Night World : Dark Angel Chapter 9

It was David, of course. Gillian turned around and stared at him, blinking. He was standing just inside the doorway, his jacket slung over one shoulder, the other hand in his pocket. His jaw was tight, his eyes dark. He was looking at Tanya. There was a silence. (How long? How long has he been there, Angel?) (Uhhh, I'd say since round about†¦ the beginning.) (Oh, my.) So that's why Gillian had been so low key and noble and let Tanya do all the yelling and threatening. They must have come off like Dorothy and the Wicked Witch. A sense of justice stirred inside Gillian. She made a hesitant move toward David. â€Å"David-you don't understand-â€Å" David shook his head. â€Å"I understand just fine. Don't try to cover for her. It's better for me to find out.† (Yeah, shut up, minibrain! Now look mildly distressed, slightly awkward. You guess they want to be alone now.) â€Å"Uh, I guess you guys want to be alone now.† (Anyway, you have to hurry to get your ride.) â€Å"Anyway, I have to hurry to get my ride.† (These aren't the droids you're looking for.) â€Å"These aren't-† (I'm going to kill you, Angel!) Flustered, Gillian made one last gesture of apology and almost ran for the door. Outside, she walked blindly. (Angel!) (Sorry, I couldn't resist. But look at you, kid! Do you know what you've done?) (I guess †¦ I got rid of Tanya.) As the adrenaline of battle faded, the truth of this was slowly beginning to dawn on her. It brought a hint of glorious warmth, a sparkling promise of future happiness. (Smart kid!) (And-I did it fairly. It was all true, wasn't it, Angel? She's really been messing around with Bruce?) (Everybody's been messing around with Bruce. Yes, it was all true.) (And what about Kim? Is she the one who spreads rumors about people?) (Like butter on Eggos.) (I just-she seemed so sweet. When we talked about rumors in the cafeteria she patted my hand.) (Sure, she's sweet-to your face. Turn left here.) Gillian found herself emerging from the school building. As she went down the steps she saw three or four cars parked casually in the roundabout. Macon's BMW convertible was one. He looked up at her and gave an inviting nod toward the car. Other people shouted. â€Å"Hey, Jill, need a ride?† â€Å"We wouldn't want you to get lost in the woods again!† Gillian stood, feeling like a southern belle. So many people wanting her-it made her giddy. Angel was grandly indifferent (Pick anybody!) and she could see Amy's Geo a little distance away. Amy and Eugene were standing by it, looking up at her. But getting in a car with Eugene Elfred would be disastrous to her new status. She picked Cory the Party Guy, and the ride home was filled with his nonstop talk about Macon's party on Saturday. She had trouble getting rid of him at the door. Once she did, she walked up to her bedroom and fell on her bed, arms out. She stared at the ceiling. (Phew!) It had been the most incredible day of her life. She lay and listened to the quiet house and tried to gather her thoughts. The warmth was still percolating inside her, although it was mixed with a certain amount of anxiety. She wanted to see David again. She wanted to know how things had turned out with Tanya. She couldn't let herself feel happy until she was sure†¦ â€Å"Relax, would you?† Gillian sat up. The voice wasn't in her ear, it was beside the bed. Angel was sitting there. The sight hit her like a physical blow. She hadn't seen him since that morning and she'd forgotten how beautiful he was. His hair was dark golden with paler gold lights shimmering in it. His face was-well-classic perfection. Absolutely pure, denned like a sculpture in marble. His eyes were a violet so glorious it actually hurt to look at it. His expression was rapt and uplifted†¦ until he winked. Then it dissolved into mischief. â€Å"Uh, hi,† Gillian whispered huskily. â€Å"Hi, kid. Tired?† â€Å"Yeah. I feel†¦ used up.† â€Å"Well, take a nap, why don't you? I've got places to go anyway.† Gillian blinked. Places? â€Å"Angel†¦ I never asked you. What's heaven like? I mean, with angels like you, it's got to be different from most people's idea. That meadow I saw-that wasn't it, was it?† â€Å"No, that wasn't it. Heaven-well, it's hard to explain. It's all in the oscillation of the spatial-temporal harmonics, you know-what you'd call the inherent vibration of the plane. At a higher vibration everything assumes a much more complicated harmonic theme. †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"You're making this up, aren't you?† â€Å"Yeah. Actually it's classified. Why don't you get some sleep?† Gillian already had her eyes shut. She was happy when she woke up to smell dinner. But when she got downstairs, she found only her mother. â€Å"Dad's not home?† â€Å"No. He called, honey, and left a message for you. He'll be out of town on business for a while.† â€Å"But he'll be back for Christmas. Won't he?† â€Å"I'm sure he will.† Gillian didn't say anything else. She ate the hamburger casserole her mother served-and noticed that her mother didn't eat. Afterward, she sat in the kitchen and played with a fork. (You okay?) The voice in her ear was a welcome relief. (Angel. Yeah, I'm all right. I was just thinking†¦ about how everything started with Mom. It wasn't always like this. She was a teacher at the junior college†¦) (I know.) (And then-I think it was about five years ago- things just started happening. She started acting crazy. And then she was seeing things-what did I know about drinking then? I just thought she was nuts. It wasn't until Dad started finding empty bottles†¦) (I know.) (I just wish†¦ that things could be different.) A pause. (Angel? Do you think maybe they could be?) Another pause. Then Angel's voice was quiet. (I'll work on it, kid. But, yeah, I think maybe they could be.) Gillian shut her eyes. After a moment she opened them again. (Angel-how can I thank you? The things you're doing for me †¦ I can't even start to tell you †¦) (Don't mention it. And don't cry. A cheery face is worth triple A bonds. Besides, you have to answer the phone.) (What phone?) The phone rang. (That phone.) Gillian blew her nose and said a practice â€Å"Hello† to make sure her voice wasn't shaky. Then she took a deep breath and picked up the receiver. â€Å"Gillian?† Her fingers clenched on the phone. â€Å"Hi, David.† â€Å"Look, I just wanted to make , sure you were okay. I didn't even ask you that when-you know, this afternoon.† â€Å"Sure, I'm okay.† Gillian didn't need Angel to tell her what to say to this. â€Å"I can handle myself, you know.† â€Å"Yeah. But Tanya can be pretty intense sometimes. After you left she was-well, forget that.† He doesn't want to say anything bad about her, Gillian thought. She said, â€Å"I'm fine.† â€Å"It's just-† She could almost feel the frustration building on the other side of the line. And then David burst out as if something had snapped, â€Å"I didn't know!† â€Å"What?† â€Å"I didn't know she was-like that! I mean, she runs the teen helpline and she's on the Centralia relief committee and the Food Cupboard project and .. . Anyway, I thought she was different. A good person.† Conscience twinged. â€Å"David, I think she is some of the things you thought. She's brave. When that window-â€Å" â€Å"Quit it, Gillian. You're those things. You're brave and funny and-well, too honorable for your own good. You tried to give Tanya another chance.† He let out a breath. â€Å"But, anyway; you might have guessed, we're finished. I told Tanya that. And now†¦Ã¢â‚¬  His voice changed. Suddenly he laughed, sounding as if some burden had fallen off him. â€Å"Well, would you like me to drive you to the party Saturday night?† Gillian laughed, too. â€Å"I'd like it. I'd love it.† (Oh, Angel-thank you!) She was very happy. The rest of the week was wonderful. Every day she wore something daring and flattering scavenged from the depths of her closet. Every day she seemed to get more popular. People looked up when she walked into a room, not just meeting her eyes, but trying to catch her eye. They waved to her from a distance. They said hello up and down the halls. Everyone seemed glad to talk to her, and pleased if she wanted to talk to them. It was like being on a skyrocket, going higher and higher. And, always, her guide and protector was with her. Angel had come to seem like a part of her, the most savvy and ingenious part. He provided quips, smoothed over awkward situations, gave advice about who to tolerate and who to snub. Gillian was developing an instinct for this, too. She was gaining confidence in herself, finding new skills every day. She was literally becoming a new person. She didn't see much of Amy now. But Amy had Eugene, after all. And Gillian was so busy that she never even got to see David alone. The day of the party she went to Houghton with Amanda the Cheerleader and Steffi the Singer. They laughed a lot, got whistled at everywhere, and shopped until they were dizzy. Gillian bought a dress and ankle boots-both approved by Angel. When David picked her up that night, he let out a soft whistle himself. â€Å"I look okay?† â€Å"You look†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He shook his head. â€Å"Illegal, but also sort of spiritual. How do you do that?† Gillian smiled. Macon the Wallet's house was the house of a rich guy. A fleet of artsy reindeer made out of some kind of white twigs and glowing with tiny lights graced the lawn. Inside, it was all high ceilings and track lighting, oriental rugs, old china, silver. Gillian was dazzled. (My first real party! I mean, my first Popular Party. And it's even kind of, sort of for me.) (Your first real party, and it's all for you. The world is your oyster, kid. Go out and crack it.) Macon was coming toward her. Other people were looking. Gillian paused in the doorway of the room for effect, aware that she was making an entrance-and loving it. Her outfit was designer casual. A black minidress with a pattern of purple flowers so dark it could hardly be distinguished. The soft, crepey material dung to her like a second skin. Matte black tights. And of course the ankle boots. Not much makeup; she'd decided on the fresh, soft look for her face. She'd darkened her lashes just enough to make the violet of her eyes a startling contrast. She looked stunning†¦ and effortless. And she knew it very well. Macon's hooded eyes roved over her with something like suppressed hunger. â€Å"How's it going? You're looking good.† â€Å"We feel good,† Gillian said, squeezing David's arm. Macon's eyes darkened. He looked at the intersection of Gillian's hand and David's arm as if it offended him. David looked back dispassionately, but a sort of wordless menace exuded from him. Macon actually took a step back. But all he said was, â€Å"Well, my parents are gone for the weekend, so make yourself at home. There should be food somewhere.† There was food everywhere. Every kind of munchy thing. Music blasted from the den, echoing all over the house. As they walked in, Cory greeted them with, â€Å"Hey, guys! Grab a glass, it's going fast.† When he'd said that he would round up a keg last week, Gillian had foolishly misheard it as â€Å"a cake.† Now she understood. It was a keg of beer and everybody was drinking. And not just beer. There were hard liquor bottles around. One guy was lying on a table with his mouth open while a girl poured something from a rectangular bottle into it. â€Å"Hey, Jill, this is for you.† Cory was trying to give her a plastic glass with foam overflowing the top. Gillian looked at him with open scorn. She didn't need Angel's help for this. â€Å"Thanks, but I happen to like my brain cells, Maybe if you had more respect for yours you wouldn't be flunking biology.† There was laughter. Even Cory laughed and winced. â€Å"Right on,† Daryl the Rich Girl said, raising a can of diet Barq's root beer to Gillian in salute. And David waved Cory away and reached for a Coke. Nobody tried to pressure them and the guy on the table even looked a little embarrassed. Gillian had learned that you could pull anything off if you were cool enough, composed enough, and if you didn't back down. The feeling of success was much more intoxicating than liquor could have been. (How about that? Pretty good, huh? Huh? Huh?) (Oh †¦ oh, yeah, fine.) Angel seemed to deliberate. (Of course, it does say, â€Å"Wine maketh the heart of man glad†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ) (Oh, Angel, you're so silly. You sound like Cory!) Gillian almost laughed out loud. Everything was exciting. The music, the huge house with its opulent Christmas decorations. The people. All the girls threw their arms around Gillian and kissed her as if they hadn't seen her in weeks. Some of the boys tried, but David warned them off with a look. That was exciting, too. Having everyone know she was together with David Blackburn, that he was hers. It put her status through the ceiling. â€Å"Want to look around?† David was saying. â€Å"I can show you the upstairs; Macon doesn't care.† Gillian looked at him. â€Å"Bored?† He grinned. â€Å"No. But I wouldn't mind seeing you alone for a few minutes.† They went up a long carpeted staircase lined with oil paintings. The rooms upstairs were just as beautiful as downstairs: palatial and almost awe inspiring. It put Gillian in a quiet mood. The music wasn't as loud up here, and the cool marble gave her the feeling of being in a museum. She looked out a window to see velvet darkness punctuated by little twinkling lights. â€Å"You know, I'm glad you didn't want to drink back there.† David's voice behind her was quiet. She turned, trying to read his face. â€Å"But†¦ you were surprised?† â€Å"Well-it's just sometimes now you seem so adult. Sort of worldly.† â€Å"Me? I mean-I mean you're the one who seems like that.† And that's what you like in girls, she thought. He looked away and laughed. â€Å"Oh, yeah. The tough guy. The wild guy. Tanya and I used to party pretty hard.† He shrugged. â€Å"I'm not tough. I'm just a small-town guy trying to get through life. I don't look for trouble. I try to run from it if I can.† Gillian had to laugh herself at that. But there was something serious in David's dark eyes. â€Å"I admit, it sort of had a way of finding me in the past,† he said slowly. â€Å"And I've done some things that I'm not proud of. But, you know †¦ I'd like to change that-if it's possible.† â€Å"Sort of like a whole new side of you that wants to come out.† He looked startled. Then he glanced up and down her and grinned. â€Å"Yeah. Sort of like that.† Gillian felt suddenly inspired, hopeful. â€Å"I think,† she said slowly, trying to put her ideas together, â€Å"that sometimes people need to-to express both sides of themselves. And then they can be †¦ well, whole.† â€Å"Yeah. If that's possible.† He hesitated. Gillian didn't say anything, because she had the feeling that he was trying to. That there was some reason he'd brought her up to talk to her alone. â€Å"Well. You know something weird?† he said after a moment. â€Å"I don't feel exactly whole. And the truth is-† He looked around the darkened room. Gillian could only see his profile. He shook his head, then took a deep breath. â€Å"Okay, this is going to sound even dumber than I thought, but I've got to say it. I can't help it.† He turned back, toward her and said with a mixture of determination and apology, â€Å"And since that day when I found you out there in the snow, I have this feeling that I won't be, without †¦Ã¢â‚¬  He trailed off and shrugged. â€Å"Well-you,† he said finally, helplessly. The universe was one enormous heartbeat. Gillian could feel her body echoing it. She said slowly, â€Å"I †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I know. I know how it sounds. I'm sorry.† â€Å"No,† Gillian whispered. â€Å"That wasn't what I was going to say.† He'd turned sharply away to glare at the window. Now he turned halfway back and she saw the glimmer of hope in his face. â€Å"I was going to say, I understand.† He looked as if he were afraid to believe. â€Å"Yeah, but do you really?† â€Å"I think I do-really.† And then he was moving toward her and Gillian was holding up her arms. Literally as if drawn to do it-but not just by â€Å"physical attraction. It sounded crazy, Gillian thought, but it wasn't physical so much as †¦ well, spiritual. They seemed to belong together. David was holding her. It felt incredibly strange and at the same time perfectly natural. He was warm and solid and Gillian felt her eyes shutting, her head drifting to his shoulder. Such a simple embrace, but it seemed to mean everything. The feelings inside Gillian were like a wonderful discovery. And she had the sense that she was on the verge of some other discovery, that if she just opened her eyes and looked into David's at this moment, somehow it would mean a change in the world†¦ (Kid?) The voice in Gillian's ear was quiet. (I really hate to say it, but I have to break this up. You have to sidle down to the master bedroom.) Gillian scarcely heard and couldn't pay attention. (Gillian! I mean it, kid. There's something going on that you have to know about.) (Angel?) (Tell him you'll be back in a few minutes. This is important!) There was no way to ignore that tone of urgency. Gillian stirred. â€Å"David, I have to go for a sec. Be right back.† David just nodded. â€Å"Sure.† It was Gillian who had trouble letting go of his hand, and when she did she still seemed to feel his grip. (This had better be good, Angel.) She blinked in the light of the hallway. (Go down to the end of the hall. That's the master bedroom. Go on in. Don't turn on the light.) The master bedroom was cavernous and dark and filled with large dim shapes like sleeping elephants. Gillian walked in and immediately banged into a piece of heavy furniture. (Be careful! See that light over there?) Light was showing around the edges of double doors on the other side of the room. The doors were closed. (And locked. That's the bathroom. Now, here's what I want you to do. Walk carefully over to the right of the bathroom and you'll find another door. It's the closet. I want you to quietly open that door and get in it.) (What?) Angel's voice was elaborately patient. (Get in the closet and put your ear against the wall.) Gillian shut her eyes. Then, feeling exactly like a burglar, she slowly turned the handle of the closet door and slipped inside. It was a walk-in closet, very long but stuffy because of the clothes bristling from both sides. Gillian had a profound feeling of intrusion, of being an invader of privacy. She seemed to walk a long way in before Angel stopped her. (Okay. Here. Now put your ear against the left wall.) Eyes still shut-it seemed to make the absolute darkness more bearable-Gillian burrowed between something long sheathed in plastic and something heavy and velvety. With the clothes embracing her on either side, she leaned her head until her bare ear touched wood. (Angel, I can't believe I'm doing this. I feel really stupid, and I'm scared, and if anybody finds me-) (Just listen, will you?) At first Gillian's heart seemed to drown out all other sounds* But then, faint but clear, she heard two voices she recognized.

