Symbols Hills Like White Elephants free essay sample

Ernest Hemingway, does not reveal the source of conflict between the young man and young woman in the story, but it is implied that the conflict is centered on the decision of abortion. The goal of the man in the story is to convince the young woman to have an abortion procedure. The goal of the young woman is to do whatever it takes to make her partner happy and thus preserve their relationship. The three main symbols are the hills, the white elephants and the rail road station. In the story, Jig looked at hills and said, â€Å" They looked like white elephants. † The man replied, â€Å" I’ve never seen one. † Then she replied, â€Å"No, you wouldn’t have. † (line 9-11). The hills symbolize the big obstacles that we must climb, but are not enormous mountains. This represents the fact that the girl’s baby is a major obstacle in her life, but ti is not the end of her life and she will make it through. We will write a custom essay sample on Symbols Hills Like White Elephants or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Hills are also viewpoints to look out from, but also block the view for those in the valley. This represent how in the story Jig looks at the hills and sees opportunity, yuet at the same time the man looks at it and sees his vision of a positive and happy future blocked by the enormous obstacle of a child. Hills are also beautiful, natural and completely stationary. This shows that the baby will make them settle down and stay together. The author uses hills because pregnant mothers belly is a bit a hill itself. Being pregnant ties the mother down and makes her less mobile and more stationary. The element of the white elephant is symbolic of the baby. A white elephant is a precious item that has a cost which perhaps surpasses it usefulness. Jig has received a gift which is, at this time in her life, useless to her. It is a gift that could be priceless to another. The white elephant also symbolizes the fact that the man said he has never seen white elephants before. This is because he is not open to considering the possibility of keeping the child and wants the girl to have the abortion procedure. The rail road is symbolic of being at the crossroads of life during a time of crisis. The American man and the girl cannot stay at the station forever. They are travelling and there will be change. There must be a decision of where to go next. All of this is symbolic of the decision to keep the child or not. All travelling has a cost and so does the outcome of this decision. To either keep or abort the child is a costly decision. The young woman, Jig, shows herself to be very dependent upon her male counterpart throughout the story. She asks for his input on even the simplest of tasks, such as the choice and number of her beverages. Her behavior can be interpreted to be a sign of insecurity more than anything else. Jig trusts his judgment, feels secure in his company and seems willing to do anything to keep him around. When pushed on the issue of the operation, Jig shows no real concern for her own health or mental well-being, stating categorically, I dont care about me. Jigs main concern is whether or not she can make her partner happy so that they will Be all right and be happy. It is doubtful that Jig went through with the procedure with a clear conscience, which is why she was so insistent that they would not discuss the matter any further. â€Å" Hills Like White Elephants† is a story about crisis. The American man and Jig the girl have a decision to make and there is no easy way out.

Revision and reversionary in The Empire Writes Back

To begin with, upon seeing the title, I immediately thought of the Star Wars movie. The content is very far from the movie though. In general the book is a very helpful and clearly articulated accumulation of the main issues and problems in post-colonial scholarship. Although some scholars call it outdated and too academic, I think it has its historical value and will be used to teach postcolonial literatures for a long time.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Revision and reversionary in The Empire Writes Back specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In this paper I was trying to concentrate on the issues of revision. The notion of revision and the term â€Å"reversionary† have been discussed widely, although not theorized, by many feminists and postcolonial critics over the past few years. Harold Bloom is a pioneering critic who has theorized the nature of revisionism by describing it as anxiety, an â€Å"anx ious expectation† in the Freudian sense (Agon Viii). Revision in the Blooomian model suggests a mediated vision whose agonistic spirit â€Å"ï ¼ »contestsï ¼ ½ for supremacy, with other spirits, with anteriority, and finally with every earlier vision of itself† (Agon ViiI). However the agonistic fighting that Bloom proposes represents more of â€Å"a loving conflict† with previous works than one with the world. Bloom stresses agonistic revisions of texts, not of contexts. Revision is given a pivotal emphasis in the influential work of Ashcroft, Griffiths and Tiffin, The Empire Writes Back, in which they remark that the â€Å" ‘revisioning’ of received tropes and modes†¦and the rereading of ‘canonical’ texts possess a powerfully subversive textuality, which emerges as the major post-colonial discursive practice† (Empire 194). They argue that revision in a periodic modality has become the preeminent genre for writers of the c olonial arena. Allusions to the Western classics and the borrowing of the Western model are not accidental. Those who grow up in colonial cultures are encouraged to imitate their Western fathers (Key 139). Admittedly, the notion of mimicry, in the form of imitation, is effectively combined with the notion of revision of colonial terms. As Ashcroft, Griffiths, and Tiffin note, â€Å"When colonial discourse encourages the colonized subject to ‘mimic’ the colonizer, by adopting the colonizer’s cultural habits, assumptions, institutions and values, the result is never a simple reproduction of those traits† (Key 139). The result, rather than a mere copy or mockery, is the â€Å"blurred copy†, ambivalent and menacing. Ashcroft, Griffiths, and Tiffin argue that mimicry is the overt goal of the postcolonial projects. They take V.S. Naipaul’s novel The Mimic Man as an example to illustrate that mimicry is implicit in postcolonial conditions (Empire 88 ).Advertising Looking for term paper on british literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More According to Ashcroft, Griffiths, and Tiffin, literary revisions as mimic texts that stylistically and generically imitate Western classics disable the imperial center and spread disorder on the margins of empire. In mimicry, the dominant discourse constructs Otherness by a continual process of â€Å"repetition and displacement† to maintain control over the other. Mimicry serves as a partial representation that disturbs and mocks the narcissistic desire of colonial authority (Empire 115; Key 139-142). Ashcroft et al. point out the disabling effect of colonial mimicry as it constructs an â€Å"otherness†, menacing the imperial discourse. Bhabha stresses the double vision of mimicry, its resemblance and menace evolving from the process of representation. These criticisms, although laudatory, have overlooked gender difference s. I believe that colonial mimicry should be discussed and racial and sexual differences should be examined. Due to my thesis topic I am very interested in the matters of postcolonial hybridization. Ashcroft, Griffiths, and Tiffin in their seminal study note that various postcolonial cultures produce a form of hybridization. They argue that postcolonial literatures are intrinsically hybrid because they reveal inherently contradictory elements of different discourses that result