Kudler Fine Foods Too Fresh to Go Product Launch Essay

Kudler Fine Foods Too Fresh to Go Product Launch - Essay Example Kudler Fine Foods is an establishment that offers a variety of fresh food products. The grocer is a specialty food store that offers bakery and pastry products, fresh produce, fresh meat and seafood, condiments and packaged food, and cheese and specialty dairy products. The company offers a variety of food products which are used in the context of gourmet cooking. There is a need for the company to offer other types of food products which are more conducive to a customer who doesn’t have the time to cook the gourmet meal. By introducing a new line of prepared fresh meals, the customer can take home the meal to eat it for dinner that night or at another point during the week. Too Fresh to Go meals will encompass the spirit of Kudler Fine Foods while providing a healthy, time-saving alternative for current customers. Too Fresh to Go will be positioned in the front of the store for convenience and will include everything a customer needs for a meal, including the appropriate pack aging should the dish need to be warmed up to serve. These meals will be balanced, low-fat, and of the highest quality. For instance, a freshly prepared chicken dish, complimented by a leaf lettuce salad and couscous is one of the offerings. These offering will range from various meat and fish dishes to vegetarian meals. This new product line can help the company achieve sales growth and profitability by leveraging the existing product base and customer target market. From a foreign perspective, Too Fresh to Go can attract customers into the store for a fresh alternative for to-go food. Kudler Fine Foods and the introduction of Too Fresh to Go is a natural extension of the gourmet grocery store’s current product offerings. Kudler will also add to a customer’s convenience factor as well as appeal to those customers who may be hesitant to shop at a gourmet store if he or she is not a gourmet cook. These meals will fill a niche in the market whereby more working families are looking for healthy alternatives throughout the week to feed their families and do not want to turn to fast food. Whereas there are a variety of food preparation companies and local delivery companies, the pricing of these products prices them out of the market for some families. By extended this product offering at the grocery store, Kudler already has their target audience that would benefit from this type of product. In addition, Kudler already offers wine tasting classes and this product offering goes hand-in-hand with the nature of excellent customer service Kudler provides. Product positioning From a positioning perspective, the launch of Too Fresh to Go will be placed in the front of the store to add convenience to shoppers who do not have the time, as one of the key concepts of Too Fresh to Go is for working families who simply do not have the time to cook a gourmet meal each night. This section will be small at first in both locations, domestic and foreign, and will fea ture samples and a customer service specialist to answer any questions, nutritional and otherwise. The packaging will be bright and vibrant, but most importantly, this packaging will be able to be placed in the

Critically evaluate the behaviours and traits for effective lead Essay

Critically evaluate the behaviours and traits for effective lead - Essay Example This process can be effective through appropriate management of change to adapt to all the environments of the business. Change management refers to an organized and planned approach that helps to address the various variations that occur in the business environments. This also involves the appropriate response mechanisms for responding to changes that may occur among the workplace because of the changes that the business adopts. Change management involves an outline of a process to follow in order to experience an overall transformation in the whole business together with its employees. This guideline represents different steps that an individual has to adhere to so that the organization and its employees are coordinated towards the process of fulfilling its objectives. Create a Sense of Urgency An organization can only change if it can acknowledge the change. The leaders of the organization and its employees must recognize the need for change. The leaders of the organization partic ularly the managers should strive to inform employees about the need for change in the organization. This is done by developing a sense of urgency in the organization and its employees about the outlined procedures to revolutionize the organization. The management should be able to convince the employees through instilling positive thinking amongst the employees. This can be done by explaining the future circumstances to employees and potential future threats that may necessitate a change. This is to prevent the company from falling into such pitfalls. The company can also examine opportunities that can be possible in the future, if the company adopts different mechanisms of approaching its business environment. The