Yuh Ji-Yeon Essay Example for Free

Yuh Ji-Yeon Essay Looking at America from a broader multicultural perspective is more realistic. Truly, America is a melting pot of a lot of different cultures. America does not belong only to the fair-skinned caucasians. Reality is that yellow, brown, red, and black Americans live on the same plains as the whites. Yuh Ji-Yeon puts it this way, â€Å"America is a multicultural nation, composed of many people with varying histories and varying traditions who have little in common except their humanity, a belief in democracy and a desire for freedom† (518). This is the honest truth. Looking at our country from this perspective, which is an honest one, helps us deal with our issues in a more realistic and honest way. We can therefore address these issues more easily and we can formulate better solutions all because we started on an honest premise. This is the benefit which we get from assimilating this point of perspection. Once we realize that America does not belong only to the whites but also to a multitudes of other cultures, we start to see things differently. We learn to live life in harmony with them and accept them as brothers. Yuh Ji-Yeon submits, â€Å"downplaying ethnicity will not bolster national unity† (519). When we were taught that America is predominantly white, in our subconscious we were developing the idea that what is not white is not American. This is where our racial prejudice starts. Viewing America as a multicultural country at the outset, nips our discriminatory tendencies at the bud. Once we get rid of our prejudices, life here in this country will be more peaceful. This is the second benefit. Once we learn to live in this country as one people regardless of ethnic origin, we will have peace and harmony as far as racial discrimination is concerned since we can learn to work hand in hand with each other. We will be foregoing our biases when we look at others. We will be seeing people not color. We will be judging them by their individual personalities and not by their skin color. This will level the playing field of opportunities for every citizen. And it is only then that we can say that America is a country which holds equality for all. And there is nothing better than a heart that is at peace. When it is easy to live with each other, we have peace of minds and hearts. And once we have done this, we could show the world that a peace and unity which transcends skin color and ethnic origin can exist in this world. That then, we could be its example. The first thing to do in order to understand the subcultures in this country better is to erase traces of prejudice in the mind. Simply, adopt the idea that America is not white. Accept that all citizens are Americans even if all are not white. If this is hard, just remember that the first people who settled in this country were not white. As succinctly stated by the essay, â€Å"recognize that America was shaped and continues to be shaped by people of diverse backgrounds† (518). Second, as Yuh Ji-Yeon did, read history by yourself. Read on those parts which are not being taught inside the classrooms. Read those written by black and brown Americans so that you will see history from all perspectives. From there you can see how history really happened. Just remember that historians, when they wrote history, had biases and these may be reflected in their works. So seek other perspectives of how history happened and decide for yourself which version you will adopt. As Yuh Ji-Yeon puts it, â€Å"there is more than one way of viewing the world† (518). And lastly, adopt what is suggested by the report â€Å"One Nation, Many Peoples: A Declaration of Cultural Interdependence†. The report â€Å"calls for students to be taught that history is an ongoing process of discovery and interpretation of the past † (518). In short, we must recognize that whatever we do today, we are making history. We should act with this thought in mind.

