Comparing Literary Works Themes' Research Paper

Comparing Literary Works Themes' - Research Paper Example These articles are How I Met My Husband and The Gift of the Magi by Alice Munro and Henry O respectively. How I Met My Husband is a short story that was written by Alice Munro. Having being published in, the story covers the theme of marriage. As one of the most valued aspects of life, marriage has been extensively covered by many authors who are focused at providing the manner in which a strong family is formed based on the right choice during marriage. How I Met My Husband is a story that involves Edie, a young girl who was employed as a house help for Dr Peebles and his family. The story indicates how Edie meets a pilot known as Chris Watters. Immediately, the two falls in love. As a young girl who is looking for love, Edie first encounter with romance is when she comes close to an airplane view. One of the key aspects that the story is based on is the innocent nature about romance that Edie exhibits. Additionally, the story indicate how despite her younger age, she is significantly proud and is aware of her blossoming womanhood that she aim to use together with Mrs. Peebles’s make ups to attract the attention of Chris Watters. One of the afternoons while Mrs. Peebles is away, Edie plans on how to dress herself and become a sophisticated beauty that Chris could not avoid. Chris on his part notices the beautiful Edie while he was looking for cool water to drink. On the other hand The Gift of the Magi is a romance story which is written by O. Henry. The story is concerned about marriage between Mr. James Dillingham (Jim) and Della who is Jim’s wife. Marriage needs commitments and love and thus it is termed as tricky. Love is tricky and thus the young couples want to buy each other gifts but have little money since it is on Christmas Eve. Gift to make each other happy and strengthen their love and thus each and every individual has to play his or her role to make sure that the lover will appreciate the gift. One

Misconceptions in Science Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Misconceptions in Science - Essay Example Most cardboard boxes would start out floating, but the porous nature of the cardboard would allow the water to swamp the voids, changing the density of the overall structure. The cardboard would become waterlogged and sink. A marble would sink because the density of the marble relative to the amount of displaced water would be too great. The surface area of the marble and the surface tension of the water would not create a ratio conducive to buoyancy. An orange is able to float because the orange rind is a low-density material. The makeup of an orange rind provides buoyancy for the orange. It is interesting to note that if an orange is pealed from the rind and placed in a bucket of water, it will not flood because the removal of the orange rind has altered the overall density of the object. One common misconception children have about objects sinking or floating is inked to the weight of the object. Many children think that heavy things sink and light things float. We know that this is not true. The density of the object relative to the density of the water is the determining factor in whether something sinks or floats. A misunderstanding of force also causes this misconception. Students reason that something heavy pushed down on the water harder than something light. If it floats, the water is pushing up hard enough to support it, but if it sinks the water is not strong enough to support it. Students need to understand the water doesn’t push up against the object. The determining factor is the relationship between water density and object density. Another misconception many students have is that small items will float more easily than large items. This is closely related to the idea of weight being a determining factor and shows a misunderstanding of density as well. Many young elementary children do not understand the differences between density and weight. For example,

Kellers Model Of Customer Based Brand Equity Marketing Essay

Kellers Model Of Customer Based Brand Equity Marketing Essay How do consumers evaluate service brands: An investigation of the performance of Harrods as a service brand to get their brand image Background of the Research Branding has been one the most exciting yet phenomenal marketing concept of the 21st century. A brand can be viewed as a promise made with consumers, the promise of providing consistent quality and satisfaction (Balmer Greyser, 2003). Therefore the term brand can be defined as a name, symbol, design or a combination of these to identify a product in the marketplace (Keller, 2006). Brands have become very important in recent years and are part of our everyday life and with so much choice available it becomes difficult to choose a particular branded product. Usually consumers tend to select products that are familiar to them, products that tend to have a clear meaningful set of values, attributes and brand names that are trusted (Keller, 2006). Both physical goods and services can be branded, however there has been a vast focus towards the branding of physical goods and very little work carried out on the branding of services (OCass Grace, 2004). The growth of services has been rapid across the world and it has become important to understand the tools that can be used to brand a service to initiate differentiation. Branding of physical products tends to be simpler because the consumer is able to hold, touch and feel the end product. Branding a service is slightly more complicated due to its intangible nature, because youre not going home with an item but more of an experience that occurs with services. Many scholars such as de Chernatony and DallOlmo Riley (1999), Berry (2000), McDonald, de Chernatony and Harris (2001) and OCass and Grace (2003, 2004) have taken an approach to create a framework that can be used towards branding a service. Most of these frameworks are created to measure services that are intangible such as banks, hotels, airline, financial and consultant services. This study will be focusing on the branding of Harrods services. The study has been motivated by the nature of service branding and the frameworks that have been created by scholars previously mentioned. However not all of these frameworks are applicable for this study and therefore will be concentrating only on the framework created by OCass and Grace (2004). The main reason being the framework created by OCass and Grace (2004) is the only one that measures service brands from the consumers point of view. The service brand model by OCass and Grace (2004) will be used against services being offered by Harrods. Harrods is basically famous for