Key Events in the Space Race Essay

The 60s were infamous for many rapidly changing aspects pertaining to different topics at the time. The subject of space was one not to be left behind. This decade would be one of the world’s golden ages of extraterrestrial research and every event during this time would be recorded into history. In a period most people know as the ‘Space Race’, the Soviet Union (USSR) and the United States (USA) would compete for supremacy in space exploration. Most events occurred in this decade, but the period of the ‘Space Race’ itself lasted from the 1957 to 1975. Sputnik 1, the world’s first artificial satellite, was launched on October 4th, 1957 by the USSR. Sputnik itself was a polished metal sphere, 23 in. in diameter, with four external radio antennae to broadcast radio pulses. It was sent into an elliptical, low-Earth orbit and provided scientists with information. Its purpose was to measure the density and composition of the upper atmosphere, as well as measuring solar radiation, magnetic fields, cosmic rays, etc. It travelled at about 18,000 mi. per hour, taking 96. 2 minutes to complete each orbit. Signals continued to reach Earth for 22 days until the transmitter batteries ran out of energy on October 26, 1957. Sputnik burned up on January 4, 1958 as it fell from orbit upon reentering Earth’s atmosphere. It travelled at about 43. 5 million miles and spent a total of 3 months in orbit. Although life had been sent into space before, Yuri Gagarin would be the first human to exit Earth’s atmosphere. He was born on March 9, 1934 in a small village in the Soviet Union called Klushino. The cosmonaut boarded onto Vostok, a craft that consisted of a spherical descent module, 2. meters in diameter, which housed the astronaut, instruments, escape system, and a conical instrument module, containing propellant and the engine system. Upon reentry into the Earth’s atmosphere, the cosmonaut would eject from the craft at about 7,000 m. and descend via parachute, while the capsule would land separately. Gagarin’s mission to circle the Earth on April 12, 1961 lasted for 1 hour and 48 minutes. He was only 27 years old at the time and that was the first and last time he went into space, since he was too valued to send on a risky mission again. Gagarin may have been the first human in space, but Alan Shepard became the first American to exit Earth’s atmosphere. He was born on November 18, 1923 in Derry, New Hampshire. Although the flight was originally scheduled for October 1960, delays by unplanned preparatory work meant that this was postponed several times, initially to March 6, 1961 and finally to May 5. On April 12, 1961, Soviet astronaut Yuri Gagarin had become the first person in space and to orbit the Earth. On May 5, 1961, Shepard piloted the Freedom 7 mission and became the second person, and the first American, to travel into space. The suborbital flight only lasted a mere 15 minutes, but the launch was seen live by millions. While the USSR was showering in fame and glory, ahead of the US in the ‘Space Race’, America’s President John F. Kennedy declared the dramatic and ambitious goal of sending a citizen safely to the Moon before the end of the decade on May 29, 1961. This was announced before a special joint session of Congress. This decision would soon change the world forever in 1969. The Soviet Union left the United States in the dust again when they sent Alexey Leonov, a Russian cosmonaut, to become the first human to conduct a spacewalk on March 18, 1965. He was born on May 30, 1934 in Listvyanka, Kemerovo Oblast, USSR. His walk in space was originally to have taken place on the Vostok 11 mission, but this was cancelled, and the historic event happened on the Voskhod 2 flight instead. He was outside the spacecraft for 12 minutes and nine seconds, connected to the craft by a 5. 35 m. tether. America was humiliated once again in early 1966 as it watched the USSR successfully land the world’s first spacecraft to achieve a soft landing on the Moon. Luna 9 was launched on January 31, 1966 and landed on the Moon’s surface on February 3, 1966. Its mission was to land safely on any planetary body other than Earth and to transmit photographic data back. Signals lasted for 6 days until the last transmission was sent on February 6, 1966. The spotlight was moved from the Soviet Union onto the US for once when the country launched the Apollo 11 mission, an event that would forever change history. The primary objective of Apollo 11 was to complete a national goal set by President John F. Kennedy on May 25, 1961: perform a crewed lunar landing and return to Earth. The crew consisted of Neil Armstrong as the Commander, Michael Collins as Command Module Pilot, and Edwin â€Å"Buzz† E. Aldrin, Jr. as the Lunar Module Pilot. Apollo 11 was launched on July 16, 1969 and successfully landed on the Moon on July 20, 1969. Millions of American watched the event live on television. Armstrong set foot on the moon and declared â€Å"That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind. † A few minutes later, Aldrin joined him. Together they collected soil samples and took photographs. They stayed on the moon for 21 hours. Many experiments were tested and 22 kilograms of lunar samples were collected. On July 24, the astronauts returned home aboard the command module Columbia, landing in the Pacific Ocean. On August 13, they rode in parades in their honor in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Indeed, the time of the ‘Space Race’ is one not to be forgotten by the world. The Soviet Union and United States must be well acknowledged for all the effort spent on the study of space alone. While the USSR won some battles, the US won others. That, however, will never change the fact that they impacted the world, science, and history today.

Arts In The Education Of Young Children Education Essay

Art is an first-class signifier for immature kids to show feelings, thoughts and their apprehensions about themselves and the environing as they see it. They enjoy experiences in ocular art, music, play, motion and dance. Piaget ‘s influence of drama a critical human features besides categorise drama as activities of humanistic disciplines such as playing music, doing and executing dramas, painting images and reading novels. These experiences allow them to be originative, inventive and expressive ( Swanwick, 1988 ) . Loris Malaguzzi as cited in McArdle ( 2003 ) states that humanistic disciplines open a window of chances for kids to utilize a 100 linguistic communications, a 100 custodies, a 100 ideas, a 100 ways of thought, of playing and speech production. My statement on the importance of humanistic disciplines in immature kids instruction will be with specific illustrations from ocular and music. Fraser ( 2005 ) states that in many parts of the universe the preschools have rich resources of art stuffs like clay, pigments, montage stuffs and play dough available but rarely integrated into the plan. The instructors rarely promote the kids make usage of the stuffs other than for centripetal geographic expedition. In our preschool and many other preschools in Singapore it is merely displayed as a show piece to demo new walk in parents coming in for questions that such resources are available but they are non liberally used in the plan. Duffy ( 1998 ) states that to elicit kids ‘s originative and inventive experiences sufficient infinite to work and easy accessible resources must be offered to them. The esteemed Reggio Emilia early childhood plan that Singaporeans believe has a civilization of holding pedagogues who consider art non in isolation but integrated as one of the 100 linguistic communications kids use to look into and stand for the universe ( Fraser, 2005 ) . An i llustration will be exposing clay, wood, stones, shells and dried grass that are beautifully laid on the tabular array for kids to believe how birds use clay to construct their nests and the instructor scaffold the kids to propose how the kids can research with the stuffs themselves. These art signifiers provide immature kids with chances for self-awareness, societal interaction, geographic expedition, use that stimulate their senses and enhances their acquisition and originative thought. Spencer ( as cited in Swanwick, 1988 ) states that art should non be dissociable from instruction as leisure but occupy the leisure portion of instruction. Pulling is cardinal to all ocular communicating and yet in a recent study by Clement in1994, 60 per centum of the instructors do non cognize how it might best be taught and they requested further in service preparation if they are to learn the art course of study ( Cooke, Griffin and Cox, 1998 ) . Cooke, et Al. ( 1998 ) states that pulling arouses imaginativeness and it helps in entering their observations in other countries of course of study. The beauty of the kids ‘s work in Reggio ‘s 100 linguistic communications of kids, exhibit the undertakings that utilize kids ‘s symbolic linguistic communications, which include pulling, painting and building clay modeling. Cooke, et Al. ( 1998 ) states that representational drawing are ocular communicating which is comparatively easy to read and is used in different civilizations at different times throughout history. Children in Reggio Emilia usage drawing as the fastest and most direct manner of seting their thoughts across and doing them seeable. This processes show the kids ‘s manner of doing sense of the universe through representation. They spontaneously use pulling as a linguistic communication to stand for their thoughts to show their emotions and pass on the thought of immature kids. Kolbe ( 2001 ) states that ocular humanistic disciplines is an unbelievable powerful tool that enables kids to explicate things to themselves and to others. Children understand their potencies for personal looks by experimenting with art stuffs and procedures. They develop good motor control, linguistic communication and job resolution schemes, societal accomplishments and aesthetic consciousness and grasp. Children early exposure to ocular humanistic disciplines in Reggio Emilia enable them to hold deep apprehension of making high quality art. They are introduced to line, coloring material, forms and signifier, form and texture. Lines are everyplace and kids are introduced to forms such as long, short, thick, fat, heavy, thin horizontal, perpendicular, diagonal, jagged, smooth, uninterrupted and broken. Children are besides introduced to the names of colors as primary and blending two primary colorss to do secondary colorss and observe sunglassess of colorss such as warm, cool, dull, light, pale and dark. Shape and signifier refers to the country of an object or image, lines or colorss that create boundaries within a image that create forms. Children can pass hours gleefully making three-dimensional representations of things they see utilizing clay, dough or blocks and introduced to vocabulary such as unit of ammunition, ellipse, trigon, wide, narrow and broad. In images and three-dimensional graphicss, kids can look out for represented or contrasting colorss, lines, forms or combinations of these elements. Texture refers to the haptic quality of objects, either in existent life or simulated by combination of art elements in a image. Children may look for and screen out objects of different texture to make a image. They could besides look at a image and conjecture if an object is unsmooth, smooth, furred, prickly, slippery, difficult or soft. The rules of the ocular humanistic disciplines are unity, beat, proportion, design, balance, harmoniousness, contrast and repeat. Pulling picture and working with clay hence should be the nucleus countries of ocular art plans and should be offered daily, so that kids come to understand and utilize these media for cognitive and expressive intents. There are cumulative phases in a kid ‘s development and as psychologist, Eleanor Maccoby ( as cited in Swanwick, 1988 ) mentioned that development occur in a consecutive order and Maccoby ( as cited in Swanwick, 1988 ) mentioned that the series of kids ‘s imperfect development is at a reasonably standard timetable. Swanwick ( 1988 ) states that the influencing factors are the familial heritage and the environment illustration the place, school and society where the kid is exposed. Piaget ( as cited in Swanick,1988 ) states that feeling of power is the pleasance of a kid researching and get the hanging the environment and an illustration is the babe larning to reiterate a vocal sound or agitate a rattling continuously. Music is representational and Swanwick ( 1988 ) states that the kid is able to copy and the kid is able to make new relationship through imaginativeness. Swanwick ( 1988 ) besides states that the critical human features play is per se bound with playing musi c. A kid ‘s self-generated music behavior through Piaget ‘s theory of meaningful drama triggers imaginativeness than the structured music instruction. Winston ( 2010 ) states that playing is a verb applicable to the originative procedure illustration instrumentalists with melodious and harmonic possibilities to the development of accomplishments practised through playing. The right hemisphere of the encephalon maps and probes have shown that the right encephalon has particular maps of the sensuous, the spatial and the intuitive that all helps in the imaginativeness procedure ( Swanwick, 1988 ) . If instructors work with a standardized theoretical account, the kids ‘s inventive qualities are lost as they are tuned merely to the creative activity of music of what the instructor ‘s learn them to compose ( Young and Glover, 1998 ) . Learning music is bound by the theoretical trigon of command, imitation and imaginativeness and the rhythm is continues with the kid ‘s different phases of growing and besides when larning a different musical instrument. A kids ‘s first response to the music before they turn one twelvemonth old is the tone by larning to reiterate what they hear and master the tone. The following phase will be copying the physical motion in relation to the beat of the music and it occurs between 18 months and 2 old ages old. Around the age of four kids are able to build inventive vocals and to scaffold their cognition a good acquisition environment is essential.Their natural intrinsic musical endowment the kid manifest can be farther developed through extrinsic schoolroom larning environment. Andress states that music play country should pull kids to trip wonder so that they will be motivated to affect in doing and reacting to music. Opportunities should be given to kids to make their ain music with broad picks of musical instruments available and besides to listen to others music and learn to copy the music that they prefer. Music should be integrated as portion of the plan in the schoolroom and pick of single and group musical activities should be provided. The activities should be combination of child-directed or grownup facilitated as a group. The type of musical activities can be composing and improvizing with instruments and voice, notating, listening to music, playing instruments, singing invented or canonic vocals. The activities can be interconnected to complement one type of activity to do it more lively and disputing for the kids. The adults function will be placing the kids ‘s potency and help the kids in developing their musical competency and enjoyment. The importance of humanistic disciplines can merely be felt and appreciated if the lead comes from the Education Ministry. Singapore instruction system is structured with accent on the degree Celsius onfucius philosophy on meritocracy. They give strong support in the acquisition of Science and Mathematics related topics but really small support on humanistic disciplines. Gifted kids on Science and Mathematics ( Ministry of Education, 2012 ) are identified at an early age of nine and specially groomed to heighten their familial capablenesss. Parents by and large feel that Science and Mathematics are more of import than humanistic disciplines and many kids who have natural endowment and involvement in humanistic disciplines are non given the chance to supply an environment. Our authorities besides do non supply avenues for kids with natural endowments in humanistic disciplines to be identified and specially groomed. I am besides one of the luckless individual whereby I loved ocular hum anistic disciplines but I was non given an chance because during my clip technology topics were favoured so that we can procure successful and high salary calling when we grow up. If importance in humanistic disciplines is given at the primary and higher degree instruction I believe parents perceptual experience on the importance and the demand for presenting humanistic disciplines at an early age will alter. This will promote preschool pedagogues to give more accent on incorporating humanistic disciplines in the pre-school course of study as day-to-day activities.

