Tuesday, October 15, 2019
Coca-Cola Company Financial Results Analysis Essay Example for Free
Coca-Cola Company Financial Results Analysis Essay This paper will attempt to discuss the North American market for The Coca-Cola Company in the impact to volume growth or declines for the period, discuss the drivers of profitability during the quarter at The Coca-Cola Company and the likely long-term impact of these drives on profits, discuss the EPS results for the quarter in comparison to historic results and long-term growth targets, and discuss the emerging markets for The Coca-Cola Company and the likely future impact on earnings per share. Coca-Cola Company Financial Results Analysis Discuss the North American market for The Coca-Cola Company in the impact to volume growth or declines for the period The North American market for The Coca-Cola Company is growing positively. Increasing mobility of the company and continuing a positive image for emerging new middle class clients is fueling Coca-Cola into claiming the title of number one beverage producer in North America. Providing that outside factors do not put a slump on the economy, strategic focus of building a strong brand, creating a positive value for the products, and keeping with sound investment practices will ensure the continuing growth of The Coca-Cola Company. For the first quarter of 2012, the North American market for The Coca-Cola Company impact on volume was positive. First quarter reported that the North America Group’s volume grew 2% in the quarter. (Muhtar Kent, 2012) The net revenues increased by 5% with â€Å"as reported†volume growth of 1%. (Muhtar Kent, 2012) The volume growth reflected the effect of having one less day for the quarter in the current year. There was also a positive price/ mix of 3% and a 1% benefit due to the structural change in relation to the acquisition of Greayt Plains Coca-Cola Bottling Company. (Muhtar Kent, 2012) Sparkling beverage volume, drinks with carbonation, grew by 1% for the quarter and still beverage volume grew by 6%. (Muhtar Kent, 2012) There was a reported decline in operating income in the first quarter. (Muhtar Kent, 2012) Due to the cycling of lower commodity costs in prior periods as well as having one less day for sales in the current year quarter, comparable currency nuetral operating income declined 9% in the quarter. (Muhtar Kent, 2012) This decline may be linked to current year timing in comparison to the prior year, which was comtemplated in The Coca-Cola Company’s internal planning process. (Muhtar Kent, 2012) Discuss the drivers of profitability during the quarter at The Coca-Cola Company and the likely long-term impact of these drives on profits. The drivers for profitability came from strong brand programming, positive pricing of products and overall structure change. Smart investing is also another driver of profitability. The advertisement seen at events and on television programming has helped push The Coca-Cola Company’s products into the view of the consumers. The planning processes have positioned The Coca-Cola Company into staying conservative with its investments and watch the market fluctuations as to creating long term investment growth possibilities. (Muhtar Kent, 2012) Things on the radar for The Coca-Cola Company include watching the employment rate in the countries where they are located and the economic environment globally, in relation to if the markets are improving or declining. (Muhtar Kent, 2012) Keeping brands and investments healthy and positive are the main drivers that will impact the long term profitability of this company. Discuss the Earnings per Share results for the quarter in comparison to historic results and long-term growth targets. The earnings per share reported for the first quarter was $0.89. (Muhtar Kent, 2012) In comparison to April 30, 2011, the diluted net income per share was up by 9%, up from $0.82. (Muhtar Kent, 2012) The Coca-Cola Company launched a new program that was to starting the first quarter of 2012 and ending in 2015 called the â€Å"Productivity and Reinvestment program†. (The Coca-Cola Company Reports Full-Year and Fourth Quarter 2011 Results, 2012) This program ihas been set to provide an incremental yearly savings of $550 to $650 million. (The Coca-Cola Company Reports Full-Year and Fourth Quarter 2011 Results, 2012) This goal is fueled by the more than $500 million annualied savings from the previous productivity program launched in 2009 and ending in 2011. (The Coca-Cola Company Reports Full-Year and Fourth Quarter 2011 Results, 2012) The Company’s 2020 goal of designing and implementing the most effective and efficient business system is well on its way towards becoming a reality. Discuss the emerging markets for The Coca-Cola Company and the likely future impact on earnings per share Volume growth for newer markets in China, Japan, and Thailand are on the forefront of The Coca-Cola Company’s main list of places to increase their product presence and strengthen their brand. Having a good price mix of investments and watching the economic status of these