the luxury and high class products it offers, however this research emphasises on the services it offers. The main services Harrods offers are as follows: Karim Fayed hearing centre Beauty Sports Fitness Financial and property services Home lifestyle The studio Interior Design Innovation Furniture and interior design Food Fashion and accessories Fine Jewellery Weddings Occasions Corporate gifting services Healthcare Airport Services This research is not particularly focusing on one service it provides, rather it takes all these services in general and the respondents would be the customers of Harrods who have used any of its services. Aims and Objectives The main aim of this project is as followed. What are the service branding factors taken into consideration by consumers when selecting a luxury brand service provider; Harrods? The following objectives have been suggested and need be reached for a successful achievement of the project aim a) To identify, examine and discuss the relevant service branding associations consumers hold towards service brands b) To identify and discuss all the relevant service branding associations directly linked towards Harrods Services c) To examine how important are the service brand association for Harrods service consumers d) To evaluate the influence these associations have on the purchase of services from Harrods Literature Review Overview What is Brand? A brand is basically a trademark or a distinctive name of a product or manufacturer, it conveys and portrays the image of the product; word brand refers to a name, term, symbol, sign or design used by a firm to differentiate its offerings from those of its competitors, to identify a product with a particular seller, Kotler, (1999) stated. Developing a good brand has become a major task for many organizations today because it provides a number of advantages. Strong brands help the firm establish an identity in the market place (Aaker, 1991). A successful brand has a recognizable name which provides specific attributes to the consumer (i.e. quality, elegance, value). According to The Economist (1988) the basic purpose of branding is to build the products image, this image will influence the perceived worth of the product and will increase the brands value to the customer, leading to brand loyalty. From the marketing perspective, Kotler (1994) believes brands convey a few meanings to th e consumers like: Benefit: The help and benefit sought provided by the firm to its consumers, which is transformed by its attributes Culture: The brand reflects an organizations image and equity Personality: The brand is regarded with certain characteristics Users self-image: The brand reflects or consistent with consumers self-image Brand Value: Both physical and mental values provided by the brand to its customers Attribute: The functions of the product brand provide Companies normally develop brands as a source or mode to attract and keep customers by promoting value, image, prestige, or lifestyle. Hence, a brand is not just a symbol but comprises of core product, packaging and marketing communication, which includes many important meanings and values of a firm; the objective of brand building is to develop more valuable profits and benefits to the company. Relationship of Brands and Their Equity According to Motameni and Shahrokhi (1998) today brands play an important part in marketing strategy because it has become an important marketing component for the company and a source of information for the consumers. Branding and brand equity has been a key topic of interest to the researchers of marketing for many years. The term brand can be explained as a name, term, sign, symbol, or design, or a combinations of them which is intended to identify the goods and the services of a seller or a group of sellers to differentiate them from those of competitors (Kotler, 2005. pp 42). This topic of branding and brand equity has been a detailed research topic in the marketing literature. Aaker (1991) and Keller (1993) have gave some thorough insight into brand equity, and both have provided theoretical schemes that link brand equity with various consumer response variables. Brand equity has emerged as a marketing imperative, so too has the need to fully understand and manage brand associations (OCass Grace, 2003). Aaker (1996) has defined brand equity as a set of assets (and liabilities) linked to a brands name and symbol that adds to (or subtract from) the value provided by a product or service to a firm and/or that firms customers. Aaker has also identified five assets of brand equity: brand awareness, brand loyalty, perceived quality, brand associations and other proprietary brand assets. Aaker (1996) also presented brand isentity model which is very important in elaborating the concept of brand identity. Fig. 2.1 Source (Aaker 1996) The brand is a very important tool for marketers as consumers use it as a reminder to conclude certain product attributes such as quality (Krishnan Hartline, 2001). Lim OCass (2000) stated that brands are seen to be valuable assets and sources of differentiation that plays a vital role in marketing strategy. Branded goods make it simpler for consumers to identify the product in the marketplace (Lassar et al, 1995), brands also reduce the consumers search costs, perceived risk and signals the quality of the product (Keller, 2006). Kellers Model of Customer Based Brand Equity On the hand Keller (1993, 1998) has proposed a knowledge based framework which is a customer based brand equity model. The framework consists of two dimensions commonly known as brand awareness and brand image. The model consists of product related and non product related attributes (OCass Grace, 2003; Keller, 2003). The product related attributes are explained as the components of the core product or service wanted by consumers (Keller, 1993). The related attributes of service can be described as the process that takes place before, during or after receiving the service. For example when a customer uses a dry cleaning service they are paying for getting their clothing cleaned and the price charged is usually for the unseen elements such as the use of premises, detergent, cleaning equipment and employee expertise (OCass Grace, 2003). The non product related attributes refers to all other attributes that are external to the function or the process of the service offering (Keller, 1993). The four non product related categories are: price, user and usage imagery, brand personality and feelings and experiences. Price is considered a non product related attribute as it remains external to the purchase or consumption of a service (Keller, 1993, 1998). In terms of branding the price does not directly reflect the service or performance. Moreover