Analysis of The Yellow Wallpaper by C. Perkins Gilman

Like Kate Chopins The Story of an Hour,  Charlotte Perkins Gilmans The Yellow Wallpaper  is a mainstay of feminist literary study. First published in 1892, the story takes the form of secret journal entries written by a woman who is supposed to be recovering from what her husband, a physician, calls a  nervous condition. This haunting psychological horror story chronicles the narrators descent into madness, or perhaps into the paranormal. Or perhaps, depending on your interpretation, into freedom. The result is a story as chilling as anything by Edgar Allan Poe or Stephen King. Better Health Through Infantilization The protagonists husband, John, does not take her illness seriously. Nor does he take her seriously. He prescribes, among other things, a rest cure, in which she is confined to their summer home, mostly to her bedroom. The woman is discouraged from doing anything intellectual even though she believes some excitement and change would do her good. She must write in secret. And she is allowed very little company—certainly not from the stimulating people she most wishes to see. In short, John treats her like a child, calling her diminutive names like blessed little goose and little girl. He makes all decisions for her and isolates her from the things she cares about. His actions are couched in concern for her, a position that she initially seems to believe herself. He is very careful and loving, she writes in her journal, and hardly lets me stir without special direction. Her words also sound as if she is merely parroting what shes been told, and hardly lets me stir seems to harbor a veiled complaint. Even her bedroom is not the one she wanted; instead, its a room that appears to have once been a nursery, thus emphasizing her return to infancy. Its windows are barred for little children, showing again that she is being treated as a child, and also that she is like a prisoner. Fact  Versus Fancy John dismisses anything that hints of emotion or irrationality—what he calls fancy. For instance, when the narrator says that the wallpaper in her bedroom disturbs her, he informs her that she is letting the wallpaper get the better of her and thus refuses to remove it. John doesnt simply dismiss things he finds fanciful; he also uses the charge of fancy to dismiss anything he doesnt like. In other words, if he doesnt want to accept something, he declares that it is irrational. When the narrator tries to have a reasonable talk with him about her situation, she is so distraught that she is reduced to tears. But instead of interpreting her tears as evidence of her suffering, he takes them as evidence that she is irrational and cant be trusted to make decisions for herself. He speaks to her as if she is a whimsical child, imagining her own illness. Bless her little heart! he says. She shall be as sick as she pleases! He does not want to acknowledge that her problems are real and so he silences her. The only way the narrator could appear rational to John would be to become satisfied with her situation; therefore, there is no way for her to express concerns or ask for changes. In her journal, the narrator writes: John does not know how much I really suffer. He knows there is no reason to suffer, and that satisfies him. John cant imagine anything outside his own judgment. So when he determines that the narrators life is satisfactory, he imagines that the fault lies with her perception of her life. It never occurs to him that her situation might really need improvement. The Wallpaper The  nursery walls are covered in putrid yellow wallpaper with a confused, eerie pattern. The narrator is horrified by it. She studies the incomprehensible pattern in the wallpaper, determined to make sense of it. But rather than making sense of it, she begins to discern a second pattern—that of a woman creeping furtively around behind the first pattern, which acts a prison for her. The first pattern of the wallpaper can be seen as the societal expectations that hold women like the narrator captive. The narrators recovery will be measured by how cheerfully she resumes her domestic duties as wife and mother, and her desire to do anything else—like write—is seen to interfere with that recovery. Though the narrator studies and studies the pattern in the wallpaper, it never makes any sense to her. Similarly, no matter how hard she tries to recover, the terms of her recovery—embracing her domestic role—never make any sense to her, either. The creeping woman can represent both victimizations by the societal norms and resistance to them. This creeping woman also gives a clue about why the first pattern is so troubling and ugly. It seems to be peppered with distorted heads with bulging eyes—the heads of other creeping women who were strangled by the pattern when they tried to escape it. That is, women who couldnt survive when they tried to resist cultural norms. Gilman writes that nobody could climb through that pattern—it strangles so. Becoming a Creeping Woman Eventually, the narrator becomes a creeping woman. The first indication is when she says, rather startlingly, I always lock the door when I creep by daylight. Later, the narrator and the creeping woman work together to pull off the wallpaper. The narrator writes, [T]here are so many of those creeping women, and they creep so fast. So the narrator is one of many. That her shoulder just fits into the groove on the wall is sometimes interpreted to mean that she has been the one ripping the paper and creeping around the room all along. But it could also be interpreted as an assertion that her situation is no different from that of many other women. In this interpretation, The Yellow Wallpaper becomes not just a story about one womans madness, but a maddening system. At one point, the narrator observes the creeping women from her window and asks, I wonder if they all come out of that wallpaper as I did? Her coming out of the wallpaper—her freedom—coincides with a descent into mad behavior, ripping off the paper, locking herself in her room, even biting the immovable bed. That is, her freedom comes when she finally reveals her beliefs and behavior to those around her and stops hiding. The final scene, in which John faints, and the narrator continues to creep around the room, stepping over him every time, is disturbing but also triumphant. Now John is the one who is weak and sickly, and the narrator is the one who finally gets to determine the rules of her own existence. She is finally convinced that he only pretended to be loving and kind. After being consistently infantilized by his prescriptions and comments, she turns the tables on him by addressing him condescendingly, if only in her mind, as young man. John refused to remove the wallpaper, and in the end, the narrator used it as her escape.

Mexico s Drug And Human Trafficking - 1824 Words

Human and Drug trafficking are huge global problems and it affects millions or people, even if they do not know about it. Mexico’s drug and human trafficking are huge issues, and people tend to different methods in how the problems should be solved. However, the main reason in why these two things are such an issue is all because of money. They both bring in major profits and â€Å"benefits† into Mexico and those in charge of this industry, it also brings in revenue into the United States for those that a part of these two cartels. Both the Drug Cartel and those in power of the Human Trafficking concerns, keep this things going because of the politicians that are placed into power of their regions. Many people keep saying that they should fix what is happening; however the problem is much more difficult than that. Many people in the United States keep stating that the issue is only a Mexican problem. Mexico’s government has stated that there primary goal is get r id of the drug cartels in their country and that it is the United States hope to prevent the drug cartels from coming into their country. Drug trafficking can also be explained as the â€Å"war on drug† which was coined by Richard Nixon (Calderon, 1). This coin is an important matter to know because it explains how people actually feel about these things. However, there are many other countries that do smuggle in drugs into America; but due to the fact Mexico and America share a border the problem is much bigger. EspeciallyShow MoreRelatedMexican Trafficking And Drug Trafficking1341 Words   |  6 PagesDid you know that Mexico has a history with many brutal crimes? Crimes such as kidnapping, money laundering, murders, prostitution, drug dealing, extortion, human trafficking, gun trafficking, drug trafficking, car thief, and cartels wars. Have you ever been a victim of any of this crimes listed above in Mexico? Sadly most people who lived in Mexico tend to be victims of a cr ime. In Mexico 1 out of every 8,300 people are violently murdered. Most murder rates are in the borders near the United StatesRead MoreReasons Behind The War On Drugs1365 Words   |  6 Pageselaborate the significant reasons behind the war on drugs between the Mexican government and the drug cartels in Mexico and examine the impact of this conflict on Mexico and on US National Security. Drug Trafficking or any other illegal activity related to drug Cartels and gangs pose an imminent threat to the Mexican governance because of the corruption and the violence they generate. Illegal drugs affect not only Mexico but also the U.S in terms of trafficking and consumption. The Mexican government hasRead MoreDrug Trafficking Organizations And Drugs1296 Words   |  6 PagesDrug Trafficking Organizations â€Å"Imagine living in a place where you can kill anyone you wish and nothing happens except that they fall dead† (Morris 216). With drug trafficking organizations people in Mexico live in a world where this is part of their everyday lives. More than 16,600 deaths were attributed to drug trafficking in 2011 (Schedler 6). People live in a world like the Wild West where there seems to be no social control. This is a problem because innocent people are losing their lives overRead MoreMovements Rising from Drug Cartels in Mexico1277 Words   |  5 PagesSecure places to visit. In 2006 Mexico was a safe place to visit, but everything changed after Felipe Calderon took over as new president. After few months of his new position, President Felipe Calderon decided to send 45,000 soldiers and 5,000 federal police to the state of Michoacà ¡n to eradicate the drug trafficking. He also fired hundreds of dishonest police officers. The drug trafficking movement is not a new movement. It has been existed for many decades, but now it is expanding furtherRead MoreWar On Drugs And Drug Trafficking960 Words   |  4 Pagesby human trafficking, drug trafficking, and weapons trafficking. One of the most harmful organized crimes is drug trafficking. What makes drug trafficking organized is the system of production to distribution. Drug trafficking organizations have a hierarchy of power from the kingpins to the couriers. Drug also has political influence they are able to bribe and blackmail politicians. Trafficking drugs is a multi-billion-dollar business, and the United States is one of its largest markets. Drug traffickingRead MoreAmerica s Freedom Of Freedom1495 Words   |  6 PagesFreedom House has classified Mexico as a purple, or a â€Å"not free† country in its annual Freedom of the Press report. The upraise of violence in the country, stemmed from its war against drugs, has threatened Mexico’s freedom of expression and practice of journalism, undermining the foundations of the country’s democracy. During the last 12 years, 82 journalists have been murdered, 18 have disappeared and there have been 33 attacks on media outlets according to the National Human Rights Comission. The legalRead MoreMexico’s War on Drugs Essay1252 Words   |  6 Pagesconstantly keep an eye out for the smuggling of drugs by Mexican Cartels. There has been much violence due to this drug problem that has left many people near the border killed and is allowing more criminals to obtain these weapons. A lot of this attention goes to the U.S. because many of the weapons utilized in the â€Å"drug war† are U.S. made and is interfering with trading relations amongst both the U.S. and Mexico. With this current violent situation in Mexico this has transformed the flow of weapons toRead MoreDrug Trafficking And Its Effects On America1261 Words   |  6 Pagescountry of Mexico is currently having a long and hard battle against the raging and harmful issues that threatens to destroy humanity. Drug trafficking has become the king of these issues, with the other issues slowly branching off as subjects to serve their king. Currently, Mexican drug cartels dominate the wholesale illicit drug market, earning $13.4 to $49.4 billion annually. Since this investment is extremely large, it has become an exhausting challenge to try to destroy the drug trafficking as itRead MoreThe Corruption Of Organized Crime1056 Words   |  5 Pagesgambling, building construction, or trash hauling which operate alongside and provide cover for the illegal businesses. Their main criminal activities are: racketeering; fraud; car theft; robbery; armed assault; drug dealing; trafficking in weapons and radioactive material; trafficking in human beings and exploitation through prostitution; alien smuggling; smuggling of precious and antique goods; extortion for protection money; gambling; embezzling from industries and financial institutions up to infiltrationRead MoreThe Impact Of Latin American Culture On Latin America1656 Words   |  7 Pages they are fighting drugs. Although war is generally a negative thing, this one is not. In this war there are negatives, but the positives f ar outweigh them. Latin American countries have witnessed the very noticeable benefits of the drug trade in many aspects of everyday life. The use and production of drugs is important to Latin American culture, brings communities together, and creates large amounts of revenue for the economy. Latin American countries have been using drugs for religious and cultural

