The House On Mango Street Character Analysis - 760 Words

Facing Maturity Maturity is reaching to the point where one asks themselves who they are as a person and who they want to be. It’s when one starts searching for the answers. Maturity is when one becomes their own best friend, their own priority. It’s when one knows what is and who is good for themselves and to protect them. In the novel The House on Mango Street, by Sandra Cisneros the narrator, Esperanza, reveals her story about how she tries to find her true self. As she enters womanhood, she develops her identity and changes drastically as she gets a better understanding of her sexuality, heritage, and her as a person. In Cisneros’ House on Mango Street, Esperanza evolves from an insecure girl to a mature young lady as she becomes†¦show more content†¦When Esperanza wears the shoes, she gets comments from boys and men for the first time of her life, which shows her pleasure of wanting people to notice her. Overall, Esperanza changes from being self-c onscious to confident. Esperanza also evolves as she becomes aware of her responsibilities. In the beginning of the story, Esperanza was only concerned with her own desires. This is displayed in the vignette â€Å"The House on Mango Street† when she wishes for a â€Å"real house that would be [theirs]...[their] house would have running water...real stairs...like the houses on TV†¦[their] house would be white...a great big yard†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (4) This portrays the American Dream. The way Esperanza describes the house she dreams of having one day, displays her insecurity at being poor since she has never lived in a house where there was running water or more than one bathroom. Moreover, dreaming of this house shows how desperate she is to escape her neighborhood because she does not want to be identified with, in her eyes, an ugly house. Esperanza is so invested in having a beautiful house instead of an ugly house, that she isn’t thinking about anyone but herself. However, Esperanzaâ€℠¢s maturity becomes evident when she starts to accept the responsibilities of a woman. For instance, in the vignette â€Å"Mango says Goodbye Sometimes† she says that â€Å"[she] [has] gone away to come back.Show MoreRelatedThe House On Mango Street Character Analysis1048 Words   |  5 Pagesworld. It usually isn’t an encouraging judgement though. Throughout the book, The House on Mango Street, the message of judgement of others being cruel is revealed. This isn’t just in Esperanza, the main character, but everyone in the book. It is important that everyone in the book progresses and matures as a person because, it causes everyone to become more together. This all proves the claim of, The House on Mango Street portrays an aspect of maturity by showing that what people imagine about othersRead MoreThe House On Mango Street Character Analysis706 Words   |  3 Pagescome to be. The main character, Esperanza from The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, i s an excellent example of that; Esperanza is an insecure young Latina girl who is shaped by her family as she grows up. In the novel, Esperanza has the perspective of life from the experience of living in poverty. Esperanza dreams of a perfect home with amazing flowers and enough rooms that everyone in her family would each have one. However, she moves to the house on Mango Street, and reality is so differentRead MoreThe House On Mango Street Character Analysis1116 Words   |  5 Pages000 people in the United States move annually. In the book The House on Mango Street the main character Esperanza and her family are included in this number. They Come very poor roots, and they dont have much money. They move often, one day dreaming to live in a real house, one they dont have to share, one with their own yard, with stairs that are not hallway stairs, etc. They finally move into this beaten up house on Mango street, Her family is in love with it and act like its their dream, however Read MoreCharacter Analysis of Esperanza in The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros1207 Words   |  5 PagesEsperanza, a strong- willed girl who dreams big despite her surroundings and restrictions, is the main character in The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros. Esperanza represents the females of her poor and impoverished neighborhood who wish to change and better themselves. She desires both sexuality and autonomy of marriage, hoping to break the typical life cycle of woman in her family and neighborhood. Throughout the novel, she goes through many different changes in search of identity and maturityRead MoreThe House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros766 Words   |  3 Pageswriting a literary analysis on â€Å"The House on Mango Street† by Sandra Cisneros. This story takes place in the center of an over populated Latino neighborhood in Chicago, a city where many of the poor areas are ethnically segregated. This novella uses two main symbols shoes and trees. Later in the literary analysis I will explain what these mean to the main characters. There are three main characters in the novella Esperanza, Sally and Nenny (short for â€Å"Magdalena†). The House on Mango Street tells the lifeRead MoreAnalysis Of The House On Mango Street 1367 Words   |  6 PagesBaker ENG 102 – 2006 14 April 2017 Esperanza’s Mango Street The House on Mango Street is a short novel that packs a strong and deliberate message. At first, when reading the first few chapters, one assumes that this book is going to be a simple story about some young girl’s life, but as the reader continues to read on, that perspective about the story changes because of the story’s complexity. The House on Mango Street has received many praises amongst critics for its well-definedRead MoreLiterary Analysis Of The House On Mango Street1163 Words   |  5 PagesEzra Collins English 9: Tetlak Literary Analysis: The House on Mango Street November 3, 2017 Remember Where Your From The House on Mango Street On average 40,093,000 people in the United States move annually. In the book The House on Mango Street the main character Esperanza and her family are included in this number. They Come very poor roots, and they don t have much money. They move often, one day dreaming to live in a real house, one they don t have to share, one with their own yard, withRead MoreWorld History Essay1533 Words   |  7 PagesSummer Reading Assignment Name: ____ __________________ 10th Grade The House on Mango Street Before returning to school next school year, you will need to read The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros and complete this assignment. This organizer is intended to guide your reading and focus your thoughts in preparation for the discussions, summer reading quiz and writing assignments you will engage in when you return in September. By carefully completing this assignment overRead MoreEssay on House On Mango Street1074 Words   |  5 Pagesdegradation of them was a recurring theme in the book House on Mango Street. Many of Esperanza’s stories were about women’s dreams of marrying, the perfect husband and having the perfect family and home. Sally, Rafaela, and Minerva are women who gave me the impression of [damsel’s in distress].CLICHamp;Eacute;, it’s ok though. It’s relevant They wished for a man to sweep them of their feet and rescue them from their present misery. These characters are inspiring and strong but they are unable to escapeRead MoreThe Development Of Girls1172 Words   |  5 Pagesthe ideal that Western culture has insisted upon†¦ long legs, long arms, small waist, high round bosom, and long neck† (DuCille 217). Society has perpetuated a culture where girls strive to be perfect – craving this Western ideal of beauty with a big house and nice c ar. Society has also created a stereotype women are expected to fit into. Philosopher Marilyn Frye explains oppression and describes how, â€Å"There is a women’s place, a sector, which is inhabited by women of all classes and races, and it is

CAD/USD Exchange Rate Free Essays

The Canadian dollar has significantly appreciated against the U. S. dollar since the beginning of 2000. We will write a custom essay sample on CAD/USD Exchange Rate or any similar topic only for you Order Now The CAD/USD exchange rate (currency in USD) increased from 0. 686 to 1. 015 as of March 18, 2011. There was a trend of CAD appreciation in 2003-2008, followed by a rapid depreciation in the second half of 2008. Since the beginning of 2009, CAD has risen sharply and has been trading about at par with USD for the last two years. The recent CAD appreciation was caused by a number of factors and lead to certain economic consequences, which are discussed next. Causes of the Canadian Dollar Appreciation Appreciation of the Canadian dollar in the last years can be explained by internal factors, such as performance of Canadian economy and interest rates, and external factors, such as commodity prices and weakness of the U. S. economy. State of Canadian economy. Canada has been quickly recovering from the recent recession. For the year 2010, real GDP grew 3. 1%, following a decline of 2. 5% in 2009. Strong economy makes Canada an attractive target for investors who seek secure returns. This raises the demand for the Canadian currency and, therefore, pushes the exchange rate upward. This argument is supported by the exchange rate fluctuations in the above graph. The Canadian dollar was rising as the economy began to recover in the late 2009. State of the U. S. economy. Rise in CAD/USD exchange rate can be largely attributed to depreciation of the U. S. dollar. The U. S. dollar has historically been a safe investment target for many investors. However, now this situation is changing and demand for the currency is falling. The U. S. economy has been facing serious difficulties in the recent years. The country’s trade deficit was almost $500 billion in 2010, a 33% increase from 2009. The U. S. s also the world largest borrower with a $4,453 billion of foreign debt. Weak economy and high uncertainty are turning investors away from the American dollar, which is supported by its depreciation against other major currencies. Commodity prices. As Canada is a large producer and exporter of raw materials, the Canadian dollar is strongly affected by commodity prices. Many commodity prices, especially gold and copper, have been rising recently, making the associated industries more profitable and strengthening the Canadian economy. Strong economy, in turn, attracts more investor, and the Canadian dollar appreciated due to increased demand. Interest rate differentials. The U. S. Federal Reserved has lowered the interest rate to current 0. 25% since 2008 in order to stimulate the economic growth. Canada currently has a higher interest rate of 1% and thus attracts more investors for its short-term assets. Demand for the Canadian dollar increases and puts an upward pressure on the exchange rate. Consequences of the Canadian Dollar Appreciation Effect on trade. The exchange rate has an important impact on Canadian trade performance, especially with its largest trading partner, the U. S. The Canadian economy significantly relies on its export activity, but stronger Canadian dollar makes the country’s exports more expensive to foreigners and can decrease the trading volume. According to Statistics Canada, exports to the U. S. fell in 2009 by 36. 4%. Exports then increased slightly in 2010, but still the amount was around C$73. 6 billion under the 2008 level. To prevent their exports from falling and keep their market share, Canadian companies have to lower their price and sacrifice some profit. However, decline in exports should not be attributed only to the currency appreciation. The U. S. economical health and trade agreements also affect the trading activity between two countries. On the other side, Canadian importers benefit from the currency appreciation. Canadian manufacturers can acquire materials, machinery and equipment at a lower cost, which leads to increased capital investment and productivity growth. Thus, strong currency is harmful to exporters and beneficial to importers. The dollar appreciation decreases Canadian export and increases imports, which negatively affects the trade balance and lower GDP’s growth. However, lower import costs offset negative consequences of export decline, and the total effect of the currency appreciation becomes muted. Effect on industries and provinces. Not all industries are affected evenly by the currency appreciation. Manufacturers that heavily depend on exports of their production are affected the most. Such industries include forestry, transportation equipment, and machinery. Imported inputs, however, should also be taken into account when assessing the total effect of the appreciation. Industries that use high imported content in their production are less hurt by the rising dollar. For example, transportation equipment industry highly depends on export, but it also has high ratio of imports to production and can profit from cheaper imports. On the contrary, industries that heavily rely on exports but use low foreign content in production, such as forestry, are affected most adversely. The same logic applies to Canadian provinces. Highly export-oriented provinces such as Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia are influenced significantly by the currency appreciation. Effect on unemployment. Rising Canadian dollar makes labour costs comparatively higher and increase the total production costs in export-oriented industries. Profit margin falls, and manufacturers decrease their labour force. They also add more machinery and equipment as the imported capital become more attractive due to the appreciating dollar. For example, in 2010, manufacturing sector experienced a loss of 37,000 jobs compared to 2009. This decrease in employment can be partially explained by the stronger dollar. Effect on productivity. Stronger Canadian dollar can have a positive impact on the country’s productivity. Productivity greatly affects the country’s living standard. Improved productivity results in higher output, profits, wages and, eventually, the standard of living. As exchange rate increases, Canadian output becomes relatively less competitive in international markets, and domestic companies start to lose their profits. Competition among manufacturers gets more intense, and companies try to retain their profits by increasing their productivity through investment in more efficient machinery and equipment. Companies’ capital to labour ratio rises due to lower cost of imported equipment, and increased use of capital leads to improved productivity in the long run. With lower exchange rate, Canadian firms are more profitable and have more money for capital investment, but with stronger dollar, imported capital and materials become relatively cheaper. On the other hand, higher exchange rate makes Canada less attractive for foreign direct investment because of relatively higher labour costs. The extent of this effect is limited, but the country still loses potential productivity gains. It is important for Canada to increase its productivity and relative competitiveness for the long-run strengthening of the economy in order to make the effects the currency appreciation less severe. To conclude, the appreciation of the Canadian dollar caused by a number of factors has a considerable effect on the country’s trade balance, industries, employment and productivity. However, these causes and consequences should not be considered in isolation but rather interdependently, and fundamentals such as economic performance of Canada or the U. S. should be taken into account. How to cite CAD/USD Exchange Rate, Papers

