March of Dimes free essay sample

March of Dimes Franklin D. Roosevelt, who was an unfortunate victim to polio, created the March of dimes in 1921. Polio started in 1916 and mostly infected children, killing thousands and paralyzing many. Though we have beat polio, March of Dimes still continues to help research to make babies healthier across America. The story behind the name â€Å"March of Dimes† is that had the idea that we should try to cover the White House lawn with dimes for polio research. Many people came from far and wide to put dimes on the White House lawn. This is were March of Dimes got it’s unique name. The mission of the March of Dimes is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality. They do this through research, community services, education, and advocacy to save babies’ lives. They help through research by funding for research to find cures and new health benefits for babies. We will write a custom essay sample on March of Dimes or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page They help through community services by raising money for babies in need or the research itself. They also help through education by educating mothers-to-be on how to handle a baby with birth defects or that is premature. They also help through advocacy to save babies’ lives by saving every baby they can and never giving up on any cause. All the people who help the March of Dimes are helping more babies have a fighting chance for life. People can get involved in many different ways to help March of Dimes. People can volunteer to do community service or talk to mothers on advice. People can also donate money strait to the organization. People can also get involved in their community activities like their March for Babies, Mothers March, and other events. There are so many ways to get involved and help the community. It also makes you a hero to so many babies that you helped save their lives. March of Dimes free essay sample Franklin D. Roosevelt, who was an unfortunate victim to polio, created the March of dimes in 1921. Polio started in 1916 and mostly infected children, killing thousands and paralyzing many. Though we have beat polio, March of Dimes still continues to help research to make babies healthier across America. The story behind the name â€Å"March of Dimes† is that had the idea that we should try to cover the White House lawn with dimes for polio research. Many people came from far and wide to put dimes on the White House lawn. This is were March of Dimes got it’s unique name. The mission of the March of Dimes is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality. They do this through research, community services, education, and advocacy to save babies’ lives. They help through research by funding for research to find cures and new health benefits for babies. We will write a custom essay sample on March of Dimes or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page They help through community services by raising money for babies in need or the research itself. They also help through education by educating mothers-to-be on how to handle a baby with birth defects or that is premature. They also help through advocacy to save babies’ lives by saving every baby they can and never giving up on any cause. All the people who help the March of Dimes are helping more babies have a fighting chance for life. People can get involved in many different ways to help March of Dimes. People can volunteer to do community service or talk to mothers on advice. People can also donate money strait to the organization. People can also get involved in their community activities like their March for Babies, Mothers March, and other events. There are so many ways to get involved and help the community. It also makes you a hero to so many babies that you helped save their lives.

Sacrifice as a proof for emotions Essays

Sacrifice as a proof for emotions Essays Sacrifice as a proof for emotions Essay Sacrifice as a proof for emotions Essay 1. Making sacrifices  The author looks at this theme from several viewpoints: to what extent are we ready to give to protect the ones we love, the difference between sexes (women seemingly being less selfish), also at sacrifice as a proof for emotions. Also, the play focuses on often very relative differences between sacrifice and duty.  2. Independence and freedom  The play manifests necessity of independence in life as well as in any relationship. Before everything else, we are human beings, not somebody elses spouses, children or dolls. Before duties and responsibilities that we have for others we have responsibilities to ourselves. Ibsen analyses the difference between the view that the individual has of himself and what his fellow humans opinions of him are, asserting that it is more important to gain self-respect than to suffice with fulfilling others expectations that may be in conflict with ones own. 3. (im)possibility to love truly  This is one of the problems of the modern life that are focused on in The Dolls House. The characters of this play marry (form relationships) because of money, or to feel useful, or just because they feel like they have to. Relationships that are commonly approached the most important in life, form between strangers, and it is unlikely to love somebody who is actually a stranger. What should be love reveals to be a game of doll and the doll master (Nora and Torvald) or a compensation of past failures (Christine and Krogstad). This problem is strongly linked to another theme in this work- 4. Alienation and loneliness  This is another modern calamity. Each of Ibsens characters is in some way or another detached from others and does not see the real meaning of his or her life. As it is shown at the end, Helmers only considered their marriage a proof that they have a goal in their lives; Krogstads and Christines unification was a desperate step, hoping that two unhappy, unsuccessful people will do better together. Nora, the central character, has been alienated from her life, even from her true self, for all her lifetime. She has lived like in a trance, accustomed to the role of somebody elses inferior. 