Japanese Internment :: Japan War History Essays

Japanese Internment The Virtual Museum Of The City Of San Francisco has established a great source for those interested in studying the internment of Japanese during World War II. This topic is reflected very accurately and fairly in the archives of the museum because the archives consist of primary documents. Their archives of original newspaper articles are the basis of this research document. The content listed on the museum’s web site is very relevant to the topic of Japanese internment because it provides a wealth of primary documents including opinions of ordinary people writing to their newspaper to express a wide variety of viewpoints on the subject of Japanese internment during the Second World War. One question stands above all others and the virtual museum gives a good first-hand account of events to answer it - what happened to the Japanese and why were they forced to move? To answer this question, the archives of the Virtual Museum Of The City Of San Francisco should be consulted. On February 14, 1942 Lt. General J. L. DeWitt, â€Å"commanding general of the Fourth Army and the Western Defense Command[i]† recommended to the War Department, the â€Å"evacuation[ii]† of Japanese living along the Pacific coast, deemed a Military Zone. About 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry, many of those people American citizens, living on the West Coast and Southern Arizona were removed from their homes to locations of the government’s choosing. The very term â€Å"evacuation† is misleading to say the least because it suggests that the Japanese were being relocated to protect their safety. The excuses cited by the military were to establish â€Å"broad civil control, anti-sabotage, and counter-espionage measures.[iii]† The reasons given to justify â€Å"evacuation† suggested that the Japanese were a threat to the nation and not the nation a threat to the Japanese. Drawing a dichotomy, the United States Government tried to put a human face on the forced evacuations by claiming America was protecting the Japanese by moving them out of a war zone. The government would claim it was helping the Japanese by relocating the Japanese to a zone of safety outside the military zone. Statements from the government would contradict each other throughout this period of time. For instance, Japanese-Americans were termed â€Å"enemy aliens,† while at the same time, they were encouraged to be good citizens and loyal Americans by enlisting in the war effort, relocating voluntarily, offering no resistance and no questioning of the relocation efforts and activities.

Eugene Delacroix Essay

Eugene Delacroix is a French romantic painter who lived between 1798 and 1863. He was born Ferdinand Victor Eugene Delacroix in Charenton Saint Maurice, France on April 26, 1798. His father was Foreign Minister Charles Delacroix, although for some reasons he was assumed to be the son of Tallyrand, a famous diplomat, whom he resembles much in form and appearance. His mother had died in 1814, around nine years after the death of Charles Delacroix’s. The incident left him orphaned at the tender age of 16 year old. It as a year after that when he started his painting career. It was in 1815 when he became the pupil of a popular French painter, Pierre Narcisse Guerin and eventually entering l’Ecole des Beaux-Art in 1816. During that period in time, he had successfully produced more than 850 works and had completed numerous numbers of murals, sketches, and drawings. Prior to his education under Guerin, Eugene Delacroix early schooling was at the Lycee Louis le Grand. There is where his talents were first discovered, as he went on winning awards for his drawings during his stay in the institution. It was under Guerin though, that he had learned the neoclassical styles of Jacques Louis David. But even so, he was better influenced by the techniques of Peter Paul Rubens and a fellow French painter Theodore Gericault, as far as choice of colors and the visual impacts that his works portray. During his entire career as a painter, Delacroix had created masterpieces in the likes of Massacre at Chios, Death of Sardanapalus, Liberty Leading the People, Travel to North Africa, and The Barque of Dante, among others. In 1824, Delacroix submitted his second work in the Paris Salon exhibition, after his had submitted â€Å"Dante and Virgil in Hell† two years prior. His painting entitled â€Å"Massacre at Chios† has garnered good reviews and had caught the attention of a lot of art critics. This masterpiece depicts Greek civilians all sick and dying, while being slaughtered by the Turks. Because of this particular work, Delacroix shot up to fame and recognition to be the leading Romantic painter in all of France. His painting was the exact representation of the French sentiments during those times. The 20,000 Greeks that were suffering under the hands of the Turks, as shown in the painting, was what it takes to convey the sympathy that the French are feeling for the Greeks in their war for independence. It was the French government who get to buy his work and it had cost 6,000 francs. His other work entitled â€Å"Death of Sardanapalus† is a depiction of the death of an Assyrian king named Sardanapalus. The piece was an adaptation from the literary play that is created by Byron. This masterpiece is created with stunning colors amidst the tragic event it portrays. In the picture, the king is watching quite impassively as his guards carry out his own orders of killing animals, servants, and concubines in front of him. In the actual play though, there isn’t a reference at all to concubines being killed. It is believed that the addition of naked ladies in the painting is an exercise of Delacroix’s artistic freedom. The artwork is indeed a tragic representation of death and all its horrors, which during that time, were never drawn or painted, even in the walls of the Sistine Chapel. Aside from his notable paintings, Eugene Delacroix also associates closely with writers and playwrights that are prominent during his time. He had illustrated the many works of writers in the likes of Sir Walter Scott, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and of course William Shakespeare. Many of Delacroix’s works are portraits of people, religious subjects, and scenes drawn from history and literature. He also got to make landscapes and flower pieces, and of them made him one of the greatest artists of all time.

