Hotel and Lodging Career Research Essay

Executive Summary With high curiosity and interest in many fields, I have changed my career goal from archaeology to science then to architecture and finally to entrepreneurship in hospitality and traveling. In preparation for launching my own business, I determined to learn more about the hotel and lodging industry through a financial and accounting position. A hotel is an establishment that provides temporary accommodation and various services depending on the rate per night a customer can afford. Nowadays, as customers’ needs and affordability vary, hotel and lodging facilities could be classified into multiple levels of definitions based on economic structure, price, chain scale, location, room configuration or market served. A large hotel with full service often comprises many departments with specialized employees. A General Manager leads the main operating departments which consist of Room, Security, Food and Beverage and Minor Services. The administrative departments of a hotel are Accounting, Engineering and Marketing and Sales. As of 2007, in the US, there are approximately 49 thousand hotels and lodging properties that have over 15 rooms, providing about 4.5 million guest rooms and generating 139.4 billion dollars in revenue. The U.S hotel and lodging industry employs about 1.4 million workers and serves both business and leisure travelers. International travelers make up 22% of lodging room occupants. In the current economic downturn that started in late 2007, decreases in both traveling and financing has pulled earnings of hotels in the US down by 11.6% in occupancy rate, 8.6% in average daily rate, and 19.1% in revenue per available room, leaving the industry in a struggle to attract customers and provide jobs for their employees. A typical entry-level administrative position in a hotel requires a four-year bachelor’s degree in a business related major. Other desirable traits for candidates are leadership skills, communications skills, confidence, and more. There are few administrative positions in the current hotel and lodging industry that college graduates can obtain, but they are exciting jobs that promise quick advancement, relocation opportunities, and even room rate discounts for associates. Financial and accounting positions in the hotel industry include Assistant Controller, Senior Assistant Controller, and Director of Finance and Accounting. Assistant Controllers and Senior Assistant Controllers work at the daily operating level and assist the Director of Finance and Accounting in making decisions. Directors of Finances and Accounting work at strategic decision making and are members of the executive committee of the hotel, overseeing the health of the hotel in general. With leadership skills, communication skills and by going beyond the expected and being willing to relocate, a new college graduate could advance quickly in the hotel industry. The knowledge I will gain from working in hotel and lodging industry will prepare me to launch my own lodging business.â€Æ' From myriad interest to a focus on hospitality With a high level of curiosity and thousands of questions in mind, I have been an explorer since I was small. By the time I was 10, I decided to discover the secrets of the world by becoming an archaeologist, who travels to different places and digs things up all day. Before I thought further about digging around, however, I became captivated by Thomas Alva Edison – the genius inventor with thousands of inventions. My hope for becoming an inventor was so high that I started to study really hard in order to understand more about natural science. For two years, I kept my enthusiasm, but the attraction for houses and buildings soon dawned on me. At the time, I was really good at industrial technology courses, especially industrial drawing and blueprint design. Being a visual learner, I had no difficulty interpreting blueprints. I even scribbled some of my own ideas and purchased numerous issues of architectural magazines. When I got into high school, I told myself that I would take an exam to get into an architecture school. However, in Vietnam, at the time, there was a movement of studying abroad. Even though I got into the science division of high school, English has always been my forte, and I had feelings of uncertainty about becoming an architect. Then, in my last year of high school, I applied for a high school exchange program in the United States and took the first step on my study abroad route. As I matured abroad, I stepped away from my childhood interests and thought carefully about the reality of each job I was interested in. Still being enthusiastic about discovering the world, I shifted my method from being an archaeologist to being a traveler. Still enamored of great buildings and designs, I desired to work at nice hotels and resorts or build my own. With my parents owning a business, I was strongly influenced by the independence and creativity of entrepreneurship, which inspired me to become an entrepreneur specializing in hotels and traveling. More importantly, as I studied abroad I developed a sympathy for others travelers and discovered a passion to fulfill others’ need while away from home. Hospitality is also a career that is people-oriented, offering tremendous opportunities to improve communication skills and meet people. As I am pursuing a double major in Accounting and Finance, I look forward to obtaining a financial position in a hotel, in order to learn about the cost and profits of operating a hotel and the process of financing hotels specifically. As I increase my knowledge, my final direction is to launch a hospitality business of my own, providing customers with unique impressions, positive experiences and exceptional services. Hotel and Lodging Industry at a Glance As people travel for various purposes, hotels are convenient facilities that offer temporary accommodation and services during the stay at appropriate prices. Thus, a harbor view room with large bathroom, TV, in-room Internet, air conditioning, 1,000 thread-count bedding, coffee machine, morning paper, and more in a hotel that has a three-star restaurant, conference room, and swimming pools and is located in the middle of all the action could cost hundreds of dollars a night. Meanwhile, a bunk bed in a hostel, with a shared bathroom at the end of the hall and common kitchen costs about twenty dollars a night. With a diversity of customers, hotels and lodging facilities nowadays are thoroughly differentiated based on the services provided. In the book A Host of Opportunities: An Introduction to Hospitality Management a hotel can be classified into multiple definitions based on its structure, price, chain scale, location, room configuration or market served (Hoof 75-83). Hotel Organizational Structure In order to effectively handle myriad customers’ needs, a large hotel could contain many departments including Rooms department, Food and Beverage department, and other administrative departments. Smaller hotels or family-owned facilities may not have the same range of staff or definite departmental arrangement; instead, lodging managers and employees may multitask. Below is a diagram of a large hotel’s departmental organization and its employees, from A Host of Opportunities: An Introduction to Hospitality Management. Scope of U.S Lodging Industry According to the American Hotel and Lodging Association’s â€Å"2008 Lodging Industry Profile,† by 2007 there were 48,062 lodging properties of 15 rooms and up in the United States. Those properties made up a total of 4,476,191 guestrooms and generated $139.4 billion in sales. The revenue per available room (RevPAR) was $65.52, and the average occupancy rate was 63.1%. Room rates rose constantly, while the most updated average room rate stood at $103.87 in 2007. The before tax profits was $28 billion, according to Smith Travel Research (STR), an organization specializing in benchmark and research for the lodging industry (qtd. in â€Å"2008 Lodging Industry Profile†). Hotel properties across the country employed about 1.4 million workers. Meanwhile, lodging customers were comprised of 44% business travelers and 56% leisure travelers. The United States ranked first in international customer receipts with spending from international travelers at $122 billion, and continued to receive more international travelers than previous years at a 10% growth rate. This enormous flow of international travelers made up 22% of all lodging room nights in 2007 (â€Å"2008 Lodging Industry Profile†). Thus, by 2007 the U.S hotel and lodging industry was still prospering, until it got caught later in the current of the economic downturn. Hotel and Lodging Industry in Current Economic Downturn The current economic slowdown discouraged consumer spending on vacation travel and business spending on business travel, which affected the hotel industry directly. According to Smith Travel Research â€Å"the U.S hotel industry posted declined in the three key performance measurements during the week of 26 April – 2 May,† as in STR’s recent weekly U.S performance report (qtd. in â€Å"STR posts US results for week ending 2 May 2009†). The three key measurements are industry occupancy rate (OC), which declined by 11.6% over a year performance, average daily rate (ADR), which declined by 8.6% and revenue per available room (RevPAR), which declined by 19.1% (â€Å"STR posts US results for week ending 2 May 2009†). As the earnings decline, hotels cut costs in a variety of ways including employments, make it harder even for college graduates to find good positions. Preparing for a Career in Hotel Management In order to obtain an administrative position in a hotel, a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university is preferred, especially for finance and accounting positions. In the Marriot International Incorporate’s description of financial and accounting positions provided by Beth Zabawa, Director of Finance and Accounting at Renaissance St. Louis Grand & Suites Hotel, a candidate for the Assistant Controller position – the entry level financial position – should have â€Å"4-year bachelor’s degree in Finance and Accounting or related major; no work experience required† (Zabawa). However, in place of work experience, exceptional interpersonal skills and positive attitude such as leadership skills, communication skills and confidence are desirable (Zabawa). Financial and Accounting Positions in the Hotel and Lodging Industry Hotel and lodging careers do not suggest working only as a front desk clerk or housekeeping. Many management positions in hotels such as general manager, controller, and sales offer quick advancement, relocation opportunities, and many other novelty benefits such as hotel-associate-only discounts on room rate. These positions are good starting points for college graduates. For finance major graduates, positions in the hotel industry may be limited but could be uniquely rewarding. At small establishments, the lodging manager often oversees both operating activities and administrative activities, including bookkeeping and financing. Only large hotels need and are able to afford several accounting and finance positions. Some of the financial and accounting positions are Assistant Controller, Senior Assistant Controller, and Director of Finance and Accounting. Description of the jobs In the Marriot International Incorporated’s description of financial and accounting positions provided by Zabawa, the entry-level position for a college undergraduate is Assistant Controller, who works at the daily operating level. An assistant controller’s â€Å"primary responsibilities include financial analysis and financial reporting, budgeting and forecasting, audit and control, asset and liability reconciliation, working capital and control† (Zabawa). Zabawa said that Assistant Controller mostly works in the office, reports to the Director of Finance and Accounting and attends meetings with other departments. She also provided other information about salary and benefits, training, opportunities for advancement for financial positions and some advice for college graduates starting in the industry. Incoming employees begin with an extensive Management Program that lasts about 6 to 8 weeks, equipping the person with the knowledge and processes involved with working at Marriott Inc. Following the extensive training are online training and a 1-week class that evaluates the new employees and train them to work in groups. The starting salary for an Assistant Controller is at around $40,000 a year. Beside salary, associates at Marriott Inc. receive benefits such as health insurance, life insurance, disability insurance, dental insurance and a 401k plan. Depending on the properties, employees may benefit from working in a hotel by receiving free lunch or discount rates when staying at the chain’s properties. After 12 to 18 months, there is an opportunity for the Assistant Controller to transfer to other properties of Marriott Inc. or to be promoted to Senior Assistant Controller (Zabawa). Senior Assistant Controller’s responsibilities include overlooking the tasks of the Assistant Controller and assisting the Director of Finance and Accounting in reporting and making decisions. After 12 to 18 months to two years, a Senior Assistant Controller at Marriott Inc. could either transfer to other properties or become Director of Finance and Accounting at smaller properties (Zabawa). The Director of Finance and Accounting enjoys many different aspects of financial careers. As part of the Executive Committee of the properties, the main responsibilities of a Director of Finance and Accounting are strategic decision making. Stepping away from the daily paper work of the Assistant Controller or Senior Assistant Controller work, a Director of Finance and Accounting â€Å"attends meetings to discuss the hotel’s operational strategies, controls spending and develops budget, studies competitors and communicates with the estate’s owner,† described Zabawa. She revealed her opinions for the Director of Finance and Accounting position as exciting, informational and engaging. The work is different each day, the reports the Director of Finance and Accounting received provide thorough knowledge of the hotel and lodging industry and Marriott Inc. has a very loyal working culture with each associate working as if the hotel is their own business (Zabawa). Zabawa advised new college graduates pursuing hotel careers to be innovative, confident, assertive, and proactive, and find ways to add value to the business. Interpersonal skills such as communication skills, both speaking and writing skills, and leadership skills are invaluable for college graduates to advance in the hotel and lodging industry (Zabawa). The flow chart below demonstrates the time and skills an entry level position in the Finance and Accounting office needs in order to advance to the next level. Conclusion The hotel and lodging industry is the intersection between the travel and hospitality industries that offers many different directions to explore. While working in a financial position in a hotel, I will be able to learn more about the financial aspect of hotel operation, gain experience in customer service and find a niche for myself to debut in the hotel industry. Combination with private service is a possible solution to my entrepreneurship direction. In comparison with US and European hotel industry, Asian markets are less professional and developed. As I start in Vietnam, I want to broaden the Vietnamese tourism industry with ethnic hotels or lodging facilities that would bring a truly authentic experience to travelers to Vietnam. With later international expansion, I hope to establish a model of authentic traveling and cultural interaction in the world tourism industry. Work Cited â€Å"2008 Lodging Industry Profile.† American Hotel and Lodging Association. 30 Apr. 2009. â€Å"Dedicated Staff.† The Knightsbridge London. 30 Apr. 2009. Five Star Concierge Service LLC. 30 Apr. 2009. Hoof, Hubert, Gary Vallen, Marilyn Mc. Donald, and Paul Wiener. A Host of Opportunities: An Introduction to Hospitality Management. New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2007. Print. â€Å"Housekeeping Service.† The Knightsbridge London. 30 Apr. 2009. â€Å"STR posts US results for week ending 2 May 2009.† Hospitalitynet.org. Hospitality Net, 8 May. 2009. 10 May 2009. Zabawa, Beth. Personal Interview. 8 Apr. 2009.