company can give forth-convincing explanations about the change it needs. This is a strong motivator to speech and thinking among employees in order to arrive at the necessary change. This will also attract support from other areas of interest such as customers and other industries that may have interests in the company. This further boosts confidence for the company’s proposal since all parties are able to accept the change (Green, 2007, 167). Form a Powerful Coalition The organization should focus on leading the change to realize change. The company organization needs to bring a group of experienced individuals that are able to further the objectives of the organization towards change. Individuals from different levels of the company’s hierarchy, who draw their power from different sources, should be pooled together because they can offer the necessary advice on how change can be realized. This coalition will offer a priceless effort towards furthering the company’s urgency by build the required momentum towards change (Cameron & Green, 2009, 121). Create a Vision for Change The organization should be able to consolidate its ideas of change and bring it to the individual’s level of understanding. The vision for change should summarize the core values that the organization aims to achieve and should be effectively comprehended by the coalition formed to push for it (Vukotich, 2011, 41). Communicate the Vision The organization should ensure that its vision is thoroughly communicated and embedded in the organization. This is done through frequent expression of this vision in the decisions that the company makes,

Competition Act Case Essay Example for Free

Competition Act Case Essay In a telling judgement, the Supreme Court of India, on Sep. 9, 2010, has effectively and judiciously circumscribed the boundaries of exercise of power by both the Competition Commission of India (CCI/Commission) and the Competition Appellate Tribunal (â€Å"the Tribunal†) while delivering its verdict in the much awaited case Competition Commission of India v. Steel Authority of India Ltd. This Note captures the highlights of the decision for readers of this Blog! Background: The Court was hearing an appeal by the CCI against the order dated Feb. 15, 2010 of the Tribunal in Steel Authority of India Ltd. v. Jindal Steel Power Ltd. Jindal Steel had filed a complaint before CCI alleging anti-competitive practices and abusive behaviour by SAIL while it entered into an exclusive supply agreement with Indian Railways. Upon receipt of the complaint/information, CCI issued notice to SAIL to furnish certain information for within two weeks from the date of receipt of such notice. SAIL requested for an extension of time upto six weeks to file the required information. CCI in its meting deliberated on the request and decided not to grant any further extension. In the said meeting CCI also formed a prima facie opinion on the existence of the case and directed the Director General (DG) to inquire into the matter pursuant to its powers under Section 26(1) of the Competition Act, 2002 (â€Å"the Act†). SAIL challenged this direction before the Tribunal claiming that CCI could not have formed a prima facie opinion without hearing it first. SAIL also contended that CCI has not recorded any reasons while forming the prima facie opinion and that the time provided by CCI to file information was grossly inadequate. While filing the appeal before Tribunal, SAIL did not implead CCI as a party. CCI thus filed an application before Tribunal for impleading itself as a necessary and proper party and also assailed the very maintainability of appeal. The Tribunal, in its detailed order, holding that even the direction to inquire was appealable under Section 53A(1) of the Act noted that CCI could not have directed the DG to inquire into the complaint without having heard SAIL. It further noted that CCI was neither a necessary nor a proper party in appeals filed by an aggrieved party before the Tribunal. The Tribunal also noted that CCI did not record any reasons while declining to grant extension of time and hence it in violation of principles of natural justice. Appeal before the Supreme Court: Aggrieved by the order of the Tribunal, CCI approached the Supreme Court which framed six broad issues noting some of the allied issues raised by the parties: (i) Whether the direction passed by the Commission u/s. 26(1) of the Act while forming prima facie opinion would be appealable u/s/ 53A(1) of the Act? (ii) What is the scope of the power vested with Commision u/s. 26(10 of the Act and whether parties including the informant and other affected parties are entitled to notice at the stage of formation of prima facie opinion? (iii) Whether the Commission would be necessary or at least a proper part in proceedings before the Tribunal? (iv) At what stage and in what manner the Commission can exercise its powers u/s. 33 of the Act while passing interim orders? (v) Whether it is obligatory for the Commission to record reasons while forming prima facie opinion? (vi) What directions, if any, need to be issued by the Court for ensuring proper compliance