Å"You think I’m keeping something from you?† I demanded, too angry to control the disgust in my voice. â€Å"You think I confided that to my Comforter?† My anger didn’t faze her. Perhaps, given her strange personality, she was used to such reactions. â€Å"No. I think you’re telling me what you know†¦ But I don’t think you’re looking as hard as you could. I’ve seen it before. You’re growing sympathetic to your host. You’re letting her memories unconsciously direct your own desires. It’s probably too late at this point. I think you’d be more comfortable moving on, and maybe someone else will have better luck with her.† â€Å"Hah!† I shouted. â€Å"Melanie would eat them alive!† Her expression froze in place. She’d had no idea, no matter what she thought she’d discerned from Kathy. She’d thought Melanie’s influence was from memories, that it was unconscious. â€Å"I find it very interesting that you speak of her in the present tense.† I ignored that, trying to pretend I hadn’t made a slip. â€Å"If you think someone else would have better luck breaking into her secrets, you’re wrong.† â€Å"Only one way to find out.† â€Å"Did you have someone in mind?† I asked, my voice frigid with aversion. She grinned. â€Å"I’ve gotten permission to give it a try. Shouldn’t take long. They’re going to hold my host for me.† I had to breathe deeply. I was shaking, and Melanie was so full of hate that she was past words. The idea of having the Seeker inside me, even though I knew that I would not be here, was so repugnant that I felt a return of last week’s nausea. â€Å"It’s too bad for your investigation that I’m not a skipper.† The Seeker’s eyes narrowed. â€Å"Well, it does certainly make this assignment drag on. History was never of much interest to me, but it looks like I’m in for a full course now.† â€Å"You just said that it was probably too late to get any more from her memories,† I reminded her, struggling to make my voice calm. â€Å"Why don’t you go back to wherever you belong?† She shrugged and smiled a tight smile. â€Å"I’m sure it is too late†¦ for voluntary information. But if you don’t cooperate, she might just lead me to them yet.† â€Å"Lead you?† â€Å"When she takes full control, and you’re no better than that weakling, once Racing Song, now Kevin. Remember him? The one who attacked the Healer?† I stared at her, eyes wide, nostrils flared. â€Å"Yes, it’s probably just a matter of time. Your Comforter didn’t tell you the statistics, did she? Well, even if she did, she wouldn’t have the latest information that we have access to. The long-term success rate for situations such as yours-once a human host begins to resist-is under twenty percent. Did you have any idea it was so bad? They’re changing the information they give potential settlers. There will be no more adult hosts offered. The risks are too great. We’re losing souls. It won’t be long before she’s talking to you, talking through you, controlling your decisions.† I hadn’t moved an inch or relaxed a muscle. The Seeker leaned in, stretched up on her toes to put her face closer to mine. Her voice turned low and smooth in an attempt to sound persuasive. â€Å"Is that what you want, Wanderer? To lose? To fade away, erased by another awareness? To be no better than a host body?† I couldn’t breathe. â€Å"It only gets worse. You won’t be you anymore. She’ll beat you, and you’ll disappear. Maybe someone will intervene†¦ Maybe they’ll move you like they did Kevin. And you’ll become some child named Melanie who likes to tinker with cars rather than compose music. Or whatever it is she does.† â€Å"The success rate is under twenty percent?† I whispered. She nodded, trying to suppress a smile. â€Å"You’re losing yourself, Wanderer. All the worlds you’ve seen, all the experiences you’ve collected-they’ll be for nothing. I saw in your file that you have the potential for Motherhood. If you gave yourself to be a Mother, at least all that would not be entirely wasted. Why throw yourself away? Have you considered Motherhood?† I jerked away from her, my face flushing. â€Å"I’m sorry,† she muttered, her face darkening, too. â€Å"That was impolite. Forget I said that.† â€Å"I’m going home. Don’t follow.† â€Å"I have to, Wanderer. It’s my job.† â€Å"Why do you care so much about a few spare humans? Why? How do you justify your job anymore? We’ve won! It’s time for you to join society and do something productive!† My questions, my implied accusations, did not ruffle her. â€Å"Wherever the fringes of their world touch ours there is death.† She spoke the words peacefully, and for a moment I glimpsed a different person in her face. It surprised me to realize that she deeply believed in what she did. Part of me had supposed that she only chose to seek because she illicitly craved the violence. â€Å"If even one soul is lost to your Jared or your Jamie, that is one soul too many. Until there is total peace on this planet, my job will be justified. As long as there are Jareds surviving, I am needed to protect our kind. As long as there are Melanies leading souls around by the nose†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I turned my back on her and headed for my apartment with long strides that would force her to run if she wanted to keep up. â€Å"Don’t lose yourself, Wanderer!