How significant is the concept of the American Dream in the novel Of Mice and Men? Essay

The question above is asking us how the author, John Steinbeck, incorporates the American Dream in his novel, Of Mice and Men. To obtain the knowledge you must look at what the text is telling you in different aspects. The meaning of American Dream in this novel is to some day gain independence, to do this you must work hard. For quite a few the dream is someday achieve this goal, however this goal may change from an illusion to an ambition. In the following pages I will try to interpret the true meaning of The American Dream, to do this I will have to study the author himself, the way he has portrayed his characters, the language he has used and the structure of the novel itself. First we have to define the terms used to understand the story and the characters. The word Dream carries many meanings, which many people get confused about. A Dream can be an illusion, but if you believe it when it is not true you will become deluded. A Dream can also be an aim or a goal in life. By doing things towards your aim you will become closer to it. This will then become an ambition. The Classic American Dream is to achieve freedom and independence through hard work; once this is accomplished your own land must be acquired to complete The Dream, â€Å"an live off the fatta the lan†. To almost everyone the dream is to be accomplished by itself; however George and Lennie have other plans they want to do it together. This is because loneliness is what makes a man become crazy, so a companion is needed even if he/she is black or white, dumb or clever just to make sure that you don’t become crazy, â€Å"With us it ain’t like that. We got a future. We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us†. This quote assures you that they are seeking The Dream together and care about each other The characters who want The Classical American try all their luck to achieve it, they include George, Lennie, Candy and Crooks. They want it before George and Lennie even have any contact with them, however it is split up into four beliefs: illusion, hope, ambition and delusion. George does not believe in The Dream at first, he only talks about it as it comforts Lennie to great extents; the dream is an illusion to him. However The Dream rapidly changes into an ambition when he arrives on the ranch. The only way he was near The Dream was because Candy overheard him talking to George about it, he asks if he can have a part in it, he also offers three hundred dollars towards the land that George was talking to Lennie about. The cycle for George starts of with illusion, hope, and ambition then back to illusion at the end. For Lennie The Dream was never an illusion and never will be, with the childlike mind he has. The Dream is an ambition to him throughout the story until he hallucinates about his Aunt Clara and a big, giant rabbit. This shows that he is deluding. For Candy it is very upsetting and hard to cope with because of his old age and the death of his companion. The sudden cancellation affects him dreadfully and he is very upset about this. His cycle covers everything: illusion, hope, ambition and illusion with the sudden cancellation. Crooks has it hard to, he starts to believe in The Dream when Lennie tells him about it, he then confirms this with George he also asks for a place in the deal, but Curley’s wife walks in and he quits the deal. Crooks is still looking for equality, since he is black he knows that he cannot take part in the dream. Another character called slim is also introduced into the story. Slim is portrayed as the ‘perfect man’, his build, looks, hair style, jaw definition etc are all perfect, â€Å"†¦he moved with a majesty only achieved by royalty and master craftsmen† this clarifies that slim is the perfect man. The Dream to slim is foolish so he does not believe in it. Another worker on the ranch is Carlson he is portrayed as ‘average Joe’. Carlson and Slim are both symbols and teach you a lot, Carlson is what people were like during The Great Depression, and Slim is what people should be like during The Great Depression. Carlson is the one who kills Candy’s dog once this is acknowledged we are forewarned about George and Lennie, this is a parallel. The New American Dream is money, fame and power through as little as possible. To accomplish this you must go into Hollywood, become an actor. Hollywood was formed during the 1930’s – 1950’s, it was very successful. The only character that believes in The New American Dream is Curley’s wife. She is described as a tart and a lot of trouble, â€Å"Jesus, what a tramp†. She wears a lot of red, red is the colour of Satan i.e. she means trouble. Steinbeck immediately tells us that she will be the reason George and Lennie won’t accomplish The Dream, â€Å"Rectangle of sunshine in the doorway was cut off† the rays of the sunlight in the story mean hope, light are referred to hope i.e. ‘the light at the end of the tunnel’. Her cycle starts of as ambition, when a young actor said he was in the movie business. She then married Curley and was on a ranch most of the time. He Dream then turned into an illusion as she knew that she would not achieve it. She, sadly, dies which brings her Dream to a