of the procedural requirements while keeping in mind the scheme and object of the Act? The Verdict: Issue 1: The Court made an exhaustive study of the scheme and the provisions of the Act and rules of statutory interpretation, noted the distinction between â€Å"and† and â€Å"or†, referred to Indian, UK and European decisions to unearth settled principles of law and finally concluded that Section 53A(1) of the Act expressly provides for what decisions or orders or directions may be appealed before Tribunal. The Court noted that right to appeal is a substantive right which derives its legitimacy from the operation of law or statute. If the Statute does not provide for an appeal, the Court cannot presume such right. The direction to cause an investigation into a matter is passed under Section 26(1) of the Act does not determine any right or obligation of the parties to the lis. It does not find mention in Section 53A(1) of the Act and hence, the Court found that such orders would not be appealable under the Act. Issue 2 and 5: The Court noted that the exclusion of principles of natural justice (PNJ) is a well known concept and the legislature has the competence to enact such laws. Whether the exclusion of application of PNJ would vitiate the entire proceedings would depend upon the nature and facts of every case in the light of the Act or Rules and Regulation applicable to the case. The Court, then, read into various provisions of the Act and the Competition Commission of India (General) Regulations, 2009 in order to determine the nature of functions of the Commission under various provisions. The Court found that at the face of it, the exercise of power u/s. 26(1) of the Act while forming prima facie opinion is inquisitorial and regulatory. It held that while forming prima facie opinion, the Commission does not condemn anyone. This function is not adjudicatory in nature but merely administrative. This function is in the nature of preparatory measures in contrast to the decision making process and hence right of notice of hearing is not contemplated u/s. 26(1) of the Act. On the issue of reasons to be recorded at the stage of forming prima facie opinion, the Court held that the Commission must express its mind in no uncertain terms that it is of the view that prima facie case exists. Such opinion should be formed on the basis of the records, including the information furnished and reference made to the Commission. The reasons may not be in detail but there must be minimum reasons substantiating the view of the Commission. Issue 3: The Court reiterated the settled position of law relating necessary party and proper party. A necessary party is one without whom no order can be made effectively whereas a proper party is one in whose absence an effective order can be made but whose presence is necessary for a complete and final decision on the question involved in the proceeding. Applying the principle of dominus litus, the Court then noted that in cases where the Commission initiates a proceedings suo moto it shall be the proper party. In all other proceedings, it shall be a necessary party. Issue 4: On powers of the Commission u/s. 33, the Court noted in following terms: â€Å"During an inquiry and where the Commission is satisfied that the act is in contravention of the provisions stated in Section 33 of the Act, it may issue an order temporarily restraining the party from carrying on such act, until the conclusion of such inquiry or until further orders without giving notice to such party, where it deems it necessary. This power has to be exercised by the Commission sparingly and under compelling and exceptional circumstances. The Commission, while recording a reasoned order inter alia should : (a) record its satisfaction (which has to be of much higher degree than formation of a prima facie view under Section 26(1) of the Act) in clear terms that an act in contravention of the stated provisions has been committed and continues to be committed or is about to be committed; (b) It is necessary to issue order of restraint and (c) from the record before the Commission, it is apparent that there is every likelihood of the party to the lis, suffering irreparable and irretrievable damage or there is definite apprehension that it would have adverse effect on competition in the market.† Issue 6: One of the major outcomes of the case relates to the Court’s recognition and affirmation of the expeditious disposal of complaints filed before the Commission. The Court found this to be a fit case to issue certain guidelines in the larger interest of the justice administration. These directions weigh special worth in the light of the fact the Commission, even after more than one year of the enforcement of the operative provisions of the Act, has not issued its order in a single contentious case. The Court passed following guidelines: (a) Even though the time period for forming prima facie opinion by the Commission is provided in the Regulations (i.e. 60 days from the date of filing information) it is expected of the Commission to hold its meetings and record its opinion about existence or otherwise of a