Major Systems used in an Organization Essay

Organizations utilize different types of information systems to take their business decisions for their operations. The hierarchy levels of the organizations in general are operational, knowledge, management, and strategic. Accordingly, three main categories of information systems serve at different organizational levels on hierarchy are: I. Operational-level systems II. Management-level systems III. Strategic-level systems 1. Operational-level systems: Information systems that monitors and support operational managers, keeping track of the elementary activities and business transactions of the organization. E.g.Sales,receipts,cashdeposits, pay roll, credit decisions and flow of materials in a factory. 2. Management-level systems: Information systems that serves the monitoring, controlling, decision-making, and administrative activities of middle managers of the business organization 3. Strategic-level systems: Information systems that support the long-range planning activities of senior management and help senior management tackle and address strategic issues to keep the strategic growth of the business firm. Major type’s information systems in organizations include 1. Transaction Processing Systems (TPS) 2. Management Information Systems (MIS) 3. Decision-Support Systems (DSS) 4. Executive Support Systems (ESS) Transaction processing systems function at the operational level of organization. Knowledge work systems help create and integrate new knowledge within the organization. Management information systems provide managers with reports based primarily on data pulled from transaction processing systems, have an internal orientation, and have limited flexibility. . Decision-support systems function at the management level and provide analytical models and data analysis tools to provide support for semi  structured and unstructured decision-making activities. Executive support systems function at the strategic level, support unstructured decision making, and use advanced graphics and communications. Major type’s information system in a typical organization is shown in below figure along with strategic levels and functional areas. Transaction processing was one of the first business processes to be computerized and without information systems, recording and processing business transactions would consume huge amounts of an organizations resources. Transactions are events that occur as part of doing business, such as sales, purchases, deposits, withdrawals, refunds, and payments. TPS serve the operational level. The transaction processing systems (TPS) is a computerized system that performs and records the daily routine transactions necessary to the conduct of the business. TPS also involve employees in business processes. Transaction Processing Systems are information systems that process data resulting from the occurrence of business transaction. Every organization has manual and automated transacting processing systems (TPSs), which process the detailed data necessary to update records about the fundamental business operations of the organization. These systems include order entry, inventory control, payrolls, accounts payable, accounts’ receivable, and general ledgers to name a few. The input to these systems includes basic business transactions such as customer orders, purchase orders, receipts, time records, invoices and customer payments. The result of processing business transactions is that the organizations records are updated to reflect the status of the operation at the time of the last process transaction. Automated TPSs consist of all the components of Computer Based Information, including databases, telecommunications, people, procedure, software and hardware devices used to process transactions. The processing activities include data collection, data edit, data correction, data manipulation, data storage and document production. The transaction processing systems (TPS) is a computerized system that performs and records the daily routine transactions necessary to the  conduct of the business. TPS also involve employees in business processes. Transaction Processing Systems are information systems that process data resulting from the occurrence of business transaction. Every organization has manual and automated transacting processing systems (TPSs), which process the detailed data necessary to update records about the fundamental business operations of the organization. These systems include order entry, inventory control, payrolls, accounts payable, accounts’ receivable, and general ledgers to name a few. The input to these systems includes basic business transactions such as customer orders, purchase orders, receipts, time records, invoices and customer payments. The result of processing business transactions is that the organizations records are updated to reflect the status of the operation at the time of the last process transaction. Automated TPSs consist of all the components of Computer Based Information, including databases, telecommunications, people, procedure, software and hardware devices used to process transactions. The processing activities include data collection, data edit, data correction, data manipulation, data storage and document production. Management Information Systems (MIS) BASIC CONCEPTS: Five resources are 1. Men 2. Machine 3.Materials 4. Money 5.Methods. Information is considered as sixth resources Management information system (MIS) is an organized collection of people, procedures, software, databases and devices used to provide routine information to the managers and decision makers. The focus of an MIS is primarily an operational efficiency, marketing, production, finance and other functional areas are supported by MIS and linked through a common data base. Management is a process consisting of planning, organizing, to achieve organizational objectives. MIS is â€Å"vital† in any organization for two reasons: 1. It emphasizes the management orientation of IT in business (not merely the processing of data). 2. It emphasizes that a systems framework should be used for information systems applications. Various functions of management are briefly defined as follows: 1. Planning – process of deciding in advance the cause of action 2. Organizing – forming formal group of people and activities to facilitate achieving its objectives 3. Controlling – checking the progress of plans and correcting any deviations 4. Directing – processing of activating the plans, structure and group efforts in the desired direction. MIS supports the management level by providing routine summary reports and exception reports for various purposes of management control process, including planning, controlling, and decision making. Examples are sales and profit per customer and per region, relocation summary and analysis, inventory control, capital investment analysis, and even a report on students who were here in the autumn but did not to return in the spring. 2.6 Decision Support System Decision-support systems provide material for analysis for the solution of semi-structured problems, which often are unique or rapidly changing. Typically, they provide the ability to do â€Å"what if† analysis. DSS will often use data from external sources, as well as data from TPS and MIS. DSS supports â€Å"right now† analysis rather than the long-term structured analysis of MIS. DSS are designed for analytical purposes and are flexible in nature. DSS provide sophisticated analytical models and data analysis tools to support semi-structured and unstructured decision-making activities. DSS use data from TPS, MIS, and external sources, provide more analytical power than other systems and interactive. The impact is on decisions in which there is sufficient structure for computer and analytic aids to be of value but where manager’s judgment is essential. A DSS is an organized collection of people, procedures, software databases and devices, used to support problem /specific decision making and lead to problem solving. The focus of a DSS is on decision making effectiveness when faced with unstructured or semi  structured business problems. 2.61 Characteristics of decision support system The main characteristics of DSS are 1. DSS help managers make decisions that are semi-structured, unique, or rapidly changing, and not easily specified in advance. 2. DSS are responsive enough to run several times a day in order to correspond to changing conditions. 3 DSS make use of both internal information (from TPS and MIS) and also from external sources, such as current stock prices or product prices of competitors. 4 DSS offer users flexibility, adaptability, and a quick response. 5 DSS allow users to initiate and control the input and output. 6 DSS operate with little or no assistance from professional programmers. 7 DSS provide support for decisions and problems whose solutions cannot be specified in advance. 8 DSS use sophisticated analysis and modelling tools. 9 DSS shall support the manager but not replace his/her judgment. It should therefore neither try to provide the answers nor impose a predetermined or predefined sequence of analysis. 10 DSS requires the decision maker’s insight and judgment to control the process and solution. 2.63 Examples of DSS Systems Airlines Price and route selection, flight scheduling Investment Companies Investment evaluation Railways Train Dispatching and Routing Frito-Lay, Inc. Price, ad and promotional section Manufacturing Production optimisation Oil Companies Evaluation of potential drilling sites Executive support systems (ESS)/ Executive Information System (EIS) Senior managers use ESS to make decisions, ESS serve the strategic level of organization. They address non-routine decisions requiring judgment, evaluation and insight because there is no agreed on procedure for arriving at a solution. Executive support systems function at the strategic level, support unstructured decision making, and use advanced graphics and communications. Examples of executive support systems include sales trend forecasting, budget forecasting, and personnel planning. ESS is designed to incorporate data about external events such as new tax laws or competitors, but they also draw summarized information from internal MIS and DSS. They filter, compress and track critical data, emphasizing he reduction of time and effort required to obtain information useful to executives. ESS employ most advanced graphics S/W and can deliver graphs and data from many sources immediately to a senior executive office. ESS combines many features of MIS and DSS and Provide top executives with immediate and easy access to information. ESS help to Identify factors that are critical to accomplishing strategic objectives (critical success factors) and hence provide a generalized computing and communications environment that help senior managers address strategic issues and identify long-term trends in the firm and its environment. ESS addresses non-routine decisions requiring judgment, evaluation, and insight because there is no agreed-on procedure for arriving at a solution. ESS present graphs and data from many internal and external sources through an interface that is easy for senior managers to use. Information presented in forms tailored to the preferences of the executives using the system. ESS provides out put as desired by the end-user in the forms like Customizable g raphical user interfaces, Exception reports, Trend analysis etc., 2.74 Features of ESS 1. Contemporary ESS bring together data from all parts of the firm and enable managers to select, access, and tailor them as needed using easy-to-use desktop analytical tools and online data displays. 2. Through their ESS, many managers have access to public data, such as news services,  financial market databases, and economic information. 3. ESS has the ability to drill down, moving from a piece of summary data to lower and lower levels of detail. 4. Contemporary ESS includes tools for modeling and analysis. 5. Whereas DSS use such tools primarily for modeling and analysis in a fairly narrow range of decision situations, ESS use them primarily to provide status information about organizational performance. 6. Well-designed ESS also have some facility for environmental scanning. 7. A key information requirement of managers at the strategic level is the ability to detect signals of problems in the organizational environment that indicate strategic threats and opportunities. 8. Abil ity to analyze, compares, and highlight trends. 9. The easy use of graphics enables the user to look at more data in less time with greater clarity and insight than paper-based systems provide. 10. The timeliness and availability of the data result in needed actions being identified and carried out earlier than previously could have been done 11. Problems are handled before they become too damaging; opportunities are also identified earlier. 12. Immediate access to so much data also enables executives to better monitor activities of lower units reporting to them. That very monitoring ability enables decision making to be decentralized and to take place at lower operating levels. 2.76 Interrelationships among systems In contemporary digital firms, the different types of systems are closely linked to one another. This is the ideal. In traditional firms these systems tend to be isolated from one another, and information does not flow seamlessly from one end of the organization to the other. Efficiency and business value tend to suffer greatly in these traditional firms. The interrelation ship between major kinds of system in an organization is depicted in below figure . The various types of systems in the organization exchange data with one another. TPS are a major source of data for other systems, especially MIS and DSS. TPS are operational-level systems that collect transaction data. Examples of these are payroll or order processing that track the flow of the  daily routine transactions that are necessary to conduct business. TPS provide data that are required by office systems, KWS, MIS and DSS, although these systems may also use other data. KWS and office systems not only use data from TPS but also from MIS. DSS not only use data from TPS but also from KWS, office systems, and MIS. MIS rely heavily on data from TPS but also use data from KWS and office systems. ESS obtains most of their internal data from MIS and DSS.

