Saturday, December 28, 2019

The Jack Roller A Delinquent Boy s Own Story Essay

The Jack Roller A Delinquent Boy’s Own Story by Clifford Shaw was published in 1930 and it tells the story of a boy named Stanley. Throughout the book, Stanley talks about his life and the injustices that he dealt with. The downfall of his life occurred when he was just four years old when his mother passed away, leaving his father to take care of three children. Soon after the death of his mother, his father becomes an alcoholic and remarries a woman who has seven children of her own. This leads to twelve people sharing four rooms in a basement apartment. Stanley’s father did the best he could to provide a roof over his family’s head and food for them to eat, but he did not provide any love for his children, which in his eyes was all he needed to do. In addition, he was blind to the fact that his new wife was abusive to his children and that she would send Stanley out to steal food. Soon fate would take Stanley’s younger siblings out of their home and pla ce them in a foster home. Unfortunately, Stanley was kept in the abusive and neglectful home. When Stanley decided, he could no longer take the abuse of his stepmother, he decided to escape from her by running away and living out on the street. One must wonder why the social workers did not also place him in a foster home; like they did with his siblings. If Stanley was placed in a foster home, he may have never committed any crimes. A reason why Stanley may not have been put in a foster home at that time was becauseShow MoreRelatedStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 Pagesand permission should be obtained from the publisher prior to any prohibited reproduction, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or likewise. To obtain permission(s) to use material from this work, please submit a written request to P earson Education, Inc., Permissions Department, One Lake Street, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458, or you may fax your request to 201-236-3290. Many of the designations by manufacturersRead MoreDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 Pagesbuilt-in pretests and posttests, focus on what you need to learn and to review in order to succeed. Visit www.mymanagementlab.com to learn more. DEVELOPING MANAGEMENT SKILLS EIGHTH EDITION David A. Whetten BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY Kim S. Cameron UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Prentice Hall Boston Columbus Indianapolis New York San Francisco Upper Saddle River Amsterdam Cape Town Dubai London Madrid Milan Munich Paris Montreal Toronto Delhi Mexico City Sao Paulo Sydney Hong Kong Seoul SingaporeRead MoreManaging Information Technology (7th Edition)239873 Words   |  960 PagesAirlines CASE STUDY II-3 Norfolk Southern Railway: The Business Intelligence Journey CASE STUDY II-4 Mining Data to Increase State Tax Revenues in California CASE STUDY II-5 The Cliptomaniaâ„ ¢ Web Store: An E-Tailing Start-up Survival Story CASE STUDY II-6 Rock Island Chocolate Company, Inc.: Building a Social Networking Strategy CASE STUDY III-1 Managing a Systems Development Project at Consumer and Industrial Products, Inc. CASE STUDY III-2 A Make-or-Buy Decision

Friday, December 20, 2019

Essay on Barn Burning - 549 Words

Use of Blood in â€Å"Barn Burning† nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;â€Å"Barn Burning† is about the struggle of a boy to do what is right during the Post Civil War era. The main character, Sartoris Snopes, is a poor son of a migrant tenant farmer. In the opening scene he is being asked by a circuit judge about the burning of a farmer’s barn by his father. The boy does not tell on his father and is not forced to do so, but he thinks that he would have done so had he been asked. The father, Abner Snopes, served in the Civil War for both sides and has difficulty venting his anger. Usually he does so through the burning of other people’s barns when they wrong him. The symbol of blood is used by Faulkner to contribute to the theme of loyalty to the†¦show more content†¦Mine and hisn both! He’s my father†(481). Here this shows that the father has done this before and the boy is used to dealing with it. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The use of blood is also utilized when the father explains that the family must stick together. Following the courthouse scene the boy and his father talk about the incident and Abner states, â€Å"You got to learn to stick to your own blood or you ain’t going to have any blood to stick to you†(484). In saying this, it is almost as if he is trying to convince the boy to lie for his own blood. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The boy despises his father for all the horrible things he has done to people in the past, yet he still sticks up for him. After Abner has deliberately destroyed Major DeSpain’s expensive imported rug his son states, â€Å"You done the best you could†, â€Å"If he wanted hit done different why didn’t he wait and tell you how?†(488). Thus providing evidence that the boy still has some respect for his â€Å"blood†, and though he is against his father’s actions he still supports them because he is family. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Faulkner’s use of blood contributes to the theme of loyalty to the family in several ways. Throughout the short story there are many references to loyalty and sticking to your own blood. â€Å"Barn Burning† is a very in-depth short story and had to be read carefully in order to obtain the full meaning and recognize theShow MoreRelatedEssay Barn Burning1481 Words   |  6 PagesIn â€Å"Barn Burning,† the author, William Faulkner, composes a wonderful story about a poor boy who lives in anxiety, despair, and fear. He introduces us to Colonel Satoris Snopes, or Sarty, a boy who is mature beyond his years. Due to the harsh circumstances of life, Sarty must choose between justice and his family. At a tender age of ten, Sarty starts to believe his integrity will help him make the right choices. His loyalty to family doesn’t allow for him to understand why he warns the De SpainRead MoreBarn Burning Essay1889 Words   |  8 PagesIn W illiam Faulkner’s â€Å"Barn Burning† Colonel Sartoris Snopes must decide either to stand with his father and compromise his integrity, or embrace honesty and morality and condemn his family. This is a difficult decision to make, especially for a ten year old boy that has nothing outside of what his father provides. Sarty’s decision to ultimately betray his father is dependent on his observation of Abner’s character and the conflict he feels concerning Abner. â€Å"Barn Burning† opens with a trial inRead More Barn Burning Essay571 Words   |  3 PagesBarn Burning â€Å"Barn Burning† by William Faulkner was written in the ebb of the 1930’s in a decade of social, economic, and cultural decline. This story offers insight into the past years for students to learn of the nation and the South. This story shows the racial segregation that took place in these times between the white landowners and white tenant farmers, the blacks and the whites, and the poor white trash class and the blacks. The Snopes’s family was in the social class ofRead More Barn Burning Essay773 Words   |  4 PagesBarn Burning Barn Burning is a sad story because it very clearly shows the classical struggle between the privileged and the underprivileged classes. Time after time emotions of despair surface from both the protagonist and the antagonist involved in the story. This story outlines two distinct protagonists and two distinct antagonists. The first two are Colonel Sartoris Snopes (Sarty) and his father Abner Snopes (Ab). Sarty is the protagonist surrounded by his fatherRead More Barn Burning Essay1110 Words   |  5 Pages Barn Burning amp;quot;You’re getting to be a man. You got to learn. You got to learn to stick to your own blood or you ain’t going to have any blood to stick to you.amp;quot; This quote from William Faulkner’s amp;quot;Barn Burningamp;quot; does reveal a central issue in the story, as Jane Hiles suggests in her interpretation. The story is about blood ties, but more specifically, how these ties affect Sarty (the central character of the story). The story examines the internal conflict and dilemmaRead MoreBarn Burning By William Faulkner935 Words   |  4 Pages William Faulkner’s â€Å"Barn Burning,† is about a southern white family that resides in a rural county in Mississippi. The low-income family members are the mother Lennie Snopes, the older brother, two sisters, and an aunt. The story’s main characters are, Colonel Sartoris Snopes, a 10- year-old boy, the father Abner Snopes, the property owner Abner’s boss Major de Spain, and his wife, Mrs. Lula de Spain. Abner Snopes characterized as the antagonist, and Faulkner describes him as an evil, vengeful manRead MoreBarn Burning By William Faulkner1373 Words   |  6 PagesWilliam Faulkner’s short story â€Å"Barn Burning† is an epic exhibition of the author’s style. In the story, Faulkner shows us the story of Colonel Sartoris Snopes regarding his want for good and his loyalty to his family. Throughout the story, Sarty is put in a position of having to struggle between his integrity and his want to defend his father and family. In â€Å"B arn Burning,† a struggle is displayed by Sarty Snopes between his want to do right and his want to honor his father. The reader gets theRead MoreBarn Burning By William Faulkner1357 Words   |  6 PagesHenry Award winning short story, â€Å"Barn Burning† was written in 1938 and published by Harper’s in 1939 (â€Å"William,† par. 12). In many ways the story is a product of â€Å"both a turbulent time in America’s history and Faulkner’s personal history† (Parker 101). America was emerging from the Great Depression just in time to see World War II looming on the horizon while Faulkner was struggling with â€Å"finances, a drinking problem, and a new mistress† (Parker 102). In â€Å"Barn Burning† Faulkner makes extensive useRead MoreBarn Burning by William Faulkner682 Words   |  3 PagesWilliam Faulkner’s Barn Burning, Abner Snopes is a main character and father of Colonel Sartoris Snopes (Sarty), who is also a main character. Abner is a very poor looking man, unclean and unshaven. He always seems to wear the same thing, a dirty wh ite button up shirt with a dirty black hat and coat. Snopes is a very terrifying figure, often controlling his family with physical and psychological violence as well as making them contribute to his favorite pastime, burning barns. The Snopes familyRead MoreBarn Burning by William Faulkner1028 Words   |  5 Pagespopular short stories are â€Å"A rose for Emily† along with â€Å"Barn Burning†. Faulkner has many other popular works, but â€Å"Barn Burning† was one of his well-known stories because of the many different of elements of literature in which Faulkner chose to include. Faulkner was known as a writer who could properly convey many different elements of literature, such as symbolism, conflict, tone, and many other elements of plot within his stories. In â€Å"Barn Burning†, William Faulkner most commonly uses symbolism and

