Unreliable First Person In Life Of Pi English Literature Essay free essay sample

The storyteller is the line of life to storytelling. Without a trustworthy and dependable storyteller, readers question what is being told. Novels that experience undependable first individual storytellers that cloud facts and manipulate readers cause an array of issues. Without a guiding manus that non merely embraces the reader with candidly and dependently, the connexion between what is existent and what is twisted is unsure. Life of Pi, The Gathering, and Midnight s Children all experience the fickle first individual storyteller ; because of this point of position, readers invariably have to fight in linking to the character s motivations, beliefs, and narratives. When novels are told with misrepresentation, the relationship of trust between the reader and storyteller diminishes. It is of import that the relationship remains consentaneous, otherwise, involvement is lost. Analyzing and comparing first individual narrative in each of the novels, it will be proven that the point of position contaminates the dependability and in bend, forces readers to step back with uncertainty and incredulity of purposes, facts, events, and emotions. We will write a custom essay sample on Unreliable First Person In Life Of Pi English Literature Essay or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page To get down with, the storyteller s voice in The Gathering distracts readers from the narrative s chief quandary: recalling and patching together Liam s molestation and decoding how that affected his decease. Yet, Veronica, through remembering past events from her position, merely confuses the readers when their focal point should be on Liam. Because Veronica is stating the narrative about her brother, readers are diffident whether she excessively was molested. The deficiency of certainty from her memory creates a cloudy narrative where Liam, who is the narrative s Muse, is left out of focal points because the point of position displacements to Veronica s possible incident, alternatively of concentrating on her brother. Veronica was non the best pick as a storyteller because she turns and twists the camera to herself, alternatively of Liam. The gap paragraph we sense Veronica is diffident about what happened. In fact, she says, I am non certain if it truly happened ( p.1 ) . Right off the chiropteran, readers are 2nd thinking the cogency of the narrative she is about to state from her childhood. The fact that she does nt cognize for certain if it ( molestation ) happened makes the readers unsure about her dependability as a storyteller. As the narrative progresses, it becomes clear that the chief character is Liam ; the secret plan revolves around his childhood molestation and recent self-destruction. The storyteller even senses that the novel should be about Liam when she states, So if I want to state Liam s narrative, so I have to get down long earlier he was born ( p. 13 ) . Yet, alternatively of merely concentrating on her brother s life in a additive manner, Veronica switches the position, several times, to her ain life: her childs, her hubby, and even her college love affair. Her narrative can hence be said t o match to the dual relation ( Harte p. 189 ) . She tries to state her brother s narrative but merely does it half heartedly because she focuses the other half on how the injury affected her life. Possibly it is because there are 11 months between me ( Veronica ) and Liam does she experience ownership to his life, since, sometimes I think we overlapped ( p.11 ) . Veronica does nt non concentrate on her brother s molestation but attempts to construct her life around HIS experience since she feels their lives are one. Veronica does non admit that the colza happened to Liam merely. Alternatively, she assumes that she was raped excessively. Yet, someway, her memory forces her to bury. Veronica makes her undependability as a storyteller clear when seeking to retrieve what is true ( p.144 ) . Here Veronica tells us, even though I know it is true that this happened, I do non cognize if I have a true image in my head s oculus ( p.144 ) . Veronica narrates the narrative, non on facts listed to convey understanding or realisation to her brother s decease, but on what she remembers, what she knows, or what she feels. By taking away attending from her brother s molestation, readers are less witting to the earnestness. Since it is Liam s self-destruction that causes her to measure the beginnings and extent of her tattered subjectiveness does she even consider the molestation in demand of groking. ( Harte p. 189 ) . Veronica associates herself with her brother s life, injury, and decease. Yet, because she is non removed from the narrative, she becomes excessively intertwined with patching together the mystifier of the summer ; this cloud s her dependability as a storyteller. If she is non trusty plenty to state Liam s narrative without consisting what really happened, she serves no purpose- other than pull stringsing the reader s attending to herself. While a sister, or brother even, is the best pick to assist give inside informations about Liam s life, the siblings should be so close in age. If Veronica remains the storyteller, she needs to be more distant from Liam. This is particularly true during the summer of the molestation. If the storyteller told us about Liam from a 3rd individual limited position merely, intending that we do nt hear every bit much about Liam s feelings, patching together what truly happened by Nugent would be more credible. If the realisation is more credible, readers would experience sympathetic to Liam and non the storyteller. This is of import because Veronica owe ( s ) it to Liam to do things clear ( p.223 ) . The significance of Liam s molestation needs to be taken earnestly. The lone manner to give his life recognition, and in bend give acknowledgment that the colza occurred, is to hold a storyteller that is non selfish in happening and depicting his history. We, at least, owe that to Liam. The storyteller s voice in The Gathering distracted readers from Liam. Because Veronica is stating the narrative, readers are diffident whether she excessively was raped. The confusion takes off from Laim and his decease. Veronica was non the best pick as a storyteller because she turns and twists the camera of reader s attending to herself, alternatively of Liam. Life of Pi, like The Gathering is told in first individual. Because he is the lone storyteller, readers see what he does ; the job is, Pi s reactions and over simplistic method of analysing events are unrealistic. Pi is an undependable storyteller and because of that, the book is non represented every bit good as it could hold been if the narrative was told from a 3rd individual all-knowing point of position. The first subdivision of the book is positioned to coerce the readers to believe in God, but which one? Since Pi believes in three faiths at one time, we see him as non to the full committed to one. Pi is projecting his undependable quality by believing, whole heartedly, that he can go on populating with three faiths. Even his female parent attempts to convert him that multiple faiths is non realistic when she says, if you re traveling to be spiritual, you must either be a Hindu, a Christian, or a Muslim ( p. 73 ) . It is unrealistic that three faiths would be comfy with him functioning each. Pi has disregarded the commandment, Do nt Idolize any other God that is the anchor of Christianity. Because of his desire to idolize many faiths, he in bend forces the three spiritual figures to reason for his religion. Pi is undependable in that he can non take one faith despite cognizing holding multiple faiths is a no-no . Another topographic point where Pi proves to be an unrealistic narrator is when the ship sinks. He waits in the life boat thought, the dark vanished every bit rapidly as the ship ( p.111 ) . In fact, he tells a sea polo-neck, travel state a ship I m here ( p.123 ) . His full household, all his animate beings, all the crew, all the other riders, and the immense ship merely sank and his emotion is unagitated plenty to state a polo-neck to happen aid while he sits in the life boat for three days- hardly traveling, waiting. That is an unrealistic reaction to the ruinous state of affairs. He over simplifies events and by making so, makes readers inquiry, what s incorrect with him? Even to endorse path to before the ship sank, Pi was walking about at dark, by himself, because he heard a noise and wanted to travel researching. That is non credible. In fact, readers question if he was truly thrown out of the ship and if the animate beings in the life boat were existent because the stru ggle and events taking up to the sinking seemed to go through without any hurt or earnestness. As the book goes on, the readers follow, blindly, because of the thrust to cognize what comes following. Yet, readers face the same undependable narratives as Pi tries to last. For illustration, Pi survived 227 yearss at sea. However, Pi describes his activities as about relaxing and gratifying. On page 190 he relates his day-to-day agenda to transpirate like a fishing trip. He has become, at this point, so comfy with his state of affairs, that he has remainder and reposeful actives. Surviving, about once and for all, off the H2O and its marine life, Pi neer states the illness from eating natural meat for that long. He is really in writing in his dealingss of Richard Parker s dirt in his oral cavity yet neer exposes himself to being sea sick. He is doing certain things simplistic, and by that, about covering them up by non exposing the trouble in lasting. Even while eating, Pi does non demo the readers the rough world of populating off the ocean. He is excessively unagitated when he says, I enjoyed my repast as I watched the Sun s descent into a cloudless sky. It was a restful minute ( p. 174 ) . Pi tries to do his state of affairs simple to convert himself, and the readers, his fortunes are non bad or lasting. His deficiency of earnestness proves he is unrealistic and hence unable to narrate the plot line with color and truth. The lone sensible decision the readers are left to pull is that Pi wants to be seen as masculine, independent, and able to last: illness, over laziness in emotions, and terror that will change ability to populate. The most obvious topographic point in the book that remarks on Pi s undependability as a storyteller is during chapter 90 one and ninety two. Here, Pi sees another homo, who is besides unsighted doing his manner through the ocean. The adult male said, Is person at that place three times. Even Pi inquiries his saneness when he says, I conclude that I had gone huffy. Sad but true. Misery loves company, and wretchedness calls it Forth ( p. 242 ) . Readers are tempted to believe that the individual was portion of Pi s imaginativeness. As the conversation goes back