The Masks of Robert Browning Essay Example

The Masks of Robert Browning Paper The Victorian era was a time known for Its family values. Robert Browning broke the mold of the Victorian writers by turning to dramatic monologue. Readers at the time could not appreciate his technique. Today some of his poems can be linked with authors such as Stephen King or Dean Kenton. Do his writings give us an insight into a hidden mad man? No. Robert Browning brought his characters to life and awakened the very real possibilities of the common man having a dark side. His use of persona and dramatic dialogue can be seen In Porphyrys Lover, and My Last Duchess. These works show his use of a mask and give insights Into the true Victorian era. Even though the entire era of the Victorians was a mask to give the impression that family values were their main concern, Robert Browning revealed the hidden chaos of his generation, the anger of the lower class against the upper class and the rise In news media coverage of tragedies.. The Victorian era of family values was a mask to hide the social conditions which Included orphanages, extreme poverty and call conflict. The mid-Victorian period was dominated by a double tankard which insisted on a rigid public respectability while condoning widespread sexual immorality by men. This hypocrisy led to extensive protests culminating in a series of highly publicized scandals in the asses and ass which marked the triumph of dogmatic puritanical morality (Fisher 14-19). Robert Browning focuses on the hypocrisy of men in My Last Duchess. Victorian men treated women as possessions which were disposabl e. We will write a custom essay sample on The Masks of Robert Browning specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Masks of Robert Browning specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Masks of Robert Browning specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Men felt as if it were their duty to control women (45-46). In this work Browning displays how the men of wealth and power treated women. The poem was based on true events of Alfonse II, Duke of Ferreira in Italy, whose first wife, Lucrative, was rumored to have been poisoned after three years of marriage. Browning portrays the bad qualities of the Duchess as being easily pleased, modest and courteous to those who served her. This description was a perfect depiction of what was considered the female duty during the Victorian age. Robert Browning focuses on the chaos between the upper and lower classes In his poem Porphyrys Lover, an example of Borrowings Interest In criminal psychology and violence. The deader learns that the speaker is a man who alone in a cottage, he waits for his beloved Porphyry to enter. Evidently, her absence had been the result of her attendance at a gay feast, one of the vainer ties this suggests the upper class (lines 24-27). The speaker is in a substantially lower class than his lover. The idea of her sneaking away to be with her lover implies the unacceptable of the affair. In a Literary Correctly of the poem, Gayety Devil suggests, The plot revolves around a socially mismatched love affair; upper class girl falls in love with boy from the wrong side of the tracks. The boy has his revenge on society by murdering its representative: the girl. Another view of this poem is the religious connotation at the closing, and yet God has not said a word which necessitates the idea that the speaker has escaped punishment (60). Porphyrys Lover was printed with Johannes Gorilla In Meditation, under the heading Madhouse Cells suggesting that the two poems are related. Eleven drowning tendency to use analytical Taluses In Nils poetry to relate to current events, Johannes Gorilla , was the founder of the Reformation sects of antinomian, a belief labeled heretical by the orthodox because it taught hat those among the elect (that is, those predestined for salvation, according to so me forms of Calvinist and Wesleyan) could not sin regardless of the apparent evil of their acts (Dickinson). The belief in predestination was strong during the Victorian era. Browning thought a man who believed in predestination and a man who killed the woman he loved were both insane (Carson 397-398). Using masks or different persona Browning could speak out with greater originality and boldness than would ever have been possible in his own person. His writings were ahead of their time in action and thought. He delved into the history and assumed characters to represent current events. Through these characters he revealed the dark and evil acts of mankind. Readers often relate the mental states of the speaker in his poetry to his own state of mind; nothing could be further from the truth. The reader must look into the time in which these poems were written to get a complete analysis of them. The nineteenth century brought the printing of newspapers which were filled with stories of violence from the wars and in society. Just as the media of today seems to only portray the dark side of mankind, Browning centered his writings to he demands of the public. Human beings seem to be fascinated with the twisted minds of seemingly normal people. Browning reaches that part inside people that is drawn to look at a car wreck, silently hoping to see blood. This need for the grotesque dwells inside of man; Browning had the audacity to reveal that hunger to the world. Robert Browning avoided sharing himself inside his writings to escape criticism. He developed the technique of the dramatic monologue which reveals hidden characteristics of the speaker. His experience in writing plays may have influenced this technique. He had the ability to get inside the mind of a schizophrenic killer and hypocritical monks. During this era the reader must remember the developments of scientific research and the psychological studies by Freud. This was a time of intense developments and deep thought. Society demanded more knowledge. Robert Browning could be considered a genius of the human mind because of his uncanny understanding of the workings of the mentally challenged. Browsing writings can be seen as a type of transference of persona instead of a mask. He is not hiding behind his characters, he is inside them.

Graduate Essays - English-language Films, Films, The Graduate

Graduate Essays - English-language Films, Films, The Graduate Graduate In The Graduate, the director, Mike Nichols, emphasizes the mysterious tone of the film with his overuse of lighting, camera angles, and shadows. The uncertainty Benjamin Braddock feels can be seen right from the start as he stands on the moving sidewalk at the airport. He is positioned at the right hand side of the screen moving forward. You can see a large area to the left where the credits appear. I think the director chose this technique for the opening credits to symbolize how this graduate is arriving at a new destination & has much uncertainty in front of him. Dark rooms with shadows are used heavily in this film. The director shows Benjamins room as dark and shadowy to parallel his personality. This is also seen in the Robinson house. Shadows everywhere with light on only part of the characters faces tells you that this is a house of mystery and uncertainty. The director places lights seemingly on the ground to cast huge shadows of the characters on the walls. This makes you feel that the directors idea is to have the characters deepest secrets and personalities overshadow the characters themselves. The pool scene where Benjamin Braddock is in the SCUBA suit demonstrates another film technique. The director uses a shot from inside the suit looking out towards the family. You cant hear anything. It lets you know how Benjamin feels about his current life. He is just going through the motions of life. Then, when Benjamin is under water sitting perfectly still, the director goes from a close-up and fades out until you cant see him anymore. This makes you think that the character is sick of it all and that he is about to change. Over-the-shoulder shots, odd angles, and shadows are all used in the hotel scenes. Benjamin doesnt want anyone to see him there. The director conveys this message with a shot that puts the large podium between the clerk and Benjamin; an over-the-podium shot. After the first affair with Mrs. Robinson. Nichols uses bright light on Benjamin and puts him in a bright white shirt to symbolize a new man that now has something to look forward to. The affair seems to consume his thoughts, as seen in the shot where he flings himself onto the raft and the shot switches to a shot of him on top of Mrs. Robinson. Then you see the father in front of the sun making him look dark while talking to Ben in the pool. This shows how Benjamin is just looking up at him and not registering what he is saying. He is only thinking of Mrs. Robinson. All of these different shots, angles, and lighting techniques make it easier for the audience to get the message that the director is trying to send, the feeling of each scene, the tone of the movie as a whole, and the personalities of the characters.