Operations Strategy with focus on Growth

Operations Strategy with focus on Growth Briefly describe your understanding of the concept of Operations Strategy, its importance and its min constructs. Huge number of companies asserted that operations strategy is one of the best approaches to differentiate themselves from their competitors. Waller [5] asserted that the strategic which should relate to operations performance object is important of its operations and supply chain. Hill [4] also suggested that strategy include the perspective of both direction and implementation. Operation strategy is a long term plan which is designed to achieve its desired objectives [5]. Chase et al. [3] claimed that operations strategy is to plan a wide and complete guidelines or approaches which is the best support for companies long term goal. Chase et al. [3] also mention four levels of perspective in operations strategy including learning and growth, internal, customer and financial perspective. Slack et al. [2] addressed that operations strategy is the pattern of decisions and actions that shapes the long term vision, objective and capabilities of the operation and its contribution to overall strategy. Slack et al. [6] also point out that operations strategy should concerns four perspectives as following: (1) Top down Operation strategy is a top down reflection of what the business wants to do. (2) Bottom up Operation strategy is a bottom up activity where operations improvements cumulatively build strategy. (3) Market requirements Operations strategy involves translating market requirement into operations decisions. (4) Capabilities of operations resources Operation strategy involves exploiting the capabilities of operations resources in chosen markets. According to above, it can be concluded that operations strategy which is the way in which operations resources are developed over the long term to create sustainable competitive advantage for the business concerns investments and developments to support the order winners and qualifiers (such as on time delivery, quality conformance and price) for which it has both individual and cooperative responsibility. 2. What do you consider to be the main operations performance objectives in the context of Yo!Sushi? How these objectives reflect the structure and expectations of the companys market? How do you assess the relative importance of these objectives? Answer: An operations strategy should define operations performance objectives which will adds value for customers and contributes to competitiveness by being able to satisfy the requirements of its customers. Slack et al. [2] suggested that there are five aspects of operations performance, all of which to a greater or lesser extent will affect customer satisfaction and business competitiveness. (1) Quality: doing things right. (2) Speed: doing things fast. (3) Dependability: doing things on time. (4) Flexibility: changing what you do or how you do it. (5) Cost: doing things cheaply. Chase et al. [3] also claimed that the major competitive dimensions that form the competitive position of a company include the following: (1) Cost: make it cheap. (2) Product quality and Reliability: make it good. (3) Delivery speed: make it fast. (4) Delivery reliability: deliver it when promised. (5) Coping with changes in demand: change its volume. (6) Flexibility and new product introduction speed: change it. (7) Other product specific criteria: support it. According to above, the main operations performance objectives in the context of Yo!Sushi are quality( food and service), speed, flexibility and cost. (1) Quality Quality is very important index or part in the restaurant industry. According to the article, firstly, the quality of food must manage and control vey carefully including food standards and hygiene. Secondly, the quality of service also is a vital fact which not only relates to the person to person interaction, but also to the general cleanliness of the restaurant. In addition, in order to improve service quality, Yo!Sushi use questionnaires to make some communication and feedback from their customers. It not only let them understand their drawbacks but also found a way to make the customer a repeat visitor in the future. (2) Speed With regard to speed, food stock management is a very important part which is related to it. On one hand, if the food has sold off the belt, the same item of food will to be filled in shortly. On the other hand, if the food has not been sold off the belt in two hours, it must be discarded. To achieve the performance objective of speed not only ensure fresh of food, but also improve the restaurants service quality. (3) Flexibility Customers who want to see a variety of dishes displayed need some different and special menus to make them returning. Variety dishes include seasonal menus and meal promotions which can encourage customers expecting. (4) Cost How to make a reasonable rang of price for their food is also a critical object in Yo!Sushi. According to the article, the author mentioned that there are three different level customer groups including symbols of success, urban intelligence and welfare borderline have been eaten in the restaurant. Because of this, how to set price of meals are a vital issue in their business. There are four structure and expectations of companys market. First of all, to achieve the object of quality can create a chance of customers returning. Secondly, to achieve the object of speed not only ensure fresh of food, but also improve the restaurants service quality. Thirdly, to achieve the object of flexibility could encourage customers motivation to taste special and also make them returning. Lastly, to achieve the object of cost could create much business in many different level customers. It can be concluded from above, different operations will have different views of what each of the performance objectives actually means. In other words, the relative importance of four performance objectives above which can provide competitive advantages depends on how the business competes in its market. 