and Forth, they two talk about figs. In fact, Pi says, the subdivisions of the trees are dead set over, they are so weighed down with figs ( p. 243 ) . Pi is conceive ofing a tree with figs to feed his inner desire non merely for nutrient but for deficiency of human contact. On page 245, Pi states, lunacy of the head is one thing, but it was non just that it should travel to the tummy. This quotation mark is of import b ecause it shows his acknowledgment for insanity. By recognizing his lunacy , he proves he is non qualified to narrate the events accurately. Pi s fictional observation of the tree proves his head is non sane ; because his head is non sane, how can we believe his narrative? The worst portion is when Pi tries to deny his lunacy, in making so, he really adds to it. On page 246, Pi says, I knew it. I was nt hearing voices. I had nt gone huffy. It was Richard Parker who was talking to me! The dry portion is Pi attempts so urgently to convert the readers he is non insane by utilizing a speaking animate being to warrant it. At this point, readers are certain Pi is losing his head. Richard Parker, who had chosen an hr before we were to decease pipe ( vitamin D ) up ( 246 ) . Pi was so close to famishment and decease that his head developed a fictional conversation with a tiger as a manner to soothe him, as a manner to calmly allow his life sink onto duty. It is non credible that he would hold a conversation with a adult male that turned out to be a speaking tiger. Pi, one time once more, shows the readers that he is non fit to state the narrative as it really happened. Since the narrative is told from an undependable storyteller, we question every action, quotation mark, or sound. Without a 3rd individual narrative, the narrative becomes a series of questionable events and insane characters. If Life of Pi was told from a 3rd individual point of position, the readers would be more likely to believe the events, particularly if it was 3rd individual omniscient. All-knowing point of position, besides known as all cognizing , is based strictly on observation. Because the novel would be seen from a dependable beginning, readers would non oppugn cogency. Pi is non fit to be the exclusive supplier of information. The fresh demands to be told from an all-knowing point of position in order for readers to swear the actions. As seen above, Pi offers more confusion and undependability than prosperity. The lone manner readers would swear Pi would be to hold person else state his narrative. Without a storyteller that is trusty, readers question the events, characters, and in bend the book as a whole. Pi is an undependable storyteller because he denies truth to beliefs, events, or worlds. Readers question his actions because his response is non typical. His unreliability inquiries the earnestness of the book s subject and writer s motive. Without a serious storyteller, readers are left to deny everything and anything from an undependable beginning. Like Life of Pi and The Gathering, Salman Rushdie s fresh Midnight s Children is besides told utilizing first individual. Like the other two novels, it excessively faces undependable narrative. The fresh describes ordinary events as charming ; for illustration when Salman describes his gramps s nose-bleed: Aadam Aziz hit his olfactory organ against a frost-hardened tuft of Earth three beads of blood plopped out of his left anterior naris, hardened immediately in the brickle air and transformed into rubies ( Rushdie, 4 ) . The jeer of the characters forces the storyteller to be seen as undependable. In fact, harmonizing to Linda Hutcheon, storytellers in fiction become either disconcertingly multiple and difficult to turn up or resolutely probationary and limited frequently sabotaging their ain seeming omniscience ( Hutcheon p. 11 ) . This is demonstrated in the first book of the novel, where Rushdie s narrative moves backwards and forwards in clip, with events from future decennaries taking topographic point during the earliest portion of the narrative. Naturally, this perturbation of clip and story-telling convention interruptions down the genuineness of both storyteller and writer. Rushdie s novel is that of an unstable genuineness. Saleem gets legion historical events and day of the months muddled up as he tries urgently to convert his readers that he is at the Centre of India s history ( DCruz ) . Readers can non swear a storyteller that confuses day of the month, additive events, and describe characters in an overdone manner. The storyteller is by and large true and often all-knowing. Within Midnight s Children, this is non the instance: at one point, the storyteller really confesses that he has lied: To state the truth, I lied about Shiva s decease. My first absolute prevarication although my presentation of the Emergency in the pretense of a six-hundred-and-thirty-five-day-long midnight was possibly overly romantic .That s why I fibbed I fell victim to the enticement of every autobiographer, to the semblance that since the past exists merely in one s memories ( Rushdie p.619 ) . In fact, Saleem says What s existent and what s true are nt needfully the same ( Rushdie p. 103 ) . Through this device, Rushdie makes the reader inquiry every item of the narrative, and becomes unstable. His relationship with Padma, the novel s voice of the reader, is besides affected by his inability to accurately depict his narrative. Padma ; like a reader, Padma edits and remarks upon Saleem s creative activity, defying his efforts to compose a narrative as he chooses: I must disrupt myself. I was nt traveling to today, because Padma has started acquiring irritated whenever my narrative becomes self-aware, whenever, like an incompetent puppeteer, I reveal the custodies keeping the strings ( Rushdie p.83 ) . Because he can non supply his reader with an reliable history, he gives alternatively remembrances, myths and half-truths: Alternatively of satisfaction, he offers her sublimation ; alternatively of History, he offers Padma his histories. By overtly bring forthing these histories for her, Saleem subverts both the causality and continuity of what is traditionally conceived of as patriarchal History ( Hutcheon p.162-3 ) . Saleem repeatedly interrupts his ain narrative, for il lustration, he says, Nose and articulatio genuss and articulatio genuss and nose listen carefully, Padma ; the chap got nil incorrect! ( Rushdie p. 114 ) . Saleem s inability to unite the topic within history agencies that he removes genuineness from his narratives. At one point Saleem asks himself am I so far gone, in my despairing demand for intending that I m prepared to falsify everything to re-write the whole history of my times strictly in order to put myself in a cardinal function? ( Rushdie p. 190 ) . First, he wants to affect Padma and his boy with his life narrative. He explains that this is what keeps me traveling: I hold on to Padma. Padma is what affairs ( Rushdie p. 337 ) . As he admits, he is needing-to-be-loved ( Rushdie p. 392 ) , and by crafting his narrative carefully he can affect Padma with his worth. The uncertainness and anxiousness is exaggerated when Padma leaves him. Shortly after he says, I feel baffled. . . in her absence my certainties are falling apart ( Rushdie p. 187 ) . His other motive for moving, and moving rapidly is his desire to complete the narrative before his life ends. In the first page he explains, clip ( holding no farther usage for me ) is running out. I will shortly be 31 old ages old. Possibly. If my crumbling, overused organic structure licenses ( Rushdie p. 3 ) . The possibly suggests his uncertainness with his ain mortality he is non certain how much more his organic structure can allow, and throughout the narrative he says that he must hotfoot on ( Rushdie p. 475 ) , so that he can complete before an unsure decease. It has become obvious from the illustrations presented that Saleem is non a dependable storyteller ; his haste to state his narrative and impress Padma clouds his truthfulness as an writer. The significance of holding a first individual storyteller that is undependable is that readers are left to swift through which inside informations are true, as they process through the book. Readers must understand that the relationship from storyteller to readers is rendered otherwise from a first individual position, opposed to a 3rd individual point of position. The so-what facet is that novels, such as the three discussed, pollute the overall interaction. When a storyteller exaggerates, lies, manipulates, over-simplifies inside informations, or even uses another character s injury to give attending to her ain life, the intent of the fresh becomes fly-by-night. Novels that use other points of positions smooth the passage between reader and writer by offering a safe and stable narrative. First individual narratives can be slippery when readers are forced to follow them as the lone usher throughout the pages. First individual narrators are similar to a unsighted individual giving a circuit in a cave ; we trust them plenty because the shinny name ticket says follow me but we drag our fingers across the walls, verifying that we truly are in cave. It is necessary when reading novels with first individual that we recognize the untrustiness can reflect negatively on how we see other facets of the novel. For illustration, when a storyteller describes other characters interacting but we do nt believe the storyteller, we in bend do non believe that the other characters look they manner they do, speak they manner described, or even care about the conversations every bit much as we could is the storyteller was dependable. Novels need a stable relationship to bond the reader to the narrative ; without a sense of security and trust, readers will non care about characters, events, or the intent. There is a noncompliant battle that must be overcome when swearing undependable storytellers to safely acquire us out of the cave alive. These three books have proven that cautiousness must be taken when covering with an untrusty point of position. Life of Pi, The Gathering, and Midnight s Children all experience the first individual storyteller ; because of its point of position, readers invariably have to fight to swear. When this happens, the relationship of trust between the reader and storyteller is compromised. By comparing first individual narrative in each of the novels, it was proven that the point of position contaminates the dependability. These three novels shine visible radiation on the confusing complexness that has to be overcome when an undependable storyteller takes our manus and retarding forces us through the pages. The storyteller will seek to lead on us, confound us, and even pull strings us in believing the hyperboles, but, we must travel frontward through the pages every bit swimmingly as possible, if non for the storyteller, so for Liam, Padma, and Richard Parker s interest.

Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus Essay Example

Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus Essay Example Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus Essay Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus Essay Essay Topic: Julius Caesar Introduction Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus[1], also known as Caesar Augustus, was a prominent leader in ancient history who contributed immensely towards many transformations during his period in office. Augustus was well liked in the eyes of his citizens, partly due to the positive reforms that he made. He also helped to conduct the search for the parties involved in the murder of his uncle, Julius Caesar, so that the people could have their justice.[2] However, he was also despised by many, including those involved in Caesar’s assassination, and anyone else who tried to stand against him, such as Mark Antony.[3] While most of his actions were questionable and controversial, the political, economic and social reforms that he made helped to move the Roman Empire towards a peace that would last for several hundred years. : Political Influence Augustus, born in 63 BC[4], did not live a life of nobility at a young age. However, it was thrust upon his after Julius Caesar won civil peace in 40 BC[5] and proceeded to take over power in Rome. Augustus was a simple, orphaned boy living in the republic at the time, but Caesar need and heir to entrench his position as ruler of Rome. Having had no direct heir, and having been a close friend of Augustus’ family, he decided to adopt the young boy who upon Caesar’s death in 44 BC[6] took up leadership of the Roman Empire at the tender age of 19. In Rome, Augustus was considered a conqueror and highly celebrated. By the age of 32, he had made history as the first Emperor in Rome who pledged to reinstate tranquility and safety.[7] Augustus was careful to appease the Roman citizens and even went as far as redistributing the wealth according to his stepfather’s will.[8] In the conflict between him and Mark Antony, Augustus made the popular choice to fight Mark and won the battle. This choice and others made by Augustus to further increased his popularity with the local people. His popularity was so intense that they declared him â€Å"Dictator for life†.[9] Despite several obstacles, the people adored Augustus as he was constantly in touch with people through public meetings.[10] From between 49 and 43 BC[11], the Roman ruler headed the implementation of the popular â€Å"Constitutional Reforms of Julius Caesar†[12]. At the start of his career, Augustus had witnessed the disorganized nature of the Roman Republic[13]. The government machinery had stopped working under the burden of imperialism. The central government had become incapable; the provinces had been changed into autonomous principalities that were fully controlled by their manipulative governors.[14] Augustus instituted a new constitution that had the main purpose of achieving three distinct goals. Firstly, Augustus desired to restrain all armed resistance that was controlling the provinces. Secondly, he wanted to restore order to the Roman Republic. Finally, Augustus desired to unite them into one interconnected unit.[15] The first objective was attained when Augustus managed to conquer Pompey and his allies[16]. To complete the last two objectives, he had to ascertain that his control over the government was unquestionable. To do this, Augustus increased his power by maximizing his own authority, and by lowering that of the republics’ institutions.[17] Augustus went as far to amend the constitution to assume the significant magistracies, and soften the other political institutions.[18] He also established several supplementary reforms. Augustus manipulated the process for nominating candidates for magisterial positions by appointing his own people to the senate, and simultaneously, disrupted any efforts to rectify the situation by the assemblies.[19] Initially, Augustus was a plebian, and after taking up power, he reconnected with his roots.[20] While his popularity in battle was high, Augustus had a tumultuous relationship with different political circles. Augustus took up veto power and resorted to handling people’s issues directly. He also made a concession between historical norms and a modern social, political and economic reality[21]. In other words, he effectively combined the old and the contemporary method of governance for Roman republic. His fashion of implementing reforms salvaged the Roman republic, but in the long term, dictated the collapse of representative organizations, for Augustus centered power on himself. He made himself the local tribune, the public censor, the consul and the chief priest.[22] Additionally, Augustus was responsible for introducing formal legislation that reinstated most of the earlier customs and norms that were used in early Rome. Among the customs that were reinstated included regulations that restricted the open display of wastefulness[23]. This not only assisted in securing his place by restraining the political reputation of probable demagogues, but also restored a semblance of advanced decorum into the Senatorial order.[24] Slave laws were also formulated with the intention of controlling the number of freed slaves.[25] This and the extravagance policy significantly helped to preserve a communal status quo. Augustus also instituted marriage laws that improved the social order.[26] The legislations were crucial elements of the foundation that created massive changes in Rome and enabled it become an advanced state in its era. His efforts were largely promoted by his personal drive, but his legacy guided the operation of the Roman state for many years l ater.[27] His conflict with Mark Antony also influenced Rome’s social environment. The relationship between Augustus and Antony was both cordial and conflict in nature. In the beginning, Antony and Augustus were close allies who teamed up to create a formidable team together with Lepidus.[28] However, their relationship grew sour in 33 BC when the disagreement resulted in a civil war between Antony and Augustus.[29] In the battle, Augustus defeated Antony, and this started the struggles for power between these two key individuals. The bond between these two people to assume power of the Roman Empire pitted the bulk of the Roman population against each other and almost brought the country to a standstill.[30] The conflict and battle that ensued between Augustus and Antony held serious consequences for Rome as the victory of either faction would result in deep-seated changes in the political and social environment[31]. In addition, the strong bond that Augustus and Lepidus enabled the two to have a meaningful alliance. However, this alliance also broke down, and Lepidus was forced into exile leaving Antony and Augustus to struggle for domestic supremacy.[32] After this, the relationship between the two was marred with backhanded clashes, secret deals with public officials and other silent wars between the two individuals.[33] Mark Antony and Cleopatra were also entangled in a relationship that was partly romantic and partly political at the same time. It is supposed that Cleopatra’s choice of Antony as an ally may have been prompted by her desire to regain control over Egypt.[34] This would have been impossible had she worked with Augustus. Regardless of her intention, Cleopatra’s inclusion in the conflict served to worsen the situation as both men increasingly fought each other. These clashes divided the Romans into two factions and served to destabilize the political status.[35] Social Influence Augustus was a highly influential and ambitious individual who sought to rectify the problems in the Roman society. He was decisive in his administrative decisions that served to influence Romans in several ways. This trait is revealed when he succeeded in restraining all armed resistance that has taken control of the provinces.[36] He also restored order in the Roman Republic that was in turmoil prior to his takeover. Augustus made several decisions that brought him into conflict and cooperation with the upper class in Rome[37]. However, he was extremely tactful in how he handled the upper class grievances concerning the distribution of wealth in Rome and emerged from these deliberations with a lot of self-respect. He did this by granting the upper class plebeians access to magistracies.[38] Previously, this class was barred from magistracies thus preventing them from receiving their deserved share of resources or wealth.[39] Augustus made numerous extensive and tiresome meetings with the senate and other aspects of the government concerning wealth distribution.[40] His tactful appeasement methods allowed Augustus to settle most of the demands of the upper class such as the popular Parthian controversy[41]. Augustus successfully handled the situation and brought peace into Rome. Augustus was remarkably successful in maintaining long-term peace and tranquility between and among societies and state in the larger Europe through a combination of tact and sheer might.[42] Using force, Augustus was able to control most of the domestic problems that triggered instability and war. The control over provinces within Rome was a substantial cause of conflicts during his reign and Augustus developed a method of dealing with this issue[43]. He increased governments’ efforts in controlling these provinces and wrestled them away from the hands of the army and soldier who were dictatorial and aggressive in their administration. Coupled with several laws, he managed to put an end to the constant wars that revolved around territories.[44] Augustus also managed to gain the support and approval of the middle and lower classes and used these two to change the face of Rome greatly[45]. From deciding the selection of the new emperors to sorting out overpopulation and agriculture needs, Augustus reformed the society for the better.[46] All aspects of the Roman republic experienced Augustus’ strong and wise leadership in some way. Compared to previous rulers such as Julius Caesar, Augustus was by far the most fair, wise, strategic and tactful leader in Rome. His impact and influence by far assisted in shaping Rome into a modern and complex society way before its time. Even so, Augustus had dictatorial tendencies that made him slightly unpopular with the masses. He started by dismissing any representative bodies such as the Assembly, the secretaries and other bodies that distributed power and accountability in the state.[47] In this way, Augustus systematically stripped the bodies of any authority and consequently awarded them to himself[48]. Slowly, he transformed Rome into a dictatorial state and himself as the leader of the state. This did not go well with the citizens, as Rome was initially one of the centers of democracy in Europe.[49] Augustus was also a detrimental influence as he disrespected the institution of marriage. Moreover, he portrayed a false image as the leader of the Roman Empire by constantly getting into problems that concerned promiscuity and divorce. Augustus had three wives, Clodia Pulchra who later divorced him because of social issues.[50] The next wife was Scribonia who was popular as she bore Julia Caesar the Elder.[51] Lastly, there was Livia Drusilla who was the mother to Tiberius.[52] From these many social conflicts and divorces, Augustus was a terrible influence to the Romans. Even though Augustus used coercive methods in some areas, he also used liberal and open policies to rule other areas[53]. It is this complexity and flexibility in running the state that allowed him to maintain peace for many years. In some parts of the Roman Empire, Augustus allowed the Jews to keep and practice their religion and culture.[54] Therefore, while he was still the emperor in the Roman Empire, he allowed societies to have their own acknowledged forms of leadership and administration. In this way, conflicts within the empire seldom escalated to critical points. Augustus also promoted the spread of Christianity that was influential in helping him endorse peace in Europe[55]. The vast road networks and other infrastructure were vital in distributing Christianity to far-flung areas. These missionaries were allowed to operate within Rome without any restrictions, as Augustus was truly liberal when it came to culture and religion.[56] However, apart from these two significant w ays, Augustus was also extremely tactful in making political and economic alliances with potential enemies and in the process eliminate the need for wars.[57] This was the case with Mark Antony and Cleopatra before they fell out.[58] Economic Influence Augustus was highly influential and contributed significantly to the development of Rome as a state. Using a highly realistic approach, Augustus managed to introduce economic reforms steadily and ensured that Rome was fully transformed into a different state altogether.[59] The involvement of Augustus towards the merging and stabilization of the Roman Empire through influencing the government and the armed forces was vast, but the legacy of the ruler was best demonstrated in his efforts to transforming public utilities and infrastructure.[60] While Augustus was an influential element in the success of the new government, his efforts were largely rooted in his personal efforts and without them, his legacy soon crashed[61]. His re-establishment of conventional policy and a broad range of public changes assisted to salvage Rome out of the ruins of many years of civil war, but strengthened Augustus’ position as the indisputable and uncontested leader of the Roman Empire for many years[62]. Additionally, under Augustus’ rule, Rome’s economy underwent a considerable improvement. In this case, the rates of interest fell, and most debts were relieved.[63] Ultimately, this led to the influx of money leading to the rapid expansion of business in the region. The influx of physical currency and the expansion of business created employment opportunities.[64] Additionally, the employment opportunities were facilitated by the updated and newly built infrastructure facilities.[65] The economic achievements of Augustus were facilitated by his inquisitive studies on Julius Caesar’s colonization plans for the entire region[66]. Through this means, he was able to support industry and business. He oversaw the undertaking of general censuses and made tax more equitable. Additionally, Augustus was well aware that the roads were the main avenues of the empire’s development. Hence, he worked to construct major roads that facilitated easy movement of chariots and people.[67] He made the streets more attractive and improved housing conditions. He also established fire protection strategies and unleashed a police force to maintain law and order in the empire.[68] Furthermore, Augustus’ influence on the Roman Empire was due to some of the reforms he put in place[69]. For instance, he used a larger chunk of Rome’s expanded land for direct and consistent taxation. In comparison, his predecessors, on the other hand, exacted intermittent and arbitrary on the empire’s conquered regions.[70] This reform had a significant improvement on Rome’s revenue derived from conquered territories. It also regularized and stabilized the financial relations between Rome and her provinces.[71] These reforms were in this case because they would have otherwise provoked further resentment from the acquired territories.[72] The rate of tax in Augustus’ reign was determined by the results of the census on the Roman population[73]. In this case, Italy and Rome were required to pay indirect taxes. The other provinces were required to pay taxes directly. Indirect tax was collected on the following basis: four percent was charged for slave sales, one percent for auctioned goods, and five percent on inherited estates.[74] Another reform that improved the economy was the abolishment of private tax farming. This was overtaken by tax collectors who were paid by the government.[75] Private contractors were favored by this reform and to some extent gained sufficient influence on political matters in Rome.[76] Lastly, the reign of Augustus saw most of the empire’s revenue come from successful bids and tax on farmers’ profits.[77] However, ineffective supervision together with the farmer’s revolt against the tax strategies created a system characterized by arbitrary extractions.[78] In pa rticular, this was unfair to taxpayers and harmed investments as well as the economy. Conclusion Augustus was a courageous leader who knew the proper way to influence the subjects. His period in office was marred by unwanted innovation even though he maintained enough norms to keep the public contented. Augustus was generous and granted much of his property to the army soldiers. These and other actions fully express his benevolent nature. Even though he was benevolent, Augustus also had several pessimistic and unfitting behavior and choices that influenced negatively with his subject. His atheist nature was always pointed out by the public as a negative element for the emperor especially in Catholic Rome. On various occasions, Augustus had been cited as worshipping pagan Roman idols.[79] At one point, Augustus elevated himself to a god and allowed the people of Rome to worship him as a god. Augustus was remarkably successful in maintaining long-term peace and tranquility between and among societies and state in the larger Europe through a combination of tact and sheer might. Eve n though most of his actions were unorthodox or controversial, his reign implemented political, economic, and social reforms that played a vital role in moving the Roman Empire towards peace that would last for several hundred years. Everitt, Anthony. 2006. The first emperor: Caesar Augustus and the triumph of Rome. London: John Murray. Ferrero, Guglielmo. 1909. Greatness and decline of Rome. Vol.5, Vol.5. Heinemann. Firth, John B. 1909. Augustus C?sar and the organization of the empire of Rome. New York [etc.]: G.P. Putnam’s Sons. Mierow, Charles Christopher. 1948. Caesar Augustus – Empire builder. Harlow, England: The Classical Bulletin 24. Nicolaus, and Jane Bellemore. 1984. Nicolaus of Damascus Life of Augustus. Bristol: Bristol Classical Press. Richardson, John. 2012. Augustan Rome 44 BC to AD 14: the restoration of the Republic and the establishment of the Empire. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. Suetonius, and Donna W. Hurley. 2011. The Divine Augustus: Hackett Pub. Co. Wardle D. 2012. â€Å"Suetonius on Augustus as God and man†. Classical Quarterly. 62 (1): 307-326. [1] Caesar Augustus, Firth p.14