5. Greediness and the exaggerated importance of money  Even though quite a lot of the problems discussed in the play arise from characters tendency to overestimate the importance of money, valuing that higher than feelings (Torvald, once Krogstad), I consider this only a minor theme. The reader has to re-evaluate his/her own attitudes, though.  6. Marriage  The view upon marriage that Ibsen has in this play is common now but was provocative at the time it was written. Here, marriage is revealed to be full of alienation even when both spouses have supposedly chosen it themselves (theoretically, Nora was not under pressure to marry Torvald). Ibsen stresses that marriage should be based upon equity; Noras sacrifice could not be compensated with the small sums of money that Torvald gave her (actually buying her physical love). A married couple should continue being individuals, not become each others supplements. 7. Human, particularly women, rights  8. Mens tendency to treat women as dolls  Ibsen notes the importance for each person to have the opportunity to explore and expose ones true identity. The play contains a powerful protest against role- playing that is often required and seemingly obligatory in the society. It shows how the individual can actually lose his own self (or never see a need to get to know who he really is and what he really thinks), pursuing the role that he mistakenly recognises as his own identity. Ibsen stresses that before being or becoming anything else, we are all equal human beings. As prejudices about the role that has to be played in family, are commonly afflicting women, and the main character is Nora, the play is more focused on women rights to their own lives, opinions and identities. The play also focuses on the theme of woman being a mans doll, which is itself nothing modern. This has been a common phenomenon, almost a tradition, established with the harems and polygamy before our era, and more than accurately proceeded until nowadays (one of the most popular striptease clubs in Riga is called Dolls). The play does not show the lasting nature of this tradition, but exposes it vividly and horribly enough.  Characters  Nora Helmer  Throughout nearly all the play, Nora demonstrates herself as a naive, a bit silly, inexperienced and obedient wife to her husband Torvald. She can hardly be referred to as a person, for there is nothing personal in her character all she is is what others, her father and Torvald, have made of her. However, during the play, Noras awareness of both herself and the world around her increases. She becomes able to recognise that her relationship with Torvald puts her in a position of a pet or a doll. Nora notes that Torvald, whom she has always assumed to be a good person (and wonderful husband), is actually mean- he is determined to sack Krogstad only because he assumes that Krogstads familiarity towards him might harm his reputation. Noras illusions of her husband and marriage quell completely when she sees Torvalds behaviour after he has read the letter informing of her fraud. Unexpectedly, Nora finds strength in herself to give up the lifestyle that she has been taught to pursue since her very childhood. Her sudden courage lets the reader anticipate other qualities that Nora might possess but has never been able to show. Torvald Helmer  Complete possessiveness over Nora and superior attitude are both observable in every Torvalds action that is linked to his wife. Torvald enjoys having total control, and not only over Nora (he gives Christine directions about knitting). At the same time, Torvald is a superficial, narrow-minded person (Nora rightly assumes that he will not love her when she will have grown old- Torvald can only feel physical attraction). He would not be able to be present at his best friends deathbed because of his dislike of weak, dying people. Torvald is unable to feel overwhelming emotions (perhaps except rage), to give to others. Setting  All the action of the play is set in the Helmers family house, which is situated in the centre of a city. The rooms are tastefully and pleasantly, but not very expensively furnished (Helmers have not been that financially secure). The house is cosy and warm, with a fireplace. The events take place in winter, beginning on Christmas Eve.  Vocabulary  Spendthrift, macaroon, skylark, precarious, imprudent, zealously, unassailable, obstinate, rogue, incubus, prompt, wedlock, heedless, elapse, variegated, tremendous, consternation.  Yet, I noticed some more specific vocabulary- all the names that Torvald has for Nora that reveal the nature of their relationship and Torvalds possessiveness: Both of these works deal with individuals role in society and more specifically, family. In Metamorphosis, Gregor is his familys material supporter, putting off dreams of his own; in A Dolls House, Nora Helmer is her husbands sexual plaything, not allowed to have her own will or identity. Both these characters leave their families. Nora realises that both her and her family members are too involved in a game of dolls and masters to be able to develop as human beings; Gregor, already turned into an insect, sees that his role in family as the sole supporter has actually allowed them to immerse in a state of artificial, prolonged apathy. There is one important difference between the two works- Ibsen has taken a position from which Noras decision at the end of the play seems entirely correct; Kafka, however, looks at the situation not only from Gregors, but from several viewpoints. In Metamorphosis, none of characters is completely wrong or correct because the author would have wanted it; the reader may decide by himself. However, the most significant mutual feature of these works is even more vital and it lies in their point of view, in the sense with which they are written- alienation, separation, inability to integrate oneself not only in the world, but also even in ones family. Both pieces main characters are in disharmony even with themselves. This makes both Metamorphosis and A Dolls House topical and substantial for the society- the main characters are common people going through the most serious and widespread problems of our time. Commentary  The play shows how easy it is to lose oneself in relationship. Others expectations may seem more important than preserving ones own self.  