price is established as an important association in brand image evaluation and a strong quality indicator (OCass Grace, 2004, Keller, 1998). User imagery is related to the type of person who is going to use the product or service (Keller, 1998). The attributes are usually formed by the consumers own experience via contact of brand users or by the image represented by marketing communications. On the other hand usage imagery illustrates the situational factors in which the brand is used (Keller, 1998). For example time of day, week or year, location, or type of activity. The user and usage imagery typically reflects the conventional users of a product or service in the context within which it is used. Brand personality has been defined as set of human characteristics or traits that consumers attribute to a brand (Keller, 2006, p.369). In simpler terms brand personality can be expressed by both demographic and psychographic characteristics, providing a concept upon which the brand can be positioned in the consumers mind. Brand personality or personality characteristics are used to target consumers, hence attracting that particular market where the people can relate themselves to how they see their ideal self (Keller, 2006, p.66). A well established brand personality has the ability to increase emotional ties with the brand along with developing trust and loyalty. According to Keller (1998) feelings and experiences which are also non product related attributes, have become important in terms of consumer evaluations of brands, often occurring through the evaluation of advertising. In the context of services, it is important to evaluate the feelings and experiences of service brands. For the reason that production and consumption occur simultaneously in services, the service experience is the active structure of meanings associated with the behaviours, thoughts and feelings that occur during consumption, which directly impacts on the consumers perceived brand image (Keller, 1998, 2006). The measurement of brand equity has also been a high interest area of study. There are direct and indirect measures for brand equity. The direct approach is an attempt made to assess the value added by the brand to the product (Keller, 1993). The indirect approach focuses on the identification of the potential sources of brand equity (Aaker, 1991; Keller, 1993). Both these approach can be given a merit, however Keller (1993) argues that direct and indirect approach to measuring brand equity are complementary and should be used together. Concept of Service Branding in the Marketing Literature Basically branding is basically an effective marketing strategy, tool and technique which have been utilized with great results for organizations and enormous success in the past (Rooney 1995). Nowadays, branding is facing a new popularity due to new and innovative applications. Though there have been times when branding was less than successful. Now marketers are working to get the appropriate applications in the given settings. All the problems regarding branding strategy in current time include the selection of a proper brand name. Coonan (1993) stated that this fundamental issue will impact on the success of a branding strategy. Marketers have to choose the advertising strategy to support and communicate the name, once a name is selected. Hence keeping the brand in a strong position is a critical concern. New areas of branding include corporate, industrial, and service branding. These non-traditional branding environments are becoming the future for marketers using branding strategy. To add to the new branding areas, there are new branding techniques. These techniques include brand extensions and ingredient branding. New strategies, techniques, and arenas for branding have to be managed. The organization must support and identify with the strategy. The goals, objectives, and mission of any organization should be in line with the branding strategy employed. There has been a lot of work carried out on branding and brand equity by academic researchers like Keller (1993, 1998) and Aaker (1991, 1996), but majority of their work has been focused on physical goods branding. In the last decade there has been many frameworks created to assist marketers to realise how consumers think about, and respond to brands, as a result enabling marketers to implement effective consumer centred marketing activities. Turley and Moore (1995) have stated that there is an increased growth of service economies throughout the world, but the branding literature has mainly explored branding in terms of physical goods, whereas the branding of services has been minimal and left out of the picture. Several researches have been done on services marketing that has focused on topics such as measuring service quality, service failure to service switching but the examination into branding of services has not been undertaken (OCass Grace, 2004). Keller (1993, 1998) and Aaker (1996) have suggested branding frameworks that can be applied to measure brand equity, however these frameworks are excellent when used towards physical goods but are not fully adaptable for service brands as some attributes need to be taken out or completely adjusted. Keller (1993, 1998) has created a construct known as dimensions of brand knowledge which is an in-depth analytical view of the brand from the perspective of the consumer. The model has been criticised because only a small section of the model has been empirically tested to date and the model overlooks the variations found in the area of consumer evaluation concerning goods and services (OCass Grace, 2003). Keller (1998) has however argued that hi s model can be applied to both branding of goods and services. With respect Berry (2000) has criticised that these models by Keller (1993, 1998) and Aaker (1996) have some aspects in common across the two domains of goods and services, but the application of these models can be questioned. The reason being the marketing principles of goods and services are inconsistent because the difference between the two domains. The core offering of goods is different from the offerings of a service, because core service offering of a service is more complex and largely compromises of elements such as processes, people and physical facilities (Tax Stuart, 1997 cited in OCass Grace, 2004). As a result the evaluation of service brands by consumers maybe different as there maybe the need for more or newer attributes required in examining service brands than physical goods brands, hence the models by Keller (1993, 1998) and Aaker (1996) are inconsistent and cannot be completely relied on when eval uating consumer perceptions of service brands. Service When exploring the concept of service Youngs contribution