Chief Ethics Officer Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Chief Ethics Officer - Assignment Example Ethics try to determine what people must do and the goals that they need to pursue. The Chief Ethics Officer is the most important person in the C-level executive suite (Vallabhaneni, 2008). This report tries to highlight the roles and responsibilities of the Chief Ethics Officer. It also tries to identify the parameter’s that is necessary to avoid organs and leadership toxicity. It talks about the leadership skills required to ensure implementation and success. The company chosen for the study is Ford Motors Company. Job Description of Chief Ethics Officer Ford Motors is recognized as a renowned car manufacturing company of the world. The company is headquartered at Dearborn, Michigan. Being the new Chief Ethics Officer of Ford Motors, the following are the things that need to be done according to his responsibilities. Since internationally corporate unethical behavior pervades in an uncontrollable manner, they can however be cured if the companies appoint the Chief Ethics Of ficer in order to lessen the impacts of such unethical behaviors (Tran, 2010). It has been proposed that the system where the Ethics Officer reports to the management needs to be changed in order that these officers can perform their task effectively. The ethics officer must be hired and fired directly by the corporate board of directors instead of the company management. This kind of change in the reporting environment helps to enhance the effectiveness and independence of the ethics officer. There are numerous organizations that create and maintain the ethics position. The main responsibility of the ethics manager or officer is to improve the organizational ethical performances. They need to advise and assist the corporate management in the development and maintenance of the codes of conducts. They also have the additional responsibility of providing ethics training, monitoring along with accountability programs (Hoffman & Et. Al., 2007). The major role and responsibility of the C hief Ethics Officer is that they need to develop an ethics manual that will clearly describe the procedures and the policies on conflict of interest and codes of conduct. The policies need to be such that it restricts regarding the acceptance and giving of the gifts and travel by procurement, marketing, contracting and sales personnel. The chief responsibility of the ethics officer would be to prepare the rules that require written disclosures of the executives’ financial condition along with the outside earned income activities. He needs to ensure that there is adequate transparency in matter of disclosure of the financial statements and the position of the firm to the shareholders. The protection of the property of the organization and the key information are other important roles of the ethics officer in Ford Motors. In addition to these, the officer needs to perform certain other functions as well. He needs to promote a positive ethical climate in the organization via his leadership skills. He needs to work with the internal audit departments for the development of the audit plans and identify the areas of audit that will address the ethical violations. Parameters Necessary to Avoid Organ and Leadership Toxicity It has been noted that in the recent days,