from the translation and imposition of European thinking, grounded in ancestry, history, and time, onto a colonial space. The history of the dominant culture is exported to different colonies, but the amputated timeline makes the colonial history replete with internal competing voices (Empire 33-7). Another point that drew my attention is the matter of language importance. Language has been regarded as an important medium by which colonial hierarchy is perpetuated and imperial domination is reified (Empire 7) . The metropolitan assumptions of truth, order, and civilization are maintained and reinforced by an imperial language education that â€Å"installs a ‘standard version’†¦as the norm, and marginalizes all ‘variants’ as impurities (Empire 7). Language is given a capacity to territorize. In the formation of imperialism, the King’s language, the center, with its Eurocentric standards of judgment, is the privileged form; the marginal or peripheral is denied or excluded. A dispensation standard was instated at the crux of the development of English studies as a cut-out for the defiance of the value of the subsidiary uncolonized literature. The standardization became central to the civilizing enterprise by the colonists who sought to hue their subjects with their norms and practices in order to vanquish and subdue their cultures so that they can have an overt dominance over them in all spheres of their collective lives.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Revision and reversionary in The Empire Writes Back specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Essentially, when the indigenous sought to disentangle themselves from the spooling supremacy their tactical move threatened the restricted claims of the centre (George 112-116). Consequently, they were subtly integrated this through the process of conscious affliction arranged under the semblance mimicry purposely to be both accepted and adopted. This stir notably propelled those who were suspending at the periphery to It plunge themselves into the imported culture, consequently, denying their origins and as (Harris 133) puts it they attempted to become ‘more English than English essentially, English stands out as a sacrosanct tenet positioning its dominance over the other cultures, its unquestioned nature exerted its potency in cultural formation and in ideological schooling institutions (Memi, 28). Nonetheless, w ith the advanced growth and development of the post colonial literatures, scholars have sought to establish why English garnered such dominance in the educational realms exerting its rule in the literal cycles. After a keen scrutiny at the literature written after the upsetting colonial era, I established that the work produced immediately after the wallowing colonial eon went through various stages of development. At first, it was written and aligned with the colonial objective, neither did it display the ingenuous sentiment of the native writers, nor did it stand out as an original English text (Memi 76). It couldn’t be deemed as a blend of the local with the colonial, it was a mimicry which lacked basis and an underpinning dangled in a balance where it could not assert its stand for it was a copy of the original. The paranoia and the dread of the colonial masters suppressed the native writers from lettering what they candidly believed; their creative work had to be forfeit ed and shelved because they lived under the shadow of colonial ascendancy. The original work was tackled and handled in accord with the colonial master hence it had to be attuned to match up their interests and proclivity. Most of the original indigenous work was translated by the colonial masters, logically they molded it to fit their interests and convey the message they intended to convey to the world. During the second stage of the literature development, the writers sought to blend what they believed to be true as they had learned and construed from their cultures yet they had to tone it down because they viewed the world through the lens of the colonialists (Memi, 31).Advertising Looking for term paper on british literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More As Ashcroft et al focuses on; the conflict elicited by variation in the context and content in regard to background orientations they assert that the thinking and creativity of the invaded culture had been shaped through the educational program which was systematically programmed by the imperialists to sway their thinking to favor colonial rule at their own exepense. Their minds had been colonized and brainwashed adjusted to think in favor of the colonial ruler so their written text was still tainted with the spots of the imperialism. The breed thus spawned out of the colonial influence could not be termed as English neither could it be termed as indigenous it became a hybrid, tethered by the colonial influence (Griffiths 178-180). The stages in literature development are evidently paired with the phases of both national and the regional consciousness in the plagued societies. It’s against this back drop that a new breed of freethinking literature intellects sort to revisit a nd revise the already published post colonial literature in order to give it and edge to stand out free from the colonial manipulate. Whilst the invaded civilizations sought to equivocate and purge the imperial influence in their literal work, they were ensnared by the very fact that the imperialists gave them the communication language through which they could spawn ideas and reach an extensive audience. The regal rule was the platform through which they could aver their work; in essence they were made from a replication of the fellow colonists but they could not match up the imperialist (Memi 76). The imperial domination over the local cultures spawned forth intrinsic challenges which garnered problems seeking resolution. In an inimitable way the domination is inexorably entrenched in the dominated cultures. I realized that there were various tensions which could not be disentangled in the post colonial literature. There two world orders being enmeshed despite their divergent attr ibutions, there was a clash between the old cultural aboriginal ways of life with the incoming dominating settler culture (Ngugi 86). In my view the settler culture sought to assuage the old style indigenous culture by imposing its values and provenance and this of course was broached with dissent from the dominated culture. According to the book the new culture brought in by the settler was incongruous with the old native culture; there was resistance because the native populace was deeply entrenched in its own systems which were by far very different from the settler culture (Memi, 49). There was the ever nagging clash of the language, the newly imported language from the settler did not match with the new locality, and hence the settler had to impose his language on the native people in order to have a universal accord with his subjects. I realized according to the literature that the colonial influence from the indigenous literature was nearly impossible, because the essence of the literature being revised was etched in the colonial insignia. Colonialism had given it subsistence; colonialism frog spawned the post colonial literature myriad facets of its content were interwoven having their root in colonialism. Whilst language served as the media through which the colonialists exerted their rule over the subjects its still the same media through which the work written by the indigenous writers garnered pre-eminence due to its universal nature having exerted its rule in the world. I realized that irrespective of the relentless exertion by indigenously bred writers from the colonialzed countries to curve out a niche in their texts to illumine their intrinsic cultures, values and attributions the