Practicing the Democracy in the Philippines

How does People Power became a bad habit? How does Edsa 3 fail? Where does President Marcos fall short when there are many people tell that he was a good leader in terms of economic development? Was he corrupt? Why Benigno Aquino focuses on â€Å"assassination† on his interviews? Why was Benigno Aquino be the first to get off to the airplane? Why there was no bodyguard to take care of him? Did Ninoy know that he will soon die? Was it sacrifice? Why does he need to do that so? When people don’t like the operation of the government, they just go out to the office and shout. Rebellion against the government is what will happen. This is what we call People Power. When thousands and even millions of people grouped together to commit one common goal – a big changes can happen, Changes in the government, administration, community and also â€Å"position†. All can change but not the attitude of every Filipino. Honestly, For me, We Filipino are lazy, We only think is ourselves. We don’t know how to cooperate with the leaders. We don’t give our trust. Instead, We are â€Å"Juan Tamad† waiting for the guava fell from the hand of our leader. We don’t know how to work for ourselves. We always want help from the government and that is what the government is offering to us but we don’t give any help in return. Why do we always put our anger to the president? The president could not monitor each one of us that is why we have a respected leader in our respected place. We can be a leader in ourselves. All we need is discipline and the word of God to govern us. While I was walking in gastambide Street last night, I saw some student throwing garbage in the street. I felt madness. Our leader will not go there to pick it up and put it to the garbage can for them. Laziness. I heard the one said, â€Å"sus! May magwawalis naman jan. † I got angry, but I can’t speak. Don’t they have discipline? Don’t they have an ethics class? Do they know about ethics? Yes, they have freedom to throw it there but they must not forget that there is a rule. Democracy was granted to us with the help of the Aquinos but we must not forget our responsibility. A â€Å"lack of help† turns to anger, making people march out to Edsa. Laziness. Let us differentiate Filipino from Chinese. The answer is already there. Poor become more poorer and richer become more richer. We Filipino give so much dependence to the government where in fact, we can do it alone and share it with others. All because of laziness. This attitude makes People Power a bad habit. It’s like saying, â€Å"Ang gusto ko ibigay mo, kung hindi paalisin ka namin dyan sa pwesto mo. † It is saddening to note that it is a wrong practice of democracy. People Power is not Rebellion and not even rally. Nowadays, It is used to commit power and it is so sad. While doing this report, a news in a television got my attention. It was about the killing of the journalists. They were asking, where is democracy? I look for the meaning in my dictionary, it says,†Democracy is a form of government by the people through elected representatives. † A certain site from the Internet says â€Å"Democracy is a political government either carried out by the people (direct democracy), or the power to govern is granted to elected representatives†. Simply for me, it means freedom, the power is for people. Now, I understand. Former President Ferdinand Marcos took his responsibility carefully. He was an intelligent man. He knows how to speak to the different kinds of people in the society from elite to the poor. He had many plan to put this country to the top. But this plan turned him to a greedy one. But what was the problem? FM forgot about democracy. He forgot to appreciate the capabilities of others to lead and instead he depended on his own knowledge and skills. He forgot the rights of the people and instead he became a dictator. That was a big problem for a country that practices democracy. Even the right to vote – the simplest form to practice democracy in this country was taken. Because of that, A brave man named â€Å"Ninoy Aquino† decided to make change. This man sacrifices his self to open the eyes of every Filipino to fight for their rights. He said that â€Å"Filipino is worth dying for†. A dramatic quote which make me feel proud of being a Filipino. Why wonder I typed â€Å"I am proud of being a Filipino† in my friendster, facebook and multiply account. Every Filipino knows what â€Å"L† signs mean, Yellow Ribbon, Ninoy eyeglasses, yellow shirt. I hope that these are not only a trend to Filipino Fashion but rather I hope that every Filipino will use it to hold and to preserve the good things that Ninoy and Cory did. I am not forcing everyone to vote for Noynoy but I am hoping that if Noynoy wins, Nonoy will do the same to promote democracy for I believe Like father, like son. He grew up to the family who fights for democracy and I am hoping he will do the same. Looking back to the Edsa People Power days, I was really amazed to see millions of people fight for freedom. I am wishing that millions of people will work also for the benefit of our country and I hope our leaders will cooperate. It is so dramatic to watch the part where people and the soldier joined together. I Thanked God for having Cory and Ninoy for our country. If only I was born back then, I will also march up to Edsa to fight for democracy. There is a feeling of patriotism in me while watching that documentary. I really appreciate what Ninoy, Cory and the rest did. God granted democracy to us with the help of these people. We have to use it wisely. We must practice it rightly and we must not forget our duty and responsibility. We must not forget the people behind this movement. From Rizal to Ninoy to Cory and to the future hero. Let us not forget what democracy means hoping to preserve these people and Edsa not only to a page in history books but also within our hearts and warriors will lead that.