Husserl's theory of Phenomenology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Husserl's theory of Phenomenology - Essay Example Philosopher Edmund Husserl proposed a vision of phenomenology that would increasingly allow philosophers and psychologists a means of investigating the vagaries of human conscious experience. While Husserl was the first philosopher to heighten phenomenology to an entire philosophical school of thought, subsequent thinkers would expand and change Husserl’s concepts. Throughout the 20th century two major forms of phenomenology emerged – Husserl’s theory of phenomenology and the existential theory of phenomenology. This essay compares and contrasts these divergent perspectives. There are a variety of differing features of Husserl’s theory of phenomenology and the existential version. In both instances, however, there is the similar recognition that phenomenological investigation considers internal aspects of human consciousness (Sokolowski, p. 159). Both perspectives on phenomenology worked to investigate aspects of human consciousness through bracketing techniques (Sokolowski, p. 159). In this way, the human senses’ perceived the external world was a major investigative trope. Both schools of thought recognized that the human senses only constituted a partial reflection of actual reality. Subsequently, phenomenology implemented the ‘epoche’ method of investigation where a particular aspect of sensory experience was bracketed and investigated. While the overarching mode of analysis is similar among both Husserl’s perspective the existential perspective on phenomenology, differences emerge in terms of the specifics. One of the primary differences between these perspectives is the objects they believe can be the object of phenomenological analysis. Existential phenomenology believed that phenomenology could only investigate actual objects from the external world. This perspective is contrasted with Husserl’s phenomenology that argues analysis also involved concepts such as freedom or justice. Ziemba indicates, â€Å"Husserl

Economical Markets Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Economical Markets Paper - Essay Example Monopoly is an economic structure where there one participant which controls the marketplace. . In such a market the firm realizing business controls the price, but it is not immune to the law of demand and supply. The price is set at the quantity and price point which maximizes profit for a company.. The market demand is downward sloping, but the difference is that in order to maximize profits price is not part of the equation and the formula is determined by the following equation, MR=MC. An example of an intangible asset which allows the formation of a monopoly in Parkersburg is Water – City of Parkersburg Utility. The company is the only firm that produces water within the region, thus they are monopoly. Utility monopolies are at times received governmental incentives so that the basic utility services such as water and electricity become cheaper for the people living below the poverty. Another economic market structure is monopolistic competition. Monopolistic competition is a market structure in which there are lots of competitors and the players utilized differentiation in order to bring uniqueness to their produce offer discrepancies among similar products. In order to effectively compete in such a market it is important to differentiate the product. This can be accomplished though expert advertising, innovation or better production methods. The market demand curve in monopolistic competition slopes downward, thus the equation to maximize profits is MR=MC. Graphically to determine the price for this output the economist extends the quantity line to the demand curve. In Virginia a company that operates in monopolistic market structure is Dairy Queen Brazier. Dairy Queen is a company in the fast food industry which delivers a product that is unique for the industry. The offers classic burgers and hotdogs, but the company also offers gourmet dairy product such as fresh bread,

Government and the Central Bank Economic Recession Responses

Government and the Central Bank Economic Recession Responses Discuss how the government and the central bank should respond to an economic slowdown and a recession At the end of year 2008, economists suggested that the economy may be led to -or already in- a recession when economic growth was decelerating. The official definition of a recession is two successive quarters with a decline in gross domestic product (GDP). However, the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) identifies that a recession as a â€Å"significant decline in economic activity spread across the economy, lasting more than a few months† based on a number of economic indicators, with an emphasis on trends in employment and income. It doesnt confine itself to use the technical definition of two quarters of negative GDP growth because it is only assessed quarterly and it is subject to revisions. By the time GDP growth is negative for two quarters, the recession is already well happening. However, an economic downturn is defined less strict. For instance, we were in an economic downturn even with positive growth because the economic growth rate was slowing down, house prices were falling, unemployment rates were increasing and people could see the business cycle that moved from a boom period to bust. To respond to an economic slowdown and recession, government and central bank should take active roles in resolving economic issues through the use of two expansionary policies: fiscal policy and monetary policy. While the economy is not officially in a recession, there are signs that economic activity is slowing. According to CRS Report for Congress, 2008, economic growth in the United States was negative in the fourth quarter of 2007 after two strong quarters, but turned positive in the first and second quarters of 2008. According to one data series (graphs), employment fell in every month of 2008. The unemployment rate, which rose slightly during the last half of 2007, declined in January and February of 2008, but began rising in March and by August stood at 6.1%. The continuing financial turmoil is also cause for concern. Forecasters, while projecting slower growth in 2008, remain uncertain about the likelihood of a recession. If financial market confidence is not restored and private market spreads remain elevated, the broader economy could slow due to difficulties in financing consumer durables, business investment, college education, and other big ticket items. When the economy is down turning, economist believe the central bank should place more emphasis on short-term monetary policy as it takes fewer time to implement and its decisions to significantly decrease interest rates, and natural market adjustment, along with the already enacted stimulus, would be enough to avoid recession. When there is a massive intervention in the financial markets, the transmission of money can be stimulated into the financial sector and ultimately into the broader economy, where an important expansion of credit could significantly raise aggregate demand. It is said to emphasise more on monetary policy than fiscal policy because there are lags before a policy change affects spending. Therefore, stimulus could be delivered after the economy has already entered a recession or a recession has already ended. First, there is a legislative process lag that applies to all policy proposals — a stimulus package cannot take effect until bills are passed by the H ouse and Senate, both chambers can reconcile differences between their bills, and the President signs the bill. Many bills get delayed at some step in this process. As seen in Table 8, many past stimulus bills have not become law until a recession was already underway or finished. Is additional fiscal stimulus needed during the economy slowdown? It depends on the current state of the economy. Fiscal policy temporarily stimulates the economy through an increase in the budget deficit. Fiscal stimulus can take the form of higher government spending (direct spending or transfer payments) or tax reductions, but normally it can boost spending only through a larger budget deficit. A deficit-financed increase in government spending directly boosts spending by borrowing to finance higher government spending or transfer payments to households. A deficit-financed tax cut indirectly boosts spending if the recipient uses the tax cut to increase his spending. Economists usually agree that spending proposals are somewhat more stimulative than tax cuts since part of a tax cut will be saved by the recipients. The most important determinant of the effect on the economy is its size. Economic performance can be illustrated through shifting in aggregate demand and aggregate supply curves. Aggregate supply and demand are shown in the graph below. If consumer confidence in the economy falls and people reduce their spending, aggregate demand will fall, reducing real output and prices and possibly dropping the country into a recession (figure1). As the American economy slid into recession in 1929, economists relied on the Classical Theory of economics, which promised that the economy would self-correct if government did not interfere. But as the recession deepened into the Great Depression and no correction occurred, economists realized that a revision in theory would be necessary. John Maynard Keynes developed Keynesian Theory, which called for government intervention to correct economic instability. As fiscal policy is the use of government spending and taxes to stabilize the economy, Keynes recommends that parliament should increase government spending in order to â€Å"prime the pump† of the economy during periods of recession. At the same time, he calls for tax decreases in recessionary times, to increase consumers disposable income with which they can buy more products. Through both methods of fiscal policy, the increase in aggregate demand brought about by such actions leads firms to increase production, hire w orkers, and increase household incomes to enable them to buy more. While both tools are effective, Keynes advocated change in government spending as the more effective fiscal policy tool, because any change in government spending has a direct effect on aggregate demand. However, if taxes are reduced, consumers most likely will not spend all of their increase in disposable income; they are likely to save some of it. Referring to the graph, a rise in government spending G or a decline in autonomous taxes will cause the aggregate demand AD shift to the right, thus increasing both the equilibrium level of real GDP, Q*, and the equilibrium price level P*. When economy is running into recession, central bank is one of the agencies responsible to influence the demand, supply and hence, price of money and credit in order to keep production, prices, and employment stable. To do this, the central bank uses three tools: open market operations, the discount rate and reserve requirements. In order to bring the economy out of recession, central bank will lower the reserve requirements. Due to the act, member banks are required to keep less money, and so more money can be put into circulation through expanding their loans to firms and people. Furthermore, with the use of its open market operations for buying government securities, the central bank pays for these securities by crediting the reserve accounts of its member banks involved with the sale. With more money in these reserve accounts, banks have more money to lend, interest rates may fall, and consumer and business spending may increase, encouraging economic expansion. The discount rate is serves as an indicator to private bankers of the intentions of the central bank to enlarge the money supply. So a lowered discount rate which is announced by the central bank encourages more banks to borrow from the reserve banks. According to the graph below, a central bank open market purchase of securities, a fall in the discount rate or a decrease in the required reserve ratio will raise the money supply, thereby increasing aggregate demand and the equilibrium level of real GDP, Q*, and the equilibrium price level, P*.

