Death Of A Salesman Essays (1073 words) - English-language Films

Death Of A Salesman Death of a Salesman: In the play, Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman: Willy Loman, a sympathetic salesman and despicable father who's ?life is a casting off? has some traits that match Aristotle's views of a tragic hero. Willy's series of ?ups and downs? is identical to Aristole's views of proper tragic figure; a king with flaws. His faulty personality, the financial struggles, and his inabiltity are three substantital flaws that contribute to his failure and tragic end. Willy, an aging salesman who sells nothing, is abused by the buyers, and repeatly borrows money from Charley to make ends meet. He is angered by the way his boss, Howard fired him after working for thirty-four-years at the same company, ?You can't eat the orange and throw the peel away--a man is not a piece of fruit!? (Miller, 61). Willy is battling for his life, fighting to sustain a sense of himself that makes it worthwhile living at all in a world which seemingly offers less and less space for the individual. Now, If it is true that tragedy is the consquence of a man's total complusion to evaluate himself justly, his destruction in the attempt posits a wrong or an evil in his environment. And this is precisely the morality of tragedy and its lesson. The discovery of the moral law, which is what the enlightenment of tragedy consists of, is not the discovery of some abstract or metaphysical quantity. (miller, common man) His problem is that he has so completely accepted the values of his society that he judges himself by standards rooted in social myths rather than human necessities. This lack of insight is strikingly similiar to traits of the tragic hero. As Aristotle's writes, the tragic hero, ?Lives for honor and fame?. The glaring point of his faulty personality of neglecting others includes those closest to him, his wife, Linda and his two sons, Biff and Happy. ?You'll retire me for life on seventy goddamn dollars a week (Miller, 28) is evidence of the cruelty Willy can show toward Happy as he does to Biff. Willy puts enormous pressure on his older son, Biff, to help him out in his time of need, ?Hap, [Willy] got to understand that I'm not the man somebody lends that kind of money to,? (Miller, 81). In the past, Biff went unexpectly to Boston, to a hotel where Willy was staying and begs Willy to come back to New York and convince his math teacher to give him a ?passing grade? in a math course so he can graduate on time. While there, Biff sees the ?WOMAN' in his father's hotel room. Willy, at first, claims she is in the room because her shower is broken; then he changes the story and says he knows her through work, ?They're painting her room so I let her take a shower here. Go back, go back...? (Miller,93). It did not get much better at home either. He constantly puts down his wife and hates it when she interrupts him in his conversations with Biff and Happy, Willy reacts angrily,?[to LINDA]: Stop interrupting!? (Miller, 47). Willy does the best as he know how because his father was never there for him. Despite the good influence Willy has on his wife and two sons, he is a good father to his sons-- because he spends time with them. For the most part, he is a decent husband who never abused his wife but his wrongs outweight the postive things he did do for his family. He has a difficult time selling anything to earn money, ?A hundred and twenty dollars! My god, if business don't pick up I don't know what I'm going to do!?, (Miller, 23). He works very hard he has nothing to show for it. He decides that it was hard for him to travel to places of business and asks his boss, Howard, if he can work closer to home in New York. He gets fired for asking. His financial struggles continue with late bills, and no payment for his premium insurance; he is going deep into debt. He ignores the problems and thinks that everything is going to be all right. Because of the booming economy, he is left behind in the dust; everybody competes for positions in their respective professions, in the world of America's business. For, if it is true to say that in essence the tragic hero is intent upon claiming