countries will help the Company to make sound investment strategies and increase their earnings per share in these regions. China will be an important player in the growth of business for The Coca-Cola Company. This is one of the fastest and largest markets to gain control of and strong marketing practices, along with bringing new jobs to this powerhouse economy will only increase the likelyhood of achieving a positive earnings per share return. In Japan, expanding the current market of items like coffee, sparkling beverages, and teas would help to increase sales in this country. Keeping the brand present as this country tries to recover from a natural disaster in 2011 will help to ease The Coca-Cola Company’s presence back into the line of things for the consumers in this market. Working closely with bottling groups and keeping good ties are helping to spur coke in a positive direction as Japan attempts to recover from the prior year’s decline due to natural disasters. The Coca-Cola Company’s outlook remains positive as it attempts to keep moving forward in the market of beverages. The Company’s long term goals of increasing its efficiency in branding, increasing its productivity, creating new jobs globally, and working on restructuring the company is helping to keep the Company as a top contender in the beverages category and will help maximize its efforts to increase profits for itself and the shareholders.
Monday, October 14, 2019
Romanticism in American Literature
Romanticism in American Literature Kathryn Pierce American Literature, section 43 Essay #3 Since the time of Socrates it has been widely said that art imitates life. In the case of literature, however, it would be more accurate to say that art reflects life. The writings of both the Romantics and the Realists were an outgrowth of life in 19th century America and both reflected that life through style, approach, and subject matter. American Romanticism was the first truly American literary movement and it included a group of authors who wrote and published between 1820 and 1860. Among the best-known are: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. Romanticism first emerged as a reaction to Enlightenment ideas. Romantic writers rebelled against the idea that reason was the best tool for discovering truth. Instead, they deliberately delved into feeling, imagination, fantasy, and belief. Their style took advantage of personal freedom and spontaneity in order to break through the wall separating the author and the reader, and gave the author the freedom to comment on the events in the story in novel ways. The uniquely American history and landscape had a profound influence on the Romanticists. Many were writing not long after the American Revolution and/or the War of 1812, and these historical events were reflected in their preoccupation with democracy and freedom. (insert comment on authors and their works) This was a time of growth and expansion and their idealism fueled high hopes for the infant nation. The country was moving westward into great swaths of newly acquired territory. The frontier, both as a place and a concept, became an important representation of the American spirit. The country was filled with thousands of miles of untamed wilderness that held the promise of a new life filled with adventure. (insert comment on authors and their works) While American Romanticism was a new attitude toward nature, often stressing it over culture, it was also a new attitude toward people, promoting the solitary individual standing against society. Individualism is a quintessential American value and was central to their writings which urged people to follow their inner knowing regardless of the pressure to conform. (insert comment on authors, Emerson Thoreau, others, and their works).  Romanticists believed that emotions shape peoples experience and their knowledge of the world. They were an important part of an individuals identity. Heartbreak, happiness, awe, and rage, and many other emotions were very important in American Romantic literature. (insert comment on authors, Emerson Thoreau, others, and their works) Stylistically, the American Romantics liked to experiment with form and the novel became an important vehicle for expression (unlike the European Romantics who focused mainly on poetry). They also made clever use of symbols to allude to truths or knowledge that exist beyond rationality. Unusual, often supernatural, characters and forces act in romantic stories. Nature was a particularly important theme, expressed in almost obsessive preoccupation with beautiful flowers, gigantic trees, towering mountains, and brilliant sunsets. (insert Cooper, Emerson, Thoreau) Other themes that figured prominently were an impulse toward reform (temperance, womens rights, abolition of slavery); a concern with the impact of new technology (the locomotive, for example); an idealization of women (Poes Anabel Lee, for example); and a fascination with death and the supernatural (Hawthorne, Poe). Despite these lofty ideals, the new nation faced challenges. Principle among