3. What do you see to be the most important challenge for the company and its director? Answer: According to the article, the most important challenge for the company is how to motivate the virgin category customers and how to create the best chances of this customer returning. Virgin customers who mean the people who have not been to the restaurant before will not know how the conveyer belt system works and how to order different Japanese dishes. We can also see from the article that the most important challenge for the companys director is how to get right performance measures of the restaurants. In the article, Robin asserted that given the right set of metrics not only encourage managers performance but also servers performance outperform their current roles. There are also two main reasons why the companys director should to get right performance measures. Firstly, it will bring free up cash to invest in new opening. This reason is refer to CEOs objective which is to have over 100 restaurants open at 2011.Secondly, it will keep companys loyal band of lovers coming back for more. This reason is a vital strategy which make company sustainable operations. It can be concluded from above that if the company can motivate the virgin category customers and make them returning, it will bring much benefits for the company; if the companys director could to get right performance measures of the restaurants, it not only bring free up cash to invest in new opening but also keep companys loyal band of lovers coming back for more in the future. 4. How the identified performance objectives would impact the companys resources and processes (quality, capacity and planning)? And what your suggestions would be to the CEO in selecting measures of performance to improve the restaurants position? Compare your answer with what may be the current approach and solutions of the companys management. Answer: According to the figure1 above, Slack et al. [1] claimed that the market requirement and the operations resource perspectives on operations strategy represent two sides of a strategic equation that all operations managers have to reconcile. According to the figure2 above, Slack et al. [2] also asserted that building operations capabilities means understanding the existing resources and processes within the operation. Different product groups require different performance objective which might related to their position. In case of Yo!Sushi, quality and flexibility are the most important performance objective which should be measured more carefully. First of all, food quality and service quality are a vital index related to customers satisfaction which not only improve restaurants position but also create brand loyalty of their customers. In addition, the flexibility of food is also approach to attract customers successful. In order to identify my suggestion of performance measure, I will compare with another food restaurant called Burger king which is also set some performance objective to make their business excellent. (1) Quality Burger king not only proud the quality of its food but also focus more on their service quality [1]. Compare with Yo!Sushi, quality of food and service are an important points of its business. (2) Speed of service This is a main different between Burger king and Yo!Sushi. Burger king is type of fast food which is important in its speed of service, especially take away. Whereas, more customers of Yo!Sushi choose eat in which more focus on enjoy the process of meal than speed. (3) Flexibility Flexibility is another vital index in restaurant industry. Both Burger king and Yo!Sushi are attach importance to it. Variety meals can attract customers more success than unchanged meals. (4) Cost Burger king is not very cheapest in the fast food market [1]. As a result, how to make a reasonable rang of price which can bring more wide rang customer groups for their business is also a critical object in Burger king and Yo!Sushi. Whilst, using raw materials more effectively and avoid excessive wastage are also a method to decrease its operation cost. 5. How do you describe Yo!Sushis position in the market and the state of their operations and performance, and how do you relate it with the operations strategy the company has adopted and implemented? Answer: An operations strategy should identify the broad decisions that will help the operation achieve its objectives [2]. In general, Yo!Sushis position in the market and the state of their operations and performance are good. First of all, Yo!Sushi very care about their quality of food and service because they know it is a critical fact in restaurant industry and service industry. Secondly, in order to make variety dishes, Yo!Sushi create seasonal menus and meal promotions