Thursday, October 31, 2019
Blood Pressure Woes and Which Electrolyte Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Blood Pressure Woes and Which Electrolyte - Essay Example Therefore, George tested positive for chronic renal failure. The red blood cells are abnormally low. Normal red blood cells (RBC) in men should be between 4.7 and 6.1 million cells/mcl. This sample had a low count of 3.8million cells/mcl which is below ordinary level. There is probability that some red blood cells have been discharged with the urine. Also, regular hemoglobin count in male is between13.8 to 17.2 gm/dL. The count of 11.0 gm/dl is lower than normal and could be as a result of excessive loss of water due to frequent urination. The usual Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR) in a human body is around 90ml/min but in Georgeââ¬â¢s case it was 45ml/min which is low. Protein which is supposed to be 80mg/dl per day is abnormally high (3g/24hr), which is a characteristic of high blood pressure. The operational nephrons in the body determine the level of filtration that takes place in the kidney hence influencing the level of GFR. Considering the level of GFR has dropped from a usual average of 90 to current 45ml/min, the percent of nephron decline is 45/90 of one hundred. This depicts a decline of 50% of the nephrons. At the end phase of kidney failure, the level of GFR goes down to 15 or extreme of zero ml/min. Also, the rate of urination declines to almost zero and all nephrons becomes nonfunctional hence the patient may have to undergo kidney transplant. George should manage sugar in the blood, and reduce level of blood pressure. For example, this can be achieved avoiding smoking and taking physical exercise regularly. This condition can be healed if George implements doctorââ¬â¢s advice and avoid taking food which is rich in cholesterol. Congestive heart failure is a condition where the rate of the heart beat is lower than usual. This condition may result to insufficient ââ¬Å"oxygen and nutrientsâ⬠in the body. Consequently, the kidney may react by withholding body fluid and salt resulting to clogging of
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
Discuss the various ways which Robert Swindells presents life in The streets of London Essay Example for Free
Discuss the various ways which Robert Swindells presents life in The streets of London Essay Im invisible see? One of the invisible people. Link, a young 16 year old boy from Bradford who is homeless, desperate to escape his Brutish stepfather feels that he has become an invisible outcast. Another quotation to support this is when Link says, They dont like reminding I exist. Link says this to show the reader that he is worthless uses this type of language to make the reader more aware of how difficult it is to live on the streets of London. Links character in the book also emphasises a feeling of coldness. An example of this is shown when link says, Also I kept seeing people I knew Neighbours. Guys Id even been at school with. I even saw one of my teachers once. And if you have ever been caught begging by someone who you knew before, you cant possibly know how low it makes you feel This also makes the reader think that Link has a very lo self esteem and is very depressed. Another quotation to support this is when Link says, I was one of them now poised at the top of that downward spiral. Kink says this making the reader understand how hard it is to be living on the streets. Shelter, the less predominant character in the novel, who is trying to rid the streets of homeless people uses subject specific Lexis to show the reader that he has a background in the army or has worked for the army. This is shown to the reader as Shelter always starts his chapters with, Daily routine orders. Link uses sarcasm to emphasise a point, for example, Good old Vince. After Describing Vince as a Brutish, evil stepfather who is a boozer and a bastard, Link says, Good old Vince. The author, Robert Swindells uses this to create an irony. At the beginning of page three Link mentions, Born March 20th 1977 to Mr Mrs X. Link says this to show the reader that he has forgotten the past and wants to get on with life. The main quotation to support and emphasise this is, Mr Mrs X. Another statement to support this is when Link says, I strode out of the station with my backpack and bedroll, and it felt like a new beginning. This also shows the reader that link was positive life would improve from what it was with Vince. Another quotation to support this is Nobody knows you. Where youre from and whats gone before. Thats youre business. One other quotation to support this is when Link chooses the name to give to Ginger he says, Link I said. Id seen it on this signpost earlier. Thames Link. Its a railway. Robert Swindells also uses various techniques to make living on the streets look very hard and scary. The reader is informed of this when Link says, Sad is what it is, Sad and scary. Youre leaving a place you know and heading into the unknown with nothing to protect you. This