Whole Food Market

Whole Food Market Introduction Nadler and Tushman (1980) developed a model of change describing how the components of an organization interact with each other. In essence, they established that there are several key components of an organization including, individuals, tasks, and organizational processes. In addition, it was found that these components affect each other so that a change in one of the aspects affects another one.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Whole Food Market specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Importantly, it is evident that the congruence model discuss the transformation of inputs into the outputs. Inputs could include factors such as competition, finances, and human resources while the outputs include the products as well as the services provided by the organization. This paper will focus on three critical aspects of this congruence models while analyzing the Whole Food Market as an organization. These aspects include outputs at organizational level, the groups identified by the organization during its operations, and key individual functions of the people who might be involved in the process of production. Outputs at Organizational Level In regard to the outputs at the organizational level, Naldler and Tushman (1980) suggested that the products and services provided by the company are the most pertinent aspects. Essentially, Whole Food Market produces food for human consumption in various geographical locations that include United Kingdom and USA among others. In addition, the company sought to produce body care products such as lotions following the rising demand for these products in the modern society. When it comes to the classification of these products, there are three pertinent categories that include organic foods, beverages, as well as body care products in general. The company understands that food should not only sustain physical satisfaction and tastes, but also the health of the consumers. As a result, the management sought to produce organic food since they reduce the risk of ill health among the consumers. This reduction is facilitated by the methods used during the production of the organic foods. For example, organic farmers do not use the pesticides which have been proven to contain harmful chemical that can be taken up by the body. Some of these organic foods include frozen products, pantry staples, snacks, and supplements among others. When it comes to beverages, there are various products, including organic orange juice, rice milk, and coffee among others.Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The body care products also form a crucial part of the products provided to the customers by the Whole Food Market. These products include lotions, shampoo, conditioners, and soaps used for cleaning as well as bathing. The performance of these products is presented in terms of financial profitability in order to determine their solvency. However, it is evident that the company does not present the respective profits for each of the products. Instead, it provides the overall profitability margins for the company. Although the margins are generalized, it is obvious that the recorded profits accrue from the sales of the foods, beverages and body care products. Figure 1: The Whole Food Market returns (Pollan, 2008). From the image presented, it is evident that the pertinent aspects used to determine the performance of the products and services include gross, EBIT, operation, EBITDA and net profit margins. Further, the company makes estimates regarding the expected profits in the subsequent years using the data obtained for the previous years. Outputs Group Level Suppliers In accordance to the demand for their products, Whole Food Market has identified suppliers who provide them with raw material for the production of b everages, foods and body care products. Understandably, food and beverages are the most crucial part of their production process. As a result, they have identified local farmers who provide the raw foods that are then used for the production.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Whole Food Market specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More When identifying the farmers, they consider the needs of the consumers’ needs in order to determine the appropriate suppliers. In this regard, the company has identified the organic farmers since they need to provide healthy food to the consumers (Mackey Sisodia, 2013). In essence, the selection of these suppliers is based on whether the involved farmers can provide the needed quality in line with sustainable agriculture. Employees In relation to employees, there are both the managerial and technical employees who have been hired to oversee the running of the company and provide the required skills of production respectively. The managers have a responsibility to offer the required leadership and ensuring order in the organization. In addition, they are mandated to recruit the technical employees whereby they are expected to ensure that each of them has the required skills in relation to the field of employment. As a result, the company is capable of maintaining high standard of production and desirable quality of the foods. The performance of these managers is measured according to the performance of their departments. For example, the HR managers are evaluated in accordance to how they coordinate the workers and tap human skills. Failure to incorporate the necessary human resource is termed as underperformance. For the technical employees, their performance is evaluated in accordance to how they adhere to the regulation and standards set by the management. Accordingly, employees who do not abide by these standards and regulations are underperformers. Geograph ical Regions The company recognizes the geographical groups by operating in twelve different locations. In this regard, each of the regions has a president, the administrative team and the people mandated to oversee the store. These geographical groups have been set to decentralize the services and make sure that the company is capable of reaching as many people as possible and make good financial profits. Key Individual Functions There are various individual functions that are identified in the entire organizational setup. The roles of the president are some of the most conspicuous individual functions within the organization’s structure.Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More First, the CEO has individual functions since he is the founder of the company. He offers the leadership of the entire company for all the geographical regions in which the company operates. All the presidents report to the chief executive officer regarding the performance of their respective areas. In essence, he is an executive player mandated to make critical decisions such as investments. Second, there are presidents appointed for each of the geographical regions, and mandated to oversee the setting of the annual budget, authorize expenditure, and coordinate the administrative team. The individual function of the president can be considered as a crucial role since the entire chain of command executes the orders and decisions made by this office. In addition, they are the mediators between the executive arms of the company and the employees in the lower levels of operation. Chief Operating officer is another individual function which is set to oversee the daily processes of the c ompany. These operations include the supply of raw materials and distribution among other. The officer is crucial in the chain of command due to the mandate of reporting to the president regarding any unfolding within the organizational processes of production. The organization has incorporated a chief financial officer who advises the president concerning critical decisions. In this regard, the financial officer has the professional knowledge that enables to determine the financial implication of decisions. As a result, the president and CEO must consult with the officer before taking any step so as to evaluate the effects of their decisions before implementation. Another individual function found within the company is executed by the Growth and Development officer. The officer is mandated to develop new products and come up with new ways of manufacturing them. In this regard, the officer must initiate research in order to determine the changing needs to the consumers and hence pro vide the required products. This undertaking ensures that the company expands the market while maintaining the original customers. Conclusion in Terms of Interacting Outputs The individual functions of the CEO, presidents, and the various officers revolve around monitoring the operation of the mentioned groups. As a result, it is evident that there is congruence between the individual functions and the groups. In turn, the groups provide the required raw materials and also offer the needed skills for production of the foods and beverage. Owing to the regulations and standards set by the executive arms, the groups are capable of maintaining the quality of the products. Consequently, the profitability of the products is ensured since the customers get the needed quality. References Mackey, J., Sisodia, R. (2013). Conscious capitalism: liberating the heroic spirit of business. Boston, Mass.: Harvard Business Review Press. Nadler, D., Tushman, M. (1980). A Model for Diagnosing Organiz ational Behavior. Organizational Dynamics, 9(2), 35-51. Pollan, M. (2008). In defense of Whole Food Market: an eaters manifesto. New York: Penguin Press.

How the Netherlands Reclaimed Land From the Sea

How the Netherlands Reclaimed Land From the Sea In 1986, the Netherlands proclaimed the new 12th province of Flevoland but they didnt carve out the province from already existing Dutch land nor did they annex the territory of their neighbors - Germany and Belgium. The Netherlands grew larger with the aid of dikes and polders, making the old Dutch adage While God created the Earth, the Dutch created the Netherlands come true. The Netherlands The independent country of the Netherlands only dates back to 1815, but the area and its people have a much longer history. Located in northern Europe, just northeast of Belgium and west of Germany, the Netherlands contains 280 miles (451 km) of coastline along the North Sea. It also contains the mouths of three important European rivers: the Rhine, Schelde, and Meuse. This translates into a long history of dealing with water and attempts to prevent massive, destructive flooding. The North Sea Floods The Dutch and their ancestors have been working to hold back and reclaim land from the North Sea for over 2000 years. Beginning around 400 BCE, the Frisians were first to settle the Netherlands. It was they who built terpen (an Old Frisian word meaning villages), which were earth mounds upon which they built houses or even entire villages. These terpen were built to protect the villages from flooding. (Although there were once thousands of these, there are about a thousand terpen that still exist in the Netherlands.) Small dikes were also built around this time, usually being rather short (about 27 inches or 70 cm high) and made of natural materials found around the local area. On December 14, 1287, the terpen and dikes that held back the North Sea failed, and water flooded the