How Does a Person Live a Meaningful Life Assignment

How Does a Person Live a Meaningful Life - Assignment Example A meaningful life is a life lived in kindness both on the inside and on the outside, and more than anything, should be a person not only of contemplation but also of action. The one quality that makes someone live a meaningful life is the life of kindness. Unless someone is kind, he will never be able to fully understand another person. When one is kind, he will be able to help other people not only through his acts of kindness but just by being a kind person to them. There are three advantages to being kind. First, through his example, he can inspire others to be also kind to their neighbors. Whenever there is a natural disaster that strikes a particular place, we cannot help but be inspired by people who lend a helping hand to the victims and we are then filled with their inspiring kindness, and then we then help these people. Had it not been for the kindness of some people, not many other people would decide to make donations to a particular charitable organization. A second advan tage of kindness is that it is its own reward, which means that the moment one shows kindness, he must already be happy with what he is doing. Moreover, in a supernatural point of view, those people who do acts of kindness sincerely are actually even rewarded more by God. Although a truly kind person does not expect any reward for what he has done, somehow God rewards him in secret. A third reason for why kindness defines meaning in life is that when one is kind, he will be able to get to know so many people whose lives he will touch and who can help fill his happiness. Also, in the realm of the supernatural, perhaps this is where one can find someone who he can love for the rest of his life, or he may be able to help. Indeed, with kindness nothing can go wrong. The saint is an example of someone who acts with kindness. He exemplifies kindness through his work and through his actions. The saint touches people’s lives only through her kindness. It is actually not his or her fa ith that moves the congregation but her kindness, and this kindness cannot be without action. The reason is that kindness cannot be the kindness that we know if it does not involve sincere giving of oneself and of one’s time and resources. In short, the action aspect of kindness is already embedded in its name and in its definition. You cannot therefore define, explain or talk about kindness without demonstrating it. This is also the reason why it is just natural for the saint to be kind and to exemplify kindness. The saint is actually the living example of kindness. Aside from kindness, another factor that makes life a meaningful one is that of sincerity, for without sincerity, there is no desire to be kind. Sincerity therefore is the one thing that determines the degree of kindness that one wants to express to someone who needs it. How then can sincerity be attained? As Plato taught us, we need to constantly contemplate our lives and we need to continue asking questions. As long as we contemplate our lives, we then try to understand how different or how similar our actions are to our true intentions. Thus, through contemplation we will at least have an idea whether what we are doing is sincere or not. The philosopher Plato has once asked the Greeks to contemplate on their lives and to keep asking questions in order to find out whether what they were doing were still moral or not anymore. From this, one would like to think that Plato was asking the Greeks also the question of finding out whether what they were doing on the outside were still in synch with what they had been wanting to do on the inside. For if these two things are similar, then that is a powerful combination that yields fruitful action and that if

Essay questions Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2

Questions - Essay Example It would mean that he will not be able to turn a new leaf within his repertoire and hence his success is not guaranteed. â€Å"Life is like a roller coaster† means that life has twists and turns within it and it is not easy to understand the different life events. I have used â€Å"no risk, no gain† when I told one of my subordinates to be more liberal within her approach towards work. I told her specifically to take risks so that she could become more serious about her work tasks. The mantra of â€Å"life is a roller coaster† seems applicable in my case when I have used it with my friend who was not able to understand how life can be so bad with him. He tried to understand how he could have failed the exams that he was supposed to pass. In the future, I would be able to use these mantras productively if I ascertain the exact manner in which their role becomes magnified. This is so done through an understanding of the different life events, as and when they shape up. I would find out the true meaning of these mantras if I make their proper usage because this is deemed as very significant at the end of the day. Hence the mantras represent their own meanings and should be understood as such. 2. How do you stop a Run away horse? Name, define and explain the three strategies which don't work and the one strategy which does work. Provide a specific example of a "runaway horse" situation in your own real life. Explain how you (or could you have used) each of the three strategies which don't work and what the results of using each strategy was (or would have been). Explain how you used (or could have used) the strategy which works and what the results of using these strategy were (or would have been) Stopping a runaway horse is indeed a difficult thing to do, and more so within the reins of changing workplace scenarios. These three strategies which would not work include abandonment, acceptance and manipulation. The strategies which do not work in the wake of the runaway horse include the fact that they are given more room to expand their basis and thus lead the company from the front. The other strategy that is employed but does not work at all for their sake is to make them sit at important positions within the office environments. Lastly the strategy that is made use of and still does not work at all is that of finding more subordinates or peers to work along side them so that they can feel comfortable about the same steps by the organization. However these three strategies remain as failures and the runaway horse finds a new ground where it can start again. The strategy which does work however is that of a better pay or salary that is given to this individual who could later on be remarked as the runaway horse. In my own life, I switched companies when I found a golden opportunity up my sleeves. I cashed in on the chance because it gave me a better future and a career to long for. I would have used these strategies (aban donment, acceptance and manipulation) to good effect by having everything in writing and making use of the important pointers within their realms to extract the best possible returns for my professional commitments. Also I would have made use of the strategy that worked by asking for more remuneration so that the organization allots me a better package at the end of the day. The results would have been much better had I made use of this strategy than most of the people would employ in their respective cases. 3. Select one relationship which is important to you