hybridization of their mores by the colonial rule perverted their literature so that it does not come out as either aboriginal or imperial. There is an inevitably effort to assert a variation between the local culture and the imposing centre of the colonialists (Ashcr off 63). Notably, in all the literature written immediately after the colonial period, there is an allege to remain objective in the matters being discussed yet after a deeper analysis it becomes clear that there is a deliberate effort to conceal the colonial discourse within which the literature was created (Ashcroff et al 94) Here the hurdle is on the budding writers, the by products of the colonial governance and dominance, how can they evade their models, in what way are they able to sort and understand the imposition of new trends and values? The new information and knowledge they derived from the colonialists has to be matched with their cultures and intrinsically attained attitudes. I found out that writers sought to identify any extensions of what they already knew in order to develop their texts from their own stand point yet the looming imperial influence chiefly altered their innovation blending their prior knowledge with the imposing colonial attributions and values. The colonization occurrence and the myriad hurdles spawned by the experience garnered a new breed of writers in English language. The diverse and potent body of literature created unambiguous post-colonial writing in the various cultures affected by the colonial dominance which both defied the customary canon and overriding ideas of literature and culture. The instant literature produced from the invaded countries identifies with the colonizing powers because the initial text is produced through coordinated activity of the colonized and the colonizers (Memi, 22). In my opinion such literature cannot in any way form a foundation for the indigenous cultures because its production is marred with the colonial intrusion. Colonial rule essentially dominated and subjugated the indigenous culture, reeling under the austere rule of the imperial power; the writers spawned from the native culture had to adhere to the modalities of the colonial rule (George 52). The literate too has been aligned t o match up the interests of the colonizers, the values and beliefs in the native cultures are subdued under the prevailing colonial dominance. The number one strategy that the European settlers, the former colonies used to subdue and rule the indigenous civilization is by imposing their language on their dominated cultures. This way they stamped a symbol of their supremacy over the culture reeling under their authority. Moreover, other facets of the colonizers civilization like education and moral codes were imported and vehemently instilled into the dominated cultures. Consequently, the indigenous cultures were overwhelmed and subdued under the colonial callous rule. The settlers had a goal of imbibing into the resources and facilities of the native cultures, in order to exert their rule over such people they had to pacify and suppress them deeming their cultural elements as both uncouth and invalid (Ashcroff 45). This kind of approach was geared towards swaying the mode of thinkin g amongst the natives so that they venerated the foreign cultures at the expense of their own. As the dominated cultures gradually attained their independence they could not phase out some tenets from the imperialists which had been inherently entrenched in their culture by the settlers. Such tenets included language and educational systems so the non indigenous language filtered its way in to the native culture and was easily utilized in the post colonial literature. There was sense of displacement as the indigenous people held on to the imported language deeming it as an adequate media through which they could express their views. I noticed that the colonizers did not delve into enlightening the native cultures on the richness of their own language; this meant that the local language lacked rank and they feared that once they utilized it in their literature it would bring ruin since it was popularized by the colonial powers. This was logical because even the education they had att ained was conveyed through the imported settler language. Critics have subsequently come out to question the appropriateness of utilizing imported language in native cultures. Harris asserts the view that such brain wash was ensconced through the education system where the native civilization was debased in comparison to the imported culture which was given prominent extol. The colonial rule dominates the native culture, as the imperialists stealthily crept into their culture and imposed their values on the indigenous people the old culture is progressively undone as guns and new language filter amongst the locals. The words and the diversity of culture from imperialists is aped and gradually etched in the minds of the native cultures as they follow blindly into dominating circular ways of the imperialists which swallow their ways from within. As time elapses whether it’s in Canada, Africa or India, myriad revisions to the literature written immediately after colonial rule ha s to be taken through a rigorous revision in order to ape the intrinsic indigenous culture. The now elite and unconventional generation seeks to unshackle the previous literature from the dominating forced lens of the colonialists through which the work was spawned. Ironically, the revision is done in the same colonial language; Kafka uses German while Chinua Achebe uses English. A major attribution exuded by the dominated literatures is the foreseeable tendency towards insurrection and a keen analysis of the tactics employed by the dominating rulers in their effort to pacify and rule over their subjects. The studies carried by the dominated scholars to illuminates the strategies of subjugation bring into light all the configurations of supremacy of the dominant cultures. Conversely they also pay attention to the ingenious and imaginative responses exerted by the dominated cultures to this condition openly and obliquely. Thus empires writes back to gear to the imperial axis through nationalist contention asserting its centrality exuding its overt determination to seek answers on European metaphysics challenging the world view that can polarize centre and margins in the first place (Harris 67). Works Cited Ashcroft, Bill T. Key Concepts in Post-Colonial Studies. New York and London: Routledge, 1998. Ashcroff, Bill T. Post colonial futures: Transforming the imperial culture. London: Routledge, 2001. Ashcroft Bill, Griffiths Gareth and Tiffin Helen. The Empire Writes Back: Theory and Practice in Post-Colonial Literatures. New York and London: Routledge, 1989. George, Lamming G. The pleasures drawn from exile. London: Alison and Busby Publishers, 1960. Griffiths, Gareth G. Double exile: African and West Indian writing Boyars Marion. NY: Kniff, 1978. Harris, Willy C. On History Myth and Fable. Chicago: Calaloux publications. 1970. Harold, Bloom T. Agony: Towards a Theory of Revisionism. New York: Oxford University Press, 1982. Memi, Waltz A. Understanding the colon izer and the colonized. Boston: Beacon Press, 1965. Ngugi, WA T. Mind Decolonizing: Language use in African literature. London: Macmillan press, 1981. This term paper on Revision and reversionary in The Empire Writes Back was written and submitted by user Isiah D. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Muhammad Ali - The Greatest Boxer

