Prius automatically switches Essay Example for Free

Prius automatically switches Essay There are many reasons why people want a revolutionary car. Some enthusiasts enthuse about scientific and technological advances and want the latest gizmos. Others rebel against fuel price increases, even though fuel is cheaper than it has been for decades. Finally, people are ‘concerned about the environment’. Hoping that all the above was true and looking to grab a technological advantage over other car manufacturers; in 2000 Toyota introduced Prius, their first hybrid car. Prius means ‘to go before’, so is a name that may be very prophetic. The Prius and the Honda Insight are the first in a wave of hybrid family cars coming out ahead of similar vehicles from GM, Ford and Daimler Chrysler. At first glance, the Prius seems to have a lot going for it. It combines a 1. 5 litre, four cylinder petrol engine and a 33-kilowatt electric motor. It comfortably seats five, if the three in the back aren’t too tall or too big and has 0,34 cubic meters of luggage space. The electric motor starts the car and operates at low speeds, using a nickel metal-hydride battery.   Under normal motorway conditions, it should get 28 km per liter. The downside is that the Prius is no muscle car. It also costs about 4,000 euros more than the Toyota Echo, although they are nearly the same car. Of course, getting twice as many kilometers per liter of petrol will help to offset the price differential. Assuming the range and a typical 2002 price of one euro per liter, the Prius owner would have to buy 4,000 liters of petrol, enough fuel for 112,000 km, which could take years. Of course, if prices were to rise drastically, that could change. But even if prices doubled-which is not likely-you’d have to drive more than 50,000 km to make up the initial price difference. The picture gets even gloomier when you realize that no one is going to get the estimated fuel consumption anyway. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has admitted that its testing procedure overstates petrol mileage by as much as 15 per cent. It tests cars on a chassis dynamometer, where the driven wheels turn freely on a set of rotating drums-far from normal driving conditions. In addition, hybrids use regenerative braking to recharge their batteries, with the result that braking during the EPA driving cycle is feeding more energy back into the system, boosting estimated petrol mileage. Although this offers a fuel saving, the overall cost of ownership looks less attractive. Compared with the family ‘Car of the Year 2004’, the conventionally powered Toyota Avensis 1. 8 T3-S, the Prius looks poor value. Although the Prius saves on fuel, its overall running cost comes out higher than that of the equivalent Avensis. The reason is its 25 per cent higher service or contract hire cost. On the brighter side, Toyota and its competitors believe that costs will decrease once production of hybrids begins to yield economies of scale. The benefits of scale would not stop with the producer. For example, a major part of the cost of the car is the nickel metal-hydride batteries. A company such as Panasonic could reduce the cost of producing batteries through research and development, it the market merited such an investment and could further reduce the price of batteries through its own economies of scale. However, realizing that cost reductions are a way off that fuel savings aren’t going to be the key to convincing people to purchase the Prius, car manufacturers have asked for tax incentives to stimulate purchase of clean-fuel and high-mileage cars. Several governments are providing incentives to people to buy hybrid cars. The US government offers $ 2,000 federal income-reduction and the UK government offers reduced car tax on initial purchase. Electric car drivers can also avoid London’s GBP 5 per day Congestion Charge. Are consumers ready for hybrids? Do improved gas mileage and emissions standards affect their buying decision? A glance at car sales in the last 10 years would suggest not. The biggest sales growth was in gas-guzzling 4 x 4s. After all, we rarely saw Range Rovers 10 years ago, now they’re a fairly common sight. People, it seems, think it’s a good idea for their neighbors to drive green machines, not themselves. Actually, when the Prius was introduced, it flew out of dealer’s showrooms. Between July and October 2000, Toyota sold 2,610 Priuses and had difficulty keeping up with demand. By the end of October 2000, the cars were waitlisted until January. Of course, much of that sales success is attributable to Toyota’s clever marketing. Two years before introduction, Toyota began educating consumers about the Prius. The company established a website to distribute information and also sent e-brochures to 40,000 likely buyers just before the introduction. Within two weeks. Toyota sold 1,800 cars based on the