Internal Conflict in Barn Burning by William Faulkner Essay

The works â€Å"Barn Burning† by William Faulkner and â€Å"The Chrysanthemums† by John Steinbeck at first glance may seem to have no connection, but in spite of different plot they focus on similar ideas. The story â€Å"Barn Burning† by William Faulkner discusses the inner conflict within Sartoris Snopes, a young boy who faced a dilemma. He tries to make a decision of choosing between to lieing in the court under his father’s pressiure who does not want to get into the jail and acting against his father by telling the truth. The main character is influenced by Abner, his father, who tells him, â€Å"You got to learn to stick to your own blood or you ain’t going to have any blood to stick to you.† ( P 496). I think this quote reflects the main issue of the story, which is about blood ties. And we clearly see how Sarty is affected by these blood ties. Faulkner depicts the inner conflict and dilemma that the main character faces. We start to understand the moral dilemma of the main character from the beginning of the story. I think Faulkner make us think about the question: at what point should a person make a choice between what his parents and or family believes and his own values? The situation in which Sarty’s conflict is developeded is a trial. In this trial Sarty is asked, † I reckon any boy named for Colonel Sartoris in this country can’t help but tell the truth, can they?† ( P 154). The young boy, Sarty, somewhere deep in his heart has a feeling that he wants to act in a right way, but as he is oly 10 years old, I think it is hard for him to make firm decisions. His feelings and thoughts are influnced by his father, who pressures him, trying to prevent himself from punishment in the court. We also understand that Abner makes his son struggle with himself by the way Sarty describes him. Abner does not speak much. We see this in the way he communicates with his family and other characters. He is a person with so much pride that he is ready to do anything to revenge those who do something wrong to him or try to own him, even if he has to break the law. The choice that a young boy has to make stands between his family and conscience. When Sarty Snopes considers that he has to make a decision of choosing between blood, which is his duty to his family, and his own morality.  Sarty’s father stesses the value of loyalty to the family. He states,thatif he does not stick to hi blood, he will not have any blood to stick to. Sarty tries to make himself believe this and even starts a fight with a boy for insulting his father. At first Sarty wants to be a moral person. He is very very upset that he has to lie speaking to the judge, but he is still going to do that, knowing his father wants him to do so. As Sarty respected Abner for his values, he thought he could back up him. The boy believed his father was a brave man in the war, and that he wanted to send a warning beforehand with a slave so that no one was hurt. The battle between listening to his own heart and deciding to follow his family is the hardest struggle of Sarty’s life. He understands that it is not correct to agree with his father’s suggestions, but he is not interested in disreputing his father by disagreeing with him. The author explains that if he was older he would â€Å"resist the world and try to change the course of its events† ( P 379). Sarty learns that he does not necessaruly need bulk in irder to refuse Abner; at first he defends his father, but finally his decided to listen to his heart, which wants to help those who were harmed by obstinate and dogmatic Abner. Sarty warns the people in the big white house and goes down the road. Soon Sarty hears a a few shots, and he thinks that his father and brother are caught by the landlord and are shot by him. Regardless of what indeeed happened, he understands he can never return. The boy just continues to walk, and he does not look back. At this moment Sarty’s blood ties are broken, and he gets rid of the fear of his father’s wrath. The main character is free now. But his freedom requires paying some price. I think that the boy still feels some kind of blood tie, described by the author, and he made this choice with a lot of feelings on both sides of the issue. Sarty still cares for his family in some sense, he still feels love towards his father, even though he understands that what his father’s deeds are wrong and he really had to stop them and cease to be a part of them. The fact that the boy is not able to come back home is not a question of his  choice, I think he just canont go back. So, Sarty’s heart still suffers from some conflict that is not really resolved, even though the situation has really changed. As I have already discussed, at the beginning of the story Sarty feels a strong allegiance to his father, however, finally we learn that his views change radically. The point of culmination is at the end of the story when Sarty has warned Major de Spain of Abner’s intentions to burn the barn. I think that the main character experiences the burst of emotions, running down de Spain’s drive and hearing Major’s horse galloping behind him. The resolution to the conflict comes when Abner and his elder son are shot. But the real solution happens at night after Abner’s death, when Sarty is sitting upon the crest of a hill thinking about his actions and future life. Faulkner proves us that it is impossible to sruggle with one’s own heart . The moment when Sarty decided to choose morality over the blood pool and warned the de Spain’s revealed his true character. Though this meant the death of his father, Sarty didn’t regret of warning de Spain. Instead, it looked like the boy was trying to subsitute his memories of his father by some honorable, good person, who had strong convictions. In his story â€Å"The Chrysanthemums† John Steinbeck also reveales the conflict of a human heart, which is connected with women’s unfulfilled needs and desires. The author stresses that as human beings we have to appreciate each other, otherwise eventually we will make our lives dark and tragic. The main character, Elisa Allen, is frustrated with her present life. She is plagued with no children and her husband is not able admire her romantically as a woman. The only thing that helps her to calm down is her flower garden where beautiful chrysanthemums grow. Steinbeck shows Elisa’s thoughts nad feelings about her inner self by depicting those chrysanthemums. The story presents the idea that appreciation by the people who we love is an element of human existence. When Elisa was acknowledged by her husband, said, â€Å"maybe I could do it, too. I’ve a gift with things, all right. My mother had it. She could stick anything in the ground and make it grow† ( P  1261). At this moment the woman feels her husband’s appreciation for commenting on her wonderful flowers. This idea of recognition is shown by John Steinbeck to demonstrate the need for a felling of acceptance. Feeling a strong need for acceptance, Elisa turns to a stranger and makes attempts to be appreciated. While Elisa talks to this stranger, their conversation connects to the realm of Elisa’s flowers. â€Å"Elisa’s eyes grew alert and eager. ‘She couldn’t have known much about chrysanthemums. You can raise them from a seed'† ( P 1264). This depicts Elisa’s happiness and passion, as she has an opportunity to be appreciated through her flowers again. By undestanding the value of Elisa’s flowers, the stranger really accepts the woman, as her flowers are in some sense the expression of herself. They are everything Elisa possesses, being sometimes valued by her husband and also being valued by the stranger. â€Å"†¦ her eyes shone. She tore off the battered hat and shook out her dark pretty hair† ( P 1264). In this quote we see that Elisa opens her heart up to the stranger. She â€Å"tore off† the hat to free herself from the work which was not appreciated, and revealed her real beauty to the stranger. By acting so, Elisa is prepared herself to get the gratitude from the stranger, the gratitude that she did not receive often from her husband. . After the tinker departs, Elisa is looking forward to her evening with her husband. She hopes Henry will recognize her needs as a woman and provide her with the romance and passion which she desires. But this hope is quickly broken. The best best compliment on her appearance that Henry makes after she has changed is, â€Å"You look strong enough to break a calf over your knee, happy enough to eat it like a watermelon† ( P 393). This unflattering comment on her appearance does not do much for Elisa’s ego as a woman nor toward her feelings toward her husband. Elisa’s hope is finally destroyed, as she finds the flowers on the road. The woman feels that her soul is completely emptied by the tinker’s thoughtless rejection of her feelings. Just like her husband, he has failed to value the qualities that make her unique as a woman. This symbolic act has vanished her hope. Elisa realizes that her life will not change. Henry will not fully appreciate or understand her femininity and sexuality. She has to l earn to be content with such  unthoughtful husband and her awful marriage. She realizes that her devastation is really complete and leaves her â€Å"crying weakly-like an old woman† ( P 394). The chrysanthemums stand for the symbol of Elisa’s role as a woman. At the beginning they symbolize her children, later they represent her femininity and sexuality. Elisa feels that her life destroyed her soul because she lacked children and romance in her marriage with Henry. Eventually, her husband fails to appreciate her feminine qualities and her emotional needs. The encounter with the tinker reawakens her sexuality and Elisa starts to hope that she still has a chance for a more exciting and romantic marriage. However, seeing the flowers on the road she realizes that there will not be any changes in her life. Finally, her soul is devastated by such a miserable and uhhappy life. I think that in contrast to the inner conflict, which Faulkner’s Sarty experienced at the beginning of the strory and resolved at the end, Steinbeck’s Elisa faced different situation. She had some hopes that her life will go in the desirable way, but all her expectations failed. In my opinion, in spite of the conflicts which different natures, both authors proved in their works that if human heart comes into the conflict with itself, it brings suffering. But I think that it is worth to suffer like Sarty for the sake of resolving the conflict; however, life turns into the tragedy, when the conflict, like in Elisa’s case, is the final of a person’s dreams and expectations. Bibliography 1.Faulkner, William. Barn Burning. Bedford Introduction to Literature. Boston; Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2002. 2.Billinglea, O. Fathers and Sons: The Spiritual Quest in Faulkner’s ‘Barn Burning. Mississippi Quarterly: The Journal of Southern Culture 44.3 (Summer 1991). 3.Fowler, Virginia C. Faulkner’s ‘Barn Burning’: Sarty’s Conflict Reconsidered. College Language Association Journal 24.4 (June 1981). 4. Steinbeck, John. The Chrysanthemums. Fiction: A Longman Pocket Anthology. Ed. R.S. Gwynn. Second Ed. New York: Longman, 1998. 5.Beach, J. John Steinbeck’s Authentic Characters. Readings on John Steinbeck. Ed. Swisher, Clarice. San Diego: Greenhaven, 1996.