to encourage their customers returning. Thirdly, Yo!Sushi control their food stock management very well which related to services quality. Fourthly, in order to run their business well and improve their brand visibility, Yo!Sushi choose open restaurants in marketplace. Location selection of Yo!Sushi is also a very vital decision in their operation strategy. Fifthly, Yo!Sushi franchise the concept to overseas partners which makes Yo!Sushi from small company to multinational company. Sixthly, Yo!Sushi use questionnaire to measure restaurants performance and communicate with their customers. It not only acquires some advice from their customers, but also let them make a reasonable measure of performance. Lastly, Yo!Sushi create a new dining experience which include informal, edge and self-paced quick service eatery. In summary, it is clear that the operations strategy of Yo!Sushi is very successful. It not only reflects the businesss market requirements, but also achieve companys performance objective.

Female Form in the Art Deco Movement: Tamara de Lempicka

Female Form in the Art Deco Movement: Tamara de Lempicka Design for Passion: The female form in Art Deco The Art Deco style was the genre during the 1920s and 1930s affecting the decorative arts, fine arts and fashion (Lucie-Smith, 1996). Throughout this period it was moment for womens clothing fashions. The portraits of Polish-born Tamara de Lempicka elaborated on the trend as a painter of people mainly in the smart social circles in which she moved. She was penniless when she fled to Paris with her husband and daughter. It was then she resolved her talents of artistry would establish a successful career in Paris. To represent her painting style she elaborated on distinctive streamlined elegance with a sense of chic decadence, often compared to the cubism of Leger (sometime called Soft Cubism). She was better than anyone else at representing the Art Deco style in painting. Her works exhibited the true meaning of the Art Deco style and affiliated the passion for design that women had in their lifes turning point (de Lempicka, 1998). It can be said that she is probably the most famous painter of the art deco period. The painting style created by de Lempicka was as glamorous as her subject matter. Her instructor Andre Lhote did not realize the subtle syntheses of inspiration she portrayed. The use of a plastic metaphor which Tamara used time and again in her artistic output can be characterized by the haughty expression typical of a certain caste, or in her nudes which are allegories of lasciviousness. She used a trademark combination of soft, rounded forms set against architectural lines and shapes that reflected a new sophisticated urbanity to those she painted in highly mannered portraits. Her other main subjects included erotic nudes and still life of calla lilies. Her bold technique and palette rapidly won her acclaim as the quintessential Art Deco artist (Blondell, 2004). Art Deco design was above all modern that exemplified the boundless potential of a newly industrialized world. The characterizations of Art Deco include the use of materials such as sharkskin, zebra skin, zigzag and stepped forms, bold and sweeping curves, chevron patterns, and sunburst motif. The sunburst motif was used in such varied contexts as a ladys shoe. It was a mainstream in consumerism that was stressed in the great fashion magazines as Vogue and Harpers Bazaar to advertise the emergence of the New Woman in American society. It was argued that Art Deco functioned as a trademark for popular notions of femininity during a time when women were said to be the consumers of the average household. A genre of the time it appealed to women and was used as a selling point for cosmetics, clothing, home furnishings, jewelry, and art objects. The image that femininity would dominate the American imagination for the future inspired consumerism (Fischer, 2003). The corset was definitively eliminated making the flat and square dresses of the 1920s an ideal canvas to display motifs of the Art Deco period. Skirts were shortened and the female figure became formless and androgynous (sexless) the waistline dropped to the hips or simply ceased to exist. In the 1930s the waistline moved to its natural position. Nylon, satin, silk and crepe the most prevalent of materials used to make fine figure defining dresses. Fabric was cut diagonally to take advantage of its elasticity to show formation of what it covered. Skirts were made longer while the legs were allowed to be seen via long slits in the dresses and the shoulders were broadened by padded shoulder inserts (Lussier, 2003). In Portrait of a Young Girl in a Green Dress, Tamara explicitly demonstrates her visual of the fashion of the times, sleek and seductive (Lucie-Smith). Girl in Green with Gloves, probably her most famous painting epitomizes her style showing the fabric and hair combined into sharp lines and flowing curves with the entire form strongly dimensional yet remaining abstract and modern. The Art Deco of the 20s, with its geometric motifs and bright, bold colors superlative represents the best and purest forms of the decorative art period. Reaching its bold point between 1925 through 1935, the classical, symmetrical, rectilinear style of Art Deco, drew inspiration from other art movements such as Cubism, Futurism, and influence of the Bauhaus and became the dominant art form of Paris between 