What makes a Retail Fashion Brand A Brand Essay

What makes a Retail Fashion Brand A Brand - Essay Example The essay "What makes a Retail Fashion Brand A Brand" talks about the Brand of Fashion and how Brand becomes a Brand that can be trusted. The world Fashion is all about changing lifestyles and trends and people following them. The past decade has seen major changes in the world of retailing. It has seen major growth in the marketing and promotion of private labels indicating the increase in the growth and power of retail. However, a number of discounters and warehouse clubs have reintroduced pressure on the conventional retailers and ended up in making the competition even fiercer. The major portion of a retailer’s revenue model relies on selling manufacturer brands, which is a common factor between various other retailers offering the same brand. This factor makes it even more difficult for a retailer to differentiate himself among others. Hence, the problem not only poses a challenge but also an opportunity. If a retailer has the ability to build its own brand equity and cre ate a positive perception and recall in consumer minds, it is bound to reap in healthy profits. It would help the retailer in restoring and maintaining its competitive advantage resulting in increasing the revenue and overall profitability and in turn reducing the costs. Moreover, another advantage that a strong retail brand with high brand equity is that they have more bargaining power with their respective suppliers, which are the manufacturer brands giving them even more advantage over their competitors.

Explaining a Concept Research Paper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Explaining a Concept Research Paper - Assignment Example rism because there were differences in believes and opinions amongst its members because of the liberation movements that were occurring all over the world, and the right to self-determination. Because of the emergence of these differences, it was very difficult for the UN to come up with a single definition of the term terrorism. A term that is acceptable to all the countries forming the United Nations, and one that is legally binding to all the states that form the United Nations. Despite the inability of the UN to come up with a single definition of the term terrorism, the International Community has developed a series of definitions to depict the various forms of terrorism, criminalizing them in the process. In condemning terrorism attacks in various parts of the world, the UN General Assembly usually use a political description to the term terrorism (Fisher, 15). According to this political description, terrorism is a criminal act whose intention is to create a situation of terror to the public, a particular individual, or a group of individuals for political reasons. These acts are unjustifiable, no matter the philosophical, political, religious, or ethnic reasons given to justify the terrorist act under consideration. Scholars denote that it is possible to define the term terrorism by analyzing its var ious characteristics. The following are the various characteristics of terrorism; A definition by Fisher (26) stresses the importance of tactical and psychological aspects of terrorism. According to this definition, terrorism is a political violence, which occurs in an asymmetric conflict, designed to create psychic fear, and terror. This will occur by violently victimizing and destroying non-combatant areas/ targets. Through such activities, the terror group will be sending a message to the government or relevant agencies concerned about their demands and desires. On this note, terrorists aim at exploiting the media, with the intention of achieving maximum

How multi agencies work together Essay Example for Free

How multi agencies work together Essay There are many agencies that we work with to help with children and young peoples development. When we look at behavioural development, social interactions and speech development all these agencies link together. We use nursery transition days to help the child settle into their new environments and arrange intake visits and meetings with the school for a smoother transition. Social services is used if we have any concerns of a childs well being so then police and a designated social worker would also be involved. The health team are always on hand to help if any families need support with parenting or any development issues. They will then offer parents appropriate courses such as nurturing. At Playgroup we can point in the right direction of any help needed such as our family intervention officers who go into the family homes and will discuss any problems families may have. We run a language and play session which families are invited to where they can enjoy some one to one time with their child to do various activities that will enhance development and build parents confidence too. We have various teachers who can give us support too that work within flying start that can give advice on childrens development and help observe children if we feel there are any problems. Also we can offer one to one support to children if they need it as many of us have had relevant training through senco. We work with health visitors on a daily basis as they are in the same building as us. They give us all relevant information on new children due to start and if there are any concerns with children already with us. We would discuss any issues we have with any children to the designated health visitor of the child as they have all relevant information on that child. Sogs assessments are a good way to see if a child is lacking in any developmental stage and these are used to determine if any outside agencies are called in to discuss anything further. We have also worked closely with social services and have attested child protection conferences. These help us understand what is going on with the child in their home environment and will help us understand if there have been changes in the childs development at Playgroup too. We are able to keep all information confidential and it is only available to the relevant people involved. All staff are made aware of any children that are put on the child protection  list and all staff have their child protection training updated so we are aware of what we do if we are unsure of a childs well being.

