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BillyBudd&The Symbolism Within essays

BillyBudd&The Symbolism Within essays In the book "Billy Budd", written by Herman Meville, there are many references to the bible. Billy Budd, the main character, is portrayed as a biblical figure that is caught in the real world of war and mutiny. There are also many other different types of symbolism throughout this book. The story starts out in the eighteenth century, on the H.M.S Rights-of-Man, a British naval ship. Billy Budd is pressured into service on a warship, the H.M.S. Bellipotent and here is where his life changes forever. Melville uses Biblical allusions in defining his characters. There are obvious symbolic references of Billy Budd as a Jesus figure, or as Adam in the Garden of Eden. But what role does Claggart play in this Biblical metaphor? Claggart is carefully described throughout the story as having a dark and sinister countenance. Physically, his face is pale and sickly, his hair black. He contrasts greatly with the rosy cheeks, and blonde hair of Billy Budd. Because of his pallid complexion, Claggart stays out of the sun most of the time. Therefore, he is often described as surrounded by darkness, and lurks in the shadows of the ship, much like a snake spends much time hiding under rocks. In addition, Claggart is responsible for the false accusations of Billy's involvement with the mutiny. In the Biblical allegory of this story, Claggart fits into the role of the serpent in the Garden of Eden, whose devious and evil spirit helps bring about the fall of Adam and Eve. In the Biblical story, the serpent convinces Eve to take the fruit that God has commanded her not to eat, promising that it will bring her God-like powers. Here, Claggart is similar to the serpent in his deceitfulness, telling Captain Vere that Billy Budd is implicated in the ship's mutiny. Billy actually attempted to subdue the attempts of a mutiny by refusing to accept the two gold pieces offered to him to take part. But the evil Claggart easily distorts even Billy...

An extended definition of belief Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

An extended definition of belief - Essay Example An extended definition of belief can be derived from salvation, tolerance, and science phenomena depending on its use and application. Langston Hughes focuses the definition, use, and application of belief in salvation. Salvation is highly regarded as an individual choice. However, is it guided and informed by a supernatural force or being that in most cases is said to rescue the human race from their sins. Faith is a critical factor in salvation and religion in general. Believing in a supernatural being or force that one has not set eyes on provides the primary basis upon which salvation and religious practices are realized and undertaken. From one generation to another, the younger generations are introduced to religious matters by the older people. Basically, the beliefs of these people are passed from the old to the young, and the trend continues. Although there are myriad questions that underlie this practice, most of them end up unanswered over the years as salvation continues. Hughes presents a very personal encounter with salvation as a young boy. Hughes had an abstract idea of how salvation comes about, but when it happened to him at the Reed’s church, it was rather forced to him than an experience of what he actually expected (Hughes 225-226). In other words, salvation was not an actual experience of what the auntie or any other person had talked about. Belief in the salvation context is a group mind practice. Over the years, the congregation has adopted behaviors and routine of salvation. Praising, worshiping, mourning, weeping, praying, and celebrating a new child of God constitute the norm of salvation to the saved sinner. Although seeing the light and Jesus are essentially part of the salvation, they do not literally take place. This implies that once the sinner takes the stand for salvation, these things automatically happen, with or without necessarily seeing them. After all, the congregation and the sinners are introduced to what they

Compare and Contrast the Demographic Perspectives of Thomas Malthus and Karl Marx with respect to the causes and consequences of population growth Essay

â€Å"As we venture further into the 21st century, the global population seems to be growing at an alarming rate. By 2030 the world is to home of estimation 8.3 billion, as compared to 6.12 billion just 30 years prior.† (UN 2008) This quote speaks to the increasing population growth that the world is facing right now. A demographic perspective is an understanding of how the causes of population are related to the consequences. Thomas Malthus and Karl Marx are population theorists who are concerned with the control of the population, modernization and economic growth, to name a few. Firstly, Poverty was one of the leading problems that both sociologists saw would come out of the population growth. However they both ascertain it to two different causes. â€Å"Population growth is generated by human beings who like other species are driven by a special urge to reproduce.† (Malthus) Malthus posited that it was due to persons in poverty with all their free time and their timeless passion that poverty is on the rise. He believes that persons in poverty because they have nothing to do during the day just engage in sexual activity and reproduce causing population growth at an exponential level. On the other hand Marx attacked the writing of Thomas Malthus retorting that â€Å"free time to have sex† wasn’t the cause but in fact the cause was an exploitation of the workers by the owners of the means of production. He attested that the specific relations of exploitation which obtained at that time between wage workers and capitalists, and the antagonistic relations between the landed and the industrial interests, changing them into the operation of the natural law of necessity that manifests itself through positive checks to population growth. Furthermore Marx and Malthus differ in opinions on if society continues to increase can they survive i. e. feed themselves. Malthus in his essay on the Principle of Population (1798), Malthus presented a startling idea. He theorized that the population grew exponentially (i.e. 2,4,6,8 etc), whilst food supply grew arithmetically (i.e. 1, 2, 3 etc). This idea, dubbed the ‘Malthusian Equation’, was seen as proof that the world population would inevitably outstrip food supply. The result, he believed, would be human anarchy. The population would thus be dramatically reduced, as many ‘the majority being poor’ would die from starvation. This can be supported with the study in Calcutta; India which has witnessed unbridled population growth. In the streets of the city, which are notorious for being the dirtiest and most densely populated in the world, thousands starve to death. (Musapha, 2006). However Marx did not feel the same way as he disputes Malthus’ statement about society not being able to last. Marx postulates that the food supply is not threatened by over-population. He claims that with the use of technology it is possible to produce food and other goods needed to meet the demand of a growing population. Therefore the growing population would survive as technological advancements would make it possible. Nevertheless the issue of over-population is a key issue to be discussed. These two sociologists see differing arguments when it comes to over-population. Malthus believes that over-population would lead to famine, pestilence and war which would act as a natural limit to human population increase. In order to combat the imminent demise of the human race, Malthus suggested preventative and positive checks. He was particularly critical of the poor, who he saw as thorns in the side of society. He was a strong advocator of the abolition of the â€Å"Poor Law†, a welfare system which he believed encouraged the poor to reproduce themselves. He saw no reason to pay the poor as they wouldn’t be able to ameliorate their position and would continue to be a ‘parasite’ on society. Instead he advocated that the money be given to the upper classes, so they could contribute to high society: art, science etc. He believed strongly that it was the poor who were to be eradicated and the rich to take the dominion of the world and carry on the rich legacy. In Herbert’s Spencer this was â€Å"survival of the fittest†. On the contrary Marx’s most robust criticism of Malthus’ theory is the latter’s opinion that the poor are culpable for the global demise. He believes that it is not the poor that is to be blamed for the population surge, but the rich. He believes that in an effort to accumulate and expand capital growth, the rich rely heavily on the poor to reproduce themselves. This is because when there is a large labour force but a scarcity of jobs the worker, in his desperation for employment, will work for anything. Thus the capitalists are able to keep wages very low and a â€Å"reserve army of labour† is endangered, who will work at anytime for anything. The bourgeoisie brainwash the proletariat into thinking that large families will result in greater chances of employment, and as a result, population sees a marked expansion. Therefore, in Marx’s eyes, Malthus’ theory in the capitalist’s attempt to rectify social phenomena and blame the poor for something that is not their fault. In closing, both the Malthusian and Marxist theories on demographics have their similarities and differences. There are tenets of their ideas coming through in all aspects of modern society. However, to apply only one to the current situation is a flawed approach, as there must be a combination of the best elements of the two.