Factors Affecting Climate

Factors Affecting Climate There are many different factors that affect climate around the world. The most important factors are:- †¢Distance From The Sea †¢Ocean Currents †¢Direction of Prevailing Winds †¢Relief †¢Proximity To The Equator †¢The El Nino Phenomenon †¢Recently, it has been accepted that human activity is also affecting climate. Distance From The Sea (Continentality) The sea affects the climate of a place. Coastal areas are cooler and wetter than inland areas. Clouds form when warm air from inland areas meets cool air from the sea. The centre of continents are subject to a large range of temperatures.In the summer, temperatures can bevery hot and dry as moisture from the sea evaporates before it reaches the centre of the continent. Ocean Currents The Ocean Currents of the World http://www. itl. net cean currents can increase or reduce temperatures. The diagram to the left shows the ocean currents of the world. The main ocean current tha t affects the UK is the Gulf Stream. Can you see where the gulf stream is? The Gulf Stream is a warm ocean current in the North Atlantic flowing from the Gulf of Mexico, northeast along the U. S coast, and from there to the British Isles.The Gulf of Mexico has higher air temperatures than Britain as it's closer to the equator. This means that the air coming from the Gulf of Mexico to Britain is also warm. However, the air is also quite moist as it travels over the Atlantic ocean. This is one reason why Britain often receives wet weather. The Gulf Stream keeps the west coast of Europe free from ice in the winter and, in the summer warmer than other places of a similar latitude. The chart below was the first chart drawn of the Gulf Stream. It was drawn by Benjamin Franklin in 1770.The Gulf Stream – As Drawn By Benjamin Franklin http://www. cnmoc. navy. mil. educate Direction of Prevailing Winds Winds that blow from the sea often bring rain to the coast and dry weather to inland areas. Winds that blow to Britain from warm inland areas such as Africa will be warm and dry. Winds that blow to Britain from inland areas such as the Netherlands will be cold and dry in winter. Britains prevailing winds come from a south westerly direction over the Atlantic. The winds are cool in the summer and mild in the winter. Relief Climate can be affected by mountains.Mountains receive more rainfall than low lying areas because the temperature on top of mountains is lower than the temperature at sea level. That is why you often see snow on the top of mountains all year round. The higher the place is above sea level the colder it will be. This happens because as altitude increases, air becomes thinner and is less able to absorb and retain heat. Proximity To The Equator The proximity to the equator affects the climate of a place. The equator receives the more sunlight than anywhere else on earth. This is due to its position in relation to the sun (see right).The diagram shows that the equator is hotter because the sun has less area to heat. It is cooler at the north and south poles as the sun has more area to heat up. It is cooler as the heat is spread over a wider area. The Earth's Position in Relation to the Sun http://www. itl. net El Nino El Nino, which affects wind and rainfall patterns, has been blamed for droughts and floods in countries around the Pacific Rim. El Nino refers to the irregular warming of surface water in the Pacific. The warmer water pumps energy and moisture into the atmosphere, altering global wind and rainfall patterns.The phenomenon has caused tornadoes in Florida, smog in Indonesia, and forest fires in Brazil (see below) Devastation Caused by a El Nino-generated tornado in Florida http://news. bbc. co. uk Smog In Indonesia http://news. bbc. co. uk El Nino Causes Forest Fires in Brazil http://news. bbc. co. uk Human Influence The factors above affect the climate naturally. However, we cannot forget the influence of humans on ou r climate. We have been affecting the climate since we appeared on this earth millions of years ago. In those times, the affect on the climate was small.Trees were cut down to provide wood for fires. Trees take in carbon dioxide and produce oxygen. A reduction in trees will therefore have increased the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The Industrial Revolution, starting at the end of the 19th Century, has had a huge effect on climate. The invention of the motor engine and the increased burning of fossil fuels have increased the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The number of trees being cut down has also increased, meaning that the extra carbon dioxide produced cannot be changed into oxygen.