Internal Assessment

The Social Effects of Absentee Fathers on Boys in Inner-city Communities â€Å"Fatherliness Is an albatross around the neck of this nation, welling us down and choking development†, is a statement Martin Henry, a national journalist, salutes in his article on May 26, 2013 in the Jamaica Gleaner. Inner city communities are plagued with single-parent families and oftentimes it is the father which is absent. Mothers can do much and no more and boys who come from these broken homes oftentimes become a product of their society and a pattern develops.The issue of absentee fathers has become a social problem In the development of the family (the first Institution of colonization). The community, specifically the Inner-clues, and the society in general. Whether we believe it or not, fathers bring something unique to the family and for this reason, an irreplaceable connection and contribution is made to the life of a child. These contributions can never be replaced by any program of an y kind. The absence off father can cause a child to suffer emotionally and socially.Psychology has taught that issues such as this are correlation: a allegations may exist. According to Jennifer Flood's article,† A review of literature relevant to delinquency and adolescent behavioral and academic success revealed that there may be correlation between a male role model and the teaching of self- control and socially appropriate behaviors†. Koru, a renowned psychologist sums this up in just one sentence,† Fatherliness is a driver for delinquency and crime†.In situations where there is no male figure to look up to or aspire to be like, boys turn to media personalities Like rappers, artistes and sport personae, ones who have animal background and upbringing as they do. However, these figures are not necessarily positive role models as they display signs of arrogance and resentment towards authority. Furthermore, they do not see this as socially unacceptable becau se they aspire to be like them and so whatever that person does is seen as ‘right' in their eyes. They acclimatize to that kind of behavior and carry them out in their daily activities. Aid a mi daddy† and â€Å"Mi a Spartan Devil† are common phrases used by the fatherless boys In the community of Granville, SST. James. This affects how hey relate to one another, elders and society on a whole. A statistical analysis shows that fatherless children who normally possess this kind of mindset are 20 times more likely to end up in prison; 20 times more likely to have behavioral disorders; 14 times more likely to commit rape; 9 times more likely to drop out of high school; 10 times more likely to abuse drugs and the list goes on.What glorious future for our boys! This natural disaster sweeping away our country continues as boys with absentee fathers suffer from lack of affection and support because there Is no male Geiger to love and support them, specifically when It co mes on to those physical activities such as: sports and manual labor. They pretend as though this doesn't affect them as it demeans their manhood to show their true feelings.They use different mediums to bring out the anger they feel inside which may, unfortunately, resort to a life of crime and violence. Mothers of these children have to now face the reality that they have now become a menace to society. This lack of affection can also no idea of how to express and show love and so find it difficult to commit to a allegations. They have children outside marriage or any stable relationship, hence, continuing the tradition and the cycle of being an absentee father.Edward Koru, writing about father absence, father deficit and father hunger in Psychology Today underlines the behavioral problems,† Fatherless children have more difficulties with social adjustments, and are more likely to report problems with friendships, and manifest behavior problems; many develop a swaggering, in timidating persona in an attempt to disguise their underlying fears, resentments, anxieties and unhappiness. Gangs and violence and the adoration of the gun as power spring out of this condition. The litany of disaster now becomes a norm which affects us all as citizens of this country. The absence of a father in the family places a heavy weight on the mother of this child. His basic needs may not be met because a mother in those type of communities normally don't possess a high income Job which earns enough money to supply the needs of the child and so the child grows up into a teenager with the mindset meek a living and will do anything to be successful at this. This springs over to boys being more likely to experience unemployment, having low salary Jobs and even experience homelessness.I strongly believe that we are confronted with a major social disaster. The decline of fatherhood is a major force behind many of our biggest problems: low educational performance, crime, violence , poor social relations and weak economic performance. Clearly, the only way to fix this problem is to solve this issue of fatherliness in our homes.

An Introduction To DNA

An Introduction To DNA DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) is the genetic material of eve living organisms including some viruses. It is a dimer consists of two strands that immerse upon each other and appear as a double helix that are linked together covalently with each other. Each strand is made up of similar repeating units called nucleotides. Each nucleotide composed of three different moieties,a 2-deoxyribose sugar,a phosphate group and a nitrogenous base. 1.1.1 2-Deoxyribose sugar The 2-deoxyribose sugar, a major structural component of DNA is a cyclic molecule .The sugars are joined together by phosphate groups that form phosphodiester bonds between third and fifth carbon atoms of adjacent sugar rings.The 5†² carbon of deoxyribose sugar is attached to the 3†² carbon of the next, and make a network of 3†² carbon and 5†² carbon.5’end of a DNA molecule is characterized by a free phosphate (P) group and the 3†² end is characterized by a free hydroxyl (OH) group. It lacks an hyd roxyl group at the 2 position as in a ribose therefore a sugar moiety is a 2-deoxyribose. Two free hydroxyl groups are also located on the 5 carbon and 3-carbon of 2-deoxyribose sugar.These hydroxyl groups give a DNA oligomer its designation of 5 and the 3 end(usually accent as â€Å"three prime end† and â€Å"five prime end†). 1.1.2 Sugar-Phosphate backbone The 2-deoxyribose sugar and a phosphate group forms the backbone in the DNA which are highly polar and defines directionality of the molecule. The polar hydrophilic back- bone is surrounded by a core of hydrophobic bases and is important for the stability and structure of DNA. The phosphate groups have a negative charge that gives a concentra- tion of negative charge on the backbone of DNA and also makes DNA,a negatively charge 5 1 Fundamentals molecule. The charge is also neutralised by DNA-binding proteins that contain the pos- itively charged amino acids lysine and arginine, which are attracted to the negatively charged phosphate backbone. See Fig. 1.1. Figure 1.1: DNA backbone 1.1.3 Nucleic acid bases DNA contain four different nitrogenous bases that make monomer of one nucleotide different from other. These bases are adenine (A), thymine (T), cytosine (C), and gua- nine(G). The bases come in two categories pyrimidines and purines. Larger nucleic acids adenine and guanine are members of a class of doubly ringed structures called purines while the smaller nucleic acids cytosine and thymine are members of a class of singly- ringed chemical structures called pyrimidines .A six-membered ring with two-nitrogen molecule formed a pyrimidine structure whereas purine is produced by a nine-membered, ring with four- nitrogen molecule. Each unit of the ring constructing the base is numbered to for specific identification. They are arranged in a particular order along the backbone of DNA to make a long chain of varying sequence that contains the code for proteins.The sequence specifies the exact genet ic instructions required to create a particular organism with its own unique traits. 6 1 Fundamentals 1.1.4 Base Pairing in DNA The nitrogenous bases are responsible to form double-strand of DNA in consequence of weak hydrogen bonds and have specific shapes and hydrogen bond properties. The three hydrogen bonds form between guanine and cytosine and then denoted as G.C or C.G,depending on which is associated with the first strand. Similarly adenine and thymine also bond exclusively by pairing of two hydrogen bonds and then denoted as A.T or T.A. This coupling up of nitrogen bases termed as complementarity.,A hydrogen bond donor need an equivalent hydrogen bond acceptor to form a hydrogen bond in the base across from it. Purines are only complementary with pyrimidines because molecules in pyrimidine-pyrimidine pairings are very far from each other that doesn’t makes the hydrogen bonding to be established. Purine-purine pairing are energetically unfavourable because the molecule s are too close and create an electrostatic repulsion. The only possible pairings are GT and AC. Primary and secondary amine groups or hydroxyl groups are common hydrogen bond donar while carbonyl and tertiary amines are common hydrogen bond acceptor groups. There are two hydrogen bonds between an A:T base pair. One hydrogen bond lie between the 6†² primary amine of adenine and the 4†² carbonyl of thymine. The other hydrogen bond form between the 1†² tertiary amine of adenine and the 2†² secondary amine of thymine. On the other hand,G:C base pair has three hydrogen bonds. One hydrogen bond lie between guanine with its 6†² hydrogen bond accepting carbonyl and cytosine having 4†² hydrogen bond accepting primary amine. The second hydrogen bond also formed between guanine on 1†² secondary amine and cytosine 3†² tertiary amine and the third formed between the 2†² primary amine on guanine and the 2†² carbonyl on cytosine.

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Hospitality as a performance - Essay Example For, in the hospitality industry, there are no takes or retakes; once performed, there in no turning back. This makes the job of these personnel extremely difficult and mentally tough. We see that one often needs to present themselves in different ways in varying situations. The front office men and women are well-dressed and offer a glowing countenance every time a customer walks up to them, whether they like or not. A bartender may not be having the best of days, yet he/she will have to offer the kindest smile in the world, every time a stranger asks for a drink. A waiter or waitress may be having the worst day in their life, still they offer a towel or remark politely, " Its OK Sir, I'll have it cleaned up immediately," when a customer throws up or spills a drink over the table. Welcome then to the hospitality industry, where all sorts of roles are played out day-in, day-out to keep their customers happy. Most often, these roles come with a script, a fixed message. Considering the magnitude of personal involvement, the pressure to perform remains utmost important in organisations such as the hospitality and other service industries. Organisational Behaviour in Hotels and Restaurants are monitored to such an extent that unless the personnel perform to industry standards, they are most likely to lose business and name. Personal relations remain high on their agenda. A study of the industry suggests that performance is based on strong HR policies. One could study the following to understand the impact of personal supervision to understand the following: Why is it a work in some organisations pleasurable, and torturous in others Why is it difficult to motivate employees to work hard How can one person persuade a group to work as a team Which is the best way of designing an organisational structure Can one persuade his/her boss to listen to their ideas (Guerrier, 2004). Motivation remains the biggest factor in making people perform. One can never get away from the fact that, man has and will continue to be fascinated by rewards and appreciation. Many hotels have come forward to openly recognize the best performer in the various departments of their hotel to encourage others to perform. Hotel personnel are stage performers, and to get the best out of them, there is nothing like showing the bait. 'Role playing' is what is enacted by these personnel right through their career in the hotel. The same may not be the case in real life, as their life at home or with friends. Similarly, Gorden Rumsay runs a program called, 'hell kitchen.' For outsiders, the feeling may be one of terror or bullish. He wants to be a perfectionist, and goes about shouting and screaming at his staff, with the occasional use of four-letter words to get his staff to perform. This may be his way to get the best from his staff. However, his staff and others around him may think of h im to be arrogant and