these issues was the expanding population base due to immigration, the role of government, the treatment of Native Americans, and the expansion or limitation of slavery. At the same time, advances in science and philosophy brought changes in thinking. There were two occurrences that propelled the transition from romanticism to realism: the Industrial Revolution and the American Civil War. Both of these contributed to a change in emphasis in literary expression. Change was already coming. The Realist movement began as early as the 1830s, but the line of demarcation was the onset of war. In just four years, this war became the most disruptive and transformative event in American history. It was out of this turmoil that the movement grew and reached a prominence that continued until around the end of the nineteenth century. In the 1850s, the ideals that were driving the nation toward war were expressed in literature, but many writers became uncomfortable with this kind of moral certitude even though they had contributed to creating it. The war, with its observable gap between higher purpose and brutal reality, began to change what they believed and how and what they wrote. Realism was a reaction to and a rejection of Romanticism. In her book, Social Construction of American Realism, Amy Kaplan called realism a strategy for imagining and managing the threats of social change. Realism was about recreating life in literature. Realists were concerned with the here and now, and their work was centered in their own time and dealt with everyday events and ordinary people, and with current socio-political issues. Stylistically, the author was separate from the world of the story and acted as an objective observer/narrator. Gone was the elaborate use of figurative language. Realism presented a basic view of life and a real outlook on the world that refused to idealize or flatter the subject. Even when the subject matter was complex, their stories used straightforward, simple language that described common scenes and experiences. American Realists chose to show their readers rather than must tell them. They made their readers face reality as it happened in the real world instead of in the make-believe world of fantasy. (insert comment on authors and their works) . They often explored the qualities that formed a persons character and examined how those qualities motivated their behavior. To accomplish this they used omniscient narrators who could jump from the mind of one character to the mind of another, and could move instantly from one location to another. For the most part, they depicted people that were in charge of their own destiny. Characters were superior to their circumstances even though it was the circumstances that created the plot. (insert comment on authors and their works) . Their characters were dynamic and well-rounded and drove the story forward. The Realists also incorporated empirically verifiable causality into their stories and often used foreshadowing. At times the outcomes wer e left open. The Realists also used their stories to critique the social and political structures that governed peoples lives. From issues like gender inequality and racial bias to poverty, class mobility, and government power, their stories contained a strong emphasis on personal morality, particularly as it played out between the individual and society. (insert comment on authors and their works)  Theirs was a sweeping view of a city, a nation, or a society and, like the Romantics, it was supported by the format of the novel. The transition from Romanticism to Realism was a natural progression. Just as the United States grew and changed so did the literature its writers produced. Romanticism grew out of the new-found expression of national character and focused on plot, hyperbole, metaphor and feeling. The nation changed, however. Realism grew out of these societal changes and focused on characters, details, objectivity and separation of author and narrator. Realism expressed a message that depicted situations realistically, whereas romanticism illustrated messages by using fiction. Both are informative reflections of American life and culture. Works Cited Campbell, Donna M. Realism in American Literature, 1860-1890. Literary Movements. Dept. of English, Washington State University. 07 Sept 2015. Web. 24 Mar 2017. http://public.wsu.edu/~campbelld/amlit/realism.htm Shmoop Editorial Team. Realism Top 10 List. Shmoop. Shmoop University, Inc., 11 Nov. 2008. Web. 24 Mar. 2017. http://www.shmoop.com/realism/top-ten.html Shmoop Editorial Team. American Romanticism Top 10 List. Shmoop. Shmoop University, Inc., 11 Nov. 2008. Web. 24 Mar. 2017. http://www.shmoop.com/american-romanticism/top-ten.html
Sunday, October 13, 2019
My Antonia Essay: Women on the Frontier -- My Antonia Essays