The Gold Rushes

The Gold Rushes What could be more American than the gold rush? Well, here are four of them. Californias was not the first nor the last. Earlier Gold Rushes While the 1849 Gold Rush is the one we capitalize, it was not the first gold rush. That one happened in North Carolina starting in 1803.  Not even coin collectors may know about that one, because unlike later gold rushes no federal mint was established there at the time. Nevertheless, all of Americas gold coinage from 1804 to 1828 was Carolina gold, shipped to Philadelphia for minting. The next gold rush happened in the hills of Georgia in 1828, in Cherokee country near the town of Dahlonega. A mint was duly established there, and the original D mint mark is found on coins from 1838 to 1861. A gold museum is there today, and historical markers around Lumpkin County point out mine after extinct mine. Another mint opened in Charlotte at this time to serve the mature gold mines of the Carolinas. The California Gold Rush Were all taught that early in 1848, on the 24th of January, James Marshall found gold nuggets in the flume of the water-driven mill he was building in Coloma, California Territory. The news took a while to build steam, but once it did California was swiftly transformed, and the Forty-Niner entered the worlds folklore. The Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park site has a good summary of the events of that day. There were parallels between Georgia and California. Hordes of outsiders poured in, stripped the land of the easy gold, and pushed out the original inhabitants. Soon the romantic- and destructive- prospectors and panners gave way to organized mining firms, which won the bulk of the wealth. A federal mint was established in both states to turn the gold dust into legal tender- Dahlonegas turned out gold coinage with the D mint mark until the Civil War began, and San Franciscos still makes specimen coins today with the S mark. (The original San Francisco mint is a cherished landmark building that survived the 1906 earthquake and fire, safeguarding its supply of money and helping fund the recovery.) Later Gold Rushes Lesser gold rushes over the next half-century left their traces elsewhere in the American West, in Nevada, Oregon, Colorado and Utah. The Colorado gold rush began in 1859, and many former Forty-Niners, themselves former twenty-eighters, set up diggings there. More natives were displaced, and another mint arose in Denver (again with the D mark) that still operates today. Some old coins bear a CC from the short-lived mint in Carson City, Nevada, which was not just a gold rush but a silver rush. But the classic gold rush ended with the turn of the century, starting in 1898 in the Klondike district of the Canadian Yukon and neighboring Alaska. This is the one that Charlie Chaplin reenacted in the movie The Gold Rush. Modern mining companies moved in quicker than ever, and the days of amateur gold hunters striking it rich ended. (North Ontarios major gold rush in 1910, for instance, was a fast-moving corporate affair.) By Chaplins time, just a generation later, history had become farce. Instead, gold-rush history has become a kind of pay dirt, and sites all over the Web serve up choice nuggets about the Klondikes glory days. Today the real money in gold belongs to serious miners, guided by serious geologists. Thus geology, the most practical science, creates the worlds wealth, and that is why the seal of the U.S. Geological Survey features mining tools. Some companies still work the old gold-rush grounds, but most of the diggings are anonymous waste lands today. PS: Many gold rush localities are fondly maintained today as attractive destinations for visitors and tourists. Try these: Columbia, CaliforniaCoos Canyon, MaineKlondike, AlaskaOld Sacramento, CaliforniaSkagway, AlaskaWickenburg, Arizona

A financial comparison on Zara and Burberry.(UK) Essay

A financial comparison on Zara and Burberry.(UK) - Essay Example The first Zara shop opened its doors in 1975 in A Corua,the city that saw the Group's early beginnings and which is now home to its central offices.Its stores can now be found in the most important shopping districts of more than 400 cities in Europe, the Americas, Asia and Africa." (Our Group). However, "Burberry was founded in 1856, when Thomas Burberry constructed his first outerwear pieces for the local sportsmen of Basingstoke, England. In the century and a half since then, Burberry has come to represent the standard for quality and style in outerwear, anchored by its iconic trench coats, now legendary the world over." (Overview: The Past. 1856).Positioning could be seen in terms of the market which companies wish to attract and retain, and the brand and corporate image of the companies registered in the buying patterns of consumers and clients, especially with relation to competing and rival brands. The market positioning a company adopts would depend upon a lot of factors, com petitive or otherwise.In the case of Zara, operations are very swift and fast, both in terms of serving customers and also replenishing stocks, catering to the needs of the customers. Since their stock turns are good, they are able to position themselves well to meet the varied needs of their clientele."At Zara, design is conceived as a process that is closely linked to the public. Information from our stores is constantly transmitted to a design team made up of over 200 professionals, informing them of our customers' needs and concerns." (Zara). Highest standards of excellence and elegance: However, in the case of Burberry Ltd., it is seen that it operates in the luxury segment. Burberry was established in 1856, and has had a chequered history of market vicissitudes due to fall in currencies in principle Asian markets, and market fluctuations. However, the Company has overcome all these obstacles and is now very much poised for bigger growth plans. "An icon of classic clothing, Burberry has utilized licensing and brand extensions to appeal to a younger generation of fashion-conscious customers." (Company History). It can be observed that the marketing approaches and positioning adopted by these two companies, Zara and Burberry are different. According to Zara, "The customer is the centre of our particular business model which integrates design, manufacture, distribution and sales through a wide network consisting of our own stores." (The Company). According to Burberry, "No other brand within the luxury sector enjoys a comparable platform: approach to the consumer, product breadth and global reach. Day after day, year after year, management seeks to capitalise on the opportunities inherent in this positioning." (Strategy and Mission. 1856). Inventory controls: While Zara targets the middle income segment customers with volume of sales as more important, Burberry targets exclusive luxury segments who value highest quality and servicing standards. As a result, the annual number of stock turn of Zara is higher at around 9 times when compared to Burberry at 3 times. These stock turns are important since it is directed connected with inventory controls and movement of stocks. A lower stock turn may indicate slower