is very important. Youngs (2000: P 43) says, A service, combined with goods products, is experienced and evaluated by customers who have particular goals and motivations for consuming the service. Gronroos (1990) stated that service is an activity or series of activities of more or less intangible nature. He also stated that service normally, but not necessarily, takes place in interactions between the customers and the service employees and/ or physical resources of goods and/or systems of the service provider, which are provided as solutions to customers problems. Young (2000) has mentioned three areas of service, to elaborate it in much better way. First is that service takes place via interaction of consumers and the service provider, it can be a company or an individual. The other factors are the physical resources or the environments playing a vital medium role in the process of service production and consumption. Third service is needed by consumers to provide certain functions such as problem-solving. Boone and Kurtz (1994) have worked on services and according to them each of service characteristics is as follows: 1. Intangibility: Customer cannot sample a service before purchasing it that appealing to customers sense of sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. 2. Inseparability: Customer perceptions of the service provider become their perceptions of the service itself. Often Customers are unable to judge the quality of a service before purchase. 3. Perish-ability: The organization cannot put an unsold service into storage. 4. Difficult to Standardizes: It is mostly impossible to standardize offerings among sellers of the same service or even to standardize the service of a single seller. 5. Buyer Involvement: It is very important that buyers are often involved in the development and distribution of services. 6. Service quality is actually high variable in all aspects. When goods and services are compared on the grounds of their characteristics following table can be helpful in doing comparison. Fig. 2.2 Comparison of products and services and service branding implications (Source Grace and OCass 2003) Kristen (2008) stated that when its about providing service, knowing the expectation of customers and the customers perception of the service encounter is a vital component to delivering superior service. Delivering superior service, especially in the hospitality industry creates a myriad of opportunities for the service organization to surpass the competitive and become a recognized leader in the service industry. It only stands to rationalize that the concept of the service encounter directly affects satisfaction, loyalty and future behavioural intensions; which in turn, has a direct affect on the organizations success and financial stability. There are four basic unique features of services: intangibility, inseparability of production and consumption, heterogeneity and perishability. Heterogeneity of Service Brands The advertising that positions the brand should be met by frontline staff as if imitating the brand. Regular planning, control, automation and regular reviews of performance improvement and consumer reaction should be made use of to overcome heterogeneity and quality control difficulties of service brands (Chernatony Riley, 1999). The human element in service condition cannot be subjected to quality control measures as a product from a factory, thus each service experience is potentially distinctive, where consistency can prove difficult to achieve on a regular basis (Berry, 2000). Berry (2000) believes the concurrent product and consumption of services can enable to customise the service brand to serve the needs of particular consumers better, thereby making the practice of marketing the responsibility of every employee. The previous branding strategy is unlikely to accommodate differing consumer needs because of the rigid structure and almost inflexible approach. By making brandin g an internal as well as external activity, may help ensure consistency across time and differing situations (Chernatony Segal-Horn, 2003). Internal branding also known as internal marketing, has received great deal of attention and an area of vast interest, which has created a consistent organisational culture revolving around the brand concept. Within the service company the brand concept needs to be understood, which allows the brand to become an internal cohesive device, enabling employees to retain flexibility to deal with different people and situations, while conforming to the brand concept. As a consequence employee relations and internal communications are essential means to motivate and retain consumer conscious employees and ensure greater consistency in service quality (Chernatony Riley, 1999). Employees with positive attitudes and behaviour can increase consumer satisfaction with the service brand, which results in increased market share and sales. Intangibility of Service Brands The factor of intangibility of the services of the organization makes it hard for customers to identify and assess the quality of a service and differentiating between other competing brands. There is also a concern to firms as they find it difficult to set accurate prices for services. To overcome this problem number of branding strategies can be implemented. It has been suggested the size and reputation of companies, which are perceived associations of the firms brand name, that are used by consumers as an indicator to measure the quality when selecting between very intangible services (Chernatony Riley, 1999). It has also been noted by Balmer and Greyser (2003) that consumers are willing to pay higher premiums for services of a company with a strong reputation. Moreover firms that recognise the company name as the brand name, categorised by a distinctive corporate identity, personality and image is considered an important service branding strategy, providing endorsements recognit ion and acceptance as well as making the service more meaningful hence tangible (Balmer Greyser, 2003; Berry, 2000). Another service branding strategy that has been encouraged is the use of unique logos or physical facilities that consumers can immediately associate with specific service providers by offering relevant tangible clues (Chernatony Riley, 1999). Many researchers have considered the branding of goods and services have their similarities; however specific nature of services requires tailored approaches (McDonald, de Chernatony and Harris 2001). Since every service is based on series of performances, service brands become a target of being perceived as commodities. To overcome this problem McDonald, de Chernatony and Harris (2001) have taken a different approach and recommended to make service brands