Pride And Prejudice :: essays research papers

Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice takes place in England during the 18th century, with an evident main them of courtship and marriage. The Bennet family consists of Jane, the eldest daughter, followed by Elizabeth, Mary, Kitty, and Lydia. Being girls, they will not benefit from their father’s will which leads to their mother’s obsession over finding husbands for them. Eventually in the end of the novel, everyone is settled and married, however Bingley and Jane, and Darcy and Elizabeth have comfortable futures to look forward to. Similar to other novels written by Jane Austen, the main theme is courtship and marriage. On a smaller scale, this novel also refers to the reality behind appearances and "truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.† (p.1) Out of the seven marriages throughout the novel, three would inevitably end in failure and two are a success. With Mr. Collins and Charlotte Lucas, their marriage is based on economics. Charlotte sacrifices her own happiness for financial security. In the case of Whickham and Lydia, only superficial qualities are considered which in time would separate them. Another example of a marriage like Whickam and Lydia’s is the marriage between Mr. and Mrs. Bennet. As for Jane and the Elizabeth, their marriages are based on calm judgement and are well considered with mutual feelings. Throughout the novel, many of the characters are deceived by appearances, although they become dearer near th e end. In this time frame, women view that men have responsibilities to society. Being unable to provide for themselves because of their ignorance in areas of business or commerce, men would ensure financial stability. Another aspect of Jane Austen’s writing is her use of dialogue. It reflects when less of the physical appearances were used, but more of the inner qualities were displayed, during her time period. Austen is interested in where people stand in society and their engagements in dialogue. Often, through dialogue, her characters are developed. With Austen’s main focus being conversation, much of her work must be able to relate parts of the novel together, interpret clues, and notice tone and meaning. I believe that the main characters of this novel are Darcy and Elizabeth. Referring to the title â€Å"pride† would represent Darcy and â€Å"prejudice† would represent Elizabeth. Elizabeth’s â€Å"propensity to hate everybody† (p.51) and vanity leads to her prejudice.

A Perfect Day in the Ocean Essay examples -- Descriptive Essay Examples

A Perfect Day in the Ocean As I watch, the waves from the shore look fun and almost innocent as they crest and then crash over one another. I can taste the salt in they air and watch little rainbows glisten through the prisms of the ocean’s spray. The warm ocean water toward the shore is covered with foam and bubbles from the rumbling waves as children and their families play in the gritty tan colored sand. I think to myself, â€Å"This is perfect†. I make the final preparations on my Yamaha Waverunner. All of the fluid levels check full and there is a faint smell of gasoline mixed with the aromas of salt and fish in the air. I am now ready to brave and jump the mighty ocean waves of South Padre Island! Before the truck backs the trailer into the warm waters at the dock and lowers the Waverunner into the blue-green abyss, I crank the engine for a final systems check. It roars powerfully, drowning out the sound of the birds circling overhead, as thick black and gray smoke initially pours from the exhaust and then slowly drifts away on the wind’s light breeze. I turn the impressive machine off to finish my final preparations. As I put on the Jet Pilot lifejacket and tighten the thick blue straps, I remind myself to stay calm and not to make stupid or impulsive decisions during my journey into the ocean. It is easy to push oneself to the limits and lose track of reality. I must remember to respect Mother Nature at all times and keep in mind that I am not invincible. I climb aboard the Waverunner and grab hold of the handbars, warm from the bright sun. Now the truck begins to back up, gently lowering me on this powerful machine into the calm waters of the docking area. As I drift from the trailer, I take a moment to lo... ... spot two more dolphins and then another joins them. The first dolphin emerges again to make a total of four. They are swimming in front of me, playing in the surf. It is almost as if they are leading me to shore. As I idle through the channel, they slowly disappear back to their home in the Gulf. Once the dolphins are gone, I gently squeeze the throttle and head back to the docks. With a final look back, a see the sun’s reflection off of the glassy smooth water as the ripples of my wake break the surface behind. I think about what a wonderful experience this day has been. Approaching the boat trailer, I realize how physically tired I am from the constant rush of adrenaline brought by my adventures. I have the memories of the exciting jumps of the waves and the vivid pictures in my mind