Into the Wild Essay Example for Free

Into the Wild Essay Jon Krakauer, the author of Into the Wild, and Chris McCandless, the main character, share very similar stories and personalities. The best was in which these similarities are depicted is in chapters 14 and 15, when Krakauer inserts himself into the story. In these chapters Krakauer highlights a lot of parallels between himself and McCandless and through these highlights we can look at Krakauer as a credible biographer because he has a deeper understand for McCandless’s motivations. Krakauer and McCandless have very similar obstacles and backgrounds which is exemplified in chapter 14. Both men at one point in life sought isolation, and more specifically, sought isolation with nature. Both thought they had something to prove, may it be to themselves or those around them. â€Å"I was twenty-three, a year younger than Chris McCandless when he walked into that Alaska bush† (Krakauer, 135). They are both two young men going out into the wilderness trying to live on their own and accomplish their own desired feat. Krakauer believed that since they shared similar challenges and characteristics, that their emotions and thoughts may have been the same too. No one really knows what McCandless was thinking at the time but Krakauer believes that he felt some loneliness from time to time. Krakauer once believed that he could live without people and friends just like McCandless though, but Krakauer admits that every once in a while he felt lonely so he infers that McCandless must have felt this same loneliness during his time in the wilderness. Krakauer also wants to elicit the comparison of their relationships with their fathers. â€Å"My father was a volatile, extremely complicated person, possessed of a brash demeanor that masked deep insecurities† (147). Both have fathers that they did not quite get along with and had tough relationships with. This also adds more credibility to Krakauer as a biographer as he shares yet another thing in common with McCandless. The motives of both characters are another important connection that must be made; both characters shared resilience and were determined to succeed. Krakauer’s own account is now made even more crucial to the book as we now see that both characters shared similar motives and mindsets. After being denied once by Devil’s Thumb Krakauer is still determined to climb to the top. â€Å"In truth my escapade on the north face had rattled me, and I didn’t want to go up the Thumb again at all. But the thought of returning to Boulder in defeat wasn’t very appealing either† (146). This can be compared to McCandless’s strong belief in his ability to survive. McCandless’s journey had not been an easy one and he had not been very successful, yet he was still determined in his abilities and would not give in. The fact that Krakauer also shares a similar mindset as McCandless makes his verdict about McCandless’s life that much more credible. Krakauer’s most important claim is that McCandless did not commit suicide. Even though McCandless states in his final postcard to Westerberg that he may never make it out alive, he still strongly belives in his own abilities. McCandless was under the false notion that, if he was able to survive everything so far, then he could survive the rest of his journey.

A Business Plan For Nivea For Men Marketing Essay

A Business Plan For Nivea For Men Marketing Essay Mens grooming industry is one of the fastest growing markets in recent years (Euromonitor International: Mens Grooming Products Thailand, 2009). This sector is dramatically booming in Asian countries, especially Thailand. One of the leading brands in mens grooming market in Thailand is NIVEA FOR MEN brand, operated by Beiersdorf Thailand, which is selected to be the case study in this research. To be the leading brand in this fast growing industry, NIVEA FOR MEN needs to create business plan with a very strong strategic marketing plan. In general, a business sets the overall direction for the company through a business plan. The business plan is created in order that the goals and objectives of the company are to be achieved. In other words, goals and objectives of a business are the underlying foundation of the business plan (The times 100, 2008). The marketing plan is certainly a vital part of the business plan and plays active roles to achieve the targets. The strategic marketing planning process flows from a mission and vision statement to the selection of target markets, and the formulation of specific marketing mix and brand or product positioning objective (RESTREPO, N.A.). Moreover, Kotler (1994) presents the organization as a value creation and delivery sequence. To choose the value, the strategist needs to proceed to segment the market, select an appropriate market target, and develop the offers value positioning, which is known as a vital strategy of Market-oriented perspective. It seems to be unavoidable that Beiersdorf Thailand has to come up with the marketing strategies to penetrate and to be the leader in mens grooming market by doing the right segmentation, selecting the best-suited target markets, and creating the competitive brand/product positioning. In sum, the formula of segmentation, targeting, positioning, STP strategies, is the heart of strategic marketing (Kotler, 1994). The literature review is divided into two main parts. The first part focuses on the previous work on market-oriented approach, as opposed to resource-base view perspective. The second part covers the relevant work on the process of segmentation, targeting, and positioning as well as implementation of the marketing strategy. Part 1: Market-oriented perspective and Resource-based view perspective Part 2: Three essentially related topics Market Segmentation Market Targeting Market Positioning Part 1: Market-oriented perspective and Resource-based perspective This part will specifically study on market-oriented perspective, which underlies a market power imperative, through previous academic research. There are many studies about the implication of resource-based view and market-oriented perspective for a company to be successful in terms of profitability. Also, there are discussions about what perspective is the appropriate one. According to Porter (1991), a successful company has to use market-oriented approach to study the external market and then apply to internal resources. Market orientation , according to Kohli and Jaworski (1990), requires various departments in an organization to engage in activities geared towards developing an understanding of customers needs, and then develop the products to meet target customers needs (Hooley et al., 2008). In addition, Porters (1991) work relies heavily on the pursuit of advantages which are determined by firms exogenous variables that require analysis of the competitors and opportunities in the market. In Porters (1991) theory