Women on the Frontier in My Ántonia In 1891, marking the elimination of "free land," the Census Bureau announced that the frontier no longer existed (Takaki, A Different Mirror, 225). The end of the frontier meant the constant impoverishment, instead of the wealth they had dreamed of, for a large number of immigrants from the Old World: they came too late. My Ántonia, however, illuminates another frontier, a frontier within America that most immigrants had to face. It was the frontier between "Americans" and "foreigners." The immigrants were still "foreign" to the "Americans" who came and settled earlier. They had to overcome the language and cultural barrier and struggle against the harsh conditions of life. The novel focuses on the ironic moment that the frontier spirit - a uniquely American one - is realized through "foreigners." Furthermore, it is women, the "hired girls," who are put in the foreground in the novel. What has made America is the foreign within, or rather, the foreign women on the fron tier. The division between the "Americans" and the "foreigners" is found throughout the novel. Even though naturalized, immigrants are still "Bohemians," "Russians," "Norwegians," and so on. They are foreigners in conception as Jim Burden's grandmother says, "If these foreigners [Norwegians] are so clannish, Mr. Bushy, we'll have to have an American graveyard that will be more liberal-minded...."(emphasis mine 73). According to her, the demarcation between foreigners and Americans is purely cultural: as far as foreigners are not clannish and liberal-minded like "Americans... ...an: the heterogeneity within one Bohemian-American family. Children learn Bohemian, the parents' mother tongue, first, and English when they go to school. They eat both American and Bohemian food. Mother from country and father from city, children are open to a wide experience than their parents. Ántonia's first daughter, although married and left the house, is another significant heterogeneity of the family. As the first Mormons scattered sunflowers seeds on their ways to freedom, Ántonia, a woman on the frontier, has raised many future citizens of America. Even though they claimed the end of the frontier, her children might confront another kind of frontier, but it is clear that it is not the same frontier on which their mother has had to stand. The frontier comes back, but always in a different shape.
Saturday, October 12, 2019
The Theme of Prejudice in To Kill A Mockingbird :: Kill Mockingbird essays
 The theme of prejudice in To Kill A Mockingbird is much more than just a case of black and white. The entire novel is about prejudice in its' many forms, the most prominent case of prejudice is the hate between the blacks and whites. The whole town of Maycomb is based on stereotypes of it's inhabitants, that are passed down from generation to generation. Rumors run rampid and very little truth is usually in them.      "So Jem received most of his information from Miss Stephanie Crawford,     a neighbor scold, she said she knew the whole thing. According to     Miss Stephanie, Boo was sitting in the livingroom cutting some     items from The Maycomb Tribune to paste in his scrapbook. His father     entered the room. As Mr.Radley passed by, Boo drove the scissors     into his parent's leg, pulled them out, wiped them on his pants,     and resumed his activities." (Chapter 1, page 11)   I don't see how you can't expect to have prejudice in a small town like that, after all isolation is a major factor in why prejudice and racism arise.                 "Men hate each other because they fear each other,                  and they fear each other because                  they don't know each other,                  and they don't know each other because                  they are often separated from each other. "                                                    -Martin Luther King      The stereotypes in this novel are fairly common but the fact that they are accepted and used so openly in public is what astonishes me. I think people in the community, even if they do disagree with what is being said or done, they will say or do nothing because they are afraid of going against the majority of the community and become a victim of prejudice themselves. Atticus was one of the few who actually stopped and listened to himself without being biased by the views and opinions of the rest of the town. He then had the courage to stand up and take prejudice himself for trying to correct the prejudice against a black man, and prove his innocence.       "Scout, you aren't old enough to understand some things yet, but     there's been some high talk around town to the effect that I
Friday, October 11, 2019
Statistical Literature Review and Critique of Empirical Article