Let America be America again analysis

In Langston Hughes poem â€Å"Let America be America Again† he talks about how America should return to the way that it was perceived to be in the dreams before America was truly America. Throughout the poem he uses various methods to evoke the patriotic images and dreams that he feels America should and will eventually be. Hughes states that America is supposed to be a place of equality for everyone including both white and colored people. During this period in time though there was not equality for everyone.Hughes talks about an America where both whites and colored people will have equality in all aspects socially, politically, and economically. What Hughes is saying is that both whites and colored people should be treated equally when looking for job opportunities, at the voting booths, and in public society itself. Langston Hughes thoughts of what America should be during this current state are relevant in the way that they refer to all people being treated equally and ho w in Americas currents state equality is greatly needed.To continue on Langston Hughes talks about what the American Dream is and who conceived it. The American dream was the dream of a land where there would be complete peace and equality. This dream was conceived by all the people who came over to this land to build America from the ground up; these people would be known as the first Americans. The dream of building a country from the ground up that would be both peaceful and have equality for everyone was an extremely daring task for these people. This is because they had to turn on their own previous countries and declare their own independence.The first Americans saw this as a very important thing to do if they were going to build America to be the country of equality that they dreamed of. Furthermore, there were also some people who distorted the American dream by searching for their own personal success. The people that distorted the American dream would be the slave owning A mericans themselves. They did not create slavery just with the intentions of having colored people as personal helpers, it was more towards gaining success in large corporations and companies.The more slaves you could have the more products your company would be able to produce, and during Americas current growing state a variety of products were needed in high demand. Therefore the American dream was distorted by the Americans whom were slave owners. Large corporations and companies like tobacco and cotton plantations also contributed to the building of America. It’s not the companies or corporations themselves that just contributed to the building of America but the people who worked for them. This would include all white, colored, and slave workers.The ways that these companies are not free is due to the fact that some of them use slaves and discriminated against colored people during this time. If companies within America are not treating people equally, then America is n ot seen as a country of equality and freedom. Langston Hughes also shows us his mood throughout the poem while he is explaining his thoughts. Hughes mood would be one of anger and resentment because America is not turning out to be the land that it was promised to be, or the land that many people dream of for him.Hughes keeps this mood from the begging of the poem to the end of the poem in hopes that he will get his point across to the rest of America. His goal by writing this poem the way he did was mainly to express his ideas of how he feels America should be currently. Those ideas are not real for many people in America during this time due to their race, economic situation, or where they were raised. This poem is relevant to today because there is still some discrimination in our county, but the amount or intensity of this has greatly decreased over the years.It is also relevant in the way that it refers to our country being a free county. The American dream has also changed thr oughout America’s history because during different time periods our countries goals have changed. For example at the begging of America our goal was to create a land of equality and peace, but then shortly after many people were taken over by greed and changed their goals for personal success and making money. These would be the white exploiters who could also be recognized as slave owners or discriminators, and the exploited would be the minority of colored  people and slaves.What we could change to fit today’s society would be to get rid of the level of discrimination that there was during this time in history, as well as abolish slavery completely. No the dream is not still viable because Langston Hughes dreams were for equality and for the people to be protected equally under the same laws and law enforcement. In the end it’s truly up to everyones individual self to live their lives, due to the fact that America does not completely control our lives.