of competition strategy, he stated that the competition strategy of a firm is to seek an advantageous competitive position in the marketplace or to build up a profitable market position by drawing on varieties of factors that are critical to being competitive in an industrial sector. Following the Porters work, a recent research from Ren, Xie, and Krabbendam (2010) also studied the sustainable competitive advantage with the market-oriented perspective, which covered market innovation. Their work strongly supported the use of market-oriented perspective, with the conclusion that market-oriented approach can lead companies to success and gain more profits. Additionally, they suggested that companies analyse various marketing factors to discover new competitive advantages in order to achieve marketing innovation. However, Prahalad and Hamel (1990) and Sharkie (2003) undertake different perspective by arguing that external focus, in the view of market orientation, which requires the company to concentrate on conditions and constraints in the external environment cannot create competitive advantage for a company. Nonetheless, the resource-based view approach is believed to somehow lead to competitive advantages as it suggests that a firms unique resources and capabilities provide the basis for a strategy. In a previous study, Grant (1991) proposed a practical framework for resource-based approach to strategy formulation. The organizing framework for his study is a five-stage procedure for strategy formulation which are 1) analysing the firms resource-base, 2) appraising the firms capabilities, 3) analysing the profit-earning potential of firms resources and capabilities, 4) selecting a strategy, and 5) extending and upgrading the firms pool of resources and capabilities. Ren, Xie, and Krabbendam, (2010) had a reservation on the use of resource-base view, explaining that resources would contribute to sustainable competitive advantage just when a firm possesses valuable, scarce, inimitable and irreplaceable resources. They stated that in the real world, not every company has the resources with all of those characteristics (Ren, Xie, and Krabbendam, 2010). Part 2: The Process of Segmenting, Targeting, and Positioning 2.1 MARKET SEGMENTATION 2.1.1 Definition of Market Segmentation Market segmentation is defined as the division of a mass market into identifiable and distinct groups or segments, each of which have common characteristics and needs and display similar responses to marketing actions (Rosscraig, 2007). As the market consists of diverse types of products, customers, and personnel needs, the marketers should divide the market into distinct group of buyers in order to appropriately determine which market segment offers the best opportunity for achieving company objectives. Perner (2008) indicated that it is very unlikely that one product could meet the satisfaction of all consumers. In this perspective, a company which chose to focus on a specific group of consumers rather than customers in general would be more successful in terms of profitability. Dibb (1998) suggested that companies divide large markets into smaller segments in order to identify customers purchasing behaviors. Furthermore, Brassington and Pettitt (2003) also suggested that marketers find ways of breaking the market down into manageable parts, groups of customers with similar characteristics in terms of commonly used classifications to measure demographics, which include socio-economics, geographic and personality, and to concentrate their efforts on selecting one or more of these areas. While various literatures stated that it is essential to consider the market segmentation, MC Donald (1998) argued that market segmentation always faced the problem that many different types of customers used the same products in diverse markets. It meant that these different types of customers were in fact subsumed under the same category. Besides, Moschis (1997) also stated the problems of segmentation that the demographics change and the aging of the population change were significant factors that affected the age composition of the consumer market. Day and Wensley (1983) criticised that the market segmentation relating to the consumer market sector alone was not sufficient as it generally reflected the one-sidedness of marketing. The competitive structure was to be taken into account as it yielded the basic information on segment formation. The research from Day and Wensley (1983) concluded that the formation and selection of segments could be improved if theoretical aspects of competitor orientation are included. Dibb (1997) outlined three condition classifications which help identify potential consumers in each segment; those are as follows The expected benefits must be identifiable; Having identified these benefits, marketers must divide people into recognisable segments; One or more of the resulting segments must be accessible to the firms marketing efforts. 2.1.3 Segmentation Variables/ Market Segmentation in Consumer Markets To segment consumer markets, the market information, in terms of customer variables, product variables, and situation related variables, must be collected for further analysis. In the study of The Application of Social Class in Market Segmentation, Carman (1965) stated that social class was a major segmentation variable to divided customers into groups. However, later on in 1994, Raaij and Verhallen argued that social class cannot be used as a main segmentation variable as the society had become less vertically organised with more buying power across larger layer of society, and also concluded that social class concept had lost its unique segmentation value. They claimed that other demographic variables, such as age and education, and other psychological characteristics were more appropriate for segmentation. Raaij and Verhallen (1994)s research studied the market segments and types of people as target groups for marketing activities; market segmentation is then classified into three main levels according to the level of generality of the variables which were general, domain-specific, and brand-specific levels (figure [2-1]). Level of Variable Objective Subjective General (behavioural patterns: Person characteristics) Age Income Education Behavioural patterns General values Lifestyle Personality Domain-specific (product-class usage) Situation Frequency of use Substitution Behaviour Opinions Perception Attitude Domain-specific values Brand-specific (brand-usage) Brand loyalty (behavior) Frequency of use Action Brand Loyalty (attitude) Preference Evaluation Purchase intention Figure [2-1]: Classification of Segmentation Variables by Raaij and Verhallen (1994) However, in the late of 2000s, Rosscraig (2007) suggested that media usage and technology usage could be a concern of market segmentation approach (See Appendix [2-1]). He stated that the variables