Outlook report for M&S(Marks & Spencer) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Outlook report for M&S(Marks & Spencer) - Essay Example They are also planning to open up eco-friendly stores for their green credentials. Strategic planning process comprises of an important ingredient of external environmental analysis. Environmental analysis helps ascertain the state of factors internal to the firm which can further be classified as a firm's Strength or Weakness while those external to the firm can be classified as Opportunities and threats. This study of the strategic environment is called SWOT analysis. SWOT analysis facilitates the extraction of strategic information which aids in matching a firm's resources to the environment in which it operates. 1) Acceleration of store renewal programme-M&S have already started investing in their stores and completed about 70% of their modernization programme. They are planning to modernise an additional 10% of space and open up an additional 5.5% of new space in the coming years. With launch of new eco-friendly store, they will be able to cut the down the cost tremendously in the next 5 years. Within one year, they are able to save around 20% of their energy in the store. 2) Private labeled grocery- M&S sells 90% of its own food brands. Despite M&S experiencing difficult trading conditions in their clothing departments, their food halls have continued to run successful business. It consistently offers innovative, high quality and rigorously checked food. 3) Everyday value shop with quality- Making Marks & Spencer a more convenient place to shop, the popular shopping basket items have reviewed prices without comprising with the qualities of the product. Although the company is working according to market price but without hampering their quality and standards. 4) Variety of food products at one stop shop- Marks & Spencer's ready to eat meals are long been famous for their great ingredients. As more of consumer start spending their time in kitchens and would be spending in the next 5 -10 years, they come with new range of 300 ingredients right starting from fresh herbs to bread and cakes-makes easier cooking starting from scratch. 5) Expansion of stores and intensive use of space: Currently in UK, there are 622 stores and 278 international stores all over the world. With the possibility of resurging economy after 2 -3 years, they will be planning to expand their stores in UK as well as globally also. This makes their presence in UK stronger than any other brand. With the current downturn in the economy, they have already started utilizing the floor space for every square foot to its full potential. Selling space will be reallocated to higher growth product areas to maximize returns per square foot. Weakness: 1) Late entrant: With the increasing disposable income of the people and increasing awareness of the people about the healthy and dietary food, Marks & Spencer became a late entrant into this segment. Even talking about the experience of the store and one stop food shop, they had just entered into this segment. This becomes disadvantage for them as last mover. 2) Strong presence in UK- It has strong presence only in UK. It has 622 stores in UK and 278 stores internationally, which

Music and Tourism in Scotland Essay Example for Free

Music and Tourism in Scotland Essay Scottish Tourism bloomed in the 1990s due to major cultural changes in society. Scotland began to create a new identity through the use of media that promoted the social and cultural attributes of the country. Scotland’s home-grown artists were used as a voice at the forefront of the promotion of Scotland’s culture and heritage to world tourism. My essay will consider a range of issues surrounding the relationship between Scottish tourism and the development of Scottish music during the 1990s. It will consider the artists and songs that played a key role in the development of Scotland’s national identity through outlining particular advertising campaigns used to promote for Scottish tourism. My essay will also discuss the future plans for Scottish Tourism and how music will be part of them. Scottish Music and Scottish Tourism Tourism contributes an enormous part of the economy in Scotland – boasting a visitor spend of approximately  £4b per year. As a tourist destination, Scotland boasts idyllic opportunities for its visitors such as the hillwalking the Munro Mountains, fishing the River Tay, immersing in the history of Edinburgh or Stirling and admiring the cultural diversities of Glasgow. These opportunities are realised and exploited by Government body: Creative Scotland, which was set up in 1993 and is dedicated to supporting the promotion of culture in Scotland on both national and international levels. Creative Scotland support the current Scottish Governments Corporate Plan, which promises: ‘To focus Government and public services on creating a more successful country, with opportunities for all of Scotland to flourish, through increasing sustainable economic growth.’ Scotland has developed an exceedingly strong worldwide reputation for its diverse culture and is continuing to do so by championing music and the arts through large scale events and festivals such as Celtic Connections, a relatively new festival of traditional Scottish music which is exclusively held across a number of high-profile venues in Glasgow including the flagship Glasgow Royal Concert Hall which was opened as part of the cultural renaissance of Glasgow in 1990 with Glasgow becoming a European City of Culture in 1990. The formation of this festival alone has increased global interest from its multiple televised broadcasts on BBC and HD and a promotional tour to Chicago in 2012 during the Ryder Cup at the nearby Merdinah Country Club. Another notable festival is T in the Park which is sponsored by Scottish Brewery; Tennents. Established in Glasgow in 1993, the festival will celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2013 and showcases international artists with a focus on new and established Scottish acts such as Scottish Band; Travis, who gained international recognition through performing at the festival from 1994 as an unsigned band and subsequently becoming a headlining act of the festival in 2000. The festival moved to Perthshire in 1997 and politicians in the area were united to promote ‘A Soundtrack for Scotland’s Tourism’, linking traditional music and tourism and diversifying the tourist industry. The festival attracts 85,000 people from all over Britain and in some cases worldwide, to Fife, Scotland, the festival has become: ‘One of the most important and critically acclaimed music events on the international festival circuit.’ The festival has been televised on BBC and footage of the festival includes shots of the backdrop landscape of Kinross and Fife regions. Promoting Scottish Nationalism and Tourism with Music in Sports Branding Branded produce from Scotland provided the tourism sector with an indirect source of advertising the heritage and culture of Scotland during the 1990s. Many advertising campaigns were televised; in particular for the alcohol industry, which used iconic songs synced with images of rural and urban Scottish landscapes which helped create an escapist image of Scotland. An example of this would be Tennents’ Lager, who used Dougie Maclean’s song Caledonia against the imagery of a grimy busy city with arrogant people compared to the contrasting escapist, social, warm and friendly atmosphere of a public house in Edinburgh The sense of nationalism and pride in the cultural diversity in Scotland went from strength to strength in the early 1990s. Scotland celebrated a period of excellence in sport on a global scale which also helped boost the number of visitors to the country. Although Scotland’s national football team failed to advance through the group stages of all the World Cup tournaments in the 1990s including Italy, USA and France respectively, Scotland’s national Rugby team celebrated international success, beating England 13-7 in the 1990 Five Nations Grand Slam. This event penned The Corries lament: ‘Flower of Scotland’ as the unofficial national anthem of Scotland, boosting the national pride and identity and has been used ever since at most sporting events. The song was written to: ‘Kindle a new awareness of what is being lost and what can be regained. Scotland’s resistance, not its defeat is stressed here.’ Another notable use of Scottish music for advertising Scottish Tourism is the 1997 television campaign which used The Silencers version of Wild Mountain Thyme, which is a traditional piece of music popularised by the particular advert which featured iconic scenes of Scotland’s rural landscapes, castles and activities such as travel, surfing and walking. The advert quoted Scottish Poet Norman MacCaig who wrote about Scotland: ‘Only mens minds could have unmapped into abstraction such a territory.’ Another song of note which relates to a worldwide audience and captures the picturesque imagery of Scottish landscapes would be Runrig’s version of the traditional Scots Lament; ‘Loch Lomond’, which was voted as Scotland’s best song by a reader poll in Scottish publication The List in 2008, beating Dignity by Deacon Blue, Caledonia by Dougie MacLean and 500 Miles by the Proclaimers, all of whom are regarded as Scottish Nationalist artists with Pete Wishart, Keyboardist of Runrig being elected as an SNP MP at Westminster in 2001. Conclusion The Future of Scottish Nationalism and Tourism Scotland’s culture and heritage will continue to grow in the tourism spotlight through the commitment of Creative Scotland and its relationship with VisitScotland which is evident from its goals: ‘Creative Scotland’s ambition is to see Scotland as one of the world’s most creative nations by 2020.’ An example of this commitment is apparent as 2012 is the ‘Year of Creative Scotland’ which continues the celebrations of Scottish culture and promotes it to the world through festivals such as the Sound Festival which will be held over October and November and aims to bring visitors to the North East areas of Scotland to enjoy alternative music of Scotland. The internet has increasingly become a major role in the promotion of Scotland’s live music events with internet website; www.visitscotland.co.uk, acting as the information and marketing gateway for prospective visitors to find information, link to external websites such as event homepages and furthermore, purchase event tickets directly with great ease. Glasgow will again become City Of Culture in 2014 and will host the Commonwealth Games and the Ryder Cup, which will be an ideal opportunity for sports and Scottish music to join forces once again.

