Relationship Between Business And Finance And Accounting

In the world-at-large, Finance and Accounting are often erroneously linked together. As if to say, they are one-and-the-same – a sort of a misnomer, you can say. In conversations concerning both disciplines, the colloquial marriage of both business sectors is as common place as light is to the day. It is true, that to successfully manage a business, both principles must be applied in equilibrium to replicate success in any organized venture; however, their differences are highlighted in training and practice, and are applied in different ways professionally, as well as in one’s personal life. Yadda! Yadda! Yadda! I feel like a boring Accountant describing journal entries and T-Charts! To T-rade or to T-Chart: that is the question, whether tis nobler in the mind to suffer the pangs of Accounting, or the slings and arrows of outrageous fortunes of Finance†¦ a reinterpretation of the famous Hamlet line. Oops! I digressed a bit. Finance and Accounting are held under t he umbrella of Business Management, they are two different disciplines in study and practice. As a Business major with experience in both disciplines, I can understand the difficulty in separating the two fields and their applications. Accounting is carefully recording monetary transactions for analysis and future reporting. It involves the tedious, yet necessary, task of balancing incoming monies for application against outgoing invoices of debt; and managing the value of large purchases, as they lose value overShow MoreRelatedDetermining Financial Viability699 Words   |  3 PagesDetermining Financial Viability Accounting and finance are closely related to a certain extent in which both deal with the financial aspects of a company. Accounting and finance work together in creating â€Å"a company’s budget or working capital analysis† (Wise-Geek, 2012, p. 1). 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Multi-Modal Transport System Effects on Selection of Global Supply Free Essays

