The short story Two Kinds Essay Example for Free

The short story Two Kinds Essay Analysis: The short story, Two Kinds,ï ¿ ½ displays the relationship between a Chinese mother and a disobedient Americanized daughter. Jing-mei, a second-generation Chinese daughter, deals with her own internal conflict as well as an external conflict with her mother. The internal effort to find her true self is a lesson Jing-mei will have to discover, as she gets older. Being born of Chinese heritage, Jing-mei struggles with the burden of failing to meet her mothers expectations. She was never sure what she wanted to become. Throughout the story, Amy Tan represents the theme that parents cannot control their children, but can only guide them. Amy Tans Two Kinds first two paragraphs provides information about the mother’s beliefs. There are at least two things: (1) the voice of a narrator who does not quite share her mother’s opinion, and (2) a comic tone. When someone says, â€Å"My mother believed,† there is sure to be some difference between the speaker and the reported belief. The belief is further distanced by the fivefold repetition of â€Å"You could.† The comedy—perhaps better characterized as mild humor—is evident in the naivete or simplicity of ambitions: open a business, work for a company, retire, buy a house, become famous. Many people may feel superior (as the daughter herself does) to this mother, who apparently thinks that in America money and fame and even genius are readily available to all who apply themselves—but many people may also wish that their mother was as enthusiastic. The second paragraph adds a sort of comic topper. After all, when the mother says, in the first paragraph, â€Å"you could be anything you wanted to be in America,† the ambitions that she specifies are not impossible, but when in the second paragraph she says, â€Å"you can be prodigy too,† and â€Å"you can be best anything,† we realize that we are listening to an obsessed parent, a woman ferociously possessive of her daughter. Obsessions, of course, can be the stuff of tragedy—Macbeth, Brutus, and so forth—but obsessions are also the stuff of comedy. The third paragraph, with its references to the terrible losses in China, darkens the tone, but the fourth restores the comedy, with its vision of â€Å"a Chinese Shirley Temple.†Ã‚  The fifth paragraph is perhaps the most obviously funny so far. When Shirley Temple cries, the narrator’s mother says to her daughter: â€Å"You already know how. Don’t need talent for crying!† People—accustomed to thinking that everything in a textbook is deadly serious—easily miss the humor. They will definitely grasp the absurdity of the thought that â€Å"Nairobi† might be one way of pronouncing Helsinki, but they may miss the delightful comedy of Auntie Lindo pretending that Waverly’s abundant chess trophies are a nuisance (â€Å"all day I have no time to do nothing but dust off her winnings†), and even a deaf piano teacher may not strike them as comic. The story is comic (for example, in the mother’s single-mindedness, and in the daughter’s absurd hope that the recital may be going all right, even though she is hitting all the wrong notes) but is also serious (the conflict between the mother and the daughter, the mother’s passionate love, the daughter’s rebelliousness, and the daughter’s later recognition that her mother loved her deeply). It is serious, too, in the way it shows us (especially in the passage about the â€Å"old Chinese silk dresses†) the narrator’s deepening perception of her Chinese heritage. Humor and seriousness can be found in all types of family situations between parents and children.