Important People

Franklin D. Roosevelt- He was the first president who understood how to use media and the radio. He made speeches on the radio called Fireside chats. He made about 28- 33 of these. He was elected to office four times. In one of his speeches he talked about how there was more employment now than 4 years ago. He used radio to give his own points of view and defend the New Deal. Used radio because it was intimate. Superman/ Clark Kent- Cartoon (sept. 18, 1942) superman takes the war to the enemy in a time that we could not do it. He did something that they were incapable of doing, defeating the enemy. he was fighting the military (not TERRERISM) not blowing business building just military items. He represents our country. Clark Kent is supermans alter ego who is a reporter for the Metropolis newspaper, The Daily Planet. Herman Goering- (1893 – 1946). He was a German politician, military leader, and a leading member of the Nazi Party. Among many offices, he was Hitler's designated successor, and commander of the Luftwaffe (German Air Force). He was a veteran of WWI as an ace fighter pilot, and a recipient of the coveted Pour le Merite (â€Å"The Blue Max†). He was the last commander of Jagdgeschwader I, the air squadron of Manfred Von Richthofen â€Å"The Red Baron†. After the WWII he was convicted of war crimes and crimes against humanity at the Nuremberg Trials. He was sentenced to death by hanging, but committed suicide by cyanide ingestion the night before he was due to be hanged. Max Fleischer- (1883 – 1972) He was an American animator. He was a pioneer in the development of the animated cartoon and served as the head of Fleischer Studios. He brought such animated characters as Betty Boop, Koko the Clown, Popeye, and Superman to the movie screen and was responsible for a number of technological innovations like the idea of the rotoscope which was a concept to simplify the process of animating movement by tracing frames of live action film. Lois Lane- she is a reporter for the Metropolis newspaper, The Daily Planet. She represents our individual attitudes. She is willing to die for what she believes in and is a hero. She represents American stubbornness and she’s a hero because she never once calls for help. Iva Toguri- (1916 –2006) She was an American citizen who participated in English-language propaganda broadcast transmitted by Radio Tokyo to Allied soldiers in the South Pacific during World War II. Although on the â€Å"Zero Hour† radio show, Toguri called herself â€Å"Orphan Ann,† she quickly became identified with the moniker â€Å"Tokyo Rose†, a name that was coined by Allied soldiers and that predated her broadcasts. William Joyce- (1906 – 1946) He was nicknamed Lord Haw-Haw and was a fascist politician and Nazi propaganda broadcaster to the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He was hanged for treason by the British government as a result of his wartime activities. Joseph Goebbels- (1897 –h 1945) was a German politician and Reich Minister of Propaganda in Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945. As one of German dictator Adolf Hitler's closest associates and most devout followers, he was known for his zealous oratory and anti-Semitism. He was the chief architect of the Kristallnacht attack on the German Jews, which historians consider to be the commencement of the Nazi violence culminating in the Holocaust. From our notes: he said to Hitler that he needed to sell his ideas and form an enemy. Neville Chamberlain (1869 – 1940) was a British Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from May 1937 to May 1940. Chamberlain is best known for his appeasement foreign policy, and in particular for his signing of the Munich Agreement in 1938, conceding the Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia to Nazi Germany. When Adolf Hitler continued his aggression, Britain declared war on Germany on 3 September 1939, and Chamberlain led Britain through the first eight months of World War II. Hughes flying Boat H-4 (hk-1) Hercules (â€Å"Spruce Goose†)- was a prototype heavy transport aircraft designed and built by the Hughes Aircraft company. The aircraft made its only flight on November 2, 1947. Built from wood because of wartime raw material restrictions on the use of aluminum, it was nicknamed the â€Å"Spruce Goose† by its critics. The Hercules is the largest flying boat ever built, and has the largest wingspan and height of any aircraft in history. It survives in good condition at the Evergreen Aviation Museum in McMinnville, Oregon, USA.

Theory of Constraints Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Theory of Constraints - Research Paper Example Once the organization defines its goals and there is agreement on how to evaluate the achievements toward the identified goals, it possible to apply the TOC’s five focusing steps. From the case scenario, the primary goal of the HMC is to develop a lean production system that considers the expenditure for any purpose other than value creation for the end customer is wasteful. The TOC’ five focusing steps are applied to the HMC’s supply chain below. Identify the constraint: Even though HMC generates majority of its sales from the assembly area, the assembly side of the company is not very efficient currently. Another constraint to the HMC’s supply chain is that it does not have adequate space capabilities to maintain its large scale assembly operations. In addition, the company has never modified its initial layout since its establishment and this issue causes a series of ongoing production inefficiencies. Exploit the constraint: In this phase, the organizat ion has to cut down its inventory volume to the targeted level. Evidently, this practice would assist the organization to improve space utilization in the plant. Subordinate to the constraint: In order to improve the production cycle time, the firm has to replace its weaker labors with highly developed technologies. In addition, the HMC may make some special arrangements with its suppliers to reduce its expediting and obsolescence costs. Furthermore, the organization has to identify and eliminate any supply chain activity that does not create value for the end customer. Elevate the constraint: It is better for the organization to develop its plant capacity so that it can bear more assembly operations efficiently. Identify the new constraint: Once the HMC finished the above steps, the management has to watch for new constraints developed. 2. Theory of constraints in logistics The process of logistics is of vital importance in a lean production system because a lean system is specific ally concerned with elimination of wastes (Lean logistic understanding). Logistics can be simply referred to the management of resource flow between the point of origin and point of distribution. The TOC is very helpful to detect any constraint that affects the effective flow of resources. Timely identification of constraints in resource flow would aid the firm to remain competitive in the automotive industry. In case of HMC, constraints in logistics create some other potential operational challenges for the organization. The TOC can be applied to logistics to timely identify some other needs in supply chain management. For instance, lack of plant layout upgradation is a potential constraint that reduces the efficiency of logistic management. By applying the TOC, it is possible to identify such plant modification needs and thereby keep the plant unaffected of production inefficiencies. In addition, the TOC would assist the logistics management to improve the organization’s pr oduction cycle time through identifying inefficient labors and malfunctioning machineries. The organization can compare current logistics activities with those of previous years with the help of TOC. This practice would benefit the organization to clearly identify areas of improvement and enhance its market share growth. Lucent Technologies Lucent Technologies is a US based multinational telecommunications corporation that has applied the TOC to its supply chain. Like other

COMMUNICATION IN SOCIAL CARE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

COMMUNICATION IN SOCIAL CARE - Essay Example The hospitals that Dr. Steven visits get a large number of people from the mainstream population which is predominantly white. However, he occasionally gets to see people from diverse cultural backgrounds, especially immigrants from the Middle Eastern countries like Iraq, Iran and Saudi Arabia. Ahmed Babak is an Iranian man who migrated in the late 1990s with his wife, Alicia Baig who is from the same country. After living in the UK for the last decade, Alicia is having problems with her husband who wants her to continue to wear hijab and prevents her from working at office. She wanted to take help from extended family members, some of who live in the same city, but Ameer Baig was not interested. Ahmed has been suffering from depression and memory loss and had been referred to Dr. Steven through the NHS. Dr. Steven has not been able to make a rapport with Ahmed, who feels intimidated by the six feet two doctor. He is reluctant to share the private and intimate details of his married life with someone who is a foreigner. Dr. Steven feels that Ahmed is from a relatively inhibited culture and that he needs to have more confidence in himself and be open about the realities. Ahmed also is not very fluent with English and he finds it difficult to understand Dr. Steven’s words. ... Ahmed does not want to sit alone with Dr. Steven and feels physically intimidated and overwhelmed in most of the sessions, while the Doctor has to rake his brains to put anything across his patient. PART B: 1. Skills for Effective Communication The above case study shows that the there are basic communication issues related to the differences in the social and cultural differences between the practitioner and the service user. Some of the skills that could be useful for better communication under the conditions are elaborated upon in the paragraphs below. 1.1 Skills: Understanding the Cultural and Social Context in order to Create Empathy and Security for the service user As per the communication theory of social constructionist, any communication is assumed to be based on the sharing of ideas and thoughts, the interpretation of which is rooted in the social dynamics of the people involved (Ritzer, 2008). The interaction between Dr. Steven and his client is a true reflection of the t heory, as though the duo are engaged in communication, their very different socio-cultural contexts make them have preconceived notions about each other and also prevent them from understanding each other’s messages correctly. For example, Dr. Steven is from a UK background, being born and educated in the UK and having faith in the Western methods and approaches to psychological therapy. He relies on the patients to provide him with information and details directly and explicitly, so that he may formulate a plan of action and therapy for them. However, in the case of Ahmed, he is from a Muslim Arab culture where direct conversations of personal issues and that too with strangers are