string(411) " more than one mode is mostly profitable to organisation \(Murphy and Farris, 1993\) but depended on type of freight and relative distance but is it that simple in present world\? Multimodal/ Intermodal Transportation System Multimodal and intermodal being the two words used in literature with synonymous meaning of: ‘usage of one or more than one mode of transport’ innocently interoperated occasionally\." UNIVERSITY OF GLAMORGAN BUSSINESS SCHOOL| Globalization of Logistics and Supply Chain: Selection Of Global Supplier Over Local Impacts On Sustainability of Supply Chain| Key words : Sustainable Supply Chain, Multi- modal/Intra-modal Transport, Transport modes, Logistics, Operations, Sustainability, Triple bottom line| | Aqeel Iqbal| 15-Apr-13| This paper is conceptualizing on combination of transport modes organisation use to maintain sustainability in their supply chain by keeping the carbon foot print to minimum, this paper utilizes desk research to evaluate the impact of this approach on the organisations who prefer global suppliers over local evaluating the trade-offs these organisations need to make in order to maintain an equilibrium of sustainability in their supply chain concluding on the fact that dependent on an organisational willingness to be environmentally sustainable future most practices don’t need a choice of cost over environment but some need sacrifice of at least one to maintain sustainability. | Introduction This research paper is aimed to critically evaluate and answer the research question of: how selection of global over local suppliers affects organisation’s sustainable supply chain strategy while considering the impact of ‘‘multi-modal’/‘intramodal’ ch oice’ and what trade-offs does these organisations need do in order to achieve this? To answer this research question it is essential to address two wide areas in business literature, gaining an understand of what these areas actually mean to an organisational operational strategy: first being identification of different intramodal/multimodal transport choice used in local and global supply chains; whereas the second to critically evaluate why priority is given by different organisations to select global suppliers over local, while achieving reasoning from prospective of different Industries and organisations within those industries for the trades-off they are willing to do in order to implement selected means in to practice, while maintaining the sustainability of their supply chain. This paper divided into four nterlinked parts will use desk search to grasp understanding on wide topics of present transportation modes, multi-modal/intramodal transportation system, and sustainability of supply chain (focusing on logistics and operation function) and Impacts of select ing global supply chain; dividing each part by sub-research questions asked to the reader at end of each part; While concluding the paper on the notion that selection of the mode depends on trade-offs an organisations is willing to make between being ecological sustainable to cost and service. We will write a custom essay sample on Multi-Modal Transport System Effects on Selection of Global Supply or any similar topic only for you Order Now Transportation modes at present In the past decades the transportation system has been regarded as a separate function and an additional cost to the organisations supply chain (Huge-Brodin, 2013); which has also often been likened with the objective of cost minimisation rather than a value adding factor (Cunningham, 1982). However, this long-established concept has been critiqued to be a value added activity in the supply chain from literature of twenty first century (E. Bo and Hammervoll, 2010; Freight best practice, 2013; Huge-Brodin, 2013) based on the emerging demand for advanced logistics services and the globalization trends, demand in cutting of lead period, short product life cycles, and increased technology use and outsourcing trends (Anthony D. Ross, 2012). This notion has lead organisations consider flexible and effective freight flow which can match and fulfil organisation needs dependent on their market and environment (Cunningham, 1982; Murphy and Farris, 1993; Huge-Brodin, 2013). In order to understand how to use the right transportation mode freight movement it is eminent to know different transportation methods used by organisations at present and critically evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of each of them (see Appendix A B). (Appendix AB) does not show one of the major transport mode pipeline mainly because of its use in movement of specific kind of freight like oil and gas thus not firmly a modal choice it has a high initial cost of setup but is full reliable cost effective and environment friendly (CEFIC, 2011; Freight best practice, 2013). There are four major categories of freight transport used presently: inland water and sea, air, pipeline, and land. Whereas most literatures in the past categorised land into sub modes in order to evaluate the effectiveness of them as Road and Rail (Murphy and Farris, 1993; Freight best practice, 2013); thus for the purpose of this paper five inclusive the sub categories will be used. Maria Feo-Valero and her colleagues (Feo-valero, Menendez and hidalgo, 2011) in a review to bibliography has highlighted Freight Value Of Time (FVOT) as a scale for the methods of transport mode selection; based on the rate of substitution between travel cost and time called value of time (VOT) as different modes vary majorly in consciences of amount they carry in given time and the cost to the organisation (Feo-valero, Menendez and hidalgo, 2011) . As different organisations in the same industries have different priories of transport mainly dependent on their locations, sustainability, market share, quantity, size and weight of inventories (Carter and Rogers, 2008; Meixell and Mario, 2008) as an example retail industry consists a combination of deep-sea mode which commute inventories internationally (may contain inventories for various competitors within the same region in a container (Fawcett and Mangan, 2002; Pettit, Liu and Beresford, 2011)) then through either rail or road depended on inventory size, weight, type and location of main warehouse and sustainable practice of the organisation is selected from which may be distributed via road transport either to depot or directly to the retail store (Wu and Dunn, 1995; Huge-Brodin, 2013). The FVOT value has been an important addition to the logistics planning following the concept of cost reduction with less recognition over time but similar frameworks illustrate results which h ave been used to optimize time and cost of transportation of freight (Murphy and Farris, 1993; Carter and Rogers, 2008). Which lead managers and academics to a conclusion that combination of more than one mode is mostly profitable to organisation (Murphy and Farris, 1993) but depended on type of freight and relative distance but is it that simple in present world? Multimodal/ Intermodal Transportation System Multimodal and intermodal being the two words used in literature with synonymous meaning of: ‘usage of one or more than one mode of transport’ innocently interoperated occasionally. You read "Multi-Modal Transport System Effects on Selection of Global Supply" in category "Papers" Thus it is important to address this for the purpose of this paper: intra-model transport with only one significant difference to multimodal is that the freight being transported are not handled on every occasion when the mode of transport is changed (Freight best practice, 2013) in opposition to multi-modal where freight are andled each time for example in case of container caring automobile that arrive at de ep sea port is opened and cars remove from the container are loaded on a auto-transport trailer to carry by the trailer to showroom (Worthington and Britton, 2006). For the purpose of this paper multi-modal will be used to demonstrate more than one of transport. Multi-modal transportations have answered to the cost reduction of the orthodox literature on reduction of cost and time freight transport: as discussed earlier in the retail example for the ship carrying inventories of different competitors in a shared container reducing cost by sharing of container, and dependent on the agile approach of any of these competitor time frame of getting inventors from deep sea port to stores can be reduced by using road mode rather than rail (Logistcs Cluster, 2011). As the field of transportation evolved â€Å"Deregulation of the rail and trucking industries, implementation of innovative manufacturing strategies such as Just in Time (JIT),increased emphasis on quality management† (Meixell and Mario, 2008) and stakeholder (R. E. Freeman, 1984) consideration have all contributed to cause complexity in transportation selection (Murphy and Farris, 1993) developing the traditional view of just selecting the mode and type of carrier (Meixell and Mario, 2008). In present time logistics/operation manages are bound to understand the Industries challenges faced by the organisation as explained by (Meixell and Mario, 2008) in their paper comparing â€Å"Transportation capacity shortage, and International growth, Economies of scale and scope, Security concerns, Environmental and energy used†. As research carried by (Pettit, Liu and Beresford, 2011) on the extraction and transportation of iron ore from Australia to China utilizing multimodal transportation relied on more convectional mode of transport Deeps Sea for country to country transportation but other than that saw were some limitations imposed on multimodal transport options for bulk cargoes. As Iron ore flows are typically as â€Å"high volume – high weight – low value and transhipment is time consuming, energy intensive and expensive† thus minimising the modes of transportation and limiting â€Å"large number of transhipment points†. As the research question point out need to investigate the sustainable options to transport the next parts of the essay will achieve an understanding: Is global multi-modal transportation a sustainable option for an organisations supply chain and what trade-offs are organisations willing to make in order to implement this modal in their supply chain? In order to answer this it is critical to first grasp an understanding of what sustainable supply chain means to an organisation? Sustainability of Supply Chain Shareholder theory stating the organisations primary focus being increasing shareholders wealth (Friedman, 1970) has overly been critiqued by the stakeholder theory over the topic of ill consideration of environmental and social sustainability (R. E. Freeman, 1984; Jensen, 2002; Murphy, 2012). Sustainability as defined by (Worthington and Britton, 2006: 510) â€Å"An approach to economic growth and development which takes account of the social and environmental consequences† also referred to as the triple bottom line approach (Elkington, 1994; Carter and Rogers, 2008; Seuring and Muller, 2008). Supply chains by definition necessitate organisations to work collectively with the purpose of adding value to the customer by physical movement of goods. In present world combination of different supply chains have come together to form a supply web (Poter. M. E, 1985,1996; Handfield and Nichols, 2002). As the research question only relates with the impact of the multi-modal choice impact on the supply chain thus functions supporting function from Poter’s value chain model are side lined and emphases is given on the inbound/outbound logistics and operations (Poter. M. E, 1985,1996) value chain model (explaining supply chain as a combination of value adding activates within an organisational structure). Inbound/Outbound logistics being one of the most important function of the supply chain (Carter and Rogers, 2008) has been linked to sustainability because of inclusion of one the most costly and environmentally harmful sub-function (transport function) in it (Huge-Brodin, 2013) as according to (CEFIC, 2011) report Transport including freight accounts for 20% of all EU’s green house gas emissions which was projected to raise to 30% by 2020 if precautions are not taken. Sustainability a wide topic in itself has been of great interest to all the stakeholders in present time especially to customers, governments and non-Governmental organisations (NGOs); Pressurising organisations to operate in environmental and social friendly manner and demanding transparency from organisation supply chains (Carter and Rogers, 2008; CEFIC, 2011; Freight best practice, 2013). This transparency majorly driven y corporate reporting, â€Å"Interoperable software and globalization of supply chainsâ €  making it hard and risky for an organisation to do corporate unethical activities (Carter and Rogers, 2008)as: in case logistics external stakeholders are mainly interested in the economical and the environmental impact on sustainability for example raised awareness in sustainability of environment presently as consumers looking at carbon foot print (total amount of carbon emission done in to getting the product to the end user (Freight best practice, 2013))before purchase of a product (Anthony D. Ross, 2012); Carbon footprint is one of most important variable, while calculating environmental sustainability (Anthony D. Ross, 2012; Carter and Rogers, 2008; Feo-valero, Menendez and hidalgo, 2011). As all three Economical, social and Environmental impacts are considered while making a mode selection, (Carter and Rogers, 2008) drew a wider picture of implications in the their version of triple bottom line(3BL) (see Appendix C)by including the risk management, organisational culture, transparency