crashing downfall. This means that The New American Dream should not be believed in. John Steinbeck has used his own thoughts and translated them into text and characters. He has hidden a message inside the book. The only character in the novel that believes about The Dream the whole way through is Lennie. This is because of his childlike mind and through his character he shows how everyone who wants The Dream behaves. He is the voice of all the people that want The Dream, he is their spirit. However this is a message to say that this Dream is childlike as only a child would believe it, Lennie. The Dream provides hope for all those people who want The Dream so badly. The Dream dies at the end with Lennie as no one believes The Dream at the end. The Classical American Dream has been taken over by The New American Dream. The aim is not for a few acres of land and a bunch of rabbits, it is now about wealth, fame, power and reputation. If I were to read the book just like that I would thing it is a boring story now that I have looked deeper into what John Steinbeck is trying to tell us I seem to enjoy the book more. The structure of the book revolves around in a cycle, this supports Steinbecks views that The Dream cannot be achieved. There are many parallels in the book. The character Lennie is compared many times to an animal in the book, he is also shot like Candy’s dog in the same place. From the beginning to the end of the book there is no progress; including Crooks as his cycle is illusion, then hope but back down to illusion again. The language that is used during the novel creates a perfect atmosphere to make the points about The Dream very clear. In the beginning he starts the book with a Garden of Eden atmosphere. By using his words like so he has turned California into a heaven like place, California being the Promise Land then. He starts with a nice atmosphere but soon brings you back down to earth when he describes the other places in the novel. â€Å"On the sandy bank†¦a lizard makes a great skittering among them†. The Garden of Eden like atmosphere and the bunk house at the ranch have a very, very high contrast. The Garden of Eden is full of hope, but the bunk house is like a prison. The dream seems virtually impossible in the bunk house. So George has illusions through his time at the bunk house. Another cyclic theme in the novel is when a water snake dies, but another just comes again.†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦to the legs of a motionless heron that stood in the shallows†¦and the beak swallowed the little snake while its tail waved frantically†¦Another little water snake swam up the pool, turning its periscope head from side to side†. The American dream is significant as it provides an aim for everyone in life whether it is The New American Dream or The Classical American Dream. The Dream is not about obtaining it or not, it is about the journey towards it. The search for a better life and the companionship in the times of need. The way we deal with the obstacles in front of us and the way we conquer them is what counts. John Steinbeck showed us this through his pen & paper and his great intelligence.

The Causes and Effects of Global Recession

Here a definition a recession as well a global recession is mentioned. Some causes and effects has been listed. Due to recession occurring, I have identified the effects of recession based on Tesco. The causes and effects of global recession. Global financial crisis, increasing for a while, began to show its results in the mid of 2007 into 2008. Worldwide stock markets have subsided, financial institutions have dropped and governments in even the richest nations have had to develop packages to assist their financial organizations. Recession is defined as a slowdown of activities in the economy over a time.The major effect of recession is Inflation as well as currency crisis. A decrease in income may be another effect of recession in the economy. As persons try to save more, this reduces sales therefore there is a result of no profits. Another effect may be increase in mortgage rates. At the time of recession, lenders tend to increase rate in order to cover their losses. While in rece ssion employment occasions are reduced since companies tend to cut down on these opportunities thus leading to unemployment in the economy. Countries around the world are being driven into recession as the economic downturn deteriorates.In Europe, Germany, Italy, Ireland and Denmark they have all suffered two consecutive quarters of economic decline the first is the technical definition of a recession and secondly it was already present before. Japan joined the list as it surprised economists and reduced in size in the ending of the year. The UK economy shrank in the third quarter of 2008, and is expected to contract through most of 2009. Many are expecting a new world order with economic power shifting to countries in the east who are better placed to weather the downturn.However, developing economies rely on the west to buy their goods, so recessions in the US and UK will also hurt them. This was according to http://www. guardian. co. uk/business/interactive/2008/oct/08/recession. creditcrunch The effects of recession may be seen as bankruptcies, deflation, a