Muhammad Ali - 'The Greatest' Boxer Muhammad Ali was one of the most famous boxers of all time. His conversion to Islam and draft evasion conviction surrounded him with controversy and even exile from boxing for three years. Despite the hiatus, his quick reflexes and strong punches helped Muhammad Ali become the first person in history to win the heavyweight champion title three times. At the lighting ceremony at the 1996 Olympics, Muhammad Ali showed the world his strength and determination in dealing with the debilitating effects of Parkinsons syndrome. Dates: January 17, 1942 June 3, 2016 Also Known As: (born as) Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr., The Greatest, the Louisville Lip Married: Sonji Roi (1964 - 1966)Belinda Boyd (1967 - circa 1977)Veronica Porche (1977 - 1996)Yolanda Lonnie Williams (1996 - Until his death) Childhood Muhammad Ali was born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. at 6:35 p.m. on January 17, 1942, in Louisville, Kentucky to Cassius Clay Sr. and Odessa Grady Clay. Cassius Clay Sr. was a muralist, but painted signs for a living. Odessa Clay worked as a housecleaner and a cook. Two years after Muhammad Ali was born, the couple had another son, Rudolph (Rudy). A Stolen Bicycle Leads Muhammad Ali to Become a Boxer When Muhammad Ali was 12 years old, he and a friend went to the Columbia Auditorium to partake in the free hot dogs and popcorn available for visitors of the Louisville Home Show. When the boys were done eating, they went back to get their bicycles only to discover that Muhammad Alis had been stolen. Furious, Muhammad Ali went to the basement of the Columbia Auditorium to report the crime to police officer Joe Martin, who was also a boxing coach at the Columbia Gym. When Muhammad Ali said he wanted to beat up the person who stole his bike, Martin told him that he should probably learn to fight first. A few days later, Muhammad Ali began boxing training at Martins gym. From the very beginning, Muhammad Ali took his training seriously. He trained six days a week. On school days, he woke early in the morning so that he could go running and then would go workout at the gym in the evening. When Martins gym closed at 8 pm, Ali would then go train at another boxing gym. Over time, Muhammad Ali also created his own eating regimen that included milk and raw eggs for breakfast. Concerned about what he put in his body, Ali stayed away from junk food, alcohol, and cigarettes so that he could be the best boxer in the world. The 1960 Olympics Even in his early training, Muhammad Ali boxed like no one else. He was fast. So fast that he didnt duck punches like most other boxers; instead, he just leaned back away from them. He also didnt put his hands up to protect his face; he kept them down by his hips. In 1960, the Olympic Games were held in Rome. Muhammad Ali, then 18 years old, had already won national tournaments such as the Golden Gloves and so he felt ready to compete in the Olympics. On September 5, 1960, Muhammad Ali (then still known as Cassius Clay) fought against Zbigniew Pietrzyskowski from Poland in the light-heavyweight championship bout. In a unanimous decision, the judges declared Ali the winner, which meant Ali had won the Olympic gold medal. Having won the Olympic gold medal, Muhammad Ali had attained the top position in amateur boxing. It was time for him to turn professional. Winning the Heavyweight Title As Muhammad Ali started fighting in professional boxing bouts , he realized that there were things he could do to create attention for himself. For instance, before fights, Ali would say things to worry his opponents. He would also frequently declare, I am the greatest of all time! Often before a fight, Ali would write poetry that either called the round his opponent would fall or boast of his own abilities. Muhammad Alis most famous line was when he stated he was going to Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. His theatrics worked. Many people paid to see Muhammad Alis fights just to see such a braggart lose. In 1964, even the heavyweight champion, Charles Sonny Liston got caught up in the hype and agreed to fight Muhammad Ali. On February 25, 1964, Muhammad Ali fought Liston for the heavyweight title in Miami, Florida. Liston tried for a quick knockout, but Ali was too fast to catch. By the 7th round, Liston was too exhausted, had hurt his shoulder, and was worried about a cut under his eye. Liston refused to continue the fight. Muhammad Ali had become the heavyweight boxing champion of the world. The Nation of Islam and Name Change The day after the championship bout with Liston, Muhammad Ali publicly announced his conversion to Islam. The public was not happy. Ali had joined the Nation of Islam, a group led by Elijah Muhammad that advocated for a separate black nation. Since many people found the Nation of Islams beliefs to be racist, they were angry and disappointed that Ali had joined them. Up to this point, Muhammad Ali was still known as Cassius Clay. When he joined the Nation of Islam in 1964, he shed his slave name (he had been named after a white abolitionist that had freed his slaves) and took on the new name of Muhammad Ali. Banned From Boxing for Draft Evasion During the three years after the Liston fight, Ali won every bout. He had become one of the most popular athletes of the 1960s. He had become a symbol of black pride. Then in 1967, Muhammad Ali received a draft notice. The United States was calling up young men to fight in the Vietnam War. Since Muhammad Ali was a famous boxer, he could have requested special treatment and just entertained the troops. However, Alis deep religious beliefs forbade killing, even in war, and so Ali refused to go. In June 1967, Muhammad Ali was tried and found guilty of draft evasion. Although he was fined $10,000 and sentenced to five years in jail, he remained out on bail while he appealed. However, in response to public outrage, Muhammad Ali was banned from boxing and stripped of his heavyweight title. For three and a half years, Muhammad Ali was exiled from professional boxing. While watching others claim the heavyweight title, Ali lectured around the country to earn some money. Back in the Ring By 1970, the general American public had become dissatisfied with the  Vietnam War  and was thus easing their anger against Muhammad Ali. This change in public opinion meant Muhammad Ali was able to rejoin boxing. After participating in an exhibition match on September 2, 1970, Muhammad Ali fought in his first real comeback bout on October 26, 1970, against Jerry Quarry in Atlanta, Georgia. During the fight, Muhammad Ali appeared slower than he used to be; yet before the start of the fourth round, Quarrys manager threw in the towel. Ali was back and he wanted to reclaim his heavyweight title. The Fight of the Century: Muhammad Ali vs.  Joe Frazier  (1971) On March 8, 1971, Muhammad Ali got his chance to win back the heavyweight title. Ali was to fight Joe Frazier at Madison Square Garden. This fight, billed as the Fight of the Century, was viewed in 35 countries around the world and was the first fight Ali used his rope-a-dope technique. (Alis rope-a-dope technique was when Ali leaned himself on the ropes and protected himself while he let his opponent hit him repeatedly. The intention was to quickly tire out his opponent.) Although Muhammad Ali did well in a few of the rounds, in many others he was pounded by Frazier. The fight went the full 15 rounds, with both fighters still standing at the end. The fight was unanimously awarded to Frazier. Ali had lost his first professional fight and had officially lost the heavyweight title. Shortly after Muhammad Ali  had lost this fight with Frazier, Ali won a different kind of fight. Alis appeals against his draft evasion conviction had gone all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court, who unanimously reversed the lower courts decision on June 28, 1971. Ali had been exonerated. The Rumble in the Jungle: Muhammad Ali vs. George Foreman On October 30, 1974, Muhammad Ali had another chance at the championship title. In the time since Ali lost to Frazier in 1971, Frazier himself had lost his championship title to George