However, the play focuses on a rather extreme situation- in the Helmer family, Torvalds expectations to Nora are more like demands- to obey, to be his little squirrel, his doll. This is what lets us evaluate the whole situation and be quite certain that Torvalds actions are demagogical and harmful to Nora. In the real life, on the other hand, adaptation is a normal part of a lasting relationship, and the demands that are made are often logic. When my mother demands me to clean my room, I obey. I dont say that she hinders my development and oppresses my identity even though cleaning my room is an alternative to something relatively more valuable like writing a story. If I agree to clean my room, it does not make me anybodys doll, because I know about the sacrifices my mother has made or tried to make to bring me up and is still maki ng. But there are more difficult situations in life. For example- my father has four children and I am the eldest. I would like to try and find some interesting occupation connected with art or literature (both are my hobbies, and I have had enough success to keep going and see some perspectives for myself). Then again- these are not jobs that let one earn much, and I have good marks in nearly any subject. I am not sure of what will become of the other children. Further, my younger half-brother is invalid, some disease that I had, too, but in my case, the doctors did notice. With my brother, it was too late, and some parts of his brain had been damaged. Now, he is six, but he does not talk and has co-ordination problems. And basically, nothing can be done about it here in Latvia. I know he could get better help abroad, but that would cost very much. I feel like I owe him. It was mere chance that I was saved and he was not- sometimes I am not sure if he has any life at all, or that he will have. I have decided to get a proper education and enter a proper high school, and then find an occupation that would perhaps bore me to death, but give me chance to help my brother. And not only him- it might happen that I have a bunch of people to take care of, anything might happen.  But it might end up with them using me (approaching me as a money- making mechanism as Nora was approached as a doll) or feeling like they owe me. And I would partly have to give up my own true identity, too, to an extent, to do this money job. I do not know what I should do and what would be the right choice. But I am quite certain about what I will do. What seems to me uninteresting in this work is that it is so easy to see what the characters should do, to distinguish right from wrong. Of course, at that time the bond of marriage was considered more important, more sacred, than it is now, therefore the play could be received in a more disunited way- that Noras decision was incorrect. However, I dislike that Torvald seems so absolutely wrong (and a bad person besides), while Nora looks unquestionably correct. Ibsen has made everything seem so obvious- he does not remind the reader of motherless children, but focuses on Noras romantic, poetic quest for freedom. It makes the play too one-sided. However, the one-sided view does not deter the reader from paying more attention to another tendency in our society- the willingness with which individuals are ready to give up control over their lives, handing it over not only to their family members like Nora, but also to strangers (for example, reality shows; the excessive amounts of personal information often available to state; sadomasochism). I think that this fear of responsibility points to serious identity problems- so widespread that they have actually become problems of the whole society.

Solar Radiation and the Earths Albedo

Solar Radiation and the Earth's Albedo Nearly all of the energy arriving on planet Earth and driving the various weather events, oceanic currents, and distribution of ecosystems originates with the sun. This intense solar radiation as it is known in physical geography originates in the sun’s core and is eventually sent to Earth after convection (the vertical movement of energy) forces it away from the sun’s core. It takes approximately eight minutes for solar radiation to reach the Earth after leaving the sun’s surface. Once this solar radiation arrives on Earth, its energy is distributed unevenly across the globe by latitude. As this radiation enters the Earth’s atmosphere it hits near the equator and develops an energy surplus. Because less direct solar radiation arrives at the poles, they, in turn, develop an energy deficit. To keep energy balanced on the Earth’s surface, the excess energy from the equatorial regions flows toward the poles in a cycle so energy will be balanced across the globe. This cycle is called the Earth-Atmosphere energy balance. Solar Radiation Pathways Once the Earth’s atmosphere receives shortwave solar radiation, the energy is referred to as insolation. This insolation is the energy input responsible for moving the various Earth-atmosphere systems like the energy balance described above but also weather events, oceanic currents, and other Earth cycles. Insolation can be direct or diffuse. Direct radiation is solar radiation received by the Earth’s surface and/or atmosphere that has not been altered by atmospheric scattering. Diffused radiation is solar radiation that has been modified by scattering. Scattering itself is one of five pathways solar radiation can take when entering the atmosphere. It occurs when