Graduation Speech Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Graduation Speech - Essay Example I’m thrilled to know that we are now among the great people who has gone through this university and added to the rich history of our nation. A time has now for u to reach out to the whole world and shield our last few years of dedication and commitment. In spite of the currently prevailing economic slump, good institutions and organizations are out there in search for great minds. This University has a prosperous history showing a steady trend of success tales, and the university’s statistics indicate that the most excellent brains have been shaped and trained here. This is the best time to turn back and contemplate the expedition of our past few years in university. We all have persisted and conquer many impediments and personal issues to be here today. We worked so hard even in situations where some of us had to spend few hours off in order to raise the university fees. We had all our assignments even in circumstances where we had to skip precious sleep and occasional meals. In some instances we challenged our professors whenever we noticed mysteries in the scientific assumptions and theories. We would sometimes read new things like yesterday and almost immediately forget, but we still had a look at the same book the following day. At the beginning of the university we would miss a few classes, but still we became time management experts. Whatever we have leaned from this university will help in our personal and intellectual growth process. At this moment we are on the winning band; this particular day is not the finish line of our last lap in the voyage of life but the launch of a trip with unforeseeable future. With all the information and knowledge that we possess, this is the best time to emphatically decline the conservative and conventional wisdom that success is something for the privileged few and the rich. This university for the last few years has prepared us

Pain Management in a Polytrauma Patient Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Pain Management in a Polytrauma Patient - Essay Example Nociceptive pain comprises of two other classes: radicular and somatic pain. Radicular pain primarily stems from nerve roots irritation such as a disc herniation (PubMed). It follows the leg down to the nerve distribution from the root nerve at the spinal cord. In most scenarios, this class of pain associates with radiculopathy (numbness, weakness, loss of reflexes in nerve distribution). Somatic pain essentially affects the thigh and back. The problem with back pain is that polytrauma patients may not be in a position to provide appropriate history. However, doctors usually provide exact diagnosis in few cases even with appropriate information. Patients suffering from neuropathic pain display characteristics of complete or partial changes in the innervations territories that correspond to the central nervous or peripheral system pathology. Additionally, there is paradoxical occurrence of hypersensitivity and pain in denervated zones and their surroundings (Thomas 125). These nerve p roblems occur in different conditions and different locations of the nerve lesion. Consequently, there is no single mechanism entirely responsible for maintaining and generating all the signs and symptoms in neuropathic pain. Overall treatment of neuropathic pain remains a problem, though the increasing evidence of effective neuropathic pain treatment makes it important for clinicians to know the effective drugs in relieving pain as well as their side effects. Additionally, there is need for a treatment algorithm based on evidence for treating neuropathic conditions. A direct comparison of different drugs in both their side effects and efficacy will ideally lead to the best drug for the... Patients suffering from neuropathic pain display characteristics of complete or partial changes in the innervations territories that correspond to the central nervous or peripheral system pathology. Additionally, there is paradoxical occurrence of hypersensitivity and pain in denervated zones and their surroundings (Thomas 125). These nerve problems occur in different conditions and different locations of the nerve lesion. Consequently, there is no single mechanism entirely responsible for maintaining and generating all the signs and symptoms in neuropathic pain. Overall treatment of neuropathic pain remains a problem, though the increasing evidence of effective neuropathic pain treatment makes it important for clinicians to know the effective drugs in relieving pain as well as their side effects. Additionally, there is need for a treatment algorithm based on evidence for treating neuropathic conditions. A direct comparison of different drugs in both their side effects and efficacy w ill ideally lead to the best drug for the algorithm. However, the availability of such comparisons is limited. The other viable option is to estimate relative safety and efficacy using the number needed to harm (NNH) and the number needed to treat (NNT) approach. Past research and studies using this approach appraise four pharmacological drug classifications that prove important in the management of neuropathic pain: antidepressants, anticonvulsants, opioids, and NMDA antagonists (Medscape).

Issues in global business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Issues in global business - Essay Example It has done an incredible amount to increase business productivity and trade and make many people richer. One of the founding economic theorists of globalization is David Ricardo who focused on distributing income among landowners and workers. He also had a lot to say about wages and prices. One of his big contributions was the idea of comparative advantage which involves countries with different advantages trading with one another in free markets so that both maximize their benefits. This underpins much contemporary regionalization and trade theory. What one country can do well, it can often do better with the help of its neighbours. Thus we see the process unfolding in Europe and Southeast Asia. Regionalization is not simply about economics: it is also about the cultural and social shifts that accompany the reduction in tariff and the easing of travel, communication, and trade. It is about the way people from all across the world and in a geographic neighbourhood can come together to have a conversation and to collaborate on numerous projects and cultural products. Cultural products are commodities too and they can be exchanged more easily in an open marketplace. Economic regionalization via NAFTA in the 1990s went hand in hand with the promotion of a new wave of American culture which found a receptive audience throughout North America. This is a good example of how effective the process can

The Association between War Crime and Nori Films Essay

The Association between War Crime and Nori Films - Essay Example The relations between war and the noir phenomenon As pointed out, the world wars shattered the dreams of millions of human beings and led them towards the drastic effects of the same. Besides, national identity became under crisis and unity beyond borders became a myth. During this time, the Noir film genre began to portray the postwar problems. Basically, Noir film dealt with the problems faced by individuals in the postwar society. This is utmost important because the unity during wartime underwent rapid change and transformed into the visible moral problems in the postwar society. This socio-political background deeply influenced the close relation between war and Noir phenomenon. Within this scenario, the film directors related to Noir film genre began to provide ample importance to the anxieties of the mass. One can easily identify the fact that material wealth cannot reduce human anxiety, but close examination of the grass-root level reasons of the problem can. Most of the Noir films deal with the disillusionment in human life, especially related to wars. ... Paul Meehan makes clear that, â€Å"As the film begins, Teddy and fellow marshal Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo) are riding the ferry out to Shutter Island, a barren rock 11 miles out to sea from Boston that houses a psychiatric hospital for the criminally insane† (274). In the film, the protagonist and the inmates face helplessness, which is an important problem portrayed in Noir film genre. One can easily identify that both these problems are closely related to the problems faced the people in a postwar society. So, the Noir film genre deals with the crises related war in a postwar society. Noir Films reflect emotional trauma faced by war hero As the Noir films are related to the crises faced by the human beings, emotional trauma is an important element that differentiates the same from other genres. On the other side, heroism related to war is an important element of war films. One can see that the Noir films that deal with the theme of war are symbolic of emotional trauma faced by the heroes. To be specific, the disillusionment faced by war heroes after wartime, especially unemployment and alienation, are inculcated in Noir films. From a different angle of view, wars force soldiers and other officers to face emotional trauma and eventually leads them to emotional problems. When a war hero returns to his locality, he is forced to face a different situation. Within this context, war is not a reality, but a past experience. Gradually, the war hero feels that his heroism is limited to the context of warfront, not to the mainstream society. Besides, he cannot expose his heroism in the society and detachment from the role of a reputed soldier/officer to a civilian leads to emotional problems. For instance, the protagonist

Banking; an ethical dilemma Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Banking; an ethical dilemma - Essay Example This paper attempts to discuss the ethical dilemma, which can be faced by any bank in its operational activity, both in the external environment and conflicts of interest arising within the organization. The ethical dilemma that arises within working environment of a bank is more severe, as these systematically weaken the vibrant economic system of a country. The concept of ethical dilemmas had become more pressing during the recent financial crisis, as it was strongly believed that unethical conduct of the financial industry in general and banking in particular, had led to global economic meltdown. The purpose of this paper is to discuss ethical considerations of the banking industry and compliance of the banks to these ethics in order to understand the way banking industry faces the challenges of ethical dilemma. The last section of the paper discusses few of the policy recommendations, which can help to resolve issues of ethical dilemma faced by the banks. A vibrant banking industry is extremely important for proper functioning of an economy. This makes the issue of ethical considerations in banking an extremely relevant topic. Banking sector merely acts as an intermediary between the depositor and creditor. A respectable bank is expected to be honest, exhibit integrity in its transactions, social responsibility, accountability and compliance to promises (Solomon, 1992). The ethical dilemma for banks arises because they have to work in grey area of ethics and often under high level of pressure. Sometimes, in order to gain financial benefits, banks often end up making decisions that undermines ethical issues, which is the root cause of the problem. There have been numerous cases where banks have been involved in scandals revolving around acceptance of bribes, advancing loans to unfit customers and lending to connected parties, which may be considered as unethical on part of the bank. In a research conducted by Carse

The need for the return of prayer in public schools Research Paper

The need for the return of prayer in public schools - Research Paper Example Corruption in the modern society is the highest and the technology has facilitated the criminals in developing new ways of achieving their malicious intentions. This includes mobile photography and the use of facebook to retrieve people’s personal information and black-mailing them. This has fundamentally been so because of a lack of emphasis on practicing religion and religious studies on both national and international level. Today in most of the schools in the advanced countries, the curriculum has been redesigned in a way that it is to much extent, technology oriented, but has very less to convey on religious grounds. Although there has been a large emphasis on the inclusion of ethical concepts like corporate social responsibility into the business on a global scale, yet concrete results have not yet been obtained given the lack of ethical considerations in the roots of entrepreneurs’ schooling. There is a severe need for the return of prayer in public schools in order to make the students ethically conscious so that they turn into responsible and considerate professionals in their practical life. Prayers were considered a significant part of the American schools’ curriculum until between 1962 and 1963, when the Supreme Court decided to ban prayer in the schools. (Squidoo LLC, 2010). â€Å"On June 25, l962, 39 million students were forbidden to do what they and their predecessors had been doing since the founding of our nation.† (Bergel, 1988, para. 2). Since then, prayer have been altogether eliminated from the public schools in the US. Although this attempt of Supreme Court has met with huge criticism, yet the decision of Supreme Court stayed and the prayers continued to remain banned ever since. As a result of elimination of prayer from the public schools, it is not only the students that have suffered, but also their parents and teachers have not managed to escape the curse. (Squidoo LLC, 2010) quotes