Thursday, December 12, 2019

Management Bal

Question: Write an essay onmanagement. Answer: 1. Introduction Bal et al. (2012) have stated that management is the key to a successful business and irrespective of the size, every business need a good management along with strategic and organized unit. The steady developments in the hospitality industry have made all the hotel owners to believe as well as be in agreement with the ever increasing importance of hotel management arrangement with skilled employees. In the last few decades, the hotel and the hospitality industry has witnessed a precipitous rise in the arrival of the customers. Therefore, presences of highly skilled employees are required for the smooth progression of the hotel. I have worked in Hilton London Gatwick for the last 11 months as an intern in the food and beverage department. Brotherton (2012) has mentioned in his research work that successfully managing a resort or hotel operation can be similar to governing a small sovereign nation complete with budgetary concerns, personnel, security, housekeeping, sales, marketing an d food and beverages. I have learnt that managing each of these areas is highly essential to the growth and success of the organization. Most importantly, this requires careful study and I can say that my working experience has helped me to balance between practical knowledge and academic knowledge. In this particular report, I would try to focus on some major aspects like impact of internship on shaping my future perception in the hospitality industry. Most importantly, I would demonstrate how I have gradually developed my interpersonal, vocational and entrepreneurial skills throughout my study and I have understood that all these skills are required for the successful completion of the entire task. 2. Discussing and reviewing placement objectives Brotherton (2013) has stated that a hotel management apprentice has to work in close connection with several different departments in a hotel and support them in their every day schedule operations. An intern is mandatory to appreciate the in general operations of the hotel, while concentrating in one or two specific parts. I have understood that a hotel management intern is required to work closely with the front desk managers, event planners, housekeeping and several other departments and learn from them. I have been in Hilton London Gatwick for 11 months and this has helped me to gain practical knowledge because I worked as the intern in the food and beverage department. Being an intern in the food and beverage department, I have understood some of my roles and responsibilities. Greeting the customers properly, escorting them to the seats, taking food and drinks orders, serving foods and beverages, answering questions as per services of the hotels, explaining properly all the menu items and all the specialties along with offering personal attentive treatment are some of the major job roles of the interns (Buhalis and Crotts 2013). Apart from that, co-operating with all the team workers to successfully plan the events, parties are another major important activity. I have clearly understood that it is highly necessary to work in group and assist the team members. Besides that, I have come to know about competencies and required skills for the interns and these are strong interpersonal skills and excellent communication skill. Apart from that, I have understood that an employee in food and beverage industry must be able to sell food and beverage outlet services to the customers, they are required to have a high service orientation and most importantly, it is required to be a good team worker. Whenever, an organization recruit a person as an intern, these qualities and skills are expected from that person and I have leant all these objectives during my study and work (Buted, Felicen and Manzano 2014). 3. My role in the organization At the time of working in Hilton London Gatwick, I have clearly understood my roles and responsibilities in food and beverage department. I have found that it is required to work in a group and thus I need to focus deeply on enhancing my overall service. I must develop my skill, especially interpersonal skill and communication skill. I must have the potentiality to manage and co-ordinate properly, otherwise it would be tough for me to co-ordinate with the guests coming to avail our service. Being intern in Hilton London Gatwick, I have understood that this internship would be of great benefit, as this has given me an insight into how the industry operates presently (Chen and Shen 2012). I can proudly say that my first internship experience was really amazing and I would really like to repeat it again without changing. During my internship, I have met many interesting people with different backgrounds and this has helped me to explore myself. However, I have gradually understood that this is the career that I have loved and want to continue. My roles as a team member in Hilton London Gatwick were as follows: Before service commences, I was responsible to inspect tables in assigned place for cleanliness, serviceability and the proper ser-up I was required to check and in necessary I required to replenish side station with enough equipment in order to make sure smooth and proper service within the area I was responsible to organize any buffet tables with clean linen and skirt Checking and cleaning menus, beverage lists were as well under my job responsibility I had a thorough understanding and knowledge of the research menu Apart from that, I was responsible to have an in-depth knowledge regarding the requirements like crockery glassware and cutlery used in Hilton London Gatwick (Hoon Song et al. 2012) I taught various napkins folds in the caf Learnt to set up a table and reorganize a table after use I had to learn during my internship that how to present wine to the guests and open in nonattendance of the head waiter During my service, I have learnt about the sequence of services as well as the exchange cutlery, in clear accordance with the taken order from the customers Apart from that, I was trained to know which items are unavailable in the restaurant and which items have to be pushed to the customers I was responsible to sale wine and make the necessary food promotions (Hoque 2013) I was responsible as well to assign the guests to the tables based on their requirements These were some of my basic roles and responsibilities in the team and along with these; I had some administrative responsibilities as well. These are as follows: Acknowledges and screens the day to day work schedule Be present in the daily briefing and de-briefing Proposes an effective duty in order to make sure sufficiency of manpower in proper accordance to the entire volume of the concerned business Successfully establishing two way communication with the related colleagues Communicated effectively with the guests, sub-ordinates and the immediate supervisions and other section heads (Kehoe and Wright 2013) Manages time effectively by meeting the mentioned deadline on time Recognizes and solves any issues in a professional manner 4. Critically discussing my experience that helped me to plan my future career During my internship in Hilton London Gatwick, I have discovered several new perspectives in dealing with the customers. I never had strong communication skill and being in this profession, I have gradually enhanced my communication skill. I had several responsibilities and this enhanced my overall personality. Commercial responsibilities that were assigned to be were highly effective in enhancing my career path and thus I always prefer working in hospitality industry (Pereira-Moliner et al. 2012). I learnt to communicate effective with the VIP guests, clients, colleagues and some other individual in the organization and I have learnt several processes in promoting the restaurant. I always feel privileged enough as I have joined in Hilton London Gatwick being the intern. Here, I have come to know it is required for the employees to become a good sales person in order to promote the image and business of the corporation (Mok, Sparks and Kadampully 2013). Now I can say that my food and beverage management experience would help me to excel more in future. During my internship in Hilton London Gatwicks food and beverage department, I have gained working knowledge of several computer software programs like MS Office, Restaurant Management Software, POS and some more. With the help of the team leader, I have enhanced my ability to spot as well as resolve the problems efficiently in the restaurant (Testa and Sipe 2012). Moreover, during this time, focus was shed on mastery in delegating multiple tasks along with communication skill and leadership skill. Most importantly, I stayed up to date with food and beverage trends as well as the best practices in the industry and this helped me to serve the students in more convenient ways. Apart from that, I have gradually grown my ability to tactfully manage personnel and meet all the financial targets. I was trained to be guest-oriented and service minded (Sisson and Adams 2013). After being the intern in Hilton London Gatwicks Food and Beverage department, I feel a keen interest in pursuing in this field and making this my career. I have gained enough knowledge in the roles and responsibilities of an employee in hotel and hospitality industry and this has ignited a desire in me to select this occupation for the long run. I have gradually grown a keen interest in enhancing my sales ability and adaptability with the changing situation. It is required to mention here that initially I was not sensitive to the customers and this hindered me to understand their requirements (Wang et al. 2012). Gradually, I enhanced my relationship skill and now it is enough easy for me to deal with the customers. Most importantly, my team leaders focused on effective management like delivering profit centre profitability. After being an intern in this fastest growing industry, I have understood that I want to become a food and beverage manager, as food and beverages managers are t he leaders in the kitchen and the front of house in the restaurants of all kinds (Wolf 2013). Apart from that, it can be stated that Douglas McGregor Theory X and Theory Y is another theory that I have learnt during my study and this has justified my personal experience during my internship in Hilton London Gatwicks Food and Beverage department. This theory has helped me to learn that how the employees are motivated in the workplaces and I believe that team leaders, managers and the employees are required to be familiar with this theory properly. 5. Critical understanding between theoretical approach and practical experienced situation During the course, I have learnt that food and beverage managers are responsible for overseeing the operational aspects of a restaurant or food service establishment. Wolf (2013) has stated that from recruiting and training of human resources to ordering supplies, the responsible food and beverage managers assume a variety of responsibilities in this fastest growing hospitality industry. Most important thing that I feel I need to talk is that during internship, I have understood that theoretical knowledge differs largely from practical knowledge. During the course, I have learnt from books and journals that food and beverage industry might be the largest division in a hotel depending on the number of outlets that food and beverage operates (Wang et al. 2012). However, in this part, I want to discuss about the importance of team work among the team members and have seen that not all theories match with the practical experience in the work field. Testa and Sipe (2012) have stated that team work is one of the great ways to get all the things done. Many research scholars have proposed several theories of leadership and teamwork, but all the theories do not work properly in practical scenario. However, I have seen that Bruce Tuckmans Model of Team Stages is one of the appropriate theories that I have learnt during the course. The progression in this model is forming, storming, norming and performing. In the first stage, high dependence is seen on leader for guidance and direction. In the next stage, it can be seen that decisions do not come easily within the group and this leads towards norming stage. In the third stage, agreement and consensus largely forms among the existing team, who respond well to facilitation by the team leader (Hoon Son g et al. 2012). The large stage focuses on the part that a team is more strategically aware and they all know properly that what they are doing and why they are doing. Therefore, this theory has helped me to balance between my educational knowledge and practical experience. 6. Developing interpersonal, vocational and entrepreneurial skills during the course While working at Hilton London Gatwick, I realized that interpersonal skills are very important to perform `fittingly. I had to provide spectacular customer care service and communicate with the customers daily. I also figured out that developing ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing would help to establish positive connections with clients, guests, vendors and other employees. Interpersonal skills are highly important, as it would also help to take and deliver orders to the customers properly, which demonstrates high levels of customer service (Lee et al. 2016). Interpersonal skills are also necessary to comply with hotel restaurant security and fire regulations. While doing internship in Hilton London Gatwick, another thing that I realized is the importance of entrepreneurship skills. In restaurant industry, having an entrepreneur is highly important. An entrepreneur serves to maintain a restaurant business. According to Leeet al. (2016), the success rate of a restaurant business is much lower when compared to other industries. Therefore, in order to run a restaurant business, it is important to have an entrepreneur, who will perform tasks such as, Getting a website: In todays business culture, people do not thumb through a thousand-page book to find a local business (Songet al. 2015). That is why;it is paramount to create a website in order to gain success for your restaurant. Developing relationship with online vendors: Another important job of an entrepreneur isto build a positive relation with the vendors. Several websites provide online equipment such as Instawares (Chenand Elston2013). In restaurants, some items demand more frequent replacement than others such as dinnerware. An entrepreneur is required to keep a regular communication with its vendors who are responsible for supplying dinnerware. Those items and fragile, that is why; whenever a dinnerware is dropped and broken an immediate replacement is important. Doing precise communication I also understood that in restaurant industry it is extremely important to listen to the customers in order to understand what the market wants. Restaurants are the biggest examples of word of mouth. Success of a restaurant entirely depends on its current customers. That is why it is important for an entrepreneur to listen carefully what the customers are saying and what their complaints are (Koutroumaniset al. 2015). For general staffs it is not possible to perform their duties and note down the problems and suggestions of the customers. That is why; it is the duty of an entrepreneur to do that. Entrepreneurs can use several channels to keep an eye on the customers and on their advices. Some of those channels are Facebook and Twitter. Keeping track of customers: In any restaurant it is important to keep track of the most regular and loyal customers. Entrepreneurs are responsible for developing several ideas through which they can keep track of their customers. For example, some restaurants would do giveaways where customers would drop their business cards or contact information for chance to win a free meal (Guilletet al. 2012). Building a customer database is essential. However, what you will do with the database is more important. Entrepreneurs will do the job of deciding what the organization should do with that database. For example, a properly developed database can help a restaurant to employ email marketing. 