insolation is deflected and/or redirected upon entering the atmosphere by dust, gas, ice, and water vapor present there. If the energy waves have a shorter wavelength, they are scattered more than those with longer wavelengths. Scattering and how it reacts with wavelength size are responsible for many things we see in the atmosphere such as the sky’s blue color and white clouds. Transmission is another solar radiation pathway. It occurs when both shortwave and longwave energy pass through the atmosphere and water instead of scattering when interacting with gases and other particles in the atmosphere. Refraction can also occur when solar radiation enters the atmosphere. This pathway happens when energy moves from one type of space to another, such as from air into water. As the energy moves from these spaces, it changes its speed and direction when reacting with the particles present there. The shift in direction often causes the energy to bend and release the various light colors within it, similar to what happens as light passes through a crystal or prism. Absorption is the fourth type of solar radiation pathway and is the conversion of energy from one form into another. For example, when solar radiation is absorbed by water, its energy shifts to the water and raises its temperature. This is common of all-absorbing surfaces from a tree’s leaf to asphalt. The final solar radiation pathway is a reflection. This is when a portion of energy bounces directly back to space without being absorbed, refracted, transmitted, or scattered. An important term to remember when studying solar radiation and reflection is albedo. Albedo Albedo is defined as the reflective quality of a surface. It is expressed as a percentage of reflected insolation to incoming insolation and zero percent is total absorption while 100% is the total reflection. In terms of visible colors, darker colors have a lower albedo, that is, they absorb more insolation, and lighter colors have a high albedo, or higher rates of reflection. For example, snow reflects 85-90% of insolation, whereas asphalt reflects only 5-10%. The angle of the sun also impacts albedo value and lower sun angles create greater reflection because the energy coming from a low sun angle is not as strong as that arriving from a high sun angle. Additionally, smooth surfaces have a higher albedo while rough surfaces reduce it. Like solar radiation in general, albedo values also vary across the globe with latitude but Earth’s average albedo is around 31%. For surfaces between the tropics (23.5Â °N to 23.5Â °S) the average albedo is 19-38%. At the poles, it can be as high as 80% in some areas. This is a result of the lower sun angle present at the poles but also the higher presence of fresh snow, ice, and smooth open water- all areas prone to high levels of reflectivity. Albedo, Solar Radiation, and Humans Today, albedo is a major concern for humans worldwide. As industrial activities increase air pollution, the atmosphere itself is becoming more reflective because there are more aerosols to reflect insolation. In addition, the low albedo of the world’s largest cities sometimes creates urban heat islands which impacts both city planning and energy consumption. Solar radiation is also finding its place in new plans for renewable energy- most notably solar panels for electricity and black tubes for heating water. These items’ dark colors have low albedos and therefore absorb nearly all of the solar radiation striking them, making them efficient tools for harnessing the sun’s power worldwide. Regardless of the sun’s efficiency in electricity generation though, the study of solar radiation and albedo is essential to the understanding of Earth’s weather cycles, ocean currents, and locations of different ecosystems.

Children Language Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Children Language Development - Essay Example Traditionally, before a child could turn eighteen months after birth, there are manifestations that the child is already introduced with naming insights. Although children usually pass this at various times, parents, most of the times, hardly notice it since they assume that it is just normal since things have really their names. I would like to agree that naming insight, indeed, sets the stage for vocabulary explosion. For most of the youngster, this naming discovery could be really shocking as proven by those kids to arrive at this stage at a later phase. One famous example would be Helen Keller. She was blind and deaf since she was two years of age, thus, naming insight as a stage of her development was really a tough challenge to pass through. When she was six years old, her pre school teacher asked her to put her hand under flowing water. And she was also asked to spell out w-a-t-e-r. She realized since then that "the mystery of language was revealed to her." For the past decades, researchers have already language as a natural part of evolutionary processes. And language, with no doubt plays a vital role in our own development; and we know that naming insight is actually the start of such. Naming insight can be the beginning of vocabulary explosion since a child already has the idea of naming things, thus, there is already a concept of words or vocabulary, at that sense. If a child is exposed to a lot of things, along with their respective names, there is of course a high tendency of a vocabulary explosion on the part of the child. Even a single or an indirect exposure to a novel word, for instance, already gives information that we could use in mapping the word going to its referent. Naming sigh has been proven by a number of studies to be a factor in the explosion of a child's vocabulary. A child can learn a word only after hearing it once from the people around him or her. There are actually researches claiming that children can gain new insights into language and words when they reach their eighteenth month, on the average. Most of the researches of this field things