reduction in sales, crash in the stock market and most importantly unemployment. Causes of global recession may be because of the sub-prime lending crisis and rising of oil prices. The main effects of recession are a decrease in profitability, decline in the stock market and difficulty in borrowing.The financial crisis from 2007 to present is a result of the banking system in the United States. This has resulted in the disintegration of financial institutions, bailout of bank by national governments and slumps in stock markets worldwide. In various areas, housing markets has also suffered. Although the credit crunch in the US was costing America and Europe immense job losses, financial professionals were influenced that Africa will NOT BE unharmed by the global financial crisis because of where it is located. The impact of the US credit crunch on Africa was narrow as a result of the restrictions of owne rship.Due to the lack of trade finance is causing stockpiles to build up at Southern Africa’s coal port, because of this, coal trade has fallen drastically. Africa was unharmed for some time. Nevertheless, when the recession strengthened in the First World, the effects were being felt. According to reports people working in the construction, automotive, tourism, finance, services and real estate sectors will be mostly affected during these hard times. Africa’s export and import industries have changed due to the credit crunch in the US.Africa depends heavily on exports of its raw commodities such as oil and coal, and since the US credit crunch the countries that purchases Africa’s exports have been unable to retrieve credit. This has caused a great fall in exports and consecutively resulted in deceased prices. Credit crunch meaning a scarcity of money, declining house prices which is related to a lack of mortgages and credit crunch and cost push inflation result ing in decreased income are some factors that push an economy into recession. A decrease in world GDP occurred in many countries, specifically in developing countries.Imports have also declined significantly in importing countries. This was obvious in countries such as China, Taiwan, Mexico, Egypt and Russia. it was stated that GDP fell to 3. 8% in the U. S. The impact of recession on employment may not be felt for some time. Investigation in Britain shows that low-skilled, low-educated workers and the immature are in a weak position to unemployment in a downturn. It took Britain five years for unemployment to go back to its initial levels. From 2000 to 2003, the Federal Reserve lowered their target rates. They then raised the funds rate significantly between July 2004 and July 2006.This added to an increase in number of years to the adjustable-rate mortgage rates and made it more expensive for homeowners. As a result, this may have also contributed to the deflating of the housing b ubble. Gross Domestic Product declined at an in the last two years in the United States. When GDP collapses, economic growth will also plunge. This is as a result of fewer goods being manufactured and therefore the rate of exports will reduce. It is said that when exports decrease, it will not have sufficient funds to accommodate any growth in the economy what so ever.As a result in the decline in GDP, employment rate will sooner or later begin to drop. As a result of the credit crunch, consumers have less purchasing power therefore they are consuming a lot less. Due to this, employers are making a minor profit and as a result they are not capable to pay their workers. Now, because of this they tend to start to cut down on their staff members. The employment rate in the U. K. for a period of three months was recorded as the lowest since many years aback. The number of people employed that was unemployed was unimaginable although there were a number of job vacancies.This then eventua lly increased to new heights. These increases were mostly due to the industrial sectors. In the US, a rumble in the housing segment was driving the economy to new heights. This is a combination of little interest rates and hefty inflows of overseas funds helped to create easy credit situation where it became a lot easier for people to get loans. As more people are able to obtain loans, the demand for houses increased as well as the price for the house. The main aim of most lending institutions and credit firms was to give loans to scores of potential customers as possible.Inspecting the customer’s repaying capacity was overlooked in lots of cases. As a consequence, many people with a low level income as well as bad credit record category were given housing loans in disregard to all theories of financial caution. This type of loan was considered to be sub-prime loans as the repaying of the loan was doubtful. In the age of globalization, no country can remain detached from the variations of global economy. Intense failures suffered by major International Banks will affect all countries of the world.As of now India is facing heat since their market shares are declining daily, their money is declining against money and their banks are facing brutal crash crunch resulting in scarcity of liquidity in the market. A global depression is most likely to be a consequence in the fall in demand of all