Justice for Serial Killing and Pornography- myassignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about theJustice for Serial Killing and Pornography. Answer: Purpose: The main purpose of this study is to point out the connection in between serial killing and pornography. Various studies on the serial killers have revealed the fact that addiction to pornography in the childhood level had led many persons to become a serial killer in their future and they became sadist in nature. However, no detailed studies have ever been made in this field though serial killers are quite popular in various states and interesting topic of discussion. Further studies are required to make in this arena to identify the reasons behind serial killings. Background: The main issue in this case is whether pornography and serial killing is inter-related to each other or not. This is an important issue in criminology as serial killing has impacted the structure of a society and spread the concept of violence. However, it has been observed no necessary studies have ever been made in this field and there is no specific legal provision for countering this heinous crime. In most of the countries, punishment for serial killing is similar to that of murder. In certain states, the offender or the killers has to face capital punishment for this. The term serial killer denotes a person who has an abnormal psychological gratification that led him kill three or more persons. The most common features of serial killing are the period of time between them. There are several patterns and reasons of serial killing can observe such as disturbed childhood or addictions or sadistic personalities. Issue: As stated earlier, the main issue of this report is to identify whether there is any relation in between serial killings and porn addiction or not. As demanded by Ted Bundy, one of the terrible serial killer in the history of USA, childhood porn addiction had compelled him to rape and kills the women (Taylor, Cahillane and Workman 2017). Before the day of his execution, he had stated to James Dobson, a well known psychiatrist that in his early childhood, he has came across the porn addiction and habituated to hardcore pornography. He has also stated that his mentality was begun to change at that time and he had started to enjoy the sexual violence. When he got bored, he applied all the tactics in the real life. According to his confession, he had killed more than 50 women and girls for fulfil his lust. The confession of Ted Bundy has raised a question regarding the role of porn behind serial killing. In the word of Ewa B. Stefanska (2015), most of the serial killers are driven by the ir childhood experiences and their habits. The writer has categorised the pattern in three different ways: deviancy, grievance and sexual necessity (Stefanska et al. 2016). Another criminologist Laurence Miller (2014) had pointed out different sexual desires, unsataited of that has driven the person act violently and kill the individuals. He had divided the killers in categories like heterosexual, solitary sadistic and sexual homicide offender. In his book, he has detailed the effect of neuro-psychodynamics on the mental gratuity of an individual (Miller 2014). Nichola Malizia (2017) has stated that fantasy is the main driving elements in case of serial killings. However, there are certain opposite conceptions too where certain authors are of the view that sexual desires are not the only reason of serial killings. In the words of Kiran M. Haynes (2017), many serial killers had experienced a bad and painful childhood that affect their mentality and worked as a driven force in that case. For an instance, Michigan-based serial killer Aileen Wuornos had been emotionally neglected in her childhood and killed people due to obsession. Similarly, Mary Bell had hidden anger on prostitutes as she was forced to choose this profession and killed two minors at the age of 11. Therefore, it can be stated that there are many other reasons behind serial killing. Most astonishing thing is that little research has been made on serial killers and no specific theories are there to define this term in general. Therefore, specific research is required in this field. Recommendation: Considering the various cause it can be recommended that the legislations are required to be particularised in this case. Proper child care is required to be provided irrespective of social class. Proper counselling also plays an important role in this case. Reference: Haynes, K.M., 2017. An Exploration of Trauma Markers in the Artwork of Serial Killers. Malizia, N., 2017. Serial Killer: The Mechanism from Imagination to the Murder Phases.Sociology,7, pp.44-59. Miller, L., 2014. Serial killers: II. Development, dynamics, and forensics.Aggression and violent behavior,19(1), pp.12-22. Stefanska, E.B., Beech, A.R. and Carter, A.J., 2016. A systematic review of the literature comparing male non-serial sexual killers and sexual aggressors: examining homogeneous and heterogeneous characteristics of these groups.Journal of sexual aggression,22(3), pp.323-341. Taylor, S., Cahillane, M. and Workman, L., 2017. Adopting the Bottom-up Approach and Cluster Analysis on North American and European Male Serial Killers: A Follow-up Study.J Forensic Res Ana,1(1).

Microenvironment Forces Facing the Luxury Brand Industry

There are many micro environmental forces affecting the luxury brand industry, and these include customers. Customers tend to come from different places hence inhabiting different characteristics and behaviors regarding spending. Depending on how they raise their incomes, consumers tend to spend in different ways. For instance, people with high incomes tend to purchase quality products regardless of their prices.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Microenvironment Forces Facing the Luxury Brand Industry specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This means that some people can afford expensive luxurious products while others can only afford cheap goods. This factor affects the luxury brand industry in a great way because if in a given location people are extremely poor then the profitability ends up being high and vice versa. Customers are dynamic, and they change with various factors within their environments and these chang es have significant impacts on industry performance (Earl and Kemp, 2000, p.76). Competitors pose enormous challenges to other players in the industry because they come out to fight for their stake in the market. This is tremendously significant because different players have to make sure that they consider providing the best to their customers. Customers’ purchasing decisions are guided by quality and affordability hence they opt to purchase goods from favorable sellers. In fact, customers prefer purchasing luxurious goods from providers who offer quality products at considerable prices (Lantos, 2010, p.67). Therefore, competitors play key roles in price stabilization, in the market, because they compete on price in order to offer their customers the best. Political factors have a lot of influence to the industry, as well. This means that leaders in any country or state may determine the type of business environment in which an industry operates. Politicians make decisions t hat affect people’s lives. Therefore, their decisions have a direct impact on consumer behavior. For instance, if they develop fiscal policies influencing consumption positively, then people may tend to buy a lot of luxurious brands and vice versa. In case, there is political instability in any country, consumer behavior is affected, and this affects the luxury brands industry in a great way (Lantos, 2010, p.67). For instance, violence caused by political actions may affect businesses leading to accumulation of losses. Losses can occur where people loot stores taking away stocks or destroying business premises causing losses for the business people. Factors increasing younger consumers’ interests in luxurious products Consumption of luxurious good is in rampant increase among young people in the society today. This is caused by the fact that young people are exposed to a lot of online marketing of luxurious brands hence creating awareness among the lot. This means that marketing is extremely crucial as creation of awareness leads to increase in buying.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Young people have a lot to do with the internet as compared to the elderly and this provides a scenario where customers learn about current affairs in the world. For instance, majority of young people are subscribed to social networks such as Facebook and twitter. Through these social networks, they get opportunities to meet and know other people from different parts of the world. Some of these people are professionals who may be out to look for customers from all over the world. For instance, a marketer may come up with a group in a social network to discuss their products with friends (Lantos, 2010, p.67). This may involve adding many people to the group regardless of where they come from hence creating a platform for advertising their products. People lear n about their products and they acquire as much information as possible from the site hence making purchasing decisions. This has led to the increase in the number of young people involved in purchasing of luxurious brands. Young people are so much into movies and latest music, and they become fans of given artists. Artists are used by companies to market their brands, and the strategy has actually worked for many organizations. For instance, many young people buy clothes with brands similar to those worn by their favorite actors or musicians. This is the reason why young people are spending a lot of money to buy luxurious brands. In addition, young people are after showing off to their friends (Earl and Kemp, 2000, p.76). This has led to increase in purchasing of expensive luxurious products because young people want to make sure that they have best brands. In fact, they compete on brands hence making substantial money for players in luxury brands industry. Finally, young people ha ve few responsibilities hence opting to spend their incomes on luxurious brands. Most young people have no families hence end up with a lot of money due to limited responsibilities. Reasons for the growing interest in fake luxurious brands among young people Higher income among the youth has led to increase in demand for luxurious goods. Manufactures have come out to take advantage of the situations by developing products which are not necessarily original to get a share of the increasing demand in the market. They have come up with products which are slightly different from the known ones hence confusing the situations on the ground.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Microenvironment Forces Facing the Luxury Brand Industry specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More For instance, Nokla has been produced to compete with Nokia and the brand has created an uphill task for the original Nokia. Copying well-known brands have made many customers choose brands without knowing about fake products since the difference is slight (Earl and Kemp, 2000, p.76). This means that marketers of fake products are remarkably specific when developing their brand names. This is because they know darned well that consumers are never keen about products names hence a slight change can work out for them exceptionally well. Governments have been unable to control this copying of brands because they get a lot in terms of revenue generated by fake brands. In fact, fake products are selling more than original ones because they normally sell at lower prices. In addition, marketers of fake products are extraordinarily sharp hence putting a lot of efforts to make sure that they win consumers’ minds hence influencing their purchasing power. Fake brands earn consumer credit easily because they are aimed at offering to consumers what the original brands do not. In fact, this has created perfect competing grounds for fake producers as they argue on additional features. Consumers prefer acquiring products with additional features without considering their quality. In fact, most of the fake products have shorter lives as compared to original products. This is the reason why they sell at comparatively low prices hence becoming appealing to consumers (Michman and Mazze, 2006, p. 46). In addition, many products keep on upgrading their status aimed at increasing perfection and productivity. This gives fake producers a chance to come up with their copied versions of the original versions hence being able to feature in the market effectively. In fact, products, which do not need upgrading, may not have fake versions since consumers get used to the original version and they enjoy its satisfaction. Issues that are giving rise to the consumer trend towards ironic purchasing of products Ironic purchasing of products is instigated by factors such as poverty. This is where people are poor, but they need luxurious goods in their lives. This leads them to purchasing fake products in order to satisfy their urge. These people purchase fake brands knowing exceedingly well that they are purchasing fake products. In many cases, people end up purchasing fake brands thinking that they are purchasing the original brands.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This can be attributed to lack of sufficient information regarding original brands. Majority of consumers in the market today deliberately purchase fake products because of their own reasons. Some may purchase such products just because they are cheap and justify their decision (Michman and Mazze, 2006, p. 46). This happens where people purchases fake products and when asked about the purchase, they defend their actions. This is particularly dangerous because people may end up consuming fake products hence denying original producers their rightfully owned benefits. In addition, there is a lot of marketing on the internet whereby fake products are advertised and displayed for customers on the internet. This leads to increase in purchasing of fake brands as consumers learn about them from the internet (Lantos, 2010, p.67). In fact, they can even get a chance to learn more about fake products from their marketers. These marketers convince online customers until they buy their products hence promoting ironic buying because customers buy these products thinking that they are original. The perception comes up where they believe that fake products should not be marketed on the internet. References Earl, P. E. and Kemp, S. 2000. The Elgar Companion to Consumer Research and Economic Psychology. Edward Elgar Publishing, Sydney Lantos, G. P., 2010. Consumer Behavior in Action: Real-Life Applications for Marketing Managers. M.E. Sharpe, London. Michman, R. D. and Mazze, E. M. 2006. The Affluent Consumer: Marketing And Selling the Luxurious Lifestyle. Greenwood Publishing Group, New York. This essay on Microenvironment Forces Facing the Luxury Brand Industry was written and submitted by user Karson Weiss to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Katherine Dunham essays