used in segmenting consumer markets could be broadly divided into three main classes including: Profile criteria: Background customer characteristics Psychological criteria: customer attitudes Behavioral criteria: Actual behavior in the market place (Figure [2-1]). Consumer Criteria Profile Psychological Behavioural Demographic Socio-economic Geographic Who and Where Lifestyle Personality Perceptions Attitudes Motives Benefit sought Why and Who Purchase/transaction Consumption/ usage Media usage Technology usage Who, How, Where, and When Figure [2-2]: Segmentation criteria in consumer markets Profile Criteria With respect to profile criteria, customer characteristics are to be examined with isolation from the specific market of interest. The profile segmentation criterion is used for identiflying the target consumers and in the consumer goods markets which are most suitable to them (Rosscraig, 2007). According to Rosscraig (2007), this simple segmentation variable includes using demographic method, socio-economic method, and geographic method. Demographic method can be determined by age, gender, ethnicity, nationality, religion, family size, generation, and etc. This method is useful in assisting media planning and marketing communications as the media selection criteria have been developed around these variables. Socio-economic method can be shaped by occupation, income level, social class, and education. Socio-economic status determines whether a consumer will be able to afford a product. Geographic location method is shaped by geographical areas; markets can be considered by country or region, by town or size of city, by population density such as urban, suburban, or rural areas, or by postcode. This approach is useful when there are clear location differences in tastes, consumption, and preferences. Moreover, this method is widely applied with direct sales operations as they can use census information to develop better customer segmentation and predictive models. The profile segmentation approach is criticised in respect of uncertainly. While one segment is based on consumer background characteristics, members of each variable may behave differently in the marketplace for various reasons while members in the different segments may seek for the same things and have the same interest in a particular product/brand (Hooley et al., 2008). In shorts, this type of segmentation variable describes who and where the consumers are, but it does not explain the basic reasons why consumers behave so. Psychological Criteria The psychological criteria draw a casual relationship between customer profiles and marketing behavior (Hooley et al., 2008). The psychological variable includes the characteristics of attitude of the customers. Attitudes to the product class and attitudes toward brands in the market have both been used as productive bases for market segmentation (Hooley et al., 2008). According to Rosscraig (2007), psychological variables used for segmenting consumer product markets include using attitudes and perceptions, lifestyle of consumers, and the types of benefit sought by customers from products and brands and their consumption choices. The use of attitudes and perceptions aims at identifying segments of respondents who view the products on offer in a similar way (Green et al., 1989). Consumer lifestyles segmentation is based on the analysis of consumers activities, interactions with others, and opinions to understand consumers individual lifestyles and patterns of behavior (Hooley et al., 2008). In 2003, Taylor Nelson Sofres (TNS) developed a UK Lifestyle Typology based on lifestyles and classified the following types of lifestyle categories which are belonger, survivor, experimentalist, conspicuous consumer, social resistor, self-explorer, and the aimless (Rosscraig, 2007). The most important benefits of consumer lifestyle research are for guiding the creative content of advertising (Hooley et al., 2008). The main idea of the benefit segmentation is that the company should provide customers with exactly what they want, based on the benefits that they derive from the products that they use, not based on how the company designs products for them (Rosscraig, 2007). According to Hooley et al. (2008) benefit segmentation tells the basic reasons why customers buy the products and why customers are attracted to the product offerings. Holley (1982) also suggested that the development in techniques of analysis make them particularly suitable for identifying benefit segments (Hooley, 1982). Overall, segmentation on the basis of psychological yields more useful basis for marketing strategy development than merely consumer profile characteristics (Hooley et al., 2008). It gets closer to the underlying reasons for behavior of consumers, so it should be used as the basis for segmenting the market (Hooley et al., 2008). However, there are some major drawbacks of Psychological segmentation techniques, one of which is that this techniques require often costly primary research and sophisticated data analysis techniques (Hooley et al., 2008). Behavioral criteria Doing segmentation on the basis of the behavior of consumers in the market is the most direct method of segmenting markets. Behavioral segmentation includes purchase behavior, consumption behavior, media usage and technology usage (Rosscraig, 2007). Purchase behavior approach concentrates on the time of purchase which is early or late in the products overall life cycle, and the patterns of purchase which is the identification of brand-loyal customers. This approach could concentrate on innovator segmentation, concerning with initial purchase. Marketers will pay high attention to innovator groups when new products are launched. Innovators as initial target segments can improve the products chances of acceptance on the market (Hooley et al., 2008). In addition, brand loyalty has been widely used as a basis for segmentation, concerning with the repeat purchasing (Hooley et al., 2008). A company may segment a market on the basis of how often a customer uses its products, categorizing these into high, medium, and low users, by usage rate (Rosscraig, 2007). The examination of usage patterns and volume consumed can pinpoint where to focus marketing activity and can be used to develop service specifications or marketing mixes for each of these groups of users (Hooley et al., 2008). Cook and Mindak (1984) have shown that product and brand usage has a major advantage over many other situation-specific segmentation variables as it can be obtained, in case of many consumer products, from secondary sources. It is very essential to understand and profile audience media usage in the process of communication planning (Chatterjee, Hoffman, and Novak (1998). Since 1950s the information of media consuming, such as television viewing, radio listening, and print reading, have been continuously collected. And