Compare and contrast applied and theoretical forms of research Essay

Compare and contrast applied and theoretical forms of research. Provide support for each of your answers - Essay Example Applied research is recognized as successful when a particular research helps in figuring out a solution to any particular issue for which the research was being conducted (McArdle 28). A research that is applied in nature is considered as successful in accordance to the degree of its scientific competence. Research that is theoretical in nature is deemed as successful when a research ends up in figuring out a novice concept or phenomenon or it helps in figuring out new ideas (McArdle 28). The main aim of the researcher of applied research is to provide the world with theoretical frame work in order to help enhance the world’s interpretation of a concept. A research is regarded as applied in nature when the research results in successfully solving a particular issue that is practical in nature and these problems are experienced by various stakeholders including businesses, governments and politicians. In the case of applied research, the issue experienced by the individual or organization funding the research is refined and then a solution is figured out to help the patron. Theoretical research is not conducted with the aim of solving a issue of a particular organization or individual, it rather is conducted for the betterment of the whole society and to help the society understand a particular phenomenon. Applied research and theoretical research are both conducted to benefit human beings and society (Bernan 219). But applied research is conducted to solve the problem or an agenda experienced by a particular organization or individual and that particular organization or individual funds the research. The organization or the individual even has the liberty to decide whether to make the research public or use it for his own advantage only. On the other hand, findings of theoretical research benefit both the overall society and individuals and are published to help ever individual of the society in learning about an issue or a

Enveloping and PeakVue Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Enveloping and PeakVue - Research Paper Example Due to its high precision, the method is able to detect the emission of stress waves caused by direct contact of adjacent metallic surfaces at an early stage. Generally, through spectral analysis the frequency of repetition of the stress waves is availed. By peakvue, the resonance zones are isolated through use of filters. Capturing the peak values for particular intervals of the selected sampling time is done through the application of high frequency clustering of signals with over one hundred kilo Hertz. The method goes through four stages The initial stage in which the low frequency signals are eliminated by taking the entire signal through a high pass filter. The amplitudes are run through the accelerometer which detects the measurements and is able to classify them according to the initially specified cut-off frequency level. All the measurements reading below the designated cut-off level are classified together. They are effectively eliminated which implies that only the high f requency readings- those above the cut-off level, proceed to the second phase of the analysis procedure. By elimination it means that such values are truncated from the recorded measurements such that their consideration ends at that phase. The second phase that involves the digital conversion of frequency. The high frequency signal is changed from its initial analog form to digital form in order to begin the spectral 0246analysis. Normally, high frequency values will be recorded for particular sections along the surface of the bearing. Therefore whenever the metallic surfaces come into contact during the rotation, the frequencies hit a peak. If special readings were availed at phase two for any specific time duration, it will be analyzed here. If for specified time duration the amplitude levels of the converted signals read beyond a predefined threshold it is then matched to a digital value. The essence of this matching is that it is not always possible to produce signals with equa l frequencies, even when the components are running on a fairly flat or even ground. This could be the result of instantaneous change in the position of the load, continued distribution of the lubricant along the colliding surfaces, and varying positioning of the emerging fault. Therefore, the simplest way to conclude that the frequencies were derived from a ‘certain’ spot along the surface of the bearing is to cluster all measurements within a certain range. These measurements clustered together are then assigned a specific digital value, which identifies them together. The display is rendered once the digital value corresponding to the particular time interval is processed using the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) algorithm. The FFT algorithm works out the Discreet Fourier Transform and the corresponding inverses. To obtain the Discrete Fourier Transform, a sequence of amplitude values is decomposed to form components of varying frequencies. The frequencies so formed are categorized according to their closeness, that is, according to pre-determined intervals. The classification is done with reference to how often a specific range acquires numerical frequency. For example if the outlier frequency is too scarce, the measurements thus classified can be overlooked and ignored. If there is higher consistency in the numerical frequency of measurements with

Marketing Internationally Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Marketing Internationally - Essay Example r a business can only be successful globally if the management takes into account other factors that are related to the change in the geographical location of the product. Factors such as culture, economy and politics can have a huge impact on the launch of product in a foreign market (Balmer, 2001). Hence the paper reinforces the concept that marketing research is not only limited to research related to the product but it is also related to research relating to all the factors that are going to have an effect on the product launch feasibility in the new geographical area (Kotler & Keller, 2011). Since the paper deals with formation of the basis of the new business idea, we will discuss the marketing research for the idea in detail i.e. discussion regarding launch of an existing product in a completely new geographical area. Hence the components of marketing research have been discussed below in detail. The chosen product is Fiber One bar from the American company Fiber One working under the General Mills. The selected location for the launch is Pakistan. Fiber One bar has been introduced in the industry as a product for health conscious people as it offers taste of chocolate and less calories at the same time. It is a very famous product in USA in the female population. The reason for selection of Pakistan for the product launch is the current changing trends in the country, within a few geographical areas of the country, a certain demographic segment is showing interest in purchasing healthy products due to which local stores are offering exported products that have been brought through unprofessional procedures (General Mills (USA), 2011). Based on all these evidences, a strong need for this product has been identified and the observable factors give very high probability of the product’s success in the market. However, there is a very high chance of failure of the product if proper analysis of the country isn’t carried out. We have identified the

Film vs Book Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Film vs Book - Essay Example The film versions of the books One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Breakfast at Tiffany’s amply testify to the fact that it is pragmatic and necessary for the film versions to be different from the actual books on which the films are based so as to bring out the appeal and context of the overall plot as per the requirements of the cinematic genre (McFarlane 164). In that context there tend to be marked differences between the book and the film version of One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest. The book tends to deal with the plight of a mental institution in 1963. The movie got released in 1975, which is about 12 years after the book got published. Before delving into the differences between the movie and the book, one does need to know that the movie version of the book was utterly successful that won all the five major categories of Academy Awards. The primary thing is that the book is dominated by the point of view of Chief Bromden, a gigantic Indian, who is in the s ame ward with McMurphy. It is true that the writer Ken Kesey backed out from the film project when he came to know that the point of view of Chief Bromden had been removed from the movie and he no more stands to be the narrator in the film version of the book. It goes without saying that this alteration of the point of view in the book and the movie lead to major differences in the book and the film version of the story. When one reads the book with Chief Bromden being the chief narrator, the overall mood tends to be quiet slow and poised. The narration facilitated by Chief Bromden delves into the essential traits, characteristics and inclinations of the varied characters in the asylum in a threadbare, sophisticated and lilting manner. However, it is but natural to assume that in the film version of the One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, the producer had to adapt the storyline in consonance with the needs and requirements of the cinema. The film version of the book simply does not afford to be slow paced and languid as the book. Yet, if one reads the book before watching the movie one does miss the edgy, disturbed and cynical point of view facilitated by Chief Bromden as he says, â€Å"If my being half Indian ever helped me in any way in this dirty life, it helped me being cagey, helped me all these years (Kesey 4).† However, in the film version of the book, it is the trio of McMurphy, Nurse Ratched and Chief Bromden that bring out the story. The film version simply sets aside the pain and hurt inherent in Chief Bromden reveries, to display a larger view that incorporates an array of characters, thereby relying on the variety and the interactions between varied characters to move the story forward. Hence, if on the one side the plot in the book is poised, slow, emphatic and gripping, the storyline in the movie happens to be racy, action-oriented, emotive and multi-faceted, exactly the way it ought to be in a successful movie. The film versions do h ave their limitations and one simply could not expect a film version to stick diligently to the storyline and plot as it is given in the book (McCreadie 126).

The Contemporary Hospitality Industry in Managment Assignment - 1

The Contemporary Hospitality Industry in Managment - Assignment Example The essential issue in the hospitality industry is the quality of the service provided. The hospitality industry hence must have a clear working framework and structure that enhances service delivery of which behavior and attitude, kindness in welcoming guests, of the staff plays a very important role (Wood & Brotherton, 2008). In the quest for a quality product and service delivery in the hospitality industry, it is organized into a specific given structure to address the challenges that may be experienced during service delivery or improving quality service delivery. This structure organization ranges from individual organizations to universal corporate organizations with staff and levels of operations undertaking several diverse tasks. Most people usually limit the structure and branches of the hospitality industry to hotels, restaurants, or motels. This is however not so because the hospitality industry structure and branches are very diversified as it will be outlined in this paper. The branches and sectors, for instance, are, Events; this is a special sector of the hospitality industry that provides the role of organizing and hosting events such as seminars, conference meetings among others. This is also the hospitality service that is widely known to offer a cordial reception to guests and providing places to sleep for instance hotel rooms. Pubs, bars and nightclubs are also a section of the hospitality industry that is majorly entertainment hangouts. Tourist services are also part of the hospitality industry that provides for vacation, touring and recreational services. Other perceived negligible areas that are part of hospitality industry includes travel services such as  airlines and bus services; visitor attraction such as museums and park visits services; self-catering and contract catering; holiday parks; hostels; membership clubs; and gambling (Brotherton, 2003).