Contrast in Nigeria Essay Example for Free

Contrast in Nigeria Essay The aim of this paper is to compare and contrast in Nigeria to that in the United States. The emergence, development, and settlement of ethnic conflict are related to the cultural, legal, and socioeconomic conditions in which a conflict takes place. These conditions are strikingly different in developed and developing countries. One more mediating factor in the cross-national study of ethnic conflict is the attitudes towards conflict in a society. Therefore, this paper will start with analyzing societies in the U. S. and Nigeria as well as their histories. The U. S. is the world largest economy and a country with a strong tradition of democracy. Its uniqueness is associated with the fact that the U. S. is an immigrant nation. Although ethnic conflicts were (and still remain, to a certain extent) frequent and acute, the American society has found effective ways to resolve such conflicts. The government of the U. S. tries to prevent conflicts between different ethnic groups, ensure equality, and promote tolerance. On the contrary, Nigeria is a poorer country with GDP per capita being only $2,000 (in the U. S. this figure is $45,800). However, it is Africa’s most populous country. Almost half of the population is under the age of fourteen. Mortality from AIDS is high (the percentage of people living with HIV is 5. 4%), and healthcare is inadequate. The country is composed of more than 250 ethnic groups, the following groups are the most influential: Hausa and Fulani (29%), Yoruba (21%), Igbo (18%), Ijaw (10%), Kanuri (4%), Ibibio (3. 5%), and Tiv (2. 5%) half a population are Muslim, Christians constitute 40% of the total population, and indigenous believers account for the remaining 10% (CIA, 2008). Waters (1996) suggests studying the following questions in order to understand cross-cultural perspectives on ethnic conflict: the meanings of ethnic identities (whether they are oppositional identities, immigrant identities, or symbolic identities); the attitude of ethnic groups to the state (whether they trust the institutions of the state to be fair and honest, whether these institution perpetuate oppression, whether the state is perceived by ethnic groups an instrument of power to be employed by their own group or another group or as a neutral arbiter); and the perceptions on hate crimes, violence, and intergroup encounters (whether they are seen as temporary, accidental and individualized, or as permanent, systematic, and institutionalized). In the U. S. , many people coming from other countries perceive themselves as immigrants at the initial stages of integration, yet eventually they accept their new, American identity. The overarching nature of American identity prevents the creation of sharply oppositional identities. However, double identities (such as African Americans or Hispanic Americans) remain string and may become a basis for ethnic conflict. However, the state directs a lot of effort and resources on preventing ethnic conflict. While the general view on the state’s handling of racial issues is generally positive, racism in entrenched in the social system, and there are even accusations of institutional racism. The unique feature about the American society is that it has an experience of successful resolution of ethnic conflicts, such as the movement for equal rights between Black and White citizens or governmental programmes to support Mexican immigrants. The risk of ethnic conflict in Nigeria is much higher than in the United States. In 1999, frequent clashes were taking place between Yoruba and Hausa ethnic groups. This conflict was the legacy of the British colonial rule: ‘Nigeria was brought into being under British colonial rule, when in the early 1900s Lord Lugard forged together the Moslem Northern protectorate and the Southern Christian sphere’ (Mason, 1999, para. 9). Regionalism was encouraged at that time: the country was divided into three self-governing regions based on ethnic allegiance, such as the western region (dominated by Yoruba), the northern region (mainly Hausa and Fulani), and the eastern region (mainly Igbo). ‘[T]he separate governments were designed to strengthen the colonial grip on Nigerian society and weaken the peoples potentials for resistance’ (Irobi, 2005, ‘Second Case: Nigeria,’ para. 2). The attempts of the Nigerian government to create a fully functional federal state have had limited success following the independence. Ethnic clashes turned into a civil war when Igbos attempt to form an independent state called Biafra. Nigeria took over Biafra in 1970 and maintained territorial integrity, but the conflict remained unresolved. There were incidents of sectarian violence in 2004. More recently, the conflict has centered in the oil-rich Niger Delta region. Access to oil revenue and environmental pollution are the main reasons for clashes. The government is perceived as hostile by Delta communities who used to prosper historically from the natural richness of their homeland. The clashes occur between two local ethnic groups, Itsekiris and Ijaw. Cases of vandalism are frequent; the conflict has been especially acute in 2004 when Niger Delta People’s Volunteer Force threatened to destroy oil facilities and infrastructure in the region. In 2005, employees of Shell were kidnapped by the Iduwini National Movement for Peace and Development. In 2006, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger River Delta continued the attacks on Shell decreasing the oil production by three quarters. All these groups demand international companies and the government to take appropriate care of the region’s environmental situation and contribute to the region’s development (GlobalSecurity, n/d). As concerns ethnic identities in Niger Delta, they are fluid and dynamic: inhabitants of the region are quick to reconstruct their identities