that children actually realize two things. First, words are used to name for objects; and second, every object has its own name (Gopnik & Meltzoff, 1997). This is called naming insight. The process of naming insight actually happens before a child can utter a word that represents an object. The child, in this specific stage, is just starting to learn the things that are around him or her and later on realizes that everything in the environment is given a name. The names, later on are learned by a child as he or she hears them from the people around. The beginning of vocabulary explosion is an important event for a child. It is with no doubt that naming insight preludes the vocabulary explosion since this is the stage before the child can finally utter his or her words. After the naming sight stage, particular names come popping out of children like stars as a result of fireworks. Some of common words are mommy, daddy, milk, and so on. Also, if under the vocabulary explosion, the child can also acquire more words that he or she often hears from the environment. The more frequent a word is uttered, the higher the

Classical and Baroque Style Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Classical and Baroque Style - Essay Example There were several important forms that were used during this period. These included the mass, Missa Brevis, Missa Solemnis, requiem, and the vespers (Downs 69). Furthermore, the classical choral was homophonic and lighter in its texture. In addition, during this era, music was given careful attention by elegance, to form and restraint. The music was objective in nature and emotions were carefully controlled. In contrary, the Baroque period was dominated by chants and choral music. There were poems that were accompanied by instruments meant for praises. Music had the triadic harmony which made the music more complex. Furthermore, this music was dramatic and expansive. This music marked the beginning of harmony and melody use. Melodies were now played with a group of instruments in a chamber or by soloists in a concerto. For instance, Brandenburg concerto is one of the major Baroque concertos. It was composed by J.S Bach. The period led to the creation of foundations of scales and chords. Modulation in composition was also another style that emerged during this period. The period had composers like Monteverdi and Vivaldi. The period was also characterized by polyphonic approach and the basic form of the period was type of the three parts and it also incorporated the binary form. However, the two periods have some factors in unison. For instance, most of the instrumental forms like sonata a nd symphony were invented in the Baroque period but they were used in the classical era.

Opportunities And Challenges For Wal Mart In India Marketing Essay

Opportunities And Challenges For Wal Mart In India Marketing Essay India is seen as an emerging market for retail by global retailers. A.T. Kearneys Global Retail Development Index (GRDI) of 2009 ranks India as the most emerging destination for retail ahead of Russia and China. However, to protect its own retail industry, the Government of India has permitted only 51 % FDI for single brand retail. This has deterred many multi-brand retailers to enter the retail business in India. However, these retailers can enter the wholesale business where 100 % FDI is permitted. In November, 2006, Wal-Mart entered into a 50:50 joint venture with Bharti Enterprises to enter the wholesale sector as well as back end partner. Several apprehensions are being raised about the success of Wal-Mart in India which has largely been dominated by traditional retailers. The case analyses the opportunities and challenges that Wal-Mart will face in India and concludes with discussion on the future of Wal-Mart with respect to the advantages and disadvantages that the global reta iler will have in India. Introduction Since liberalization in 1991, the Indian market has a limited presence of global retailers such as McDonalds, Landmark, Dominos, Pizza Hut and few others. In January 2006, the Union Cabinet approved the policy on foreign direct investment (FDI) in retail to further simplify procedures for investing in India and to avoid multiple layers of approvals required in some activities. To facilitate easier inflow, FDI up to 100 % was allowed under the automatic route for cash and carry wholesale and export trading. However to protect the interests of Indian retailers, the FDI up to 51 % was permitted in single brand retail only. In 2006, Wal-Mart of US entered into a 50:50 joint venture with Indian retail major, Bharti Retail to foray into the wholesale business in India. The first Wal-Mart Bharti store opened in Amritsar in late 2009. In the same year, A.T. Kearneys Global Retail Development Index (GRDI), ranked India as the most emerging destination for retail ahead of Russia and China. Gl obal retailers like French based Carrefour and US based Starbucks were exploring opportunities in the Indian retail market while; Swedish retailer IKEA shelved its plans. A report by Northbridge Capital, UK based investment bank, revealed Retail market size in 2009 is estimated to be of $450 billion, growing at the rate of 30 per cent per annum. It is expected to grow to $720 billion by the end of 2011  [1]  .An analysis by AT Kearney revealed that organized retail in India accounted for only 6 % of the total retail market . Market analysts believe that India had traditionally been dominated by unorganized retail. They wonder whether global retailers can sustain in India considering the restrictions on FDI in retail and a strong competitive unorganized market. About Wal-Mart of US The retail chain Wal-Mart was established by Sam Walton in 1962 in the US. Over the years, the retail chain grew leaps and bounds to be the most successful retailer in the US. The retail chain operates in various formats such as discount stores, supercentres and warehouse clubs. Wal-Mart stores are huge stores with size