in more recent years, web usage data has also been collected by market researchers to help profile web users, basing on usage characteristics (Rosscraig, 2007) (See Appendix [2-2]). Furthermore, according to Olney, Holbrook, and Batra (1991) and Holbrook and Gardners (1993), duration of use is critical measure of consumption experiences and is a useful behavioral indicator of advertising effects (See Appendix [2-3]). By following this method of segmenting, marketers can observe the behavior of consumers while utilising the products and media, and this segmentation can be used as an important source for new products ideas, new product design, and product development (Rosscraig, 2007). Additionally, marketers can then create appropriate communication themes for product promotion and can specify new markets for existing products after having the right behavioral segmentation. In recent years, behavioral segmentation has become more popular as marketers tend to study the consumers media usage and technology usage in order to further create successful advertising campaigns. To support this, it was asserted by Advertising.com(TM), Inc., a leading provider of results-based interactive marketing services to advertisers and publishers, (2004), that behavioral segmentation helped improve advertising campaign performance by revealing that targeting campaign delivery based on real-time user behaviour increases advertisers ROI by reaching the audience segments most likely to respond to an ad message. Moreover, Hallerman (2004), a senior analyst at e-Marketer, a New York-based research company, stated that the logic behind behavioural segmentation and targeting gets to the heart of the internets potential as an advertising medium. His opinion is hereby quoted: In todays world of audience fragmentation, its much more effective to reach individuals not by abstract demographics but through their actions online. 2.1.4 Segmentation in Male Grooming Products According to Mintel (1995), a study about mens toiletries industry, male grooming products and toiletries is a fast growing industry. In 1980s, the market of male grooming products started to be segmented with the development of products types, including male body spray and shower cream (Sturrock et al., 1998). According to Sturrock et al. (1998), in 1998, the market of mens products were divided into different categories of products based on consumers needs and uses, including body sprays, deodorants, mens shaving, fragrances, shampoo, shower cream, etc. Dunn (1995) and White (1995) studied characteristics of men who use male grooming products and concluded that men used grooming products as they want to increase self-care practice and self-concept. Moreover, Langer (1986) has prior stated that using mens grooming products helps encourage a concern to stay attractive. For consumer products, Milner and Fodness (1996) has done a research on product gender perception and concluded that specific gender of the products is critically important to the consumers when deciding to buy a particular product. In the segmentation process, Milner and Fodness (1996) claimed that gender is the first segmentation variable that most marketers apply for consumer products. The reason behind is that both men and women want to use the products that were specifically made for them. According to Milner and Fodness (1996), many consumers clearly are psychologically uncomfortable using products which do not seem made for them. Therefore, many companies, particularly manufacturers of consumer products, divided consumers into segments by using gender variables. In skin care industries, products are conventionally made for women. However, in the post modern era, a lot of skin care products are launched to serve male consumers (Sturrock et al., 1998). The products for male consumers are launched as a result of segmentation strategy which companies divide its consumer market into two broad categories, male and female markets. The benefit sought variable is also one of the best ways for companies to segment its market. This statement is supported by Kotler (1997) and Wedel and Kamakura (1998), stating that the real features of products have been considered the most actionable bases for segmentation. It is critically important that consumer products must offer real benefits to users to create product positioning (Blythe, 2005). In men face care market, companies and brands always divided consumers segments based on products features. For example, NIVEA FOR MEN offers wide ranges of facial cleansers with benefits of whitening, oil-control, wrinkle protection, refreshing skin, and moisturizing effects (Nivea Website, 2010). Loreal Men Expert offers benefits for facial cleansers which are whitening, anti-tightness, anti-fatigue, pure matte oil control, anti-regreasing (Loreal website, 2010). There are some researches showing that competitive brands have similar ways of segmentation (Dawes, 2006, and Fennell et al., 2003). In other words, competitive brands often appeal to consumers who have similar demographic or psychographic characteristics. Moreover, Ehrenberg et al. (2004) supported this statement by stating that different brands in the same product category tend to offer a similar range of product variants. 2.1.5 Loyalty Segmentation and Relationship Segmentation A focus on Loyalty segmentation provides strategic and tactic insights that will assist in building a strong brand (Aaker, 1996). It is necessary to build customer loyalty as it is a key success of growth for a business (Crosby et al., 2004). By having loyalty segmentation, a company can learn more about the profiles of loyal customers, and this leads to the focus at the highest value segment (Markey et al., 2007). Crosby et al. (2004) stated that the purpose of the loyalty-based segmentation is to seek to address the managerial questions as follows. Who are the most/least potential customers? How can customers be segmented according to the types of relationships they would like to have with the product/brand/company? Which loyalty segment should be targeted? What changes are required to instill the highest levels of loyalty among the targets? Crosby et al. (2004) affirm that loyalty-based segmentation is the complement of existing segmentation frameworks and it can also be used to discover new segmentation frameworks by starting with customer loyalty research. According to Aaker (1996), in focus of the loyalty segmentation, a market can be divided into the following groups. Non-customers: those who buy competitor brands or not product class users, Price switchers: those who are price sensitive, The passively loyal: those who buy out of habit rather than reasons, Fence sitters: those who are indifferent between two or more brands, and The committed: those who are committed to the brand, or a loyal customer. Loyalty segmentation can be very successful when the company