How Political Issues Affect Youth, and How Youth Can Affect Political Essay

How Political Issues Affect Youth, and How Youth Can Affect Political Issues - Essay Example As mentioned in the book by Lerner and Steinberg, â€Å"identity is considered a definitive task of the adolescent and young adult years. As young people reflect to who they are, the future to which they aspire, they will also take stock of their societies. Political views are taking shape as part of this process, although youth may not refer to them as such if politics connotes only conventional activity to them. But politics reflecting an individual worldview, politics as a language for explaining social problems is forming in these years, although it is probably well into the third decade of their life before these views crystallize†. The above statement completely explains how the youth form their political images and views. While these reformative years make for the way that the youth attune themselves to problem solving and issues as such, the policies made by the policy makers affect the youth more than anyone or anything else. It is the policies made during these reformative years of the life of the youths that ultimately result in their future preferences and the way they look upon the policy making. The recent president elect Barrack Obama has launched a reformative economic project, aiming at bringing about a u-turn in the degenerative American economy of the present. Take this as an example of how this is going to affect the American youth. American youth has been crying hoarse what with the economic showdown, Iraq war, rising inflation etc under the bush administrations.

Answer three question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Answer three question - Essay Example young girls as heroines, some young enough to be still living at home, for they do not know exactly what to expect from a man, or from life at large. Use of magic realism is a inevitably observed theme, and Bender finds it difficult to find a reason to continue. This story begins with gusto and then fizzle out, with weak juxtapose with use of multiple plot lines, without much more point than to showcase the skill of the juggler (Bender, 2012). 3. Upon reading the legacy, Bender’s characters typify gender in a relatively expected way, her male and female characters assuming an almost perfect binary coherence to one another. Her stories are unique, and do not relate to any previous available literature work.. Examining her text, one cannot ignore her female protagonist’s relationship to patriarchy (Bender, 2012). This paper finds that Aimee stories are influenced by her life experiences, and she agrees on this by saying she felt her adolescence was unequipped for all the