types of consumer goods. As a result, in 2007-08, India sold a smaller number of goods to overseas consumers. A fall in demand is likely to affect the growth rate as well as export rates. The global downturn continues to have intense impacts for developing countries.Australia is dedicated to responding efficiently to this crisis and civilizing the elasticity of countries and their ability to handle shocks in the mare future. Australia responded to this recession by the prevention of poverty reduction and sustaining programs that generate employment and re-establish eco nomic growth. During 2008 and 2009 the global economy was shaken by towering food and fuel prices. Global economic growth deteriorated in the year 2009. The crisis also produced a significant change in the situation of expanding countries. Economic growth in developing countries in 2009 dramatically decreased compared to that in 2007.Declines in foreign direct investment, export revenue and payments have slow down economic growth and employment in developing countries. There is development towards plummeting poverty and hunger. Extensive job losses in rural areas, export-oriented sectors has enlarged unemployment and impelled more workers into low-income careers. This impact has been a result of recession. Although Japan has not suffered from a housing crumple or toxic assets, its financial system has been hit rigid by the crisis than the US or EU. Japan’s reduction is as a result in the fall in external demand.THE EFFECT OF THE CRISIS ON TESCO Here http://www. corporatewatch . org. uk/? lid=252#sum stated that Tesco, known as Britian’s leading as well as most beneficial supermarket is located in China. As in the current years, Tesco and its biggest rivals have faced disparagement for mistreating their position as a monopoly and adding to some of the main internal and external problems outbreak in society today. Some of these include replacing small farmers with industrial monoculture agricultural estate whereby the wages ahead are lower and their labor privileges. As time went by Tesco took over the leading position.In 1995 Tesco was the largest supermarket and became the leader a few years after. This was foreseen as an achievement. In the year 2000, Tesco successfully launched a website. In 2001, customer satisfaction was taken into consideration as in various stores, enhancement services was implemented. Tesco became the primary merchant in the UK. They also reached to new heights. The entry to Malaysia was made in the upcoming year. As all fi rms do, they offered speciality products which were made for diabetic customers. The business began storing electronic products of all types, as well as furniture in its stores.During this same year the company then further introduced garments mainly in its UK stores giving customers a wider range of products. As years went by Tesco made entries to various countries. Entry was made into China. This time where their product was launched they developed and promoted their products. The website which was launched was available to download music as well. In the year 2005 the existence in Taiwan’s was done. As the years went by Tesco progressed and developed slowly. After a sum of three years, plans were made to establish a new business to be made available in India.According to market studies in 2004, Tesco’s gap was sealing. It was known as the fourth major supermarket in the world existing presently. It is said that Tesco operates countless stores in various countries aro und the world and employees more than hundreds or persons. They used their knowledge to compete against Wal-Mart as by lowering prices so customers would turn to them instead, their increasing sales and consumer awareness and needs. Tesco is known that the major aim of a firm is to maximize profits. However, it is the belief of many that the firm cannot achieve its full potential if it cannot achieve its full growth potential.Therefore in this case Marris’s theory does not make any economic sense. For a firm to be able to maximize shareholders and managers wealth, it must be able to grow and advance enough. Also, since the aim of the modern economic world is globalization, if a firm cannot meet its fullest potential it can be highly compatible with the global market and a wider variety of preferences for trade and investment. According to http://www. dailymail. co. uk/news/article-1172251/Prices-profits-Tesco-puts-success-discounts–shoppers-pay-staple-goods. html sales progress at Tesco has plit fifty-fifty due to Britain's major retailer loses patrons to financial plan competitors, together with the thriving German discounters. Although the value of sales through Tesco's stores in UK showed a twelve-monthly growth of 2% within the past three months, it was its worst figure in a long time. The business has react d by establishing a modern recent discount choice, which is bringing inhabitants through the doors nevertheless delivering inferior sales values and profit margins. Tesco had a huge lost from customers due to them switching to Asda while Aldi and Morrisons made a reasonable profit.This was due to switching of customer loyalties. Figures proved that Tesco's leading grocery competitors are doing far more damage to it than formerly