Marketing †ethics Essay

Marketing ethics is an area that deals with the moral principles behind marketing. Ethics in marketing applies to different spheres such as in advertising, promotion, pricing. However, for purposes of this essay, the ethics of advertisements will be dealt with especially in relation to children. (Mohandeep, 2001)) Many marketers and analysts have agreed that children are marketer’s best friend. This is backed up by evidence from watch groups such as Media Channel. In the year 2007, they highlighted the fact that in the United States, close to two billion dollars was spent on advertisements to children. It was also revealed that children greatly affect the commodities their parents buy. Estimates done in this field show that projects tailored for children in the year 2006 totaled fifty two billion dollars. (McGee and Heubusch, 1997) Regardless of all this potential returns that children can give manufacturers and their marketers, there are key ethical issues that arise in the discussion. For example, do children have the capability of understanding some of the intricate marketing tactics? Do children possess the final buying power? Do marketers need to get permission from their parents? And do children understand the negative effects of some of the products advertised to them? These key questions will be analyzed in relation to business pressures then recommendations will be made. Key ethical issues in marketing to children Some companies have become notorious for the utilization of psychologists in their advertising and marketing campaigns. Normally what such companies do is that when trying to create marketing strategy, they will involve psychologist to tell them about tactics that they can use to influence children. Since psychologists understand the way child’s mind works, they can help marketers create campaigns that will be directly aimed at them and those ones that can easily influence their choices. This trend has becoming so alarming that the American Psychological Association has raised an alarm about it. They have set up a committee to estimate the effect that the involvement of psychologists in the marketing process of children’s products has on them. The group has asserted that no psychological principles should be used when marketing to children. They are also recommending that there should be some sort of strategy to protect the young ones from exploitation though the use of psychological ploys. (Beder, 1998) The basic framework which steers marketing ethics revolves around three main issues. These are: values, stakeholders, processes. Marketing ethics that are done on a value inclined framework are those one that involve the analysis of the kind of value that the marketing idea creates. So advertisements may instill in their target audiences positive or negative attributes. This all depends on their implementation. For example, an advertising targeting a child may become a problem if it violates the right to privacy, transparency, honesty or autonomy. By using psychologists in the process of creating advertisements for children, marketers are imposing upon children’s right to autonomy and transparency. They try studying children’s behavioral trends and then use this to exploit those children. This is quite unethical. The process oriented framework in marketing ethics is founded on the basis of analysing marketing ethics through the categories that marketers use. For example research, promotion and placement must be done in an ethical manner. This is something that marketers have chosen to ignore because their research is not done in an ethical manner. Their research involves using psychological experts who may use their knowledge to take advantage of children who belong to vulnerable groups (Lizabeth, 2001) Targeting children alone Marketers who create marketing campaigns that are just directed towards children only are engaging in unethical marketing practices. This is because children are naive. They are at a stage of development called proximal development. At this stage, children simply take up elements of what they perceive in the world around them and then use it in various aspects of their lives. There is a certain level of trust that children have over and above than one of adults. They lack the ability to weigh arguments in a sober and even sometimes a cynical way. Consequently, this makes them very vulnerable to exploitation. (Murphy et al, 2004) Examples of advertisements that are directed towards children alone are those ones that have cartoon characters and are seen as specifically meant for children. At that point, children will feel like they are the only ones with the ability of purchasing the item yet it is their parents who have to foot the bill. Unethical advertisements are those ones that do not involve getting consent from parents. Most of the time such advertisements are usually aired in the afternoon during kid’s programming sessions. They usually create desires in children to have those advertisements at all costs. When advertising is done without parental consent; that is when children are watching shows on their own then it became unethical. Children are too young to realize the manipulations that are going on through television or media advertisements. They also do not realize the financial pressures that come with the purchase of items. It would therefore be unethical for marketers to leave parents out of their marketing strategies. Normally, ethical advertisements are those ones that require children to get their parents involved in the marketing place. This can be achieved by stating it directly in the advertisement. It can also be achieved by limiting some children’s products in parental magazines or targeting families in general instead of just children. (Waymack, 2000) Advertisements targeting children alone have shown their effects in a number of ways. In the year 2007, it was found that about fifty eight percent of all the items purchased by children (through their allowances) are sweets and toys were the next highest items to be purchased by children. This took up a whooping thirty percent. Toys and candy are all items that are advertised directly children hence the staggering statistics. (Davidson, 2002) Advertising to children alone brings out very fundamental ethical issue. It highlights the power analysis issue in marketing. Any form of marketing that claims to be ethical must adhere to the power balance principle. The scales must not be tipped towards the consumer neither should they favor the marketer either. When marketers target vulnerable markets, they tend to make the situation favor them. This is what is called caveat emptor in marketing. It is an unfair scenario and is also exploitative in nature. (McGee and Heubusch, 1997) Types of products, manner of advertisements and other qualities can indicate whether or not an advertisement is targeting children. It should be noted that there are certain elements that if conducted by marketers may be deemed unethical for example, when an advertisement is made in such a manner as to imply that it is meant for children. Some elements to watch out for are: music, images, voices, color. These are all elements that are meant to draw on children’s attention. Besides this, there may be certain activities expected to captivate children such a drawing, then those advertisements may be meant for them. Besides that, some advertisements may have characters that are designed for that demographic group. Sometimes some advertisements may be placed in publications that are usually read by children alone. They may also be placed in areas that have children. (Murphy et al, 2004) All these features can be deemed unethical if they will be seen or heard by children exclusively, For example, if the advertisement is placed in a publication that is read by children alone then this is unethical because there is not parental consent there or if it is broadcast at times when children could be watching without parental consent. (Lizabeth, 2001) Sometimes the kind of content in the advertisements matters too. Advertisements that are created in such ways as to make children feel less about themselves if they lack that product may be deemed unethical. Also advertisements that will promote harmful products to children are also unethical. For example, there were certain toys from China that had an excess of chemical elements and exposed certain risks to children who were playing with them. If advertisements possess those characteristics, then they may be considered unethical. Responsible marketing The issue of marketing itself has two main components. The first group is made up of the abolitionists and the second are the libertarians. The abolitionists believe that all advertising to children is wrong and that it should be completely eliminated. But this is something that is unrealistic and cannot be feasible in today’s fast paced and commercial world. The other extreme is held by the liberalists who believe that advertisements to children should be left as they are. They insist that society shapes advertisements and that advertisements do not change moral values. But this is denying the obvious. The fact that children in the UK and even in other parts of the world spend the largest portion of their leisure time watching television implies that they will pick up some of the habits depicted on their screens. (Waymack, 2000) In light of the above facts, it is important to come up with a compromise on the issue through taking up responsible marketing. Children can still be considered as a target audience for marketing of retail products, however, this should be conducted in such a responsible and socially sustainable manner. There are three main alternatives available for marketers targeting children and these are: viewing children as docile consumers, viewing children as non-consumers, viewing children as informed consumers. Choosing the non-consumer part would not be very market friendly because as it has been seen from earlier parts of the essay; children have substantial levels of buyer power. It is would therefore be uneconomical not to tap this very valuable market resource. On the other hand, viewing children as docile consumers causes a lot of ethical controversies that have been raised earlier. Consequently, the most sustainable form of marketing should be viewing children as informed consumers. Marketers need to advertise and market their products in such a way that there will still be room for them in the future. This will be effectively achieved by informing children about marketing ideas. This will enlighten them and give them a very valuable asset; choice. (McGee and Heubusch, 1997) Informing children about the intricacies of marketing at an early age will go a long way in ensuring that children can understand the fundamentals of the commercial world. It will mean that children’s naivety will not be taken advantage of and that they will have the power to decide for themselves whether or not products are good for them. The ethical issues that have been brought forward stem from the fact that children are too young to understand the main reasons behind marketing displays. Informing them about this will drastically reduce those ethical concerns and will at the same time still allow marketers to go about marketing their products. (Beder, 1998) It should be noted that some countries like Sweden have argued that children can understand the effects of commercial marketing after reaching the age of twelve; some have suggested four and others ten. They claim that at that point, be it 4, 10, or 12, children can understand the commercial world and the exploitation tendencies that their worlds present them. Consequently, human rights groups claim that marketers should not target children that fall below that group. But that debate can be eliminated if children below those established ages are made aware of the commercial world. Regulations This is something that is already in place, but still needs more emphasis. Advertisements should not be aired during children’s programming as they are likely to be unsupervised at that point. Governments should institute statutory regulations on television advertisements. Advertisements should also be edited such that they do not seem to appeal to the child directly. They should be made in such a way that they will involve the parent or family. (Mohandeep, 2001)) Conclusion Advertisements to children have sparked off lot of controversy resulting in various reactions in various countries. However, experts agree that unethical marketing occurs when advertisements are directly aimed at children without getting consent from parents. Organisations can go about this issue through regulating their content, changing their times and embarking on a consumer education to make their young audiences aware. (Waymack, 2000) Reference: Beder, S. (1998): Marketing to Children, University of Wollongong Journal Lizabeth E. (2001): Marketing With A Conscience: Sales and Ethics; Journal for the US Dept. of State Mohandeep S. (2001): Ethics in Marketing; Encyclopedia of Business and Finance Davidson, D. (2002): The Moral Dimension of Marketing; South-Western Educational Journal Murphy, P. et al (2004): Ethical Marketing; Prentice Hall Waymack, M. (2000): The ethics of selectively marketing the Health Maintenance Organization, Journal of Theoretical Medicine and Bioethics, Issue 8, Volume 11, Pages 301-309 McGee, T. and Heubusch, K. (1997): Getting Inside Kids’ Heads; American Demographics, Vol. 19, No. 1.