International market analysis for Natura cosmetics

International market analysis for Natura cosmetics Natura Cosmetics Company was founded in 1969 as a small laboratory and cosmetics shop in Sao Paulo, Brazil by Luis Seabra; and it is the industry leader in the cosmetics, fragrances and personal hygiene market. Natura Company offers a full range of products with solutions for consumers various needs, regardless of age. It includes products for the face and body, hair care and treatment products, make-up, fragrances, bath products, sun protection products, oral hygiene products and product lines for children. In 1974, the company decided to follow direct sales operation and the strategy allowed to continue expansion at low to moderate cost. Then it becomes the industry leader in direct sale, surpassing even the giant the Avon Company. In 1982, it started its internationalization process when it arrived in Chile. Six years later, it added the Bolivian market. In 1994, it decided to pursue a new international business and opened in Argentina market. Besides, at the beginning of the 1990 s, the company focused on their stakeholders relationship, defined its beliefs and values. Thus, a recent annual report indicates that the companys direct sales in the region will reach a turnover in the order of US$ 500 million in 2012à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ In the report, it is analyzed and consulted for the Natura Cosmetics international development as well as the relationship strategy, international strategy, learning and innovation, and the companys portfolio of domestic, regional and international market. CASE ANALYSIS Natura You work as an analyst for a specialist consultancy and have been tasked with producing an assessment of certain aspects of the Natura organizations international development, as set out in the case study Natura Cosmetic. In your answer to the four tasks set out below you are required to: evaluate the information contained within the case study provided; and make reference to relevant theoretical concepts/models derived from the lecture programme and/or your reading of recommended academic texts. You must not try to access, or include in your assignment, information or analysis drawn from any other resources than those noted above. You are permitted, however, to visit the Natura Companys website (see case study) in order to familiarize yourself with the company, its operations and products. Task 1: In his analysis of companies, that are successful (internationally), Perlmutter identifies: Effectiveness of an organizations relationship strategy; and Learning innovation As two key factors. Using examples from the case study; assess to what extent Natura supports Perlmutters theory. - Firstly, Johnson and Scholes (1993:10) state that Strategy is the direction and scope of an organization over the long term: ideally which matches its resources to the changing environment and in particular its market, customers or clients so as to meet stakeholder expectations. Stakeholder analysis aims to identify the stakeholders who are affected by the results of the companys project with the results success depending on the cooperation between the stakeholder and the project. It is important to identify all stakeholders for the purpose of identifying their success criteria and turning these into quality goals. It brings out the interests of the stakeholders and compares them to the purpose of the project. It relates each stakeholder to the project at hand, and points out potential conflicts to assign a level of risk or challenges to the projects success. It also helps identify existing relationships between stakeholders that can be influenced on build corporation and potential p artnerships to further champion the effort. And there are three types of stakeholders which available in Natura Cosmetic Co. Internal stakeholders: they include employees and managers. The company has employees and management team effectiveness with driving their company as a big family. The organizational culture of Natura is characterized by its openness, transparency and respect for its stakeholders. The managers always care how to make stakeholders interest and satisfy in order to make its operation effectiveness. Middle management is constantly challenged and empowered to assume new projects and loftier goals. Besides, their employees are important internal stakeholders of Southwest with high skills and experiences. They directly work with customers, so the company needs to motivate them. Moreover, the company usually has strategy for new talents who are developed in-house or hired from the outside, creating a diversified group of managers. Connected stakeholders: shareholders, customers, and suppliers. Shareholders are important because they are directly holding the share and they have voting right in businesss activities. They can buy their share or vote to change Naturas management if the company is not good in business, or bad treating them, and then it directs influence on their profits and interest in investment. In contrast, if the company is good performance, shareholders will get profitsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ So, good relationship with shareholders is necessary for Natura to develop their business. Additionally, customers are the most important stakeholders because the company is not operating and survive without them. The company has various of customers as middle and upper class customer segments, both female and male, even childrenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦, and they always make products to satisfy various of customers needs. In order to get profits, the company based on customers using services, so their services should be h igh quality to serve, to keep and attract customers. At the customers end, Naturas products are based on the well-being concept, which refers to the harmonious, pleasant relationship between oneself and ones body, combined with the concept of rewarding, empathetic relationships with others and with natureà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Thus, the company believes this approach has contributed to strengthening relationships along the value chain. Moreover, in order to serve the customers needs, the company has sale force and consultant system. The relationships with the sales force are carefully maintained and the Naturas focus on sales allows consultants to place orders at any time and to place more than one order within the same sales cycleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Additionally, suppliers are one of connected stakeholder to help Natura doing business effectively. Operating in cosmetic market, Natura is required to produce the best quality of products as premium, high-margin cosmetics, personal care products, perfumes, creams or make upà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Thus, it needs to have the best quality of ingredients, raw materialà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦, so how to make close relationship with suppliers is important. Beside the self-produced material, the company has produced some products as soap bars, products containing aerosols which are outsourced to a third party. The company buys its raw materials from diverse suppliers, many of which have been partners with Natura for over 20 years. So good relationship with suppliers is essential for the company to operate and perform their business. External stakeholders: competitors (Avon, or other multinational companies), government or social community All the company must pay tax for government, so they are external stakeholder that the firm should have good relationship. Besides, competitors in the market are so important that the firm needs to focus on to compete in the market and to get strong position in the cosmetics market. Additionally, Natura produces cosmetics products that influence directly on the customers health, as results, the company needs focusing on the health community and build strong relationship with each other in order to get more successful in operation business. All of them are affected directly and indirectly to operations of the company, so focusing on them is very important for the company to achieve success in business because they have sufficient power to influence managements choice of strategy. In other side of Naturas operation business, they also focus on the key factor of learning and innovation. Learning is about work, work is about learning, and both are social. The social world is a rich resource, not a distraction (Brown Gray, 1995; Stamps, 1997; Wenger, 1996b). According to Lave Wenger (1991), it is believed that social practice is the primary, generative phenomenon, and learning is one of its characteristics. Thus learning should be analyzed as an integral part of the social practice in which it is occurring. Learning is not simply a transfer of knowledge, but a process of building understanding (Galagan, 1993). In the case of Natura, the company applies both learning and innovation for improving their products and their performance in business, competition in the cosmetic market and international market. It is innovated and developed the products in house on a continuous basis. The company has research and development centre in Brazil and abroad, it acquires pat ents and technology from universities and RD centre for innovating and improving their products. It also has the timeline for the creation and commercialization a new product ranges which is from six months to five years, and the timeline depends on the degree of innovation. Task 2: Using relevant theoretical models and with examples from the case study evaluate the companys internationalization strategy in the period 1982 2005. - Natura Cosmetics decides to go international market by undertaking field primary research, traveling abroad that leads to explore and understand different markets, trends and strategies internationally. Johanson Vahlne (1977) defined internationalization as a process in which the companies gradually increase their international involvement. They claimed that internationalization is the product of a series of incremental decisions. In other words, internationalization can be a process by which the companies both increase their awareness of the direct and indirect influences of international transactions on their future establish and conduct transactions with other countries (Beamish, 1990). Then an international strategy is a strategy through which the firm sells its goods or services outside its domestic market (Hill 378). One of the primary reasons for implementing an international strategy is that