varying from 42,000 sq. feet to more than 200,000 sq. feet. The business model of Wal-Mart is based on selling a wide variety of merchandize at always low prices often referred to as everyday low prices. Wal-Mart successfully expanded its operations to 14 countries which included Mexico, UK, China, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, India and Puerto Rico. By 2010, the chain operated 2,980 stores outside the US. Wal-Mart also ranks the topmost global retailer in the world with revenues of more than $ 400 billion from worldwide operations in 2009. About Bharti Enterprises of India Bharti Enterprises is an Indian business conglomerate established by Sunil Bharti Mittal. The group was founded in early 1990s. The group is involved in variety of businesses such as telecom, insurance, fresh foods, retail and realty. Outside India, the company has a presence in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Jersey, Guernsey and Seychelles. The group is in the process of establishing itself in countries like Burkina Faso, Chad, Congo Brazzaville, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Tanzania,Uganda, and Zambia in the African sub-continent. The brand names Airtel and Beetel are household names in India. Its revenues for the year 2009 were estimated at $ 10 billion. Bharti Wal-Mart Tie Up After entering into discussions with Tesco of UK and Carrefour of France which did not materialize, Bharti Enterprises of India finally struck a deal with Wal-Mart of US in November 2006. According to the deal, Bharti would handle front end retail stores while Wal-Mart would act as a wholesale and back-end partner. However, Bharti would use the name Wal-Mart for its stores. The joint partnership planned to make investments in the retail sector to the tune of $100 millon which could go upto $1.46 billion. Wal-Mart was already procuring goods from various Indian companies to the tune of $1.5 billion. Industry observers say that the Wal-Mart would benefit from Bhartis experience in India while Bharti would benefit from Wal-Marts experience in overseas markets. However, after tremendous opposition from local people and political parties, the first store opened in Amritsar in late 2009. Consumer Shopping Behavior in India Consumers in the west are accustomed to shopping at organized formats while in India such formats are still evolving. Various researchers analyzing consumer shopping behavior in India made the following observations with respect to selection of stores by consumers: Traveling time : If the desired products are available in the neighborhood store, consumers would not visit the far away supermarket or hypermarket. Range of products offered : If the consumer shopping list is such that the required goods are not available in the neighborhood store, they would visit the supermarket or hypermarket. Services offered : The neighborhood stores offer personalized services such as credit facilities, free home delivery service, sms service and extended working hours. The organized retail formats offer good ambience, promotional offers and a good shopping experience. Socio Economic background : The socio-economic background of consumers determine their lifestyles and the kind of stores they would be comfortable to shop. Initially, the lower income group was hesitant to shop at organized retail formats as they felt that such stores were for the elite. However, over a period of time, the retailers adopted steps to change the perception of such consumers. Opportunities According to a report by McKinsey Company, the rise in disposable income of Indian consumers would be a major factor in contributing to the growth of retail consumption. The factors contributing to the growth of organized retailing in India include growth in working population, double income households, one stop destination for all needs, changing consumer lifestyles and easy availability of credit. Data by Investment Commission of India, 2007 revealed that significant retail opportunities existed in product categories like food and beverage, consumer durables and home improvement. It further forecasted that home improvement and consumer durables would grow at a compounded annual growth rate of 20 % in 10 years time. It further mentioned that India had a significant potential to emerge as a sourcing base for a wide variety of goods for international retailers. Leading international retailers including Tesco, GAP and JC Penney are already sourcing from India. A report prepared by Ernst and Young for India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF) reveals that there are significant opportunities for organized retailers in various cities of India. This is because these cities have households with tremendous spending power and lower penetration of organized retail compared to metro cities such as Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore. The online retail business progressed in India with growth of internet connections and e-payment service users. Retailers such as ebay.in, indiatimes.com and rediff.com were early entrants. Many small retailers also had their portals for online sale of merchandize. 