Macy's Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Macy's - Term Paper Example Macy’s over the years has had a long and eventful history to get where it is today. Macy’s was the first retailer to promote a woman to an executive position, making business history. Furthermore, Macy’s, also, pioneered business practices like the one-price system, one price for an item to sell to everyone, and advertising prices for goods in newspapers. Furthermore, the also were the first store to sell tea bags, the Idaho baked potato, and colored bath towels, even the first store to hold a New York liquor license. By 1918, Macy’s was starting to average $36 million in annual sales. And the immigrant employees, in 1924, to celebrate their new American Heritage, organized the first Christmas Parade which featured floats, bands, animals from the zoo and 10,000 onlookers. This became the Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Macy’s has grown over the years by acquiring other stores and renaming them Macy’s as a way to expand their bra nd. Federated Department Stores (now known as Macy’s Inc.) bought R.H. Macy & Co. in 1994, and then renamed all their regional nameplates to Macy’s and in 2006, Macy’s acquired The May Department Store Company and converted all their regional nameplates to Macy’s. These acquisitions, eventually, led Macy’s to grow to over 800 stores covering virtually every major geographic market in the United States, plus they also have their internet sales through macys.com. Control of Economic Indicator The economic indicators are controlled by various governmental agencies, such as the Census Bureau, the Bureau of Economic Analysis, and the Bureau of Labor. Most economists and investors pour over the compilation reports from these agencies, like tea leaves, (Steiner, 2009) for any signs of economic improvement. They are looking for trends that will likely increase consumer spending, especially, since nearly 70% of the GDP of the United States is tied up in con sumer spending. There are five main economic indicators that are being looked at to determine if the economy is going to get back on its feet. These five indicators are consumer-related indicators which include: employment, retail sales, personal income and outlays, consumer price index, and new home sales. These five indicators detail consumer spending, sales by retailers, details the amount of inflation or deflation (consumer price index), new residential sales to the public, and the unemployment rate (the higher the unemployment rate, the less likely people are to buy consumer based products, unless they are necessities). The reports are written by the government agencies that compile them, such as the employment situation is written by the Bureau of Labor and has pages upon pages of data showing the amount of employees added to and subtracted from the workforce. Economic Indicator Collection The economic indicators are calculated, after a thorough collection of the appropriate s tatistical data needed to perform the calculation. For example, the Bureau of Labor receives a report from all employers each month which indicates how many employees that was added to an employer’s payroll as well as how employees were removed from the payroll. Then, to get the unemployment rate, the number of unemployed people is divided by the number of employable people. This gives us the percentage of how many people are unemployed currently. But, this unemployment rate can further be broken down into the various industries to see which industries have a higher unemployment rate than

Effect of war on the African Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Effect of war on the African - Essay Example The negative effect of war is less on Sudan than on other countries - The country of Sudan was inhabited by the Muslim about fifty percent in the north and forty percent by the Christians in the South of the Sudan and a little part was indigenous tribal groups. They were forced to accept the religion of Islamic and when they resisted it they were harassed and food was used as weapon in doing so.The Arabic people staying in the north Sudan are defining terms and conditions for national identity on the basis of Islamic culture and norms. The non-Muslims or the African tribals who are converted into Christianity were not given posts in the constitution. And thus the civil war that broke out during the formation of the government is still continuing till now. Many Christians, as many as five million migrated to Chad and other countries of Africa to escape the forced Islamic culture and those who didn't migrate were made slaves, raped, killed and their houses were burnt by the Muslim terr orist militia.The statistics say about half a million were killed which is less when compared to other war affected countries like Uganda, Somalia and Ethiopia. These terrorists come on the horses with weapons and raid the centers, throw bombs in public areas, devastating and disastrous civil war of the world. But whatever loss has occured, it occured only to Christians and Muslims were safe in the northern Sudan.Also it was found that south Sudan has huge resources of oil reserves for which there was great demand and that can be the main reason for which the area was not destroyed and instead people were made to ran away and leave the country for those who desired those oil reserves.

Factors that may impact the demand for products by customers Essay

Factors that may impact the demand for products by customers - Essay Example Services and products that a business gives to the market may have an impact on the customers’ demand for the Services or products. For instance, a business may be selling hot dogs; in contrast, a corresponding business may be selling hot dog rolls. If the cost of the hot dog rolls augments, it may make the demand for hot dogs to diminish. Consequently, the demand curve moves to the left, and value for hot dogs would be forced to augment.Customers may choose alternate services and products in place of what a person’s business provides. These alternative products and services function as opposition to a person’s business. For example, if a business sells coffee, the alternative for the product may be tea. If the cost of tea augments, a business may observe an increase in the number of customers who want to buy coffee. Consequently, the demand curve will move to the right, and costs for the business’ coffee may decrease. As indicated above, a substitute refe rs to a commodity that may be utilized in position of another commodity. To simplify the above example, if the cost of coffee increases then the consequence will be an increased demand for tea, and if the cost of tea increases then the result will be an increase in the demand of coffee. In contrast, compliments refer to commodities that may be utilized together, for example, sugar and tea. In case there is an increase in the cost of tea, the demand for tea diminishes, and consequently, the demand of sugar also decreases.... In case there is an increase in the cost of tea, the demand for tea diminishes, and consequently, the demand of sugar also decreases. Customer Preference Customers’ preference and tastes may vary depending on the details they get from family and friends, form of advertisements they come across, or the season. Varying preferences and tastes may have a tremendous impact on demand for various commodities. The degree at which a client needs a product may have an impact on the demand of the product. In addition, persuasive advertisements are developed to cause a variation in preference and tastes and thereby causes and increase in demand of a commodity. The more a customer prefers a commodity, the larger their demand for the commodity. In contrast, if the customer does not have a preference for a specified commodity, the customer will decrease the demand for the commodity (Sullivan & Sheffrin 2003, p. 79). For instance, a person suffering from diabetes will have minimal or no deman d for commodities that contain sugar. Income of Customers The incomes and salaries of buyers highlight the commodities that they are able to buy. When the incomes and salaries of customers augment the customer’s demand for services and products also increases. If a customer takes another position that has a low salary or becomes unemployed the customer’s demand for commodities lessens. In contrast, when the salary and income of a customer increases, the customer’s capacity to buy goods and services escalates (Sullivan & Sheffrin 2003, p. 79). This causes an increase in demand. Competition Rivals are always attempting to occupy the larger part of the market, maybe by developing better or new