Katherine Dunham essays Katherine Dunham is known as of the most influential African American individuals, when it come down to the art of African Dance. Her unprecedented blend of cultural anthropology with the artistic genre of dance in the eartly 1930s produced ground breaking forms of movement in the United states. Dunham established African-American dance as an art in its own. Her professionalism lead the way for many other notable African dancers like Alivin Ailey and Aurthur Mitchell (Beckford, 76). Dunham lived a middle class life in Glen Ellyn, Illionois, when later a tradject event tore the family apart; her mother died and left her brother Albert Jr. and herself to their father Albert Dunham Sr.. Later fiancial obligations lead Albert Sr. to sell the familys home and accept a job as a travelling salesman. Dunham and her older brother Albert lived with their aunt Lulu, and then later stayed with their first cousin Clara Dunham, and her seventeen year old daughter. Both of the were actresses, who lived in an apartment that was also used as a rehearsal studio for black vaudeville shows, which they were producing. At that young age she was influenced by these talented women in her family and became int interested in the entertainment world. She later began to go to local shows and performances.(Dominy, 21) In 1920 Dunham moved out of her house with her step-mother because of the violence and abuse she endured from her father . She moved to chicago, and started to go to college with the help of her brother Albert Jr.. (Beckford 27). Her interest in dance arose more, started when she began taking dance classes and performed in several productions at the Cube Theathere. There she was introduced to choreographer Ruth Page and ballet dancers Mark Turbyfill, both members of the Chicago Opera Company All three later came together and opened up a dance studio calling their student, Ballet Negre to distinguish them as bl...

The Effects of the Speeches of Brutus and Anthony

The Effects of the Speeches of Brutus and Anthony The Effects of the Speeches of Brutus and AntonyJulius Caesar is one of Shakespeare's greatest works. It's about a group of conspirators who kill their king, Julius, in order to be free. Antony, opposed to the assassination, felt that he should avenge Julius's death. He delivered a speech that convinced the Romans that the murder was unjust, invoking their rebellion. Brutus, head of the conspiracy, also gave a good speech, but the Romans didn't react to it. A battle erupted, and most of the conspirators committed suicide. The styles of the two speeches were very different from each other.Brutus's speech was logical. It contained facts about Caesar's ambition. He reminded the people that Caesar would have become a tyrant and would have enslaved everyone. Brutus also explained that he didn't hate Caesar, but that he loved Rome more. The people didn't understand, however. At one point, they wanted to crown Brutus, who intended for everyone to be free.Bust of Gaius Julius Caesar in the N ational Archae...Antony's speech was long and it evoked pity and other strong emotions. He gave reasons that proved Brutus's points to be incorrect. Antony had the people surround Julius's body so that he could point out the wounds. As Antony identified each slice, he named the man who did it. In a sarcastic tone, Antony repeatedly referred to these 'honorable men.' The Romans became enraged and attacked Cinna, a man who they thought was a conspirator, who was actually just a poet.Brutus made a big mistake by letting Antony speak at Caesar's funeral. Antony's dramatic speech won the crowd over and ultimately resulted in the downfall of the conspiracy. The emotional style of Antony's speech was much more effective than the rational approach used by Brutus.

The UAW and It's Effects on the City of Detroit Term Paper

The UAW and It's Effects on the City of Detroit - Term Paper Example A popular third party representation for almost any labor or industry type is referred to as the labor unions. These unions are comprised of workers from within the company and industry; their collective function is to bridge the gap between the employees and employer through communication and serve as an organized voice for all employees. A labor union’s main objective varies and depends on the employees’ needs or grievances. However, majority of these objectives are geared towards the well-being of employees -- health care benefits, good or improved working conditions, increased salary to accommodate rising costs of living, skills enhancement, contract longevity, and so on. Employers, on the other hand, establish the relationship with labor unions through certain access to facts (e.g., profit, loss, operation costs, labor costs, et cetera) to which negotiation and a coordinated decision-making is firmly grounded. This access and hearing out of employer’s side e nables the labor union to observe impartiality. On a labor union’s perspective, this may also permit them to come up with demands that are realistically feasible for employers to meet. However, this does not work all the time. There are times when labor unions inadvertently choke up the business and industry with their demands. This challenge calls for a more diverse and flexible approach from labor unions. One such labor union, alleged of choking up the auto-making industry in Detroit, Michigan, is the United Auto Workers Union or UAW. This paper attempts to explore the effects of this labor union to the core industry of Detroit City. The UAW Founded in 1935 and is considered to be â€Å"one of the largest in North America,† the United Auto Workers Union (UAW) accomplished its pioneering work of â€Å"expanding the nation’s labor movement† as well as establishing the standards of labor conditions through â€Å"generous pension, health care, and job secu rity provisions† (â€Å"United Automobile Workers,† 2011, para. 1). Evidently, the UAW was successful in bringing about improvement in the working conditions of auto-laborers in vast coverage and was expected to continue growing and carrying out its mission. However, the year 1970 had marked the start of UAW’s turbulent years ahead; the â€Å"shrinking of the North American auto industry† and â€Å"the crisis that engulfed† Detroit’s Big Three (i.e., General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler) had set the â€Å"downward path† for the labor union (â€Å"United Automobile Workers,† 2011, para. 2). This series of crises had not just hurt the industry but also hurts the employees, as well. Inevitably, industries have to lower overall costs and the pressure of lowering these costs weigh down on the laborers’ wage and benefits. Consequently, companies cannot afford anymore the costs of benefits demanded by laborers and the UAW. Compani es and employees are torn between retrenchment and retaining but in the expense of lower wages and/or lesser benefits. Most laborers chose the latter and around December 2008, UAW membership among the Big Three’s, General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler, declined -- from 305, 000 to 139, 000 workers (â€Å"United Automobile Workers,† 2011). The Automakers’ fall Looking close, particular advancements in the auto industry had paved the way for Detroit’s demise. Price (2000) collectively called these advancements the â€Å"

Chronic and Complex Nursing Care Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Chronic and Complex Nursing Care - Case Study Example The musculoskeletal symptoms include pain, tendonitis, joint contractures, muscle weakness and arthritis. Urogenital symptoms include an increase in bladder wall, deposition of connective tissues and proliferative vascular lesions. In women, vaginal symptoms include tightness, dyspareunia and dryness. In men, there is a reduced penile blood flow leading to erectile dysfunction (Vlachoyiannopoulos, 2009). Prevalence The distribution of SSc is worldwide affecting all races. The prevalence of scleroderma has been estimated to be between 4 and 253 cases per million persons. Its susceptibility is influenced by factors such as sex, age, environmental exposure and genetic background. Family members may be affected by other connective tissue diseases meaning that a genetic factor might be an important factor in expression of the disease. The peak incidence is normally within the third and fifth decade of life. The ratio of male to female is approximately 5:1 while annual incidence being 14.1 cases per million. The highest prevalence for SSc has been found to be in Choctaw Native Americans in Oklahoma (Vlachoyiannopoulos, 2009). Treatment Therapy is normally individualized to each patient’s needs and clinical presentation due to the heterogeneity of SSc. The treatment is done for organ specific complications including: Raynaud Phenomenon This is done using long-acting channel blockers and angiotensin II receptor blockers. Phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors are mostly used in the treatment of secondary Reynaud phenomenon. An oral endothelin-1 receptor inhibitor can be useful to the patients having recurrent ischemic ulcers (Eisenberg M.E. et al. (2008)). Scleroderma Renal Crisis Patients with systemic sclerosis are advised to regularly check their blood pressure at home. ACE inhibitors are used to control hypertension since they are essential in preserving and restoring of the renal function (Eisenberg M.E. et al. (2008)). Gastrointestinal Complications Therapies are essential in the control of gastrointestinal symptoms while preventing GERD complications. Patients with SSc and gastrical antral vascular ectasia normally require coagulation of the endoscopic laser to reduce the bleeding risks. Intestinal pseudo-obstruction is normally diagnosed during the laparotomy time while bacterial overgrowth is treated by antibiotics. The mainstays of therapy for the intestinal overgrowth are the antibiotics and correction of nutritional deficiencies (Eisenberg M.E. et al. (2008)). Pulmonary complications patients having an early and progressive interstitial lung disease may benefit from oral or intravenous cyclophosphamide. Symptomatic pulmonary arterial hypertension is treated by oral bosentan, parenteral epoprostenol, sidenafil, inhaled iloprost and treprostinil. Continuous oxygen is also necessary for patients with hypoxemia (Eisenberg et al, 2008) Lung cancer Lung cancer refers to cancer that forms in the tissues of the lungs, mostly in the cells that are lining air passages. The main types of lung cancer are: small cell lung cancer and non-small cell lung cancer. These types are normally diagnosed on the basis of how the cells look under the microscope (Wender R. et al, 2013). Symptoms Lung cancer may either present with symptoms or found incidentally on the chest imaging. Symptoms of lung cancer may result from the local invasion or the compression of adjacent thoracic structure like the compression involving