ARTICLE REVIEW AND CRITIQUE: â€Å"Efficiency of Brand Placement in an International Film- Effects of Exposure in a Local Context†Slim Khalbous and Merium Maazoul Journal of Creative Communications, Volume 5, Issue 1 (March 2010), p. 23-46 SYNOPSIS Product and brand placement arouses a particular interest at the announcers. However the massive use of brands in international programs incites us to wonder about the effect of the local socio-cultural context on the efficiency of this creative technique.This research presents, first an explanatory abstract frame of the influence of the local context variables and the variables of programming on the recall of the placement; and second an empirical validation realized in two phases. First of all, a qualitative analysis of contents by experts; then a quantitative study by experimentation realized with 150 individuals. The results show that, globally the effect of the local context on the memorization of the placement is direct and t hat the recall of the placed brands depends on attitudes towards the spoken language, on social interactions and some characteristics of the audience.KEYWORDS Brand placement, recall, programming, context, exposing language, social interactions The empirical application was done by showing a James Bond film that had several product placements in a part of North Africa called Tunisia; an area where a lot of international films are consumed. The study wanted to explore the â€Å"effect of the specific context related to the international film on the effectiveness of the placement in terms of memorization. In order to do this, the research had to go through three stages: (1) a state of the art, which generated some of the research propositions (2) a qualitative phase, to choose and analyze the international film, and (3) a quantitative phase, which would measure the impact of exposure in the effectiveness of placement in the film. Attitudes toward Language Effect Foreign language can improve the advertising effectiveness for a product because a foreign language attracts attention, creates a positive attitude, and is more memorable, which can be explained by Helfer’s theory of mbiguity. A study done by Khalbous and Maazaul in 2007 proved that the â€Å"attitude toward advertising is positive when the audience prefers watching the programs in French and commercials in Arabic. †Social interactions also play a huge role in product memorization and attitudes because people will remember what they were saying or doing with others while watching television or film. Individual Variables Effect Gender and the area of residence are two variables on the effectiveness of product placement.American, French, and Austrian men are more likely to accept a product seen in films than women according to studies. However, another study showed that women have more positive attitudes towards placement. â€Å"On the other hand, women would be emotionally more touched th an men, by the stimuli which surrounds them, especially television programs to which they are exposed (Schwartz et al. 1980). †The area of residence is the other factor. The wealthier areas are more likely to be less favorable towards product placement because they are exposed to it more, and have become bored with the predictability of it. According to the study of Hall (2004), the percentage of consumers who said they would try a product if they saw it in a film is 53 percent in Mexico, 49 percent in Singapore, 35 percent in India, and only 26 percent in the USA and 8 percent in France. †The Effect of Specific Context Related to the Program The appreciation of an international film, and the intensity of the emotions generated by the film were the two aspects being studied in this area of research.Most of the interest was about the impact of the characteristics of the film and how they affect the audience’s cognitive reactions. Program Liking Effect Although th ere was no link found between the film’s likability and the memory of product placement in a study conducted in 1994 by Karrh, there was evidence of a link found in 2000. In that study, Blonde & Roozen (2007) found evidence of people being more likely to remember a product placed in a film they liked. International Placement and Tunisian Local ContextThe empirical validation of the conceptual framework was conducted in two stages: the qualitative analysis to select and qualify the selected film (the visual content analysis by experts), and then (2) a quantitative study which determined the impact of the contextual variables on the effectiveness of the placement of products in the film (the experiment). Selection and Analysis of Placements in an International Film: Qualitative Stage Choice of International FilmJames Bond- Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) was the film chosen by a board of four experts for three reasons: it’s known for use of product placement, because the film was not created to pertain to a certain audience, and because the old exit date of the film eliminates short and medium term memorization. Quantitative Experimentation of the Selected Film The main focus was to test the effects of the exposure on the efficiency of placement, while controlling the external variables. Model and Hypothesis of MeasurementIn order to test the relationship between the variables, two things were necessary: firstly, to propose measurements of conceptual framework, and secondly, to form the hypothesis of research to be studied quantitatively. Measurement and Experimental Design The sample used in this study was composed of 150 undergraduate students whose average age ranged between 20 and 22 years old. In order to minimize sampling