Analysis of present environments Essay

Other factors that may be included in the analysis would be the presence of other alcoholic beverages in each market that may affect the sales of the possible expansion. We have to take into account that Scotch and wines do not comprise the whole market for alcoholic beverages. If the consumer preference would be as volatile as it poses to be, then the other beverage drinkers may switch from their present beverage to another. The scary part of the situation is, we could not determine as of now, if the possible expansion would gain or spell disaster for the company. Another factor to be considered is the indices in the market. This indices are the indicators whether the public would be able to squeeze the purchase of a whisky in their budget. This simply draws out the in demand products that would be dubbed â€Å"necessities† and the lesser needed products, known as the â€Å"luxuries. † The movement of the product from a luxury to a necessity spells success, but the other way around would be a bad sign for the expansion. Couple this factor with the volatility and the result would be a very risky market with high gains and disaster on the other end. The analysis of the present environments is important for a marketing strategy as this would help us understand the environments under the influence of, and that influences the countries in question. However, the factor of bias takes in, which usually has to be negated. The negation process would take place by as the objective part of judging by criteria, comprising half of the decision and the other half, the subjective decisions. First, before any analysis would be made, certain criteria would have to be in order for the comparisons. Considerable weights should be given to the consumer expectations and preferences (30 points), labeled A. This would help us determine the choices of the consumers that we are trying to serve. This weighs heavily since the consumers are directly related to the profits that the company would generate. Next in line would be the rate of acceptance of the market (30 points), labeled B. This is another heavy criterion since this would determine if the country is really suitable for the operations of the company in question. If the results would be heavily low, then we can conclude already that the company would not thrive in that specific country. This greatly helps in the subjective side of the judgment. Another criterion to be judged is the taxation in their country (20 points), labeled C. Taxation may not weigh as much but it weighs significantly at 20 points out of the 100 point total. This is because taxation affects the rate of the profit that a company generates. A higher taxation rate would then lower the chance that a company should invest in the specified country. And the last criteria to be considered would be the performance of the substitute (20 points), labeled D. These criterions would not only let us see the objective part of the problem by looking at the figures that the criteria would present. However, we have to bear in mind that the decision-making of this marketing strategy would depend not only in its objective part, but should also be considering the subjective part of the problem. Some problems cannot be explained by figures and leaves this part to the analytical and subjective mind of the decision-maker. Further statements from the analysis of the criteria would bear the interpretations of the scores. After which would be the ranking of the scores to determine which country scored the most points in achieving the goal of successful expansion for the company at hand. However, the final decision would lie after the subjective part of the theory. Country A B C D TOTAL RANK Denmark 30 25 20 15 90 1 N. Ireland 30 20 20 10 80 3 Austria 25 25 20 15 85 2 Spain 25 25 10 15 75 4 Points to Ponder:? Denmark’s score was due to the (1) good age distribution as the median of the age of males in the 15-64 bracket is just 38, stating a more diverse markets for the old and young drinkers. (Anonymous 2006f) (2) The market would suit the product just fine. In fact, the market in Denmark, in terms of the raw materials seem to give a very positive sign for Denmark as this could lead to further expansions (Anonymous 2006f)(3) The taxation does not bother this country as shown in here. Denmark seems to be comfortable not to be accommodated by the top four of the Union’s Top Four of Taxes. (Anonymous 2002) (4) Substitutes seem to be performing well, but not enough as the growing demand for Scotch whisky is trying to speed up the development of the local supplier of the product. These ratings have put Denmark in the No. 1 spot. ? Northern Ireland bags the second spot easily for a variety of reasons: (1) the lowest median mark was achieved by this country; with just a median of 33 years old, it generally means most of the male population are below the 40 year old mark, a good sign for the company. The company generally caters more to the male crowd, and the flavors of the Scotch whisky have a specific audience. More drinkers are also available for judgment since the younger drinkers are the ones who prefer the other flavors, unlike the older crowd. An example of this would be, many young drinker’s can be the target for the release of the Monreith Malt. Simultaneously, the market for The Torhousemuir Tawny, would also penetrate the older market, such of the 40 years and above since they still have a part of the market, although they may play the minor role in the profit margins. (2) Generally, this is neither good nor bad since the company can be seen as â€Å"one of the others† or â€Å"a new breed†. Either way, the public would remain in the middle of things, making it hard for the determination of the acceptance of the public The product originated in the same country, Another brand’s addition to the market may be viewed as a mediocre thing for the public. This people would really try your brand, just make a good offer in the initial release, sort of a bargain. (3) Tax problems have never plagued the country after the tax involved issues of before where Kings and Queens reign this land. Nowadays, it seemed like the people of Ireland have learned their lessons from the past events. (4)Market substitutes are on the loose, since this is the origin of Scotch whisky. Generally, substitutes would be of great numbers, which definitely pose a bad sign since your product can be swallowed by the market. ? Austria’s rates were affected by (a) since the people of Austria are known to be of good taste, then the consumer expectations would be high; knowing that The Olde Distillerie is from the country of United Kingdom, the country where the brewers of Scotland have originated (b) acceptance was marked as such since the country is sail to have taste in things that are not really rich in its flavor, but also in history. (c) Demography of the country shows a 40 year old median for the men in an evenly distributed country. This result shows an inclination in the stronger brew of the whisky since it says that the composition of men are said to have evenly distributed age, with older men winning the battle of numbers. Other products would have problems in their sales since the market would only focus on the older men market, since the median age was 40. Added costs for extra marketing strategies would be needed to gain the necessary profits needed by the company for the other products. (Anonymous 2006j) (d) Good taxation brings the country on the top four of the European Union (Anonymous 2002) This is a good sign for Austria as this is viewed as a country with less taxes, therefore, more profits. And this could also open doors to the export market, as this has been a very good opportunity for the company. ? The least attractive of the choices given, Spain does not provide any chance to defend itself due to the factors affecting its market. Some problems to the expansion there include: (1) The demographic distribution of the male population is not as diverse as that of Northern Ireland. (Anonymous 2006i) Although this may prove to be a positive sign, let us not forget the male’s sense of pride that they would not readily exchange the wine for a foreign drink, especially of a new brand in the market. (2) Market acceptance is not a problem as Spain is known to be one of the world’s top consumers of alcohol. However, acceptance may just remain to be accepted and not commended. (Anonymous 2006k)(3) Another issue: tax. Spain has been known to be a country brutal on its taxes in order for them to challenge the substitute market for their wine. As they increase the tax, they tend to lower the market consumption of the substitutes for wine, like scotch whisky (4) Lastly, scotch whisky’s only substitute here would be that of the gin, tequila, and beer. Wines are the primary products, making it look like Scotch whisky is really a substitute for the main product, wine.