email message. In all, Toyota spent â‚ ¬15 million in 2002 promoting the Prius. There were print ads in magazines, but the bulk of the campaign was in television advertising. Ads running before the actual introduction used the tag line ‘A car that sometimes runs on gas power and sometimes runs on electric power, from a company that always runs on brain power. These ads helped to position Toyota as an ‘environmentally concerned’ company and more subtly stressed the technology aspect of the car. After introduction, the ads appealed more to emotion, with tag lines such as ‘ When it sees red, it charges’ – a reference to the car’s recharging at traffic lights. The headline captured the consumer’s attention through ambiguity. Only through focusing on the ad could the consumer learn why the headline was accurate. Again, the appeal is based on the technology of the car. Finally, Toyota took advantage of Earth Day to send out green seed cards shaped like Toyota’s logo to prospective buyers, wrapped some Priuses in green, and gave away cars at Earth Day events. Of course, â‚ ¬15 million is just a drop in the ocean compared to Toyota’s overall marketing budget of â‚ ¬ 200 million in 2002, but Toyota was satisfied with the effectiveness of the campaign, given the ‘newness’ of the car and the need to explain its technology. Much of this success can also be attributed to the narrow targeting of the ads. The company expected the first hybrid car buyers to be ‘techies’ and early adopters (people who are highly likely to buy something new). They were right. Many Prius owners are immersed in thee technology. They flood chat rooms with discussion of the car. The Priusenvy. com website urges owners to ‘Kick some gas’. Owners immediately began tinkering with the car’s computer system. One owner was able to add cruise control (an option not offered by Toyota) by wiring in a few switches in the car’s computer system. The founder of priusenvy. com worked out how to use the car’s dashboard display screen to show files from his laptop, play video games, and took at rear-view images from a video camera pointed out of the back of the car. One Austrian consumer installed a sniffer – a device on the car’s computer network that monitors messages. With the sniffer, he will be able to hook up add- ons such as a MiniDisc Player, an MP3 player, a laptop computer and a TV tuner. In the past, owners using mechanical skills customized cars with paint, lowered bodies, and souped – up engines. In the future, customization may rely on being computer savvy. Even though the Internet was a major part of the Prius launch, Toyota does not sell the car from its website. Buyers go to prius. toyota. com online to pick a color and decide whether they want a CD player and floor mats- the only options available from Toyota. After that, the dealers get involved, but it takes specially trained salespeople to explain and promote the Prius. Consequently, only 75 per cent of Toyota dealers handle the car. Many of them are not happy about the need to train salespeople. And why should they be? Margins are higher on gas-guzzlers, which are also easier to sell. Given dealer reluctance and consumer resistance, why have Toyota and Honda spent so much on their hybrids? While part of the answer is government regulations, a bigger part of the answer is competition. All car manufacturers concede that they will eventually have to move to hybrids to raise petrol mileage and lower emissions, and all of them have plans to do so. Ford, for example, plans to introduce an Escape SUV that will get 17 km/litre. Daimler Chrysler says that 15 per cent of its sport-utility vehicles will be hybrids that will get 20 per cent better fuel efficiency than conventional vehicles. General Motors is betting on hybrid buses and trucks. Toyota hopes, however, that its early entry will be the basis for a system of hybrids from ultra compact ‘minicars’ to luxury saloons, sport-utility vehicles, and even commercial trucks,. The mass market, however, values space, comfort, and power. Although hybrids may have space and comfort, power would appear to be elusive. Without greater power, it will be interesting to see whether consumers, who like speed on those open autobahns and acceleration on alpine roads, will settle for a hybrid. Questions 1. Outline the major macroenvironmental factors-demographic, economic, natural, technological, political and cultural-that have affected the introduction and sales of the Toyota Prius. How has Toyota dealt with each of these factors? 2. Evaluate Toyota’s marketing strategy so far. What has Toyota done well? How might it improve its strategy? 3. In your opinion, what are the advantages of Toyota’s early entry into the hybrid market? What are the disadvantages? Should Toyota have waited- like Ford, GM and Daimler Chrysler? 4. What needs and reasons would drive someone to purchase a â€Å"green† car?