The Western Region of Abu Dhabi Essay Example for Free

The Western Region of Abu Dhabi Essay The Western Region of Abu Dhabi in United Arab Emirates is suffering from a high illiteracy rate among adult nationals who are aged 40years and above. Due to the lack of reports/academic publications available for improving this condition, a research work is carried out towards investigating the reasons and providing feasible solutions to overcome this pathetic situation in the Western Region of Abu Dhabi. The research also aims at providing reasons why illiterate citizens didn’t participate in the adult education program organized for them and the effectiveness of VIP classes in solving the high illiteracy among older adults. The main purpose of the study was to understand the minimal requirements for adult learning, steps taken by government towards resolving this issue and the alternatives available to overcome this issue. The outcome of research was based on informal educational program in Western Region, where a group of illiterate female adults aged above 40 years participated in a survey/interview. The enormous data collected from the participants during survey helped in analysis towards originating a set of recommended actions and evolution of a proposal for reducing the illiteracy rate in the Western Region of Abu Dhabi with the help of Western Region Development Council and their stakeholders to pilot test the VIP adult learning program in some cities. The participation survey conducted for VIP adult learning program was positive, which conclude that the implementation of VIP adult learning program is an effective solution to overcome high illiteracy rate among adult nationals who are aged 40years and above.

Tektronix Inc Global Erp Implementation Management Essay

Tektronix Inc Global Erp Implementation Management Essay For Welti (1999), an ERP implemented in a complex international environment normally incorporates four major sequential stages (Planning, Realization, Preparation and Productive phases) that must go in parallel with a proper Change management, Risk Management, Project Control, Project Team Training and User Training. As the global implementation was done by waves with different characteristics, it can be seen that different project management strategies were adopted. In this part only the most characteristic features of the overall project are highlighted and these issues are limited to the information given by the case study (Planning and Realization stages). In the Planning stage, many issues can be mentioned. First, the selection of the ERP package was quite straightforward and relied mainly on Neun and Vance ´s judgment, experience and criterion; they decided to choose Oracle as a single vendor in order to avoid dealing with the complexity of multiple providers which, although it may cause future problems due to the dependency created to a single vendor, it was a practical decision for the implementation process. In this decision, they devoted neither too much time in costing nor resources in evaluating the alternative packages. Secondly, the steering committee clearly defined the model, guidelines and principles under which all the systems were adhered to. Also, it was defined the financial architecture that could meet the new business model: Order Management was different for each division (for customer purposes), but the rest of accounting elements were based on single definitions in order to provide worldwide control. Thirdly, th e Project Team structure offered advantages such as the cross-functional working style, which created a regional and divisional control. Then, the problems and tasks could be addressed from these two perspectives, but the disadvantage of this approach might be the conflicts of power during the implementation, as authority was given to divisional and/or regional leaders which could have created confusion to users and sub-teams. Fourth, it seems that within each wave they did not allocate carefully all the resources, people or time needed for being successful, which led to the time constraints as they devoted effort looking for skilled staff and consultants. Overall, the project was benefited from the partial feedbacks and success in each stage and in the long run the plan was framed within the general guidelines and schedule. Also, the planning stage can be said to be closer to reality as they used a mixture of emergent and statics tactics to face future events. The Implementation phase was done more or less within the plan, and it was divided mainly in regional and divisional deployments. The first stage, the implementation of the Financial and OMAR modules in the CPID was properly led by the person who best knew the IT infrastructure in USA: Gary Allen. As this division was in need of an urgent BPR and a new business model in order to improve their competitiveness, the early success of this implementation could get the buying of the next regions and divisions. However, this stage was no exempt of project management difficulties: Tektronix lacked of technical and functional skills with Oracle, and they struggled in finding the right consultants, with the resultant wasting of time. It can be mentioned that within this first part, USA was a good pilot for OMAR, as they could get an opportune feedback about business and technical issues; regarding the implementation of financial module in USA and Europe, they did not face major challenges, giv en that this module did not require BPR and also because the company highly relied on Oracle specialist Consultants (Aris Consulting). But the implementation of OMAR at MBD (second stage) met technical challenges despite of the help from Oracle consultants. The third stage, implementation at VND, was characterized by a constraint of human resources. These two last stages (two and three) went through problems from the business perspective, probably as a result of IT head divisions leading the implementations, with less involvement from the executive level. Later, once deployed the software in USA, Tektronix went to the European branches where the approach followed was more or less similar to that followed in USA: they chose the most used European distribution centre (Holland), and this pilot reduced the uncertainty and gained the buying from the rest of regional countries. Then, they decided the final roll out to some other European countries and the big-bang deployment that installe d all three divisional systems together. This strategy could lead to good results considering that European countries are culturally very different and it is really challenging to implement a vanilla version program. When introducing the ERP system into Asia, a similar plan was followed, which was wise given the language issues that could have represented a technical and cultural limitation if not addressed properly. America and Australia seemed to be easier waves in comparison with the rest of the project. Although the monitoring and feedback had a positive impact on the effectiveness of control (Mudimigh, 2001; Bancroft, et al., 1998) and the deadlines were timely met, it is clear that the weakest point of the implementation stage and partially of the planning stage was the poor Change Management, Project Team training and Risk Management (they are not mentioned in the case). For example, the complete absence of a proper Change Management project led to the resistance found when implementing OMAR at MBD. Also, the absence of attention from the managerial and business level in the allocation of the initial resources (staff, training, and consultants) led the waste of time when selecting consultants, when doing testing, incorporating technical changes, language customizations and new business processes. One of the good points of the project was the training given to Power users and Sub-Teams across the global enterprise. Overall, the conservative approach (waves of roll out and big-bang ) followed by Tektronix really helped in mitigating many of the characteristic risks for a global ERP implementation. 2.- IDENTIFYING TEKTRONIX ´S PROJECT RISKS In terms of risk, it can be said that Tektronix had tolerance for risk (Hirsch and Ezingeard, 2008) as managers were willing to accept variations during the project in order to obtain high returns (time and efficiency).This attitude towards risk might have an explanation: by using the Willcocks and Griffiths (1994) framework, we can see that due to some key managers ´ previous experience with ERP technology, considering the project as a large one and regarding project structure as medium or low, then the risk can be classified as Low or Medium. Then, it can be said that leaders of the implementation drove the project without a highly structured plan because their knowledge about ERP implementations gave them enough confidence to improvise tactics in order to obtain successful results. Keil et. al (1998) proposed a risk categorization framework that can be used here to classify the risks that Tektronix faced. Furthermore, this model gives the opportunity of clearly locate those events that could have happened and that could be prevented if addressing the events on time. Complementing this framework, specific risk factors (Sumner M., 2000) for enterprise-wide ERP projects are included within the four quadrants. Quadrant 1: Customer Mandate In this quadrant there are risks associated with the commitment obtained or lack of buying from senior management, users and other stakeholders. The first concern noticed in the case studied was that the project clearly had the financial support from the Board of Directors; and also the CFO and CIO were willing to introduce changes and improvements for the company, all which reduced the risks related with funding or assistance needed during the implementation. Secondly, the commitment from the company HQ and divisions was quickly gained because the high rate company growth and Tektronix ´s inability to cope with the market pressures had created a sense of dissatisfaction among managers and top employees who found in this project the opportunity to improve. Thirdly, there was a highly motivated champion of the project (Carl Neun) who was supported in his idea by the CIO and CPID ´s president. Furthermore, some other leaders were designated across the different regions and business units in order to expand the champion ´s directives. Fourth, the management structure of the project was built upon a number of key roles with business and technical expertise; this structure consisted of a central project leader (CFO with unlimited authority from the CEO) and strong business divisional or regional leaders supporting the champion ´s authority. The clear roles allocated at different levels reduced the efforts done along the top-down structure, but the lack of involvement of the CEO and other senior managers in Change management can be considered a risky attitude which ended up in occasional resistance from some users. Lastly, it seems that end-users ´ expectations were not considered at all: firstly, because the CFO relied mainly on his experience and intuition and did not spend time in doing a proper project analysis; second, the vanilla approach proposed by Neun implied adapting users ´ operations and routines to software and not vice versa. An instance of this weakness arose when doing BPR at MBD, where there was users ´ resistance and time was wasted explaining to users the reasons behind the new processes. Quadrant 2: Scope and Requirements In general, there were no major misunderstandings in requirements or disruptive changes in requirements: the scope was clearly defined as global, the elements implemented were limited to the Financial and OMAR systems, and the company followed the best practices embedded in the system and recommended by the vendor. Furthermore, as a vanilla implementation approach was deployed as a global solution, only in cases of extreme need modifications took place, which clearly reduced the risks involved when doing local or national customizations (Sheu, et al., 2004). Quadrant 3: Execution In this Quadrant, it can be assessed risk factors and many of the traditional pitfalls associated with poor project management. The pitfalls can fall into the business or technical field. As examples of first mistakes done by Tektronix, it can be mentioned an inadequate change management, project management and risk control: They never did any feasibility analysis and risk analysis before embarking in this huge project, and this neglect prevented them from seeing the reality in some subsidiaries. As a consequence, customization of the ERP for business processes-that were unique for some competitive local branches- had to be made; also, Multilanguage settings were programmed at last minute. The lack of skills in project management resulted in assigning this responsibility to inexperienced consultants, with the corresponding wasted money and delays when choosing a new consultancy firm. Tektronix also faced resistance that was not expected; for instance, when doing the implementation at the VND division, they found difficulties that only could be overcome by increasing the working pressure and the level of resources (order entry people, item maintenance people). With reg ard to the transfer of knowledge, the company relied mainly on a combination of large and small consulting firms (particularly with Aris Consulting) as well as independent consultants, but it is not clear whether a correct program for transfer of skills was in place. The Change Control team actually worked as a communication or monitoring team and no Change management team or program was ever mentioned. Regarding the technical realization, there are some points to highlight. First, the risk of Oracle versions being obsolete before the roll out completes was diminished with the concept of waves; and each time a new version was released the company used updated versions of the software. However, in CPID, Tektronix wrongly decided to install a beta version of the software which resulted in much time of debugging, instead of waiting for the final version that was later released or for a more tested version. Secondly, the lack of technical expertise made the firm to rely mainly on external consultants as Tektronix ´s employees did not have proper training in the technical area. Furthermore, this lack of expertise resulted in much time and resources wasted, such as the excessive training and testing done in the MBD division when implementing OMAR. Thirdly, there was also the risk of integration with the manufacturing legacy system that was kept in place; and even when an interface was i nstalled between the two systems, there might be a possibility of future failure. Finally, in spite of the fact that the implementation included building a data ware housing functionality, it seems there were no plans or considerations of the high risks involved in data migration. If the new software did not work properly with the existing infrastructure or database, the only outcome would be adding the software to the collection of obsolete legacy systems. Quadrant 4: Environment Tektronix never considered the risks associated with changes in scope/objectives due to changes in the senior management hierarchy or political problems within the firm itself. Hopefully, the project did not miss their key team or management members and it could finally reach the end with a constant objective. It helped the fact that the global objectives were met in less than 3 years, a period of time relatively short that avoided the risks associated with managers moving and changing plans or directives. With regard to internal problems, it was not considered that potential conflicts between the business units or departments could erode the performance of the plan. However, the leadership and corporate culture seems to have helped subsidiaries to strictly follow the HQ guidelines, which in turn streamlined the implementation process. 3.-CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS AND GLOBAL CHALLENGES For Tektronix, some of the following critical factors and challenges (Plant and Willcocks, 2007; Sheu, et al., 2004; Hoffman, T., 2007; Bingi, et al., 1999) permitted to reach a fairly successful implementation: Communicating and persuading project goals to constituents from different cultures (Hoffman, T., 2007) The vision and project goals were adequately communicated and reached thanks to two factors: The strong leadership of Carl Neun, who was given the whole support from the CEO, and the steering committee whose main activity was to develop and ensure that enterprise-wide implementation guidelines and principles were followed. Also, the presidents of each division were key contributors because they made tough decisions in order to meet the deadlines imposed and reduce the cultural problems. Change, Customization and Business Process Reengineering (Plant and Willcocks, 2007) The implementation approach followed by Tektronix was probably the best risk management initiative itself because the global deployment was done in a logical order to reduce disruptive changes and to increase the learning and feedback. Also, the vanilla model suggested as the standard for the entire organisation helped in diminish the level of customization, although some minor changes were necessarily made. The implementation of the financial model did not require BPR, but the OMAR module was modified and customized in order to support both the corporate functionalities and the best practices embedded within the system. Then, BPR was done to the extent of preserving the competitive and core capabilities of the regional business units. Internal Technical Personnel/Resource/Labor Skills (Sheu, et al., 2004) Although Tektronix did not have trained personnel in project management or in technical knowledge, they opted for buying consultant ´s know-how, which could give them the capabilities to go forward with the implementation. At some points they were able to find enough human resources to back critical stages. Overall, the company did not have economical limitations for easily obtain the adequate staff and for keeping the plan within the deadlines. Selection of ERP Vendors (Bingi, et al., 1999) Global ERP rollout requires that the software is designed to work in different countries and that the ERP vendor has the same package version available in the countries or regions where the system is being implemented (Bingi, et al., 1999).In the Tektronix case, Neun and Vance both had already experience with ERP solutions offered by Oracle, and this let them move quickly and take a justified fast selection of the ERP vendor. 4.-LESSONS LEARNED AND RECOMMENDATIONS 1.-The first learning from this global ERP implementation is the deployment strategy used: a snowball approach (Ogundipe, O., 2010) in which the project is broken into manageable chunks, beginning with appropriate locations in order to cope with business or technological challenges, running parallel implementations and then doing the big-bang stage at the end, when there is enough confidence (more learning and feedback). At the same time it can be said that an emergent strategy (Nandhakumar, et al., 2005) was used for every wave introduced. Perhaps the same methodology can be used in the future for IT infrastructure projects or any other disruptive project. 2.-It is clear that the ERP brought many benefits, but Tektronix can still leverage IT as a strategic advantage. They could incorporate Procurement, HR, SCM modules and CRM packages in order to make a customer-centric organization. 3.-In the final part, there is no evidence of estimation of ROI or real financial analysis that can show the tangible financial benefits of the investment. Of course, it is mentioned improvements in terms of time or efficiency, but it would have been essential to have an initial budget beforehand, especially considering that the company was toward the financial recovery. 4.-Tektronix faced many difficulties because of the lack of Oracle in-house specialists, so they had to rely on external consultants (Aris Consulting); however, it seems that the transfer of knowledge was not properly organized. In a next project, there must be a plan that can ensure that employees and users can gain the best learning experience from the Consultants. It is vital that in-house staff can get the skills, otherwise even when the ERP implementation is successful, the performance and use can be poor if there is not trained staff. For a future implementation, if there is lack of trained staff, Tektronix can also consider the option of IT outsourcing, which is a solutions that have worked perfectly for some other big companies. 5.-In order to obtain the best benefits from the IT incorporated capabilities and make them sustainable in the medium and long term, the company should have followed the Strategic Alignment Model presented in Cooper, et al. (2001) which was adapted from Henderson and Venkatram (1993). By following this model, Tektronix can benefit from holistic technical and organizational changes that are properly aligned to the firm ´s business strategies.