Business Corporates Report Business Report

Question: You need to do an essay (covering the materials in your class notes) - considering accounting, conceptual framework (prudence) and a critical analysis of the existing system and what is working, perhaps why the system is not operating at optimum level - consideration of the role that executive remuneration (eg bonus) may be a contributing factor but also more detailed discussion of other reasons also. Please do this by referencing corporate reports of company(s) of your choice to demonstrate your understanding. Answer: Introduction: Caltex- a company associated with oil and lubricants is the largest retailer and transport fuel suppliers have petroleum branches all over the world. The corporation was started in the year 1936 as a joint venture between the company of Texas and the standard oil company of California. It sources and refines around 61 million barrels of crude oil in a year and supplies almost Australias transport fuel (2014). As per the Australian Securities Exchange Caltex is the only marketing and oil refining company. As per the reports up to March 2015, half of the Caltex was owned by the Australian shareholders and the rest by the Chevron. It operates the largest retail network of oil in Australia. By August 2012, it has two petroleum refineries in Australia. The company has both managerial and non-managerial heads. Generally, the company basically focuses on executive directors rather than non-managerial directors. The part given to the executive directors is to run and direct the company effic iently (Gibbs 2014). This study investigates about the position of non-executive directors of the company. In the given case after analyzing the annual report of the company we came to know that the company needs to present an audited report to meet the certain queries of the public. Analysis of Remuneration Report of the company: Before giving any decision let us understand the meaning of Directors Report. It is made in order to get an idea about the companys financial position, its structural capacity and so on. In the present case after analyzing the directors report from companys annual report 2015 we got an idea about companys market position. We can see that company has made certain changes in his management during the year. The remuneration structure of the directors is cited below: As per companys policy non-executive directors are entitled to get remuneration with an increase of 3% during the year. After summarizing the balance sheet of the company we can get a basic idea about companys turnover during the year. As per the given data we can easily see that the companys market position according to balance sheet is not good in comparison to last year balance sheet. The investment made in joint ventures shows a huge downfall of 15,715 thousands of dollars. It does not create a good impact on companys goodwill. But if we look through the income statement we can see that the company has a good provision to meet with the net loss in their joint venture during the year in comparison to past year. Earlier the company had a negative balance but now it has a positive balance of 1,326 thousands of dollars. If we compare both the reports we can get a brief idea that the company is trying to obtain profit in order to receive bonus payment which is not beneficial for the c ompany in the long run. Issues regarding Remuneration: According to the law the company can increase the remuneration of its director up to 11% after passing a resolution in the meeting. This amount does not include non-executive directors. In case of non-executive directors the company is necessary to pay an amount which cannot exceed 3% of the net profit. In this case the company has increased the required percentage according to the guidelines as prescribed by the board. The company can give further benefits to the non-executive directors based on their effort and time given to the company. Non-Executive directors have an increased role in the company so proper attention is needed to be paid towards them otherwise they can lead to weaker governance by advancing their self interest ahead of companys interests. While comparing the financial statements of the company we can assume that non-directors of the company have created some kind of self-interest because of this reason the financial statement is not matching. As per Australian Acc ounting Board the company has to make certain disclosures in their cash flow statement. In the given case the company has disclosed all the relevant disclosures in their statement, all the necessary details of cash outflow and inflow have been mentioned by the company in a relevant manner. So, it can be said that non-executive directors are not damaging the companys control in the market. Consolidation of the records as per GPFR method: It should be noted that a form of differential financial reporting has been integrated under the Australian Accounting Standards as a body in Reporting concept. A reporting entity should be prepared for General Purpose Financial Report, which complies with the AAS. On the other hand, non-covering business organizations must prepare the Special Purpose Financial Report, which is in less observance with the Australian Accounting Standard. There are quite a lot of companies, which depends on the Australian Accounting Standard so that it can evaluate the future significance of profitability under the reporting concept within the aspects of AAS. To facilitate the profitability of a business entity a changeover has been made which covers the differential aspects of reporting framework in accordance with the GPFRs (Deegan 2013). It is noteworthy to denote that the makers of financial statements and their accountants should constantly assess whether the current fiscal reporting structure is appropriate and if essential may take required steps to guarantee gentle operation of business entity. GPFRs are intended to meet the needs of the users who are not in the desired point to control the financial report modified to meet up the needs of the users. Consolidation of Inventory: Inventory means goods or material which a company holds with the purpose of resale in the next year. It takes into consideration the carrying cost of the material, valuation of inventory, forecasting of demand and inventory, and so on. The reason behind keeping an inventory is to manage scale of economies, uncertainties and seasonal demand. Demand and supply keeps on changing so the company needs to keep a track record of the stocks to meet the proper demand. As in the given case the company has an opening balance of 14,574 thousands of dollars for the year 2016. After looking the other annualized report the company has a good stock to meet its demand during the year in case of crisis. The company has not overvalued or undervalued its stock to ascertain extra profit. So, it can be said that the act of the company is as per the law. Hence, the company is not trying to create any false profit. Consolidation of Accounts receivable: An important framework denotes that the companies record their accounts receivable in the financial statement, which is based on the sales record. It should be noted that overstating the accounts receivable might straightforwardly inflate the dimension of a company balance sheet. According to the Australian Accounting Standards Boards, companies usually report their assets at their actual cost but they re-examine and make necessary arrangements over time based on an assets changing fair market value (Kang and Gray 2013). Accounts receivable are recorded in the form of current assets in the financial statement and hence, overemphasizing the receivable of accounts will result in unadjusted thus carrying an inflated value of the originally reported accounts receivable. It should be noted that the carrying value or the fair market value of outstanding accounts receivable is the sum of actually recorded accounts receivable deducted by the sum of incalculable or doubtful accounts. Any incalculable accounts receivable are unpaid obligations by consumers becomes a part of a write off expenses for the enterprise. However, it should be noted that not considering any uncollectible customers accounts, overstating accounts the accounts receivable would understate the bad debts operating expense of an organization. Hence, those bad debts expenses might have been reported under the companys income statement in the form of subtraction from revenue. Therefore, overstating the accounts receivable will indirectly overstate the net income of the company reported in the financial statement (Chua et al. 2012). When net income is near to retained earnings at the end of the financial period, retained earnings in the form of equity in the balance sheet is also overvalued. It is noteworthy to denote that companies have on few occasions have referred to the accounts receivable for calculation of cash flow statement. Nevertheless, business entities avoid having overvalued accounts receivable when they decide to write off those, which are deemed uncalculable. Consolidation of Transfer Pricing: Transfer pricing means a method to set off the price of goods and services in between the subsidiary company to its parent company. It is the tool to avoid tax avoidance in the company. As per the companys given data we can see that there is a huge difference in the tax structure of the company. If we look into the share of net profit of associated entities we can see that the company has more than three times the value from the previous year. To this we can say that the company has maintained a good track record with its associated entities but overall if we look into the total of tax expenses we can see that the company has a high percentage increase in the tax amount. This can burden the company of paying the amount out of its profit. In order to cut off the amount the company may not show the actual value of it profit or may represent wrong financial statement during the year. So, the company has to keep a track on the expenses to accumulate the profit during the year. The property plant and the equipment column are maintained as per the AASB norms by the company. The PPE analysis from the annual report clearly state that the company is able to maintain a sufficient amount of the net carrying amount in compared to the year 2014. The PPE amount for the year 2015 has been observed to be $ 2,602,865 and in the year 2014, it was only $ 2,363,672. In the cash flows from then investing activities of the company, it had been observed that Caltex Australia Limited was able to increase the Net proceeds from sale of property, plant and equipment (Hu et al. 2015). This increase was an amount from $ 25290 to $ 43095.The PPE of the companys composed of the various types of the components such as the inclusion of freehold land at cost and the Accumulated impairment losses. The property of the company also takes into the account the cost of the building at both cost and the various type of accumulated depreciation on the impairment of losses. In this section then company was seen an increase in the losses by an amount of 2% (Laing and Perrin 2014). Hence, the company needs to considerably improve the amount of the impairment on the losses. The PPE value also takes into account the various types of the cost related to the lease hold property both at the cost level and the accumulated amortization of the same. Hence, it can be observed that the company adheres to then various type of the guideline provided by the AASB conceptual framework. Under plant section of the company the company is observed to maintain the plant and the equipment both at cost and Accumulated depreciation and impairment losses (Yao et al al. 2013). Liabilities leases intangible assets notes look for evidence of any leasing Contingent legal liabilities where companies have had to pay out legal obligations due to issues From the liabilities and the leases analyses of the company, it can be stated that the company is observed to increase the leasehold property value from $ 74,762 in the year 2014 to $ 76,423 in the year 2015. The various type of the leased assets for the company are grouped under the PPE of them company (Chalmers et al. 2012). The intangibles of the company are seen to be decreased from an amount of $ 157,473 to $ 163,035. The intangibles of the company further states that the companys year endings intangibles was observed to be $ 779000 (Pawsey and Crase 2013). The intangible of the companys groups and the assets was further observed to $ 8101000 which represent the amount of the money paid to Scotts for the purpose of the customer relationship and meeting the criteria for then for the purpose of the various types of the trade requirements. In the statement showing the reconciliation of the net profit of the company it has been observed that the company is seen to be amortization of the various types the intangibles. The decrease in the intangible of the company is observed due to the impairment of the software by $12 million in the year 2015 (Russell 2014). Implementing Prudence Method: Prudence is a method where we cannot overestimate our revenues or underestimate our expenses. In other words it can be said that it is done only when we want to record the revenues which are certain and expenses which are probable. In case of Caltex after examining the given report we came to know that the company has tried to adopt this method so that they can ascertain the actual value of their assets and liabilities during the year. This method somehow becomes useful to them. Conclusion: After analyzing the whole annual report of the company we can conclude that the company has not adopted any wrongful means of business. Certain changes were made by the company during the year so that the company can earn the profit in the future. The company has maintained its goodwill by adopting all the fair means of business without harming any other entities. The market value of the company keeps on fluctuating during the year. If we compare the past historical records of the company we can easily get an idea about the fluctuating financial condition of the company. Not only the historical records if we look the sales figure of the company we can say that during the year company sales were affected by 0.7% in comparison to the last year which is not so high but can affect the companys profit margin. As per the data the company has a huge amount of RCOP during the year in comparison to the last five years record. So, somehow the company is trying to manage the situation and it is expected that the company will overcome the margin in the near future. It manages to promote the confidence of investors by ensuring them that the company is dealing in an informed market. They meet all the disclosures based on the listing rules of ASX. Reference list: Deegan, C., 2013.Financial accounting theory. McGraw-Hill Education Australia. Kang, H. and Gray, S.J., 2013. Segment reporting practices in Australia: Has IFRS 8 made a difference?.Australian Accounting Review,23(3), pp.232-243. Chua, Y.L., Cheong, C.S. and Gould, G., 2012. The impact of mandatory IFRS adoption on accounting quality: Evidence from Australia.Journal of International Accounting Research,11(1), pp.119-146. Henderson, S., Peirson, G., Herbohn, K. and Howieson, B., 2015.Issues in financial accounting. Pearson Higher Education AU. Goh, L. and Gupta, A., 2015. Remuneration of Non-Executive directors: Evidence from the UK.The British Accounting Review. NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTORSSELF-INTEREST: FIDUCIARY DUTIES AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE(Doctoral dissertation, University of East Anglia). Chalmers, K., Clinch, G., Godfrey, J.M. and Wei, Z., 2012. Intangible assets, IFRS and analysts earnings forecasts. Accounting Finance, 52(3), pp.691-721. Hu, F., Percy, M. and Yao, D., 2015. Asset revaluations and earnings management: Evidence from Australian companies. Corporate Ownership and Control, 13(1), pp.930-939. Laing, G.K. and Perrin, R.W., 2014. Deconstructing an accounting paradigm shift: AASB 116 non-current asset measurement models. International Journal of Critical Accounting, 6(5-6), pp.509-519. Pawsey, N. and Crase, L., 2013. The mystique of water pricing and accounting. Economic Papers: A journal of applied economics and policy, 32(3), pp.328-339 Russell, M., 2014. Capitalization of Intangible Assets and Firm Performance. Yao, D.F., Percy, M. and Hu, F., 2013. Fair values and audit fees: Evidence from asset revaluations in Australia.