confound, the students were from different areas and levels of study, different income levels, and were from three different universities, each in different cities in the country.Type of Recalled Placements: Qualitative Analysis of Frequencies According to Table 2, the frequencies of recall of the product placements show that BMW stands out more than the others because it is the only audio-visual placement in the film. It was also repeated several times. Next is Ericsson, whose high scores are due to the familiarity of the brand to Tunisians. The scores may be high for Ericsson, but its rate of recall is low because of its very subtle placement in the film.According to Khalbous and Maazaul, â€Å"the qualitative analysis showed that the high scores of recall were obtained for the audio-visual placements, integrated in the scenario of film, where the brand is presented in a very visible way, accompanied by several integrated and prominent recalls of placement. These results agree results agree with the conclusions of Lehu’s study (2005), according to which the traditional criteria of the placement does not systematically guarantee the success of a placement, by enhancing the recall of the brand.It is thus necessary to consider a global approach integrating the various creative techniques of placement. †Three Things I Liked First of all, the topic was interesting to me because I can relate my own experiences to it. For instance, I have seen a few James Bond movies, and what I love mostly about them is the cars. When I think of James Bond, I think of an Aston Martin V12 Vanquish, a dream car of mine only because of the film James Bond 007- Die Another Day.Obviously, the product placement caught my attention, like it did to most of the sample of college students in Africa that were being studied, and was memorable to me, since I’m still talking about it today, even though I saw the film about 5 years ago. Another thing I liked was the study about audio-visual seeming to make the biggest impact on product memorization. I agree with this conclusion because while searching for a movie clip online of my favorite moment of the James Bond 007 Aston Martin V12 Vanquish, I s tumbled onto the wrong clip.I didn’t even remember the part when James Bond’s assistant introduces him to the Vanquish. Based upon research done, the article tells me why: because there was no sound to go along with it. The only part of the movie (or actually, the car) I remember was a very noisy moment full of engine revs and tire squeals. I also liked the study they did on emotion influencing memory, and agree with it also. I can remember when I saw the James Bond movie at the theater, and the feeling I had while watching James Bond drive the Aston Martin on a sheet of ice during a high-speed chase.I was scared, nervous, excited, and my adrenaline was pumping. Immediately after the scene, I turned to my boyfriend and asked â€Å"What kind of car was that? †because I knew it belonged on my dream list. To this day, when someone asks me what my dream car is, I say â€Å"An Aston Martin V12 Vanquish. †I’ve never seen the movie again, but that car, and the feeling I had when I saw it has stayed with me. A few minutes ago, when I went to YouTube and did a search for the â€Å"007 ice chase†I eventually got the right clip; the one that gave me that feeling of excitement.I was surprised, and a little disappointed that I didn’t get the same feeling. Actually, I’m thinking of changing my dream car now, because I don’t think it’s quite as attractive as I remembered it being. This raises a question that I didn’t see research done on in the article: What are the benefits of product placement in an international film vs. an international commercial. I’ve seen some pretty in-depth, action-packed car commercials, but none of them have managed to persuade me to let go of my first dream car, the Aston Martin. Why is that?Is it because there isn’t enough time for a commercial to spark that kind of height of emotion in me? Or maybe because I view commercials as being annoying (except f or Super Bowl commercials; those I like because it gives me something to look forward to during the game). Maybe it’s just the whole experience of being in a movie theater, with that special someone, and being surrounded by loud â€Å"Vrooms! †, and hearing others’ reactions to the movie that just can’t be captured by watching a commercial. I don’t know, but I think these researcher guys are onto something! What I Didn’t LikeLike I said before, I would have liked for them to compare the effect of international commercials and the effect of international films because maybe there is a way to get create enough emotion in a short 120 second commercial if it’s in a language not native to the viewers. I would also like to know about the similarities and differences between the effectiveness of product placement in an international film and one that is native if there are any. Question According to Khalbous and Maazaul, high scores of recal l of the products placed in the James Bond film were obtained for what reasons?