Exploring New Waters Essay -- American Expansion History

Forty years ago, Neil Armstrong landed on the moon on July 20, 1969, opening a gateway of possibilities. It was the beginning of a new age of exploration. After Neil Armstrong’s landing, the US spent forty more years on space exploration. This lead to the US spending billions of tax payers dollars on satellites, visits to Mars and the Moon, and launching numerous rockets into space. However, recently the US has been forced to focus on other issues such as national security, depleting economy, and many others. With all of these issues happening at once, the US is having trouble figuring out how much funding should be put into programs like NASA. Although these issues are important, we must not sacrifice our knowledge for exploration in exchange for only national issues. Instead we have to â€Å"deal with the reality of world events,† and â€Å"we should not let terrorism set the agenda. H. G. Wells said many years ago that "human history becomes more and more a race bet ween education and catastrophe" (Dick). As a nation we must take care of our country but we almost expand our knowledge. Like the early explorers, the actions of today’s explorers will influence the next generation as we continue to explore the final frontier. From 1405-1433, Commander Zheng He explored the ocean representing the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644) of China. Sailing across the Indian Ocean he traveled across East Africa, Makkah, and the Persian Gulf. During his voyages he traded with the foreigners and brought back giraffes, lions, ostriches and leopards for the Chinese emperor in exchange for stones, ivory and dyestuffs. Zheng He’s journeys in China increased China’s resources, foreign affairs, and military power. However after his death in the year 1433, the Chines... ...d Davis, Rebecca Harding. Life in the Iron Mills. New York: The Feminist Press at The City University of New York Dick, Steven J. â€Å"The Importance of Exploration.† NASA. 22 November, 2007. 18 October, 2009 â€Å"Famous Chinese Explorers: Zheng He.† Ancient China. 2009. 18 October, 2009. Kinzer, Stephen. Overthrow. New York: Times Books. Mel-O-Toons: Christopher Columbus. Youtube. Youtube.1960. Web. 18 October, 2009. Poirot. â€Å"Zheng He and Ming China: The Lone Mariner and His Times.† All Empires Online History Community. 2009. 18 October, 2009. Rosenberg, Jennifer. â€Å"1900-Boxer Rebellion.† About.com. 2009. 29 October, 2009. Standard, David E. American Holocaust. New York: Oxford University Press. 1992 Zheng He. Youtube, Youtube, 1 June, 2007. Web. 18 October, 2009. â€Å"Zheng He (1371-1433), the Chinese Muslim Admiral.† Islam for Today. 2009.18 October, 2009

Terry Tempest Williams Refuge Essay -- Terry Williams Refuge Essays

Terry Tempest Williams' Refuge If we bemoan the loss of light as the day changes to night we miss the sunset. In her memoirs Refuge, Terry Tempest Williams relates the circumstances surrounding the 1982 rise in the Great Salt Lake as well as her mother’s death from cancer. Throughout the book Williams gets so caught up in preventing her mother’s death that she risks missing the sunset of her mother’s life. However the Sevier-Fremont’s adaptability to changes in nature inspires Terry Tempest Williams to re-evaluate her response to changes in her life. The story of the Sevier-Fremont people’s evolution and existence in the Great Basin parallels Williams’ life in Utah during the 1980s. They Sevier-Fremont evolved from the Anasazi people, a Native American tribe indigenous to the Great Basin. The Anasazi had remained in the Great Basin despite the rise in the lake and later evolved into a new people. Following the recession of the lake’s waters, its boundaries flourished, as did the Sevier-Fremont because they relied heavily on the vegetation and animals of the Great Salt Lake. The Sevier-Fremont were a semi-nomadic people who occupied the basin from 650 AD to 1250 AD when they were forced out. The sudden replacement of their artifacts suggests that the Sevier-Fremont were not integrated into but forced out of the basin by Numic-speaking groups. (Masden) Williams also has to survive a rise in the lake as the 1982 rise in the lake is the beginning of a period of change for her—the rise in the lake threatens to destroy the bird refuge and her mother’s cancer returns. Diane Tempest, Williams’ mother, is the personification of her childhood and the Great Basin is the setting upon which her fondest childhood memories were enacted. ... ... adapting. (267)† Williams had been fighting the uncontrollable Her mother’s death is no longer about her is no longer about preventing her mother’s passing or the loss of her childhood but the process of letting go. What does Terry Tempest Williams’ inability to embrace the process rather than the product of her mother’s cancer say about our society today? Are we constantly fighting losing battles? We read our history of our lives as a tally of wins and losses, and not as the story of our process to weather change. Williams realizes the value of the process rather than the product. When the bird hits the window one day while she is taking care of her mother although â€Å"[she wants] to hold the bird, to bring it inside and save it. [She doesn’t] Instead, [she]†¦return[s] to [her] Mother.(210)† Refuge is the story of Terry Tempest Williams’ process to weather change. Terry Tempest Williams' Refuge Essay -- Terry Williams Refuge Essays Terry Tempest Williams' Refuge If we bemoan the loss of light as the day changes to night we miss the sunset. In her memoirs Refuge, Terry Tempest Williams relates the circumstances surrounding the 1982 rise in the Great Salt Lake as well as her mother’s death from cancer. Throughout the book Williams gets so caught up in preventing her mother’s death that she risks missing the sunset of her mother’s life. However the Sevier-Fremont’s adaptability to changes in nature inspires Terry Tempest Williams to re-evaluate her response to changes in her life. The story of the Sevier-Fremont people’s evolution and existence in the Great Basin parallels Williams’ life in Utah during the 1980s. They Sevier-Fremont evolved from the Anasazi people, a Native American tribe indigenous to the Great Basin. The Anasazi had remained in the Great Basin despite the rise in the lake and later evolved into a new people. Following the recession of the lake’s waters, its boundaries flourished, as did the Sevier-Fremont because they relied heavily on the vegetation and animals of the Great Salt Lake. The Sevier-Fremont were a semi-nomadic people who occupied the basin from 650 AD to 1250 AD when they were forced out. The sudden replacement of their artifacts suggests that the Sevier-Fremont were not integrated into but forced out of the basin by Numic-speaking groups. (Masden) Williams also has to survive a rise in the lake as the 1982 rise in the lake is the beginning of a period of change for her—the rise in the lake threatens to destroy the bird refuge and her mother’s cancer returns. Diane Tempest, Williams’ mother, is the personification of her childhood and the Great Basin is the setting upon which her fondest childhood memories were enacted. ... ... adapting. (267)† Williams had been fighting the uncontrollable Her mother’s death is no longer about her is no longer about preventing her mother’s passing or the loss of her childhood but the process of letting go. What does Terry Tempest Williams’ inability to embrace the process rather than the product of her mother’s cancer say about our society today? Are we constantly fighting losing battles? We read our history of our lives as a tally of wins and losses, and not as the story of our process to weather change. Williams realizes the value of the process rather than the product. When the bird hits the window one day while she is taking care of her mother although â€Å"[she wants] to hold the bird, to bring it inside and save it. [She doesn’t] Instead, [she]†¦return[s] to [her] Mother.(210)† Refuge is the story of Terry Tempest Williams’ process to weather change.