prima facie case within a period much shorter than the stated period. (b) All proceedings including investigation and inquiry by the Commission/DG must be completed expeditiously while securing the objectives of the Act. (c) Wherever during the course of inquiry the Commission exercises its jurisdiction to pass interim orders, it should pass a final order in that behalf as expeditiously as possible and in any case not later than 60 days. (d) The reports by the Director General u/s. 26(2) should be submitted within the time as directed by the Commission but in all cases not later than 45 days from the date of passing of directions in terms of Section 26(1) of the Act. (e) The Commission/DG shall maintain complete confidentiality as envisaged u/s. 57 of the Act and Regulation 35 of the Regulations. Wherever the ‘confidentiality’ is breached, the aggrieved party certainly has the right to approach the Commission for issuance of appropriate directions in terms of the provisions of the Act and the Regulations in force. Reading between the Lines: The verdict of the Apex Court bears immense significance given the timing of and issues involved in the judgement. It may be noted that both â€Å"competition law and policy† and the Commission are at a very nascent stage within the broad regulatory matrix of Indian economy. The judgement of the Supreme Court has rightly echoed the sentiments of proponents of free and fair market economy and it shall go in long way to effective sketch the competition law landscape in the country. At this point, I would like draw some conclusions which may not seem apparent at the face of it. They are as follows: (i) The Court, in its opening paragraphs, notes the importance of competition law and policy for any free market economy referring to three types of efficiencies: i.e. allocative, productive and dynamic. The Court observes that the main objective of competition law is to promote economic efficiency using competition as one of the means of assisting the creation of market responsive to consumer preferences. While it may be too early to conclude, but this certainly indicates that Indian Courts are going to lean towards Chicago School of Thought in the Chicago-Harvard dichotomy. It is the Chicago School of Economists which has brought the efficiency test as a dominant factor in last three decades in US Courts. (ii) While highlighting the aims of competition law, the Court makes a mention of the relevant laws of other jurisdictions including that of USA, UK and Australia. It would not be far-fetched to argue that the Court has indirectly hinted that in future, it shall definitely take into account the competition law jurisprudence developed in these jurisdictions while deciding contentious issues. That the Supreme Court is going to rely on EU and US Court decisions while explaining the substantive concepts involved in competition law is further strengthened by the fact that the Court referred to two decisions EU courts i.e. CFI and ECJ in its very first judgement related to the new Act even when there was no substantive concept of competition law as such involved. Remarks: (i) The Court has very effectively defined the ambit and scope of the powers of the Commission and the Tribunal at the stage of forming of prima facie opinion. No jurisdiction generally allows challenging the direction passed by the competition authorities to initiate investigation. However, there may be cases where the amount of information to be filed would be voluminous and the Commission in such cases must provide adequate time. It is doubtful whether a person would be able to challenge the denial of extension of time by the Commission in such cases. (ii) In larger interest of justice administration, the Court passed certain directions till the Commission formulates its own regulations in that regard. Though such a step by the Court is quite welcome, but the timelines provided by the Court are quite unreasonable and strict. For example, the Court has directed that the DG must submit its report within 45 days u/s. 26(2) of the Act. This seems quite onerous to be implemented in practice. The collection of evidence and ascertainment of facts would require the DG to issue notices to relevant parties. Such parties would have to prepare their responses which they intend to file before DG. All this may not be done within 45 days of time period. (iii)Though I fully agree with the Court’s reasoning as to why Commission needs to give notice to parties at the time of forming prima facie opinion; the analysis seems to be incomplete as the judgement has not even referred to provisions of Section 36 of the Act. The Court should have analyzed the provisions of Section 36 while discussing the issue of compliance or non-compliance of PNJ. (iv)Finally, the Court also states that â€Å"as far as American law is concerned, it is said that the Sherman Act, 1890, is the first codification of recognized common law principles of competition law.† I do not want to sound picky, but to my limited knowledge, Canada was the first country to enact its Competition Act which was one year prior to the Sherman Act i.e. in 1889.