A Definition Of Tourism Tourism Essay

A Definition Of Tourism Tourism Essay Tourism can be defined as a temporary absence, inside or outside the country, of residence, away from home for reasons other than earning an income in the place visited (Burkhart Medlik, 1981 as cited in Lickorish Jenkins, 1997). Saayman (2008) defines tourism as the total experience that originates from the interaction between tourists, job providers, government systems and communities in the process of providing attractions, entertainment, transport and accommodation to tourists. Within the context of the above definitions, travelling outside the borders of the country of residence is termed international or external tourism whereas travelling within the borders is seen as domestic or internal tourism (Coltman, 1989). The tourism industry A definition of tourism by Jafari (1987) is mentioned which can be seen as a reference point when explaining the concept of touristhood. Jafari concludes: tourism is the study of man away from his usual habitat, of the touristic apparatus and networks, and of the ordinary and nonordinary worlds and their dialectic relationship. This definition emphasizes the difference between two different worlds and between two different environments; the ordinary and the nonordinary. The ordinary comprises the mundane, profane, daily life whose procession loses strength due to its own ordained, rhythmic course; while the nonordinary is the heightened position resulting from the departure from the ordinary ranks Tourism is now the largest industry in the world by virtually an economic measure, including gross output, value added, employment, capital investment and tax contributions (Wheatcroft,1994) Since travelling domestically and internationally has become easier due to ease of access, education and rising income, the past few decades have witnessed a considerable increase in the number of people leaving their place of residence, travelled specified distance and returning back home. In order to give them all the required facilities, or more precisely, services, products and amenities, miscellaneous organizations continue to exist. Leiper (1979) considers the tourist industry as consisting of all those firms, organizations and facilities which are intended to serve the specific needs and wants of tourists. Goeldner et al(2002)have developed an integrated system model to capture the essential elements of what they call the tourism phenomenon. In addition to the regular industry sectors of tourism, such as transport and accommodation, they included government and quasi- government agencies, the built environment, the natural environment and its resources, as well as activities such as reward and stewardship. Sectors and Sub-sectors of the Tourism Industry (source:G.K Shaw, 2010 -A risk management model for the tourism industry in South Africa) Visitors attraction -Natural -Manmade -Cultural -Social Transport -Airlines -Seatravel -Bus/coaches -Rail -Car rental Travel organizers -Travel agent -Tour operator -Tour broker -Sport/conference organiser Providers of accommodation -Hotels -Guesthouse -Bed breakfast establishments -Lodges Tourism industry Destination organization -governmental tourism organizations -private tourism organisations Commercial industrial -Souvenir shops -Tourist trade goods manufactures Support services -Tourist guides -Travel insurance -Travel trade press According to Australias new strategic plan, unlike many industry sectors, the tourism is unable to be defined simply as a group of businesses that produce particular, similar products. Rather, the tourism industry embraces a diverse range of providers and users of a variety of goods and services, and overlaps with other sector of the economy. It can simply be interpreted in the terms of demand and supply where demand involves the needs and expectations of tourists while supply involves the organizations delivering tourism products as well as services (Peter E Murphy and Ann E Murphy, 2006) As Jagmohan Negi (2004) rightly puts it: The tourist industry is difficult to define because it consists of all those trades which together satisfy the needs of travelers. Every expenditure made by tourists contributes to the prosperity and development of the travel industry. Although travel means going out only for a temporary period outside the local of ones residence, it involves a complete shake up in the equilibrium that one achieves between himself and the outside world, while living at one particular place for a long time. It involves a long chain of agencies to complete a visit worth its purpose. A tourist (holiday maker) spends his money the moment he leaves his home to go to his holiday. This paper would be focused on the private sector tourism as it deals with most of the shareholders which are in direct contact with the tourists and creation, as well as delivery of services/products; hotels, travel agencies, resorts, retailers and passenger carriers. The Private Sector of Tourism Hall (1992) suggests that the period of mid 1080s which witnessed many political events brought significant changes in the tourism industry. The WTO (1994) explains this idea where it states: As well as political change, the world has seen significant economic restructuring and general recession and downturns in traditionally strong economies. These changes have been marked by an increasing reluctance and/or inability of governments to invest in or support areas such as tourism and, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ This clarification was preceded by the arguments advanced by Lowyck and Wanhill (1992) Davidson (1993), and Harrison et al. (1993)on the economies divesting themselves of state owned assets to the private sector and on privatization which were for purposes of increasing efficiency and enhancing competitiveness by making greater use of markets for resource allocation. Many schools of thoughts argue that the private sector would be better implementer of tourism policies and can lay down long term plans that provide continuity amid situational changes. The private can implement policies while the government agencies can collaborate with one another and provide support (Robert Joseph, 2010 Cebu Daily News) In most countries, government involvement in tourism takes places to varying degrees at different levels as per a governments scope of powers, commitment to tourism management