and organisational strategy as the factors basing the triple bottom line of an organisation. Whereas placing a question mark at being good which relates the social and environmental factors of 3BL following the viewpoint of some scholars like (Walley and Whitehead, 1994) stating â€Å"environmental and social initiatives are costly undertakings† (Carter and Rogers, 2008). In contrast to statement by (Walley and Whitehead, 1994) some logistics and operations functions fall in the category of being sustainable in all forms as resulted in a study done in 1980 on 45 firms in Denmark; results found suggested 20 out of 45 to be cost saving options (Dielman and de Hoo, 1993) for example: efficient routing of transport, reducing packaging, improving operational order in warehouses and having fuel efficient transportation, (Carter and Rogers, 2008) and reverse logistics for some Industries as the fabricated metal products industry and electric/electronic products industry used as topic of research by (Talbot, Lefebvre and Lefebvre, 2007). According to (Wagner, 2005) In practice, organisation try hard to achieve a win-win situation when considering the economic and the environmental aspect; but when it comes to trade-offs based on the analysis of all there dimension (Seuring and Muller, 2008) have rated the economic dimension of being the most important from the view of the organisation explaining the notion that â€Å"without economic success, there would be no supply chains† whereas trade-offs between environmental and social dimension dictions have not been clear (Wagner, 2005). This now leads to the question of: Are global multi-modal sustainable and what trade-offs does an organisation need to make while selecting them? Global Supply chain Impacts and Trade-offs Following the challenges faced by the organisations highlighted earlier in the paper by (Meixell and Mario, 2008). As different Industries operate in different ways and organisations within those industries may also differ in operation and strategy example form the fashion retail industry being: Zara fashions, number one fashion retailer of the world benefited with highly agile supply chain function; highly integrated communication and inventory management system (Euromonitor International , 2011) . Where as in comparison its nearest competitor GAP utilizing a more leaner approach to reduce the uncertainty; both organisations being global brands but with different operational strategies and possessing their own comparative advantage within fashion industry. As both these companies source some of their products from global suppliers but because of difference in organisational strategies and core competency rely on different sources as Zara with its most of its operations and headquarters in Spain use more European to aid its agile approach with tradeoffs cost to small batches of inventory levels at each store every fourth week (Euromonitor International , 2011; Paloma Diaz Soloaga and Mercedes Monjo, 2010) making Zara environmentally and economical less sustainable to GAP but Zara make that up with local most manufacturing locally in Spain (Euromonitor International , 2011). As the research question converse the notion of impacts of selecting a global supplier over local supplier it is important to address the reasons for selecting one? As some nations are more comparative than other nations as explained by (Porter, 1990) possessing a unique quality that attracts organisations to select global supply chains rather than local mostly looki ng for economic sustainability (Yip, 1989; Elkington, 1994; Seuring and Muller, 2008). Organisations deciding to select a global supplier than a local supplier decreases environmental sustainable supply chain but mostly has an opposite impact on economically. Successful businesses respond to both internal and external changes and amend their strategist in the same manner. In order to ain supplies globally even with increased pressure from customer demands of being ‘green’ and highly imposed governmental regulations in most regions around the globe organisation in turn making diction hard for logistics managers to do certain trade-offs to maintain sustainability on ‘cost, quality and service’, while limiting dangerous emissions to atmosphere (IBM, 2008). Managers devising an operational strategy of an organisation analyse cost and profit in perspective of corporate goals and objectives. The main Trade-offs linked to each part of sustainable supply chain as in acquisition of raw materials sourced by inbound logistics, involves purchasing purchase of ‘green’ raw material may be costly to normal material leaving a trade-off to buy form low cost supplier or environmentally friendly. Organisation indoor to stay sustainable only trade from suppliers that are certified to International Organization of Standardization standards (ISO) has lead organisations dealing in third world countries with less awareness of ISO regulations to find alternative sources of suppliers (Wu and Dunn, 1995; Anthony D. Ross, 2012). The selection of the vendor will also influence the transpiration mode of selection as for example in third world countries there is lack of infrastructure of trains is not of high speed and precise in timing as in European countries which causes delays, unpredictability and also be unsustainable by possessing extra cost and additional CO2 emissions’; where as some don’t have facility of using road rail combination at all, in both cases trucks to transport goods from remote locations of railway station or deep seaports may increase the Carbon foot print more than of that of a normal raw marital bought from a local supplier (Wu and Dunn, 1995). Smart Packaging is another part of logistics in which organisation can do trade-off to stay environmentally sustainable as global supplies use containers to send bulk of goods packed together reducing packaging and material handling costs; another way is being minimizing protection packaging can improve space utilization and reduce handling costs (Sony Global, 2012) at each point of transportation reducing carbon footprint. Lean approach within the supply chain makes it environmentally sustainable but adds usage of ware housing costs with storage of goods in oppositions to widely uses JIT approach (smaller regular shipments) (IBM, 2008) as warehousing occupies excess and and generation of excess packaging waste hat can be reduced by using a local supplier as organisations trade-off of selecting a leaner approach while selecting a global supplier being risk of excess inventories stuck with in the warehouse with an unpredictable customer demand (Wu and Dunn, 1995) as demonstrated by Ap pendix D demonstrating an example of relationship of all variables of trade-off while comparing operational strategies with shipment consolidation used by IBM (IBM, 2008) to explain effects on environment. Reverse logistics have solved this problem of excess cost of packing and return items by the customers to be sent upstream to supplier using standardized renewable packing (Walley and Whitehead, 1994; Wu and Dunn, 1995; Anthony D. Ross, 2012)but when considering a global supplier it will be addition cost of transportation to the organisation using reverse logistics resulting in excess waste creation an unsustainable option (Talbot, Lefebvre and Lefebvre, 2007; Feo-valero, Menendez and hidalgo, 2011). Information and communications (ICT) can also played an important role in sustainable global supply chain substituting Information with inventory levels (Wu and Dunn, 1995) devising the right routs and knowing the exact times inventory arrivals, conciliation of shipments and optimising waste by minimizing large number of suppliers to just few, maximizing truckload in forward and backward supply chain over all removing uncertainty of supply chain (Mason, Lalwani and Boughton, 2007) the tradeoffs of the initial cost of implementing the ICT systems in organisation to long term sustainable benefits (IBM, 2008; Feo-valero, Menendez and hidalgo, 2011; Sony Global B, 2012). Dependent on the trade-off an organisation is willing to make over cost, service or environment organisations can select a sustainable multimodal method of transport(see Appendix E ) as trade-offs may vary according to selection of a local supplier. Conclusion This paper was aimed to answer question of how selection of global suppliers affects organisation’s sustainable supply chain strategy in light of multi-modal choice while considering the impact and what trade-offs does these organisations need do in order to achieve a sustainable supply chain? It is best to conclude this paper at notion of Industries and organisations vary in the need of supply chains dependent on the variants discussed in the paper; taken as a whole, these factors explained by (Carter and Rogers, 008; Meixell and Mario, 2008) play a very important role in selection of mode transport and over all operation strategy and an organisation should assess the trade-offs based on these factors. Whereas overall t he decision of using or changing the multi-modal used depends on an organisational willingness to be environmentally sustainable future most of the changes are both cost and eco friendly whereas some require to long protesting one on other. Works Cited Andrew, D. T. (2013) Globalisation Lecture, 8 January, [Online], Available: https://blackboard. glam. ac. uk/bbcswebdav/courses/PS4S34_2012_v1/Andrew%20Thomas%20-%20Globalisation%20Lecture. pdf [20 January 2013]. Anthony D. Ross, H. P. a. C. D. (2012) ‘Sustainability and supply chain infrastructure development’, Management Decision, vol. 50, no. 10, pp. 891-1910. Carter, C. R. and Rogers, D. S. (2008) ‘A framework of sustainable supply chain management:moving towards new theory’, International Journal of Physical Distribution Logistics Management, vol. 38, no. 5, pp. 360-87. CEFIC (2011) Guidelines for Measuring and Managing CO2 Emission from Freight Transport Operations, March, [Online], Available: http://w ww. cefic. org/Documents/IndustrySupport/Transport-and-Logistics/Best%20Practice%20Guidelines%20-%20General%20Guidelines/Cefic-ECTA%20Guidelines%20for%20measuring%20and%20managing%20CO2%20emissions%20from%20transport%20operations%20Final%2030. 03. 201 [1 April 2013]. Cunningham, W. H. J. 1982) ‘Freight Modal Choice and Competition in Transportation: A Critique and Categorization of Analysis Techniques’, TRANSPORTATION JOURNAL (American Society of Transportation Logistics Inc), vol. 21, no. 4, Summer, pp. 66-75. Dielman, H. and de Hoo, S.. (1993) ‘Toward a tailor-made process of pollution prevention and cleaner production: results and implications of the PRISMA project†, in Fisher, K. andSchott, J. ,’, Environmental Strategies for Industry Island Press, Washington, DC, no. 2, pp. 45-75. E. Bo and Hammervoll, T. (2010) ‘Cost-based pricing of transportation services in a wholesaler-carrier relationship: an MS Excel spreadsheet decision toolâ€℠¢, International Journal of Logistics: Research and Applications, vol. 13. , no. 3, pp. 197-210. Elkington, J. (1994) ‘ Towards the sustainable corporation: Win-win-win business strategies for sustainable development’, California Management Review , vol. 36, no. 2, pp. 90-100. Euromonitor International (2011) FOCUS: Zara grows in Brazil while Gap and HM dither, 7 october, [Online], Available: http://www. just-style. com/analysis/zara-grows-in-brazil-while-gap-and-hm-dither_id112354. aspx [12 February 2013]. Fawcett, S. E. and Mangan, G. M. (2002) ‘The rhetoric and reality of supply chain integration’, International Journal of Physical Distribution Logistics Management, vol. 32, no. 3, pp. 39-61. Feo-valero, M. , Menendez, l. G. nd hidalgo, R. G. (2011) ‘Valuing Freight Transport Time using Transport Demand Modelling: A Bibliographical Review’, Transport Reviews, vol. 31, no. 5, September, p. 625–651. Freight best practice, (2013) Choosing and Developing a Multi-modal Transport Solution, [Online], Available: freightbestpractice. org. uk/categories/3589_586_dulliau-amlfoddol–multi-modal-. aspx [1 March 2013]. Friedman, M. (1970) ‘The Social Responsibility of Business Is to Increase Profits’, New York Times Magazine, vol. 13, no. 32. Gerry Johnson, K. S. W. (2008) Exploring Corporate Strategy, 8th edition, London: Pearson Education. Handfield, R. B. and Nichols, J.. E. L. 2002) Supply Chain Redesign: Transforming Supply Chains into Integrated Value systems, 1st edition, United States of America: FT Press. Huge-Brodin, K. I. a. M. (2013) ‘Understanding efficiencies behind logistics service providers’ green offerings’, Management Research Review, vol. 36, no. 3, pp. 216-238. IBM (2008) Mastering carbon management:Balancing trade-offs to optimize supply chain efficiencies, [Online], Available: -05. ibm. com/de/automotive/downloads/mastering-carbon-management. pdf [1 April 2013]. Ilan Oshri, J. K. W. R. L. W. (2009) ‘Global sourcing: recent trends and issues’, Info rmation Technology People, vol. 22, no. 3, pp. 192-200. Jensen, M. C. 2002) ‘Value Maximization, Stakeholder Theory, and the Corporate Objective Function’, Business Ethics Quarterly , vol. 12, no. 2, pp. 235-56. Logistcs Cluster (2011) Logistics Operational Guide, May, [Online], Available: http://log. logcluster. org/response/transport/ [2 March 2013]. Mason, R. , Lalwani, C. and Boughton, R. (2007) ‘Combining vertical and horizontal collaboration for transport optimisation’, Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, vol. 12, no. 3, p. 187–199. Meixell, J. M. and Mario, N. (2008) ‘A review of the transportation mode choice and carrier selection literature’, The International Journal of Logistics, vol. How to cite Multi-Modal Transport System Effects on Selection of Global Supply, Papers