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Criminology ( Understanding crime) - Essay Example There are various resources of crimes that are used to do criminal activities within least time. This matter is in the observance of all citizens including investigation departments. So, people should be secure in this matter as they should adopt protection techniques to minimize the ratio of crime and victimization. In this paper, we are mentioning fear of crimes along with different approaches; these parameters should be realized to make social and professional life secure and safe. Realization of reasons of crimes is the cause of provision of justice to all humans without any intricacy. The use of practical sources in investigation strategy is exceedingly enjoyed on the grounds that this is an adept approach to figure out essential reasons of wrongdoings. Thus, a specialist ought to utilize most recent web and portable applications for increasing satisfactory data about truths and substances of that individual which is included in criminal exercises. This is demonstrated that current assets are making life simple and straightforward for all individuals. This effortlessness is connected with social and expert angles with no reservation and uncertainty. Along these lines, anybody can get data about any individual effortlessly in the present age. This is conceivable with the utilization of most recent innovative advancements that are open for all individuals. Likewise, agents can utilize these sources and they can make their investigation records fulfilled by req uirements for acquiring peace and mankind the general public. (Rolà ³n, 2014) This is additionally a favored path for those individuals who are entranced to accomplish their objectives with velocity and sensation in the social request. In the same way, practical sources are making investigation system simple in light of the fact that these arrangements are useful to track lawbreakers with sufficient spot and presence. Consequently, individuals like to utilize most

Research Paper On any of these 5 Topics Listed Below Topics Essay

Research Paper On any of these 5 Topics Listed Below Topics - Essay Example Even though they have changed a little, all of Aristotle’s elements for tragedy are here. Plot is the most important element discussed in Aristotle’s poetics. He insists that the play must be a construct built upon cause and effect, and that both of these must be within the context of the play, and the cause must precede the effect. The tragedy must be important, showing some universal theme. But the most important of these is the putting-together (? structuring) of the events. For tragedy is a mimesis not of men [simply] but of an action, that is, of life. 20 Thats how it is that they certainly do not act in order to present their characters: they assume their characters for the sake of the actions [they are to do]. And so the [course of] events -- the plot -- is the end of tragedy, and the end is what matters most of all. (Aristotle 21) If we look at Death of a Salesman, we find several plots within the play and all are complete and flow chronologically from cause to effect. However, the main story centers around the inability of Willy to change, which cost him everything. Willy is an old fashioned salesman in a new fast moving world, and he has been left behind. His dreams for his children are just as passà © and unrealistic, as there is no way they can every be realized, and Willy cannot let go of them. He lives in a fantasy world he created, and can no longer separate it from reality. Each of the boys has his own tragedy, life ambitions never realized, because they were never allowed to create their own dreams and could never achieve those of their father. Biff could never get past catching his father with another woman and knowing that his father gave that woman his mother’s silk stockings. Finally, there is Linda Loman, possibly the most tragic of all, because she did nothing. Linda Loman deferred to h er husband, even with the boys, so she is totally ineffectual, and because she entrusted her dreams to Willy, she loses by default. All she

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Leadership - Essay Example ert Dudley, the Managing Director of BP PLC, in regaining the confidence of the major stakeholders of his company after the Gulf of Mexico oil spill incident. This essay also argues the necessity for leaders to assess their own meaning of crisis leadership and their appropriate role in mitigating or solving crisis situations. Human-made catastrophes severely challenge leadership capacity. On April 20, 2010, one of the worst human-made disasters was recorded in history, the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. A massive oil slick spreading at the previous rig spot was observed in April 22. The oil slick may turn out to be the nation’s most disastrous environmental catastrophe in decades. The discharge from the ocean floor was discovered to be remarkably larger than originally reported, adding to the rising belief among numerous Louisianans that the government was once again unsuccessful, just like its failure during Hurricane Katrina. The rapidly spreading oil slick is threatening the rich flora and fauna along the Gulf Coast. A vast number of species of birds, fish, and other marine life are in danger of extinction. Because of this unprecedented environmental disaster BP Plc Chief Executive Officer Tony Hayward is greatly criticised. The cleanup mission was then assigned to Robert Dudley as the Managing Director of BP PLC. However, Dudley is not only confronting the tremendous difficulty of cleaning up the oil slick but also the challenge of regaining the trust and confidence of major stakeholders in the United States. This tragic incident diverted worldwide interest to the leadership challenges confronted by the people involved in the massive oil spill. This recent threat has generated a need for leaders, such as Robert Dudley, to broaden their understanding and knowledge, and cultivate new abilities. Dudley would certainly discover that the conventional diploma and certificate trainings usually do not respond to these complex leadership challenges. The news media

Build A Team Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Build A Team - Essay Example From the West Coast Transit team member profiles, the following members have been selected to be part of the A team that will undertake the above mentioned project: Natalie, Elizabeth, Katelyn, Bob, Susan and William. In brief, these six members have good qualities that can positively yield in great team performance. Essentially, collaboration and coordination are basic tenets of teamwork in an organization (Schultz, 2007). In brief, Natalie is positive and has great communication skills; Elizabeth enjoys the collaborative aspect of the job and has a positive attitude; Katelyn’s mindset suits teamwork; Bob’s attitude is positive and he is a team player; Susan’s attitude is positive and she is an excellent team player and William is also positive and believes that he is a team player. When combined, the qualities of the selected six members are likely to contribute towards the formation of a strong and formidable team that can collaboratively work together to prod uce positive results for the organization. The other people have not been selected to become part of the A team as a result of their negative attitude. For instance, Ian is arrogant and he does not want to back down from his ideas. Doug is a bit of a temper and he is easily frustrated and is viewed as abrasive by his workmates. On the other hand, Michael is overconfident and at time battles with depression though he collaborates with others when the need arises. It can be observed that the qualities of the members left out of the A team are not consistent with the spirit and letter of teamwork. The attitudes of these members can impact negatively on the overall performance of the team since they can lead to conflicts. As indicated above, the A team is formed for a specific purpose. Given the diverse factors that may influence the behavior of your team members, the job characteristic model and goal setting will be

Strategic Audit - Lowe's Companies, Inc Term Paper

Strategic Audit - Lowe's Companies, Inc - Term Paper Example i. Customers are increasingly looking at â€Å"Smart Technology†, such as one-touch programming for spas and baths; heated, self-cleaning and self-closing toilets; washers and dryers with humidity sensors and steam cycles, which provides an opportunity for Lowe’s to sell product upgrades. ii. China is providing a potential market, as that country has new laws that ease restrictions on buying homes. Moreover, homes in China do not come equipped with basics, such as flooring, fixtures and appliances, so the Chinese people must purchase these items when they buy a new home, which provides avenue for Lowe’s if they decide to expand into that market. a. Rivalry high – Lowe’s continues to be a distant second to Home Depot in terms of overall revenue. Price competition is keen, and rivals continue to offer new services and new products to attract customers. b. Potential entry of new competitors is low to moderate – There is limited customer loyalty, capital requirements to enter the industry are high, industry growth rates have been slow because of the recession. c. Competitive pressures from substitute products is moderate-high – substitutes would include stores that are outside of the home improvement industry, such as Wal-Mart and Costco; brand-name stores, such as Maytag Appliances and Sherwin-Williams paint; and trained professionals, such as plumbers and electricians. i. Pros – since small, locally-owned businesses are the main threat to Lowe’s, by partnering with these businesses and providing products and services, they get a piece of that pie as well. Small businesses probably need the cash infusion, so everybody wins. ii. Cons – Increased R&D costs are risky, as there is no telling how the green market will be in the future. It might be a fad, or might be long-lasting. Also, the costs for these items will probably increase with