international markets yield potential new opportunities. Moreover, for international ization theories, it focuses on internationalization in networks, by which the company has different relationships not only with customers but also with other actions in the environments. According to Hollensen, S. (2007), there are some theories of internationalization as the traditional marketing approach, life cycle concept for international trade, the Uppsala internationalization model and the internationalization cost approach, dunnings electric approach, the network approach or the difference between cultural distance and psychic distanceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Traditional marketing approach: It focuses on the companys core competences combined with opportunities in the foreign environment (Penrose, 1959; Prahalad and Hamel, 1990). It leads the company to possess a compensating advantage in order to overcome the cost of foreignness, and then identification of technological and marketing skills are the key elements in successful foreign entry (Kindleberger, 1969; Hymer, 1976). Life cycle concept of international trade: According to Vernons Product Cycle Hypothesis (1966), the companies go through an exporting phase before switching first to market seeking foreign direct investment (FDI), then to cost oriented FDI. The technology and marketing factors combine in order to explain standardization that drives location decisions. This hypothesis is that producers in advanced countries are closer to the markets than producers elsewhere; consequently the first production facilities for these products will be in the advanced countries. For the standardized products, the less developed countries may offer competitive advantages as production locations. The Uppsala internationalization model: Its model is developed by Johanson and Wiedersheim-Paul (1975) and Johanson and Vahlne (1977). Based on this model, when the company faces with unknown markets, incomplete information, and being in a state of constant incertitude, the company develops in foreign markets by adopting a process which evolves by increments. The model suggests a sequential pattern of entry into successive foreign markets, coupled with progressive deepening of commitment to each market. According to this model, the company tends to intensify their commitment towards foreign markets as their experience grows, and psychic distance which attempts to conceptualize and measure the cultural distance between countries and markets (Hollensen, S. (2007)). The internationalization/transaction cost approach: Buckley and Casson (1976) expanded the choice to include licensing as a means of reaching customers abroad, in other words, licensing can reach customers abroad. However, in the perspective the multinational company would usually prefer to internalize transactions via direct equity investment rather than license its capability. The international involves two interdependent decisions as regarding location and mode of control and it is related to transaction cost theory. The internationalization and transaction cost (TC) perspective are both concerned with the minimization of TC and the conditions underlying market failure. Dunnings eclectic approach: Dunning (1988) discussed the importance of locational variables in foreign investment decisions. The eclectic means that a full explanation of the transnational activities of the companies needs to draw on several strands of economic theory. According to the model, the propensity of the company to engage itself in international production increases if three conditions if ownership advantages, locational advantages and internationalization advantages are being satisfied. The network approach: It means the international firm cannot be analyzed as an isolated actor; it has to be viewed in relation to other actors in the international environment. According to Johanson and Mattson, the relationships of the company within a domestic network can be used as connections to other networks in other countries. The different between cultural distance and psychic distance: According to Hollensen (2007), cultural distance refers to the macro cultural level of a country and is defined as the degree to which cultural values in one country are different from those in another country. And psychic distance is defined as the individual managers perception of the differences between the home and the foreign market and it is a highly subjective interpretation of reality. In the circumstance, Natura goes international through an agreement with an independent distributor in Chile in 1982. Based on traditional marketing approach, the company audits their resources which are core competence and provide distinctive competitive advantages. All the resources of Natura, such as: financial, RD skills, knowledge, experiences, sales and distribution channel or sale forceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ are valuable, hard to copy, exploited and they are sources of core competences and competitive advantages in foreign environment. Beside, marketing capability has its greatest impact on the innovative output for the firm that has a strong resources and competences. Natura has strong RD which means the company with a strong RD base is the ones with the most to gain from a strong marketing capability. Furthermore, the most important determinant of its performance is the interaction of marketing and RD capabilities. And RD is one of the best internal factors which bring opportunitie s for Natura to do business in new market. For example, the company acquires patents and technology from universities and research centers in Brazil and abroad, and then they focus particular research efforts on skin care products and on the sustainable use of ingredients from Brazils biodiversity, launching their product lines. Besides, the employees are responsible for the local operation that means Natura has also strong human resources. Moreover, in the 1990s, the political and macro economic changes in Brazil and other South and Central American countries; and other Latin American countries experience growth rates and try to develop their commercial tines with Brazil, as a result, Natura decides to expand their business internationally. Additionally, following mass advertising, it creates a rising uniform trend in beauty concepts and demands in the region which leads a cultural emphasis on beauty and a better understanding of how to use beauty products. Further, Natura identifi es the technology and marketing skills on foreign market, such as in Argentina, the company tries to avoid risk, looks the ways to decrease costs and put advertisements in the major magazines stating, and then they build the good relationship with social pact (suppliers, employees and customers)à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Besides, Natura builds brand equity, quickly developing a sizable network of consultants, managing and promoting their productivity as well as mastering logistics and distribution. (CEO, Alessandro Carlucci, quoted in the Harvard Business School case study: Natura: Global Beaty Made in Brazil, Sept, 2006). According to Uppsala model, Johanson and Wiedersheim-Paul (1975) distinguish between four different modes of entering an international market, where the stages represent higher degrees of international involvement or market commitment: No regular export activities: Export via independent representatives Establishment of a foreign sale subsidiary: Foreign production or manufacturing units: The enterprises passes from one stage to another as it progressively acquires international experience. The internationalization process evolves between the development and knowledge of foreign markets and the growing commitment of its resources in the market. The Uppsala model is supported by many studies which have shown both small and large enterprises passing through distinct and gradual stages during the development of their international affairs (Johanson and Vahlne, 1990; Oviatt and Phillips-McDougall, 1994). From the case, during 1970s and 1980s, the Brazilian cosmetics and toiletries market is relatively closed to imports, and competitors are mostly multinational companies who manufactured mass market products locally, but some US based companies face with the instable political and hyperinflation in Brazil. As a result, until the early 1990s, it facilitates the growth of companies as Natura that are developing high quality products for local customers. Through direct sales, franchises or retail channels, Natura is widely known brand in the home market and high reputation. However, the most relevant competitor in the direct sales segment of Natura is Avon, and the company also competes global consumer products giants as Unilever, or Johnson Johnsonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ The Brazilian cosmetics and toiletries market is one of the largest and most developed in Latin America, so the company faces with increasing competitive environment. That leads Natura to stimulate their capacity for developin g more technological advanced products and products tailored to the requirements of a broad range of consumers. They focus on their product development and marketing strategies as marketing and advertising campaigns, or sales channel, and then they also target products for target consumers. From 1982, Natura decides to expand their business internationally that starts in Chile, and expand more in other South, Central American countries, Latin American countries, such as: Mexico, Argentinaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Natura uses direct selling and retail network or agents for distribute products in foreign markets. For example, in 2003, the company creates Naturas house concept that sale representatives could be in touch with the brand and could meet each other, exchange experiences, be trained through speeches and exhibitions, or test our productsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Besides, it is the place that can be seen as a middle ground between a pure direct selling model and a store chain. At the same time, the company has to introduce new marketing tools for developing their brand and rising consumers awareness. In French market, Natura opens a two storey flagship store in April 2005. The store is designed to be used as a place where Naturas beliefs and vision can be displayed. However, the stor e opens that means the company has to adopt a new sales model, and Paris store marked the first time that Natura devotes to the direct sale model, has opened a retail store. Thus, the Naturas expansion of international