Microsoft Canada Executive Summary Essay examples -- Business Manageme

Microsoft Canada Executive Summary Microsoft Canada is preparing its marketing plan for the Xbox over the coming year. The Xbox was launched the previous year and positioned as the complete home entertainment solution combining video gaming, the Internet and DVD playback. The Xbox is the most robust gaming console on the market, but faces stiff competition in its product category. The Sony Playstation 2 is the market leader with over 50% of the console market. Microsoft also faces competition from Nintendo and their GameCube. Microsoft’s goal is to become the market leader in the category by dethroning Sony. In order to accomplish this goal Microsoft Canada must develop its marketing plan for 2002. Specifically, Microsoft must decide which target market to focus their efforts on. Specifically, they need to decide whether or not to continue focussing their attention on the male 16-24 year old â€Å"heavy gamer† which is also the target segment of Sony. Or, do they shift their focus to the lighter user and try to develop a niche strategy. The backdrop of the targeting decision is how to position the Xbox. Microsoft could choose to position the system simply as the most powerful gaming console available, or they could also choose to focus on the complete functionality of the product including online gaming and DVD playback. Considering the various opportunities and challenges, Microsoft should continue to focus its campaign on the heavy male user since this demographic are typically the trendsetters when it comes to the industry and are best equipped to appreciate the gaming advantages of the system. By targeting this segment while focussing marketing efforts on the superior technology of the product along with the online gaming functionality, Microsoft should be able to differentiate itself from the Playstation by offering gamers a more technologically advanced gaming system with an online gaming feature not available from Sony. Problem Statement Microsoft is faced with a key decision on how to market the Xbox product in the second year of its launch in Canada. Specifically, Microsoft needs to determine how to position the Xbox and which market segment they should target. The goal is to gain market share versus their competitors and most specifically Sony. Once positioning and target market are determined, Microsoft Canada must then decide ... ... The backdrop of all the marketing efforts must be the positioning of Xbox as the most robust gaming system along with the online gaming functionality. Advertisements showing males of the target age playing online from different locations with each would be a key message. In store demos at the various retailers, especially over the holidays should be a priority. Since purchase after trial is highest, this needs to be a core tenet of the marketing plan. The holiday season, as mentioned, is key. So during September to December, advertising spending and frequency in all aspects should be at its highest level. Double the advertisements at the very least should be considered. Furthermore, continued bundling with other retailers is another key strategy. Microsoft could also consider bundling services closer to the holiday season such as free membership to the Xbox.ca â€Å"Gamers Zone† for a year with the purchase of an Xbox to drive sales, and further promote the online abilities of the system. The end result, if the campaign is successful is that consumers will see the key benefits/differentiators of the Xbox versus Playstation and will choose to purchase the superior product . Microsoft Canada Executive Summary Essay examples -- Business Manageme Microsoft Canada Executive Summary Microsoft Canada is preparing its marketing plan for the Xbox over the coming year. The Xbox was launched the previous year and positioned as the complete home entertainment solution combining video gaming, the Internet and DVD playback. The Xbox is the most robust gaming console on the market, but faces stiff competition in its product category. The Sony Playstation 2 is the market leader with over 50% of the console market. Microsoft also faces competition from Nintendo and their GameCube. Microsoft’s goal is to become the market leader in the category by dethroning Sony. In order to accomplish this goal Microsoft Canada must develop its marketing plan for 2002. Specifically, Microsoft must decide which target market to focus their efforts on. Specifically, they need to decide whether or not to continue focussing their attention on the male 16-24 year old â€Å"heavy gamer† which is also the target segment of Sony. Or, do they shift their focus to the lighter user and try to develop a niche strategy. The backdrop of the targeting decision is how to position the Xbox. Microsoft could choose to position the system simply as the most powerful gaming console available, or they could also choose to focus on the complete functionality of the product including online gaming and DVD playback. Considering the various opportunities and challenges, Microsoft should continue to focus its campaign on the heavy male user since this demographic are typically the trendsetters when it comes to the industry and are best equipped to appreciate the gaming advantages of the system. By targeting this segment while focussing marketing efforts on the superior technology of the product along with the online gaming functionality, Microsoft should be able to differentiate itself from the Playstation by offering gamers a more technologically advanced gaming system with an online gaming feature not available from Sony. Problem Statement Microsoft is faced with a key decision on how to market the Xbox product in the second year of its launch in Canada. Specifically, Microsoft needs to determine how to position the Xbox and which market segment they should target. The goal is to gain market share versus their competitors and most specifically Sony. Once positioning and target market are determined, Microsoft Canada must then decide ... ... The backdrop of all the marketing efforts must be the positioning of Xbox as the most robust gaming system along with the online gaming functionality. Advertisements showing males of the target age playing online from different locations with each would be a key message. In store demos at the various retailers, especially over the holidays should be a priority. Since purchase after trial is highest, this needs to be a core tenet of the marketing plan. The holiday season, as mentioned, is key. So during September to December, advertising spending and frequency in all aspects should be at its highest level. Double the advertisements at the very least should be considered. Furthermore, continued bundling with other retailers is another key strategy. Microsoft could also consider bundling services closer to the holiday season such as free membership to the Xbox.ca â€Å"Gamers Zone† for a year with the purchase of an Xbox to drive sales, and further promote the online abilities of the system. The end result, if the campaign is successful is that consumers will see the key benefits/differentiators of the Xbox versus Playstation and will choose to purchase the superior product .