Educational Policies of Nigeria and South Korea Essay

Education has been the corner stone of the success of every economy. In terms of those countries which have been colonized and have adopted a government that was highly repressive in nature, one could significantly argue that such would post an effect to how education was being delivered, the degree of excellence of the aforementioned, the demands of the market and the availability of jobs, and finally its effects to the economy. This paper focuses on the educational history and policies of Nigeria and South Korea in relation to the British military government of the Nigerians and the Japanese occupation and the American military government of the South Koreans. These policies and norms are then significantly related to their employment systems and its effect on their economy. The objectives of this essay are the following: 1. To establish a brief account of the educational policies and norms of Nigeria and South Korean and significantly identify its relationship to the military government. 2. To significantly identify the effects of the educational policies and norms in relation to the availability of jobs to the citizens and consequently the continuous demands of the market for such jobs; and finally 3. To know the effects of educational excellence, jobs availability and demands to the sustainable development of an economy. Review of Related Literature Education and Military Government in Nigeria One of the major constitutional changes that happened to the government of Nigeria was in 1953, a few years after the World War II. Such a change took effect through the London Conference attended by both Nigerian and Colonial officials which places the country under the rule of a Governor General, having the aforementioned the leader of the three principle regions of the country. Such a change of the name of positions was a way for the British regime to increase the autonomous powers of the country thereby making education vested at the local level, which is in accordance with the aim of unifying the region (Patterson, 1955, p. 94). Education, other than representation and taxation was one of the autonomous areas of governance that is designated to the central government. As such it is with this respect that the government had ordered that the youth of Nigeria regardless of any region should be given â€Å"sound and uniform standards of performance† (p. 95). The objective of this educational policy is to have the youth fully prepared on their primary and secondary education so as to enable them to take higher education both inside and outside of the country. Within the new constitution, 34 subjects or areas of concern were given to the federal government to oversee. In addition with this, 14 subject areas were also created and delegated to the federal government to be administered to individual regions. Consequently, it has also been perceived that the successful implementation of these subjects could only happen if the individuals administering these areas were competent enough, hence resulting to the very high standards were implemented by the government in terms of employee recruitment (p. 5). Such a drive for the development of skills for the Nigerian youth resulted to the perceived shortness in terms of trained senior administrators and other technicians for various government and technical posts for the country. The federal government perceived that the shortage could only be remedied through higher education and long experience of the youth. At the end of 1953, it has been perceived that 5,000 senior service positions were available in which 3,300 of them were taken by overseas personnels or the â€Å"expatriates†. Only 800 positions are given to Nigerians, and there were still 900 positions more that were vacant (World Bank, 1955, p. 23). The drive of the British Government to improve the education in Nigeria resulted to the establishment of a program for development for African Territories under the British Crown. The program which was called the Colonial Development and Welfare Schemes was inaugurated in 1945 in which required the British Government to contribute 23,000,000 pounds sterling for ten years that would enable the country to develop and another loan of 26-500,000 pounds sterling that would be used to fund a number of projects including education and other research facilities (Patterson, 1955, p. 97). The result of such an effort on the end of the British Government paved the way for a consuming ambition among young Nigerians to be associated with the Government and take a number of white collar jobs (p. 8). Technical Education in Nigeria Technical education is placed as one of the major projects of the Ten-Year Plan for Development and Welfare for the post-war Nigeria. Institutions that would cater to technical skills, trade, and handicrafts were created after the Second World War. For instance, the Technical Institute of Yaba, the first center that was created outside Lagos offered three full-time and two part-time programs and special short courses. These skills were those relating to junior and senior technical and also teacher training. For a four-year education, the country had been offering instructions in wood working, drafting, sub-professional engineering, commerce and printing to those students who have completed eight years of primary education and have already passed a special entrance examination. The senior technical course offered by the institute focused on courses in electrical, mathematical and civil engineering, architectural assistance and economics. Consequently, there were also teacher-training programs which offer a two-year course to prepare teachers for handicraft centers and secondary school craft courses (World Bank, 1955, p. 582-583). On the other hand, the Trade Centers at Yaba aimed to produce skilled craftsmen by offering courses which range from two to five years. The students primarily learned on an apprenticeship basis after which they have already familiarized themselves with the tools of the trade and have learned to do simple tasks; consequently academic instructions were given to the students averages one day every week. After the students have already gained the skills that are necessary, they were contacted by the trade center to go to large cities in order to work. Part of the educational system was also the refusal to accept new students until a new class graduates. As such, the intake and output for some courses happened only once in every five years. For the first five years of the operation of the Yaba Centre, there were only 85 students who had graduated while 18 were dismissed and 13 of them resigned (p. 84). The Weakness of the Nigerian Education One major weaknesses of the Nigerian education was the inclination to have all areas of the Government to have properly staffed and well-trained individuals; as such resulting in having schools to have its own standards and specializations and independence from other educational efforts. Such an act resulted at times to the replication of jobs or over specialization on some skills, which were often criticized to prevent holistic development. It has been argued by some scholars that schools that were operated by the departments of governments had the inclination to emphasize subjects that were too technical up to the extent of neglecting certain subjects such as English, Mathematics and the Social Sciences. As such, some students after graduating from departmental schools normally look for jobs that they believed will be necessary for their employment rather than their abilities and interests (Patterson, 1955, p. 7-98). In effect of this, the inclination towards education had been something that was relative to that of available employment. Outside the market, it had been perceived that education had no value and in the long run, had stimulated little demand to the public. It is with this respect that competition among available jobs had been perceived to be very keen wherein the colonial Nigeria has clustered to commercial areas within the region (Davis and Kalu-Nwiwu, 2001, p. 1). It could also be significantly noted that education for women during the post-war Nigeria had also been problematic as although there were already several domestic science centers that were established, very few of them remained in actual operation. As such, the education of women had been lagging in the country. The education that was provided to women were those solely with regard to food preparation, sewing, cleaning, general sanitation and elementary skills in nursing (World Bank, 1955, p. 588).