can increase the number of customers who are not price switchers and who would pay more to use the brand while the fence sitter and the committed should be critically managed (Aaker, 1996). Especially in high competitive markets, companies should exercise best efforts to enhance the loyalty of the fence sitters and the committed by developing and strengthening the relationship between customers and the brand (Aaker, 1996 and Drypen, 2010). Research from Raaij and Verhallen (1994) indicates that the company should also segment its market by loyalty segmentation method. The results of the research shows that the company should move customers from the lowest level of loyalty pyramid which is overall total potential customers to the highest level which is the heavy buyers. The major marketing strategy is to increase the frequency and intensity of their purchases and to take measures to maintain customers for as long as possible (Raaij and Verhallen, 1994). This also highly relates to the relationship marketing which develop relationship between buyers and brand to stimulate purchasing. 2.2 MARKET TARGETING 2.2.1 Definition of Targeting The next step of the market segmentation in STP process is market targeting. It is the process of determining which segments should be targeted and made the focus of a comprehensive marketing programme. Moreover, in the process of market targeting, a group of customers are identified for whom the offering should be right, and to whom firms will direct the majority of its marketing resources, time, and attention (Cahill, 1997). Choosing the target market, before creating positioning and marketing mix, is a part of developing effective marketing strategy. In order to target the right group of customers, the firm has to study the needs and buying behaviours of customers in each segment. Then the firm will be able to develop marketing strategies that suit requirements of each segment. According to Cahill (1997), a target market is simply the market of submarket at which the firm aims its marketing messages. By specifying customer targets, the company will also know which segments are not the target groups so that the company will not make special effort to serve them. Cahill (1997) said that market targeting is essential because it forces the company to focus at the customers and the markets by determining the best fits between target customers and the product offerings. Kotler and Armstrong (2001) suggested that a firm make the decision how many and which segments to target in their market positioning and its decision should be based on a clear understanding of companys resources and capabilities, nature of the competition, and the characteristics of the market. The company should evaluate market segments by first collecting and analysing data on current segment sales, growth rates, and then determine which segment can constantly enable the company to receive the greatest opportunities in terms of profitability and market demands in order to target main customers. However, Wright (1996) denied statement of validity of market targeting by claiming that there was no logical reason to adopt target marketing. Wright and Esslemont (1994) studied the logical formulations of the target marketing argument and summarised that target marketing did not necessarily give the best overall market response and also does not constantly give superior return than other approaches such as mass marketing. The two main targeting strategies are suggested by Dibb (1997). They are concentration strategy, and multi-segment strategy. Concentration strategy is defined as a process that a company manages its marketing efforts towards a single target. When targeting to one single segment, a firm can better satisfy target customers needs and requirement. However, this strategy is not always effective and the company may face business failure if target customers demand for the products decline or shift to other segments Multi-segment strategy is described as a strategy that a company directs its market efforts towards two or more market targets. The company should then develop appropriate marketing mix to suit each type of target groups, by all together considering product diferrentiation, target price, distribution method, and promotional strategies. In brief, the step of the selection of the potential target market is very critical in creating and developing comprehensive marketing strategy. The robust competitive positioning will then be developed after the market targets are clearly identified and the requirements and motivations are fully examined. 2.2.3 Doing Targeting in Different Market Environment Marketers have to decide whether to target single segment or multiple segments in the product market; there are several factors affecting the managements targeting strategy decisions, including stage of maturity, industry structure, companys capabilities and resources, and opportunities for gaining competitive advantage (Cravens, and Piercy, 2009). The maturity is used as a basis for considering different targeting situations; the market target strategy will be varied in each market environment or stage of product-market maturity. Four different product-market stages, closely related to product life cycle (PLC) stages, include emerging product-market, growing product-market, mature product-market, and declining product-market. The strategists can use product life cycle model to analyse the maturity stage of the products and also industries in order to develop the strategies that should be implemented. Growing product-market Source: Spencer (2009) According to Cravens, and Piercy (2009), segments are likely to be found in the stage of growth in the product life cycle, as identifying customer segments with similar value requirements improves targeting. In growth stage of product life cycle, consumers tend to gain awareness of products and to understand the benefits of the product, and company will likely to expect a rapid sales growth and will also try to build brand loyalty and increase market share (Spencer, 2009). High growth markets is very attractive, therefore it can attract a lot of competitors who want to compete for market shares. Cravens, and Piercy (2009) revealed their finding about the market structure that at the growth stage, existing companies tend to enter new product-market as they have capabilities and resources to support the market entry,

Tennysons Merlin and Vivien Essay -- Lord Alfred Tennyson Papers