of the graceful dolphins swimming in the sunset. I am ready to go home. A Perfect Day in the Ocean Essay examples -- Descriptive Essay Examples A Perfect Day in the Ocean As I watch, the waves from the shore look fun and almost innocent as they crest and then crash over one another. I can taste the salt in they air and watch little rainbows glisten through the prisms of the ocean’s spray. The warm ocean water toward the shore is covered with foam and bubbles from the rumbling waves as children and their families play in the gritty tan colored sand. I think to myself, â€Å"This is perfect†. I make the final preparations on my Yamaha Waverunner. All of the fluid levels check full and there is a faint smell of gasoline mixed with the aromas of salt and fish in the air. I am now ready to brave and jump the mighty ocean waves of South Padre Island! Before the truck backs the trailer into the warm waters at the dock and lowers the Waverunner into the blue-green abyss, I crank the engine for a final systems check. It roars powerfully, drowning out the sound of the birds circling overhead, as thick black and gray smoke initially pours from the exhaust and then slowly drifts away on the wind’s light breeze. I turn the impressive machine off to finish my final preparations. As I put on the Jet Pilot lifejacket and tighten the thick blue straps, I remind myself to stay calm and not to make stupid or impulsive decisions during my journey into the ocean. It is easy to push oneself to the limits and lose track of reality. I must remember to respect Mother Nature at all times and keep in mind that I am not invincible. I climb aboard the Waverunner and grab hold of the handbars, warm from the bright sun. Now the truck begins to back up, gently lowering me on this powerful machine into the calm waters of the docking area. As I drift from the trailer, I take a moment to lo... ... spot two more dolphins and then another joins them. The first dolphin emerges again to make a total of four. They are swimming in front of me, playing in the surf. It is almost as if they are leading me to shore. As I idle through the channel, they slowly disappear back to their home in the Gulf. Once the dolphins are gone, I gently squeeze the throttle and head back to the docks. With a final look back, a see the sun’s reflection off of the glassy smooth water as the ripples of my wake break the surface behind. I think about what a wonderful experience this day has been. Approaching the boat trailer, I realize how physically tired I am from the constant rush of adrenaline brought by my adventures. I have the memories of the exciting jumps of the waves and the vivid pictures in my mind of the graceful dolphins swimming in the sunset. I am ready to go home.

Personal Narrative Essay - Application for US Naturalization

Personal Narrative Essay - Application for US Naturalization Form N-400 is otherwise known as the application for US Naturalization. I have started and stopped filling out form N-400 half a dozen times in the past few years. Most recently, I used the excuse that I couldn’t read all of the dates in my passport. Thus I could not give the relevant dates for when I had left and reentered the country over the necessary time period. The other day I downloaded the form again but now I can’t find my passport. I have lived in the United States for 25 of my 36 years and I am still not naturalized. I have voted but not for a politician. In high school, I voted in school elections and was elected as Student Council President for my senior year. My main duty was to read daily announcements (soccer scores, late buses, children with lice who needed to report to the nurse immediately) and recite, over the loud speaker, the Pledge of Allegiance. As a foreigner, I understood the irony of reciting this oath to a bunch of Americans, but I had to do it. I was elected into office, and this was my duty. And getting on the loudspeaker every day was the reason why I wanted to do it in the first place. I was the president. I would lead the student body in their daily fix of nationalistic pride. I could just as easily have recited the Lord’s Prayer, which I also knew by heart, though my church attendance was sporadic. Or I could have led them through â€Å"Do Not Go Gentle Into that Good Night,† but it never seemed to fit the day’s events. So every day, I pledged allegiance to the flag. Their flag. Amen. When I call myself a foreigner, I do so with tongue firmly planted in cheek. I am Canadian. Laugh as you will and say that that is the sa... ...ance, people spend weeks living in cargo bins on large ships. Just for the chance, young men and women from foreign countries put on the uniform of the United States armed forces and fight a war. Each day Form N-400 sits unfinished, I think of all of these people, living and dying to become Americans. And I know that, even though my passport says I am Canadian, in my heart I am American and all the beauty and the ugliness that name engenders. Soon I will fill out my Form N-400 and I will submit it to the Department of Naturalization. If I am lucky enough to have my application accepted, I will stand up on the day of my indoctrination and I will lead my fellow new Americans in their prayer for redemption. I will lead them in the Pledge of Allegiance and for those few moments forward we will be one nation, under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