and available resources. All levels of government typically focus on the economic aspect of tourism and its main, dominant role in most destinations is a very strong focus on promotion (Peter.E Murphy and Ann E Murphy, 2006) Some countries do have a tourism industry operating on public-private leadership schemes but still the private sector plays a more active role in defining the direction of tourism. Tourism is all embracing; it involved the interaction of other components such as transportation, communication, accommodation and destination among others. Sectors cannot be singularly handled by the government as they constitute pillars of tourism development. Therefore, the private sector must, of necessity, be involved in the development and promotion of tourism in any country that intends to make tourism the mainstay of her economy. (Akpet, 2005) The private sector normally includes accommodation companies, travel companies, restaurants and bars, retailers and others which are not owned and regulated by the government. Most of the times, these companies have to abide by certain laws and regulations proposed by their constitution but they have got their own set of rules and principles, faction of practices, own and unique management style, profit margin and budgeting and criteria for leadership. Components of tourism private sector The composition of tourism private sector Primary trades/profit oriented organization Secondary trades/profit oriented organization Hotel industry Retail shops Food and beverage industry Financial institutions Transport industry Suppliers of goods and services for hoteliers, Tourist attraction caterers and transport undertakers figure 1: composition of private sector tourism (source: International tourism and travel, Jagmohan Negi, 2004) Primary trades According to Leonard JJ Lickorish and Carson LL Jenkins, the primary trade/profit motivated tourism organizations are interdependent to a certain degree and propose the following explanation: Transportation, accommodation and catering acting as the tourism hardware and tour operators/agents , tourist attractions and recreation activity fulfilling the role of software in so far as they usually provide the reason and catalyst for tourism to take place and for the use of the transport and accommodation. Secondary trades The secondary organizations offer facilities and services which are sometimes not offered by primary ones; example souvenir shops, entertainment and shopping, and insurance companies. On the other hand, Jenkins (1997) argues diversely by suggesting that there are three rather than two types of tourism private businesses. He puts it as follows: (1) the primary trades, which are most commonly associated with tourism (e.g., transport, tour companies, travel agencies, accommodations, catering facilities and attractions); (2) the secondary trades that help support tourism, though are not exclusive to tourism (e.g., retail shopping, banks and insurance, entertainment and leisure activities, personal services); and, (3) the tertiary trades, which provide the basic infrastructure and support for tourism (e.g., food and fuel, manufacturing). The inherent challenges accompanying the variable boundaries of what comprises the tourism industry are further exacerbated when the nature of the tourism product is also considered. Risks The formal Australian standard for Risk Management defines risk as the chance of something happening that will have an impact on objectives. It states that risk can either be positive or negative depending on situations. Andrew Minns (2003) refers to risk as the common combination of the probability (or likelihood) and consequences of an event (or outcome or result of exposure). He explains that this gives rise to the widely used concept of risk: Risk = Probability Consequence External and internal factors The risks facing an organisation and its operations can result from factors both external and internal to the organisation. The diagram overleaf summarises examples of key risks in these areas and shows that some specific risks can have both external and internal drivers and therefore overlap the two areas. They can be categorized further into types of risk such as strategic, financial, operational, hazard, etc. Types of risks According to the Cranfield School of Management, there are different types of risk any organization could face, but the categories of risks are not rigid as parts of business may fall into more than one category due to similar attributes.(Martin Christopher et al, 2011) Types of risks and factors affecting them (Source: The institute of Risk Management, 2002) preview005.png Strategic risk In an ACCA paper of 2008, it was stated that strategic risks are those that arise from the fundamental decision that directors take concerning an organizations objectives. Essentially, strategic risks are the risks of failing to achieve these business objectives.(Annon, 2008) Financial risk According to Marquis Codjia (2011), financial risk is a factor in all economic activities and may cause a firm to suffer losses from unfavorable price variation in securities or partner default. He rightly puts it as financial risk is the probability that a company may not have sufficient cash flows to operate, reimburse a loan or meet other financial commitment when they become due. Operational risk As David Tattam (2011) mentions in one of his publications, operational risk is defined as the risk of loss from failed or inadequate processes, people, systems or external events. He later argues that loss is not the only issue to be taken into consideration and redefines operational risk as the risk of loss or gain arising from people, systems or external events whicn can have the potential to cause the organization to deviate from its objectives. Jack L.King(1998) argues that there is a fundamental problem with operational risk as there is lack of consensus on its definition. As per his explanations, operational risk must be broken down into triggers(causes) and events. Briefly, loss or gain is triggered by an event and causes are the assignable or chance causes for the event. Assignable causes are attributable to factors that can be eliminated. In contrast, chance causes are natural or random. He therefore proposes another definition for operational risk as the uncertainty of loss in the book value of the firm or organization due to the failures in the