English Language and Linguistics System †Free Samples to Students

Question: Discuss about the English Language and Linguistics System. Answer: Introduction The purpose of this paper is to critically analyze the concept of learning games for teaching vocabulary. It is very important to examine the process of implementing learning games so as to facilitate students understanding of vocabulary (Moon, 2000). ESL students face several challenges when learning vocabulary, especially when learning foreign languages. The process of learning vocabulary is also faced by difficulties in teaching approach. Some teachers lack the ability to teach vocabulary due to lack of experience in teaching. Most of the teachers apply traditional teaching approach which may not fit the modern teaching styles that would be understood by the students (Wright, 2005). Such students face difficulties when learning vocabulary thereby taking much time to learn. Therefore, the paper will examine the importance of applying learning games to teach vocabulary to elementary students. In this framework, we apply TPR in order to demonstrate how it can be applied in teaching vocabulary. In this approach, ESL teachers and trainees apply this teaching methodology by considering practical classroom techniques (Lesikar Marie, 2008). Again, the ESL teachers apply activities recommended in the approach to enable elementary students acquire second language thereby learning new vocabularies. Again, the approach applies user-friendly content to provide a comprehensive survey of practical language teaching. It also apply certain principles of language learning and teaching. In addition, the approach considers the certain principles to develop a critical pedagogy and social responsibility. Another recommendation of total physical response is to train teachers of ESL and EFL. In that connection, the concept of language learning and language acquisition is very important to interactive approach of language learning. Use of traditional and rationalist methods is also applied in language learning thereby implementing functional and humanistic approaches to make elementary students to understand language and vocabularies (Thornbury, 2002). Lastly, the Total Physical Response Approach (TPR) is used to enhance students ability to listen and understand foreign language. In that connection, ESL students are able to respond to learning process through understanding of vocabularies. The use of learning games to teach vocabulary enable students to move, act and do things according to foreign language. The relevance of Previous Literature In this section, we review three articles so as to understand the use of learning games to teach vocabulary to elementary students. The core objective of the study is to determine the effects of using games to reinforce vocabulary learning. First, we consider the Journal of American Arabic Academy for Sciences and Technology by Muna, 2014. That is, Using Game Strategy for Motivating Students to Learn New English Vocabulary. According to Muna, there are certain problems faced by students when learning new vocabularies. The problem of memorizing new vocabularies and then using them to communicate is the main problem addressed by the author. There are many subjects that students study in elementary education. These subjects contain certain vocabularies that students are required to memorize (Richards Renandya, 2002). Learning of vocabularies in elementary schools is done using normal teaching strategies such as the use of flashcard and teaching of new words in context. However, this ap proach is not effective because students do not demonstrate any motive to memorize these vocabularies (Kuchenbecker, 2013). The use of the game as a vocabulary learning strategy is very applicable in the current elementary education. This approach acts as a motivating tool to enable students to learn and memorize new vocabularies. Motivation is one of the strategies used by teachers no make students active in classroom thereby leaning and memorizing new words. The next summary on use of games to teach vocabularies is obtained from the international electronic journal for teachers of English by Nitin Pillai, 2013. That is, Integrating Games and Vocabulary Teaching: An Exploratory Study. According to the author, students are expected to use extensive vocabulary in their academic and personal work. However, not many students have managed to achieve personal growth through the extensive use of vocabularies because they learned their vocabularies through use of inert approaches such as passive explanations (Nitin, 2013). Lack of improper methods to teach new words and vocabularies is the main contributor towards slow growth in language learning. The author recommends the use of certain games in teaching vocabularies. Some of the games that would be applicable include Hangman Grid, Crossword Puzzle, and Dumb Charades, Dice the Word, Number Clue Game and The Grid (Mills, 2003). Through the use of these games, students are able to learn new words. This strategy is very effective because as students get motivated to play the game, they learn new vocabularies. The last summary of the use of gaming strategy to teach vocabularies in elementary education is obtained from the literature of Osha Saeed Al Neyadi. That is, The Effects of Using Games to Reinforce Vocabulary Learning. According to Osha Saeed Al Neyadi, there are two main approaches to gaming that can be applied in teaching vocabularies (Muna, 2014). They include the grammar-translation method and the audio-lingual method. The use of grammar-translation is to memorize lists of vocabularies and then use them for assessments. The use of this approach focused the learning of vocabularies so as to illustrate grammar rules. On the other hand, an audio-lingual approach focused on the pronunciation of vocabularies and intensive oral drilling of new words (Brown, 1994). From the analysis and presentation of data in this research, several issues can be drawn concerning the use of games in teaching vocabularies. First, the use of games enables students to memorize new vocabularies. There is an increase in words memorization through use of games to practice and recycle vocabularies. Again, use of games to recycle and practice vocabularies increase interaction among students. Lastly, there is an increase in students motivation as a result of the use of games to practice and recycle vocabularies. Conclusion In conclusion, many researchers agreed that teaching vocabulary through games can be used to motivate students to learn language and vocabularies. This can increase the interest level of the students and ESL teachers (Theresa Hall, 2013). Moreover, it can raise student interaction and enhance student motivation in learning vocabulary. Nevertheless, there exist certain gaps in preparing strategic teaching method and activity to enhance games in teaching vocabularies. References Brown, H.D. (1994). Teaching by Principles: An Interactive Approach to Language Pedagogy. Prentice Hall Reagent. Kuchenbecker, K. (2013). "Exploring word and strategy knowledge of high school students in a German classroom." Ph.D. diss., University of Iowa. Lesikar, R., Marie, F. (2008). Basic Business Communication. New Delhi: Tata McGraw-Hill. Mills, G. E. (2003). Action research: A guide for the teacher researcher. US: Merrill Moon, J. (2000). Children Learning English. London: Macmillan. Muna, A. (2014). Using Game Strategy for Motivating Students to Learn New English Vocabulary. Journal of American Arabic Academy for Sciences and Technology, 5 (12). PP. 137-146. Nitin, P. (2013). Integrating Games and Vocabulary Teaching: An Explanatory Study. International Electronic Journal for Teachers of English, 3 (2). Pp. 98-112. Prentice Hall Press. Richards, J. C., Renandya, W. (2002). Methodology in Language Teaching: An Anthology of Current Practices. Cambridge University Press. Theresa, A.Y., Hall, H. M. (2013). Content-Based Second Language Teaching and Learning: An Interactive Approach. Pearson Publishers. Thornbury, S. (2002).How to Teach Vocabulary. London: Longman. Wright A, B. D. (2005). Games for Language Learning. New York: Cambridge University