Human resource development

Human resource development INTRODUCTON Human resource development is defined by Heathfield (2010) as the framework for helping employees develops their personal and organizational skills, knowledge and abilities. Human resource development involves using a range of learning and training techniques and strategies to change the work related behavior and attitudes of an employee (Megginson et al 1999) and it also engages in performance management in other to ensure that people can do things well or do new and better things (Gibbs 2008). This study is aimed to analyze the purpose of Human resource development and also using this aims to analyze how it helps organizations achieve sustained competitive advantage by using organization example. AIM OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT Human resource development according to Philbeam and Corbridge (2002:285) is concerned with enhancing organizational performance through effective development and deployment of organizational members. To enhance performance, a human resource developer has to ensure that the individuals in the organization has the knowledge, expertise and the right attitudes to execute their work (Swanson and Arnold 1996), also, human resource development aims at ensuring that the organization has the skilled, committed and well-motivated employee it needs to sustain competitive advantage by focusing on processes that develop skills, knowledge and the attitude of the employee (Swanson Arnold 1996), such as training, developing, learning, educating and mentoring the employee (Stewart and McGoldrick 1996), and also by identifying and improving the skills and motivation of employees (Philbeam and Corbridge 2002:284). In other to ensure that the organization as the right people to sustain competitive advantage, Human resource development engage in the following training, learning, development of the individual and mentoring but before the Human resource developer makes a decision on how to train, develop, teach or mentor the employee they need to have a concept on performance management in other to see how training and development will improve the effectiveness of the employee and to know what aspect in the performance of the employee needs to be trained in other to meet the goals and values of the organization (Megginson et al 1999). Performance management Performance involves what an employee does in carrying out their duty (Mathis and Jackson 2003). Before performance is managed the performance needed by the organization should be identified in other to achieve their goals which in most organization is linked to the mission statement of the organization so that the performance can be managed in line with the organizational values and some organization will manage the performance in line with the business strategy of the organization that are required in the business context to be competitive (Torrington et al 2005). Performance management is defined by Armstrong (2009:618) as a systematic process for improving organization by developing the performance of individuals and teams. Torrington et al (2005) cited Mabey and Salaman (1995) who defined performance management as establishing a frame work in which the performance by individual can be directed, monitored, motivated and rewarded and whereby the links in the cycle can be audited. Human resource development is a means to an end. That end is usually acknowledged to be getting better results from the organization, teams and individuals by understanding and managing performance within an agreed framework of planned goals, objectives and standards(Gibb 2008). Every organization wants an employee that performs well in their duty it is believed that an effective performance management scheme can make the likely of good performance to occur (Mathis and Jackson 2003). Performance management goes beyond the ability and motivation of the individual it involves how goals are clearly identified in enabling the employee to understand what is expected of them in the area of their job and to set their priorities (Torrington et al 2005). Performance management scheme involves processes that can be used to encourage, motivate, evaluate, reward and identify the performance of the employee (Mathis and Jackson 2003). Performance management develops the capacity of the employee to meet, exceed and to achieve their full potential for the benefit of the organization as well as themselves, it can also serve as the basis for self development and ensure that the support and the guidance need by the employee to develop and improve is available (Armstrong 2009). Megginson et al (1999) discuss the work of Ulrich (1998) who was of the view that performance management is what employees and managers do at work, that the way they act and interact is crucial to the success of the organization and in doing this it will raise the profile and value of training as a strategy for achieving competitive advantage. Training Staffs are important resources to an organization in other to achieve economic and effective performance, in other to ensure that an organization has staffs that are capable of career advancement into the role of a specialist or a manager an organization needs to engage in adequate training (Mullins 2002). Training is defined as learning and development undertaken for the purpose of