manufacturing of the firms goods and services. Invention of operational risk In his second paper on risk management, Michael Power(2003) explains that operational risk pretty much inexistent before the 1990s. By the end of the decade, books were being published, conferences were being organized and apparently new roles such as operational risk manager were being created to the extent that there is talk of an operational risk profession. Risk management From the works of James E Roughton and Nathan Crutch Field(2008), it can be gathered that risk management is pre-emptive rather than reactive. This approach is based on the philosophy that it is irresponsible and wasteful to wait for an accident to happen, then figuring out how to prevent it from happening again. We manage risk whenever we modify the way we do something to make our chances of success as great as possible. It is a common sense approach to balancing the risks against the benefits to be gained in a situation and then choosing the most effective course of action. Baltzan , Philips and Hag (2009) describe risk management as a process of ongoing risk identification, analysis and developing responses to risk factors. Following the same concept, Kerzner (2001) argues that risk management is the art or practice of dealing with risk. He rightly puts it as: Risk management includes identifying, assessing and analyzing risk issues as well as planning for the occurrence of risk, and includes developing a management system to handle risks. This system should be designed to allow for monitoring of risk s to determine how they have changed. If not taken appropriate care of, the operational risk could have potential impacts on different aspect of an organization such as: The health and safety of employees and customers The business reputation, credibility and status Public and customer confidence Equipment and the environment (source: adapted from Queensland Tourism, 2009) In the tourism domain, risk management can be defined as the process whereby shareholders methodically address the risks attending to their activities with the goal of achieving sustained benefit with each activity and across the portfolio of all activities. It must be integrated into the culture of tourism private organization with an effective policy and programme led by the most senior management. It must translate the strategy into tactical and operational objectives assigning responsibility throughout the organization with each manager and employee responsible for the management of risk part of their job description. Operational risk management Operational risk management a simple six steps process which identifies operational hazards and takes reasonable measures to reduce risk to personnel, equipment and the mission. It is also a decision making tool that helps to systematically identify risks and benefits and determine the best courses of action for any given situation.(Anon,2000) Operational risk management process Step 1: Identify the hazard A hazard is defined as any real or potential condition that can cause degradation, injury, illness, death or damage to or loss of equipment or property. According to David Maccollum (2007), there are three different ways to methodically identify hazards. Hazard identification by area Hazards are grouped into common types and are identified by surveying all the different areas of an static site. This involves a precise process: Get an up to date plan of worksite. A precise picture of the work area must be provided Get a chart that shows the production process or work flow. The chart must be well explicit and updated for any changes. Divide the worksite into identifiable areas and number them. The physical layout of the working site can be divided according to certain dimensions and given a specific name code or number. Ask staff in all areas to list what they consider as potential hazards in their working environment and to give reasons why these hazards can harmful. Use existing resources and data to review information which can be gathered for example from regulations form, code of practices, booklets and records. Hazard identification by work analysis This method is preferable for small independent group of people who are under minimal supervision. Identify all the tasks people carry out. The employees are asked exactly how do they perform their tasks, their course of action and then the work process is broken down into smaller components for analysis. Work out the steps or stages involved in doing the task. The steps to perform the work are reviewed and possible hazards at each steps are noted and looked at. Using a list of possible hazards, to ask the employees what they consider could apply to each step identified and to write them down. Use existing resources such as guidelines, records of accidents and near misses not only from within the organization but from the industry as well to make sure of identifying all hazards. Use of information derived from task analysis to build up a profile of hazards and the occupations and tasks they apply to. A computer database can be used by giving specific codes to the hazards. (adapted from Occupational safety health service-A workbook, 1994) Hazard identification by process This approach is more thorough as it identifies the processes involved on a worksite and go through each process step by step to look for all hazards at each stage. Make inventory of all substances and materials used in the process List the process from where the material is delivered to the organization to where the finished goods are dispatched or services are offered. Draw up a flow chart detailing every step pf the process Use existing resources such as information booklets, records of accidents and near misses and reports from inspectors. Summerise the collected information (Adapted from Occupational safety health service-A workbook, 1994) Step 2: Assess the risk Risk assessment is actually the comparison of risk elements and their impacts against some acceptability criteria. Risk assessment sometimes involves consolidation of risks into risk sets that can be jointly mitigated, combined and then used in decision making. The assessment of risk is done by applying quantitative and qualitative measures to determine the level of risk associated with specific hazards.