Woyzeck Essay Example

Woyzeck Essay Woyzeck, I thought all in all was a quite a dry play, regarding its plot and movement. The only really interesting aspect was that of some of the actors, namely Captain played by William Heafer and Karl played by Sean Connealy. William did a wonderful job playing the part of Captain. From thefirst moments that I saw him in the background he looked like a powerful character and individual. Just his look, the way his hair was sleekly combed unlike the others, and the way even his make-up was applied, especially to his lips. His lips were quite dark and gave us a sort of reason to always stare at this mouth and pay attention to what he is saying. During thefirst scene with him, when the whole cast is at the fair and amusing at the horseman and such, we see Captain in the background, solemnly sitting there, not too interested in what is happening. He is the only one in the crowd that displays maturity and neglect for childish games. And once again William Heafer plays this part out mag nificently with frowning looks, and awkward glances. The next scene that we see Captain in is where Woyzeck is shaving his face. Captain shows command over Woyzeck and complete control over the situation, while also providing Woyzeck with a means for his life. William plays this out by always creating a perfect posture and clean and crisp dialect, which is part of his character. One of the last scenes with Captain, is when he is talking with the Doctor. He arrives on stage in replacement of Woyzecks presence, which is a shock to the Doctor. Williams look through this scene is completely cold and stone-faced, it is simply wonderful to see him portray this character, his body language and face were perfect for it. The second actor that I would like to talk about is Karl played by Sean Connealy. This actor, as I have seen in other plays is a complete comedy riot. Sean gets cast for all of the comedy rel Woyzeck Essay Example Woyzeck Essay The wise saying goes, â€Å"They do not have enough money for the funeral rites; God, let not the poor persons die!† Woyzeck is based on a true story. To meet the ends of justice, a poor person was executed for stabbing his wife, Marie, to death. This incident inspired Buchner to create an artistic masterpiece in the form of a drama. But not all the characters therein, are historical figures. Great personalities leave some or the other controversies behind them. Buchner is no exception. He died in 1837 even before giving the final shape to Woyzeck, and he left behind four unpolished manuscripts, that stand as witness to his creativity â€Å"Buchner suggests that, were they not poor and downtrodden, Woyzeck and Marie might be as great as the biblical figures with which he associates them. His allusions to Christ and Mary only heighten the sense that Woyzeck and Maries shameful actions are not part of their nature but rather, products of an unjust social structure.†(Grade Saver†¦) They say, â€Å"God loves those who die young.† This seems to be true about George Buchner (1813-1837).He died at the young age of 24.He was born in the small own of Goddelau, in Hessen, Gemany. His father was a rationalist and a scientist. When he was undergoing medical training at Strasbourg in 1831, he was secretly engaged to Minna Jaegle, the daughter of a pastor. From a political activist, his interest later turned to theatre. Woyzeck was his ultimate effort, where his political philosophy, spiritual inclinations with scientific approach is mirrored. Though not a playwright by profession, he is hailed as the provider of a great source for modern drama. Buchner was far ahead of his time and what he wrote is considered as all-time great. It has the universal appeal and transcends the narrow boundaries that restrict human thinking. â€Å"He is said to have precipitated in a wide and far-reaching array of literary movements including: Naturalism, Social Realism, Psychological Irrationalism, Expressionism, and Existential Theatre. As Herbert Lindenberger phrases it, he is perhaps the only German writer before our own [20th] century who speaks directly to our time without the need of mediation. George Buchner died of an undiagnosed fever, probably typhus, at the age of 23 on February 19, 1837.(Grade Saver: Classic Note†¦)â€Å"Many scholars consider the play the first modern drama, and mark it as the catalyst for countless theatrical movements, most notably Naturalism and the modern Theatre of the Absurd. Buchners biting social commentary in the play, which stemmed from his own political disillusionment, anticipates Karl Marxs theories although it rejects the possibility of revolution or a classless utopia.†(Schmidt, 1969) We will write a custom essay sample on Woyzeck specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Woyzeck specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Woyzeck specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Woyzeck is the work of â€Å"psychological realism.† The uncertainty, about which one is the authentic version, provides a fertile field for the scholars to argue and counter-argue. As for every detail related to the play, they have disagreements. Whether it is order of the scenes, the ending, the scholars are baffled at Buchner’s style. Each scene is structurally independent. His approach and reaction to the social conditions prevailing then is cynical.   Most of the scholars agree that the scene where the Grandmother tells her ‘black fairy tale’ as the play’s thematic keystone. As many scholars, so many varied interpretations about Buchner’s beliefs, reasoning and mental make-upHe visualizes nothing but gloom and pessimism, disillusionment and solitude, the independent scenes succeed in building a coherent whole, the scientific approach, sharp social criticism and   the bold and dispassionate approach. Each character has the purpose and the essential dignity and at the same time they compliment and contrast the protagonist’s traits etc. That the scholars agree to disagree on many issues related to the play is the hall mark of the genius. Woyzech is a tough play to produce. Ingmar Bergman succeeded in his efforts to remove the blackouts in the play, by integrating the audience. â€Å"Austrian composer Alban Berg finished his opera version of the play, Wozzeck, in 1922, and it was first performed in 1925. In order to retain Buchners disjointed, melancholic feel, Berg makes extensive use of atonality and rejects the standard forms of aria and trio in favor of abstract instrumental music. Wozzeck has since become a standard and widely performed work in the world of opera. In addition, many film versions of the play have been produced, most notably Werner Herzogs 1979 version starring Klaus Kinski and Eva Mattes, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival.† (Grade Saver: Full Summary-) What does the play mean to me? Woyzeck is the same old story through the ages-the struggle between the haves and the have-nots! I see this story as the hard depiction of the atrocities of the rich on the poor. The class conflicts and the belief of the rich that they are born to rule and the economically backward deserve ill treatment! Can one expect the leader representing such a class to be full of sweet emotions? Certainly not! He is ever ready to hit back, on behalf of his class, the rich and the haughty, those who conduct the show of systematic debasement and spiritually murder the downtrodden. E. F. Schumacher, in his book â€Å"Small is beautiful† goes to the root cause of this never ending conflict between the rich and the poor. â€Å"The existence of inordinate rich people in any society today is a very great evil. Some inequalities of wealth and income are no doubt ‘natural’ and functionally justifiable. Excessive wealth, like power, tends to corrupt. Even if the rich are not ‘i dle rich,’ even when they work harder than anyone else, they work differently; apply different standards, and are set apart from common humanity. They corrupt themselves by practicing greed and they corrupt the rest of the society by provoking envy.†(Schumacher, 1977, Back Cover†¦) Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely! Study the attitude of the Drum Major. Even the rustic Marie, when it comes to describe the animal instincts of her latest lover, the Drum Major uses the phrases like, â€Å"He stands on his feet like a lion(scene II) and the more close and intimate description, â€Å" a chest like a bull and a beard like a lion.†(Scene VI). The street-fighter’s image in the Drum Major is showing, when he describes Marie at the first sight of her, that she is â€Å"good enough for the propagation of cavalry regiments and the breeding of drum majors!†(Scene III) He addresses her as if he is the ultimate authority on her personal life, when he calls her â€Å"You wildcat!†(Scene VI).How can a man bear his woman’s infidelity? Woyzeck is totally frustrated and in great anguish he says, Why doesnt God blow out the sun so that everything can roll around in lust, man and woman, man and beast. Theyll do it in broad day light; theyll do it on our hands, like flies. (Scene XI). Animal imagery especially surrounds Woyzeck himself, in his interactions with the characters who oppress and dehumanize him. The Captain ridicules this poor soldier with meanness about Marie’s unfaithfulness. As Woyzeck rushes our, he says, â€Å"that tall rascal takes off like the shadow before a spider.†(Scene IX).The Doctor is even more ruthless on Woyzeck. The Doctor throws a cat from his window, and when Woyzeck catches it, observes, â€Å"The fellow holds onto the beast s tenderly, like it was his own grandmother!† The so-called higher class of the society like the Captain, the Drum Major and the Doctor speaking mean language indicates the level of the morals prevailing in the society then. My approach to the play as the playwright: The important part of the play is the play- writer and his script. The characters are brought to life by the intelligent scriptwriter of the play. Whether minor or major, the characters need to speak appropriate to the occasion, and contribute to the continuity of the play. The main problem with Woyzeck has been its disjointedness. Blackouts have no place in a well-knit play. Those who addressed to this problem have successfully staged the play. The technique employed by Ingmar Bergman to keep a lively interaction between the audience and the actors of the play contribute to the success of the play. A good script can only strike the homogenous balance between the actors and the audience. Whatever is the time, whatever is the period, the two constant factors in a play are the actors (in the broad sense, they can be musicians and instrument players) in the play and the audience. It is the duty and skill of the former to keep the later pleased, as their report counts for demand of more and more repeat performances of the play. As a playwright, I have enough scenes that can be depicted with telling effect and make the audience rise on their toes. For example, unable to bear the mental torture from his superior authorities, Woyzeck becomes like the captain in a hapless shipwreck. He loses his mental balance and throws up the towel and stops thinking. Obviously his mind does not work and he is an emotional burden to himself. He gives into hallucinations. He hears the ground whispering,† stab stab the bitch to death? Stab stab the bitch to death. Do I hear it over there, is the wind saying it too? It goes on and on stab her to death to death. (Scene XII) â€Å"According to Buchner, the poor are the purest class because they are untainted by pretension and laziness. Even though this also makes them unrefined and animalistic, it is preferable to the kind of stuffy inaction or moral depravity represented by the middle-class figures like the Captain, Doctor, and Drum-Major. Woyzecks poverty also connects him more deeply to the character of Christ; after all, the latter was a humble carpenter who was still capable of the greatest and holiest things.† (Grade Saver: Woyzeck –Full Summary†¦) I entirely agree with the observations of Buchner in the play. When the society is ruled by greed and envy of the middle and rich class, the poor can not be their competitors. From where would the poor get the fighting spirit when curry for the night is worry for the morning and tomorrow’s bread is not assured from today’s labor! When their individual dignity stands punctured at every level and every stage of their lives! The poor are the practical people and they are the purest class. They are not lazy and bifacial. But to live in perennial poverty is the root cause of their emotional suffering and criminal tendencies. Woyzeck Essay Example Woyzeck Paper The wise saying goes, â€Å"They do not have enough money for the funeral rites; God, let not the poor persons die!† Woyzeck is based on a true story. To meet the ends of justice, a poor person was executed for stabbing his wife, Marie, to death. This incident inspired Buchner to create an artistic masterpiece in the form of a drama. But not all the characters therein, are historical figures. Great personalities leave some or the other controversies behind them. Buchner is no exception. He died in 1837 even before giving the final shape to Woyzeck, and he left behind four unpolished manuscripts, that stand as witness to his creativity â€Å"Buchner suggests that, were they not poor and downtrodden, Woyzeck and Marie might be as great as the biblical figures with which he associates them. His allusions to Christ and Mary only heighten the sense that Woyzeck and Maries shameful actions are not part of their nature but rather, products of an unjust social structure.†(Grade Saver†¦) They say, â€Å"God loves those who die young.† This seems to be true about George Buchner (1813-1837).He died at the young age of 24.He was born in the small own of Goddelau, in Hessen, Gemany. His father was a rationalist and a scientist. When he was undergoing medical training at Strasbourg in 1831, he was secretly engaged to Minna Jaegle, the daughter of a pastor. From a political activist, his interest later turned to theatre. Woyzeck was his ultimate effort, where his political philosophy, spiritual inclinations with scientific approach is mirrored. Though not a playwright by profession, he is hailed as the provider of a great source for modern drama. Buchner was far ahead of his time and what he wrote is considered as all-time great. It has the universal appeal and transcends the narrow boundaries that restrict human thinking. â€Å"He is said to have precipitated in a wide and far-reaching array of literary movements including: Naturalism, Social Realism, Psychological Irrationalism, Expressionism, and Existential Theatre. As Herbert Lindenberger phrases it, he is perhaps the only German writer before our own [20th] century who speaks directly to our time without the need of mediation. George Buchner died of an undiagnosed fever, probably typhus, at the age of 23 on February 19, 1837.(Grade Saver: Classic Note†¦)â€Å"Many scholars consider the play the first modern drama, and mark it as the catalyst for countless theatrical movements, most notably Naturalism and the modern Theatre of the Absurd. Buchners biting social commentary in the play, which stemmed from his own political disillusionment, anticipates Karl Marxs theories although it rejects the possibility of revolution or a classless utopia.†(Schmidt, 1969) We will write a custom essay sample on Woyzeck specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Woyzeck specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Woyzeck specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Woyzeck is the work of â€Å"psychological realism.† The uncertainty, about which one is the authentic version, provides a fertile field for the scholars to argue and counter-argue. As for every detail related to the play, they have disagreements. Whether it is order of the scenes, the ending, the scholars are baffled at Buchner’s style. Each scene is structurally independent. His approach and reaction to the social conditions prevailing then is cynical.   Most of the scholars agree that the scene where the Grandmother tells her ‘black fairy tale’ as the play’s thematic keystone. As many scholars, so many varied interpretations about Buchner’s beliefs, reasoning and mental make-upHe visualizes nothing but gloom and pessimism, disillusionment and solitude, the independent scenes succeed in building a coherent whole, the scientific approach, sharp social criticism and   the bold and dispassionate approach. Each character has the purpose and the essential dignity and at the same time they compliment and contrast the protagonist’s traits etc. That the scholars agree to disagree on many issues related to the play is the hall mark of the genius. Woyzech is a tough play to produce. Ingmar Bergman succeeded in his efforts to remove the blackouts in the play, by integrating the audience. â€Å"Austrian composer Alban Berg finished his opera version of the play, Wozzeck, in 1922, and it was first performed in 1925. In order to retain Buchners disjointed, melancholic feel, Berg makes extensive use of atonality and rejects the standard forms of aria and trio in favor of abstract instrumental music. Wozzeck has since become a standard and widely performed work in the world of opera. In addition, many film versions of the play have been produced, most notably Werner Herzogs 1979 version starring Klaus Kinski and Eva Mattes, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival.† (Grade Saver: Full Summary-) What does the play mean to me? Woyzeck is the same old story through the ages-the struggle between the haves and the have-nots! I see this story as the hard depiction of the atrocities of the rich on the poor. The class conflicts and the belief of the rich that they are born to rule and the economically backward deserve ill treatment! Can one expect the leader representing such a class to be full of sweet emotions? Certainly not! He is ever ready to hit back, on behalf of his class, the rich and the haughty, those who conduct the show of systematic debasement and spiritually murder the downtrodden. E. F. Schumacher, in his book â€Å"Small is beautiful† goes to the root cause of this never ending conflict between the rich and the poor. â€Å"The existence of inordinate rich people in any society today is a very great evil. Some inequalities of wealth and income are no doubt ‘natural’ and functionally justifiable. Excessive wealth, like power, tends to corrupt. Even if the rich are not ‘i dle rich,’ even when they work harder than anyone else, they work differently; apply different standards, and are set apart from common humanity. They corrupt themselves by practicing greed and they corrupt the rest of the society by provoking envy.†(Schumacher, 1977, Back Cover†¦) Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely! Study the attitude of the Drum Major. Even the rustic Marie, when it comes to describe the animal instincts of her latest lover, the Drum Major uses the phrases like, â€Å"He stands on his feet like a lion(scene II) and the more close and intimate description, â€Å" a chest like a bull and a beard like a lion.†(Scene VI). The street-fighter’s image in the Drum Major is showing, when he describes Marie at the first sight of her, that she is â€Å"good enough for the propagation of cavalry regiments and the breeding of drum majors!†(Scene III) He addresses her as if he is the ultimate authority on her personal life, when he calls her â€Å"You wildcat!†(Scene VI).How can a man bear his woman’s infidelity? Woyzeck is totally frustrated and in great anguish he says, Why doesnt God blow out the sun so that everything can roll around in lust, man and woman, man and beast. Theyll do it in broad day light; theyll do it on our hands, like flies. (Scene XI). Animal imagery especially surrounds Woyzeck himself, in his interactions with the characters who oppress and dehumanize him. The Captain ridicules this poor soldier with meanness about Marie’s unfaithfulness. As Woyzeck rushes our, he says, â€Å"that tall rascal takes off like the shadow before a spider.†(Scene IX).The Doctor is even more ruthless on Woyzeck. The Doctor throws a cat from his window, and when Woyzeck catches it, observes, â€Å"The fellow holds onto the beast s tenderly, like it was his own grandmother!† The so-called higher class of the society like the Captain, the Drum Major and the Doctor speaking mean language indicates the level of the morals prevailing in the society then. My approach to the play as the playwright: The important part of the play is the play- writer and his script. The characters are brought to life by the intelligent scriptwriter of the play. Whether minor or major, the characters need to speak appropriate to the occasion, and contribute to the continuity of the play. The main problem with Woyzeck has been its disjointedness. Blackouts have no place in a well-knit play. Those who addressed to this problem have successfully staged the play. The technique employed by Ingmar Bergman to keep a lively interaction between the audience and the actors of the play contribute to the success of the play. A good script can only strike the homogenous balance between the actors and the audience. Whatever is the time, whatever is the period, the two constant factors in a play are the actors (in the broad sense, they can be musicians and instrument players) in the play and the audience. It is the duty and skill of the former to keep the later pleased, as their report counts for demand of more and more repeat performances of the play. As a playwright, I have enough scenes that can be depicted with telling effect and make the audience rise on their toes. For example, unable to bear the mental torture from his superior authorities, Woyzeck becomes like the captain in a hapless shipwreck. He loses his mental balance and throws up the towel and stops thinking. Obviously his mind does not work and he is an emotional burden to himself. He gives into hallucinations. He hears the ground whispering,† stab stab the bitch to death? Stab stab the bitch to death. Do I hear it over there, is the wind saying it too? It goes on and on stab her to death to death. (Scene XII) â€Å"According to Buchner, the poor are the purest class because they are untainted by pretension and laziness. Even though this also makes them unrefined and animalistic, it is preferable to the kind of stuffy inaction or moral depravity represented by the middle-class figures like the Captain, Doctor, and Drum-Major. Woyzecks poverty also connects him more deeply to the character of Christ; after all, the latter was a humble carpenter who was still capable of the greatest and holiest things.† (Grade Saver: Woyzeck –Full Summary†¦) I entirely agree with the observations of Buchner in the play. When the society is ruled by greed and envy of the middle and rich class, the poor can not be their competitors. From where would the poor get the fighting spirit when curry for the night is worry for the morning and tomorrow’s bread is not assured from today’s labor! When their individual dignity stands punctured at every level and every stage of their lives! The poor are the practical people and they are the purest class. They are not lazy and bifacial. But to live in perennial poverty is the root cause of their emotional suffering and criminal tendencies.