deliberated. Tesco insisted that its recently launched brand was to blame for knocking a few percentages of UK sales figures. Selling experts suggested as a result of the values, Tesco is fighting a wrong battle. They should be more concerned about their customers’ preference and not their competitors. It was reported that Tesco is pleased with progress being done but at the same time they are pragmatic about the climate in the economy a present and the twist it is putting on the customers.The director of Tesco stated that the growth of sales in UK was the slowest since the recession in the early 1990s. Although deflation in a business causes losses it is a good decision since customers respond to it. As of the expansion of the business in the US, there is a halt. http://www. tescoplc. com/annualreport09/financialstatements/summary_financial_statement/summary_group_income_statement/ Stated that VAT increased and that exchange rates as well as sales increased. It stated a reduction of inflation and growth rate which impacted on an increase in sales due to customers trying to save their salary.Due to these trends, Tesco took advantage of it by slicing their prices and making products mo re affordable. With the increase in productivity and proper expense management the result of this there was a growth in profits despite the challenges. This website http://industry. bnet. com/retail/10001528/recessions-impact-on-fresh-easy-drags-down-tesco-results/ stated that in the financial year ending February, Tesco lost a huge amount of money in pounds. After bookkeeping for the exchange rates it was shown that an unbelievable amount was due to this.It then was forecasted that an enormous loss occurred in the US. Also it was said that the total sales amounted to 208 million pounds, due to stores having an advantage because of a sale. As stated according to http://www. bbc. co. uk/blogs/thereporters/robertpeston/2010/01/tesco_and_recessions_end. html Britain’s largest merchant benefited from an unexpected growth. Sales in the UK rose a remarkable 8. 3% – and 4. 9% per unit of selling space, adjusted for the VAT changes and excluding petrol. This was Tesco's best p erformance for three years. It seemed as doe recession did not have any impact on Tesco.As prices goes up it is stated that other stores are raising their prices. By supporting the credit crunch, this may be as a result of elevated numbers of unemployment. As one of the largest and fastest growing merchants more jobs will be accessible with TESCO therefore helping to trim down the levels of unemployment. A PESTLE analysis is therefore useful in order to keeping TESCO up to date with their environmental surroundings for example by identifying in advance that route to which they are heading for a recession would have helped them to plan in advance. This was stated according to http://www. odelanswer. co. uk/business/help/pestle/tescos. php. it also stated that a PESTLE analysis is essential to the development and the success of TESCO’s also including the day to day management of each store in line with strategic decisions. By lack of knowledge of what external factors affect th e organisation, it is complex to control the business in a well-organized manner. http://www. independent. co. uk/news/business/analysis-and-features/recession-slows-the-tesco-juggernaut-1048858. html states that the biggest retailer, in UK had a huge downturn of sale due to recession.However, Tesco is being battered by brutal competition from rivals, Asda, Morrisons and Aldi, which are apparent to be stronger on price. Thus far, the government’s reaction is mainly heavily dependent on measures agreed to before the crisis began. Negotiating a framework for a unified response by business, government and trade unions, with an emphasis on avoiding, where possible, retrenchments. Interest rate cuts. Proceeding with a three-year infrastructure investment programme. Proceeding with an expanded public-works programme was stated according to http://www. amandlapublishers. co. a/home-menu-item/156-the-impact-of-the-global-recession-on-south-africa. In accordance to http://www. bloombe rg. com/apps/news? pid=conewsstory&tkr=TSCO:LN&sid=aB2XzUDCyYSQ. It stated that across all parts of their strategy – UK, International, Non-food, Services, businesses are now physically powerful than it was before the recession. Various procedures, developed market shares, strategic performance and a strong organic development programme, were done to accomplish profitable growth. In the United States, Fresh & Easy has been making tremendous progress, despite lengthened weakness in the economies.Customers are now appreciating the range of fresh food being prepared and the friendly services offered. As of the new businesses, we are become accustom and cultivating feedback. With the upgrading development to our range implemented and with the number of growing stores, which was launched at media campaigns – in is said to offer both high quality and low prices. With a combination of increased customer awareness and the improvements we have made in the store helped to drive stronger positive sales growth throughout the year. As a result of assistance from the government, there was much of no assistance.They insisted that retailers