also informs the reader that this novel appears to be tragedy in many respects. Link feels very depressed after applying for many jobs in London and not getting any because he was homeless and was looking rough and scruffy, also looking like a tramp because of sleeping in the same clothes on the solid concrete floor. When Link started living on the streets of London he thought he was a hard boy who everyone would be terrified of after hitting an old bloke but his hopes were soon dashed after he was kicked out of his bedroom by the streetwise, tough person he wanted to be. An example of this is shown to us when Link mentions, this guy was what I was kidding myself Id become. Robert Swindells uses Shelters storyline as a very good way in which to present living on the streets of London. As Shelter goes around London looking for young and old people, whenever Shelter says, Hostel he always manages to get them to his house so that he can kill them. This shows the reader that homeless people are desperate for somewhere comfortable to sleep at. An example of this is when Shelter gets his first client, That got him hostelhe fell for it hook line and sinker. On page twenty-one Shelter also says, I am not a murderer at all Im a Soldier out of uniform, killing for his country. After killing a homeless person shelter mentions to the reader that he is not a murderer but a soldier killing for his country. This statement is not true as Shelter has murdered people who have done nothing to him and his country. Shelter thinks he is doing a good thing and is particularly careful about every step he takes. The author, Robert Swindells uses this to create an irony. As the reader gets deeper and deeper into the book, they start to grasp knowledge of Shelters storyline and start to know the feeling of how it is to be homeless and the different setbacks and failures it may have. The reader also learns not to stereotype homeless people.
Sunday, October 27, 2019
Lenovo Brand Strategy
Lenovo Brand Strategy Abstract Purpose This study aims to apply the reviewed literature of brand identity, brand strategy, and product positioning to analyze the lessons and improvements on how Lenovo, a No.1 PC manufacturer in China, implements brand integration as part of its global brand strategy to increase brand awareness and recognition. Approach This study introduces multiple methods to analyze the pros and cons of brand integration, and brand product positioning such as product segmentation and perceptual map as well as the companys revenue comparison. Findings Lenovos co-branding strategy in its first two phases of global brand strategy benefit its revenue growth dramatically but in limited level to its own brand awareness. And the global sales loss happened after Lenovo forgone co-branding with IBM brand on its ThinkPad/ ThinkCentre brand lines in its third phase of global branding strategy. Moreover, the unsatisfactory sales performance forced the company to trade-off the premium price of ThinkPad in attempt to cater to more consumers, gaining market share and revenue growth, but only result in the opposite situation due to the unclear repositioning of ThinkPad. Research limitations/implications The inaccessibility of the overall statistics on the sales of ThinkPad by Lenovo in overseas market over the past five years impacts the accuracy of the analysis result. Besides, the depth of the study is hindered due to the lack of Lenovos investment in branding and marketing promotions, as well as sales volume of its major competitors such as US, Europe, etc. Practical implications Leveraging a well-known ThinkPad brand can expedite Lenovos access to the cutting-edged technology and distribution channel setup, however, it will takes a long process to build and increase a strong brand of Lenovo globally. Apart from focus on quality and technology innovation, Lenovo should emphasize its value-added brand positioning, i.e. nurturing the brand in the dimensions of relationship, personality and culture. The separation of Lenovo and ThinkPad should be the best solution for the sake of maximizing each brand equity. Originality/Value This study is an attempt to discuss disconnection of distinctive brands like Lenovo and its sub-brands ideapad/ideacentre from ThinkPad / ThinkCentre to maximize each brand equity. Literature Review According to Arnold (1992), brand strategy is the process whereby the offer is positioned in the customers mind to produce a perception of advantage. And strategy implies the execution of the organizations vision, mission, and objectives. In another word, the essence of the brand needs to be reflected in everything the company does, especially those that impact the consumer. When making branding strategies, a company should first have an insight into their brand and brand equity. Brand equity is the differential effect that knowing the brand name has on customer response to the product or its marketing (Kotler, 2009). A successful brand has high brand equity and its image (B) can be thought of as the combination of three elements: a good product (P), a distinctive identity (D), and added values (AV), i.e. B=P*D*AV. Especially the brand preference depends on added values that give customers confidence that this product has qualities, status or associations not possessed by alternative choices (Doyle, 2008). It helps customers navigate the choice process by reducing risks and saving time of evaluation (Doyle, 2008). Brand management centres on creating perceived added value for the companys offer among customers, which can be achieved by shaping the brands identity. Brand Identity is everything the company wants is brand to be perceived by customer (Temporal, 2002). It has six dimensions, which is also called now as brand identity prism (Kapferer, 2007), namely , physical, reflection, relationship, personality, culture and relevance (Kapferer, 1997). The identity of strong brands reminds us that identity is not just a matter of functional attributes (Kapferer, 2007). With time, brand associations typically move up from tangible to intangible values -No brand should be without a strong intangible component became the top priority of 10 key principles of strategic brand management (Kapferer, 2007). Due to the increasing fierce competition and rapid imitation, the focus of keeping customers in marketing highlights the building lasting relationships on brand management, namely, classifying the different types of relationships consumers have with brands (Fournier, 1998), or the different types of interactions companies engage in with their clients (Rapp and Collins, 1994; Peppers and Rogers, 1993). Kapferer (2007) claims the establishment and recognition of brand identity is one of the key stages in the process of brand globalization. That is, the brand must have an identity that will serve as a medium for its globalisation, specifically for its brand positioning and brand strategy. Clearly, for existing brands, positioning derives from identity. But it exploits a specific, coherent and salient aspect of identity at a given point in time in a given market and against a precise set of competitors. At the level of global brands, the brand positioning emphasizing a unified identity should occupy a distinct place in the target markets mind (Kotler, 2000), ensure the distinctive position of the products of a company from its competitors offerings, maintain or increase market share by satisfying current or potential customers, and finally achieve higher revenue (Hassanien and Baum, 2002). Bingham and Raffield (1995) identified six positioning alternatives for firms: price, technology , product quality, distribution, image and service. Although repositioning is increasingly inevitable as the changing marketing environments that influence organisations (Trout and Rivkin, 1995; Kotler, 1997), any decisions companies need to make about repositioning will demand careful consideration of all of the brands attributes (Park et al., 2002). When brand managers decide brand strategy, the added-value lever on which a product is based should be taken into consideration as an important parameter in choosing different brand architectures. A single (corporate) brand umbrella or master brand strategy is often recommended when the added value in a particular market is linked to reputation and scale (Kapferer, 2007). However, the more segmented the market, with top-quality, personalised products, the more one has to favour either an endorsing brand strategy or a new portfolio of product brands. Besides, cost factors have to be considered. Doyle (2008) gave insightful explanation and said that the objective of adopting brand strategies is to increase long-run economic profits, which leads to an orientation to sharing brand names For companies in its initial phase of going global with limited resources, the simplified brand lines can reinforce each brands selling power and reduce marketing cost, provided that the company has complementary products. Another factor that can not be neglected in formulating brand strategy is the country background of a brand. COO (Country of Origin) refers to the impact that generalisations and perceptions about a country have on a persons evaluation of the countrys products and brands (Nebenzahl, Jaffe, and Lampert 1997; Lampert and Jaffe 1998; Dinnie 2004). COO helps or hampers the development of brand equity in the new market. Yet to some extent, acquired brands can produce a short-cut to overcome the negative effect of COO in brand globalization (Ying, 2008) and co-branding provides a buzz around the brand among opinion leaders to create an image (Kapferer, 2007) facilitating brand into global arena, but it is not a substitute or alternative for brand building in the long term. Co-branding can generate greater sales from the existing target market as well as open additional opportunities with new consumers and channels as it can increase cash flow through increased number of touch points betwee n brands (Srivastava et al., 1998). In addition, co-branding can reduce the cost of product introduction and help stage a brand into a