Social Networking In Businesses

Social Networking In Businesses Gaining the trust and friendships of your customers is crucial in the business world today. But how do you get your new or growing businesss name out there and trusted by your customers? Social Networking may be able to help with that. These organizations can help you develop the trust that ultimately creates influence among your customers(Safko 21). There are however some people who dont know what social networking for businesses is, social networking occurs when a group of like-minded people interact online to share interests or concerns, collaborate, give and seek advice, and offer one another assistance or support(Lindsell-Roberts 4). From photo sharing to just keeping up with contacts, social networking is starting to show up in businesses everywhere. Is it really helping, or are these large and small businesses just jumping on the bandwagon? There is a vast amount of different companies and organizations that connect billions of people every day such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Fast Pitch!, and Twitter. All of these organizations offer almost the same service but they all vary in many ways. These aforementioned forms of social media/networks arent the only kinds that are usual in businesses. There are a million ways a professional can get their business into a social network, and known to the social media. Some of the major well known social networks are Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Fast Pitch!. First I am going to talk about these well known and commonly used services and how they help and some of the ways you can use them. Every day millions of people log into Facebook to connect with millions of other people, all these people talk to each other, if you have one hundred connections on Facebook, and each of those connections has one hundred connections, youll be two links away from ten thousand connections. If each of those ten thousand connections has 100 connections, youll be three links away from one million connections (Lindsell-Roberts 1). Users over the age of 30 are starting to use Facebook, many of these users speak their political beliefs and speak freely to other users with the same beliefs. That being said, these users are highly valuable when using a Facebook profile for your business because these people can all see what the other person has to share on their profile. They can offer advertisement of your business through just word of mouth to over millions of people in a single day. Businesses can also utilize Facebook to advertise, for example, with the election going on for the next presi dent the candidates are advertising their campaign in posts and blogs to win over votes of the users they attract with these advertisements. You can also use Facebook to target consumers specific to a certain geographic location. Another social network businesses can utilize is called Fast Pitch!. This company is more specific to the business realm and offer more particular tools for professionals in businesses, Fast Pitch! makes it easier for the professionals to network using a profile displaying what they do, what they sell, and what makes their company unique (Safko 451-452). Fast Pitch! gives companies the ability to share ideas and collaborate through virtual trade shows. They do this by using live video chats or two way video calls using Skype or Voip. Fast Pitch! also gives you the ability to publish content such as press releases, news, videos, and podcasts. Fast Pitch! also has a system that automatically targets the audience the user is trying to reach ensuring that their posts are viewed by the target audience (Safko 52). Along with that feature there is tool that allows the user to gauge the success of their business using statistics of their business. Fast Pitch! is mainly for professionals in b usinesses as a marketing technique. Fast Pitch! can also be for those seeking employment. Fast Pitch! doesnt keep inactive profiles around, they delete the profiles that arent being used so there is only active profiles making searches and collaboration and just the entire network run a lot smoother. LinkedIn is another online network that businesses can utilize to gain the trust of consumers and other businesses to expand growth. This network uses a technique called degrees, connections are rated in degrees, meaning direct connections are first degree connections, users listed as connections on that users profile are second degree connections and so forth (Safko 458). There are also features on LinkedIn where users can ask questions and get answers from other users and businesses. In addition to answering those questions they can also offer resolutions and recommendations. On one account a linked in user made a profit of one hundred thousand dollars annually while spending only seven thousand annually searching through LinkedIn. Another popular form of social media is blogging, and this includes micro-blogging. Blogging is all about what you feel like you want to say. It can be from voicing your opinion to support your beliefs all the way to updating information. Blogs are read by millions of people each day and are shared with just about everybody they know depending on how relevant they think that blog is to how they feel and if it is something they feel should be shared with their community. Micro-blogging is almost the same as blogging but it is shortened to fewer than 200 characters. Micro-blogs are popular due to the fact that they are short and to the point, giving readers a full understanding in a small easy to read text. Twitter is a popular micro-blog. Twitter gives users the ability to follow other users they feel have the same connection in beliefs or just have the same general liking of certain subjects. With twitter users are able to share their current activity or state of mind with friends an d strangers (Safko 538). Twitter is majorly helpful to businesses and has been given the title word of mouth engine by Chris Winfield. Twitter is capable of updating users about the people they are following through the website, RSS feeds, mobile texts messages, or email. Twitter can also work with other social networking cites, updating users through Facebook. Twitter gives businesses a way to receive feedback about their products or services through a market with no fees. Twitter is for everyone, including entrepreneurs to fortune 500 companies. Twitter is a huge network with simple commands that keep everyone using it connected in some sort of way. When a user sees a post, he or she can share that post by reposting it on their own profile, allowing every one of their followers to see it and repost it themselves. One key example of use of twitter is when NASA found water ice on mars with the Phoenix Mars Lander; they used twitter to share the news of this new found discovery. Another account of the use of twitter in business was in February of 2010. A man by the name of Chris Hughes launched his own canvas bag company called Artifact Bag Co: In 2010, after a year of quietly following Michael Williams style bog, A Continuous Lean, Hughes spotted a tweet about of set of chairs that the blogger thought looked cool but were overpriced. Turns out, Hughes had won those exact chairs on eBay, and he commented on the post. Then he crossed his fingers, hoping Williams would take a few seconds to click through to the Artifacts website. Within an hour, Williams pivotal tweet came: This waxed canvas lunch bag is nice-looking (with a link to the item). Soon the fashion press came calling, and after the tote was featured in A Continuous Leans holiday buying guide, Hughes found himself with a more than 400-unit backlog that took six months to whittle down, even with the help of contract workers (Wang 54) This is just another small example of how quickly one tweet can help expand your business exponentially. Chris Hughes states that social media can be easily abused and only properly works if you use thought capital. Though capital includes presenting the product or services to the public in an appealing manner. This is basically how you would present the product in an online storefront, or E-commerce. Other non-traditional services one may look at for the growth of their business through social media include Ning, and online gaming. Ning is another social network but it differs from your typical idea of social network that already has a large network pre-established that you join, Ning gives the user the opportunity to design their own network on the internet and allows other users to join your private social network. Users can make their own profile for different networks, allowing a user to have a profile on more than one network all linked together. Ning allows the user to customize their own network to their specific needs, As the Ning web site puts it, the Ning platform is the software equivalent of Home Depot. Unlike other services that offer a one-size-fits all offering, your social network on Ning runs on a programmable platform (Safko 464). This ultimately gives the user full control of their personal social network. So as far as how Ning can be used, it all depends on ho w you want to implement it into your business. Anyone can use Ning and create their own social networks, such as musicians, to give fans updates and tour dates and post contests. Online gaming is a very unique and original way to reach consumers and advertise your product or services. Some may not see the potential of advertising through online gaming: Many people tend to view online video games as an activity with no business value- a waste of time in which only teenagers participate. However when you have fifty thousand to eight million people in the same place with the same interests in a trusted network, a business opportunity exists(Safko 321) If you take a look at new video games that are coming out, they advertise their new products in this particular field because their main consumers are already using their platform, or consol. Video game developers are not the only ones who can and do advertise in an online gaming environment, Barack Obama had his campaign for presidency advertised on Xbox Live, a popular online gaming network. He bought his advertising to be placed in a popular game called Burnout Paradise. With social networking your business depends on the people that you dont have a relationship established yet, meaning that the people you know the least are the people that are helping your business grow by sharing what they know about to other people they know and expanding your business growth. Yes these relationships with people you know the least can be established by the consumers and the strong relationships you have with other people, but these people already have an established connection with your business and therefore are not contributing to growth of social capital. Scott Goodson, author of Uprising states that the old way of marketing- Pitching a product to the largest possible audience through mass media- is dying. He argues that the best way to reach people is to look for topics and causes around which they are already gathering and align ones brand with those topics(Stanford Social Innovation Review 15). The way I feel about Goodsons idea is, yes it helps, but you hav e to use social media to gather this information of topics and ideas that consumers look at. Secondly in order for a business to get these topics and ideas of a new brand know to the general public, they must make their new product well known and have an honest established connection between the product/services and the consumer. This day in age, social may be the fastest way to establish a connection with those consumers that you know the least through the consumers you already have an established connection with. Social networking can exponentially help any business, large or small. Word of mouth through any sort of followers on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or any online blog will get your business known to millions of people in different geographical locations. Online social networking is not the only way to get your business in a social network though; traditional conferences and trade shows are still just as effective. Trade shows and conferences arent the only place you can advertise your business through word of mouth. Other places may include restaurants, a get together like a cocktail party, you can pretty much get your business into a social network through word of mouth just about anywhere you are likely to meet people. All it takes is just a little friendly talking, then those people start talking to other people whom talk to other people they know which can drastically increase business and revenue. Not only can social networking get your business name out to those customers that normally would be hard to reach out to, but it can also help someone seeking employment in businesses or help a business find applicants. Some years ago, but including today, job hunters would pour through the classified ads in the newspapers, especially on Sunday mornings, hoping to catch a glimpse of something for which they might remotely qualify (Lindsell-Roberts 43). In todays society the task of seeking employment is not as daunting, you can just do a Google search for something in your field of expertise and you will find a never ending list of businesses seeking applicants and new hires. These businesses use social networks to list openings and positions available to reach out to those who wouldnt normally have known about their business otherwise. Social networking may not be for every business as far as marketing though, many times social networking may not show any signs of helping your business. These tactics dont replace the traditional face to face kind of business, although reaching out to new customers is always good, and a lot of the time social networks are the best way to reach those outside of your geographic location. But how do those people know what kind of business you offer? This tactic involves a lot of dedication to your website or online profile including update, events, sales, offers, and customer service. With social networking your business depends on the people that you dont have a relationship established with yet, meaning that the people you know the least are the people that are helping your business grow by sharing what they know about your business, to other people they know, expanding your business growth. The relationship you have with already established consumers doesnt really help expand your social capital, these connections dont really take your business name further out to those you havent reached yet. Scott Goodson, author of Uprising states that the old way of marketing- Pitching a product to the largest possible audience through mass media- is dying. He argues that the best way to reach people is to look for topics and causes around which they are already gathering and align ones brand with those topics(Manzo 15). The way I feel about Goodsons idea is, yes it helps, but you have to use social media to gather this information of topics and ideas that consumers look at . Secondly in order for a business to get these topics and ideas of a new brand know to the general public, they must make their new product well known and have an honest established connection between the product/services and the consumer. This day in age, social may be the fastest way to establish a connection with those consumers that you know the least through the consumers you already have an established connection with. I believe social networking in businesses has already been in use, but online social networking has majorly played a key role in expanding current businesses and helping small beginner businesses start out. The social media plays a big role in consumers opinions in todays society. Most consumers read reviews that other consumers post in all of these social networks and base their opinion of these businesses off of the majority of what other consumers say about that business. That being said social networks have absolutely helped the growth and take off of many businesses. At the same time it also depends on what kind of business operation you run. Customer support is a key necessity in businesses using social networks. If you dont maintain a good rapport with your consumers then your business can build a bad reputation over a social network which can cause terrible business. For those businesses with good a rapport then this technique would be a good investment to help increase reven ue. So in conclusion social networks have helped businesses grow and establish connections between consumers and other businesses.