7. Establishing the path of progression, discussing employability and careers After completing my internship in Hilton London Gatwick, I realized that employment skills are highly necessary in order to perform properly in restaurant industry. Some important employability skill that an employee must have are mentioned below, Teamwork: Teamwork in any business would develop productive working relationship and outcomes. In restaurant industry, it is important to work with people who belong from different ages, race, gender and religion. It is important to apply teamwork in situations such as planning and problem solving (Kimet al. 2013). While performing teamwork I also understood that it is important to figure out strengths and weaknesses on my team members. It will help us to divide the team load according to our capabilities. Problem solving skill: Restaurant business not only depends on quality of food and drinks but also depends on innovation and creativity. Having knowledge on mathematics along with budgeting and financial management will also help to solve several problems. Planning and organizing ability: Ability to plan and organize events or things properly helps to contribute to long and short-term strategic planning. It mainly includes organizing time and priorities by setting timelines and coordinating tasks for self and others (Gentzlerand Smither2012). Proper plans should be developed in order to use resources carefully. Besides, it is also important to understand basic business systems. Self-management: The most important thing while working in any organization is to achieve satisfaction and growth. It can be gained though self-management. It is important to have vision and goals by calculating and monitoring own performances (Torresand Kline2013). Besides, it is also important to have confidence in own ideas and visions. Learning: I was working as an intern in Hilton London Gatwick food department. I had no knowledge and experience about this sector before. Therefore, from the first day my target was to gain knowledge and to learn new things (Welltonet al. 2016). I knew that through learning I could improve and expand my knowledge and capability as an employee. However, it is also true that you will have to become open to new ideas and techniques. I had to invest a lot of time and effort to learn new skills that are essential in restaurant industry. Technology: Technology plays a major role in restaurant industry. However, it is not easy to learn all the technical skills that a restaurant gets from different operators. Besides, technical tools are upgrading almost every day; therefore, learning those enhancements is very important and tough. That is why; it is required to have basic knowledge on IT skills so that one can understand the primary operation procedures (Alonsoet al. 2016). IT tools are used as management tool that serves to organize data. It is important to learn new IT skills and gain knowledge on WHS to handle technologies related to restaurant industry. 8. Impact of placement on my personal and professional development Personal skills that I learned while doing my internship in Hilton London Gatwick food department are already discussed. However, I also learned some professional aspects during this period (Traceyet al. 2014). While working there I figured out the biggest problems that a restaurant business could face. Some of those issues are hereby mentioned, Customer care problems: Restaurant business entirely depends on customer; therefore, it is highly important to implement a proper customer service. Most of the restaurants face problems while maintaining a satisfying customer service. Poor customer service is considered as a deal breaker for customers. Even if your food is outstanding, your table settings are superb and your vibes is delightful, your poor customer service will affect your business proceedings (Ballesteroset al. 2012). A restaurant will have to employ staffs who will be dedicated to your customers wellbeing. As a manager, one should make sure that your restaurant staffs are providing pleasant, welcoming and accommodating services to the customers. Management: Management is considered as the most important puzzle of restaurant business. I learned that it is paramount to analyze your business, which will make sure whether it is running properly or not. Many restaurants do not pay attention to some aspects that hampers their business. Having a perfect idea about how many customers you are feeding each day by breaking it down by mealtime will help the management to manage their resources (Boellaand Goss2013). Another important pat is to keep track of ordered menu items. For example, if one of your items is not ordered by most of the customers, then you must take it down from your menu list. Managing budget is another issue faced by the restaurants. It is highly important to stick to your budget as over budgeting will affect your business goals. Employee hiring and training: Most of restaurants focus on their food quality and architecture. However, it is highly important to put more emphasis on your employees who are working in your restaurant. Most of the restaurant managers think that training staffs is not necessary in this business (Durraniand Rajagopal 2016). However, from what I learned from these 11 months clearly indicates that restaurant business needs training programs included in their systems. Training the staffs will help to improve your services and to reduce the cost overtime. Along with training, it is also important to hire proper employees. If a restaurant hire candidates who are not willing to learn, then training methods will be useless. Therefore, extra attention should be paid at the time recruitment. Marketing: Marketing is another issue that restaurant businesses face. Most of the managers fail to pay attention to marketing that causes pitfall. From the organization where I worked as an intern, I learned some method that can help to develop a proper marketing plan. Formalizing the brand standards such as mission statement, guidelines for employees, graphics and logo is highly important for a restaurant business. Developing a compact but user-friendly website that will look good is also an important part of marketing. Advertising through social media is paramount, as it will help to get attention of thousands of potential customers (Traceyet al.2014). Besides, I also learned that while developing a marketing plan one should not forget about his budget. There are several ways to implement a proper marketing strategy within the budget. Selling point: A superior customer service and excellent menu items are vital for a restaurant business; however, they are not selling point for a restaurant. One restaurant would need an original idea such as something better than only great food service. Develop some unique reasons for people to eat at your restaurant. For example, create a nostalgic 50s feeling. If you have a rare selling point then your customers will remember you long after they are gone (Lolli2013). You can develop such as situation where your food, your services and selling point can make an emotional connection. 9. Conclusion In the end, it can be concluded that I learned many things after doing my internship in Hilton London Gatwick. Mostly I figured out some skills that a person should know in order to perform perfectly in a restaurant business. Most of the restaurants do not put focus on building interpersonal skills of their staffs. However, developing such skills is important in order to provide a superior customer care service. Based on those learning, now I can develop my own career in the restaurant or food and beverage industry. I also understood an entrepreneur plays a major role in a restaurant business. He makes all the decisions that help that restaurant to gain attention from the customers. He is the person who decides what should be done and what should not be done. That is why it is important to become a positive entrepreneur. However, I realized it is not easy to become an entrepreneur as it requires a lot of skills and experience to make right decisions in tough times. However, from my i nternship I learned some of the skills that an entrepreneur must have and I am willing to apply them in my own business. Overall, that internship was a good experience for me from where I learned a lot and could understand what I need to own a successful restaurant. References Alonso, A.D., Sakellarios, N., Jones, C., Cseh, L. and Cooper, S.J., 2016. 'Value for money'and the restaurant experience: a case study of supply and demand stakeholders. International Journal of Leisure and Tourism Marketing, 5(1), pp.44-65. Bal, P.M., De Jong, S.B., Jansen, P.G. and Bakker, A.B., 2012. Motivating employees to work beyond retirement: A multià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ level study of the role of Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ deals and unit climate.Journal of Management Studies,49(2), pp.306-331. Ballesteros-Rodrguez, J.L., De Sa-Prez, P. and Domnguez-Falcn, C., 2012. The role of organizational culture and HRM on training success: evidence from the Canarian restaurant industry. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 23(15), pp.3225-3242. Boella, M. and Goss-Turner, S., 2013. Human resource management in the hospitality industry: A guide to best practice. Routledge. Brotherton, B. ed., 2012.International Hospitality Industry. Routledge. Brotherton, B., 2013. Hospitality and hospitality.In Search of Hospitality. Buhalis, D. and Crotts, J., 2013.Global alliances in tourism and hospitality management. Routledge. Buted, D.R., Felicen, S.S. and Manzano, A.I., 2014. A Correlation Study between Student Performance in Food and Beverage Services Course and Internship in FB Department of Hospitality Business.International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences,4(6), p.54. Chen, S.C. and Elston, J.A., 2013. Entrepreneurial motives and characteristics: An analysis of small restaurant owners. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 35, pp.294-305. Chen, T.L. and Shen, C.C., 2012. Today's intern, tomorrow's practitioner?The influence of internship programmes on students' career development in the Hospitality Industry.Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport Tourism Education,11(1), pp.29-40. Durrani, A.S. and Rajagopal, L., 2016. Restaurant human resource managers attitudes towards workplace diversity, perceptions and definition of ethical hiring. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 53, pp.145-151. Gentzler, M.D. and Smither, J.A., 2012. Using practical ergonomic evaluations in the restaurant industry to enhance safety and comfort: a case study. Work, 41(Supplement 1), pp.5529-5531. Guillet, B.D., Kucukusta, D. and Xiao, Q., 2012. An examination of executive compensation in the restaurant industry. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 31(1), pp.86-95. Hoon Song, J., Kolb, J.A., Hee Lee, U. and Kyoung Kim, H., 2012. Role of transformational leadership in effective organizational knowledge creation practices: Mediating effects of employees' work engagement.Human Resource Development Quarterly,23(1), pp.65-101. Hoque, K., 2013.Human resource management in the hotel industry: Strategy, innovation and performance. Routledge. Kehoe, R.R. and Wright, P.M., 2013. The impact of high-performance human resource practices on employees attitudes and behaviors.Journal of management,39(2), pp.366-391. Kim, E., Ham, S., Yang, I.S. and Choi, J.G., 2013. The roles of attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control in the formation of consumers behavioral intentions to read menu labels in the restaurant industry. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 35, pp.203-213. Koutroumanis, D.A., Alexakis, G. and Dastoor, B.R., 2015. The Influence Organizational Culture Has On Commitment in the Restaurant Industry. Small Business Institute Journal, 11(2), p.27. Lee, C., Hallak, R. and Sardeshmukh, S.R., 2016. Innovation, entrepreneurship, and restaurant performance: A higher-order structural model. Tourism Management, 53, pp.215-228. Lee, C., Hallak, R. and Sardeshmukh, S.R., 2016. Innovation, entrepreneurship, and restaurant performance: A higher-order structural model. Tourism Management, 53, pp.215-228. Lee, C., Sardeshmukh, S.R. and Hallak, R., 2016. A qualitative study of innovation in the restaurant industry. Anatolia, pp.1-10. Lolli, J.C., 2013. Interpersonal communication skills and the young hospitality leader: Are they prepared?. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 32, pp.295-298. Mok, C., Sparks, B. and Kadampully, J., 2013.Service quality management in hospitality, tourism, and leisure. Routledge. Torres, E. and Kline, S., 2013. From customer satisfaction to customer delight: Creating a new standard of service for the hotel industry. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 25(5), pp.642-659. Pereira-Moliner, J., Claver-Corts, E., Molina-Azorn, J.F. and Tar, J.J., 2012. Quality management, environmental management and firm performance: direct and mediating effects in the hotel industry.Journal of Cleaner Production,37, pp.82-92. Sisson, L.G. and Adams, A.R., 2013. Essential hospitality management competencies: The importance of soft skills.Journal of Hospitality Tourism Education,25(3), pp.131-145. Song, H.G., Son, M.H. and Choi, Y., 2015. Environmental factors on the entrepreneurship of successful restaurant establishment. International Journal of Tourism Sciences, 15(3-4), pp.96-109. Testa, M.R. and Sipe, L., 2012. Service-leadership competencies for hospitality and tourism management.International journal of hospitality management,31(3), pp.648-658. Tracey, J.B., Hinkin, T.R., Tran, T.L.B., Emigh, T., Kingra, M., Taylor, J. and Thorek, D., 2014. A Field Study of New Employee Training Programs Industry Practices and Strategic Insights. Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, p.193. Wang, Y.C., Coxson, P., Shen, Y.M., Goldman, L. and Bibbins-Domingo, K., 2012. A penny-per-ounce tax on sugar-sweetened beverages would cut health and cost burdens of diabetes.Health Affairs,31(1), pp.199-207. Wellton, L., Jonsson, I.M., Walter, U. and Svingstedt, A., 2016. Restaurant practicestime, planning, knowledge and dreams. Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism, pp.1-15. Wolf, J., 2013. Improving the sustainable development of firms: the role of employees.Business Strategy and the Environment,22(2), pp.92-108.