ANEMIA Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

ANEMIA - Assignment Example Iron deficiency anemia is triggered by failure in blood cell production. The proper management plan will be based in correcting the issue as well as replenishing iron stores. This is done by the prescription of oral iron therapy, activity restriction, and diet adjustment. The patient must be given iron supplementation and in instances where oral preparations cannot be tolerated, parenteral iron may be used. In cases or oral iron therapy, ferrous sulfate is the best iron salt to be administered. Oral iron must be continued until three months after the iron deficiency has been corrected; this aims at replenishing the stores. Analysis of the patient’s diet reveals the diet may have contributed to her condition. The proper management plan for dietary adjustment is counseling the patient on their consumption and development of a meal plan. This means the patient must start consuming meals rich in iron and folic acid, i.e. spinach, broccoli, kidney beans, whole grains, asparagus, an d broccoli. In addition, the patient has to be advised to increase her vitamin B12 intake. Restriction of activity is necessary for this patient based on the fact that she exercises intensely. Therefore, she ought to limit her activities until she is well. The hemoglobin level of the patient has to be monitored at intervals. This is part of the follow up procedure (Brashers,

International Hospitality Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

International Hospitality Industry - Essay Example The data were collected through in-depth, semi-structured interviews and a review of archival data (Web sites, employee handbooks, newsletters, departmental forms) during 1998, 1999, and 2001. Key contacts included Gord Ahrens, former Director Employee Experience (1998, 1999) and his successor, Kirby Brown (2001). Understanding Human Resource Management: A Framework Within this section four distinct conceptions of HRM are presented: traditional HRM; integrative HRM; strategic HRM; and universal HRM. While empirical support for each of these perspectives exists, due in large measure to their degree of inter-relatedness, emerging research provides compelling support for the universal perspective. Storey (1992) explains that the concept of human resource management has attracted enormous attention and stimulated significant debate among academics and practitioners. (McGunnigle P., Jameson S., 2000, pp.403-421) Traditional HRM Traditional HRM (THRM) has its roots in personnel management. Its focus is on worker productivity through discrete HR practices such as selection, job design, and incentive pay practices (Bamberger and Meshoulam, 2000). Empirical THRM research has tended to focus on the link between these practices and various human behaviour and productivity variables (e.g. turnover, job satisfaction, labour costs). Support for this perspective has been found (see for example, Hackman and Oldham, 1980; Guzzo et al., 1985; McEvoy and Cascio, 1985; Weitzman and Kruse, 1990; Cutcher-Gershenfeld, 1991). It is also not always clear what effect first level outcomes (i.e. reduced labour costs) have on second level outcomes (e.g. product quality, sales, profits). Integrative HRM Integrative human resource... Within this section four distinct conceptions of HRM are presented: traditional HRM; integrative HRM; strategic HRM; and universal HRM. While empirical support for each of these perspectives exists, due in large measure to their degree of inter-relatedness, emerging research provides compelling support for the universal perspective. Storey (1992) explains that the concept of   human resource management has attracted enormous attention and stimulated significant debate among academics and practitioners.   (McGunnigle P., Jameson S., 2000, pp.403-421)Traditional HRM Traditional HRM (THRM) has its roots in personnel management. Its focus is on worker productivity through discrete HR practices such as selection, job design, and incentive pay practices (Bamberger and Meshoulam, 2000). Empirical THRM research has tended to focus on the link between these practices and various human behaviour and productivity variables (e.g. turnover, job satisfaction, labour costs). Support for this pe rspective has been found (see for example, Hackman and Oldham, 1980; Guzzo et al., 1985; McEvoy and Cascio, 1985; Weitzman and Kruse, 1990; Cutcher-Gershenfeld, 1991). It is also not always clear what effect first level outcomes (i.e. reduced labour costs) have on second level outcomes (e.g. product quality, sales, profits).Integrative HRM Integrative human resource management (IHRM) is also interested in the impact of various human resource practices, but focuses on their â€Å"congruency† (Beer et al., 1985).

Analyzing the impact of Confucianism on customer behaviour and Essay

Analyzing the impact of Confucianism on customer behaviour and perception of western brands - Essay Example 150). There were attempts to eliminate Confucian thinking in China during the periods of Cultural Revolution, but these attempts were not successful. Confucian thinking and doctrines have profoundly impacted today’s China to have had resurgence and to become very important part of Chinese persona. Chinese culture has been influenced by the Confucian thinking about leading a virtuous life. Confucian thoughts are basically built on three principles; 1) humaneness and loving an individual’s personality, 2) morality and uprightness, and 3) rites and ritual propriety. These three principles are complemented by the five pairs of social roles that are recognized as the basic cultural relationship between individuals. These relations are; between father and son, between the ruler and the subject, between the older and young, between spouses and between friends (Gallo, 2011, p. 43). Confucianism perceived family as the centre of all relationships and the family has been viewed a s the basic unit. In contrast to the Western business culture that is either fact-based or transaction-based, Chinese business culture is based on valued relationship and personal networks. Guanxi- the Chinese term used by Confucianism literature to denote relationship- gave greater emphasis on friendly relation between two persons based on favour-exchange, and therefore, literatures stressed that the exchange of favour is at the heart Guanxi. (Morschett, Schramm-Klein and Zentes, 2010, p. 150). Confucianism’s principles of interpersonal relationship and other doctrines are perceived to impact the consumer behaviour of Chinese people and their attitude towards western brands too. Impact of... As China has become an attractive and emerging marketplace and that it consist major portion of world’s total population, the Chinese consumer and his behaviour have been major focuses in the literature of international consumer behaviour. Culture is regarded as a significant determinant of consumer behaviour and cultural values are found to play vital roles in influencing consumers in their buying behaviour. China is a rapidly emerging market and global brands are studying about the potentiality of Chinese market in terms of investment, consumption, employment, and attitude and buying behaviour. Chinese culture is mainly influenced by Confucianism. This piece of research paper has analyzed the impact of Confucianism on the buying behaviour and perception about foreign brands. Various literatures stressed that Confucianism has profoundly impacted the buying behaviour because Confucianism emphasized harmonious relationship between different people and this caused people to show different attitudes toward different products. This paper concluded that Chinese people are quite thrifty and are found to show prestige since men have to strongly impress wives to maintain better relationship.

Environment & Diversity in Community Health Assignment

Environment & Diversity in Community Health - Assignment Example This does not dispute the fact that even low levels of Ozone can cause health effects. Children, adults, older people, people with lung diseases and people who are aggressive or active outdoor may be particularly sensitive to ozone. Ozone is the main component of smog in Middletown. Despite the fact that it takes place naturally in the atmosphere to offer protective layer above the earth, at the ground, it is the main component of smog (Manderscheid 51). When Ozone is inhaled, it can cause respiratory problems, inflammation of the lungs, impair body immune system thus making people susceptible to respiratory diseases including pneumonia and bronchitis and lastly, it can exacerbate asthma. The ozone pollutes or harms the environment in that it interferes with the capability of the plants to manufacture, produce and store food in that growth of the plant and food production are compromised. In addition, it weakens sensitive vegetation thus making plants more susceptible to plant diseases, environmental stress and pests (Brenkert 41-4). A nurse led program would aim to reduce risk of disease up to 15 to 20 percent in children’s lung infections by providing adequate medication to the diseases (McCann 78). Furthermore, it would focus to reduce risks of moderate to complicated respiratory symptoms in children such as aggravated coughing and painful breathing. More so, it would aim to protect the environment by trying to reduce production loss of major agricultural plants such as commercial forests, wheat and soybeans. Manderscheid, R. (2009). Aiming for a healthier population by 2020: Moving our fields towards prevention, early intervention, and population health. Behavioral Healthcare, 29 (1), 51- 52. Web. May 14