influenced by political opportunities and economic inducements. However, the inhabitants of the region can be regarded as having a common regional oppositional identity. The government is perceived as an inimical body responsible for the ethnic unrest: ‘When citizens perceive that the system has failed to provide essential political or economic goods, they are more likely to gravitate to communal identities and to pursue contentious mobilization’ (Lewis, 2004, ‘Abstract’). Summing up, there are several features which are typical for ethnic conflict in Nigeria, as well as the rest of Africa, namely ‘the demand for ethnic and cultural autonomy, competing demands for land, money and power, and conflicts taking place between rival ethnic groups’ (Irobi, 2005, ‘Introduction,’ para. 6). Therefore, there are many differences between the U. S. and Nigeria in terms of interethnic relations. The most significant differences are the role of the government in conflict management and the creation of oppositional identities as contrasted with an overarching American identity. References CIA. (2008). ‘The World Factbook: Nigeria. ’ Retrieved August 26, 2008, from https://www. cia. gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ni. html GlobalSecurity. (N/d). ‘Niger Delta. ’ Retrieved August 26, 2008, from http://www. globalsecurity. org/military/world/war/nigeria-2. htm Irobi, E. G. (2005). ‘Ethnic Conflict Management in Africa: A Comparative Case Study of Nigeria and South Africa. ’ Retrieved August 26, 2008, from http://www. beyondintractability. org/case_studies/nigeria_south-africa. jsp? nid=6720 Lewis, P. (2004). ‘Identity and Conflict in Nigerias Niger Delta: New Evidence from Attitude Surveys. ’ Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Political Science Association, Hilton Chicago and the Palmer House Hilton, Chicago, IL. Retrieved August 26, 2008, from http://www. allacademic. com/meta/p59519_index. html Mason, B. (1999). ‘Ethnic conflict escalates in Nigeria. ’ Retrieved August 26, 2008, from http://www. wsws. org/articles/1999/aug1999/nig-a17. shtml Waters, M. C. (1996). ‘Ethnic and racial groups in the USA: Conflict and cooperation. ’ In Ethnicity and power in the contemporary world, ed. Rupesinghe, K, Tishkov, V. A. Retrieved August 26, 2008, from http://www. unu. edu/unupress/unupbooks/uu12ee/uu12ee0o. htm

Portrayal Of Vampires In Literature

Portrayal Of Vampires In Literature His face was a strong, a very strong, aquiline, with high bridge of the thin nose and peculiarly arched nostrils, with lofty domed forehead, and hair growing scantily round the temples but profusely elsewhere. The mouth, so far as I could see it under the heavy moustache, was fixed and rather cruel-looking, with peculiarly sharp white teeth (Stoker, 1897). For many centuries this crude, bloodcurdling image prevailed what is now known to us as the blood sucking vampire. This description of Dracula, as illustrated by Bram Stoker in 1897, compares nowhere near the handsome, romantic, and charming figure vampires have become in modern day film and literature. Yet what is most interesting, in a rather peculiar way, is to see the irony of such a thoughtless creature becoming a prevalent reflection of modern culture; their unchanging, dead existence representing the ever-changing situations of our conscious and unconscious fears. This essay will seek to critically analyse two well known lit erary texts portraying vampires. Through the description of the vampires appearance, role, function and purpose and the several motifs and cultural myths such portrayals and images are drawn upon, this essay hopes to provide several reasons for the human fascination of such creatures and further suggest vampires represent several cultural beliefs and actions implemented by human society. An obscure sort of figure and a likely representation of both erotic anxiety and corrupt desire, the literary vampire is one of the most powerful archetypes bequeathed to us from the imagination of the nineteenth century (Gordon Hollinger, 1997). Yet, interestingly as times change it seems each age embraces the vampire it needs (Gordon Hollinger, 1997). Prior to the 1970s, the ideal vampire was a portrayal of Bram Stockers Dracula; the captivating, cultured, yet evil Eastern European Count. Since then, as a result of numerous novel publications, including Anne Rices Vampire Chronicles and Stephanie Meyers Twilight, the illustration of the vampire has changed, due to the ongoing transformations in the broader cultural and political mise-en-scene (Gordon Hollinger, 1997). It is mainly through certain motifs and cultural beliefs, both of the past and present, in which the figure of the vampire has transformed. As a prominent figure of time, vampires have represented metaphors for sex uality and power. As of late, while still powerful and appealing, vampires have become a symbol for alienation, choice, societys attitudes towards illness, their definition of evil, and can also act as representations for individual obsession, free agency, self-control, sacrifice and faith. Anne Rices Interview with the Vampire (1976) and Stephenie Meyers Twilight (2008), are just two texts incorporating the fascination of the vampire. However, the texts present several differences; each utilising contrasting ideas in the illustration, function, roles, and purpose of the vampire. Anne Rices Interview with the Vampire accounts the life of a 200-year-old vampire, Louis du Pointe du Pac. Turned into a vampire at the age of 25 by Lestat, Louis story gives audiences two representations of the vampire. Rice steers away from the old portrayal of the creature, captivating this through Louis and Claudia, while also using Lestat as an illustration of the evil, crude, and self-centred vampire. Lestat and Louis are two different vampires; in their appearance, their function, their roles, and their purpose. Louis is the