country. Known as the St. Lucias Flood, this flood killed over 50,000 people and is considered one of the worst floods in history. A result of the massive St. Lucias Flood was the creation of a new bay, called Zuiderzee (South Sea), formed by floodwaters that had inundated a large area of farmland. Pushing Back the North Sea For the next few centuries, the Dutch worked to slowly push back the water of the Zuiderzee, building dikes and creating polders (the term used to describe any piece of land reclaimed from water). Once dikes were built, canals and pumps were used to drain the land and to keep it dry. From the 1200s, windmills were used to pump excess water off the fertile soil becoming an icon of the country in the process. Today, however, most of the windmills have been replaced with electricity- and diesel-driven pumps. Reclaiming the Zuiderzee Then, storms and floods of 1916 provided the impetus for the Dutch to start a major project to reclaim the Zuiderzee. From 1927 to 1932, a 19 mile (30.5 km) long dike called Afsluitdijk (the Closing Dike) was built, turning the Zuiderzee into the IJsselmeer, a freshwater lake. On February 1, 1953, another devastating flood hit the Netherlands. Caused by a combination of a storm over the North Sea and spring tide, waves along the sea wall rose to 15 feet (4.5 m) higher than mean sea level. In some areas, the water peaked above existing dikes and spilled upon unsuspecting, sleeping towns. Just over 1,800 people in the Netherlands died, 72,000 people had to be evacuated, thousands of livestock died, and there was a huge amount of property damage. This devastation prompted the Dutch to pass the Delta Act in 1958, changing the structure and administration of the dikes in the Netherlands. This, in turn, created the collective known as the North Sea Protection Works, which included building a dam and barriers across the sea. There is no wonder that this huge engineering feat is now considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers. Further protective dikes and works were built, beginning to reclaim the land of the IJsselmeer. The new land led to the creation of the new province of Flevoland from what had been sea and water for centuries. Much of the Netherlands Is Below Sea Level Today, approximately 27 percent of the Netherlands is actually below sea level. This area is home to over 60 percent of the countrys population of 15.8 million people. The Netherlands, which is approximately the size of the U.S. states Connecticut and Massachusetts combined, has an approximate average elevation of 36 feet (11 meters). This leaves a huge part of the Netherlands highly susceptible to flooding. Time will tell if the North Sea Protection Works are strong enough to protect it.

The Life Cycle of the Photon Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Life Cycle of the Photon - Research Paper Example Both at the micro and macroscopic the effects of this force are observable as these photons have zero rest mass that allows interactions at long distances (Newton, 1949). Photons can be best explained through quantum mechanism and they have wave particle duality that means they exhibit properties of particles and waves both. Like for instance a photon can be refracted by the lens and can display wave interference with itself and also perform as particle while its position is measured. Max Planck, In the year 1900 working on the black-body-radiation suggested that energy can only be released in packets in the electromagnetic waves. In 1901 he named these particles energy particles. The quanta was used meaning particles. Later Albert Einstein in 1905 suggested the electromagnetic waves can exist in discrete-wave-packets called light quantum. The word photon was derived from a Greek word for beam. Photon was the term coined by Gilbert Lewis, in 1926 via the light concept in discrete particles form photon had been present around for ages and had been formalized in Newton’s science of optics’ construction. In Physics photon is denoted by a sign ÃŽ ³ derived from the gamma rays whereas in Chemistry it is denoted by hv. The photon is an elementary particle which has no mass. It is impossible that a photon decays on its own although its energy can be created or transferred through interaction with the other particles. They are electrically neutral and rare particles that are similar to their antiphoton and antiparticle. Photons are the spin 1 particles with spin axis which is parallel to travelling direction. This feature allows the polarization of light. Light has properties of particle and wave both. When the light is taken to be as a flow of particles then these particles are known as photons (Bialynicki- Birula, 1994). Each photon carries a distinct energy packet. The beam intensity is dependent upon the photon

RISK MANAGEMENT IN ABN AMRO BANK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