Thursday, October 10, 2019
Princess Elizabeth and Descartes Essay
In his book â€Å"Discourse on Method and Mediations on First Philosophy†, Descartes mentioned the composition of the body and mind. When Princess Elizabeth read his book, she had many questions to give to Descartes, especially about the mind-body interaction. She said in her letter wrote to Descartes â€Å"how the soul can determine the spirits of the body to produce voluntary actions. †(Elizabeth, 11) They wrote letter to each other to ask questions and to answer each other’s questions. As we read along the letter, we can see the questions and answers of both Elizabeth and Descartes are irresistible. Descartes pointed his theoretical points that â€Å"This ‘I’ – that is, the soul, by which I am what I am, is entirely distinct from the body; and would not fail to be what it is even if the body did not exist. †(Descartes) In his explanation, Descartes believed that mind and body are all together. When the mind thinks, it makes the soul reacts as its thought. That is why the theory enters society â€Å"I think; therefore, I am. †(Descartes) After reading that theory, Elizabeth responded that â€Å"I beseech you tell me how the soul of man (since it is but a thinking substance) can determine the spirits of the body to produce voluntary actions. (Elizabeth, 11) She was questioning about how the mind-body can work together and act voluntarily, according to Descartes’s theoretical point. She also explained how she comes up with this question â€Å"You entirely exclude extension from your notion of the soul, and contact seems to me incompatible with an immaterial thing. That is why I ask of you a definition of the soul more particular than in your metaphysics – that is to say, for a definition of the substance separate from its action, thought. (Elizabeth, 12) Then, on May 21, 1643, Descartes wrote back to her to answer her question that he found three â€Å"primitive notions†which can answer her question. The first thing he mentioned was the body. He said that the body is the only notion of extension â€Å"which refer to everything we can conceive. †(Descartes, 13) Secondly, he referred to the soul which â€Å"are comprised the perceptions of the understanding and the inclinations of the will. †(Descartes, 13) Lastly, he mentioned the soul and the body when it goes together. He said â€Å"the force f the soul for moving the body, and of the body for acting upon the soul by causing its feelings and passions. †(Descartes, 13) Descartes gave three â€Å"primitive notions†: body, soul, body and soul in his explanation of dualism. He said that the soul is responsible for understanding the will and the force of the soul will cause the body to act since the body can conceive everything. Notwithstanding, Elizabeth responded that â€Å"†¦it would be easier for me to concede matter and extension to the soul, than the capacity of moving a body and of being moved, to an immaterial being. For the first occurred through ‘information’, the spirits that perform the movement would have been intelligent, which you accord nothing corporeal. And though in your metaphysical meditations you show the possibility of the second, it is, however, very difficult to comprehend that a soul, as you have described it, after having had the faculty and habit of reasoning well, can lose all of it on account of some vapors†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (Elizabeth, 16) In general, the entire conversation between Descartes and Princess Elizabeth is talking about the mind-body dualism. Princess Elizabeth keeps asking question about the mind and body correspondence no matter how Descartes tried to explain. For her question to Descartes, Descartes explained by listing three â€Å"primitive notions†: soul, body, soul-body; but it still does not make Princess Elizabeth fully satisfy. In my opinion, Descartes’s answer for Princess Elizabeth’s question is adequate. He explained the mind-body correspondence clearly through his theoretical point of â€Å"primitive notions†of soul, body and soul-body. Each of them has their own part in making the body to produce voluntary actions. In his explanation, he said that the body can conceive everything and the soul comprehends things to make the body reacts. I think it makes sense. Our body is the combination between mind and body. Without the thinking and understanding of the soul, the body cannot perform and vice versa. Mind-body is a perfect combination to create human and their sensation. Thus, his point of view â€Å"I think; therefore, I am†is a perfect answer for Elizabeth’s question. Because of the thinking mind, the body can perform what the mind is thinking. On the other hand, if the body does not conceive what it sees, the mind cannot control the body to act. Both of them have to co-ordinate with each other to construct sensation; and from sensation, it constructs human with action. Not only that, the combination of mind and body is helping people to differentiate the right and the wrong.