good vampire; humane, genuine and honest. Depicted as beautiful, with utterly white and smooth(Rice,1976) skin, his face a seemingly inanimate as a statue, except fo r two brilliant green eyes( Rice,1976), his hair black, the waves combed back over the tips of the ears(Rice,1976), his shoulders broad(Rice,1976), his figure tall and slender (Rice,1976), his lips silken and delicately lined like any persons lips, only deadly white(Rice,1976), Louis is the image of a different vampire from the one normally envisioned. Lestat, on the other hand is described little in the novel. He is however the opposite to Louis. Illustrated in this book as being 6ft tall with curly blond hair and grey eyes, a short and narrow nose and a mouth that is slightly large for his face(Rice, 1976)), Lestat is charming, attractive and charismatic, but evil. Throughout the novel, Louis relives the moments of how he became indoctrinated, unwillingly, into the vampire way of life (Rice, 2010). He also describes his longing to not hurt but rather to comfort Claudia, who is his only friend and his life. He somewhat becomes a father figure to her, taking it upon himself to care and love her with the last breaths of humanity he has inside (Rice, 2010). Both Louis and Claudia struggle to understand themselves, their purpose, their hatred of Lestat and both become desperate to find somewhere they belong, to find others who understand (Rice, 2010). This is in contrast to Lestat who believes vampires are killers Predators. Whose all seeing eyes see a human life in its entirety, not with any mawkish sorrow but with a thrilling satisfaction in being the end of that life, in having a hand in the divine plan(Rice, 2010). He believes his life has no purpose, a least none that involves being honest and caring, but rather a killer and a monster. Similarly, Twilight, a novel written by Stephenie Meyer, further illustrates the idea set by Anne Rice in her novel. When Bella Swan moves back to her childhood home in order to be with her father, she discovers some things that she never thought were possible. She meets the very mysterious Edward Cullen, who while irresistible and charming, has a certain past which he would rather keep hidden. Determined to find out his dark secret, Bella befriends Edward and the two become close. What she does not realise is that the closer she gets to him, the more she is putting herself and those around her at risk (Meyer, 2008). Although Edward warns her on several occasions that he is not the good guy he seems to be, soon Bella puts together the pieces and comes to the evident conclusion that is a vampire. Meyers vampires are in certain ways very different from Anne Rices image in Interview with the vampire. While chalky pale, palest of all the students(Meyer, 2008), with dark eyes(Meyer, 2008) yet all their features were straight, perfect and angular(Meyer, 2008), their faces all similar, yet different; devastatingly, inhumanly beautiful(Meyer, 2008), as Louis in Rices story, the Cullens are humanised with features most cannot resist. To add to the already humanistic vampire image, Meyer also gives her characters gifts above and beyond the norm (Meyer, 2008). In subtle ways these gifts represent their role and function, and as Edward explains their strongest human traits (Meyer, 2008). Each character brings their gift for good; Edward with his ability to read minds, Alice with her gift to see the future, Carlisle brings his compassion, Esme her ability to love, Emmett his strength, Rosalie her tenacity and Jasper his ability to control peoples feelings and emotions. As with the characteristics of the vampires, Meyer challenges the image of the old vampire by means of changing their purpose. Part of the story revolves around what is means to be a vampire. Constantly, Edwa rd is reluctant to befriend Bella as he still believes deep down he is not superhero, but rather the bad guy. He struggles with his existence, describing himself as the worlds best predator, dangerous (Meyer, 2008) and even at one point he confesses to Bella of his struggle to keep himself from killing, to control his thirst for blood. He does still however feel, as any human, revealing to Bella numerous times he cannot live with himself if he killed her(Meyer, 2008), sounding in a way confused and saddened at the prospect. It is important to also mention the Cullen philosophy. It is explained through Edwards father, Carlisle Cullen that their kind are not killers. Carlisle rebelled against being a vampire, he went to great lengths to destroy himself (Meyer, 2008), fighting hard to resist drinking other peoples blood and looking for an alternative to being the vile monster he feared(Meyer, 2008), finding a way to exist without being evil (Meyer, 2008). Both Interview with the Vampire and Twilight, utilise several motifs, metaphors, and cultural beliefs to illustrate the existence, images, and purpose of vampires. The vampire can in several ways, provide a metaphor for sexuality and power, but can also represent alienation inflicted by society, societys attitude towards illness, its definition of good and evil and can even reinforce individual feelings of obsession, free agency and choice, self-control, sacrifice and faith. Present in both texts, however more profoundly in Anne Rices novel, the original representation of the vampiric metaphors, images and purpose related to sexuality and societys attitudes towards illness are explored. It is interesting to see the close similarities between the idea of death from a vampires bite and the death by disease, associating to a vampires wasting, with paleness, with blood flow from the mouth, night restlessness and alternate burning and chills (Gordon Hollinger, 1997). Interview with the Vampire is of the two texts more inclined to present audiences with the vampire-as-a-disease metaphor, coincidently incorporating cultural events and beliefs