(Anon,2000) A risk assessment has three main functions -to consider the chance of harm actually befalling anyone in particular circumstances and the possible consequences -to make proper planning and take adequate preventive measures to control the risks -to shoulder responsibilities properly concerning identification and control of hazards Step 3: Analyse Risk Control Measures After identifying and assessing the hazards which need to be controlled, the next process is to select options or methods to take care of the hazard. The choice of an option is based on factors such as the potential severity of the harm posed by the hazard, the likelihood of injury or illness occurring and the cost of control measures. (Anon, 1994) Step 4: Make control decision The person with best decision abilities must be identified to choose the most appropriate control methods or set of strategies. It is important however to look at all options before making a decision, even though the identified hazard may already have some controls in place. Dale Stewart(2011) explains that these decisions must be made at the right time for maximum duration of effectiveness of the tools. The decision maker should be able to judge situations from required perspective and be responsible for consequences. Step 5: Implement Risk Controls Once control measure have been selected, an implementation strategy must be developed and carried out. For implementation to be successful, it should be clear, accountability should be established and support must be provided at all levels.(Dale Stewart, 2011) Step 6: Supervise and review It is very important to ensure that once hazard controls are put in place, regular checks must be carried out by designated persons to ensure their effectiveness and a feedback mechanism must be followed for future maintenance and utility maximization. (Dale Stewart, 2011) Maximize operational capabilityObjectives of operational risk management Conserve personnel resources Reduce or prevent increase or losses advance gain evaluate and minimize evaluate and maximize risks gain identify, control document identify, control document hazards opportunities Objectives Of Operational Risk Management (source  : FAA System Safety Handbook, Chapter 15: Operational Risk Management, 2000) Jurgen H.M Van Grinsen (2009) explains in his publication that the setting of operational risk management objectives affects or determines the choice of the methods and tools to be used. There are certain principles which need to be followed while implementing the operational risk management process and these are: Accept no unnecessary risk Make Risk Decisions at the Appropriate Level Accept Risk When Benefits Outweigh the Costs Integrate ORM into Planning at all Levels (source: adapted from FAA System Safety Handbook, Chapter 15: Operational Risk Management, 2000)

Fried Green Tomatoes at Whistle Stop Cafe: Novel vs. Movie Essays

Fried Green Tomatoes at Whistle Stop Cafe: Novel vs. Movie â€Å"I may be sitting at the Rose Terrace Nursing Home, but in my mind I’m over at the Whistle Stop Cafe having a plate of Fried Green Tomatoes† (Flagg ). Both the novel and the movie received a number of great reviews and honors. However, the two vary greatly in content. The novel, Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, brings the reader a much more detailed and very different story compared to the movie. For example, the character Vesta Adcock as portrayed in the novel is a citizen of Whistle Stop. Flagg sees Vesta as having church meetings and socials at her home and also as being the president of the drama club. â€Å"... Mrs. Vesta Acock, this little bird-breasted woman... who’s from Whistle Stop, came in wearing her fox furs and her diamond dinner rings† (Flagg 27). However, in the movie, Mrs. Adcock’s character changes completely. She does not play a woman from Whistle Stop, but Ed Couch’s aunt. The film shows her as a grouchy old woman residing in the Rose Hills Nursing Home Also, in the novel Flagg describes Buddy Threadgoode’s lover as Eva, the town harlot and proprietor of â€Å"The Wagon Wheel River and Fishing Club†. â€Å"...she had slept with a lot of men..., but [Buddy] didn’t care. Eva was as easy with her body as she was with every thing else.... The first time she took [Buddy] to bed, she made him feel like a man† (Flagg 94). Although the movie shows Buddy in love with the most admired woman in Whistle Stop, Ruth Jamison, the film shows Buddy walking with Ruth by the river. His eyes light up when he sees her and he cares about her greatly. In fact, he was trying to retrieve Ruth’s hat when the train killed him. Ninny Threadgoode says in the movie, â€Å"...his heart belonged to Ruth Jamison.† In addition, in the novel, Evelyn, who feels her life has become an endless battlefield, mainly because of her severe self-conscienceness, invented a person she used to give her courage in times she felt belittled. When someone would make her feel worthless Evelyn would think about Towanda and all the super hero battles she would fight if she really were Towanda. â€Å"Evelyn had even made up a secret code name for herself... a name feared around the world: TOWANDA THE AVENGER!† (Flagg 238). On the other hand in the movie, the unrefined and untamed Idgie Threadgoode thinks up Towanda. Evelyn uses... ...st scattered to the wind.† She does not find her house, although her new friend comforts her. In the movie, Ninny says,â€Å" Hey Evelyn, somebody stole my house. It was right here when I left.† Evelyn, who has fallen in love with Ninny, takes Ninny to her house and makes a home for her there. However, in the novel, Ninny Threadgoode goes back to her home in Whistle Stop, a growing city. There has been a lot of changes in the town, and all of Ninny’s memories have become rundown issuers. Despite the changes she returns to her house. Shortly after she returns, she dies a peaceful death in her sleep. â€Å"She wasn’t sick...she died in her sleep† (Flagg 378). Indeed, the movie and the novel hold many differences. Characters have changed, been eliminated, events have been left out, and relationships differed. Despite the changes, the film still managed to live up to the standards the book set. â€Å"Fried Green Tomatoes is a thorouly enjoyable move...,† says James Berardinelli quoted from the internet. Nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in 1987, this novel has tons of material which changed in the screenplay. However, both works offer dynamic characters, an interesting plot, and charming dialogue.