RISK MANAGEMENT IN ABN AMRO BANK - Essay Example Credit risk on loans is mitigated by reducing loan limits and exposures to companies that are below investment grade (BBB or UCR1 to UCR3-) levels. Limits are imposed on companies operating in industries that have been given an unfavorable economic outlook. In addition to carrying out a stress test on individual portfolios the company has also sought to mitigate credit risk by hedging in the form of credit default swaps (CDS) (ABN AMRO, 2010, p. ). Furthermore, the company carries out an assessment of the value of its collateral portfolio in order to determine how secured its loans are and therefore the extent of their exposure. Credit officers are given the task of monitoring the quality of ABN AMROs loan portfolio on a regular basis (ABN AMRO 2003, p.8). Credit risk is reported in the form of an analysis according to the industry sector in which the loans are made, the type of loans, with an indication of the carrying amount of the loans. An analysis of its credit exposure and thei r currency status is also given (ABN AMRO 2010, p.68-70). According to Bessis (2002, p15-16) and ABN AMRO (2010, p.71) Country risk is the risk that there are crisis related situations in a country. The causes of country risk in ABN AMRO are that funds or goods cannot be transferred from the country as a result of convertibility and transfer restrictions (ABN AMRO 2003, p. 10). ... 10). According to ABN AMRO (2010, p.94-95), interest rate risk is measured by calculating the net interest income (NII); NII-at-Risk; duration of equity; and VaR. The company monitors interest rate risk by noting the development of the NII under different yield curve scenario to determine the NII- at-Risk. Interest rate risk is mitigated by hedging, in the form of interest rate swaps. The company reports interest rate risk by providing a comparative analysis of the percentage NII-at-Risk; duration of equity in terms of years; and VaR banking book between the current and prior year. Currency risk is measured using VaR. It monitored by comparing short and long positions with limits set by the Group Risk Committee (GRC). Currency risk is mitigated with the use of various hedging strategies such as futures. Foreign currency gains and losses are reported in the Income Statement (ABN AMRO 2010, p.95; 2003, p. 14). According to ABN AMRO (2010, p. 83-84), market risk is measured using VaR an d a wide array of stress tests. Risks are controlled by setting limits for each trade desk and by setting counterparty credit exposure limits. ABN AMRO mitigates this risk by diversifying its risks across geographic locations and industries. Market risk is reported using a graph as well as a comparative analysis of the highest, lowest and average VaR of the current and prior year. Liquidity risk is measured using Loan to Debt (LtD) ratio, stable funding over non-liquid assets ratio (SF/NLA) which is an internally developed ratio and survival period (ABN AMRO 2010, p. 87). In order to mitigate liquidity risk ABN AMRO diversifies its currency and geography and maintains a wide investor base (ABN AMRO 2010, p. 87). A

Soccer :: essays research papers

The official soccer rules are called the "Laws of the Game" and are revised annually (usually in July) by FIFA (pronounced "FEE' fuh"), the world soccer governing body, but youth organizations usually adjust the rules to fit children. Typical adjustments are field sizes, game lengths, number of players per team, the number and frequency of substitutions, "offside" is sometimes not called, and slide tackling is sometimes not allowed. Field sizes, ball sizes, length of games & rules vary by age group. The FIFA rules do not require separate teams for girls and boys, but many soccer clubs and associations have separate leagues for boys and girls. Discuss the rule variations with an official of your league. In brief, the "Laws of the Game" are not simple and can be difficult to understand. The official FIFA rules have 17 sections and the rule book is about 70 pages long. There are also an additional 44 pages titled "Questions and Answers". In addition, how to interpret the rules is discussed in referee clinics, special memos, videos for referees, and a guidebook for soccer officials that is over 300 pages long. There is also the problem that the rules use many soccer terms that are not defined in the rules (we try to define all of these terms in the SoccerHelp Dictionary) and there are quirks, such as the fact that terms which are commonly used such as "Hand Ball", "obstruction", and "Linesmen" are not defined in the official rules. Another confusing aspect of the rules is the way "Fouls" are defined; basically, they are defined not only as "Fouls" but also in the rules regarding "Cards". For this reason, to understand "Fouls" you must also read "Cards".

‘Lord of the flies’ – take it out of the classroom

The arrival of Y2K brought none of the social, environmental, or technological catastrophes predicted by the tabloids, but neither did the new millennium bring relief from the persistent impediments to free expression that characterized the twentieth century. Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., reminds us that throughout most of human history, authority, â€Å"fortified by the highest religious and philosophical texts, has righteously invoked censorship to stifle expression.† He cites the Old Testament proscription: â€Å"Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Askelon; lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph.† Schlesinger also offers the injunction of Plato: â€Å"The poet shall compose nothing contrary to the ideas of the lawful, or just, or beautiful, or good, which are allowed in the state; nor shall he be permitted to show his compositions to any private individual until he shall have shown them to the appointed censors and the guardians of the law, and they are satisfied with them.