supporting development and maintenance of operational capability in employment: skills for work and in work, on-job or off-job, to enable effective performance in a job or role (Gibb 2008:5). Training involves modifying skills, knowledge and abilities through learning to achieve effective performance (Wilson 2005). It is believed that training makes an individual become effective managers as a result of their techniques having impact on inherent abilities, competence and skills (Hunt and Baruch 2003). Training makes the employees believe that the organization is committed to them and in securing their future in the organization which motivates the employees to Work harder and better (CIPD 2008), and it also develops the expertise of the individual in other to increase their performance in the organization (Swanson). Training and development is equipping the employee with the right skills, knowledge and competence to maximize performance (Philbeam and Corbridge 2002).Also, training improves the level of the organization as well as the individual competence and its also a key element in improving organizational performance (Mullins 2002). Competence is defined by Stensgaard (2004) as the combination of awareness, skills, knowledge and abilities that enables an individual to perform a job to the standards required for successful job performance. Competence is more than learned knowledge, skills and abilities but involves motives, traits, values and self concept of the individual (Clardy 2008). Clardy (2008) discuss the work of Spencer and Spencer (1993) who claim that training competence however expanded the focus on skills and knowledge which includes personality traits, increasing the number of variables that could explain and promote job performance as well as shifting emphasis from enabling adequate performance to producing superior ones. However, competence is based on skills rather than knowledge, in other word; competence training will convince employees of the need to give time and commitment to learning new skill in other to increase their performance and to see their role as accepting these challenges for change (Bramham). Having a well designed and structured competence based training and development program; the organization can work towards ensuring that they have the right skills and the right people to achieve their organizational goals and sustain competitive advantage which can only be achieved by having employees that can effectively and efficiently perform their job (Stensgaard 2004). Training is believed to improve the knowledge and the skills of the employee as well as change their attitudes toward work which can lead to benefits such as the increase in the confidence, motivation and the commitment of staffs, broaden the opportunity for career progression, give a feeling of personal achievement and satisfaction and help to improve the availability and quality of staffs (Mullins 2002). Training can be a source of motivation development for the employee if it is carried out as a form of support for the employee and in the process of training the employees learns what is expected of them in doing their job and what they need to do better (Thomason 1988). Learning One of the functions of Human Resource development is to assist the organization by creating an environment suitable for learning which is required to help develop staffs to meet agreed objectives (Wilson 2005). Learning is defined as a change in an individuals level of knowledge, skills or attitudes (Gibb 2008). Learning is believed to be the individuals ability to cope with change which can be acquired either through formal education or training or through informal experiences (Wilson 2005). As much as organizations are interested in ensuring they utilize the knowledge and skills of all their employees it is believed that little is gained through training provided at work but it is believed that most learning acquired by the individual is through their interaction with colleagues, clients which is said to be learning acquired through experience (Mullins 2002). It is believed that learning and development has helped develop employees skills in organizations which have prompted employees performance and lead to organizational success (CIPD 2008). Learning is believed to be linked to behavioral outcomes in other words learning does not only involve what is being taught but making sense of experiences and by doing that learning new skills (Stewart and McGoldrick 1996). Learning at work can be said to be learning for work and it is believed that what people learn will be applied to work in other to support current and future work requirement, also, as learning at work increases the ability of the individual at work so does learning outside work increase the individuals work performance (Megginson et al 1999). Learning can be beneficial to an organization as well as the individual in the organization by increasing the capacity and the ability of everyone to contribute to the growth of the organization, by developing the individuals skills and potentials and enabling them to be able to meet the demand of change, also, it provides a solution to organizational issues, enables the organization to meet its goals and produce a wider range of solutions to organizational issues (Mullins 2002). Development Development is believed to be a form of learning and training