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Feasibility Study Proposal Example free essay sample

Business Proposal will define broad city-wide goals for sustainable development into focused, actionable, area-specific strategies to ensure the vitality of the central area of Abu Dhabi city and enable us to achieve our community vision Abu Dhabi 2030. The planning process will place an emphasis on ways to promote and improve mixed uses and quality future concept of a retail facility, service-oriented and affordable, transportation and parking management, and the quality and capacity of public infrastructure. Our intent is to identify, understand, and address current strengths and barriers to the creation of new futuristic retail facility development. At the same time we need to make the hard decisions necessary to facilitate the continued evolution and maturation of this vital and dynamic mixed use (ARF) facility. We will hire specialized retail consultant to help produce and accomplish this study and put it in force. Feasibility Study Methodology Our Study will serve the objectives by addressing the future retail marketing concepts through utilizing and studying of the following trends: 1. We will write a custom essay sample on Feasibility Study Proposal Example or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Successful in international retail trends and retailing trends to attract the ‘new consumer. 2. Creating new store (Future Stores) designs and concepts to engage consumers and drive profits. 3. Utilizing the latest in-store technology platforms to effectively create, manage and measure the in-store shopper experience. 4. Harnessing the power of innovative multichannel solutions to engage with new customers and increase the shopper experience 5. Maximizing the potential of social media to engage with the new consumer 6. Future Branding: Connecting your brand with todays consumer 7. Engaging with the regional consumer: Successfully introducing customer loyalty schemes to increase repeat custom, brand visibility and profitability 8. Capitalizing on the soaring growth of the grocery and FMCG market in the Middle East. Retail Feasibility Analysis A retail market analysis will help to determine strengths, gaps and opportunities for retail development and retention of ARF. Bearing in mind the following feasibility understanding: Abu Dhabi downtown is home to one of the most dynamic small downtowns in the UAE. ARF is one of the centerpiece of the community from a retail, dining, and entertainment perspective and widely regarded as one of the most successful mixed-use area. The ARF vicinity provides a variety of office, residential, cultural, retail, and institutional uses and is the undisputed center of new Abu Dhabi. * Over the past several years, the retail climate in Abu Dhabi has evolved. Major retail developments, traditional retail competitors and malls have added worthy competitors to downtown Abu Dhabi. Retail business has benefitted from the climate dominating Abu Dhabi island ( humid and hot ) most of the years round, to create the culture of shopping and entertaining in indoor areas. * Downtown Abu Dhabi is now at a crossroads of development. The community has enjoyed marked success since the boom of 1990s and does not wish to rest on those accomplishments. The recent recession has â€Å"complicated† the market forces at work in the country, resulting in store closures, reduced profits, and traditional retail churn. In Abu Dhabi all of this is happening at the same time that retail and dining destinations have expanded out of the traditional retail business. * As you know Abu Dhabi now is on the cusp of a new downtown master plan process that will provide detailed analysis of downtown and provide the chance to share this planned community expansion. Scope of Work We will be working on the following subjects or tasks to fulfill the Objectives of the study. The Scope of work will be limited to the following: 1. Review and understanding of prior Abu Dhabi retail market.

Thursday, November 28, 2019

September free essay sample

Referring to the German invasion in Poland in 1939, Auden writes while sitting in a bar in New York City, noting the actions of those around him: people continue to carry on their normal lives in spite of the horrors of war going on abroad. The message of September 1, 1939 is timeless. Although referring to an event more than seventy years ago, the poem gained popularity following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The poem is a criticism of multiple things in society at the time. Auden appeals to man to reflect on themes such how German history led to the outbreak of WWII, the democratic industrialized man, and human sins concluding with a message of hope: people need to overlook their boundaries and differences and recognize that we must love each other. The first two stanzas refer to the German invasion of Poland and other historical accounts of war that may have brought glory to countries, but many people suffered. We will write a custom essay sample on September or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In the first stanza the speaker has a obvious tone of sadness, which is very noticeable due to the use of words as â€Å"Uncertain, afraid, anger and fear†.In the second stanza the speaker makes a reference to Linz, which is the city where Hitler was born. Auden chooses the words â€Å"psychopathic god† to refer to Hitler, giving that it was his the decision to invade Poland. The last two sentences of the second stanza are: â€Å"The unmentionable odor of death Offends the September night. † Those two lines are a clear reference to the invasion. He uses the word â€Å"unmentionable† to express that the death and destruction was ignored by many, or at least a blind eye was turned to it.The lines also are easily applied to the recent September 11, 2001 attacks, in that many people were killed on a September night as well. The speaker doesn’t only criticize Hitler, but also the democratic industrialized man and the â€Å"American Imperialism†. The speaker claims that the air is neutral, meaning that it doesn’t belong to anybody. However, modern men built skyscrapers in order to show off their power. Auden states, â€Å"Out of the mirror they state. Imperialism’s face. †This suggests that industrialized countries, such as America, are imperialist and cloud people’s views of reality, also making them think they are better than those in other countries. This makes it easier for them to ignore what is going on in the world. Auden also makes a reference to Thucydides, who wrote that history should be remember by what actually happened instead by the glory of a country, meaning that a war does not have a winner, and we should remember the people that we lost instead of glorifying whoever wins.Over time, we forget about all the innocent lives lost and we remember the past in a patriotic way. As the poem continuous the speaker touches the aspects of sin. Talking about selfishness, the speaker claims that one of the problem of society is that men cannot share different values, and again, considers himself to be the most important. Auden writes, â€Å"Not universal love But to be loved alone. † Clearly the author is implying that people are selfish, giving up a universal love in order to fight for being loved alone.Because the poem is referring to the World War II, we can imagine that Auden feels the world has not responded well to Hitler’s takeover of Poland. He looks around at â€Å"face along the bar/Cling to their average day† and laments that people continue their lives as normal despite what has happened. It refers to the values of each country individually, meaning that no country wants universal love, which would be achieve if every country would respect each other values and beliefs.This is all a part of the attitude of imperialism which is an â€Å"international wrong. † The sin of humans is to think they are more important than others, allowing these events to happen. Surprisingly the poem ends with a positive message. The speaker talks about Eros, he Greek god of love, claiming that every man has a little of love inside themselves. While war and death are occurring and â€Å"our world in stupor lies† there are some people, â€Å"the Just† who recognize the evil and speak out against.What all these people have in common is that they realize they are all the time, that all over the world we suffer from the same problems. Auden states that all the people are, â€Å"Beleaguered by the same Negation and despair, Show an affirming flame. † The speaker is trying to express that regardless of what is happening, there are lights in the darkness, people who are willing to speak out and pass along the message of hope. Although there is war, there are people who speak out against it and voice reason, and have faith in humanity. eo