Barclays Bank Essay Example for Free

Barclays Bank Essay Barclays is a major global financial services provider engaged in retail banking, credit cards, corporate banking, investment banking, wealth management and investment management services with an extensive international presence in Europe, the Americas, Africa and Asia. With over 300 years of history and expertise in banking, Barclays operates in over 50 countries and employs nearly 147,000 people. Barclays moves, lends, invests, protects money for more than 48 million customers and clients worldwide. (Barclays 2009) Barclays currently owns more stock (3.9%) than any other stockholder in the largest company on the planet, Exxon Mobil. The fundamental principal to Barclay’s philosophy is to include the interests of all of their shareholders from customers, employees, shareholders and the wider community in route to providing a valued and prosperous circumference of satisfied stakeholders. (thebanker.com, 2009) A high priority is placed on dealing with three lines of operations. Firstly, the banking division that provides up front service and customer attention to United Kingdom retail and business banking customers. The UK retail banking side courts some for 14 million accounts, servicing around 566,000 customers, while the business side lends service to primarily middle to larger sized businesses of around 180,000 customers. A second major focus for Barclays is Private Clients. Barclays stands today as the largest retail stockbroker in the United Kingdom, with clients mainly in the UK and the continental Europe. The gist of the client makeup is high net worth and clients of corporate billing. Third is the International Retail and Commercial Banking sector of Barclay’s business. Barclays has some 800 international branches placed throughout Europe, Africa and the Middle East, which provide a large array of services including current accounts, savings, mortgages and loans. (thebanker .com 2009) Others smaller areas of focus for Barclays are Barclays Capital, Barclaycard, Barclay Global Investors and Woolwich. It is within these areas that Barclay is placing a larger focus towards growing throughout the international markets. Barclays Capital is a global investment bank which provides advice and solutions to the financial and risk management needs of corporate, institutional and government clients.Barclaycard has some 11.2 million UK customers with 2.9 million cards issued internationally. This happens to have been the UKs first credit card and also the leader in card services provided over the internet 800,000 customers using the online account services. Barclaycard operates internationally throughout Europe, the United States and Africa and has recently made efforts to expand even more into the United States with the acquisition of the US credit card, Juniper Financial Corporation in December 2004. Barclays Global Investors is a world leader in providing investment management products and services and is also a global leading asset manager. In 1971 Barclays Global Investors created the first index strategy and followed this in 1978 with the first quantitative active strategy. Barclays Global Investors holds some 68 million British pounds in Exchange Traded Funds with over 100 funds in ten international markets for individual and institutional investors. Lastly, Woolwich is a mortgage business that was acquired by Barclays in 2000. It has been transformed into a division that deals largely with home financing and lends its branding to Barclays mortgages. Barclays has placed a great deal of interest in international growth beginning as far back as 1925 with the merger that began the formation of Barclays International Operations of three banks: the Colonial Bank, the Anglo Egyptian Bank and the National Bank of South Africa. This pushed Barclays into Africa, the Middle East and the West Indies. By the 1980s Barclays became the first bank to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission in the U.S. and by 1986 was the first British bank to be listed on the Tokyo and New York Stock Exchanges. Barclays Capital formed around the same time establishing an investment banking operation that today manages larger corporations and institutional businesses. In the mid-1990s Barclays formed Barclays Global Investors through the purchase of Wells Fargo Nikko Investment Advisers which was combined with Barclays BZW Investment Management. Barclays has also kept pace with innovation with concepts such as online customized servicing through Barclay s Private Bank and Premiere Banking. These steps have kept Barclays competitive in the banking industry and guided them towards a promising path in international growth. (thebanker.com) Foremost to continually compete internationally, Barclays must strive to perform customer service at an utmost level of excellence. This will promote Barclays worldwide as a business that can be relied upon time after time for small individual accounts as well as huge corporate accounts. To accomplish this, Barclays must identify their customer groups and the needs associated with each particular group and develop products and services that will be of great value to their customers. The practices that have worked in the past must be reconfigured to work for years to come and keep Barclays updated with the high changing IT world. This will call for new investments into new levels of technology that can help offer higher levels of service to its customers. Along with the apparent increase in speed that IT will allow Barclay to accomplish routine tasks, technology will also reduce risk of errors and fraud. (www.thebanker.com) this leads straight into a second integral point of interest for Barclays. The need to place major investments into the most modern and efficient IT systems available that enables top of the line business transactions to transpire unhinged. IT will allow up to date information to be at the fingertips of Barclay’s managers, giving managers a huge advantage when it comes to making decisions and in pin pointing groups of customers that can have a high added value to Barclays. The fine-tuning of IT will also eliminate weaknesses within Barclays practices, preventing failures that effect customers and thus reducing excessive and unnecessary costs.(thebanker.com)

Leonhard Euler :: essays research papers

Leonhard Euler   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Leonhard Euler, (born April 15, 1707, died Sept. 18, 1783), was the most prolific mathematician in history. His 866 books and articles represent about one third of the entire body of research on mathematics, theoretical physics, and engineering mechanics published between 1726 and 1800. In pure mathematics, he integrated Leibniz's differential calculus and Newton's method of fluxions into mathematical analysis; refined the notion of a function; made common many mathematical notations, including e, i, the pi symbol, and the sigma symbol; and laid the foundation for the theory of special functions, introducing the beta and gamma transcendal functions. He also worked on the origins of the calculus of variations, but withheld his work in deference to J. L. Lagrange. He was a pioneer in the field of topology and made number theory into a science, stating the prime number theorem and the law of biquadratic reciprocity. In physics he articulated Newtonian dynamics and laid the foundation of analytical mechanics, especially in his Theory of the Motions of Rigid Bodies (1765). Like his teacher Johann Bernoulli, he elaborated continuum mechanics, but he also set forth the kinetic theory of gases with the molecular model. With Alexis Clairaut he studied lunar theory. He also did fundamental research on elasticity, acoustics, the wave theory of light, and the hydromechanics of ships.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Euler was born in Basel, Switzerland. His father, a pastor, wanted his son to follow in his footsteps and sent him to the University of Basel to prepare for the ministry, but geometry soon became his favorite subject. Through the intercession of Bernoulli, Euler obtained his father's consent to change his major to mathematics. After failing to obtain a physics position at Basel in 1726, he joined the St. Petersburg Academy of Science in 1727. When funds were withheld from the academy, he served as a medical lieutenant in the Russian navy from 1727 to 1730. In St. Petersburg he boarded at the home of Bernoulli's son Daniel. He became professor of physics at the academy in 1730 and professor of mathematics in 1733, when he married and left Bernoulli's house. His reputation grew after the publication of many articles and his book Mechanica (1736-37), which extensively presented Newtonian dynamics in the form of mathematical analysis for the first time.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1741, Euler joined the Berlin Academy of Science, where he remained for 25 years. In 1744 he became director of the academy's mathematics section. During his stay in Berlin, he wrote over 200 articles, three books on mathematical analysis, and a scientific popularization, Letters to a Princess of Germany (3 vols., 1768-72).