Consumers as Individuals Essay Example for Free

Consumers as Individuals Essay The self-concept refers to the beliefs a person holds about their attributes, and how they evaluate these qualities. Components of the self-concept It is composed of many attributes, some of which are given greater emphasis when the overall self is being evaluated. Attributes of self-concept can be described along such dimensions as their content (for example, facial attractiveness vs. mental aptitude), positivity or negativity (i. e. elf-esteem), intensity, stability over time and accuracy (that is, the degree to which one’s self-assessment corresponds to reality). Self-esteem Self-esteem refers to the positivity of a person’s self-concept. People with low self-esteem do not expect that they will perform very well, and they will try to avoid embarrassment, failure or rejection. People with high self-esteem expect to be successful,, will take more risks and are more willing to be the centre of attention. Self-esteem is often related to acceptance by others. Marketing communications can influence a consumer’s level of self-esteem. Exposure to ads can trigger a process of social comparison, where the person tries to evaluate their self by comparing it to the people in these artificial images. Real and ideal selves Self-esteem is influenced by a process where the consumer compares their actual standing on some attribute to some ideal. The ideal self is a person’s conception of how they would like to be, while the actual self refers to our more realistic appraisal of the qualities we have or lack. And we often engage in a process of impression management where we work hard to ‘manage’ what others think of us by strategically choosing clothing and other cues that will put us in a good light. The ideal self is partly moulded by elements of the consumer’s culture, such as heroes or people depicted in advertising who serve as models of achievement or apprearance. Products may be purchased because they are believed to be instrumental in helping us achieve these goals. Some products are chosen because they are reaching the standard set by the ideal self. Multiple selves We have as many selves as we do different social roles. Depending on the situation, we act differently, use different products and services, and we even vary in terms of how much we like ourselves. A person may require a different set of products to play a desired role. The self can be thought of as having different components, or role identities, and only some of these are active at any given time. Symbolic interactionism If each person potentially has many social selves, how does each develop and how do we decide which self to ‘activate’ at any point in time? The sociological tradition of symbolic interactionism stresses that relationships with other people play a large part in forming the self. This perspective maintains that people exist in a symbolic environment, and the meaning attached to any situation or object is determined by the interpretation of these symbols. Like other social objects, the meanings of consumers themselves are defined b social consensus. The consumer interprets their own identity, and this assessment is continually evolving as they encounter new situations and people. The looking-glass self When you choose an article of clothing, the mirror superimposes it on your reflection so that you can see how it would look on you. This process of imagining the reactions of others towards us is known as ‘taking the role of the other’, or the looking-glass self. According to this view, our desire to define ourselves operates as a sort of psychological sonar, we take readings of our own identify by ‘bouncing’ signals off others and trying to project what impression they have of us. Self-conciousness There are times when people seem to be painfully aware of themselves. If you have ever walked into a class in the middle of a lecture and noticed that all eyes were on you, you can understand this feeling of self-conciousness. Some people seem in general to be more sensitive to the image they communicate to others. A heightened concern about he nature of one’s public ‘image’ also results in more concern about the social appropriateness of products and consumption activities. Several measures have been devised to measure this tendency. Consumers who score high on a scale of public self-conciousness, for example, are also more interested in clothing and are heavier users of cosmetic. A similar measure is self-monitoring. High self-monitors are more attuned to how they present themselves in their social environments, and their product choices are influenced by their estimates of how these items will be perceived by others. High self-monitors are more likely than low self-monitors to evaluate products consumed in public in terms of the impressions they make on others. Products that shape the self: you are what you consume Recall that the reflected self helps to shape self-concept, which implies hat people see themselves as they imagine others see them. People use an individual’s consumption behaviours to help them make judgements about that person’s social identity. A consumer exhibits attachment to an object to the extent that it is used by that person to maintain their self-concept. Objects can act as a sort of security blanket by reinforcing our identities, especially in unfamiliar situations. Symbolic self-completion theory predicts that people who have an incomplete self-definition tend to complete this identity by acquiring and displaying symbols associated with it. Self/product congruence Because many consumption activities are related to self-definition, it is not surprising to learn that consumers demonstrate consistency between their values and the things they buy. Self-image congruence models predict that products will be chosen when their attributes match some aspect of the self. These models assume a process of cognitive matching between these attributes and the consumer’s self-image. Research tends to support the idea of congruence between product usage and self-image. Congruity has also been found between consumers and their most preferred brands of beer, soap, toothpaste and cigarettes relative to their least preferred brands, as well as between consumers’ self-images and their favourite shops. Some specific attributes that have been found to be useful in describing some of the matches between consumers and products include rugged/delicate, excitable/calm,†¦. The extended self. Many of the props and settings consumers use to define their social roles in a sense become a part of their selves. Those external objects that we consider a part of us comprise the extended self. Many material objects, ranging from personal possessions and pets to national monuments or landmarks, help to form a consumer’s identity. Four levels of the extended self were described. These range from very personal objects to places and things that allow people to feel like they are rooted in their larger social environments. †¢ Individual level. Consumers include many of their personal possessions in self-definition. These products can include jewellery, cars, clothing and so on. The saying ‘You are what you wear’ reflects the belief that one’s things are a part of what one is. †¢ Family level. This part of the extended self includes a consumer’s residence and its furnishings. The house can be thought of as a symbolic body for the family and often is a central aspect of identity. †¢ Community level. It is common for consumers to describe themselves in terms of the neighbourhood or town from which they come. †¢ Group level. Our attachments to certain social groups can be considered a part of self. A consumer may feel that landmarks, monuments or sports teams are a part of the extended self. Sexual identity is a very important component of a consumer’s self-concept. People often conform to their culture’s expectations about how those of their gender should act, dress, speak and so on. To the extent that our culture is everything that we learn, then virtually all aspects of the consumption process must be affected by culture. Gender differences in socialization A society’s assumptions about the proper roles of men and women are communicated in terms of the ideal behaviours that are stressed for each sex (in advertising, among other places). Gender goals and expectations In many societies, males are controlled by agentic goals, which stress self-assertion and mastery. Females, on the other hand, are taught to value communal goals such as affiliation and the fostering of harmonious relations. Every society creates a set of expectations regarding the behaviours appropriate for men and women, and finds ways to communicate these priorities. Gender vs. sexual identity Sex role identity is a state of mind as well as body. A person’s biological gender does not totally determine whether they will exhibit sex-typed traits, or characteristics that are stereotypically associated with one sex or the other. A consumer’s subjective feelings about their sexuality are crucial as well.