present in America at the time. Rice utilises the metaphor to illustrated societys awareness of AIDS and homosexuality. This changing metaphor of sex and violence leads to the homoeroticism of Least and Louis' (Grey,2003) relationship, encouraging mainstream audiences to accept this new way of society and accept homoeroti c protagonists with fewer qualms that normally evincible (Grey,2003). It also uses sexuality to reinforce the image of the old vampires seduction, its ability to attract both men and women, and of the vampire taking the life of its victims. Twilight however, while describing Edward as attractive and mesmerising, it is important to note the metaphor of a vampire being a crude creature is not heavily present in this novel. Instead, Meyer uses the vampires as metaphors for kindness and sincerity, even in some respect using Edward as a figure of goodness and love. Their romance, cosmically disproportionate, is a parable or transparency of the inequalities and responsibilities of the divine-human synergy (Granger, 2009). Edwards love for Bella is forever unchanging and respectful, while Bellas love for him in return is selfless and sacrificial. Written from a religious point of view, the choices which both Edward and Bella make support the idea of free agency; the power for humans to mak e their own decisions and at the same time be responsible for these choices. Both of them pay the consequences for their choices, whether good or bad. In earlier vampire literature, it is important to note vampires were considered related to the Devil. Very few people befriended such creatures, rather using certain symbols to eliminate them. As a result, the belief of faith and religion can be related to the figure of the vampire. The most common for victory were few: armed with crucifixes, wooden stakes, holy water, garlic and occasionally fire and sunlight, good always prevailed (Gordon Hollinger, 1997). Before long anything capable to fend off the vampire, meant those against them possessed great faith. This implied that symbols of faith, when handled by those of less-than-perfect or non-existent faith, might prove ineffective. (Gordon Hollinger, 1997) As in the 1960s and 70s, culture took on a secular view of the world, victims died because of their lack of faith. But as society quickly confronted its loss of faith, vampires lost their ability of their magical arsenal (Gordon Hollinger, 1997). Little is seen of a vampires ab ility to transform into bats and wolves, to crawl on surfaces and disappear in a puff of smoke. And as Louis explains in Rices novel, no such myths exist any longer. The more contemporary vampire exhibits little of the metaphysical, magical, anti-Christian act, but rather his/her own acts are expressions of individual personality and condition (Gordon Hollinger, 1997). This decrease in focus on the vampires metaphysical and religious status supports a loss in the past folkloric characteristics of the vampire. The change from the metaphoric Anti-Christ to secular sinner, from magical to mundane permeates the appearance of and indeed, permits the existence of good as well as bad (Gordon Hollinger, 1997) vampires. And as Edward states in Twilight just because weve been dealt a certain hand it doesnt mean we cant choose to rise above- to conquer the boundaries of destiny that none of us wanted. To try to retain whatever essential humanity we can. (Meyer, 2008) Many argue the contemporary vampire story often represents the very intriguing condition of what we now known as postmodernism, this idea of good and evil. And what better example than the most central motif present in Anne Rices novel. Lestat represents the vampire of the postmodern era; he dismisses any faith, except faith in himself. On the other hand, Louis is the vampire which struggles against becoming the postmodern, evil creature, taking his loss of faith as an illustration for his loss of humanity. The book also portrays Louis as being aware of the question of good and evil, of struggling to accept Lestats philosophy and belief. Claudia also finds herself in a situation where she is caught between two different examples of what a vampire could be and as a result becomes determined to find out the origin of her existence. Good and evil also appears a central theme within Twilight. Meyer uses the Cullens as the good vampires, who harm no one, and James and Victoria as the bloo dsuckers and murderers. On a more personal level, Edward battles between good (his human desire to not harm) and evil (the fact that he is a vampire) suggesting an example of a conscious and human thought process. Thus, it is not what you are born as or what you are made to be that defines your existence, but rather what choices you make based on your own ideas and identity. The vampire today has transformed from an figure of super evil to being simply an alien other, no longer embodying metaphysical evil, no longer a damned soul (Gordon Hollinger, 1997), but rather an metaphor for our awareness of multiculturalism merely ethnic, a victim of heredity (Zanger, 1997 in GH). Both Interview with the Vampire and Twilight depict vampires as outsiders. In Twilight Bella describes her feelings towards this alienation, feeling pity towards the Cullens, pity because, as beautiful as they were, they were outsiders, clearly not accepted (Meyer, 2008). The idea of being alone is also evident in Edwards distance from his family and his school friends. While his brothers and sisters have moved on and formed close relationships, he remained alone. Incidentally, vampires are forced to live away from society in order to keep their existence a secret. Interview with the Vampire also suggests Louis and Lestat are not accepted within society, constantly being illustrated as outcasts, needing acceptance from society but it seeming as if this acceptance can only be found in another of his kind. This theme