Road Project Management Essay Example for Free

Road Project Management Essay In any project, there should be proper management of the project to be successful. Different projects have different fulfillment conditions, and in our case, it is not spared. Construction of the road requires a great deal of designing and application of various guidelines to make it fulfill the requirements and suite future generations, and their relevant application plus its effects to the social-economic and culture-political nature of situation. Project Management Body of Knowledge, PMBOK, contains a tailored five phases that guide implementation of a project even though these phases sometimes overlap: Initiating, planning, executing, controlling, and closing processes are the five phases (James 2006, pp. 66 – 70). Initiating process is usually important; this is because the necessary details that are required for successful completion of the project are devised. At this time, features like the Activity Completion Report (ACR), should be considered and developed through out of the project (John 1992, pp. 23 45). The idea of refining and defining the objectives of the project should be analyzed in the planning process. Other conditions such as project plans and sub-plans should be developed and obtaining the required funding should be a forefront issue before the project begins. The longest and most important phase is the executing process. This is when the project plan is implemented; this is through coordinating different human resources and other resources that are required to lead into successful completion of the project plans. Another important phase is controlling the general process. This is ensuring that the project objectives are met; this can be checked by use of measuring and monitoring the project development through regular inspections. This phase overlaps the different phases to enable it in tracking variances and changes that may occur (Subhankar 2003, pp. 56 – 70). The last phase is the closing process phase. This stage ensures that the project is brought into an orderly end. This can be obtained by formalizing, and then communicating the conclusion of the project and passing over the completed project to the accountable sector. Other activities that are common in this part of phase are completion of the Activity Completion Report and since this is a major project, it requires post implementation review. When the project phases are under control, the main issue is how the project will be managed. Various issues are brought into consideration to successfully manage the project. Issues such as contracting, environmental impacts, maintaining the project within the plan and human resource distribution are common. Project contracting is the most important in management since it allows the delivery of the materials, equipments and services to the road region. Contracting is usually affected by the funds that are available and engineering considerations. This may result into poor coordination between the different contractors. This can be prevented when each contract process is well defined in advance. Project safety and environmental considerations should be monitored at each step of the project. Human resource that is within the area including the inhabitants of the area should be ensured that they will be safe throughout the project, and if possible safety measures and parametric should be on stand by. The environment should be preserved and maintained to reduce issues that are related to pollution. This may be due to factors such as disposing of the excess amount of soil that was dug out, oil that the machines use as examples of environmental sensitivity in this case (Subhankar 2003, pp. 56 – 70). Risk is inevitable; it is like a natural thing. The risky areas run from contracting to the process at the scene should be analyzed and techniques such as SWOT, brainstorming should be applied in developing a risk matrix. This when applied will reduce issues such as late delivery by contractors and collision of project interest. Project control process comes into plan when trying to maintain the objective of the project. Issues such as the width of the road, road signs, vertical cross-section and environmental should be maintained within the original plans. All project steps should be maintained into the most original proposal plan. Human management is the tricky part since the required human resource should be at the right place at the right time, and it includes issues like team building and delegation of responsibilities. In addition, issues like how leadership should be accorded e. g. authoritative should be checked. In delegation of duties the use of X – Y theories may be applied so result into satisfaction of the human resource that are involved (James 2006, pp. 66 – 70). Total quality management (TQM) is a strategy that is employed by management in ensuring that the quality is observed. This brings around the issues of the type of materials that are used and the level of human expertise. The material quality should meet the required standards and during the executing of the process the right mixture of various materials should be observed. An example is the mixture between sand and cement, or the types of beams and steel that is used in construction of the required bridges and culverts (Dwigt 1990, pp. 96 100). After the completion of the project, project close out process is brought into light. The key elements that are associated with this stage of development are: Completion of the Post Implementation Evaluation report (PIER) †¢ Completing and archiving the project records. †¢ Disbursing the resources e. g. facilities and staff. †¢ In addition, recognizing outstanding achievements When the project is completed an issue arise, was the project successful and what was used to measure the level of success. Like quality that requires conformance to the requirements or specifications and fitness for use in the project, also, project success usually requires a combination of project management and product success. Three means that are frequently used to show that the project was successful are; cost, schedule and scope objectives. The cost that was required in the completion of the project is within the standards that was set; Budget. This means that the amount of funds that was used did not pass the estimate. Another issue is the schedule – time. The question arises whether the project was completed within the time scale that was proposed. If this was met, then the project is successful in terms of time. Lastly, the issue that relates to the product which in our case the road. A question such as whether the road was able to accommodate the different types of tracks that are supposed to access it and the traffic issue, if all the conditions that were initially set are met then in terms of project scope is successful. In success of any project, various issues are brought into focus. Starting from the project phases to the success of the project should be managed well, and viewed through different angles. Various issues should be brought into focus, which results in meeting the original plans of the project, and at the same time meets the required quality level.

National Business Systems Variations

National Business Systems Variations In this essay I will explore how Porters diamond model explains the variations in national business systems and comparative economic performance and to what extent other ideas and approaches will be required. Porter introduced the diamond model of national competitive advantage (1990) to explain why a number of countries are more competitive than others and why a number of businesses within the countries are more competitive. The model proposes that the national home base of an industry plays an important role in achieving an advantage on a universal scale. This home base contributes the essential factors that will support the organisations in building advantages in global competition. Japans automobile industry and US semiconductor industry have both been linked to Porters diamond model in creating unique business systems and gaining competitive advantage over other industries. Porter (1990) identified four determinants in attaining a national competitive advantage he concludes that a combination of the four determinates within a nation has an enormous influence on the competitive strength of the firms located there. Porter (1990) argues that competitive industries take the form of specialised clusters of home based firms. Clusters are correlated through vertical relations such as buyers integrating with suppliers or through horizontal relations through customers, technology, skills, distribution channels etc (Chen et al 2008). These specialised clusters will enable a nation to create business systems which will lead to competitive advantage and economic success. Factor condition is the nations position on factors of production that is necessary to compete in a given industry, for example skilled labour or infrastructure. These national factors often provide initial advantages for the nation. Each nation possesses particular factor conditions that are more favourable. For example, Japans large pool of engineers is reflected by the number of engineering graduates. These engineering graduates have been essential to Japans success in variety of manufacturing industries. Porter (1990) points out that these factors dont have to be nature made or inherited. Home demand conditions can influence the creating of specific factor conditions which can affect the direction of the innovation and advancement of product development. Porter argues (1990) that home demand rests upon three major characteristics. First the mixture of customers needs and wants. Second the demanding buyers in the home base will pressure companies into meeting high standards. For example Japanese consumers value space-saving gave the nation a lead in compact products and Americas long distances have led to competitive strength in very large truck engines. Third, an industry will have an advantage in market segments which are more important at home than elsewhere. In each of these instances, it is not the size of the home market that is important, but the extent to which it encourages firms to innovate. A large home market which meets all three conditions will be highly supportive of international competitiveness (Davies and Ellis 2000). A related and supporting industry is when one globally successful manufacturing company can create advantages in other similar manufacturing companies. A nation industries will be better able to compete internationally if there are clusters of industries in the home base economy which are linked to each other through vertical or horizontal relationships amongst suppliers, customers and distribution channels. For example Germany has a cluster in chemicals and USA in the semi-conductor industry. Dyer (1994) found in his research that the Japanese network relationships with their suppliers can enable the company to send their workers to assist customers with the work, position the factory near the customers or even invest in physical assets that are customised. This will therefore allow the Japaneses auto businesses to keep up with the inventory and transportation costs low enabling them to improve the product development. For example Toyota was able to benefit from their production net works as they created assembly factories that are geographically close with their suppliers. The firm structure, strategy, and rivalry are the conditions governing how businesses are shaped, managed and deal with domestic rivalry in a nation. The cultural factors are important for each nation. For example each country will have different cultural traits in which the business is structured. This will create benefits for each nation and industry. In Japan the automobile industry rivalry is strong, has seven major companies: Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Suzuki, Mazda, and Subaru which all fight for the market share. These seven businesses compete intensely in the home nation, and within other nations and markets. Strong domestic competition demands all these businesses to have superior technologies, products, and management practices to compete and survive, for example there is high number of engineers in management that emphasis on improving manufacturing processes. The US has only two main businesses in automobile industry which are Ford and General Motors. The US manuf actures have stated that the quality of the automobiles of Japanese cars is better than the US cars. Toyota and other automakers in Japan were able to grab 25% of the US auto market industry while the US home producers for the cars were unable to compete with the Japanese price and on the quality of the product (Buffa 1984). In addition to the four conditions, Porter (1990) points out two important components which are the role of chance which are important as it allows nations to shift their competitive position and alter the conditions of the diamond model. Chance events have different impacts on nations for example the oil shock helped to upgrade Japanese industry (Porter 1990). The role of the government is an important influence on modern international competition. The governments can put forward the policies a nation should follow to create advantages, enabling the industries in a nation to develop a strong competitive position globally. For example the government policy for Japan and US has created success for these nations. According to Porter (1990) governments can progress the advantages by ensuring there is high potential of product performance, ethical standards, or encouraging reasonability and negotiation between the suppliers and buyers on a domestic level. For example the US governments g ave large support in semiconductor industry in focusing on specific products that meet consumer demand for example the missile system in the US national security. Nations can use Porters (1990) diamond model to identify which businesses systems they can build to generate a competitive advantage and compete with others nations globally. The Japanese have considerable advantages in Porters diamond factors. The semiconductor manufacturing and software services are key industries that have contributed greatly to US growth and productivity in the 1970s. Okimoto, Sugana and Weinstein (1984) research found that the US businesses were able to obtain competitive advantage in key industries such as steel, automobiles and consumer electronics. These businesses had the ability to set the standards of each industry, create new technology and control shares of the world market. The markets and industries that Japan have chosen or created a competitive advantage are the autos, steel, motorcycles, cameras and small appliances. The success of Japanese automobile industry is due to the close relationships with their suppliers. For example both Toyota and Nissan are able to work closely with their supply production network to produce high quality cars; this gives the Japanese manufacturers an advantage over the US automakers (Dyer 1994). Research found on Numakura (2004) article has shown that the Japanese automobile companies have greater higher profit margins than the American companies. This is because the Japanese production systems such as Just in time (JIT) and Kaizen have enabled the industry to increase their productivity and cost reduction. Compared to US, rather than having a close relationship, the businesses are more likely to influence their supplier by a number of strategic polices (Buffa 1987). In the 1970s the Japanese had labour cost advantages, strong networks of suppliers, very demanding consumers which enabled them to gain competitive advantage over other nations. However Porter (1990) underplays the role of history, late development theory, globalisation, culture and managerial enterprise in determining the competitive advantage. As a result of defining the problem incompletely, he offers an incomplete solution (O Shaughnessy 1997). This shows other approaches are required to explain various business systems and comparative economic performance in nations. Gerschenkron (1962) theory on late industrialisation could be another approach to Porters theory to explain the economic performance of a nation. The theory shows how Japan as a nation was able to go through a period of rapid growth during 1951-1990 that helped them to compete globally. Japans economy boosted after the US declined as in the 1970s the Japanese companies was able to replace the US leaders in key industries. The production and operation management enabled the Japanese industries to become a competitive nation. This was done through their production systems and manufacturing products at a low cost. The Japanese companies were able to do this by offering the consumers good quality products at cheap prices. Table 1 (Capdevielle Alvarez 1981) shows a comparative evidence of how US companies productivity averaged at 2.7% in 1960 and decreased at -0.3% at 1980. While at the same time Japan averaged a productivity increase of 9.4%, Germany and France productivity also increased at 5.6% and 5.4% (Buffa 1987). The reasons for US decreasing in their productivity growth in industries and their capability to compete globally are due to many reasons. One factor could be the difference of the work ethics values between US and Japan or Germany showing us how culture can also have an effect on the nations competitive advantage on various business systems. Bosch and Prooijen (1992) have paid attention to the role of national culture and impact it has on Porters diamond. Porter agrees in that national culture is an important determinant in the competitive advantage of nations, but does not include national culture in his descriptive framework of the diamond. National culture has an important impact o n relations between related and supporting industries (Bosch and Prooijen 1992) therefore to an extent Porters theory doesnt account how culture is another explanation for the variations in national business systems and comparative economic performance for a nation. For example, Hofstede (1980) found Japan compared to Western and Northern Europe, is a very strong uncertainty avoider. Hofstede (1980) argues that the variations in values between cultures will require the difference organisational responses. The economic environment of a nation can be determined by the cultural values. Gerschenkron (1962) theory also states that history is important in measuring economic success and performance for a nation. Porter (1990) neglects the role of historical cause in his diamond model. In the case of Germany and Japan for example, there is probably a direct connection between past militarism and the present industrial domination. Militarism has contributed to industrial excellence by creating a tradition of discipline in the labour force for both of these nations. Germanys and Japans competitiveness owes a great deal to its amoral military past (O Shaughnessy 1997). Particular historical events can be unique to a country which can determine its character (Saunders et al 1986). The occurrence of invasion and revolution is a shared experience amongst many successful nations in history. O Shaughnessy (1997) argues that there are limitations to Porters (1990) methods. For example the diamond conditions emerged from examining the history of 100 industries, but to do this tho roughly histories would have to be written in the form that would allow such analysis. The detail would require the company histories. Neither the references nor the acknowledgements suggest any such documented histories of 100 industries. The four histories quoted from Porters are just sketches that illustrate rather than test the theory (O Shaughnessy 1997). Chandler (1992) also agrees that the history is important for any organisation and industry. He argues that significant analysis of a business or nation today must be based on the understanding of its past. Reich (1991) agrees on the concept that Porter theory on national competitiveness (1990) to an extent doesnt account for various business systems and comparative economic performance. He argues that economic success or performance is due to national purpose rather than national competitiveness. Nation competitiveness depends on globalisation and the skills, training and knowledge commanded by its workforce, the key to success is the people of the nation. Reich argues that national industries dont exist in any meaningful sense, as it is global corporate networks rather than national industries that now dominate economic activity. Resources are placed in those nations offering the best production and marketing advantages. For example Reich (1991) points that US decline in productivity is due to the changes of the world competition structure as by 1980s more than 70% of the products consumed in US had to be competed with similar goods that were produced abroad with standardised producti on systems. Chandler (1977) stated that a globalised firm can allow other nations to learn and benefit from the same sources of their national competitive advantage. For example in the 1960s, America and other western countries were amazed by the rapid speed of Japans growth and how it was able to manage its economy to become a successful competitor in the globe. America and other European nations started to learn from Japanese management structure and operation. However Porter (1990) makes a strong case of the importance of the home country in todays global economy. Porter argues that by providing a favourable environment for the successful organisations, home countries can play a vital role in wealth creation in the context of international competition. Chandler (1992) looks at a different perspective to explain the economic performance in nations and the development of business systems. His theory argues that large managerial enterprise had a significant contribution on national competitive advantage through exploitation of economies of scale and scope. Chandler states that in order for large managerial enterprises to gain and keep competitive advantages, top managers must commit to the three-pronged investment. This is because these large enterprises have a large market to sell their products to. These large enterprises can create a competitive advantage by producing more at a lower cost with the same outputs. The cost per product is decreased due to mass production and the diversification of the production line. Chandler (1992) explains how the US lost their competitive advantage to the Japanese companies in the semiconductor industry. Chandler (1992) states that many of the US companies in the semiconductor industry such as Inte l and Silicon Valley failed to make long term investments in production, distribution and management that was important for them to become the first movers in the industry. Chandler (1992) therefore explains how the Japanese companies were able to make the investment that was required from them to become a first mover in the semiconductor industry. This enabled the Japanese companies to develop their organisation ability to quickly demolish the American competitive advantage. Overall Porters model (1990) of national competitive advantage to an extent does account for the variations in national business systems and comparative economic performance across different nations and industries. However the model doesnt consider and explain how culture, history, late industrialisation and globalisation can have an impact on the economic success of a nation and the variations of business systems.