Tree of Life in Evolution: A Discussion

Tree of Life in Evolution: A Discussion Introduction The tree of life in science describes the relationships of all life on Earth in an evolutionary context. Charles Darwin talks about envisioning evolution ; however, the books sole illustration is of a branched diagram that is very tree-like. The evolutionary relationships of the tree of life were refined using genetic data by the great American microbiologist Carl Woese, the discoverer of the domain Archaea and a pioneer in genetic methods in evolutionary biology. Homology and homoplasy are two aspects of evolution. Homology is the concept where two similar structures have the same functions and they are derived through descent from a common ancestor. The two other external factors affecting genetic variation Vertically generated and horizontally acquired variation. Vertically generated and horizontally acquired variation Vertically generated and horizontally acquired variation are the yin and the yang of the evolutionary process. They are very important to make evolution possible. Each of them is different in evolutionary impact. Vertically generated variation is highly restricted in character, it amounts to variations on a lineages existing cellular themes. Whereas for horizontal transfer, it can call on the diversity of the entire biosphere and systems that have evolved under all manner of conditions, in a great variety of different cellular environments. Thus, horizontally derived variation is the major evolutionary source of true innovation in novel enzymatic pathways and novel membrane transporter. Vertically generated variation is not very easy to manage and use. Vertically generated variation hold the key to the evolution of biological complexity and specificity. The essence of vertically generated variation on a lineages existing themes is the principal way in which biological specificity and cellular integration evolve. A horizontal acquisition of true novelty and a predominantly vertical generation of complexity and functional differentiation, and integration are the two forces whose interchange propels the evolution of the cell. Although horizontal transfer and vertical inheritance generally have very different evolutionary consequences, there are conditions important in the present context under which their effects copy one another, like two peas in a pod. Horizontal gene transfer is any process which an organism incorporates genetic material from another organism without being the offspring of that organism. By comparing with vertical transfer, it occurs when an organism receives genetic material from its ancestor like its evolved parent. Most scientists have focused on vertical transfer, but there is a awareness that horizontal gene transfer is a highly significant phenomenon, and amongst single-celled organisms are the dominant form of genetic transfer. Artificial horizontal gene transfer is a form of genetic engineering. The Cambrian explosion The Cambrian explosion or radiation was the seemingly rapid appearance of most major groups of complex animals around 530 million years ago, as evidenced by the fossil record. This was accompanied by a major diversification of other organisms, including animals, phytoplankton, and calcimicrobes. Before about 580 million years ago, most organisms were simple, composed of individual cells occasionally organized into colonies. Over the following 70 or 80 million years the rate of evolution accelerated by an order of magnitude in terms of the extinction and origination rate of species and the diversity of life began to resemble today. The Cambrian explosion has generated extensive scientific debate. The seemingly rapid appearance of fossils in the Primordial Strata was noted as early as the mid 19th century,and Charles Darwin saw it as one of the main objections that could be made against his theory of evolution by natural selection. The long-running puzzlement about the appearance of the Cambrian fauna, seemingly abruptly and from nowhere, centers on three key points: whether there really was a mass diversification of complex organisms over a relatively short period of time during the early Cambrian; what might have caused such rapid evolution; and what it would imply about the origin and evolution of animals. Interpretation is difficult due to a limited supply of evidence, based mainly on an incomplete fossil record and chemical signatures left in Cambrian rocks. The Cambrian explosion can be viewed as two waves of metazoan expansion into empty niches. Firstly, a co-evolutionary rise in diversity as animals explored niches on the Ediacaran sea floor, followed by a second expansion in the early Cambrian as they became established in the water column. The rate of diversification seen in the Cambrian phase of the explosion is unparalleled among marine animals: it affected all metazoan clades of which Cambrian fossils have been found. Later radiations, such as those of fish in the Silurian and Devonian periods, involved fewer taxa, mainly with very similar body plans. Although the recovery from the Permian-Triassic extinction started with about as few animal species as the Cambrian explosion, the recovery produced far fewer significantly new types of animals. Whatever triggered the early Cambrian diversification opened up an exceptionally wide range of previously-unavailable ecological niches. When these were all occupied, there was little room for such wide-ranging diversifications to occur again, because there was strong competition in all niches and incumbents usually had the advantage. If there