new market by leveraging the existing brand with global awareness. This is reflected in the increasing number of cases of mergers and acquisition of such kind worldwide. Undeniably, it can boost the business of a company but does not necessarily mean the success of integrating brands (Swystun, 2001). It is difficult to change an established brand identity and a good fit between brands is essential to the successful marriage. For a company going global, a distinctive and consistent brand identity should be nurtured and matters most in distinguishing itself from other competitors despite of manufacturing the same high quality products. Clayton M. Christensen (2004) noted that most organizations can acquire resources, but it is the application of the process (how to solve problems) and values (past investments) that distinguish a company. And branding strategy is the process of such kind as one of the key factors which will ultimately determine a companys future success. About Lenovo and its internationalization and global brand strategy Founded in Beijing, China, Lenovo is No.1 PC manufacturer in China and the worlds fourth largest PC maker with its revenue in 2007-2008 reaching 16.4 billion US dollars and its market share in China stabilize at 29%-30%. In 2004, its acquisition of IBM PC business (Thinkpad brand) for 1.25 billion US dollars made the company the worlds No. 3 PC company after Dell and HP and signified the beginning of its steps into international market. Since then, Lenovo has established more than 200 branches in 66 countries (Lenovo official website: http://appserver.lenovo.com.cn/About/aboutus_overview.html, accessed Nov 23, 2009). Lenovos sports marketing, the Olympic marketing, and co-brand marketing strategy enhance the brand image and capture the market share. Its global branding strategy incorporates three phases. In the first phase focused on the continuity of the brand in overseas countries to strengthen the relationship between the Lenovo and Thinkpad; In the second phase to consolidate t he high-end business Thinkpad image. And in the third phase to accelerate Lenovo brand building (Gu, 2006). Methodology and descriptive analysis We can compare Lenovos branding strategy with its revenue over the past five years. Investment in the brand must come first to ensure revenue enhancement. (Jeff Swystun, 2001) From the comparison, the dramatic revenue growth in 2004-2006 seems to verify that the branding strategy of leveraging IBM brand and reinforcing ThinkPad benefit the corporate performance. Meanwhile, however, Lenovos global brand awareness got increased during the process? Since Lenovo had the right to use the IBM brand only for five years until 2010, the company decided to drop it two years ahead of schedule, such was its confidence in its own brand (http://www.economist.com, 2008). Despite of the right move, the result is the decrease in the corporate revenue: Lenovos sales volume was down by 5 percent in the third quarter 2008, sales revenue dropped by 20 percent, and market share declined from 7.5 percent to 7.3 percent (Ming, 2009), especially, the sales in America and Europe fell by 17% in the 3rd quarter compared with the same period last year due to the sluggish demand in those markets and notably, its domestic sale grew and accounted for 48% of its total sales(http://www.economist.com, 2009). Actually, the unsatisfactory result can be attributed in a sense to the abrupt brand shift from IBM ThinkPad to Lenovo ThinkPad. Whereas, the point is that it is not the inappropriate timing to forgo co-branding with IBM brand, but it is during the initial phase of implementing global branding strategies when Lenovo did not handle well the relations between leveraging IBM brand and, more importantly, enhancement of Lenovo brands identity and differentiated advantage in its new market outside Asia where the brand name was little known, especially in US and Europe, the focus of Lenovo business outside China. To gain an insight on the brands strategy, we can look at Lenovo brand architecture transition below for the major product lines and brand integration in the early 2008. After the brand integration, under the corporate umbrella brand of Lenovo, the streamlined product brands resulting in global marketing cost-effectiveness can be categorized into ideaPad and ideacentre sub-brands for consumers and ThinkPad sub-brand for consumers and commercial segment and ThinkCentre sub-brand for companies. Notably, there is a change in customer positioning for ThinkPad by serving companies only switching to companies primarily and consumers secondly served with individual models of ThinkPad products. This is to meet the increasing needs for consumer PC. Besides, ThinkPad is expanding its position from high-end only to both middle and high-end in light of Lenovos pricing system. And a question comes to arise: Is Lenovo ThinkPad is as good quality as IBM ThinkPad? Lenovos reaction to the sceptical v oices is the price cut of ThinkPad is to cater to those customers feeling pinch in the current