Pest Analysis Of The Bae Company Finance Essay

Pest Analysis Of The Bae Company Finance Essay This article want to analysis the five-year of financial data which from 2004 to 2008 of BAE ,in order to understand the companys business profitability and development capacity and found the further possibility to enhance the utilization efficiency of it ,so that to promote the investment activities of the enterprises business goal of maximizing value in accordance with a benign operation. Instruction BAE Systems is the merger of British Aerospace (BAE) and Marconi Electronic Systems (Marconi Electronic Systems) which was established in November 1999. In September 2004 BAE Systems acquired Alvis Vickers and merged it with its RO Defence ordnance division to form BAE Systems Land Systems.In June 2005 BAE Systems acquired United Defense and reorganised its land systems businesses into BAE Systems Land and Armaments, with Land Systems and Land Systems Hà ¤gglunds as subsidiaries of this U.S. based operating group. It is an international company engaged in the development,delivery and support of advanced defence and aerospace systems in the air,on land,at sea and in space. In 1999 the net sales of the company was 89.29 billion pounds (14.449 billion U.S. dollars)of which military sales was 5.837billion pounds. In 2000, it becamed the third of the worlds 100 largest military companies. Now, the company employed more than 100,000, and annual turnover of the company is 12.3 billion pounds and orders amounted to 37.5 billion pounds. PEST analysis of the BAE company 1.Politics. BAE Systems is a global company which conducts business in a number of regions, including the Middle East.Sales market over more than 130 countries, this brought great opportunities to the company. However,Government regulations and administrative policies of some countries could change quickly and restraints on the movement of capital could be imposed; governments could expropriate the Groups assets; burdensome taxes or tariffs could be introduced; political changes could lead to changes in the business environment in which the Group operates; and economic downturns, political instability and civil disturbances could disrupt the Groups business activities. New threats and conflict arenas are placing unprecedented demands on military forces and presenting BAE Systems with new challenges and opportunities to assist those forces in meeting changing defence and security needs.( Susana Callao,2007) 2.Economic and Society Global passenger traffic is forecast to increase by approximately 5% per year. Strong growth is expected in Asia and the Middle East and lower growth in the more mature North American and European markets. The market for large commercial jets is forecast to continue to grow on the back of rising passenger travel. Annual revenue passenger kilometres (RPKs) are forecast to grow by approximately 5% through to 2023 creating an expected average demand of some 830 aircraft deliveries a year. The US represents over 45% of the total forecast global defence spend (including equipment, personnel and operating costs) to 2010. Defense and transport development brings a huge market demand for the BAE. 3.Technology BAE Systems has played an important role in transatlantic,most notably has advanced technology in the M777 howitzer and F-35 Joint Strike Fighter programmes. The US and the UK have a long history of defence industrial cooperation that has provided significant benefits to both countries.In todays environment of coalition operations it would be the advantage of both governments and defence industries to allow and,indeed, to encourage freer technology sharing between the UK and the US. For BAE Systems an improved technology sharing environment would enable its engineers and scientists in the US and the UK to collaborate more effectively,and bring together their collective skills and expertise to the benefit of its two major customers, the UK and US governments,as well as to its shareholders. Review and anlaysis of company stratey 1.Pricing policiys. BAE companys major pricing policy is before business sales occure sign fixed price contracts with clients. Large part of the companys sales come from fixed-price contract. Because the companys largest partner is the United States, the U.S. team a great need for defense products, so the business mainly occure in sectors such as government troops, using a fixed-price sales contracts to ensure fixed sales and also to simplify transactions. 2.Market position.BAE Systems has major operations across five continents and customers in some 130 countries. Global businessof the company is based around six home markets in US, Saudi Arabia Australia, Sweden ,South Africa, and the UK. It is the worlds second-largest defense company and the third-largest Airlines defense and also the third-largest electronics Airlines. 3.Comparison with that of its competitors. The Groups business is subject to Significant competition. Most of the Groups businesses are focused on the defence industry and subject to competition from national and multi-national arms with substantial resources and capital, and many contracts are obtained through a competitive bidding process.( Tim Sutton,2004)The Groups ability to compete for contracts depends to a large extent on the effectiveness and innovation of its research and development programmes, its ability to offer better programme performance than its competitors at a lower cost to its customers, and the readiness of its facilities, equipment and personnel to undertake the programmes for which it competes. 4.Development Strategy of BAE Systems BAE Systems is a large international companies who has the responsibilities to its clients shareholders, employees and partners.Its strategy goal is to maximize the interests of shareholders. In order to achieve the companys strategic goals, the Board promotes to enhance the companys culture atmosphere and establish Operational Framework. .That is based on principles of good governance, aset of definitions, values, policies and processes that guide the companys work and behaviour, and a uesful system of delegated authority(David Tyrrall,2007). In order to realise the management of the companys business and deliver their strategy,the Operational Framework covers all wholly andmajority-owned businesses and describes the Groups mehods to its organisation, culture which including ethical principles of business conduct, values and governance framework vision, delegated authorities , and corebusiness processes. Financial Analysis for BAE Systems Industry Analysis In the global aerospace and defense industries Europe accounts for 19.6% of the global markets value. In 2004 the European aerospace and defense market grew by 0.9% which reached a value of $249.9 billion. The civil aerospace sector generated the second largest revenues in 2004, reaching a value of $62.3 billion, equivalent to 24.9% of the markets value.In the next five years, it is expected to be greatly growth. By 2009, the market is forecast to reach a value of $278.2 billion, which equates to a CAGR of 2.2% in the 2004-2009 period, higher than the global market as a whole. However, Asia-Pacific will see spending rise by 4% per annum while the US market is predicted to decline with a 0.6% rate over the same period.During thie time the third biggest aerospace and defense company it will also play an increasingly important role in operation and management in the future. BAE Systems recorded revenues of $20 billion during the fiscal year 2005, an increase of 25% over 2004. The operating profit of the company was $1.6 billion during fiscal year 2005, an increase of 16.3% over 2004. The net profit was $1 billion in fiscal year 2005, compared to a net profit of $5.5 million in fiscal 2004.Rolls Royce is the leading player in the global civil aerospace, defense aerospace, marine and energy markets. Compared to BAE systemss business performance, Rolls Royce company recorded revenues of $7.4 billion during the fiscal year 2005, an increase of 5.2% over 2004. The increase was primarily attributable to an increase in revenues from the companys civil aerospace division. The operating profit of the company during fiscal 2005 was $397.5 million, an increase of 43.5% over fiscal 2004. The European aerospace and defense market generated total revenues of $234.9 billion in 2005, this representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 1.3% for the five-year period spanning 2002-2006. The US and Asia-Pacific markets grew over the same period with CAGRs of 6.7% and 3.4% respectively, to reach the values of $502.6 billion and $157.2 billion in 2006. BAE systems occupies an important position in the industry. In the whole industry it can realized its business very well. The following financial analysis is to analyze 2004 to 2008, the specific circumstances of these years. Here collect the relevant data of the BAE for five years. These data which is important can best reflects the companys operation. The preparation of data sheets is as follow. The following analysis mairly use dynamic ratio of fixed base method and ues the data of 2004 as a fixed base period to analyze the indicators. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Five-year summary Income statement à ®- ³ à ®- ³ à ®- ³ à ®- ³ à ®- ³ 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 Sales including Groups share of equity accounted investments 4,459 3,916 4,007 3,697 3,063 Electronics,IntelligenceSuppo rLandArmaments 6,407 3,538 2,115 1,270 482 Programmes Support 4,638 5,327 4,615 4,660 International 3,333 3,359 3,428 3,138 Programmes 2219 Customer Solutions Support 2,856 Integrated Systems Partnerships 2,022 HQ Other Businesses 235 243 295 471 464 Intra-operating group sales (529) (673) (695) (655) (417) 18,543 15,710 13,765 12,581 10,689 Underlying EBITA6 (restated) Electronics, Intelligence Support 506 437 429 324 256 Land Armaments 566 324 168 86 (8) Programmes Support 491 456 331 261 International 35 435 412 403 Programmes 10 Customer Solutions Support 497 Integrated Systems Partnerships 95 HQ Other Businesses (101) (203) (146) (117) (50) 1,897 1,449 1,194 957 800 Profit/(loss) on disposal of businesses 238 40 13 (4) Uplift on acquired inventories (12) (44) EBITA5 2,135 1,477 1,207 909 800 Amortisation and impairment of intangible assets (424) (297) (139) (122) (110) Finance costs including share of equity accounted investments 697 93 (174) (196) (132) Profit before taxation 2,408 1,273 894 591 558 Taxation expense including shar e of equity accounted investments (640) (373) (248) (147) (219) Profit for the year from continuing operations 1,768 900 646 444 339 Profit/(loss) for the year from discontinued operations 22 993 111 (336) Profit for the year 1,768 922 1,639 555 3 Balance sheet Intangible assets 12,306 9,559 7,595 8,217 6,115 Property, plant and equipment, and investment property 2,558 1,887 1,869 1,922 1,901 Non-current investments 1,040 787 678 1,730 1,535 Inventories 926 701 395 485 498 Payables (excluding cash on customers account) less receivables (5,866) (5,373) (4,298) (4,596) (3,891) Other financial assets and liabilities 240 52 6 (7) Retirement benefit obligations (3,365) (1,629) (2,499) (4,101) (3,210) Provisions ( 845) (809) (695) (718) (491) Net tax 256 63 648 1,012 876 Net cash/(debt) 39 700 435 (1,277) (668) Disposal groups held for sale 64 137 Minority interests (55) (36) (17) (16) (10) Total equity attributable to equity holders of the parent 7,234 5,966 4,117 2,788 2,655 Financial statement and cash flow analysis, After the 2003 recession, Europes aerospace industry will experience a steady growth phase. As prediction, there will be a 3.9% annually growth, which is also reflected in BAE Systems financial report after 2004. Profitability Analysis Profitability mainly in Revenues ,Sales, Operating profit, Order book, Return on sales, Net cash, and Cash inflow from operating activitie. The company recorded revenues of $20 billion during the fiscal year ended December 2005, an increase of 25% over 2004. The operating profit of the company was $1.6 billion during fiscal year 2005, an increase of 16.3% over 2004. The net profit was $1 billion in fiscal year 2005, compared to a net profit of $5.5 million in fiscal 2004.And for the company Europe Aerospace Defense in 2005 it generated revenues of $42.5 billion, an increase of 7.7% on