Compare the Wars and All Quiet on the Western Front Essay

During World War I, many soldiers were impacted by the mental and physical effects that have changed their lives in positive, but mostly negative ways. There are two novels that talk about two men in World War I, however each tells a different story on their struggles on the battlefield. On one of the books, The Wars by Timothy Findley, focuses on the protagonist Robert Ross, a Canadian soldier that joined the war. Robert Ross mainly joined to war because it was his way of isolating himself after his sister’s death, while on the other book, All Quiet on The Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque, in which the story is about a teenager named Paul Baumer. Paul Baumer is a German soldier who was influenced from his teacher that going to war was a courageous decision. War focuses us to sacrifice our humanity in exchange for survival, which leads us to our self-destruction, where we become like animals for the sake of our survival. The meaning behind this is that wars take our feelings and human instincts thus replacing them to animal instincts to survive. In the end, life becomes difficult to come back to which leads to our own destruction. The aspect from both novels is about â€Å"men who were destroyed by war† (Remarque 12) even when they have escaped the horrors of the war. Both authors express that they do not want to tell us about the experiences in the war, at least not just the war, but rather the destructive impact on the soldier; such as the inability of young people to go back to their life exactly like before the war. There is no doubt that the entire generation has been ruined by war and were unable to function afterwards. Paul Baumer returns home on his seven day leave, and describes those seven days as unhappy personal experiences. He fails to see an old major on the street, he is forced by another officer to go back to the major and salute him according to the etiquette of military soldiers. Paul feels as though it is petty harassment. For Paul it’s already embarrassing for his father to tell him to wear his uniform so that he could proudly show it to all his acquaintances. Just to show his uniform to all his father’s acquaintances, Baumer finds it as though as they are getting the wrong idea of what the reality of war was. Paul’s father wants him to use his experiences of the war as a demonstration but insists that it is to â€Å"dangerous† to remind him of the war because he cannot manage as though he was on the front-lines like before. This goes the same as for The Wars; many soldiers were destroyed after seeing how the war was like. †¦frozen fingers of nameless rivers, heralded by stream and whirling snow, the train returned him to his heritage of farms†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Findley 46) The steam from the train could have signified the anger from all the soldiers after witnessing the death from all their fellow troops and just leaving their corpse unburied, while they move on to the hopes of winning the war. The topic of destruction in the novels is also caused by the older generation. The younger generations believed that the eld er ones had greater insight and wisdom but was later on destroyed by the first sight of the war casualties. The sight of how they have been betrayed, the soldiers also notice that it is the older generation that declares war and never physically fight in it; however it is the younger soldiers that are risking their own lives for them. An example of betrayal is also seen in The Wars, when Robert is betrayed by Taffler, whom was seen as a manly strong soldier to follow; however after the incident, Roberts view of him immediately shattered. Robert states that all the soldiers have been raped by their so called leaders. It has to be there because it is my belief that Robert Ross and his generation of young men were raped, in effect, by the people who made the war. Basically, their fathers did it to them. † (Findley 150-151) â€Å"Fathers† would be the people that are in powers who controlled the younger generation but who were also told to slaughter their so called enemy. All Quiet on the Western Front also contradicts the older generation because Paul feels as though he was betra yed by his own teacher. â€Å"For us lads of eighteen they ought to have been mediators and guides to the world of maturity†¦ to the future†¦ in our hearts we trusted them. The idea of authority, which they represented, was associated in our minds with a greater insight and a more humane wisdom. But the first death we saw shattered this belief. We had to recognize that our generation was more to be trusted than theirs†¦ The first bombardment showed us our mistake, and under it the world as they had taught it to us broke in