Admissions to Montclair State University

â€Å"By learning you will teach, by teaching you will learn†. This is a Latin proverb that has echoed in my mind when I experience the joy of sharing my knowledge and whenever I feel the urge to search for answers to my endless questions.Early in life I have developed a keen interest in the field of biology. My fascination to know how living things survive, reproduce, and change in time led me to ask questions, read books, perform observation, and view documentary shows about science.I could vividly recall spending my childhood leisure hours in the garden to observe the different species of butterflies, how a caterpillar transform into pupa and later into an adult butterfly. Then, in my high school freshman days, I performed a five week experiment to determine how plants grow. This experiment has further awakened my interest as I learn to test the quality of the soil, and the right amount of water, light and temperature to sustain the life of the plants.My endless quest for k nowledge has led me to search for answers through the use of various sources of information. Whenever I have found the answers to my nagging questions, I could not resist sharing the information to my family, friends and classmates.The satisfaction that I have gained in imparting my knowledge is immeasurable. I enjoyed the exchange of ideas, the transfer of knowledge, and the acquisition of new knowledge. There is joy in seeing their faces light up as they understand and appreciate what I was discussing. All these experiences have confirmed my interest to be an educator in the field of biology.I decided to major in Biology as I believe that the study of life is the most important subject in the world. The field of biology deals with the meaningful and profound knowledge of the existence of all living things. Studying life and the processes involved in sustaining it goes beyond the teaching of evolution.For me, biology allows me to explore the world as I study nature closely and unde rstand the diversity of life. However, it is not sufficient to gain knowledge of the subject matter. What would matter most is how students would learn through self discovery while teachers keep their goals in mind and allow room for improvement. This is an area that I need to learn as I have observed some of my classmates regard biology as a subject that often require memorization of scientific words related to classification and phylum.By pursuing an Education degree major in Biology in Montclair State University, I would learn about educational strategies and classroom management in order to keep students engage in their task, awaken their interest about the life on earth, and link their activities to the understanding of biological concepts as they acquire scientific knowledge. In addition, I intend to be committed in an experimental research or independent project so I could contribute to the field of Biology.As a high school student in (write the name of your school), I have a cquired a 3.050 cumulative GPA. I have received the William P. Orr scholarship for Fall 2007 and was given an award for being an active member in the SSS Star Program in the Spring of 2007.After completing my Bachelor degree in Education, I intend to teach high school junior and senior students while pursuing a graduate study. I also aim to get a doctorate degree in the same field so I can teach college students. Although I plan to study continuously while I am teaching, my passion to educate the learners will not begin and end with acquiring knowledge and earning degrees.My passion is focused in teaching the unknown and in facilitating the students’ understanding on the benefit of learning biology as applied to their daily life. I strongly believe that with my determination to succeed together with MSU’s excellent program, diverse faculty and student body combined with the individual attention of a small college, I will become an effective teacher who is deeply commit ted to serve the community of learners.