speaks to almost every individual, as almost everyone has felt alone or alienated at some point in their lives and illustrates societys attitudes towards certain groups of people. Sacrifice, self-control and obsession are several other themes which vampires represent in both texts. Sacrifice is a dominant theme throughout Twilight. While Bella sacrifices everything to be with Edward, it is Edward who makes a decision to be with Bella, to trust her and her intention of keeping his secret. He sacrifices his secret to be with Bella, and while he may be at a loss, his sacrifice can be seen as acceptable when it may be a free choice to gain something greater. Again, the same takes place in Interview with the Vampire, when Louis makes a decision to leave Lestat and sacrifice his life to take care of Claudia and to find more of his existence. Self-control is equally evident in both of the texts. Self-control is very important in Twilight, as it is closely linked to free agency. In order to have free-agency, the Cullens must have self-control, and as a result self-control is in this case a way of overcoming their instinct and a way to create ones wanted life and princ iples. Vampires in both of the texts are not saints, but just like real people they have flaws. And just like real people, they are under the driving force of obsession. Bellas love for Edward, Louis cling to humanity and Lestats belief to kill goes beyond reason, beyond practically. In a way all of these attributes apply to society today, from the ways we make choices, to the sacrifices we make for those we love and our obsessions with love, humanity, and death. The literary vampire has entertained and captured audiences for many years, changing but never completely disappearing. For it is evident every ages does seem to embrace the vampire is needs (Gordon Hollinger, 1997), guiding us along our paths of socialisation, separations and individualisation. Whether the fears are personal, societal, internal, or external, the vampiric metaphor transforms as time passes. The themes of sexual desire, disease, political and social indifference, religion, alienation, good versus evil, and many more represent the vampire figure. All of the themes discussed mirror our current views of boundaries between individuals and society, between one group and the rest. How intriguing it is to see that such social anxieties and personal beliefs are represented through such a creature, one that breaks boundaries between life and death, good and evil, love and fear. And how interesting it is, that the vampire lives on in this modern society of constant conflict, b etween what is real and what is not, between what is private and what is public, in such a way as helping to dissolve the numerous conflicts and the fixed boundaries by means of representation and example. Vampires encourage creative thought and emotional stability, they act as beings we would all rather be, even examples of how we should be. Providing us with a desire to be good rather than evil, vampires have captured the imagination of the twenty-first century. Like flowers perfuming our dreams and beliefs, vampire will continue to capture us with anticipation and dread for years to come.

Fattening: The social implications on the Azawagh Arabs and the real me

Throughout the ethnography, â€Å"Feeding Desire† written by Rebecca Popenoe, we see one consistent theme that is brought up time and time again – women and the fattening of them to obtain a desired look. From the perspective of a Western third party, the idea of fattening to appear beautiful/appealing seems ridiculous. It simply makes little sense because fattening, is incredibly unhealthy, something that is recognized in Western culture and at the same time we prefer women to be as fit as possible. Looking through the ethnography we see that there are many reasons for fattening being a key factor in making women â€Å"an object of desire† (Page.. citation) as stated by Popenoe. We can examine these cases through the work of Popenoe and determine as to how she came to this conclusion. At the start of the ethnography we can see from Popenoe’s initial experience while working with the Peace Corps in Niger, that the idea of fattening and how the women she saw originally seemed as â€Å"unattractive lumbering† (Popenoe 2004: 20). It was however while working with the Peace Corps that Popenoe noticed that this rounded shape that was the norm among the women and was far more appreciated and desired. After having decided to live with the Azawagh Arabs, Popenoe expresses the obvious indication of her being the outcast when it came to female sexual competition shown through the statement, â€Å"With collar bones protruding and not a stretchmark to be found on my upper arms, I believe many women considered me a poor specimen of my sex.† (2004: 20). Even though it is shown that women and men are usually separate, Popenoe’s lack of physical beauty as per the Azawagh Arab women, allowed her to communicate with the men with no fear from the women that... ...dent that his job in gathering better subsistence is going very well, likely meaning he is wealthy. It is not something which is meant to show off, but just happens in cases of abundance (2004: 112). Most importantly is the control a woman can have over their husband, by waiting till the night to discuss what is on their mind as that is the point in the time where a man can’t refuse them, their lust and sexual desire forces them to listen pretty much. Popenoe does an excellent job in her ethnography giving us the perspective of the Azawagh Arab society. We see how the culture is in such a society where women are fattened for many reasons that are important such as sexual desire, marriage, and the passage towards womanhood. Such fattening has run societies in the area including the Azawagh Arabs since they were discovered and continue to do so today.