operation still deals with problems and it is difficult to control and manage their operations international markets. Task 3: Using relevant theory, argue the case either for or against Natura adopting a mode (or modes) of international market entry that differ(s) from the direct sales/distribution model employed. In international market entry, export is the most common mode which is typically used in initial entry and gradually evolves towards foreign based operations. It is organized in a variety of ways that depends on the number and type of intermediaries. In establishing export channels, the company has to decide that functions will be the responsibility of external agents and that will be handled by the company itself. (Hollensen, 2007). In the export mode, companies face two channel options as export directly to customers abroad or export indirectly with the help of an intermediary (Peng and York, 2001). As the direct mode is the most common path to companies internationalization and well-addressed in the extant literature, that focus on indirect means to internationalize. Indirect paths to internationalization are those whereby small firms are involved in exporting, sourcing or distribution agreements with intermediary companies who manage, on their behalf, the transaction, sale or ser vice with overseas companies (Fletcher, 2004). And cooperative export involves collaborative agreements with other companies that concerning the performance of exporting functions. In the case of Natura, the company bases on sale representative and uses 26 different delivery companies as well as the Brazilian postal services to transport products to it representatives. The company is through a nationwide network of 483,000 active sales representatives in Brazil and 36,000 agents in other countries. The agent represents an exporting company and sells to wholesalers and retailers in the importing country. Direct selling is defined as the sale of a consumer product or service, person-to-person, away from a fixed retail location, marketed through independent sales representatives. The sale representatives are also referred to as consultants, distributors or other titles. Naturas sale representatives are well trained, autonomous female salespersons with a no exclusivity contract, and the company has relationship with sales forces that mainly comprises middle class housewives selling to their friends, independent professionals, secretaries and staff personnel at all kinds of companies leveraging their in company contacts and maids selling to colleagues or employers. Natura concentrates on sales and sales force that allows consultants to place orders at any time and to place more than one order within the same sales cycle, with the company adapting its logistics and distribution arrangements and costs to meet requirement. (Natura Cosmetics). Natura uses agents and sale representatives in international market which cover rare geographic areas and have subagents assisting them. And its model is familiar with the local market, customs and conventions then have existing business contacts and employ foreign national. Additionally, the company uses agents that have a direct incentive to sell through wither commission or product margin, however, since the remuneration is tied to sales, it leads to reluctant to devote much time and effort towards developing a market for a new products. Moreover, the company can be lack of control and manage the market f eedback and their operation, if the agent is performing well and develops the market it risks being replaced by a subsidiary of the principal. (Hollensen, 2007) Thus, in the long term strategy, the company needs to consider any new entry mode decision. For more expansion in foreign market, Natura needs to focus on foreign sales, branch/sales and production subsidiary mode. Although its subsidiary mode is high initial capital for investment, high risk and also taxation problem, it is suitable for the company to full control and manages of their operation and reduces the transport costs. It means that the company will often keep a central marketing function at their home base, but sometimes a local marketing function can be included in the sale subsidiary. When the activities of sales are performed, all foreign orders are channeled through the subsidiary that than sells to their buyers at normal wholesale or retail prices (Hollensen, 2007). Other reason for Natura chooses sale subsidiary is that the company may take advantage of tax in the foreign market where income tax is low. In addition, this mode eliminates the possibility that a nationa l partner gets a free ride, and acquires market knowledge directly as sales subsidiary. And sale subsidiary is the possibility of transferring greater autonomy and responsibility to these submits that is being close to customers. It is also accessed to raw materials and labor as production subsidiary, elimination of duties as production subsidiary and market access as sale subsidiary. Task 4: Naturas production facilities are located in Brazil. Assess whether this decision is correct in terms of strategy and logistic distribution given the companys portfolio of domestic, regional and international markets. Naturas production facilities are located in Brazil that is correct decision in terms of strategy and logistic distribution for the companys portfolio of domestic, regional and international market. Based on 12C framework, it is used to identify and evaluate the key strategic challenges that Natura can be faced in foreign market for cosmetic products. The 12C framework includes the issues of culture/consumer behavior, channels, commitment, currency, communication, capacity to pay, caveats, contractual obligations, consumption, choices, concentration and country. The 12C is a tool which is used to identify the constraints when the company enters a new international markets. Each C will individually be used to evaluate the companys strategies. Then it is the way for Natura find out opportunities and challenges for their decision in term of strategy, logistic and distribution in expanding internationally. In the case of Natura, it is considered the C of country, cultural, commitment an d communication. Firstly, the companys home base is Brazil which is the largest market in Latin America and the worlds fifth most popular country. Beside, the GDP of Brazil is the worlds tenth-largest economy. So it is an increasingly attractive market for all business and one of the worlds fastest growing economies. And Brazil has also abundant natural resources with 4.6 million hectares of planted forest mainly located in the South. In the case of Natura, it is good for the company production facilities located in Brazil and their raw materials. The companys main operations are concentrated in an integrated production, logistics and RD centre situated on the outskirts of Sao Paulo where units for cosmetics, shampoos, consist of four production and fragrances, other facilities include a nursery, restaurant, shop and a sports compound. Besides, the manufacture of some products is outsourced to a third party. Additionally, the manufacture of Natura located in Brazil that has strong and widely network distribution in domestic and international. And the RD centre is one of the biggest and most advanced of its kind in Latin America, so it is easy for transportation to other neighbor countries. In other words, if the Natura builds manufacture in foreign countries as Argentina or Mexicoà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦, it will deals with the high costs and shipper problems at the present. Secondly, Natura considers to culture and consumer behavior. Brazil is South Americas most influential cultural and biggest democracies. The changes on political and macroeconomic in Brazil and other South and Central American countries leads to more understanding and emphasis on beauty and know how to use beauty products. . A large of the middle class population mainly involves in professions such as retailing, civil services and other skilled occupations. And Brazilian middle class has a predictable taste for beauty and other luxuries but when going shopping, they has more consciousness of status than middle class North Americans and Europeans with the concept to ordinarily serve others. Additionally, the economic policies as tax laws have been encouraged toward development of trade and investment. The export oriented industries will be exempted from non- tariff barriers with the purpose to add more incentives to exports, then the import duties have been condensed sharply. These are good things for Nature to export mode and production facilities location in the home base. Besides, some materials for production of Naturas products are outsourced, so imports of raw materials are exempted from usual tariffs. Lastly, for communication, it is important for Natura doing business and direct selling their products. At present, technology background is developing and is out-performed other South America and Latin American countries with the telecommunication policies. In Brazil, it is tenth in the number of broadband connection with the fifth largest mobile market in the world, and approximately 40% internet usage is for e-commerce which is expected to grow exponentially in the forthcoming years. Moreover, telephone is taken into account for the higher and the middle-income class. As a result, these are advantages for Natura to take order and selling their product effectively. However, in the future, the Natura can focus to their expansion and building manufacture in foreign countries as French because the decision to open in Paris was both rational and an emotional move. France has historically been a source of knowledge and raw material for our products as well as a source of inspiration (Natura Cosmetic) CONCLUSION The report has analyzed and assessed of certain aspects of the Natura Companys international development, its operations and products. Within the scope of this study, Natura Cosmetic has been a successful example of international market expansion and international development, it has become a leading cosmetics company in international market. However, the company is facing with seriously competitive in the cosmetics field market domestically and internationally. Further, the company should make improvements in its current product lines and the mode of international market entry and decision of strategies. It is necessary for Natura to improve its marketing strategy, advertising and promotion and distribution channels which enables the company to take the best advantage and opportunities of a sustainable competition.