Importance of Clothing in Prologue of the Canterbury Tales :: Canterbury Tales Essays

Importance of Clothing in Prologue of the Canterbury Tales Countless people believe in the cliche "do not judge a book by its cover": but why not? Clothing often forms another's first impression of one. It speaks of where a person has been and where they intend to go. Their appearance also illustrates a person's true self and aspirations. A man wearing torn jeans, dingy shirt, and old shoes might be thought of as poor or coming home from a hard day's labor. However, a young woman in a Gucci dress with Versace pumps could be assumed to have access to a large amount of money. In "The Prologue from the Canterbury Tales," Chaucer uses clothing as an insight into people's ongoing adventure called life. In the Prologue, humbled by his life experiences, the Knight dresses plainly. Garbed in a stained coarse cotton tunic, the knight sits upon his horse. Seen in a different setting, the Knight's attire would say little about his life as an honorable man. By humbling oneself, a true hero lends credence to the fact that flash is not always needed. His armor left dark smudges on his tunic. Humbling experiences cause humans to step back and analyze the fortune they have; they learn that they do not have to wear their achievements. Sometimes people boast their success through fine clothing. Unlike the flamboyant Yeomen, the distinguished knight wears old garments. The Yeomen succumbs to society's inclination that when he dresses the part he will become successful. He wears a coat with a green hood. From a low social standing, he believes that the better he looks the more successful he will become. Emphasis should be placed on one's achievements and inner self rather than outward appearance. A saucy brace is worn on his arm to protect it from the bow. At first glance, one would assume that he was a superior archer of high standings rather then a lowly Yeomen. Looks can be deceiving, but the illusion fades as one's true self shines through. Extravagant best describes the Yeomen's style while plain and reserved best depicts the nun. Chaucer illustrates how small insignificant accessories can have a deeper meaning. The Nun wore a coral trinket on her arm.