† she called after me. â€Å"Time is running out for you!† She paused, then shouted more loudly. â€Å"Inform me when I’m to start calling you Melanie!† Her voice faded as the space between us grew. I knew she would follow at her own pace. This last uncomfortable week-seeing her face in the back of every class, hearing her footsteps behind me on the sidewalk every day-was nothing compared to what was coming. She was going to make my life a misery. It felt as if Melanie were bouncing violently against the inner walls of my skull. Let’s get her canned. Tell her higher-ups that she did something unacceptable. Assaulted us. It’s our word against hers – In a human world, I reminded her, almost sad that I didn’t have access to that sort of recourse. There are no higher-ups, in that sense. Everyone works together as equals. There are those whom many report to, in order to keep the information organized, and councils who make decisions about that information, but they won’t remove her from an assignment she wants. You see, it works like – Who cares how it works if it doesn’t help us? I know-let’s kill her! A gratuitous image of my hands tightening around the Seeker’s neck filled my head. That sort of thing is exactly why my kind is better left in charge of this place. Get off your high horse. You’d enjoy it as much as I would. The image returned, the Seeker’s face turning blue in our imagination, but this time it was accompanied by a fierce wave of pleasure. That’s you, not me. My statement was true; the image sickened me. But it was also perilously close to false-in that I would very much enjoy never seeing the Seeker again. What do we do now? I’m not giving up. You’re not giving up. And that wretched Seeker is sure as hell not giving up! I didn’t answer her. I didn’t have a ready answer. It was quiet in my head for a brief moment. That was nice. I wished the silence could last. But there was only one way to buy my peace. Was I willing to pay the price? Did I have a choice anymore? Melanie slowly calmed. By the time I was through the front door, locking behind me the bolts that I had never before turned-human artifacts that had no place in a peaceful world-her thoughts were contemplative. I’d never thought about how you all carry on your species. I didn’t know it was like that. We take it very seriously, as you can imagine. Thanks for your concern. She wasn’t bothered by the thick edge of irony in the thought. She was still musing over this discovery while I turned on my computer and began to look for shuttle flights. It was a moment before she was aware of what I was doing. Where are we going? The thought held a flicker of panic. I felt her awareness begin to rifle through my head, her touch like the soft brush of feathers, searching for anything I might be keeping from her. I decided to save her the search. I’m going to Chicago. The panic was more than a flicker now. Why? I’m going to see the Healer. I don’t trust her. I want to talk to him before I make my decision. There was a brief silence before she spoke again. The decision to kill me? Yes, that one. How to cite The Host Chapter 7: Confronted, Essay examples

Mythological Creatures from Dante’s Inferno Essay Example

Mythological Creatures from Dante’s Inferno Paper The Inferno (Hell) is the first part of The Divine Comedy, followed by the Purgatorio (Purgatory) and Paradiso (Heaven). It is a classic Christian theological text that uses strong poetic imagination and allegorical allusion. Though originally written in Italian between 1308 and 1321 AD, the work is widely translated and its themes are drawn upon by generations of writers since. Written in first person narrative, the comedy is about the imaginative events and experiences of Dante (and his companion poet Virgil) as he traverses through Inferno, Purgatorio and Paradiso in his afterlife. Dante meets both mythological and real people during his long voyage. He also comes across mythological creatures that pose moral dilemmas and questions to him. By successfully resolving such challenges, Dante (and by extension anyone with faith in Christ) steadily attains spiritual salvation. The rest of this essay will dwell on the mythological creatures and the nature of their interaction with D ante and Virgil through the Inferno. The first part of Inferno begins on the eve of Good Friday in the year 1300. The world of the Inferno is dangerous and dark. Dante is lost in a thick forest (a symbol for sin) and he is haunted by wild carnivorous beasts such as lions and wolfs. As Dante suffers in despair, the ancient poet Virgil comes to his rescue. Together, both of them seek repentance for their sins. Their sins are broadly classified under self-indulgent sins (lust, gluttony, wrath and greed), violent sins and malicious sins (dishonesty and treason). (Alvarez 89) Having successfully negotiated the diabolical challenges in this hellish underground, Dante and Virgil move on to the gates of the City of Dis in Canto 8, where We will write a custom essay sample on Mythological Creatures from Dante’s Inferno specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Mythological Creatures from Dante’s Inferno specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Mythological Creatures from Dante’s Inferno specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer â€Å"more than a thousand devils bar their entrance. Since hostility and unwillingness to co-operate are defining traits of infernal creatures, Dante and Virgil are not surprised that their progress has been impeded once again. The first creature to block their way was Charon, followed by the infernal judge Minos. In both of these cases the opposition was overcome easily enough with words uttered like a magic formula.