1920 through 1930. Tamara deLempicka was the artist who pursued the Arts Decoratifs style, derived from the Worlds fair held in 1925, formerly titled the Exposition Internationales des Arts Decoratifs et Industriels Modernes that showcased French luxury goods (Wikipedia, 2003). A 1925auto portrait, Tamara in the Green Bugatti was an oil painting on wood. Tamara was dressed in a bright yellow with black hat, matching the color of the vehicle. The painting came about when a magazine editor was overwhelmed by the drivers style. The driver, later was learned, to be de Lempicka herself. The editor had left a calling card on the windshield asking the yellow clad woman to contact her. Die Dame, Germanys leading fashion magazine, then commissioned a self portrait in the car for the magazines cover. The result was one of de Lemplickas best known works wherein she mixes cold, hard textures with luxurious, decadent sensual imagery. A point of interest on the matter was that Tamara NEVER owned a green Bugatti. The auto portrait was an icon of the era. The painting is said to represent the newly discovered freedom of women of the day (Paloma). Sexy, modern and unabashedly consumer-oriented was the new Art Deco style. Motifs were borrowed from Japan, Africa, ancient Egtyptian and Mayan cultures to create novel visual effects (Benton, 2003). French pochoir prints from the glorious Art Deco era presented womans fashion designs in their most original era. The clothing was revolutionary from designers such as Charles Worth, Jean Patou, Paul Poiret, Lucien Lelong and Joseph Paquin (Schiffer, 1998). Erte was an artist who received his fame by his drawings in Harpers Bazaars magazine for 22 yrs. His covers for the magazine shaped the entire modern tradition of fashion drawing. Erte (name derived from his initials R. T. Romaine de Tirtoff) also designed sets for plays and musicals most noted are the costumes and stage sets for the Folies-Bergere in Paris (Blum, 1976). He was perhaps the most appealing of artists at the time, called attention to the sleekness of style giving emphasis to lineal definition and bold color. (Fischer). The jewelry from the era exploded with color, drama of form and juxtaposition of texture and contour. Designs included buckles, clips, belts, mirrors, pendants, cigarette cases, rings, chains, necklaces, watchbands, brooches, studs and charms (Raulet, 2002). The aesthetic of Art Deco was most radical in the late 1920s at which female stars as Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford and Myrna Loy donned lavish Art Deco fashions. De Lempicka herself received acclaim for her aloof Garboesque beauty, her parties, and her love affairs. Her beauty and opinionated nature also increased her celebrity (de Lempicka). The style declined as a growing conservatism challenged the feminist advances of an earlier generation. The Art Deco woman was once an object of desire but she then regressed toward demeaning caricatures and pantomimes of unbridled sexuality (Fischer). To artists she (de Lempicka) appeared to be an upper-class dilettante, and to the nervous haute bourgeoisie she seemed arrogant and depraved, comments Laura Claridge. Her beauty and opinionated nature increased her celebrity as photographs of the period show a sleek woman whose lethargic-eyed mystique challenged that of Greta Garbo. De Lempicka was a very physical person. She often slept with the people she painted, or those who sat for her. They were both male and female. Her first lesbian affair was said to be with Ira Perrot who modeled for her and took her to Italy where she discovered paintings of Botticelli and Messina. It was the period of time in which she began to attend lesbian parties. Her creativeness went as far as the tastefully arrangement of food on the body of a nude woman. Thereafter, she would then slowly she eat her midnight meal (de Lempicka). The artist pursued older men as social companions, but slept with younger and more handsome men. She was often seen caressing a working-class boy one night and a woman the next. Her adventures inspired her artwork. An overview to her painting of Adam and Eve, her daughter Kizette states, The model walked across the room and picked up an apple from the bowl to satiate her hunger. Tamara then says: Stop! I have an inspiration. I have before me the vision of Adam and Eve. She then went out into the street and nearby saw a policeman on his beat. He was young and handsome. Monsieur, I am an artist and I need a model for my painting. She brought him into the studio and said you are Adam, here is your Eve completing her motivation. Among the unique aspects of her style is the overt lesbianism that informs it, especially in her female nudes, i.e. Two Friends, Spring, and The Girls. The implication of sexuality between the females is subtle yet obvious. Tamara Gorska de Lempicka was married first to Tadeusz Lempicki a Russion lawyer and socialite and then to Baron Raoul Huffner with whom she moved to America. Being a bisexual woman, de Lempickas works reflects a glorification of the female form and vignettes of female life. Seated Nude (1923) exploits her depiction of women in which she sets the tone of a powerful, curvy, and slab-faced image. Depicted during the Jazz Age de Lempickas art expel a riot of color combined with the sharpness of Cubism making them seem to explode from their frames and grab our attention (Charlish, 2004). The