† Introduction Lord of the Flies has been the center of controversy over the years having been resurrected from its status as a cult classic. However, in my opinion this novel represents a lot of possible socially wrong viewpoints and could be the cause for seeding violent, vulgar and anti-social thoughts in school children. It is because of this reason that I propose to restrict it from classrooms in the school system. The issue of banned books has been escalating since Guttenberg introduced the printing press in 1455. Once speech could be printed, it became a commodity, to be controlled and manipulated on the basis of religion, politics, or profit. After Pope Leo X condemned Martin Luther’s Ninety Five Theses in 1517, both Catholics and Protestants began censoring materials that they found dangerous or subversive. Religious censorship quickly led to political censorship when Luther defied the Pope, bringing an immediate response from Emperor Charles V. On May 26, 1521, the emperor issued the Edict of Worms, containing a â€Å"Law of Printing,† which prohibited the printing, sale, possession, reading, or copying of Luther’s works. However, in the United States and England, a social consensus on censorship was emerging that would be far more repressive than overt state or church power. By the 1830s, this new ideology was proclaiming the necessity for propriety, prudence, and sexual restraint. During the remainder of the nineteenth century, private virtue became public virtue, and American and British editors, publishers, writers, and librarians felt obliged to examine every book for crude language or unduly explicit or realistic portrayals of life. In her introduction to the 1984 New York Public Library exhibition on censorship, Ann Ilan Alter said that there may have been more censorship, self-imposed or otherwise, during the nineteenth century in England and the United States than during all the preceding centuries of printed literature. The twentieth century in America has seen the emergence of pressure groups that maintain an uneasy balance in the struggle to interpret our First Amendment rights. The federal government tips that balance in whatever direction the winds blow, and since 1980, those winds have been chilling. Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. notes: â€Å"[T]he struggle between expression and authority is unending. The instinct to suppress discomforting ideas is rooted deep in human nature. It is rooted above all in profound human propensities to faith and fear.† Lord of the Flies – In the Spotlight Lord of the Flies focused attention on the concept of cult literature as a campus phenomenon. Time magazine called it â€Å"Lord of the Campus† and identified it as one in a series of underground literary favorites that were challenging the required reading lists of the traditional humanities curriculum. Up until William Golding's surprise bestseller, it had been common knowledge that students were reading â€Å"unauthorized books,† especially J. D. Salinger The Catcher in the Rye, in spite of (and frequently because of) their condemnation by â€Å"the establishment.† But the existence of a serious sub-literature with an intelligent, dedicated readership flourishing in the midst of the conventional curriculum was something unprecedented on college campuses. During the twenties and thirties, the novels of F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, and Thomas Wolfe had quickly been welcomed into the ranks of mainstream, respectable writers and labeled literature. While a few critics might choose to ignore these newcomers, there was nothing particularly subversive about what they wrote. Following the success of The Catcher in the Rye, however, no literary observer could be quite sure that the tastes of young readers could be trusted. After all, there were certain attitudes in Salinger that threatened the established order, and when Golding wrote Lord of the Flies, there was apprehension afoot that young readers might find Jack more interesting than Ralph-as indeed many of them did. Analysis What nervous detractors overlooked was the obvious lesson in this Golding classic: that traits like naked aggression and gratuitous cruelty, selfishness, idolatry, superstition, and a taste for violence are not restricted to any particular nationality or race but are inherent in human nature and inhabit the mentality of every human being. If there was anything subversive about this idea, it was that no longer could evil be considered peculiar to the Japanese or the German character. In fact, those who had recently fought against them had waged war with equal relish. When Golding saw the ecstasy on the faces of his fellow sailors in the North Atlantic as they returned the fire of the enemy or launched an attack he felt the shock of recognition that the beast was within us all, just waiting to break through that fragile veneer we call civilization. What he clearly intended as a reminder to his readers (after all, man's aggressive nature was not a new philosophical position by any means) became for cult readers another weapon to use against those who argued that atrocities such as those committed by the Germans and the Japanese could never be committed by the Allies who had struggled against them. â€Å"We† were good people who treated others with kindness and generosity and fought those who attacked us with the greatest reluctance and the utmost disdain. Even to suggest that we might enjoy the slaughter was to malign the honor and integrity of the Allied forces. Regardless of how his theme was interpreted, however, Golding's thesis had firm mythological precedents. There are many myths underlying Lord of the Flies, but the basic description of reality is of a world inhabited by men of an evil nature restrained only by voluntary adherence to a pragmatic pact of nonaggression. Such a pact passes for civilization, but because it is maintained only through fear, it is constantly threatened by that fear. The defensive fear that keeps one man from his neighbor's throat can also incite him to cut that throat before his own gets cut. Lord of the Flies is a case study in alienation. Gradually, with horrifying inevitability, against a backdrop of paradise, the numbers of those who remember their humanity and still cling to the