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Christopher Columbus essays

Christopher Columbus essays Christopher Columbus, an Italian explorer, was from Genoa. He sailed across the Atlantic Ocean in 1492. His main goal was to find a route to the Indies to be able to trade goods and to carry the message of Jesus Christ to faraway lands. Between 1492 and 1504 he took a total of four trips to the Caribbean and South America. Christopher Columbus was the oldest son of Domenico Colombo and Susanna Fontanarossa. He was born in 1451 in the Republic of Genoa, which was known as the trading center for goods from the Far East. His parents named him Cristoforo, which is the Italian name for Christopher. He had four brothers and one sister. His father was a weaver and a cloth merchant. Everyone in his family helped work in the shop. As a small child he went to a school set up by the weavers guild. The children were needed to work, therefore, school was only held for a few hours each day. They were taught math and Latin. As a teenager, his father sent him to the University of Pavia. While there, he studied geometry, astronomy, grammar, geography, the Latin language, and navigation. When he was about twenty years old he worked on a cargo ship that sailed on the Mediterranean Sea. On the first time passing the Portugal Coast, his ship was sunk by an enemy ship. He swam for six miles holding on to an oar until he reached Lagos. After spending a few months there, he went to live with his brother, Bartholomew, in Lisbon. He taught himself how to read and write in the language that the people of Lisbon used, Castilian. To earn a living, Columbus became a chart maker. The knowledge Columbus gained while collecting evidence for his charts convinced him that there were lands across the great ocean and he had to find them. Around 1480 Columbus married Felipa Perestrello e Moniz. She was the daughter of a Portuguese nobleman. After being married for about one year they moved to Porto Santa. While there, he started working on his plans to sa...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Credit Card Fraud in the USA Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Credit Card Fraud in the USA - Research Paper Example The onus falls on the merchants to pay for the credit card fraud and if it lacks in proper insurance, they have to incur the chargeback fee as well. The US is moving towards a cashless society but credit card theft has become a major concern of retailers, consumers, credit card issuers and the law enforcement agencies (Hearn, 1986). Credit cards were introduced in the 1950s and since then fraudsters have been finding ways to attack the system (Byrne, 2010). According to The Survey of Consumer Payment Choice, there were 176.8 million credit card holders in 2008 and the average cardholder has 3.5 credit cards (Woolsey & Schulz, 2011). Credit cards represent the majority of the total $315 billion US financial fraud loss in 2005 while according to a European study more than 22 million adults were victims to credit card fraud in 2006 (Conlin, 2007). According to the 2009 LexisNexis True Cost of Fraud Study, retailers lose $100bn a year to consumer-facing fraud. Twenty-four percent of all retailers, 43% of whom have a strong online presence, reported increase in losses through credit card fraud. Most card fraud payment losses were borne by the card issuers (59%) followed by the merchants (41%), says Sullivan (2010). In 2006 the total fraud losses were estimated at $3.718bn as per table provided below: Source: Sullivan (2010). The process for approving card payments depends to a large extent on information. The criminals have an incentive to steal this information and this leads to attacks on computers, data breaches and ultimately payment fraud. Card fraud is the highest in the United States than countries such as UK, Spain and Netherlands. Better technology in the payment approval system can help combat fraud to some extent. Online payment approval permits automated checks against wider sets of information such as the cardholder’s zip code or transaction history (Sullivan, 2010). Criminals gather such information and use it to commit fraud. Criminals steal wa llets, intercept mail and get access to account statements, or even spy and gather information when the card is in use. Video cameras secretly placed can capture valuable information. Phishing and hacking are other modes through which criminals gather information to conduct fraud. Credit and charge card fraud cost cardholders and issuers millions of dollars each year. Earlier the fraud used to occur over the telephone when the fraudster posed as an organization representative and offered incentives in exchange for credit card information. Theft is the most common form of fraud but people can also use the card number without the knowledge of the owner of the card (FTC, 2009). The thief eyes the trash to collect discarded receipts or carbons through which it is possible to obtain the credit card number. Others ways in which fraud can occur is when dishonest clerks make an extra imprint and use the card details to make personal charges. Now the criminals use packet-sniffing programs on the Internet and steal credit card information electronically. The largest case in the US credit card fraud history took place in 2008 when Albert Gonzalez and his team attacked TJX and other companies (Byrne, 2010). They acquired more than 130 million debit and credit card numbers and stole tens of millions of dollars. These were basically of customers of 7-eleven and other retail giants.  

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Talking about the poem Let America be America Again, The New Colossus, Essay

Talking about the poem Let America be America Again, The New Colossus, and the novel Enrique's Journey - Essay Example According toHughes, the author, he is not just representing the plight of most of the African Americans, but also the minority groups the economically disadvantaged folks I am the young man, full of strength and hope, Tangled in that ancient endless chain Of profit, power, gain, of grab the land † (6). Besides showing open criticism to the unfair American life, the poem illustrates a ray of hope that is yet to come in the yet to be achieved American dream, â€Å"†¦America never was America to me, and yet I swear this oath-America will be† (Hughes 8). This poem has been an important agenda in most of America’s discussion about the American dream and how it can be redrafted so that all American people enjoy the treasures of their land. According to the poem, in as much as there have not been successful strategies in the achievement of this dream, a great hope hangs in the air over the probability that at one point in time, this dream will be achieved. The author of the poem makes a declaration that America has to be left to itself; here, he emphasizes that the dream that once was a promise by the country should be left to come by, especially for the pioneer of the land, who decided to seek a home in a place that he could be free. The author notes that, â€Å"America was never America to me† (Hughes8).In his perspective, America is expected to go back and become the great dream according to the way the dreamers put it, â€Å"great string land of love† (Hughes 6). In achieving its dream the way the dreamers wanted the land to be, the author wishes that America can be a home for all people. He notes that the country should not have people that are tyrants and kings or those that have to crush other people in their journey to greatness. The author emphasizes in the repetition that, â€Å"It never was America to me† (Hughes 4). In his assertion, the author of this poem wishes that America embodied

Monday, November 18, 2019

University's Tools for Achieving Lifelong Learning Essay

University's Tools for Achieving Lifelong Learning - Essay Example There is little question that I have had a fortunate upbringing. In my life, I have a number of positive influences from my family, the faculty at my International Baccalaureate diploma program but also my fellow students. The classroom environment in my IB Program has a lot of students from diverse backgrounds and we often collaborate on projects. Frequently this presents a number of challenges insofar as on many occasions different parties believe projects should go in different directions. However, I believe that it is through working together that we can achieve the best results. Moreover, by working with people from diverse backgrounds not only can I learn more about what it takes to succeed in the real world but I gain a better representation of the diverse society that we live in. When we achieve a good grade on an assignment that we completed together I feel as though I have learned a lot more than just the curriculum. I have always wanted to attend University because I belie ve that being in the academic environment would help push me to perform at my highest level. In addition to building my ability to work in groups, I believe that the programs offered at your University will provide me with the tools to achieve lifelong learning. I always thrived in environments in which the learning curve is steep and I recognize that University requires a great deal of work but I believe the experience will be the very cornerstone of my future. I believe I have what it takes to exceed your expectations and should you need anything else from me I will be more than happy to accommodate your needs.