Thousand Splendid Suns Comparison

It seems that War has found a home in Afghanistan. The people of Afghanistan have seen three decades of Anti-Soviet Jihad, civil war and Taliban tyranny. They have lived through unimaginable horrors and now, their incredible stories of hope and oppression are being told. In A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini and The Swallows of Kabul by Yasmina Khadra, the women are oppressed by their husbands and society. Mariam is passive and compliant while Zunaira is defiant and angry, yet both suffer the same pain and isolation. Initially, their suffering increases because their anger at being oppressed and tortured is deflected towards the wrong people, people who actually care for them. Through their difficult journeys, their eyes are opened up to the power and beauty of a loving relationship. The loss or gain of such a relationship is the defining factor of whether or not each character finds peace and self-worth. The women in both novels transition from a state of being hopeful to complete desolation due to the oppression in their lives. Initially, Mariam from A Thousand Splendid Suns expresses much hope about attaining a bright future. She wants to pursue an education as she says, â€Å"I mean a real school†¦like in a classroom, like my father's other kids† (Hosseini, 17). Mariam firmly believes that she can shed her shameful status of a bastard's child, and as she gets older, she takes strides to make this vision into a reality. Moreover, Mariam is constantly inundated with her mother's pessimistic ideals about life, but she believes that â€Å"You're [Mother] are afraid that I might find the happiness you never had. And you don't want me to be happy. You don't want a good life for me† (Hosseini, 28). As a result, at first, Mariam is a strong figure with a lively spirit who is able to combat much negativity in her life and continue to dream and hope of a better future. Perhaps, her naivety fosters these hopes and dreams as well. Later, Mariam's husband, Rasheed successfully crushes her strong spirit. During one of his fierce outbursts, â€Å"he shoved two fingers into her mouth and pried it open, then forced the cold pebbles into it†¦but he kept pushing the pebbles in, his upper lip curled into a sneer† (Hosseini, 104). Mariam is tortured psychologically, physically and her lively spirit is broken. She completely isolates herself from the outside world, and quietly suffers inside her house as â€Å"†¦Mariam was afraid† (Hosseini, 98). She is passive and compliant in the abusive relationship because she abandons all hope, and tries 1 to endure everything that falls upon her. Oppression crushes Mariam's inner strength and she becomes a walking dead person, confined to her own home. Furthermore, Zunaira from The Swallows of Kabul undergoes a similar transition from a state of hopefulness to desolation. At the beginning, Zunaira is a hopeful person. Her husband, Mohsen, says, â€Å"Her zeal was unmatched, save by the praises heaped upon her. She was a brilliant girl and her beauty lifted every heart† (Khadra, 73). She is extremely passionate about empowering the women in Afghanistan, that she even pursues a career as a magistrate to set an example to rest of her countrymen. Zunaira embodies hope, and positive change in a country devastated by war. Like Mariam, Zunaira's hopeful spirit sets her up on a high pedestal to fall from. Then, Zunaira is oppressed by the Taliban. She is writhing with anger and hatred when she says, â€Å"†¦the most detestable fact of [my] existence, to the constraint with anger and hatred that even in [my] dreams [I] refuse to accept: the forfeiture of [my] rights† (Khadra, 99). Anger and hatred threatens to rip Zunaira apart because she feels that the Taliban have stripped her off her dignity and humiliated her beyond endurance. Pride is important to Zunaira. Thus, she struggles to control her anger in public when she views the bitter state of her country, how the Taliban have destroyed her pride, hopes and dreams. Unlike Mariam, Zunaira is defiant and angry. Zunaira actually attains her goal of becoming a magistrate, and thus, she experiences a greater sensation of loss. Mariam and Zunaira combat the oppression in different ways but they suffer the same pain and isolation. Oppression induces a negative change in both characters. In addition, the women have coping mechanisms to deal with the sorrow in their lives. Their ability to cope is affected by family members. Mariam remembers her mother's story, â€Å"where each snowflake was a sigh heaved by an aggrieved woman somewhere in the World. That all the sighs drifted up in the sky, gathered in the clouds, and then broke into tiny pieces†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Hosseini, 91). Mariam is submissive in her abusive relationship because her mother has taught her by example, that Afghani women solely have to endure the pain and suffering in their lives. She makes no attempts to change her situation in her marriage because she lives by her mother's teachings. Perhaps, if Mariam were to stand up for herself or stir up chaos during one of Rasheed's beatings, Rasheed would not turn to violence against her so easily. Also, Mariam could have searched for alternatives to escape Rasheed before the Taliban implemented the harsh laws. Over the years, Mariam becomes increasingly helpless and miserable under Rasheed's rule, as she follows the model of her mother's teachings. Also, she deflects her anger and sorrow 2 towards the wrong people, people who actually care for her. Laila, Rasheed's younger wife tries to extend a friendship towards Mariam multiple times, but Mariam pushes Laila away. She screams at Laila, â€Å"†¦I have no use for your company†¦You will leave me be and I will return the favour. That's how we will get on. Those are the rules† (Hosseini, 226). As Mariam pushes Laila farther away, she only becomes a greater target of Rasheed's abuse because Rasheed tends to beat Mariam when he is angry with Laila. During a beating, Rasheed â€Å"held a belt in his hand†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and Mariam becomes absolutely petrified, but Laila tries to stand up for Mariam. United, Mariam and Laila are able to stand up to Rasheed and reduce the frequency and severity of Rasheed's beatings. By rebuffing Laila, Mariam only increases her own pain and suffering. The character's coping mechanisms seem to only destroy any remaining strands of courage and hope within them. Similarly, in The Swallows of Kabul, Zunaira tries to find a way to cope with the oppression in her life. At the beginning, she tries to forget her own pain and suffering to be strong for her husband. Mohsen, her husband, insists on taking a stroll in the streets of Kabul, and Zunaira refuses to go because she does not want to wear the Burqa. To Zunaira, the Burqa epitomizes the mistreatment and oppression of women in Afghanistan. In the end, Zunaira agrees to go with Mohsen when she says, â€Å"Let's go out. I'd rather run a thousand risks than to see you so demoralized† (Khadra, 79). Zunaira sacrifices some of her core values to make Mohsen happy, who is her only support system in this World. Though she does not want to lose Mohsen, her ability to cope with the oppression is hindered when she views firsthand the Taliban's brutality. Similarly, Zunaira's ability to cope with oppression is negatively impacted by the actions of her family members. Both women's hopes are crushed, but, Mariam becomes more compliant while a fire is ignited within Zunaira, which threatens to rip her apart. Also, Zunaira shuns her loved one out of her life. When Zunaira refuses to talk to Mohsen and remove her Burqa after the stroll in Kabul, he recounts, â€Å"her anger is so intense that her veil trembles before her agitated breathing and she says, ‘I don't ever want to see you again, Mohsen Ramat'† (Khadra, 129). At first, Zunaira uses her husband to cope, but later, she targets her fury towards him because she wants him to experience her great feeling of loss. Mohsen is a man, and Zunaira believes that a man will never allow a woman to attain her freedom. Like Mariam, she ends up deteriorating her life further because Mohsen accidentally dies during one of their fights. Thus, Zunaira loses another member of her family to the Taliban. Zunaira is angry, but her actions cause her loved ones to 3 suffer too, unlike Mariam who bottles up her fury and grieves alone. In the end, Mariam and Zunaira's coping mechanisms only accelerate their feelings of pain and isolation. Finally, the women in both novels undergo a period of self-realization by losing or gaining a loving relationship. Mariam is able to acquire a new found sense of inner strength. Laila and Mariam forge a special sisterly bond that Mariam can turn to for support and strength. Mariam says, â€Å"But, perhaps there were kinder years waiting still. A new life, a life which she would find the blessings that Nana had said a harami like her would never see† (Hosseini, 256). Her sisterly bond induces a positive change in Mariam as she starts to hope again. Mariam's spirit is rejuvenated, and she finds a newly acquired strength to defeat her oppressor, Rasheed. She frees herself off her primary oppressor for she finds the courage to kill Rasheed. She finds a state of inner peace at last. Also, Mariam finds a new purpose in life. Before Mariam is to be executed, she thinks, â€Å"A Weed. And yet she was leaving the World as a woman who had loved and been loved back†¦a person of consequence at last. No. It was not so bad†¦that she should die this way† (Hosseini, 370). Mariam is resented by her mother, father and husband, but her relationship with Laila and Aziza, Laila's daughter, redefine her outlook on life. Their love fills a hollow spot within Mariam, and it lessens the pain of living under oppression for decades. As Mariam has loved, she is finally able to shed her status of a arami and gain a new sense of selfworth. She sees the beauty in a loving relationship, and she finally does find peace and selfworth in her life. In The Swallows of Kabul, Zunaira makes an important self-discovery as well. By severing her ties to Mohsen, she attains a form of inner strength. When the Jailer, Atiq, tries to convince her to run away from the jail, she says, â €Å"I can't wait to get out of here, but not in the way you propose† (Khadra, 164). She accepts her fate and is prepared to die. With Mohsen's accidental death, Zunaira severs all ties to the physical world. She rids herself of all duties and obligations and deserts all of her hopes and dreams. She feels like a free spirit, symbolized by the removal of her Burqa. Her lightness renews her inner strength and now, she feels she can overcome any obstacle in her path, even dying. Though Zunaira attains a sense of inner peace by severing ties to loved ones, Mariam achieves this by finding the beauty in a loving relationship. Like Mariam, Zunaira is willing to die because their newly gained inner strength gives them the power to vanquish all obstacles in their path. Also, her loss of a loving relationship changes her perspective on life. She says to the Jailer, â€Å"We've already been killed, all of us, it happened so 4 long ago, we've forgotten it† (Khadra, 164). Zunaira realizes that she has lost everything to the Taliban, her family, her dignity, her hopes and dreams. When she sees that she has nothing worth living for anymore, she feels there is nothing more she can lose in this World, and thus, she thinks about life differently. The author does not elaborate about Zunaira's life after she is freed from the jail, but probably she dies in the near future because she does not have a home to return to. Similarly, Mariam and Zunaira are able to see the power and beauty of a loving relationship. Zunaira leaves behind her pride, and need to feel empowered while Mariam actually gains a new sense of self-worth. For Zunaira, leaving behind all the things attached to her relationship with Mohsen gives her peace. So, each character takes different routes to find peace and self-worth. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini and The Swallows of Kabul by Yasmina Khadra are both set in war-torn Afghanistan. The women are oppressed by their husbands and society. Then, the coping mechanisms they utilize only increase their pain and suffering. Finally, Mariam and Zunaira make an important self-discovery where they either gain or lose the power and beauty of a loving relationship to find peace and self-worth. Overall, Mariam and Zunaira seem to reverse their roles from the beginning to the end. Mariam is passive at first, but she becomes quite aggressive at the end. While, Zunaira follows the opposite path to achieve inner peace. Millions of women are oppressed around the World, and it seems that love is the critical factor to breaking the cycle of oppression.

Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens Essay

Oliver Twist is a novel written by Charles Dickens. The novel follows an orphan boy named Oliver through many trials and tribulations he must endure. Through this he does have a few kind, compassionate, and stable people to rely on. Two of the most important were Nancy and Rose Maylie. Within this essay I will give a detailed description of both Rose and Nancy and also compare and contrast the two. First I would like to introduce you to Nancy. Nancy is the only female character of Fagin’s group. Being a part of this group Nancy must steal from the rich in order to make money for basic necessities and keep her relationships with the crew. This lifestyle puts he in the criminal social class or otherwise know as the lowest of the low social class. Nancy, much like Oliver, was also an orphan growing up. She acquires no formal education; therefore she can neither read nor write. Even though Nancy was not blessed with the luxury of the basic upbringing, she maintains very impressive street smarts. She displays this when bringing stolen goods to Fagin that are bundled like a baby so it is not witnessed as suspicious. Nancy may have been a criminal but she had a great heart. She had a great relationship with all of Fagin’s boys and cared for all of them. She also cared greatly for her boyfriend Bill Sikes who, in my opinion, did not return this love. Bill was very abusive towards Nancy and seemed to threaten her on a regular basis. When confronted with the question, â€Å"Do you love me Bill?† by Nancy, he did not directly answer and proceeded to ignore the question. In the end it was also Bill who ended up murdering Nancy. Apparently, Bill Sikes thought Nancy telling Mr. Brownlow and Rose where to find Oliver was punishable by death. By following through with the action of â€Å"peaching†, Nancy shows how much she truly cares about Oliver. Another major character in Oliver’s life was Rose Maylie. Rose Maylie was a ward of Mr. Brownlow, therefore also making her an orphan. Mr. Brownlow was an Upper Middle Class man, which made Rose and Upper Middle Class â€Å"Victorian woman.† She, like many others from her social class, was well educated. She even was very talented at playing the piano. Mr. Brownlow’s grandson, Edward, wanted to marry Rose. Rose, seeing that Edward’s thinking was wrong, expressed to him how against the idea she was; something very uncommon for that day in age. Oliver was brought into the home by Mr. Brownlow after Oliver was wrongfully accused of pick pocketing him. While Oliver is changing into clean, more appropriate clothing, Rose notices scars on Oliver’s back due to beatings. From then on Rose feel obligated to protect poor Oliver. She becomes somewhat of a sister figure to him. Throughout the novel Rose protects and defends Oliver. As you can see Nancy and Rose are different in many ways. However, both women do have a few things in common. Rose and Nancy both had very different social classes.

Nora and Hedda essays

Nora and Hedda essays Nora and Heddas Struggle for Independence In Isbens two plays, A Dolls House and Hedda Gabler, one character of each play breaks the stereotype or mold that is put on them. These two characters are Nora and Hedda. There are likenesses as well as differences between the two, however. In A Dolls House Nora is the protagonist, while, in Hedda Gabler, Isben chooses to make Hedda the antagonist. Both Nora and Hedda are caught in a masculine world, but take a different approach to gaining their independence from their male counterparts. Nora chooses to simply walk away from the problem she faces. This action goes along with most mothers tell their children when they face similar situations. Nora is suppressed by Torvalds words. She tries to help her husband and, according to the author, saves his life. Torvald is unaware of her sacrifice and is ashamed of Noras deceitful behavior. She is finally sick of being called a little skylark and a spendthrift and decides to leave Torvald, which is unheard during that time. The play ends with Nora slamming the door and Torvald mumbling to himself. Audiences react so violently to this ending because it shows a woman taking charge of her life and breaking the mold that stereotypes her. Hedda takes a different approach to changing the circumstances that stereotypes place her in. Being a woman, Hedda is seen as meek and mild by the men in Hedda Gabler. Her dream is to control and eventually ruin a human destiny, which means she must gain the trust of, or seduce, a human being. Her character of choice, and old flame, is Lvborg. Hedda doesnt escape her problems and run for cover like Nora did. Instead, Hedda takes her problems head on in hopes of changing them for her benefit. Her sarcastic tone and evil behavior make a dangerous combination. The reader experiences this mix when Hedda convinces Lvborg to kill himself. Eventua...

KU, University of Kansas GPA, ACT SAT Admissions Data

KU, University of Kansas GPA, ACT SAT Admissions Data KU GPA, SAT and ACT Graph University of Kansas GPA, SAT Scores and ACT Scores for Admission. Data courtesy of Cappex. How Do You Measure Up at the University of Kansas? Calculate Your Chances of Getting In  with this free tool from Cappex. Discussion of KUs Admissions Standards: KU, the University of Kansas in Lawrence, isnt painfully selective, but students will need decent grades and test scores to get in. In the graph above, the blue and green dots represent accepted students. The majority of students who got in had high school GPAs of B- or higher, SAT scores (RWM) of 1000 or higher, and ACT composite scores of 20 or higher. Higher numbers clearly improve your chances. Youll notice a few red dots (rejected students) and yellow dots (waitlisted students) hidden behind the blue and green of the graph. Some students with grades and standardized test scores on target for Kansas did not get in. On the flip side, a handful of students were accepted with test scores and grades a bit below the norm. This is because the University of Kansas admissions process is not entirely quantitative. Grades, test scores and class rank play the largest role in the process, but Kansas is looking for students who have completed a challenging college preparatory curriculum, not just students with good grades. Also, admission standards vary from program to program. To learn more about the University of Kansas , high school GPAs, SAT scores and ACT scores, these articles can help: University of Kansas Admissions ProfileWhats a Good SAT Score?Whats a Good ACT Score?Whats Considered a Good Academic Record?What is a Weighted GPA? Articles Featuring the University of Kansas: KU Photo TourKansas CollegesBig 12 ConferencePhi Beta KappaAssociation of American Universities If You Like the University of Kansas, You May Also Like These Schools Kansas State University:  Profile  |  GPA-SAT-ACT Graph  University of Iowa:  Profile  |  GPA-SAT-ACT GraphWashburn University:  Profile  University of Arkansas:  Profile  |  GPA-SAT-ACT GraphIowa State University:  Profile  |  GPA-SAT-ACT GraphArizona State University:  Profile  |  GPA-SAT-ACT GraphUniversity of Kentucky:  Profile  |  GPA-SAT-ACT GraphUniversity of Florida:  Profile  |  GPA-SAT-ACT GraphBaylor University:  Profile  |  GPA-SAT-ACT GraphUniversity of Texas - Austin:  Profile  |  GPA-SAT-ACT GraphUniversity of Oklahoma:  Profile  |  GPA-SAT-ACT GraphEmporia State University:  Profile  University of Missouri:  Profile  |  GPA-SAT-ACT Graph

What were the cultural and social factors that created the conditions Essay

What were the cultural and social factors that created the conditions for the adoption of radio (wireless) by home users in the 1910s and 1920s - Essay Example The social changes that took place included the rise of mass entertainment in the form of radios as well consumer culture. Various social and cultural factors played a vital role in the adoption of radios by home users in the years 1910s and 1920s as the document discusses (Popular Science Monthly, 1917).   Broadcasting started acting as a crucial instrument in the political and social organization in early twentieth century. The aspect played a very crucial role in enhancing the adoption of radios by home users. At the peak of influence created by this factor, national leaders started making use of radio to address the entire nation. It was because the leaders had come to realize that radios had potential to reach large numbers of the citizens. The factor, therefore, created a necessity of the citizens to own and also adopt a radio so that they would remain updated on any update from leaders. The aspect hence caused many home users to adopt radios after recognizing how significant it was in communication (Hilmes, 2013).   The outbreak of First World War in Europe also triggered the necessity of understanding the activities that were taking place. The factor led to massive adoption of radio by domestic users. The main reason happened to be many people wanted to know the well about of their well about of their relatives in different places of the United States. Towards the final years of the nineteenth century and early twentieth century, radio broadcasting was under strict regulations from the government’s leaders. In 1910s, an Act that gave radio broadcasting freedom was enacted in the United States. One of the factors that got addressed in the Act was freedom of radio stations to be privately owned (Gernsback, 1924). The freedom gave helped the radio broadcasters to air diversified content in terms of news and entertainment. The factor created a sound condition for the adoption radio in homes. Much was available in the radios from

Historical words Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Historical words - Assignment Example Identification: Defenestration refers to the throwing of officials through the windows of their offices in protest to their decisions. In 1618, a similar incident happened in Prague again when the Catholic Church backed the installment of one of their members as Duke of Styria. On 23rd May, 1619, protestors, led by a Protestant group that opposed the Dukes installation entered the Prague Castle and threw four regents and the secretary out through the windows of the castle. Significance: It explains the absolutism and the unquestionable powers the the French monarchy had in those times. This laid the foundation for a dynasty that was not accountable to anyone and this resulted in a rule that caused hardships for the masses until they rebelled and started the French Revolution which led to the killing and abolition of the French monarchy at the end of the 18th Century. Identification: A Basque noble and military knight who lived between 1491 and 1556. He converted to serious Catholicism after he was wounded in a battle and took an oath to defend the Catholic faith through all means possible. Significance: Ignatius formed the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) which sought to evangelize and promote Roman Catholicism throughout the world. This was to counter the Protestant Reformation and it succeeded in becoming a major apostolic wing of the Catholic church that helped spread the Faith to other parts of the world in later years. Significance: Margaret Cavendish wrote about various subjects relating to politics, gender balance and scientific methods. Her writings helped to promote objective thinking and this supported the renaissance and enlightenment throughout Europe. Significance: The painting tells the story of the hardships that poor peasants had to go through in his part of Europe. It shows the need for massive enlightenment amongst the poor in Europe and sparked the Flemish renaissance which was a part

Personal statement of character Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Personal statement of character - Essay Example hat the maker of drugs should have the traits that are required to understand the philosophy behind the administration of drugs and their role in healing. When I first considered being a pharmacist, I did not base my decision on my mere aptitude at math and chemistry; it was also my personal qualities that motivated me to pursue a profession which is a crucial cog in the healing process. One of the most important qualities that can be of great assistance to me in my career as a pharmacist is my compassion for others. During my nursing profession, I often found myself empathizing sincerely with the patients and understanding their pain and suffering. My experience as a nurse has made me sensitive to the suffering of the people and the pain that they have to bear due to disturbances in their normal physiological functions. Bearing this in mind, my focus when preparing drugs would be solely to mitigate the pain and affliction of these people. I am a compassionate by nature and my poised and calm personality can be a great asset during my professional practice as a pharmacist. My experience as a nurse has equipped me with the skill of appeasing patients- an attribute that I feel is necessary for satisfying frightened and stressed customers. I am also good at sports and have remained an active sportsperson in tennis and basketball in my school and college years. Being a team member and working with the rest of the team members have equipped me with a very valuable trait- team work. The profession of pharmacy requires that the pharmacist interacts with a number of professionals from the health care field. These include doctors, drug retailers, lab technicians etc. Working in teams for the success of the team and assisting team members to improve their performance has not only made me more helpful but has also made me more goal-driven. My ambition has enabled me to deliver excellent results when working on my own. Table tennis is a sport that requires players to develop