threads of civilization are reduced until there is but one solitary figure left, and just before the ironic rescue, we see him–become him–as he flees his savage pursuers, the backdrop itself reflecting the degradation of those pursuers as the island of paradise burns and smokes and is reduced to char and ashes. Storyline First we see the whole group splitting and taking sides, but the balance, at least for a while, remains on the side of Ralph. Then slowly but irresistibly, Ralph's supporters are drawn toward the charismatic Jack and his choir, until finally there are only four holding out against them: the twins, Piggy, and Ralph himself. Then the twins are captured and Piggy is killed. Ralph is alone, civilized man alone against the powers of darkness. But we are left with the awful suspicion that he remains â€Å"civilized† only because Jack must have an enemy and Ralph must be that enemy. Excluded forever from Jack's group, Ralph encourages exaggerated sympathy because he is so terribly alone. A victim always seems somehow more civilized than his tormentors. Nevertheless, much of the power of this book derives from the fact that our sympathies can only be with Ralph and that we, therefore, can feel the vulnerability, the awful weakness, of flimsy rationality at the mercy of a world gone mad. There is no place to run, no place to hide, no exit. And rescue is only temporary and perhaps ultimately more horrible than quick and early death. Media treatment of issues about children relies heavily on such simplistic generalizations with children represented as objects of concern or as threats to adult order. The former relies on an idealized view of children as pure, innocent and vulnerable, needing protection or salvation from dangers they can neither identify nor comprehend. The latter, of children drawn innately (unless prevented) towards evil and anarchy, also has deep historical roots (Miller, 1983). It is a portrayal powerfully evoked by William Golding’s (1959) novel, Lord of the Flies. The power of this fictional work is evident in the frequency with which it is given respect and credibility in press accounts of ‘deviant’ children. It evokes an apocalyptic vision of anarchy as being inevitable should children lose the discipline and order of the adult presence. The portrayals of children as ‘innocent victims’ or ‘culpable delinquents’ are no more than alternative placements that the adult world creates into which children are located at different times, in different circumstances. The idea that children are products of nature or nurture leads to media concern as to whether child ‘deviance’ is rooted in a biological predisposition or in an environmental determinism. Children’s meanings and motivations are persistently ignored, as is the position of adults, both familial and professional, as powerful definers of deviant behavior. Consequently, much of the physical and psychological harm inflicted on children by adults is disregarded, while transgressions by children of their set role are the subject of furious condemnation. Original sin is what Golding was writing about a religious concept, we suspect more relevant to the mayhem that occurred at this C of E school in Liverpool than any glib sociological generalization. Children will run wild, viciously wild, unless they are properly supervised. They need parents to give them a stable and ordered home. They need teachers who know how to keep order as well as how to impart knowledge. They need, God help them, practical instruction in the difference between right and wrong. Here was a rhetoric established and developed which was to re-emerge throughout the next decade, particularly following the murder of James Bulger. It invoked Golding’s construct of anarchy inherent in children left to themselves. Thesis – Fallacies and Immoralities Golding seems in many ways to simplify Lord of the Flies in order to make his point as clearly as possible. For example, all developments in the book are entirely predictable, suggesting not only that the course taken by Golding's boys is inevitable, but that violence and brutality are inevitable in all interactions among human beings. Moreover, though Golding's carefully constructed book includes a fairly complex network of literary symbols and devices, all of them tend directly to support the central message. For example, the apparent deus ex machina ending of the book is undercut by the facts that the British are still at war and the adults who arrive to restore order are themselves engaged in a mission of destruction the motivation of which is not fundamentally different from that of the savage hunting frenzies of Jack and his tribe of boys. This parallel presumably suggests that the supposedly â€Å"civilized† adults are really as savage as the primitivized boys, though it could also be taken as a suggestion that the training received by Jack and his â€Å"choir† in military school had already been sufficient to inculcate them with the kind of militaristic values that have led civilization to a cataclysmic war. Indeed, despite the apparent clarity of its message, Golding's fable is flawed on several accounts. For one thing, this island society could never really represent a new start for humanity because it is all male and therefore incapable of perpetuating itself. For another, the boys on the island are not really innocent; they have already been thoroughly socialized by the same society that seems to be destroying itself through warfare. Still, in some ways Lord of the Flies is an exemplary dystopian fiction. In it Golding creates a fictional society distant from the â€Å"real† world, then utilizes the defamiliarizing perspective of that distance to comment