01.02 What is Citizenship? (Honors Extension) FLVS Essay

The bill, titled to provide discretionary authority to an immigration judge to determine that an alien parent of a United States citizen child should not be ordered removed, deported, or excluded from the United States, â€Å"amends the Immigration and Nationality Act, in the case of an alien subject to removal, deportation, or exclusion and who is the parent of a U.S. citizen child, to authorize an immigration judge to decline to order such removal if the judge determines such action to be against the child’s best interests†. It also states that â€Å"such discretion shall not apply to an alien when the judge determines that the alien is, one, excludable or deportable on security grounds, or two, has engaged in sex trafficking or severe forms of trafficking in persons†. This bill was originally introduced to the House Committee on the Judiciary in late January of this year. It was later referred to the subcommittee of Immigration and Border Security in February. Representative Jose Serrano introduced the bill to protect the parents of US citizen natural born children from being deported or removed from the country, who are at illegal status, at discretion of the immigration judge. If the bill was passed, many of the illegal immigrants who have children who are citizens of the United States will be able to stay and be legalized into the country, just because they have a child born on U.S. grounds. The people it would affect are illegally residing on U.S. grounds, but have children who were born here. The government will be positively affected through this bill. The numbers of immigrants in the country will decrease by a significant amount if this bill is passed. Many citizens may find this to be a controversial issue. On one hand, the bill allows for these families to be kept together and not separated from one another, but other citizens may argue that there are too many immigrants residing in the country as is, and permitting the parents of these children to stay would be a mistake. Family is a very important thing in life. Immigrant or not, family is family. Intentional separation of a family is unmoral and wrong. This bill would make a positive impact rather than a wrongful one. It gives this group of illegal parents of citizen children and opportunity and a chance to make a good life and provide for their children. If these parents can prove that they deserve to be here and that they can provide a good life and are willing to work to deliver and meet all the necessities of their children if given the chance, why would it be a negative impact on our government or society to pass this bill? Equality makes the United States the so-called â€Å"land of freedom† it is. A mother is a mother, a father is a father, and a child deserves to grow up with the warmth and love from each one. Every child, immigrant parents or not, deserves this opportunity. That is equality.

Is It Better for People to Stop Trying When They Feel Certain They Will Not Succeed?

Assignment: Is it better for people to stop trying when they feel certain they will not succeed? Although there is the notion held by some people that we should give up some tasks in our life which â€Å"seem† not to be successful forever, I really consider that we should insist on everything we want to do. For, the consistency and the durability of the certain thing will lead us to splendid success. Due to Continuation, Mathew Emmons, a famous sport shooter, and Alfred Nobel, known for his invention of dynamite, earn themselves irreplaceable fame in their respective fields.Matthew Emmons, though missed the Olympics Games champ in shooting all the time, still impresses us with his fortitude. As a famous American shooter, Matthew attended Olympics Games for three times separately during the past twelve years; he missed the first place unchangeably. Nevertheless, he always appeared at the great games, chasing after his dream to become the champ in shooting. During the Olympics o f Athens, he let his champ go by bombing in the last shoot. Matthew, though frustrated, still collected enough courage to participate in the following games in Beijing and London.Unfortunately, misfortune happened on him again; He implausibly scored only few points in the last shoot in the final of his games, narrowly escaping the champ. Afterwards, interviewed by journalists, Matthew said that he would assiduously prepare for Rio de Janeiro. Undeniably, he might feel distressed when he failed in so many great games; he never gives up. Instead, he insists on training and hopes to attend the Game in Rio de Janeiro, 2016. At the same time, the unstopped experiment made by Alfred Nobel can illustrate my idea.Alfred Nobel owes his irreplaceable fame as an inventor of dynamite. Alfred Nobel cultivated great interest in science, especially in explosive, since very young under the influence of his father. Alfred Nobel engaged himself into experiments to find a more powerful and stable subs tance after his graduation from the college. The procedure proved to be tough, even frustrated. On 3 September 1864 a shed, used for the preparation of nitroglycerin, exploded at his factory, killing 5 people including Nobel's brother.Nobel was not obsessed with the bitterness of such accident; instead, he became more strengthened about his goal to find new chemical substance to replace nitroglycerin. Nobel was eventually rewarded when he successfully invented dynamite in 1867. We had to admit that Nobel suffered a lot during the experiment: lose his brother, lose many friends, and lose the trust from the family. However, he had no idea to give up the research on the Dynamite. Through our constant efforts, we can best demonstrate our ability and pursue our dreams. Maybe, the result may change miraculously towards direction desired by us.