Real Estate Intern Report Essay Example for Free

Real Estate Intern Report Essay The company analyzed and discussed in this analysis is one of many health insurance companies registered under the Security Exchange Commission. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated or commonly referred as, â€Å"United Health Group,† or the â€Å"Company is the central tenant which this paper will focus on.† The Company, which was formally known as Charter Med Incorporated, was founded by a group of physicians and health care professionals in 1974. Their main objective was to give consumers a broad variety of options on health care coverage. A decade later, UnitedHealth Group becomes publicly traded, concentrating heavily on modern day technology. As a public traded company, UnitedHealth Group can be denoted as their ticker symbol, UNH. UnitedHealth Group’s core structure posits the goal of helping people live healthier lives by innovating thinking. The foundation of the Company is derived from the best practices in the medical care business. By achieving this goal, UNH uses incorporates an innovative and progressive clientele for their business management team to advance the health of patients. In order to reach out to potential patients, the Company operates under two platforms: UnitedHealthcare, which offers health benefits, and Optum which provides health services. UnitedHealthcare segments include Employer Individuals, Medicare Retirement, Community State and International. In contrast, Optum’s sections consist of OptumHealth, OptumInsight, and OptumRx. To fully understand the Company’s strategy, we must first understand its mission. UnitedHealth Group mission is â€Å"helping people live healthier lives and making health care work better (UnitedHealth Group, Inc. 2012, p. 1).†After we have establish a sense of understanding, we can further conduct a series of analysis by using tools such as PESTEL, Porter’s Five Forces, and SWOT analysis. As a result, we will be able to interpret UnitedHealth Group’s strategy and its competitive advantage. PESTEL 1). Political A). â€Å"The laws and rules governing our business and interpretations of those laws and rules are subject to frequent change, and the integration into our businesses of entities that we acquire may affect the way in which existing laws and rules apply to us†¦agencies administering, interpreting and enforcing current and future regulations governing our business could force us to change how we do business, restrict revenue and enrollment growth, increase our health care and administrative costs and capital requirements, or expose us to increased liability in courts for coverage determinations, contract interpretation and other actions (UnitedHealth Group, Inc. 2012, p.17).† B). In general, health care industry is and will continue to be heavily regulated in order to protect consumers. Insurance companies and other identities must be licensed in order to operate and hold jurisdiction where business are practiced. The complexity of regulations impedes companies such as UnitedHealth Group from generating revenue. As a result, the regulations force the Company to change how they do business. For example, UnitedHealth Group signed a contract with the Department of Defense to provide coverage to those in the military who are active or retired. The service known as TRICARE Managed Care Support will serve more than 2.7 million beneficiaries in 21 states (UnitedHealth Group, Inc. 2012, p.4). Thus, the losses leveraged from other services or products did not satisfy proper regulation. 2). Economic A). â€Å"Unfavorable economic conditions may impact demand for certain of our products and services. For example, high unemployment rates have caused and could continue to cause lower enrollment or lower rates of renewal in our employer group plans and our non-employer individual plans (UnitedHealth Group, Inc. 2012, p.25).† B). Because the economy changes daily, it is impossible to predict the certainty of unemployment rates. Unemployment rates are inversely related to the success of company operations. Simply, if rates increase, then membership levels decrease. To manage the inconsistency of unemployment rates, UnitedHealth Group offers a spectrum of products and services. When the economy is strong, traditional plans that typically â€Å"include a full range of medical benefits and network options from managed plans such as Choice and Options PPO† (UnitedHealth Group, Inc. 2012, p.3), tend to thrive. Conversely, when unemployment is high and the economy is weaker, essential benefits product which offer less than traditional plans but still provide basic services such as guides to physicians, become copious. 3). Sociocultural A). â€Å"As we continue to expand our business outside the United States, acquired foreign businesses, such as Amil, will present challenges that are different from those presented by acquisitions of domestic businesses, including adapting to new markets, business, labor and cultural practices and regulatory environments that are materially different from what we have experienced in our U.S. operations (UnitedHealth Group, Inc. 2012, p.24).† B).Although the Company’s main operations are in the United States, it has expanded its operations to other nations. Conducting business internationally faces many factors such as â€Å"political, economic, legal compliance, regulations, and operational risks and exposures that are unique and vary by jurisdiction (UnitedHealth Group, Inc. 2012, p.17)†. But having already been exposed to these elements in parts of Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia the recent acquisition of Amil, whose services are dispersed throughout Brazil, will face minimal encumbrances. Additionally, Amil’s products and services are much similar to those offered by UnitedHealth Group and thus effortlessly adapting to the new markets. The new market, which consist of over five million people, have been exposed to Amil’s health and dental benefits and have access to 45,000 contracted physicians (UnitedHealth Group, Inc. 2012, p.5). 4). Technology A). â€Å"Our ability to adequately price our products and services, to provide effective service to our customers in an efficient and uninterrupted fashion, and to accurately report our results of operations depends on the integrity of the data in our information systems †¦technology initiatives and recently enacted regulations, changes in our system platforms and integration of new business acquisitions, we periodically consolidate, integrate, upgrade and expand our information systems capabilities (UnitedHealth Group, Inc. 2012, p.26).† B). Technology is fundamental to UnitedHealth Group. In their earlier years, the Company provided physicians with office software that managed and controlled cost. Investing in technology can be costly, but for UnitedHealth Group it serves as a competitive advantage. One way UnitedHealth Group stays above average is by utilizing its information system’s user-friendly resources that help consumers control their decision on health care. These resources â€Å"provide greater transparency around quality and cost, such as the Premium Designation ® program and Health4Me for Apple ® and Android ® phones, myHealthcareCost Estimator, Health Care Lane and myuhc.com (UnitedHealth Group, Inc. 2012, p.2).† 5). Environmental A). â€Å"Relatively low interest rates on investments, such as those experienced during recent years, have adversely impacted our investment income, and a prolonged low interest rate environment could further adversely affect our investment income†¦delay in payment of principal and/or interest by issuers, or defaults by issuers, could reduce our net investment income and we may be required to write down the value of our investments, which could materially and adversely affect our profitability and shareholders’ equity (UnitedHealth Group, Inc. 2012, p.25).† B). As mentioned previously, UnitedHealth Group has an impact in the national and global economy. Due to its operations conducted on the international scale, UnitedHealth Group has significant exposure to environmental factors that directly affect shareholders’ equity. These factors include currency exchange, government intervention, and political instability. Because of the nature of the global economy, the Company must take preventative actions to protect their investments. This is exemplified when one takes note that the Company may choose to allocate its investments into smaller portfolios to help reduce exposure to the market. Additionally, the acquisition of Amil puts pressure on the company’s profitability. Fluctuating currency rates have an adverse effect on the Company’s cash flows. Thus, currency exchange may benefit UnitedHealth Group if not hindered by local government making transfer of funds difficult. 6). Legal A). â€Å"The Health Reform Legislation and the related federal and state regulations will impact how we do business and could restrict revenue and enrollment growth in certain products and market segments, restrict premium growth rates for certain products and market segments, increase our medical and administrative costs, expose us to an increased risk of liability†¦or put us at risk for loss of business†¦may also create new or expand existing opportunities for business growth, but due to its complexity, the impact of the Health Reform Legislation remains difficult to predict and is not yet fully known (UnitedHealth Group, Inc. 2012, p.11).† B). Health care regulations affects the whole industry who range from consumers to providers. Because insurance companies are so controlled, it obstructs the way businesses are run. Regulations that apply to health care companies, such as UnitedHealth Group, increases loss of business. For example, legislation will â€Å"includes an annual, non-deductible insurance industry tax to be levied proportionally across the insurance industry for risk-based products (UnitedHealth Group, Inc. 2012, p.35).† As a result, the Company is force to pay an upwards of $8 billion and gradually increasing every year. Porter’s Five Forces 7). Current Competitors (High) A). â€Å"†¦competitors include Aetna Inc., Cigna Corporation, Coventry Health Care, Inc., Health Net, Inc., Humana Inc., Kaiser Permanente, WellPoint, Inc., numerous for-profit and not-for-profit organizations operating under licenses from the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, and, with respect to our Brazilian operations, several established competitors in Brazil, and other enterprises that serve more limited geographic areas (UnitedHealth Group, Inc. 2012, p.14).† B). The companies stated above are a select few who construct the health care insurance industry. The thin selection of insurance companies causes companies to compete highly with each other to gain market shares. Health care insurance companies are much alike offering similar coverage to their clients. In order to have the upper hand, UnitedHealth Group spends an ordeal amount of money on technology to differentiate their products. Thus created plans for members to be â€Å"provided access to clinical products with the goal of helping them make better health care decisions, and thus better use of their medical benefits, with the ultimate goal of improving health and decreasing medical expenses (UnitedHealth Group, Inc. 2012, p.14).† 8). Threat of New Entrants (High) A). â€Å"In particular markets, competitors may have greater capabilities, resources or market share; a more established reputation; superior supplier or health care professional arrangements; better existing business relationships; or other factors that give such competitors a competitive advantage†¦merger and acquisition activity has occurred in the industries in which we operate, both among our competitors and suppliers†¦Consolidation may make it more difficult for us to retain or increase our customer base, improve the terms on which we do business with our suppliers, or maintain or increase profitability (UnitedHealth Group, Inc. 2012, p.22).† B). Due to the limited amount of insurance companies, other companies compete for market shares. Top companies like UnitedHealth Group hold sizable portions in segmented markets. Moreover, mid-size companies merge together in order to increase their shares in the market. Similarly, bigger companies acquire smaller companies to broaden their consumer base such as UnitedHealth Group with Amil. 9). Power of Suppliers (Medium) A). â€Å"We contract with physicians, hospitals, pharmaceutical benefit service providers, pharmaceutical manufacturers, and other health care providers for services†¦Failure to develop and maintain satisfactory relationships with health care providers, whether in-network or out-of-network, could materially and adversely affect our business†¦ (UnitedHealth Group, Inc. 2012, p.22).† B). A strong connection with suppliers is crucial to the company’s business because it has a strong positive correlation between prospective clients. UnitedHealth Group is one of the largest amongst other insurers and attracts an abundance of health care providers. As a result, an increase in suppliers dilutes their bargaining power. 10). Power of Buyers (High) A). Under our risk-based benefit product arrangements, we assume the risk of both medical and administrative costs for our customers in return for monthly premiums†¦The profitability of these products depends in large part on our ability to predict, price for, and effectively manage medical costs (UnitedHealth Group, Inc. 2012, p.16).† B). It is human nature to desire a variety of choices. Although health care insurance companies are scarce, their products and services are not. In the case of UnitedHealth Group, a full range of services are offered to employers and individuals. As a result, consumers have the choice and power to select a plan that suits them well. â€Å"As the commercial market becomes more consumer-oriented, individuals are assuming more personal and financial responsibility for their care, and they are demanding more affordable products, greater transparency and choice and personalized help navigating the complex system (UnitedHealth Group, Inc. 2012, p.2).† Acknowledging this helps UnitedHealth Group to stay competitive. 11). Threat of Substitutes (Low) A). â€Å"Our information systems require an ongoing commitment of significant resources to maintain, protect and enhance existing systems and develop new systems to keep pace with continuing changes in information processing technology, evolving systems and regulatory standards, emerging cyber security risks and threats, and changing customer patterns (UnitedHealth Group, Inc. 2012, p.26).† B). Technology serves as a great substitute compared to basic products sold by insurance companies. Technology consists of software programs that track your health, new medical treatment devices, and the ever changing Internet. The issue with technology is that it can get very expensive for both the company and the consumer. Therefore, only those who can afford it are amongst a few. Conversely, companies who are not developing new information technology will lose their competitive advantage and ultimately give up their market shares. Consumers are likely to find a cheaper and better alternative otherwise. SWOT 12). Strengths A). â€Å"UnitedHealthcare provides network-based health care benefits for a full spectrum of customers in the health benefits market. UnitedHealthcare Employer Individual serves employers ranging from sole proprietorships to large, multi-site and national employers, as well as students and other individuals†¦ (UnitedHealth Group, Inc. 2012, p.1).† B). UnitedHealth Group sustains a competitive advantage through its diversified products and services. Coverage is offered to large scale employers, military personal, the elderly, and those who cannot afford health care through government sponsorship. The Company reaches to consumers throughout the nation and even internationally. 13). Weaknesses A). â€Å"†¦legal actions we face or may face in the future could further increase our cost of doing business and materially and adversely affect our results of operations, financial position and cash flows†¦certain legal actions could result in adverse publicity, which could damage our reputation and materially and adversely affect our ability to retain our current business or grow our market share in select markets and businesses (UnitedHealth Group, Inc. 2012, p.23).† B). The health care industry has have a negative connotation. The public views insurance companies as scammers that rob society. Companies gain a bad reputation when they get investigated by the Government. UnitedHealth Group’s goal is to provide people with healthier lives, not rob them financially. Consequently, â€Å"negative publicity may adversely affect our stock price, damage our reputation in various markets or foster an increasingly active regulatory environment, which, in turn, could further increase the regulatory burdens under which we operate and our costs of doing business (UnitedHealth Group, Inc. 2012, p.18).† 14). Opportunities A). â€Å"UnitedHealthcare International acquired Amil, which provides health and dental benefits to over five million people and also operates 22 acute hospitals, as well as specialty clinics, primary care, and emergency services across Brazil, principally for the benefit of its members (UnitedHealth Group, Inc. 2012, p.5).† B). The acquisition of Amil will provide UnitedHealth Group with newer market segments, more consumers, and increase the company’s revenue. Amil will also offer diversified product portfolio that contain a range of products offerings, benefit designs, and indemnity products. Furthermore, Amil will include various administrative services which include network access, care management and personal services (UnitedHealth Group, Inc. 2012, p.5). 15). Threats A). â€Å"Several of the provisions in the Health Reform Legislation will likely increase our medical cost trends. Examples of these provisions are the excise tax on medical devices, annual fees on prescription drug manufacturers, enhanced coverage requirements†¦the prohibition of pre-existing condition exclusions and the implementation of adjusted community rating requirements (UnitedHealth Group, Inc. 2012, p.19).† B).As mentioned in the PESTEL breakdown, under the analysis of the legal realm, Health Reform Legislation causes a serious threat to the well-being of UnitedHealth Group’s business. Excess taxes take away from the company’s profits thus rendering them unable to reinvest into their company. Lastly, prohibition of excluding pre-existing conditions may increase the risk and medical cost in the future. Competitive Strategy 16a. â€Å"We believe the principal competitive factors that can impact our businesses relate to the sales, marketing and pricing of our products and services; product innovation; consumer engagement and satisfaction; the level and quality of products and services; care delivery; network and clinical management capabilities; market share; product distribution systems; efficiency of administration operations; financial strength and marketplace reputation (UnitedHealth Group, Inc. 2012, p.14).† In order for a company to have sustainable competitive advantage, they must abide their company’s vital principals. UnitedHealth Group does not only accomplish their objective, but they surpass other companies’ strategy. First they exceed in sales by offering premium services such as UnitedHealthcare and Optum products. The company also provides a variety of these products and services ranging from value-oriented plans to essential-oriented plans. Secondly, UnitedHealth Group has an exclusive network system that only clients have access to. Clients have access to physicians and hospital that meet their unique needs. Moreover, the Company serves to large national employers, public sectors employers, and midsize employers to individuals. As a result, UnitedHealth Group is â€Å"providing nearly 27 million Americans access to health care (UnitedHealth Group, Inc. 2012, p.2).† Lastly, UnitedHealth Group is a massive health insurance company which has enabled them to control ample market shares. Their recent acquisition with Amil shows how strong UnitedHealth Group is financially. Overall, UnitedHealth Group is a leading company in health care insurance proven by their business factors. The Company uses a differentiation strategy to maintain its competitive advantage. Article 16b. UnitedHealth to buy most of Brazils Amil for $4.9 billion The company is making a bold move taking on the fast growing markets of Brazil. UnitedHealth Group has made record on being the first to acquire manage Care Company across seas. The acquisition will bring UnitedHealth Group more leverage and revenue to its operations. â€Å"Amil has more than 5 million clients in Brazil and owns 22 hospitals and 50 clinics. It forecast revenues of $5 billion for 2012, up 15 percent from 2011. UnitedHealth had revenues of nearly $102 billion in 2011 and expects the deal to slightly increase its 2013 earnings per share (reuters.com). Ultimately Amil’s operations will be similar to UnitedHealth Group in that it will provide its products and services to new market segments. In addition, â€Å"Brazils healthcare system consists of public and private plans, similar to the U.S. model. The number of Brazilians covered under private plans has grown more than 50 percent over the past 10 years to nearly 48 million people, roughly a quarter of the count rys population (reuters.com).† Work Cited Humer, Caroline. UnitedHealth to Buy Most of Brazils Amil for $4.9 Billion. Reuters. Thomson Reuters, 08 Oct. 2012. Web. 25 Sept. 2013. UnitedHealth Group, Inc. (2012). Form 10-K 2012. Retrieved from SEC EDGAR website http://www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml View as multi-pages