had continued to be a wide range of empty niches, clades would be able to continue diversifying and become disparate enough for us to recognise them as different phyla when niches are filled, lineages will continue to resemble one another long after they diverge, as there is limited opportunity for them to change their life-styles and forms. There is a similar one-time explosion in the evolution of land plants: after a cryptic history beginning about 450 million years ago, land plants underwent a uniquely rapid adaptive radiation during the Devonian period, about 400 million years ago. Different Historical Fossil Records Of Plant And Animal Life Plant life during the cambrian and ordovician which are the first two periods of the paleozoic era was confined to the water. Algae of immense size several hundred feet in length dominated the seas. Land plants came into existence in silurian time in the form of strange little vascular plants named the psilophytes. In the carboniferous period, imposing spore bearing trees lepidodendrids and calamites, and primitive naked seeded plants pteridosperms and cordaites reached their peak of development. The end of the paleozoic era marked the extinction of the majority of the luxuriant trees of the carboniferous coal swamps. The mesozoic era was the age of gymnosperms as evidenced by the abundance of cycads, ginkgoes and conifers. Flowering plants in the form of angiosperm rose to ascendancy toward the close of the mesozoic era and established themselves as the dominant plant group on the earth. In animal life, many of the invertebrate groups were already highly diversified and abundant in the cambrian the first period of the paleozpic era 600 million years ago. The paleozoic era called the age of invertebrates with its multitude of nautiloids, eurtpterids and trilobites. Brachiopods with hinged valves were the commonest shellfish of the paleozoic seas. In the mesozic era, the air breathing insects and vertebrates in the shape of the widely distributed reptiles held the center of the stage. Birds and mammals became prominent in the cenozoic era and the human species arrived on the scene in the closing stages of this era. Paleontologist study the fossil record based on boundaries between strata where one mix of fossils gives way to another. Transitional links are intermediate between major groups. Archeopteryx has features intermediate between primitive reptiles and birds. Eustheopteron is fish ancestral to amphibians. Seymoria is amphibian ancestral to reptiles. Therapsids are reptiles ancestral to mammals. Data are understandable assuming humans and chimpanzees share a more recent commn ancestor than do humans and ducks or yeast. Biochemical evidence is generally consistent with anatomical similarity of organisms. Tortoises, lizards, sunflower trees and other unqiue plants and animals on the islands were similar to forms on the mainland of south american as they were descended from those organisms. The differences between each island group resulted from the inhabitants of each island having been isolated from each other and changing slowly and separately in response to the conditions on their own island. Factors Affecting The Pace Of Species Evolution The factors affecting species who had evolved significantly overtime while other species did not evolve as much are due to biological factors like point mutation and viruses infection where DNA is easily attacked and attracted by viruses. There are also one other important factor that support it. Natural selection, in the form of overproduction of offspring, constancy of numbers, struggle for existence where members of a species were constantly competing with each other in an effort to survive and only a few will live long enough to breed. There were also variation among the offspring, survival of the fittest where only the strongest will survive the tough condition. Like produce like and last but not least, the formation of new species where individuals lacking favourable characteristic are less likely to survive long enough to breed. The inheritance of one small variation will not by itself produce a new species. However, the development of a number of variations in a particular di rection over many generation will gradually lead to the evolution of a new species. Conclusion The prokaryotes, the bacteria and archaea have the ability to transfer genetic information between unrelated organisms through Horizontal gene transfer (HGT). Recombination, gene loss, duplication, and gene creation are a few of the processes by which genes can be transferred within and between bacterial and archael species, causing variation that is not due to vertical transfer. There is emerging evidence of HGT occurring within the prokaryotes at the single and multicell level and the view is now emerging that the tree of life gives an incomplete picture of lifes evolution. It was a useful tool in understanding the basic processes of evolution but cannot explain the full complexity of the situation. Ultimately, i concluded that tree of life is correct and accurate to a certain extent but the informations obtained was not enough and completed. REFERENCE HTTP://shiva.msu.montana.edu/courses/mb437_537_2004_fall/docs/uprooting.pdf HTTP://www.pnas.org/cgi/reprint/97/15/8392.pdf Futuyma, D. J. (1998) Evolutionary Biology. 3rd edn. Sunderland, Massachusetts: Sinauer Assiociates, Inc. Long, J. A. (1995) The Rise Of Fishes: 500 million years of evolution. Australia, Sydney: University of New South Wales Press. Solomon, E. P, Berg, L. R Martin D. W. (2002) Biology. 6th edn. Thomson Learning, Inc.