The Representation of Tricksters in the Works of Charles W. Chesnutt

Fraud, con-man, and hustler are all modern day terms to describe the age old character in African American literature known as the trickster. Today’s working definition of a trickster is one who swindles or plays tricks; often a mischievous figure in myth or folklore, who typically makes up for physical weakness through cunning and subversive humor. In African American literature the role of the trickster is a reoccurring theme, especially in the time period spanning from post Civil War to the Harlem Renaissance.During slavery and the years that followed the image of a trickster changed from a humorous amoral figure to a cunning and socially conscious icon. Charles W. Chesnutt is a primary example of an author, who faithful employs the trickster motif in many of his published works. Traditionally, the role of trickster often presents itself when there is a powerless group who longs to transcend an oppressive social order (Jefferies, Schramm 20). In African American literature, the trickster is often depicted as someone who has the ability to manipulate situations in his/her favor, despite having little or no power.Rhonda B. Jefferies states that â€Å"the primary goal of the trickster in is social nonconformity by redefining the norms of life and existence in mainstream American society (Jefferies, Schramm 20). † Since its origin in West African culture, the trickster figure has evolved from a folklore icon, mainly in the form or various animals, to an archetype whose behavior is both contradictory and complex. The tricksters reoccurring appearance in African American folklore, narratives, poems, novels and pop culture is no coincidence.It is the trickster’s pursuit of wisdom, cunning or power in an attempt to redefine social order that makes him/her such an attractive icon. The trickster character serves as an inspirational figure for the socially oppressed and has takes on many forms when expressed in past and present literature. Many Afr ican American folk tales, especially those from southern United States, include the appearance of a trickster. In â€Å"Brer Rabbit Tricks Brer Fox Again,† the trickster takes on a classic form of a clever but lazy rabbit.In this tale the rabbit becomes stuck in a well and finagle his way out by convincing the suspicious fox to help him escape. He manipulates the fox to get into the well under false pretenses. By convincing Brer Fox that there is an abundance of fish he needs help catching and transporting out of the well, Brer rabbit was able to leverage an escape, consequentially leaving the fox in his place. It is the rabbit’s quick wit that makes him a quintessential trickster figure in many folk tales across a number of cultures. However, Brer Rabbit is just one of many depictions of a trickster rabbit in folk tales and stories throughout history.A more modern depiction of a rabbit trickster is Looney tunes’ Bugs bunny. The ways in which Bugs utilizes his p hysical endurance and mastery of disguise to deceive his arch enemy Elmer Fudd is a playful interpretation when compared to those in African American literature and folklore. The integration of the trickster in modern culture, whether it be in the form of animal or man, is just one demonstration of the many ways in which this popular character transcends time and culture, to eventually become one of the most reoccurring archetypes in African American literature.Charles W. Chesnutt’s relationship with the trickster archetype is most evident in his collection of short stories with the characterization of Uncle Julius. Uncle Julius appeared in seven of the thirteen short stories that make up Chesnutt’s The Conjured Women. In the collection of stories, Uncle Julius often â€Å"conjures† up his tales from old folklore, in an attempted to persuade or manipulate certain situations to his benefit.The description of Uncle Julius interaction with the John and Annie, the n orthern white couple interested in buying the grape vineyard Julius inhabits, in the â€Å"The Goophered Grapevine,† is a classic example of Chesnutt’s employment of the trickster motif. From Uncle Julius first impression, the audience is under the impression that Julius presence is to provide theatric and entertainment rather than fact or insight. His â€Å"performance† begins with the eating of the scuppernong grapes and ends with his fantastical account on the vineyard came to be bewitched.John, the white northern gentlemen interested in buying the vineyard, is instantly skeptical upon meeting Uncle Julius disregard Uncle Julius account by stating â€Å"At first the current of his memory –or imagination- seemed somewhat sluggish; but as his embarrassment wore off, his language flowed more freely, and the story acquired more perspective and coherence (Chesnutt 607). † The use of the word â€Å"imagination† is a clear indicator that Uncle J ulius is believed to be telling fiction. John goes on to further prove his disbelief when he goes against Uncle Julius’ suggestion and buys the vineyard, and later makes a considerable profit off.John however does take sympathy for the man who had lived and profited off the land and hired him as a coachman. While Uncle Julius is one of Chesnutt’s more memorable characters, he is by no means the only representation of the trickster motif in Chesnutt’s works. Grandison, from â€Å"The Passing of Grandison† is another example of a trickster character from Chesnutt’s collection entitled The Wife of his Youth and Other Stories of the Color Line. In this story, Grandison is a slave from a plantation in Kentucky, who successfully deceives his masters, Colonel and Dick Owens, on a number of occasions.His first act of trickery is when he is being questioned by his old master by assuring Colonel Owens of his contentment on the plantation and his disgust with the anti-slavery ideals of northern abolitionist. Colonel Owens’ intentions were to select a slave his son could bring up north, who had proven to be resistant to abolitionist ideals and the prospect of running away. To Colonel Owens elation, Grandison’s answers not only confirmed his view of a mutually benefits of slavery but went above and beyond to demonstrate a conceivably genuine appreciation of the resources and lifestyle on the plantation.He went on questioned Grandison about the fairness of his treatment and the kindness of his master before promising him a bead necklace for his future wife and deeming him â€Å"abolitionist-proof. † Although the interaction described was only a brief portion of the story it proves to be a pivotal moment in the plot and leaves the audience to assume that Grandison is loyal slave with no intention of running away. But, as we later find out, Grandison was not at all ignorant to the ideals of abolitionism and actually aspi red to be a free man.He eventually achieves his goal as we see in the very last chapter but not without an unexpected twist Grandison then goes on to successfully deceive his young master, Dick Owens, and forges his loyalty several times during their travels to New York, Boston, and eventually Canada. Throughout the journey, Dick Owens provides the Grandison with a number of opportunities to escape by leaving him alone on many occasions and supplying him with money that he could easily utilize to run away. Once Dick Owens realizes Grandison too dense to run away, or so he thinks, he silicates the help of local abolitionist, by writing an nonymous letter. However, Grandison unwaveringly loyal puts a quickly sidetracks Owens ploy to liberate his father’s slave. Day after day Grandison continues report to his young master every morning and night, leaving Owen to pursue more drastic measures. So, Dick Owens decides to leave Grandison alone for a couple of days, with one hundred d ollars to his disposal, in a sly attempt to get Grandison to runaway. Upon his return, Dick Owens finds his efforts were unsuccessful, and with much frustration and annoyance decides to take one last attempt by venturing to Canada, where slaves are free.Nevertheless, Grandison faithfully follows his master orders and does not attempt to runaway, despite the fact there are no laws binding Grandison to Dick Owens in Canada. At this point, the young master decides to gives up his efforts and solicits three men to kidnap Grandison. During this exchange Owens escapes and return to Kentucky alone. Dick Owens concludes that Grandison is too ignorant to recognize his opportunity for freedom and goes on to marry the motive behind his attempt at nobility, Charity Lomax.Once again it is not until the final chapter that the audience learns; it was Dick Owens and his father who proved to be most ignorant. In the final chapter, Grandison surprisingly returns to the plantation tattered and exhaust ed from his journey back to Kentucky. He recounts his story of being gagged and dragged to the â€Å"gloomy depth of a Canadian forest,† where he was locked in a hut and given only bread and water. He appeases his curious spectators by ending his story with his heroic escape and return to the plantation, all the while never revealing his true motives.It is not until Grandison, along with his new wife, family and friends disappears that his intentions to liberate true intentions are revealed. Once thought to be a model servant, blinded by his obedience and loyal dependence, Grandison outsmarts both his masters, by playing into slaveholder stereotypes and common misperception of the south. Grandison’s successful escape with family and friends exposes him as the true trickster. Because of his convincing portrayal of an ignorant and content slave, and willful patients he was ultimately able to turn the tables on his masters and end up the victor in an unlikely turn of even ts.When comparing the presence of the trickster in â€Å"The Goophered Grapevine† and â€Å"The Passing of Grandison,† there are few parallels between the two stories. The general theme of a southern black man deceiving his white superiors apparent in both, but the similarities stop. The two main stories are vastly different in respects to how each trickster if portrayed. Because the audience in â€Å"The Goophered Grapevine† is warned very on early on to be wary of Uncle Julius credibility, he is at a disadvantage.However, Grandison has a very different introduction because he first enters under the impression that he is one of the most loyal and trustworthy slave on the plantation. On the one hand, we have Uncle Julius Characterization as suspicious figure throughout the story from beginning to end, and on the other hand there is Grandison, who appears to be a very pious, simple minded slave with no ulterior motives. Another difference between the two stories is that theatricality proves to be Uncle Julius main downfall, while somehow becoming Grandison’s greatest asset.The introduction and characterization, of Uncle Julius and Grandison, manipulates the audience perception and ultimately determines their success in deceiving and manipulating their audience for their own personal benefit. The trickster, whether presented in modern cartoon or in tradition folktale, is an archetype that continues to reappear in art and literature. The classic depiction of a trickster as a rabbit in old folklore and myths while common is not the only form a trickster may take.Overtime and across cultures, the definition of a trickster changes, but not so much so that it unable to provide an entertaining lesson. The appeal of the trickster to African American writers is the theme of an oppressed group overcoming the challenges of social norms. Charles W. Chesnutt is a prime example of the trickster’s mass appeal, in African American literature. By representing the trickster as Uncle Julius and Grandison in â€Å"The Goophered Grapevine† and â€Å"The Passing of Grandison,† Chesnutt adds to the long history of the trickster as an icon.Work Cited 1. Chesnutt, Charles W. â€Å"Literature Of The Reconstruction To The New Negro Renaissance, 1865-1919. † The Norton Anthology of African American Literature. Ed. Henry L. Gates and Nellie Y. McKay. 2nd ed. New York, Ny: W. W. Norton &, 2004. 604-12. Print. 2. Schramm, Susan L. , and Rhonda B. Jeffries. â€Å"African American Trickster Representations in the Work of Romare Bearden. † JSTOR. JSTOR, Sept. 2000. Web. 29 Nov. 2010. http://www. jstor. org/stable/3193835