Tess of the dUrbervilles Review

'Tess of the d'Urbervilles' Review Originally serialized in the newspaper The Graphic, Thomas Hardys Tess of the dUrbervilles was first published as a book in 1891. This work was Hardys second-to-the-last novel, Jude the Obscure being his final one, and both are considered among the best works of the 19th century. Set in rural England, the novel tells the story of a poor girl, Tess Durbeyfield, who is sent by her parents to a supposedly noble family in the hope of finding a fortune and a gentleman for a husband. The young girl is instead seduced and meets her doom. Story Structure The novel is divided into seven sections, titled as phases. While it may seem usual to many readers, critics have discussed the significance of this term in relation to the progress of the plot and its moral implications. Various phases of the novel have been named according to various life phases of Hardys heroine: The Maiden, Maiden No More, and so on to the final phase, Fulfillment. Tess of the dUrberville is essentially a third-person narrative, but most of the events (all significant events, in fact) are seen through the eyes of Tess. The order of these events follows a simple chronological sequence, a quality that augments the ambiance of a simple rural life. Where we see Hardys real mastery is the difference in the language of people from the social classes (e.g. the Clares in contrast with the farm workers). Hardy also sometimes speaks directly to the readers to accentuating the effect of select events. Tess is helpless against and mostly submissive to, those around her. But, she suffers not only because of the seducer who destroys her but also because her beloved does not save her. Despite her suffering and weakness in the face of her suffering, she demonstrates long-suffering patience and endurance. Tess takes pleasure in toiling on the dairy farms, and she seems almost invincible to the trials of life. Given her enduring strength through all of her troubles, in some sense, the only appropriate ending was her death on the gallows. Her story became the ultimate tragedy. The Victorians In Tess of the dUrberville, Thomas Hardy targets the Victorian values of nobility right from the title of his novel. In contrast to the safe and innocent Tess Durbeyfield, Tess dUrbervilles is never at peace, even though she has been sent to become a dUrbervilles in the hopes of finding a fortune. The seeds of tragedy are sown when Tesss father, Jack, is told by a parson that he is the descendant of a family of knights. Hardy comments upon the hypocritical standards in masculine concepts of purity. Angel Clares forsakes his wife, Tess, in a classic instance of the rift between belief and practice. Given Angels religious background and his allegedly humanistic views, his indifference to Tess produces a striking contrast of character with Tess who persists in her love - against all odds. In Tess of the dUrbervilles, Thomas Hardy has directly satirized nature. In the third chapter of Phase the First, for example, he targets both nature and its exaltation by poets and philosophers: whence the poet whose philosophy is in these days deemed as profound and trustworthy... gets his authority for speaking of Natures holy plan. In the fifth chapter of the same phase, Hardy ironically comments on Natures role in guiding humans. Nature does not often say See! to her poor creature at a time when seeing could lead to happy doing; or reply Here to a bodys cry of Where? till the hide-and-seek has become an irksome, outworn game. Themes and Issues Tess of the dUrbervilles is rich in its involvement with several themes and issues, and there are many quotes from the book that synthesize these themes. Like most other Hardy novels, rural life is a prominent issue in the story. The hardships and drudgery of rustic lifestyle are explored fully through the travel and work experiences of Tess. Religious orthodoxy and social values are questioned in the novel. The issue of fate versus freedom of action is another important aspect of Tess of the dUrbervilles. While the main storyline may sound fatalistic, Hardy does not miss the opportunity to point out that the darkest of tragedies could be prevented by human action and consideration: Humanity.

The Science of How Slime Works

The Science of How Slime Works You know about slime. Youve either made it as a science project or else blown the natural version out your nose. Do you know what makes slime different from a regular liquid? Take a look at the science of what slime is, how it forms, and its special properties. What Is Slime? Slime flows like a liquid, but unlike familiar liquids (e.g., oil, water), its ability to flow or viscosity is not constant. So, its a fluid, but not a regular liquid. Scientists call a material that changes viscosity a non-Newtonian fluid. The technical explanation is that slime is a fluid that changes its ability to resist deformation according to shear or tensile stress. What this means is, when you pour slime or let it ooze through your finger, it has a low viscosity and flows like a thick liquid. When you squeeze non-Newtonian slime, like oobleck, or pound it with your fist, it feels hard, like a wet solid. This is because applying stress squeezes the particles in the slime together, making it hard for them to slide against each other. Most types of slime are also examples of polymers. Polymers are molecules made by linking together chains of subunits. Examples of Slime A natural form of slime is mucous, which consists of mainly of water, the glycoprotein mucin, and salts. Water is the main ingredient in some other types of human-made slime, too. The classic science project slime recipe mixes glue, borax, and water. Oobleck is a mixture of starch and water. Other types of slime are mainly oils rather than water. Examples include Silly Putty and electroactive slime. How Slime Works The specifics of how a type of slime works depends on its chemical composition, but the basic explanation is that chemicals are mixed to form polymers. The polymers act as a net, with molecules sliding against each other. For a specific example, consider the chemical reactions that produce classic glue and borax slime: Two solutions are combined to make classic slime. One is diluted school glue or polyvinyl alcohol in water. The other solution is borax (Na2B4O7.10H2O) in water.Borax dissolves in water into sodium ions, Na, and tetraborate ions.The tetraborate ions react with water to produce the OH- ion and boric acid:B4O72-(aq) 7 H2O - 4 H3BO3(aq) 2 OH-(aq)Boric acid reacts with water to form borate ions:H3BO3(aq) 2 H2O - B(OH)4-(aq) H3O(aq)Hydrogen bonds form between the borate ion and the OH groups of the polyvinyl alcohol molecules from the glue, linking them together to form a new polymer (slime). The cross-linked polyvinyl alcohol traps a lot of water, so slime is wet. You can adjust the consistency of slime by controlling the ratio of glue to borax. If you have an excess of diluted glue, compared with a borax solution, youll limit the number of cross-links that can form and get a more fluid slime. You can also adjust the recipe by limiting the amount of water that you use. For example, you could mix the borax solution directly with glue. This produces a very stiff slime.

The Commodities Under Advertisement And Print Media Essay

The Commodities Under Advertisement And Print Media - Essay Example The magazine focuses on adults that are above the age of 18 but below 25. This group is commonly known as the young adults' group. The reason for stating that this is the most preferred age group for the magazine is because of the explicit content contained in the magazine. When reading the column on the right of the left page one gets to view issues revolving around sex and it is such issues that should not be accessed by young people. In the contemporary environment, there have been different issues that involve young people getting into explicit behavior at a young age and the reason for this is the access to such magazines. It is from this that one understands that adults are the targets of this magazine. Young adults value information regarding new experience in the intimate sector. Many people around this age have little experience in intimacy and from the magazine, the audience value information regarding the subject of the column who discusses her experience when breaking her virginity. One gets to understand the reason why the young adults relate to the magazine The second advertisement is that of the acclaimed clothing line, Gucci. Gucci is an international store that has had the ability to capture the attention of many people from the classy products it has introduced into the market. When looking at the advertisement, one thing to note is the elegant bottle of perfumed displayed on the box. Prior to identifying the bottle, the first thing noticed is the color of the background in the advertisement.

Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 17

Analysis - Essay Example The prices of groceries are determined by the interaction between demand and supply as with any other marketable product. Both the consumers and suppliers rely on quantity and prices as a signal to adjust respective demand and supply of groceries in the market. But as groceries are necessary items and widely available in any market due to competitive market, it has significant buyers purchase decisions. The supply curve plots the relationship between quantity and prices of US grocery industry s that are able to procure and sell products in open market. Assuming that the market structure is perfectly competitive, the basic law of supply states that with the increase in prices of groceries in the market, the suppliers will response positively by increasing supply with the objective to earn more profits. Conversely, as the supply of groceries become abundant the suppliers negatively react by lessening procurement and supply of groceries in the market in order to cut losses that gradually leads to the fall in prices of groceries. Now, in the given case, Albertsons parent Cerberus is buying Safeway for over $9 billion. Many analyst have noted that the move was an attempt to acquire top spot in the US groceries industries. In US, over 19 percent market share is owned by Kroger followed by Safeway which is at present the second largest chain following Kroger. The merger will impact the demand-supply equation because post-merger it is expected that Kroger would operate with 2,640 stores whereas Albertsons would operate with 2,400 stores. The chart depicted above reveals that the volatility in market regarding the supply of groceries modifies the basic supply curve by shifting position. The analysis of supply movements of groceries indicate that when the curve shifts from S1 to S2 (right-side), it is an indication that there is an increase in supply of groceries in market, assuming