Clinical Pharmacy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Clinical Pharmacy - Essay Example It is evident that besides balanced food that is given to the patient some other nutrient supplements facilitate in recovery and reduce the health related troubles that become devastating if deficiency is related with the nutrients required for the well being. Patients are getting variety and choice of nutrition feed because of the commercial availability of many products in the market. Many companies are coming up with a special protocol of feed and related illness. This enhances the awareness of patient about the kind of food essential to combat illness (Concern at nutrition in hospitals). Nutrition supplements are licensed products and can be provided as the sole source of nutrition. They may be prescribed on medical grounds for diverse ailments. Depending on the severity and class of sickness, the nutrition supplements can be taken. Hospitals play lead role in making the patient aware of the consequences if the nutrition is not provided in the desired quantity. Hospital staff must help the patient psychologically, the advantages and disadvantages of the feed type he has been introduced to. This not only prepares the patient mentally but patient also co-operates with the hospital staff. Keeping this in mind the present study is conducted to build an understanding towards the nutritional support products, their advantages and problems and the available products that patient can utilize for better and sooner recovery. Basically three types of feeds are given for diverse ailments these are: Sip feeds, Enteral (tube) feeds and TPN feeds. Sip Feeds Various policies are defined to prescribe Sip feeds or Oral Nutrition Supplements for Patients with poor nutritional status especially those having: Disease related malnutritione.g. Reduced appetite or experience difficulty in swallowing, in cancer of throat or gut. Short-bowel syndrome (SBS) Intractable malapsorption Pre-operative preparation of undernourished patients Proven inflammatory bowel disease Following total gastrectomy Dysphagia Bowel Fistulas CAP Dialysis (Nutrition support in adults) Importance of Sip feed: Help the patient to gain weight or avoid loss of weight. Help the patient to surmount weakness of tiredness Help the patient to take in adequate liquid. Help the patient to alleviate the pressure to eat Help the patient to drink enough when dietary supplements cannot. (Nutrition support in adults) Before prescribing Sip feed it is essential to assess nutritional status, BMI calculation and weight loss by using simple nutritional risk scoring system When prescribing sip feeds * Do try equipped standard food (by adding milk, butter, cheese or cream)as first line therapy (4weeks before stipulating sip feeds). * Ensure that all patients be given suitable dietary advice by a state-registered dietitian or suitable trained member of the primary health care team. * No long term use without regular monitoring and assessment * It should not exceed 500-600kcals daily unless under the care of a dietitian. * Ensure that supplements are not taken at meal times / after meals e.g. as a bedtime drink to avoid reduction in food intake. * It should not be given as the sole source of nutrition except in consultation with

Strategic management accounting Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Strategic management accounting - Assignment Example Furthermore, to increase the range of profitability, to ensure the resources, which are available, are used in the most required and desired way for the purpose of attaining and maintaining the short term and long term goals of the organisation, budgets are mostly used with this intention as well. After this part, a more critical discussion will be done on the traditional concept of standard costing. The uses and purposes of standard costing would be highlighted and discussed in the most appropriate way. The main purpose of standard costing is to provide a planned unit cost of a product. On the other hand, the main uses of standard costing are to provide a standard to measure the performance measurement, stock valuation, control and the establishment of selling price of different products. Standard cost is self-assumed and planned cost given to a product for the purpose of comparing it with the actual cost and cost price of the product. This actual and planned comparison of the cost and price is greatly required and used by the management. There are different uses offered and given by this comparison. The original and true efficiency and effectiveness of the organisations can easily be compared with the given set of the standard cost. This comparison would clearly highlight whether the required level of organisational short term and long term goals and objectives are achieved or the management has failed to achieve the required level of organisational objectives in the most required way and most required manner. There are different types of budgets: Zero based budgeting and activity based budgeting. Zero based budgeting is totally a new approach towards the understanding of the concept of budgeting. Traditionally, budgeting is made by adding some additional percentage to the previous year budgeting and implementing it in this added budget in the current year. But, this is not done as far as zero based budgeting is concerned. Here, the activity of budgeting gets started from scratch. Additionally, the budget maker is required to give and produce a statement authenticating the true and valid reasons and causes to justify any additions or to justify any reductions in the zero based budgeting. Also, it is very much expected of the budget manager to prioritise the entire set of activities by also providing and giving a reasonable explanation for prioritising any set of activities. On the other hand, activity based budgeting provides an additional source that can be used for the purpose of doing the activity of budgeting. In this budgeting, first certain targets are determined and highlighted. After determining the certain targets, then activities are highlighted and determined for the purpose of attaining and meeting those targets with the help of these activities. Afterwards, only those available and required resources are used that help and ensure the attainment of these targets. The activity based budgeting facilitates the identification of such opportunities that help to reduce cost and eliminate those factors that are wasteful. Activity based budgeting highlights and helps management to constantly pursue the areas that have improvements. Budget is defined as ‘a quantitative statement for a defined period of time,

Childhood leukemia development and correlation with traffic air Article

Childhood leukemia development and correlation with traffic air pollution - Article Example The study shows that children are more likely to develop leukemia if they live in urban centers. The reason for this is the high levels of pollution in cities. The research goes to show the problems that high pollution levels can create especially with regard to children. This link was established when the researchers found that children living in urban centers with relatively high levels of pollution were at a significantly higher risk for developing cancer. The study has values adjusted for factors which could tamper with the results. However, even after the adjustment, the risks remained high for children living in areas where there was a high level of pollution. This study is certainly a revelation since we often discuss global warming in the context of animals and rising sea levels but there is also a visible and immediate impact of the pollution spread by human activity on the planet. That impact is the negative effect pollution has on our health and the health of our children who are defenseless against it. The government and our civil authorities should do a lot more to stop the situation. They need to ensure that we do not have to suffer the negative consequences of the progress we have made. If we do not do anything about it, the problem would only multiply. At the present, we have little choice in how we can reduce air pollution levels. Of course, we can have Individual actions or even drives coming from small groups aimed at reducing pollution. However, these may never have the impact that government policy changes can. In addition to trying and reducing air pollution levels, more research on the topic is also required. Without the proper scientific data, we may make the wrong conclusions. This was suggested in the research study itself. Additional information and research on the topic is necessary. That would gives us better tools with which we can handle pollution and its impact on our lives. Even now,

Educational Mission Statement Paper Term Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Educational Mission Statement - Term Paper Example Leadership aspects among the youth that are a made-up attribute by the education institutions and views laid down by the current leaders are now criticized by the formative people because of hopelessness and the utilization of the substances (Ministry of National Security. (2010). Problems The institution faces malnutrition and severe closed head injuries obtained from the accident. In detail, the problems can be broken down into the consumption, clinical and environmental issues that institution endures in the clinical surrounding. Moderately, institution should be able to adhere to the prescribed information regarding the amounts of medication available during the enteral feeding mode. Clinical and physical conditions that BJ endures after the accident include a coma induced naturally after certain test were conducted in the hospital by the experts. The faced situations by institution were considerably abnormal according to the caregivers as severe closed head trauma assesses the n ormal neural processes within the cranium. Finally, the environmental assessments of institution regarding her skills, religion, attitude, food security and nutrition availability from her initial environment was somehow unattended. The fact that the laboratory tests displayed insufficient levels of crucial blood and gut constituents was crude evidence of imbalanced diets prior institution’s accident. Etiology Etiology consists of the contributing aspects that led to the coma and severe closed head trauma experienced by institution. Some of the linked factors that can explain the situation include Malnutrition of the girl. The low levels of hemoglobin, glucose, Serum albumin and the C - reactive protein in her blood led to relapse of the neurons and nerve cells within institution’s brain. Risks of trauma were then increased as insufficient nutrients that cater to the nerve impulse navigation were not available for the whole process. The situation also explains why her brother did not succumb to a trauma situation and institution did. In constructing the social civilization, definite qualities contained by the public are in requirement of building and acknowledgment for the development into the outlook. Not only do drugs perform the wearing out the brains of the adolescence, but in addition aids in injecting the broadening of fatal viruses in the society such as HIV/AIDS. The importance of schools in the livelihoods of the American adolescence has to be an element of the drugs prohibition proposal within the education institutions if the transfer of the drugs is to make any advancement in the livelihoods of the youth. I occasionally desire I had the capability or acquaintance and skill to get rid of drugs completely from the humanity. Regrettably, natural psychological drifts into hope indicate misery in the individual and the surroundings involved. Disclosure of the youth to abuse of drugs at a premature age is fairly saddening. Children as youth ful as thirteen years are taking a part in the utilizing and trafficking of the substances, in the name of domestic stresses. These children are more often than not liberated after discipline hours or during the weekends, if they are taking part in any lessons at all, to attain of the drugs and mistreat them. On the parking batches, buying centers, residents, at their own houses or when their keepers are not present are the periods and places where the youth carry out the unethical

Why School Is Important Essay Example for Free

Why School Is Important Essay I believe everybody should have a good start in their life. Having a good education is a great path to success. School provides knowledge, friendship, and intelligence. Education provides everyday skills, learning, and more. Several people in the world cannot afford for their kids to attend school, so its important to learn to read, write and communicate. The people that have the chance to attend school should work hard to get far in life. You must work hard to attend high schools, universities and colleges. Education provides fundamental skills that are required for most jobs. Now-a-days finding a job in todays world is becoming difficult each and everyday. Most of the world’s top jobs require advanced knowledge and intelligence. You can work as a top employee by attending school. School is very important because you earn education. Education is a key that has the ability to open many doors. For example math is important because math teaches knowledge and ways to solve problems. Students master these skills by watching, listening, reading, and writing. When you learn new things, you develop an understanding mind and knowledge. There are several ways to develop a wide knowledge; one way is paying attention to the instructor. Teachers feel happy and satisfied when the students pay attention and behave. It is good when your teacher thinks you’re valuable and important. When you misbehave, you lose the teachers trust and respect. By doing your homework and assigned items you will earn good grades. Also, by behaving and being a good student your teacher will like you for doing well in their class.