Truth vs Happiness in Fahrenheit 451 Essay Example

Truth vs Happiness in Fahrenheit 451 Essay Submitted on Wednesday, March 27th Submitted By: William Would you rather be happy in your life and live in ignorance or would you rather live your life with more of a purpose? Even if that purpose means doing things that most people would frown upon. This is one of the conflicts the characters face in the book Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. Fahrenheit 451 is a book about a fireman named Guy Montag. In his society fireman start fires rather than put them out. Most fires started by the firemen are fires in which they burn books.Most books are not allowed and the firemen have to be called to burn them. In this book Montag appears to be a by the book firemen early on but as the book continues you learn he has his doubts about his work and if he is really happy at all with the current life he is living. In Fahrenheit 451 Ray Bradbury believes that it is better to know the truth about your life and live with purpose than to live your life happy in ignorance. In the book Bradbury proves this in a few ways. One way it did this is when Guy Montag first met Clarrisse and started questioning what was wrong with the society that they lived in at the time.When Montag started to do the same it eventually gave him a new purpose in life and started giving him the ability to have real relationships and actually become happy with his life instead of just being happy in ignorance like most of the other people in the city he lived in. It also opened his eyes to a different world of knowledge and showed him that his old life was a lie. Those are a few examples from the book showing that Ray Bradbury believed it is more important to live your life with purpose than to be happy in ignorance.One way Ray Bradbury showed that knowing the truth about your life is more important than being happy in ignorance is showed by the way Montag’s life completely changed after he discovered the truth about his life. After he realized he was living in ignorance it gave him a new purpose in his life. The event in the book that I believe started this realization is when he was asked Are you happy (15). This is a question Montag is asked by Clarrisse. This simple question really shook Montag up and made him really think about what was going on in his life and made him find out he is actually not appy. After knowing this Montag starts to actually stand up for what he believes in which gives him a new purpose in life. He starts to talk to an old English professor named Faber about almost trying to start a revolution of sorts. Plant the books, turn in an alarm and see the firemen’s houses burn (85). That’s the good part of dying; when you have nothing to lose, you run any risk you want (85). Those are two quotes of Montag talking to Faber. Those quotes are significant because they symbolized Montag becoming a completely changed person.They show that he is serious about standing up for what he believes in now and that he has found a new purpose in his life. It is the beginning of Montag’s new life and is an example of him no longer living his life in ignorance. That is one way that Ray Bradbury shows that it is more important to know the truth then be happy living in ignorance. Another way Ray Bradbury demonstrated that the truth is more important than being happy living a lie is how his social relationships changed after starting to think about the truth more. It was almost like he was a different person.Instead of continuing to have some pointless conversations like some people had in the book. You really start finding out about all the pointless conversations in the book on page 31 when Clarrisse says People don’t talk about anything She later says They name a lot of cars or clothes or swimming pools mostly and say how swell! But they say the same thing and nobody says anything different from anyone else. (31) After Guy had been talking to Clarrisse for a while you begin to realize that she has really changed the way he communicates with people and he begins to start having real conversations with people.An example of this is when on page 29 when Clarrisse asks him a question about children to which he replies It was a good question. It has been awhile since anyone cared enough to ask a good question. Montag’s answer shows that it is something he had never really put a lot of thought into until actually being asked the question by Clarrisse. That is another way that Ray Bradbury showed that it is better to live your life with purpose and know the truth about it rather than be happy in ignorance.The last way Ray Bradbury proved in that it is better to know the truth about your life than live in ignorance in Fahrenheit 451 is how after Montag got a purpose in his live it opened his eyes to a different world and showed him his old life was a lie. He actually started to be happy opposed to just thinking he was happy while living in ignorance. The first time you realize that Montag started off living in ignorance is after he is asked if he is happy he laughs and says Happy! Of all the nonsense, He stopped laughing. 10) This quote shows that Montag had thought he was happy but actually shows that he was just happy in ignorance. After Montag learns the truth about his life it opens his eyes to a new world of literature. Montag’s lack of knowledge about books is demonstrated when he is t alking to Faber on page 85 and says Are things like that in books? But it came off the top of my mind. This is significant because it shows that Montag is willing to learn about books and that some books may open him up to a world outside of the censorship he lives in.As the book goes on and Montag learns the truth about his life his opinions on things change drastically. This is shown when he is talking about leaving Mildred behind in the city and he says Even if she dies, I realized a moment age, I don’t think I will feel sad. It isn’t right. Something must be wrong with me. (155) This quote is significant because it shows that Montag it demonstrates that Montag is a changed man and he wouldn’t feel sad his wife died because he was not happy with his wife or his life prior to learning the truth.In Fahrenheit 451 Ray Bradbury shows that it is more important to know the truth about something than it is to necessarily be happy about it. He demonstrates this by s howing that it is more important to live your life with purpose than it is to always be happy in your life. A moral to be learned from this is that it is better to tell people the truth, even if you think that telling the truth might hurt somebody’s feelings. It can be applied to real life in many situations when you have to decide to tell the truth or tell a lie. In the end whoever said The truth hurts wasn’t lying. We will write a custom essay sample on Truth vs Happiness in Fahrenheit 451 specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Truth vs Happiness in Fahrenheit 451 specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Truth vs Happiness in Fahrenheit 451 specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer

The highest branch on the tree essays

The highest branch on the tree essays In adolescence, life can seem like a popularity contest. Therefore, teasing, bullying, and victimization are among the biggest problems for teenagers in school. For the most part the victims develop social and emotional problems, and as a result, limit their happiness and success. However, in the American short story The Highest Branch on the Tree, author Ray Bradbury tells a rather different and amusing story about victimization. In Bradburys story, the victim gets his revenge, and is the one who has the last laugh. Instead of becoming a withdrawn person, he becomes successful in the business world. However, he is still suffering from the bullying in his past. Or perhaps the bullies are the ones who are suffering as a result of the past. The victim and the main character, Harry Hands, is a very bigheaded and smart person, who was vastly superior to his classmates. Thus, everyone in his class disliked him, especially because of his infuriating arrogant attitude and success. However, Harry did not care at all, since the teachers liked him, and therefore he knew that he had nothing to fear. In fact, he was indeed aware of the fact that he was the one who had the upper hand, which this paragraph clearly states: looking down his nose at us dumb peasants, as he called us. (Line 5-6). Peasant is a humiliating word, which in former times was used about a person who is from the lowest part of society. Nevertheless, Harry was a victim of bullying and teasing throughout his short period in junior high. Even forty years later, Harry does not live a single day without remembering the day the envious narrator of the story, Douglas Spaulding, together with the other classmates, threw Harrys pants up on the highest branch of a tree in the schoolyard. He was victimized, and victimization is one the main themes in Bradburys story. However, Harry simply climbed up and thereafter peed on everyone be...

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

#1 - Essay Example On the other hand labor relations is the dealings between management and the workers with respect to the employment conditions. â€Å"Most commonly, however, labor relations refer to dealings between management and a workforce that is already unionized, or has the potential to become unionized. Labor relations is thus crucial to industries like autos and airlines with heavily unionized workforces† (Labor Relations, 2009) In most of the times the interests of the organizations and that of the labors would be opposite in direction. The management always keen in maximizing their profit and for that purpose they will compromise the interests of the workers. On the other hand labor unions are always working for the wellbeing of the workers and they are not much concerned about the profit of the organization. For workers what they are getting is more important than what the organization is achieving. Both these interests contradict at times which will end up in strained labor relationships and trade union strikes. In a changing world, especially under globalization and liberalization, a well maintained labor relationship is important for an organization in order to compete in the market. Customers will trust an organization if their product or service supply doesn’t interrupt. Poor labor relationship always results in labor union strikes which will interrupt the production of goods or service. A temporary suspension of service or supply of goods in the market will force the customers to search for other options. Once the customers move away from the organization, it is difficult for the organization to bring them back. Labor problems destroy the image of the organization in the society in which it operates. The public will often take the side of the labors even if the justice is on the other side because of the false assumption that the management always trying to exploit the workers. This public

Developing a strategic plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Developing a strategic plan - Essay Example Similarly I made a plan for improving students’ perception and satisfaction with transportation. I included two action items; offering buses to commuter students and ensuring the schedule accuracy to facilitate the students and providing private buses and shuttles for the students of Pittsburgh and nearby shopping centers within a radius of 10 miles. This improvement can reduce car traffic and parking issues by 30% and increase student mobility by 75% to Pittsburgh downtown. I did not use trial and error or any redundant old method just to fill in that space with a strategy. I built my strategy based on the information I collected through students’ reviews. Even though the strategic plan is complete and quite comprehensive I would like to add a few things especially regarding public safety. The three action items are very helpful. For instance, they publicize encourage enrollment in E2 campus emergency notification system. Similarly, there are other programs offered under the same category but one thing that I feel missing is the follow-up. There should be a measure or any form of tracking the performance of implementing the strategy. This is to see whether the implemented strategy is giving the output that it is supposed to deliver. Moreover, it is only encouraging students to take part in self-defense programs offered on campus. I believe it should be mandatory for students to take basic training programs for the self-defense. It is quite likely that several students would not want to join but by involving them in the process of constructing the course the program can be more inclusive and productive in the interest of all. This is the first time for me to learn how to develop a strategic plan. The entire process from the beginning to the end has been very helpful and educating for me. The key lessons I learned from this process is how to incorporate the vision and a mission in a plan. I have realized that developing a