the previous year. The European aerospace defense market generated total revenues of $184.3 billion in 2008, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9% for the period spanning 2004-2008. However the BAE system has higher the average. Sales represents the amounts derived from the provision of goods and services, and includes the Groups share of sales of its equity accounted investments. Compared with 2004,the sales of BAE increased by 14.2% in 2005,2.1%in 2006,16.4% in 2007 and 37.6% in 2008. Overall,BAEs sales revenue is in a increase trend. Starting in 2006, a significant increase had been showed and compared with 2007 the sales of 2008 increased by 18%.he significant increase in sales in 2008 has primarily been caused by the Land Armaments operating group due to high armoured wheeled vehicle volumes in the US and full- year impact of the Armor acquisition. This shows that BAEs products have strong market potential. Operating profit.Operating profit is a indicatore to measure of business efficiency. BAE Systems recorded revenues of 16,671 million in the financial year 2008 which is an increase of 16.5% over 2007. For the 2008, the US which is the companys largest geographic market, accounted for 56.4% of the total revenues. Operating profit in 2008 is 2.2 times of 2004,in 2007 it increased 52.1%,from  ¿Ã‚ ¡774m in 2004 to  ¿Ã‚ ¡1177m. Operating profit is showing the trend of rising year by year reflects a good profitability of BAEs business. There is a very good market prospects of the enterprise. Inventory turnover.Decline in inventory turnover .However, when compared with the same industry Boeing it is still very high. Accounts receivable turnover in 2005 and 2006 was lower than that in the other early years. However, in 2007 and 2008, BAEs accounts receivable turnovera increased substantially ¼Ã…’Total asset turnover ratio is relatively stable, but slightly higher than the industry standard. Order book.Order book reflect the popularity of the product, it also shows the potential of products in the market.However, the number of orders can not be a comprehensive response to the operating performance of companies.Between 2005 and 2004,the order book was increasing ,while in 2006 the book order was only 31.7 bn ,reduced almost by 37%.then there was a recover and in 2008 the order book was 46.5bn although it was still less than 2004. Reduction in order book illustrates the business sales market in the shrinking.Reduction in main business volume, indicating that the development of enterprises might have gone wrong strategy. Return on sales.From the table it can be seen that the return on sales is increasing year by year , But the order is indeed the in reduction.The Prorfit for the year in 2006 is very high however the cash inflow from operating activities in this year was the lest. It may be there is something can not be reflect in the financial report, the other businesses increasing cause income to increase,so it is not be reflect in the financial report which is about the return on sales. Cash inflow from operating activitie.Cash inflow from operating activities is used to determine the the actual gap between companys operating cash flow and financial reporting operating income or net income. (Hans,2007) . From the table that the operating business cash flow show a downward trend during the five years.That is to say compared with 2004 the cash inflow from operating activities reduced by 10.7% in 2005, 61.1%,in 2006, 8% in 2007, 14.5%, in 2008.The 2008 reduction in operating business cash flow largely reflects utilisation of Saudi Typhoon advances received in 2007 and an agreed repayment to the UK Ministry of Defence in respect of the Astute programme.However, it reflacted there is something wrong with the companys cash flow. Net cash. The cash flow was  ¿Ã‚ ¡700m in 2006,however, in 2007 it reduced by 28% and becomed to  ¿Ã‚ ¡435m,even worse in 2008, it is only  ¿Ã‚ ¡39m. In 2008, 83.43% of the cash flow ratio is too high compared to the same industry. Capital utilization rate is low, so a decline in cash flow to investors is a positive message. And in 2008 29.65 percent of the cash-flow ratio compared to the industry is relatively high. The company Europe Aerospace Defense recorded a net cash of $2.1 billion up 40% in an average . The reduction of the net cash flow shows that there is some problem in the cash inflow of the company,it may have a bad effect on the operating and develpoment of BAE. However overall level still very high for the company . Solvency analysis. Overall there is a very strong solvency.In particular, in year 2005 and 2006, current ratio were more than 2 ¼Ã…’quick ratio exceeds 1.But it is also the performance of the low efficiency of fund utilizationà £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Although the 2007 and 2008, the flow rate and the liquid have declined more .But does not affect the solvency ¼Ã…’and the increased utilization of funds. Assets is responsible for rising rates, leading to long-term solvency has been reduced low ¼Ã…’But the asset-liability ratio does not exceed 50% ,the long-term solvency remains strong. Analysis of share price performance Comments on company management/board of directors and the stock market The Board promotes a common culture and identity through the Operational Framework. It sets out the way we do business and what it means to be part of the Group. It is the Groups framework for a sound system of internal controls. All employees are required to comply with the Operational Framework in their business conduct. The BAE Companys TSR (share price growth plus dividends) ranking relative to a comparator group of 18 other international defence and aerospace companies such as Boein,General Dynamics,Raytheon ,Cobham,Dassault Aviation,EADS,Embraer PN,Finmeccanica and so on.. None of the shares vest if the Companys TSR is outside the top 50% of TSRs achieved by the sectoral comparator group and 100% vest if it is in the top quintile (ie top 20%) as set out below(Herve,2006) Rationale for performance measures: importance to major investors as an indication of both earnings and capital growth relative to other major companies in the same sector and to ensure that awards only vest if there has been a clear improvement in the Companys performance over the relevant period. EBITA . EBITA refers to a companys income before the deduction of interest, tax and amortization expenses. It is also consistent with the profi t measure which is used by BAE to analysis internal performance and as a measure of operating profitability that is comparable over time.à £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Underlying EBITA increased 86.7% in 2008 which reaches to  ¿Ã‚ ¡1,897m compared with 2004,and 31% compared witn 2007.according to the calculation ,compared with 2004, EBITA increased 45.4% in 2007,18.8% in 2006 and 16.3% in 2005. Underlying EBITA during the five years is increasing growth all the time . View of the circumstances from the BAE, there is a very good return on investment .That is very likely to achieve value and hedging to buy its stock. Underlying earnings per share. From the table it can be seen that Underlying EPS is 37.1p in 2008 which increases 23% compared with last year.And there is a 28.1% increase in 2007, 30.6% in 2006,29.3% in 2005.All these increase are compared with the year brfore. Companies and the stock market do not like fluctuating EPSs. In the past BAE EPS growth rate 35.25% ¼Ã…’growth potential is still very good and EPS Stability is very good too.Companies operate is stable and reasonable. The Underlying earnings per share of BAE does not fluctuate badly,so it is good for its sharehooders.And Underlying EPS continue to rise mainly reflecting higher underlying EBITA of the BAE. BAE as an aviation industry leader ¼Ã…’in the 2004-2008 years, the companys revenue and profit growth.From 2006 to 2008 BAEs profitability continued to rise.In particular, rising faster in 2008. Recommendation to investors Based on the above analysis,it can be seen the companys operating capacity is very light, and development prospects is very good,its position in the industry is also high. The company will continue to develop, and will continue to grow. With the recovery in economic development, the companys operations development will gradually resume, which will cause the Companys stock price rebound. Therefore, the long-term investors can look up a little,and continue to hold its shares, to realise the purpose of increasing the value of their money. For short-term investors they will have to stage development according to the company, select the appropriate strategy to achieve their own purposes. SWOT ANALYSIS Strengths Weaknesses BAE achieved with many business acquations, and establish friendly and long-term relationship with the United Kingdom and other countries, through the merger, the companys growth has been greatly improved. Diversified business The company has advanced technical level. Strong growth in revenue and profits Relatively low employee productivity Unfunded employee post retirement benefits Sluggish performance in key segments Fixed-price contracts risk The Group is exposed to risks inherent in operating in a global market. The Group is involved in consortia, joint ventures and equity holdings where it does not have control. Opportunities Threats With the intensification of regional conflicts more demand for defense products is also increasing, thus creating a large demand for the companys products, especially the United States, defense products demand is very huge. Huge international market and the demand for defense products offers great opportunities for BAEs development. Growth in global aerospace and defense Intense competition High dependence on government contracts Recommendations Minimize the fixed-price contract and control the initiative rests in its own hands.At the same time to manage contract-related risks andà £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬uncertainties, contracts are managed through theà £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬application of the Lifecycle Management (LCM)à £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬business process mandated by the Groups Operationalà £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬Framework at the operational level ¼Ã… ½(Flower,1998) The Group has formal systems and policies in place which are mandated under the Groups Operational Framework to ensure adherence to regulatory requirements and to identify any restrictions that could adversely impact the Groups future activities. The Group has formal systems and procedures in place to monitor the performance of such business arrangements and identify and manage any adverse scenario arising. In order to protect itself against currency uctuations, the Groups policy is to hedge all materialrm transactional exposures, unless otherwise approved as an exception by the Treasury Review Management Committee, as well as to manage anticipated economic cash ow exposures over the medium term. Conclusion BAE in a leading position in the aviation industry .Both operating profit margin or asset turnover ratio is higher than the level of the same industry.However, compared with other companies in the industry, the use of financial leverage is not very good, capital utilization rate is not high. From the above there is still great room for BAE development.The future development considerations from the following two ¼Ã… ¡One is to raise operating margin ¼Ã…’Second, make full use of financial leverage effect,because of its financial leverage below the level of the same industry. The most important thing for the company is upgrading in innovation and technological.Encourage the development of a new ideology ¼Ã…’new technologies and new ways of working and bring them with a lasting competitive edge. And for the investors, because in the past BAE EPS growth rate 35.25% ¼Ã…’growth potential is still very good and EPS Stability is very good too,so they can buy stocks of the company at present time.( David Tyrrall,2007)Under the financial Crisis, government purchases declined, but as the recovery of the financial environment the companys business will increase, operating profits will increase substantially.Therefore, with the improvement of operating conditions the stock price will be in a good direction.