Cultural and Racial Inequality in Hemingways Indian Camp Essay

Cultural and Racial Inequality in Hemingway's Indian Camp Hemingway's "Indian Camp" concerns Nick Adams' journey into the unknown to ultimately experience and witness the full cycle of birth and death. Although Nick's experience is a major theme in the story, cultural inequality also is an issue that adds to the the story's narrative range. Throughout this short story, there are many examples of racial domination between Nick's family and the Indians. Dr. Adams' and Uncle George's racist behavior toward the Native Americans are based on the history of competition between Caucasians and America's indigenous peoples. "Indian Camp" begins at the shore where Nick, his father, and Uncle George are picked up by Indians in rowboats. When Nick and the men get into the rowboat, the Indians row them to the Indian Camp, with no help from the doctor or Uncle George. This evidence is the first example of cultural domination in the story. Once across the lake, Uncle George gives the Indians cigars. Uncle George's action could be a gift or a congratulatory gesture for the baby about to be b...

Acceptance of Loss of Time in Sonnet 73 and When I have Fears Essay

Acceptance of Loss of Time in Shakespeare’s Sonnet 73 and Keats’s When I have Fears that I May Cease to Be  Ã‚     Ã‚   Time spent fearing the passage of time wastes the very thing that one dreads losing. Both Shakespeare’s "Sonnet 73" and Keats’s "When I have Fears that I May Cease to Be" reveal the irrationality of this fear and explore different interpretations of this theme: to Keats death equates an inability to reach his potential, to accomplish what he desires; to Shakespeare death (represented in the metaphors of autumn, twilight, and ashes) will separate him from earthly, physical love. Through various rhetorical strategies and content of sub-themes, these authors ultimately address their struggle with mortality and time; their sonnets support the idea that to fear loss and death is a waste of precious time. By telescoping the various metaphors of autumn, twilight, and ashes in "Sonnet 73, " Shakespeare portrays the ending of time. His systematic representation of familiar concepts as symbols of time passage and models of life creates three individual paralleled sonnets that join at the poem’s conclusion to form a collaborated theme (Bloom 12). Shakespeare begins with the broad season of autumns and gets progressively more specific as he discusses twilight, a smaller frame of reference, and eventually ashes, the one nonlinear metaphor that is the most specific of the three (Vendler 335). The first quatrain is devoted to the depiction of autumn as an ending season. These four lines are characterized by a tone of loss, emptiness, and nostalgia for the spring that represents the poet’s youth. The "boughs which shake against the cold" that were once covered in green leaves stand alone and practically empty in the col... ...t a moment in earth’s little while:/ ‘This, too, shall pass away.’" -Lanta Wilson Smith    Work Cited Bloom, Harold. Modern Critical Interpretations: William Shakespeare’s Sonnets. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1987. pg. 12-13 Elliott, Nathaniel When I Have Fears that I May Cease to Be," Poetry for Students:Volume 2, Detroit: Gale, 1998. Hirst, Wolf Z. John Keats. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1981. Ingram, W. G. and Theodore Redpath, Ed. "Sonnet 73," Shakespeare’s Sonnets.New York: Barnes & Noble, Inc., 1968. pg. 168-169. King, Bruce. "When I Have Fears that I May Cease to Be," Poetry for Students: Volume 2, Detroit: Gale, 1998. Napierkowski, Marie Rose and Mary K. Ruby. Vendler, Helen. The Art of Shakespeare’s Sonnets. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1997. pg. 333-336.       Acceptance of Loss of Time in Sonnet 73 and When I have Fears Essay Acceptance of Loss of Time in Shakespeare’s Sonnet 73 and Keats’s When I have Fears that I May Cease to Be  Ã‚     Ã‚   Time spent fearing the passage of time wastes the very thing that one dreads losing. Both Shakespeare’s "Sonnet 73" and Keats’s "When I have Fears that I May Cease to Be" reveal the irrationality of this fear and explore different interpretations of this theme: to Keats death equates an inability to reach his potential, to accomplish what he desires; to Shakespeare death (represented in the metaphors of autumn, twilight, and ashes) will separate him from earthly, physical love. Through various rhetorical strategies and content of sub-themes, these authors ultimately address their struggle with mortality and time; their sonnets support the idea that to fear loss and death is a waste of precious time. By telescoping the various metaphors of autumn, twilight, and ashes in "Sonnet 73, " Shakespeare portrays the ending of time. His systematic representation of familiar concepts as symbols of time passage and models of life creates three individual paralleled sonnets that join at the poem’s conclusion to form a collaborated theme (Bloom 12). Shakespeare begins with the broad season of autumns and gets progressively more specific as he discusses twilight, a smaller frame of reference, and eventually ashes, the one nonlinear metaphor that is the most specific of the three (Vendler 335). The first quatrain is devoted to the depiction of autumn as an ending season. These four lines are characterized by a tone of loss, emptiness, and nostalgia for the spring that represents the poet’s youth. The "boughs which shake against the cold" that were once covered in green leaves stand alone and practically empty in the col... ...t a moment in earth’s little while:/ ‘This, too, shall pass away.’" -Lanta Wilson Smith    Work Cited Bloom, Harold. Modern Critical Interpretations: William Shakespeare’s Sonnets. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1987. pg. 12-13 Elliott, Nathaniel When I Have Fears that I May Cease to Be," Poetry for Students:Volume 2, Detroit: Gale, 1998. Hirst, Wolf Z. John Keats. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1981. Ingram, W. G. and Theodore Redpath, Ed. "Sonnet 73," Shakespeare’s Sonnets.New York: Barnes & Noble, Inc., 1968. pg. 168-169. King, Bruce. "When I Have Fears that I May Cease to Be," Poetry for Students: Volume 2, Detroit: Gale, 1998. Napierkowski, Marie Rose and Mary K. Ruby. Vendler, Helen. The Art of Shakespeare’s Sonnets. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1997. pg. 333-336.      