sexy, bedroom-eyed women in stylish dresses are rendered in haunting poses that seem to mirror her life through her art. The Orange Turban of which Tamara produced eight versions in her lifetime, shows the influence of the Dutch and Flemish masters that she absorbed while studying at the Louvre. Independent publisher Mani de Li of Modern Art A Skeptical View, opinions that Tamara succeeds in portraits that have an aim similar to Picassos failures with hers being more original, complete, better drawn, colored and composed. The paintings never contain those scratchy areas of flat schmiery ugliness and unfinish so common in even the best of Picassos, he contends. From the pages of womens magazines to the salons and counters of department stores to the set of design of Hollywood films, the Art Deco style was used to market modernity and elegance (Fischer). Tamara sold her portrait art to the rich aristocracy of Paris that fetched huge prices. She refused to comment on the fascism around her. It was between the wars, that she painted portraits of writers, entertainers, artists, scientists, industrialists, and many of Eastern Europes exiled nobility (Lucie-Smith). She had a choice to do carnival or festive art, and chose the festive (Boje, 2001). Peter Plagens, an art critic from Newsweek, referred to Tamara as practically forgotten with her production of almost soft porn. And he further stated that Tamara was the end product, not the producer of art that influences other artists (Claridge, 1999). After a threat of a Second World War, Tamara left Paris to go to Hollywood. There she became the Favorite Artist of the Hollywood Stars. The 1950s and 1960s phased out Deco Art until in a 1966 exhibition in Paris it resumed its interest. She had changed her style to abstract art in the 1960s. Her works were created then with a spatula with her output seemingly out of fashion. De Lempickas earlier works began to rise in the 1970s and by the 1990s she once again became a stylish icon. Feminisms emphasis on unearthing sidelined women had played a part in her revitalization as well. The liberation of gay women has made her the prophetic, in -house painter of lipstick lesbianism (Charlish). Today de Lempickas work still is connected to Hollywood with singer/actress Madonna and actor Jack Nicholson being the most avid contemporary collectors of her paintings. Her paintings were rediscovered by the world (Neret, Gilles, 1992). Tamara de Lempicka achieved her notoriety and fame several times during her lifetime and remains popular today for her highly sexualized art deco portraits. The qualities of decadence and hedonism that caused critics of the 1960s and 1970s to dismiss her work are those traits that now show new appreciation, comments Elizabeth Ashburn, Professor and Head of the School of Art in the College of Fine Arts at the University of South Wales, Austrailia. Tamara de Lempicka chose her teachers well. She learned the use of simple lines and a smooth finish from Maurice Denis, from who she had her first painting lesson at the Academe Ranson. She learned the neoclassical modification of cubism from Lhote in Paris. She learned the clear, glowing colors and imperious yet powerful interpretation of the female form and execution of the society portrait from Ingres (Charlish). When combined, the three distinct traits of her tutors were expelled though her own unique style in which she was able to bring across the passion of design. De Lempicka is the true demonstrator of the female form in Art Deco painting. The icon of Art Deco ceased her works after the death of her husband in 1962. She moved to Mexico and died in her sleep in 1980 only to leave behind her ashes strewn over the crater of Mt. Popocateptl along with her now valued works of art depicting one of the most fascinating periods of art history in which she displayed the liberty of the woman of her time. BIBLIOGRAPHY Benton, Tim, Benton, Charlotte Wood Ghislaine. 2003 Art Deco: 1910-1939. Bulfinch; 1st North edition. Sept. 17. ISBN:082122834X. Blondell, Alain Brugger, Ingirid. (2004) Tamara de Lempicka. Royal Academy Books. 168 pgs. ISBN: 1903973422. Blum, Stella. 1976 Designs by Erte. New York: Dover. Boje, D. M. 2001 Athletic Apparel Industry is Tamara-land. Tamara: Journal of Critical PostmodernOrganization Science. Vol. 1 (2), pp. 6-19. Charlish, Nicky.2004 Art Deco Icon: Tamara Lempicka. Culture Wars.RoyalAcademy, London. Claridge, Laura.1999 Tamara de Lempicka: A Life of Deco and Decadence. ClarksonPotter Publishers. 436 pgs., September 21. De Lempicka,Baroness Kizette and Philip, Charles. (1998) Passion by Design: The Artand Times of Tamara de Lempicka, Abberville Press. 192 pgs. ISBN:0789205033. Fischer, Lucy.2003 Designing Women: Art Deco, and the Female Form (Film and Culture). Columbia University Press. 352 pgs. ISBN: 0231125011. Lucie-Smith,Edward. 1996 Art Deco Painting, Phaidon Press, 160 pages, ISBN071482545X. Lussier, Suzanne.2003. All Tied-Up: The Corset in Contemporary Fashion. The Victoria and Albert Museum. Neret, Gilles. 1992.Tamara de Lempica Benedict. Taschen Verlag GrnbH. Kolan. Paloma Gallery. http://www.paloma.ca/gallery.html. Raulet, Sylvie.2002 Art Deco Jewelry. Thames Hudson. Schiffer. 1998. FrenchArt Deco Fashions: In Pochoir Prints from the 1920s. Schiffer Publishing .Feb. 1. 160 pages. ISBN: 0764304747. Wikipedia. 2003.The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. Columbia University Press.