The Lady of Shallot :: Lady of Shalott Essays

The Lady of Shallot Alfred, Lord Tennyson, was known for his pictorial poetry, characterizes as "painterly," "picturesque" with visual detail and images that represent mood, situation and carry emotion" (ENG 103 Lecture on Victorian Age and Literature). The imagery of emotion is especially evident in the poet's depiction of nature, in the form of melancholy. In examining "The Lady of Shallot," the sense of eminent gloom of destiny is illustrated. Through the personification of nature, a vivid glimpse into a lady doomed by her fate. A picture is illuminated in the description 0f where the lady dwells. The reader gets a feel for the separation of the lady and her threatening destiny, in the imagery of her natural surroundings. This can be seen with "Willows whiten, aspens whiten, aspens quiver, /little breezes dusk and shiver" (The Longman Anthology Of British Literature, p.1913, LL. 10-11). The fear brought on by "quiver" and "Shiver", suggests the nature elements know what lies ahead, which is Camelot. The fearful destiny of the lady can be visualized with the description of her isolation on an island, in which the river is "flowing down to Camelot." The melancholy brought about by the personification of nature is echoed in the constant imagery of death. The picture of the bringer of death preparing for funeral projects the melancholy associated with death. Nobody can see the lady, yet a few can her song. The few include a foreshadowing of a funeral attendant, a "Willow-veil and nature's influence with "by the moon the reaper weary" (19,33). Emotions develop through imagery of the changing weather. As the lady sees Lancelot, the sky is "All in the blue unclouded weather" (91). This may depict a happy attraction of the lady sees him likened by nature with "His broad clear brow in sunlight glow" (100). However the weather shifts with emotion after the lady discoveries her curse is a melancholic death, when she decides to leave Shallot in pursuit of Lancelot. The imagery, mournful of her destined death with heaven waiting in "The pale yellow woods were waning, /The broad streaming his banks complaining, /Heavily the low sky raining.

Adventures of Tom Sawyer Essay

I had often been given a stern warning never to have anything to do with Jim. But whenever Dad repeated that warning, I was never as concerned with the implications of going against the rules, as with the consequences of abiding by them. Besides, I was not so foolish as to be caught crossing the borders because I knew only too well that Dad always meant what he said – or said what he meant – and that no single word from his mouth was meant for the trash can. In other words, I never knew him to beat around the bush as they say; he always hit the snake on the head, whenever he encountered one, that is. â€Å"We’re doing this for your own good,† he always said to us – my brother and I – before ordering us to make sure the house and the compound are as clean as a cow’s nose and cancelling our weekends’ time out with the other neighborhood kids or to the beach. â€Å"Ask Sawyer. † We all loved reading Mark Twain’s â€Å"Adventures of Tom Sawyer† but while my brother and I admired Sawyer, our parents saw the fruits of his mischief as a warning to us. Dad was the one who always spoke, while Mom silently nodded to every word as if Dad was reading the words directly from her mind. Mom never looked directly at us during such sessions. Instead, she looked at Dad all the while only darting a glance now and then from the corner of her eyes. She might have thought her motherliness would get in the way of justice if she ever saw eye-to-eye with either of her sons during those neither-too-long-nor-too-short lecture sessions, which I hated, probably even more than the punishment itself because as soon as they ended, Mom would get the courage to look us in the face and say â€Å"later† with a smile and Dad would wish us â€Å"a great weekend† as they drove off, towards fun. One such day, a Saturday, we discovered that we could take revenge for the punishment. The birds were not singing as joyfully as they used to and the clouds in the sky formed strange animal shapes. We needed something to lift our spirits, so we did the work hurriedly and sneaked out to join our friends from the neighborhood in one of my friend’s house, whose parents had gone on a weekend-long trip. It was party time! No parental guidance. No â€Å"don’t do this†, no â€Å"don’t do that†. Unrestricted freedom! Freedom like we wanted it! Many of our friends brought cans of beer, cigarettes and cigars stolen from their parents’ houses. We played hard rock and danced like little possessed witches and wizards, smoking like steam-engine trains and burning our guts with hard liquor, as if they did not belong to us. Some of my friends and my brother only had a few sips before they saw black and lay down, sprawled like chicken in the sun, while the rest of us, who had four stomachs, continued imbibing like real rockers. It was not long, however, before my eyes created Suzie’s identical twin and the can in my hand saw an opportunity to free itself as the stuff in my stomach erupted like a volcano. The last time I had a glimpse of Suzie, she was hanging in the air, and then someone cut the lights off! I woke up to a strange-looking ceiling – a snow-white ceiling. The smell was strange, too. So was the