Foreman. While Ali had won a rematch against Frazier in 1974, Ali was much slower and older than he used to be and was not expected to have a chance against Foreman. Many considered Foreman to be unbeatable. The bout was held in Kinshasa, Zaire and was thus billed as the Rumble in the Jungle. Once again, Ali used his rope-a-dope strategy - this time with much more success. Ali was able to tire out Foreman so much that by the eighth round, Muhammad Ali knocked Foreman out. For the second time, Muhammad Ali had become the heavyweight champion of the world. Thrilla in Manila: Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier Joe Frazier really did not like Muhammad Ali. As part of the antics before their fights, Ali had called Frazier an Uncle Tom and a gorilla, among other bad names. Alis comments greatly angered Frazier. Their third match against each other was held on October 1, 1975, and called Thrilla in Manila because it was held in Manila, Philippines. The fight was brutal. Both Ali and Frazier hit hard. Both were determined to win. By the time the bell for the 15th round was rung, Fraziers eyes were swollen nearly shut; his manager wouldnt let him continue. Ali won the fight, but he himself was badly hurt as well. Both Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier fought so hard and so well, that many consider this fight to be the greatest boxing fight in history. Winning the Championship Title a Third Time After the Frazier fight in 1975, Muhammad Ali announced his  retirement. This, however, did not last long as it was just too easy to pick up a million dollars here or there by fighting one more bout. Ali did not take these fights very seriously and became lax on his training. On February 15, 1978, Muhammad Ali was extremely surprised when novice boxer Leon Spinks beat him. The bout had gone all 15 rounds, but Spinks had dominated the match. The judges awarded the fight - and the championship title - to Spinks. Ali was furious and wanted a rematch. Spinks obliged. While Ali worked diligently to train for their rematch, Spinks did not. The fight did go the full 15 rounds again, but this time, Ali was the obvious winner. Not only did Ali win back the heavyweight champion title, he became the first person in history to win it three times. Retirement and Parkinsons Syndrome After the Spinks fight, Ali retired on June 26, 1979. He did fight Larry Holmes in 1980 and Trevor Berbick in 1981 but lost both fights. The fights were embarrassing; it was obvious that Ali should stop boxing. Muhammad Ali had been the greatest heavyweight boxer in the world three times. In his professional career, Ali had won 56 bouts and lost only five. Of the 56 wins, 37 of them were by knockout. Unfortunately, all of these fights took a toll on Muhammad Alis body. After suffering increasingly slurred speech, shaking hands, and over-tiredness, Muhammad Ali was hospitalized in September 1984 to determine the cause. His doctors diagnosed Ali with Parkinsons syndrome, a degenerative condition that results in decreased control over speech and motor skills. After being out of the limelight for more than a decade, Muhammad Ali was asked to light the Olympic flame during the Opening Ceremonies of the  1996 Olympics  in Atlanta, Georgia. Ali moved slowly and his hands shook, yet his performance brought tears to many who watched the Olympic lighting. Since then, Ali worked tirelessly to help charities around the world. He also spent a lot of time signing autographs. On June 3, 2016, Muhammad Ali died at age 74 in Phoenix, Arizona after suffering from respiratory problems. He remains a hero and icon of the 20th century.

5 Errors in Noun-Verb Agreement

5 Errors in Noun-Verb Agreement 5 Errors in Noun-Verb Agreement 5 Errors in Noun-Verb Agreement By Mark Nichol As shown in the examples below, when writers craft sentences with more than one noun or pronoun in the subject, they sometimes misidentify the key noun or pronoun and assign the wrong verb form to it. Discussion and revision in each sentence describes and solves the problem. 1. â€Å"Five days are too short for a vacation.† The singular form of the verb â€Å"to be,† rather than the plural form, is appropriate here because of the context- the writer is referring to a collective unit of time consisting of five days, not to five units of time consisting of a day each: â€Å"Five days is too short for a vacation.† 2. Which of the following statements best describe your situation? The verb in this sentence refers not to statements but to one of several statements- represented by the pronoun which- each of which is, in turn, being contemplated on its own, so the verb form should be singular: â€Å"Which of the following statements best describes your situation?† 3. Each of the top five priorities identified this year are technology related.   Just as in the previous example, the first word in this sentence is a place-holder representing one priority. The five priorities are being considered in isolation, one at a time, so a singular verb is appropriate: â€Å"Each of the top five priorities identified this year is technology related.† 4. We believe that a diversity among people and perspectives create high-performing organizations. Diversity, not the combination of â€Å"people and perspectives,† is the operative noun here, so the verb form should be singular: â€Å"We believe that a diversity among people and perspectives creates high-performing organizations.† 5. A combination of these factors, along with a number of wider digital transformation and economic trends, have focused attention on regulatory technology as a topic. Combination, not factors, is the noun that the helping verb is associated with (and the parenthetical phrase located between factors and the verb is irrelevant to the verb form): â€Å"A combination of these factors, along with a number of wider digital transformation and economic trends, has focused attention on regulatory technology as a topic.† Some people may disagree, arguing that combination, like descriptive words such as couple, majority, and variety, calls for notional agreement (or notional concord), in which plural nouns that modifying phrases that include collective nouns are associated with, rather than the collective nouns themselves, are considered the â€Å"target† of the verb. However, usage strongly favors singular concord, in which the verb concords, or agrees, with the collective noun (the â€Å"notion†). Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Idioms About TalkingDeck the HallsUses of the Past Participle

The endocrine regulation of metamorphosis in lepidoperons and anurans Essay

The endocrine regulation of metamorphosis in lepidoperons and anurans - Essay Example The order Lepidoptera is considered as being the "second largest order in the class Insecta and includes the butterflies, skippers, and moths. Members of the order are referred to as lepidopterans" (Wikipedia, 2007). This particular order has more than 180,000 species in 128 families and 47 superfamilies. Lepidopterans undergo a complete and full metamorphosis, as they go through a four-stage life cycle of egg: larva/caterpillar - pupa/chrysalis - imago/adult. When we look at the anurans, which are considered as being the most successful and diverse of the amphibians and anura is considered as being an order of animals in the class amphibian, and this includes both frogs and toads. At the present time in the world there are about 5,280 species that are considered as being in this order, and those that are living are divided into three particular suborders, which are: Archaeobatrachia, Mesobatrachia and Neobatrachia. In regards to the metamorphosis process of the anurans, the beginning is the larval stage, where it is a tadpole, and after a certain period of growth, the tadpole undergoes metamorphosis, in which the tail is lost and limbs appear.