situation. But the transition risk should be foreseen that the customers who know ThinkPad very well may not have that sense of advantage that the original brand identity confers, and eventually the transformation may harm the brand equity. Lets look at the brand positioning of Lenovo and its competitors. Over time, PCs has become ubiquitous and play a growing role in many important aspects of daily life. Consumers are therefore looking for more innovation (Quelch and Knoop, 2006) with appropriate pricing. Capping the product features of each company in terms of innovation and pricing, we can see that HP, Dell and Acer-the strong competitors of Lenovo in US and European market -are all positioned as economy brand whereas Lenovo as bargain brand positioned as overall high level of innovation and IBM as premium brand. Highly recognized by its customers, ThinkPad brand, with high innovation and high price of a differentiate advantage, best represent the culture of IBM brand. The branding strategy should first take into consideration the environment and customers (Doyle, 2008). Although Thinkpad brand has nothing to do with IBM after the acquisition, the customers perception of high level of innovation and pricing of Thinkp ad brand is deep-rooted, thus, it is not necessary and even harmful to its original image in its customers mind for any attempt to lower its pricing arrange. As for Lenovo brand, on one hand, competitive pricing is the core value that the company embraces to contest its key competitors internationally, and on the other hand, like many other Chinese company going global, it still take time for Lenovo to get away from Made in China image interpreted as manufacturing cheap products. Thus, the implementation of its bargaining pricing system in its another brand line ideapad and ideacentre can embody its differentiating advantages lower price but good quality and higher level of innovation and lower the entry barrier to the consumers in the new market(Doyle, 2008). Of course, this is what Lenovo is doing, promoting its idea brand line in US, Europe and other major overseas market (Lenovo official website: http://appserver.lenovo.com.cn/About/aboutus_overview.html, accessed Nov 23, 2009 ). It can be concluded that there is distinctively different brand identity between ThinkPad/ ThinkCentre and Lenovo and its sub-brands ideapad/ideacentre. Discussion on improvement In developing a global brand, Chinese companies could choose between a traditional and modern approach (Ewing, Napoli, and Pitt, 2001). And Lenovo has adopted the modern (although more risky) approach that accelerates internationalization via joint ventures and acquisition of foreign brands, enabling them to leapfrog to the advanced stage in the process. Product differentiation and brands management separation Lenovo should resume the high-end brand identity of ThinkPad targeting companies and high-end consumers to gain premium price and high margins. And this branding strategy can not waver surrendering to the current economic conditions. And for the medium and lower-end market, idea brand line can play its flexible role catering to different subdivision market. In addition, the ideapad/ideacentre identity should be enriched to increase its value-added specifically in its relationship and personality prospective to differentiate with other competitors brands. Apart from product pro motion, creating customers product experience should be the remedy to have them gain better knowledge of the new entry brands and enhance the recognition of Lenovo. Most important, ThinkPad/ThinkCentre brand should be separated from Lenovo and its sub-brands. The case of the separation of product brand Lexus and company brand Toyota means the success of the both brands even though few know Lexus brand is under Toyota.(Jean-Pierre and David, 2002) . Conclusion This study emphasizes on the analysis and discussion on the brand integration of Lenovo, idea brand line, and IBMs ThinkPad brand, which features an indispensible process of implementation of global brand strategy by Lenovo. The strategy of co-branding of Lenovo and IBM in ThinkPad products in the initial phase impelled the process of Lenovo brand into international arena. At the same time, however, Lenovo should have engaged in its own brand identity and equity, which will alleviate the loss arising from the disconnection of IBM and Lenovo. An effective positioning/repositioning brand strategy should highlight the consistent process of enhancing brand awareness. At this point, Lenovo took a either slower or inappropriate action which entail improvement and transformation. As for the established ThinkPad brand, the dimensions of its brand identity should be taken into full consideration otherwise any branding initiatives will damage its brand value through confusing or depriving the sense of status and pride from its customers. To avoid the collision of two distinctive brand identities ThinkPad and Lenovo with its sub-brands ideapad/ideacentre, disconnection is the best solution to maximize brand equity.