silence. But the strangest thing was that I felt like I was trapped in a borrowed body. I tried to move my arms and legs, but they were too weak to move. My head felt as heavy as sea sand, too heavy to lift. Someone softly touched my left hand. I turned my head slowly to face Mom and Dad and looked at the clock behind them. It read â€Å"10 0’clock†. Why was I in a hospital bed at ten in the morning? Immediately, my mind raced back. I remembered Suzie and her identical twin sister. No. Suzie did not have any sister, let alone a twin sister. I must have poisoned myself with hard liquor! I had ignored the implications of breaking the rules just to show Suzie I was a real man. I was not sorry for being too foolish to be caught, though. I was sorry because not only had I broke my parents’ rules, but also their hearts. Works Cited Twain, Mark. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. California: University of California Press. 2002. Adventures Of Tom Sawyer Essay I will never forget the time I spent with Tom Sawyer, Huck Finn and Joe Harper on Jackson’s Island. We have always wanted to become pirates. Now that we have found the exact opportunity – Tom being scolded by Aunt Polly and Joe Harper having been whipped by his mother for tasting sour cream – we decided that it is now time to pursue our dream to become real pirates. In that way, we will be able to live a life of freedom and fame, and the whole town will hear about our names. The people who mistreated us will also feel sorry for what they had done. Our rendezvous is Jackson’s Island, which is three miles below the town of St. Petersburg. We met there at midnight. That became the start of our lives as pirates of the sea. Personally, I loved the idea of running away from home. I never had to go to school anymore. I didn’t need to follow rules anymore. And as Tom promised often, all we will need to do is to steal, kill and get rich. So when midnight came, the four of us met at Jackson’s Island. Each of us came with something stolen. Tom brought stolen ham, Joe had a one sided bacon and Huck had a skillet and some tobacco leaves. I brought stolen matches from my mom’s drawer. I figured that if we would stay long in the Island, we would need fire for our daily needs. Tom applauded me for bringing some matches. In those days, matches are not commonly used in St. Petersburg. Very few people had them. We found a raft about a hundred yards away. So we decided to have some fun with it and as usual, Tom was the captain. He commanded our pirate ship as we all pretended to be real pirates, using terms we have heard from sailors as well as lines from books we have read. We decided to settle in a virgin forest about two hundred yards above the head of the island. There, we spread our belongings and also built a huge bonfire. We cooked our ham, bacon and corn pone by roasting them in the fire. We ate and ate until we were so full. There was nothing like it. If the other boys in the village saw us that way, they would greatly envy us without a doubt. There was nothing like a pirate’s life. After eating, we lay down on the grass and talked for a while. Tom started to tell us stories about pirates – how extravagant they are, and how rich and famous. We started to ask him many questions about becoming a pirate. He simply told us that all we had to do was steal belongings and kill other people. In the midst of the conversation, Huck Finn began to smoke tobacco! I instantly followed him with that activity and smoked tobacco as well. Tom and Joe simply looked silently at us in amazement. For a long time now, they had wanted to learn how to smoke, but never had the opportunity. Only Huck and I could smoke. After much talking, we all fell asleep one by one. That was our first night as â€Å"pirates†. Tom was the first to wake up in the morning. The first thing we did was to strip ourselves off our clothes and bathe in the sea. After that, we got ready for breakfast. Joe began to slice bacon and would have cooked it, but Tom and Huck asked him to wait. I was the one who caught a couple of sun perch and catfish! We instantly cooked those fishes along with the bacon and they tasted so good. Then after eating, we lay down on the sand for a long time. Sadness started to creep in, but nobody dared to speak about it. Nobody wants to be accused of being a chicken heart. I think Tom was starting to feel homesick too, but he didn’t want to show his feelings. Our growing homesickness was interrupted when we saw a ferry boat afar off, shooting cannon over the water. This is a sign that somebody in the village got drowned. Shooting cannons over the water made drowned people come up to the top. For a while we wondered who got drowned, and then Tom suddenly had a brilliant thought. We are the ones who got drowned! The entire village was searching for us. Our parents missed us, and the other boys surely heard about us. The girls we admired are now talking about us too! We spent the rest of the entire day swimming, talking, eating and exploring the island. When night came, everyone went to sleep. When I woke up in the morning, Joe and Huck were still sleeping. Tom, however, was nowhere to be found. I looked at the spot where he slept and found a note. I opened the note and it read like this: â€Å"If I don’t come back by breakfast time, all my things are yours.. † Upon reading this, I woke Joe and Huck and showed them the