pieces. † (Remarque 78) In this quote Paul learns that the educators who were supposed to guide the younger generation to the â€Å"right† direction into the world have failed miserably. The older generation that is constantly mocking the younger generations for cowardice signs but even the older generation hasn’t actually experienced the reality of war and what the feeling of fighting is actually like. The younger generation need to make their own choices instead of always relying on the older ones between whether something is right or wrong whilst the older generation has been proved incapable of doing so. In the midst of wars many soldiers strive to survive and will do anything just for the sake of survival. Robert Ross does a good job on surviving the war on the battlefront; however, it is ironic to see the very same allies he fought with end up killing him. Robert doesn’t die in action but dies in a burning barn. He continuously sees destruction all around him wherever he goes and is always afraid that he may not live â€Å"On the far side he could see that the men and the wagons and the rest of the convoy were drawn up near fires and he just kept thinking: warm, I am going to be warm. † (Findley 82) This is desperation in order to remain alive. Similarly to The Wars, Paul and his friends also strive just to survive the war. In the first chapter Remarque jumps into the war action: â€Å"We were at rest five miles behind the front† (Remarque 3) He does not clearly specify whether or not the German army or Paul’s friends. Unlike The Wars where the main characters are athletic, strong like Robert and Taffler, Remarque doesn’t describe his characters as complete developed characters. Each of them is described as people who have regular human qualities. An example would be Tjaden who is the biggest eater and Westhus who continuously thinks about women. They feel as though, to survive they need to form a brotherhood that strives as much as possible to survive an arena of death. All other expressions they may show are unable to be shown as the only thing that you’re able to show is the sake for surviving the war. Hunger is a part of survival in All Quiet on The Western Front. Many soldiers that don’t come back to the camp receive the dead ones share of food from the first chapter. Because the soldiers were really happy to see the extra food and wasn’t sad or angry about the death of their comrades means that food was very uncommon. Dehumanizing is a necessary tool in order to survive the war. Dehumanizing is depicted in both The Wars and All Quiet on the Western Front, however, Robert is having trouble going to the stage of being dehumanized through the book, and isn’t until later he is to his limits and snaps making him do awful things; like shooting Captain Leather in the face. Referring back to All Quiet on The Western Front, Paul describes the psychological transformations that soldiers have when going into battle such as this quote. â€Å"We have become wild beasts. We do not fight, we defend ourselves against annihilation. It is not against men that we fling our bombs, what so we know of men in this moment when Death with hands and helmets is hunting us down†¦ We feel a mad anger. No longer do we lie helpless, waiting on the scaffold, we can destroy and kill, to save ourselves, to save ourselves and be revenged† (Remarque 113). The soldiers stop being good people and become beasts later on, so they may survive. It is necessary to sacrifice the thoughtful and logical part of their minds in order for them to become like animals to survive. However for Robert dehumanization becomes a problem. He is too sensitive for these sorts of things and this is seen through his thoughtfulness of the animals. Robert tries to find a role model to become manlier but doesn’t happen until he sees the horses being bombed, in which changes him. Robert has held in such anger to the point where he kills captain leather but the interesting thing is that Robert went to the point of becoming an animal himself in order to save animals. â€Å"His anger rose to such a pitch that he feared he was going to go over into madness. He stood where the gate has been and thought: ‘If an animal had done this – we would call it mad and shoot it’ and at that precise moment Captain Leather rose to his knees and began to struggle to his feet. Robert shot between the eyes. † (Findley 178) Wars had a huge impact to the younger generations and the physical involvement of war changes a person immediately. â€Å"I am young, I am twenty years old; yet I know nothing of life but despair, death, fear and fatuous superficiality cast over an abyss of sorrow. (Remarque 267) Soldiers such as Robert and Paul realize that they themselves have changed from the impact of the war experience, they are alienated, a feeling of no belonging, an inability to connect to the past. And feel as though they need to go back to the trenches because nothing else connects to them anymore. And so the broken soldiers, Paul and Robert, return to the frontlines and become an animal again, only this time, survival is short live d.