A Synpsis of The foundation text of English literature, titled Beowulf

A Synpsis of The foundation text of English literature, titled Beowulf The foundation text of English literature, titled Beowulf (meaning â€Å"man wolf† when translated into the modern language), presents readers with a hero named Beowulf who fights three different battles, each with its own monster. Beowulf’s first battle awaits him when he travels to present day Denmark to save the Danes from a monster named Grendel that has been wreaking havoc on King Hrothgar’s men. Grendel’s defeat leads to Beowulf’s second battle with Grendel’s mother, who avenges the death of her son. Once Beowulf saves the Danes from the monsters they faced, Beowulf returns home to rule his land until he meets his death in a battle with a dragon, signifying the monster that overcame him. Although Beowulf’s success in battle with his literal monsters would name him a hero in almost any circumstance, Beowulf’s life and the situations that led him to battle fall into place with the same ideals that name him a classic hero und er Campbell’s hero archetype, where the hero must have a reason for departure, initiation through his defeat of an enemy, and a return from his journey. Beowulf’s journey of life, which was a battle until his death, relates to humans in the sense that although Beowulf’s monsters were real creatures, every individual faces their own version of a monster that phases them, but are conquered in the end. There is always one monster, however, that one can never overcome. Beowulf presents this monster as the dragon in the poem, which ties into every individual as the monster that has never been conquered: the monster of death. Campbell’s hero archetype is also known as the monomyth, or hero’s journey, that sets the framework of the traditional, classical hero. It defines a hero by the steps in the journey that the hero takes, which can be analyzed in three different stages. The first stage of the hero’s journey is his departure, which can be further explained by 5 further categories. The first of this five is â€Å"The Ordinary World,† which explains that the hero must come from an ordinary background, setting the level playing field for all heroes who fulfill Campbell’s criteria. It is important that the hero who fulfills Campbell’s archetype is an ordinary human in order for readers to relate to the story and identify with the hero. Beowulf achieves this criteria as he is known to be a Geat who lived in present-day Sweden as King Hygelac’s thane. He is described as, â€Å"of living strong men he was the strongest, fearless and gallant and great of heartâ €  (132-133), implying that Beowulf was an ordinary man except for his characteristics that set him apart from others. The second category within the departure stage is the â€Å"Call to Adventure,† in which the hero is informed of his need elsewhere. This call foreshadows the change from the character’s then-ordinary life to his journey as a hero. In Beowulf, this criterion is fulfilled when â€Å"[the] tales of the terrible deeds of Grendel reached Hygelac’s thane in his home with the Geats† (130-131), signifying Beowulf’s knowledge of the happenings with the Danes. Following this criteria is the â€Å"Refusal of the Call,† where the hero doubts his confidence with the challenge. This will cause the hero to refuse the call, but then face a shortcoming where he is forced to go on the journey. This, interestingly, is not completely evident in Beowulf, as Beowulf does not refuse the call to begin with. Much of the reason for his decision to travel to the Danes was because of his pride and reputation, putting him in a situation in which he could not refuse. If Beowulf had refused the call, however, he would have been faced with shame as he was described to be the â€Å"strongest, fearless, and gallant† (132-133), compensating for his incentive to travel in the first place. Because of this, the t hird criteria of the departure stage is fulfilled, as it can be seen that had Beowulf refused the call, he would have been pushed into seeking out Grendel anyway. The fourth stage in the departure level of Campbell’s hero archetype is â€Å"Meeting the Mentor,† where the prospective hero seeks guidance regarding the journey that he is about to begin. The mentor acts as a counselor who gives advice, re-instills confidence, or presents the hero with weapons that he will need to fulfill the quest. Although this is not seen in the very beginning as â€Å"counseling,† prior to Beowulf’s departure, â€Å"in the ship’s hold snugly they stowed their trappings, gleaming armor and battle gear† (149-150), meaning that Beowulf received weapons prior to his fight with Grendel, compensating for the lack of guidance he had received. This can also be paralleled by the way that prior to fighting Grendel’s mother, Beowulf was presented with Unferth’s Hrunting in order to kill the mother. This also fulfills the fourth criteria of Beowulf’s departure to become a hero. The fifth and final criteria in f ulfilling a hero’s departure is â€Å"Crossing the Threshold,† where the threshold is the line between the hero’s ordinary world and