The Global Warming Crisis Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Global Warming Crisis - Thesis Example Trees absorb CO2 and when they die, CO2 is restored to the atmosphere.   The clearing of forests by mass burning, which is happening at a phenomenal rate in the tropical rain forests, is decreasing the amount of CO2 that is absorbed and increasing the amount that is added to the atmosphere.   CO2 supplies about half of the total gases that create the greenhouse effect (Breuer, 1980).   Although deforestation is contributing heavily to the excess of CO2 in the atmosphere, a larger portion is caused by the burning of fossil fuels such as oil and coal.   Fossil fuels are burned by factories, vehicles and electricity-producing power plants to name a few sources.   Other greenhouse gases include methane, which is released when vegetation is burned during land clearing, during oil exploration activities and the coal-mining process; chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which is the substance that cools refrigerators and provides the propulsion in aerosol cans and nitrous oxide (N2O) which is the lesser cause of CO2.   It is generated from both man-made and natural processes.   It is estimated that man-made influences represent about half of the CO2 output. As the balance between the CO2 levels in the ocean and atmosphere is disturbed by interjecting increasing amounts of CO2, the oceans will continually absorb higher concentrations than it does naturally.   The subsequent warming ocean waters are less effective in their ability to absorb CO2.   When the oceans can no longer keep pace with the intrusion of this naturally equalized cycle then more CO2 will remain in the atmosphere.  

Frederick Griffith Essay Example for Free

Frederick Griffith Essay Biography Frederick Griffith (1879-1941), who was born in Hale, Cheshire County, England and who attended the Liverpool University, was a British bacteriologist whose focus was the epidemiology and pathology of bacterial Pneumonia. In January, 1928 he reported what is now known as Griffiths Experiment, the first widely accepted demonstration of bacterial transformation, where a bacterium distinctly changes its form and function. Griffith succumbed to his death around the year 1941 due to the air raid. His Purpose and what he derived? Griffith showed that Streptococcus pneumonia, could transform from one strain into a different strain. The observation was attributed to an unidentified transforming principle of transforming Factor. This was later identified as the stuff of life â€Å"DNA† The Experiment Griffith’s experiment, reported in 1928, was one of the first experiments suggesting that bacteria are capable of transferring genetic information through a process known as transformation. Griffith went about deriving his results by means of using two strains of Pneumoccocus (Streptococcus pneumonia) bacteria which he used to infect several mice. A type smooth strain and a type rough strain. The smooth strain has its components covered by a polysaccharide capsule, which gives it the ability to live in adverse conditions and divide rapidly through a process called Binary fission. Adverse conditions in the context of this experiment would mean â€Å"protection from white blood cells† The third line of defense’s inability to phagocytize the bacteria subsequently results in the death of the mice because the capsule accommodates for the rapid growth of the same cell. Bacterial cells usually have a target organ to which it chooses to disintegrate, and in the case of abundance, the more the number of bacterial cells the more likely the host is going to succumb to it death. How the Experiment was Set up? The experiment was set up by means of inoculating mice with different forms of the same bacteria but with varying strains. The first mouse was inoculated with the rough strain of the streptococcus bacteria and the mice lived. The second mouse was inoculated with the smooth strain (virulent strain) and the end result was the death of the mouse. The third mouse was inoculated with the heat killed smooth strain bacteria and the mouse lived. The emphasis to the transformation principle was given when Griffith infused the rough strain and the heat killed smooth strain and inoculated the mouse which further resulted in the death of the mouse. Griffith was unknown of the reason why the mouse died, but with scientific reasoning, he brought up the idea that the combined Pneumonia bacteria used a transforming principle to activate the virulence, which subsequently then was named the transformation principle. Why did the Heat killed smooth Bacteria show no effect towards the Mice? Just like how we humans function well on optimal temperature, bacteria too have a set temperature to work at its potential. In the context of this experiment the virulent smooth strain pneumonia bacteria was covered by a capsule which consisted of a polysaccharide, a sugar. The introduction of heat disintegrated the capsule, subsequently making it prone to phagocytosis by the white blood cells. The rough strain didn’t comprise of a capsule which explains why it showed no effect towards killing the mouse. The introduction of heat denatured the components of the smooth train which as a result didn’t give the heat killed smooth strain bacteria, not enough potential to kill the mouse. Visual Aid Contribution to our Knowledge Shedding Light to the Transforming Principle Upon research and experimentation on Pneumococcal Streptococcal bacteria-Griffin pointed out that the information in bacterial cells could somehow be transferred between different strains of bacteria. This was long before the discovery of DNA and was an inspired piece used by Avery, Mc Carty and Mc leod to emphasize more on what are primarily the subunits of life. Griffith also wrote a paper in 1928 with regards to his experiment and how he came up with the derivation of the term â€Å"Transforming principle†. Apart from Griffins inspiring research, his findings led to the pivotal beginning of molecular biology. In 1952, other researches with the insight gained from Griffiths experiment, further brought meaning to what is the fundamental and the subunits of life by creating their own sets of experiments all interconnected with this experiment in the process of deriving the form, structure and the function of DNA in one way or another.

Leif Erikson: How He Discovered America Essay -- Leif Erikson

Many people think that Christopher Columbus was the first European to set foot in America, but this conventional belief is wrong; Leif Erikson, a Norse explorer set foot in Newfoundland almost 500 years before Columbus was even born. This paper will cover everything about Leif Erikson’s life including his grandfather’s banishment from Norway, and Leif’s father’s exile from Iceland. Leif Erikson’s early life, his family, and his visit to Norway to serve under the king. The first recorded European to see North America, Bjarni Herjà ³lfsson, and Leif Erikson’s voyage to America. This paper is also going to talk about Leif Erikson’s brother, Thorvald Erikson’s voyage to Vinland because his tale is interesting. Near the end of this research paper, it will have a paragraph on Leif Erikson’s later life. Finally at the end of this paper it is going to talk about the unknown reason why no other Europeans sailed to Vinland, and Le if’s impact on modern day North America. Leif Erikson’s grandfather, Thorvald Asvaldsson slaughtered a man in Jà ¦ren, Norway in 960 CE. This was the age of the Vikings, but Thorvald was still banished from the land (Mandia, n.d.). So he brought his ten year old son Erik, later to be named as Erik the Red because of his scarlet hair, to Drangar in northwestern Iceland on a farm with rather appalling soil (Where is Vinland?, n.d.). Leif Erikson, son of Erik the Red, and grandson of Thorvald Asvaldsson, was born around 970 CE, in Iceland (Where is Vinland?). It was a convention of norse culture that children did not grow up with their families, instead Leif grew up with a man named Thyrker, practically a foster father to Leif. Thyrker was born in Germany, but he was brought to Iceland because Erik the Red captured h... ... http://www2.sunysuffolk.edu/mandias/lia/vikings_during_mwp.html Ryne, L. (n.d.). Leif Erikson. Retrieved March 11, 2014, from Great Norwegians website: http://www.mnc.net/norway/Erikson.htm Skrà ¥mm, Y. (2004, August 14). Leif Ericsson. Retrieved March 24, 2014, from The Viking Network website: http://viking.no/e/people/leif/e-leiv.htm Soniak, M. (2013, January 23). He Could Have Discovered America, but He Wanted to See His Parents. mental_floss, Retrieved from http://mentalfloss.com/article/33584/he-could-have-discovered-amErika-he-want d-see-his-parents Weitemier, K. A. (n.d.). Leif Erikson. Retrieved March 11, 2014, from Great Norwegians website: http://www.mnc.net/norway/LeifErikson.htm Where is Vinland? (n.d.). Retrieved March 31, 2014, from Canadian Mysteries website: http://www.canadianmysteries.ca/sites/vinland/home/indexen.html