Reflective Portfolio: Self-Evaluation Report

Reflective Portfolio: Self-Evaluation Report Executive summarize In this self evaluating report the main task is to evaluate the progress achieved during this term and to determinate in which skills I need to work the most to make an improvement. It is mainly base on my personal skills development and theories learned during the seminars and lectures, I will do an analysis of my strengths and weaknesses, for that I am doing a SWOT analysis, a future skills development program and how I am going to achieved it, As supporting evidence I am going to attach in-class works and exercises done through out the semester. Introduction During the term I have had the opportunity to improve and learned interpersonal skills that are essential for what managers are looking now days in graduate students. For this self analysis report I have chosen the skills that I think are the ones I have improve the most and the ones in which I need to work more, these are: Strengths; Good communication and writing skills and good group working skills Weaknesses; Bad time management and poor knowledge in the use of IT Opportunities; Improve my leadership skills in group works, my time management, career management and my IT knowledge Threats: Having difficulties with my communication or writing skills because English is my second language, have disagreements with group members Learning reflection throughout the term and skills performance Throughout the term and especially at this module I have been encouraged by my seminars leaders to improve my interpersonal skills by doing many different activities. I feel that the skills that I have improved the most are my communication, writing skills and my group working skills. Communication skills I believe this skill is one of the most important skills that a person need to have in todays employability market because this is the principal method we use to communicate with each other, Talking and Listening are consider as essential interpersonal skills that graduates should have according to QAA key skill list [2009]. I have improve this skill through out the term by doing presentations at the different course modules, for example the ICT presentation, where me and my partner were asked to advised a small company if it was convenient for them to put their business online and we had to give a formal presentation in front of the class, in other modules such as Theory and practice of business we are going to have a group presentation about our result on our fancy share portfolio and at Interpersonal skills for business module we had to do a group presentation about an activity that was called ISLAND ESCAPE: ISLAND SURVEY were we were asked to convinced the audience or ISLAND SURVIVERS that our island was the best choice for coming to live at. Writing skills This is another point in which I have improved since I started the term. The main reasons for my personal improvement I think are; the reports and course works I have had to write for the different modules, for example the Electronic portfolio, for interpersonal skills and innocent report for theory and practice for business, I have being able to achieve this with the recommendation given throughout the lectures and also with the information that is in the module book [Second edition, Chapter 9] where I could find: The four distinct stages for writing any type of report Types of report Terms of reference Researching and organizing the source material In this skill the main improvements I have made are; learning the difference types of data which are: Source material and Diagramming, according to Saunders et al. (2003), Source material is the data that you will use to support your key points and provide evidence to support your recommendations. And according to Buzan (1995), Diagramming is a useful technique for abstract the main themes from the detailed background information, and also how to do a correct reference and bibliography. Group working Throughout the term I have had the chance to improved my group-work skill at all the modules, this skill is now is being considered as one of the most important factors for business development, as ACAS, [April, 2003] has point out To remain competitive organizations need to make and optimum use of equipment and people if they are to thrive or even surviveIn general sense people talk of team work when they want to emphasize the virtues of co-operation and the need to make use of the various strengths of employees. This skill was mainly develop at this module throughout different activities for example, the ISLAND ESCAPE, and the BOARD GAME and the NASA exercise. At other modules we also had the opportunity to improve our group-work skills for example the theory and practice SHARE PORTFOLIO was done in groups of 5 to 6 people and all the group members had to decide how we were going to invest the money, in this activity many people had disagreements and some times it delay the entire group performance, one analysis we learned in the lecture and that is used to analyze the group behavior according to their results is the Interaction analysis it was develop from the work of Bales, [1950] and the principle of this analysis is to describe the group process and indications of factors influencing the process of it. The main thing that make all of us improved in our group work skill at this module was that we did not have the chance to choose our groups so for every different activity we had to work with different people and that make us have to take different roles at each group-activity, according to Belbin, [1981], Groups that are composed by entirely of cleaver people, or of people with similar personalities, display a number of negatives results and lack of creativity, in general group working make us improve our communication skill with other people because we had to expressed our ideas and also listen to others peoples ideas, some studies have demonstrate that there are five main types of communication networks between group members which are; Wheel, Circle, All-channel, Y and Chain, this researches was done by Bavelas, [1951] and studied by Leavitt. [1958]. Time management This skill is not one of the strongest skill that I have but I have being working on to improved it for example I did the time management action plan, were I was able to find were I loss most of my time and what unnecessary activities I did during the day, and since then I have being able to organize better my time and give it a better used, one positive thing I have manage to do is that throughout the semester I have not miss any death. IT skills For me this is one of the skills in which I need to work the most because in this century everybody needs to know how to used and work with IT, also a large amount of work places this days requires you have IT knowledge for qualifying for the job, also as Belbin, [1951] said in her theory about Team roles there are some roles that are different from the nine-roles key roles she that where needed in a team she called them Functional Roles because for these roles members are chosen for their experience and specialize knowledge, one example is IT knowledge. For improving on this skill I received lectures and seminars about the correct used of excel, power point and even word in the ICT module, also using blackboard and submitting works through it had make me feel more comfortable with the use of computer programs and electronic academic tools. Leadership skills During the activities that we did during the term we had the opportunity to developed our leadership skills when working in groups, as we learned at the lectures and seminars there are a lot of different types of leadership, according to the Managerial Grid Questionnaire that we did in at the seminar my leadership style is Team Leader, Black Mouton (1964). Being a leader for me is not only to make other people do what I said, is to earn their respect, in other words is that the people must accepted; the other persons ideas or what he is offering and voluntarily decided to follow him as his leader. According to the module book there are two different approaches for the study of leadership; one is the Descriptive approach and the second one Functional approach, [Module book, unknown author, page 251], the Descriptive approach focus on whether a leader is a special type of person or whether there is a most appropriate style for a leader to adopt and the Functional approach according to Bower and Seahores, (1966), Leadership is behavior that results in a difference in the behaviors of others. One theory that is being used for leadership training in the Industrial society, (Module book, page 252), is the Action-centred theory of leadership, John Adair [1984] It consists in three sets of interrelated needs, that increase the three functions a leader must have; The task related function The team related function The individually oriented function As a result it recognizes how these three areas affect each others in terms of group performance. In management most of the times leaders are not choose by the people it normally is someone that posses a higher rank in the organization, this is known as a Headship who is someone that has a formal authority over its subordinates, [Module book, page 254], according to Kotter, [1990], Is far more realistic to regard management and leadership as two complementary activities, each one having its own unique function. During the group activities we did during the term we were able to find that all of has different types of leaders each one with its own characteristic, positive and negative aspects, our leadership types are based on Lewin et al. [1939],study that divided them in three categories: Autocratic leader Democratic leader Laissez-faire leader Conclusion During my time at the University of Westminster I have had the chance to develop and improve my interpersonal skills, knowing that now days this skills are what employers are looking for when they are planning to hire someone makes me think about the importance of develop, learn and practice those skills more. Interpersonal skills are really useful not only for business practice bur also for every day activity. We do not realize how often we use these skills in our daily life and how helpful they can be if we applied them well, for example time management it would help us to improve it and decrease the amount of time we waste, another skill that is very necessary in any kind of situation is communication skill, because we are always needing to express our thought or ideas to other people and if we do not know how to expressed our self correctly, specially when you are giving a first impression to an audience or to a person you are not going to be able to delivered our message correctly and the receiver of our message will not be able to understand what we are trying to said. Other skills such as leadership and team working are essential when working as member of a group, because if you do not know how to manage different situation the final work result is going to be very poor, and also these skills are very important for employers because they want someone that is able to adapt in different groups and that is able to perform different roles in those groups. Specialized skills such as IT or essential skills such as writing skills are also very important, specialized skills gives you more opportunities when searching for a job and essential skills are important because those are the skills that managers are looking for in their future employees. Recommendations There are some skills that I have already mention before but I considered that I have the opportunity to work more on them and be able to improve these essential skills which are: Management As I already said time management and particularly punctuality is something I feel I need to improve because is one of the first impressions that you give to a person, as Goffman, [1959], said on in his self presentation theory, and particular on first impressions, The opening impression we give is not just and impression of what kind of person we are, it also conveys our definition of the situation Each individual entering a conversation projects by dress, manner, and opening remarks proposal for what the basis of the interaction shall be, for example arriving late for a business meeting will probably make you loose the job or at least loosing the appointment, for that I would have to focus more in the starting hour of the activity and planned better my time so in that way I will arrive on time, specially to my lectures and seminars. Planning my career path is another area in which I have to work because as I am not sure what I am going to do after I graduate, until now I have decided to do an internal transfer from business management to a combined degree of Economics and socio legal studies. I will manage to decide during the two years that I have left which path I am going to follow after getting my degree and where I will continue my studies. IT knowledge The best way to improved in this area is by taking modules that are related with it, for example next semester I am taking a module call essential data analysis and by doing home study and personal researches. For succeeding on my future plans development I not only have to improved the areas in which I have the opportunity to do it but also I need to pay attention to external factors that might delay my improvements, which could be: English as a second language As English is not my first language I think these might become a problem when writing reports or essays and when doing oral presentations it might not go along well because I might not know how to express some idea, but I think as I get more English practice this will not be a problem. Group disagreements When working on groups sometimes you might have the opportunity to work with people that you get along with but some other times you might find yourself in a group that does not work well together or everybody is trying to get individual recognition so at the end the result will be unsuccessful, I think the way to improve this is by focus on the work, and leave individual problems outside the group, also by to developing our own personal type of leadership according to the different theories we have learned is going to ne easier to everyone to adapt to different groups and become a member of it.