the alien world that he is about to enter. This is seen in the poem when Beowulf embarks the ship on his journey to the Danes, acting as if it was a journey that he could not go back on. In the poem, this is described as Beowulf â€Å"launched the bessel, the well-braced bark, seaward bound on a joyous journey† (151-152). This symbolizes the threshold that Beowulf crosses to embark on his journey as a hero. The idea of crossing the threshold also occurs when Beowulf jumps into the lake filled with sea creatures on his way to Grendel’s mother’s lair, marking the difference between the land is known and unknown. With the fulfillment of these five criteria, Beowulf embarked on his departure journey for the hero archetype. The second stage to Campbell’s hero archetype following the departure level is initiation, where the hero fulfills a series of tests and trials that will qualify him to fulfill his ultimate goal. This initiation can be more personal, such as maturing or gaining self confidence, or physical trials that the hero must endure. Like the departure level, initiation contains a set of criteria that the hero must meet in order to qualify for Campbell’s archetype. The first one is â€Å"Tests, Allies, and Enemies,† in which the hero faces challenges that test him. These obstacles can take almost any form and exists solely to disrupt the hero’s journey. In Beowulf, one of the obstacles that he immediately faces is Unferth’s challenging of Beowulf’s strength prior to Beowulf’s fight with Grendel. The poem tells this as, â€Å"Then out spoke Unferth, Ecglaf’s son, who sat at the feet of the Scylding lord, picking a quarrel for Beowulf†™s quest† (382-384). In this section, Unferth taunts Beowulf regarding a swimming match they had previously, ultimately challenging Beowulf’s honor. Beowulf overcomes this obstacle by being unfazed by Unferth’s comments and by reinforcing hope within the people in completing the ultimate goal. Following this, the bigger and more obvious challenge facing Beowulf is his fight with Grendel, his enemy. Beowulf fights unarmed and defeats him in the end, fulfilling the first criteria of the initiation journey by overcoming the challenges that he had faced during. Succeeding the tests is â€Å"Approach to the Inmost Cave,† where the hero must cross another threshold into an even greater unknown. Following Grendel’s defeat, Grendel’s mother wreaks more havoc on the Danes in order to avenge her son’s death, calling for Beowulf’s help once again. In order to fight Grendel’s mother, Beowulf first enters a lake that is filled with sea monsters that taunt him, described in the poem as, â€Å"the swimming forms of strange sea-dragons, dim serpent shapes in the watery depths, sea-beasts sunning on headland slopes† (937-939). The setting of this lake can be contrasted to Hell, emphasizing Beowulf’s crossing into the unknown. The measures that Beowulf takes in order to approach Grendel’s mother in the first place adds depth and foreshadows what is to come next, fulfilling the second part of initiation. The third stage of initiation is â€Å"Ordeal,† where the hero must overcome a physical test that will help the world he lives in. The hero often comes close to death and experiences some form of resurrection after overcomin g the dangerous task. In Beowulf, it was the defeat of Grendel’s mother. The significance of this scene in the text is that if Beowulf had not defeated the mother, he would have died and his kinsmen along with the Danes would have not been able to survive. Beowulf’s â€Å"resurrection† occurs when he comes back out of the water guarding the mother’s lair alive, which can be juxtaposed to the idea of floating up out of the water when baptized. The fulfillment of the dangerous task and thus the third stage of initiation immediately leads to the fourth, which is the reward from the task. Beowulf’s reward for slaying Grendel’s mother came in the forms of jewels and treasure from Hrothgar, along with a higher honor and reputation. Immediately following the battle, Beowulf returned with the sword hilt of Hrunting and Grendel’s slain head. With all the criteria fulfilled, Beowulf was ready for return. The final stage of Campbell’s hero journey is return, where the hero returns to where he began as closure of the quest. The first criteria of this stage is â€Å"The Road Back,† which is opposite of the â€Å"Call to Adventure.† Beowulf fulfills this stage by traveling back to his home with the Geats with ships filled with treasure from Hrothgar. Beowulf returns home with validation of his confidence and strength to be presented with the name of a ruler after King Hygelac dies. Following â€Å"The Road Back† is â€Å"Resurrection,† where the hero faces his final encounter with death. The battle in itself is a representation of a larger symbol that plays into the hero’s overall existence. In Beowulf, this is seen as the final battle between Beowulf and the dragon, which wreaks havoc on the Geats after 50 years of peace. Although Beowulf dies as a result of this battle, the dragon itself was supposed to symbolize death, and the true meaning of the battle would not have been fulfilled had Beowulf survived. The battle alone fulfills the â€Å"Resurrection† criteria of the return stage, and Beowulf’s death fulfills the final criteria in Campbell’s hero archetype altogether, which is â€Å"Return with the Elixir.