Business Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business Strategy - Essay Example sion plan the company also took a strategic decision to reassess its standard shop formats and sizes from 7000 sq ft to more economical 2400-4200 sqft range outlets. Evidence indicating that these strategies are effective can be identified in the sales increase of over $ 185 million during the period of 1995 – 2001 since the implementation of new strategy. The profits too had reached a record of $ 14.75 million in 2001 from $4 million in 1995.The number of outlets have increased from a total of 88 in 1995 to 174 by 2001. Franchisee outlets have grown from 40 to 111 during this period. The financial performance of the company has been rather unstable over the past 5 years with losses and profits resulting in alternative years. However the year 2000 and 2001 has indicated steady growth with losses being converted to profits. Own outlet sales account for over 70% while franchisee income represent 3%. 26% of the income is from mixes and equipment sales. The most profitable part of the business is the Franchising operation where the GP margin is 62%. The other two business units generate 15% GP. The company’s financial performance during past two years has been outstanding with earnings per share jumping to $ 0.60 in 2001. The sales revenue has grown by 37% in 2001 while net income has grown by 147% over year 2000. This $ 8.76 million net income growth is also facilitated by the reduced interest costs of about $ 1 million for the year 2001 as a result of IPO funding relieving the company of its costly capital borrowings. The statement â€Å" The numbers just d on’t work† has been made pertaining to the company’s targeted 20% sales growth vs. 25% growth in earnings for the year 2002. The statement cannot be supported with the current evidence, as it is most likely that the company will be in a position to achieve such forecasts. The additional 5% growth in earnings are likely to come from reduced costs through increased sales per existing outlets as well as cost

World Luxury Goods Industry Essay Example for Free

World Luxury Goods Industry Essay Luxury goods have more than the ordinary and necessary characteristics compared to other products of their category. Their characteristics can be divided into 6 parts Symbolism, Price, Extraordinariness, Rarity, Aesthetics and Quality. The global market size for the industry has been at a growth rate of 9% per annum. This trend has been seen in the market since 1995 till 2000. The luxury market took a hit from 2000 to 2004 when incidents like the September 11 and SARS epidemic took place during those years. The market was at a standstill till 2005 when it caught pace again until the subprime financial crisis. Recent years the growth rate has been at 11% average and this has been happening since 2009. At 2013 the market is sized at Euro 212 billion and has great potential going forward. The 10 % growth estimated for the market in 2013 represents the fourth straight year following the great recession that luxury goods revenues will grow annually by double-digits. Americas region is also projected to benefit from the market, with revenues growing by 13 percent by year’s end and Asia-Pacific sales particularly driven by China India are projected to grow by 18 percent. Growth in Europe is expected to be at 5 percent this year showing that the economic trends in these areas have affected the market for luxury goods. It is estimated that the luxury goods market will grow, in real terms by 4-6% per year between 2013-2015 increasing the market to between â‚ ¬240 and â‚ ¬250 billion by 2015. There has been a shift towards online sales in this segment with this medium continuing to grow faster than the rest of the market, at 28% annual growth for the year and reaching close to 10b Euros, nearly 5% of total luxury sales which larger than the luxury revenues of Germany. In online sales, shoes are the top-performing category. This level of online penetration is when brands have to treat their online channel as a integral part of their competitive strategy, rather than an an extra source of revenue. When we see the different products types in the industry it is seen that the Accessories highlights the best performance over the period 2007-2011 led by the emerging markets customers preferences with respect to luxury accessories. We see a shift in the market trend in apparels where the mens luxury sales increased by 16% in 2011 surpassing sales to woman. Mens luxury goods in 2011 accounted for 40% of the global luxury market up from 35 % in 1995. As you can see in figure above that the accessories and hard luxury goods have seen an increase in segment. In the luxury goods market the Italian brands have increased to gain the largest market share of luxury sales, moving from 21% in 1995 to 24% in 2013 almost equalling French brands market share of 25%. But in a consolidating market, French conglomerates are a driving force, owning 29% of the market compared to 25% in 1995. Key Figures Category Revenues Growth Forecast. 2012 (est) 2012 Leather Goods â‚ ¬33bn 16% Shoes â‚ ¬12 bn 13% Men’s Apparel â‚ ¬26 bn 10% Women’s Apparel â‚ ¬27 bn 9% Fragrances â‚ ¬20 bn 4% Cosmetics â‚ ¬23 bn 5% Jewelry â‚ ¬11 bn 13% Watches â‚ ¬35 bn 14% Total â‚ ¬212bn 10% The different players in this market are different for different product types like in the luxury watches segment it is Rolex, Omega etc, mens and womens apparels segment it is Armani, Burberry etc and leather goods segment it is LVMH, Ralph Lauren etc. Similarly many more in other segments and below are the different luxury goods brand with LVMH leading in revenue terms. Porter’s 5 forces model. THREAT OF NEW ENTRANT: Capital Requirement: The capital requirements for manufacturing, setting up stores and maintaining them are all very high. The break-even for these brands is very high. Their marketing and management costs such as rent, high salaries for craftsmen, heavy promotional activities etc. are very high too. A study indicated that they need to have 400 stores to develop a truly global presence. Brand Loyalty: The brand image associated with luxury brands and the loyalty created through CRM programs and exceptional service levels is very high for existing brands in the market space. However, the industry has been experiencing declining brand loyalty in emerging markets since their purchases are driven by status and show off motives and hence brand switching between brands perceived to have similar status is increasing. Nevertheless it takes considerable amount of time and expenditure to build its brand loyalty. Scale economies: It has been observed that consolidation of brands in the luxury market help in achieving higher economies of scale. Consolidation helps in increasing bargaining power with suppliers, obtaining operating synergies say in advertising etc., better financing options and risk management through diversification in the brand portfolio of the companies. LVMH, PPR (Gucci), Prada Group, Richemont have all undergone consolidation. Exclusive access to suppliers and distributors: Many brands in this segment have acquired their suppliers or have exclusive arrangements to protect their competitive advantage and insulate against rising costs in future. Also the numbers of distribution points are increasing as emerging markets are growing and luxury malls are coming up. For instance, LVMH acquired Leman Cadran and ArteCad SA- watch dial manufacturers and Delos Bottier, French artisan shoemaker. Retaliation from existing Cos- The powerful established brands tend to retaliate against the smaller and newer brands by say preventing them from having access to multi-brand retailers. Therefore we see that the threat of new entrant is high. THREAT OF SUBSTITUTES: Middle price brands: The growing mid ranged, high street brands pose as a possible substitute to the luxury brands. During economic crisis consumers tend to â€Å"trade down. † Counterfeit goods: The manufacturing and sales of counterfeit goods from Countries like China is growing. Quality design: increased internet accessibility and online shopping has made is easy for fast fashion brands to replicate designs and fashion trends of luxury brands within days/weeks of the fashion shows. There are no monetary switching costs to customers. However, there is a loss of prestige which is important to luxury brand buyers. Therefore the threat of substitutes is moderate. BUYER’S BARGAINING POWER: Decreasing buyer concentration: The number of buyers relative to suppliers is increasing. Only 50% of the 1. 6 MN wealthy were as rich 4 years ago. Level of dependency on buyer: The industry is heavily dependent on top-tier customers, mostly on a small super affluent population. Celebrities etc. being early adopters can drive consumption but single buyers cannot determine prices. Switching costs: There are emotional switching costs involved. With introduction of loyalty programs and associated privileges, the switching costs have increased. Possibility of backward integration by customers is very low. So on the whole, the bargaining power of buyers is low. SUPPLIER’S BARGAINING POWER: Number of suppliers: The raw materials are limited and exclusive. There are limited high skilled workers and there is also growing shortage since not many youngsters are willing to learn. For instance, Couture-level embroiderers in France have dropped from 10000 in 1920 to 200 in 2013. Level of Dependency: Some key components and materials are outsourced. For eg: LV outsources its monogram leather, in 2012, Chanel ordered large chuck of leather from a supplier in case they wouldn’t find more. Supply substitutes: Most materials are highly specialized and difficult to substitute. Switching costs to new suppliers are high since the quality is at risk and there is a past coordinating experience which is important. Forward integration possibility is very low since the luxury groups are much more experienced and wealthier than their suppliers. Thus, the bargaining power of suppliers is moderate to high. COMPETITIVE RIVALRY: Competitive structure: The industry has an oligopoly structure since it is dominated by few large independent players. LVMH, Richemont and PPR Gucci are the big three. Demand conditions: The demand is growing and will grow at a relatively high pace as China and Hong Kong markets grow further. Exit Barriers: Some brand exist despite the fact that they do not make any/much profits due to emotional reasons. For instance, Christian Lacroix hasn’t made any profit in 22 years. There are some highly specialised supply chain components that may be very difficult to sell. Chanel has 6 atelier d’arts under it which has no alternative usage. The rivalry among existing competition is high. Luxury Goods-Developed Countries Overview. There is so much talk about China, Brazil and other emerging markets as the future of luxury market while there is some truth to it we cannot ignore the developed markets. The current growth and hot spot for luxury goods is still in the developed countries. American region is the king of luxury spending; it grew at 4% in 2013 compared to 2012. There has been growth in the number of new store opening in tire two cities in these developed countries going to show that companies see potential in the smaller region and there is increase of disposable income in the smaller cities. Visitors from developing countries still prefer to buy luxury goods from the developed countries; this has also led to an increase in the demand of luxury goods in the developed countries. According to Luxury Goods Worldwide Market Study Spring 2013 there are significant regional differences in the luxury market developed countries and all of them have their unique differences. Some of them are: Europe will see 2% growth in the luxury spending in the next few years, with increasing spending by tourists even though there is lower spending by European nationals. Tourist spending is driving half of revenues in Italy, 55% of revenues in the U. K. , and 60% of revenues in France. Japan has experience a decline in luxury spending by 12%. Although in real terms, the consumption has increased as the country has emerged out of stagflation. The Middle East continues to be relatively strong, with a 5% growth. The demand for Luxury goods remain strong in Dubai, while Saudi Arabia is also gaining share to become the region’s second largest luxury market. As these countries are oil rich they like the flamboyance and luxury. Online sales, of Luxury goods have gained popularity in the last few years in the developed countries. They are growing faster than the brick and mortar stores, turning in 28% annual growth for last year and reaching close to 10 billion Euros. In online sales, shoes are the top-performing category. With online penetration high, brands should treat their online channel as an integral part of their overall channel strategy, rather than an just an another source of additional revenue. According to the â€Å"Luxury Goods Worldwide Market Study† finds accessories, including leather goods and shoes, have definitively become the largest segment, growing 4% for 2013 to reach 28% of the total revenues. Apparel is now a quarter of the market, growing at 1%, Apparel was very popular couple of years ago. Perfumes and cosmetics had a 2% growth in 2013. Luxury cars, wine and spirits, hotels, in-home and out-of-home food, home furnishings, and yachts all show growth, with luxury cars, wine and spirits, and hotels outpacing personal luxury goods and leading to an overall 2013 market of â‚ ¬800 billion of affluent spending, up 6% over 2012.compared to 25% in 1995. The luxury goods market in the developed countries is becoming very complex and in some areas is starting to look like the fast-moving consumer goods Industry. Brands have to adapt themselves by bringing in the level of detailed customer insight to standout of the clutter. While this Industry is still showing steady but not extravagant growth, brands need to adjust to a new set of scientific tools in order to keep up with other markets. CAGE Framework for Developed Countries Cultural Luxury Goods Industry in Developed countries over the years have matured and have formed definite distribution channels where most of the time they try cross selling to their existing buyers. However new customers enter the market, they account to an addition of 1%-3% of the total population involved in the luxury goods instry In Developed countries Culture is often considered with income level to follow a trend related to luxury goods. Considering a people with zero income level when shifts to a income level and wants to buy a luxury good his decision is dependent upon the income he is currently earning and the culture he is following in the ratio of 3:2. Administrative Initially as taxes were collected in the form of luxury tax from the customers in developed countries, they were indifferent to it as they had a considerable large amount of disposable income. Over the years as people entered the luxury market they got affected by such high rates. The government how of such countries depend on these taxes as they generate a large amount of revenue. Geographical Most of the developed countries are the manufactures of these luxury goods they tend to be cheaper in these countries. As the demand of the countries is very high they tend to acquire the fixed costs at an early stage, later just trying to recover the variable cost making it cheaper. Most of these developed countries have access to superior products used in manufacturing these products thus making the end products to be easily manufactured and thus slashing the rates, thus inducing more customers to buy the product Economic Differences GDP and per capita income of the developed countries is high compared to other emerging countries. Thus showing they have a higher disposable income and standard of living is high proving that they can afford luxury goods as their basic necessities of life is fulfilled. Luxury Goods-Developing Countries Overview. When we talk about developing economies we will be taking into account Brazil China and look at the luxury goods market in these two economies. Almost half of the luxury goods produced worldwide are sold in the emerging markets with China leading the way. The luxury goods market has seen tremendous growth in China whereas the same growth hasn’t been replicated in India Brazil because of some regulatory issues (high import duties). Looking at China, the GDP has been growing at almost 10% y-o-y which has been increasing the denomination of wealthy Chinese in the country. When you look at the Luxury market, the Asia-pacific region has been the best performer with a growth rate of 25% in 2011 and accounting for about 29% of the worldwide revenues. The growth of this market in China has been tremendous which can also be put down to the fact that many e-commerce players have come in to fray which give the digital consumers a chance to make use of the price advantage. The market has been helped by the fact that there has been a shift in the mentality of the Chinese people wherein they want the real stuff now rather than settling for the counterfeited goods. In addition to this due to the weakening Euro and the increase in the number of upper class citizens the Chinese people have been undertaking more and more overseas trips which in turn has increased the revenues for the Luxury market. Now coming to Brazil, the luxury goods market was about 2. 7 billion dollars in 2012, and the expected growth rate was estimated to be about 15-25% for the next five years which was put down to the fact that it has become the 7th largest economy in the world the purchasing power and the income rate for an average Brazilian is growing. Brazil now has 36 billionaires 165,000 millionaires out of which about 50% are below the age of 35, which will help boost the luxury goods market in the country. Now because of the unique services that are being provided to the consumers in Brazil, also the payment plan by installments and also the fact that a huge number of showrooms are being opened in the country the consumers are willing to buy the luxury goods for which they had to go abroad in the earlier days. STRATEGY – STRUCTURE PERFORMANCE STRATEGY: Strategic approach to product offer and price positioning. Focusing on the E-commerce platform as well in order to cater to the increasing number of digital consumers Opening up of new stores and availability of quality products easily. Focus on the retail chains in order to aid the distribution as this is the highest grossing medium (Omni-channel Retailing). Increase of scale in order to improve margins. Shift towards the accessories sector as this has the highest growth rate amongst the Luxury goods market. Store experience. Real time communication between the brand and the consumer via blogs communities. Off-price outlets. Consolidation. Diversification. STRUCTURE: Oligopoly: Very few luxury groups dominate the market. Large number of small individual brands. Individual brands being introduced by the large market players. Big Three LVMH Richemont PPR Gucci PERFORMANCE: A CAGR of +25% in China for the luxury goods revenues over the period 2008-11. A CAGR of +18. 3% in China for E-commerce buys during the period 2007-10. 31% increase in constant value terms for Brazil, 72% for China 86% for India over the period 2008-13.