Sample of Selling Product Proposal

Love what you're doing when you're selling a product. The popular image of a salesperson as someone willing to â€Å"sell at all costs† is not the reality across the board in sales. A good salesperson loves sales, is motivated by what they're selling, and transfers this enthusiasm and belief to the customer. Indeed, the customer is given options, including the one to walk away, in order to avoid such undue pressure. Learn how to listen to customers and to read their body language. Avoid interrupting or disagreeing with a customer, and provide your customer with space to talk. Know how to interpret a customer's folded arms, eye contact, and manner of standing toward or away from you. Make the customer comfortable and you're off to a good start in selling your product. 2Be knowledgeable about the product. There is nothing more infuriating to a potential customer than to come across a half-hearted salesperson who claims uncertainty about what the product can and can't do, what it's made from, and what happens when things in it stop working. It is absolutely vital to know your product range inside out and if you do not know something a customer asks of you, let them know you'll find out and get back to them as soon as possible. 3Help the customer see the perks. As well as getting good product information to the right people, it is important to translate the product's features into benefits for the customer, thus making it easier for them to buy. Have you used the product, tested it, tried it out, or worked with it–whichever is relevant? Do you feel comfortable about being able to talk to a customer as someone totally familiar with the product? Ask yourself one simple question: Why should a customer buy my product? If the only answer you can come up with is â€Å"So I can get paid,† you're selling the wrong product. 4Ensure that the product has been adequately explained. Good product information, including retail packaging, is important. Lots of salespersons and sales managers don't like to admit that sales can be completed by product information. They like to think it is their personal charm, intelligence, and determination that closes sales. For the most part, that is bunk. Not only can sales be made by product information, most sales are made this way. And this is more true today than in the past because of the proliferation of â€Å"big-box stores† and other forms of product sales without the benefit of interpersonal relationships. The product information should be informative, true and complete. Ideally, it should give the prospective buyer all the information they need to buy on the spot. For most prospects shopping without assistance, clear and easy to understand information, as described above, is important. 5Make the benefits of the product loud and clear. Besides the actual utility, beauty, or even fame of the product, what are you offering above and beyond? Make it clear to the customer what key benefits the product brings to them, such as guarantees, warranties, and after-sales service. Connecting with the Buyer 1Understand the motivations of the buyer. When presenting the product to the customer, bear in mind that most successful products and services are bought, not sold. They are bought by people who have a need, and believe that the product will satisfy that need. This is often the result of marketing rather than selling, however. Selling the product rather than just offering it for sale almost always involves an emotional component. Take some time to look at the marketing side of the product. What images and promises have been created by the marketing around the product that you're trying to sell? In what ways can you continue this theme where it seems most appropriate to maintain the promised satisfaction the marketing offers? During your presentation, confirm that your prospective buyer will want or need your product. You will need to do this through a range of methods, including observing their reactions, listening to them carefully, and asking them clear questions about what they actually need. If you're visiting your potential buyer's office, look at their wall and desk. What photos, posters, or images can you see? Are there images of family, pets, vacations that will provide you with a connection to this person's wants? 2Know how to open with a customer. Instead of asking the close-ended question â€Å"May I help you? â€Å", ask the more positive, open-ended â€Å"Are you looking for something for yourself is it a gift for someone special? † And be alert to making comments on the product before getting into a deeper discussion with the customer, such as â€Å"These long legged computer stands are really popular this summer. 3Convert the customer's motivations into the product's characteristics. In marketing, this is known as â€Å"positioning†, and it consists of equating the product with the customer's hopes and desires. The following positioning factors are all of importance when selling a product[1]: Position the product in the best spectrum of the ma rket possible. Mark H, McCormack calls this finding your â€Å"biggest bulge of buyers†, and not pitching the product too high or too low in terms of affordability and luxury. [2] Position the facts about the product according to the person you're selling it to. You may have a handful of different facts, but it's up to your skill to know which of those facts best serve each individual sale. Position the facts so that they reflect the desired perception. However, don't fudge facts or lie outright. This is about perception, not deception. Position the facts so that they transcend the product itself. This means that the desirable, positive values associated with the product sell the product and have very little to do with the product itself. Companies that excel at this include Coca-Cola, Apple, and many designer goods or labels. Understand all the aspects that feed into the end sale of a product. Advertising, merchandising, and marketing are support functions for selling. Selling is the goal of these support functions and a good salesperson needs to have a decent understanding of each of these aspects in a product's life. Read basic texts on marketing. These will quickly bring you up to speed on many of the tactics and techniques underlying ad vertising, merchandising, and marketing. In addition, texts on starting a small business will often provide useful overview information of this type. Read How to understand marketing for more details. If your product is more for work than for play, learn a little about finance to quantify its benefits. If it's for a business, learn more about accounting to explain how it will make the investors as well as the employees happy. 5Be honest. Long-term lovers of your product will only come about if you've been honest with them. This means being transparent in your delivery of product information and also admitting your own lack of knowledge or mistakes you've made where needed. Don't be afraid of honesty; it builds trust. Think like (not about) your customers. Think about what you'd like to hear and learn about the product if you were in the customer's shoes. Don't take the easy way out and brush your customer off when stock is low or your knowledge is sparse. Always make a genuine effort to follow up customer wants, and to physically take customers to a product, and demonstrate it, where possible. A customer given a hands-on demonstration will feel more involved in the sale and more likely to purchase than one who is told â€Å"It's in aisle 5 that way† and given a brisk hand wave. Closing the Sale 1Close the sale. There are many styles and methods of closing a sale. One of the most effective has the mnemonic, ABC: â€Å"Always Be Closing. † As you confirm your prospective buyer's interest in the product, put forward trial closes like, â€Å"Does this sound like the product you want? â€Å". When answered in the affirmative, this may mean you have completed the sale on that product, and it is time to build the sale with related products. 2Be prepared to give customers time to consider. Appearing overly pushy is a turn-off for many modern-day buyers who do their own savvy internet research before coming to see you. They may want to go home and do a quick online search; let them do so with your enthusiastic and supportive pitch in their mind. If you've been truthful, helpful, considerate, and enthusiastic and the information you've given them matches with what they read online, it'll be your business they come back to for the product, or your product they'll prefer over a competitor's. Improving Sales 1Spread your product information. It is important to make your product information available through as many channels as possible. Today, the range of potential placements has increased a great deal thanks to the advances in communications. Give your potential buyers many possible places to find out more about your information including in the following ways: Promote your product through representatives, dealers, salesmen, radio, TV, word-of-mouth by customers, mail and email (in various forms), distribution at trade shows, seminars, telephone, fax, computer networks, product packaging, airline magazines, retail storefronts, space ads, and the Internet. And consider the worth of product placement in movies, sports games, and other big events that are televised. Use social media. This is now a very important part of getting products out into the broader, global marketplace. Places Facebook and Pinterest can be great launching pads for your product. Use local community events. Donating your product to a local school gala for auctioning to raise school funds can be a great way to get your product known, as well as getting the goodwill from the community who recognizes your generosity. 2Get creative. Sales can only be increased by certain things over which you have control but which are not necessarily self-evident. Sometimes price changes are required; other times, you'll need tweaks to the product, or a broadening or contracting of your product range. All of this will be evident from undertaking regular inventory checks and follow ups on sales performance. Some methods to increase sales include: Selling more of your existing products to your existing customers – which probably means new sales methods will need to be implemented. Adding new products. Adding new customers. Having an exclusive product for a set period of time that everyone wants. Troubleshooting Poor Sales 1Review. At regular intervals during and after the sale of your product, there should always be a review. Is the product selling well? If not, why not? Are stocks low or are you still tripping over product that has dust on it? Bear in mind the image that slow-moving or unsold products can create in the minds of a customer. Finding dust on items tells the customer the product has been there for some time and may be outdated. Seeing the same display month in and month out suggests to the customer that the product is stale and not very popular. Always review the viability of the products with these questions: Can the product be deleted from your line if it's not selling so well? Try not to add new products until you've removed the old ones or you may just have too many choices and less leverage with which to convince the potential buyer. If you're a business owner, you also risk tying up too much of your cash in stock that has the potential to go obsolete faster than you can move it. Can you liquidate obsolete products? Can you look back over your target market and sharpen the focus? You may have been missing the best fit within the market for your product. Re-evaluate product mix, product design, product location and selling methods if your product is in severe sales decline. EditTips Know what your competitors are doing and find ways to outsell their ideas. Does your product have added features, special warranties, or a better price? Using Independent Sales Reps (working on commission only). They will sell your product and get paid only when the sale is consumed. Many resources exists to find them online. Make your prices low. You will sell lots of products and get as much money as you would've done for making your item expensive and selling very little. A database such as Microsoft Access can help you organize, reorganize, and display the information your business generates for all kinds of insights. A personal information manager (PIM) program, often part of an email program, specializes in organizing contacts. A customer relationship management [3] (CRM) program goes a step further by automating their use in marketing. For example, ACT! makes it very easy to get back to a potential customer every 30 days. Other computer programs, like OpenOffice. org are also extremely helpful in organization, running reports and similar tasks. EditWarnings Never let people into your home. It is better to have an Internet-run business where people don't have direct contact with you. It may seem hard running an Internet business, but when you get going, it is definitely worth all of the work. EditRelated wikiHows

Geographic Facts About Oregon

Geographic Facts About Oregon Oregon is a state located in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is north of California, south of Washington and west of Idaho. Oregon has a population of 3,831,074 people (2010 estimate) and a total area of 98,381 square miles (255,026 sq km). It is most known for its diverse landscape that includes a rugged coastline, mountains, dense forests, valleys, high desert and large cities such as Portland. Oregon Fast Facts Population: 3,831,074 (2010 estimate)Capital: SalemLargest City: PortlandArea: 98,381 square miles (255,026 sq km)Highest Point: Mount Hood at 11,249 feet (3,428 m) Interesting Info to Know About the State of Oregon Scientists believe that humans have inhabited the region of present-day Oregon for at least 15,000 years. The area was not mentioned in recorded history however until the 16th century when Spanish and English explorers spotted the coast. In 1778 Captain James Cook mapped part of Oregon’s coast while on a journey looking for the Northwest Passage. In 1792 Captain Robert Gray discovered the Columbia River and claimed the region for the United States.In 1805 Lewis and Clark explored the Oregon region as part of their expedition. Seven years later in 1811 John Jacob Astor established a fur depot called Astoria near the mouth of the Columbia River. It was the first permanent European settlement in Oregon. By the 1820s the Hudson’s Bay Company became the dominant fur traders in the Pacific Northwest and it established a headquarters at Fort Vancouver in 1825. In the early 1840s, Oregon’s population grew considerably as the Oregon Trail brought many new settlers into th e region.​In the late 1840s, the United States and British North America had a dispute about where the border between the two would be. In 1846 the Oregon Treaty set the border at the 49th parallel. In 1848 the Oregon Territory was officially recognized and on February 14, 1859, Oregon was admitted into the Union. Today Oregon has a population of over 3 million people and its largest cities are Portland, Salem, and Eugene. It has a relatively strong economy that depends on agriculture and various high-tech industries as well as natural resource extraction. The major agricultural products of Oregon are grain, hazelnuts, wine, assorted types of berries and seafood products. Salmon fishing is a major industry in Oregon. The state is also home to large companies such as Nike, Harry and David and Tillamook Cheese.Tourism is also a major part of Oregon’s economy with the coast being a major travel destination. The state’s large cities are also tourist destinations. Crater Lake National Park, the only national park in Oregon, averages about 500,000 visitors per year.As of 2010, Oregon had a population of 3,831,074 people and a population density of 38.9 people per square mile (15 people per square kilometer). Most of the state’s population, however, are clustered around the Portl and metropolitan area and along the Interstate 5/ Willamette Valley corridor. Oregon, along with Washington and sometimes Idaho, is considered a part of the United States’ Pacific Northwest and it has an area of 98,381 square miles (255,026 sq km). It is famous for its rugged coastline that stretches 363 miles (584 km). The Oregon coast is divided into three regions: the North Coast that stretches from the mouth of the Columbia River to Neskowin, the Central Coast from Lincoln City to Florence and the South Coast that stretches from Reedsport to the state’s border with California. Coos Bay is the largest city on the Oregon coast.Oregon’s topography is highly varied and consists of mountainous regions, large valleys such as the Willamette and Rogue, high elevation desert plateau, dense evergreen forests as well as redwood forests along the coast. The highest point in Oregon is Mount Hood at 11,249 feet (3,428 m). It should be noted that Mount Hood, like most of the other tall mountains in Oregon, is a part of the Cascade Mountain Range    a volcanic range stretching from northern California into British Columbia, Canada. In general Oregon’s varied topography is normally divided into eight different regions. These regions consist of the Oregon Coast, the Willamette Valley, the Rogue Valley, the Cascade Mountains, the Klamath Mountains, the Columbia River Plateau, the Oregon Outback and the Blue Mountains ecoregion.Oregon’s climate varies throughout the state but it is generally mild with cool summers and cold winters. The coastal regions are mild to cool year round while eastern Oregon’s high desert areas are hot in the summer and cold in the winter. High mountain areas such as the region around Crater Lake National Park have mild summers and cold, snowy winters. Precipitation generally occurs year-round in much of Oregon. Portland’s average January low temperature is 34.2ËšF (1.2ËšC) and its average July high temperature is 79ËšF (26ËšC).