Aqualisa Quartz: Case Study

1. What is the Quartz value proposition to plumbers? What is Aqualisa Quartz value proposition to consumers? The value proposition of Aqualisa Quartz to plumbers is that it is easy to install; it is more profitable because they are able to do more installations. Because the installation process is less complicated, it takes less time to install (only half a day compared to 2 days previously). This gives plumbers the opportunity to install more units and capture some of the historical 6-month waiting list for plumbing jobs. Due to a less complex installation process, even apprentices are able to do installations, instead of only certified plumbers. The Aqualisa Quartz product also delivers excellent results, which gives the plumbers increased credibility with consumers for installing a superior product with less malfunctions. The value proposition of Aqualisa Quartz to consumers is that it had efficient and reliable water pressure and temperature. It is safe to use for kids and elderly people. It has a one touch control with a red light indicator which allowed consumers to know when the water reaches the desired temperature. Once the temperature is set, consumers only need to push the one touch control and wait for the light. It is much easier to install for the DIY sector of consumers since it does not require excavation of the wall to reach plumbing. The Aqualisa Quartz also has excellent design and aesthetics. The control box could now be placed in any space close to a water source and electrical outlet – even in out of sight locations. 2. Why is the Quartz shower not selling? Sales of the Quartz shower are significantly below expectations. There are a few contributing factors. Slow Adoption Processes. Most plumbers are wary of new technology and do not trust it, especially in light of previous electronic control failures. In addition, plumbers establish a comfort level with a particular brand and see changing their preferred product as an unnecessary cost. The uncertainty of its performance, which may result in having to do repair work, plus the time to learn a new product, is seen as a hindrance. They seem to adhere to the rule, â€Å"If it ain't broke, don't fix it. † Although there has not been much adoption with the product, plumbers also may pose a potential challenge with the structure of their fee chedule. If a labor cost of 40 to 80 pounds per hour was reduced by 75% because of the ease of installation, a plumber may have to schedule almost three times as many shower jobs to make up the potential loss in labor revenue or use the time to deliver other services. Sales Targeting and Cannibalization. With the sales force spending 90% of their time on existing accounts, there is inadequate focus on trade shops – which target plumbers. It also creates the threat of cannibalization of the other product lines. Typically, new products should be introduced to existing customers to either capture new revenue or replace aging products. Another approach is to introduce the products to new customers. In this case, the product poses direct competition and the sales team seems unsure of how to proceed when adding the Quartz to their typical sales process. The solution is for companies to refocus the sales team to target new customers or segment a portion of the sales force to specialize in a particular product line. Product Testing versus Market Research. The research and development team at Aqualisa seem to do a good job of obtaining feedback from the users and to determine what would make the best user experience. However, there does not appear to be any feedback gathered from its primary customer base on what problems they are facing, how this new product may solve them, and ultimately how it may benefit the plumbers. The approach assumes plumbers will catch on because it was simply a better shower. However, that is not the current situation. 3. Aqualisa spent three years and 5. 8 million developing the Quartz. Was the product worth the investment? Is Quartz a niche product or a mainstream product? The Quartz line product is worth the time and money that Aqualisa spent developing it. The company has been able to create an innovative, break-through product in an extremely mature industry. Given the current pricing model, Aqualisa can break even on its investment by selling slightly over 18,700 units (assuming a 50/50 split between the two models offered). There were 550,000 power shower class units sold in the United Kingdom in 2000, so selling just fewer than 20,000 of such a superior product should be an achievable goal. The Quartz is a mainstream product that appeals to anyone who can afford it. While the Quartz may have failed to post strong initial sales numbers there is clearly a demand in the United Kingdom (and probably the rest of Europe) for a product that fixes all of the problems associated with the old plumbing infrastructure that exists in this part of the world. When there is strong demand and only one supplier that adequately addresses all the consumer needs the only missing ingredient is a proper marketing campaign, which is clearly lacking. If Aqualisa can effectively convey the benefits of the Quartz units to both plumbers and consumers adequately there is no reason Quartz cannot fuel Aqualisa’s growth for the next several years. 