Conservative Personalities :: essays research papers

Conservative Personalities 1. Conservative From the introduction, we know that the performance has begun to suffer under Jack's style of leadership. It is mainly due to the personality of Jack. He is a quite conservative person who has a tendency to maintain a state of affairs without great or sudden change. Also, his style of leadership is task and production-oriented. Task-oriented leadership tends to emphasize task effectiveness. So, from the case, we can see that he would turn down the subordinates* suggestion whenever new ideas come. Jack seems to define role and tell people what, how, when and where to do various tasks only. On the other hand, Jack isn't a relationship-oriented leader as he doesn't emphasize the building of relationships with employees. Accordingly, Jack can't maintain a good relationship with his subordinates. In his mind, he thinks that there is no equality status between the superior and the subordinates. He would highly respect the superior order without questioning. Thus, we can see that Jack is very loyal to Carfax Corporation and works hard to follow the company policies and procedures and the orders of the managers above him. Under such leader, the performance of the financial section has begun to suffer. Due to his conservative personality, the tendency to face changes is very low. When sudden changes occur and as the same time the upper doesn't give guidelines immediately, Jack can't handle well under this situation. Then the flexibility and imagination in facing different situations tend to absolutely low. Because his task-oriented leadership, he always neglects the new ideas and unresponsive to change. Mostly important, Jack doesn't realize the importance of staff motivation. Subordinates think that the budget in their section is comparatively lower than other department. As a result, they feel they are underpaid and overworked. Overwork implies that the shortage of workforce. And underpaid mean that the workload is greater than the payment for it. As Jack has such â€Å"easygoing" manner, considerable dissatisfaction in the department is resulted and everyone thinks that Jack is just a puppet for management. 2. Team Work Not only the conservative personalities cause the financial section to suffer, but also he has neglected the importance of team work. Team work means that two or more people who interact with an influence each other towards a common interest. Financial section is actually a team work. However, from the case, we can see that Jack doesn't manage his subordinates to be a team work. Instead, he looks them as labors. He only orders his subordinates what to do and how to do without any subordinates* ideas. Then it just like a factory

The interesting topic

The purpose of this unit is to carry out a practical investigation of a topic chosen from a set of options supplied by OCR. In the course of the investigation, there will be an opportunity to look in depth at an aspect of computing that goes beyond the subject matter outlined in A451. The tasks will require a significant element of practical activity, which must be evidenced in the report and which will form a major element of the assessment. The topics will enable practical investigation and some supplementary research to be carried out in a variety of ways.These will include, but are not restricted to: practical investigations with hardware or software practical investigations with online resources Supplementary research may be required and resources may include: web-based enquiry contact with IT professionals research using computer industry pu blications OCR 2010 A452 jani3/jun15 3 Candidates should complete all tasks. Validating web forms Many web sites collect information from people using forms. These forms can be put together using HTML form objects. The data entered is normally sent back to the web server where it is processed by database software.It is always a good idea if the data entered into a computer system is validated in order to reduce the number of errors that occur. A lot of this validation can be carried out at the client end of the process. In other words, processing can be carried out by the browser. There are various ways in which this can be done. A common way is to write scripts that intercept the input data and check it before it is submitted to the server. There are various scripting languages that can be used to write the necessary validation routines. A popular example is JavaScript. Most browsers are able to interpret JavaScript.JavaScript, Just like other elements of a web page, is best written using a plain text editor such as Notepad. Scripts can be embedded in a web page or saved separately as JavaScript files, using the exte nsion Is. The web page can access these scripts when needed. Here is the starting point for a form that collects information about exam entries. File Edit View History Bookmarks Tools Help http://examentry. net Exam entry Exam Entry Form Name Subject Submit Fig. 1 It contains two text boxes. When the Submit button is clicked, a script checks that both boxes have been filled in.Here is the HTML code that lies behind the form and the JavaScript code that does the validation. function validateForm() { var result = true; if (document. ExamEntry. name. value=†) { msg+n'ou must enter your name â€Å"; document. ExamEntry. name. focus(); document. getElementByld(‘name'). style. color=†red†; result = false; if (document. ExamEntry. subJect. value=†) { msg+n'ou must enter the subject â€Å"; document. ExamEntry. subJect. focus(); document. getElementByld(‘subJect'). style. color=†red†; result = false; return result; alert(msg) In order to wor k, the page needs to have access to a second HTML file called uccess. tml. Its purpose is to test the code. It Just needs four lines: Success message You entered all the data required Your assignment Describe how this HTML code produces the form displayed in the browser (Fig. 1). 2. Describe how the JavaScript function performs the validation check. 3. Describe how the HTML calls the validation routine. 4. Add another text field to the form to take the user's examination number. Extend the Javascript code to validate this field to make sure that it is not left blank. Extend the Javascript code to make sure that the user's examination number is xactly 4 digits.Produce evidence to show that you have planned, written and tested your code. 5. Add a set of radio buttons to the form to accept a level of entry such as GCSE, AS or A2. Write a function that displays the level of entry to the user in an alert box so that the level can be confirmed or rejected. Produce evidence to show that yo u have planned, written and tested your code. 6. Produce an evaluation of your solutions. 7. Write a conclusion about the effectiveness of JavaScript validation routines to reduce the number of errors that are made in data input. BLANK PAGE Copyright Information OCR is committed to seeking permission to reproduce all third-party content that it uses in its assessment materials.