70 % of Indias population is in the rural areas which offer tremendous opportunity for retailers. Key players in the rural retail market includ Indian Tobacco Companys Choupal Sagaar, DCM Shriram group owned Hariyali Kisan Bazaar and Indian Oil Corporations Kisan Seva Kendra among others. The main product categories marketed in rural areas include seeds, urea, FMCG goods and farm produce. Airport retailing is another emerging area for retailers. Raheja Groups Shoppers Stop partnered with Nuance Group, a leading Swiss global retailer to set up retail outlets at Bangalore and Hyderabad airports. Airport retailing offers opportunities in luggage, clothing and related accessories, food and beverage and souvenirs. The growing tourism industry has created significant demand for retailers dealing in artifacts. Challenges Logistics infrastructure in India has always been a cause of concern for global retailers. Lukas Ruecker, who oversaw emerging market business as vice president at Staples commented that the overall logistics is so much more difficult from a port in Chennai or a port in Shanghai to stores. Sumant Sinha, CEO, Aditya Birla Retail, is of the view that the logistics and supply chain infrastructure has to be built from scratch; its really about creating a new industry. Indias retail industry seems promising but is tempered by the fact that the country is grappling with severe infrastructure and policy issues, says the CII in the report it produced with A. T. Kearney. Cold chains (distribution chains for perishable items), warehousing and logistics infrastructure will create problems for global retailers if the Indian government does not focus on infrastructure. The report also points at inadequate quality control and the lack of a skilled workforce in India. Global retailers would have to customize their formats to suit Indian conditions. The Government of India fears that entry of global retail giants could put many retailers in the unorganized sector out of business. However, discussions at various retail forums have often proved that there is enough space for organized and unorganized retail in the country. Inspite of repeated discussion on the issue at various government levels to further liberalize the retail sector, no headway had been made. Indian retailers in organized and unorganized sector had geared themselves to face global competition. The organized retailers have focused on mall space acquisition, store expansion and diversification into various formats in addition to above and below the line promotional activities. The unorganized sector has focused on value added services. A report by PriceWaterhouseCoopers and Confederation of Indian Industry mentioned that small retailers in India had inherent advantages. They were located next to the consumer, making it convenient for top-up purchases. They knew the consumers well, some even by name. The report further mentioned that fixed costs for small retailers was very low thereby reducing their breakeven point to as low as 46 % of sales. They were also focusing on re-organizing their stores and stocking new products. The road ahead for Wal-Mart Industry observers wonder whether the failure of Wal-Mart in three major countries can be taken as a backdrop to predict its future in India. Consumer Behaviour experts are of the view that global retailers would have to understand shopping behavior in India and provide answers to why should Indians consistently shop at foreign retail outlets? Asitava Sen, retail industry specialist, PricewaterhouseCoopers., sharing his views in an article mentioned, Infrastructure is a significant challenge, especially while managing fresh produce, where producers are fragmented and there is multiple level of intermediation causing waste of up to 30% to 40% in the supply chain. Real estate is scarce and expensive in comparison to the quality being offered. An inadequate supply of skilled and trained people is another significant challenge.  [2]  

Red Badge of Courage Essay

â€Å"The central thrust of the Red Badge of Courage is directed towards the puncturing of Henry Fleming’s youthful range of illusions. † â€Å"Our inescapable conclusion concerning Red Badge of Courage is that Fleming is as deluded as the novel ends as he is when he first joins the Union Forces. † Which of the above assessments of the development of Henry Fleming’s character do you feel comes closest to the truth? In your answer you should Consider the arguments for and against accepting the question’s assertions; Bring to bear knowledge of external critical opinion on the issue; Look at contextual aspects of the novel in relation to the topic under consideration. ANSWER I feel that both these arguments show strong opinions and though both show a critical view of Henry Fleming, they are opposing views. The first statement seems to come closest to the truth in that the narrator uses irony to mock and deride Henry yet at the same time he feels a certain affinity with him also. Statement two is a conclusion but not inescapable as Henry, although still deluded, is not as deluded as he was at the time he joined the Union Army. In choosing statement one to be the truer of the two I have come to the conclusion that the narrator is being used as a figure who mocks Henry’s egotism and self deception on one hand then shows sympathy on the other. Stephen Crane uses the narrator to tell the story from a third party point of view and therefore can use this to get his points across. This use of third parties belies Crane’s own experiences of death and mutilation both in his private life with the death of his siblings and in the stories, pictures and photographs he has seen whilst researching the book. It is possible, Stephen Crane had read General Ulysses S Grant’s memoirs and also â€Å"Battles and Leaders of the Civil War†, which was a very popular and factual compendium of four books at the time and he no doubt saw Mathew B Brady’s photographs of the Civil War in these also. The novel is a naturalistic human- interest story but Crane uses the experiences of ordinary soldiers who fought during the Civil War to get the feel of how young men were forever changed by their experiences. Crane cleverly uses contrasts to show how Henry feels at differing times, using monster images to show how active an imagination Henry has, for example to describe a column of men, â€Å"two serpents crawling from the cavern of night†. Crane also uses nature and colour to show contrasts, with constant references to how the sky looks and the fact that â€Å"Mother Nature† still goes on regardless of anything that puny men can do to themselves, for example â€Å"a river, amber tinted in the shadow of its banks, purled at the army’s feet, and at night, when the stream had become of a sorrowful blackness, one could see across it the