The effect divorce has on children Essay Example for Free

The effect divorce has on children Essay In todays culture, divorces have come to be a mean in our lives. Married people these days are getting separated due to various problems, moreover because of struggles in the marriages, lack of passionate feelings, marriage couple cheating on their spouse, and other kind of marriage difficulties. Furthermore these divorced couples have kids that are young, who have no idea on how to deal with an event like a divorce. The effect touches all growing stages of children. Expressive and social problems can begin in the preschool stage of development. In the first underdevelopment stage, children tend to have fear and daydream that their parents will get back together. In the late idleness period, kids will label one parent good and one parent bad centered on their own needs. In some cases kids become depressed and suicidal. Some will even question their future martial relationships. Kids of divorced parents experience many issues that can upset a childs life whether it is their academics, behaviors or parent child relationships. Academic success is one of the key effects of divorce on children. Divorce disrupts steady monitoring, problem solving, and constant correction, and each of them contribute to failing at school and altered peer relationship. If the parents are working continually they will neglect taking care of the household then she/he will not be able to see what their kid is doing. Divorced parents tend to be less constant, exercise less control, and do less monitoring over children. Without the parents checking the kids, they may hang out with the wrong crowd, and the parent would not even become mindful of it. Hanging out with unpleasant people will in turn influence the kids performance in school. It will be hard for children to control their aggression especially for those who came from a divorced family. Typically children are suffering from certain emotional problem such as, depression and this will continue to develop while they are growing as an adult. Sometime children might also experience the distress of being left alone with their loved one, which can cause anxiety. Unfortunately, these emotional conditions may continue even  in their adult stages. The feeling of segregation and grief may also be experienced by these children, which can cause adverse effects. Children are inclined to take the fault once their parents get separated. They contemplate that they are the ones guilty, because the marriage did not last. The development of the kids will without a doubt be affected, and can lead to responsibility which they will be showing up until they grow of age. Making friends with other children will be tough for kids, for the reason of unrestrained behavior due to the split of their parents. Urgings and tension amongst parents may brand the children and make him or her feel guilty, irritated, and without help. Trying to brand the kids to take sides and go against the other parent generates mix-up for the kids and put them in the central of a grown-up fight. It is vital to let the kids make up their individual thoughts about their parents. Divorce is not a stress-free thing to understand for any person, and furthermore their kids. Children of divorced parents experience many issues that can upset a childs life whether it is their academics, behaviors, or parent child relationships. This is why permitting your kids to comprehend why their parents decided to end the marriage is essential. The drive behind this is for the reason that, they must be familiar with, that both of their parents can no longer continue with their affiliation due to reasons that are not connected with their kids. This will assist the kids to comprehend, and to feel that their parents separated because of other reasons and it is not connected to them in any shape or form. Working together with your kids is very essential, for them to feel valued and safe and sound in spite of the break up problem that take place amongst their parents. What is really important to a child is know that they matter and they are love. It is accurate that kids are our future, so perhaps we ought to take this information into more thought when making the choice to split-up which might have undesirable consequence on their future well-being of our kids.

John L. Lewis :: Biography Biographies

John L. Lewis John L. Lewis started life in Lucas County, Iowa February 12, 1880 the son of Thomas Lewis, a coal miner and policeman. John was welsh born. In the 1880's and the 1890's their family lived in a company owned shanty with an outdoor privy. Whet John was in his teens they moved to Des Moines. That is where John attended high school, completing almost all of his four years of schooling. Family ties were strong, even though he did not approve of his mothers religion he did obey her when it came to sexuality and alcohol usage. For the most part he was not a troublemaker and played by the rules. In the late 1890's his family moved back to Lucas County and there he became a coal miner. In 1901, he was elected secretary of the United MineWorkers of America. As holding this job, he set up many small events. That same year he left for four years to work out west in coal mines. With him doing this he saw many disasters and aided in many heroic deeds to lend him authenticity to his claim to speak for the working class. In 1905 John returned to Lucas and in 1907 he ran for mayor however he was not elected and all the Lewises left Iowa and moved to southern mining town in Illinois. There the men in the family soon established themselves among the large labor force as hard workers. In 1910 John was elected president of the local mining union 1475, one of the largest in the state. Shortly before leaving Iowa, he had married Myrta Edith Bell, the daughter of a local physician. She provided a stable home life but she did not care for her husband's politics. They kept their personal life and his political life very separated. John's leadership in southern Illinois led to advancement in the labor movement. He was now the legislative agent for the UMWA of Illinois. From there on until 1920 when he became president of UMWA. He kept moving up the union corporate ladder until he was on top. During the 1920's The UMWA declined rapidly, though the union had won some strikes about wages the competition between oil and coal was resulting in layoffs in the South and the Midwest.

Inestigating the Affect of Yeast Concentration on the Breakdown

Investigating a factor that affects the rate of enzyme activity Enzymes speed up reactions. They have an area with a very particular shape called the ‘active site’. When the right molecule comes along (substrate molecule) it will fit perfectly into the active site and there will be a reaction. After the reaction the products then leave the active site. This process is often referred to as the lock and key theory as only one enzyme can carry out one type of reaction. The catalase enzyme speeds up the breakdown of hydrogen peroxide into oxygen and water.The hydrogen peroxide molecule acts as the substrate molecule and enters the active site where it is broke down into oxygen and water. The oxygen and water then leave the active site. Catalase enzyme Hydrogen peroxide (toxic) oxygen + water In the investigation I am doing, these are the factors I could change: * The concentration of the enzyme * Increase the temperature * Increase the PH I have chosen to investigate how the concentration of the enzyme affects the rate of reaction. I expect that the more concentrated the enzyme the faster the reaction time will be.Changing the concentration of the enzyme will affect the rate of the reaction. I predict that as we increase the concentration of the enzyme the faster the rate of reaction will be. I think this because as you add more catalase, the catalase will be able to break down more hydrogen peroxide molecules because there will be more active sites, however there will be a point where increasing the concentration of enzymes will be pointless as there will already be the same amount of active sites as hydrogen peroxide molecules.I predict that the rate of reaction with 20 catalase will be double that of 10 catalase because if you have double the catalase then they will digest the hydrogen peroxide twice as quick. Equipment * Small measuring cylinder 100ml * Pipette * 3 large beakers 200ml * Mini cylinder 10ml * Delivery tube and bung * Goggles * Bowl * Test tube * Test tube rack * Little beaker 50ml Preliminary method 1. Put on goggles 2. Fill 2 200ml beakers with 150 ml’s of water in each, one 200ml beaker with anything from 50-200ml of yeast and one 50ml beaker with 50ml of hydrogen peroxide. . Fill one large bowl full of water 4. Then, Place test tube rack on desk and place on test tube in it. 5. Next, fill a 100ml measuring cylinder with 100ml of water. 6. Put out a 10ml measuring cylinder and fill it with the appropriate amount of yeast and water according to your range using a pipette. 7. Place your hand over the top of the 100ml measuring cylinder, turn it over and place it in the bowl, trying not to lose too much water. 8. Place the delivery tube under the measuring cylinder. 9.Then add 2ml of hydrogen peroxide to the test tube using a pipette. 10. Measure the water in the measuring cylinder and record it and then quickly add the yeast and water to the test tube, place the bung in and start the stop watch. 11. At 1 minute record the water level again. 12. Wash the pipette using one of the beakers of water and then repeat the experiment with a different yeast and water ratio (remember to repeat them 3 times to make the results reliable). Oxygen produced Oxygen producedPreliminary results table Volume of yeast(cm3)| Volume of water(cm3)| Volume of hydrogen peroxide(cm3)| Time (s)| Test 1| Test 2| average| 8| 0| 2| 60| 12cm3| 9cm3| 10. 5cm3| 4| 4| 2| 60| 6cm3| 5cm3| 5. 5cm3| 1| 7| 2| 60| 1cm3| 0cm3| 0. 5cm3| From this practical I have decided on my range. My highest will be 8cm3 of yeast and no water and my lowest will be 1cm3 of yeast and 7cm3 of water. I have decided on these results because they have provided a sufficient difference between them and have a clear difference.

What is Rebranding?

What is Rebranding? Rebranding  is the creation of a new name, term, symbol, design, or combination thereof for an established brand with the intention of developing a differentiated (new) position in the mind of stakeholders and competitors. This may involve radical changes to the brand's logo, brand name, image,  marketing strategy, and  advertising  themes. These changes are typically aimed at the  repositioning of the brand/company, sometimes in an attempt to distance itself from certain negative connotations of the previous branding, or to move the brand  upmarket.However, the main reason for a re-brand is to communicate a new message for a company, something that has evolved, or the ‘new board of directors’ wish to communicate. Reasons for Rebranding Proactive Rebranding: Sometimes a company sees a reason to rebrand to seize an opportunity or thwart potential threats in the future. Proactive rebranding might happen in the following situations: * Predict ed Growth: When a company is preparing for expected growth, particularly international growth, it might rebrand products and services into a consolidated brand. This is often done for consistency and to save money over time.This type of rebranding is also done when a company simply needs to create a greater sense of brand unity across its business. * New Line of Business or Market: When a company enters into a new line of business or market that is not cohesive to the existing brand identity, a rebranding might be in order. * New Audience: When a company wants to appeal to a new audience, a rebranding might be necessary. Keep in mind, the rebranding might not require an actual name or logo change. * Relevancy: When a company realizes its brand is losing relevancy in consumers’ minds, it might be time to rebrand.The Yellow Pages rebranding is a perfect example. With the use of printed Yellow Pages directories declining, Yellow Pages rebranded to YP and began to focus more atte ntion on the digital space making it significantly more relevant. Reactive Rebranding: Companies could also rebrand in reaction to an event that is so significant that the existing brand must be changed. For example, reactive rebranding might happen in situations like the ones listed below: * Merger or Acquisition: When companies merge or acquire other companies, rebranding is often required. Legal Issues: There are a number of different legal issues that could cause a company to rebrand. Trademarks are often at the root of these rebranding examples. Hence, it is imperative to conduct an exhaustive trademark search and obtain the trademark rights to your brand name before you launch it. * Competitive Influences: Sometimes a company’s competitors’ activities can be the catalyst to a rebranding. When a competitor renders your brand useless or dated, a rebranding could help you regain a foothold in your market and give you the facelift you need to effectively strike back. Negative Publicity: When the image of the corporate or the brand has been tarnished by a sudden happening or more so, a crisis that has arisen, companies adopt a rebranding marketing strategy. The mistakes when while rebranding 1. Do not rely only on history: Rebranding well means staying relevant. Assumptions made when the brand was established may no longer hold true. Analyze changes in target markets when exploring opportunities for brand expansion, repositioning and revitalization.One must try and evaluate current market conditions before finalizing a rebranding exercise for the brand. However, one must ensure that the core offering is in line with the initial offering, the essence could be the differentiator. 2. Thinking the brand is the logo, stationery or corporate colors: The brand not only encompasses these elements, but also customer perception and experience to quality, the overall look and feel of the brand, customer care, retail and web environments, the tone and voice of communications, and more.One must ensure that the new image, thus to be communicated, touches upon all the aspects of the brand. 3. Navigating without a plan: Effective rebrands rely on a creative brief to keep everyone focused as the project progresses. Include sections for a situation analysis, objectives, target markets, budget and resources, timeframe, point person, known parameters, approval structure, stakeholders and metrics for assessing results. 4.Refusing to hire a branding consultant without industry experience: It’s ok to consider an agency that hasn’t worked in your specific industry before. Sometimes it is ideal – especially if you’re serious about a turnaround. Smart companies recognize the value of a fresh perspective. 5. Not leveraging existing brand equity and goodwill. Dismissing brand equity when rebranding alienates established customers, while unnecessary overhauls can irreparably damage a brand’s perception.Consider the n eeds and mindset of the target market carefully before digging into the process. Sometimes a small evolution – or a new coat of paint – is all that’s needed to rejuvenate and make a brand relevant. 6. Not trying on your customer’s shoes. Simply calling your own 800-number or receptionist may reveal challenges customers face and inform your rebranding strategy. Take the time to navigate your own website, buy your products and return something. Better yet, ask a friend or family member to do so and learn from their experiences