Company Analysis of Nike 2014 Essay

INTRODUCTION/ COMPANY BACKGROUND This report examines NIKE Inc. one of the leading sports brand in the world. It uses business analysis techniques such as SWOT, PESTEL, Porter’s five forces, and Ratio analysis to analyse the business environment and performance of this company. NIKE Inc. is one of the world’s biggest sporting brand based in Oregon USA. Founded in 1968, NIKE is the world’s biggest designer marketer and seller of athletic footwear, sports equipment, apparel, accessories and services, by sales revenue of $21.5 billion in 2012 (NIKE, 2013). With 48000 employees, NIKE’s operation cuts across different regions in the world including Canada, Asia, Latin America, Europe, and Africa. They posted revenue of $25313 million in the 2013 financial year ending May 2013, the company has enjoy growth in its revenue since 2010, and this trend is expected to continue as they leverage on top sporting events to boost their brand image (Tefris 2013). PESTEL ANALYSIS PESTEL (Political, Economic, Social, Technological Environment, and Legal) analysis is a business analysis technique that is used to analyse the growth potential of a company. It helps firms identify the environment in which they operate, and can firms predict future circumstances and situations by using information and data it provides (Yà ¼ksel, 2012). This report provides a PESTEL analysis of NIKE in the following paragraphs. Political Political environment have a huge implication on the micro and macro environment of a business, and they can significantly influence a range of business decisions (Leslie and Phillip, 2012). Political environment includes political system, government policies and other trade related regulations. Some of the political factors that can affect NIKE includes the relationship between USA (Nike’s country of origin) and other host countries where NIKE operates (for example China). For example increased tension between US and China can lead to certain aggressive policies that can affect the company’s operations in China. Furthermore recent pressure on US firms to keep jobs in the US can affect plans for future factory locations of NIKE. Economical The economic environment of the countries NIKE operate in is very vital to the overall strategy and decisions of the company. These factors include the state of the global economy, economic incentives from the countries where NIKE factories are cited, the general economic condition of these countries, inflation rates and changing oil prices. All of these factors can affect the revenue of the company, increased economic growth in emerging markets such as Brazil and China presented a huge revenue opportunity for the company, however recent decline in the growth of the Chinese economy will also have some negative impact of revenue projections of NIKE. Social Social factors can influence the business decisions of NIKE one way or the other. These factors includes tradition, customs, beliefs, level of education, corruption, customer’s consciousness, changing lifestyle, and income distribution (Singla, 2007). For example increased consciousness to maintain healthy living will lead to more demand for fitness centres and gyms that in turn could lead to more sales revenues for NIKE. Furthermore clamour for increased better welfare for workers in clothing factories in countries like China, Indonesia, and Bangladesh, and pressure from the civil society groups like Worker’s Right Consortium on companies like NIKE to ensure their suppliers follow health and safety standards are among some of the social situations and issues the company have to contend with. Technological The commercial success of NIKE’s product is based on technical innovation and quality control in the design and manufacturing process of footwear, athletic equipment, and apparel (Nike, 2014). For this reason changes in technological factors can have serious impact on the overall operations of the company. For example new technology can lead to new products, improve the manufacturing process, and improve the distribution network. This implies that the revenue of NIKE can increased, or there could be reduction in the cost of manufacturing due to better technology. To maintain competitive advantage the company need to constantly understand the technological factors that affect them. Environmental Business operations of firms such as NIKE can have huge impact on the environment. Factors such as climate change, waste management, water management, and use of hazardous chemicals are all environmental impact areas the company has identified. NIKE highlights its commitment to reducing the impact of the company’s operations through understanding how related these factors are, and how a coordinated approach in the design of its product and processes can mitigate the impact on the environment, and on their business. Legal The judicial system, consumer rights, trade treaties, and ethical codes are all legal factors that affect NIKE. Constant understanding of laws and regulations is imperative to avoid serious legal implication for the company. Gotham (2013) highlights that one serious legal related issue NIKE needs to constantly deal with is the issue of counterfeit product. Ensuring that fake NIKE products are not wide spread is necessary to keep the NIKE reputation, and avoid lawsuits that can increase the legal cost of the company. Furthermore, keeping ethical standards is very vital in protecting the NIKE brand. SWOT ANALYSIS SWOT is a management tool that is used to build strategic business plans (Amin et al, 2011). It is widely used in business due to its simplicity of its four factors (Strength, Weakness, Opportunity and Threats) and its flexibility (Al-Araki, 2013). The SWOT analysis of NIKE is presented in the next few paragraphs below. Strength One main strength of NIKE is its dominant position in the market, and the strong brand portfolio of the company. According to Forbes (2014a) NIKE’s market share in the global footwear market reached 18.6% in 2012, and it is expected to rise to 27% in the long run. The main source of value for NIKE are footwear and apparel that are sold under the NIKE brand, together they make approximately 70% of the overall value of NIKE (Trefis, 2014). This competitive brand portfolio of NIKE and the dominant position of the company  are key strengths that enables the company outperform the industry. Weakness Watts (2009) asserts that one of NIKE’s weakness is their inability to address problems linked to their labour and factory conditions. The company has been consistently criticised for its lack of control, and dependence on contractors and manufacturers that do not meet labour standard, safe factory conditions in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, and China. This has caused to bad publicity for the company, and increased calls for product boycott in recent years. Furthermore the company’s focus on quality could be a potential weakness as it explore emerging market like Brazil, because its price points will be higher and some customers in these markets could lack the level of income to purchase their products. Opportunities Increased growth in emerging economies presents a huge expansion opportunity for NIKE. The company’s management believes there is high potential for their products in markets such as China, Brazil, and other emerging countries (Trefis, 2011). The growth these economies enjoy expands the global footwear market, and NIKE is in a strong position to tap into this growth opportunity. Furthermore the increasing use of multi-channel platforms such as online and mobile for shopping is an opportunity for NIKE to reach out to more customers worldwide. Threat The company’s main threat is its increasing competition, the intense competition and unpredicted changes in in technology and consumer preference in the industry NIKE operates presents a huge risk that can threaten the operations of the company (NIKE, 2013). Some of the main competitors that remain a threat to the company includes Adidas, Puma, and Under Amour. Furthermore, the strong brand value of NIKE products increases the risk of counterfeiting of their products. This is a constant threat the company needs to tackle to ensure it doesn’t lose brand value and revenues. PORTER’S FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS Porter’s five forces analysis helps firms to understand the competition and profitability in an industry, the framework includes potential entrants, industrial competitors, suppliers, buyers and substitutes. According to  Porter (2008) understanding the competitive forces, and their fundamental causes enables companies see the root of current profitability of an industry, while it provides framework that helps anticipate and influence competition over a period of time. The following paragraphs give analysis of the how these five forces influence the competition of NIKE. Potential Entrants Potential new entrants into the market can cause NIKE to lose market share, however in the current situation the risk of potential new entrant to NIKE is minimal because of the high entry barrier because of the established nature of the global sportswear industry. While the risk of new entrants is low, it should be noted that there is a risk of new entrant into NIKE’s existing product line, this can lead to loss of sales and revenue. The company needs to channel its energy into continuously expanding its market share through improving on existing products, and introducing innovative products that will enable them maintain their competitive advantage. Level of competition The level of competition in the global sport footwear and clothing industry is very high. NIKE faces stiff competition from other brands like Adidas and Puma. According to Forbes (2014b) the company faces tough competition in emerging markets and Western Europe, as rival brands like adidas increases their competitive campaign through lunch of products and other related activities aimed at gaining back lost market share. Furthermore, NIKE also faces competition from local brands like Li Ning as they expand to emerging markets like China. The company need to work very hard to continue to protect and expand its brand, for them to be able to maintain the dominant level they are presently. Bargaining Power of Suppliers Suppliers often determine the success of companies selling a product (Bode et al, 2011). However, the availability of