Fascism in Europe Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Fascism in Europe - Term Paper Example Initially, fascism in Europe was associated with political personalities, leaders and parties. It is said to be founded by Benito Mussolini in Italy it influenced other politicians across the continent. It was further embraced by Adolf Hitler in Germany and Francisco in Spain. Fascism has been given some several definitions and some are discussed in this paper. Michael Mann (13) describes fascism as â€Å"the act of pursuing of an excellent (transcendent) and cleansing state using the military†. In this definition, transcendence means the belief that a state surpasses social conflicts and integrates all classes in society into one harmonious thing. It involves a political belief that political ideologies can surpass human understanding to produce an improved society. It involves a political belief that political ideologies can surpass human understanding to produce an improved society. According to Mann (1), cleansing in this meaning is concerned with ethnicity whereby, it is the favoring of one ethnic group over others. This can be done by giving special privileges to one group over others. Cleansing can be used politically whereby it involves silencing political opponents using oppressive measures so that fascism is facilitated. Fascism in the above meaning by Mann involves the conviction that the state can do anything it pleases. Paradigm involves undue influence of opponent by using armed forces. Fascism is described as a political behavior marked by amended cults of unity, purity and energy, in which a party consisting of many committed nationalists, working in difficult but collaborative form with traditional elites, abandon democratic liberations and engages in redeeming violence without ethical or legal limitations objectives of internal cleansing and expansion externally. In addition, fascism is described as military movement that created emphasis on loyalty and obedience to a state through the state leader. Unlike other ideologies such as commi ssion and nationalism, fascism had extremes of both communism and nationalism. Relationship between fascism, socialism and communism Fascism is closely associated with socialism and communism and is said to have originated and developed from the two. This is analyzed in the form of similarities and differences between the three sing the cases of Italy and Germany. The concept of socialism developed around 1800 Brian Marshall (6) highlights that socialism involves governance by a community whereby it controls all aspects of the economy. Furthermore, socialism is the system of economy whereby methods of production and distribution are collectively owned by the central government, which is mandated to plan, and control the economy. Moreover, socialism focused on social welfare of all the people in a society and did not focus on individualism. It advocated for co-operation between members of a society, and it did not encourage any political structures in the society. On the other hand, communism can be traced back to the works of Karl Maxx who coined the ideology of Marxism. According to Marshall (2), communism begun with ancient society supported by hunters, gatherers, and developed into feudalism, capitalism then to communism. In addition, communism is an economic philosophy whereby, the public owns and controls the methods of produc

"Financing, Valuation, and Rating Agencies" Coursework

"Financing, Valuation, and Rating Agencies" - Coursework Example Equity financing involves the sale of ownership right to interested partners. The money raised through equity financing is much higher than any other form of funding and is not limited or regulated (Williams, 2012). Investors can pump in money that the convenience store can overcome startup hurdles and grow in a very short period. The money contributed by investors is not returnable; thus the store will run till it breaks even so as to start the cash recovery. Shareholders bring along valuable skills and information to the convenience store. It is easier to achieve a target when different people are working towards the goal than when alone (Chandra, 2010). There are high expectations of success and responsibility as compared to debt financing. Capital raised from debt financing is limited and returnable. Expectations are low for debt financing as compared to equity funding, and collateral may limit finance required. Convenience stores are excellent avenues for revenue generation. Capital required is high as the risk of running it also stands high. With equity financing, enough money can be raised to steer off high growth and develop a consumer-oriented

Research methods and perspectives Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Research methods and perspectives - Essay Example Ethics has a number of significant branches that can be summarized here as meta-ethics which details the theoretical implications as well as references related with moral propositions and how the truth meanings could be discerned. The normative ethics discuss the practical means through which moral courses of actions are found out. Applied ethics states how ethical outcomes could be attained within specified circumstances, situations and events. Moral psychology is another branch of ethics which deals with the proposition of how moral capacity develops and how its nature works to good effect (Sarantakos 2005). Lastly, descriptive ethics looks at the moral values, principles and beliefs which people listen and adhere to, on a consistent basis. All of these branches have one or the other moral justifications that do play their respective roles within the ethical understandings (Seale 2004). There are however a number of schools of thought as far as comprehending the basic premise behin d ethics and the sub-fields of study are also present under its aegis. The famous personalities who have played significant roles in forming ethical theories include G E Moore, John Rawls, Socrates, Aristotle, John Piper, Epictetus, Jeremy Bentham, John Stuart Mill, Immanuel Kant, G E M Anscombe, Karl Marx, Judith Martin to name a few. Understanding the world of ethics is based on a number of beliefs, most common of which is the act of doing universal good so that the wellness of the society could be assured. This means that the people who are ethically-driven will usually bring a great deal of sanity within the different processes and actions they are involved in, and thus assist the society to grow and develop in a very positive fashion. Ethical perspectives keep on changing with the passage of time because these are seen from differential contexts every now and then (Snidal 2008). However the element of doing good and being seen as good is something that

Thunder Heart Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

Thunder Heart - Essay Example Whose City†. The effects of social networking in urban environments for young adults, like the ones seen in the film, can have negative results attributed to them, especially in urban neighborhoods. As seen in the film, young adults would go out to neighborhood hangouts, like a bar or club, to meet people and dance. Such activities can be fun but also be misleading. As seen in the movie, the two young ladies, Maria and Blanca, went to a club just to dance and hangout. They happen to meet some guys who appear to be harmless and a friendship arises. As the friends begin to see each other more often they begin to learn more about one another. This is where misleading networking plays a role. One of the guys met at the bar happens to have associates within a drug ring and is tied to drug smuggling. Soon after, Maria and Blanca become smugglers for their new friends associates. Had the two girls not tried to network with others at the bar they might have evaded this ultimate outcome. Therefore, the n egative effect of social networking in these kinds environments is that people may seem to be one thing but are something quite different. In areas where drug trade is openly visible and common, like the setting in Columbia, social networking can be dangerous. This danger can also be associated in context with control of the urban cities. The danger associated to urban cities is the means of one’s sacrifices for survival. In deprived cities, like the one in the film, money is the most admired commodity. In areas where plantations and industries thrive, workers and laborers certainly do not share the profits attained by these businesses. Workers wages do not meet the bar for providing for their family and ones own personal needs therefore the danger of the drug trade looms. Drug distribution is highly recognized and sought after due to the large

Choose one Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Choose one - Essay Example As I was reading the text, I felt compelled to verify the facts that were presented against my own personal experience of growing up in a major East Coast city. It is always a treat to re-examine my own home town from someone else's perspective. Without a doubt I found Jacobs' poignant assessment of city life was something with which I could strongly identify. Each section of the text highlights a critical aspect of the city that becomes through Jacobs' voice a substantial statement about the inner workings of the urban community. At first glance some of the subject matter might seem peripheral but for the exceptional insight and understanding demonstrated by the author. I didn't know that a man-made landscape could be considered a living organism until Jacobs made the reference to a city being a kind of ecosystem. Everything needs to be balanced and in harmony for all of the occupants to survive in such a fragile place. Nothing makes you think "city" more than the idea of the sidewalk, which is the pedestrian's portion of a city street. Investigating the sidewalk is surely an essential component to gaining an understanding of any urban community. In a crowded city filled with businesses, municipal structures, and parked cars these are just about the only public spaces left for people to spend their time. A safe place to walk is only one of the many functions that the sidewalk fills in a typical city. The sidewalk is like a living conduit that connects all of the separate houses and turns them in to a neighborhood. In a big city, the sidewalks seem to go on and on forever. You could imagine that it would take years to explore all of the streets in even a modest sized community. Like most inner city kids, I spent my entire youth playing on the sidewalk. The streets where I lived were always buzzing with activity. In the mornings many small children marched past my house on the way to the local elemen tary school. Adults strolled to their cars and sped off to work, while the elderly folks tended the garden or simply sat on the stoop socializing. The corner store two doors down from me was another hub of intense movement. Many different people would come and go at slightly different hours of the day, so that there was a constant stream of foot traffic. There were the morning deliveries of newspapers and mail. Maintenance workers and meter readers seemed to visit on a regular basis. Cars carrying tourists who got lost on their way to the airport would occasionally cruise past and stop to have a look. At dusk the teenagers would carouse and mingle. A variety of people used the sidewalk each day for their own purposes, and sometimes those lives would intersect with each other. As Jacobs states, "lowly, unpurposeful and random as they may appear, sidewalk contacts are the small change from which a city's wealth of public life may grow" (95). As I look back I can see that I had lived in a healthy community. There were other neighborhoods that I knew about which were decidedly unhealthy. The local housing projects for example were the places that my friends and I scrupulously avoided. For some reason these tenements were tucked away in a part of the city that was easy to bypass. The

Technology and its effect on human freedom and happiness in society Essay

Technology and its effect on human freedom and happiness in society - Essay Example In most criterions, one would think that the Americans are happier now than they were in Middle of the 19th era. Oddly, however, if you asked Americans how exultant they are currently, you will discover that they are no better off than they were during 1946. This paper will discuss Technology its effect on human freedom and happiness in society. In attempting to decode how technology influences the well-being of a person, it is crucial to look at two things. Do better and more technology make individuals happy? Secondly, there exists something inherently uneven about people explanations of their individual states of mentality (Dick 32). Forget folks’ uncertainty concerning what will render them happy in the coming; can we trust that persons know what render them happy currently? Most sincerely, reflecting on technology is tough because persons adapt so rapidly to available technologies. Someone in 1870 would have been happier if she or he could had possessed a car that gave hi m or her freedom to voyage a great distance in a day at a relative cost. Today, however, people are not so thrilled about planes, cars and telephones. People recognize their use; however, they are likewise sources of stress and frustrations. For instance, a lottery winner is very, very happy when he or she wins, but after a while, that feeling of euphoria disappears. This is the same with technology that no matter how dramatic a fresh innovation is, people will eventually take it for granted. In the technological world, when the things become mundane or stop operating efficiently, people get frustrated (Postman 54). Does our swift incorporation of technological development denote that technology makes no change? No. It merely makes the issue of technological effect, for ill and good, more complex (Putnam 46). Beginning with the disadvantage: There are particular ways where technology renders life evidently worse. Traffic jams, telemarketing, and identity embezzlement all suggest the mselves (Kraut et al. 13). These phenomena make persons consciously unhappy. Nevertheless, for the great part, modern criticizers of technology have not focused very much in particular - the effect of technology on humanity. However, those criticizers have put out two seemingly opposed po ­sitions that nonetheless disclose a common cynicism about individuals’ ability to utilize technology towards their personal ends. The first opinion, seen in the books of Dick Philip K., is that technology development is steering to a constantly more controlled, rigid, soulless community, where it is simpler for persons to be monitored and manipu ­lated. The second view that has been thoroughly articu ­lated in hard covers of Putnam Robert Bowling Alone (pg. 44) and Postman Neil Amusing Ourselves to Death (pg. 55), is that technology remains crucial to the swelling privatization of experience that is in turn designing a fragmented, disordered society. A society where traditional relati ons are tougher to sustain, the community is gradually becoming an illusion, and folks’ relationships to one another, arbitrated as they regularly are by technologies, grow progressively tenuous. There is evidently an explanation to both opinions. Privacy has increasingly grown fragile in a globe of connected databases. In most workplaces, technologies such as keystroke observation