Friday, October 25, 2019
The Nature of Contracts in The Merchant of Venice Essays -- Merchant o
The Nature of Contracts in The Merchant of Venice à à à à à In Shakespeareââ¬â¢s play The Merchant of Venice there are two major contractââ¬â¢s made, a contract is any promise or set of promises made by one party to another for the breach of which the law provides a remedy. The promise or promises may be express (either written or oral) or may be implied from circumstances. The first contract in the play that I discovered is one between Portia and her father. Nerissa telling Portia : à à à à à ââ¬Å"Your father was ever virtuous; and holy men at their à à à à à death have good inspirations: therefore the lottery, à à à à à that he hath devised in these three chests of gold, à à à à à silver and lead, whereof who chooses his meaning à à à à à chooses you, will, no doubt, never be chosen by any à à à à à rightly but one who shall rightly love. But what à à à à à warmth is there in your affection towards any of à à à à à these princely suitors that are already come?â⬠à à à à à (Act i. scene i. 121-768) The nature of the contract between Portia and her father is as follows, Portiaââ¬â¢s father stateââ¬â¢s that all suitors must first select on of three caskets in order to marry her. The caskets are made of gold, silver, and base lead, all containing different messages. Only one of the three caske... The Nature of Contracts in The Merchant of Venice Essays -- Merchant o The Nature of Contracts in The Merchant of Venice à à à à à In Shakespeareââ¬â¢s play The Merchant of Venice there are two major contractââ¬â¢s made, a contract is any promise or set of promises made by one party to another for the breach of which the law provides a remedy. The promise or promises may be express (either written or oral) or may be implied from circumstances. The first contract in the play that I discovered is one between Portia and her father. Nerissa telling Portia : à à à à à ââ¬Å"Your father was ever virtuous; and holy men at their à à à à à death have good inspirations: therefore the lottery, à à à à à that he hath devised in these three chests of gold, à à à à à silver and lead, whereof who chooses his meaning à à à à à chooses you, will, no doubt, never be chosen by any à à à à à rightly but one who shall rightly love. But what à à à à à warmth is there in your affection towards any of à à à à à these princely suitors that are already come?â⬠à à à à à (Act i. scene i. 121-768) The nature of the contract between Portia and her father is as follows, Portiaââ¬â¢s father stateââ¬â¢s that all suitors must first select on of three caskets in order to marry her. The caskets are made of gold, silver, and base lead, all containing different messages. Only one of the three caske...
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Analysis of Charles Dickensââ¬â¢ â⬠Sketches by Boz Essay
ââ¬ËThe Streets-Morningââ¬â¢ by Charles Dickens is an extract taken from ââ¬ËSketches by Boz.ââ¬â¢ It is a descriptive piece and follows prominent features of the literary sketch technique, as it contains no prominent plot. The speaker narrates the ââ¬Å"appearance presented by the streets of London an hour before sunrise on a summerââ¬â¢s morning.â⬠The extract is in the first person narrative. This feature adds intensity and supports the use of details. First person narrative is generally considered unreliable due to lack of witnesses and external verification; however, the detached and objective narration by the speaker prompts readers to think otherwise ââ¬â ââ¬Å"now and then a rakish looking cat runs stealthilyâ⬠¦bounding first on the water-butt then on the dust holeâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ The sentence structures used support the use of detail and imagery. The speaker uses complex-compound sentences that are long with two or more sub-clauses. The use of these help create the atmosphere and heavy early morning slumber ââ¬â ââ¬Å"There is an air of cold, solitary desolation about the noiseless streets which we are accustomed to see thronged at other times by a busy, eager crowd, and over the quiet, closely shut buildingsâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ Through this narrative, readers are made aware of the close attention to detail the speaker employs. The mood of the extract is established