Friday, November 15, 2019

Flexible Manufacturing System Analysis

Flexible Manufacturing System Analysis Historyof Flexible Manufacturing Systems Introduction AFlexible Manufacturing System(FMS) is a manufacturing system in which there is a certain degree offlexibilitythat allows the system to react in the case of changes, whether predicted or unpredicted. According toMaleki[1], flexibility is the speed at which a system can react to and accommodate change. To be considered flexible, the flexibility must exist during the entire life cycle of a product, from design to manufacturing to distribution. Flexible Manufacturing System is a computer-controlled system that can produce a variety of parts or products in any order, without the time-consuming task of changing machine setups. The flexibility being talked about is generally considered to fall into two categories, which both contain numerous subcategories[2]. The first category, Machine Flexibility, covers the systems ability to be changed to produce new product types, and ability to change the order of operations executed on a part. The second category is called Routing Flexibility, which consists of the ability to use multiple machinesto perform the same operation on a part, as well as the systems ability to absorb large-scale changes, such as in volume, capacity, or capability. The main advantage of an FMS is its high flexibility in managing manufacturing resources like time and effort in order to manufacture a new product. The best application of an FMS is found in the production of small sets of products like those from amass production. FM systems are supposed to provide the manufacturer with efficient flexible machines that increase productivity and produce quality parts. However, FM systems are not the answer to all manufacturers problems. The level of flexibility is limited to the technological abilities of the FM systems. FM systems are being used all over the manufacturing world and though out industries. A basic knowledge of this kind of technology is very important because FM systems are involved in almost everything that you come in contact with in todays world. From the coffee maker to your remote control FM systems are used all over. History of Flexible Manufacturing Systems At the turn of the twentieth century, FMS did not exist. There was no pressing need for efficiency because the markets were national and there was no foreign competition.Manufacturers could tell the consumers what to buy. During that period, Henry Ford had been quoted as saying â€Å"People can order any colour of car as long as it is black.† All the power remained in the hands of the manufacturer and the consumers hardly had any choices. However, after the Second World War a new era in manufacturing was to come. The discovery of new materials and production techniques increased quality and productivity. The war led to the emergence of open foreign markets and new competition.The focus of the market shifted from manufacturer to consumer. According to Maleki, the first FM system was patented in 1965 by Theo Williamson who made numerically controlled equipment. Examples of numerically controlled equipment are like CNC lathes or mills whichKusiaksays are varying types of FM systems. During the 1970s, with the ever-growing developments in the field of technology, manufacturers started facing difficulties and hence, FM systems became main-stream in manufacturing to accommodate new changes whenever required. During the 1980s for the first time manufacturers had to take in consideration efficiency, quality, and flexibility to stay in business. According to Hoeffer, the change in manufacturing over time was due to several factors. (Hoeffer, 1986) Increased international competition, The need to reduce manufacturing cycle time, and Pressure to cut the production cost. Everyday new technologies are being developed and even FM systems are evolving. However, overtime FM systems have worked for many manufacturers and hence will be around for the time to come. The Process of Flexible Manufacturing Systems As has been discussed above the flexible manufacturing system can be broadly classified into two types, depending on the nature of flexibility present in the process, Machine Flexibility and Routing Flexibility FMS systems essentially comprise of three main systems.[3] The processing stations: These are essentially automated CNC machines. The automated material handling and storage system: These connect the work machines to optimize the flow of parts. Central control computer: This controls the movement of materials and machine flow. The FMS as a system stands out because it does not follow a fixed set of process steps. The process sequence changes according to requirement to allow maximum efficiency. Sequence of material flow from one tool to another is not fixed nor is the sequence of operations at each tool fixed. Key Features of the Process[4] Some characteristics that differentiate FMS from conventional manufacturing systems are their technical flexibility, i.e., the ability to quickly change mix, routing, and sequence of operations within the parts envelope and also complexity resulting from the integration, mechanization, and reprogrammable control of operations i.e., parts machining, material handling, and tool change. Some key features of the process are discussed below. Cell: It consists of several groupings of two or more automated machines within a company. Each grouping is called a cell. All the machines present are controlled by a computer. They are programmed to change quickly from one production run to another. A key feature is the automated flow of materials to the cell and the automated removal of the finish item. Several cells are linked together by means of an automated materials-handling system, and the flow of goods is controlled by a computer. In this manner a computer-integrated manufacturing process is initiated. Random bypass capability: The material handling system has a random bypass capability, i.e. a part can be moved from any tool in the interconnected system to another because the transport system can bypass any tool along the path, on demand. This implies: Each part can traverse a variable route through the system. Again, this flexibility in material handling, in combination with multipurpose tools, makes it possible for a flexible manufacturing system to process a great diversity of parts. Automation: Computers are the heart of automation. They provide the framework for the information systems which direct action and monitor feedback from machine activities. As FMS involve a wide variety of components, each with their own type of computer control, many of these computer components are installed as islands of automation, each with a computer control capable of monitoring and directing the action. Each of the computer controls has its own communication protocol based on the amount of data needed to control the component. Thus, the task of computer integration is to establish interfaces and information flow between a wide range of computer types and models. Computer software provides the ability to transmit timely and accurate status information and to utilize information which has been communicated from other computers in FMS. Component redundancy: In FMS as the equipment is highly integrated, the interruptions of one component affect other components. This results in a greater time to trace the problem when compared with isolated components. In some cases, the interruption might be due to some other integration effect, and greater downtime may result before the actual cause of the problem is found. In this situation, component redundancy provides flexibility with the opportunity for choice, which exists when there are at least two available options. Flexible manufacturing contains functionally equivalent machinery. So in case of failure of one machine the process flow is directed towards a functionally equivalent machine. Multiple Paths: A path in flexible manufacturing represents a part sequence and requisite fixtures to complete its required operations. In a conventional machine environment, only one path exists for a part because a single fixture remains at a single machine. However, this is not the case within flexible manufacturing systems, where there are multiple paths. The number of paths which are present within flexible manufacturing is a measure of the degree of flexibility. Obviously, the higher the number of paths, higher is the degree of flexibility. Flexibility ranks high in Japan†²s manufacturing strategy but not in America†²s. A true flexible factory will not only build different versions of the same car, like a coupà © or a station wagon, on the same production line, but also a completely different car. This is what the Japanese factories are setting out to do. The cost of one factory can be spread across five or ten cars. Apart from lower fixed cost, it is also less painful to stop making one of those cars if it fails to sell. FMS as a system of manufacturing process can be compared to other processes in terms of the product volume it generates and its capacity for creating part variations. The above depicts the position of FMS vis-à  -vis that of stand-alone machine and transfer lines. The horizontal axis represents production volume level and the vertical axis shows the variability of parts. Transfer lines are very efficient when producing parts at a large volume at high output rate, whereas stand-alone machines are ideally suited for variation in workplace configuration and low production rate. In terms of manufacturing efficiency and productivity, a gap exists between the high production rate transfer machines and the highly flexible machines. FMS, has been regarded as a viable solution to bridge the gap and as a gateway to the automated factory of the future. The Process: With Reference to particular companies[5] Though the features of this manufacturing innovation process are similar across all types of firms, the manner in which they are adopted and implemented depends on product type, manufacturing, maintenance, process planning and quality control processes. It is also contingent upon the people carrying out these processes; the productive resources being used and the organizational arrangements used to divide and coordinate the processes distinguished. The description of the layout of a company that has adopted the flexible manufacturing system gives a clear idea of how the system works in practical life. It has all the features as mentioned before of a typical FMS. Flexible Manufacturing System at The Hattersley Newman Hender (H.N.H.) This company, located in U.K. manufactures high and low pressure bodies and caps for water, gas and oil valves. These components require a total of 2750 parts for their manufacture. That is why they decided to go for the system of F.M.S. to fulfill their machining requirements in a single system. The process described below shows how FMS is used for efficient production for this company. Their FMS consists of primary and secondary facilities. The primary facilities include 5 universal machining centres and 2 special machining centres. The secondary facilities consist of tool settings and manual workstations. System layout and facilities: Flexible Manufacturing Systems [F.M.S] Primary facilities: Machining centres: The FMS contains two 5-axis horizontal ‘out-facing machines and five 4-axis machining centres under the host control. All the machines have a rotating pallet changer each with two pallet buffer stations. These stations transfer pallets to and from the transport system which consist of 8 automated guided vehicles. The 5 universal machining centres have 2 magazines with capacity of 40 tools in each magazine. The special purpose out-facing machines (OFM) each have one magazine having a capacity of 40 tools. The tool magazines can be loaded by sending instructions to the tool setting room either from the host computer or the machines numerical controller. Processing centres: The system contains two processing centres a wash machine and two manual workstations. Ø Wash machines: It contains two conveyor belts where one is for input and one for output of pallets, each with a capacity of three pallets to transfer the pallets. The wash booth has a capacity of three pallets. The pallets are washed in the booth and turned upside-down to drain out the water. Then they are dried with blown air. Ø Manual workstations (ring fitting area): The operator fits metal sealing rings into the valve bodies at the manual workstations. He receives work instructions via computer interface with the host. Secondary facilities: Auxiliary stations: Ø Load/unload stations: The FMS has four-piece-part load and unload stations. Loading and unloading is performed at these stations with the instructions again received via computer interface with the host. Ø Fixture-setting station: At these stations the fixtures are readjusted to accommodate different piece parts. Ø Administration of tools: Tools are assembled manually. The tool-setting machine checks the dimensional offsets of the tools and generates a bar code for further identification of the tool that has been set. Auxiliary facilities: Ø Transport system: The transport system consists of a controller and 8 automated guided vehicles (AGV). The system also contains an A.G.V. battery charging area. Ø Buffer stores: The FMS has 20 buffer stores in order to store the empty and loaded pallets while they are waiting to be taken to another transfer station (i.e. a load/unload station or a machine tool etc.). Ø Maintenance Area: This facility caters to pallets that may be damaged or need servicing or for storing scrapped piece-parts. Ø Raw Material Stores: These stores are located in front of the load / unload stations and are used to store the raw materials (like forged valve bodies etc). The store is served by two fork-lift-stacker cranes and motor roller conveyors. It has a capacity of 80 containers. Ø Fixture store: The fixtures that are not stored in FMS are stored here. It has a capacity of storing 120 fixtures. The store is served by a stacker crane and motor roller conveyors. Flexible Manufacturing System at TAMCAM Computer Aided Manufacturing (TAMCAM) Lab. This is an example of flexible manufacturing system that is used to describe the TAMCAM Simulation-Based Control System (TSCS)[6]. This system is located within the TAMCAM Computer Aided Manufacturing (TAMCAM) lab. The system consists of three CNC milling machines, one CNC turning centre, two industrial robots, and an automated cart based conveyor system. In addition to the automated equipment, human operators are used to load and unload some machines and perform assembly and inspection tasks. Advantages of Flexible Manufacturing System Why would firms embrace flexible manufacturing systems? What benefits does FMS provide? Answers to these two questions are important to the success of flexible manufacturing systems. It is important to understand the impacts on product life cycle, direct labour input and market characteristics. Various advantages arise from using flexible manufacturing systems.