which changes the individual intellectually and not just changing their work skill or knowledge but the individual as a whole and it also helps the individual to grow in their career and also in all aspect of life (Gibb 2008). Development is said to involve preparing the individual in the organization for expected changes in their job or for a future job or a role (Mullins 2002). Development involves the growth of an individuals ability through learning which can be conscious or unconscious (Wilson 2005). Wilson (2005:6) cited the work of Bolton (1995) who points out that development occurs when a gain in experience is effectively combined with the conceptual understanding that can illuminate it, giving increased confidence both to act and to perceive how such actions relates to its context. Employee development involves attitude which includes concepts like growth, expansion, improvement, and education (Maund 2001), and also gives the employee opportunity to develop their skills, abilities, realize their potential and to advance their career in or outside the organization (Armstrong 2009), and to change their attitude as a result of going through the process of motivational development (Thomason 1988). Development involves the acquisition of skills which is derived from learning (Thomason 1988).Employee development as wide impact on the individual and not just on the individual but also on the organization and the community in which the organization works (Maund 2001). Mentoring Mentoring is a relationship in which experienced managers aid individuals in the earlier stage of their career and such relationship provides an environment for convening technical, interpersonal and organizational skills from the more experienced to the less experienced (Mathis and Jackson 2003). Mentoring is seen as a variable in the achievement of success for both the individual and the organization who seek to manage the development of their employees who are the future leaders to engage in order to grow and to develop to senior managers (Gibb 2008). It is believed that mentoring is a form of support in enabling women to progress up the career ladder particular in the area of professions and management (Gibb 2008). Effective mentors will not only encourage individuals to reflect upon their career goals, thereby promoting a sense of purpose and control they will also help individuals acquire the skills necessary to operate within a less hierarchical structure (CIPD 2008). The skills, approaches and the general behavior of the mentor have an important effect on the employees willingness to learn and also on the commitment shown by the employees towards the learning process (Megginson et al 1999). Also, mentors can serve as a source of motivation for the individual in a way of support in the early stage of their career (Mathis and Jackson 2003). Motivation can be used to aid the employee to give their best to their job or increase their performance in the area of their job or work according to set standards, also, it is believed that people tend to work better if they understand the nature of their job and how they are suppose to carry it out and why they are suppose to carry it out in that particular way (Thomason 1988). SUSTAINING COMPETITVE ADVANTAGE THROUGH THE WORK OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (ORGANIZATION EXAMPLE) Human resource development is viewed as an important necessity to Walt Disney because to them training is seen as an important investment in the success of their company, while some organizations see training as necessary but expensive, Walt Disney make it top priority (Handout). Walt Disney believe so strongly in a companys responsibility for training its employees (handout), and they believe that it is the talent, enthusiasm and the dedication of their employee that has sustained them over the years (Disneyland paris.com). they believe that in other for their employees to perform excellently and not embarrass themselves they need to go through a training program and also need to practice whatever they have been trained on (Handout). Before starting in their new job their employees go through training program that is based on their profession and what their job entails, in other to develop their skills (Marie). They believe that everyone that works with them from the senior to the junior employer has a right to learn, develop and to grow (Marie). According to them, training, learning and practicing has important roles to play in the in the development of their employees talent and in other for them to perform well they need to be thoroughly trained and also they need to rehearse their roles which lead to the establishment of the Disney university (Hand out). Disney University is believed to be a training process and Walt Disney makes sure that every new employee goes through a training process before starting in their new job and the training process is directed towards imparting knowledge about specific job skills, competencies and also ensures that the employee has a good understanding of the companys culture and tradition (Handout). Their training is based on developing the professional ability and the performance of their employee and they believe that the employees should be able to develop themselves and in turn develop others in the process (Marie). At the Disney University student receive