Law Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Law - Assignment Example (Us legal.com) In addition, security guards have no special searching authority while police officers can obtain warrant once called. Its the responsibility of the public enforcement to provide protection to the society. They are also assigned to protect the properties within the jurisdictions of the police officers. (Steven Limbaugh) The security systems in America take its roots in England. The colonies appointed the sheriffs as having the legal authority to deputize citizens and assist them in the enforcement of common law. In 1850, the security services of Fargo and Wells were formed. It is designed to provide protection for cargo transportation on both sides of Missouri River. Contracts are security officers working for a private security company. A public security person is employed by a government agency. Private patrol officers are patrol officers that protect various client premises. Parapolice officers belong to aggressive firms engage in arrest and criminal

Self-discovery and change while attending the University of Bridgeport Term Paper

Self-discovery and change while attending the University of Bridgeport - Term Paper Example Identifying with these domains can result to our senses being taken over by endless thoughts or floods of emotion, a suffering that most people know well. That is what I was going through upon realizing that I had cancer. In the spiritual world, the domain of consciousness or awareness arises. People become detached from the domains of thought, emotions, and body. It seems like 'nothing matters' because they think they do not exist. It is important to integrate the domain of awareness into one's life. The misconception I had was that I failed to realize that in order for me to integrate myself with the spiritual world, I must be fully aware of my present situation first. People believe they are being spiritual by holding themselves in the domain of consciousness. An integrated person will move freely from one domain to another. No domain is of higher value than another. When people experience through the domain of emotions, it would be a mistake to talk as if they are in the domain o f awareness. The ideology of 'nothing matters' is not applicable when it is evident that a person's feelings is important. Upon the realization of my situation, I have yet to discover myself. I was able to achieve this during my study at Bridgeport University. People have different needs, which depends on which domain they are experiencing their reality through. Each domain has its own needs that are absolutely natural for every being. The consciousness domain needs the body mind to exist, whereas the domain that caters to emotion needs love (Powers, 2000). An essential theme in literature is that of self-discovery, which can come in different ways to different characters. For some, a moment of understanding occurs, an epiphany in which the individual suddenly sees more clearly. For others, it comes only after several years of developing awareness slowly. For many, both can be true at the same time, as years of understanding can coalesce in a moment of epiphany. Both Pip in Charles Dickens's novel "Great Expectations" and Gabriel in James Joyce's "The Dead" spent their lifetime learning before they were able to achieve a fuller understanding of some of the aspects of their world. Pip's life is bound with issues of social hierarchy and class. The concept of parents plays an important role in Charles Dickens' Great Expectations, wherein parentage determines one's social status. As for my case, I have spent time in Ecuador before coming into realization, which transpired upon my attendance at the University of Bridgeport. In one of the short stories among the nine stories called Teddy, Teddy and the student discussed a variety of topics. Throughout the discussion, the extent of Teddy's knowledge surprised Nicholson. Teddy shared his insights about the nature of the universe. His explanation of the relationship between space and time closely reflected the Vedanta Karma theory and he claimed to remember details about his previous lives. Teddy revealed that in his p revious life, he was a man in India who was inclined towards spiritual advancement, but stopped meditating after meeting a woman. He discussed about enlightenment and how to elevate spiritually by purging oneself of logic. Through reading Teddy's explanations, I was able to take myself into the real logical world, thus guiding me to taking life as it is. My journey began when my parents did not want to accept that my arms needed to be cut off, so they sought for

Introduction to Terrorism Essay Example for Free

Introduction to Terrorism Essay The paper would analyze the definitions for terrorism proposed by some authors deeply along with criticizing them and proposing a global definition of terrorism. Secondly, â€Å"the concept of ‘just war theory’ would also be evaluated by highlighting its limitations. And finally, just war theory concept would be applied on the recent military action in Afghanistan, whether it fits the scenario or not. Answer -1 There are hundreds of definitions of terrorism defined by many authors, journalists, and politicians. But the problem is that the idea or concept of what terrorism actually is, is vague and not perceived globally as a single concept. The definition proposed by Lawless revolves around three key words; violence political purpose, and non-state actor. It goes this way, â€Å"the unlawful threat or act of violence committed for a political purpose by a non-state actor† (Lawless, 2007). This definition seems to be quite rigid and inflexible because it says that terrorism happens only because of political purposes by the non-state actors. In fact, terrorism does not always take place due to political purposes; for instance, these days, countries themselves want to get rid of terrorism that is overwhelming them and worsening their relationships with other countries. There is no doubt that non-state actors are mostly involved in terrorism, but they usually do so for purposes such as, smuggling, harassing the legal authorities who try to resist them, and certain mafias or groups who want to take revenge of any injustice done to them before or being done. Secondly, the definition does not highlight the idea about the innocent people or victims. Terrorism for political purposes means that riots or revenges are taken for their own sake, purpose, and benefit. The global definition that I propose is that ‘any unlawful or illegal act done to hurt, damage, or overwhelm the party who is innocent and was not involved in any conspiracy or threatening act against the party who is hurting them’. See more: introduction paragraph example Answer – 2 Just war theory proposes the idea that lies between permissivism and pacifism. Permissivism suggests using arms as many as wanted and as the way the armed forces want to; whereas, pacifism says not to use arms against civilians or innocent people but to kill those who deserve to be killed. Therefore, just war theory says that war must be fought when it is fair or when there is a reason to be fought with the enemies or for a legitimate cause (Wilson, 2006). There are certain limitations of this theory such as, it does not define what a ‘legitimate’ cause actually is and when is it just or fair to attack the enemy (mtholyoke.edu, n.d). Therefore, countries or parties always think of their own interest and consider their cause as a legitimate one and considerable to attack the enemy, even they may be wrong at their side. Moreover, not killing civilians is just a saying; armed forces often kill and harass the civilians such as, kidnapping them, and smuggling them, etc. So, f rom here, the desire to take revenge arises in the other party and the issue never resolves, in fact it goes on. I think the idea of just war theory must be reconceptualized. Answer – 3 The recent military action against Afghanistan does not fit on the concept of just war theory because the American started the raid against them without having solid evidence against them. Moreover, they did not only killed the Afghan terrorists, but also took lives of thousands of innocent people including children, women, and aged ones. They brutally destroyed their houses, properties, lands, lives, and everything.