would benefit only from a re-evaluation of business rates as they have been negatively affected by tumbling property values. He also suggested that a cut in the Uniform Business Rate multiplier should be done to avoid businesses suffering rate increases in a recession. The multiplier is reviewed annually and goes up in line with inflation. It was also disclosed that business rates should be reviewed since they do not reflect the changing nature of businesses in which the value ofproperty is no longer profitability as stated according to http://findarticles. om/p/articles/mi_7996/is_2008_Nov_12/ai_n39096759/. CONCLUSION In closing global recession has a huge impact on businesses. As a result Tesco was one of the companies affected by the recession.REFERENCE WEBSITES Tesco. com Tecso’s History [Online] Available at: http ://www. tescoplc. com/plc/about_us/tesco_story/ [Accessed on 28th April, 2010] About Tesco [Online] Available at: http://www. cn. tesco. com/en/aboutus/aboutus_history. htm [Accessed on 28th April, 2010] Tesco’s weekly sales growth [Online] Available at: http://www. freshplaza. com/news_detail. sp? id=62193 [Accessed on 28th April, 2010] Government assistance towards Tesco [Online] Available at: http://findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_7996/is_2008_Nov_12/ai_n39096759/ [Accessed on 1st May, 2010] Tesco Plc [Online] Available at: http://www. bloomberg. com/apps/news? pid=conewsstory&tkr=TSCO:LN&sid=aB2XzUDCyYSQ [Accessed on 1st May, 2010] The impact of global recession [Online] Available at: http://www. amandlapublishers. co. za/home-menu-item/156-the-impact-of-the-global-recession-on-south-africa [Accessed on 1st May, 2010] Tesco’s recession [Online]

Tomorrows Technology essays

Tomorrow's Technology essays I have chosen the topic Tomorrows Technology for my I.S.P. I choose this topic because Im interested in the direction in which our technology is expanding. I find new technologies intriguing and fascinating. The technology of tomorrow is expanding in all directions and new technologies are leaving humans with endless possibilities. I have chosen four new technologies to investigate and explain all of which will impact our future greatly. People instinctively react to certain sights or sounds. A key part in helping humans make sense of their surrounding environment is to recognizing noticeable objects. In the world of robotics a discouraging challenge is building robots that can intelligently pick out items of interest using sight or sound. Selective-attention modeling is something which a handful of engineers are working on, this technology helps robots to identify objects of interest. Selective-attention modeling attempts to program robots to be able to evaluate scenes critically, the same way the human mind is believed to. Several research groups are giving robots eyes that allow the robot to pick out unusual objects. Pan-and-tilt cameras are the type of camera used to enable robots to identify objects of interest. The ability to respond to an eye catching sight allows robots to act independently when encountering unexpected sights. An example of how this technology may be used is if a robot is inspecting the surface of Mars it may notice an area of discoloured ground, which the robot would take a sample of. A traditional robot would only detect discoloured ground when instructed specifically to look for discoloured ground. Objects of interest are sensed based on many factors including colour, edges, orientation, light intensity and motion. The robot makes maps for each of these factors which can be scanned for irregularities. This new approach gives robots the ability to identify specific objects, for exam...

Free Essays on Modern Russia

MODERN RUSSIA The possible beginning of the fragmentation of the Communist Party and the Soviet era took place when Boris Yeltsin, leader of the Russian S.S.R. who urged faster reform, left the Communist Party along with other radicals. In March 1991, the Soviet people were asked to vote on a referendum on national unity engineered by President Gorbachev. The resultant victory for the federal government was tempered by the separate approval in Russia for the creation of a popularly elected presidency of the Russian republics. The bitter election contest for the Russian presidency, principally between Yeltsin and a Communist loyalist, resulted in a major victory for Yeltsin. He took the oath of office for the new position on July 10, 1991. BORIS YELTSIN Reversing his relative hard-line position, Gorbachev together with leaders of nine Soviet republics signed an accord called the Union Treaty, which was meant to preserve the unity of the nation. In exchange the federal government would have turned over control of industrial and natural resources to the individual republics. An attempted coup d'Ã ©tat took place on August 19, 1991, orchestrated by a group of eight senior officials calling itself the State Committee on the State of Emergency. Boris Yeltsin, barricaded in the Russian parliament building, defiantly called for a general strike. The next day huge crowds demonstrated in Leningrad, and Yeltsin supporters fortified barricades surrounding the parliament building. On August 21 the coup committee disbanded, and at least some