augustus :: essays research papers

Augustus   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The history of the Roman Empire is one filled with warfare and deception. After the defeat of Carthage and the Gaul the Roman generals began to vie for power. Even after the murder of Cesar was avenged the fighting would not end. It was only after Anthony and Cleopatra were defeated at the Battle of Actium that a certain peace settled over the Roman provinces. The man responsible for this peace is Octavian, later known as Augustus. To commemorate his many achievements a statue of him was made after his death. Using the contraposto pose, the all around relief, various symbolic shapes Plykleitos, the artist of this statue, creates an inspiring image of the great general.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Romans took a lot of their art styles from their Greek neighbors. One of the most common ways to depict someone was to put them in a contraposto pose. In this method the figure is shown in movement rather then in a stiff Egyptian style portrait. In this artwork Augustus leans forward and raises his right arm as if to address his troops. Many of the Roman political leaders had to constantly give speeches and the art of the oration was one that every royal member had to learn. Exactly what Augustus is preaching here is still a matter of controversy but most scholars agree that it has a relation to a military matter.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another characteristic of this artwork that is Greek-like is relief and the proportion. The Greeks had set rules for the size of the body parts and the Romans simply copied them. Many politicians favored showing perfect images of them selves to impress the general public. This artwork is also in full relief. It was meant to be seen all around and not just from the front.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Augustus is also shown with shapes in his chest armor and cupid beside his leg. The little God is meant to symbolize the connection between the Julii family and the goddess Aphrodite. Octavian is often cited to have traced his lineage to this goddess.

Agricultural Land Conservation

Agricultural Land Conservation The issues of land distribution and land conservation in agriculture attract more and more attention, especially when the expansion of cropland is hitting a limit since much more land is conserved for environmental purposes. Soil erosion is devastating the topsoil of land as chemical fertilizers are used to increase output within a limited amount of land. At the same time, livestock production expands at an ever-growing speed, worsening the land use situation.Livestock production, nowadays, consumes a large portion of crop that could be distributed to serve for poor population. A taxation system in favor of production capacity and against environmental damages will encourage farmers to improve their production techniques. Proper regulations could not be emphasized more to make sure that a genuinely sustainable agriculture system will be built with animals to cycle nutrients. Cropland is the land that is suited to or used for crop production. Grazing lan d refers to a field covered with grass or herbage, and suitable for grazing by livestock.FAO is the abbreviation for The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, a specialized organization that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. NCGA is the abbreviation for National Corn Growers Association, which represents America’s corn growers. The expansion of cropland has limited potential due to environmental conservation. At present, more than one point five billion hectares is used for crop production, accounting for twelve percent of the globe’s land surface. According to FAO, there is little scope for further expansion of cropland.Despite the presence of considerable amounts of land potentially suitable for agriculture, much of it is covered by forests, protected for environmental reasons, or employed for unban settlements. Compared with livestock production, crop production requires soil that contains more fertile materials, which makes it harder to find suitable cropland. Livestock production is expected to slow down the rate of soil erosion and improve the quality of soil in the long term. In â€Å"Eroding Future,† published July-August 2011 in the Futurist, author Lester R.Brown reviews that people are liquidating the Earth’s natural assets to fuel their consumption and states that, â€Å"soil erosion exceeds soil formation on one-third of the world’s cropland, draining the land of its fertility† (24). With the presence of animals, the situation could be changed. Soil absorbs nutrients from animal manure, allowing grass and other crops to grow without the addition of synthetic fertilizer, which is the primary cause of soil erosion. Animals play a crucial role in keeping balance of the ecosystem. Livestock production expands at a super speed and occupies more land, leading to deforestation.The livestock sector is by far the single largest anthropogenic user of land. According to Julia Whitty, au thor of â€Å"Livestock Revolution Examined,† published March 16, 2010 in the Mother Jones, more than one point seven billion animals are used in livestock production worldwide, and they, â€Å"occupy more than one-fourth of the Earth’s land† (http://www. motherjones. com/blue-marble/2010/03/livestock-revolution-examined). Expansion of grazing land for livestock production is a key factor in deforestation. About seventy percent of grazing land in dry areas is considered degraded due to overgrazing.The presence of animals in a sustainable agriculture system results in further land use in order to feed them. Most livestock that are employed to enrich land with nutrients are fed with imported crops. If a farmer is not growing his own feed, the nutrients going into the soil are generated by eroding other cropland, thereby undermining the benefits of livestock production. James E. McWilliams, the author of â€Å"The Myth of Sustainable Meat,† published April 1 3, 2012 in the New York Times, argues that, â€Å"This kind of rotational grazing works better in theory than in practice† (A31).According to NCGA’s figures from 2010, more than forty percent of crops go into the mouths of animals that people then consume, in the process squandering huge amounts of resources. The limited increase in cropland and deforestation due to rapid expansion of livestock production require more efficient production plans, one of which is an agriculture income taxation system based on unit output of land. Instead of relying on income sources, such as livestock, grains, or other products, farmers’ income tax should be placed on production capacity of per unit of land.This not only encourages crop producers to increase their unit output of land against the declining potential of expanding cropland, but also discourages unorganized blindly exploitation of forested land. This system levies high tax rates on production income generated on new l and. To protect cropland from eroding, proper policies should be enacted to regulate animals feed to prevent further damages on land resources. Instead of feeding animals on farms with imported crops, they should be fed with crops grown on the same farms.Farmers who employ this practice should receive subsidies so that they will not be put into a dilemma where they have to choose between economic benefits and environmental benefits. Environment protection puts a halt on expanding cropland. To increase gross output of food, fertile lands are overused and losing their general production capacity. Nowadays, livestock production is to blame being the largest land user and land destroyer since it accelerates the process of deforestation. Lots of crops that are supposed to feed people are used to feed livestock, which is a huge waste of land resources.Hence, some tax regulations are proposed to help distribute the world’s usable lands to enhance unit production and avoid blind expl oitation. Crop-livestock production is favorable as long as policy makers devote to regulating the process. Works Cited Brown, Lester R. â€Å"Eroding Futures. † Futurist. July-August, 2011: 23-30. McWilliams, James E. â€Å"The Myth of Sustainable Meat. † New York Times. 13 April, 2012: 31. Whitty, Julia. â€Å"Livestock Revolution Examined. † Mother Jones. 16 March, 2010: http://www. motherjones. com/blue-marble/2010/03/livestock-revolution-examined.

Universal Children’s Day

Universal Children’s Day The United Nations' (UN) Universal Children's Day, which was established in 1954, is celebrated on November 20 each year to promote international togetherness and awareness among children worldwide. UNICEF, the United Nations Children's Fund, promotes and coordinates this special day, which also works towards improving children's welfare. What do people do? Many schools and other educational institutions make a special effort to inform children of their rights according to the Declaration of the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Rights of the Child.Teachers stimulate their pupils to think about the differences between themselves and others and explain the idea of â€Å"rights†. In countries where the rights of children are generally well-respected, teachers may draw attention to situations in countries where this is not the case. In some areas UNICEF holds events to draw particular attention to children's rights. These may be to stim ulate interest in the media around the world or to start nationwide campaigns, for instance on the importance of immunizations or breastfeeding.Many countries, including Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, hold Universal Children's Day events on November 20 to mark the anniversaries of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. However, other countries hold events on different dates, such as the fourth Wednesday in October (Australia) and November 14 (India). Universal Children's Day is not observed in the United States, although a similar observance, National Child's Day, is held on the first Sunday in June. Public life Universal Children's Day is a global observance and not a public holiday.Survey Saturday, Nov. 20, is Universal Children’s Day, as declared by the United Nations, and a new survey of children illuminates the wants and needs of kids living in poverty. The  Small Voices, Big Dreams  survey questioned ch ildren ages 10 to 12 in 30 countries throughout Africa, Asia and the Americas. Conducted by  ChildFund Alliance, which is comprised of global child development organizations, the survey found that one in three children goes to bed hungry at least once a week; more than 25% spend half of every day working, including household chores and other work but not counting school or homework.Importance It was established in 1954 to protect children working long hours in dangerous circumstances and allow all children access to an education. The  UN General Assembly  recommended that all countries should establish a Universal Children's Day on an â€Å"appropriate† day. Celebration Children's Day  is celebrated on various days in many places around the world, Ecuador, Czech Republic, Albania, Armenia, Angola, Mongolia, Ukraine, Vietnam celebrate it on June 1 Sweden, Sri Lanka, El Salvador, Guatemala celebrate it on October 1