The OD consultant and consulting process, Entry and Contracting Case Study

The OD consultant and consulting process, Entry and Contracting - Case Study Example enterprise in to high demanding segments, it has thought about implementing innovative applications of advanced laser technology and make positive changes. The company has presently five engineering teams, they are laser system, component system, satellite control, custom design etc. out of these teams, the laser and satellite team are quite new and less experienced of handling critical issues. As the company was planning of implementing laser system and the duty has been assigned to a Todd’s team, the management team being responsible for laser system, it has been getting delayed. The executive vice president of engineering at the company named Patrick Delacroix has come to request the Organization Development consultant named Cassandra in the AeroTech human resource department to help them start laser products, ensure greater efficiency in laser system and to increase the productivity by managing the time effectively. Patrick Delacroix has come to Cassandra to get help in assisting Todd learn better managing aspects and to develop advanced laser system with help of some brightest engineers. He has mentioned that the company’s major issue is productivity and that has been greatly impacted by managing the time as well. The presenting problem from the case study is less productivity due to mismanagement of time and inefficiency in laser system, but the underlying problem is that the team under Todd is less-performing in laser system causing delay in implementing laser system due to that there much gap between experienced and new engineers and age-gap between twentieth and mid-sixteenth. As Anderson (2011, p. 121) described, a presenting problems are the initial explanations of the situations that highlight the symptoms of the main issues and the underlying problems are the root cause or fundamental issues that create the symptoms of the presenting problems. Before Todd joined the team, the team has been managed by Ed Herman, a very popular, well accepted and

My Trip to Mackinaw City and Mackinac Island Essay Example for Free

My Trip to Mackinaw City and Mackinac Island Essay This tourist location is nationally known. Thousands of people a year come to Mackinaw City to enjoy the view of Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. They also come to drive across the five mile long Mackinaw Bridge. It is a small town with hotels on every street. As I first arrived into Mackinaw City I noticed the Mackinaw Bridge far off in the distance. The colors of the bridge were a pale peach color with a hint of pale yellow. The bridge was always visible from any part in Mackinaw City because of how big it was and how tall it stood. As I looked around I saw hundreds of hotels surrounding the roads. Going down the road hundreds of people were walking to places whether it was to go to get ice cream or to go to a small grocery store. Hotels were lined up on the shore of Lake Huron. Luckily, we were staying at one of those hotels. The people there were very nice and courteous. As we walked into our hotel room, which was on the third floor, the light from outside shined through the balcony doors. I walked out on the balcony and on my left you could see the Mackinaw Bridge clear as day and on he right you could see all the ferries headed to Mackinaw Island. After we got settled in we headed down to the beach. The water was freezing cold but it was still fun because every time a ferry passed by huge waves of water would travel up to the shore and crash into it. I was excited because the next morning we got to take a ferry under the Mackinaw Bridge and to Mackinaw Island. The ferry went fast and there was a lot of wind which made it colder than it actually was but it was still fun! As we got further away from Mackinaw City the more you see of it. It was a beautiful sight. As the ferry got closer to Mackinaw Island you could see more and more people walking around the island. There were no cars at all, all there was, was trolleys being pulled around by horses. Entering the island you notice the buildings are very historic and old. There were a ton of hills. The island is like one big circle. A small beach area was on the island and in the distance you could see the Mackinaw Bridge. As the sun was shining down on the island it make the lake glisten and it made it bluer than it would be if it was cloudy. The streets were filled with people riding bikes and getting on the trolleys. While you were on the island you could walk up a bunch of stairs up to Fort Mackinac. It is a historical landmark where the attack of 1812 happened. As you walk around Fort Mackinac you see a group of people reenacting the historical event that happened there. Being that far up on a hill, you could see all of Mackinaw Island. The sun made everything shine brighter. Going here was very relaxing and you werent worried about anything. It was like all that weight got lifted off your shoulders and you were free to have fun and do what made this a very memorable vacation for me, which I will never forget.