complete orientation called Traditions, which includes an explanation of the companys values and traditions, on-the-job training, and procedures for advancement (Handout). Their employees are also provided with teachers who serve as mentors who has more experience and who can show the employees what should be done and what not to do (handout). The implementation of training in Walt Disney was to train their employees in other to develop their skills, knowledge and their ability and as a result, get the performance needed to be competitive and to sustain a competitive advantage by having the right employees (handout). Walt Disney sees training as the bases for Human resource and as a way of developing their business, their workers and also themselves (Marie). CONCLUSION Human resource development has an important role to play in the development of an employee and in the growth of an organization, by providing an organization with the proper employees who have undergone training and learning new skills in other to develop their skills, knowledge, abilities and their competencies Reference Armstrong, M. (2009) Armstrongs Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice, 9th edn, Kogan Page, London. Brumback, G.H (2003) Blending we/me in performance management [Electronic copy], Team performance management, Volume 8, Issue 7/8, Pg 167-173. Clardy, A. (2008) Human resource development and the resource based model of core competencies: Methods for diagnosis and assessment [Electronic copy], Human resource development review, Volume 7, Issue 4, Pg 387-407. Disneyland Paris (2010) Corporate responsibility Disneylandparis.com corporate.disneylandparis.com/corporate-responsibility/our-people/diverse-and-multicultural/cast-member-interviews.xhtml [Accessed 05/04/2010]. Gibb, S. (2008) Human resource development: Processes, Practices and Perspectives, 2nd edn, Palgrave, New York. Heathfield, S.M. (2010) What is human resource development (HRD) About.com humanresources.about.com/od/glossaryh/f/hr_development.htm [Accessed 27/03/2010]. Hunt, J.W, Baruch, Y. (2003) Developing top managers: the impact of interpersonal skills training, [Electronic copy]. Journal of Management Development, Volume 22, Issue 8, Page 729-752. Lasbleis, J.M. (2010) Training Disneylandparis-casting.com http://disneylandparis-casting.com/en/our-hr-philosophy/training [Accessed 03/04/2010]. Mathis, R.L., Jackson, J.H (2003) Human resource management, 10th edn, Thomson, Ohio. Megginson, D., Banfield, P., Joy-Mathews, J. (1999) Human Resource development, 2nd edn, Kogan page, London. Mullins, L.J (2002) Management and organizational behaviour, 6th edn, Pearson education, Harlow. Philbeam, S., Corbridge, M. (2002) People resourcing: HRM in practice, 2nd edn, Pearson education, Harlow. Stensgaard, A.B (2007) Competence based training and Development, Ameinfo.com, www.ameinfo.com/43457.html [Accessed 29/03/2010]. Stewart, J., McGoldrick, J. (1996) Human resource development: Perspectives, strategies and practice, Pearson education, Harlow Swanson, A.R, Arnold, D.E (1996) The purpose of human resource development is to improve organizational performance, Richardswanson.com www.richardswanson.com/publications/Swanson(1996)ThePurpose.pdf [Accessed 27/03/2010]. Swanson, R.A. () Human resource development: performance is the key cmapspublic.ihmc.us/rid=1217113903859_1440042561_12670/Overview%20of%20HRD%20-%20Swanson.pdf [Accessed 27/03/2010]. Thomason, G. (2003) A text book of human resource management, institute of personal management, London. Torrington, D., Hall, L., Taylor, S (2005) Human resource management, 6th edn, Pearson education, Harlow. Willson, J.P. (2005) Human resource development: Learning and training for individuals and organizations, 2nd edn, Kogan page, London.

A Wack On The Side Of The Head Essay examples -- essays research paper

Acute Ambiguity Roger von Oech, the author of A Whack on the Side of the Head, makes an unusual offer that thinking at random will increase the efficiency at which ideas become more abundant. This particular concept is certainly an original way to come up with new, fresh problem solving techniques. Ambiguity in the world can help new ideas flow for anyone when looked at in a creative way.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Chapter seven begins by explaining an example that would make the case against using ambiguity. In fact, the title of chapter seven is â€Å"Avoid Ambiguity†. While it is true that vague statements leave questions unanswered, the traditional idea behind gathering information is to find specific details and clear communicated information. Ambiguous communication can be dangerous in some situations where the consequences of not understanding the complete picture can cause harm. Therefore, communication of specific information is needed in some situations, however, the author then goes on to explain how the ambiguous statement or event can lead to more accurate and applicable solutions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the event that a problem would arise in a company or social gathering that would call for a creative solution, random thinking techniques would be incredibly applicable. The author gives great examples of creative solutions and brainstorming techniques from the simple event such as a fundraiser all the way to complicated matters such as national defe...