4. Aqualisa currently has three brands: Aqualisa, Gainsborough, and ShowerMax. What is the rationale behind this multiple brand strategy? Does it make sense? The act of managing multiple brands is a thin tight rope walk that can help elevate a brand yet almost just as easily diminish it. Aqualisa has recognized distinct markets within the overall market of showers. An excellent example of multiple brands can be drawn from the brief anecdote at the beginning of the paper with the mentioning of the Marriott that Mr. Rawlinson was a guest of. Marriot has a multitude of brands within their brand. Consumers come in any and every form, from those who seek quality first and have the means to pay the price for the best to those who look at the price tag first and compromise on quality and everywhere in between. Marriott consists of the Courtyard, The Fairfield Inn, Marriott Resorts, and Residence Inn, just to name a few. The goal is to isolate the needs and demands of specific types of consumers and utilize each brand to specialize and cater to that type of consumer. They have broken down their branding into an architecture defining the brands categories as; iconic luxury, luxury, lifestyle, signature, modern essentials, extended stay and destination entertainment. More than just creating these branches they have focused on distinctly establishing a separate identity for each brand while still embodying the overall total brand’s mission. This is a difficult juggling act in multiple brand management, teetering to find the perfect balance between separation and unification. The extended stay category consists of those rooms including kitchens, and other amenities to cater more too long term guests for example. Any market is filled with a myriad of different consumers so to generalize them with one brand as a ‘one size fits all’ service would be foolish. Marriott has spent a great sum of advertising and marketing dollars and effort to research the market and gain insight into the demands of the consumer. This has also been accomplished by varying pricing points, among other factors, in order to break down the target market into multiple targets. This allows the brand to better serve each demographics specific needs more efficiently and effectively. Aqualisa recognizes the same trend within the shower market. As stated in the case study, the United Kingdom’s buyers tend to fall into three pricing segments: premium, standard, and value. Aqualisa has developed three brands respectively: Aquastyle, Gainsborough, and ShowerMax, to penetrate these markets. Not only are consumers concerned with price but also ease of use, installation and performance. These various factors translate to different types of end users. They consist of the DIY consumers, plumbers, developers and contractors, and the retail consumer. These varying users each need to be reached through distinctive means. Tradeshows are the best place to reach plumbers and developers while options like hardware stores and showrooms are best for DIY and retail consumers. In a market such as the shower market in the UK, there needs to be several strategies and methods of market penetration. In order to best cater to these different strategies, Aqualisa must customize and tailor fit a product line designed for each market segment. This example is a quintessential instance where multiple branding is the best option. Just making one brand in this case would most definitely pigeon-hole their operation and typecast them as just being a product for only one or two types of consumers. A singular brand would in turn ostracize the needs of other various types of demand within the market. The sheer fact that there are commercial and residential applications support the fact that multiple product brands are required. Promoting a universal message and ideal for your brands that encompasses all product lines and bridges their differences is imperative; Aqualisa has chosen a wise strategy in pursuing multiple brands. 5. What should Rawlinson do to generate sales momentum for the Quartz product? Should he change his marketing strategy to target consumers directly, target the DIY market, or target developers? Should he lower the price of the Quartz? Or should he do something different altogether? Although the Quartz is truly ground breaking and innovative in terms of function and design, many consumers and industry professionals alike are not fully aware of its features and benefits. Aqualisa should commit to an aggressive marketing and advertising campaign targeted towards the consumer and DIY markets respectively. Targeting consumers directly will increase brand recognition, provide product differentiation, and in turn allow customers to make informed decisions. Armed with information from customized advertising and marketing strategies, customers are in a unique position to reduce the leverage plumbers have traditionally had in selecting installation brands. The price point for the Quartz should not be lowered because it is a new revolutionary product with essentially no market competition. However, Aqualisa should develop methods to effectively mitigate the immediate and continuing impact of cannibalization as they strive to increase Quartz’s sales. Aqualisa could also benefit from developing a marketing scheme to target plumbers and or industry professionals. Plumbers are influencing 73% of all shower purchase decisions, so getting there buy-in is crucial. Additionally, the overall lifetime value of a single plumber could be well into the tens of thousands of euros (where as the lifetime value of a consumer is a few hundred). The organization acknowledges the challenges it faces with products boasting technological advancements due to industry skepticism. This reluctance has undoubtedly been responsible for the lack luster demand as evidenced by product availability within trade shops. As part of this strategy the company could offer a series of workshops, trade, or industry shows designed solely for plumbers to showcase the Quartz features, reliability, and installation ease. In regards to distribution, Aqualisa needs to do a better job of getting their products into the market. Aqualisa currently has only a 40% presence in trade shops and 25% in show rooms. In order to truly make a difference in sales, the product needs to be available in more outlets for purchasing. Distribution must be expanded. With the aforementioned strategies, an increased presence is needed in trade shops, show rooms, DIY chains and general consumer stores to increase brand awareness and recognition. A lower pricing structure would not be a good strategy for the long term because it will reduce profit margin. There is some room to lower the price of the Quartz to match the profit margins on the other Aqualisa products. Currently the Quartz line is close to a 32% profit margin, in comparison to the other Aqualisa products which range from 22% to 32%. The majority of products fall near 26%. However, lowering the price may be a viable option in the future after sales volumes have increased significantly. Listed below are specific strategies Aqualisa could adopt and implement to increase Quartz sales volumes. Strategies:

Financial Analysis Project Essay

Today’s personal products market has become more competitive than ever. With economic and political uncertainty in many parts of the world, The Està ©e Lauder Companies Inc. has invoked a number of unique and diverse strategies in order to gain customer loyalty while attracting new customers for staying as a leader in personal products industry. This paper focuses on analyzing The Està ©e Lauder Companies Inc., including company overview and main strategies. The main purpose of this paper is using a series financial accounting ratios as tools to analyze the operation of this company from 2008 to 2012, the nearest five years. After researching of the strategies and data, I make a conclusion that this company is in a healthy financial situation and has a large capacity to develop well in the future. Overview After one quarter learning about financial accounting, I have some sort of concept about this course. In order to deeply understand the knowledge we have learned in class and have solid experience about all of those formulas. I write this paper to turn abstract theory into practice. I choose The Està ©e Lauder Companies Inc. as my analysis target, not only because I am a loyal consumer for this company, but also I’m very interested in its unique business strategy. As we all know, The Està ©e Lauder Companies Inc. is a family business and remains the leader in the global prestige beauty market for a long history. What’s more, even though it’s a traditional company, it has not fall behind in the extreme competition nowadays. I think its success mainly contributed to four critical areas: creativity and innovation, high-tough, local relevance and digital capabilities. This paper will focus on three parts to analyze The Està ©e Lauder Companies Inc. First, I plan to say something about this company, including its development overview and strategies. Second, I will put this company in the whole industry to analyze its opportunities and challenges. The last but not the least, I’d like to use financial accounting ratios as tools to deeply analyze the operation situation of this company. Company Outline The Està ©e Lauder Companies Inc. is one of the leading manufacturers and sellers of skin care, make up, fragrance and hair care products in the world. The company’s products are sold in over 150 countries and regions under almost thirty brands. Among those brands, there are some big brands we are very familiar with, and actually, those brands indeed contributed a lot to the whole company’s sales. They are Està ©e Lauder, Clinique, Aramis, Origins, Prescriptives, M†¢A†¢C, Bobbi Brown, Tommy Hilfiger, Kiton, La Mer, American Beauty, Flirt! , and AERIN Beauty. Taken together, sales of all the Company’s brands comprise about one-fifth of the $40 billion global prestige beauty business. The Està ©e Lauder Companies’ long-term strategy is to achieve higher levels of sustainable, profitable growth to remain a leader in global prestige beauty business. In that case, they use consumers as their muse to create products that really needed. Those educational beauty advisors always keep a good connection with consumers, in order to inspire brand loyalty. What’s more, this company dedicated in creating certain products for specific markets and deeply immersed in the online world as well. At a glance, the company sells its products mainly through some kind of channels to keep their brands are easily accessible. These channels involve department stores, retailers, TV shopping, stores on ships, in-flight, duty-free shops in airports and the Internet. The Americas, definitely occupies their largest region of sales, accounting for about 42% of total global sales. Europe, the middle east and Africa owns the highest percentage of operating income, because those regions enjoyed huge sales growth during the last two years. What’s more, China has become a more and more important market in the Asia/ Pacific region after Japan, fueled by rapidly growing demand of luxury brands. Industry Analysis The personal care industry concludes a variety of products, including fragrances, makeup, hair care, sunscreen, toothpaste, and products for bathing, nail care, and shaving. Major companies in this industry include Està ©e Lauder, Johnson& Johnson, Procter& Gamble, L’Oreal, Shiseido and Unilever. The United States, Europe, UK, Brazil and Russia dominate the global personal care products. India and China are the fastest growing markets for personal care products. The global personal care products industry has revenue of about $250 billion annually. Major products include cosmetics (35% of industry revenue), hair products (25%), and creams and lotions (20%). Other products include perfume (10%), toothpaste and mouthwashes (5%), and shaving preparations. The global personal care products industry is concentrated with the top 50 companies holding a combined market share of around 85%. The profitability of individual companies depends on product innovation, effective sales and marketing, and efficient operations. Large companies like The Està ©e Lauder Companies Inc. have scale advantages in purchasing, manufacturing, distribution, and marketing. Small companies can compete effectively by offering specialized products. Over the coming years, the whole industry is likely to continue investing in eco-friendly practices.