Situational Analysis of International or Global Marketing Environment Essay - 1

Situational Analysis of International or Global Marketing Environment - Essay Example Evergreen Natural Grocers deal with natural and inorganic products, and offers competitive prices while ensuring high quality services to customers. Evergreen Natural Markets is characterised by rapid growth, which can be confirmed by its twenty-three stores in nineteen locations in Colorado, Wyoming, and New Mexico. Evergreen Natural Grocers achieved total annual revenues amounting to $175 million and net income from investment of $4.3 million during the financial ending December 2012 (Doyle, 2012). Evergreen Natural Grocers has adopted an expansive strategy for growth. The company has identified a potential market in Canada for selling its products. Five Porter’s Analysis of the Canadian Market Threat of New Entrants The supernormal profits earned by the Evergreen Natural Grocers will attract the entry of new firms. Retail outlets such as Wal-Mart and Humana Inc. have began supplying natural foods and supplements in the Canadian market parallel to Evergreen Grocers. The prof its earned by Evergreen Grocers will trend towards normal and finally fall to break-even in the long-run (Hemmings, 2011). Sources of threat of new entrants include economies of scale, product differentiation, easy access to distribution channels and lenient government policy. Threat of Substitute commodities Most of the Canadians prefer consuming fresh-from-the farm products to the processed natural products. Businesses have engaged in extensive supply of substitutes for natural products supplied by Evergreen Grocers. The Canadian buyers have high propensity to substitute because of low switching costs for consumer foods. The markets, therefore, are characterised by cutthroat competition where new substitutes are brought to market every day. Substitutes are also supplied in forms of direct medications meant to heal illnesses associated with the defects of malnutrition (Fisanick, 2010). Bargaining Power of Buyers The Canadian market comprises of enlightened buyers who are sensitive to price and quality changes. The buyers have the ability to put Evergreen Groceries under pressure, which has an effect in the buyers’ sensitivity to price changes (Raff & Schmitt, 2009). The Canadians have access to all market information and can force the reduction of prices in the event of failing to reflect the true value of the commodity. Bargaining Power of Suppliers Suppliers comprise the market for inputs such as raw materials, components, expertise, labour and energy. Manual labour exhibits features of scarcity in Canada due to low population growth rates, hence, labour is expensive to afford. The Canadian believe in the principles of total quality management; their supplies in terms of raw materials and components are costly because they are prepared based on excellent quality standards. Employee solidarity through labour unions is very strong in Canada, implying the bargaining power of suppliers is effective and all regulations related to labour supply must be adh ered to all costs. Intensity of Competitive Rivalry Natural foods manufacturing units in Canada have embraced sustainable competitive advantage through intensive innovations. Most companies have gone online, and have online supply units to aid in marketing and supplying of their merchandise. The level of advertising expenses is high because of increased competition for advertisement airtime and strategic

Why does organisation undertake market research?

Why does organisation undertake market research? 1) Why does organisation undertake market research? What methods could they use? 1) The collection, analysis and communication of market to assist decision making in marketing is market research. Methods of market research: 1) Primary research: primary research includes getting such data that is not already used by any other organisation. It is especially made to get answer of some specific question that an organisation wants to procure. To get primary data a business should carry out field research: Face-to-face interview- Interviewer gets information from people. (Example-by visiting different houses on different streets) Telephone interviews- Same question like face-to-face interview are asked although often shortly. Online survey- Using internet is prominent way of getting primary data and it is also less expensive than other sources to get primary data. Questionnaires: Questionnaires are sent in post to get the information. Advantage of primary search- A) up to date B) Specific to the purpose C) No other business has access to collected data Secondary data- includes data that is already available. This data has been collected by someone else for another purpose. Secondary research involves exploration of secondary sources of data. Source of secondary data can come from within the firm itself. This is also known as internal secondary data. External secondary data is data that has been published by other firm. Advantages of secondary data: A) Ease of access B) Low cost of acquire C) May answer research question Types of market research: 1) Quantitative research- Statistical basis gathers statistically valid, numerically measurable data Usually related to data on market-size, market shares and growth Sampling plays a key role Data is gathered through surveys Concerned with obtaining hard copy 2) Qualitative research Subjective and personal Concerned with finding out soft information Main purpose is to understand consumer behaviour, perceptions and attitudes Obtained by methods designed to get detailed responses e.g. interview Research topic are usually explored in some depth There are two main qualitative methods- A) Depth interviewing: In most business markets depth interviews are very important form of qualitative research. B) Depth discussion: Focus groups are the main stay of consumer research. Here several customers are bought in discussion. These groups encourage creative ideas from participants. Purpose of market research To gain an understanding of markets To identify changes in the market To improve market answers To gain an understanding of customers needs To reduce the risk and uncertainty To forecast market trends To provide a sound basis for marketing decision To support marketing planning Importance of market research Research is not only used for learning. It is also used to make good decision. While research is key to Decision Making. It does not always to be effective. Some time small efforts such as doing research on internet provide needed information. Marketing research is becoming more important day-by-day by which the firm can get more profits. By market research firm get know about their customer taste what the customer want how much they can pay for the product. By doing market research we get information about other products their pricing and what needs to be done for a good promotion. Conclusion: From above discussion we can say that market research is way to get information about the product, customer and market. There are couple of method for market research such as discussed above primary research and secondary research. In primary research data is collected by face-to-face interview, telephone interview, online survey and questionnaires.   Secondary research is data which is already gathered by someone for another purpose. There are two types of market research as discussed above quantitative research and qualitative research. There are two type of qualitative method depth interviewing and depth discussion. With help of market research firm can procure a lot of information about the market, products, promotion, and distribution and so on that can be very helpful in taking marketing 2) What are they major factors affecting the pricing strategy of firms? What is pricing? Pricing is a method adopted by firm to set price of their product. It usually depends on average cost of product. Different pricing methods place varying degree of emphasis on selection, estimation and evaluation of costs and market situation. What is pricing strategy? Pricing strategy is activities aimed at finding products optimum objectives, consumer demand, market, economic trend and product price, typically including overall marketing. 