Compare and Contrast the Demographic Perspectives of Thomas Malthus and Karl Marx with respect to the causes and consequences of population growth Essay

â€Å"As we venture further into the 21st century, the global population seems to be growing at an alarming rate. By 2030 the world is to home of estimation 8.3 billion, as compared to 6.12 billion just 30 years prior.† (UN 2008) This quote speaks to the increasing population growth that the world is facing right now. A demographic perspective is an understanding of how the causes of population are related to the consequences. Thomas Malthus and Karl Marx are population theorists who are concerned with the control of the population, modernization and economic growth, to name a few. Firstly, Poverty was one of the leading problems that both sociologists saw would come out of the population growth. However they both ascertain it to two different causes. â€Å"Population growth is generated by human beings who like other species are driven by a special urge to reproduce.† (Malthus) Malthus posited that it was due to persons in poverty with all their free time and their timeless passion that poverty is on the rise. He believes that persons in poverty because they have nothing to do during the day just engage in sexual activity and reproduce causing population growth at an exponential level. On the other hand Marx attacked the writing of Thomas Malthus retorting that â€Å"free time to have sex† wasn’t the cause but in fact the cause was an exploitation of the workers by the owners of the means of production. He attested that the specific relations of exploitation which obtained at that time between wage workers and capitalists, and the antagonistic relations between the landed and the industrial interests, changing them into the operation of the natural law of necessity that manifests itself through positive checks to population growth. Furthermore Marx and Malthus differ in opinions on if society continues to increase can they survive i. e. feed themselves. Malthus in his essay on the Principle of Population (1798), Malthus presented a startling idea. He theorized that the population grew exponentially (i.e. 2,4,6,8 etc), whilst food supply grew arithmetically (i.e. 1, 2, 3 etc). This idea, dubbed the ‘Malthusian Equation’, was seen as proof that the world population would inevitably outstrip food supply. The result, he believed, would be human anarchy. The population would thus be dramatically reduced, as many ‘the majority being poor’ would die from starvation. This can be supported with the study in Calcutta; India which has witnessed unbridled population growth. In the streets of the city, which are notorious for being the dirtiest and most densely populated in the world, thousands starve to death. (Musapha, 2006). However Marx did not feel the same way as he disputes Malthus’ statement about society not being able to last. Marx postulates that the food supply is not threatened by over-population. He claims that with the use of technology it is possible to produce food and other goods needed to meet the demand of a growing population. Therefore the growing population would survive as technological advancements would make it possible. Nevertheless the issue of over-population is a key issue to be discussed. These two sociologists see differing arguments when it comes to over-population. Malthus believes that over-population would lead to famine, pestilence and war which would act as a natural limit to human population increase. In order to combat the imminent demise of the human race, Malthus suggested preventative and positive checks. He was particularly critical of the poor, who he saw as thorns in the side of society. He was a strong advocator of the abolition of the â€Å"Poor Law†, a welfare system which he believed encouraged the poor to reproduce themselves. He saw no reason to pay the poor as they wouldn’t be able to ameliorate their position and would continue to be a ‘parasite’ on society. Instead he advocated that the money be given to the upper classes, so they could contribute to high society: art, science etc. He believed strongly that it was the poor who were to be eradicated and the rich to take the dominion of the world and carry on the rich legacy. In Herbert’s Spencer this was â€Å"survival of the fittest†. On the contrary Marx’s most robust criticism of Malthus’ theory is the latter’s opinion that the poor are culpable for the global demise. He believes that it is not the poor that is to be blamed for the population surge, but the rich. He believes that in an effort to accumulate and expand capital growth, the rich rely heavily on the poor to reproduce themselves. This is because when there is a large labour force but a scarcity of jobs the worker, in his desperation for employment, will work for anything. Thus the capitalists are able to keep wages very low and a â€Å"reserve army of labour† is endangered, who will work at anytime for anything. The bourgeoisie brainwash the proletariat into thinking that large families will result in greater chances of employment, and as a result, population sees a marked expansion. Therefore, in Marx’s eyes, Malthus’ theory in the capitalist’s attempt to rectify social phenomena and blame the poor for something that is not their fault. In closing, both the Malthusian and Marxist theories on demographics have their similarities and differences. There are tenets of their ideas coming through in all aspects of modern society. However, to apply only one to the current situation is a flawed approach, as there must be a combination of the best elements of the two.

How Successfully Did the Liberals Handle the Constitutional Crisis?

How successfully did the liberals handle the constitutional crisis in 1901 – 1911? In 1909 Lloyd George was the Chancellor, he was in charge of the countries money and how they spend it and how much they tax the public. He needed to increase the budget some how to pay for battle ships because England was in a arms race with Germany. When taxing the people he only wanted to increase the tax for the rich, he did not see it would be fair to increase the taxes for the already poor and those struggling to pay the tax already; however he came across a problem.The House of Lords had been the most powerful part of parliament, they had the power to block any bills and laws coming form the House of Commons. They had recently blocked the Education Act. This had been tradition for the past 200 years allowing them to dismiss any bill, this was incredibly bias though, most bills were passed to benefit the poor and to charge the rich. This bill would easily pass the Commons but not the Lords , Asquith’s solution was to ask King Edward VII (who had the highest power in the country) to create peers.In doing this the Liberals would be able to out vote the Conservative lords. The King agreed to this but he suddenly died in May 1910. This presented the Liberals with another step to over come. The next to the air was George V; his ambition was to get two parties to come to some kind of agreement without resorting to making new peers. A constitutional conference was held between June and November. The Conservatives offered to reform the composition of lords, but the liberals were determined to reduce the power of the constitution.The Conservatives also tried insisted the lords should have the power to veto any change in the constitution, enabling them to block the home rule for Ireland. Asquith was under strong pressure from the Irish to reject the Conservatives’ proposal. George V finally agreed he would create enough new peers to pass the parliament bill as lon g as the Liberal’s one a general election fought on this issue held in December. The Election left the Liberals and Conservatives with exactly the same number of seats, 272 each.However because the Liberals had a strong backing from Labour, who had 47 seats, and from the Irish Nationalists, who had 84 seats, the Liberals were able to rely on a working majority and would remain in government. This parliament act helped make the British constitution more democratic. They stopped the lord’s form controlling parliament and what happened to the country. For this reason alone I believe the Liberals were successful with the constitution crisis, however they would have not been able to do it alone, without the help of Labour and the Irish Nationalists the conservatives would have been in power.