Youthful Experience in James Joyces Araby Essay -- Joyce Dubliners Ar

Youthful Experience in James Joyce's Araby James Joyce's, "Araby" is a simple tale of youthful passion set in the midst of a harsh economic era. The main character of the story is a young boy living in a bleak environment who becomes entangled in the passions, frustrations, and realizations of youth. The bleak setting of the era is enhanced by the narrator's descriptions of the young boy's surroundings. "Araby" is a story of the loneliness of youth, the joy of youthful passion, and the realization of lost dreams. In the very beginnings of "Araby" the narrator sets up a feeling of loneliness in the story by describing North Richmond Street as a "quiet street" and gives a description of "an uninhabited house" at the blind end which suggests isolation (252). He goes further to describe the other houses on the street as having "brown imperturbable faces" which implies a calm dreariness. In describing the prior occupant of the house the narrator states, "The former tenant of our house, a priest, had died in the back drawing-room" (252). It is interesting that the narrator describes the former tenant in this way. He could have easily described the former tenant as a very popular priest in the area or just simply as a priest who once had inhabited the house, yet the narrator chose to associate the death of the priest with the house. To further enhance the dreariness of the story, the narrator gives the location of the death as "in the back drawing-room" suggesting a "depth" and "mystique" to the hou se (252). The narrator's extreme use of negatively descriptive words and phrases in the opening paragraphs such as "quiet", "uninhabited", "a central apple-tree", "a few straggling bushes", and "dark muddy lanes" give a bleak theme ... ...ege online library, Lynchburg, VA 10 Nov. 2003 http://80-galenet.galegroup.com/ Norris, Margot, "Blind streets and seeing houses: Araby's dim glass revisited." Studies in Short Fiction, v32 n3 p309 (10), (Summer 1995) Central Virginia Community College online library, Lynchburg, VA (Special "Dubliners" Number) 15 Nov. 2003 http://80-web4.infotrac.galegroup.com/ Pound, Erza, "Dubliners and Mr. James Joyce", The Egoist, Vol. I, No. 14, July 15 1914, p. 267. Reprinted in Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism, Vol. 35 Central Virginia Community College online library, Lynchburg, VA 12 Nov. 2003 http://galenet.galegroup.com/ Wells, Walter, "John Updike's "A & P": a return visit to Araby." Studies in Short Fiction, v30 n2 p127 (7) (Spring 1993), Central Virginia Community College online library, Lynchburg, VA 15 Nov. 2003 http://80-web4.infotrac.galegroup.com/

The Path to True Happiness: Choosing Love over Desire Essay -- Homers

Motivation is the reason why people behave the way they do. It is the driving force behind human behavior and is what compels actions toward a desired goal. There are copious amounts of varying motivating forces. In Homer’s Iliad, it is honor and glory, whereas, love drives Augustine’s actions in The Confessions. In Meditations, Marcus Aurelius holds that the transient nature of life be the incentive behind human action. Despite the differences in reasoning and motivation, all four texts demonstrate the natural tendency of humans to give into desire in pursuit of happiness. However, true happiness only exists in divine love. As follows, focusing on the ego and one’s desires results in separation from and rejection of divine love and leads, inevitably, to unhappiness and harm to oneself and others. The desire and ultimate goal of the heroes in The Iliad is the fame that endures even after death. Honor and glory guide every action and response they make because honor and glory define the hero in their society. The war served as an opportunity for many to find honor and glory, as they could be gained through great, gallant deeds in battle. Achilles and Hector are both portrayed as great fighters seeing that their presence greatly affect a battle. Paris, on the other hand, must be dragged out of the city to fight in the war he instigated. Only when Hector â€Å"raked [him] with insults, stinging taunts† and shameful things about his character did he return to battle (6.384). Good social standing is essential to the fame and power that the heroes desire. If Paris is to be deemed honorable and glorious, he must leave the safety and comfort of his home and pull his weight in battle. Ultimately, Paris’s pride and desire to be liked and respe... ...n to die. Therefore, it is important to live like it is your last day and to strive to be a better person. For this reason, humans should realize that yielding to desires in the physical world will not constitute eternal happiness. It is only with the help of the gods can humans truly be happy and when it is time to depart from life, Marcus Aurelius encourages humans to welcome death â€Å"for [the gods] would not involve you in anything bad† (2.11). Death should be seen as a precious release because with God’s love and grace, the soul is freed from the battered flesh casing. By actively choosing the corruptible elements of the physical world rather than the eternal, perfect forms, humans bring evil unto themselves. Throughout The Confessions, Augustine is divided between sexual desire and spiritual desire. Motivated by love he seeks to find a solution to his division.