The Black Death Essay -- essays research papers

The Black Death   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Considered one of the worst natural disasters in world history, the Black Death came through Europe in 1347 A.D. It ravaged cities and town, causing a death to the masses, and no one was considered safe. The Plague is any epidemic scourge or calamity for which remedies are difficult to find, and according to the encyclopedia, plague is a common term for a disease of rodents that occasionally cause severe human infection. Named for the black spots that appeared on the victims’ skin, the original disease originated from Oriental Rat Fleas and black rats. It first infected Mongol armies and traders in Asia, and then began moving west with them as they traveled. There was no natural immunity to the disease, and standards of public health and personal hygiene were nearly nonexistent. It is believed that if people had not fled to nearby cities in hopes of escaping the plague, it might not have ever spread like it did. In the end, it passed through Italy, France, England, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Poland, Finland, and even up to the island of Greenland. City dwellers were hit the hardest due to the fact of crowded streets and the lack of sanitation. Up until the mid-15th century, recurrent epidemics prevented the recovery of Europe’s population to pre-plague levels. The Black Death was an important turning point for the history of Europe. This time was â€Å"the beginning of the end of the medieval period and the start of a social transformation of the continent.† The social and economic impacts of the plague were so huge, economics, politics and the European society would never be the same again.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The plague took on three different forms, each with its own unique way of killing. The most common, bubonic, was considered the mildest form, with a mortality rate of thirty to seventy-five percent. A person with this would be seen with enlarged lymph nodes in the neck, arm and groin regions, with headaches, nausea, body aches, and a high fever. The pneumonic plague was the second most commonly seen form of the Black Death. Only five percent of its victim’s survived, infecting the lungs, causing a person to cough and vomit blood. The least common form, but most deadly, with a one hundred percent death rate was the septicemic plague. Even today, if a person were to come up with this form of the... ...omes fell, resulting in the piles of accounts which survived the period of the Black Death. Many villages and hamlets were deserted and never inhabited again. Feudalism seemed to end with the coming of the Black Death, and many believe the two are directly related. Feudalism is known as the system of service in return for a grant of land, burdening the peasant with many obligations to his lord. The payments involved in feudalism were to be paid upon entering any land holdings, marriage, death, or any other occasions by which the individual lord and peasant agree. The plague seemed to speed up this process by dramatically reducing the number of peasants, and communication accelerated the matter.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Landlords tried their best to keep a cap on the rising wages and changing social ambitions of the peasants, but there was too much chaos in the system at the time. Lords and peasants were both looking for the highest wages they could possibly take. Because of this, no matter who you were before the plague hit Europe, anyone who survived the plague, additional wealth from the rise in wages and accumulated holdings of land hold by plague victims was in store.