upon the shortcomings of our own social reality. However, whereas most dystopian fictions are designed to function as cautionary tales that warn against the development of specific social and political problems, Golding suggests that all human societies are inevitably doomed by the darkness at the heart of humanity itself. Golding's book thus lacks the drive toward positive social and political change that informs the best dystopian fictions. If there is a cautionary element in the book, it would seem to involve a hope that were humans aware of their natural tendencies toward violence they might stand a better chance of keeping those tendencies in check. In this respect, it is important to note that Lord of the Flies really makes two major points. First, and more obvious, is the suggestion that human nature lies at the root of most of the ills that plague society. But the book also suggests that society itself is based on an attempt to deny this fact, thus making matters even worse. Although many critics have complained about the gimmick at the end of the novel — the boys are saved; the officer doesn't â€Å"understand† the violence which has occurred — it is justified because it is another â€Å"appearance.† The officer allows his â€Å"eyes to rest on the trim cruiser in the distance,† but we doubt that he can see it or the water with full knowledge. Lord of the Flies is therefore a novel of faulty vision. Can the boys ever see the elements? Are the elements really there? Is a marriage between elements and consciousness possible? The novel is not about Evil, Innocence, or Free Will; it goes beyond (or under) these abstractions by questioning the very ability to formulate them. Look at any crucial scene. There is an abundance of descriptive details — the elements are â€Å"exaggerated† because they are all that the boys possess — but these details are blurred in one way or another. The result is, paradoxically, a confusing clarity. (Even the â€Å"solid† words the boys use are illusive: Piggy says â€Å"ass-mar† for asthma; Sam and Eric call themselves one name, â€Å"Sam ‘n Eric.†) Here is the first vision of the dead man in the tree: In front of them, only three or four yards away, was a rock-like hump where no rock should be. Ralph could hear a tiny chattering noise coming from somewhere–perhaps from his own mouth. He bound himself together with his will, fused his fear and loathing into a hatred, and stood up. He took two leaden steps forward. Behind them the sliver of moon had drawn clear of the horizon. Before them, something like a great ape was sitting asleep with its head between its knees. Then the wind roared in the forest, there was confusion in the darkness and the creature lifted its head, holding towards them the ruin of a face. Conclusion Golding gives us the short distance, the hulking object. Ralph (and the others) should be able to see. But he cannot. Although he â€Å"binds† himself — becoming more stable — he does not know where the noise comes from or what the â€Å"no-rock† is. His senses cannot rule the elements. He, like the lifted face, is a ruin. V. S. Pritchett claims that Lord of the Flies indicates â€Å"Golding's desire to catch the sensation of things coming into us.† On the contrary, it indicates his need to tell us that â€Å"out there† and â€Å"in here† never marry — not even on an enchanted island. We should not forget that the Lord of the Flies may be only a skull — an object given miraculous life because of faulty vision. It is precisely because of this misguided literary piece and its possibility to lead school children astray with its vague philosophies. Works Cited Carey John, ed. William Golding: the Man and His Books. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1987. Devkota Padma Prasad. â€Å"The Darkness Motif in the ‘Primitive' Novels of William Golding.† DAI 51 ( 1990): 860A. Monteith Charles. â€Å"Strangers from Within into ‘Lord of the Flies.'† ( London) Times Literary Supplement ( September 19, 1986): 1030. Tanzman Leo. â€Å"The Murder of Simon in Golding's Lord of the Flies.† Notes on Contemporary Literature ( Nov. 1987): 2-3. Watson George. â€Å"The Coronation of Realism.† The Georgia Review (Spring 1987): 5-16. Golding William. Lord of the Flies. New York: Coward-McCann, 1962.

Persepolis Context Analysis - 908 Words

Persepolis is an autobiographical graphic novel, visually portraying the life of Marjane Satrapi and her experiences growing up in turmoils times. The novel recounts the stages in her life as she grows older, this follows her life going from a child growing up in the new Islamic regime that governed Iran to moving to Austria and France and being a teenager in the western world. Marjanes documentation of her life also allows for an exclusive insight into what life is like a religious and authoritarian rule of one supreme leader, which is quite a difficult concept for the free and democratic West to understand. The historical context of Persepolis is important to understand and interpret the text, as a person from a western nation it might†¦show more content†¦This is also demonstrated fairly early on in the novel where Satrapi states â€Å"Deep down I was very religious but as a family we were very modern and avant-garde†(page 4). This statement was accompanied by an image of Marjane as a young child standing between an image of modern concepts like maths, science, and physics on her left and on the right she is depicted wearing a veil and with some traditional designs behind her. This picture which we are presented with is a perfect demonstration of the conflict between Western modernism and religious traditionalism. On the surface this is a display of Marjanes internal struggle with her