[7] Users of these systems enlist many benefits: * Less scrap * Fewer workstations * Quicker changes of tools, dies, and stamping machinery * Reduced downtime * Improved quality through better control over it * Reduced labour costs due to increase in labour productivity * Increase in machine efficiency * Reduced work-in-process inventories * Increased capacity * Increased production flexibility * Faster production * Lower- cost/unit * Increased system reliability * Adaptability to CAD/CAM operations Since savings from these benefits are sizeable, a plethora of examples from the manufacturing industry are available to illustrate these benefits. â€Å"A major Japanese manufacturer, by installing a flexible manufacturing system, has reduced the number of machines in one facility from 68 to 18, the number of employees from 215 to 12, space requirements from 103000 square feet to 30000 and processing time from 35 days to a 1.5 days† â€Å"Ford has poured $4,400,000 into overhauling its Torrence Avenue plant in Chicago, giving it flexible manufacturing capability. This will allow the factory to add new models in as little as two weeks instead of two months or longer. The flexible manufacturing systems used in five of Ford Motor Companys plants will yield a $2.5 billion savings. By the year 2010, Ford will have converted 80 percent of its plants to flexible manufacturing.† The benefits enlisted above are the operational benefits.[8] Flexible Manufacturing Systems also give rise to benefits in terms of strategy for the firm. Operational Benefits Strategic Benefits Lower Costs per unit A source of competitive advantage in present and future. Lesser workstations Less space in plant required. Reduced Inventories Less of Storage Space. Plant Layout gets simplified. The space is freed up for other activities. Increase in labour productivity Lesser workforce required. Operational Flexibility Ability to meet varying customer demands in terms of numbers (seasonality) and choices. Improved Quality Increased customer satisfaction Less inspection costs Lesser lead time Increased Machine Efficiency Less technical workforce for handling maintenance and repair Less Scrap and Rework Consistent Production Process On a macro level, these advantages reduce the risk of investing in the flexible manufacturing system as well as in ongoing projects in such a firm. Let us look at how flexibility helps firms. To maximize production for a given amount of gross capacity, one should minimize the interruptions due to machine breakdowns and the resource should be fully utilized. FMS permits the minimization of stations†² unavailability, and shorter repair times when stations fail. Preventive maintenance is done to reduce number of breakdowns. Maintenance is done during off hours. This helps to maximize production time. Cost of maintaining spare part inventories is also reduced due to the fact that similar equipment can share components. Hence we can see that higher the degree of flexibility of the workstation, the lower the potential cost of production capacity due to station unavailability. To make a product every day, the trade off between inventory cost and setup cost becomes important. However, each time the workstation changes its function, it incurs a set-up delay. Through flexibility one can reduce this set-up cost. [9] CAD/CAM aids in computerized tracking of work flow which is helpful in positioning inspection throughout the process. This helps to minimize the number of parts which require rework or which must be scrapped. FMS changes the outlook of inspection from a post-position to an in-process position. Hence, feedback is available in real time which improves quality and helps product to be within the tolerance level.[10] Flexible manufacturing systems (FMS) are virtually always used in conjunction with just-in-time (JIT) order systems. This combination increases the throughput and reduces throughput time and the length of time required to turn materials into products. Flexible Manufacturing Systems have a made a huge impact on activity-based costing.[11] Using these systems helps firms to switch to process costing instead of job costing. This switching is made possible because of the reduced setup delays. With set-up time only a small fraction of previous levels, companies are able to move between products and jobs with about the same speed as if they were working in continuous, process type environment. To look at another aspect of strategic benefits, enterprise integration can be facilitated by FMS. An agile manufacturer is one who is the fastest to the market, operates with the lowest total cost and has the greatest ability to delight its customers. FMS is simply one way that manufacturers are able to achieve this agility.[12] This has also been reported in many studies that FMS makes the transition to agility faster and easier. Over time, FMS use creates a positive attitude towards quality. The quality management practices in organizations using FMS differs from those not using it. The adoption of flexible manufacturing confers advantages that are primarily based upon economies of scope. As a result of aiming simultaneously at flexibility, quality and efficiency, the future manufacturing industry will strive towards: producing to order, virtually no stock, very high quality levels, and high productivity. [13] Disadvantages of Flexible Manufacturing System[14] Now that we have looked at the multiple advantages flexible manufacturing systems offer, the next obvious question is, if they are so good and so useful then why are they not ubiquitous by now? It is essential to look at the other side, especially the impact these systems have on costing, product mixes decided by the company and the inevitable trade- off between production rates and flexibility. Following are the major disadvantages that have been observed Complexity These sophisticated manufacturing systems are extremely complex and involve a lot of substantial pre planning activity before the jobs are actually processed. A lot of detail has to go into the processing. Often users face technological problems of exact component positioning. Moreover, precise timing is necessary to process a component. Cost of equipment[15] Equipment for aflexiblemanufacturingsystem will usually initially be more expensive than traditional equipment and the prices normally run into millions of dollars. This cost is popularly known as the Risk of Installation. Maintenance costs are usually higher than traditional manufacturing systems because FMS employs intensive use of preventive maintenance, which by itself is very expensive to implement. Energy costs are likely to be higher despite more efficient use of energy. Increased machine utilization can result in faster deterioration of equipment, providing a shorter than average economic life. Also, personnel training costs may prove to be relatively high. Moreover there is the additional problem of selecting system size, hardware and software tailor made for the FMS. Cost of automation in the form of computer integration is the most significant cost in a flexible manufacturing system. The components require extensive computer control. Also, the costs of operation are high since a machine of this complexity requires equally skilled employees to work or run it. Adaptation Issues There is limited ability to adapt to changes in product or product mix. For example, machines are of limited capacity and the tooling necessary for products, even of the same family, is not always feasible in a given FMS. Moreover, one should keep in mind that these systems do not reduce variability, just enable more effective handling of the variability. Equipment Utilization Equipment utilization for flexible manufacturing systems is sometimes not as high as expected. Example, in USA, the average is ten types of parts per machine. Other latent problems may arise due to lack of technical literacy, management incompetence, and poor implementation of the FMS process. It is very important to differentiate between scenarios where FMS would be beneficial (ex, where fast adaptation is the key) and those where it wouldnt (ex where a firms competency is based on minimizing cost). Product/Job Costing[16] Arguably the biggest disadvantage of flexible manufacturing systems is the difficulty faced by the company in allocating overhead costs to jobs. Usually, several products share the same resources with different consumption characteristics. Ideally, the overhead allocation should be directly proportional to the resource consumption. But this becomes complicated in the case of flexible manufacturing systems since it is very difficult to estimate which product used which machine for which purpose and for how long. Often this leads to under costing of some products and consequently over costing of others. In systems that use FMS, usually the fixed costs are quite high due to the following reasons: * The machines are costly, material handling is more expensive and the computer controls are state of the art, thereby leading to a higher depreciation than seen in traditional manufacturing systems. * A lot of items which are otherwise usually treated as direct costs are counted under indirect costs in case of flexible manufacturing systems. For example, labour is normally attributed to the job directly done, but in FMS, the same workers work on machines that usually run two jobs simultaneously. Hence even labour costs are to be treated as overhead or indirect costs. * In order to ensure smooth running of the flexible manufacturing systems, a lot of support activities carried out by engineers and technicians. Keeping the above points in mind, we can infer that in order to cater to these scenarios, Activity Based Costing techniques are used with FMS to reduce distortion of product costs. FMS Adoption in Automobile Industry The Flexible manufacturing system has been adopted extensively in the manufacturing industry in this day and age. It addresses the issue of automation and process technology which is a key area for concern of manufacturing management along with inventory production planning and scheduling and quality. One industry which has extensively adopted this system is the Automobile Industry. Almost all global giants now follow the Flexible Manufacturing system and many have developed their own manufacturing system keeping FMS as an integral part of it. The Big Three of the American Automotive Industry namely General Motors, Ford Motors and Chrysler Motors enjoyed a monopolistic environment for a very long time. This in some way inhibited their innovation capabilities as there was no competition in the market which could drive them to innovate. These companies, therefore, maintained production facilities that were suitable for mass production of any single model, which ensured economies of scale and plant profitability. But gradually as Asian car makers gained prominence in the automotive market, the Big Three of the United States faced huge challenges across all product lines. The main Asian competitors that came into picture were Toyota, Honda, Nissan and Mitsubishi from Japan and Hyundai from South Korea. With these Asian countries exporting vehicles to the United States of America, competition heightened and the profitability of the Big Three decreased. To improve its profitability and maintain its market share Chrysler Corporat ion, General Motors and Ford Motor Company employed Flexible Manufacturing System in their production lines following what had been started in Japan. The essential driving force for adoption of FMS in Automobile industry is 1. The emphasis on increasing product variety and individualization has created a strong need to develop a flexible manufacturing system to respond to small batches of customer demand. 2. Cost savings were required to be more competitive. Newer varieties needed to be introduced in lesser time and at lesser cost. Given below are examples of some companies and their motive for adopting FMS as well as the benefits that they have achieved through it Japanese Companies and Latest FMS Toyota Toyota has been at the forefront of adopting flexible manufacturing system which has been in place since 1985. In 2002, Toyota unveiled its Global Body Line (GBL), a radical, company-wide overhaul of its already much-envied FMS.[17] The GBL process was developed so Toyota could implement a common vehicle-assembly â€Å"platform† at any and all of its worldwide assembly locations — regardless of volume or method of assembly. GBL helps Toyota to meet its goal â€Å"To seamlessly manufacture our products in any country, at any volume† The advantages that GBL delivers over the older FBL system of Toyota are * 30% reduction of the time a vehicle spends in the body shop. * 70% reduction in time required to complete a major model change. * 50% cut in the cost to add or switch models. * 50% reduction in initial investment. * 50% reduction in assembly line footprint. * 50% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions due to lower energy usage. * 50% cut in maintenance costs. More than 20 of Toyotas 24 worldwide body lines already have been converted, and the rest either are in the process of conversion or will be refitted for GBL in conjunction with upcoming model changes. Operations in Toyota Older Flexible Body Line (FBL) System : Each vehicle would require three pallets — each tightly gripping either a major bodyside assembly or the roof assembly and assuring its adherence to dimensional hard points — as the body panels travelled through the various stages of welding to the floorpan and to one another. Three pallets limited the number of vehicles that could be in the build sequence at any given time in some plants the number was 50. Also, the design of the pallets — which held the bodysides and roof panels from the outside — limited the access of welding robots and required a lot of floor space. Planners had to â€Å"guess† about how many pallets to build and work that guess into the plants vehicle mix (FBL-equipped plants could handle as many as five different models). Bad guesses about pallet allocation were very costly. Also, quick reaction to a change of production mix was discouraged by the 3-pallet system. Newer Global Body Line (GBL) System : GBL design solves those problems by replacing FBLs three pallets with a single pallet, one that now holds all three major body panels from the inside. This â€Å"master pallet,† layout eliminates the need for predicting initial pallet demand. Since each model or variant requires only the lone pallet, switching new models in or out of the production mix is a breeze. Thus the 70% reduction in time required to facilitate a model change[18]. GBL doubles the amount of floor space that can be occupied by robots, and, on a GBL tour here, every inch appears to be used. In the Georgetown plant of Toyota, the floor space freed by GBL allows a second GBL line — helping the plant achieve a recently announced capacity increase to 500,000 units. Highly advanced robots are central to leveraging the advantages of the GBL layout the system was designed to make the most of new-generation body shop robots that are smaller, more precise and more energy efficient. The number of robots has increased from about 250 to nearly 350. GBL system is enhanced by initial vehicle designs that ensure commonality for various hardpoints. This makes it easier to accommodate a variety of models: GBL-ready plants now can build as many as eight, rather than five with the FBL system. However even with the ability to produce eight different models, there is a limit to GBLs flexibility. Once pressed, engineers admit that not everything Toyota makes, from Vitz to Land Cruiser, can be produced on a single GBL line. There are two siz