Product Life Cycle Theory

The product life cycle theory is used to comprehend and analyze various maturity stages of products and industries. Product innovation and diffusion influence long-term patterns of international trade. This term product life cycle was used for the first time in 1965, by Theodore Levitt in an Harvard Business Review article: â€Å"Exploit the Product Life Cycle†. Anything that satisfies a consumer's need is called a ‘product'. It may be a tangible product (clothes, crockery, cars, house, gadgets) or an intangible service (banking, health care, hotel service, airline service).Irrespective of the kind of product, all products introduced into the market undergo a common life cycle. To understand what this product life cycle theory is all about, let us have a quick look at its definition. Product Life Cycle Definition A product life cycle refers to the time period between the launch of a product into the market till it is finally withdrawn. In a nut shell, product life cycle or PLC is an odyssey from new and innovative to old and outdated! This cycle is split into four different stages which encompass the product's journey from its entry to exit from the market. Product Life Cycle StagesThis cycle is based on the all familiar biological life cycle, wherein a seed is planted (introduction stage), germinates (growth stage), sends out roots in the ground and shoots with branches and leaves against gravity, thereby maturing into an adult (maturity stage). As the plant lives its life and nears old age, it shrivels up, shrinks and dies out (decline stage). Similarly, a product also has a life cycle of its own. A product's entry or launching phase into the market corresponds to the introduction stage. As the product gains popularity and wins the trust of consumers it begins to grow.Further, with increasing sales, the product captures enough market share and gets stable in the market. This is called the maturity stage. However, after some time, the product gets overpowered by latest technological developments and entry of superior competitors in the market. Soon the product becomes obsolete and needs to be withdrawn from the market. This is the decline phase. This was the crux of a product life cycle theory and the graph of a product's life cycle looks like a bell-shaped curve. Let us delve more into this management theory. Introduction Stage After conducting thorough market research, the company develops its product.Once the product is ready, a test market is carried out to check the viability of the product in the actual market, before it can set foot into the mass market. Results of the test market are used to make correction if any and then launched into the market with various promotional strategies. Since the product has just been introduced, growth observed is very slight, market size is small and marketing cost are steep (promotional cost, costs of setting up distribution channels). Thus, introduction stage is an awareness creatin g stage and is not associated with profits!However, strict vigilance is required to ensure that the product enters the growth stage. Identifying hindering factors and nipping them off at the bud stage is crucial for the product's future. If corrections cannot be made or are impractical, the marketer withdraws the product from the market. Read more on types of market research. Growth Stage Once the introductory stage goes as per expected, the initial spark has been set, however, the fire has to be kindled by proper care. The marketer has managed to gain consumers attention and now works on increasing their product's market share.As output increases, economies of scale is seen and better prices come about, conducing to profits in this stage. The marketer maintains the quality and features of the product (may add additional features) and seek brand building. The aim here is to coax consumers to prefer and choose this product rather than those sold by competitors. As sales increase dist ribution channels are added and the product is marketed to a broader audience. Thus, rapid sales and profits are characteristics of this stage. Read more on marketing tools. Maturity StageThis stage views the most competition as different companies struggle to maintain their respective market shares. The cliche ‘survival of the fittest' is applicable here. Companies are busy monitoring product's value by the consumers and its sales generation. Most of the profits are made in this stage and research costs are minimum. Any research conducted will be confined to product enhancement and improvement alone. Since consumers are aware of the product, promotional and advertising costs will also be lower. In the midst of stiff competition, companies may even reduce their prices in response to the tough times.The maturity stage is the stabilizing stage, wherein sales are high, but their pace is slow, however, brand loyalty develops imparting profits. Read more on marketing plans. Decline Stage After a period of stable growth, the revenue generated from sales of the product starts dipping due to market saturation, stiff competition and latest technological developments. The consumer loses interest in this product and begins to seek other options. This stage is characterized by shrinking market share, dwindling product popularity and plummeting profits. This stage is a very delicate stage and needs to be handled wisely.The type of response contributes to the future of the product. The company needs to take special efforts to raise the product's popularity in the market once again, by either reducing cost of the product, tapping new markets or withdrawing the product. Read more on: †¢Marketing Services †¢Marketing Mix †¢Marketing Tips It is important to note that, not all products go through the entire life cycle. Just as how not all seeds sown germinate, not all products launched into the market succeed. Some flop at the introductory stage, while some fail to capture market share due to quick fizzling out.Moreover, some marketers quickly change strategies when the product reaches decline phase and by various promotional strategies regain the lost glory, thereby achieving cyclic maturity phases. Application of product life cycle is important to marketers because via this analysis they can manage their product well and prevent it from incurring losses. A well-managed product life cycle leads to rise in profits and does not necessarily end. Product innovations, new marketing strategies,etc. keeps the product appealing to customers for a very long period of time.Hope this article on product life cycle theory was informative and helpful! The product life-cycle theory is an economic theory that was developed by Raymond Vernon in response to the failure of the Heckscher-Ohlin model to explain the observed pattern of international trade. The theory suggests that early in a product's life-cycle all the parts and labor associated with that product come from the area in which it was invented. After the product becomes adopted and used in the world markets, production gradually moves away from the point of origin.In some situations, the product becomes an item that is imported by its original country of invention. [1] A commonly used example of this is the invention, growth and production of the personal computer with respect to the United States. The model applies to labor-saving and capital-using products that (at least at first) cater to high-income groups. In the new product stage, the product is produced and consumed in the US; no export trade occurs. In the maturing product stage, mass-production techniques are developed and foreign demand (in developed countries) expands; the US now exports the product to other developed countries.In the standardized product stage, production moves to developing countries, which then export the product to developed countries. The model demonstrates dynamic comparative advantage. The country that has the comparative advantage in the production of the product changes from the innovating (developed) country to the developing countries. Contents [hide] †¢1 Product life-cycle o1. 1 Stage 1: Introduction o1. 2 Stage 2: Growth o1. 3 Stage 3: Maturity o1. 4 Stage 4: Saturation o1. 5 Stage 5: Decline †¢2 References [edit]Product life-cycle There are four stages in a product's life cycle: introduction ?growth ?maturity ?saturation ?decline The location of production depends on the stage of the cycle. [edit]Stage 1: Introduction New products are introduced to meet local (i. e. , national) needs, and new products are first exported to similar countries, countries with similar needs, preferences, and incomes. If we also presume similar evolutionary patterns for all countries, then products are introduced in the most advanced nations. (E. g. , the IBM PCs were produced in the US and spread quickly throughout the industrialized countries. ) [edit]Stage 2: Growt hA copy product is produced elsewhere and introduced in the home country (and elsewhere) to capture growth in the home market. This moves production to other countries, usually on the basis of cost of production. (E. g. , the clones of the early IBM PCs were not produced in the US. ) The Period till the the Maturity Stage is known as the Saturation Period. [edit]Stage 3: Maturity The industry contracts and concentrates — the lowest cost producer wins here. (E. g. , the many clones of the PC are made almost entirely in lowest cost locations. ) [edit]Stage 4: Saturation This is a period of stability.The sales of the product reach the peak and there is no further possibility to increase it. this stage is characterised by:  ¦ Saturation of sales (at the early part of this stage sales remain stable then it starts falling).  ¦ It continues till substitutes enter into the market.  ¦ Marketer must try to develop new and alternative uses of product. [edit]Stage 5: Decline Poor c ountries constitute the only markets for the product. Therefore almost all declining products are produced in developing countries. (E. g. , PCs are a very poor example here, mainly because there is weak demand for computers in developing countries.A better example is textiles. ) Note that a particular firm or industry (in a country) stays in a market by adapting what they make and sell, i. e. , by riding the waves. For example, approximately 80% of the revenues of H-P are from products they did not sell five years ago. the profits go back to the host old country. ?†¦ trade theory holding that a company will begin by exporting its product and later undertake foreign direct investment as the product moves through its lifecycle ? As products mature, both location of sales and optimal production changes ?Affects the direction and flow of imports and exports ?Globalization and integration of the economy makes this theory less valid ?Trade implication ? ?Increased emphasis on techno logy’s impact on product cost ? Explained international investment ?Limitations ?Most appropriate for technology-based products ?Some products not easily characterized by stages of maturity ? Most relevant to products produced through mass production Marketing > Product Life Cycle The Product Life Cycle A product's life cycle (PLC) can be divided into several stages characterized by the revenue generated by the product.If a curve is drawn showing product revenue over time, it may take one of many different shapes, an example of which is shown below: Product Life Cycle Curve The life cycle concept may apply to a brand or to a category of product. Its duration may be as short as a few months for a fad item or a century or more for product categories such as the gasoline-powered automobile. Product development is the incubation stage of the product life cycle. There are no sales and the firm prepares to introduce the product. As the product progresses through its life cycle, changes in the marketing mix usually are equired in order to adjust to the evolving challenges and opportunities. Introduction Stage When the product is introduced, sales will be low until customers become aware of the product and its benefits. Some firms may announce their product before it is introduced, but such announcements also alert competitors and remove the element of surprise. Advertising costs typically are high during this stage in order to rapidly increase customer awareness of the product and to target the early adopters. During the introductory stage the firm is likely to incur additional costs associated with the initial distribution of the product.These higher costs coupled with a low sales volume usually make the introduction stage a period of negative profits. During the introduction stage, the primary goal is to establish a market and build primary demand for the product class. The following are some of the marketing mix implications of the introduction stage: â € ¢Product – one or few products, relatively undifferentiated †¢Price – Generally high, assuming a skim pricing strategy for a high profit margin as the early adopters buy the product and the firm seeks to recoup development costs quickly.In some cases a penetration pricing strategy is used and introductory prices are set low to gain market share rapidly. †¢Distribution – Distribution is selective and scattered as the firm commences implementation of the distribution plan. †¢Promotion – Promotion is aimed at building brand awareness. Samples or trial incentives may be directed toward early adopters. The introductory promotion also is intended to convince potential resellers to carry the product. Growth Stage The growth stage is a period of rapid revenue growth.Sales increase as more customers become aware of the product and its benefits and additional market segments are targeted. Once the product has been proven a success and customers b egin asking for it, sales will increase further as more retailers become interested in carrying it. The marketing team may expand the distribution at this point. When competitors enter the market, often during the later part of the growth stage, there may be price competition and/or increased promotional costs in order to convince consumers that the firm's product is better than that of the competition.During the growth stage, the goal is to gain consumer preference and increase sales. The marketing mix may be modified as follows: †¢Product – New product features and packaging options; improvement of product quality. †¢Price – Maintained at a high level if demand is high, or reduced to capture additional customers. †¢Distribution – Distribution becomes more intensive. Trade discounts are minimal if resellers show a strong interest in the product. †¢Promotion – Increased advertising to build brand preference. Maturity Stage The maturity stage is the most profitable.While sales continue to increase into this stage, they do so at a slower pace. Because brand awareness is strong, advertising expenditures will be reduced. Competition may result in decreased market share and/or prices. The competing products may be very similar at this point, increasing the difficulty of differentiating the product. The firm places effort into encouraging competitors' customers to switch, increasing usage per customer, and converting non-users into customers. Sales promotions may be offered to encourage retailers to give the product more shelf space over competing products.During the maturity stage, the primary goal is to maintain market share and extend the product life cycle. Marketing mix decisions may include: †¢Product – Modifications are made and features are added in order to differentiate the product from competing products that may have been introduced. †¢Price – Possible price reductions in response to competition while avoiding a price war. †¢Distribution – New distribution channels and incentives to resellers in order to avoid losing shelf space. †¢Promotion – Emphasis on differentiation and building of brand loyalty. Incentives to get competitors' customers to switch.Decline Stage Eventually sales begin to decline as the market becomes saturated, the product becomes technologically obsolete, or customer tastes change. If the product has developed brand loyalty, the profitability may be maintained longer. Unit costs may increase with the declining production volumes and eventually no more profit can be made. During the decline phase, the firm generally has three options: †¢Maintain the product in hopes that competitors will exit. Reduce costs and find new uses for the product. †¢Harvest it, reducing marketing support and coasting along until no more profit can be made. Discontinue the product when no more profit can be made or there is a succes sor product. The marketing mix may be modified as follows: †¢Product – The number of products in the product line may be reduced. Rejuvenate surviving products to make them look new again. †¢Price – Prices may be lowered to liquidate inventory of discontinued products. Prices may be maintained for continued products serving a niche market. †¢Distribution – Distribution becomes more selective. Channels that no longer are profitable are phased out. †¢Promotion – Expenditures are lower and aimed at reinforcing the brand image for continued products.Limitations of the Product Life Cycle Concept The term â€Å"life cycle† implies a well-defined life cycle as observed in living organisms, but products do not have such a predictable life and the specific life cycle curves followed by different products vary substantially. Consequently, the life cycle concept is not well-suited for the forecasting of product sales. Furthermore, critics have argued that the product life cycle may become self-fulfilling. For example, if sales peak