identity, choosing between the modern life with her parents with rock music and pop culture or her more nationalistic and religious side of her nation. This is also a representation of Ira n during the revolution, after Mohammad Reza Pahlavi the then Shah of Iran fled the country, there was a void of power left behind and there were two main cultures battling for control, that of the western and modern which was often represented by the younger population of Iran and that of the more traditional and religious side which turned out to be the victor with Ayatollah Khomeini a Shia cleric taking control and becoming the new leader of Iran. This raw display of internal conflict gives the basis to many of her future decisions and the even all though it stays with her for the rest of her life. Persepolis was written by and about the authorShow MoreRelatedMarjane Satrapi s Persepolis Story1487 Words   |  6 PagesMarjane Satrapi’s Persepolis tells the story of her life as a young girl in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. Satrapi’s story is told through an autobiographical graphic novel which is revolutionary because such stories are often told through more common mediums such as Television interviews and text based novels; this difference helps to set Persepolis apart from other works about revolutionary Iran. The Persian people have been largely dehumanized by mass media in a post September 11th societyRead MoreA Literary Lens957 Words   |  4 Pagesshort, and doesn’t really exemplify what exactly the illustrator did to have myself react with joy and laughter. But, later in the seventh book, Persepolis, my description for the artistic lens was much for in depth and analytical. For example, I detailed, â€Å"Her [the author] use of the black, emp ty space to underline the sadness and worry that Persepolis felt when she discovered Mohsen was murdered was perfectly expressed in the illustrations and conveyed a sense of sorrow to the reader.† (PetersenRead MoreMemories And The Formation Of Reality1666 Words   |  7 PagesIn cinema, flashbacks are interruptions that take the narrative back in time from the current point in the story. They are often used to provide background and context to recount current events of a narrative filling in crucial backstories. In its basic form, the flashback is introduced when a presented image dissolves to another image of the past, which can be either as â€Å"a story-being-told or a subjective memory.† (Turim) For example, dream sequences and memories are methods used to present flashbacksRead MoreMemories And The Formation Of Reality1688 Words   |  7 PagesIn film, flashbacks are interruptions that take the narrative back in time from the current point in the story. They are often used to provide background and context to recount current events of a narrative filling in crucial backstories. In its basic form, the flashback is introduced when a presented image dissolves to another image of the past, which can be either as â€Å"a story-being-told or a subjective memory.† (Turim, pg. 1) For example, dream sequences and memories are methods used to presentRead MoreWriting Process After English 115 I Thought, Oh Great, Another English Class And I Am Horrible843 Words   |  4 Pagesguidelines to ensure correct analysis, never really focusing on the students own thought process. If anything, these classes should have been preparing me work on my controlling ideas and writing fluid support for my thesis as well as being able to voice my opinion. Even though I didn’t quite fulfill my critical writing capabilities in high school, I believe English 115 has provided me with the tools to determine purpose, analyze and reason with content and conte xt, evaluate evidence, form a conclusionRead MoreCultural Imperialism And Iranian Art2292 Words   |  10 Pagesright to do it. 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David R. Croteau discusses hegemony in detail in chapterRead MoreHow Art Is Affected By Hegemony And Vice Versa2218 Words   |  9 PagesEastern societies that often are run by patriarchal governments. And how that affects the message and or the ability for women to be artistic. However, before I do any of this I must first define a few terms that will be essential throughout this analysis. Coming from a critical rhetoric background, I will apply some terms and theories from various scholars in that field as well to give a better understanding of the material being studied. David R. Croteau discusses hegemony in detail in chapterRead MoreLiterary Criticism : The Free Encyclopedia 7351 Words   |  30 PagesLowry (1989) Sophie s World, by Jostein Gaarder (1991) English Music, by Peter Ackroyd (1992)[39] The Gods Laugh on Mondays, by Reza Khoshnazar (1995) About a Boy, by Nick Hornby (1998) The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky (1999)[40] Persepolis, by Marjane Satrapi (2000)[41] 21st century[edit] The Secret Life of Bees, by Sue Monk Kidd (2002)[42] The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini (2003)[43] The Fortress of Solitude, by Jonathan Lethem (2003) [44] Never Let Me Go, by Kazuo Ishiguro (2005)[30]Read MoreRosalind Krauss - Photographys Discursive Spaces9350 Words   |  38 Pagespurpose other than the display of art. The space of exhibition had other features besides the gallery wall. It was also the ground of criticism, which is to say, on the one hand, the ground of a written response to the works appearance in that special context, and, on the other, the impiicit ground of choice-f either inclusion or exclusion-with everything excluded from the space of exhibition becoming marginalized with regard to its status as Art.3 Given its function as the physical vehicle of exhibition