A Single-Dose, Randomized

A single-dose, randomized, two-way crossover study comparing two olanzapine tablet products in healthy adult male volunteers under fasting conditions Clinical Therapeutics, Volume 31, Issue 3, March 2009, Pages 600-608 Ahmed H. Elshafeey, Mohamed A. Elsherbiny, Mohsen M. Fathallah Methods: This bioequivalence study was carried out in healthy male volunteers using a single-dose, randomized, 2-way crossover design under fasting conditions.Statistical analysis of the pharmacokinetic parameters Cmax, AUC0-72, and AUC0-? was conducted to determine bioequivalence (after log-transformation of data using analysis of variance and 90% CIs) and to gain marketing approval in Egypt. The formulations were considered to be bioequivalent if the log-transformed ratios of the 3 pharmacokinetic parameters were within the predetermined bioequivalence range (ie, 80%–125%), as established by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).Both the test product (Trademark: Integrol ® [Global Napi Pharma ceuticals, Cairo, Egypt]) and the reference product (Trademark: Zyprexa ® [Eli Lilly and Company, Basingstoke, Hampshire, United Kingdom]) were administered as 10-mg tablets with 240 mL of water after an overnight fast on 2 treatment days, separated by a 2-week washout period. After dosing, serial blood samples were collected for 72 hours. Plasma samples were analyzed using a sensitive, reproducible, and accurate liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method capable of quantitating olanzapine in the range of 0. 67 to 16. 7 ng/mL, with a lower limit of quantitation of 0. 167 ng/mL. Adverse events were reported by the volunteers as instructed or observed by the resident physician, and were recorded, tabulated, and evaluated. Results: Twenty-four healthy adult male volunteers participated in this study. Their mean (SD) age was 24. 7 (6. 2) years (range, 19–41 years), mean weight was 73. 4 (6. 7) kg (range, 64–89 kg), and mean height was 174. 25 (4. 6) cm (range, 168–186 cm).Values for Cmax, AUC0-72, AUC0-? Tmax, t1/2, and the terminal disposition rate constant were found to be in agreement with previously reported values. The differences between the 2 products did not reach statistical significance at P ? 0. 05 (90% CIs: Cmax, 101. 82–124. 79; AUC0-72, 93. 36–102. 04; and AUC0-? , 88. 57–101. 77). The test/reference ratio of these parameters was within the acceptance range of the FDA criterion for bioequivalence. Both formulations were apparently well absorbed from the astrointestinal tract (ie, no specific gastrointestinal tract-related adverse events were reported). Conclusions: In this small study in healthy male volunteers, there were no statistically significant differences in any of the calculated pharmacokinetic parameters between the 10-mg test and reference tablets of olanzapine. The 90% CIs for the ratios of mean Cmax, AUC0-72, and AUC0-? were within the range of 80% to 125% (using log-transformed data ), meeting the FDA regulatory criterion for bioequivalence. Both formulations were well tolerated.

incest essays

incest essays Until very recently around early part of 1970's, the sexual assault of children within their families was rarely openly discussed until the emergence of the second wave of feminism. Incest has been variously defined. The definition that will be used here is a wide one, which includes sexual assault of a female child by a male member of her immediate family ( father or stepfather) or extended family (brother, grandfathers and uncles) and/or trusted family friends. These men are in generally in a relationship with the child which involves trust and respect to an authority on the side of child, and family, social and economic power on the side of the perpetrator. Children are vulnerable and dependent on adults for their very survival. As with other crimes of sexual assault, the sexual abuse of children is a crime which is characterized by a high incidence of under- reporting. The reasons for this include the fact that the abuse is taking place within the privacy of the family. The victims are children of all ages some of whom are so young they cannot talk and do not have the knowledge to know that anything is wrong. The perpetrators are men whose authority children are told to obey. Often the child is also threatened to keep what is happening a secret between the victim and the perpetrator and victim. Until quite recently, with the rise of feminist base analysis on subject of child sexual abuse, interpretations about child sexual abuse tried to it pinpoint the cause of this crime anywhere but with its perpetrator. In this paper I will explore two different explanations that try to explain child sexual abuse, the psychoanalytical theory as propose by Freud ( I will not analysis farther interpretations of Freud's psychoanalytic theory for it is too broad for the length of this paper nor will I discuss mother blame in this theory because we will take it up in the dysfunctional family model ) and the dysfunctional family model. I wil...

How to Write a Personal Statement for Medical School

How to Write a Personal Statement for Medical School How to Write a Personal Statement for Medical School Personal statement for a medical school is a challenge. Medicine is a challenging and exciting subject in general. How to lay down your soul in front of a stranger and explain that is your dream to study medicine and at the same time sound reasonable and capable of doing so? It is not a secret that medical schools try to find and attract the best applicants. You have to be young, you have to be motivated, you have to have the guts and the capabilities and sometimes even that is not enough. So how to make yourself visible with a single statement? Basics of writing personal statement for medical school First, a personal statement for medical school shows who you are and why you want to study medicine. Second, you have to distinguish yourself from the rest in the personal statement; show that you are more capable than the others, more enthusiastic and that you are the one who deserves to be accepted. You have to start writing your personal statement for a medical school by showing yourself, what drives you, what interests you in the medical field, what are your values, beliefs, interests, etc. Make a strong introducing sentence, add everything that will make you closer to the people reading your personal statement for a medical school capturing their interest and making them acknowledge you. And it is not only who you are, but also who you want to be after you graduate. What are your goals, dreams and future achievements? Planning a personal statement for medical school Before starting to write a personal statement for a medical school, in fact before starting to write whatever, you need to prepare notes and a plan. You must have those notes memorized and be able to reconstruct them at all times because this is your future plan of life. You must have the strongest evidence why you want to study medicine. This is not a random choice; it is something that you have been preparing for a long time. The reasons for studying anything are deeply personal and so it is your motivation on it. You simply need to sit aside and put on paper why you want to do that. You also have to consider who you are writing to. You have already targeted a couple of universities. Your statement will be considered and read by a committee of people for ten or fifteen minutes. What they will be looking for is your MCAT scores, GPAs, recommendations and applications, so write and emphasize on that. Useful advice in writing a personal statement for medical school There are some other useful pieces of advice on writing a personal statement for medical school. There are some things that you should avoid: First, writing personal statement for a medical school is not your resume, especially in a narrative form or a confession. This is not a plea for acceptance. It is very important not to use conceptions that you do not fully understand. Stick to the basics. Also, avoid using slang or abbreviations. This is not a statement about how your life is unfair to you, what it means for you or for your religion, how important a friend or a close person’s sickness was to you. This is about you, being a non-specialist who writes to a smart and intelligent audience. What are your actions so far in a medical field? This is the essential and most important part! Have you done some research, internship, voluntary work or whatsoever that shows that you do really have interest in that profession even after gaining a firsthand experience because let’s be honest, that is not an easy job and having a real taste of it shows whether you are really capable of doing it. Make your statement flow. Use good English and right punctuation. At the end, keep an eye on the word count. Your statement has to be well-organized and sharp, do not get the reader bored with too much information! Proofread the essay and make sure that all information is proper and accurate.

The Essay Experts New Years Ressaylutions- Completing 2011 and Creating 2012

The Essay Experts New Years Ressaylutions- Completing 2011 and Creating 2012 Last year at about this time, I wrote a list of six New Year’s Ressaylutions for 2011. Do you ever go back to your list from last year and check on whether you followed through on your resolutions, or whether you forgot about them the moment you put your pen down? I realized that with all my talk about New Year’s resolutions, I hadn’t gone back to check last year’s list.   I got brave and dug it up this week; the following is a report on how I did at keeping my promises!   I also make new resolutions for 2012. 2011 Ressaylutions  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   1.   Convert my website to WordPress. DONE!   Not only is my site fully converted to WordPress, but I also have a funky cool new slider on my home page. I also created many new forms and downloadable documents that make it easier for clients to submit information and get the materials they need. 2.   Make it easier for my readers to choose the topic they want to read about. DONE!   I now have six separate e-lists: a) Job Search (Resumes Cover Letters) b) College Admissions c) LinkedIn Professional Writing d) Grammar Tips e) Newsletter only e) Everything. Choose the one that’s â€Å"write† for you! 3.   Create autoresponders. DONE!   And there is still so much more to do.   See Ressaylution #3. 4.   Guest blog. DONE!   My articles have appeared on CareerCast.com, Careerealism.com, CareerCenterToolbox.com and ilostmyjob.com, and I was quoted in Forbes.   Recently I wrote two articles for an American Bar Association publication about resumes and personal statements for applying to law school which will be published this summer. 5.   Start an Artist’s Way group. NOT DONE.   This one took a back seat to the business.   But I DID write my morning pages every day for three months like I said I would.   And I told everyone I was leading something, which made me act like a leader.   Perhaps that’s what inspired my article, Top 10 Ways to Be a Leader.   I’m content that this item did not come to fruition. 6.   Continue to write and share about writing issues, job search issues, and sometimes life issues that strike my fancy each week and that my readers care about. DONE.   I faithfully published either a blog article or a newsletter EVERY week in 2011, without fail.   Now THAT’s something to celebrate! Here are The Essay Expert’s Ressaylutions for 2012: 1.   Create a new template for my website that brings me more into the technology of 2012. Despite my successful WordPress conversion, there’s much work still to be done before I have the ability to edit my pages without â€Å"breaking† the existing code.   Look out for a new, more user-friendly interface in 2012 too! 2.   Create new e-lists for past clients, and survey past clients. I want to follow up better with The Essay Expert’s past clients and find out how they are faring with the documents we helped them prepare.   Did they get jobs?   Did they get into school?   Do they need more assistance?   My hope is that better e-lists will allow me to start providing concrete numbers about the results of the work that we do.   In service of this goal (as well as Ressaylution #3), I will be hiring a virtual assistant (VA)!   No more interns – The Essay Expert is getting down to business. 3.   Revise autoresponders from 2011. Right now most of my autoresponders are set up as summaries of my articles with links to the full article. It turns out that people don’t like to have to click on a link to read a full article!   So I will be putting complete articles into my autoresponders for your reading convenience and pleasure.   Thank you to my future VA for helping to make this happen! 4.   Publish my e-book on Kindle This one is in the works.   It will have a cool new cover and a clickable index for easy reference.   Let’s make it a best-seller! 5.   Report on and count success stories in 2012. My goal is to report 212 success stories in 2012.   My resolution is to keep doing great work and to keep marketing The Essay Expert’s offerings so we can create 212 positive results for job seekers, school applicants and businesses in the next year.   See 212 Success Stories for 2012. 6.   Continue to write and share about writing issues, job search issues, and sometimes life issues that strike my fancy each week and that my readers care about. No change here.   I’ll see you every week in 2012. How did you do on your New Years resolutions from 2011?   Do you dare to find out? Category:Life and LeadershipBy Brenda BernsteinJanuary 16, 2012 1 Comment The Essay Expert says: January 17, 2012 at 8:06 am LOL Jan perhaps theres room to start challenging yourself more! Log in to Reply