The opening credit sequence of The Sopranos Essay Example

The opening credit sequence of The Sopranos Essay Example The opening credit sequence of The Sopranos Paper The opening credit sequence of The Sopranos Paper The final step in the opening credit sequence is the title screen detailing The Sopranos. The viewer is presented with a black scene in the centre of which is the white block letter spelling out The Sopranos. This title screen itself may semiotically provide much information regarding the themes of the television programme once its layers of meaning are extricated and analysed. Treating firstly the importance of the simple colours of this screen- black and white- the themes of the show are visible. The traditional semiotic meaning that is assigned to these two colours aid in the production of these themes. White is mostly explicitly recognised as the colour of the good, the virginal/pure in contrast to the assigning of the colour black to the evil, the mysterious, danger, death and malice. The assigning of meaning to these two colours can be traced back in anthropological terms to the Western worlds view of white people as being good whilst the black people from the continent of Africa were inherently evil and not to be trusted. This dichotomy was later applied to the notion of the goodies versus the baddies and can be seen in the title of graphics detailing a main theme of the show- the good guys or the police, reflected in the white, battling against the bad guys or Tony Soprano and his mafia family, reflected in the black. These colours can also represent the struggle in Tonys world between right and wrong and his struggle with his morality and religious faith. Throughout the series, Tony has many crises of faith and a few attacks of conscience. Thus the black may reflect Tonys dark side, with his underhand dealings and deadly intent, and the white may represent Tonys faith, his belief in Catholicism and his need to do good in some form. However as the graphics show the black impedes on the white possibly illustrating the fact that Tony has a great struggle between right and wrong. To analyse the typography of the sequence it is again possible to find meaning implicitly embedded in it. The letters spelling out The Sopranos are thick and have blunt edges. The letters in the original are also large and white and stand out prominently from the black background. The typography used is illustrated below. This may be analysed semiotically as being a reflection of the character of Tony Soprano- solid and dependable with a large stature who is rough around the edges; possibly a reflection of his brutal streak. It may also serve to provide meaning about the Soprano family as a whole- large, close-knit and very prominent in society (reflected by the white standing out against the black background). Finally the representation of the downward facing gun as spelling out the R of The Sopranos is important for the assigning of meaning also. According to Freud, the gun can be viewed as a phallic symbol, a representation of the male penis and thus is a reflection of the male sexual drive. The gun may connote power and male sexual potency along with aggression and danger. The sexual exploits of Tony Soprano and his power sexually as well as physically is a main theme of the show, and is referred to implicitly in the title graphics. Thus it is possible to say that the title screen of the opening credit sequence of the show provides meaning semiotically through colour codes, typographic presentation and symbolic representation. Themes of the show such as the good versus the bad, violence and sexual prowess are all reflected through the simple yet highly effective title sequence. The opening credit sequence of The Sopranos may also be analysed semiotically as one explores the assigning of meaning to maleness and indeed the image of the gangster i. e. Tony Soprano. By analysing this sequence in-depth it is possible to detail information that the average viewer may neither implicitly nor explicitly decode whilst watching the television programme. The semiotic representation of Tony Soprano in the opening credit sequence reveals a lot about his character. Throughout the sequence Tonys face is obscured by shadows and darkness, the lower part of his face i. e. from his nose down, is the only part visible. If one is to assign meaning to this it is possible to say that Tony is a mysterious man with a dark mind/ dark thoughts. His face is obscured as he drives from New York to New Jersey; from work to home. It is only when he arrives home that Tony is fully visible/ fully illuminated. This reflects the idea that Tonys work life is dark and mysterious, full of secret dealings and murders, and that his home life and his family provide him with the bright/highlights of his day. In the car, Tony is the only person visible. He steers the car suggesting that he is a person who is solely in control and in power. It also suggests that he is an actor in his own future, that he directs his life and controls his destiny. This is again emphasised by the continuous close-up shots of Tonys hands and arms. The affluence of Tonys life and his materialism that is shown in the show is reflected in the opening sequences. There is a continual emphasis on Tonys gold jewellery connoting opulence, richness and his carelessness with money. The cigar that Tony smokes is also a symbol with several layers of signification for this opulence but also on another layer of meaning it may be seen as phallic, reflecting Tonys masculinity and raw sexual energy. The theme of money is again reinforced with the shot of the bank reflecting possibly Tonys implicit need for financial security for himself and his family. The religious aspect of Tonys personality is also detailed. The shot of the cathedral/church illustrates Tonys Catholicism but the shot is somewhat obscured by branches of trees. This may signify the crisis of faith that both Tony implicitly and his wife Carmela explicitly have in the show. Tony is religious, he has faith but this faith is obscured by the sins that he has committed and the illegal dealings that he is involved in. the image is almost a black and white image reflecting the clear cut base belief in God that Tony and the Soprano family hold. A red canopy on the front of the church is important as its semiotic analysis reveals that the colour red connotes a raw energy, vigour and spirituality. This reinforces the strong position that religion plays in Tonys life. The appearance of the graveyard also provides us with information about the show. The long shot of the gravestones illustrates that death will be a prevalent theme as it proves to be with all the murders carried out by Tony and his mafia gang in the show. The appearance of the butchers shop stands as signification on two levels- the butcher per se as the murderer e. g. Tony, and as standing for an immoral behaviour. The pig on top of this shop stands as a symbolic representation of Tonys greed for both food and money and for his selfishness and over-indulgence. The Pizzaland shop also reflects his greed for food and Tonys traditional Italian roots. Tonys arrival at home is also important to analyse semiotically. His movement through the gates signifies that he has entered a new phase of his life and as he moves up his driveway this signifies that an end has come to his journey, he is at rest and secure/content. Thus by performing a semiotic analysis of Tony and certain scenes from the opening credit sequences it is possible to ascertain what are the important areas of Tonys life i. e. family, religion, sex, money, food, revenge etc. The use of colour in the opening credit sequence is of particular importance in this semiotic study. There are many different meanings assigned to colours and their use in certain contexts can be highly significant in the development of meaning and therefore, themes. Tony is dressed in a maroon coloured shirt. This colour is associated with bravery and strength, which is indicative of Tonys character despite his cruel and brutal streak. The road signs signalling New Jersey, Tonys home-place, are green. Green is associated here with Tonys home-life and his family and this colour connotes peace and serenity, all feelings that Tony himself hopes to associate with his family. A colour that is of a particular significance due to its connotations is silver. The colour silver connotes justice and purity due to its association with the silver swords of the knights of olden times- protectors of freedom, upholders of morality and keepers of peace and justice. For this reason the colour is also connotative of the police as they have taken on the contemporary role of the knight. Silver freight lorries are frequently shown in the opening sequences but they are always shown travelling in different directions to Tony, never with him or even close to him. A freight truck may act as a symbol for carrying a heavy load or a burden, so the silver trucks may connote Tonys anxiety regarding being caught/followed by the police. His journey in opposite directions to these silver trucks may also act as signification that he has left purity/justice behind and is leading an immoral life. It is possible to even suggest that the colour of Tonys house is indicative to meaning. As Tony drives home, he passes by many white family homes, which bear the American flag thus connoting morality and good. Tonys house however is brown or not white signifying something other than purity and wholesomeness. Thus by analysing the use of colours and in particular their use in certain contexts it is possible to ascertain that themes such as immorality, family and fear of the police will feature as themes in this show. An important part of any semiotic analysis of a film or television programme is that of the soundtrack. Music works primarily on the level that it can rely on the spoken word as it is sung to create meaning instead of the visual image. Non-verbal communication is also employed in music to create meaning with the use of certain instruments to evoke emotions and atmosphere. According to Self (1988:116) title sequences together with title music, are instrumental in communicating the mood and themes of the coming production. The show uses the same song at the beginning of each episode. The song is Goy yourself a Gun and its lyrics play on the notion of the mob and the gun which are both themes in a way in the programme. The song plays slowly and quietly at the start of the sequence as Tony leaves the city and gains in speed and audibility, as he gets closer to home. This illustrates that he feels strongly about where he lives and about his family. According to the song, if one is to relate it to Tony, he was born under a bad sign with a blue moon in your (his) eyes (lines 7-8). This provides a hint to Tonys character, that he is immoral and does not follow the rules. Having blue moon in ones eyes is indicative of Tonys upward gazing idea, that one must better themselves regardless of how they do this even if the rules must be broken. The repetition of this song at the beginning of each episode helps to continually create the overall atmosphere of the show as being one of immorality and violence connoted by the gun in the song.