note. We waited for Tom for about an hour but he never came. Huck supposed that Tom felt homesick and went back to Aunt Polly’s house. However, Joe defended Tom and said that he knew his friend would never do such a disgrace. Tom, according to Joe, knew the code of pirates and he is too proud to quit and go home just like that. I told Joe to start cooking breakfast and if Tom never returned by the time we ate breakfast, all his things will be ours. But just before we started to eat, Tom appeared dramatically and entered the camp. He had some news for us. He had â€Å"spied† on St. Petersburg and discovered that the whole town was talking about us – the lost pirates. If our bodies were not found until Saturday, our funeral will be pronounced that very Sunday. We instantly felt like heroes. Then suddenly I had a brilliant idea. What if we could make a comeback on the day of our funeral? Tom and the other pirates liked it very much. Tom slept until noon and when afternoon came, we started to plan our appearance at our funeral on Sunday. That Sunday, while the entire town mourned for us and as the minister preached his eulogy for the â€Å"dead boys†, we were hiding in an unused gallery behind the church as we listened to everything that was happening. Suddenly, we made our appearance to the crowd. Needless to say, everybody welcomed us dramatically. Our loved ones cried with joy. We were the talk of the town for several months and I will never ever forget it. It was the best day of our lives. Part 2: The Commentary The pirate boys led by Tom Sawyer built a community that they have entirely created amongst themselves. It is a community apart from the regular life they have known at St. Petersburg. We can safely say that Tom, Joe and Huck built their pirate community based on their childhood imagination. As young people in a simple town, where modern industrialized America has not yet fully penetrated, these three boys have an inclination towards idealism. Their idea of a perfect life is total freedom. Thus, they chose to pretend as pirates and imitate the pirate’s code of conduct in order to experience the life that they have always dreamed about. To them, escaping to Jackson’s Island is more of an escape from reality. Although they have romantic idealisms as pirates in a free world, the reality remains that in the town of St. Petersburg, they are children and they are not as powerful as they suppose themselves to be. Tom Sawyer is just a kid who can get whipped by Aunt Polly any time of day. He is a student who needs to go to school and study his lessons. He is part of society. So as we have stated, going to Jackson’s Island is an escape from reality. The boys thought that they can build a community on their own – apart from society, authority and responsibility. This thought is evident in Tom’s opening thoughts in Chapter 13: â€Å"Tom’s mind was made up now. He was gloomy and desperate. He was a forsaken, friendless boy, he said; nobody loved him; when they found out what they had driven him to, perhaps they would be sorry†¦Yes, they had forced him to it at last: he would lead a life of crime. There was no choice. † (Twain, 1876). In the community that the boys built, each one played an important role. Tom was the leader because he was the one who provided the vision and insight about the life of a pirate. So in essence, he was providing direction for all of them. Almost everything they did during their getaway in the island was a product of Tom Sawyer’s imagination – based on what he read from books and his own thoughts and romantic dreams. Joe Harper, meanwhile was more of a follower. He also executes Tom’s orders. It is evident that Joe admired Tom for everything that he was. Joe once said: â€Å"No, Tom’s true-blue, Huck, and he’ll come back. He won’t desert. He knows that would be a disgrace to a pirate, and Tom’s too proud for that sort of thing. He’s up to something or other. Now I wonder what? † (Twain, 1876) Huck, meanwhile, is a symbol of the free life that Tom and Joe have always longed for. Huck didn’t need to go to school. He is a waif, a vagabond and he is not part of society. The other boys envied Huck because he can smoke tobacco while most boys in St. Petersburg – even Tom and Joe – cannot do that act. Although Tom was the leader, we can say that Huck is the role model for the entire community they have built for themselves. If, for Tom and Joe, the island getaway was an escape from reality, it was a normal day for Huck. He was probably used to going to different places all by himself. The simple community of Huck Finn, Joe Harper and Tom Sawyer was similar to adult communities in that they have a single driving force – the desire to live a life of freedom. If we look at history, almost all communities started with that single driving force. In any given community, there should be a leader, a follower and a symbol of inspiration. As these traits are respectively found in each of our characters, we may say that Tom, Huck and Joe are a perfect embodiment of American idealism. Although their deeds were shown in boyish manner, they represent a greater dimension which reflects the reality of adult life. As the saying goes, â€Å"Men are simply boys who grew up†. Works Cited: Twain, Mark (1993). The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer [electronic version]. New York: Project Gutenberg Ebooks. (Original work published 1876)