The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy Film Studies Essay

The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy Film Studies Essay The world of fantasy is a part of every childs being. From fairies to dragons, from wizards to goblins, the mind has never ceased to wander. As a young boy I took to this imaginary world heartily, and I continue to do so till date. Hence, I was not surprised when I found myself leaning towards The Lord of the Rings as my topic for this paper. The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King, represented in the set of books known as The Lord of the Rings was written by the most popular author in history. (White 6) The man that gave us Middle-earth, the territory of Sauron, Gandalf the Grey and Frodo Baggins of the Shire is none other than Professor John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (1892-1973). I am studying The Lord of the Rings trilogy to help understand what it has contributed to the film fraternity and the literary world. Clearly, I have been a Tolkien fan ever since I laid my hands on the first book of this epic trilogy. The reason I have chosen to study this is because I would like to try to unlock how a fictional epic saga like The Lord of the Rings can influence both these fields on a global scale. I realized soon enough that this would be a challenge, but after reading several literary texts by different academicians I was determined to give it a shot. J. R. R. Tolkien is known the world over primarily for his achievements as a writer of fantasy and the creator of The Lord of the Rings. Peter Jackson (1961), on the other hand, who is a writer, producer, actor and screenwriter, has been involved in projects other than fantasy which have also won him praise. However, it was Jacksons transformation of a trio of books into a trio of films that won him significant appraisal. The journey of this transformation began in 1998. Jackson reveals that most fans of The Lord of the Rings were probably not familiar with his earlier works and may have the impression that he popped out of nowhere and was suddenly directing this huge movie-project. (Sibley vii) While researching on this topic I have gathered that most of his colleagues think of his original vision as his greatest asset. Having watched a few of Jacksons other films I can say that he has a determination to showcase even an ordinary story in a very extraordinary way. As mentioned in Studying the Event Film: The Lord of the Rings, Jackson first mentions to Miramax of his interest in The Lord of the Rings in 1995. By July of 1998 Miramax decides to make one film out of The Lord of the Rings after which Jackson goes on to find New Line who agrees on a three part film. Shooting for the movie starts the following year, and by the end of 2003 Tolkiens most popular The Lord of the Rings is made available to the film audience in totality. (Margolis et al xix-xx) Jackson took to Tolkiens Middle-earth, in all its glamour, very passionately, even obsessively. He says that this was mainly the reason behind why Jackson kept pushing his filmmaking skills to a level high enough to direct such an epic drama. His goal was to make Middle-earth look like it was shot on location (Mathijs and Pomerance 2). As told to Sibley, Jackson confessed that it took him around ten years of making films and learning enough about film politics to give him the skill base he needed to tackle this particular project, apart from the twenty years working on amateur projects. (viii) Tolkiens The Lord of the Rings was the longest work of Fantasy ever published. (White 89) He began developing The Fellowship of the Ring soon after The Hobbit in 1937, but it was not until 1954 that he published this first part of The Lord of the Rings. Here, Frodo Baggins, the hobbit, sets out on his quest to destroy the all-powerful One Ring with wizard Gandalf the Grey as his guide, along with a protective fellowship drawn from various Middle-earth races. The book took the world by storm and had people from all age groups spellbound. In the Foreward section of this first book Tolkien writes, Those who had asked for more information about Hobbits eventually got it, but they had to wait a long time; for the composition of The Lord of the Rings went on at intervals during the years 1936 to 1949, a period in which I had many duties that I did not neglect and many other interests as a learner and teacher that often absorbed me. (5) White expresses this development as a transition from a vague sequel into an independent and full-blown creation in which, he says, the effort was packed with delays and retrogressive decisions (171). The second book in The Lord of the Rings series, The Two Towers, was also published in 1954, a few months after the first. The tale continues with how each member of the fellowship fared after the breaking of their fellowship, until the coming of the great Darkness and the outbreak of the War of the Ring (Tolkien 10). The third and last part of the series was named The Return of the King which was first published in October, 1955. It is quite possible that Tolkien thought this name appropriate since the saga ends with Aragorn ruling over Gondor, rightfully crowning him King. Tolkien ends this grand narrative with good winning over evil, revealing the opposing strategies of Gandalf and Sauron (The Dark Lord of Mordor), until the final catastrophe and the end of the great darkness. (Tolkien 13) The concept of Middle-earth is one of awe. Being a philologist and a Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford University J. R. R. Tolkien had extensive knowledge of languages, ancient cultures and mythology. His imaginative mind led him to create the world of Middle-earth which would ultimately help launch the science fiction and fantasy cultural revolution that has swept western civilization since the 1960s. (Martinez) In his article, The World of Middle Earth, Martinez writes that the name Middle-earth is itself an ancient archaic name for the world of Men. This world created by Tolkien was as real and complex as our own. Tolkien wanted to make his imaginary world so convincing that the reader could believe in it so much as to believe it as actual history. For this reason he involved himself in map-making, creating endless charts marking dates and events, and even went to the extent of creating his many invented languages. (Foster 1) He carefully manifested a framework of familiar geography and climate, beasts and birds enabling the reader to walk through any Middle-earth landscape with a security of recognition that woos him on to believe in everything that happens. (Kocher 2) So much was his dedication for perfecting familiarity that Tolkien took the trouble of naming heavenly bodies such as the Great Bear as The Sickle, and planet Mars as Red Borgil. (Kocher 7) For instance, if we were to take the hobbits into consideration, the prologue of The Lord of the Rings informs the reader that they are our distant relatives even though the exact nature of this blood kingship is lost in time. Middle-earth, the land of hobbits, men and manlike creatures, among many others, is our Earth as it was long ago. The Shire has been described as a small but beautiful and fruitful land, beloved by its inhabitants (the hobbits), where an extensive agricultural system thrives avoiding the ruthless ways of an industrial economy. Kocher compares the Shire, which is on the North-West of the Old World, to northwestern Europe primarily because of its climate and skies, and farmland and valleys. (4) Irrespective of whether one is a fantasy genre fan or not, no one can deny that Tolkien is Hobbit forming'. (White 224) I first read The Fellowship of the Ring at age fifteen, and I have unknowingly read all the three volumes several times. With every read of Tolkiens The Lord of the Rings I find myself more deeply involved in his mythopoesis (Hart and Khovacs 26), a term often defined as literary myth. This mythopoeia, according to Tolkien, is easiest to attain using the fantasy/fairy tale (Hart and Khovacs 38) genre. The Lord of the Rings was readily adopted by the hippies in the 1960s. If one delves into this further one can observe that it is not difficult to see how Tolkien had a major influence on them. As White writes, It is set in an alternative reality in which orthodox religion plays no part, where magic makes things happen. (224) This book had a publicity and attraction beyond hippies. It was read by people from all age brackets, from all parts of the world, and from different cultural backgrounds. Today, if one were to type the words Tolkien or The Lord of the Rings into a search engine, at least half a million sites would be displayed. Therefore, it is no surprise that Tolkiens fantasy has spawned host of imitators. Soon after The Lord of the Rings was made available to the world, Tolkien found himself at the centre of all things media, as a cult figure; he was somewhat of a guru. He received appreciation from world famous personalities including Members of Parliament. White notes that even though Tolkien was delighted by the popularity of his work he was more than a little disturbed by the reactions of some of his readers. He was stunned to hear that a ten year old boy who played Frodo in a dramatization of The Lord of the Rings could not come out of character for a month. (225) Jacksons film version of this classic series has also held wide acclaim in both, the popular and the academic eye. As Kellner states, The Lord of the Rings trilogy has been the most popular, acclaimed, and fetishized film cycle of the Third Millennium and has intensified and expanded Tolkien readership for the novels that are the basis of the cinematic epic, while generating a devoted following for the films. (Mathijs and Pomerance 17) Digital technology is at the heart of The Lord of the Rings, and it was this technological advancement that was a major factor in its success. As mentioned in Studying the Event Film: The Lord of the Rings, various software developments such as the FastSCAN technology and Massive (Multiple Agent Simulation System in Virtual Environment) have made it easier to produce films on the scale of The Lord of the Rings. (3) Almost as soon as Jackson released The Fellowship of the Ring, gaming companies released high graphic video games based on the film. Posters, DVDs, music CDs, toys and such sold extensively. Even the New Zealand government, once it got on board The Lord of the Rings project, was determined to lever as much economic benefit as possible from its investment. (Margolis et al 10) For example, Air New Zealand painted various characters from the films on their planes and New Zealand Post issued both international and domestic stamps depicting places as they appeared in the films. (Margolis et al 10) Not only is The Lord of the Rings an entertainment marvel, it is also being taught as a subject in universities all around the world. I, for one, have selected The Lord of the Rings as my academic paper. There are endless books, articles, journals and online databases devoted to this topic. Given the bubbling global fan discourse and the pervasive conviction that Jackson has accomplished something magnificent and significant, it is not a surprise that much of The Lord of the Rings has become the subject of academic literary criticism. National Geographic has made an attempt to link The Lord of the Rings to American frontier mythology and to presidents like Franklin Delano Roosevelt. As Mathijs and Pomerance have noted, an academic discussion list for a selected group of cultural studies scholars consisted of all things gendered, ethnic, classed, religious, ideological and methodological in reading the trilogy. (3-4) As mentioned earlier, Tolkien wanted to associate his fantasy world with our own. For this purpose, it has led me to believe that those that write about The Lord of the Rings books and/or films attempt to make a connection between The Lord of the Rings and world events. In recent times links have also been made between The Lord of the Rings film texts and contemporary political concerns like totalitarianism, family, ecology, technology, patriarchy, and war and terror. (Mathijs and Pomerance 7) A quick browsing through of such articles/journals will lead you to see this link; a departure from a world based on craftsmanship, and an eco-friendly environment, to a world based on high technology procedures, industrial pollution, and new divisions of labour and corrupt governments. As Isaacs writes, Tolkiens popularity was not fostered by the mass media; it grew from appeals of his work itself and was simply reported in the media. His work did not involve any promotion, nor was there a critical bandwagon either. (1) The initial reviewers were full of praise but they also had a lot of contradictions and questions, specifically about genre. Over the years subsequent reviewers kept the praises coming and began answering some of the questions. I would think that answering some of the basic questions would help understand Tolkiens take on matters such as genre, influences, relationships, and the like. Humphrey Carpenter reveals that Tolkien regarded himself as a discoverer of legend and not as an inventor of story. (Nitzsche 1) Selling over a 100 million copies worldwide (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..) The Lord of the Rings volume is still strongly demanded in the market. However, some critics have been very vocal to dismiss this volume as balderdash, juvenile trash' (Shippey 307) and confidently stated that this is not a work which many adults will read more than once. Jackson too has had both positive and negative responses to his trilogy. Andrew OHehir says that, Tolkiens mournful, melancholic tone was captured with authoritative vigour in the films. He translated the best-loved fantasy novel of our age into a commanding screen adventure, one with a sense of human terror and danger and grit under its nails, one that makes Harry Potter and Luke Skywalker look like the feeble wraiths they are. (136) All of the above is a brief introduction to the different areas that I will be elaborating on, in context of The Lord of the Rings. I hope to be able to address and answer some questions that I have had regarding Middle-earth and its elements. Born on the 3rd of January, 1892 in Bloemfontein, South Africa, John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was the