Practical Play Analysis Essay

Theme/Vision Guan Hanqing’s Snow in Midsummer centers on the idea of social injustice and human suffering particularly the unfair treatment of poor people during the Chinese Golden Era.   The play must transcend a great sense of oppression as intended by its playwrights to reflect the dark side of the society they were in, as the main character (Dou E) leaves a horrifying curse as her unjust death served as a living proof of how under-class people like her are taken for granted and are short-lived despite living a virtuous life while the evil ones prevailed. This issue still continues in the modern world so it is important that the story lives up to its purpose of making the audience reflect on the existence of tyranny in the society and what should be done in order to put an end to it.   Every main character’s role should be well emphasized in order to make the message of the story more understandable.   The characters must be very much convincing to the extent that they are almost taking the audience back to Yuan Dynasty. An article made by Huo Jianyi, Yuan Dynasty Zaju, tells about how Guan Hanqing himself gave up his profession of being a doctor and chose to serve the public by writing plays that exposed the dark side of the society, particularly the indulgence in wine and women as a way of life especially for the Yuan rulers.   He and his fellow playwrights used their talents and knowledge in exposing tyranny and through their theatrical creations, spoke on behalf of the suffering masses despite the Yuan rulers forbidding it.   The success of this play will be achieved if the same fiery passion is justified by the characters. Stage Type and Settings The play is artistic therefore it would be ideal to use a proscenium or picture frame stage.   It is not necessary to use a traditional proscenium stage with its common features like a large archway near the stage front or a curtain in order to close it during act or scene breaks.   It is enough that the stage is raised several feet enough for the audience to see the view of the play while directly facing it (â€Å"Stage:† Wikipedia). As the Snow in Midsummer is a classic play based on a Han Dynasty folk tale (although popularized in the Yuan Dynasty), the prevailing theme should be based on the said period.   The backdrop must contain both unique and artistic images depicting a usual old Chinese scenario like that of a painting.   Images of courtyard houses should be used.   These residences would represent the different social status that coexisted in that period. Based on Spiro Kostof’s A History of Architecture, traditional Chinese courtyard houses (such as the siheyuan) is composed of several individual houses around a square, where each house is owned by a different member of the family.   Aside from this, more houses can also be constructed for additional family members that need to be accommodated. There must be a strong sense of tranquility and privacy which should prevail and be maintained despite strong and loud scenes in the play. Garden and water is also a usual feature with these residences.   The outermost part of these residences is where strangers are entertained while the innermost one is set apart for intimate friends and family members of the owner. Since the title of the play contains the word snow, then winter is another requirement for the play, in fact for almost the entirety of the play.   This should allow an atmosphere of gloominess to dominate the stage, making the literal coldness of winter almost felt and intensified by the cold hearts of the villains in the play.   The snow plays a critical part in this and it should fall dramatically on stage with the proper sad music background going with it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Last but not the least, there must be flowers included.   They should either be illustrated in the backdrop as part of the stage props.   Flowers have been a great part of Chinese art just like the dragon and bird illustrations they use in their antique porcelains.   As a whole, the entire stage must become a big canvass of living Chinese art. Stage Directions   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The director is responsible for bringing out the good quality of the characters’ acting and the stage production.   Therefore he must be focused and fully aware of the background of the play so as to properly angle it. Directions are made up of details being heard and seen by the audience.   These should be explained well in the script so as not to confuse the director, the actors or even the designers.   The three kinds of stage directions must be considered, namely:   (1) scene directions, (2) staging directions, and (3) character stage directions. In the script, scene directions are indented at a measurement of 3.5 inches from the left side of the margin and 1 inch from the right.   This indicates the fundamental place and time of the scene with details of the events on stage as the lights come up or become dim (â€Å"How to Format a Stage Play†).   Let us take scene one, act one of the play Snow in Midsummer as indicated in the script:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   SCENE ONE (The period was between 1279-1368 A.D.   In a typical Chinese village lives MISTRESS CAI, a widow, who appears on stage with a sign of great anticipation on her face.   She paces at the center of the stage in her long, loose gown with wide sleeves and narrow cuffs.   Then she faces the audience with the same facial expression.) Second is the staging directions.   This contains the description of a certain scene such as the entrance, exit, and struggles of characters on stage, as well as the changes in lighting effects or musical background. MRS. CAI: Where? (The Doctor strangles the widow with the rope. Enter Old Zhang and his son Donkey. As they rush forward the Doctor takes to his heels. Old Zhang revives Mistress Cai.) DONKEY: It’s an old woman, dad, nearly strangled to death. Last would be the character stage directions.   These are short descriptive lines in parenthetical form sometimes placed under the name of the character.   This shows the appropriate body language while delivering a certain line (â€Å"How to Format a Stage Play†).   This particular direction puts more identity on acting.   Here is another example. MRS. CAI (crying): Ah, poor child! How am I going to break this to you? Make up The characters’ makeup for the Snow in Midsummer need not look like that from a Chinese opera although it may be elaborated to reflect its rich culture.   It must enhance their acting and facial expression.   A kabuki effect is suggested if the production team would like to add a little animation to it and lessening its tragic base. Dou E and Mistress Cai’s makeup may use thick foundation with a rosy base to show femininity.   However the application must be heavier on Mistress Cai to distinguish her age along with some fake wrinkles.   The eyebrows must be enhanced with a thick black color while the lips are pouty and deep red. As for the elder male actors (Doctor Lu, Dou Tianzhang, and Old Chang), a yellow base makeup can be used contrasted with a thick pink blush on.   The eyebrows may also be enhanced however for the male antagonist (Donkey Chang), eye brows should be enhanced with an upward effect at both ends.   Once again the appearance of wrinkles should distinguish ages. Basic Pointers for applying stage makeup According to Kate Hillard on her article Application of Stage Makeup, makeup is often applied on thick layers. Unlike the movies where the camera can focus on the actor’s face, audiences cannot afford to this kind of facility on stage plays.   The makeup used for the Snow in Midsummer should be elaborate and bright especially with characters representing the high-class society.   There may also be gradual moderation of the makeup for the middle and lower class members but the artist must make sure that it is enough in maximizing the actor’s emotions on stage.   Sometimes even the dark layers of makeup disappear on the glaring lights. A thick, heavy cream foundation should be applied first which be a little bit darker than the skin tone.   The placing of foundation should be started on the forehead and blended well up to the hairline after which the remaining of the face is covered together with the ears, eyelids, and neck as if this is the actors’ true complexion.   The neck application should also be blended well so as not to create a mask-like appearance.   When it comes to male actors, foundation is applied on the entire neck and back sometimes but this can appear messy.   Following the general foundation, a lighter color is placed over the shadows under the nose and on the chin. When the foundation is done, the blush would follow.   A rosy color is used for the female actresses but this should be applied on a lesser degree with male actors.   It is spread over the cheekbone and about halfway down the cheek mixing it with a down and up motion.   A naturally rosy tone is needed for male actors while it should be darker for the females enough to maintain its visibility on stage especially under the hot lights.   Blush must also be placed over the nose and forehead where it is very slightly blended. The most difficult part would be the eye makeup.   A very white â€Å"highlighter† is first placed along the brow bone (right underneath the eyebrow) and under the eye.   The makeup artist should make sure to give the surrounding eye areas a lightened appearance without leaving white smears.   Following this, an eye makeup should be placed just above the eyelid, below the brow bone, and also beneath the eye which should be a little darker than skin tone.   This should be topped with an even darker color along the eyelid top through a downward blending which can also be used as an eyeliner especially with male actors. For women, an even darker and rosier tone that gives the appearance of a natural eye shadow should be placed over.   It should however be more recognizable on stage and should be placed a little above the eyebrow.   A less rosy color is recommended for male actors though not required.   Furthermore, a dark brown or similar-colored eye lining is placed.   Black color is to be used for dramatic roles that need wild makeup. Lastly, mascara is placed on top of the lashes.   In order to avoid or lessen the errors of putting mascaras, it is suggested to make the actor blink after putting the wand on his/her lashes. Following the eye makeup is the simpler part of putting on the lipstick.   A color that is a little darker than the usual lip color is used for male actors and should be matched with a lip liner.   Either can go first depending on the actor’s or makeup artist’s preference.   The liner should be placed on the outside of the lips and not on the natural line otherwise this will obviously look fake.   It can also be applied all over the lips to make it last better and longer.   A dark lipstick should be applied enough to be seen from the stage even if it looks like a Halloween makeup up close.   It goes otherwise with male actors who should slightly be more natural even on stage. Last but not the least would be the loose powder.   Before it is applied over the face, dip a large brush unto a powder container then shake it to get most of the powder off in order to avoid leaving white smears over the makeup and therefore ruining it.   Loose powder is for holding the actor’s make up even when they are sweating. Costumes Costumes are very important.   They help audiences identify and understand the actor’s character and social rank as well as his traits and gender.   The style and color would greatly suggest the occasion happening on stage.   Colorful clothes and elaborate makeup may bring more life to Snow in Midsummer as this pertains to rich Chinese culture. The main character, Dou E, may use the traditional Ruqun which is used by ordinary women during the Yuan Dynasty.   This is made up of an upper jacket and lower skirt.   The jacket is made of a red marten or sheepskin garment with loose sleeves and gray collars and cuffs.   