The Low Cost Airline: Air Arabia

The Low Cost Airline: Air Arabia Air Arabia is one of the low cost airlines of UAE, based in Sharjah. It presently is operating in more than 45 destinations comprising of major cities in south-east Asia, Middle-East and few regions of central Asia and Africa. Air Arabia is also registered in AACO or Arab Air Carriers Organization In the recent years the threat due to its substitute competitors was almost nullified. They stood nowhere in front of Air Arabia but there had been a constant threat from the upcoming new competitors. Though the new competitors were not enough to challenge Air Arabia, there was still some kind of threat because the numbers of such competitors were increasing day by day. In UAE initially there were many air service providers, but in the recent times Air Arabia has proved to be the most effective one compared to its previous competitors. With the increasing oil prices the competitors of Air Arabia increased their prices, but Air Arabia kept its low budget fares in order to gain more and more public support at the cost of temporary loss or little marginal gain. The low cost carriers are so effective that they helped Air Arabia win Merit Award for CAPA Low Cost Airline of the Year 2006 and the World Airline Award for Best Low-Cost Airline in the Middle East in 2007. The biggest threat that Air Arabia has is from its competitors. The reason for the same is that once a company gets a remark of dissatisfying its customers by not doing as advertised, the competitors take advantage. Key strategies include: Entering in new segments and thus removing dependency on singe segment (low cost carrier). Arranging funds to buy more funds. Balancing between increasing inflation and controlling the prices of the tickets. Acquiring new and small airlines for faster expansion. Getting listed at new airports and starting operation in new places. Supporting governments Emiritization strategy to get more federal support. Talking about the implementation of strategies, for increasing its marketing dimension, the company has invested over DH one million in terms of Ads, both online and print media. This would result in a long term profit for the company, though its quite a heavy amount on the basis of companys current scenario. More includes: International flight connecting Abu Dhabi to more than 45 international destinations in USA, Indian subcontinent etc. Air Arabia carried over 4.6 million passengers, an augment of approximately 65.8% over in 2006. (Lowcostairlinesworld, 2009) Along with this, it also griped 175,000 tons of freight in 2007, which is an increase of over 75% than the year 2006. Introduction: Air Arabia is one of the low cost airlines of UAE, based in Sharjah. It presently is operating in more than 45 destinations comprising of major cities in south-east Asia, Middle-East and few regions of central Asia and Africa. Air Arabia is also registered in AACO or Arab Air Carriers Organization. It was the first low-fare organization in the Middle-East, started on 3rd February in the year 2003. It offers almost 40% less price than the other airlines. The main base of the airline is Sharjah. In 2007 it was the first to offer public 55% of its stock. It basically aims at attracting the people. After its foundation it kept on spreading in services. For the time in 2008 it had to back out from the Nepal region due to some uncertain political and economic issues. It has collaborated with many other airlines in many parts of the world. Vision: The ultimate goal of the company is to position itself at the top of all the Low-fare airlines in UAE and in Gulf. The key features of Vision of the company are as follows: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Expanding its aircraft range à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To provide service on more number of routes à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To enhance efficiency of operations à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ And to increase its revenue maintaining a low and simple structure of low air-fare industry. Mission: The companys mission includes building and creating multi-functional team, increase revenue and offering a value for money services in the region. The ultimate mission is to bring a revolution in the fright industry by new and innovative corporate standards. Industry background: The airlines industry of UAE is vast if we look at the number of service providers. There are number of low cost airlines. National airlines of UAE other than air Arabia include Gulf Air, Emirates and Etihad. Gulf air was started long ago in 1950. It provides a number of facilities to its users. Firstly it has provided many onboard facilities to children below the age of 12. For the business related people it provides the BBC world news. It also provides separate dinning for the passengers. It is treated as a standard national flight for most of the purposes. Emirates airlines were introduced after Gulf Air in 1985. It is also considered as a national flight. It has won several awards for its services. This airline consists of many air planes both for public and private issues. Etihad is the most recent one and was introduced after air Arabia in the same year. It had also become quite popular but could not compete with Air Arabia on low cost. A Kam air fare is also considered as one of the low cost airlines in UAE. Among all the existing national airlines till date Air Arabia is considered to be the cheapest one. It is not considered to be a flight with the best facility on board but of course it offers a cheap fare t its customers. The facilities provided by these national airlines to their customers vary from each other. All these airlines greatly contribute to the national economy of UAE. Statement of problem: In this report, we will talk about the key strategies of Air Arabia, alternate strategies available, implementation, and SWOT, PEST and competitor analysis of Air Arabia. For this concern, an interview with a manager of the company is organized. The Manager stated that Air Arabia is doing substantially well in its domain which is presently concentrated to low cost airline segment. For long term perspective, the company is aiming to enter in more segments than this alone. There are number of strategic problems the company is facing. These are: Entering in new segments and thus removing dependency on singe segment (low cost carrier). Arranging funds to buy more funds. Balancing between increasing inflation and controlling the prices of the tickets. Acquiring new and small airlines for faster expansion. Getting listed at new airports and starting operation in new places. Supporting governments Emiritization strategy to get more federal support. Analysis: Environmental or Industrial Analysis: Air Arabia believes in providing a superior and cost efficient life support system by introducing advanced facilities and more availability to gain customer satisfaction. It aims to be a company that has value and importance based on kind of services it provides. The organization has certain morals when it comes to staffing and team work, maintaining customer relationship, honesty, truthfulness, and flexibility are that satisfy the grounds. The customers of the Air industry are in all forms. The aircrafts are used for the security of nations and so go to the government. Then importers and exporters of the market that import goods from as small as vegetables to cars. So in turn we also are using these services. They are used for the people to travel. The aircrafts are the majority form of transportation in the recent times. Porters five forces analysis The threat of substitute competitors: In the recent years the threat due to its substitute competitors was almost nullified. They stood nowhere in front of Air Arabia. The other substitutes kept on declining and the company Air Arabia kept on improving talking in terms of profit in the market. The other companies could not offer such a low fares as compared to Air Arabia whose fares were remarkable. The threat of the entry of new competitors There had been a constant threat from the upcoming new competitors. Every now and then many new companies were launched along with the existing ones. They all tried to match up to the level of Air Arabia but ultimately failed to continue on a long run. They met with huge loss and ultimately ended up in increasing the cost. All these competitors tried to copy Air Arabia based on service it provides, but they failed to regulate them on a regular basis based on public satisfaction and demand. The intensity of competitive rivalry Though Air Arabia continued to dominate the market in the recent years, it had not been an easy job. It always had to keep itself alert and changing. Though the new competitors were not enough to challenge Air Arabia, there was still some kind of threat because the numbers of such competitors were increasing day by day. Air Arabia had to keep a survey of the prevailing market conditions and take safe decisions to keep going. Marketing aspect of the company became crucial in maintaining the market position. The bargaining power of customers Considering the bargaining power in case of Air Arabia is a mere thing if we compare it with the facilities it provides and the lack of able competitors. People were not much into bargaining because Air Arabia had been the best available among all the others. However, in times of strong competition by some new rivals there had been some kind of bargaining by the customers, which was gracefully accepted for that period. The bargaining power of suppliers Suppliers in this case refer to the stock holders of the company. They also got a huge discount on available stocks. Also the amount of available public stocks was considerably increased. They also get a good amount of annual dividend. Also due to expansion of their business the stock holders made a huge profit. Competitor Analysis: In UAE initially there were many air service providers, but in the recent times Air Arabia has proved to be the most effective one compared to its previous competitors. With the increasing oil prices the competitors of Air Arabia increased their prices, but Air Arabia kept its low budget fares in order to gain more and more public support at the cost of temporary loss or little marginal gain. This was very crucial in giving Air Arabia a position quite different from others. Among all the existing national airlines till date Air Arabia is considered to be the cheapest one. It is not considered to be a flight with the best facility on board but of course it offers a cheap fare t its customers. The facilities provided by these national airlines to their customers vary from each other. All these airlines greatly contribute to the national economy of UAE. SWOT Analysis: Strengths Considering the case of Air Arabia, the low cost fare plays a crucial role in gaining the public interest. The low cost carriers are so effective that they helped Air Arabia win Merit Award for CAPA Low Cost Airline of the Year 2006 and the World Airline Award for Best Low-Cost Airline in the Middle East in 2007. With the increasing infrastructure, high regional GDP and a huge demand in various regions, air travels are contributing to the success of low cost carriers in UAE. The reason for Air Arabia being so popular among all the regions of the world is its award winning strategies. These awards add a great deal in their marketing strategy which helps to bag future success. Air Arabia has been able to advertise its business in the following ways: Travel agency commissions stopped Removal of interline, code-share relationships Usage of secondary or alternate city airports (Eyefortravel, 2008) As a number of people have begun to feel the same, it is certainly a positive aspect of advertising for Air Arabia. Weakness The greatest weakness that most of the airlines companies are facing nowadays is that they have not been able to live up to their expectations. On many occasions, Air Arabia has agreed on certain flying to certain destinations but it has not lived up to it. One such concern is that when the airline company promised to fly to some of the most restricted destinations in the world, it could not make it to Cairo as it most highly expected by the tourists and other regular passengers. So, as the advertisement said they did not book their expensive tickets through different airline companies but at the same time did not get the opportunity to travel at all. Some of the major accessories as expected by the passengers in Air Arabia in spite of its low cost are as follows: Amenity Kits Air Sickness Bags In-flight socks Eye shades Blankets Headsets Opportunities High GDP Growth Rates: Petroleum extraction and refining operations have been on an all time high in the UAE in the past few years. This has helped in the boost of the economy of UAE. Air Arabia can take advantage of this fact and can help make the use of its low cost carriers more prominent. Positive Demographics: The percentage of youth (under 30 years) in the UAE is 64%. This will provide a high in the future market as liberalization opens market even to air travel. It is one of the important factors for Air Arabia to select its targeting strategy. Strong Tourism: The energy and entrepreneurial spirit of the middle-east region is attracting tourism and business traffic in its own right. Advertisement can be done with all the tourism companies so as to make the tour highly affordable for the tourists. Threats The biggest threat that Air Arabia has is from its competitors. The reason for the same is that once a company gets a remark of dissatisfying its customers by not doing as advertised, the competitors take advantage. The other reason of threat for Air Arabia is that all the newly merging airline companies are in a spree to capture the market by making a strong reputation. Once they come up with price fares lesser than Air Arabia then even the best of advertising would fail. Companys performance: Air Arabia is one of the low cost airlines of UAE, based in Sharjah. It presently is operating in more than 45 destinations comprising of major cities in south-east Asia, Middle-East and few regions of central Asia and Africa. Air Arabia is also registered in AACO or Arab Air Carriers Organization. The companys mission includes building and creating multi-functional team, increase revenue and offering a value for money services in the region. It was the first low-fare organization in the Middle-East, started on 3rd February in the year 2003. It offers almost 40% less price than the other airlines. The main base of the airline is Sharjah. In 2007 it was the first to offer public 55% of its stock. It basically aims at attracting the people. After its foundation it kept on spreading in services. For the time in 2008 it had to back out from the Nepal region due to some uncertain political and economic issues. It has collaborated with many other airlines in many parts of the world. (Amein fo, 2009) Key Strategies: A key strategic issue includes: Entering in new segments and thus removing dependency on singe segment (low cost carrier). Arranging funds to buy more funds. Balancing between increasing inflation and controlling the prices of the tickets. Acquiring new and small airlines for faster expansion. Getting listed at new airports and starting operation in new places. Supporting governments Emiritization strategy to get more federal support. The company is trying to introduce low cost flights so that more and more people avail them. There are basically targeting on two areas. First of all they are reducing some unnecessary facilities on short time journeys. Removing these facilities based on such a low cost hardly affects public interest. Secondly, they are trying to reduce the fair on some routes and at the same time increasing the number of flights on these routes. This means gaining public interest and support based on low marginal profit. Other than offering incentives to its customers it also offers heavy dividend and discounts to stock holders. It was the first flight to provide so much of rebate to its customers and stock holders. It keeps on increasing the facilities offered in order to keep the interest maintained. (Ameinfo, 2009) Air Arabia has recently expanded its aircraft ranges. It has tried to expand the business in by introducing new routes in many parts of the region. There are more and number of aircrafts in the regions where there were less no of aircrafts. Now the flights are available more frequently in some routes based on amount of profit made in the existing routes. In order to increase the value of its stocks in the market, the company has released more no of stocks to the public with discounts. The strategies, the growth and the future plans offered by Air Arabia are sufficient to attract more and more stock holders which ultimately lead to expansion in terms to money, power and public support. It has also appeared on many other stock lists and transactions are also about to start. (Eyefortravel, 2008) The company had been very particular in deciding the cost of transport. It kept in mind the rising and the falling prices of oil and other equipments, directly or indirectly related to their business. In other words, they maintained a complete survey of the prevailing market. With the increase in the fuel prices many airlines companies increased their prices and vice versa. There are other strategies which were used for marketing at financial level. The company has gained a lot from them. The profit margin has increased by 40% in the recent years and there are still chances of further increase. These all strategies have proved fruitful both for the company and the company stock holders which are directly or indirectly related to the company. The company has been able to hold up to the expectations of its employees and its customers. Air Arabia greatly contributes in the UAE economy. Recently it got an approval to appear on Dubai financial list. The Air Arabia is going to appear on stock list of Dubai financial market and trading it will be started in few days. The way Air Arabia is using the budget and the way it is applying the strategies it is believed that in the time to come if there is a slow economy progress, Air Arabia alone can handle it. Strategic Alternatives: Some strategies of Air Arabia for future few years are as follows: Expanding its aircraft range: One important constraint in companys expansion plan is the limited number of cargo and passenger planes available to the company. The company will place periodic orders for new aircrafts to support its expansions plans. To provide service on more number of routes: The company would like to serve in European countries and other untouched destinations in North and South America. The expansion will give a vast increment in companys present market size. To enhance efficiency of operations: As a long term strategy, the company would like to implement TQM strategies in its operations. Increase its revenue maintaining high and quality structure of luxurious aircraft industry Another one is Emiritization and advancement of UAE people. The company has a number of plans in this direction with long term interest which are mentioned as follows: UAE National Cadet Pilots Training or UNCPT The company invites aspirants who what to become a pilot with a statement like We are giving wings to your dreams. Its pilot training program is one of the finest in the nation. The company states that as the public Airline of the United Arab Emirate, it has an immense vision. To see further Emiratis taking their correct position as pilots in lone of the fastest mounting airlines on the planet. UAE National Graduate Entry Management Plan The public airline of the UAE, Air Arabia, is investing in its outlook and would consequently like to spend in people by giving them the chance to be 1 of the privileged students chosen to join its UNGEM program. It states that by this program, graduates will develop sturdy leadership abilities and form a collection of professionals who are organized to meet quickly expanding and developing leadership wants in various branches within the company. (Eyefortravel, 2008) Enhancing the cargo carriers flights: As shown from the contribution of profit from the cargo and customer units, the cargo unit contributes around 65% of the companys turnover, which depict the clear dominance of cargo unit over the customer unit in terms of profit. The company would like to utilize this faith of people in Air Arabias cargo unit to gain additional market share. Thus as an expansion plan for cargo unit, the company is ordering more share of cargo planes as compared to that of passenger planes. Segmentation and targeting: The Company had divided the consumer market into various segments based on income and profession. The segment which appears to be the center of consideration for the company is those of high earning boniness people who need to travel consistently and comfortably. Positioning: Its actually consumers perception about the service. Royal Jet, from the beginning has tried to establish as a symbol for a cheap but reliable air traffic business partner. Implementation: Air Arabia greatly contributes in the UAE economy. Recently it got an approval to appear on Dubai financial list. The Air Arabia is going to appear on stock list of Dubai financial market and trading it will be started in few days. It has already started offering rebates on stocks to its customers. The national economy of UAE is going to be benefited by the kind of strategies being forwarded by Air Arabia. Not only are they going to have a huge business but also a huge investment in the stocks by the common people. The market is going to be greatly affected. Many new services are being started. The UAE government believes that Air Arabia can alone increase the UAE economy from going down. It has now met with 32% profit which is the highest ever in the recent years. For increasing its marketing dimension, the company has invested over DH one million in terms of Ads, both online and print media. This would result in a long term profit for the company, though its quite a heavy amount on the basis of companys current scenario. (Arabia, 2009) Use of technology: The Company has recently brought 7 new aircrafts with increased capacities and advance technology. As the company is still very new, almost all of the aircrafts are in good condition. Talking about other technological diffusion parameters, the company has recently brought a SAP system which is an expert system from Sap international. This expert system is Artificial Intelligence based and works on knowledge representation rather than data manipulation, thus is highly technical and advance. The operation unit exploits the SAP system to efficiently monitor the various aspects and inventory constituents. The company also has an online terminal to book tickets and offers various plans in flights according to customer requirements. International flight connecting Abu Dhabi to more than 45 international destinations in USA, Indian subcontinent etc. Air Arabia carried over 4.6 million passengers, an augment of approximately 65.8% over in 2006. Along with this, it also griped 175,000 tons of freight in 2007, which is an increase of over 75% than the year 2006. (Ameinfo, 2009) Air Arabia owns complete share is its two subsidiaries, Air Arabia Holidays, a travel group and vehicle rental company and Air Arabia Crystal Cargo, which provides freight handling services. Air Arabia had a 24 hour help line for its customers. Air Arabia also provides hospitality services by providing temporary accommodation in hotels. (Arabia, 2009) The Air Arabia owned a group of 37 traveler and cargo airplanes, as depicted by the data of January 2008 and it plan is to increase its aircraft group to 300 by the year 2020. Air Arabia is also planning to fly over 25 million customers per year by 2020 and to twofold the number of metropolitans served from 50 to make it near 100. Market segmentation: Presently the market is segmented on the basis of income and travelling frequency of the people. It results in generation of segments like high business class consumers, consumers travelling too often but expending less, tourism based consumers (not fixed) etc. Apart from these segments, a variety of new segments can be created like low-spending domestic class, mainly for tourism. As example of this segment can be Indias growing domestic aviation market which depends little spending but large sized segment. Talking about the competitors involvement in these segments, Etihad is a big player of cheap flights segments along with Easy jet. Some other like Palm operates in multiple segments. Some competitors are head to head rival of Air Arabia in Luxury market like Sky jets etc. Thus the competitors are widely spread in these segments. References: Ameinfo (2009), Air Arabia marketing team takes centre stage, retrieved on 1st November, from http://www.ameinfo.com/29672.html Eyefortravel (2008), Air Arabia plans expansion, retrieved on 1st November, from http://www.eyefortravel.com/news/middle-east/air-arabia-plans-expansionddle-east/air-arabia-plans-expansion Lowcostairlinesworld (2009), Innovation and opportunity for traditional and low cost carriers and investors, retrieved on 31st October from http://www.lowcostairlinesworld.com/sg/programme.stm Air Arabia (2009), Know us, retrieved on 1st November, from http://www.airarabia.com/crp_1/know-more