Global Economic Crisis

Global Economic Crisis The global crisis team members include; Christine LaGarde, Warren Buffet, Colin Powell. These are people from various parts of the world who play major roles in the world economy. For example, Colin Powell is an American politician who has experience in military leadership.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Global Economic Crisis specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Having led the American army for many years, he has the required experience to advise the president on global economic crisis. In fact, Colin can contribute to solutions since he might have experienced most situations during his term in the army (Shiller, 2008). This means that he might have learnt about economic hardships while serving outside America hence remaining the best equipped with economic information in the team. Inclusion of Powell in the team is extremely crucial because based on his background he might explain some of the implications of global e conomic crisis to the military. In fact, this is vital because the team will have to look at the impacts of global economic crisis to national and international security. The military needs to be supplied with the necessary equipment in order to carry out their mandate effectively. In addition, as the government advisor on security matters, Powell can give pertinent information to the team regarding effects of the economy to security. Christine LaGarde is a lawyer by profession and the managing director of the International Monetary Fund. She was considered to be a team member due to her long service to the French government in various ministries. The fact that she is currently managing the International Monetary Fund makes her the source of the latest information regarding what is happening in the globe in terms of economies. This means that she has the insights of every development in the world since she heads the institution that helps states in the world to facilitate their proj ects (Savona, Kirton and Oldani, 2011). She was included in the team because of her experience in several government institutions.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Having been a minister in several ministries; Christine can help the team with information regarding impacts of global economic crisis to various governmental institutions. In fact, having her in the team will lead to an inclusive report that highlights on finances both within and outside the national boundaries. She can be of help since she manages the institution that lends money to countries badly hit by the economic crisis in the world. This can guide the president on the possible states he can consider assisting. This means that the team will help the government in coming up with a strategy that can help various states to cope with global economic crisis. Warren Buffett is an American investor, and c an help the team a lot in matters that affect the world economically (Brown, 2010). Since he has been in the business world for long, Warren stands a better chance of helping the team with first-hand information regarding global economic crisis. As an investor, Warren must have experienced various economic conditions and situations in the globe and their implications to businesses and other forms of investments. In fact, he will represent investors in the team hence helping the team in winning the credibility of its audience. This is because sectors involved in the economy of any state will be represented hence leading to development of an inclusive report on the global crisis. Inclusion of Warren in the team is particularly valuable because he has been in the business for extraordinarily long. This means that he has experienced economic crisis in the world hence putting him at a position of giving a lot of information. In fact, he can narrate to the team on his experiences with the economic crisis. This information can be crucial for the government in the future prevention of crisis. If negligence from part of the government caused a crisis in the world, then they should be careful in the future to avoid repeating the same mistakes. These three members can play vital roles in turning the global economy because they have the mandate of causing changes in the economy. For example, Colin Powell can ensure that all security measures taken by the government is for the good of everyone in the world.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Global Economic Crisis specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This means that the American government should not use its security powers for selfish gains but for the sake of the world. Christine can use her office in a manner to ensure that only the needy states get necessary assistance. She should come up with monetary policies aimed at ensuring that global economic crisis is contained (Taylor and Weerapana, 2009). Finally, Warren can play a role by ensuring that he fights for other investors. This means that the government should come up with investment policies that protect and empowers investors. This will encourage investments and eventually help in curbing global economic crisis. Team members are experienced personnel hence having the ability to tackle the issue properly. Secondly, all represents various sectors of the economy hence covering the entire departments run by the governments in the world. However, some members lack exposure. For example, Colin has inadequate exposure to the world since he worked for the American army. Therefore, his advice might be limited to America only hence ending up unable to advice on international economies. References Brown, C. B. (2010). Colin Powell critical of President Obama, Politico. Web. Savona, P., Kirton, J. J. Oldani, C. (2011). Global Financial Crisis: Global Impact and Solutions. New York: Ashgate P ublishing, Ltd. Shiller, R. J. (2008).The subprime solution: how todays global financial crisis happened, and what to do about it. New Jersey: Princeton University Press.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Taylor, J. B. Weerapana, A. (2009). Principles of Economics: Global Financial Crisis Edition. Belmont: Cengage Learning.

A Long Journey Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

A Long Journey - Essay Example Auster differs from Nathaniel in one aspect, he find himself in a state of oscillation, moves from one place to another and talks with his friends on different things about his father, recollecting those limited moments which he had spent with his father. His talking style also switches from one point to other. This may also be due to the sudden death of his father. As far as the fact is concerned Auster’s father was not a sick person, but he suspects that the reason could be the reflection of his maternal grandfather’s murder. The flash back shows some violence that had happened in his family.His search relies on finding a father from the memories of his childhood days spent with him. He goes to the house where his father lived and finds out the old photos. Auster is reminded of those days through that photo, where he stands along with his father. His search is not only to find out his father but he wants to get a clear notion of father and son relationship. In pursuit of his father he sees his inside. The following comment would help in understanding the search of Auster â€Å"A sense of deep meaning and self-determination† [1]says the review regarding The portrait of an Invisible Man. Though some critics comment as Auster has lost his continuity.†Auster seems to have lost his sense of continuity†[Review Summary]. As it is very clear that Auster cannot find his father flesh and blood and more over his sanity teaches him the reality Auster considers his father as an invisible man. When he starts recollecting he feels his father’s presence, when the death news rules over him he realizes he cannot come back. Here lies the theme that his father is an invisible man. Nathaniel’s father dies leaving alone his two families and a eleven year old son, who in none but Nathaniel himself. His search goes in terms of finding

The importance of a film Do The Right Thing, directed by Spike Lee, in Essay

The importance of a film Do The Right Thing, directed by Spike Lee, in the world of independent American film of the Eighties and Nineties - Essay Example Now what is an independent film? An independent film is defined as a motion picture released by an autonomous film company which is not the part of the so-called â€Å"Big 6† or the top six film studios that monopolize the US and Canada movie market. Some people may not be sensitive about this when watching movies, but it should be noted that if the film is the one created by Warner Bros., then it’s been made by one of the â€Å"Big 6† companies. The others included in this list are the following: Columbia Pictures, Paramount Pictures, 20th Century Fox, Universal Pictures, and Walt Disney Studios (Cieply, 2009). Throughout American film history, there have been sporadic attempts by independent film producers to create movies that are experimental, less formulaic and more offbeat in contrast to their contemporaries. However, it was only during the 1980s (and onwards) that independent films were able to gain that window of opportunity to make their presence being felt in the industry. It is taken for granted that producers of ‘Indie films’ (short for Independent films) work on a lower budget making these types of films but what makes them stand out from the others is the somewhat atypical story, or sometimes, it’s the treatment of the subject matter itself, which these types of films usually tackle. As one article states: â€Å"A films Indie label carries with it this mode of independence in storytelling where studios dare not go†¦ This risk-taking is beyond low-budget films, with high acclaim and no box-office, inspired by triumphant tales in independent filmmakingà ¢â‚¬  (Cangialosi, 2010). In a way, this reflects the rebellious nature of either the director or the producer of the film, which is somehow going against the tide or thinking outside the box. Nevertheless, this has tremendously, positively helped in uplifting the film industry to be more audacious and have more guts