Essay on Taming of the Shrew: Stand by Your Man -- Taming Shrew Essays

The Taming of the Shrew:   Stand by Your Man - The Psychotherapist Perspective  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The universal nature of the themes in The Taming of the Shrew,   beg analysis and social critique. This comedic farce, by William Shakespeare, creates an elegant depiction of a modern life and romantic love with all of its masks and pretensions. It is easy to assume the perspective of a psychotherapist while witnessing the drama of Katherine and Petruchio’s love affair unfolding. Concepts like â€Å"emotional repression† and â€Å"therapeutic catharsis† neatly fit the â€Å"taming† scenario. In fact, this play offers many new insights into what it takes to create an enduring, viable marriage—if one understands it from a very contemporary, psychotherapeutic or even spiritual point of view. If one is distracted by the recent feminist perspectives of this play, it is easy to miss the integrity and practicality expressed in Katherine’s final exhortation to women on how to love their men:    Thy husband is thy lord, thy life, thy keeper, Thy head, thy sovereign, one that cares for thee, And for the maintenance commits his body To painful labour both by sea and land, †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.I am ashamed that women are so simple To offer war where they should kneel for peace†¦.. (Act V, ii, (150-153), (165-166)    Viewed through the lens of a one kind of feminist critic, we could ask: wasn’t Kate’s â€Å"taming† the result of a brutal conditioning by a manipulative Petruchio who was a kind of shrewd â€Å"behavioral psychologist?† For at the close of the play, in this passage especially, Kate appears to have metamorphosed from an intractable, ill-tempered woman into a subdued, submissive â€Å"Stepford Wife† for Petruchio. And wasn’t her final speech a humilia... ...nt to creating a deeper, more harmonious relationship involved a mature acceptance of the dark, shadow sides of Kate. The â€Å"baggage† of her wounded past with all of its unmet needs had been waiting to be loved and transformed. In the radical courtship of Kate and Petruchio, all â€Å"buttons† got pressed, character armor was released, and in the mirror of lover and beloved, childhood vulnerabilities eventually diminished freeing up enormous reserves of creative energy.   It is in this light that I appreciate Kate’s final impassioned speech to the other women who, in their selfish defiance of their new husbands had acted immaturely. For here, Shakespeare ironically exposes Bianca as the real, untamed shrew and reveals a very sagacious and loving Katherine. Works Cited: Shakespeare, William. The Taming of the Shrew. Ed. David Bevington. New York: Longman, 1997

Free Essays on Invisible Man: Defining Oneself :: Invisible Man Essays

Defining Oneself in Invisible Man Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison is a novel which embodies the universal theme of self-discovery, of the search to figure out who one truly is in life which we all are embarked upon. Throughout the text, the narrator is constantly wondering about who he really is, and evaluating the different identities which he assumes for himself. He progresses from being a hopeful student with a bright future to being just another poor black laborer in New Your City to being a fairly well off spokesperson for a powerful political group, and ultimately to being the "invisible man" which he eventually realizes that he has always been. The deepest irony in this text is that for a significant portion of the story, the narrator is unaware of his own invisibility, in believing that others can "see" him, he is essentially invisible to himself. Only through a long and arduous journey of self-discovery which is fraught with constant and unexpected tragedy and loss does he realize the truth, that his percepti ons of himself and of how others perceived him had been backwards his entire life. The story opens with the narrator participating in a "battle royal" prior to delivering a speech on humility, and on the progress of the Black people. These are the days during which he is still a hopeful scholar, defining himself as a "potential Booker T. Washington." At this point he is living the life that others have told him that he should live, and defines himself as he believes he is seen through their eyes, as an icon of what a Black person can achieve and as a role model for his people. The abuse and degradation which he is put through in the battle royal give him the first inklings that everything is not as it seems, but fail to do anything to change the narrator's perceptions of himself. It is quite possible that if given the chance, the narrator may have gone on living the life that society had preselected for him, and never realized his invisibility, but fate had other plans for him. His entire life was thrown into disarray the day that he was assigned to show around Mr. Norton, a powerful white man and founder of the school that he was attending. The narrator made the mistake of taking Mr.