Hawthornes Personality Revealed in His Novel, The House of the Seven Gables :: House Seven Gables Essays

Hawthorne's Personality Revealed in His Novel, The House of the Seven Gables "At the moment of execution--with the halter about his neck, and while Colonel Pyncheon sat on horseback, grimly gazing at the scene--Maul had addressed him from the scaffold, and uttered a profecy, of which history, as well as fireside tradition, has preserved the very words.--'God,' said the dying man, pointing his finger with a ghastly look at the undismayed countenance of his enemy, 'God will give you blood to drink'"(12)! The House of the Seven Gables portrays many emotions throughout the novel. Writers express themselves through their literature using many different traits. They write about what they know, and who better to portray than the writer himself. The House of the Seven Gables is a perfect example of a writer portraying himself and his emotions. Nathaniel Hawthorne gives his readers an insight to his personality through the characters in this classic novel with the use of characterization, similes, and many other writing traits. Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in Salem, Massachusetts which is known as, "America's capital of hauntings, diabolical occurrences, and Puritan hellfire" (Reader's Digest). The characters of his stories are usually lonely and reclusive, and this novel is no exception. Hawthorne himself stated that, "Seven Gables was 'more characteristic of the author, and a more natural book for me to write.'" (Reader's Digest). One of the most important characters is this novel is that of Hepzibah Pyncheon. Hepzibah is an old woman with a pessimistic outlook on life. She is a very unattractive lady who scowls all that look upon her. Her pleasantness is lacking, and her loneliness is getting the best of her. Miss Hepzibah Pyncheon also believes that she is what is perceived about her which makes matters worse. She is the first character introduced into the novel, besides that of background characters. Hepzibah is introduced as waking up at about sunrise, but as Hawthorne writes, he would not consider her to be waking, but getting up from a night of poor sleep. Hepzibah's longing for someone to want to be with her can be expressed as she is described, "she had never had a lover--poor thing, how could she?--nor ever knew, by her own experience, what love technically means" (31). Expressing traits similar to how Hawthorne is perceived, he writes mainly through Hepzibah. While most writers were pessimistic in the nineteenth century, Hawthorne is no exception.