Tennyson's Merlin and Vivien Known as one of Victorian England's finest poets, Lord Alfred Tennyson epitomized the agony and despondency of the degradation of one's character. His masterpiece, The Idylls of the King, explicates the grand scheme of corruption of the Authurian age while simultaneously paralleling Tennyson's own internal struggles. A most intriguing chapter of The Idylls, "Merlin and Vivien" portrays the manipulative Vivien, identified as pure evil and hatred, as her corruptive beauty leads to Merlin's self-destruction. The Victorian era, from the coronation of Queen Victoria in 1837 until her death in 1901, was an era of several unsettling social developments that forced writers more than ever before to take positions on the immediate issues animating the rest of society. Thus, although romantic forms of expression in poetry and prose continued to dominate English literature throughout much of the century, the attention of many writers was directed, sometimes passionately, to such issues as the growth of English democracy, the education of the masses, the progress of industrial enterprise and the consequent rise of a materialistic philosophy, and the plight of the newly industrialized worker. In addition, the unsettling of religious belief by new advances in science, particularly the theory of evolution and the historical study of the Bible, drew other writers away from the immemorial subjects of literature into considerations of problems of faith and truth. Tennyson's writing displays evidence of doubt and concern towards England's government, both present and past. His distinctive style can be differentiated from many Victorian poets by diction and syntax alone. Also, Tennyson can b... ... harmony. His poem "Merlin and Vivien" of The Idylls of the King displays Merlin's self-chosen downfall in exchange for the temptations of Vivien, the manipulative evil. "For Merlin, overtalked and overworn,/ Had yielded, told her all the charm, and slept." (ll.963-964) Bibliography: Works Cited Culler, Dwight. The Poerty of Tennyson. London: Yale UP, 1997. 238-239. Hain, Donald. Tennyson's Language. Toronto: Toronto UP, 1991. 144-148. Hellstrom, Ward. On the Poems of Tennyson. Gainsville: University of Florida Press, 1972. 117-118. Kincaid, James. The Major Poems of Tennyson: The Comic and Ironic Patterns. London: Yale UP, 1975. 177-182. Marshall, George. A Tennyson Handbook. New York: Twayne Publishers, 1963. 140-141. Reed, John. Perception and Design in Tennyson's Idylls of the King. Athens: Ohio UP, 1969. 48-58.

What Are the Career Doldrums? :: Employment Jobs Work Essays

What Are the Career Doldrums? The notion of the career doldrums is not a new one. Individuals have suffered from the symptoms associated with this concept for as long as jobs and careers have existed. What is new is the more open acknowledgment of the phenomenon. Judith Waterman, a career counselor in San Mateo, California, has seen her client base change significantly during the last 20 years. After beginning with reentry women in the 1970s, Waterman reports that "during the 1980s, [she] was seeing high achievers who were thinking, 'How did I get here and why am I not happy?' but they were keeping it under wraps." By the mid-1990s, however, she reports that it had become more acceptable to admit career dissatisfaction (Hornaday 1995, online). Betsy Collard, another career specialist, believes that part of this trend is related to "how personally knowledge workers view their work and the meaning of it," but that it is also related to changes in the economy. "In times of change, everybody turns inward to get clear about what's important to them, who they are, and what they want out of this" (ibid.). The career doldrums may also be associated with certain career stages. Careers are like lives in that they go through stages that frequently include transitions into new phases. One framework (Nicholson cited in Kidd 1998) for analyzing work transitions includes the following stages: . The preparation stage that occurs prior to assuming a work role. . The encounter stage that covers the early days of a career experience in which individuals begin to make sense of the chosen career. This stage may include shock, rejection, and regret. . The adjustment stage that involves the period in which individuals learn to do their work and make the adjustments necessary to reduce any dissonance between career choice and personal traits. . The stabilization stage in which job performance is the main focus. In this stage, failure, boredom, and stagnation are not uncommon. The symptoms associated with the career doldrums are most closely aligned with the stabilization stage. Individuals are not likely to become bored with or dissatisfied with their careers until they have had an opportunity to experience them for a while. Individuals who are in careers that are not a good fit may begin experiencing symptoms in the adjustment stage as they accommodate their careers to their personal traits and aptitudes.

Comparing Character in Child by Tiger and Most Dangerous Game Essay exa

Difference in Character in Child by Tiger and Most Dangerous Game In Thomas Wolfe's "The Child by Tiger," the character Dick Prosser is clearly more credible than General Zaroff in Richard Connell's "The Most Dangerous Game." This plausibility is due to each character's lifestyle, murder motives, and personal morals. The difference in the characters is very dramatic. Foremost, how and where one lives tell much about a person. General Zaroff appears to be living in an almost make-believe world. He has bought an island and made his home there. When Rainsford, another character in the short story, reaches the island, he begins looking for lights. Connell describes, "He came upon them as he turned a crook in the coast line, and his first thought was that he had come upon a village, for there were many lights" (11). Today, it would be ludicrous for a man to own an island all by himself. Conversely, Dick Prosser lives more realistically. He lives in a basement room of a home belonging to a white family. Wolfe explains, "The bare board floor was always cleanly swept, a plain bare ... Comparing Character in Child by Tiger and Most Dangerous Game Essay exa Difference in Character in Child by Tiger and Most Dangerous Game In Thomas Wolfe's "The Child by Tiger," the character Dick Prosser is clearly more credible than General Zaroff in Richard Connell's "The Most Dangerous Game." This plausibility is due to each character's lifestyle, murder motives, and personal morals. The difference in the characters is very dramatic. Foremost, how and where one lives tell much about a person. General Zaroff appears to be living in an almost make-believe world. He has bought an island and made his home there. When Rainsford, another character in the short story, reaches the island, he begins looking for lights. Connell describes, "He came upon them as he turned a crook in the coast line, and his first thought was that he had come upon a village, for there were many lights" (11). Today, it would be ludicrous for a man to own an island all by himself. Conversely, Dick Prosser lives more realistically. He lives in a basement room of a home belonging to a white family. Wolfe explains, "The bare board floor was always cleanly swept, a plain bare ...