Murmuring Judges

Re-read Act 2 Scene 3. How does Hare present tensions between characteristics in this scene and the play as a whole? In ‘Murmuring Judges’, Hare demonstrates many different tensions between the various characters and systems within the play. In Act 2 Scene 3, we witness the events taking place inside the police station. We see their day to day actions, mainly filling out paper work. However also included is an intimate conversation between Barry and Sandra, exposing Barry’s corrupt actions against Gerard and the other criminals.Throughout the scene, and indeed the rest of the play, Hare presents tensions in different ways, whether it be through the language use of the characters, the structure of their sentences or even the stage directions. Perhaps the most prominent tension that Hare has presented in this scene is in the relationship between Barry and Sandra. The pair find themselves alone within the police station and immediately the audience understands that t hey are romantically involved, but are keeping it a secret. â€Å"I do get tired of the secrecy. It makes the whole thing seem silly.Assignations. Times and places. † It’s already been made clear that their relationship is strained, with Barry describing it as if it was work. However, it’s through the language of Sandra that the tensions between the two are made obvious to the audience. â€Å"Don’t you rather like that? †, â€Å"Hasn’t it? †, â€Å"is that what you mean? †. Sandra’s frequent questioning suggests annoyance with what Barry’s saying, unable to understand or accept his speech. Hare also uses sentence structure to express the tensions between the pair. ‘How are you? Fine. I haven’t seen you. No. Hare has used very short sentences to further demonstrate that the relationship is strained, with an awkwardness and hesitation in their communication. To add even more to this effect, Hare uses th e stage directions to show just how tense it is. ‘(She waits)’, ‘(He waits a moment)’, ‘(There’s a pause)’. Hare uses pauses and moments of silence to create an atmosphere where even the audience feel uncomfortable. However it’s not just awkwardness that Hare uses the stage directions to demonstrate, he also presents anger. ‘(He is suddenly firm, as if his patience were worn down’.This shows that Barry is obviously very annoyed with Sandra or perhaps himself, creating a very tense atmosphere. Since this scene includes of the policemen and women, Hare presents other tensions separate to Barry and Sandra’s relationship. For example, Hare develops on the audience’s understanding that there is tension between the police force and how their profession works; a message Hare has put forwards in several of the previous scenes. This is demonstrated immediately with Jimmy’s opening speech. â€Å"An officer on the beat witnesses, actually witnesses, one crime every ten years†.Jimmy is expressing his annoyance with the fact that the police are unable to catch criminals, since they’re stuck doing paper work most of the time. Hare also presented this issue through Barry’s speech in Act 1 Scene 5. â€Å"If you never made any arrests, you’d all be out on the streets all the time, and London would be so much better policed†. This shows that they are obviously unhappy with how they must perform their duties, showing the tension between the police and their own profession. This relates to the context of the play and the fact that at that time, the police force were failing to act upon the vast majority of crimes.Hare also uses Jimmy’s speech to present the tensions between the police and the judiciary, a point which Hare demonstrates throughout the play. â€Å"There’s maybe thirty-five cases. Most of them you haven’t got a chance†. Jimmy is angered that the judiciary aren’t able to prosecute all these criminals with lots of evidence against them. Barry uses this argument to justify his corrupt actions against the Gerard and the other men, knowing he needed some hard evidence. â€Å"You’re allowed a way of doing things which is actually your own†. Hare shows this tension between the two systems on the side of the judiciary in Act 2 Scene 2 with Sir Peter. Just imagine the scale of your problem if the police began to have some significant success†. Hare has presented that both the judiciary and the police feel that the other side are the ones responsible for letting criminals go free. Hare also presents tension within the judiciary with the characters of Sir Peter and Cuddeford. In Act 1 Scene 2, Hare shows an obvious rivalry between the two as they discuss Sir Peter’s radio appearance. Once again Hare uses short sentences to suggest annoyance and bitterness. â€Å"No†, â€Å"Indeed†, â€Å"I see†. Cuddeford is obviously uninterested or jealous so he uses brief responses to try to limit Sir Peter’s boasting. If ‘fallible’ is how you wished to appear†¦it’s none if my business†. Cuddeford’s language is also used to present the competiveness and tension between them. Hare has used a variety of techniques to show many different forms of tension in Act 2 Scene 3 and the play as whole. The character’s language is perhaps the most obvious clue when spotting anger or annoyance, but it’s through stage directions and sentence structure that Hare fully demonstrates tension; whether it be of a romantic nature with Barry and Sandra, an ignorance with the police and the judiciary, or the rivalry between Cuddeford and Sir Peter.