and then decline, managers may conclude that the product is in the decline phase and therefore cut the advertising budget, thus precipitating a further decline.Nonetheless, the product life cycle concept helps marketing managers to plan alternate marketing strategies to address the challenges that their products are likely to face. It also is useful for monitoring sales results over time and comparing them to those of products having a similar life cycle. Marketing > Product LifecycleThe Product Cycle and its Implications Let us begin by reviewing Vernon’s principal points regarding the technological and geographical transitions of industries. His product-cycle paradigm suggested that an industry’s competitiveness will go through a predictable series of stages: To begin with, U.S. -controlled enterprises generate new products and processes in response to the high per capit a income and the relative availability of productive factors in the United States; they introduce these products or processes abroad through exports; when their export position is threatened they establish overseas subsidiaries to exploit what remains of their advantage; they retain their oligopolistic advantage for a period of time, then lose it as the basis for the original lead is completely eroded. (1971: 66)While Vernon’s main objective was to explain the causes and consequences of foreign investment, the stages that he identified also implied that an industry’s perspective on trade policyComment on Deardorff 2 will evolve. Industries can be expected to favor open markets when they are competitive and to favor protection when they are not. Deardorff’s analysis is largely consonant with this cycle, but brings into closer consideration the role of developing countries’ exports in challenging the developed countries’ industries.While I am largely in agreement with the basic points raised by both Vernon and Deardorff, I would suggest two adjustments. The first is that a different policy question may be in order. To paraphrase, Deardorff’s question seems to be, â€Å"Will developed countries respond to increased competition from developing countries by erecting new barriers to trade? † I would instead ask, â€Å"How will the interests of declining industries in developed countries affect the pace and form of new trade liberalization? † While I understand the usefulness of the simplifying assumption that the two countries in the model â€Å"are initially engaged in free trade† (ibid. 3), I think it is equally simple and more realistic to begin with the assumption that restrictions to trade already exist. It would be a great exaggeration to claim that the WTO rules are so watertight as to prevent countries from imposing any new restrictions on trade, but I would quarrel with the suggestion that we â €Å"simply assume that [increased import competition will] lead the North to implement a tariff on imports† (ibid. : 9). The track record for both legislated protection 1 and safeguards cases 2 suggests that protectionist industries have had little success in winning support from government.The clear trend of the past half century has been towards the reduction of tariffs and (more recently) the replacement or elimination of quotas. In an environment of declining tariff barriers, the best that most protectionist industries can hope for is to secure a pledge that their products be exempted from reductions. Even when one acknowledges the continuation of â€Å"peak† tariffs in some industries and the mischief that can be done with antidumping duties and other instruments of protection, the fact remains that markets are much more open today than they were in decades past.Moreover, the rules are more comprehensive and enforceable under the WTO than they were under the GATT. The second important departure is that the range of options is not limited to a dichotomous choice between â€Å"free trade† or â€Å"protection. † Beyond the almost trivial point that there are many degrees of openness, representing every step from zero barriers to confiscatory levels of protection, discrimination is an equally important consideration. Here the rules of the GATT and WTO have been permissive.Free trade agreements (FTAs) and customs unions are allowable exceptions to the general rule of universal most-favored-nation treatment (provided that they meet the requirements of GATT Article XXIV), and preferential trade programs such as the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) are granted waivers. While each of these options provide for more liberal trade, and many extend special treatment to developing countries, they are widely seen as a â€Å"second-best† alternative to nondiscriminatory liberalization.For reasons that I explore below, however, th e increasing use of these discriminatory instruments can also be portrayed as a natural consequence of the product cycle. 1 Although there have been many efforts since the Hawley-Smoot Tariff Act of 1930 to enact bills imposing tariffs or quotas on imports, no major bills have been enacted over a presidential veto. There have been several instances, however, in which presidents felt obliged to make concessions to protectionist demands in order to win congressional approval of some other market-opening initiative (especially new grants of negotiating authority or the approval of a trade agreement).In other words, some of the rare steps backward have been price for making two steps forward. 2 Petitioners have succeeded in winning import protection in only 23 of the 70 cases considered in the quarter century since enactment of the current safeguards law (section 201 of the Trade Act of 1974). Comment on Deardorff 3 Implications of the Product Cycle for Trade Policy The product-cycle mo del could be used to explain any one of three approaches to trade policy.Depending on how one views the interests of firms and the responses of government, the cycle could be predicted to encourage more open markets, more protection, or more discrimination. Under the benign view that seems implicit in Vernon’s analysis, the product cycle can be portrayed as a progressive mechanism. A country with an efficient process of â€Å"creative destruction† could theoretically sustain a permanent free-trade orientation, with few or no exceptions for specific industries.Vernon’s views were similar to those of Schumpeter (1936), who believed that a combination of entrepreneurial innovation and periodic depressions provided just such an engine of progress. A real free-trading country would regularly produce a new crop of innovators, while firms that lost their competitiveness would either find new lines of work or be swept away when the business cycle swung downward. The sur vivors favor open markets. This Darwinian optimism is challenged, however, if firms and workers in a declining industry refuse to go quietly into that good night.A more pessimistic interpretation is that old firms and their workers do not always conveniently disappear or get reabsorbed into the economy, but instead seek ways to keep alive even after they pass their prime. Deardorff’s analysis falls into this second category. He concludes that factor owners in the developed country will respond to a competitive challenge by demanding and receiving protection. I offer yet a third alternative, in which the product cycle encourages the reduction of trade barriers but does so in an increasingly discriminatory fashion.My adaptation of Vernon’s model, which is illustrated in Figure 1, departs from the original in two ways. First, I believe that a wider range of stages should be represented in the model. Second, I more explicitly state what the trade (in addition to the invest ment) preferences of an industry will be as it passes through these stages. My adaptation recognizes that the policy options available to industries and countries are not limited to opening or closing the market, but also allow for discriminatory initiatives that better lend themselves to manipulation on behalf of specific firms or trading partners.The stages might respectively be termed pre-competitive, semi-competitive, competitive, and post-competitive. The distinctions between industries in stages 2, 3, and 4A are particularly important. Each one of these stages is â€Å"pro-trade,† but they favor different emphases in both the objectives and form of trade agreements. Only the Stage 3A industry is the pure free-trader. Industries in stages 2, 3B, and 4A each take a more qualified approach to open markets, and may be reluctant to support universal liberalization.An industry’s most critical choice comes in the fourth stage, when it must choose between retreat into th e domestic market or relocation of its production offshore. The initial decision to invest overseas might have been made in an earlier stage, prompted by such diverse objectives as gaining or maintaining access to a large and protected foreign market, taking advantage of lower wage rates and less restrictive regulatory environments, or reducing transportation costs. When an industry’s competitiveness declines, however, it could decide to shift most or all of its production offshore.Those firms that become multinational producers (Stage 4A) acquire interests and preferences very different from those that do not (Stage 4B). A multinational producer will be much more favorably disposed towards open markets than a â€Å"mature† domestic industry, but will not inevitably be a paragon of free-trade purism. These producers may perceive a strong incentive to support discriminatory options, especially if they create sanctuary markets at home or abroad. Home | About | Privacy | Reprints | Terms of UseCopyright  © 2002-2010 NetMBA. com. All rights reserved. This web site is operated by the Internet Center for Management and Business Administration, Inc. Search NetMBA Site Information Home About Privacy Reprints Terms of Use Marketing Accounting Economics Finance Management Marketing Operations Statistics Strategy ? ?In recent years an extensive theoretical literature has been offered examining the implications of the product cycle (PC) model of trade (Hirsch 1967; Vernon 1966). 1) Emphasizing knowledge transfers, Krugman (1979) constructed a general equilibrium model consisting of an innovating North country and an imitating South country. (2) A key implication of the PC is that the North must continually innovate in the face of the South's ability to eventually imitate each new product. The flying-geese (FG) theory (inter alia, Akamatsu, 1935; Kojima, 2000, 2003; Ozawa, 1993, 2001, 2005) elaborates on the mature stage of the PC by examining conditions un der which an initially imitating South country itself looses the comparative advantage in producing the mature product due to rising labor costs.The loss in comparative advantage results in the further and sequential transfer of production to less developed other South countries and the accompanying recycling of the North's import market among themselves, a phenomenon that can be called â€Å"market or comparative advantage recycling† (Ozawa, 1993; United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, 1995). ?This article specifically examines one particular mature PC import, TV sets, in the U. S. arket and its changing pattern of exporting economies from East Asia–first, from Japan and then from the Newly Industrializing Economies (NIEs) (Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, and South Korea), from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations-4 (ASEAN-4) (Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines), and more recently, from China. ?True, technological progress continues in the TV set industry (e. g. , digitalization, flat-panel sets, and high definition TV [HDTV]), but set manufacturing has practically disappeared in the United States (Chandler, 2001).Incremental innovations are now being introduced mostly in the South/follower countries themselves, especially in Japan and South Korea. East Asia has emerged as the world's largest concentration of consumer electronics production. (3) In this sense, TV sets are certainly a â€Å"mature† product for the United States (too mature to be retained). In short, our study examines the phenomenon of PC-based imports and market recycling as witnessed in the United States and explores policy implications for both North and South countries in the age of globalization. There have been several tests for the existence of the PC. Tsurumi and Tsurumi (1980) found support for the PC by determining that the U. S. price elasticity of demand for color TV sets increased over time as U. S. consumers chose between dome stic- and Japanese-produced color TV sets. Audretsch (1987) also found support by determining that growth industries tend to be more R ; D oriented while mature industries allocate fewer resources to this activity.Cantwell (1995) concluded that over time the share of patents of multinational corporations located abroad increased for most countries from 1920 to 1990, which supported the internationalization of investment by technological leaders. Gagnon and Rose (1995) found that a trade surplus (deficit) of a commodity is likely to persist over a long period of time, a trend that is counter to the PC and more consistent with factor proportions theory (which closely parallels the FG theory). ?Econometric tests for the FG theory have been limited.Dowling and Cheang (2000) found support for the FG theory by utilizing both Balassa's â€Å"revealed† comparative advantage index and foreign direct investment (FDI) ratios for East Asian countries. Using Spearman rank correlation coef ficients and examining three periods (1970-95, 1970-85, and 1985-95), they found that economic development trickled down from Japan to the NIEs and then to ASEAN-4. Cutler et al. (2003) analyzed labor-intensive trade data from Japan, the NIEs, the ASEAN-4, and China to the United States and found support for the FG theory (market recycling). In this article, we are interested in testing for the dynamics of the combined PC-FG framework. Using annual data from 1961 to 2002 for TV sets, we use cointegration techniques to estimate a system of multiple cointegrated vectors representing the sequential transfer of the U. S. TV import market from Japan to the NIEs, to the ASEAN-4, and finally to China. We develop a methodology of interpreting both the cointegrating vectors and the speeds of adjustment as a technique to test for the recycling of the U. S. import market among the East Asian economies.We argue that our analysis has implications for the emerging HDTV and flat-panel TV sets' mar kets as well as patterns of behavior in lower developed South countries such as China, Vietnam, and India as these countries are actively pursuing inward FDI in higher value-added industries. ?Section II presents the theoretical framework, and section III provides the data and background information about the region's TV set manufacturing. Section IV discusses the empirical techniques and results of the analysis. Section V touches on policy implications and offers conclusions. ?II.CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK ?Electronics is an R & D-based industry where new products and processes are constantly innovated and competitiveness shifts from one product to another sequentially, an industry that is characterized by short PCs. The Schumpeterian concept of â€Å"creative destruction† aptly applies to innovators' home markets. A fast pace of technological standardization and maturity for a given new product leads to an equally swift outward shift of production from the innovators' (North) cou ntry to overseas, as conceptualized in the PC theory of trade and investment.In the early developmental phase of electronics, the United States was the dominant source of innovations, as seen in the original PC theory (Hirsch, 1967; Vernon, 1966), but other countries in Europe and East Asia also soon emerged as active innovators, as presented in the revised version (Vernon, 1979). Nonetheless, the United States still continues to play the major roles of both technology and market providers to East Asian economies.Yet, as described in the original PC theory, conventional TV sets and many other mature electronic products have followed the typical pattern of a sequence from U. S. domestic production to exports, to overseas production, and to imports. (4) These imports come mostly from East Asia. ?What is equally interesting is that once an electronic product becomes a mature â€Å"commodity,† whose competitiveness is basically determined by labor costs, its production shifts fro m one South country to another in the persistent search of lower cost labor.This development is facilitated especially when lower echelon South countries liberalize their trade and investment regimes so as to attract production from higher developed South countries. Such a successive transmigration of production of a standardized product therefore exhibits a changing pattern of production over time within the South countries, while the United States remains the major import market.This phenomenon of production transmigration down the intraregional hierarchy of South countries differentiated in terms of the stages of economic development and the levels of technological sophistication is captured in the FG model. ?Viewed in the above light, the PC theory and the FG model complement each other, as schematically illustrated in Figure 1. A new product is innovated first in a high-income (high-wage) country like the United States and initially manufactured and exported from the innovator' s home country (i. e. , the â€Å"introduction† and â€Å"growth† stages, from †¦ ?