first child and the elder son of English parents Arthur Reuel Tolkien, a banker, and Mabel Suffield Tolkien. (Crabbe 3) Growing up sturdy and handsome, with light hair and blue eyes, Ronald (as he was then most popularly called) was always an avid reader who liked reading mostly tales and myths of American Indians and of fairy tales. For him, fantasies about dragons and ogres became more distinctive as he read. His mother introduced him to many of the great childrens books of the day like Alice in Wonderland, The Pied Piper and Treasure Island. (White 20) Under his mothers guidance he also developed a distinctive style of handwriting that stayed with him throughout his life, ultimately cultivating his talent in drawing. As Crabbe notes, his precise lettering and talent for drawing, especially landscapes, contributed to The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings when he began to illustrate his fictions. (5) In 1894, Tolkien had company as mother Mabel gave birth to a baby boy they named Hilary Arthur Reuel Tolkien. By the time Hilary was three the brothers were playing in the fields that surrounded the house, going on long adventurous walks. Without a father figure the only male company they had was each other, and not surprisingly became exceptionally close to their mother. The three Tolkiens thus shared an unusually strong bond. It is noted that the boys fantasized that a local farmer was an evil wizard who wanted to turn this peaceful English countryside into a theme park where evil wizards such as himself struggled for control of the land. The Tolkien brothers would wander into the local woods which they called strange lands to protect the innocent against the bad. (White 19) By the age of four, Tolkien entered a new phase in life. This was caused due to the family shifting homes from Bloemfontein to Birmingham, England, one of the British Empires powerhouses of the time. The wilderness and the distant horizon were replaced by an industrial jungle, terraced houses, concrete backyards and smoke of the local factories. (White 18) Tolkien was brought up mostly in a quiet English village called Sarehole. This friendly, old fashioned and pleasant pastoral village with rural inhabitants helped shaped Tolkiens vision of the Shire and its inhabitants. One of the most tragic events in Tolkiens childhood was the death of his mother, in the fall of 1904, before he was twelve. He never forgave his relatives for sending his mother to an early grave and was convinced that their rejection of his mothers conversion to the Catholic Church worsened her illness. He was sure that she died young because of this mental pain. Nonetheless, he cherished her memory and never forgot that she had introduced him to his Roman Catholic religious faith and to the study of languages, both of which, in very different ways sustained him all his life. (Stanton 3) There is a hidden message that I believe Tolkien was trying to address in The Lord of the Rings. In The Fellowship of the Ring, we read that the fellowship begins its mission on 25 December. By the third part of the volume we gather that the day Frodo succeeds in destroying the ring is 25 March. According to old English tradition we know that 25 December was the date when Jesus Christ was born, and 25 March was the date of the first Good Friday (Christs crucifixion). Tolkien maintains that there is no specific Christianity in his fiction writings but one can sense that the Christian spirit is everywhere. One of Tolkiens friend said that Tolkien was a very strict Roman Catholic, old fashioned and orthodox. As White writes, He habitually referred to Christ as Our Lord and possessed an unshakable conviction in the power of prayer, believing that he had been given stories after praying and that prayers had cured members of his family when they were ill. (208) Along with religion, his study of ancient languages made him appreciate the concept of myth and culture. With this realization, he could now start to build his own mythology to describe a fictional couture, an entire fictional universe, the roots of which lay in the languages of the different people of his fantasy realm. A further incentive to the creation of Middle-earth and its myths was given by the experience of war. During his lifetime, Tolkien witnessed the two greatest wars. For Tolkien being young, brilliant, and studying languages and books seemed like paradise, but this was shattered by the outbreak of war. He was still an Oxford undergraduate when war was declared against Germany. In 1916, during World War I, Tolkien served as a signalling officer in the battle of the Somme. (Rosebury 125-6) Life on the Somme was an endless struggle of day break attacks, night marches and death by German machine guns. Corpses lay everywhere, stinking, mutilated or disfigured, with parts completely blown away. As Crabbe states, World War I came to symbolize the difference between the old ways and the modern, between the innocent and the ironic, between youthful hope and vigor and exhausted acceptance. (15) However it was not war alone that educated Tolkien, for he had learnt at his mothers death that the world can be tragic. Tolkien writes in the Foreward section of The Lord of the Rings, One has indeed personally to come under the shadow of war to feel fully its oppressionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.By 1918 all but one of my close friends were dead. (7) Tolkiens generation had to pay a terrible cost during World War I, and maybe it is for this reason that The Lord of the Rings is somewhat of an anti-war story, among the many other kind of story it is. He agrees that war was an essential part of the plot but it did not hold any allegorical significance or contemporary political reference whatsoever. It is necessary to avoid, as Stanton suggests, allegorical readings of The Lord of the Rings: Mordor is not Nazi Germany, Tom Bombadils little province is not Switzerland, and so on. (5) In 1945, Tolkien described World War II as the first War of the Machines, noting that it left everyone poorer, many maimed and millions dead, where only one thing triumphant: the Machines. On the other hand, he described World War I as a war of manpower against machines where the old world was fighting against the new. (Garth 190-1) Many writers have described Tolkien as having a strong anti-modernist attitude. His son, Christopher Tolkien mentioned that, He disliked the modern world,'. (White 208) It is important to keep in mind that Tolkien was a grown man before the onset of World War I. His thoughts and ideas were products, to some extent of late Victorian culture. They were formed in an age which was more innocent than ours, and certainly more hopeful. As quoted in Hobbits, Elves, and Wizards: Exploring the Wonders and Worlds of J. R. R. Tolkiens The Lord of the Rings Tolkien emphasizes that I was born in 1892 and livedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.in the Shire in a pre-mechanical age. (Stanton 4) As the First World War ended and life gained normalcy, Tolkien and wife Edith Bratt were parents of a son they named John, and Tolkien secured his first civilian job as a junior editor on the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) project in 1919. A couple of years later in 1921 Tolkien accepted a position as Reader of English Language at the University of Leeds. (Crabbe 16) Soon again in 1925 Tolkien returned to Oxford, and the year that followed introduced him to another medievalist, C.S. Lewis, most famously known for writing The Chronicles of Narnia, who almost immediately became an important source of friendship, stability, and intellectual and creative stimulus for Tolkien. (Crabbe 19) Tolkien and Lewis were good friends for many years, even though they grew apart in the later years of Lewiss life. Tolkien always credited Lewiss faith in the worth of The Lord of the Rings, and he maintained that it was due to his insistence that Tolkien eventually completed the work. As fellow members of the Inklings they met weekly at a pub to drink beer, and read and criticize, among other things, one anothers unpublished works. It was these friendly, supportive gatherings that Tolkien absorbed the outlines of social organizations that comprised his sense of good in his fantasies. Throughout Tolkiens life, he was drawn into clubs: groups of men who had similar interests and talents. The all-male society of King Edward School provided Tolkien the first clubby and likeable fellowships that became an important aspect in Tolkiens life and in his fictions. However, of all the clubs to which Tolkien ever belonged, the Tea Club and Barrovian Society (TCBS) was the most important in terms of the effect on his literary imagination. (Crabbe 10) Tolkien and Lewis had a lot of common conceptions and a few differences in opinion. Both agreed that Christianity was important, though one was Anglican and the other Catholic. They agreed that myth was important, though one called it myth and other called it faery. They agreed that literary study was important, though one was literature and the other was language. They regarded news as something fit to be ignored, arguing that the only truth can be found in literature. Here, I would like to particularly honour Tolkiens form of story-telling because of his own profound faith in story as a vehicle of truth. Purtill notes that one cannot be certain about whether Tolkien would attempt to picture a life after death in fiction, but he expressed a strong dislike for Lewiss book, Letters to Malcolm, in which Lewis presents some nonfictional speculations on life after death. (133) Also, in Tolkiens work we have pure fantasy, where magic works directly by wizards and the likes, and not by means of spirits. In Lewiss fantasy however, we have a fully animistic view, where he creates disembodied spirits with some characteristics of angels and some of Neoplatonic Intelligences. (Purtill 107) Many people have made opinions or guesses concerning the meaning and motives of The Lord of the Rings. To this, Tolkien informs us that the prime motive was the desire of a story-teller to try his hand at a lengthy story that would hold the readers attention, amuse them, delight them, excite them or deeply move them. He says that he does not have any intention to put forward any inner meaning or message through the tale. In a biographical sketch of Tolkien, White notes that in order for Tolkien to create Middle-earth and its legend he needed more than language excellence. One, he needed the sort of imagination that could mould languages and transport characters through the fictional realm he created. Two, he needed to be constant with his writing, and three, he needed a reason to do it. (81) Tolkien wanted to create a sort of mythology for England since there had not been any previous mythical tale attached to the land. He was a patriot and he felt that producing and epic was not only something he could do but something he was trained to do. Tolkien identified two types of readers: the fidelis, the self-identified Christian believer, and the fainthearted which could be easily misinterpreted as the weak and timid reader. He wanted to target the latter type of reader, which he considered not as weak, but as that type of reader who has no theistic faith, or has lost what faith he or she had. Tolkien wanted to reach this group by the sheer power and grandeur of the story. (Rutledge 3) Tolkiens view of poetry was formed by his extensive knowledge of Old English literature, Latin and Greek poetry, Old Norse sagas. He wanted to adapt his medieval muse to the Victorian manner but could not find a contemporary model that sounded extravagant enough for his purposes. Therefore, The Lord of the Rings evolved as a result of his inability to adjust to the radical renewal of poetic tradition in the twentieth century. (Giddings 140) Readers approach The Lord of the Rings from different directions. Some value it as a treasure chest of imaginative languages, while others see it in terms of myth; some view it as a muted religious statement, and others view it as a modern-day version of heroic fantasy. I found that the story drew me in instantly, and I spent many hours in Middle-earth, and like I mentioned earlier, I have been back many times since. Although Tolkien has voiced his opinion on allegory saying I cordially dislike allegory in all its manifestations, and always have done since I grew old and wary enough to detect its presence (as qtd. in Shippey 161), he has in fact regarded allegory as a legitimate critical tool, a means to clarify critical stands, throughout his career. Helms uses the 1936 Beowulf lecture to explain how Tolkien attempted allegory to illustrate what he is about as critic. (109) In fact, Tolkien turned to allegory to make what deeply important personal statements about the genre were for him of fantasy. Of all the characters in The Lord of the Rings, Harvey writes that hobbits represented the archetypal pre-Industrial Revolution Englishmen with simple needs, goals, and a basic approach to life. (114) Tolkien has reacted against the idea that The Lord of the Rings is an allegory, and it is not. That is why Tolkien dismissed those who viewed this saga as an allegory of World War II. Firstly, he points out that he started work on it long before the doom of 1939 had yet come upon the world. Secondly, the relevancy of equals signs were missing. Shippey suggests that one could say that the Ring = nuclear weapons, the coalition of Rohan, Gondor and the Shire (etc.) = the Allied powers, Mordor = the Axis powers, all of which has some general plausibility. (163) Here, he goes on to question what the destruction of the Ring and the refusal to use it equal. Tolkien says that many confuse applicability with allegory, but one resides in the freedom of the reader and the other in the proposed domination of the author. (Tolkien 7) We can then see that when he thinks of allegory, he is thinking of philosophy or fiction clad as a story, in which each person and/or event stands for a specific idea/fact of the real world. It must be noted here that if used in their proper place, either advancing an argument or else constructing brief and personal fables, Tolkien accepted them readily. At the age of eighty one, after a long and productive career spent largely in literary study, writing and teaching, Tolkien died on September 2, 1973 in the English town of Bournemouth. (Stanton 3)