This is tucked below a maroon skirt with a gray sash accent to maintain its simplicity. The same type of robe costume may be used by the widow, Mistress Cai as they do not necessarily belong with the Mongolian Aristocrats who wore cur coats and fur caps.   Their costumes must reflect their lifestyle and their role enough to bring out the emotion from the audience, however they should not look like paupers but more like average Chinese people however obviously struggling to maintain their dignity.   However, after her execution, Dou E’s costume must change to loose, ghostly white robe with its light fabric.   The red smear of blood from the execution must appear on the cloth as well. The male actors may use the Yiseyi or Zhisunfu garments where upper and lower short garments were put together while adding folds to the waistline.   Furthermore, big beads were hung on shoulders and the back.   The garments can either be course or of fine quality depending on the social rank the actor is representing (â€Å"Costume in the Yuan Dynasty†).   Donkey Chang and Old Chang may use costumes may use colors that shows a status that is more advantages compared to Dou E and Mistress Cai, however not as luxurious as an upper aristocrat.   Donkey Chang’s costume must be provoking and reflective of his selfish being. Of course the apparent hairdo must not be forgotten.   For male actors, it should be the traditional snail-head, seated Buddha feature.   As for females actors (Dou E and Mistress Cai), the hair must be long with the upper portion tied and placed with some simple white floral accents.   Mrs. Cai’s hair must be all brushed up however with a bulky onion bulb appearance. Lighting This is perhaps the counterpart of camera trick.   One of the things that make stage plays breath-taking is the lighting effect.   In fact thanks to modern-day stage lighting, audiences now are able to afford richer visibility of the entire play, thus connecting more with the intense emotions of the actors. A careful outline of Bill William’s Stage Lighting Design shows four important objectives of stage lighting: (1) Visibility, which helps the audience understand the play.   It is influenced by contrast, size, color and movement. (2) Naturalism (and Motivation), where a sense of time and place is indicated. (3) Composition, the overall image of the stage.   Lighting must reveal actors, objects and scenery depending on their importance. (4) Mood (and Atmosphere), which is the psychological reaction of the audience is influenced by lighting effects that gives the stage a sense of happiness, sadness or even boredom. Dou E’s execution would be a perfect example where lighting is â€Å"highlighted† as this scene indicates a transition from a normal way of life to a cursed one.   In this case, the lighting effects must create a great sense of grief , heaviness, and fear among the audience. Casting   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A play cannot be a play without the cast.   As the front liners of the production, they are mainly responsible for leaving an impression for the play since they are the ones who have direct contact with the audiences.   Casts are like the main course of a meal.   Prof. Audrey Stanley from the University of California at Santa Cruz presents at least eight points to consider when casting a play: (1) Interpretation of character type and function; (2) Type-casting; (3) Casting against type; (4) Cross-gender casting; (5) Gender- or race-neutral casting. (6) Generational relationships and differences between characters (for instance, how old are Lear’s daughters?); (7) Physical and vocal requirements of different roles; (8) Audience associations and expectations of individual actors.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Dou E’s character must be portrayed by someone who can show her virtuosity but at the same time must have the ability to transform into a vengeful character.   Her father, Dou Tianzhang, must be played as someone who is old of course but has enough strength to do some laborious works.   Mistress Cai must reflect the same humility as Dou E’s character but of course with a motherly touch.   A trace of burden must be shown on her face from life’s realities as well as how youth has been taken from her.   Donkey Chang need not be good-looking however appropriately dressed.   But his dignified appearance must not conceal his disgusting character. Rehearsals Based on Simon Dunmore’s Advice on How to Approach Rehearsals for a Play, rehearsing is composed of thought, discussion, and doing.   It is an important part of the play where the whole team gets to figure out what will work or not.   That is why it is important to discipline oneself especially when it comes to the script.   Even before the rehearsals, the actor must read it several times so he/she will get to be familiar with the character that he is playing.   He should carry it one hand somewhere at his side and put emotion to the delivery of the line while looking at the script at a side glance.   He must be patient and must take his time in memorizing his line.   In case of long speeches, they should be delivered with much care and thought as single or short lines for it is usually a case where a certain idea starts and is connected throughout the story of the play. Stage directions on the other hand, must be read as possible pointers only.   If they came from how the play was originally done, take into consideration that the present production might be different with the casts and circumstances being new.   Pause and silence is a kind of stage direction that must also be given proper timing and must have appropriate place in the play just like long and short lines.   Also in case of abbreviations, the intention of the playwright must be observed so the essence of the communication will not be lost. Writing down notes either from the director or from oneself will be helpful in remembering how to delivery one’s line properly.   Notes need not be long.   Directors may not be right all the time with regards to the character role.   His long experience in theater acting may not give him enough knowledge or understanding of a certain character the way an actor does.   Therefore, a careful and rational discussion must always be made between the two.   Set and costume designs are also very important.   They affect the way an actor moves about the stage.   These objects must work harmoniously with the people of the play and not become a hinder.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Rehearsals do not stop within the rehearsal room.   Proper focus can be achieved with proper practicing though it should not necessarily occupy one’s private time. Rehearsal for Snow in Midsummer Below is a sample table for the Snow in Midsummer’s rehearsal schedule.   It is usually done with six to eight weeks but the production team may change it depending on their needs (Sample Rehearsal Schedule). Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Auditions Auditions Call-Backs Post Castlist First Read-Thru Off Construction Crew Meets Block scenes with leads Block scenes with Full Cast Block scenes with leads Begin Set Construction Block scenes with Full Cast Off Work on Set Construction Work scenes with Full Cast Work scenes with leads Work scenes with leads Work on Set Construction Work scenes with Full Cast Work on Set Construction Hang Lights and Set Construction Work through Act I off book Work through Act II off book Work on trouble spots leads only Finish Hang and Rough Focus Act I Run-thru Work on Set Construction Full Cast Paint and Work Day Act II Run-thru Act I Run-thru Act II Run-thru Work on Set Construction First Full Run-thru Complete Set Construction Final Setup Tech and Lights First Tech Rehearsal with Cast Run-thru Full Tech Run-thru Full Tech Costume check Tech Crew Trouble Shooting Run-thru Full Tech Finishing Touches On Set Work on problem areas Full Dress Rehearsal Full Dress Rehearsal Full Dress Rehearsal Full Dress Rehearsal No Makeup Performance Performance Performance The Vision’s Effects on the Audience   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Snow in Midsummer is a play about tragedy and drama.   However, the whole production team must keep in mind that as the story is based on real struggles of poor people in the past, it might leave a great sense of grievance to the audience.   This is good but only to the extent that it will stimulate their sense of awareness since basically, though the storyline dates back to old times, it is very symbolic of the abuse and tyranny that still exist even in our time.   Therefore, there must be a balance by creating a great sense of hope especially during the scenes where a retrial for Dou E’s case was conducted up to the play’s ending.   The play must establish to the audience that life goes on and there is hope and justice even in the hardest of situations. Steve Campsall wrote in Write a Successful Play that plays must create a lasting appeal to the audience.   Every words delivered by a stage performer should send out both meaning and feeling.   That is why it is important to understand the writer’s intention behind the text he has created.    Common methods such as vivid metaphor, powerful imagery, alliteration, use of rhyme or rhythm, etc, are said to be used often by writers (Write a Successful Play: Effects on the Audience).   Behind the scene interactions will help bring one’s natural acting and transcend the same energy and passion.   The audience must be convinced with everything, from the stage settings to the acting.   Not doing so will be crucial and may create passiveness. Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Behind a play’s success could be in anything that is a part of it.   From the director’s vision to the actor’s execution, everyone should make sure that everything works harmoniously so that the flow of the play will be well polished on the grand day itself.   It is both inspiring and fun to see actors on stage behaving like they are not actors but rather they own the stage and they are the characters that they are playing.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Lastly, behind the inspiring acts, elaborate costumes, and colorful props, the message of the story must be retained.  Ã‚   This is one important part that can be shared with the audience.   The lesson that they can learn from watching a play can help them personally.   Once the audience is touched by a play’s story or vision, he/she can use the message or apply it once he goes back to real life. Work Cited â€Å"Stage.† Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia.   5 February 2008.   9 February 2008. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stage_(theatre) Kostof, S. 1995.   A History of Architecture.   The Oxford Press.   8 February 2008.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Courtyard Jianyi, H. 2003.   Yuan Dynasty Zaju.  Ã‚   8 February 2008.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.chinavoc.com/magicn/yzaj.asp â€Å"How to Format a Stage Play.† Script Frenzy Young Writers Program.   2007.   9 February 2008. http://ywp.scriptfrenzy.org/howtoformatastageplay Hillard, K. 2002.   Application of Stage Make Up.   9 February 2008. http://www.essortment.com/applicationstag_rgyu.htm â€Å"Costume in the Yuan Dynasty.† ChinaCulture.org.   10 February 2008.   10 February 2008. http://www.chinaculture.org/gb/en_chinaway/2003-09/24/content_28414.htm Williams, B. 1997-1999.   Stage Lighting Design.   Objectives of stage lighting.   11 February 2008 http://www.mts.net/~william5/sld/sld-100.htm Stanley, A. 1995-1996.   â€Å"Shakespeare Examined through Performance.† 11 February 2008 http://www.tamut.edu/english/folgerhp/Recipes/7cstply.html Dunmore, S. 25 August 1999.   Simon Dunmore’s Advice on How to Approach Rehearsals for a Play.   11 February 2008 http://www.btinternet.com/~simon.dunmore/rehearse.htm Campsall, S.   2008.   Write a Successful Play: Effects on the Audience.   12 February 2008 http://www.englishbiz.co.uk/mainguides/play.htm Sample Rehearsal Schedule.   Tupelo Community Theatre.   13 February 2008. http://www.tctwebstage.com/schedule.htm