Analysis of the First Paragraph in Porter’s Old Mortality :: Porter’s Old Mortality

Analysis of the First Paragraph in Porter’s Old Mortality First, I would like to make some broad generalizations about Katherine Anne Porter’s stories. The selections of stories that I have read could be considered stories about transition, passage from an old world to a new. There is a prolific amount of life and death imagery related to changes from slavery to freedom, aristocracy to middle-class, and birth to death. Her stories contain characters from several generations and the narratives move through out this multi-generational consciousness. The stories are as much about antitheses as the move from tradition to modernity or new ideas/ideals. The narrative perspectives illustrate the chasm between old and young/old and new. I believe the opening text of â€Å"Old Mortality† illustrates both the conflicting views of different generations/values and ideals as well as the attempt to understand and resolve each other’s opposite. The first paragraph gives the reader a description of Aunt Amy. It is difficult to distinguish who the narrator of the text is at this particular point. It is neither Miranda or Maria nor the Grandmother. It would appear to be an omniscient narrator of no relation to the characters. Yet, the narrator displays the affect of both the young girls’ feelings and thoughts about Aunt Amy’s picture as well as the Grandmother’s perception of Amy. While the first sentence is mostly objective description, the second sentence is full of the affectation of a subjective point of view. Aunt Amy is described as wearing a â€Å"white collar [that] rose from the neck of her tightly buttoned black basque, and round white cuffs set off lazy hands with dimples in them, lying at ease in the folds of her flounced skirt.† Words like â€Å"tightly,† â€Å"lazy,† and â€Å"ease† seem to describe what would be considered the traditional concept of the Southern woman. The wealthy Southern female is conservative, pure, fragile, peaceful, and delicate. These descriptive words could be viewed as an alignment with the traditional Southern view of women; therefore Amy is â€Å"beautiful and charming† in the eyes of the Grandmother and â€Å"every older person† and â€Å"everyone who had known her.† However, within those same words there appears the rather opposite yet still highly subjective view of t he young girls who are attempting to reconcile the new values and ideas of the present with the old traditions of the past. The words â€Å"tightly,† â€Å"lazy,† and â€Å"ease† could be seen from the young girls perspective as negative descriptions suggesting boundaries, confinement, limitations, and exclusion.

Microcredit In Bangladesh

Microcredit programs have provided a hugely positive impact on third world and developing nations where employment opportunities are limited due to the collapsed and limited economies of these countries. What microcredit programs entail is the issuance of small loans to individuals who would not normally qualify for a loan because their lack of employment and collateral assets make them poor candidates in the eyes of financial institutions. Microcredit loans look past the risk involved regarding the issuance of the loan and provide initial venture capital to impoverished people start a small business. Of all the countries where microloans have proven successful, it would be the country of Bangladesh. Throughout its history, Bangladesh has suffered tremendously from a variety of maladies that have lead to its current economic depression. Under British colonial rule, the population suffered massive famines; and in the 1970’s a series of natural disasters lead to even further economic despair. Today, Bangladesh currently suffers from a severe overpopulation situation that has further pushed economic disaster. Because of its severe depression, Bangladesh was essentially the trial location to test of the feasibility of microcredit loans. Organizations such as Grameen Bank have special programs to provide charitable loans to Bangladesh and the bank has documented the proof that these loans are successful. According to Grameen Bank: Lasting peace can not be achieved unless large population groups find  ways in which to break out of poverty. Micro-credit is one such means. Development from below also serves to advance democracy and human rights†¦.. Every single individual on earth has both the potential and the right to live a decent life. Across cultures and civilizations, Yunus  and Grameen Bank have shown that even the poorest of the poor can  work to bring about their own development. Microcredit programs have proven successful as a means of providing underprivileged people with an opportunity to rise out of a disadvantaged position. In fact, these programs have been so successful that many banks have started to reconsider the people of Bangladesh as â€Å"high risk† candidates for loans. That is, because the microloans have proved successful, there is a belief on many bank’s part that money lent to the people will return (with interest) when the borrower launches a successful business. The Microcredit Summit Campaign details a popular success story: With a gift of 10,000 CFA ($US 16) in 1994 from her father, [Yama Laye] set up a small table to sell essentials such as tea, sugar, salt, matches and sweets by the roadside. The profit she made never exceeded 500 CFA ( $.80) per day. Almost all her profits were spent on the purchase of essential food for her husband and her six-year-old child. Yes, all it took was a mere $16 to set in motion the ability for a family to be able to purchase the essential items needed for survival, a purchases that would not have been possible in the absence of the $16 grant. If anything, the microcredit loans have shown that there is always hope and there is always an answer, provided people work in concert together to find sane, sensible, effective means of solving a problem. In a way, Microcredit programs are a unique mix of financial philanthropy and human rights and it is a unique mix that has repeatedly been proven as successful. Works Cited Microcredit Summit Campaign. (2005) Results Educational Fund. 22 October 2006. URL http://www.microcreditsummit.org/newsletter/ borrower-Yama.html What is Microcredit? (January 2003) Muhammad Yunus. 22 October 2003. URL http://www.grameen-info.org/mcredit/index.html