1) Internal factors- A) Marketing objective- There are some marketing objective given below- To set a price in aim to cover just variable and fixed cost of a product. To set such price that cultivates optimum profit. To decide the price of product in such a way that they can procure leadership in market share. To set high prices in order to get quality leadership in market. B) Marketing mix In marketing mix, there are especially two alternatives as given below 1) Price positioning- In this, an organisation decides the price of any particular product first and then they take other decisions of marketing mix. 2) Non price positioning- In this process,organstions dont decide price first they opt different kind of marketing mix tools because they think customers dont always go for products of low prices. They opt high prices product in aim to get optimum quality and to show prestige and dignity. 2) External factors: Market and demand factors- In this, the price of a particular product depends on demand of product in the market. If products demand is higher than price can be kept higher but on the other hand if demand is lower than price must be lower to attract a certain range of customers. Competition: Almost all marketing decision including pricing will include an evaluation of competitors offerings. The impact of this information on actual setting of price will depend on the competitive nature of market. Government regulations; There is some governmental regulation that applies in deciding the price of any particular product. Marketers cant be price dictators they have to follow some rules and regulations made by government. Government have decided a certain level of price limit that cant be crossed or overcome by any marketer. Conclusion:- From the above discussion we can conclude that pricing is method to set a price of product by a firm to get higher profit or to survive in market. Pricing strategy is activities finding product optium, consumer demand and market needs to set a price. There are several factor affect price decision internal and external factor. Internal factor include marketing objective and marketing strategy. External factors include nature of market, demand competition and government regulations. All these factors play a vital role in pricing strategy of firms. 3) What are the main criticisms against marketing? To what extent are these criticisms valid? Marketing have thousands of benefits but even after that it is criticized due to some reason. There are some common criticisms against marketing. Marketing encourage people to purchase what they do not need: Possibly the criticism most frequently made about marketing is that marketers are only concerned with getting customer to buy whether they want the product or not. As we will discuss, while many marketers are guilty of manipulating customers into making their mind to buy products which they dont need. The vast majority understand that undertaking such method will not lead to loyal customers and is unlikely to lead to longer term success. Marketers adorn product claim: Marketers are often criticized for exaggerating the benefits offered by their product. This is especially the case with part of marketing that engages in customer communication. Such as advertising and sale people. the most serious problems arise when product claim are seen as misleading customers into believing a product can offer a certain level of value but it was not. But few times there is a fine line between what a rational person should accept as a ‘reasonable exaggeration and which is considered as downright deceiving. Fortunately, many countries offer customers some level of protection from misleading claims since such business practise may subject the marketer to legal action. Again using this method is likely to lead to marketing failure as customers dont like anything and will likely not return the product. Yes I think criticism is valid in marketing because marketers only wants to sell the their products they dont want customer to satisfy with the product their mean of selling product is only selfishness they only want profit nothing more than it. In some countries customer cant claim product if he/she is not satisfied with product this is because in some countries people buy products for occasionally use after that the occasion they claim the product and get money   back due to this marketers dont want be loss so they kicked claim policy in some countries but by this customers are always think twice before buy product in that country where we cant claim product so by this some real claim are disclosed due to no claim policy by which customer are dissatisfy so criticism is valid up to   high level in marketing I think so. Conclusion:- From the above discussion we can say that market is seen as benefits to firm and society there are a number of criticisms against marketing like to create a need where there is no need, so much exaggeration about products and false promises to the customers in aim to just increase the sale. So up to some extent these criticisms are valid but not all are alike. Has Feminism Achieved its Goals? Has Feminism Achieved its Goals? This essay will assess the question: has feminism achieved its goals? The essay will outline the three strands of feminism. The first section focuses on Liberal feminism which asserts the idea that in order for feminism to achieve its goals it must create equality among men and women. The second section turns to socialist feminism that believes that the only way feminist goals can be achieved is with the overthrow of the capitalist system and that of patriarchy. The Third and final section analyses radical feminism that advocates the goal of political lesbianism. This essay will conclude that feminism has not achieved its goals, however Liberal feminists believe their aim for equality is achievable in the near future. Has Feminism achieved its goals? Feminism as an issue first became prominent in the 17th and 18th century in France and America. It was not until the suffragette movement of the 19th century that feminism was seen as important in Britain. The scholar Estelle Freedman compares first and second-wave feminism saying that the first wave focused on rights such as suffrage, whereas the second wave was largely concerned with other issues of equality, such as ending discrimination.  [1]  Feminism is a contested issue, therefore difficult to define, due to the fact that feminism has a directory of meanings, however the term feminism can be used to describe a political, cultural or economic movement aimed at establishing equal rights and legal protection for women. Within feminism there are many strands, the most important and commonly known strands are Liberal, Socialist, Radical and more recently Post-modernist. Within these strands there is an on-going argument of whether or not feminism has achieved its goals. Early feminism was heavily influenced by liberalism. Liberal Feminists main goal comes from the liberal idea of equality of opportunity, freedom for the individual. The idea that everyone, both men and woman deserve to be considered to be of equal worth. However these liberal feminists take into consideration that this is not the case in society. Their goal thus being to create a society consisting of a culture of equal rights. They believe that womans subordination is a product of stereotyping, for instance seeing a woman as a mother only. It is often implied that feminine behaviour is a weakness meaning that men are seen as the stronger part of society, creating this inequality. Friedan sees this as the feminine mystique which she refers to as a cultural myth.  [2]  This is the idea that woman see certain things as more important; for instance the need for security and love is typically seen as feminine, whereas success and superiority is typically seen as masculine. This assum ption thus disadvantages women and separates them from entering employment. Liberal feminists therefore dismiss the notion that biological differences make women less competent than men, and believe that societies socialisation patterns need to change, so that gender socialisation does not occur, in other words males and females need to distance themselves from stereotypical roles. As both men and women our humans, they should have the same type of freedom and rights. Wollstonecraft asserts this view claiming that the distinction of sex would become unimportant in political and social life  [3]   Liberal Feminists believe that they can achieve this goal of equality through reform, for instance laws against sex discrimination in employment secures equal opportunities for woman. Added to this, they have the belief that society should not be organised by gender, but as Mill puts it: according to the principle of equality  [4]  and that accidents of birth like the sex of the child should be irrelevant, thus suggesting that women should be open to all the aspects of society, just like men, having all the rights and liberties that men enjoy such as the right to vote. Liberal Feminism is an optimistic theory, and overall believes that the goals of feminism are progressing and that over time gender equality will become the norm. This progression can be seen through different rights such as the right to initiate divorce proceedings and the reproductive rights of women to make individual decisions on pregnancy. Thus they believe that the goals of feminism may not be achieved at this moment in time, but the changes in society mean that soon they will be. Liberal feminists have been criticised for this over optimism, they see the obstacles to equality as simply the prejudices of individuals or irrational laws, ignoring the possibility that there are deep seeded structures causing womens oppression, such as patriarchy. Socialist and radical feminists criticise liberal feminists stating that one needs to recognise the underlying causes of female subordination, and that it is naive to believe that changes in the law will be enough to bring equality. Instead, they believe that revolutionary changes are needed. Socialist feminists connect the oppression of women to Marxist ideas about exploitation, oppression and labour. They think unequal standing in both the workplace and the domestic sphere holds women down. Socialist feminists see prostitution, domestic work, childcare and marriage as ways in which women are exploited by a patriarchal system that devalues women and the substantial work they do. They focus their energies on broad change that affects society as a whole, rather than on an individual basis. They see the need to work alongside not just men, but all other groups, as they see the oppression of women as a part of a larger pattern that affects everyone involved in the capitalist system. Socialist feminists dismiss the liberal feminist view that womens subordination is due to stereotypes. They see womens subordination as rooted in capitalism; although men may benefit from women, the main beneficiary is capitalism. For them the tension between men and women is due to the economic structure of society and only by overthrowing capitalism will women be equal to men. Thus their goal is: a revolution- that is they believe that the subordination of women can only be understood in terms of economic factors, for instance the idea that women are unpaid workers in the home. This subordination performs a number of functions for capitalism: women reproduce the labour force; women absorb the anger of men. Ansley for example describes wives as takers of shit  [5]  . It is for these reasons that womans interests and thus their goal should be the overthrow of capitalism. If this is their goal, then it is quite clear that feminism, according to the socialist feminist side has not achieved its goals. However modern socialist feminists refuse to look at the status of women in terms of economic factors and instead focus on the cultural roots. Mitchell suggests women perform four functions in society: 1) members of the workforce, 2) reproduce the human species 3) responsible for socialising children 4) sex objects.  [6]  Looking at this, the only way according to modern socialist feminists to achieve their goal is if they separate themselves from each of these areas, not just the idea of capitalism being replaced by socialism. This has yet to be achieved. Many criticisms have been made of socialist feminists. For some, they fail to explain womens subordination in non-capitalist societies. As womens subordination is also found there. Unpaid domestic labour may benefit capitalism, but it does not explain why it is women and not men who perform it. They place insufficient emphasis on the ways in which men and not just capitalism oppress women and benefit from their unpaid labour. Radical Feminism dismisses both liberal and socialist feminism, focusing on gender as the reason for all social divisions. They consider the male controlled capitalist hierarchy, which it describes as sexist, as the defining feature of womens oppression. Radical feminists believe that women can free themselves only when they have done away with what they consider an inherently oppressive and dominating patriarchal system. For them the key concept is Patriarchy: which literally means rule by fathers and is seen process of gender oppression. Patriarchy has come to mean a society where men dominate women, that there is a male-based authority and power structure and that it is responsible for oppression and inequality. As long as the system and its values are in place, society will not be able to be reformed in any significant way. Patriarchy is universal, existing in all societies. According to Firestone the origins of patriarchy are in biology; women bearing children makes them more dependent on men. However this is criticised by De Beauvoir who believes that the position of women is based not on natural factors but social factors, showing a critique of patriarchal culture. The basis of radical feminism is the idea that sexual oppression is the biggest feature of society and that other forms of inequality for instance class exploitation take a back seat. For radical feminists patriarchy is the biggest form of inequality, men are womens main enemy. Most radical feminists advocate the idea of separatism and Political lesbianism. Separatism refers to the idea of living apart from men creating a culture of female independence. Political Lesbianism is the idea that women become involved in lesbian relationships for political reasons. Many radical feminists argue that lesbianism is the only non-oppressive form of sexuality; feminism is the theory; lesbianism is the practice  [7]   The relationship between men and women must be transformed if women are to be free. Radical feminists argue that women and men should be separate, women should raise their consciousness about womens oppression in women only groups and they stress that political lesbianism is the only non-oppressive form of sexuality. Thus, this means that the goal of radical feminists is to live separate lives from men. However they recognise that this will not solve all the problems of the patriarchal society. Some radical feminists see no alternatives other than the total uprooting and reconstruction of society in order to achieve these goals. These goals have clearly not been achieved as heterosexual relationships are still the norm, although having said this there has been a rise of homosexual relationships in the last thirty years. Socialist feminists argue that class, not patriarchy, is the primary form of inequality. They also argue that capitalism is the main cause and beneficiary of womens oppression, and not men. Radical feminism offers no explanation of why female subordination takes different forms in different societies. It assumes that all women are in the same position and ignores class, ethnic differences. Liberal feminists argue that womens position has improved greatly and that women are now more equal to men. These three strands represent the different views and ideas of different feminist theorists. Although they all have different opinions, having considered all the arguments it is clear that they all believe that feminist goals have not been achieved. Liberal feminists believe that they are well on their way to achieving equality, whereas both socialist and radical feminists disagree. Socialist feminists asserting the view that an overthrow of capitalism is needed, whereas radical feminists assert the view that in order to be free they need to live separate lives from men.