Commentary on Wilfred Owen’s “Dulce Et Decorum Est” Essay

In this commentary, we will take a deep look into this poem that Wilfred Owen wrote. In the poem, a group of soldiers are described, and their emotions. Using three guiding questions, this will be an introduction into the way Owen writes his poems. Answering these guiding questions will give the reader the full package that the poem has to offer. The first guiding question that is to be answered is: How are the feelings amongst the soldiers described? First of all, one can say the soldiers all feel as if they were torn apart. This is notable in the way the soldiers ‘cursed through sludge’, and how the ‘men marched asleep’. Despite their fatigue, the group of men still have a strong bond, as they did not think only of themselves while shouting ‘gas! GAS! Quick, boys! ’. This explains they are prepared to share their senses, and not keep them to themselves only. The bond between the soldiers is also notable when they all watch their mate slowly die, while they can do nothing about it. The way the soldier feels while seeing his friend’s death, makes him (and probably his mates) feel that dying for their country, and seeing others die, isn’t all that honourable. The second aspect of the poem that needs to be looked at is the atmosphere that the writer calls up. This atmosphere can be described as a dynamic one. It goes from the gray and darker mood to a fast-paced one, while ending in the depressing situation of a friend’s death. The gray and dark atmosphere is found in the way the soldiers ‘limped on, blood-shod’ through the land. The group was ‘drunk with fatigue,’ and didn’t have the energy to walk in a faster pace. In line 9 however, the mood shifts as the ‘green sea’ of gas approaches the soldiers. Described as an ‘ecstasy,’ the men fought against the time and put on their helmets as soon as possible, to avoid death. The poem starts it’s depressing atmosphere in line 15, where the soldiers behold the death of their friend. They want to do anything to save him, but were hopeless, so they ‘flung him in’ the wagon, and watched ‘the white eyes writhing in his face. ’ Owen leaves the reader with the same emotions the soldiers felt, the fact that they felt betrayed by their country. Lastly, a look needs to be taken into the poetic devices in the poem, and how they contribute to the message. The most notable thing in this area is the way Owen shocks the reader. The message itself describes ‘the old lie’ that dying for your country would be sweet and fitting. Owen wants the readers to understand how many people really care for one soldier’s death. In the last paragraph it’s almost clearly stated how one would feel while dying for their country. The dying soldier leaving behind ‘his hanging face, like a devil’s sick of sin’ would give an image of how he would be dying his painful death. The reader could imagine the pain the soldier has, and how the other soldiers around him would feel. These three given answers on the guiding questions should give you a more in depth look into the poem, and give one understanding to the questions the reader might have himself.

Negative Effects of Technology on Kids

Are you aware of what’s happening in the present? Youth has becoming more active in using the internet and other modern technology nowadays. But do you know what the effects of this are? After you took long hours in front of the computer, are you dizzy and running out of breath? Feeling thirsty and very hot, your eyes can’t see clearly, and your hands and fingers are shaking and tired of typing? Do you also know that if that is repeatedly happening to you, it may lead to a disorder or illness you haven’t known for sure? Too much radiation is bad for us and has bad effects to our health, so be aware.Technology does not only affect our health, but also other aspects of our life. As I browse the internet, I have come across this article entitled The Effects of Modern Technology on Kids by Lisa Evans. This tackles about the four negative effects of technology on kids. First is the effect on brain development of a child. UCLA Professor Patricia Greenfield said that wh ile students create multitasking ability and visual reasoning skills which enable them to see and process information quickly, their attention span has also decreases.In a result, they are having a hard time to solve more complex problems which require time and concentration. Technology makes the thinking skills weak and although it strengthens visual reasoning skills, it also contributes to poor eye sight. Second is about the disadvantages on immediate access to information. With the internet becoming the source of all, students tend to become lazy and just depend on all the information given from the internet. But anyone who is not so careful and knowledgeable about surfing the internet may lead to a danger.Not all the information there are facts, truthful, and reliable because most of them are edited, and some sites are x-rated or pornographic, so it is very important for the parents to monitor their children about the source they will find. Third, concerning about social relatio nships, modern technology has also affected this. Instant messaging through cell phones and chatting through social networking sites have been a way to communicate of the present generation. Because of this, youth became used to keep in touch with other people impersonally.In addition, they are not anymore going outside their houses to play with other children, and socialize or talk to other people. Last is the effect of technology on the health of youth. More and more students at this time are suffering to neck and back pain because of improper posture using laptops and computers. According to Ken Harwood of the American Physical Therapy Association, there is also an increase in the diagnosis of repetitive stress injuries among the kids with the age of at least 8 years old.In the final analysis, although innovation and improvement on technology brings about development and benefits to people, we can still identify the disadvantages of it to our lives especially to youth. We should be responsible in using modern technology because every act we do affects us. It is better to be careful than to take the risk of doing the things which entertain us, but have negative results. Before we end up regretting in doing the wrong thing, let us think first and follow the right path.