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Lies and More Lies in Conrads Heart of Darkness :: Heart of Darkness Marlow

Lies in Heart of Darkness After declaring his passionate hate of lying it is odd to see the complete reversal of character in Marlow by the end of the book.   Then perhaps it is not a change but merely an unexpected extension of his character that gives a different dimension to his personality.  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚      His statement "You know I hate, detest, and can't bear a lie...it appalls me.   It makes me miserable and sick, like biting something rotten would do" (Longman 2210) gives what one may rightly consider a very straightforward clean cut description of the man's moral view and character traits.   Yet by the end of the book one may feel he has not only betrayed their trust but himself and all the values he seemed to embody during the course of the story.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Marlow's interview with Kurtz's Intended was less than the honesty one might have expected given his vehement stand on the issue of lying.   When he went to speak to her I fully expected him to be completely honest and tell her the truth.   My logic was that if she knew what Kurtz was like in reality her suffering would be eased and she would be able to gain an honest semi-objective view of the man she loved.   That shows my modern thinking!   It soon became clear that she was not going to accept any version of the truth and I found myself hoping that Marlow would lie to her to spare he the torture of knowing the truth.   Her constant interrupting of Marlow's dialogue in order to fill in wonderful, glowing details about the man was a complete revelation as to what she could hear and survive.   Marlow says, "It was impossible not to" "Love him" she finished eagerly..."How true! How true!" (Longman 2244) .   Once Marlow has dec ided to sugar coat the truth he begins to utter non-committal phrases in regards to Kurtz which the Intended finishes; "His words will remain," I said.   "And his example," she whispered to herself.   "Men look up to him, -- his goodness shone in every act.   His example"   (Longman 2245).   I think Marlow begins to see that he cannot be honest with her when they begin to speak of Kurtz's death.   He says, "My anger subsided before a feeling of infinite pity" (Longman 2245).   She was a woman, she was weak, she was alone, and every male tendency within Marlow rose up and prevented him from crushing what was left of her fragile spirit.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Brett Ashley and the novel The Sun Also Rises

I must admit that my views of Brett Ashley have now changed upon reading the article by Lorie Watkins Fulton.   I think that it is very easy to blame her and her manipulative and destructive tendencies for the evil that works itself into the novel The Sun Also Rises.   That is the overriding conclusion not only of the narrator Jake Barnes, but also of nearly all of the critics of the work to date.   That creates a rather compelling point of view for us.   However, I now find it hard to place all of the blame on her character and am beginning to wonder if she is, in fact, maligned. Fulton makes a great case right away by reminding us of the completely paradoxical nature of Hemingway’s narrative.   If we are to believe that is true of the whole story, then it becomes hard to see Ashley only in one light.   How are we to believe that everyone else in the book is multi-layered but poor Ashley?   Why should we trust Barnes about this one aspect and observation of his when he proves not trustworthy about the others?   Finally, and most convincingly, it is hard to blame Ashley when we read of Jake Barnes’ obviously flawed personal observations and biases that he brings to the table: his words about the flower girl down on the street own up to the fact that he sees her as a manipulator just like all of her sex are.This outlandish assignment of character flaw with gender should have provided a useful lens through which we could begin to see Ashley in a much more favorable light.   It shows the power of literary critics in influencing us to one point of view, just as effectively as Jake Barnes did.Langston Hughes’ main theme and main concern is the loneliness and struggle of the black man, the Negro.   This poem is crafted well to show us this theme in a different and unexpected light.   Rather than explaining the struggles the Negro faces, and cataloging all of the well known facts of race in America, Hughes compares it to othe r elements that tell the same story metaphorically.   It is as if Hughes has decided that anyone reading The Weary Blues is already familiar with the issues and basic facts and is ready for a new way of seeing the history through one person but for all people.   His poem takes on color to demonstrate his concern.The title seems obvious: it must be about the type of song the old man is singing.   Surely it is, but it’s more than that.   The poem puts the color blue right up there at the top for us to see the sadness and tiredness that Negros feel.   Hughes then goes on to tell us the plight of the black man through use of the artist’s palette.   We see ‘pale’ on line 5, ebony on line 9, ivory on line 9, black on line 15, and of course ‘blues’ 7 different times.   Why all the color?   Hughes’ theme is the tired condition of the black’s struggle, the overwhelming and consuming aspect of it.   His use of colors spea ks loudly.   Blues, of course, represents the all present sadness of the people.   That is clear.   That is easy.   But look at the other things going on, too.   Pale light is a diminished opportunity.   The black man is not allowed the full brightness of spectrum, the American dream.It is in sharp contrast to that enjoyed by the white race.   Hughes says this by not just saying that the black man is playing a piano down there on the avenue.   That wouldn’t be enough.   What he says is that he had his â€Å"ebony hands on each ivory key† (9).   That contrast of ebony and ivory, black and white, says it all.   Everything we hear from the black man, the mourning of the blues, is a discussion and revelation of his everlasting struggle as a black man in a white world.The story of Mrs. Turpin in Revelation is one of those stories that really gets into me and make me want to take part.   I want to get right in and grab Mrs. Turpin by the shoulders wit h my reactions!   She may be the biggest hypocrite I have ever read about.   What makes her that way the most to me is that she is constantly referring to her position as given by Jesus himself.   O’Connor writes that Mrs. Turpin was made a better class by Jesus’ decision, and that Jesus is perfectly aware that there are many worse classes of people.She refers to this blessing over and over while reminding herself what a good type of woman she is, what a god fearing woman she is, when the reader wants to just grab her and wake her up from this delusion.   I see the opportunities for grace everywhere for Mrs. Turpin.   Where she sees so many faults in other people, she could have talked with them instead of to them.   She could have offered to really help them and not in a self-serving manner like when she helped Claude to a chair by announcing just how much they deserved one over the others who had been there first.   I really thought that she might reall y experience the grace instead of just an opportunity for it when she got home and started thinking about the wart hogs.   It seemed like she really got it for once.But then she sees those black folk and gets right back on her horse, and she has them make her feel better about the way she is! She knew that if she raised doubts about herself they would make her feel superior again, by lifting her up, and by making themselves look stupid to her!   Sadly this is one of the ways that I see this work as Southern, too.   It keeps returning to basic themes of race and religion over and over.   It is a story of defining class and making sure everyone knows their place accordingly.   This is a hallmark of Southern type stories.