Change Management: Carrefour Group

Change Management: Carrefour Group Background to the organization Carrefour is a multinational company which has its retail stores almost all over the world. In the recent past it has expanded the business in the Asian Market. In the year 1995, this company had total of seven stores in Asia but in year 2004, this total went up to 126 stores which was a huge gain for the company. One of the best features of the company was that it was not affected by the economic crisis that happened and this was the biggest reason that company came up with its plan in UAE. Carrefour is an infrastructure group and the real estate was the section which was very much affected by the economic downfall but the company had enough capability to face the risk that it did not get affected (United Arab Emirates: Carrefour expands its services in retail sector). Carrefour is the second largest retail group in the entire world. Carrefour entered into UAE in the year 1995 and till now it has 11 big retail stores around UAE. And soon it will be a famous hypermarket at Dubai Sports City at Emirates Road in Dubai. The company provides as much as 6800 to 14000 sq m of area for a hypermarket in UAE. CEO: Josà ©-Luis Duran (Fortune Globe 500, 2007) Employees: 456,295 Address: 26 Quai Michelet, Levallois-Perret 92695, France (main office) Phone: 33-1-5563-3900 Website: www.carrefour.com Present Rank: 32nd in the World SWOT Analysis Strengths and Weaknesses (Internally COntrolled factors) Strengths One of the major strategic successes of the company is that Carrefour has collaboration with one of the most successful infrastructure company in the world, MAF of Abu Dhabi. This gives the company strength to the company to improve the internal built. The internal reason for the company to collaborate with MAF in UAE because of the restrictions that UAE government put on the foreign companies to start up a business in the country. In order to get the ease, this collaboration has occurred. As far as the industry average in the country in the field of real estate is seen, Carrefour is far above the industry average and the main reason is that it got unaffected at the time of economic crisis. The company is in a phase of a continuous success for the past fourteen years which is easily reflected in the financial ratios of the company which shows a continuous betterment for the past several years. The human resource management of the company is also very strong and it shows the increasing betterment in the performance matrix of the company. This gives the internal support to the company especially in the case of recruitment process. Companys standing at present is at the 32nd place which is really a remarkable success and strength for Carrefour and gives it a motivation to improve its ranking further. Due to the fact that most of the investments done by the company are huge, hence company takes a collaboration of government subsidiaries in UAE which prevent any hindrance in the future. The marketing department of the company is very highly appreciated because of the fact that the company has a huge brand value all around the world and after the success of Hypermarket at Dubai Sports City; it is going to be better and better. The financial department of the company and the research and development section are simultaneously doing a great job of understanding the financial situation of the people living in UAE and accordingly plan the investment. Hypermarket is the best suited for this purpose. Weaknesses The collaboration with MAF is absolutely very helpful for Carrefour in UAE but along with the strengths there are several weaknesses associated with this collaboration. The company does not have full freedom to take the decisions and especially the financial decision. The only area where the company can take the 100 percent decision is the operational department but otherwise there would be several restrictions posed by the collaborated companies. One of the biggest weakness can be that around three fourth of the total profit of the company is in the hands of MAF which means that the investment point of view is really weak because if any person would like to be the part of stakeholder of Carrefour, he would have to worry. There are several social concerns of the company like increasing Emiratization with in the company which means that there is a specific percentage that they have to give to the national employees. This may reduce the output of the company. It is true that economic crisis has not affected Carrefour but under the rules made by the government, there are several restrictions posed on the company which stops the company in its fast expansion. Opportunities and Threats (Externally COntrolled Factors) Opportunities There are several opportunities for the company to expand its business in UAE. The most important factor is its demography. The culture and social aspect of the country is absolutely support the advancement and enhancement of whatever the company is doing. There are several malls and several other locations which are suiting the infrastructure of Carrefour. The financial crisis in 2008 had made the situation worst for the country in the real estate structure. There are several companies which are still lagging because of that crisis. It gives a big opportunity for Carrefour to rapidly enhance the business so that there could be better prospects in the future. Dubai Sports City itself is one of the best opportunities for Carrefour group because of royal crowd and enthusiasm. Threats Of course, if there are so many opportunities for the company in UAE, then threat have to be there. The biggest threat that the company will seek is huge competition in the market. However, it would be lesser because of economic crisis of 2008 but still companies like EMAAR give Carrefour a healthy competition in the country. That too, when the company is foreign based and its major shares are not owned by the company itself. Change Identification This part of the projects deals with the different types of problems related to the identification of changes in the organization: Identification of different kind of changes which can exist Identification for the reason for such changes Identification of scopes and goals for such changes Identification of present part of the changes and comparison with the future prospects Kind of changes This project deals with the parts of the changes which have occurred in Carrefour with its collaboration with MAF in UAE to expand the business. There are several kinds of changes which company has undergone in order to commit this partnership with MAF. Several types of changes which company has seen because of this collaboration are as follows: Change in the working atmosphere in UAE Change in the policies of the company Change in the human resource activities of the company Changes in the process of implementation of work Changes in the roles and responsibilities of employees of the company Changes in the owner ship of the company In order to start for the working progress of Hypermarket in the Dubai Sports City, Carrefour went into collaboration with MAF which has brought about several changes in the organization and its working. This collaboration has affected the atmosphere of the entire organization. Being a French organization, Carrefour has absolutely a different culture and different atmosphere which prevails in the company but entering into UAE was an absolute change for the company. The change in the working process of the company is very high as it does not match to the working standards of Carrefour in other countries. There are several changes in the policies and processes and especially the ownership has a great effect because of such collaboration Reason for changes There are different reasons which have led to the growth of such changes in the organizational structure and its working process. The main of them all is ors collaboration with MAF. Entering into UAE for a foreign based company is not an easy job to do until unless company do not have any partner who is national of UAE and that too with a partnership of more than 50 percent shares of the company. Hence, company entered into the UAE market with its collaboration in MAF for making Hypermarket in the Dubai Sports City. Another reason for changes could be a sense of an easy capture to the market because of its collaboration with MAF because MAF is very well known Construction Company in UAE. Everyone in the country knows this company; it would be very much beneficial for Carrefour to enter into business in UAE having collaborated with MAF. Changes in the scope of the company Carrefour has undergone a change at the entire organizational level. There are some special areas where the company has seen a number of changes. These areas where company has seen a number of changes are as follows: Changes in the types of employees Working process of the company Levels of Departments Business process units Level of systems Above are the main areas which have undergone changes for Carrefour because of the collaboration with MAF. It was quite obvious for these areas to undergo changes because of the reason that there is a huge difference in the culture and the atmosphere of both the companies is entirely difference. One is a France based company and another is a UAE based company. Goals for Changes There are several goals which have been identified to connect them with the changes: Collaboration between Carrefour and MAF For fulfillment of law and order in UAE To benefit the name of MAF to seek the competitive advantage To make people of UAE know about the company Enhance the business Where are you now? GAP Analysis GAP Analysis basically deals with highlighting the difference between the implemented strategies and the expected strategies. There can be two different types of gap may be there, namely Knowledge Gap and Strategic Gap. The exact meaning of Gap analysis is to analyze the difference between the present situations of the company and the future prospects of the company. At the starting, it is necessary to analyze the present condition of the company and in the next situation, the future condition of the company is taken care of. Present and the future condition of the company are necessary to analyze because it gives an indication about the performance of the company. There are different types of analysis takes place in the GAP Analysis of any company. Comparison of organizational performance Comparison of marketing potential of the company Comparison of Business relationships of the company Comparison of operational activities of the company The following diagram shows the gap analysis of Carrefour. Fundamentals Applied for Changes (Kurt Lewin 3 step model) Unfreezing: This corresponds for Carrefour to getting itself ready for desired changes that it going to get in by making collaboration with MAF in UAE. Changes: This corresponds to present situation where the changes are being untaken by the company and making it happening for the customers and the staff. Freezing: This corresponds to the final approval of the changed strategies by Carrefour. Present situation of the company Carrefour is a widely known organization which operates in various countries. It sees different types of organizational culture wherever it starts its operation. This would happen in all the places and same in the case in performing operation in UAE. The culture of UAE is varied. Here, majority of the population is expatriates, which means that in this country there are people from different parts of the world. This is one of the biggest problems that the company is facing. Actually, this is not a problem but it is a concern which is so important to be taken care of by the company. Another concern with Carrefour is the restrictions which are imposed by the culture and the local government of the country on the company. These restrictions stop the company from taking various decisions due to the fact that company has a major share holding with MAF. The root of all such concerns of the company is the strict law which is followed in UAE and high number of expatriates coming in the country. But in another way, for business of Carrefour, this is profitable as well. There are some challenges associated with the present scenario of operational and all around management of Carrefour in UAE. There are several restrictions posed by the government on the foreign based companies to start up businesses in UAE. This is the biggest challenge that the company face and this needs to be soon addressed. Where do you want to be? Future State of the company This will describe the state of the company after little time (at least 5 years after the collaboration between MAF and Carrefour). The future of the company is supposed to be more in favor of MAF rather than Carrefour. The main reason behind this is that the majority of the shares of the company are held by MAF which accounts for more than 50 percent ownership of the company which means that in case of profit to the company, there will be more profit for MAF rather than Carrefour. The future prospects for the company in future are obviously growing as hypermarket in Dubai Sports City is one of the rare infrastructural buildings which are there in the city. This makes this a special place for the local population and the tourist to roam around. But the only problem which the company will have to face is that huge percentage of partnership is taken by MAF which means that huge percentage of profit will go to MAF. Another future prospect which can be helpful in generating more profit is that there is no tax charged by the government which allows the company generate more revenues and earn more money. The organizational culture in the future will be more or what same as the company has its organizational culture in Dubai at present. The organizational culture would be very much diversified. Reason being there are people coming from all over the world to this country. Around 80 percent of the total population of UAE comprises of expatriates. This means that staff in the organization will be of diversified culture. There