Island of the Sequined Love Nun Chapter 29~31

29 Safe in the Hands of Medicine â€Å"How are you feeling today?† Sebastian Curtis pulled the sheet down to Tuck's knees and lifted the pilot's hospital gown. Tucker flinched when the doctor touched the catheter. â€Å"Better,† Tuck said. â€Å"That thing is itching, though.† â€Å"It's healing.† The doctor palpated the lymph nodes in Tucker's crotch. His hands were cold and Tuck shivered at the touch. â€Å"The infection is subsiding. This happened to you in the plane crash?† â€Å"I fell back on some levers while I was trying to get a passenger out of the plane.† â€Å"The hooker?† The doctor didn't look up from his work. Tuck wanted to throw the sheets over his head and hide. Instead, he said, â€Å"I don't suppose it would make a difference if I said I didn't know she was a hooker.† Sebastian Curtis looked up and smiled; his eyes were light gray flecked with orange. With his gray hair and tropical tan, he could have been a re-tired general, Rommel maybe. â€Å"I'm not really concerned with what the woman was doing there. What does concern me is that you had been drinking. We can't have that here, Mr. Case. You may have to fly on a moment's notice, so you won't be able to drink or indulge in any other chemical diversions. I assume that won't pose a problem.† â€Å"No. None,† Tuck said, but he felt like he'd been hit with a bag of sand. He'd been craving a drink since he'd regained consciousness. â€Å"By the way, Doc, since we're going to be doing business together, maybe you should call me Tucker.† â€Å"Tucker it is,† Curtis said. â€Å"And you can call me Dr. Curtis.† He smiled again. â€Å"Swell. And your wife's name is?† â€Å"Mrs. Curtis.† â€Å"Of course.† The doctor finished his examination and pulled the sheet back up to Tuck's waist. â€Å"You should be on your feet in a few days. We'll move you to your bungalow this afternoon. I think you'll find everything you need there, but if you do need anything, please let us know.† A gin and tonic, Tuck thought. â€Å"I'd like to find out what happened to the guy who was piloting my boat.† â€Å"As I told you, the islanders found you and a few pieces of your boat.† There was a finality in his voice that made it clear that he didn't want to talk about Kimi or the boat. Tuck pressed on. Respect for authority had never been his long suit. â€Å"I guess I'll ask around when I get out of here. Maybe he washed up on a different part of the island. I remember being hung in a tree with him by an old cannibal.† Tuck saw a frown cross the doctor's face like a fleeting shadow, then the professional smile was back. â€Å"Mr. Case, there haven't been any cannibals in these islands for a hundred years. Besides, I will have to ask you to stay inside the compound while you are here. You'll have access to beaches and there's plenty of room to roam, but you won't be having any contact with the islanders.† â€Å"Why, I mean if they saved me?† â€Å"The Shark People have a very closed society. We try not to intrude on that any more than is necessary for us to do our work.† â€Å"The Shark People? Why the Shark People?† â€Å"I'll explain it all to you when you are feeling better. Right now you need to rest.† The doctor took a syringe from a metal drawer by the wall and filled it from a vial of clear fluid, then injected it into Tuck's IV. â€Å"When do you think you'll be ready to fly?† Tuck felt as if a veil of gauze had been thrown over his mind. Everything in the room went soft and fuzzy. â€Å"Not real soon if you keep giving me that stuff. Wow, what was that? Hey, you're a doctor. Do you think we taste like Spam?† He was going to ask another question, but somehow it didn't seem to matter anymore. The Sorcerer stormed into the Sky Priestess's bungalow, stripped off his lab coat, and threw it into the corner. He went to the open kitchen, ripped open the freezer, pulled out a frosty fifth of Absolut, and poured a triple shot into a water glass that froze and steamed like dry ice in the humidity. â€Å"Malink lied,† he said. Then he tossed back half the glass and grabbed his temples when the cold hit his brain. The Sky Priestess looked up from her magazine. â€Å"A little stressed, darling?† She was lying out on the lanai, naked except for a wide-brimmed straw hat, her white skin shining in the sun like pearl. The Sorcerer joined her and fell onto a chaise lounge, a hand still clamped on his temples. â€Å"Case says there was another man with him on the island. He said an old cannibal hung them in a tree.† â€Å"I heard him,† the Sky Priestess said. â€Å"He's delirious?† â€Å"I don't think so. I think Malink lied. That they found the boat pilot and didn't tell us.† She moved next to him on the chaise lounge and pried the glass of vodka out of his hand. â€Å"So send the ninjas on a search mission. You're paying them. They might as well do something.† â€Å"That's not an option and you know it.† â€Å"Well, then go yourself. Or call Malink on it. Tell him that you know there was another man and you want him brought here chop-chop.† â€Å"I think we're losing them, Beth. Malink wouldn't have dared lie to me a month ago. It's that dream. He dreams that Vincent is sending them a pilot, then you tell him it's not true, then a pilot washes up on the reef.† The Sky Priestess drained the glass of vodka and handed it back to him empty. â€Å"Yeah, nothing fucks up a good religion like the intervention of a real god.† â€Å"I wish you wouldn't talk that way.† â€Å"So what are you going to do, after you get a refill, I mean?† The Sorcerer looked up at her as if noticing her for the first time. â€Å"Beth, what are you doing out here? The Priestess of the Sky does not have a tan.† She reached under the chaise lounge and came up with a plastic bottle of lotion. â€Å"SPF 90. Relax, ‘Bastian, this stuff would keep me creamy white in a nuclear flare. You want to rub some on me?† She pushed her hat back on her head so he could see the predator seriousness in her eyes. â€Å"Beth, please. I'm on the cusp of a crisis here.† â€Å"It's not a crisis. It's obvious why the Shark People are getting restless.† â€Å"It is?† â€Å"No one has been chosen in over two months, ‘Bastian.† He shook his head. â€Å"Case isn't ready to fly.† â€Å"Well, get him ready.† 30 Fashion Statements Kimi sat under a coconut palm outside of the bachelors' house sulking. His flowered dress was gone and he wore a blue thu, the long saronglike loin-cloth worn by the Shark men. Gone too was his blond wig, his high heels, and his best friend, Roberto, who he had not seen since the cannibal tree. Now it looked as if he had no place to sleep. Sepie had thrown him out. Sepie came out of the bachelors' house wearing Kimi's floral dress and glared at him. She paused on the coral pathway. â€Å"I am not a monkey,† she said. Then she picked up a stone from the path and hurled it at him, barely missing his head. Kimi scuffled to the leeward side of the tree and peeked around. â€Å"I didn't say you were a monkey. I said that if you didn't shave your legs, you would soon look like a monkey.† A rock whizzed by his face so close he could feel the wind of it. She was getting more accurate with each throw. â€Å"You know nothing,† she said. â€Å"You are just a girl-man.† Kimi dug a stone from the sand at his feet and hurled it at her, but his heart wasn't in it and it missed her by five feet. In English he said, â€Å"You just a poxy oar with a big mouth.† He hoped this verbal missile hit closer to home. They were the last words of Malcolme, Kimi's pimp back in Ma-nila. In retrospect, Malcolme's mistake had been one of memory. He had forgotten that the overly made-up little girl standing in front of him with a machete was, in fact, a wiry young man with the anger of hundreds of beatings burning in his memory. â€Å"I no have the pox,† Kimi said to Malcolme, whose look of surprise remained fixed even as his head rolled into the corner of the hotel room, where a rat darted out and gently licked his shortened neck. â€Å"I no have the pox,† Sepie said in English, punctuating her statement with a thrown lump of coral. â€Å"I know,† Kimi said. â€Å"I'm sorry I say that.† He skulked off down the beach. Sepie stood outside the bachelors' house watching him, totally disarmed. No man had ever apologized to her before. Kimi hadn't meant to hurt her feelings. Sometimes it takes a thick skin to trade beauty tips with a girlfriend. Sepie was naturally pretty, but she didn't understand fashion. Why bother to put on a pretty dress if you're going to have monkey legs and tufts of hair hanging out from under your arms making it look like bats hanging there? Bats. Kimi missed Roberto. The Shark men wouldn't talk to him, the women ignored him, except for Sepie, who was angry at him now, and even Tucker had been taken away to the other side of the island. Kimi was lonely. And as he walked down the beach, past the children playing with a trained frigate bird, past the men lounging in the shade of an empty boathouse, his loneliness turned to anger. He turned up the beach and took a path into the village to look for a weapon. It was time to go see the old cannibal. Outside each of the houses, near the cook sheds, stood an iron spike – a pick head that was driven into the ground and used to husk coconuts. Kimi stopped at one house and yanked on the spike, but it wouldn't budge. He moved between the houses, vacant now in the early morning, the women working in the taro field, the men lounging in various patches of shade. He peeked into a cook shed, and there, by the pot that held the crust of this morning's rice, he found a long chef's knife. He looked around to make sure that no one was watching, then bolted into the shed and snatched the knife, fitting it into his thu so that only the handle protruded at the small of his back. Ten minutes later he was hiding in a patch of giant ferns, watching the old cannibal roll coconut husk fibers into rope on his leathery old thighs. He sat with his back against a palm tree, his legs straight out in front of him, pulling the fibers that had been soaked and separated out of a basket and measuring by feel the right amount to add to the coil of cord that was building on the ground beside him. From time to time he stopped and took a drink from a jar of milky liquid that Kimi was sure was alcoholic tuba. Good, he was drunk. Kimi moved slowly around the house, staying in the undergrowth of ferns and elephant ears, careful not to kick up any of the coral gravel that rang like broken glass if you didn't place your feet carefully. Once he was behind the old man, he drew the knife from the small of his back and moved forward to kill that man who had eaten his friend. From the window of his new quarters Tucker Case watched the Japanese guards move through the compound carrying palm fronds and broken branches, detritus of the typhoon, which they piled in an open space at the side of the hangar to dry in the sun. They were dressed like a police SWAT team, in black coveralls with baseball caps and paratrooper boots, and if he squinted, they looked like giant worker ants cleaning out the nest. From time to time one of the guards would look toward his bungalow, then quickly turn away when he saw Tucker standing in the window in his pajamas. He had given up waving to them after the first hour of being ignored. He'd been in the one-room bungalow for four days now, but this was the first time he'd felt well enough to get up and move around, other than to use the bathroom, which to his surprise, had hot and cold running water, a flush toilet, and a shower stall made of galvanized metal. The walls were tightly woven grass between a sturdy frame of teak and mahogany logs; the floor was unfinished teak, sanded smooth and pink; and the furniture was wicker with brightly colored cushions. A ceiling fan spun languidly above a double bed that was draped with a canopy of mosquito netting. The windows looked out on the compound and hangar on one side and through a grove of palm trees to the ocean on the other. He could see sev-eral bungalows perched near the beach, a small dock, and the cinderblock hospital building, its tin roof arrayed with antennae, solar electric panels, and a massive satellite dish. Tuck backed away from the window and sat down on the wicker couch. A few minutes on his feet and he felt exhausted. He was twenty pounds lighter than when he had left Houston and there wasn't a six-inch patch of skin on his body that didn't have some kind of bandage on it. The doc had said that between the cuts on his arms, knees, and scalp, he had taken a hundred sutures. The first time he looked in the little mirror in his bathroom, he thought he was looking at a human version of the mangy feral dog he'd seen on Truk. His blue eyes lay like dull ice in sunken brown craters and his cheeks were drawn into his face like a mummified bog man's. His hair had been bleached white by the sun and stuck out in straw-dry tufts between pink patches where the doctor had shaved his scalp to stitch him up. He took small comfort in the fact that there were no women around to see him. No real women, anyway. The doctor's wife, who came several times a day to bring him food or to change his bandages, seemed robotic, like some Stepford/Barbie hybrid with the smooth sexless carriage of a mannequin and a personality pulled out of an Eisenhower-era soap commercial. She made the straight-laced cosmetic reps from his past seem like a tribe of pillbox ny mpho hose hunters. There was a tap on the door and Beth Curtis breezed in carrying a wooden serving tray with plates of pancakes and fresh fruit. â€Å"Mr. Case, you're up. Feeling better today?