† (Pugliese, 2005, p. 175) The next mythic creature that Dante and Virgil encounter is Geryon. Taken from Greek mythology, Geryon was vanquished in battle by Hercules. Geryon is one among several classical monsters that were defeated by the superior skill and power of Hercules. As Virgil describes in Inferno Canto 6, Geryon is a ‘triple-bodied hybrid’. By virtue of this physique, â€Å"Dante metamorphoses Geryon into a fantastic creature like the classical Chimera (Oion, goat, and serpent), mentioned along with Geryon in the same Canto† (Alighieri, 1996, p. 272) Geryon is described in the 10th Canto through these dramatic opening lines ‘Behold the beast the whole world stink’. This opening signifies the threat and mysteriousness surrounding the creature from the sea. This unusual canto opening points to the fact that, like Cantos 8 and 9, â€Å"it forms a major transition between divisions of Hell, for we now move from the circle of violence to the two circles of fraud (simp le fraud and treacherous fraud.† (Alighieri, 1996, p. 268) Dante makes it clear that Geryon is a manifestation of fraud. The magnitude of this fraud is such that it renders powerless physical barriers and protections such as walls, armour and even mountains. Geryon’s scorpion-like tail is full of poison. Here poison is a metaphor for deception and fraud. The opposing virtues are truth and genuineness. The three headed dog-like creature Cerberus poses a tough challenge to Dante and his companion during their spiritual quest. Cerberus guards the third circle of Hell and devours on those spirits which are guilty of gluttony. Dante’s description of Cerberus is taken after its original imagination by Virgil in Aeneid. Consequently, the three headed dog-like creature that guards the entrance of the third circle. It has an intimidating presence, accompanied by a loud growl and with snakes rising from its neck. His three throats produce â€Å"a deafening bark, and he eagely devours like a dog intent on his meal – the fistful of dirt that Virgil throws into his mouths† Other features of Cerberus, such as his red eyes, greasy black beard, large gut, and clawed hands perhaps link him to the gluttonous spirits who suffer in the sixth circle† (Raffa, 2007, p. 40) One of the unfortunate gluttons meted out punishment in the third circle is Ciacco, who rises up and acknowledges Dante as an inhabitant of Florence. Using his powers of prophecy Ciacco predicts that there were to be an epic battle between the two political factions of the ancient city, with the victory first going to white Guelphs, only to be squandered to the opposing black Guelphs in three years. After giving Dante the identities of other Florentines who are languishing in other circles of Hell, Ciacco â€Å"falls back to the ground, not to rise again until the Last Judgment at the end of time.† (Raffa, 2007, p. 39) Having the obstacle of Ciacco thus removed, Dante and Virgil march on to other circles. The winged creature representing Florence is another terrifying encounter for Virgil and Dante. This reptilian nature of this winged dragon is noted from the description â€Å"he who possesses the sea, the land and the whole globe†. (Alighieri, 1996, p. 406) Plutus is another creature which Dante and Virgil encounter on their long journey through the circles of Inferno. Like Cerberus, Plutus is also a hybrid representing the vice of greed. It is hence coined the God of Wealth. Plutus possesses â€Å"the power of speech and the ability to understand Virgil’s dismissive words, while at the same time displaying animal features and a distinctly bestial rage.† (Raffa, 2007, p. 46) The wolf-like Plutus that informs Satan that Dante and Virgil are approaching the fourth circle. Virgil confronts Plutus valorously and silences him temporarily, which allows the duo to pass through unhurt. Herein arrives an enlightenment for Dante as he witnesses a â€Å"multitude of shades damned for the sin of avarice (holding wealth too tightly) or its opposite, prodigality (spending too freely). The two groups push heavy boulders with their chests around a circle in opposite directions: when the avaricious and the prodigal collide, they turn and, after casting insults at one another, repeat the journey in the other direction.† (Raffa, 2007, p. 45) This scene so disgusts Dante that he loses track of individual identities of the shades fighting. It is the ever alert Virgil who notes the â€Å"presence of many clerics, including cardinals and popes, among the avaricious. He also explains to Dante the divine role of Fortuna in human affairs.† (Raffa, 2007, p. 45)