are several steps which have to be done frequently by Carrefour. These steps are as follows: Company should well regulate its collaboration with MAF so that it can easily operate in the country Company should think of expanding the business and should keep an eye on the total earnings so that it can generate maximum possible profit Company should hire people with in the country and also should call some of the higher authorities from some of the different branches of Carrefour so that it can sustain the culture of the company in the internal matters at least. Company should formulate the strategies according to the marketing potential in the country and according to the diversified public of UAE but along with that company should also keep an eye on the laws, rules and regulations given by UAE. Company should formulate the strategies with in the company in such a manner which would help it to succeed in the plans and should help to generate more and more revenue. Readiness of the organization to undergo the changes This is one of the best possible reasons which could account for change management in the company. Carrefour, being one of the biggest organizations in real estate and infrastructure entered into the business for making hypermarket at Dubai Sports City by collaborating with MAF. There are several changes that company had to face in order to implement their business plan in the country. The biggest change that company had come up with is the organizational culture in the country which is very much different from any other country in the world. There are several restrictions on the business activities imposed on the company by the local government of UAE. The company is ready to adopt these changes in order to generate profit. It might be possible that company do not suit with such an atmosphere of organizational culture but the company is ready to accept the changes because it knows that UAE gives the best possible prospect for their business. Deliverable: To Identify whether the company is ready to adopt the changes Implementation Team Leader: Board of Directors Implementation Sponsor: Strategic Management Team PEOPLE READINESS Action Required When Completed Business Unit / Product Group Actions Were the contracts of business unit notified? Yes Were these contracts briefly explained to the team members? Yes Has the priority of business management unit set? Yes Training Has the identification of training team done? Yes Has the analysis of training been done? Yes Is the Training Information Sheet available? Yes Has the training provider been established? Yes Has all the training details provided by the coordinator? Yes Will the criterions are according to the training rollout? Yes SYSTEMS READINESS Action Required When Completed Information Communications Technology (ICT) Have tools of audit been configured? Yes Content Action Required When Completed Have the procedure published? Yes Is documentation for the procedure necessary? Yes Business Application Does deliverable require software assistance? Yes Does the distribution require any support model? Yes Have IT Business Unit been notified for support? Yes Particulars of the changes (Road Map for Changes) The main objectives which are covered in this part of the plan are: Alternative, methodologies, solutions and different ranges of actions and plans are considered especially or implementation of change Consideration of risk involved in the implementation of plan Consideration of cost to be estimated for the change to be implemented Kotlers 8-Step Change Model Following 8 steps will be used for making a road map for changes in Carrefour for its collaboration with MAF: There is a need to create urgency Formation of a powerful collaboration which the company ahs already done Company has a perfect vision which can lead to changes Communication will be done supporting this vision It is necessary for the company to remove obstacles coming in between Short term profit will be made Changes will be applied for every sector The entire organizational culture will experience the changes How will you get there? There are several changes which will be required by the organization to adopt the business sense according to the culture in the country: There are two types of strategies which will help the company to come up with the changes. These are: Rational This is quite natural that organizational structure of the company has to be changed. It requires changes according to the diversified culture of UAE. New system of workgroup and the human resource is necessary in the company so as to run the business properly in UAE. The main reason behind this is that this will be the first hypermarket in the country which means that the industry and exposure for the company is going to be new. Highly sophisticated system will be required by the company for the process because of the hugeness of the market exposure for the company in UAE Non Rational There will be change in the relationships as well. Carrefour needs to build good relationships with MAF and government of Dubai so as to get the best out of their business techniques in the country. The culture will accept the changes which will be made by Carrefour in UAE. Reason being these changes will be made according to the culture of UAE. Process Change It is required for the company to have process change as well. Process change is necessary. If it would have been a brand of some eatables, clothes, then it would have required that process should have maintained as it is every where but this is an infrastructure company. The structure of the building, shops in the hypermarket and every thing else which is a part of process in the companys operational activities need to be changed according to the destination (change management). Hence all the processes of Carrefour need to be differentiated according to the need in Dubai Sports City. There are some important process changes required by the company: Management process Recruitment process Operational process People Change In order to make changes it might be possible that job roles of the people and their responsibilities change. The biggest problem with the people change result in the de recruitment of some very intelligent people from the company so as to follow the rules and regulations of the company. Roles and responsibilities of the employees will be affected because they will be enforced to follow different prospect Knowledge and training will be entirely different, especially it would required by the employee to learn Arabic in order to work at the ground level Work practices will be entirely be different as a result of the change because these work practices would clearly adopt the culture of UAE. Third party relationships will also be built. This could be done mainly because of the relationships of MAF in the country. The relationships will be built with several agents of MAF. Carrefour will come in contact with these agent companies and will create third party relationships in the market. Information Sharing During the change in the process of Carrefour, there is some information which needs to be shared among the partners of the business. Carrefour and MAF are the two organizations who have collaborated to make hypermarket in Dubai Sports City. There is certain information which has been shared between the two organizations. These are: Financial Information (this needs to be very much critical because MAF has a huge sharing Hypermarket) Some parts of the operational information There are some policies of Carrefour which have changed due to the information sharing. These policies could be: Policies for the implementation of financial plan Policies for fixing up of prices There are several methods which are used for sharing information. These methods are: Direct Conversation In direct conversation There are some processes needed in order to manage the knowledge about the project. These processes are: Knowledge sharing process Internal Managerial Process Cost of Change Financial support is also needed to manage the changes. There are different types of cost which will be required in order to manage the organization. These costs are as follows: Cost of training the new employees in the organization Cost of integration with MAF ( all the legal formalities are included in that) Opportunity cost will also be included. This opportunity cost will be based on the opportunity of the organization to build up a hypermarket in any other country There are different modes of financial support available with the company. These are: Borrowing the money from an external source Issues shares in the share market Investment by the company itself Selling the fixed assets of the company Risk Assessment During the implementation process, it is highly possible that company will be affected by several risks. It is very much necessary that these risks are to be eliminated in order to carry out the work in a smooth manner. Risks that might be involved with the implementation of the project are as follows: Change could lead to incur losses Planning may not be effective Scope for change may not be there It is necessary to minimize the risks as well and hence following steps could be taken. In order to keep the project very much viable for the changes. It is necessary that changes are done with proper planning and keeping in view the culture with the country. For example in UAE, there is a diversified culture and hence accordingly changes should be implemented It could be possible that planning may not work well and hence alternatives should be made so that if one plan fails, company immediately can apply the other one In the case when changes are not adapted by the country and its people then obviously company should keep going with the old policies and old culture. Risk Assessment Matrix Change could lead to incur losses Likelihood Consequences Insignificant Minor Moderate Major Catastrophic Almost certain Likely Possible Unlikely Rare Planning may not be effective Likelihood Consequences Insignificant Minor Moderate Major Catastrophic Almost certain Likely Possible Unlikely Rare Scope for change may not be there Likelihood Consequences Insignificant Minor Moderate Major Catastrophic Almost certain Likely Possible Unlikely Rare Risk Assessment Table Risk no Date of occurrence Risk Description Low Medium High Mitigation action taken Approval of commencement Date 1 Change could lead to incur losses Communication Plan Made 31 August, 2010 4 Planning may not be effective Periodic Review Made 31 August, 2010 2 Scope for change may not be there Periodic Review Made 31 August, 2010 Change Approach (Developing a Critique) Main objectives of this section are: This section finds out the stakeholder of the company and their role in the company What are the barriers that come in between the growth Roles and responsibilities of change management team Stakeholder Analysis Stakeholder is the one on whose stake the company is running. There are different stakeholders of Carrefour in UAE. Strategic management team Project leader Mangers Employees Customer The below stakeholder pyramid will give an indication about the role and the responsibilities of these stakeholder in the working of the company. There are different types of roles and responsibilities described by the below pyramid like driving, active participation, advocacy, willingness and understanding. Resistance to change It is necessary that every individual working in the company is resistance to change. It is required by the organizational growth and its survival. There are some important reasons which lead to resistance among the employees of the organization: This could the feedback given by the employees This could be several inputs given by the supervisor of the company This could be results of the audit Several decisions taken on the issues of various teams Resistance Assessment Survey is taken into care for resolving all the issues related to change. This survey is attached in the appendices Change Management Team Change Management Team is vital for the organization of various activities regarding progress of change in the company. For Carrefour, a committee is formed which analysis the effect of changes which have occurred due to collaboration with MAF in UAE (Majid Al Futtaim Hypermarkets ). There are several roles and responsibilities of this committee which are there for them in order to make the change management not liable for the company. Some of the important decisions taken by the change management team of the company are as follows: Change management team performs gap analysis between the present and future trend of the company. The present trend of the company is researched and the future trend of the company are estimated which means that company a possible gap between the two trends is analyzed by the company so that it can give suggestion for the changes to take place It works for devising the project plan of the company It works for the resistance management plan of the company It works for implementation of changes It see the results of the changes which are implemented on the company and accordingly give the suggestions and the review about the research It works on upgrading the action plans and the change management plan if any flaw is found in the plan (How to write an action plan) Strategies for Implementation There are several strategies implemented for the implementation of the change plan of the company. These strategies are as follows: Action Plan: Action Plan helps in analyzing the overall achievement of the company. The main objective of this is the change management plan and all measures are taken on the basis of percentage of the completed plan Communication Plan: Communication Plan is one of the most important plans of the company because it works for establishing communication between one team member to any other team member of the company Communication Plan Audience Key Communication Delivery Medium Date Length of session (if applicable) Location Leaders of each team, Managers of each Department Action Plan Various meeting, e-mails,etc. 31st August 2010 N/A HO Agents (senders) Operational manager, project