more tangible to provide consumers with favourable set of perceptions. The authors have distinguished an effective way to carry this out is by using physical components associated with the service. For example making changes to the physical elements associated with the brand such as staff uniform, consistent office decorations to the type music played in store. However making these changes doesnt assure that consumers will have a positive view when assessing the service, because the actual service the company provides cannot be imp roved due to these changes being made. Inseparability of Service Brands As consumers are involved in services production, their expectation usually differ between encounters, mainly due to the fact how they interact with different service providers. The main influence of satisfaction with a service brand is caused by the similarity between expected and perceived behaviour, making it complex to control service quality (Summers, 1996 cited in Chernatony Riley, 1999). Moreover there is an increased emphasis towards selecting and training staff to provide a service that is consistent, however it has been argued firms should emphasis the use of corporate branding to establish a favourable consumer nature towards the company (Balmer, 1995). According to this perspective, the company brand provides consistency to the employees behaviour while maintaining consumers expectations. On the other hand it has been stated that by involving consumers in the production process, firms are better able to adapt services to individual needs. Perishability of Service Brands Service brands face a great challenge not only does the firm have to build a strong image and reputation to attract consumers (Balmer Greyser, 2003), but also preventing competitors from making promises that attract consumers away, even before the service brand has been experienced. Services cannot be stored and the service encounter often does not involve any transfer of ownership. In services such as life insurance or pensions the service is purchased long before the benefits have been received and evaluated. To overcome these difficulties it has been suggested the company should build strong brand image and reputation as one of the branding options available. Another problem arising from the characteristic of perishability is the difficulty in synchronising supply and demand. Service firms need to formulate strategies either to cope with fluctuating demand or make adjustments to match capacity and demand more closely, or they will not only face financial problems but branding iss ues as well (Chernatony Riley, 1999). The brand as recognised by consumers, encapsulates both the quality of the service and the efficiency with which the service is provided. Chernatony Riley (1999) have provided an example that the brand image of a supermarket chain depends not only on the price and the product they stock , but also how quickly and efficiently customers can pay for the good and exit the store. Long waits at queues can adversely affect the image, unless ways are found to speed up the queues or persuade consumers to shop outside peak times. Therefore organisation systems become part of the branding process that enable the delivery of promises with regards to service quality, speed and efficiency. Frameworks of Branding of Services Because of the unique features of services, consumers have a complex time evaluating the content and quality of a service prior to, during and after the usage of the service. It has been stated by Krishnan and Hartline (2001) branding is more important in services due to the complexity faced by consumers in assessing the purchase of a service. Branding of services is critical for the reason that consumers view services as a commodity. Branding of services has not been a well researched area; hence the literature is slow in development and primarily basic in nature (de Chernatony Segal-Horn, 2003; Grace OCass, 2002). Berry (2000) has suggested service brands should be distinctive, relevant, memorable and flexible and should be named same as the company rather than another name. The intangibility of services makes it difficult for consumers to evaluate the quality of the service. Regarding the growth of services across the world and the incompatibility of brand equity frameworks used for services, academics such as Berry (2000) Chernatony and Riley (1999) McDonald, Chernatony and Harris (2001) have tried to resolve this issue by creating a framework that can be examined towards consumer service branding. Chernatony and Rileys model Chernatony and Riley (1999) have carried out research with brand consultants about what they thought the difference is between goods and service brands and how they address this issue and in doing so they have come up with the double vortex brand model. The study was implemented using qualitative approach consisting of semi structured in-depth interviews with selected brand consultants in the UK. The purpose of the interview was to find out how brand consultants make sense of brands and do consultants have similar views regarding the components of the brand. The aim of this model is to find out can branding be equally used towards goods and services, and consultants perceptions towards the principle of branding a service is similar to branding for goods. In order to describe in simple terms the complex nature of brands the authors Chernatony and Riley (1999) had discovered that all participants had adopted a mental model of some description. Brand elements such as functional capabili ties, symbolic features, signs of ownership, distinctive name, service, shorthand notation and legal protection were all referred by consultants that were interviewed and these elements are used to make the double vortex model. Service Branding of Service Brand Equity Berry (2000) has taken a different approach by analysing strategies of 14 mature service companies and has created the service branding model of service brand equity. Berry (2000) believes that brand equity is made up of two components: brand awareness and brand meaning (brand image). The following has also been argued by Berry (2000) that the most important source of brand awareness is the companys presented brand, being the companys controlled communications. The controlled communications typically consists of advertising, service facilities, the appearance of service providers, the company name and logo (Brassington Pettitt, 2006). The secondary impact on brand awareness is the external communications, which is usually information consumers receive about the service that are uncontrolled by the company. Brand meaning on the other hand is said to be mainly influenced by customers experience with a particular service company (Berry, 2000). The reason being service businesses are sa id to be labour intensive, consisting of human interactions and performance, rather than machinery. Berry (2000) has emphasised that this construct plays a critical role in building the brand. The secondary influence on brand meaning is said to be the companys presented brand and the external communications. The service brand model by Berry (2000) has introduced new conceptual elements such as servicescapes, controlled and uncontrolled communications, which are significant towards branding of services. These are the typical elements which are missing from the brand knowledge model constructed by Keller (1998). Service Brand Model In response OCass and Grace (2003, 2004) have created their own version of the service brand model. This model has been constructed by adopting various measures from other branding models and potential branding dimensions applicable for services to create an integrated approach to resolve issues in consumer service branding. The authors believe by identifying the dimensions within the consumers consciousness they can gain greater knowledge of what brands mean to consumers as well as begin to understand to what extent such dimensions impact on the brand attitudes and purchase intentions of service consumers. This construct specifically gathers first hand responses of consumers evaluation of service brands in terms of how they see the brand, what expectations they have and overall feelings attitudes towards the service brand. This model by OCass and Grace (2004) includes the following dimensions: core service, interpersonal service, perceived values, se

Heroes and Heroines :: Fiction Comics Papers

Heroes and Heroines "Who the heck are you?" Victor Frankenstein cried. "What the heck are you?" "I am the wretch created by your beloved Elizabeth," cried the vaguely female wretch. "Elizabeth has passed the limits of the human realm and in her feverish pursuit of the essential knowledge of the world she has spawned the being that you now see before you!" "And what do you want from me, you frightening monstrosity whom my innocent and sheltered eyes should never have been made to look upon?" The wretch snickered. "I am a monstrous version of Elizabeth, her child, brought forth by her own hand. She has forsaken me, cast me aside and thus made me miserable! Therefore I have vowed to destroy everything she loves, even sweet and mild Victor, just as she destroyed all happiness for me. Rrrrr!" "Oh, help me! Help me!" Victor Frankenstein cried. "Oh! Oh!" Now wait just one second. Very funny, but that's not how the story goes. For one thing, Victor Frankenstein does not squeal like a-girl? Victor Frankenstein created the monster. Victor Frankenstein was the ambitious one who took his experiments too far. A monstrous version of Victor destroyed everything he loved. Elizabeth was sweet and mild. Elizabeth was the innocent who died because of Victor's work gone wrong. Frankenstein would have been a remarkable book if Elizabeth had taken on Victor's part, if Victor had taken on Elizabeth's part, and if the wretch had been female. Imagine Victor staying at home and being the best example of the sweetest nature anyone ever did see. Imagine Elizabeth storming acros the icy mountains after the wretch, and imagine the wretch demanding a husband to be a boon to her, sweet and supportive company when she became tired of the world. Switching the gender roles in such a way would be comical because that's not the way it's done. When we read about, watch, or listen to our fictional heroes and heroines, we expect certain behaviors from them. We have a set of rules by which we define male and female characters, and characters that don't adhere to the general rules are anomalies and misfits.

Book of Negroes Essay

As an old woman, Aminata Diallo is brought to London, England, in 1802, by abolitionists who are petitioning to end the slave trade. As she awaits an audience with King George, she recounts her remarkable life on paper, beginning with her life in Bayo, in western Africa, prior to being abducted from her family at age 11, seeing the death of her mother and father, and being marched in a coffle of captives to the coast along with others from her village. Chekura, a boy of similar age who assists the slave catchers, is at the last minute abducted himself and forced to join Aminata on the slave ship. Despite suffering humiliation, witnessing atrocities, enduring squalor and languishing in starvation, Aminata survives the passage to America because she is able to apply the knowledge and skills passed on to her by her parents, especially the ability to â€Å"catch† babies and to understand some African languages. In South Carolina, Aminata is auctioned off to an indigo plantation, along with a man from her village who has lost his senses during the ocean crossing. She learns the language of the â€Å"buckra† through the teachings of Georgia, an American-born slave, as well as from Mamed, the overseer of the plantation. Daily, Aminata must navigate the new dangers of disease and the eye of the plantation master while she searches for a way to return to her homeland. As she carries Chekura’s child, she is warned that Master Appleby could take it away at any time. Sure enough, at ten months, Aminata’s son, Mamadu, is sold by Appleby and Chekura also disappears. Stricken with grief, Aminata falls into a depression and refuses to work on the plantation. Appleby sells her to Solomon Lindo, the indigo inspector of the region, and she departs for a new life in Charles Town where Lindo promises to treat her as a â€Å"servant† rather than as a â€Å"slave† in that she works for wage and pays rent to Lindo. During rioting in New York City that coincides with the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, Aminata is presented with an opportunity to escape and does so, while Lindo is forced to flee back to the Carolinas. Aminata quickly makes new friends and connections and supports herself by catching babies and working at a tavern, all the while helping others by teaching them how to read and write. Following the surrender of the British, former slaves who have worked for one year or more behind the lines for the British are offered asylum in Nova Scotia. These people’s names are recorded in a ledger called The Book of Negroes, penned in part by Aminata because of her knowledge of many languages. Aminata and Chekura reunite and are given passage aboard the ship Joseph, but Appleby returns for one final act of vengeance against Aminata: he makes a claim to her, separating her from Chekura once more. While Chekura continues to Nova Scotia, Aminata must stand trial, and it is Solomon Lindo who ends up setting her free. Aminata lands in Shelburne, Nova