red, eye-like gleam of hostile campfires†¦ † Phrases like â€Å"A fair field holding life. †¦ It would die if its timid eyes were compelled to see blood† and â€Å"He conceived nature to be a woman with a deep aversion to tragedy† all show Henry’s wonderment at the fact that nature can carry on despite what happens, and at times the narrator sometimes unfairly mocks Henry for this. As the story develops and we see how Henry deals with the harsh realities of war the use of symbols becomes more developed, with Henry seeing the darker sides to war and death. This is when, I feel, the narrator becomes sympathetic to Henry as he tries to reconcile himself with the terrible things he has seen and done. The narrator give the most sympathy to Henry when he gets lost in the woods and finds a dead man, â€Å"horror-stricken by the sight of a thing† and again when he meets up with Jim Conklin and watches as he dies. Paradoxically he mocks when Henry’s thoughts turn to death and the hope that he â€Å"would be understood† in the afterlife. When Henry celebrates victory too soon and then runs away and when Henry leaves the tattered man to die despite staying with Jim whilst he died. After Henry returns to his own camp and Wilson tends his wound he gets very defensive if anyone mentions his absence or his wound, to the point of him thinking of blackmailing Wilson with the return of his letters and the narrator here shows how Henry is feeling superior yet benevolent, thinking himself the better for not being able to conjure up a scathing remark and how his self justification makes him pompous, devious and condescending. Henrys illusions are punctured again when after bravely fighting, he hears the veterans laughing at him, which only provokes him to further prove his own worth on the battlefield. His perception of the battle is now coloured by the â€Å"brotherhood of battle. † The second claim, is wrong in that Henry is not as deluded as he was, he has fought his demons and come out on the other side, not perfect, but able to realise that he has done dreadful things and he will have to live with them. Crane uses this discovery of self to great aplomb as he makes Henry question himself in the final chapter. Henry has a totally selfish and biased view of the world at the start, which slowly unravels as the story goes on. Crane uses the narrator to give us an insight into Henry’s mind by verbalising his thoughts and giving the narrators view of his actions. This in turn helps us to see the turmoil that Henry faces both within fighting the war and within himself. He turns out to despise his early blusterings and convinces himself that he has matured fully. Although this is not true, he has matured to some extent by being able to see the flaws in his character. Henry still romanticises himself and his surroundings but his personal battle between his consious fear and his desire to become a hero has been won. When Henry joined up he believed that he would become a great hero and that he would win great battles, he of course had never even seen a battle except those that went on in his head. He boasts and brags, to himself, about how brave he is going to be yet he turns and runs once the realities of the fighting become apparent. Through his experiences he slowly comes to terms with the fact that war is bloody and cruel And when his friend shows weakness he stores the information to use at a later date – something he later cannot do. To justify all that he has done he thinks † it had been necessary for him to swallow swords that he might have a better throat for grapes. Fate had, in truth been kind to him. † And to justify leaving the tattered man â€Å"he exclaimed that its importance in the aftertime would be great to him if it even succeeded in hindering the workings of his egotism. † Critics of Stephen Crane have both blasted this story as utter rubbish and Crane’s usage of the third party narrator as him trying to write a biography. General McClurg, when this book was published blasted it as blatant lies. His soldiers would never act like that in such a base manner. McClurg himself fought in the Civil War but being a general was not of course in the front lines of the battle. Many of the men who were, swore that they had fought with Stephen Crane even though he was not born until after the Civil War had ended. Such was the reality of the story to those people. The people who thought that this story was an analogy for Stephen Crane’s life based this assumption on these claims, so therefore, Stephen Crane must know of the battle mindset. Personally I think that Crane had heard so many stories of the war he could picture himself there and could imagine how a young boy would feel going through these experiences. Rather like modern stories penned by writers for television and films. I believe that Crane has shown himself to be a psychological realist in writing this piece and that each reader takes from it what they want in relation to their own experiences and knowledge. Perhaps this was a biographical piece and Crane used Henry to show his own delusions. On discussion of this piece, both within a classroom setting and using discussion groups on computer, I have read and heard many differing views of Henry. These views vary depending on the critic’s age. Many young people see him as egotistical, judgemental and self absorbed whilst mature students see him as just like most teenagers, too young to be able to see the big picture. Henry may be deluded but like most people once maturity sets in delusions become lessened as experience is gained. In conclusion I feel that statement 1 is true because the story develops many internal storylines one of which is the puncturing of Henry Fleming’s youthful range of illusions, of which he has many. Statement 2 on the other hand seems true because Henry is deluded to a certain extent. This is one definite statement with no real detail behind it, the author of it seems to be assuming that Henry can not or will not change.