Evolution Of Profanity Essays - Blasphemy, Censorship, Connotation

Evolution Of Profanity Essays - Blasphemy, Censorship, Connotation Evolution of Profanity The evolution of written profanity began roughly in the sixteenth century, and continues to change with each generation that it sees. Profanity is recognized in many Shakespearean works, and has continually evolved into the profane language used today. Some cuss words have somehow maintained their original meanings throughout hundreds of years, while many others have completely changed meaning or simply fallen out of use. William Shakespeare, though it is not widely taught, was not a very clean writer. In fact, he was somewhat of a potty mouth. His works encompassed a lot of things that some people wish he had not. "That includes a fair helping of sex, violence, crime, horror, politics, religion, anti-authoritarianism, anti-semitism, racism, xenophobia, sexism, jealousy, profanity, satire, and controversy of all kinds" (Macrone 6). In his time, religious and moral curses were more offensive than biological curses. Most all original (before being censored) Shakespearean works contain very offensive profanity, mostly religious, which is probably one of many reasons that his works were and are so popular. "Shakespeare pushed a lot of buttons in his day- which is one reason he was so phenomenally popular. Despite what they tell you, people like having their buttons pushed" (Macrone 6). Because his works contained so many of these profane words or phrases, they were censored to protect the innocent minds o f the teenagers who are required to read them, and also because they were blasphemous and offensive. Almost all of the profanity was removed, and that that was not had just reason for being there. Some of the Bard's censored oaths are; "God's blessing on your beard" Love's Labors Lost, II.i.203 This was a very rude curse because a man's facial hair was a point of pride for him. and "to play with someone's beard" was to insult him. "God's body" 1 Henry IV,II.i.26 Swearing by Christ's body, (or any part thereof,) was off limits in civil discourse. "God's Bod(y)kins, man" Hamlet, II.ii.529 The word bod(y)kin means "little body" or "dear body," but adding the cute little suffix does not make this curse any more acceptable. "By God's [blest] mother!" 2 Henry VI, II.i; 3 Henry VI, III.ii; Henry VIII, V.i Swearing by the virgin was almost as rude as swearing by her son, especially when addressing a catholic cathedral as Gloucester did in 2 Henry VI, II.i Perhaps the two worst of these Shakespearean swears were "'zounds" and "'sblood." "'Zounds" had twenty-three occurrences. Ten of them were in 1 Henry IV. The rest appear in Titus (once), Richard III (four times), Romeo and Juliet (twice), and Othello ( six times). Iago and Falstaff were the worst offenders. 'Zounds has evolved into somewhat of a silly and meaningless word, but was originally horribly offensive. This oath, short for "God's wounds," was extremely offensive because references to the wounds or blood of Christ were thought especially outrageous, as they touched directly on the crucifixion. "'Sblood" had twelve occurrences in all. There were eight times in 1 Henry IV (with Falstaff accounting for six), plus once in Henry V, twice in Hamlet, and once in Othello. 'Sblood occurs less than 'zounds, but is equally offensive and means basically the same thing. Several other words came from Great Britain, but were not included in Shakespeare's works. Today the expression "Gadzooks!" is not particularly offensive to most. Of course, most don't know what it originally meant. Gadzooks was originally slang for "God's hooks," and was equally offensive to 'zounds and 'sblood as it also referred to the crucifixion. An interesting note is that there is a store called Gadzooks which everyone thinks of as a pop-culture vendor to America's youth. Some (but not many) of Gadzooks' shoppers would be very offended if they knew the true meaning of the store's name. Another word from this region is a Cockney expression, "Gorblimey," which is a word used to swear to the truth, and is a shortened form of "God blind me." Also, in England, words such as "bloody," "blimey," "blinkin'," beginning with the letters "BL" are taken offense to because they, once again, refer to the blood of Christ and the crucifixion. The military has an interesting technique for swearing their brains out without offending anyone. "They use the phonetic alphabet (A= Alpha, B= Bravo, C= Charlie, etc.) as a code

Essay Sample on Sociology An Analysis of Social LIfe

Essay Sample on Sociology An Analysis of Social LIfe Society has different norms and culture; it varies from one community to the other based on their practices and beliefs (Hess, 1988).   Its standards dictate on how people act, speak and think. It molds individual on how he become in his future life. His individuality is the mirror of his society. What he is; is exactly what his society is all about. A person who belongs to a conservative society will bear and possess a traditional attitude also. His way of thinking always has something to do with his community. He always makes a consideration of how and what people think about him. People belong to a certain community or groups are expected to behave and think according to what the social practices are. A female teenager, for example, is said to be at home before 9 o’clock in the evening, she must not see roaming around alone at night. Eldest siblings are considered as a role model, she/he must behave accurately that her/his younger sisters/brothers will look up to and subject to follow. A man must marry first his girlfriend before doing any sexual encounter. Female must be married first before she lives to together with her man and has children. Doing so will make them deviant to the society. An individual must maintain her/his good image in accordance to society’s standard where she/he belongs, to avoid to be labeled as deviators by the society and to protect society’s image as a whole. Such practices passed from one generation to the other. It rooted from the older age and passed through their children up to the great-grandchildren. The believed practices and norms existed as the society existed, and people came in to adapt and adjust his community.Being an unmarried pregnant teenager is a taboo and considered deviant to the society.   A teenager is expected to be in school, finished college, hav e a degree, get a job and get married before she bears a child. Teenagers at their young age are likely to engage things, which are very dependent on their parents. They are less expected to do stuff like what the adult does, like involving with opposite sex. Thus becoming unmarried pregnant at an early age is an issue to the society. It’s an implication that society’s norm is not well implemented to its occupants. Teenager personality and family background will then put into question. The society begins to map out what kind of family does the teenager has. If she is rise properly according to society’s standard because the said taboo won’t take place if she properly cares and if the norms were properly inculcated to teenager’s mind. Being a deviant, society begins to label the individual. Stereotyping will arise like, expecting the child of an unmarried pregnant teenager to be reminiscent of what her/his mother is, that the child will bring no good to society but shame. The child will be labeled as the fruit of sin and more likely to become pregnant without marriage too in her teenage life. Deviant behavior brings greater impact to the society because society plays a vital role in individual’s way of living, thinking, and behavior. Thus every individual is obligatory to behave and follow as what the society expects. One must consider what other people say before saying or doing anything. She/he is also expected to ask to the elders’ opinion before deciding to do something to avoid taboos and being deviant to the society as a whole. Sociology is a new science which focuses on the totality of social life, the context of behavior and the group level of real and social facts. An individual is part and parcel of the society. Social integration refers to the degree to which a person is part and parcel of a larger group. Marriage, family, and kinship, etc. reflect the social integration. The social integration reflects an individuals conduct and life. It binds one person to another person. In generally speaking, the word society means the members of a society in group persons rather than the social relationships of the persons. Society is a complex one. It is found that from traditional, barbaric society to the modern society, each society is formed by the combination of several social institutions. Marriage, family, educational, economic, political, religious institutions, are the basic social institutions in the society. Now some more such as school, peer groups, workplace, and the state are influencing the individu al personality. These basic social institutions govern the social movements of the human beings. They control human beings. The term socialization is used by sociologists, social psychologists and educationalists to refer to the process of learning ones culture and how to live within it. For the individual, it provides the resources necessary for acting and participating in their society. A family is a basic kinship unit, in its minimal form consisting of a wife, husband, and children. In its widest sense, it refers to all relatives living together or recognized as a social unit, including adopted persons. It is an association. It is an institution. Therefore, it is often called as Basic Social Institution because its important functions of procreation and socialization is found in some form in all the societies in the world. It is found in every society and at every stage since the human civilization started. The members of each family shall obey certain social regulations. These regulations cannot be broken so easily. The members of the family obey these social regulations with ease and free consent. The man learns basic social norms and values in his childhood. A family is the basic social institution having social control, social change. Educational institutions are regarded as the social institutions. The education at school helps as a bridge between the childhoo d and youth. A child learns the duties, rights, moral obligations along with other co-students in his school. The concept of socialization and learning are so intimately related that they are inseparable from the concept of education. Peer group is a section of people who have a common identity based on such characteristics as similar social status, interests, age, or ethnic group. For Socialization-related learning processes and perception of workplace adaptation emotions also contribute meaningfully. Gender, job satisfaction, anger, and curiosity all proved to be positive, independent predictors of socialization-related learning and workplace adaptation. One of the independent predictors is anxiety, but age, race, formal orientation, employee status, and rapidly changing workplace were not regarded as significant predictors. Job satisfaction was confirmed to be not only a result of the socialization but also an important factor in the socialization process itself.[3]The The state is a people organized by law within a definite territory. The state itself is an ideal person, intangible, invisible, immutable. The individual has no rights against the state. The state is a sovereign, and it lays down a system of imperatives. If any person disobeys the imperative of the state, which takes the form of laws, he can be punished. The state has coercive power. It is a m onopoly in nature. The state is a repressive agency. Whereas society has no such coercive power. Of course, Society can also make its own rules which regulate social behavior, but they are not imperatives. They are simply rules of conduct. The influence is up to a large extent by the factors mentioned above so that the good impact will create the best society.