through the sentence structure and setting. A relaxed and comfortably detached perspective is evident. In many ways it is similar to the morning itself, gently unfolding as the darkness fades. The narrative time and context is established through the subjects described in the setting. ââ¬Å"Coach-standsâ⬠lying deserted in the larger thoroughfares remind readers of the 19th century. This is supported by the fact that they are described as ââ¬Ëcoach standsââ¬â¢ and not bus stands. Imagery plays an essential role in a literary sketch and is seen widely in this extract. The speaker uses concrete and abstract imagery. The use of metaphors lends a sense of what the speaker is feeling or trying to describe to the reader. Such metaphors are: ââ¬Å"The days are swarming with life and bustleâ⬠the reference to honeybees shows a restlessness which was similarly used by John Keats in ââ¬ËOde to Autumnâ⬠ââ¬â And still more, later flowers for the bees, â⬠¨Until they think warm days will never cease.â⬠The bee metaphor is used to show activity that contrasts with the early morning street. The second metaphor is ââ¬â ââ¬Å"stillness of death is over the streets,â⬠perhaps the most foreboding of lines in the extract, this metaphor could serve as a possible foreshadowing for impending events. The street itself becomes an important motif. It represents a path that leads somewhere, however, readers could question whether this could be leading to activity or stagnation. This theory is supported with the images of the ââ¬Å"drunken, the dissipated, and the wretched.â⬠The policeman similarly, is also preoccupied with his ââ¬Å"deserted prospect.â⬠The description of the street is similarly presented in Tennessee Williamsââ¬â¢ ââ¬ËA Streetcar Named Desireâ⬠ââ¬â ââ¬Å"The houses mostly white frame, weathered grey with rickety outside stairs and galleries and quaintly ornamented gables to the entrances of both. It is the first dark of an evening in early May.â⬠The houses become symbols of who their inhabitants are in the extract. They give readers insights to where they live, how they live and who they are. The ââ¬Å"quiet, closely-shut buildingsâ⬠are perhaps the only privacy the residents have. The speaker brings in social context through this description and the tone shifts to one of fragmentation and futility with the description of ââ¬â ââ¬Å"The last houseless vagrant whom penury and police have left in the streets, has coiled up his chilly limbs in some paved corner, to dream of food and warmth.â⬠The social context and strata becomes ironic when the last drunken man is home before sunlight, while the ââ¬Å"orderlyâ⬠part of the population are still asleep.â⬠The opening lines of T.S. Eliotââ¬â¢s ââ¬ËPreludesââ¬â¢ also refers to an early morning scene similar to the one in the extract, using personification ââ¬â ââ¬Å"The morning comes to consciousness Of faint stale smells of beer From the sawdust-trampled street With all its muddy feet that press To early coffee-stands.â⬠Human qualities are given to the cat who is ââ¬â ââ¬Å"rakish looking.â⬠The character of whose develops as the speaker gives him gender and infers that ââ¬Å"his character depended on his gallantry.â⬠The use of personification adds further detail to the narrative with ââ¬â ââ¬Å"A partially opened bedroom-window here and there, bespeaks the heat of the weather, and the uneasy slumbers of its occupant.â⬠The extract uses language in distinct and deliberate ways to shape meaning. The vocabulary used helps infer that the speaker is mature; this is seen with use of words such as ââ¬Å"penury,â⬠ââ¬Å"profligateâ⬠and ââ¬Å"dissipated.â⬠A sentence of importance in shaping such meaning is ââ¬â ââ¬Å"The drunken, the dissipated and the wretched have disappeared.â⬠The trochaic features at the end of each word, helps to reveal the distant and condescending manner in which the speaker is viewing these people. The order in which these words are presented form a climatic effect. Also seen is the use of the adverb ââ¬Å"thenâ⬠in describing the catââ¬â¢s actions, which gives dramatic effect ââ¬â ââ¬Å"Bounding first on the water-butt, then on the dust-hole, and then alighting on the flag-stones.â⬠The use of inversion by the speaker helps readers to concentrate on certain parts of the narrative. This is done in deliberation to gain readersââ¬â¢ attention, particularly in ââ¬â ââ¬Å"An occasional policeman may alone be seen at the street corners,â⬠as opposed to the conventional ââ¬Ëmay be seen alone.