Comparing Atkins and Weight Watchers Diets Essay -- Health Nutrition D

Comparing Atkins and Weight Watchers Diets Of the many diets on the market today, Atkins and Weight Watchers have a huge following. The followers of these two diets must adopt very different eating plans. You must decide before going on one of these, which advantages are you looking for and which disadvantages can you live with.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Atkins diet works on the notion that weight gain is caused not by fat intake or food portions, but the way our bodies break down carbohydrates (betterhealthusa.com). Carbohydrates will turn to fat if not burned by the body. If your body does not get enough carbohydrates, it will use stored fat. Atkins dieters are told not to eat carbohydrates in order to burn their stored fat, causing weight loss. This diet has some advantages and disadvantages. Dieters will notice in the first weeks of this plan that their weight comes off rapidly. Much of this weight is water. In these first weeks, total carbohydrate intake is less than 20 grams. One apple has 21 grams. You may eat all the meats and cheeses you desire. There is...

Life & experienced

My life has experienced its fair share if twists and turns. If there is one thing that I have learnt from life, it is preparing to expect the unexpected. I always try to keep an open mind towards situations and it helps me to stay unruffled during adversity.I maintain a positive outlook towards life even during hardships, which helps me focus on things that need to be done in the present rather than worrying about the past. It has also helped face failure with optimism and given me confidence that anything is possible if adequate time and effort are put in.I enjoy reading books and feel that it is extremely enlightening and entertaining at the same time. I feel that good books can talk to people and change lives. I have read quite a few good books that have greatly influenced me and made who I am today.I enjoy playing outdoor sports and feel that it a great way to exert pent-up energy and refresh the mind. A good game has the power to take the mind off negative thoughts. I believe it helps to lead a healthy lifestyle since it acts as adequate exercise to the body and soul. It is also an excellent way to learn sportsmanship and make new friends.I feel college education is absolutely essential to gather knowledge, which would otherwise take years of experience. However, I do understand there is no substitute for real world experience. But, I just feel that a college degree would give a head start towards launching a successful career.I also hope that college life would expose me a world of new possibilities and people that would made life more interesting. I have been quite a disciplined and dedicated student in school, which is reflected by grades and clean record. I also stick to strong moral values, as a result of my healthy upbringing and good friends.I am looking forward to learning new things from professors and academic experts, enabling me to be a more enlightened person. I like making new friends by mingling with my fellow students and getting to know th eir experiences and thoughts on life.I feel that college is the best place to make human connections that last for a lifetime, since we reach a mature state of mind and are also free from the greed that haunts the professional world. I am good in coordinating charity events and can help out in organizing any event. I am very open to learning and quite good in grasping things quickly. I believe that I can I contribute to your student community in more ways than one by being an honest, unbiased, helpful person.I seek joy by helping other people, especially the ones that desperately need help. It makes my heart ache to see people in our very own country suffer without food and a proper place to stay. I am willing to do whatever it takes to revive this situation.However, I feel that I have to first empower myself with the necessary tools to accomplish this noble cause. I believe that I have to start with higher education which is the one of the key steps. Dedication and persistence in h ealthy doses measure are also equally important to reach this goal.I am very patient person and would like help out elderly people are abandoned by their kids. I feel that everyone deserves someone to care for them and listen to them. I wish to visit elderly rest homes and interact with senior citizens. I wish get their perspective on current affairs and help them in little ways that matter.I wish to spend time with time with them on a regular basis and offer such elderly homes my free services. If I could help out a few elderly people, it would make me feel extremely proud and contented.I gone through many trails and tribulations in my life so far and all of them have only made me a stronger person. Even when I failed in my tests, I never gave up hope and have always been ready to face tough situations. I feel this quality of mine helps me to keep moving forward in life. I would have to mention my math teacher who helped me a lot to come out of failure and taste success.I will alwa ys be grateful to her and I made decision to be helpful to other people. I have also helped a lot of my friends during personal crisis and family emergencies. I try not pass judgments and am very open-minded.This has helped me gain the trust of my friends and prompted them to share their personal problems with me. It has also made me gain insight into human pain and uncover ways to deal with it. This has helped to understand that that every wound will heal with time.I see myself as a very active and sociable person. I have a penchant for doing social work and fighting for good causes. I would like to participate in events that deal with cleansing the environment and taking a new fresh look at humanitarian issues.I believe it is my duty as a human being to exhibit empathy and devote time to improve the world that I live. Nothing in the world would be give me more pride and joy than knowing that I have made a difference in another person’s life.