Analyze a Sociological Issue Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Analyze a Sociological Issue - Assignment Example can Culture: How Prejudice and Discrimination Have Colored Culture) The South African governments were controlled by the white people till Nelson Mandela successfully led the agitations against them and dethroned their ruling and became the first elected president of South Africa in 1994. Till then the black South African people were victims of discrimination and prejudices even thought they were the largest community in South Africa. Coloureds are a mix of Black Africans and (British) Whites. They are so named because of the apartheid regime, as a way a labeling them; however, since then they have developed their own distinct culture. They reside mostly in the Northern and Western Cape. About 80% speak Afrikaans and 20% speak English. (South African Culture: How Prejudice and Discrimination Have Colored Culture) The colored people are a mixed race with its ancestors belongs to Europe, Indonesia, India, Madagascar, Malaya, Mozambique, and Mauritius like countries. The South African society were divided four main racial groups during the apartheid era; Blacks, Whites, Coloureds and Indians. Based on the color of the people the political rights were also varied among these groups. The whites enjoyed supremacy in every field of life like political cultural and religious things. Even the people from the same religion experienced discrimination because of their skin color. Earlier the political rights of the coloreds were similar to that of the whites though their rights to earn income and property were limited by the law. Prejudice is the positive or negative evaluation of a social group and its members. It differs from stereotyping in that the emphasis with prejudice focuses more on emotional than cognitive factors. Prejudice is largely an attitude. (Prejudice and discrimination) Historical, cultural, and socio-economic factors all contribute to prejudice. In South Africa, the minority white people controlled the entire process of ruling of the country. They have

Training and Development Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Training and Development - Research Paper Example For example, if a sales agent values success in the form of promotion and commission on sales as the most important objectives and also considers that a particular sales training program will help him achieve this objective, his expectancy for the training program will be increased and the outcome valence will also be valued. Hence, the agent will perform through an extra effort in the training session and will therefore succeed in it. For the company, the case of this sales agent will be very beneficial as the improved performance of the sales agent will also boost up the sales figures of the company. The benefits that the company can gain from applying this theory are humongous as the company will not only succeed in the short run with the performance boost of the employee but will also keep on reaping benefits from his performance until he leaves the company (National Research Council, 1998). Thus, it is quite evident that there are phenomenal benefits for the company, as well as the employees, if Expectancy theory is applied to the job roles and trainings for the employees. In order to implement the theory practically, the human resources department of the company has to come up with certain measures that would ensure a systematic procedure for carrying out the process required. The human resources department of the company should first clearly identify the ultimate goals that the company wants to achieve in the long run. After clearly identifying the long term objectives of the company and of the relevant department, the concerned authorities will have to identify the goal performances that are needed from the employees to ensure their success. The department has to be specific about the performance requirements and the feasible activities because with the already burdensome job criteria’s, the employees are usually reluctant to take part in the new initiatives. To ensure the optimal motivational levels of the employees, the human resource people sh ould sort all the possible training and performance tasks and come up with a few selected performance measures. Once the required tasks are selected, then the concerned people will have to launch an extensive awareness campaign for the employees (Human Performance Journal, 2002). The awareness campaign should appeal to the employees and show them how much, opting for the desired initiatives will benefit their individual positions. While, promoting the benefits the members should keep in mind how much the employee values certain things. They need to consider whether the certain employee aspires, position, pay raise, allowances, benefits and perks, involvement in projects, or success in initiatives. And depending on their preference, the concerned persons shall have to approach them and change their attitudes towards the initiative. Then the department has to set up platforms through which they can communicate the same objectives to the employees. These mentioned steps will help the e mployees in correlating their efforts to the benefits, and help them analyse the opportunity an optimistic manner. This initiative of the department will motivate the employees in opting for the initiative and benefiting themselves as well as the company in the long run (Noe, 1999). However, the scenario of implementation requires certain key measures

Answer One Question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Answer One Question - Essay Example Imagination is also the mother of innovation that enables entrepreneurs to create new products and services that would add value and profit to the business. It also enables entrepreneur to look for better ways to improve the business to make it competitive and profitable. The every day object chosen that could be transform into something new and different is the hairbrush. Typically, we just used the hairbrush to comb our hair. Other than that, it no longer has any use. If one will dry his or her hair, one has to use a dryer. And if one wants to set his or hair, he or she has to use a gel or a setting wax. I am thinking of having all these devices rolled into a one hairbrush. Thus, taking into account my definition of imagination of reframing or seeing things differently, I would transform the brush not just a device to comb my hair but also a device that would dry and set my hair all rolled into one. The hairbrush is now transformed to a dryer and a setting wax in addition to its regular function of combing the hair (or scratching one’s back). My major is Entrepreneurship and Emerging Enterprises and my major would be surely put to use by this object because I could further develop the object to become a revolutionary product that people could use. I would transform how people would look at the application of brushes as merely objects that combs the hair. Instead, it would now become a complete device that would dry and set the hair. With this object turned into product, people can now discard their hair dryers and setting wax because they will be replaced by my new version of hairbrush. I would also patent the object to make sure that it will not be copied. The element of my blog that served as the source of my inspiration are design, format & customization of own blog. I will have the design of the product to be

Earth by Bill McKiben Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Earth by Bill McKiben - Essay Example In addition, we cannot separate current economies from carbon emission and hence the world will continuously become devastated. Global warming and melting of mountain capes ice are some of the indicators of the destructive effects of our carbon dioxide driven economies. Unlike the original earth, the eaarth has a production rate that greatly exceeds the earth holding capacity. The author is also concerned about the measurement of global economic growth rate and the preference that people have on positive economic growth. Positive economic growth results when the total production in a country exceeds consumption or people’s requirements. However, this is not an absolute measure of economic growth or productivity in a country. This is because economists do not account for carbon dioxide production. Thus, the author argues that the current measures of economic progress should be replaced with measures that account for carbon emissions. Due to our lack of concern about the environ ment, the cost of living will increase constantly despite having positive economic growth. The author argues that it is a contradiction for people to pay high prices for basic commodities such as food while their countries have strong economies. This phenomenon is basic difference between earth and eaarth. ... In addition, countries have subsidies on petroleum products instead of subsidizing basic food products. High cost of living has resulted from the damages that we have caused on the environment. Unpredictable weather patterns have been a direct result of damages that modern economies have done on the environment. Floods have been a common phenomenon in some countries such as Bangladesh. According to the author, the damages that people have done on the environment initiates a series of problems that leads to lack of basic human needs. For example high carbon emissions leads to global warming leading to low rainfall and poor harvest. On the other hand, global warming leads to floods, which cause destruction of infrastructure leading to high cost of living (McKibben 110). The author argues that people concentrate on the consequences of these problems instead of addressing their roots. An immediate solution to the problem is the additional of more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere throug h economic stimulus packages offered by the government or subsidies on petroleum products. The author notes that people are gradually acknowledging the devastating effects that they have caused to the environment. This indicates that people have noticed the difference between earth and eaarth. However, people are not doing enough to restore the earth to its previous position. For instance, people have not stopped destructive behaviours such as deforestation and misuse of energy. The author also notes that consequences of environmental destruction do not affect countries according to their role in production of pollutants. Thus, pollution from America would cause problems to a country that is many miles away such as Bangladesh. This indicates that the efforts towards environmental

Religion of the Native Americans Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Religion of the Native Americans - Essay Example The present research has identified that in many Indian tribes healing, spiritual belief or power, and community are not separated. Often the cause of a disease is considered to be an imbalance between spiritual, physical, mental aspects of a personality; Indian medicine is a medicine of spirit that restores order in a human soul by ceremonies, special forms of prayer, honoring the sacred and herbal remedies. Many Western pharmaceuticals are actually based on Native American Herbal medicine. Dietary rules of Indians largely depend on the geographic area. Location is the major determinate of the way a tribe acquired food; in some tribes, the major source of food was hunting, whereas others specialized in fishing, gathering, planting, desert farming. Native American food can be dangerous, traditional ethnic food involves risk, as home processed sea mammal blubber "foster continuation and growth of Clostridium botulinum. These bacteria produce the deadly botulinal toxin that causes the disease." This disease, botulism, affects nerve transmission what results is paralysis and possible death. Even though cultural traditions die hard and some just cannot give up eating fermented fish heads and seal flippers, in general, Native Americans adjusted to modern food customs. These sacred places are experienced by Native Americans as alive where unknown becomes known. In such way, Indians have no Sabbath Sunday every week, but they do have everyday prayer and rest when there is a need for it. Â  Native American Vision Quest is a substitute for Baptism in Christianity. Boys at puberty "are encouraged to enter into a period of fasting, meditation and physical challenge. He separates himself from the tribe and goes to a wilderness area. The goal is to receive a vision that will guide his development for the rest of his life." Vision Quest is obligatory only for Indian boys; girls usually get their ears pierced at the same age. Â  Indian medicine man is called Shaman. This ho ly man not only healed the sick by smoking tobacco, performing dances, burning sweet grass and praying to the spirits but also could interpret dreams and signs, change the weather and foretell future. Indians also used medicine bundles that contained unusual rocks, herbs, animal skin, and a strand of hair. As the owner of the bundle grew older, more items were added. A medicine bundle could be passed to friends and was buried together with the owner. Mortuary customs of Indians vary from tribe to tribe and in every specific occasion, different rituals are carried out depending on the social and moral condition of a person, ethical conduct of a tribe. Good Indians after death are believed to go to the distant West, where their original ancestors used to live, whereas bad Indians have to serve another earthly life reborn in a body of a grizzly bear as a punishment. That is why Indians do not eat the meat of grizzly bears.