† She set the tray down on the coffee table in front of him and stepped back. Today she was in pleated khaki pants and a white blouse with puffed shoulders. Her hair was tied back with a big white bow at the back of her neck. She might have just walked out of a Stewart Granger safari movie. â€Å"Yes, better,† Tuck said, â€Å"But I wore myself out just walking to the window.† â€Å"Your body is still fighting off the infection. The doctor will be by soon to give you some antibiotics. For now you need to eat.† She sat on the chair across from him. Tuck cut a divot out of the stack of pancakes with a fork and speared it through a piece of papaya. After the first bite, he realized how hungry he really was and began wolfing down the pancakes. Beth Curtis smiled. â€Å"Have you had a chance to look over the manuals for the airplane?† Tuck nodded, his mouth still full. She'd left the operations manuals on his bed two days ago. He'd leafed through them enough to know that he could fly the thing. He swallowed and said, â€Å"I used to fly a Lear 25 for Mary Jean. This one is a little faster and has longer range, but basically it's the same. Shouldn't be a problem.† â€Å"Oh, good,† she said, sporting one of her plastic smiles. â€Å"When will you be able to fly?† Tucker put down his fork. â€Å"Mrs. Curtis, I don't mean to be rude, but what in the hell is going on around here?† â€Å"Regarding what, Mr. Case?† â€Å"Well, first, regarding the man I came to this island with. I was sick, but I wasn't hallucinating. We were strung up in a tree by an old native guy and cut down by a bunch of others. What happened to my friend?† She shifted in her chair, and the wicker crackled like snapping rat bones. â€Å"My husband told you what the islanders told us, Mr. Case. The natives live on the other side of the island. They have their own society, their own chief, their own laws. We try to take care of their medical needs and bring a few souls into the fold, but they are a private people. I'll ask them about your friend. If I find out anything, I'll let you know.† She stood and straightened the front of her slacks. â€Å"I'd appreciate that,† Tuck said. â€Å"I promised him I'd get him back to Yap and I owe him some money. The natives didn't find my backpack, did they? My money was in it.† She shook her head. â€Å"Just the clothes you had on. We burned them. Fortunately, you and Sebastian are about the same size. Now, if you'll ex-cuse me, Mr. Case, I have some work to do. Sebastian will be along in a bit with your medicine. I'm glad you're feeling better.† She turned and walked out the door into the blinding sunlight. Tucker stood and watched her walk across the compound. The Japanese guards stopped their work and leered at her. She spun on them and waited, her hands on her hips, until one by one they lost their courage and returned to their work, not embarrassed but afraid, as if meeting her direct gaze might turn them to frost. Tuck sat down to his half-eaten pancakes and shivered, thinking it must be the fever. A half hour later the doctor entered the bungalow. Tucker was spread out on the couch descending into a nap. They'd been doing this since they'd moved him to the bungalow, tag-teaming him, one showing up at least every hour to check on him, bring him food or medicine, change the sheets, take his temperature, help him to the bathroom, wipe his forehead. It looked like concerned care, but it felt like surveillance. Sebastian Curtis took a capped syringe from his coat pocket as he crossed the room. Tuck sighed. â€Å"Another one?† â€Å"You must be feeling like a pin cushion by now, Mr. Case. I need you to roll over.† Tuck rolled over and the doctor gave him the injection. â€Å"It's either this or the IV. We've got this infection on the run, but we don't want it to get a foothold again.† Tuck rubbed his bottom and sat up. Before he could say anything, the doctor stuck a digital thermometer in his mouth. â€Å"Beth tells me that you're worried about your friend, the one you say came to the island with you?† Tuck nodded. â€Å"I'll check into it, I promise you. In the meantime, if you're feeling up to it, Beth and I would like you to join us for dinner. Get to know each other a little. Let you know what's expected of you.† He pulled the thermometer out of Tuck's mouth and checked it but made no comment. â€Å"You up for dinner tonight?† â€Å"Sure,† Tuck said. â€Å"But†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Good. We'll eat at seven. I'll have Beth bring you down some clothes. I'm sorry about the hand-me-downs, but it's the best we can do for now.† He started to leave. â€Å"Doc?† Sebastian turned. â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"You've been out here, what, thirty years?† The doctor stiffened. â€Å"Twenty-eight. Why?† â€Å"Well, Mrs. Curtis doesn't look†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Yes, Beth is quite a bit younger than I am. But we can talk about all that at dinner. You should probably rest now and let those antibiotics do their work. I need you healthy, Mr. Case. We have a round of golf to play.† â€Å"Golf?† â€Å"You do play, don't you?† Tuck took a second to catch up with the abrupt change of subject, then said, â€Å"You play golf here?† â€Å"I am a physician, Mr. Case. Even in the Pacific we have Wednesdays.† Then he smiled and left the bungalow. 31 Revenge: Sweet and Low in Calories Sarapul twisted the last of the fibers into his rope and drew his knife to trim the ragged end. It was a good knife, made in Germany, with a thin flexible blade that was perfect for filleting fish or cutting microthin slices from coconut stems to keep the tuba running. He'd had the knife for ten years and he kept it honed and polished on a piece of tanned pig hide. The blade flashed blue as he picked it up and he saw the face of vengeance re-flected in the metal. Without turning, he said, â€Å"The young ones are going to kill you.† Kimi stopped, his knife held ready to strike the old man in the neck. â€Å"You ate my friend.† Sarapul gripped his knife blade down so he might turn and slash at the same time. There was no quickness in his bones, though. The Filipino would kill him before he got halfway around. â€Å"Your friend is with the white Sorcerer and Vincent's bitch. Malink took him away.† â€Å"Not that one. Roberto. The bat.† â€Å"Bats are taboo. We don't eat bats on Alualu.† Kimi lowered his knife an inch. â€Å"You are not supposed to eat people either, but you do.† â€Å"Not people I know. Come over here where I can see you. I am old and my neck won't turn that far around.† Kimi walked a crescent around the tree and crouched at ready in front of the old man. Sarapul said, â€Å"You were going to kill me.† â€Å"If you ate Roberto.† â€Å"I like that. Nobody kills anybody anymore. Oh, the young ones are talking about killing you, but I think Malink will talk them out of it.† Kimi cleared his throat. â€Å"Were you going to eat me when they killed me?† â€Å"Someone brought that up at the drinking circle. I don't remember who.† â€Å"Then how do I know you did not eat Roberto?† â€Å"Look at me, little one. I am a hundred years old maybe. Sometimes I go to the beach to pee and the tides change before my water comes. How would I catch a bat?† Kimi sat down on the ground across from the old man and dropped his knife in the gravel. â€Å"Something happened to Roberto. He flew off.† â€Å"Maybe he found a girl bat,† Sarapul said. â€Å"Maybe he will come back. You want a drink?† The old cannibal offered his jar of tuba to Kimi, who leaned forward and snatched it before retreating out of knife range. Kimi took a sip and grimaced. â€Å"Why are they going to kill me?† â€Å"They say you are a girl-man and that you make Sepie forget her duties as mispel. And they don't like you. Don't worry, no one kills anyone anymore. It is just drunk talk.† Kimi hung his head. â€Å"Sepie sent me away from the bachelors' house. She is mad at me. I have nowhere to go.† Sarapul nodded in sympathy, but said nothing. He'd been exiled for so long that he'd gotten used to the alienation, but he remembered how he had felt when Malink had first banished him. â€Å"You speak our language pretty good,† Sarapul said. â€Å"My father was from Satawan. He was a great navigator. He taught me.† â€Å"You're a navigator?† In the old days the navigators stood above even the chiefs – and just below the gods. As a boy, Sarapul idolized the two navigators of Alualu. The long-dead dream of his boyhood surfaced and he remembered learning from them, watching them draw star charts in the sand and stand at the beach lecturing on tides and currents and winds. He had wanted to be a navigator, had begun the training, for in the rigid caste system of the Yapese islands it was the one way for a man to distin-guish himself. But one of the navigators had died of a fever and the other was killed in a fight before he could pass on his knowledge. The navigators and warriors were ghosts of the past. If this girl-man was a navigator, then the bachelors were piss ants to talk of killing him. Sarpul felt infused with an energy he hadn't felt in years. â€Å"I can show you something,† Sarapul said. He tried to climb to his feet and fell back into a crouch. Kimi took him by a bony arm and helped him up. â€Å"Come,† Sarapul said. The old man led Kimi down the path to the beach and stopped at the water's edge. He began to sing, his voice like dried palm leaves rattling in the wind. He waved his arms in arcs, then threw them wide to the sky so that his chest looked as if it might crack open like a rotten breadfruit. And the wind came up. He took handfuls of sand and cast them into the wind, then clapped his hands and resumed singing until the palms above them were waving in the wind. Then he stopped. â€Å"Now we wait,† he said. He pointed out to sea. â€Å"Watch there.† A column of fog rose off the ocean at the horizon and boiled black and silver into a huge thunderhead. Sarapul clapped his hands again and a lightning bolt ripped out of the cloud and across the sky like a jagged white fissure in blue glass. The thunderclap was instant, deafening, and crackled for a full ten seconds. Sarapul turned to Kimi, who was staring at the thunderhead with his mouth open. â€Å"Can you do that?† Kimi shook off his astonishment with a shiver. â€Å"No, I never learned that. My father said he could send the thunder, but I didn't see him do it.† Sarapul grinned. â€Å"Ever eat a guy?† Kimi shook his head. â€Å"No.† â€Å"Tastes like Spam,† Sarapul said. â€Å"I heard that.† â€Å"I can teach you to send the thunder. I don't know the stars, though.† â€Å"I know the stars,† Kimi said. â€Å"Go get your things,† Sarapul said.