commodity items like rubber, and cotton NIKE uses for the production of its goods, and the high amount of suppliers in the industry gives the company absolute advantage over its suppliers. NIKE can choose to switch to any supplier at any time with less cost implication, and low risk of disruption to it supplies due of its brand reputation. Furthermore, every supplier will want to do business with NIKE because of the huge manufacturing ability of the firm. This gives NIKE power over its suppliers, and guarantee of steady supplies. Bargaining Power of customers The loyalty of customers to NIKE brand gives the company bargaining power over its customers. NIKE can decide to set its prices at high levels because it knows customers are willing to pay to be identified with its brand. As long as the company continues offer products that are innovative and appealing to its customers, the company will continue to maintain it strong position, and attract more customer loyalty (Lussier and Kimball, 2014). The bargaining power the company has over its customers gives them a great deal of flexibility in their pricing. Threat of Substitutes There is a high tendency for customers to substitute NIKE products for other brands when they face squeeze in their income during economic downturn. This is due to the fact that NIKE product are considered pricey can could be considered luxury product among certain middle class families if there is a squeeze on their disposable income. Competitors can capitalise on this to release cheaper products that will be appealing to these customer during economic slowdown, therefore NIKE need to constantly monitor the overall economic wellbeing of its customers before introducing any product. ANALYSIS OF NIKE FINANCAL RATIO *Extracted data Ratios Formula 2013 2012 2011 Asset Turnover Ratio Revenue/Total Assets 1.44 1.51 1.39 Return on Assets(ROA) Net Income/Total Assets 14.13% 14.37% 14.22% Return on Equity(ROE) Net Income/Equity 22.28% 21.41% 21.67% Gross Profit Margin (Revenue-COGS)/Revenue 43.59% 43.50% 45.58% Quick Ratio (CA – Inv.) / CL 2.60 2.22 2.19 Current Ratio CA/CL 3.47 3.05 2.85 Debt Ratio Total Debt/Total Asset 7.89% 2.49% 4.42% Debt to Equity Total Debt/Total Equity 12.44% 3.71% 6.74% Inventory Turnover COGS/ Inventory 4.16 4.09 4.35 Receivables Turnover Revenue/Receivables 8.12 7.45 6.65 *P/E Ratio 22.90 22.40 18.90 *EPS 2.71 2.37 2.20 Nike’s revenue increase by approximately 8% in 2013 from 2012 figures, looking at the profitability ratios in the table above, it can be observed that the company’s profit margin reduced from 45.89% to 43.50% in 2012 and slightly increased later in 2013 to 43.59%. The gross profit margin is a reflection what is left after the cost of production is deducted, other profitability ratios such as ROE also shows upward trend from 2011 to 2013 indicating a favourable year for the company compared to its 2012 figures. This according Forbes (2014a), and NIKE was as a result of pricing actions, and reduce cost of material such as cotton, and lower investment activities by the company in 2013. The asset turnover of the company reduced in 2013 compared to 2012, this could be attributed to the fall in sales in China one of the biggest market for the company. Furthermore, looking at the liquidity ratio of the company, it can be observed that its current and quick ratio  have been i ncreasing within the period under review. For 2013 quick ratio was 2.60times an increase from 2.22times in 2011, this is well above the industry average which is currently at 0.77times. The current ratio of the company has also been increasing in the years under review, this reflects a strong financial position for the firm because it indicates that the company will be able to meet up future debt obligations. Other solvency ratios such as debt ratio and debt to equity ratio saw a high increase from 2.49% and 3.71% in 2012 to 7.89% and 12.44% respectively. This is an indication that the company relies on debt to fund its assets, this can be due to the strong liquidity position of the company which is reflected in its quick and current ratios. The company has the ability to meets its debt obligations so the risk of using debt of using debt is low. Finally from the efficiency ratios it can be observed that the inventory turnover for the company reduced from 4.35times to 4.09times in 2012, and later rose slightly to 4.16times in 2013. This indicates that the company is still slow in the number of times its inventories is sold and replaced compared to the 2011 figure. This could be as a result of the slow recovery of most countries coming out of recession, and slow growth in key markets for NIKE. However this is not a problem peculiar to NIKE, and the company is still above the industry average of 3.6times. The receivable turnover of the company has been increasing within 2011 and 2013, it is possible that this also adds to the increasing liquidity position of the company. The EPS of the company has observed an upward trend from $2.20 in 2011 to $2.71 in 2013, also its P/E ratio also increased 18.90% to 22.90% this is an indication of NIKE’s profitability within these years and it reflects NIKE’s strong position among the investing community. The increasing P/E ratio of NIKE also indicates investors’ confidence in NIKE’s future earnings and the growth prospect of the company. In conclusion, from the analysis of NIKE financials it is evident that the company maintains a strong position in the industry, because of its inc reasing revenue despite slight drop in certain emerging market, its liquidity position is strong compared to industry average and their growth prospect is also high as reflected in their growth ratios. ANALYSIS OF SHARE PERFORMANCE Figure : Movement of Nike share price in the past 6 months. The figure above presents the share performance of NIKE for the past 6 months, from the figure it could be observed that in the third quarter of NIKE’s financial 2013 year ending May 2014, the share price of the company observed a sharp drop to $70.51, then rose to $79.64 reaching its peak in the period under review. The share price dropped to $73.2 and since then have been fluctuating within 70 and $71. According to NIKE (2013) fluctuations in NIKE share prices can be attributed to various factors that affects performance in these quarter, they include the seasonality of its products, general economic condition, weather condition, and changes in consumer preference. However, dividend pay-out announcements, expectations of quarterly results and other industry related factors could also lead to the fluctuations of NIKE share price. Overall NIKE’s share performance has been fairly stable at $70-$80 as no highly significant drop have been observed in the period under revie w. CONCLUSION In conclusion, the analysis of NIKE indicates that it remains one of the biggest sports manufacturing brands in the world. The company’s focus on manufacturing innovative products has kept them in a very strong position in the sportswear and clothing industry. Though the global economic growth has slowed down slightly, and this has also affected key emerging markets such as China, growth projections for NIKE remain strong as investors believe the company has the ability to fight off intense competition and continue to expand its dominance in the market. It is very imperative for the company to continue to maintain its level of innovation to ensure continued customer loyalty and increasing revenues. References Al-Araki, M 2013, ‘SWOT analysis revisited through PEAK-framework’, Journal Of Intelligent & Fuzzy Systems, 25, 3, pp. 615-625, Business Source Premier, EBSCOhost, [Accessed on 19th June 2014]. Amin, S. H., Razmi, J., & Zhang, G. (2011). Supplier selection and order allocation based on fuzzy SWOT analysis and fuzzy linear programming. Expert Systems with Applications, 38(1), 334-342. [Online] available from Science Direct Platform on: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.eswa.2010.06.071 [Accessed on 19th June 2014]. BanJo , S. (2014) Inside Nike’s Struggle to Balance Cost and Worker Safety in Bangladesh. Wall Street Journal. [Online] available from: http://blogs.wsj.com/frontiers/2014/04/22/inside-nikes-struggle-to-balance-cost-and-worker-safety-in-bangladesh/ [Accessed on 17th June 2014]. Bode, c, Wagner, s, Petersen, k, & Ellram, l (2011), ‘understanding responses to supply chain disruptions: insights from information processing and resource dependence perspectives’. Academy Of Management Journal, 54, 4, pp. 833-856, Available on Business Source Premier, EBSCOhost, [Accessed on 17th June 2014] Forbes (2013) Nike Shares Can Find Some Zip on Emerging Market Sales [Online] available from: http://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2013/04/11/nike-shares-can-find-some-zip-on-emerging-market-sales/ [Accessed on 17th June 2014]. Forbes (2014b) Nike Faces Tough Competition In Europe and China. [Online] available from: http://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2014/03/04/nik e-faces-tough-competition-in-europe-and-china/ [Accessed on 17th June 2014] Forbes. (2014a) Nike Brand Apparel Division in Focus. [Online] available from: http://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2014/03/20/nike-brand-apparel-division-in-focus/ [Accessed on 17th June 2014]. Gotham, S. (2013) Nike’s Changing External Environment. Nike.Blogpost [Online] available from: http://philnike.blogspot.com/2013/02/nikes-external-environment.html [Accessed on 18th June 2014]. Hamilton, Leslie & Webster, Philip, (2012) The International Business Environment, Oxford University Press, 2nd Edition. Lussier, R, Kimball, D, (2014), ‘Applied Sport Management Skills’, Elms College, 2nd Edition. NIKE Inc. (2013) Annual Report and Notice of Annual Meeting. [Online] available from: http://investors.nikeinc.com/files/nike2013form10K.pdf [Accessed on 18th June 2014]. ‘NIKE, Inc. (2014) NIKE Inc. SWOT Analysis, pp. 1-8, [Online] Available from Business Source Premier, EBSCOhost , database [Accessed 18 June 2014]. Porter, M. E. (2008) The five competitive forces that shape strategy. Harvard business review, 86(1), 25-40. Singla, R. K. (2007) Business Studies. Prince Print Process, New Delhi. Tefris. (2013) Here’s What Matters For Nike’s $56 Valuation. [Online] available from: http://www.trefis.com/stock/nke/articles/167536/heres-what-matters-for-nikes-56-valuation/2013-02-12 [Accessed on 18th June 2014]. Trefis (2011) Nike’s