Man vs women superior Im taking the man side Essay

Man vs women superior Im taking the man side - Essay Example They like challenges and this is the reason why they are physically much stronger than the women. Ladies and gentlemen, I remark from renowned evidence that has come to the fore that men are able to execute things better than their female counterparts because they know what is going on with them rather than their female partners who know little about the environmental issues. Men therefore know it better how to tackle the problems and thus analyze the same in a much rigorous manner before approaching it. Also men are known to decide their course of action much earlier than their female counterparts. This is because men take less time to analyze and thus make up their mind. Since men are known to be tough taskmasters, they get the job done quickly whereas the women take a lot of time to think through and then go about executing a task or an action under their aegis (May, 2011). Men therefore decide it quickly what to do with their actions whereas the women take advice from others and often are tied up within confusing patterns even after they have taken one such decision. What is even more comparatively driven is the fact that women lack the mental strength and are more prone to crying their heart out and expressing their concerns than the men. This is the reason why one would see more women shedding tears and fewer men doing it on a regular basis. Women believe that it is not their duty to go through the physical and mental drills much like what their male counterparts do on a regular basis (Connell, 2011). Hence masculinity and femininity are two sides of the same coin and deserve attention for a number of reasons. However the basic premise is much the same yet the men are stronger than women and known to enjoy the rigors of life well. May I add here in the end that men make the world tougher yet the women make it sweeter. It is the combination of

Religion of the Native Americans Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Religion of the Native Americans - Essay Example The present research has identified that in many Indian tribes healing, spiritual belief or power, and community are not separated. Often the cause of a disease is considered to be an imbalance between spiritual, physical, mental aspects of a personality; Indian medicine is a medicine of spirit that restores order in a human soul by ceremonies, special forms of prayer, honoring the sacred and herbal remedies. Many Western pharmaceuticals are actually based on Native American Herbal medicine. Dietary rules of Indians largely depend on the geographic area. Location is the major determinate of the way a tribe acquired food; in some tribes, the major source of food was hunting, whereas others specialized in fishing, gathering, planting, desert farming. Native American food can be dangerous, traditional ethnic food involves risk, as home processed sea mammal blubber "foster continuation and growth of Clostridium botulinum. These bacteria produce the deadly botulinal toxin that causes the disease." This disease, botulism, affects nerve transmission what results is paralysis and possible death. Even though cultural traditions die hard and some just cannot give up eating fermented fish heads and seal flippers, in general, Native Americans adjusted to modern food customs. These sacred places are experienced by Native Americans as alive where unknown becomes known. In such way, Indians have no Sabbath Sunday every week, but they do have everyday prayer and rest when there is a need for it. Â  Native American Vision Quest is a substitute for Baptism in Christianity. Boys at puberty "are encouraged to enter into a period of fasting, meditation and physical challenge. He separates himself from the tribe and goes to a wilderness area. The goal is to receive a vision that will guide his development for the rest of his life." Vision Quest is obligatory only for Indian boys; girls usually get their ears pierced at the same age. Â  Indian medicine man is called Shaman. This ho ly man not only healed the sick by smoking tobacco, performing dances, burning sweet grass and praying to the spirits but also could interpret dreams and signs, change the weather and foretell future. Indians also used medicine bundles that contained unusual rocks, herbs, animal skin, and a strand of hair. As the owner of the bundle grew older, more items were added. A medicine bundle could be passed to friends and was buried together with the owner. Mortuary customs of Indians vary from tribe to tribe and in every specific occasion, different rituals are carried out depending on the social and moral condition of a person, ethical conduct of a tribe. Good Indians after death are believed to go to the distant West, where their original ancestors used to live, whereas bad Indians have to serve another earthly life reborn in a body of a grizzly bear as a punishment. That is why Indians do not eat the meat of grizzly bears.

The Circulatory System and It's Importance Essay

The Circulatory System and It's Importance - Essay Example Because of what it does for man, the circulatory system can also be considered the most important one. Without the circulatory system, man will not be able to live. People usually associate the circulatory system with blood and they are not mistaken. In the most basic sense, the job of the circulatory system is to ensure that blood moves around inside man’s body, supplying the nutrients needed in order for all the parts of the body to function properly. While the blood carries the oxygen and nutrients to the body, it also collects the carbon dioxide from the same. If there is no proper flow of blood, the organs in the body will not be able to function well. The circulatory system can be divided into three parts: pulmonary circulation, coronary circulation and systemic circulation. The heart, lungs and bloods vessels are the major organs in each of these parts. Each individual part has its own unique process of blood circulation. â€Å"The successful circulation of each part r esults to an efficient distribution of blood throughout the body.† (Body) The heart The central organ in the circulatory process is the heart. Composed of four chambers that are divided by a wall, this muscle pushes 2,000 gallons of blood containing oxygen and nutrients into the body. (Dowshen) The heart sends the blood out through its pumping motion. â€Å"It beats about 100,000 times a day, more than 30 million times per year, and about 2.5 billion times in a 70-year lifetime (Dowshen).† The speed of the heart’s pumps depends on the kind of activity the body does. It pumps slower when the body is at rest and faster when the body is in motion. This is because man uses up more energy when immersed in activity. Energy comes from oxygen and oxygen comes from blood. The source of oxygen-rich blood is the heart. The four chambers of the heart can be grouped into two; namely, the upper and lower. The upper chamber or left and right atria receive the blood which has pa ssed through the different organs in the body. On the other hand, the heart releases the blood to be used from the lower chamber or left and right ventricles. Two cardiac valves separate the bottom part of the heart from the blood vessels that allow blood to the rest of the body. The pulmonic valve is between the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery which goes to the lungs. The aortic valve is between the left ventricle and the aorta. The heart also has two major arteries which in turn gives blood to the heart. The right coronary artery allows blood into the right atrium, right ventricle and the bottom part of the right and left ventricle. In contrast, the left coronary artery pumps blood to the left atrium and the left ventricle. Because of the heart’s function in supplying blood, it can be said that the heart is the most important organ in the circulatory system. The blood vessels Blood moves around the body through three groups of blood vessels. Aside from those which deliver and release blood to and from the heart, there are also blood vessels responsible for distributing blood throughout the body and bringing blood back to the heart. The first group of blood vessels can be found in the heart. When leaving the heart, blood flows through two arteries. The aorta is the thickest blood vessel and carries blood with oxygen to the rest of the body. The pulmonary artery, on the other hand, delivers blood to the lungs which converts oxygen-poor blood into oxygen-rich blood for the body to use. The second group of blood ve