of its members attempted to flee Moscow. The Soviet parliament formally reinstated Gorbachev as president. Two days later he resigned from his position as General-Secretary of the Communist Part! y and recommended that its Central Committee be disbanded. On August 29 the parliament approved the suspension of all Communist Party activities pending an investigation of its role in the failed... Free Essays on Modern Russia Free Essays on Modern Russia MODERN RUSSIA The possible beginning of the fragmentation of the Communist Party and the Soviet era took place when Boris Yeltsin, leader of the Russian S.S.R. who urged faster reform, left the Communist Party along with other radicals. In March 1991, the Soviet people were asked to vote on a referendum on national unity engineered by President Gorbachev. The resultant victory for the federal government was tempered by the separate approval in Russia for the creation of a popularly elected presidency of the Russian republics. The bitter election contest for the Russian presidency, principally between Yeltsin and a Communist loyalist, resulted in a major victory for Yeltsin. He took the oath of office for the new position on July 10, 1991. BORIS YELTSIN Reversing his relative hard-line position, Gorbachev together with leaders of nine Soviet republics signed an accord called the Union Treaty, which was meant to preserve the unity of the nation. In exchange the federal government would have turned over control of industrial and natural resources to the individual republics. An attempted coup d'Ã ©tat took place on August 19, 1991, orchestrated by a group of eight senior officials calling itself the State Committee on the State of Emergency. Boris Yeltsin, barricaded in the Russian parliament building, defiantly called for a general strike. The next day huge crowds demonstrated in Leningrad, and Yeltsin supporters fortified barricades surrounding the parliament building. On August 21 the coup committee disbanded, and at least some of its members attempted to flee Moscow. The Soviet parliament formally reinstated Gorbachev as president. Two days later he resigned from his position as General-Secretary of the Communist Part! y and recommended that its Central Committee be disbanded. On August 29 the parliament approved the suspension of all Communist Party activities pending an investigation of its role in the failed...

Learn How to Pronounce German Words in English

Learn How to Pronounce German Words in English While the proper way to pronounce some German terms in English may be debatable, this isnt one of them: Porsche is a family name, and the family members pronounce their surname PORSH-uh. Can you remember when the French automaker Renault still sold cars in North America? (If youre old enough, you may recall Renaults Le Car.) In the early days, Americans pronounced the French name ray-NALT. Just about the time that most of us had learned to say ray-NOH correctly, Renault pulled out of the U.S. market. Given enough time, Americans usually can learn to pronounce most foreign words correctly- if you dont include ​maitre d or hors-doeuvres.   Example of Another Silent-E Another â€Å"silent-e† example is also a brand name: Deutsche Bank.   It could be a carryover from the now entrenched mispronunciation of Germanys former currency, the Deutsche Mark (DM). Even educated English-speakers may say â€Å"DOYTSH mark,† dropping the e. With the arrival of the euro and the demise of the DM, German company or media names with â€Å"Deutsche† in them have become the new mispronunciation target: Deutsche Telekom, Deutsche Bank, Deutsche Bahn, or Deutsche Welle. At least most people get the German â€Å"eu† (OY) sound right, but sometimes that gets mangled as well. Neanderthal or Neandertal Most informed people prefer the more German-like pronunciation nay-ander-TALL. Thats because Neanderthal is a German word and German does not have the th sound of English â€Å"the.† The Neandertal (the alternate English or German spelling) is a valley (Tal) named for a German by the name of Neumann (new man). The Greek form of his name is Neander. The fossilized bones of Neandertal man (homo neanderthalensis is the official Latin name) were found in the Neander Valley. Whether you spell it with a t or th, the better pronunciation is nay-ander-TALL without the th sound.   German Brand Names On the other hand, for many German brand names (Adidas, Braun, Bayer, etc.), the English or American pronunciation has become the accepted way to refer to the company or its products. In German, Braun is pronounced like the English word brown (same for Eva Braun, by the way), not BRAWN. But youll probably just cause confusion if you insist on the German way of saying Braun, Adidas (AH-dee-dass, emphasis on the first syllable) or Bayer (BYE-er). The same goes for Dr. Seuss, whose real name was Theodor Seuss Geisel (1904-1991). Geisel was born in Massachusetts to German immigrants, and he pronounced his German name SOYCE. But now everyone in the English-speaking world pronounces the authors name to rhyme with goose.   Frequently Mispronounced Terms German in Englishwith correct phonetic pronunciation Word/Name Pronunciation Adidas AH-dee-dass Bayer bye-er BraunEva Braun brown(not brawn) Dr. Seuss(Theodor Seuss Geisel) soyce GoetheGerman author, poet GER-ta (er as in fern)and all oe-words Hofbruhausin Munich HOFE-broy-house Loess/Lss (geology)fine-grained loam soil lerss (er as in fern) NeanderthalNeandertal nay-ander-tall Porsche PORSH-uh **Phonetic guides shown are approximate. English in Germanwith common German mispronunciation Wort/Name Aussprache airbag (Luftkissen) air-beck chatten (to chat) shetten corned beef kornett beff live (adj.) lyfe (live=life) Nike nyke (silent e) ornee-ka (German vowels)