Gabriels Epiphany in James Joyces The Dead

Gabriels Epiphany in James Joyces The Dead Lee A. ZitoIn James Joyce's "The Dead," through an epiphany the main character, Gabriel, realizes the true relationship between him and his wife, Gretta. The epiphany Gabriel experiences is the direct effect of his wife's confession to having a love before she met him. Not just a love, but a true love named Michael Furey. Before Gabriel had heard this story he continuously looks at his wife thinking about how much he loves her and how much he wishes they could only feel the excitement of their relationship. His emotions and feelings are shattered when he hears Gretta's story of Michael Furey.At first he feels anger toward her. Anger at the fact that he was not her first love. He is also humiliated to feel as he did before, foolishly in love, when it was quite clear their relationship was not what he thought it was.090923-Gretta-Woodside-JN01

Your College Application in 650 Words or Less

Your College Application in 650 Words or Less Last August, Sarah Vander Schaaff interviewed me about working with college students on their application essays. Here is her article, edited for The Essay Expert and updated for 2015-16! In 650 words or less, describe a place or environment where you are perfectly content. What do you do or experience there and why is it meaningful? Or In 650 words or less, recount an incident or time when you experienced failure. How did it affect you, and what lessons did you learn? Or In 650 words or less, discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family. You are now sitting in the shoes of a high school senior, thank you very much. These questions are a few of the prompts on the 2015-16 Common Application for college. They are slightly changed from last years’ says Brenda Bernstein, the professional resume writer, personal statement coach, and business copywriter behind the Essay Expert, and for some students facing the questions, answering them is hardly simple. â€Å"High school students don’t all have life coaches standing by,† Brenda told me when I spoke to her on the phone this summer. â€Å"They don’t step back and reflect on their lives.† Sometime between August and five days before applications are due, Brenda gets a call for help. If the student has already written an essay, she takes a look at it and determines the level of help it might need–anything from some minor fixes to  an overhaul.  And it’s here when Brenda goes back to the basic creed that good writing requires good thinking. â€Å"By the end of the first conversation they have an outline for a new essay and new thoughts. I have the students tell me what they see as the way the essay is going to go.† Bernstein says students struggle when they â€Å"†¦ know stuff that happened in their lives and they’ve drawn broad conclusions or they have conclusions that they think they should draw.† Parents divorcing, for example, is a major life event that sometimes deserves a deeper look. â€Å"They know they got a lesson from it,† she said. But the true lesson is not always the one they initially thought. Bernstein says she got an early start thinking about college applications. Her father interviewed applicants for Yale as part of the school’s alumni committee. Later, he’d let her read the interview reports. â€Å"I would read a lot of them,† she said. While at Yale herself, friends applying to graduate schools often asked her to edit their essays. Later, while working as a public interest lawyer in New York, she started posting flyers offering her editing services. And in a move that would make a pretty good essay itself, she decided she didn’t want to practice law, sought advice from an astrologer, and moved to Madison, Wisconsin where she still lives seven years later. Her site offers help not only for students, but also for professionals seeking a better resume or LinkedIn profile. The Essay Expert’s essay consultations range in price from $697 for Common Application essay help to $247 for a personal statement review- far less than some boot camps described in The New York Times that cost $14,000 for 4 days. Essays, Bernstein says, are 6th on a list of 10 criteria colleges look at for admissions. â€Å"If students can’t write this type of essay without help, should they get into the college?† I asked Bernstein. She said pretty much all students get help, whether that’s from a parent, a teacher, or a paid professional (26 percent employing the latter). In school, students also have access to writing help if they need it. â€Å"A smart student- and professional- will get input and support on every important piece of writing they submit, especially when so much is riding on it. What’s important is that they write it in their own voice.† Furthermore, explains Bernstein, â€Å"I find that as they work with me they become much better writers.† Part of what she teaches them, she added, was to look at what about their lives and experiences fit together as a story. What The Essay Expert is doing appears to be the counterpoint to the technique explained by Frank Bruni in his June opinion piece in The New York Times, Naked Confessions of the College-Bound: Oversharing in Admissions Essays. Bruni tells of one Yale applicant’s essay.  A highly qualified student wanted to highlight her complete absorption with French and her teacher, â€Å"she described their one-on-one conversation at the end of a school day. And then, this detail: During their talk, when an urge to go to the bathroom could no longer be denied, she decided not to interrupt the teacher or exit the room. She simply urinated on herself.† Bruni cites similar examples, and quotes author Sally Rubenstone, who calls this type of behavior, â€Å"†¦the Jerry Springer-ization of the college admissions essay.† Coaches like Bernstein can help rein in the conflicting messages our children receive when they mistake the shock-factor for good writing. But the real work for these essays begins long before the fall of senior year. As parents, we need to give our children moments to reflect on their own lives, and genuine experiences to mull about as individuals without the constant pressure to document every minute of it. When I taught public speaking, I asked students to give a biographical speech touching on three major aspects of their lives. Many talked about a sport, or a hobby, or a pet. But almost all included this as part of those three defining elements of biography: a family tradition. The next time you fret about not giving your kid every opportunity to fill his or her resume, think about what it takes to be able to reflect on one’s own life. As the Essay Expert asks, â€Å"How well did you know yourself at the end of high school?†