Democracy And Freedom | Azerbaijan

Democracy And Freedom | Azerbaijan To begin this paper, I will define what Democracy is and what Freedom is. In this paper, I will illustrate and evaluate the most challengeable inconveniences that Azerbaijan faces, now more present than ever. Then, I will explain why is Freedom and Democracy are hard to obtain in Azerbaijan and what has been done so far to change the existing authoritarian government. Democracy can be defined as a theory, in which the supreme power is established by the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a method of representation. In political theory, democracy depicts a small number of affiliated forms of government and a political philosophy. Democracy comprises two principles- equality and freedom. These principles are portrayed by all citizens being equal before the law, and having equal approach to power where all citizens are promised certain legitimized freedom and liberty, which are mostly protected by a constitution.[1] Freedom can be classified into two concepts: positive freedom and negative freedom. Positive freedom is freedom to do something rather than freedom from interfering. Negative freedom is a content of options that are open for a person or people in general; it is a matter of X being free to be Z. [2] In Azerbaijan, there are varieties of political parties representing diverse ideological and policy stages. In this sense, Azerbaijan has achieved one basic feature of pluralistic democratic politics.[3] Political parties in my country, mostly weak and small, and do not play a main role in national political life. A number of influences lead to this weakness. Azerbaijan is a presidential republic, and the constitutional determination of the presidency has been reinforced by the powerful political persona as I. Aliyev. Politics in general remains highly personalized, with few-high-profile individuals dominating the area. The personalizations of politics have gone further in my country, where Aliyev supporters and pro-government press from a sycophants refrain to praise the president. In this context, the pro-government parties tent to become vehicles for mobilizing support for the president in parliament, while other parties often serve the same purpose for leading opposition politici ans, readily splitting and adjusting to keep up with the regular disputes and divisions that take on a more or less personal level between their leaders. In Azerbaijan, up to date, there are more than 36 political parties: Pro-government parties (like New Azerbaijan Party) have poorly defined ideological or policy profiles advance the careers of stalwarts. It is hard to maintain a powerful doctrine in any key positive improvement towards to democracy and freedom in Azerbaijan. The corrupted police state is well set up between all ranks of society that it looks unbreakable.[6] People are used to perceiving elections and oppose within themselves. This is the idea of the civil proposal with deep scepticism and a sense of desperation. Those who talk about or try to act in favour of transformation are devastating their lives chasing the freedom. For example, Equality Party stated in May 2005, in Azerbaijan national radio, that Ehtiram Jalilov- deputy head of Azerbaijans National Democratic Party became the second opposition activist to die in unexplained circumstances during the upcoming presidential elections. In July 2009, Freedom House published results of research that calculated countrys political rights, civil Liberties, and status. Freedom House argues that with the population of 8,700,000, the score of Political Rights Score is six, Civil Liberties is five and the Status is said to be Not Free. In an Overview, Freedom House declares following, President Ilham Aliyev and the ruling Yeni Azerbaijan Party further marginalized the political opposition and other institutions of democratic accountability in 2008. The governments fierce suppression of media freedom was integral to Aliyevs victory in a controlled presidential election in October.[7] For example, while Azerbaijans constitution promising freedom of speech; the authorities absolutely bound press freedom in reality. Novruzali Mamedov, editor of the newspaper Talyshi Sado had been in state custody since February 2007, initially on a trumped-up charge of resisting arrest, which was then changed to a treason charge, who died in p rison on august 2009.[8] Azerbaijans authorities primarily do not limit educational freedom. However, my elder brother had practiced political pressure in State University of Azerbaijan. That pressure included reported threats to lower my brothers grades when he contributed in opposing political activity. Another example is that my father was disregarded as a teacher in college because of his membership in opposition parties. The government limits freedom of the legislature, especially for opposition parties. Azerbaijans government commands key judicial commissions and there is no indication that the court system is capable of bringing the government to book when it behaves unconstitutionally, or securing citizens rights against arbitrary government action. Although Azerbaijani legislators have approved several laws to enhance freedom of information, the law of the Azerbaijan Republic grants legislative ground for an independent judiciary, in practice judges do not role independently of the executive branch.[9] The judiciary is corrupt, inefficient, and obedient. Incidental arrests and detention are very common, particularly for members of the political opposition. Prisoners are often restrained for long periods before trial, and their access to lawyers is constrained. My military commander Gadir Musayev was victim of Azerbaijans corrupt systems. He was arrested during presidential elections and denied de fend by legal lawyer. As he claims, prison conditions were extreme; with many prisoners suffering from overcrowding and insufficient medical care, he was not given adequate medical care in prison. Azerbaijani authorities refused to allow independent medical treatment offered by a European Union delegation that visited Mamedov in prison in June.Musayev was one of the few lucky political prisoners who were liberated from prison with help of International Human Rights Organization. Corrupt leaders that bound the equality of opportunity control major parts of the economy. As I mentioned earlier, followers of the political opposition face job loss, exile, and dismissal. Public norms and poor economic conditions in Azerbaijan restrict womens professional roles. Domestic violence in Azerbaijan is a crisis; moreover, there are no laws to stop spousal abuse. Women can go to court for violence, but poor social values restrict them from doing it. According to Amnesty International, Azerbaijan is among eight authoritarian countries on the territory of the former USSR.[10] To give a clear view what is authoritarian means I will clarify the authoritarianism. Authoritarianism is a political doctrine supporting the principle of absolute rule: dictatorship, totalitarianism and absolutism. Authoritarianism indicates any political system that concentrates authority in the hands of a leader or small elite. Authoritarian leaders often exercise power arbitrarily and without consideration to existing organizations of law. The freedom to formulate opposition political leagues is either limited or nonexistent in authoritarian regimes.[11] In Azerbaijan, National society institutions weakened, while presidential powers were exceedingly reinforced in 2008. Many themes are off-limits to journalists, who generally practice self-censorship to prevent the dangerous consequences.[12] These include national security issues, excessively powerful or personal attacks on the president, and specific declarations about corruption and criminal businesses activities. At the minimum four journalists, jailed for their professional activity, remain in Azerbaijani prisons. The government disciplines widespread control over electronic media and silences all alternative voices. The authorities stopped broadcasts of BBC on local frequencies from January 1st. The move essentially guarantees a monopoly for state-controlled media and prevents any independent news broadcasts from reaching the Azeri people.[13] Corruption is one of the main problems obstructing democratic growths in Azerbaijan. Efforts to improve the situation on a legislative level fail at the application phase, as the state agencies authorized to conduct anti corruption activity are believed to be among the most corrupt agencies in the country. However, the countrys government reinforced its rule by elevating a prohibition from a third term presidency, which may lead to the life long presidency of Ilham Aliyev. The situation with freedom is estimated to stay poor as the government continues to silence judgmental voices in the country and disregard the international communitys calls for reformations.[14] Government of Azerbaijan wants us to welcome those who are constrained to act by their unlawful rules in order to endure teachers, farmers, law enforcement officers, entry and middle level civil employees, striving businessmen those many souls captured in the net of corruption are as considerably responsible as the very leadership that runs the system. They wish that everyone would suffer enough blame to be helpless of feeling and extracting legitimate moral crime at their outrageous actions. The hidden part of their skilful indoctrination machine works day and night to install into the community the guilty verdict. Nevertheless, the larceny, tyranny, praise, moral putrefaction, mistrust and skepticism are the products of their own deliberate actions, not some certain providence or ancient devastation.

The Course of Political Development in Uganda and its Effect on Economi

The Course of Political Development in Uganda and its Effect on Economic Development Development has recently become a new buzz word in international relations. Through an exploration of political, social and economic development around the globe, scholars are trying to understand which policies are most beneficial, and why certain policies are effective and why some fail. The connection between different types of development is often an important part of this research as well. The connection between political and economic development is of specific interest since the end of the Cold War and the failure of most communist-based systems. The emergence of capitalism as the dominant world economic system at the conclusion of the Cold War forces countries in the developing world to adopt capitalist policies. However, the question remains as to the effect of political development on economic development. Political development is traditionally defined as moving towards a democratic system with free and fair elections in which all citizens can participate to govern themselves, and eventually moving to a more liberal democratic state which also protects civil rights. The path of this development is often hard to define because each state has its own history and therefore its own methods for moving towards this end goal. Many western scholars recommend that states create and implement institutions to promote democracy, hold elections and open political competition to multiple parties. However the success of states attempts at implementing these policies is debatable. Economic development, on the other hand, is historically defined as economic growth, often based in gross domestic product, increased international trade, in... ...ame Press: Notre Dame. Harvey, Charles and Mark Robinson. 1995. â€Å"Economic Reform and Political Liberalization in Uganda.† Institute of Development Studies: Brighton. â€Å"Hostile to Democracy: The Movement System and Political Repression in Uganda.† 1999. Human Rights Watch: New York. â€Å"Idi Amin Dada Oumee.† Updated, 8 September 2003. www.moreorless.au.com/killers /amin.htm. Jà ¸rgensen, Jan Jelmert. 1981. â€Å"Uganda: A Modern History.† St. Martin’s Press: New York. Kreimer, Alcira, Paul Collier, Colin S. Scott and Margaret Arnold. 2000. â€Å"Uganda: Post-Conflict Reconstruction.† World Bank: Washington D.C. Sharer, Robert L. Hema R. De Zoysa and Calvin A. McDonald. 1995. â€Å"Uganda: Adjustment with Growth, 1987-94.† International Monetary Fund: Washington D.C. â€Å"Uganda Vision 2025.† 1999. National Long Term Perspective Studies Project: Kampala.

Edith Whartons The House Of Mi :: essays research papers

Lily Bart, the central character in Edith Wharton’s novel, The House of Mirth , was born into the fringes of high society in late nineteenth century New York. She developed a, “lively taste for splendour';(page 30) and a fear of, ';dinginess';.(page 35). Everything within this social circle is measured in monetary value, people and things alike are treated as commodities. This is the only way of life Lily knows, and without the financial means to sustain herself, Lily is destined to be a victim of this commodification of people and objects. Victim is defined in the Oxford Concise Dictionary , as a, “person or thing harmed or destroyed in the pursuit of an object or in gratification of a person';. Commodifiaction is defined as “the action of turning something into, or treating something as a commodity'; and commodity is defined as, “an article of raw material that can be brought and sold';. It was Mrs Bart who had raised Lily to value the finer things in life and fear the “dinginess';(page 35) that she associated with those who did not have money, or those who did not choose to spend their money on luxury. When Mrs Bart died, she died, “ ......of a deep disgust. She had hated dinginess, and it was her fate to be dingy';(page 35). But Lily’s mother alone is not solely to blame for this want, Lily says of her need for luxury, ..I suppose (it was) -in the way I was brought up, and the things I was taught to care for. Or-no I won’t blame anybody for my faults: I’ll say it was in my blood (page 226) Although Lily felt that she should not blame anyone else for her high tastes she does not blame herself. She uses the excuse that it was in her blood that her fate to live for splendour was predetermined. Lily therefore sees herself as victim, a victim because it was her fate. Mrs Barts parental guidance did help to shape Lily’s value for the extravagant. It was Mrs Bart who taught Lily to value her beauty. Lily was told by her mother, “after they had lost all their money'; (page 28) that Lily’s asset was her beauty. Mrs Bart saw the potential for trading Lily’s beauty for a rich husband, so they would have the means to sustain themselves in ‘high society’. Mrs Bart saw Lily’s beauty as: