Calico Joe by John Grisham

In Calico Joe, the story revolves around a young boy, Paul Tracey, the son of a professional baseball pitcher, and his awe over an upcoming rookie star and his relationship with his father. The novel switches back and forth between Paul’s youth in 1973 and his present in the early 2000’s. In 1973 when Chicago Cubs player Jim Hickman injured his back, the Cubs call up Joe Castle, a first baseman from the Cubs’ AA team, to play in the major leagues.At his first at bat, Castle hit a homerun and went on to hit 2 more homeruns and a perfect bunt to end the game with a win. Castle’s outstanding first game draws the attention of every American, especially that of Paul Tracey, becoming his new baseball hero. Castle continues to amaze everyone when he hits homerun after homerun, steals base after base, and wins his team game, after game. In just a few games, Castle breaks more rookie records than any other baseball player.A few of these records include the most con secutive hits at 15 straight hits, the most back-to-back stolen bases, and tying the record for most homeruns in a first game. By his third or fourth game, everyone in America was tuning into the Cubs game on their radios, watching replays of Joe’s amazing at-bats, and crowding around any store that had a radio or television in its window.Back at the Tracey family’s house, all is not well for Paul or the rest of the family. Warren Tracey, Paul’s father and pitcher for the New York Mets, has a declining career as a major league baseball player, losing the Mets game after game and forcing them to sink lower and lower in the National League rankings.After each game Warren loses, he goes out drinking all night, often not coming home until very early in the morning, too drunk to function. Whenever Warren came home drunk, he would often yell at his wife and beat Paul. On Warren’s off days, he would go to watch Paul’s little league games, only tom  crit icize Paul and yell at everyone for everything they were doing wrong.On most occasions where his father attended his games, Paul would leave the game crying because his father had yelled at him or hit him after the game. As â€Å"Calico Joe† continued to grow in fame, he caught the eye of Warren Tracey, and Warren had now made a target out of Joe.It would only be a matter of time before the Cubs would meet the Mets for a series game. In August, 1973, the Cubs met the Mets in Shea Stadium, New York for a game that would change the lives of both Warren and Joe. Paul attended the game with his mother off of free tickets that Warren had given them in reconciliation for hitting Paul. Warren was the starting pitcher for the Mets that day and does not hesitate to cause trouble on the mound. At Joe’s first at-bat against Warren, he swings at two and misses, gets three balls called for him, and fouls off eight consecutive pitches before hitting an out of the park homerun.Warren Tracey saw this as an attack against him and would be looking for vengeance on his next at-bat. At Joe’s next at-bat, Warren throws two outside pitches, but the third pitch is directly on course for Joe’s head, hitting him in the eye, cracking his skull, and breaking his jaw. Joe remained unconscious on the field for 30 minutes before the ambulance got there with Warren standing on the mound smiling. The entire country was shocked and enraged when they heard the news that â€Å"Calico Joe† had been hit by a career-ending beanball. When people got news of who hit the star rookie player, death threats poured into Paul’s house telephone. For the next two games in the series against the Mets, Cubs players charged the mound, beating up Warren and other players on the Cubs’ team.Warren denied the fact that he had intentionally hit Joe and his career spiraled downward. Warren never pitched the same again and was dropped from the Mets into their AAA team and eventually down to their AA team. After a month of being in a coma, Joe finally woke up, unable to ever play another game of baseball. Joe had lost eighty percent of his vision in his right eye and sustained some minor brain damage.A few months later, Joe has a stroke that leaves the left side of his body partially paralyzed, forcing him to retire for good. For years after the incident, Joe lives the life of a cripple in his home town of Calico Rock, Arkansas under the protection of his brothers. Thirty years go by and Paul is grown up with a wife and two kids. Warren Tracey left the family years before and has gone through 4 wives since then,  marrying only for money and lust.In another attempt at fame, Warren tries golfing, winning only one tournament in Florida. Tracey is diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and his health is deteriorating very quickly. Paul goes to visit him in his Florida home, not because he is concerned with his health, but because he has one last request b efore his father dies. Paul asks Warren to travel with him to Calico Rock, Arkansas to make amends with Joe and shake hands and apologize.After several days of yelling, arguing, and threatening blackmail, Warren warms up to the idea and goes with Paul to visit Joe. When they arrive in Calico Rock, they are greeted by Joe’s friend Clarence Rook who takes them to the field Joe looks after.Warren finally has the chance to apologize to Joe, and surprisingly is sincere and means it. Joe ultimately forgives Warren for ending his promising career and they shake hands and take pictures afterwards. A couple years after that, Warren finally succumbs to the pancreatic cancer and dies at the age of 76.A small funeral is held but very few people show up. To Paul’s surprise, in the middle of the minister’s sermon, Joe and his two brothers walk in and sit next to Joe. After all that Warren had done to Joe, Joe still goes to his funeral to pay his respects. After the funeral th e Castle brothers talk with Paul and want him to publish the story about the truth behind Warren beaning Joe and the story of their reconciliation in Calico Rock, Arkansas.Important CharactersPaul TraceyAt parts in the story, Paul Tracey is an 11 year old boy and son of Warren Tracey. Like his father, Paul has a passion for baseball and is a fairly skilled player in his community’s little league. As a boy, Paul is physically abused every time he does something wrong in any of his games, getting beat the moment they get home. Paul is also verbally abused by his father, sometimes even getting cussed out on the field. At other parts in the story, Paul Tracey is a middle-aged man in his 40’s. With a father dying from pancreatic cancer, Paul feels forced to go visit him; consequently, influencing his father to make amends with the man whose career his father ended.Warren TraceyAt parts in the story, Warren Tracey is a 34 year old journeyman for the New York Mets. Warren Tra cey plays off the old rules of baseball and plays a mean-spirited game of baseball whenever he does play. As a regular drunk, Warren abuses alcohol, his wife, and his son, Paul Tracey. In one pitch, Warren ends the promising career of a record breaking rookie by hitting him in the head, knocking him into a coma. Soon afterwards, Warren loses his ability to pitch and finds himself out of the game with no job. He eventually does reconcile with Joe after being blackmailed by his son and being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Warren dies at the end of the novel at 76 years old.Joe CastleJoe Castle was a rookie baseball player for the Cubs’ AA team before he saw an opportunity to become a star when the Cubs’ first baseman injured his back. Joe became a baseball legend when he broke a record in his first game in the major leagues and went on to break several more. At the height of his rookie career, his career was suddenly ended when he took a pitch to the head. Joe went in to a coma for a month before waking up with partial vision and permanent brain damage. After his stay in the hospital Joe retreated to his hometown of Calico Rock, Arkansas where he was the groundskeeper for the field the town had built and named after him. Joe agreed to meet with the man who ended his career and forgave him for everything he had done and even attended the man’s funeral.Hero/HeroineJoe Castle, nicknamed â€Å"Calico Joe† is the hero of this novel. Joe Castle wowed the crowd in each of his appearances on the field and won the hearts of most Americans. In his journey to fame, Joe never let the fame get to him and although he did get cocky at times, he never seemed overly arrogant or overly proud to anyone but Warren Tracey. When Joe’s career was ended shortly by Warren Tracey’s bean ball to the head, he did not blame anything on him or call Warren out in any way.Joe was always sincere about everything after the incident and looked at his li fe with only positive thoughts. When Warren finally comes to apologize, Joe accepts his apology and forgives him without any hesitation. When Warren dies of pancreatic  cancer, Joe treats him as an old friend and travels all the way to Florida to attend the funeral. In the novel, Joe truly is a hero to the American people, Paul, and eventually, Warren Tracey.Main ConflictIn Calico Joe, there the main conflict is a man vs. man type of conflict between Paul Tracey and his dad, Warren. In Warren’s eyes, Paul was always a failure and could never do anything right. Warren would scream at him during Paul’s little league games, criticize his every move, and beat him for what he did wrong when they got home. In Warren’s later years the role reverses and Paul blackmails Warren into doing what he wants and refuses to accept Warren as his father. Paul and Warren did not have a very healthy father-son relationship and during parts of both their lives, they were miserable. SettingCalico Joe takes place in both 1973 during some parts of the novel, and the early 2000’s during other parts. It is set in America, bouncing around different parts of the eastern half of the country, including Shea Stadium in New York, Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois, Calico Rock, Arkansas, Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Florida.Significant Quotesâ€Å"Neither my sister nor my mother wanted to be bothered by the news either. The big decision was whether to go to Warren’s funeral, not how quickly we could arrive to his bedside. But I knew I needed to see him again. We still had some unfinished business before he died.† – Paul Tracey This quote both sets up some foreshadowing to what is going to happen to Warren and it shows how weak the relationship between Warren and the rest of his family truly is.â€Å"Warren didn’t come to my college graduation or my wedding. But when I heard about his cancer I went to see him one last time.† – Paul Tracey Even though Warren wanted nothing to do with Paul after his career had ended, Paul still made attempts to have his father be a part of his life, but this will be his last attempt.â€Å"In Joe’s second at bat my father beaned him. I can still hear the sound of the ball hitting his helmet today. Joe collapsed in a heap and he didn’t get up. Then I saw my father  smile.† – Paul Tracey This shows that it was no accident that Warren Tracey hit Joe in the head when he stepped up to the plate the second time. Warren sick, twisted rules of baseball taught him to bean the batter for hitting a homerun and â€Å"showing up† the pitcher.â€Å"Over the following months it became obvious that the incident had had an effect on Warren Tracey. He performed terribly and was quickly pitching himself out of the rotation. He was a toxic influence and was hated in every ballpark.† – Paul Tracey The guilt of intentionally hitting Joe to knock him down and take him out of baseball was getting to Warren and causing him to play bad, however, Warren continued to lie even after he had been dropped from the major leagues.â€Å"It was the first time in years that he seemed to care about my family. He told me that he had just tried to call my sister as well. I knew that he was finally starting to face death† – Paul TraceyWarren only tries to get his family back when he knows that he is going to die soon. Nonetheless, Warren does make attempts to make amends with his family and Joe before he passes.â€Å"Just before the service started I was shocked to see the three Castle brothers walk in and sit in the last pew.† – Paul Tracey This shows that Joe had truly forgiven Warren for ending his career and now saw him as a close friend.ForeshadowingThe very beginning of the novel discusses Warren Tracey’s diagnosis of having pancreatic cancer, so, we are forced to foreshadow that this will cause compl ications later in the novel. Also in the beginning, Paul says that â€Å"[his] dad would throw a pitch that would change the history of baseball forever.† This leaves many different possibilities as to where the storyline could go and we are forced to foreshadow and think of where it might go.Novel’s ConclusionI was very surprised at the novel’s ending. First of all, I did not think that Paul was going to be able to persuade both his father and the Castle brothers into having Warren visit Joe in Calico Rock to apologize and ask forgiveness. The Castle brothers thought it was a great idea and once Warren knew he was going to die soon, he wanted to make amends. I was also  surprised when Warren said that he wanted Paul to publish the truth about him beaning Joe Castle. All of his life, Warren denied that he had intentionally hit Joe in the head, but then wants everyone to know. Lastly, I was very shocked that Joe and his two brothers traveled all the way to Flor ida for Warren Tracey’s funeral after knowing Warren for only a short amount of time.Meet a CharacterIf I could meet any one character in the book, I would want to meet Joe Castle. I used to play baseball for seven years and I know the game really well. I have met a couple Angel’s baseball players before, but I think it would be really cool to meet a rookie record breaker. Everyone in America loved Joe Castle, not only because of his extreme talent in baseball, but also for his natural charm and personality. If I did meet him, I would probably congratulate him on everything that he had done in baseball and feel bad for the accident he had been in.Reaction to the NovelI normally never like reading novels; however, I really enjoyed reading this novel. I thought it had a very clear story line that was easy to follow and was very well written. It also helped that I was familiar with baseball, the major theme/topic of the novel. Reading this novel has definitely given me so me thought into reading some of his other novels in the future.

Tomorrow when the war began Essay

In the novel; ‘Tomorrow when the war began’, the characters experience various changes and transformations. These changes occur when the different characters experience life threatening situations and environmental change. The characters have to adapt, think and behave differently. The changes that occur involve the themes of leadership, war and love. Throughout the novel, John Marsden shows change in Ellie. In the beginning Ellie is a carefree but hard working girl and known as a bit of a tomboy. As the war begins she realizes she needs to grow up and mature quickly. Ellie went camping with her friends in Hell and was not worried or expecting anything. This is how Ellie was carefree in the beginning. Ellie became strategic when she saw what was happening at the show grounds by delegating people to certain jobs and roles. At the show grounds Ellie says, â€Å"I felt then, and still feel now, that I was transformed by those four steps. At that moment I stopped being an innocent rural teenager and started becoming someone else, a more complicated and capable person. A force to be reckoned with†¦ not just a polite obedient kid. †This quote shows us that this was the turning point where Ellie experienced major change and started thinking rationally. She developed and showed leadership. In the novel, the characters had never faced a war situation they did not know what to do or how to react. As the novel progresses, the characters strategies change, as does their perspective on war. â€Å"A month ago we were average teenagers†¦ now we’re soldiers, we won’t run, we won’t hide, we’ll fight and keep fighting, and never give up, until this war is finally won. † This quote by Ellie shows courage, strength and maturity. Throughout the text there many important references that relate to war countries now, where homes are being invaded and teenagers and even adults have to, â€Å"start thinking like soldiers†. This quote was said by Ellie and it again shows maturity and her realising that if they ever want to see their family again, they are going to have to fight and save their town. Chris falls asleep while keeping watch and Ellie freaks out, this is an important turning point in the text, this is when the teens really realise that this is war and they must fight if they are to survive. This is how the characters perspective of war changes and how the theme of war is explored in the novel. Throughout the text John Marsden describes relationships of love, friendship and hatred. Love is shown through the relationship that exists between Homer and Fi. In the text the teenagers are playing in the water and Homer gets distracted by looking at Fi. In the beginning Homer is immature, a loud mouth, disrespectful, a troublemaker, wild, crazy and many others When Homer meets Fi and falls in love with her, John Marsden shows a change in Homer to one of thoughtfulness, maturity, bravery and he shows emotion and compassion in Homer. This is how love is shown between Homer and Fi. The text explores the theme of friendship between all of the teenagers. When they have to fight and look out for each other they form a strong bond, they are like family to each other. â€Å"At that age you think boys have as much personality as coat hangers and, you don’t notice their looks. Then you grow up. † This quote means girls may not like boys, for example; Robyn and Homer are completely different. Robyn is a very polite and religious person and Homer is a bit of a wild pig, but in the end of the text the characters change, they look out for each other like they are family. Hatred is also described in the text when group of teens are fighting against the army and Corrie gets shot. The teenagers then feel hatred towards the soldiers because one of their closest friends could die. This is how the relationships change between the characters. The novel discusses and how tough war is and how hard others would fight for each other. Throughout the text we see how towns are invaded and families are torn apart, in some countries like Afghanistan for example, things like this still happen and it needs to stop! Leadership, war and love are some major themes that are described in Tomorrow when the war began. This text tells us to be courageous and if anything like this ever happened in Australia we would need to work together to survive.

Much Ado About Nothing and Othello

The two villains in Much Ado About Nothing and Othello share much in common, despite their numerous differences. It is evident that Shakespeare framed the second piece of literature to be similar to the first. Although shorter, the plot of Othello is definitely more complex. The villains play a major part in the novels, and are very much alike in their line of thinking. The comedy, Much Ado About Nothing depicts the story of a group of high-ranking soldiers who travel through a town called Messina. They had been to the town before, and this time Claudio confesses his love for the governors aughter, Hero. Because Leonato is so fond of Claudio, the wedding is set to be a few days away. This gives Don John, Claudios bastard brother, a chance to show his true hatred for Claudio. He comes up with a scheme to make Claudio think that Hero is cheating by dressing Margaret in her clothing and perching her near the window with another man. When Claudio sees this, he says that he will humiliate Hero instead of marrying her. The next day Claudio does exactly as he had said, degrading Hero in front of all her family and friends. Because he did not cheat on him, she did not expect that kind of reaction. She is so dejected that she faints, and everyone assumes she is dead. Eventually Borrachio is overheard talking about Don Johns plan, and Don John is arrested. Later Claudio learns that Hero is not actually dead, and they are finally married. Othellos Iago is very much similar to Don John. He wants to get revenge on Othello for not being chosen as lieutenant and also suspects that Othello has slept with Emilia. Somehow Iago manages to manipulate Othello into thinking that Desdemona heated on him. When he demands that she show him the handkerchief he had given her, and she does not, he is convinced that she is being unfaithful. This is when he decides that he must kill her. Later in the novel Othello suffocates Desdemona out of jealousy. The villains of both novels contain an unusually large number of similarities. Both Don John and Iago are determined to break up the key relationships of the two novels. Iago tricks Othello for revenge, Don John out of sheer hatred for Claudio. The bastard brother goes through a period here he acts very pleasant toward Claudio, and Iago seems to be the ally of Othello throughout the entire piece. Both Don John and Othello used unsuspecting women to break up the main characters. Don John used Margaret and Iago used Emilia. Finally, both villains are strong egotists. Don John shows it in the way that he does not interact with the other characters. Iago believes that Othello is much too trusting, and respects no one but himself. Although Shakespeare meant to create these two evil characters alike, there are a few differences etween them. Don John set up Claudio using other people to convince him. I go used his manipulative speaking and wits, along with Othellos gullible nature to convince him. Don John and Iago caused the two main characters to take different methods of revenge on their women. Othello killed Desdemona in a jealous rage, whereas Claudio merely humiliated Hero. Iago seeks revenge on Othello for two reasons: he suspects Othello slept with Emilia, and he also despises Othello for choosing Cassio as lieutenant instead of him. One final and esounding difference between Don John and Iago has to do with the past of each character. Shakespeare portrays Iago as an intelligent and sometimes caring character until Othello supposedly wrongs him. On the other hand, Don John has more of an evil aura about him, and shows his hatred for Claudio right from the start. Overall, the characters of Don John and Iago are very similar, although the latter is much more intelligent and complex. These two men are what draw the readers attention to the novel, and share so much in common that the two seemingly unrelated works are read in tandem constantly.

Writing assignment 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Writing assignment 1 - Essay Example I have experienced conflict with my professor to a point I contemplated dropping out but I chose to obey him. My experience with my professor trained me that I have to obey authority since in higher education as a student I stand to gain or lose in the brave new world. The professor has the authorization of setting the curriculum and all students must abide by it. I decided to invest in E-learning since it was worth the time and resources. The instruction for online learning requires curriculum, technology device, the professor, and l the learner. A flourishing online classroom has collaborative learning processes and outcomes. In lieu with technology I had to learn an entire web based software suite to enable me in my online class. At first the university support team gave me a hand until I was able to write all the content and make updates. My teaching style had the alignment of a facilitator model prior to beginning the course. Initially I was not sure of the student-professor communication since I was used to the traditional face-to-face class. The key to success in online learning is the communication and interaction with the professor just as it is with face-to-face in a classroom scenario. My processor of distance education leads me to experience four types of challenges that include academic property, academic freedom, faculty workloa d, and academic job market. I am troubled by the simple fact that my distance education professor fails to provide me with quality education. I reckon that the physical separation between the faculty and the students prevent a good interpersonal contact between the professor and the student. The faculty members of the university have devised inappropriate testing procedures that make it difficult for me to receive quality education. I have criticized the professor severally for the amount of problems of higher education. The issue of intellectual property entails the ownership of the course materials. A student can

Report Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Report - Assignment Example This in turn would aid in taking decisions in an organization effectively. Discussion Combination of Both, the Text Chapter and Journal In today’s competitive business world, it is vital for every association to analyse the external along with internal settings before making any final decision. With reference to the book i.e. ‘Organisational Behaviour, An Introductory Text’ by Huczynski and Buchanan it can be viewed that the writers have underlined the significance of studying an environment in an business as it aids in making decisions that do help in mitigating a risk arising situation. This in turn facilitates to make effective strategies and policies to deal with any future risks. Moreover, the writers have also helped in understanding that conducting study to implement certain policies within a business may fail at times as it would not provide a detailed analysis of the outer world which comprises the changing trends, demands and all those factors that may a id a business to achieve its desired goals. The aspect of impression management has also been delineated as a crucial element as establishing a brand image has become vital for every organisation to maintain a substantial customer retention rate (Huczynski & Buchanan, 2001). With reference to the journal i.e. ‘The Interorganizational Virtual Organisation’ by Kasper-Fuehrer and Ashkanasy, it can be viewed that the author here explains the importance of establishing virtual organisation (VO) in today’s commercial world. Additionally, the journal mainly highlights the importance of establishing interrogational forms that focus on establishing a cooperative purview to attain individual organisational goals. However, the journal article has also stated the importance of intra-organisational form. The main reason behind selecting this journal is that it has not only facilitated in understanding the different forms of virtual organisation but has offered evidences regar ding the way in which the establishment of VO can aid an organisation in every sphere (Kasper-Fuehrer & Ashkanasy, 2003). Self-Reflection With emergence of globalisation and the rapid technological proliferation, today’s businesses are growing at a rapid speed. It has therefore become vital for every business corporation to understand the external environment as it helps in making effective decisions along with enabling to identify techniques and potential impacts of the external trends. This external force mainly includes change in demand, change in technology, increasing competitiveness of the competitors, environmental policy and laws among others that have a direct influence on the internal operational characteristics of an association (Marcin & Wojciech, 2013). In this context, I would like to state that I have been a part of an organisation that mainly emphasised following contingency theory as an integral part of the operational activities. On close analysis, I have co me know that the main reason behind following the theory within the organisation has been owing to its acceptance factor that facilitates a business to analyse the environment along with making its sure that the proposed plan meets all the current requirements of the environment.

Systems Thinking and Constraint Management Part II Assignment

Systems Thinking and Constraint Management Part II - Assignment Example Until now, the difference I find between your organization and mine in the way they approach systems thinking has to do with the emphasis your organization but on people in making the system work, while we focus on the system in making the people work. Example of the system is the performance model used in my organization. Shireman, W. K. (1999). Business strategies for sustainable profits: Systems thinking in practice. Systems Research and Behavioral Science, Syst. Res., 16(5), 453–462. Retrieved from the Walden Library databases. Very readily, what I have learnt from your posting is that organizational growth is a continuous process, which requires that companies will constantly keep up with their efforts towards growth (Jacob, Bergland & Cox, 2010). This comes from the number of efforts I identify your company as putting in place to make systems solution work. To add to your thoughts however, I am of the opinion that it is time your organization focused on the organizational culture as a resource in itself and trying to make this work for the organization. This can be done by creating an organizational principle where each person is expected to function according to the business culture that prevails in the organization. Because the business culture is often set with the goals of the organization in mind, each person would then become a contributor towards constraint management because they will be acting not for themselves but for the larger organization (Shireman, 1999). already, I see a similarity betwee n your organization and mine in the way you emphasize on systems instead of people. It is for this reason that I believe this approach can work best for you. Shireman, W. K. (1999). Business strategies for sustainable profits: Systems thinking in practice. Systems Research and Behavioral Science, Syst. Res., 16(5), 453–462. Retrieved from the Walden Library

Jacksonian era Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Jacksonian era - Essay Example This societal approach evolved into a misogynistic approach that has carried over in some small social groupings to this day. Initially the idea was not meant to see the women as unfit for other roles or as less than men. It simply meant that because they bore the children and were the nursemaids naturally they were assumed to be better in that role, and as a result the idea became tradition which made it difficult to break when technology changed and made physical labor a part of industry and not the entire industry. Wage differences for women and men when working were generally drastic with very few exceptions to this. As a result of the poor conditions and rate of pay several successful labor unions for women were formed. One in 1863 was called the Collar Laundry Union; as a result of going on strike they won an increase in wages. Another was called the Daughters of St. Crispin and was formed in 1869; it was a group of women shoestitchers and was recognized as the first national w omen’s union. (Lewis 1) The advent of women’s unions helped shed light on the deplorable conditions and low pay suffered. The Lowell System was a brilliant system implemented by the mill owners in Lowell Massachusetts.

Writing a physics report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Writing a physics report - Essay Example nal velocity â€Å"v† (of the centre of mass) in terms of â€Å"x† and â€Å"t† for the object to roll a distance 1m along the plank in average time t for each side of the plank (experimental velocity). The disk exhibits both rotational motion and transitional motion as it rolls down the plank. Since it rolls without slipping, its bottom is momentarily at rest and the distance, velocity, and acceleration of the centre of mass is directly related to the angle of rotation, angular velocity, and angular acceleration of the centre of mass. The total mechanical energy of the disk is the sum of its kinetic energy of its centre of mass, rotational energy about its centre of mass and gravitational potential energy of its centre of mass. The total time for the sides are different, time for when the plank is warped concave up is longer than when the concave is warped down since the disk faces higher friction when the concave is warped up hence taking more time and energy in overcoming friction to reach the end Predicted velocity is lower on both cases as evidenced by the data i.e. predicted velocity is 0.7672m/s while velocity in the first and second case are 0.7968m/s and 0.813m/s respectively. This is so because predicted velocity does not take care of friction effects and errors in performing the

Leadership and Team-working Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Leadership and Team-working - Essay Example After all the leader is only an individual with limited capacity and it would be an exaggeration to credit to him or her all the performance of a team. Yukl however mentioned that â€Å"it [would be] helpful to examine the collective process that determine team performance. Leaders can improve team performance by influencing these processes in a positive way† (Yukl, 2013 pg 361) and having said this, the definition has acknowledged that the efficacy of a leader is dependent on his or her ability to engage the members of the team collectively and make it function as a team. Directing the team towards a common goal requires the members to be motivated by the leader. The definition given was inadequate because it does not provide the method to motivate team member to be directed towards a common goal. This leadership motivation includes visioning, expressing confidence in the team and celebrating progress. It is also important to involve team members in making decisions to affirm that they belong to the team. Managerial functions is also a necessary part of leadership such as selecting competent team members and coaching/training them to be able to perform well. An effective leader must also identify the obstructions for effective team working and be able to break down these barriers. These barriers could be miscommunication and factionalism that could divide the team and render it nonfunctional. Parker and Stone provided an answer on how these obstructions be overcome by highlighting the importance of communication and relationships between team members and calls for the effective interpersonal skill for the leader to overcome obstructions of effective team working (Parker and Stone, 2002). The classic case that can be cited on how a leader has effectively improved a team performance is the legendary Steve Jobs, Apple’s co-founder. During the absence of Steve Jobs, Apple was nearing bankruptcy but when he took over the company,

Fashion Taste and Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Fashion Taste and Ethics - Essay Example Each of the class has its own taste for the basic and secondary needs aspect that is commonly used by marketers as they launch new products in the market. In their efforts to emulate new consumption habits, members of the middle class as well as those at the lower social class imitate the taste of the upper calls members. This paper evaluates the relationship that exists between taste and class, one of the major aspects of identity. Class Social class entails the set of concepts that are adopted by social scientists to group individuals with similar consumption habits and taste into various categories. Being a vital analysis tool for the political scientists and sociologists, social class enables firms and governments to provide amenities and goods that are not only aimed at improving the living standard of individuals but also to improve economic performance of a country. According to Marxist theory, class involves the combination of subjective and objective factors. While the subjective individuals possess some perception of common interests and similarity among themselves, objectively members of the same class share common relationship to the factors used in the production of goods and services (Arsel and Jonathan, 2013). This implies that in most cases, the subjective factors play a key role in ensuring that members of a similar has have a similar taste towards a particular products. On his part, Max Weber, a reno wned sociologist formulated a major theory of stratification that depicted political power as a connection between class, status and group power. According to Weber, education and skills possessed by a person highly determines the class portion of an individual as compared to their relationship with the factors of production. Upper class Upper class is made up of the well-born or wealthy individuals. In most societies, the condition to enter upper class is being wealth. In others, individuals born in particular aristocratic bloodlines are taken to be the member of the upper class. As a result of the passing of the wealth from one generation to another within the upper class, their demand for luxuries and other expensive products remains constant. Some of the major factors that have resulted to high demand for expensive commodities by the members of the upper class include high generation of revenue from lands and rents among other sources of wealth. Even though the members of the up per class are not many especially for the developing countries, their implication on the aggregate demand for consumer products is significant in the growth for any economy. Middle class Middle class involves the group of people who fall between the upper and the lower classes. It covers the white collar employees who earn a significant income to cover their household needs. To ensure that their status is improved, individuals within the middle class have highly demand education and technologies the major aspects that enables them to enter the upper class. As compared to the upper class, members of the middle class have a lower taste for the luxurious products since their aim it to improve their economic status. In this regard, they look for employment opportunities that will expand their incomes and allow them to pursue further education thus enhancing their skills. One of the significant aspects of the middle cl

MGM P1 Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

MGM P1 Paper - Essay Example This essay will discuss various factors regarding a dismissed employee who claims that she was treated unfairly by being made to work overtime with no extra pay. The employee was a salaried exempt manager and is seeking $ 18,000 in unpaid overtime. This paper will discuss her probability of winning or losing and the case. The paper will also determine the amount of money that the company is may win or lose if the case goes to court, estimate the lawyers’ fees, amount of time lost by company personnel, list two unique factors to this scenario, consider long term effects and the psychological costs associated with this lawsuit. The probability if this dismissed employee winning the case is very low. The employee is highly likely to lose the case because of the status of her employment. The employee was a salaried exempt department manager. The reason as to why she is likely to lose the case is because salaried exempt employees are those who do not get paid for working overtime, even when they work a lot more than the regular hours (Duncan & Schroeder, 2007). With salary exempt employees whose jobs are 40 hours a week, they may be expected to work up to 168 hours a week without being paid extra for the job they have done. She is therefore unlikely to win the case because she is not entitled to overtime in the first place. The terms and conditions of a salaried exempt employee do not entitle him or her to overtime payments. She therefore has no right to demand overtime from her employer (Abrams, 2000). If the case goes to court, the company is less likely to lose any money. This is because the company was not wrong by not paying the employee her overtime because she is not entitled to overtime, being a salaried exempt employee (Abrams, 2000). Even though it is difficult to say with certainty the costs of lawsuits, if the company loses the lawsuit, it is likely to pay the employee any amount from $ 500,000 to $ 1,000,000, depending on the court, the amount of time taken to solve the lawsuit and the expenses incurred by the employee when filing the lawsuit. However, since the company is unlikely to lose the case, it is more likely to win some money from the employee. If the company wins the case, the employee will have to pay for the costs of the company’s lawyers and other litigation fees (Duncan & Schroeder, 2007). Lawyers’ fees in lawsuits are very expensive. Most defense lawyers are known to charge their clients on an hourly basis. This ranges from $ 100 to $ 350. The employee and the company may also be charged a flat rate of about $ 5,000 if the case does not take a long time, i.e. less than 15 hours with good lawyers (Duncan & Schroeder, 2007). Litigation fees may amount $ 50,000 or more because there are many charges involved in such a case. These include complaint filing fee which will be paid by both parties, motion filing fee, deposition fees, copies, experts and appeals if necessary (Abrams, 2000). The amount of time lost by the company personnel will depend on the professionalism and experience of the company’s lawyers. If the company hires good lawyers, the case can take a very short time of up to 15 hours because the lawyers are conversant with all the necessary steps to prepare and file a defense (Duncan & Schroeder, 2007). One factor that is unique with this case is the fact that the employee is a salaried exempt

The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear Essay Example for Free

The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear Essay â€Å"The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear.† I bet no person will disagree to this statement. We all have fears. Some would admit it, most prefer hiding it. The fears we have inside serve as our weakness in our times of strong points. Facing and conquering these fears is the ultimate key to eradicate these frightening feelings inside us. To start with, what is fear? According to Encarta 2008, â€Å"fear is an unpleasant feeling of anxiety or apprehension caused by the presence or anticipation of danger†. When an individual felt a threat, he/she is having fear towards that object or situation. I remember my first conscious encounter with â€Å"fear.† it happened during my first audition in a declamation contest. I prepared for it for two weeks. I made sure that I had memorized every line and word and its corresponding actions. On the actual contest, I was the third to present and I readied myself. After the second declaimer was called to the stage, I experienced something different. I noticed that my heart beat faster than the usual. My hands were fidgeting and sweating. I felt my stomach turning and had the feeling of throwing up. When I was called, all I did was stood, looked at the audience and judges, and stared my piece. Sad to say, I was not able to finish my piece because I forgot most of the lines and my whole body was trembling. After the contest, my mother told me that I looked very â€Å"fearful† in the stage. I admitted it to my mother, of course. The signs and symptoms I experienced are some indicators that fear is already happening inside you. When a person feels fearful, he/she is feeling anxious. Anxiety is an â€Å"emotional  state  in  which people feel uneasy, apprehensive, or fearful† based on Encarta Encyclopedia 2008. Usually, people are aware of what causes their fear. For example, I would feel different whenever I came close to a high place. Some interchange the word fear and anxiety but they describe the same thing. However, fear emphasizes the want of a person to escape the situation that entails danger. When people feel threaten by a specific object or event, it became a phobia. Phobia is defined in Encarta Encyclopedia as an â€Å"intense and persistent fear of a specific object, situation, or activity.† Phobias are further divided into three categories: simple, agoraphobia, and social phobia. Simple phobia refers to fears of specific things or situations. I have a fear of cockroaches. I screech and run away whenever I see them on streets or at home. I recalled the moments when I and cockroaches are still â€Å"friends† (you read it right). When we were still living in an apartment, a lot of cockroaches lived with us. They even crawled on my legs but I just let them do it because it felt good and ticklish. When we moved into our new home, my mom told me that cockroaches are dirty creatures that transmit diseases. She said I should exterminate them if ever I see one. From that moment, I became scared of my â€Å"ex-friends† and tried to avoid them as much as possible. I cannot kill them using my footwear because its germs will just transfer to me and that would worsen everything! Another simple phobia I have is of heights. A third floor of any building could make my legs and shoulders tremble. This was formed when I we went to a swimming reunion. I was suddenly thrown into the pool and almost drowned because it was 6 feet high! Ever since, heights are a no-no for me. The second kind of phobia is agoraphobia, fear of open, public places and situations. These include being in crowded places or public vehicles. I also have this. I rarely went to any huge gatherings like concerts or assembly because I feel so inferior and vulnerable. People made me consider that escaping will be very difficult. Social phobia is the third kind and usually happens to teenagers. It is when you feel foolish during social events. I have a great fear of rejection from other people. This is the reason why I am a shy person. I do not like meeting up and chatting with people personally. Once when I was in grade school, my classmates would laugh at me when I was introducing myself to class. Ever since, I dislike and fear present myself to a crowd of people. I felt that they would stare at me and laugh at the same time. These fears greatly affected how I manage my life as a person right now. I prefer to be alone of the most of the time. I faced my problems alone and rarely asking for help. This could be a result of having a fear to socialize to other. Then, I realized that when I kept in living inside my own shell, I will not appreciate the individuals surrounding me. They might actually help me solve my conflicts and guide me to become a better person. Trust is what I have learned by facing and conquering my fears. I never took risks in my life because I fear that I would fail and become a loser all my life. However, there are individuals who assisted me to come out of my shell and conquer my fears. I am grateful of them. Fears made individuals imperfect. It shows the limitations of the human race. We should learn from Viktor’s story that running away from our fear would not make our lives better. The courage to confront it is an approach we can use to fight our fears. Remember, there is nothing to fear but fear itself. Courage is not the lack of fear, but the ability to face it. Works Cited Bufka, Lynn F., and Barlow, David H. Anxiety. Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009 [DVD]. Redmond,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   WA: Microsoft Corporation, 2008.

Chritiane Nords Notion of Function Plus Loyalty

Chritiane Nords Notion of Function Plus Loyalty INTRODUCTION The emergence of functionalist approaches to translation in the 1970s and 1980s was quite revolutionary in that it marked the move from what Munday (2001: 72) describes as the static linguistic typologies of translation shift, a term defined by Catford (1965: 73) as departures from formal correspondence in the process of going from the SL to the TL, to a consideration of the overall function of the Target Text (TT) in the Target Culture (TC). However, these approaches have been criticised on various grounds. This paper investigates one of these criticisms and whether Chritiane Nords notion of function plus loyalty adequately addresses the issue. SKOPOSTHEORIE As a term, functionalism is used to refer to the aggregate of approaches to translation that focus on the overall function(s) of a text or translation (Nord 1997:1). In other words, functionalism has been expressed or practised differently by different scholars and translators. However, they all appear to have drawn inspiration from what Vermeer has called skopostheorie, the birth of which apparently marked the beginning of functionalism (Honig 1997: 6). According to Vermeer (2004), [t]he skopos of a translation is the goal or purpose , defined by the commission and if necessary adjusted by the translator (236) and this notion of skopos can be applied in the translation process, the translation result as well as the translation mode (230). This skopos determines whether a text should be translated word for word or paraphrased or even adapted. As Nord (1997) puts it, the Skopos of a particular translation task may require a free or a faithful translation, or anything between these two extremes, depending on the purpose for which the translation is needed (29). Thus a single text can beget different translations according to the different translation briefs provided. This approach was quite novel in that it, to a large extent, addressed the eternal dilemmas of free vs faithful translations, dynamic vs formal equivalence, good interpreters vs slavish translators, and so on (Nord 1997: 29). However, it has also received quite a number of criticisms. One of such attacks came from Pym (1996) who questions the ability of functionalism to provide a basis for a professional ethics of translation. He then asks: Can such a theory generate a way of discerning between good and bad purposes, between good and bad translation strategies? Or is its aim merely to produce mercenary experts, able to fight under the flag of any purpose able to pay them? (2) Pym questions the apparent neglect of the ST, undue emphasis on the TT and the freedom skopostheorie gives the translator to produce any kind of text as dictated by the translation brief, whether or not the said brief is a far cry from the intentions of the author of the source text. In response to such criticisms, Nord added the concept of loyalty to functionalism. FUNCTION PLUS LOYALTY Chritiane Nord maintains that the loyalty principle is meant to account for the culture-specificity of translation concepts, setting an ethical limitation to the otherwise unlimited range of possible skopoi for the translation of one particular source text (2007:2-3). Loyalty is used to refer to the responsibility of translators, as mediators between two cultures, towards their partners namely, the source-text author, the client or commissioner of the translation, and the target-text receivers (Nord 2001: 185). It may also be seen as taking into account the intentions and expectations of all the partners in the communicative interaction named translation (195). Though the clients brief determines the skopos of the translation, it is not the only determining factor for the translation. The translator should be loyal to the ST author by ensuring that he not produce a TT that falsifies the authors intentions (Nord 2005:32). In other words, loyalty ensures some compatibility between the ST and the TT. The translator should also be loyal to the target audience, who have some expectations of what the translations should be like, by explaining in a footnote or preface how they arrived at a particular meaning, the thought-process involved. Nord distinguishes loyalty from fidelity or equivalence. While she sees the former as an interpersonal relationship between the translator and his partners, the latter she sees as concepts used to refer to the linguistic or stylistic similarity between the source and the target texts, regardless of the communicative intentions involved (2001: 185) HOW ADEQUATE? This section looks at the adequacy of Nords function plus loyalty principle to translation, especially in relation to Pyms accusation of skopostheorie producing only mercenary experts. In the first place, it checks the apparent freedom of the translator to produce any kind of translation in accordance with the clients brief. While function requires that the translation be modelled to fit into the brief provided by the commissioner, loyalty requires the translator to justify their choice of translation method by considering the interests of all the participants involved in the translation, not just that of the client. A translator should not produce a translation that goes contrary to the brief; they also should satisfy the expectations of the target audience as well as not falsify the intentions of the author. So if the brief betrays the communicative intentions of the author, it is then the translators duty to draw the attention of the client to this apparent anomaly. Pym (2007: 132) quotes Nord as saying that If the client asks for a translation that would mean being disloyal to either the author or the target readership or both, the translator should argue this point with the client or perhaps even refuse to produce the translation on ethical grounds. So the translator is not a mere mercenary since they do not accept whatever skopos is given them. Downie puts it this way: With the addition of the notion of loyalty the translator is now ethically and professionally responsible to either observe the expectations their partners have of their work or to tell them why these expectations have not been met (2), This principle reduces the number of skopoi that could be generated for a single translation text. Two questions may be raised against the loyalty principle, one of which has been partly answered in Downies quote above namely: is it always possible for every party to be made happy by the translator? According to Nord, the translator has the moral obligation not to translate on a brief that will falsify the authors intention. If after explaining the situation to the client and the client insists on not modifying the brief to make up for the defect, the translator has the moral responsibility to refuse to do the translation. Downie has already highlighted what the translator should do if the translation goes contrary to the expectations of the receiving audience. In Nords words, if the target culture expects the translation to be a literal reproduction of the original, translators cannot simply translate in a non-literal way without telling the target audience what they have done and why (1997: 125). This increases the level of confidence the audience has on the translator and makes them more ready to accept the translation as of a good quality even if their (the audiences) expectations are not met. This raises the second question: will the adoption of the documentary translation in situations where the source culture is markedly different from the target culture, seen in the additional explanations the translator has to make for the reader, not affect the reception of the work since the audience is aware that the text is not the original, but a translation? Though the reader might be affected by the realisation, the style shows that the translator has some respect for the reader and will help build their confidence in the translator for taking the pains to explain their strategy and choices. One other issue the loyalty principle addresses is the supposed dethronement of the source text. This is also one of the bases for Pym accusation of translators as being mere mercenary experts since the ST may result in TTs with which it shares a very tenuous relationship. Loyalty insists that the communicative intentions of the author be reproduced in the TT. And this can only be achieved when a detailed analysis of the ST is done to appreciate its place in the source culture, temporally and spatially. Nord insists that the interpretation of a text goes beyond the linguistic, that it is a product of the many variables of the situation (time, place, addresses) in which it originated (1997: 119), and that the analysis of extratextual factors such as author, time, place, or medium may shed some light on what may have been the senders intentions (125-6). The translator then does a similar extratextual study of the target situation to identify the expression that best reflects the author s intentions in the target situation. So in the main, the TT intentions are hinged on those of the ST. CONCLUSION It is axiomatic that a text is open to multiple interpretations, and translations. But Nords notion of function plus loyalty has indeed restricted the otherwise arbitrary production of translation briefs and translations that are a far cry from the message of the ST. It also weakens the criticism that functionalism advocates a dethronement of the ST. However, the satisfaction of every party involved in the translation process is only but an ideal, not always practicable. But loyalty has made the translator more responsible and conscious of their translations and increased the confidence of other participants on the translator. Indeed if translators will adhere to this charge of being loyal, the problems of mistranslations will be greatly reduced. REFERENCES Catford, J. C. 1965. A Linguistic Theory of Translation. London: Oxford. Downie, Jonathan. The End of an Era? Does skopos theory spell the end of the free vs literal paradigm? online: Pneuma Foundation: In depth resources: http://www.pneumafoundation.org/resources/in_depth.jsp Homig, Hans G. 1997. Position, power and practice: Functionalist approaches and translation quality assessment. In Current Issues in Language and Society. Vol. 4, No. 1, pp. 7 34. Munday, J. 2008. Introducing Translation Studies: Theories and Applications. 2nd ed. London: Routledge. Nord, Chritiane. 1997. Translation as a Purposeful Activity. Manchester: St Jerome. Nord, Chritiane. 2001. Loyalty revisited: Bible translation as a case in point.The Translator. Vol. 7 No 2, pp. 185 202.. Nord, Chritiane. 2005. Text Analysis in Translation: Theory, Methodology, and Didactic Application of a Model for Translation-Oriented Text Analysis. 2nd ed. Amsterdam: Rodopi. Nord, Chritiane. 2007. Function plus Loyalty: Ethics in Professional Translation. In Genesis Revista Cientifica do ISAG. Vol 6, pp. 7 17. Pym, Anthony. 1996. Material text transfer as a key to the purposes of translation. In Albrecht Neubert, Gregory Shreve and Klaus Gommlich (eds.) 1996, Basic Issues in Translation Studies. Proceedings of the Fifth international Conference Kent Forum on Translation Studies II, Kent/Ohio: Institute of Applied Linguistics, 337-346. Pym, Anthony. 2001. Introduction: The return to ethics in translation studies. The Translator. Vol. 7 No 2, pp. 129 138. Vermeer, Hans J. Skopos and commission in translational action. In L.Venuti (ed) The Translation Studies Reader. 2nd ed. New York: Routledge, pp. 227 238.

The Marketing Planing Process Marketing Essay

The Marketing Planing Process Marketing Essay Just as a healthy skin requires the proper pH balance to flourish, a strong brand like NIVEA requires a marketing plan that must find the right balance to built consistency all around the world. Beiersdorf the German manufacturer has mastered this balancing act with all the skill of an Olympic gymnast. This has made NIVEA the most recognised skin and beauty care brand in the world NIVEA crà ¨me was first introduced by Beiersdorf in the year 1911. Beiersdorf, founded in 1882, has grown to be a global company specialising in skin and beauty care for men and women. NIVEA, one of the oldest and biggest cosmetic brands in the world has successfully transformed itself from a single skin care brand to a trustworthy and contemporary personal care brand for all family types. The brand stretched itself by sub-branding to many new segments, always nursing the core mother brand NIVEA. NIVEA brand has now extended to more than 15 products ranges extending from sun care to facial moisturisers, deodorants and shower products. Beiersdorfs (BDF) Cosmic division decide to have an eye the NIVEA brands growth since last few years. NIVEA is the largest cosmetics brand in the world and it competes against the major brands from the European markets. South and Central America, Eastern Europe, and Asia were the new targets of company to expand the NIVEA brand. NIVEA had created a number of new sub-brands that broadened the companys offerings. Sales in Beiersdorfs cosmic division is primarily driven by NIVEA, grew from à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1.4 billion in 1995 to à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬3.8 billion in 2005.Source http://www.thetimes100.co.uk/ NIVEA is coming up with a new range of MEN care products NIVEA for MEN Q10 range. This report will start with a situational analysis and then will conclude with a marketing plan for NIVEA. SITUATION ANALYSIS Macro environmental factors for NIVEA are analysed to carry out the situational analysis. The PESTEL factors are: POLITICAL Government stability Foreign trade regulations and taxation policy Privatization and the Security measures For NIVEA and skin and beauty care industry the political factors can be: NIVEA as a skin care industry manufacture must produce safe products that do not contain any harmful substance or are harmful for the consumers. For example SAFETY ASSESSMENTS-The manufacturer or supplier of the cosmetic product is responsible for ensuring it is safe and each cosmetic must be assessed for safety by a duly qualified safety assessor before it is made available to the public.(Ref 1) Foreign Trade Policies and regulations over the imports/exports of products can act as a barrier for such companies. For example in countries like Iraq there may be high taxes on import of such goods or if the company plans to open a manufacturing unit in a country the political laws may not permit to do so The political challenge is that NIVEA needs to follow the all the different government leadership styles in various countries where it performs its operations. As in some countries the availability of raw material or some drug content to be used in manufacturing may not be allowed to produce or import. ECONOMIC Interest Rate Unemployment and inflation For NIVEA and skin and beauty care industry the economic factors can be: Due to the volatile interest rates and the slump in the financial markets in 2007 most of the companies had to face financial crisis. NIVEA also had to make sure that these factors do not affect the sales and lead to crisis. NIVEA has to abide by (The Control of Misleading Advertisements Regulations 1988) and follow the rules set by Advertising Standards Authority. Their adverts should be clear and not mislead the consumers. The rise in the inflation rate resulted in a strong dip in the overall sales of the company. The pressure on prices generated by increasing competition in the premium skin and beauty care market resulted in reduced prices and hence reduced profits. This was a major concern in the company and also the industry. SOCIAL Population demographics Income distribution Lifestyle changes and Consumerism. For NIVEA as skin and beauty care product manufacturer the social factors could be: Consumers have become more cautious about their skin and the way they look. Men/Women both equally are paying more attention towards their looks and are keen to use the products that could help enhance their skins textures. The income distribution plays a very vital role, NIVEA has tried to target consumers at all the different levels from 18-60. Deodorants and other facial products are used by customers of 25-50 years of age irrespective of the gender. Men use after shave and balms to have smooth shaves and looks. On the other hand women use facial creams to have soft skin and glowy looking skin. Anti wrinkle and crà ¨me for aging skin is used to target customers between 40-60 and irrespective of the gender. Different age groups use different products for their beauty and needs. NIVEA has targeted women from 13-19 with its NIVEA Visage, NIVEA for MEN exclusive men products like shaving gels, roll on, after shave balms etc. A large range of products is available for women from 25 45 years of age from NIVEA. TECHNOLOGICAL Speed of technology Rates of obsolescence Government and Industry focus on technological effort For NIVEA as skin and beauty care product manufacturer the technological factors could be: The rate at which the technological advancements take place, companies like NIVEA also has adapted quickly and improved its innovation by using better technologies and doing a lot more research. It may be possible that due to environmental factors some changes may be done in technology to save environment. For example NIVEA continuously works with its Research and Development team to make products that more useful for consumers and least harmful for environment. Technological advancements can help NIVEA to work with better manufacturing processes and units. ENVIRONMENTAL Pollutant problems Waste disposal Environmental pressure For NIVEA as skin and beauty care product manufacturer the environmental factors could be: The ambitious Environmental Protection and Occupational Safety Management System at Beiersdorfs Chilean Affiliate is being successfully adhered to in practice. This was the result of the review of the Modules I and II during the first ESMAS audit in May 2007.(Ref 3) Many different Organisations for animals keep a track that in manufacturing of such products animal prosecution is not included or animals are not used for testing purposes. Some countries have even banned these methods and impose heavy dues on the companies who follow those practices. (PETA) In the 2009 reporting year, the audit team witnessed first-hand the quality of the environmental and occupational safety measures in place at four Beiersdorf locations. During the multi-day Environmental Protection and Safety Management Audit Scheme (ESMAS) audits, the team inspected and certified Beiersdorf plants in Spain, Mexico, Thailand and Indonesia. The results were a success: all production sites were in full compliance with the international ISO 14001 (environmental safety) and OHSAS 18001 (occupational health and safety) standards for environmental and occupational safety management systems. (Ref 3) LEGAL Consumer Product Safety Act (1972) Fair packaging and labelling act (1966) Federal Trade Commission Act(1914) Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act(1975) For NIVEA as skin and beauty care product manufacturer the legal factors could be: Legal factors may include government laws, labour laws that can affect an organization: There are many laws that affect the trade practices that all the companies have to follow, NIVEA also follows all the legal issues that do not violate any act. NIVEAS CURRENT MARKETING STRATEGY NIVEA FOR MEN promoted the new launches of its products through a mixture of above the line and below the line promotion. The use of sport was a key element here, NIVEA FOR MEN supported football events at a grass-roots level through its partnership with Power league to build positive relationship with men. This helped create strong Brand Affinity for NIVEA FOR MEN among men and drive the sales. Ref 4. Above the line promotion included television and cinema adverts, this reached a wide audience. By using links with sport, NIVEA FOR MEN aimed to build a positive male image associated with male facial skin care. SWOT ANALYSIS STRENGTHS NIVEA has a good reputation and brand name. NIVEA is a Global Brand with ability to act local. The Marketing staff with the skills to help promote the above mentioned products effectively. WEAKNESSES Target customer and product range relevance was still not established. The sales and marketing techniques used by NIVEA FOR MEN was not defined clearly. OPPORTUNITIES NIVEA FOR MEN saw a rise in market share, hence an opportunity to increase the market share. Product line can be extended to procure more market share. New products could be introduced as men started buying more advanced products. Women could be targeted as they but products for men. THREATS: Cost of products and sales promotions have become the drivers for sales. Risk of competitors, since some of them have substitute products for support. Improved RD have increased the costs of the products. Lack of innovative products for men. MARKETIN PLAN FOR NEW NIVEA FOE MEN REVITALISING Q10 RANGE NIVEA FOR MEN are coming up with NFM Revitalising Q10 Range, which would help them to increase UK male skincare market. In relation to the above, a marketing plan has been developed. Source- http://www.dsh.cn/en/images/resource02_pic1.gif Set Objectives Setting clear objectives results in a successful marketing plan that must fit overall strategy of the company. In terms of NIVEA their goals were clearly defined as to continuously increase the market share in all areas through qualitative growth and to further improve our strong earnings situation. They also intend to achieve these objectives by continuing to successfully implement their Passion for Success Consumer Business Strategy. (Ref 6) MARKETING OBJECTIVES To expand the current NIVEA FOR MEN To sell more and more NFM products to women. To create NFM brand image as a reliable, user-friendly and good value for money product and to strengthen the brand value. To create oneness in the brand. MARKETING STRATEGY Focus on product development combined with an emphasis on consumer needs is a key differentiator for NIVEA FOR MEN. Strategy would emphasis on promotion of NFM products using the right marketing mix. Choice of Markets: To grow its market share and develop its product range NIVEA has chosen product development as the growth strategy. NIVEAs researches have shown that men mainly wanted skincare products that protected the face after shave. Men are willing to buy products that helped calm and soothe irritated skin caused by shaving. So this is how NIVEA came up with idea to target MEN and develop products that could fulfil the needs of men all over the world. Sales of male skincare products have grown steadily since the launch for NIVEA for Men in 1998 and 2003. The market in 2008 was worth over 117 million pounds with male facial products worth 49 million pounds. (Ref 5) Segmentation: Nivea for Men has segmented its customers on the basis of age, gender and occupation. Gender NIVEA for Men as the name suggests is an exclusive product for men. The range contains all the male products like face wash, deodorants and roll-on, shaving gel, after shave balm, moisturiser, and shower gel. Age NIVEA for MEN the new range should be targeted for men from 18- 25, 25-35 and 35 55. Income- All NIVEA for Men products are not very highly priced, keeping in mind the target customers. But some rechargeable shavers are in the premium segment for NIVEA which is targeted on 25-40, young working professionals. Generally NIVEA has targeted customers who are working professional and they need to socialize in everyday life for their business and they need these products everyday. Shaving gels, post shave balm, roll-ons and moisturisers. Targeting: On the basis of segmentation we will target the current customers of NIVEA for Men those who have been using NIVEA products already. Secondly we will also try to capture new customers who are using the substitute products on the basis of value of NIVEA for Men products and effective prices. Brand Positioning : The NIVEA for MEN Revitalising Q10 range is for the skin care to look bright , healthy and revitalised. With competitive pricing as compared to the competitors NIVEA for MEN can create a unique position in market. The formula for Q10 range is unique which contains no alcoholic content which gives it an edge over the similar products from competitors in the market. So NIVEA for MEN can position itself as the only for men exclusive range with reasonable price adding value to customer both in terms of quality and money. THE MARKETING MIX http://www.netmba.com/images/marketing/mix/mix.gif The right combination of marketing mix that is Product, Price, Place and Promotion can provide a brand the right strategy to target its customer. Let us define the marketing mix for the new NIVEA for MEN Revitalising Q10 range. The NIVEA for Men is in the launch phase of the Product Life Cycle so the product boundaries and features must have a clear definition. http://www.thetimes100.co.uk/case-study-the-use-marketing-mix-product-launch-87-303-3.php Product Customer Solution: The company has made the new NIVEA for Men range more effective and consumer-friendly. Research Work: To know what its customer wants NIVEA conducts researches through: Focus groups to listen to customer directly. Product testing with customers in different markets. Through their website a special section WHAT MEN WANT. Variety: NIVEA for Men has come up with the fuller range of products for men keeping in mind that what men want. It has NIVEA for Men eye roll-on, face wash, post shave balm, shaving gel and moisturiser. Quality: NIVEA for Men has come with a product range that provides unique quality of Q10 revitalising coenzyme that is very essential for skin. This provides NIVEA with a competitive advantage to beat the competition. Packaging: For Packaging NIVEA for Men can go for large packs which use minimum of plastic and that too recyclable. The packaging must include The packaging includes: Brand Name Instructions The Company Address Ingredients Safety Hazards Bar Code NIVEA has clearly understood the needs and wants of its male customers, there problems and so have come up with a complete solution to customers needs with the new NIVEA for Men Q10 Revitalising range of products. Place Convenience: For customers convenience it is important that the product is in range of customers that is easily approachable. Keeping in mind the target customers NIVEA for Men must aim to use as many as relevant distribution channels. Using distribution channels as B2B strategy so that the product reaches the point of sale. Main sales can be retained through large retail store and chains. Already NIVEA has different sources of sale for B2C like Boots, Tesco, Sainsburys, Superdrug, Waitrose, ASDA, Wilkinson, Morrisons, Body Care, and Savers.(Ref 7) Making availability of NIVEA for Men products at wide range of stores ensures the customer reach to these products hence customer convenience. NIVEA products are also available on AMAZON.co.uk so even more customers can be targeted through e-marketing and e-sales. Price Customer Cost : there are many factors like cost of production and transportation that affect how the product is finally priced in the market. As the product is for consumers so it must provide the right value for money to the customers in the market and attract them to buy these products. For NIVEA for Men in the launch phase NIVEA should follow the Market Penetration Pricing. The price of NIVEA for Men products would be low initially to attract maximum customers and capture a large market share. NIVEA for Men can also price its range on competitive base. As competition there are substitutes but are priced highly in the market so a lower price would help NIVEA for Men to gain competitive advantage over its competitors. Promotion Communication: With promotion we can tell are customers that what we have for them and persuade them to buy those products. For promotion NIVEA for Men can implement two types of promotions. Direct Promotion With the direct promotion that are directly paid NFM can go for TV Advertisements, Newspaper Advertisements. Indirect Promotion NFM can organise events for B2C and trade fairs for B2B customers. With Public Relation NFM can go for Press Releases where NFM can target large audience. Sponsoring some events like sports, for example NFM can join the LONDON Olympics 2012 specifically targeting the male Olympic Games. NIVEA can come up promotional campaigns with mobile services company to send promotional texts to all their customers. Distribution of free samples at beginning stage of product launch. Association of the brand with social site like facebook and twitter. Implementation of the Marketing Plan This is the most important phase of a marketing plan. A marketing plan has a defined time so for the above plan we can recommend a time of 1 to 3 years which will include all the research work and later implementation. So the implementation would start with: Research Work: Primary Research from Surveys, Questionnaire and Focus Groups that will provide us with Qualitative data. Secondary Research from the existing data of company; the sale over the year and other promotional expenses. Financial Statements providing the budget for further market research and marketing plan. Forecasting the sales and the cost associated with it. We need to keep in mind the challenges we can face during the implementation of Marketing Plan. Customers may start avoiding the product in case of excessive promotion. Customers may perceive NIVEA for Men as a poor quality product as initial prices will be low due to the launch. Competitors may come up with similar range and price. CONTROL In order to properly control our marketing plan we should: Regularly monitor the progress. Is the plan working or not. Monitor the sales , revenue generated, Return on our investments, customer satisfaction levels through researches and repeat purchases. Employees must be rewarded for achieved objectives. Employees are the main working force behind the plan so employee satisfaction with appraisals and rewards must be done. Market and customer choices changes every minute so regular market researches would help NIVEA for Men to rate their product in market. Any plan needs time to succeed; short term failure should not be taken as the final result. The success of marketing plan depends upon company , people and a smoothened blend between both to achieve the targets. Knowledge of targets and strive to achieve them creates endless possibilities of success. Sample Advertisement- Ref -8 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kq70_xdZBxw CONCLUSION The main focus during the launch of the new NIVEA for men would be the mindset of the main target market. An efficient promotional activity along with sales promotion would be used for the launch. This will help to increase the market share and also would affect the overall sales of the NIVEA and the NIVEA FOR MEN range of products. NIVEA has realised that skin care and beauty products that were associated with women, is a thing of past. In todays world even men have started using these products and there is a major gap in the industry for men products. Hence NIVEA has come up with a all new mens range and get the maximum share in the market. Efficient advertisement in all the mediums will be used and so that will help further boost sales and increase the performance and quality perception in the minds of customers which will help also in the positioning product in the marketplace. CRITICAL REFLECTION Todays world is a digital world where a small number people can become voice of thousands and millions. So is the dynamic nature of marketing which has changed its face with changing global business environment. No more are the traditional methods of marketing followed. Marketing is totally customer centric where the aim is to get as close as to the customer. Companies have not limited themselves to a single state, country or a single continent. The greed for progress has made the companies go global. So has the marketing environment and need to market has changed as per the demand and change in customers who are spreaded globally. Companies change their strategies as per the country they are doing business in. For example Mc Donald does not provide beef or ham burgers in INDIA as it is against the choice of the customers. Keeping in mind the customers requirement the apt marketing plan is made. The plan whose outcome matches with what the customers desire. NIVEA as a company provides its customers with Innovative Skin and Beauty care. NIVEA has emerged as the most recognised skin and beauty care brands in the world. Keeping in mind what its customers want NIVEA does regular research work to provide the right value added product to its customers well then let it be NIVEA female range, NIVEA Visage or NIVEA for Men. Extensive Research and Development, wide range of products, top quality and environment friendly procedure and need satisfying products; these all act as a resource and capabilities of the organization which offers value to its customers. Its been an experience to develop a marketing plan for a company. With the development of the marketing plan I have come across the fact that marketing is a critical part of a business plan. Knowledge Gained With this assignment I have learned the minute details of marketing. Customers are the drivers of the market. How is a customer convinced to buy a product ? The use of different models to enhance the sales and give value to the product. VALUE TO CUSTOMERS Today most of the companies are dropping their brand value dramatically as they are moving away from satisfaction of customer needs and wants. The customers want best value for money and want to be loyal to their brands in this tough economic era. Nivea is continuously trying hard to adapt itself to customers need and offer value to them. They are doing so by launching new range of products and re-launching the existing ones. They are strategising themselves by reaching directly to customers and getting them to test new and improved products. They are focussing on the customers and are trying to create tangible human experiences across all marketing touch points. Their strategy states: Be honest about who you are and where you sit on the customer-focus spectrum Listen to your customers-what is good for your customers and if you are not valuing them what are you loosing. In this tough economic climate, resonate your customers and offer relevant value proposition. Hero your products in order to build ongoing relevance and value with the customers. Evaluate, Innovate, Listen and Communicate. The company focuses on the fact that they want their customers to be more of something that could play a role in the consumers life than selling a cure for a problem. They want their product to be an integral part of customers day to day life. They value their customers because they believe that the customers warm feeling towards the brand might turn into higher sales down the line. Providing value to customers is like putting money in the bank, this helps in repeat purchases, customer retention and positive word of mouth which ultimately leads to new customer acquisition. This helps the firm to secure their future in the market. The companies today are adding value to their customers because of the fact that Marketing strategies have changed. Today the focus point is the customer. The difference in todays marketing strategy and old marketing strategy has been stated below. OLD MARKETING SHORT TERM FOCUS. MARKETING MIX. PRICE AND QUALITY SENSITIVE CUSTOMERS. ALL CUSTOMERS EQUAL. MASS MARKETING. AGRESSIVE MARKETING. TRANSACTION PROFIT. NEW MARKETING LONG TERM FOCUS. INTERACTIVE MARKETING. VALUE CONSCIOUS CUSTOMERS. ALL CUSTOMERS NOT EQUAL. INDIVIDUAL MARKETING. SERVICE FOCUS. CUSTOMER LIFETIME VALUE. Value to customers lead to creating value for products and services. Nivea recognizes the role of its customers in developing its strategy. They believe that working on customers insight has led them to explore themselves beyond their existing comfort zone. LEARNING OUTCOME It is said that the more detailed information that has been collected and the more planning that has been done ahead of time, the faster and the more pleasant the trip. This works well for launch of any product by any company. One of the most fundamental features of any successful Business is creation and implementation of its business plan. We being the future entrepreneurs of tomorrow should have complete knowledge of the Start-Up Plans of any business and it was through this module that I learned about writing a Marketing Plan for any product in any business environment. The Marketing Management Module helped me learn ways to write a plan which should be both analytic and fundamental. It made me learn that the Business Plans requires a degree of expertise in Marketing Principles and Forecasting as well as the ability to gather and interpret relevant research data and formatting it the right way. Initially we just had theoretical knowledge about business plans but this module helpe d us think virtually and bring our knowledge into practical sense. Both module and the assignment proved to be very productive and helped me learn the essentials of a marketing plan. It helped me in bringing out the best through extensive research and exploring the data. A Marketing plan is the base of any business enterprise. Whether it is about launching a new product in the market or expansion of market of an existing product. A number of steps are involved in writing a Marketing Plan which should necessarily define the target market and should understand its needs as well. While doing this assignment on Nivea I conducted a clear and succinctive market research. I worked well on the collection of data and researched in depth on the techniques of writing a Marketing Plan which were taught to us in the Marketing Management Module. Today I have realised the fact that writing a Marketing Plan is a challenging job but taking up this one was worth the effort.  This was the learning experience of a lifetime.    A Marketing Plan runs the gamut from being creative to being pragmatic, but it should be written in a style which will be most receptive for evaluation. I managed to do the same by following all the steps involved in writing a Marketing Plan. Marketing Plan has the following elements which involve Executive Summary, Situation Analysis, Marketing Objectives, Target Markets, Marketing Mix, Marketing Budget and the implementation of the Plan as a whole. The first and the foremost step was introducing my parent company which is Nivea. The introduction defines as to what the company is and where will its product stand in the market. Next was Strategic Analysis of the company which was done using PESTEL analysis and SWOT analysis. SWOT made me understand the Strengths, the Weaknesses, the Opportunities which the company can make use of and the Threats which the company might face in the long run. The PESTEL made me realise the factors which affect the company in its establishment and the w orking. All these factors are very essential to keep in mind at the initial stages of the launch as ignorance of any of these might result in a number of pitfalls. The next step involved defining the Marketing Objectives of the new product which is to be launched. The marketing strategy helped me define why and how the plan would work in relation to all the factors influencing the business entity. I emphasised upon Product development of the new range and the Marketing Mix it would follow. This involved taking into account the companies resources, finances and controls. I tried not deviating myself from the path by keeping regular reality checks. These reality checks are very important at the time of making the Marketing Plans as this would help the firm overcome any pitfalls at the time of execution of the Marketing Plan. The last step was the implementation of the Marketing Plan in which I was sure as to what I was actually trying to achieve for my new series. I kept my central aim visible in order to minimise all the distractions and distortions which would frequently arise. Keeping the aim right is the key to success in the implementation of the Marketing Plan. To conclude I can say that I tried bringing together the Uniqueness and the Passion. Uniqueness so that people get what I want to offer them and Passion to enjoy selling what I want to sell. The Marketing Plan for this product would come into action soon and would help the product attain a good market position in the long run. This would surely help the product attract new customers and create wider market for the product. The brand name NIVEA would also be benefited by the launch of this product as this would add to its goodwill. I would conclude by saying that this assignment required a lot of effort but the effort proved to be fruitful. à ‚  

I Wish to Pursue Structural Engineering :: Graduate Admissions Essays

I Wish to Pursue Structural Engineering A simple bridge truss was the first structure I ever analyzed. The simple combination of beams that could hold cars, trains, and trucks over long spans of water fascinated me. Having the tools to analyze the loads on the truss further increased my interest in structures. I encountered the bridge in a textbook for my first engineering class. Knowing that the professor, Mr. Paul Davids, was a tough teacher, I asked him for the textbook so I could study and get ready for the class over the summer. Just arrived from Belize, I was determined to succeed. In class we learned about forces on simple members and then we put the members together to form a simple truss. At this point I had almost decided that structural engineering was the career for me. From there the class just took off: We went on to frames, distributed loads, considered friction; basically we were incorporating real world considerations into structural members. I loved the practical, problem solving aspects of the field. At UC my classes were even more advanced. In my analysis and design classes, I especially enjoyed studying steel design because we not only learned the use of the load resistance factor design but also applied that knowledge -- I designed a four-story building. The professor was a practicing engineer, and he always related the subject to real life steel structures he had engineered, for example, the SB Medical Centre, an all steel building with a base isolated campus. This is the kind of project on which I would like to work, designing the structure and considering how the building will respond to ground motion. After two quarters of structural analysis, I had come as close as possible to analyzing real world structures. Looking back I realize, I had learned great tools for structural analysis, but my "tool box" was still inadequate. I lacked a very important tool: finite element analysis. According to my professor, finite element analysis has revolutionized structural an alysis. Although I liked my classes, my internship experiences really confirmed my interest in structural engineering. While working at Caltrans as a student volunteer, I reviewed computer grading output for streets under construction.

The Reflection: A Song Essay -- Literary Analysis, Aphra Behn

The poem 'The Reflection: A Song' was written in 1684 by Aphra Behn and seems to feature around the theme of realisation and betrayal. Written by a woman, the poem's main character of a betrayed female has a subjective stance, which evokes a strong emotion of sympathy from the reader as it could represent a true life event. The structure of the poem is set out in seven stanzas, consisting eight lines. What is interesting about the structure is the use of iambic tetrameter with the first, third, fifth and seventh lines of each stanza and iambic trimeter with the second, fourth, sixth and eight lines. This gives the poem a lyrical rhythm as well as encouraging visual interest for the reader. Rhyme scheme follows quite a loose A, B, A, B pattern. The reason for the description of loose is that some lines end without true rhyme. For example, 'her fate' (l.2) then 'she sat' (l.4) does not follow the pattern which has been set out for most lines such as 'to bemoan' (l.1) and 'alone' (l.3). Furthermore, dialect may also interfere with pronunciation, especially with the end words of 'tongue' (l.6) and 'wrong' (l.8). This reoccurs later on with 'strove' (l.33) and 'love' (l.35) as well in other areas of the poem. However, seeming as this was composed in the 17th century, diction would have been different to that of the contemporary reader, meaning the form of the poem, in terms of reading aloud, may have had the correct rhyme intention. Internal rhyme is also seen with 'my' (l.18) and 'thy' (l.19) which also contributes to the lyrical style and creates a smooth rhythm when reading. As this poem follows along the theme of betrayal and love, devices such as repetition are used to emphasise this theme. Within stanza five, ana... ...escape. She does not try to portray the idea in a metaphoric sense, but instead uses the direct language to make the statement adamant. This close textual analysis has shown how the feeling of despair can be portrayed through a variety of devices. The fact that there is a prominent rhyme scheme makes the poem traditional, as well as the theme being about love. What may have been seen as controversial could be the fact that the poem was written by a woman, especially as this was written in the 17th century. Following on, as a female herself, Aphra Behn is able to create a believable female character by using real life concepts such as betrayal. Whether Behn experienced this emotion herself would require further reading, however the emotion within in the poem seems to be precise and may have been from a personal experience the writer incurred in her lifetime.

Role of Gertrude in Hamlet

Raquel Tuohy Mrs. Pastor AP Lit/Comp 7 April 2013 Hamlet Perhaps one of the most ambiguous characters in Shakespeare’s Hamlet is the queen, Gertrude. She is Hamlet’s mother and the wife of her dead husband’s brother, King Claudius. As the reader, we only see her briefly, but she still manages to be a central figure in Hamlet playing the role of the elusive and sometimes shallow queen. There are several questions surround the life of Queen Gertrude, starting with even before the play, having to do with the death of her husband, Hamlet’s father.When the play starts, she has already remarried to Hamlet’s Uncle Claudius within such a short amount of time. This is rather surprising and revolting to her son Hamlet, who is still grieving over the loss of his father, but it appears that his mother has already moved on. That could only suggest that perhaps Gertrude was cheating on the king with her brother and her husband’s death was all but convenien t for her. The ghost of Hamlet’s father gives his son disturbing information about the queen, calling her â€Å"that incestuous, that adulterate beast,† (Act I, Scene I).However, there is no definitive proof, nor Shakespeare ever addresses it in the play, leaving his audience with a sense of wonder about the queen’s devotion to her husband. The thing that might intrigue the reader the most about the character of Gertrude is why she married Claudius so suddenly after her husband’s death. Was it because she knew that she needed a man to help her rule? Or was the meaning behind the courtship less malevolent than it appears? There lies the most important question: was it true love or was it politics that brought Claudius and Gertrude together?Hamlet paints the picture of Gertrude as an obedient and devoted woman to his father, but his opinion transforms during the queen’s second marriage. Hamlet doesn’t understand why Gertrude, who is labeled as the â€Å"th’imperial jointress† (Act I, Scene I) to the throne of Denmark, would need to marry someone so rapidly when she already wields power in the royal family. Possibly the most haunting question about Gertrude’s character is whether or not she knows Claudius killed her first husband. This also ties in with the question about Gertrude’s fidelity.If she did cheat on the former king with Claudius than chances are she more than likely had a role in her first husband’s death. Claudius would consider her as an accomplice and confide in her, but he never does throughout Hamlet. Furthermore, Gertrude expresses strong emotions about Ophelia and Hamlet, but never for Claudius, which is strange because they are married. Claudius tells Gertrude that he loves her, but she doesn’t return the sentiment, which again is bizarre because they are husband and wife.There are no definitive textual references about Gertrude’s involvement in her firs t husband’s poisoning. It just is another element of Gertrude’s character that is shrouded in mystery. One redeeming quality about the queen is her unwavering loyalty to Hamlet. She loves her son despite his obvious hostility towards her for marrying Claudius. Plus, Gertrude continues to stand behind him even when he lashes out at her, saying the worse possible things a son could say to his mother.When Hamlet kills Polonius in a moment of madness, Gertrude realizes that she has to tell the king that her son was the one who committed the murder, but she lies to her husband to protect her son. She tells Claudius that Hamlet is contrite and â€Å"weeps for what he has done† (Act IV, Scene I), in order to lessen the punishment that is sure to be inflicted on Hamlet by Claudius. In the final scene of the play, Gertrude expresses her deep concern for Hamlet when he wants to duel Laertes who is grieving over the loss of his father and sister and blames Hamlet for their deaths.At the end of the duel, Gertrude even drinks the wine for Hamlet, not knowing it is laden with poison. Or does she? It is still debated by scholars whether Gertrude knew the wine was toxic or not, but regardless, she didn’t have to drink it. She drank it for Hamlet because her maternal instincts triumphed over Claudius’ warning to leave the poisonous glass of wine alone. Another issue that comes up time in time again in Shakespeare’s play is Hamlet’s fascination, boarding on obsession, with Gertrude’s sex life. It’s trange for a son to be interested in what his mother does behind closed doors, but this piqued curiosity seemed to have started around the time of Gertrude’s second marriage to Claudius. Early on in the play, the reader learns that Hamlet is shaken by his mother’s hasty marriage to Claudius, leading Hamlet to believe that the world is contaminated, like an â€Å"unweeded garden† that’s â€Å"g ross and rank in nature† (Act I, Scene 2). Hamlet’s opinion of his mother may color the reader’s view of Gertrude, seeing her as a vile woman who jumps from one man to the next.There are more questions than answers surrounding Gertrude, the queen of Denmark. We don’t know if she was unfaithful or if she was complicit with Claudius in the murder of her first husband. However, the one attribute in Gertrude that nobody can dispute is the depth of love that she posses for her son. Gertrude is Shakespeare’s most mysterious character because she in intricately woven throughout the play, but her motives remain unclear to the readers.