Is Regeneration an Anti-war Novel? Essay

â€Å"Opposition gives definition† said Heraclitus in 6th century BC (Graham). If that was true, in 21st century people are given â€Å"definition† by the usage of the prefix â€Å"anti-â€Å". Therefore, an â€Å"anti-war† novel is one, which opposes any form of aggressive competition. Regeneration by Pat Barker is one of the plentiful novels inspired by the atrocious events of the First World War. Barker’s book does not focus on depicting combats and stratagems. On the contrary, it portrays in detail the mental and physical consequences of the war. Regeneration is an â€Å"anti-war† novel, which touches upon the appalling harm done by warfare and the following recovery process. Barker condemns war and her negative attitude is displayed by her complex, credible characters and hard emphasis on consequences. Description of both mental and physical war injuries tags every chapter of the novel, thus provoking the reader’s sympathy. Barker aims to create a picture of the real circumstances during that period. Both by imaginary and real characters she succeeds in creating the solemn and discouraging mood in Craiglockheart. The introduction of the patients of the hospital (Prior, Anderson, Burns and Campbell) arises sympathy in the reader. Each of them has his own misfortune caused by war, which would probably mark his life forever. They would never be able to continue their ordinary lives and would have to get used to new habits. The tragic fates of these patients make the reader indeed sympathetic. Barker uses the fates of her character to express in a hidden voice her negative attitude towards the war, thus provoking â€Å"anti-war† feelings in the reader. In addition, Barker uses other very interesting techniques to represent the awful effects of war on human psychology – representation of nightmares, dreams and hallucinations. For example, such a moment is the imaginary meeting, which Sassoon has with his friend Orme in Chapter 13 from part two. Sassoon wakes up â€Å"to find Orme standing immediately inside the door†, but then â€Å"he remembered that Orme was dead† (Barker 143). This episode represents another aspect of the war effect – grief for all the lost friends, relatives and comrades. In that particular episode, Barker also implies the idea that Orme’s visitation is a wake-up call from the dead, delivered by one of them and reminding silently of what Sassoon is delicately trying to forget. With its emotional shade the scene once again makes the reader sympathetic. As a whole, the description of the damage caused to patients, both mental and physical, makes the reader sympathetic. That sympathy in turn, promotes another attitude – â€Å"anti-war† attitude. In the novel not only physical and mental injuries are depicted, but also social ones. The social conditions are curved by war. Society puts restrictions on the individual. Any form of protest is forbidden and all those who dare object are condemned – â€Å"‘conchies’, cowards, shirkers, scrimshankers and degenerates† (Barker 4). The novel begins with Sassoon’s bold Declaration. As the plot unfolds, it becomes evident that his ideas are entirely justified but rejected. The government pronounces him mentally ill and silences him in a mental hospital. By censuring Sassoon’s protest, the country prevents another upcoming remonstrance. Also, expression of sexuality is confined in the society. At that time homosexuals would not be accepted in the army. When Sassoon implies his homosexuality during one of his sà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ances with Rivers, the doctor warns him. Even though Rivers really feels sympathy for Sassoon’s unfortunate situation in the prejudiced society, he tells him that he must face the reality he lives in. The doctor explains that society could become more accepting in the future, but it is not likely â€Å"that any movement towards greater tolerance would persist in wartime† (Barker 204). He implies that it is not possible for a single man to change the world and make it look from another angle. Rivers also states its time for Sassoon to grow up and start â€Å"living in the real world†, whether or not he agrees (Barker 205). The purpose of his words is to convince Sassoon that if he admits his sexuality this would worsen his present situation even more. Moreover, through Prior’s character another social restriction that is denounced – censorship. During wartime there is no privacy at all: â€Å"I censored it every week. We read all their letters†¦.† (Barker 131). Also, soldiers are never told if their letters have arrived. They are kept like prisoners on the front with their homes and loved ones far away. By depicting all of these social restrictions from the war time Barker maintains the â€Å"anti-war† mood throughout the novel. Furthermore, by the end of the novel Rivers’ convictions shift and he realizes how unjust the war is, how awful and long-lasting the consequences are, thus contributing to the peak of the reader’s anti-war certainty. The idea of unjust war is implied through River’s change. In the beginning his ultimate goal is to see all of his patients return to the front in good health, prepared to fight once again for their country. However, because of some events Rivers starts to question war’s justification and realizes that he sends his patients to an almost certain death. The culmination of his â€Å"anti-war† conviction is when he witnesses Burns’ dire condition: â€Å"Nothing justifies this. Nothing nothing nothing†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Barker 180). Furthermore, the doctor confirms his fears when he goes to observe Yealland’s methods. As he watches Callan’s treatment Rivers is horrified: â€Å"He couldn’t bare to go on watching. He looked down at the backs of his clasped hands†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Barker 232). After that episode Rivers considers the differences between himself and Yealland and for his horror realizes that they are the same. In Chapter 14 his thoughts are released: â€Å"Obviously he and Yealland were both in the business of controlling people. Each of them fitted young men back into role of warrior †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Barker 238). At that point Rivers understands that instead of curing his patients he actually breaks them down. Even though his methods are less severe than Yealland’s, the effect is the same. To a certain extent Rivers is violating his patients’ rights because of war. All of these examples portray how Barker gradually, but effectively builds the â€Å"anti-war† suggestion in Regeneration. Barker’s novel Regeneration is an â€Å"anti-war† book because it provides a unique possibility to the contemporary reader to dive into the depths of a war that had irrevocable effects on soldiers’ mentality. The author’s personal attitude is expressed by her characters’ behavior and destiny in the society. She aims to remind people of what effects the war had on previous generations and warn them, so that the same mistake does not occur. Will it?