The Usage of Landscape in Mary Shelleys Frankenstein :: Mary Shelley Frankenstein Essays Papers

The Usage of Landscape in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein When reading Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, I was struck by how Mary makes use of the landscape to parallel Victor Frankenstein's shifting mental condition. In the story, Victor Frankenstein is an overly ambitious scientist whose curious tinkling with alchemy leads him to create a giant monster and ultimately compromised Frankenstein's own destruction. After Frankenstein created his monster and witnessed the horror that was his own making, he is traumatized in a "painful state of mind," which leads him to isolate himself from the outside world. Frankenstein's power to create life from dead body parts proves to be so extreme and so immoral that nothing in society seems to be able to encompass such an enormous feat, not even Frankenstein himself after he finished his creation. Thus, because of his inability to accept the fact that he has successfully brought something so grotesque to life, Frankenstein takes his dark secret and retreats within himself. Frankenstein's self-discovered powe r is so great that it successfully disassociates him from all the things he has once held dear in his life, such as family and the beautiful familiar landscapes. From here on, Frankenstein can only identify with big, immense, sublime landscapes because these are the only landscapes extreme enough to communicate what Victor is feeling inside. From the time Frankenstein created his monster, he finds little comfort in the beauty of nature. One passage that I find particularly striking was when Victor exclaimed, "Dear mountains! My own beautiful lake! How do you welcome your wanderer? Your summits are clear; the sky and lake are blue and placid. Is this to prognosticate peace, or to mock at my unhappiness?" (106). It is as if Victor is offended by the beauty and calmness of the landscape simply because it conflicts with the inner turmoil he is feeling inside. He continues through the story to "pass through many beautiful and majestic scenes [with] eyes fixed and unobserving" and "shunn[ing] the face of man; all sounds of joy or complacency [being] torturous to [him]; solitude [being his] only consolation -- deep, dark, death-like solitude" (210). One probable reason why he finds beautiful, peaceful scenes offensive can be found in the passage where Victor laments, "Nothing is more painful to the human mind, than, after the f eelings have been worked up by a quick succession of events, the dead calmness of inaction and certainty which follows, and deprives the soul both of hope and fear" (127). The Usage of Landscape in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein :: Mary Shelley Frankenstein Essays Papers The Usage of Landscape in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein When reading Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, I was struck by how Mary makes use of the landscape to parallel Victor Frankenstein's shifting mental condition. In the story, Victor Frankenstein is an overly ambitious scientist whose curious tinkling with alchemy leads him to create a giant monster and ultimately compromised Frankenstein's own destruction. After Frankenstein created his monster and witnessed the horror that was his own making, he is traumatized in a "painful state of mind," which leads him to isolate himself from the outside world. Frankenstein's power to create life from dead body parts proves to be so extreme and so immoral that nothing in society seems to be able to encompass such an enormous feat, not even Frankenstein himself after he finished his creation. Thus, because of his inability to accept the fact that he has successfully brought something so grotesque to life, Frankenstein takes his dark secret and retreats within himself. Frankenstein's self-discovered powe r is so great that it successfully disassociates him from all the things he has once held dear in his life, such as family and the beautiful familiar landscapes. From here on, Frankenstein can only identify with big, immense, sublime landscapes because these are the only landscapes extreme enough to communicate what Victor is feeling inside. From the time Frankenstein created his monster, he finds little comfort in the beauty of nature. One passage that I find particularly striking was when Victor exclaimed, "Dear mountains! My own beautiful lake! How do you welcome your wanderer? Your summits are clear; the sky and lake are blue and placid. Is this to prognosticate peace, or to mock at my unhappiness?" (106). It is as if Victor is offended by the beauty and calmness of the landscape simply because it conflicts with the inner turmoil he is feeling inside. He continues through the story to "pass through many beautiful and majestic scenes [with] eyes fixed and unobserving" and "shunn[ing] the face of man; all sounds of joy or complacency [being] torturous to [him]; solitude [being his] only consolation -- deep, dark, death-like solitude" (210). One probable reason why he finds beautiful, peaceful scenes offensive can be found in the passage where Victor laments, "Nothing is more painful to the human mind, than, after the f eelings have been worked up by a quick succession of events, the dead calmness of inaction and certainty which follows, and deprives the soul both of hope and fear" (127).