Toyota Brand Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Toyota Brand Analysis - Essay Example Fortification - the brand should carry a consistent image over time to reinforce its place in the consumer's mind and develop a special relationship with the consumer. Brand extensions can further fortify the brand, but only with related products having a perceived fit in the mind of the consumer. A company may have many brand names, but each group should fit well together. When Toyota wanted to compete in the luxury car market, a new brand called Lexus was created. This avoided muddying the established Toyota brand name, which represents value and economy, and removed any possible negative preconceptions about the Lexus name being cheap. The divergent fortunes of two automobiles made by the same manufacturer offer an unintended study of the power of brand strategy to alter behavior. Since 1989, both the Toyota Corolla and the Geo Prizm have been made by New United Motor Manufacturing Inc. (NUMMI), a joint venture of General Motors and Toyota. While the two cars are virtual twins, the Corolla has had consistently stronger sales despite a higher price. How come "The strength of Toyota's brand allowed it to charge more," says The Economist. "Buyers thought a Toyota would be superior to a GM car in the same class, and so happily paid more." The effect of brand equity on profit and growth is striking. ... "Buyers thought a Toyota would be superior to a GM car in the same class, and so happily paid more." The effect of brand equity on profit and growth is striking. While both cars cost the same to make-about $10,300-Toyota sold 200,000 Corollas to dealers at $11,000 each, while GM managed to move only 80,000 Geo Prizms at $10,700 between 1990 and 1994, The Economist notes. The result: "Toyota made $128 million more than GM in operating profits from NUMMI, while its dealers made $107 million more than those of GM from the plant's products." Toyota Motor Corp. (TM ) is on pace to be the world's No. 1 auto maker by 2008. It produces nearly one of every six cars sold in the U.S., including nine models in the South and Midwest, where it employs 32,000 Americans. Even New York livery cab fleets, once largely made up of leathery Lincolns, now feature Toyota's Prius, the hit hybrid taking coastal cities by storm. Toyota largely remains "terra incognita" to American investors, while GM can still attract buyers even as it flirts with bankruptcy. "Toyota stock doesn't have the 'mind share' of GM or Ford," says John M. Novak, an auto analyst at Chicago's Morningstar Inc. "There's a perception that you can't invest in it [because] it's a Japanese company -- that you would require a special account." ( Business week) Toyota Strengths: In 2003 Toyota knocked its rivals Ford into third spot, to become the World's second largest carmaker with 6.78 million units. The company is still behind rivals General Motors with 8.59 million units in the same period. Its strong industry position is based upon a number of factors including a diversified product range, highly targeted marketing and a commitment to lean manufacturing and quality. The company makes a large range of

A portfolio about Yue Minjun (an artist), and discussing the meaning Essay

A portfolio about Yue Minjun (an artist), and discussing the meaning of the work, it's form, its context, its qualities - Essay Example He began as a struggling artist in the 1990s as a member of the artistic community at Yuan Ming Yuan in the outskirts of Beijing away from the penetrating eyes of political persecution. When the community broke up, Mingjun shifted to Tongxian, where he flourished, along with other artists. The reason for his success can be attributed by what is known as "cynical realism" in post modernist art. Almost all his works so far, without exception, have contained self-portraits which from a distance look like they are bursting with mirth. But once one sees the gaping blackness of their mouths and eyes closed tightly shut, almost rolling in apparent hilarity in sad, desperate contexts, one realizes that the laughter could be a laughter of absurdity, of cynicism and of critical political commentary. The laughter has been a hallmark of Mingjun's work, making it instantly recognizable, and it has been interpreted variously by different people at disparate points of time. But the artist himself sees his laughing self-portrait as a part of his evolution from the despair of his past, where reality was so very different from his idea of ideal existence. In his opinion, sometimes the only reaction left in the face of utter despair is laughter. The laughter also comes in part from the Chinese tradition of the Laughing Buddha, whose permanent expression is that of laughter, and who is addit