Scotia, on the last Loyalist ship, and she has to use her talents as a baby catcher, reader and teacher once again to survive, for the sake of herself and her unborn child, as she prepares for the journey to reunite with Chekura in Annapolis Royal. However, her inquiries come up empty. May, their three-year-old child, is abducted by the Witherspoons, a white couple who had befriended Aminata, and Aminata returns to a life without hope. When the opportunity arises for Aminata to cross the ocean again to begin a colony in Sierra Leone, Africa, she is shocked to learn of Chekura’s death and decides to make the journey to her homeland. The struggle to maintain the colony of Freetown under the control of the Sierra Leone Company is complicated by its proximity to Bance Island and the slave trade. Relations with the local Temne are strained, and tempers flare when slave coffles are marched directly in front of Freetown. Longing to see her beloved Bayo village, Aminata agrees to travel back to Bance Island to secure passage into the interior. However, one month into her journey inland, she learns of the betrayal that she is to be sold back into slavery; she flees for days until she finds sanctuary in a village. Realizing that she will never return to her true home, she leaves for London to join the abolitionists to end slavery. She writes an account of her life that is shared in Parliament, and she meets with King George III and Queen Charlotte Sophia. Because of the attention from the newspapers, Aminata’s long-lost daughter, May, finds her after an eighteen-year separation and takes care of her in her old age as the struggle to end slavery continues in Parliament.

Ethics system table Essay

This ethics is also referred to as teleological ethics. This refers to the end results or the outcomes of certain decisions. The acts determine what is ethical. What is viewed to be ethical is the action most likely to result to in the best good or the action with the most significance. This action usually gives the best consequence. Rights-Based Ethics This is the ethics that outlines the privileges that an individual is entitled to. This is based on the ground of categorical imperative which views a person as a moral agent in relation to other people. The rights are treated to be true and correct as they are approved by many people. However, it is difficult to determine which rights should be approved and which ones should be discarded. Human Nature Ethics Also referred to as humanistic ethics. These ethics emphasis on doing what is right and best for the society as a whole. This ethic which mainly dominates ethical theory is a more clearly altruistic. The ethics aims at virtue as well as having social improvement rather than having personal success. The ethics is concerned about everybody in the society. People should not be afraid to lend a helping hand or to receive one Relativistic Ethics This ethics is viewed as an inquiry to what is right or wrong through a critical review of the people’s beliefs and practices. The ethic however fails to recognize that some societies have better reasons of holding tom their views than others. The ethic raises important issues in that different cultural societies have different beliefs and are greatly influenced by culture. The ethics challenges people to explore on the belief systems that differ their own and to find an explanation why people hold their belief system. Entitlement-Based Ethics This is an ethic that views that you owe me because it’s my right to have everything that you have. Virtue-Based ethical This ethic places less emphasis on the rules that people should follow and instead tries to find of teaching people good virtues such as generosity and kindness. These traits later help the person to make better decisions in life. They also emphasis that people should know how to avoid bad virtues such as greed and hatred. These are viewed as hindrances of becoming a good person. Ethical Theory or System Brief Definition Other Names for Theory Real-world Example Workplace Example Duty-based Ethics Regardless of consequences, certain moral principles are binding, focusing on duty rather than results or moral obligation over what the individual would prefer to do (Trevino and Nelson, 2007, Ch. 4). Deontology, pluralism, moral rights, rights-based Categorical imperative Golden rule I believe people should be able to eat sand because it is the right thing to do. It is my duty to follow through with instructions my boss gives me, even if I do not agree with the concept. It is my moral obligation to respect authority figures. Consequence-based Ethics What is viewed to be ethical is the action most likely to result to in the best good or the action with the most significance. teleological ethics I believe people should be able to eat sand because it is good for one’s health. We ignore the consequence of telling the truth to the police as it may lead to the imprisonment and detention of another person. Rights-based Ethics the privileges that an individual is entitled to Society norms I believe people should be able to eat sand if they want to because they are free to make the decision themselves. In America it is so clear on the right of the people to choose their faith; therefore people in the USA have a right to choose their religion. Human Nature Ethics emphasis on doing what ibis right and best for the society as a whole Humanistic ethics. I believe that if sand is going to be eaten, it should be available for everyone to eat. In an organization people should encourage teamwork as much as possible in order for it to run successfully. Relativistic Ethics Viewed as an inquiry to what is right or wrong through a critical review of the people’s beliefs and practices. Ethnocentric ethic I believe I will eat sand because it is the standard meal for my community. Every organization should be viewed as unique and different from others as it has its own practices and code of conduct. Entitlement-based Ethics Views that you owe me because it’s my right to have everything that you have. I believe people should be able to eat sand if they decide they want to, regardless of whether it is someone else’s sand. A person may claim to be paid his salary by the company at the end of the month. Virtue-based ethics places less emphasis on the rules that people should follow and instead tries to find of teaching people good virtues such as generosity and kindness Character based ethic I believe people should be able to eat sand if they like the taste of it. The organization should teach people what is right or wrong and leave them to make good decisions later. Reference Trevino, L. , and Nelson, K. (2007). Managing business ethics: Straight talk about how to do it right. Hoboken: Wiley.