Lee’s Function in East of Eden Essay

1. Introduction As Shimomura(1982) points out, Steinbeck’s non-teleological thinking and the Taoism, which was put forward by the ancient Chinese philosopher named Lao Tzu, share a great deal of similarity, in that both of them view human beings from a detached and holistic standpoint. It is not clearly known how Steinbeck, who is certainly a product of his time and his American milieu, came to be acquainted with and interested in Lao Tzu’s philosophy, but in Journal of A Novel, he appreciates Lao Tzu so highly that he places Lao Tzu beside Plato, Buddha, Christ, Paul, and the Great Hebrew prophets. It might safely be said that there must have been a seedbed in his indigenous thought where a seed of Lao Tzu was sown, germinated, and at last bloomed into a beautiful and fragrant flower so attractive for the Oriental reader. Thus, the purpose of this paper is first to focus on Lee in East of Eden, then to make clear the relationship between non-teleology and the philosophy of Lao Tzu, and finally to show how closely Lao Tzu’s philosophy is related to the idea of timshel. 2. Lee as a servant and philosopher As is well known to his reader, Steinbeck creates three Chinese characters throughout his novels from the first, Cup of Gold, to the last, The Winter of Our Discontent. To list them, they are Lee Chong, who is an owner of a grocery store, a flip-flopping old Chinaman who is not identified by name in Cannery Row, and Lee, who appears in East of Eden. Though these Chinese characters may respectively perform significant functions in their own rights in their stories, the one who particularly warrants considerable attention among these characters is Lee, who is more active and more influential in determining the fates of the major characters in the novel. Moreover, it is noteworthy that Oriental philosophy, which is a deciding factor in the outcome of this novel, is conveyed to the reader through the mouth of this Chinese character, who is actually thought to be a spokesman of Steinbeck himself. Though Lee makes his first appearance in chapter 15 of East of Eden as a faithful servant to the family of Adam Trask, it is when he first meets Samuel Hamilton by chance in the later scene that he turns out to be something more than a mere servant and also begins to carry his own significance in the novel. This scene should acquire great importance, in that Lee first clarifies his general view of life as a spokesman of the author. Even in the first conversation he has with Samuel, Lee is instinctively aware that Samuel is a person whom he can trust. Just after exchanging a few words with him, Lee quits speaking in pidgin English, as if he cast away his protective shell into which he has secretly retired until then. And in the course of the conversation, he spontaneously confides to Samuel his idea on what it is like to be a servant: I don’t know where being a servant came into disrepute. It is a refuge of a philosopher, the food of the lazy, and, properly carried out, it is a position of power, even of love. I can’t understand why more intelligent people don’t take it as a career – learn to do it well and reap its benefits†¦. But a good servant, and I am an excellent one, can completely control his master, tell him what to think, how to act,†¦ Finally, in my circumstances I am unprotected. 1 This philosophical view on servantship which is uttered through the mouth of a Chinese character apparently reflects the author’s basic view toward life, for it is easy to imagine that Steinbeck’s manner of describing the predominance of servantship over the mastership oozes from the idea of relativity which he attained as the outcome of his favorite non-teleological thinking. The idea tells the reader that any standard, as far as it is built around the artificially contrived system of values, loses its significant validity when seen in the light of non-teleological standpoint. According to this view, a person in a socially reputed position of power cannot avoid the possibility of losing his power when seen through another different â€Å"peep-hole. † And it is possible that in fact a low and unrespected person may gain predominating influence upon the people who are ranked far above in the so-called social status. Furthermore, another interesting point in this relation lies in the passiveness of such a low position. A person in a low position is unprotected by himself, but by becoming a servant to another person in a higher position he begins to play a role in his own right and at last controls his master. This master-servant relationship uttered by Lee reveals that once he has gotten employment by his master, even a helpless person who has little social function by himself not only begins to fulfill his own function but also gains predominance over his master. Consequently, this means that in this relationship a master is no longer a master and a servant is also no longer a servant. Eventually in this work this relationship results in the fact that Lee actually controls Adam in every situation. 3. Lee as a spokesman of Lao Tzu’s philosophy Similarly in the Lao Tzu, a collection of wise-sayings which were written by a person named Lao Tzu about in the fourth century BC(Fukunaga, Hachiya, Takahashi), the same topsy-turveydom in the sense of values can be found in one of the eighty fragmentary writings. In chapter 78 it says: In the world there is nothing more submissive and weak than water. Yet for attacking that which is hard and strong nothing can surpass it. This is because there is nothing that can take its place. That the weak overcomes the strong, And the submissive overcomes the hard, Everyone in the world knows yet no one can put this knowledge into practice. Therefore the sage says, One who takes on himself the humiliation of the state Is called a ruler worthy of offering sacrifices to the gods of earth and millets;†¦ Straightforward words Seems paradoxical. 2 In this passage quoted above, Lao Tzu explains the victory of the submissive and the weak over the hard and the strong, just in the same way that servantship finally achieves victory over mastership. Clearly enough, there is a great deal of similarity between Lee’s general attitude toward life and Lao Tzu’s precept of holding fast to the submissive. Needless to say, the common belief which underlies their paradoxical view stems from the idea that man-made values are nothing but relative, and this relativity is resulted from their attempt to rest their standpoint on a place which is as  free from human-centered arrangement as possible. There is no doubt about the idea that Steinbeck created Lee as a deciding factor of the outcome from this novel framed with a good and evil story, and it is not too much to say that Lee’s appearance reveals the author’s strong consciousness of the relativity between good and evil. This becomes clear when Lee encourages Adam by saying, â€Å"What your wife is doing is neither good nor bad†¦. There’s no springboard to philanthropy like a bad conscience. †3 Additionally, there is another similarity between them also in their manners of describing such relativity. Both Steinbeck and Lao Tzu clarify the interdependence between the weak and the strong by emphasizing the predominance of the former over the latter. This is because they think that the weak is more closely related to the natural processes of the universe than the strong is. That is to say, in the philosophy of Lao Tzu there is nothing like water that follows the way that the tao is and on the other hand, according to Steinbeck’s non-teleological thinking, Lee occupies an ideal position in life. Based on the assumption that the Lee’s view of life involves such relativity in itself as a main factor, it is quite convincing that the word â€Å"timshel,† which means â€Å"thou mayest† in English, is introduced through the mouth of Lee in the novel. Probably one of the most impressive scenes in the novel is where Lee, Samuel, and Adam meet together to decide on names for the twins. Located almost in the center of this long novel, this naming scene actually shows the reader a certain turning point from which East of Eden meanders between good and evil all the way to the final scene. In this scene Samuel reads a long passage from the Old Testament. This passage includes the Cain-Abel story, and they eagerly talk about the views of the original sin which Cain committed by killing Abel. Lee is so strongly struck by this story that he feels that â€Å"it is a chart of our souls. † Though he never refers to them on this scene, deep in his mind remains the Lord’s word to Cain after rejecting his sacrifice: â€Å"And if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. † This naming scene, where Lee is exposed to the Cain-Abel story, effectively leads to the scene in chapter 24 where he puts a new interpretation on words of the above passage. 4. â€Å"Timshel† interpreted from the Oriental viewpoint Chapter 24 in East of Eden warrants the most careful attention: first because it develops the motif of the Cain-Abel story discussed in the previous scene, and also because it crucially affects the direction of this work. This chapter reveals that Lee has given his thought to the story for almost ten years since his serious discussion he had with Adam and Samuel. A certain part of the Lord’s words to Cain has bothered this Chinese for such a long period. It is â€Å"thou shalt over him. † In the course of these years he went to the head quarters of his family association and asked for Chinese scholars to take on the study of Hebrew, in order to find the more appropriate reading of the part. And finally in this scene he excitedly explains the importance of his finding in the presence of Samuel: Lee’s hand shook as he filled the delicate cups. He drank his down in one gulp. â€Å"Don’t you see? † he cried. â€Å"The American Standard translation orders men to triumph over sin, and you can call sin ignorance. The King James translation makes a promise in ‘Thou Shalt’, meaning that men will surely triumph over sin. But the Hebrew word the timshel – ‘Thou mayest’ – that gives a choice. It might be the most important word. That says the way is open. That throws it right back on a man. For if ‘Thou mayest’, – it is also true that ‘Thou mayest not. ’ Don’t you see? †4. The above-quoted revelation made by Lee vividly reflects his idea of relativity between good and evil. To begin with, Lee, who has been bothered long by â€Å"Thou shalt,† reaches the conclusion that it never lightens the burden imposed on the shoulders of a man who suffers sense of sin. The chief reason why Lee turns his back to â€Å"Thou shalt† lies in the assumption that eventually it is not completely free from a human-centered viewpoint. When the Lord says, â€Å"Thou shalt† to Cain, the most fundamental idea that strongly supports the words on the back is that of love. But the love, though it is thought to be more universal and crucially different than human love in quality, is not entirely free from man’s viewpoint as far as the Lord in Christianity is a personified god. Basically such love, like one side of a coin, is inevitably sustained by hatred on the other side. Therefore, it follows that even when â€Å"thou shalt† is thrown to man through the mouth of Lord, his conduct has been already judged evil, more or less, by the artificially contrived standard of value which unavoidably lacks in the idea of relativity. When seen from another different angle, such conduct may appear to be good, because there might be good in it. After all, â€Å"thou shalt† works the salvation of man only in the teleological manner. On the other hand, Lee’s new interpretation shows an utter indifference of the Lord to human conduct. It does not definitely order man to overcome evil nor involve any promise in it. Actually such characteristic of his interpretation may perhaps plunge man into desperation because superficially it seems to lack love and intention to guide him to emancipation from the sin that he has committed. But Lee thinks that it is such an indifferent attitude that leads him to real salvation of his soul. â€Å"Timshel,† which is evidently a product of Lee’s assiduous study of the Cain-Abel story, is based on the idea of relativity just as are non-teleological thinking and Lao Tzu’s philosophy. This is clearly exemplified by the fact that â€Å"thou mayest† is always supported by the opposite prerequisite, â€Å"thou mayest not. † In other words it means that there is neither good nor evil in every human conduct, and at the same time, what is more important, it also means that there is both good and evil involved in it. â€Å"Thou mayest† only allows man to say, â€Å"This is relatively good and that is relatively evil. † In this way Lee, as a Steinbeck’s spokesman, ‘non-teleologically’ thinks that â€Å"timshel† unites good and evil into one body. Steinbeck’s notion of good and evil shown in East of Eden begins with the idea that both of them fundamentally derive from the same state, and, no doubt, it is a product of his favorite non-teleological thinking. He never believes in a logical theory such as laws of the excluded middle where good and evil are orderly and clearly distinguished from each other. He usually places his main viewpoint in a chaotic place where there is neither good nor evil, and applies such a viewpoint to human conducts, with the ultimate result that an evil person should be saved in the same way a good person is saved. Though the optimistic attitude of his indigenous thinking has been repeatedly attacked for its lack of serious consideration toward evil, Steinbeck thinks that good and evil are relative, and, as a result, evil is nothing but a negative state which is lacking in good; it is more appropriate to say that it is merely a paradoxical state which is devoid of a strong consciousness of good. When employed as the framework of East of Eden, his non-teleological idea of good and evil crystallizes into the new interpretation of the Cain-Abel story, and the word â€Å"timshel,† on one hand, thoroughly awakens Adam, an allegorical figure of Abel, from his vain dream to sober reality, and, on the other hand, it emancipates Caleb, an allegorical figure of Cain, from the thralldom of sin. This manner of treating good and evil, needless to say, has great similarity to the philosophy of Lao Tzu, who writes â€Å"the good man is the teacher that the bad learns from; And the bad man is the material the good works on. †5 As Steinbeck views the world from the detached standpoint of â€Å"the infinite whole,† so Lao Tzu has created the notion of the tao to eradicate a human-centered view of the world out of his philosophy. This attempt has brought about the same result as Steinbeck has achieved. That is to say, they have both reached the same conception of man’s true place in the universe, and his relation to the world about him, which enables both of them to place an emphasis on the relation of individuals to the whole and treat individuals for their own sake. Such treatment of individuals is summarized by saying that â€Å"everything is an index of everything else†6 and that â€Å"The heavy is the root of the light. †7 Finally, the quintessence of Steinbeck as a novelist undoubtedly lies in the employment of non-teleological thinking as the frameworks of his novels. The adoption of this method does not allow him to achieve invariable success in his literary works, but, at least, it can be said that it enables him to view human conduct from the broadest and highest standpoint possible, which Lao Tzu paradoxically describes by adopting negative terms such as â€Å"Nothing† and â€Å"The Nameless. † Notes 1. John Steinbeck, East of Eden, p. 190. (Penguin Books, 1976), All citations from Steinbeck are from Penguin editions and will be noted by page numbers following the citations. 2. D. C. Lau, Lao Tzu: Tao Te Ching, p. 140. (Penguin Books, 1963), All citations from Steinbeck are from Penguin editions and will be noted by page numbers following the citations. 3. John Steinbeck, East of Eden, p. 434 4. John Steinbeck, East of Eden, p. 349 5. D. C. Lau, Tao Te Ching, p. 84. 6. John Steinbeck, The Log from the Sea of Cortez, p. 259 7. D. C. Lau, Tao Te Ching, p. 83 . Works Cited Fukunaga, Mituji. Roshi (On Lao Tzu ), Tokyo: Asahishinbun-sha, 1968 Hachiya, Kunio. Ro-So wo yomu (A Study of Lao Tzu and Zhuang Tzu). Tokyo: Kodansha, 1987. John Steinbeck. The Log from the â€Å"Sea of Cortez†, Penguin Books. 1976 ————-. East of Eden, NewYork: Penguin Books. 1976 Lau, D. C. , trans. Lao Tzu :Tao Te Ching,New York: Penguin Books, 1963. Shimomura, Noboru. A Study of John Steinbeck: Mysticism in His Novel . Tokyo: The Hokuseido Press, 1982. Takahashi, Susumu. Roshi (On Lao Tzu ), Tokyo: Shimizu-shoin, 1970.