Black Women Writers Essay Example for Free

Black Women Writers Essay Early significant analyses of Maud Martha, Gwendolyn Brookss only novel moreover release it as an ineffective fiction and/or viewed it as a mere expansion of Brookss poetic poetry. Those untimely reviewers, often in evaluations of less than a solitary page, lauded the novels quiet charm and sparkling delicacy of tone (Winslow 16) but didnt comment the irritation and nervousness below the description surface. Latest criticism has centered on the undercurrents of fury and revolution of the character, Maud Martha Brown. This fury boils underneath the exterior of the novels 34 vignettes of the apparently ordinary, daily life occurrences of a black woman living in the south side of Chicago in the 1940s. The shift in serious viewpoint of the novel, then, is noticeably dissimilar across cohorts. As Mary Helen Washington declares in Taming All that Anger Down: Rage and Silence in Gwendolyn Brookss Maud Martha: In 1953 no one seemed prepared to call Maud Martha a novel about bitterness, rage, self-hatred and the silence that results from suppressed anger. No one recognized it as a novel dealing with the very sexism and racism that these reviews enshrined. What the reviewers saw as exquisite lyricism was actually the truncated stuttering of a woman whose rage makes her literally unable to speak (453). Washingtons divided commentary is one of the first to recognize the protagonists irritation and inner rebellion as Brooks interlace them into the tapestry of the novel; Washington distinguish a regular outline of concealed fury and anger during the work. Further grinding the center on one meticulous description conflict in Maud Martha, Harry B. Shaw discovers the title characters War with Beauty, as he subtitles a milestone essay, depicting the dark-skinned black woman character brawl against Eurocentric paradigms of substantial appearance. Shaws article describes the property of this partial, color-conscious scheme on Maud’s mind, and accentuates its role in spawning internal encounter with self-hatred and self-doubt (255-56). While I concur with Washingtons and Shaws arguments regarding the psychological battles faced by Brookss protagonist, I also find that the conflict and confusion that recapitulate Maud Marthas life unite into a whole imitation of conjugal epic warfare. This conjugal epic warfare expands past Shaws war on beauty and integrates all areas of domestic and ancestral ties. Familial conflict exactly describes Maud Marthas resistance to acquire and preserve her home and relations with family members as she struggles to keep a sense of individuality within this detain structure. Maud Martha detains the conservative literary epics spirit of clash by summarizing the figurative symbol of conjugal conflict as female ambitious with Maud Martha as the hero of her homeland. Like with customary epic, Maud Martha emblematizes the cultural paradigms of a decisive moment in history, enlightening the struggles of post-World War II America to reunite the roles of women, in particular African American women, in the public and private area. Through the course of the novel, Maud Martha fights a war against sexism, classism, and racism to create her identity. Winning this war is of supreme significance and of heroic dimensions at bet for Maud Martha, as delegate woman, is home and family, as well as independence, originality, and self-expression. Mainly during the early 1950s, the time in which Maud Martha was printed and set, the familial realm was one of worry and fluctuation as women toil to balance their roles as wives, mothers, and artists. With World Wars I and II only lately past, and the Korean and Vietnam clash on the horizon, (white) women workers found their roles in culture changing. They had pierced the US workforce during the wartime era, providing the nation with a much-needed font of labor. Yet after the war, the arrival of their male complement forced working (white) womens return to the residence and to family duties. To battle and frustrate these writing of domesticity, in Maud Martha Brooks sum up a clearly female pattern of symbolic warfare that undermine patriarchal and communal structures, and declare the dominance of new visions of female enlargement and original appearance. To build her epic of family warfare, Brooks utilize such description strategies as prearranged meanings within names, change in narrative voice, and conflations of birth and death descriptions; thus, she threaten and redefines customary description of domesticity, of matrimony, and of maternity. For Brooks these organization twist to sites of group and responsibility for women. She confuse the empire of the domestic beyond a sphere of binary and competing gender functions to critique the roles of men and women in producing and preserve the social arrangement that bound female expansion and to assess how race, class, and gender notify the relation viewpoint of the heroine. Volunteer Slavery: My Authentic Negro Experience Jill Nelson offered the most piercing critique yet on racism at The Washington Post. Nelson, an African-American journalist who was employed at the paper for four years, pleasures the reader with a memoir thats raw, sharp and amusing; she gladly picks at the scabs of race and sex and class that most writers favor to leave unhurt. For Nelson, repayment is hell, and she pays back with retaliation, settling some malicious scores with the firm organ that seduced her from freelance writing in New York and then deserted her in the back-stabbing nations capital. Nelson gets her defeat in good. Ben Bradlee turns out to be a small, gray, crumpled gnome. Bradlee sheers such inspirational lines as I want the fashions [section] to be exciting, new, to portray women who dress with style, like my wife. Publisher Don Graham is a rich kid waiting for his mother to let go of the reins. Other Posties are uncharitably described as weasel-like and mottled, plump, sour-lipped. But ultimately, is a touching tale of being a black woman in a white and male corporate world voluntary slavery, she calls it. I envy the egotism, she writes of the Post, their intrinsic belief in the value of whatever theyre doing, the complacency that comes from years of simply being Caucasian and, for the really lucky, having a penis. A core sister who revels in the racy, Nelson explains utilize like having sex with a mortician on his preserve table and the joys of male. Nelsons attitude about the opposite sex is a simple one: One thing I love about men and pussy is that is makes them so predictable. Still, its race, not sex, which fuels all through it all. Nelson is evermore in search of her own authentic Negro experience, forever at war between her own arrogance in being black and her self-criticism for not being black enough. She writes touchingly of her own exacting family pathos a brother on crack, a sister eternally immobilized by a drug overdose and resist with her own guilt at being a part of the black bourgeoisie. But Nelsons dispute falls short when it comes to clearing up the steamy issue of race at the Washington Post. But Nelsons spotlight on Barry-bashing at the Post pleads the question: If the paper was so bigoted, why did it go trouble-free on Barry for so long? Nelson doesnt actually try to answer this question; in its place, much of what she writes is an explanation for the coke-tooting mayor. Nelson declares Barry was only supposedly smoking crack on the well-known FBI videotape; that a female who bear witnessed that Barry enforced her to have sex had it coming; that the Post was part of a de facto plot on the part of the U. S. Attorney to get Marion Barry. But she does reluctantly recognize this: Overweight, greasy, usually dripping with sweat, Barry speaks English like its his second language. Bambaras feisty girls: resistance narratives in Gorilla, My Love Toni Cade Bambara When Thunder buns, the huge and awful matron, charges the passageway of the movie theater in Toni Cade Bambaras story Gorilla, My Love, the kids finally shut up and watch the simple ass picture (Gorilla 15). She is the decorated matron, the one the organization lets out in case of emergency, when potato chip bags start igniting and the kids are turning the place out. Thunder buns are the shape of co-opted black power. As such, she set as the dead reverse of Bambaras spirited, aggressive, no-nonsense young female conversationalist/protagonist of the story, who is variously named, depending on the occasion, Scout, Badbird, Miss Muffin, Hazel (her real name), Precious, and Peaches. Thunder buns, as her friends call her, emerges in the inset story Hazel tells in Gorilla, My Love to exemplify how adults deceive children. Thunder buns are not truly the agent of disloyalty here, but rather the enforcer of ethnically charged commercial treachery. Hazel and her brothers, Big Brood and Baby Jason, have rewarded their money to see a film called Gorilla, My Love, only to be shown a tattered old brown print of a Jesus movie: And I am ready to kill, not because I got anything against Jesus. Just that when you fixed to watch a gorilla picture you dont want to get messed around with Sunday School stuff Hazel is briefly silenced by the weight of Thunderbunss consequential power, But not for long. With warrior like power her brothers rejecting the callshe rushes into the managers office and ask for her money back. She sees his pasty-complexioned condescension. And, in comic foray, she informs us, her reader/intimates, that he is wrong about her authority and ability. She has the full determine of her families ethnically conversant, equally forced, disobedient self-possession behind her. Even as her mother will threaten the teachers at P. S. 186 who dare to start playing the dozens behind colored folks, Hazel will carry on her threats. When the money is not reimbursed, she starts a fire below the candy counter that close up the theater down for a week: I mean even gangsters in the movies say my word is my bond. So dont anybody get away with nothing far as Im concerned. The story Gorilla, My Love first emerged in Redbook Magazine in November, 1971, a year after the periodical of Bambaras path breaking, cherished, and inflammable black feminist anthology The Black Woman. The story itself has a descent, however, dating back to 1959, when Bambaras first child-narrated short story, Sweet Home, appeared in Vendome magazine. When Bambara was interviewed by Beverly Guy-Sheftall in the mid-seventies, (1) she comment on the prospects for her changeable and authorize girl narrators, whose stories had been emerging all through the sixties and were lastly gathered up on the wings of the success of The Black Woman and published in a collection entitled Gorilla, My Love in 1972: There are certain kinds of feelings that people are very thankful of, people who are tough, but very sympathetic. You put me in any neighborhood, in any city, and I will tend to descend toward that type. The kid in Gorilla (the story as well as that collection) is a kind of person who will stay alive, and shes successful in her survival. (233) All but four of the fifteen stories in Gorilla, My Love are enclosed by the realization of a child or teenage character; of those, ten are voiced in the first person (2)with the singular I drawing its energy and power from an implied we of community. When Hazel storms into the managers office, then, she is traveling on the strength of more than a decade of such acts of defiant resistance by Bambaras feisty girls. Bambara calls her the kidof the story and the whole collection. But in fact there is no particular narrative â€Å"kid† in any dull sense unites the whole collection. Some of the I voices are youngsters; others quite young children, including Hazel herself from the title-storywho is proud to be the guide of her grandfathers car on the way back from a pecan-gathering journey. But, as she admits, she actually likes the front seat because the pecans variables in the back are scary: There might be a rat prowling somewhere. And she admits to us that she still sleeps with the lights on and blames it on Baby Jason. Still, she is one of the most tough-talking and self-possessed young female voices in American literature. And she shares individuality with the other girl-children in Bambaras stories of that decade for the laser-like intensity of her ethical cleverness and her ability to distinguish the convolutions of adult hypocrisy. Bambara wrote in a personal narrative entitled Salvation Is the Issue in 1984: What informs my work as I read itand this is the answer to the regularly lift question about how come my children stories administer to escape being unbearably shy, delightful and sentimentalare the basic givens. One, we are at war. Two, the normal reply to domination, lack of knowledge, wickedness and bewilderment is wide-awake confrontation. Three, the natural reply to pressure and disaster is not collapse and surrender, but alteration and regeneration. BIBLIOGRAPHY †¢ Maud Martha by Gwendolyn Brooks. Retrieved on December 25. From http://www. amazon. com/Maud-Martha-Gwendolyn-Brooks/dp/0883780615 †¢ Volunteer Slavery: My Authentic Negro Experience by Jill Nelson. Retrieved on December 25. From http://www. amazon. com/Volunteer-Slavery-Authentic-Negro-Experience/dp/014023716X †¢ Gorilla, My Love by Toni Cade Bambara. Retrieved on December 25. From http://www. amazon. com/Gorilla-My-Love-Vintage/dp/0679738983 †¢ African American Literature. Retrieved on December 25. From

Captivity Narratives - Our Nig and Restauration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson

Captivity Narratives - Our Nig and Restauration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson  Ã‚   Our Nig; or Sketches from the life of a Free Black and   A Narrative of the Captivity and Restauration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson   Harriet Wilson’s and Mary Rowlandson’s captivity narratives have three things in common.   First, they have a theme of sustaining faith in God throughout their trials.   Secondly, they portray their captors as savages.   Finally, they all demonstrate the isolation felt by the prisoner.   Ã‚  Ã‚   Our Nig: or, Sketches from the Life of a Free Black by Harriet Wilson is the story of a Northern girl, born into an interracial family and later abandoned by her parents, forcing her to become the servant of the Bellmont Household. After Mary, Mrs. Bellmont’s daughter falls into a stream, Frado must endure a horrific beating by both women.   â€Å"No sooner was he out of sight than Mrs. B. and Mary commenced beating her unhumanly, then propping her mouth open with a piece of wood, shut her up in a dark room, without any supper.† (Wilson, 34-35).   Yet Frado is able to continually endure the wrath and violence of Mrs. Bellmont.   â€Å"But, Frado, if you will be a good girl, and love and serve God, it will be but a short time before we are in a heavenly home together.   There will never be any sickness or sorrow there.† (Wilson, 95). As she is continually tortured, Frado finds salvation through her faith, thus allowing her to survive.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Mary Rowlandson’s A Narrative of the Captivity and Restauration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson displays this same theme as well.   The Narragansett Indians took Rowlandson and her children captive.   â€Å"All was gone, my Husband gone (at least separated from me, he being in the Bay, and to add to my grief, the Indians told me they ... ...ile Wilson’s novel exposed the savage treatment of â€Å"free† blacks in the North prior to the civil war. Works Cited American Authors. http://www.gonzaga.edu/faculty/campbell/enl311/aufram.html (October 28, 1999). Harriss, Sharon M. â€Å"Introduction to Mary Rowlandson.† The Heath Anthology of American   Literature. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1988. Lauter, Paul, Ed. 340-342. Rowlandson, Mary. â€Å"A Narrative of the Captivity and Restauration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson."   The Heath Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Paul Lauter. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1983. 343-366. Wilson, Harriet. Our Nig; or Sketches from the life of a Free Black. New York: Vintage Books,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   1983.    "In [a captivity narrative] a single individual, usually a woman, stands passively under the strokes of evil, awaiting rescue by the grace of God.† – Richard Slotkin.     