War With Iraq is Not Necessary :: United States America Middle East

The debate whether America should have a war to Iraq lasted for about 2 years. As far as I am concerned, however, I agree that America should not have a war to Iraq. The first argument that can be presented to develop my position is that the immediate war to Iraq costs for the U.S. will come to about 200 billion, giving the American people heavy economical burden. A good example may be found in many documents and statistics. So far, Congress appropriated approximately&56 billion in April 2003;another &72 billion in November 2003. The total amounts to 2004 is over &150 billion, but will be higher as the bush administration requestz further spending later this year ( National priorities project 3-5 ).As everybody know, the attack on Iraq was not justified under the United Nations (UN), most countries in the world will not spend much money for the war. As a result of it , America people have to pay them. Under such a circumstance, the war affects everyone, not just those directly involved in the fighting. One of the more quantifiable effects of the war is that the financial burden it places on our tax dollars.Tax will be raised inevitably, damaging the developments of other aspects such as business, education and health care. There is another reason for me to choose this statement. I raq affects the economy of America sirously, making ameica have unbelievable high deficit, and making the exchange rate of USA dollars to other currency drops unhistorically. let us consider the American buget status in recent years. What’s happened is that between 1997 and 1998, the US achieved a balanced budget after almost two and a half decades of deficits. The White House estimates the budget deficit for 2003 will be $307 billion, and drop to $304 billion in 2004.Furthermore, the exchage rate for US dollars is weakening continuesly and the Euro is strengthening greatly because of american so massive

Folly as the Narrator in Erasmus’s The Praise of Folly

â€Å"The Praise of Folly† Desiderius Erasmus In Erasmus' work â€Å"The Praise of Folly†, the narrator delivers a speech praising Folly with the following: â€Å"And to whom is it generally agreed life owes its beginning if not to me? For it certainly isn't the spear of ? mighty-fathered' Pallas or the shield of ? cloud-gathering' Jupiter which fathers and propagates the human race,†1[2496]. Here the narrator, who is Folly herself, tries to put herself above everyone else, even the Gods on Olympus. She says that she is the beginning of all life, and that she should be the most regarded person, while in reality, this is all a bunch of ‘folly'. She ridicules the Gods and strips them of their powers. She tries to convince the reader that they can never have â€Å"Self-Love† without the presence of her. In Folly's eyes, she proves these items as being virtues and not defects. Folly leads the reader into believing that all foolishness is, in fact, wisdom. While Folly continues her deception, she also criticizes the philosophy of Christian church. She sees the happiness of Christians as a type of folly. Paraphrasing Folly, the philosophy is ‘as long as the mind makes proper use of the organs of the body, it is called sane and healthy. But once it begins to break its bonds and tries to win freedom, men call it insane. ‘ Even so, according to Folly, this type of person shows a knowledge they had never previously learned, and giving clear indication of something divine. Knowledge, power and position don't, and can't, get you true happiness. It is only with a little ‘madness' that a person can truly be free and live an enjoyable life.