† The Elixir is the lesson of death itself, which can only be fulfilled with Beowulf’s death. The overall lesson of this battle is that the hero’s journey will always and inevitably end with death, and the dragon symbolized the unconquerable monster that every individual will eventually face. Had Beowulf not died, he would not be considered a hero in the first place. Beowulf’s journey to become a traditional hero is non-traditional in the sense that instead of the journey encompassing a quest in which the hero returns to live a â€Å"happily ever after,† Beowulf’s journey was the journey of life itself, beginning with his departure to fight Grendel. He was a hero in the journey of life. This can be recognized as the most significant link between the readers and Beowulf: his story is reflective of the battles that people fight every day. Unlike other heroic stories, Beowulf’s connected with me in regards to his battles, especially with the last one being a symbol of death. As Beowulf himself declares, â€Å"death is not easily escaped from by anyone: all of us with souls, earth-dwellers and children of men, must make our way to a destination already ordained where the body, after the banqueting, sleeps on its deathbed† (1001-1007). The journey of a hero is his journey between life and death, encompassing all of the battles that he had faced to turn him into the character that he becomes when he dies. Beowulf’s journey of the archetypal hero is a representation of individual struggles we face, making humans heroes of our own life. Through Beowulf, we learn that death is the ultimate monster that overcomes us, and the quality of life is determined by the extent to which we live it.

Strategic management Assignment 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Strategic management Assignment 1 - Essay Example Global Retail Industry Global economy is decelerating due to various reasons such as Euro zone crisis and economic recession started in the year 2008 (Deloitte, 2012). Retailers such as Marks & Spencer, John Lewis, Target, Wal-Mart, Kohl and others are struggling to maintain sales growth while other retail players such as Nordstrom, Saks and Neiman Marcus have recorded same store sales growth of 12% last year. Global retailers are facing following trends to change the dynamics of business operation. Format Retailers are using online channel to increase market penetration and offer product in accordance with demand of customers. Wal-Mart has recently closed their Marketside (grocery store) due to poor return on investment. Wal-Mart has planned to open scalable retail version in order to fulfil demand of space constrained and low population market. The initiative is known as Wal-Mart Express. IKEA has launched their country specific retail format way back in the year 2000. IKEA provide s full home solution in order to fulfil multidimensionality of demand. Walgreen has added food section and medicine segment in their retail format with an intention to diversify product offering. UK based departmental store chain John Lewis has implemented online sales channel in order to offer products to time constrained customer. Merchandising Customers are becoming more demanding due to hypercompetitive nature of the market. Retailers have shifted their focus from selling merchandises to offering product associated with customer trait such as right quality, right price and superior service. Retailers are changing their offering in accordance to local culture and taste. In the changed market dynamics retailers need three things. These three things are explained in the following section. Proper market research on taste and preference of local customers Developing analytics engine such as demand forecasting, store clustering, campaign tracking, price mapping and basic assortment pl anning Technology integration such as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), RFID (Radio Frequency Identity) is needed in order to create a effective value chain Online Shopping Study conducted by KPMG shows that digital presence (social media, mobile, web traffic) of retail network has increased manifold in recent years. 40 % of retailers are banking on social networking sites for increasing online presence while remaining 60% still believe that web trafficking is the best way to improve online presence. Global report suggests that online retailing is showing a growth potential of 15% while offline trade channels are growing at a rate of 7% for last two years (Grannis, 2012). Porter Five Force Analysis Threat of New Entrants Global retail industry is passing through a crucial period due to following reasons: Market is becoming saturated in developed countries due to presence of many competitors. Market of developing countries is becoming attractive due to various schemes offered by re spective governments. For example, Chinese government has opened up the economy for foreign retailers by decreasing