Horus Research Paper

Horus is one of the oldest and most important deities in the Ancient Egyptian religion. He was worshipped from at least the late Pre-dynastic period through Greco-Roman times. (Remler) Different forms of Horus are recorded in history and these are treated as different gods by some Egyptologists. However these different forms may possibly be different perceptions of the same god who served many different functions. (Remler) The earliest recorded form, dating around the 25th century B. C. , is Horus the Falcon who was the patron god of Nekhen in Upper Egypt and who is the first known national god. Meltzer)However the most widespread and popular story, and the one that I will focus on, describe Horus as the son of Isis and Osiris. (Meltzer) Isis was said to be the daughter of the gods Geb and Nut. She was thought of as the perfect example of the Egyptian mother and wife. She was therefore considered the symbolic mother of all the Pharaohs. (Shaw)Osiris was one of the oldest and most wor shipped gods in ancient Egypt. He was generally referred to as the god of the Afterlife. This would make him one of the most revered gods because the ancient Egyptians felt that the Afterlife was more important than actual life. They often referred to their dead as the â€Å"living ones†. (Meltzer)Horus served many functions in Egyptian mythology, but mostly he was known as either the god of the Sky or the god of both War and Protection. He was also considered the role model for all of the Pharaohs. Each ruler was looked upon as a living Horus. His other roles will be mentioned later. Horus in Egyptian is pronounced Haru, meaning Falcon. Horus has also been translated to mean â€Å"He who is above, over†. Horus also appears as the Egyptian name Har-Si-Ese which means â€Å"Horus, son of Isis†. Horus was also sometimes known as Nekheny, meaning â€Å"Falcon†. Meltzer) In the majority of Egyptian hieroglyphics the Pharaoh is often portrayed as Horus. Countless depictions of the Pharaoh almost always featured him wearing the Eye of Horus and with Isis as his mother. As mentioned before, Pharaoh was looked at as the living version Horus in life so when he went to the Afterlife he woul d be greeted by Osiris as a son. The idea of a Pharaoh as being the son of Osiris seems to have changed to Pharaoh as the son of Ra during the Fifth Dynasty of Egypt but the ruler while alive was always considered as the living Horus. (Meltzer) Horus was the son of the goddess Isis. He was formed from all the dismembered body parts of her murdered husband Osiris. She then used her magic powers to conceive her son. Once Isis knew she was pregnant with Horus, she ran away to the Nile Delta to hide from her brother Seth, who had killed Osiris and knew he would want to kill their son. Since Horus was said to be the sky, he was considered to also contain the sun and moon. It was said that the sun was his right eye and the moon was his left eye, and that they traveled across the sky when he flew over as a falcon. This is why he is sometimes referred to as Harmerty – Horus of two eyes. Later, the reason that the moon was not as bright as the sun was explained by a tale, known as the Contesting’s of Horus and Seth. (Remler) In this story Seth, sometimes referred to as Typhon,(Shaw) the patron of Upper Egypt, and Horus, the patron of Lower Egypt, had a bloody battle for Egypt. They had always each other since Seth had killed Horus’ father, Osiris, and tried many times to kill Horus as a child. Neither was the clear winner but in the end the rest of the gods took Horus’ side. In the battle two important things happened. Seth lost a testicle which explains why the desert which he ruled over was in fertile. Then Horus had his left eye gouged out which explained why the moon was so much weaker than the sun. They would go on to have many more battles. The Eye of Horus is an ancient Egyptian symbol of protection and royal power. The symbol is seen on images of Horus' mother, Isis, and on other gods associated with her. Horus was also said to be a god of war and hunting. After the death of his father Horus took it upon himself to wage war against Seth and his forces. In one story Osiris appears to Horus from the underworld and asks him â€Å"And what is the most glorious deed a man can do? Horus was said to have repliedâ€Å"To avenge the injuries done to his father and mother. † (Shaw) The Horus falcon often appears is hieroglyphs which shows a lion hunting. This made him a symbol of majesty and power as well as the model for the Pharaohs. (http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Horus-15) Other gods would later be referred to as gods of war Isis told Horus to protect the people of Egypt fr om Seth, the god of the desert. As mentioned before, Horus had many battles with Seth. These battles were not only to avenge Osiris but also to figure out who the rightful ruler of Egypt was. In these battles, Horus came to be associated with Lower Egypt (where Horus was worshipped), and became its patron. One story shows how Horus was on the verge of killing Seth but Isis, who was Seth’s sister, stopped him. Isis injured Horus, but eventually healed him. They both went to appeal to the various other gods to have them proclaim who was the winner once and for all and they eventually sided with Horus. Seth refused to give in, and the other gods were getting tired of the fighting that had continued for 80 years. Horus and Seth then challenged each other to a boat race, where they each raced in a boat made of stone. Horus and Seth agreed, and the race started. Horus had tricked Seth however. Horus’ boat was made of wood but painted to look like stone. Seth's boat sank, but Horus's did not. Horus then won the race, and Seth stepped down and officially gave Horus the throne of Egypt. But after the New Kingdom, Seth still was considered Lord of the desert and its oases which were greatly inferior to the fertile delta of Lower Egypt which Horus ruled over. While researching Horus it was important to understand just what his significance was in the lives of Ancient Egyptians. Was he just another one of their many gods or was he placed on a higher level than most? There are many heroic stories about Horus. The fact that the Egyptian people considered Pharaoh, their all-powerful rulers as living version of Horus tells us something. This is proof that he was one of the most important gods in the ancient Egyptian religion. It shows that Horus was the role model for all Egyptians. They were always hoping to conduct themselves in a manner that was Horus-like. Not surprisingly there have actually been many comparisons between the roles of Jesus in Christian religions and Horus in the religion of ancient Egypt. (Meltzer)