Unraveling The Meaning Of `` Kill The Indian, Save The Man...

Unraveling the meaning of â€Å"Kill the Indian, Save the Man† There are so many different definitions of the word racism, but how does each peron define it? One individual, Richard Henry Pratt, clearly knew how to thoroughly define the word, â€Å"Segregating any class or race of people apart from the rest of the people kills the progress of the segregated people or makes their growth very slow† (Howard 2016). Unfortunately, we are still living in the repercussion of Pratt’s word. The United States’ history is full of examples that have led to the ethnocentric development of the country. One of the most remote examples of this ethnocentric belief is displayed with the construction of off-reservation boarding schools for Native Americans first started in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, by former general, Richard Henry Pratt. The purpose of the schools was to strip Native Americans of their cultural traditions and teach them the skills necessary to function in American Society. Pratt keyed this belief with the saying â€Å"Kill the Indian, save the man,† in order to justify his reasons to assimilate the Indians to the white culture. However, were the American Indians really forced to assimilate because society wanted to help them, or because they wanted America to be solely made of true Americans with American culture? How was the assimilation of the Indians satisfactory when it created cultural genocide? Having assimilated the Indian man did not save him, it merely replaced him. There is aShow MoreRelatedStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 Pagesthe Instructor’s Manual, TestGen, Instructor PowerPoints, and when available, Student PowerPoints and Student Data Files. PREFACE xxix CourseSmart eTextbooks Online Developed for students looking to save money on required or recommended textbooks, CourseSmart eTextbooks online save students money compared with the suggested list price of the print text. Students simply select their eText by title or author and purchase immediate access to the content for the duration of the course usingRead MoreMarketing Management 14th Edition Test Bank Kotler Test Bank173911 Words   |  696 Pagesneeds B) Demands; wants C) Needs; wants D) Needs; demands E) Demands; needs Answer: C Page Ref: 9-10 Objective: 3 Difficulty: Easy 24) When Frank buys his own house, he would like to have a home theater system and a jacuzzi. He plans to save enough money in the next three years so that he can fulfill his wish. Franks desire for the home theater and the jacuzzi is an example of a(n) ________. A) need B) want C) demand D) unstated need E) latent demand Answer: B Page Ref: 9-10