Metabolic Syndrome Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Metabolic Syndrome - Assignment Example The most used criteria are those of the NCEP-ATP III, and IDF. According to the research carried out on US residents using the NCEP-ATP III standards, the unadjusted and age-adjusted prevalence of MetS were 21.8% and 23.7%, respectively (Byrne, 2011). Prevalence is higher when using IDF standards than using the NCEP-ATP III standards. For instance, in the comparison of the two organization’s standards, the age-adjusted prevalence of MetS established by NCEP-ATP III was 24.5%, whereas that of IDF was 43.4%. In other words, the prevalence of MetS rises consistently with increasing age unconventionally of sex, from 6.7% in individuals aged 20 to 29 years, to 43.5% for individuals aged 60 to 69 years, and 42% for individual aged 70 years and older (Byrne, 2011). In addition, although there is no postulated information for adolescents and children, the overall prevalence of MetS in these groups is approximated to be 4.2% (6.1% for boys and 2.1 for girls), increasing to 6.8% amongst overweight and 28.7% in obese adolescents. Also, the study indicates that, the prevalence of MetS are similar for men and women, however, higher in black women than men, and lower in white women than men (Codario, 2011). The underlying pathophysiology for MetS is still an issue of concern amongst various professional organizations resulting to inconsistencies in the way MetS is defined. Each definition has its benefit and drawbacks. However, insulin resistance and obesity has been identified to be the key contributing factors. Although insulin resistance is the core cause of glucose and fatty acid tolerance, it does not enlighten the alterations seen in endothelial dysfunction, lipid metabolism, systemic inflammation, blood pressure, and hypercoagulability. Laboratory measurement of insulin resistance is challenging, and, however, researches have indicated fasting insulin levels as a substitute, absence of analyze standardization makes this approach impractical (Awad, 2010). On the other hand, other exponents have suggested that although abdominal obesity may be the key cause of MetS, still insulin resistance occur in up to 15% of non-obese individuals. High free fatty acids can promote hypercholesterolemia, impact endothelial dysfunction, and impair insulin sensitivity, thus encouraging hypertension (Kurian, & Thompson, 2012). Adipose tissue has been denoted to be an active endocrine organ that impacts inflammatory cytokines, generates adipokines, affects insulin resistance, and influence CV risk by playing a role in impaired glucose tolerance, hypertension, and dyslipidemia, thus strengthening the link between inflammatory and obesity (Kurian, & Thompson, 2012). All these approaches have been attributed to the pathophysiology of MetS. However, the question is, â€Å"why is the pathophysiology of metabolic syndrome significant?† Metabolic syndrome raises the individual risk of coronary artery disease (CAD), even beyond CAD caused by high LDL cholester ol alone. This helps the patient and all healthcare providers to take measures of preventing and managing CAD immediately (Preedy, & Watson, 2010). Metabolic syndrome is described by several signs and symptoms. These involve elevated triglycerides, large waist circumferences (abdominal obesity), low levels of HDL, high blood pressure, and high fasting blood glucose. As suggested by NCEP-ATP III, criteria used in diagnosis for metabolic syndrome involve body size, level of blood glucose, individual’

Analysis of Abortion Theme in Literature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Analysis of Abortion Theme in Literature - Essay Example For instance, there are a lot of disputes with pro and con arguments concerning the legalization of marihuana, the animal deaths for the sake of scientific experiments, the problem of corruption or possible methods to reduce alcohol dependence and others. Within entire variety of such ‘everlasting’ matters there is also one that causes considerable interest from the point of view of morality, ethics, social aspect and medicine simultaneously. Its level of development is able to affect demography and living standards of any country dramatically. This pressing issue manages to bring sometimes undesirable changes to people’s lives. And finally, present query deals with human health condition, which can be damaged irreparably if required preventive measures are not used in time. The problem which the present paper is dedicated to is the matter of abortions in modern society. Statistical data The world statistics shows that the biggest percentage of women who are prone to obtain abortions goes to the group of girls under twenty five years old. Over 60% of all medical procedures are done on women who have never been married (Henshaw and Kost 11). Moreover, only 7% of abortions happen due to rape or health problems, meanwhile about 93% of all abortions are committed because of social reasons, when a woman deliberately and consciously desires to get rid of unwanted baby. Today the question about whether abortion is ethically right or wrong action still quite controversial issue. Hence, in some states of the USA authorities provide financial assistance to insolvent women for enabling them to obtain mentioned medical procedure. However, in some countries, such as Brazil, Peru, Bangladesh, Colombia and Mexico, abortion has official status of illegal deed. Philosophic and religious attitude The matter of abortions from the view of ethics has been always a disputable notion among numerous philosophers. Jane English differentiates own visions concerning m entioned issue due to the stages of pregnancy. Hence, she believes that in the early months of pregnancy a baby in a womb should not be considered as a person, this means that a fetus has no any rights and moral status yet and abortion may take place. However, if there are late months of pregnancy then abortion should occur only if labor may cause damage to woman’s health condition (qtd. in Hillar and Prahl 133). By contrast with English, Mary Ann Warren concludes that no matter what period of pregnancy is a fetus should be considered as an inseparable part of woman’s body, therefore she has a full right to make a decision. It should be mentioned that different religions also have own visions to the problem of interrupted pregnancy. For example, the Orthodox Church objects to abortions, while Jewish faith claims that â€Å"a fetus is hot considered a full human being and has no juridical personality of its own† (Zwerin and Shapiro 31). Reasons of abortion It is well known that a decision to give a birth to a baby is a serious and essential step that requires prolong and weighted reflections. There is no harder and more crucial issue for a woman than to make up own mind concerning the possibility of her potential child’s future life. Feeling a burden of huge responsibility, a lot of women are prone to find courage for interrupting pregnancy artificially. This happens because of several reasons, the major of which are the following: childbirth may damage