The Price of Revenge in Sleepers and Valentine :: Sleepers Valentine

The Price of Revenge in Sleepers and Valentine Many people advocate the philosophy of "An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth," but few of them realize that to take revenge is often to sacrifice oneself and that the very purpose of law is to put an end to revenge. People are willing to sacrifice their freedom, their careers, and even their lives for revenge. Lorenzo Carcaterra's novel Sleepers, and Tom Savage's novel, Valentine, evidently express this. Although its true that it might take couple of years for criminals to get what they deserve, most of the time the law gets the job done. In addition, some may argue that the law doesn't always ensure justice. This is also true, but it’s still not worth to sacrifice oneself. We should let the law do its job. People may sacrifice their freedom for revenge. In Sleepers, John Reilly and Tommy Marcano could not forget the humiliation they suffered at the Wilkinson Home for Boys. One day, they saw Sean Nokes, one of the guards who never planned on a reunion with the two boys, sitting in a bar. They recognized him at first glance and didn't want to give up this valuable chance for Nokes to pay for what he did to them. Both of them pulled out their guns and shot Nokes to death in cold blood. The shots that took away their enemy's life soon took away their own freedom. They were both arrested and put into jail. People may sacrifice their careers for revenge as well. Michael Sullivan, after being released from the Wilkinson Home, had never again had a problem with the law. Moreover, he graduated with honors from high school and eventually became a New York City assistant district attorney. But his career was destined to be destroyed when he decided to go after the other guards. "It's payback time", Michael said," John and Tommy started it, I can finish it" (Carcaterra p.271). As the prosecuting attorney, he set the witness (one of the guards) up and purposely lost the case. Although his revenge plan succeeded, his reputation as a lawyer was ruined. He never practiced law again and became a carpenter. It's a tragedy that this law school student doesn't believe in law. People may even sacrifice their lives for revenge. In Valentine, Victor Dimorta is an abused boy.

Faulkners Light in August - Themes :: Light August Essays

Light in August - Themes    1. RACISM    The Southern concern with racial identity is one of Light in August's central themes. When people think that Joe Christmas has even a trace of black ancestry, they treat him completely differently from the way they treat white people. Many of the characters in Light in August seem twisted by their preoccupation with race. Joe Christmas, Joanna Burden, Nathaniel Burden, Doc Hines, and, ultimately, Percy Grimm are among these. But even many of the characters who don't share this mania assume that treating blacks inhumanly is acceptable. The Jefferson sheriff, Watt Kennedy, seems a decent man, yet he whips a randomly chosen black in an interrogation that was unnecessary in the first place.    2. THE SOUTHERN PAST       Two of Light in August's five major characters live in the shadow of their dead ancestors. But you could interpret their relation to these forebears in different ways. On the one hand, you could point to a pattern of decline and say that the present doesn't live up to the heroic days of yesteryear. On the other hand, you could say that the problems of the present come from a failure to shake off the burdensome grip of the past. Here is how you could argue each point of view.    a. The Heroic Past    Gail Hightower's grandfather was a robust lover of life, and his father was a helper of his fellow human beings. But Hightower fails both his wife and his congregation and spends the rest of his life cut off from other people.    Though Joanna Burden's forefathers were not originally from the South, their emigration to Jefferson makes them part of the Souths history too. And like Gail Hightower, Joanna compares badly to both her father and grandfather. They were rebellious wanderers and vigorous family men. She spends most of her time in her house, feels homesick whenever she leaves Jefferson, and never marries or has children.    b. The Burdensome Past    Gail Hightower's problems stem from his obsession with his grandfather, who was not even worth this worship. After all, he died stealing chickens. Likewise, Joanna Burden is the victim of the stern religion and patronizing racism that her father taught her and that he learned from his father before him.