Death And The Maiden - Film Vs Essay -- essays research papers

The Polanski film Death and the Maiden is a wonderful and intelligent interpretation of Ariel Dorfman’s human rights problem play. Polanski has produced, in this film, an exceptional piece of direction, in which his own personal, emotional input is evident. The main theme of the play is an extremely personal one for both playwright (and scriptwriter) and director. Both Dorfman and Polanski have had to face and flee the horrors of dictatorship and human rights violations: Dorfman in Chile, under General Augusto Pinochet, and Polanski in Poland under the Nazis. But despite this similarity in past experience, significant differences exist between the original play and the film. Apart from the specific techniques of lighting and composition, whose possibilities are greatly widened in the medium of film, we see differences in both the different emphases and implied viewpoints on the various themes that the play touches on and, perhaps more importantly, the way the characters are por trayed. While the old concept of “whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger'; is present in both the play and the film (particularly in the characterisation of Paulina), it is much more prevalent in the movie. We can see Paulina’s strength from the start. As she strides confidently around the house and violently tears off a piece of chicken, the suggestion that she is unsuited to the domestic position which she has obviously been forced into by the side effects of her traumatic experience need not be made any clearer. Although possessing remarkable strength in both texts, the movie shows a much stronger, almost completely masculine Paulina. This Paulina has been almost entirely defeminized by her ordeal, physically, symbolised by the scarred breast and her desire to “adopt'; a child, which also serves as a glimpse of the vulnerable element of womanhood in her character that still remains. Throughout the bout of verbal jousting that goes on in the opening scene Paul ina is able to hold her ground much more firmly than she appears to do in the play. In Polanski’s version of the scene she actually manages to use her domestic role to gain power in the argument, fiercely flinging the dinner in the bin. Weaver’s powerful acting conveys the unmistakable tension associated with an incredible amount of suppressed anger. I... ...0;'; For all the rage contained in the film (significantly more than the play), and its portrayal of Paulina, there is a certain helplessness to the film, and a disturbing truth in its unresolved ending. One might argue that Polanski – in making Roberto give an overall much more genuine confession at the end of the film than Dorfman provides in the play – is falling into the Hollywood trap of offering a simple resolution to its many moral conflicts and thus making it accessible to a wider audience. I believe this circumstance serves a very important purpose, emphasized by its juxtaposition with the very last scene. It underlines this important impotence in the film’s ending: the fact that despite her having faced her demons Paulina has been permanently changed by her ordeal. And although she may have “…reclaimed [her] Schubert…'; in that she can now sit in a concert hall and listen to the music, the music will never be able to tell her the same things again. And even if Roberto is not there in person (as he is in the final scene) he will always exist as a vague presence, a “phantasmagorical'; shadow on her soul.

Changing Self Essay Essay

How do composers use texts to explore concepts of Changing Self? Discuss ideas and techniques. In Gwen Harwood’s poems Prize-Giving and The Glass Jar, the prescribed text Sky-High, and the novel White Teeth by Zadie Smith, the composer have used many varying ideas and techniques to investigate and illustrate concepts of Changing Self effectively. The ideas looked at in Gwen Harwood’s poetry include imagery, retrospect, metaphor, and inversion of the connotation of adjectives. Ideas conveyed in Sky-High include imagery, retrospect, and comparison. The techniques and ideas in White Teeth, to name the most important, are long and erratic chronology, removing characters for a period and the exposing of the least important change are evident in the texts that are compared. In Gwen Harwood’s poem Prize-Giving, the composer has adeptly used imagery to examine and represent the Changing Self evident in this poem. This striking imagery at first portrays an egotistical middle aged man, such as his inurbane behaviour when he â€Å"scowled with violent distaste†. This works in revealing the major change of Eisenbart, in comparing the self-righteous man at the start of the poem, to the awkward and confused man at the end. The imagery used to describe the titian haired girl is also evocative, especially when comparing her supposed insignificance in contrast to Eisenbart, and the affect she has on him. She seems to be nothing but a cheeky, though attractive, schoolgirl: â€Å"one girl sat grinning.† This thought of her insignificance is reinforced when she â€Å"winked at nearby friends†, possibly reinforcing to Eisenbart her immaturity that was earlier established through her audacious behaviour during the opening prayer. However, Eisenbart was flung from his â€Å"calm age and power† merely by a touch of this ‘immature schoolgirl’, indicating a change. This change in the girl’s attitude is reinforced when she changed â€Å"her casual schoolgirl’s for a master’s air†, indicating the power that she has that Eisenbart has not detected thus far. In the text Sky-High by Hannah Robert, the concept of Changing Self is analysed and emphasized through retrospect, apt imagery, and change of language. â€Å"The best climbing tree† indicates the experiences of a child and their joy in everything no matter how small. However, the responsibility in the statement â€Å"it is unlikely the washing line could support me† divulges that the persona is now more responsible, and, it is discovered, also older, revealing a physical change of self. The comparisons in the final stanza show the insight that the persona now has; as seen in â€Å"I was once the curious onlooker, I now write my own semaphore secrets in colourful t-shirts†. It also shows, however, that no matter how much a person changes, that he or she is still the same person, and that they still retain what they were before. The metaphors used in The Glass Jar, and the way in which they are developed and often exaggerated, shows and typifies the change of self that is experienced by the persona, so that greater audiences may understand the experiences of a small child. Only a small child could imagine an ordinary glass jar as a â€Å"monstrance† in which the sun could be caught for the night. This vision of the â€Å"holy commonplace of field and flower† coming to save the boy is lost when he awakes from his nightmares. The religious metaphor is now lost except for the mocking image of the â€Å"resurrected sun† in the final stanza. The inversion of the usual use of adjectives shows the confusion associated with the change of self for the persona, such as the â€Å"malignant ballet†. The novel White Teeth, by Zadie Smith, develops the concept of Changing Self with a long and somewhat inconsistent chronology. All the characters in this novel, which reaches from World War Two to the end of the century, obviously change physically due to this long chronology. However, the retrospect as to how much the characters have changed in other ways is far more potent because of the extensive chronology. The comparison, for example, Josh Chalfen turning away from his family and becoming less of a nerd: he was the kind of guy â€Å"who could measure an eighth with his eyes closed (so fuck you, Millat)†. The original focus of the book on Archie Jones beguiles the reader into thinking that he is the main focus for the book. However, Archie serves  merely as a connection between all the original characters. From these characters the Jones, Iqbal, Chalfen and Bowden families and their stories emerge, and all the adults, in the end, only accentuate the changes that the children (Irie, Millat, Magid, and Josh) undergo, that is, comparing where the children have ended up to what their parents expected of them. The later and extended focus of the novel on Millat Iqbal, who changes in the most radical way out of all the characters, hides the slow and, in the sense that Millat changes, insignificant changes of Irie Jones, but her changes are more symbolic and emotional. The removal of Magid from the story means that his change of self seems sudden, because the persona is taken away at the age of nine years and only returned at the age of seventeen. In the texts Prize-Giving and The Glass Jar by Gwen Harwood, Sky-High by Hannah Robert, and White Teeth by Zadie Smith, ideas and techniques are flaunted in terms of how they are used to display the change of self in the personas. The numerous ideas used in each of the texts, often overlapping to be used in more than one text show the skill of the composers and their flexibility in applying various techniques.

Influence of Visual Media

Decades have gone by and in that time culture and visual entertainment media has change tremendously. The interrelationship between culture and visual entertainment media has had an impact on both film and television. Television and film have more violence and more inappropriate words but also captures examples of everyday concerns and provides positive feedback. Since the 1950s the primary source of entertainment has been television ,and has developed an impact on books. Most author’s books have been made into movies providing a more entertaining and visual view of the plot in our most favorite stories.Millions of families gather in front of the television daily and weekly to view their favorite television shows. Shows such as The Brady Bunch and The Cosby show began models of what the perfect family should be like. These shows not only brought us laughs but they also taught us lessons of parenting and the challenges that children face growing up. Visual entertainment has als o shaped American culture by creating improvements to television and film. Impacts like high definition television provides us with a better quality when watching the biggest sports events on television.For an example the Super bowl which is one of the largest sports events and those that not able to attention the game usually tune in from home or have Super bowl parties. These parties are usually thrown by those that have the newest and biggest television model. Visual entertainment has allowed us to be able to actually see the news and sports instead of only having the option of listening on a radio. Before television was invented the radio was one of the only sources of entertainment.Although there has been some positive forms that visual entertainment media has shaped visual entertainment media over the years there have been some negative changes to its value. Years ago the content allowed on television was appropriate for all ages but now it is very risky to even allow children to watch their favorite cartoons. Due to the amount of violence and profanity on television American culture now has concerns with bad influences. Children are being exposed to words and behavior that parents of try every day to teach theirs kids what is right and what is wrong but visual entertainment is showing them things that are negative.When you are teaching your children to not use inappropriate language and are being sure that they are not being exposed to specific words and behavior then some they watch on television is shows kids using inappropriate language or behavior it confused children and influence them to try it. The social influences of visual entertainment media are mostly negative. Social media is now a type of visual entertainment media and creates a negative impact to society because on social networks such as Facebook and Instagram where there are constant post of videos and status.The videos posted on these sights contain violence people fighting one another and their friends or family member recording the fights urging them on. They are also videos posted men and women degrading themselves in sexual ways as well as inappropriate dance videos. All of these things are providing negative influences for youth and adults it seems that American culture is being worsen by these things. Social media should ban those that post inappropriate post of status and videos automatically without it having to be reported. Truth is some of it won’t be reported because this is a form of entertainment for so many.The interrelationship between culture and visual entertainment media has many impacts to television and film. Some of these impacts are positive and some are negative either way they have shaped American culture into what it is today. The positive and negative impacts all us to be visually entertained. Visual entertainment media provides the ability to TV and movies based on your favorite books and sports. It also provides negativity throu gh social influences. However, these are all changes that have impact visual entertainment whether good or bad it is still considered visual entertainment.

The Silver Linings Playbook Chapter 1

An Infinite Amount of Days Until My Inevitable Reunion with Nikki I don't have to look up to know Mom is making another surprise visit. Her toenails are always pink during the summer months, and I recognize the flower design imprinted on her leather sandals; it's what Mom purchased the last time she signed me out of the bad place and took me to the mall. Once again, Mother has found me in my bathrobe, exercising unattended in the courtyard, and I smile because I know she will yell at Dr. Timbers, asking him why I need to be locked up if I'm only going to be left alone all day. â€Å"Just how many push-ups are you going to do, Pat?† Mom says when I start a second set of one hundred without speaking to her. â€Å"Nikki – likes – a – man – with – a – developed – upper – body,† I say, spitting out one word per push-up, tasting the salty sweat lines that are running into my mouth. The August haze is thick, perfect for burning fat. Mom just watches for a minute or so, and then she shocks me. Her voice sort of quivers as she says, â€Å"Do you want to come home with me today?† I stop doing push-ups, turn my face up toward Mother's, squint through the white noontime sun – and I can immediately tell she is serious, because she looks worried, as if she is making a mistake, and that's how Mom looks when she means something she has said and isn't just talking like she always does for hours on end whenever she's not upset or afraid. â€Å"As long as you promise not to go looking for Nikki again,† she adds, â€Å"you can finally come home and live with me and your father until we find you a job and get you set up in an apartment.† I resume my push-up routine, keeping my eyes riveted to the shiny black ant scaling a blade of grass directly below my nose, but my peripheral vision catches the sweat beads leaping from my face to the ground below. â€Å"Pat, just say you'll come home with me, and I'll cook for you and you can visit with your old friends and start to get on with your life finally. Please. I need you to want this. If only for me, Pat. Please.† Double-time push-ups, my pecs ripping, growing – pain, heat, sweat, change. I don't want to stay in the bad place, where no one believes in silver linings or love or happy endings, and where everyone tells me Nikki will not like my new body, nor will she even want to see me when apart time is over. But I am also afraid the people from my old life will not be as enthusiastic as I am now trying to be. Even still, I need to get away from the depressing doctors and the ugly nurses – with their endless pills in paper cups – if I am ever going to get my thoughts straight, and since Mom will be much easier to trick than medical professionals, I jump up, find my feet, and say, â€Å"I'll come live with you just until apart time is over.† While Mom is signing legal papers, I take one last shower in my room and then fill my duffel bag with clothes and my framed picture of Nikki. I say goodbye to my roommate, Jackie, who just stares at me from his bed like he always does, drool running down off his chin like clear honey. Poor Jackie, with his random tufts of hair, oddly shaped head, and flabby body. What woman would ever love him? He blinks at me. I take this for goodbye and good luck, so I blink back with both eyes – meaning double good luck to you, Jackie, which I figure he understands, since he grunts and bangs his shoulder against his ear like he does whenever he gets what you are trying to tell him. My other friends are in music relaxation class, which I do not attend, because smooth jazz makes me angry sometimes. Thinking maybe I should say goodbye to the men who had my back while I was locked up, I look into the music-room window and see my boys sitting Indian style on purple yoga mats, their elbows resting on their knees, their palms pressed together in front of their faces, and their eyes closed. Luckily, the glass of the window blocks the smooth jazz from entering my ears. My friends look really relaxed – at peace – so I decide not to interrupt their session. I hate goodbyes. In his white coat, Dr. Timbers is waiting for me when I meet my mother in the lobby, where three palm trees lurk among the couches and lounge chairs, as if the bad place were in Orlando and not Baltimore. â€Å"Enjoy your life,† he says to me – wearing that sober look of his – and shakes my hand. â€Å"Just as soon as apart time ends,† I say, and his face falls as if I said I was going to kill his wife, Natalie, and their three blond-haired daughters – Kristen, Jenny, and Becky – because that's just how much he does not believe in silver linings, making it his business to preach apathy and negativity and pessimism unceasingly. But I make sure he understands that he has failed to infect me with his depressing life philosophies – and that I will be looking forward to the end of apart time. I say, â€Å"Picture me rollin'† to Dr. Timbers, which is exactly what Danny – my only black friend in the bad place – told me he was going to say to Dr. Timbers when Danny got out. I sort of feel bad about stealing Danny's exit line, but it works; I know because Dr. Timbers squints as if I had punched him in the gut. As my mother drives me out of Maryland and through Delaware, past all those fast-food places and strip malls, she explains that Dr. Timbers did not want to let me out of the bad place, but with the help of a few lawyers and her girlfriend's therapist – the man who will be my new therapist – she waged a legal battle and managed to convince some judge that she could care for me at home, so I thank her. On the Delaware Memorial Bridge, she looks over at me and asks if I want to get better, saying, â€Å"You do want to get better, Pat. Right?† I nod. I say, â€Å"I do.† And then we are back in New Jersey, flying up 295. As we drive down Haddon Avenue into the heart of Collingswood – my hometown – I see that the main drag looks different. So many new boutique stores, new expensive-looking restaurants, and well-dressed strangers walking the sidewalks that I wonder if this is really my hometown at all. I start to feel anxious, breathing heavily like I sometimes do. Mom asks me what's wrong, and when I tell her, she again promises that my new therapist, Dr. Patel, will have me feeling normal in no time. When we arrive home, I immediately go down into the basement, and it's like Christmas. I find the weight bench my mother had promised me so many times, along with the rack of weights, the stationary bike, dumbbells, and the Stomach Master 6000, which I had seen on late-night television and coveted for however long I was in the bad place. â€Å"Thank you, thank you, thank you!† I tell Mom, and give her a huge hug, picking her up off the ground and spinning her around once. When I put her down, she smiles and says, â€Å"Welcome home, Pat.† Eagerly I go to work, alternating between sets of bench presses, curls, machine sit-ups on the Stomach Master 6000, leg lifts, squats, hours on the bike, hydration sessions (I try to drink four gallons of water every day, doing endless shots of H2O from a shot glass for intensive hydration), and then there is my writing, which is mostly daily memoirs like this one, so that Nikki will be able to read about my life and know exactly what I've been up to since apart time began. (My memory started to slip in the bad place because of the drugs, so I began writing down everything that happens to me, keeping track of what I will need to tell Nikki when apart time concludes, to catch her up on my life. But the doctors in the bad place confiscated everything I wrote before I came home, so I had to start over.) When I finally come out of the basement, I notice that all the pictures of Nikki and me have been removed from the walls and the mantel over the fireplace. I ask my mother where these pictures went. She tells me our house was burglarized a few weeks before I came home and the pictures were stolen. I ask why a burglar would want pictures of Nikki and me, and my mother says she puts all of her pictures in very expensive frames. â€Å"Why didn't the burglar steal the rest of the family pictures?† I ask. Mom says the burglar stole all the expensive frames, but she had the negatives for the family portraits and had them replaced. â€Å"Why didn't you replace the pictures of Nikki and me?† I ask. Mom says she did not have the negatives for the pictures of Nikki and me, especially because Nikki's parents had paid for the wedding pictures and had only given my mother copies of the photos she liked. Nikki had given Mom the other non-wedding pictures of us, and well, we aren't in touch with Nikki or her family right now because it's apart time. I tell my mother that if that burglar comes back, I'll break his kneecaps and beat him within an inch of his life, and she says, â€Å"I believe you would.† My father and I do not talk even once during the first week I am home, which is not all that surprising, as he is always working – he's the district manager for all the Big Foods in South Jersey. When Dad's not at work, he's in his study, reading historical fiction with the door shut, mostly novels about the Civil War. Mom says he needs time to get used to my living at home again, which I am happy to give him, especially since I am sort of afraid to talk with Dad anyway. I remember him yelling at me the only time he ever visited me in the bad place, and he said some pretty awful things about Nikki and silver linings in general. I see Dad in the hallways of our house, of course, but he doesn't look at me when we pass. Nikki likes to read, and since she always wanted me to read literary books, I start, mainly so I will be able to participate in the dinner conversations I had remained silent through in the past – those conversations with Nikki's literary friends, all English teachers who think I'm an illiterate buffoon, which is actually a name Nikki's friend calls me whenever I tease him about being such a tiny man. â€Å"At least I'm not an illiterate buffoon,† Phillip says to me, and Nikki laughs so hard. My mom has a library card, and she checks out books for me now that I am home and allowed to read whatever I want without clearing the material with Dr. Timbers, who, incidentally, is a fascist when it comes to book banning. I start with The Great Gatsby, which I finish in just three nights. The best part is the introductory essay, which states that the novel is mostly about time and how you can never buy it back, which is exactly how I feel regarding my body and exercise – but then again, I also feel as if I have an infinite amount of days until my inevitable reunion with Nikki. When I read the actual story – how Gatsby loves Daisy so much but can't ever be with her no matter how hard he tries – I feel like ripping the book in half and calling up Fitzgerald and telling him his book is all wrong, even though I know Fitzgerald is probably deceased. Especially when Gatsby is shot dead in his swimming pool the first time he goes for a swim all summer, Daisy doesn't even go to his funeral, Nick and Jordan part ways, and Daisy ends up sticking with racist Tom, whose need for sex basically murders an innocent woman, you can tell Fitzgerald never took the time to look up at clouds during sunset, because there's no silver lining at the end of that book, let me tell you. I do see why Nikki likes the novel, as it's written so well. But her liking it makes me worry now that Nikki doesn't really believe in silver linings, because she says The Great Gatsby is the greatest novel ever written by an American, and yet it ends so sadly. One thing's for sure, Nikki is going to be very proud of me when I tell her I finally read her favorite book. Here's another surprise: I'm going to read all the novels on her American literature class syllabus, just to make her proud, to let her know that I am really interested in what she loves and I am making a real effort to salvage our marriage, especially since I will now be able to converse with her swanky literary friends, saying things like, â€Å"I'm thirty. I'm five years too old to lie to myself and call it honor,† which Nick says toward the end of Fitzgerald's famous novel, but the line works for me too, because I am also thirty, so when I say it, I will sound really smart. We will probably be chatting over dinner, and the reference will make Nikki smile and laugh because she will be so surprised that I have actually read The Great Gatsby. That's part of my plan, anyway, to deliver that line real suave, when she least expects me to â€Å"drop knowledge† – to use another one of my black friend Danny's lines. God, I can't wait.