ââ¬â¢ Such emphasis is also used in ââ¬â ââ¬Å"cold, solitary desolation.â⬠The speaker employs onomatopoeia to describe a drunken manââ¬â¢s inebriation with ââ¬â ââ¬Å"roaring out the burden of the drinking song of the previous night.â⬠The speaker has a noted tone of detached indifference. This mood could be due to the futility of the modern age and monotony of these peoples lives in the eyes of a keen observer. The historical, social context comes back to the forefront and the void between the country and the urban life is seen. This effect of the 19th century and industrial revolution is addressed in ââ¬â ââ¬Å"The few whose unfortunate pursuits of pleasure, or scarcely less unfortunate pursuits of business cause them to be less acquainted with the scene.â⬠Grammar and punctuation support meaning. The use of dashes shows a flow of thought or in the case of describing the cat, shows action and continuity. The use of the color grey in the ââ¬Å"somber light of daybreakâ⬠supports the mood and futile atmosphere, seen also in Oââ¬â¢ Henryââ¬â¢s ââ¬ËGift of the Magiââ¬â¢ ââ¬â ââ¬Å"Della finished her cry and attended to her cheeks with the powder rag. She stood by the window and looked out dully at a gray cat walking a gray fence in a gray backyard.â⬠The extract concludes with a reference to the figures in the early morning streets as ââ¬Å"exceptionsâ⬠other than which the ââ¬Å"streets presents no signs of life, nor the houses of habitation.ââ¬
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Why the Model T Is Called the Tin Lizzie
Why the Model T Is Called the Tin Lizzie Despite its initial humble appearance,à the Model T became the most influential car of the 20th century. Priced so that the average American could afford it, the Model T was sold from 1908 until 1927. Many also may know Henry Fords Model T by its nickname, the Tin Lizzie, but you may not know why the Model T is called the Tin Lizzie and how it got its nickname. A 1922 Car Race In the early 1900s, car dealers would try to create publicity for their new automobiles by hosting car races. In 1922à a championship race was held in Pikes Peak, Colorado. Entered as one of the contestants was Noel Bullock and his Model T, named Old Liz. Since Old Liz looked the worse for wear, as it was unpainted and lacked a hood, many spectators compared Old Liz to a tin can. By the start of the race, the car had the new nickname of Tin Lizzie. But to everyones surprise, Tin Lizzie won the race. Having beaten even the most expensive other cars available at the time, Tin Lizzie proved both the durability and speed of the Model T. Tin Lizzies surprise win was reported in newspapers across the country, leading to the use of the nickname Tin Lizzie for all Model T cars. The car also had a couple of other nicknames- Leaping Lena and flivver- but it was the Tin Lizzie moniker that stuck. Rise to Fame Henry Fords Model T cars opened up the roads for the American middle class. The car was affordable because of Fords simple but ingenious use of the assembly line, which increased productivity. Because of this increase in productivity, the price dropped from $850 in 1908 to less than $300 in 1925. The Model T was named the most influential car of the 20th century as it became a symbol of Americas modernization. Ford built 15 million Model T cars between 1918 and 1927, representingà as much as 40 percent of all car sales in the United States, depending on the year. Black is the color associated with the Tin Lizzie- and that was the only color available from 1913 to 1925- but initially, black was not available. Early buyers had a choice of gray, blue, green, or red. The Model T was available in three styles; all mounted on a 100-inch-wheelbase chassis: The five-seat touring carThe two-seat runaboutThe seven-seat town carà Modern Usage Tin Lizzie is still most associated with the Model T, but theà term is used colloquiallyà today to describe a small, cheap car that looks like it is in a beat-up condition. But keep in mind that looks can be deceiving.à To go the way of the Tin Lizzie is a phrase that refers to something outdated that has been replaced by a newer and better product, or even a belief or behavior.
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