Khomeini vs. the International Community Research Paper

Khomeini vs. the International Community - Research Paper Example The consequences and the overall aftermath of the crisis shall be evaluated. This paper is being carried out in order to establish a clear understanding of the US-Iran relations, especially during Khomeini rule and after the Iran hostage crisis. Iranian Revolution The Iranian revolution involves the overthrow of the Pahlavi dynasty under the reign of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. Demonstrations and protests were started in October 1977 mostly against what was viewed by the people as the oppressive and corrupt regime of Pahlavi (Kurzman, 2004). These protests escalated into a widespread civil disturbance leading into January 1978. These strikes severely compromised the stability of the country and culminated in the exile of Pahlavi by January of 1979 (Kurzman, 2004). Two weeks later, Ayatollah Khomeini returned to Iran and the regime of Pahlavi collapsed a month after Khomeini’s return. After a few months, a referendum was held and resulted in the establishment of the Islamic Rep ublic under Khomeini’s Supreme Leadership (Kurzman, 2004). ...His ideas, however, were largely objected to by the international community, especially in the face of human rights violations and other actions which were against international human rights and related laws. Khomeini was in exile before the revolution broke out, and when he finally returned to Iran, it was to a victorious revolution and to the highest political seat in Iran. He was lauded as a political and religious leader. Even if he was not involved directly in the revolution, he was a major part of it (Moin, 2000). His letters and messages spurred the revolutionary ideals of the Iranians who were not faring well under American-supported Shah Pavlavi. Khomeini, in other words, represented a leader for Iran who was committed to the revolutionary ideas, which the people were clamoring for (Chauvel, 1979). Hostage crisis background Before the US-supported Shah of Iran was deposed in 1979, Iran relations and the US were more or less diplomatic (Christopher and Mosk, 2007). At that point, the US considered itself an ally of Iran and the Shah. President Carter was especially expressive of his support for the Shah, even if in actuality, the latter was highly disfavored by the people (Scott, 2000). The revolution by the people against the Shah eventually led to the unseating of the Shah. The US persisted in its support for Shah Pavlavi by allowing him entry into the US for cancer treatment. However this backfired on the U.S. at it led to strong anti-American sentiments from the people of Iran who wanted the Shah to be returned to their country to face trial for his crimes against his people (Scott, 2000).

Homer, The Iliad Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Homer, The Iliad - Essay Example This lack of temperance that is also referred to as Achilles’ rage is his most tragic of flaws that resulted in thousands of death for the Greeks when he left the battle with the Trojans (Homer & De Jong 16). Because of his thirst for prizes and glory, he is not able to control himself when faced with defeat and humiliation, and he was not justified to leave the battle. One can view his rage as a spectator as Achilles waits by his ships inexorably as the Argives die in their numbers. One could say that he acts as a spoilt brat who loves to create havoc that will satisfy his self-righteousness. Achilles is completely conscious of the impact his absence has, and he expresses his wish clearly to wait until the Trojans had reached Hellespont at which point he would engage the Trojans and Hector. It is only, when Patroclus dies that he is pushed to act, and from this angle, it is hard to see how the destruction of Trojan and Greek armies bolsters any of the factions or, indeed, Ach illes (Homer & De Jong 18). The Iliad has no serenity, and even Achilles’ reconciliation with Priam is more resignation than acceptance. It is, therefore, simple to accuse Achilles of a lack of justification because, despite any will of biting one’s nose to spite the face, any behavior in any way cannot be as wrong and unjustified as the action of Achilles (Homer & De Jong 18). However, even in judging Achilles’ actions as unjustified, it is possible that one is projecting his/her rage on Achilles (Homer & De Jong 21). One is able to deflect their destructive tendencies in the same manner as a small time, thief discounts his/her culpability through a comparison of their actions to charlatans who trick the elderly to give up their pension savings. Therefore, any study of the justification of Achilles’ rage needs introspection, instead of projection. It is vital to ask why anger that is destructive and fulfilling to the point of fulfillment is overwhelming on a desire for, say, food that nurtures. Achilles, as a character, is an extremely complicated persona than a warrior who would allow their fellow soldiers to be slaughtered because he lost a girl to a person who was so self-serving that eh was forced to sacrifice his children so as to be a warrior (Homer & De Jong 22). He tells those who want him to take up his sword and shield and return to battle that a similar honor lays in wait for the brave and the coward. He also repeats these words in the underworld as he says to Odysseus that he prefers to become a slave on the earth than become a king of dead people. Fully knowledgeable of his fate of a glorious death, we could say that his anger has some degree of justification. However, can his actions, or those of anyone else for that matter, also be justifiable? In numerous ways, life can be perceived as a series of losses with the manner in which we deal with these losses defining us. While rage does seem to fulfill individuals and, maybe, we are not too different to Achilles since we are willing to push the potential of our rage to block out life’s pains, especially the pains that make them face their mortality (Homer & De Jong 22). Achilles is not able to separate himself from his lust for victory and glory, which is a caprice that fades as time moves on and comes to have no meaning in