Joan Of Arc Essay -- Biography Biographies Maid of Orleans Essays

Joan of Arc Joan of Arc, first known as Jeanne d'Arc, was born in the village of Domremy, in the Champagne district of northeastern France. She was born on January 6, 1412 and died May 30,1431 at the age of 19. Joan is a French national heroin and a saint of the Roman Catholic Church. She rescued France from defeat during the "Hundred Years War" against England. In honor of her victory she is often called the Maid of Orleans. This is a story of her life. Joan was not a well-educated woman. She had never learned to read or write but was skilled in sewing and spinning. Her deeply religious mother and father, Isabelle and Jacques d'Arc raised her. Joan's father was a small peasant farmer, poor but not needy. Joan was the youngest of a family of five. She grew up herding cattle and sheep and helping in the fields during the harvest. Joan often referred to herself as Jeanne la Pucelle (Joan the Maid.) Joan, like most other children, spent much time praying to the statues of saints that stood around the church in her village. At the age of 13 in the summer of 1425, she began having religious visions and hearing what she believed were voices of saints. They started occuring once a week and as she got older they happened daily. She said the voices told her to always behave, obey her parents, pray, etc. She claimed they were the voices of St. Michael, St. Catherine, and St. Margaret. She was said to be a Clair Voyant, a person who has knowledge of events happening far away or in the futures without using any of the five senses. The visions and voices never left her. Finally, four years later she was convinced that God had chosen her to help King Charles VII clear the English from French land. Joan set out to Vancoulers to ask the military commander Robert Baudricourt, for an escort to visit the king. The commander did not take her seriously at first and laughed. Eventually he gave her what she wanted. At the age of 17 in 1429 Joan left to fulfill her first mission or triumph. King Charles VII had been king for 7 years prior. His main enemies were the English and the Burgundians, who supported the English. Both parties controlled Paris and the northern part of France. His enemies did not accept the King. Charles had never been crowned because where kings were crowned was in enemy territory. Meanwhile the military situation of King Cha... ...sisted that her visions and voices came from God. Charles, whom Joan had helped crown, sent no one to rescue her. Months later Joan was sentenced to death by a French Clergy. She was burned at the stake before a large crowd in a marketplace of Rouen, France on May 30, 1431. Her courageous death had caused many to believe they had witnessed the martyrdom of a Saint. Martyrdom is the extreme suffering of a person because of heretics, or strong opinions. Joan did not receive a Christian Burial. Instead her ashes were thrown into the Seine River. In 1455 her family called for a new trial. In 1456, a mere 25 years later, Pope Calixtus III declared that Joan was innocent in the end. Almost 500 years later in 1909 Pope Pius X beatified her, or proclaimed her to exalt above all others. Which is a step towards canonization, or sainthood in the Roman Catholic Church. In 1920, almost 500 years after her death, the Catholic Church canonized Joan, or declared her to be a saint. Her feast day is celebrated the day of her death, May 30. Today many authors write about Joan of Arc. Patriots, people studying the super natural, supporters of women's rights, and many more admire her.

Weakness in Molieres Tartuffe :: Tartuffe Essays

Weakness in Tartuffe      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The play "Tartuffe", by Moliere, is a work that was created to show people a flaw in their human nature. There are two characters who portray the main flaw presented in the play. Both Madame Pernelle and Orgon are blinded to the farces of Tartuffe and must be coaxed into believing the truth. The fact that Orgon and Madame Pernelle are too weak to see the truth is an important theme of the play. The most obvious weakness shared between Orgon and Madame Pernelle is gullibility. The trait of gullibility can be seen as a family trait as suggested in an essay on "Tartuffe" : "His mother shares his capacity for self-delusion even after Tartuffe has been found out ("We cannot always judge by what we see")" (Weals). Orgon believes because Tartuffe claims to be a man of God he should put everything he has into Tartuffe's hands. He proves how much he believes this after Damis tells him that Tartuffe was flirting with Elmire. From this accusation Orgon replies to Damis: "I disinherit you; an empty purse / Is all you'll get from me - except my curse!" (III, vii , 68). Madame Pernelle shows the family trait that she shares with her son when she states: "He's a fine man, and should be listened to."(I, i ,44), while speaking of Tartuffe. Although they share this trait throughout the play, Orgon's eyes are finally opened at the end of the play while his mother is still held by the farce of Tartuffe. Although Tartuffe is portrayed as the main character of the play, Orgon is the character who should really be paid attention to the most. As suggested in an essay on "Tartuffe" audiences who concentrate on the character who titles the work may miss the author's point: "...vitriol and spleen vented on one man suggests that Moliere's satire of Orgon, nevermind Tartuffe, was steeped in truth." (Smaje). Orgon is the character who represents the weakness in human nature. This weakness is shown throughout the play. Orgon is so willing to entrust everything he has into the care of Tartuffe. He places Tartuffe above the well being of his family. When he returns from his trip and asks Cleante how the household was while he was gone, Cleante tells him that his wife had been very sick. Orgon's odd response is, "Ah. Weakness in Moliere's Tartuffe :: Tartuffe Essays Weakness in Tartuffe      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The play "Tartuffe", by Moliere, is a work that was created to show people a flaw in their human nature. There are two characters who portray the main flaw presented in the play. Both Madame Pernelle and Orgon are blinded to the farces of Tartuffe and must be coaxed into believing the truth. The fact that Orgon and Madame Pernelle are too weak to see the truth is an important theme of the play. The most obvious weakness shared between Orgon and Madame Pernelle is gullibility. The trait of gullibility can be seen as a family trait as suggested in an essay on "Tartuffe" : "His mother shares his capacity for self-delusion even after Tartuffe has been found out ("We cannot always judge by what we see")" (Weals). Orgon believes because Tartuffe claims to be a man of God he should put everything he has into Tartuffe's hands. He proves how much he believes this after Damis tells him that Tartuffe was flirting with Elmire. From this accusation Orgon replies to Damis: "I disinherit you; an empty purse / Is all you'll get from me - except my curse!" (III, vii , 68). Madame Pernelle shows the family trait that she shares with her son when she states: "He's a fine man, and should be listened to."(I, i ,44), while speaking of Tartuffe. Although they share this trait throughout the play, Orgon's eyes are finally opened at the end of the play while his mother is still held by the farce of Tartuffe. Although Tartuffe is portrayed as the main character of the play, Orgon is the character who should really be paid attention to the most. As suggested in an essay on "Tartuffe" audiences who concentrate on the character who titles the work may miss the author's point: "...vitriol and spleen vented on one man suggests that Moliere's satire of Orgon, nevermind Tartuffe, was steeped in truth." (Smaje). Orgon is the character who represents the weakness in human nature. This weakness is shown throughout the play. Orgon is so willing to entrust everything he has into the care of Tartuffe. He places Tartuffe above the well being of his family. When he returns from his trip and asks Cleante how the household was while he was gone, Cleante tells him that his wife had been very sick. Orgon's odd response is, "Ah.