buy custom Classification Systems essay

buy custom Classification Systems essay The main significant for undertaking this research is to make a contribution to the scholarly understanding by coming up with a new model and introducing innovative interpretations to this model so as to present a fast and reliable means of data storage and retrieval. The research will not only contribute to the scholars but to business organizations as well. This is because this is the most affected sector since most businesses handle lots of data for their clients and products and services they offer. While most of this data is in unstructured state, most organizations feel that it is not well protected. A lot of this data is sensitive and confidential thus it must be protected using apposite measures. In addition to this, the data should support numerous distribution needs since it is shared across several platforms and between partners and entities as well. The handling and management of unstructured data is documented as one of the chief unsettled problems in the information technology industry (9). This is because; the techniques and equipment that proved successful in handling structured data have proved to be useless when dealing with unstructured data since it is bulky and sophisticated (9). This has consequently created an equally need for equipment and techniques for managing unstructured data that not all governments can afford. Inefficient and irrelevance in search; one of the basic requirements for unstructured data is that it should be searchable. Blumberg Atre (9) argues that before the web came into use, files and documents would be searched using full-text and other search systems. Conversely, with the rapid increase in the use of internet, these searching tools became inefficient enough to serve the highdemand (9). Several research studies have discovered that the standard size for search phrases that are used on communa l webs is only about 1.5-2.5 words. Research has also shown that the standard search contains very few competent Boolean operators, actually less than ten percent of the actual time. With such undersized phrases and very little application of sophisticated search techniques, it is clear evidence that the results are poor or irrelevant. In addition to these, the search machines treat every search application separately. This therefore means that same results are given for a particular search phrase even if the context is different (9). According to Blumberg Atre (9), the inconsistency in methodologies, frameworks and the taxonomies used in organization and classification of data shows that there is no suitable approach for interpreting and modeling unstructured data. Instead on there being one reliable and efficient standard, several models are coming up and each model has its own values and insights. This divergence therefore poses a major problem in the future since it is not certain which model will actual be able to effectively handle the unstructured data. Duplicating computing displays the use of internet and other data extraction systems so as to achieve reliable standards (9). Raghavan (16) classifies data using a two-class classification system using standard queries; the filtering and routing. He asserts that classification is usually general focused and the process with which such classification is performed is called text classification (15). According to Mena (10), unstructured data can best be managed when organized in hierarchical systems commonly referred to as taxonomies. Taxonomy can bee described as a hierarchical structure of classification whereby it moves down from extensive to explicit. This structure acts as a directory on a PC in the sense that it provides an expedient and instinctive way to maneuver and acquire information easily. This therefore means that; instead of formulating a query and then evaluate the results, one can directly access the relevant information by simply formulating queries on the appropriate classes and subclasses. Another advantage with these taxonomies is that they limit the queries to specific classes and sub cla sses (10). A well organized taxonomy may comprise of eighty to ten levels with hundreds or even thousands of classes. The Confidentiality Integrity Availability (CIA) Assurance Model is a commonly used model which recognizes the Confidentiality Integrity and Availability of data as the elementary safety characteristics of information particularly the unstructured data (11). Confidentiality is described as the guarantee of data discretion, the purpose of which is to ensure that only authorized and the intended processes, people or devices can have access to the data (9). This is only achievable when cryptography is implemented. Integrity is the assurance once data is stored, it can not be altered in transition; and the dispatcher of the data must be the person intended to be. To ensure that data is not altered or corrupted on transition, hash algorithms and digital signatures are used (14). Availability is the assurance that data can be accessed by the user in a reliable and timely manner. This guarantees a fast availability of data on request (9). While integrity and availability are maintained, in vaders may cause such information to become less accessible or completely unavailable. Buy custom Classification Systems essay