Personal Ethics

Personal Ethics In day to day living we all face challenges and have to make decisions that affect our lives and the lives of those around us. These decisions are made based upon a person’s ethics, morals and values in which help to define a person’s character. In this paper this author will define her own personal morals, ethics and values and explain how they relate to her nursing practice. Loyalty, passion, motivation and inspiration will also be discussed in this paper Merriam Webster describes ethics as â€Å"the principles of conduct that governs an individual or group. Ethics are personal and are actions one takes on himself. Morals on the other hand are usually set up and passed on by society. Morals are not necessarily one’s own. Morals can be explained as write or wrong behaviors or actions. Values according to Merriam Webster dictionary help to promote sound functioning and strengthen society. We learn values or the things that are important to us fro m our families or other people that may be influential to us.As this author reflects upon her own personal ethics, morals and values it is important to know what brought me to the place that I am now. This author has many passions and one of the greatest is a passion for life. That is what brought me to the nursing career that I have grown to know and love. A personal decision was made many years ago in my own life to help others and to always try to prevent harm to myself and others.As my grandfather lay dying I watched nurses treat him and my family with so much dignity and compassion that I knew from that moment 15 years ago that I would spend the rest of my life as a nurse and would treat others with the same compassion and respect that we were given, I knew that was who I wanted to be. I found motivation to achieve this goal through my children. It was important for this author to be a good role model and teach my children that they could achieve any goal they desire if they wo rk hard and stay motivated.This same motivation is used daily in my nursing career as well. I consciously think about how and why I became a nurse and never want to lose that drive, or compassion that got me to where I am today. Inspiration is often found from my family to continue to care for others and their families, however; one of the biggest inspirations I can think of is when I have cared for someone’s loved one and after doing so am told how grateful they are that I am a nurse and that I took care of them. Having a positive effect on my patients’ lives is very motivating.There are times in nursing where patients die no matter what you attempt to do and this can damper a nurses inspiration so it is important to find what does inspire you so that you can look back on that inspiration when needed. Loyalty is also important in many aspects. Loyalty for this nurse is important at work not only to the facility that employs me but also to the team that I work with. Ha ving loyalty produces trust in our team which in turns makes for a safer environment for our patients. At the same time loyalty is found for my family and God.If a nurse is aware of his/her own individual moral compass this may allow them to understand the needs of patients better. A nurse may be faced with a patient that has different religious believes than the nurse but this should not in any way affect the care the patient receives. The nurse should assist the patient in practicing what is comfortable for the patient to ensure the patients’ needs are fully met. The same thing applies for cultures that differ from our own. Some cultures prefer that the man of the house make all medical decisions.The nurse should be aware of this and address the situation with respect so as not to offend the patient or the family. Doing so may help the family to trust the nurse and her clinical judgment more. Our own personal values, morals, or ethics should never hinder the care that is gi ven to a patient but at times it does get in the way. I have heard nurses and doctors voice that a patient was nothing but a drug addict because he had tattoos all over his body. Therefore pain remained unaddressed with the patient because the patient looked different than the staff caring for him.This patients morals may have been different from the staffs, but in no way should have hindered his care. The same thing has been said about patients who come in the ER that have rotted teeth. The staff always assumes that the patient is a meth addict and treats them differently, sometimes hatefully. It may very well be that the patient is just poor, had bad oral hygiene, or maybe was just born with bad teeth. These patients all too often are made to suffer with pain as well because the doctor refuses to medicate because he/she feels the patient is a drug addict.We all come from diverse ethical backgrounds that were taught to us by family, friends, teachers and others that are deemed impo rtant in our lives. Every individual should have their own ethical standards but they work best when we strive to do well and not harm others or ourselves with our ethical believes. We can always strive to raise the bar for own ethical believes, standards, and morals while at the same time respecting others. Reference Weber, S. (2009). The Moral Compass of Nursing. Advance for Nurses. Retrieved from http://advanceweb. com/Article/The-Moral-Compass-Of-Nursing. aspx