Wednesday, October 9, 2019
Intrest throughout the three stories Essay
Sherlock Holmes is the main character in the story, as in all the Sherlock Holmes stories. He is a very proper and intelligent man with an extraordinary gift. He is Observant and analytical person and can obtain a large amount of information from a small amount of clues, which most others would overlook. From early on in the story Holmes does not hesitate to show off his detective skills when he meats Helen Stoner: â€Å"You have come in by train this morning, I see. I observe the second half of a return ticket in the palm of marks are perfectly fresh. There is no vehicle save a dog-cart which throws up mud in that way, and then only when you sit on the left-hand side of the driver†. This shows that Holmes considers these observations to be trivial, and that they do not stretch his talent whatsoever. Doctor Watson is Holmes’ assistant. He is a fully qualified doctor and so a clever man, but next to Holmes he often comes across as a clumsy, less intelligent person. This contrast makes Holmes and Watson an interesting duo to read about. Watson is used for occasional humour during the story. It is very apparent that Watson admires Holmes: â€Å"I had no keener pleasure than in following Holmes in his professional investigations and admiring his rapid deductions†. Finally, Conan-Doyle uses Watson to put forward questions and opinions, which the reader may be thinking of. Holmes never openly rejects these opinions, but nor does he accept them or answer Watson’s questions clearly. This creates red herrings, which ensure that the outcome of the story remains a mystery to the reader. Helen Stoner, the lady that has come to Holmes for help, is portrayed in this story as the ‘damsel in distress’. She is in desperate need of assistance and has no one else to turn to. Whilst Helen is trying to explain her predicament to Holmes, He is very calm and collective and does not let her tell the story in full immediately; he frequently asks for details or interrupts Helen. This keeps the reader interested because he or she is eager to learn the story. Holmes’ attitude towards Helen reflects the time the story was written in. Holmes is very sympathetic and gentlemanly towards Helen: â€Å"‘you must not fear,’ said he soothingly, bending forward and patting her forearm. ‘We shall soon set matters right, I have no doubt'†. Holmes is not being sexist in his assumption that Helen is helpless and afraid, he is merely showing the attitude towards women that was shared by most men at that time. Holmes knows that Helen needs help from someone who is reassuring and confident. Roylott is Helen’s stepfather. Roylott is an aggressive, violent character who threatens Holmes by bending his poker. Roylott is the prime suspect in the story for the reader, because the death of his stepdaughters would mean he would receive their inheritance. Throughout the story, Conan-Doyle gives several clues as to the outcome of the mystery. Firstly, when Helen is telling her story from the beginning, the reader learns that Roylott, who would inherit an amount of money in the case of the two sisters’ deaths, is a short-tempered, dangerous man who has a history of violence: â€Å"There was a series of disgraceful quarrels and brawls with anyone giving him the least offence†. These clues make Roylott the prime suspect for the death of Julia Stoner. Secondly, although it leaves many questions unanswered, Helen reveals that Julia’s last words were: â€Å"Helen! It was the band! The Speckled band! â€Å". It turns out that she was describing the snake that bit her. Finally, there are several important clues given in Helen’s bedroom, next to Roylott’s room, before the plot is unfolded. Above Helen’s bed, which is fixed to the floor, is a bell rope that does not work, and a ventilator. The ventilator is in a very strange place: the dividing wall between the two rooms. It turns out that these features were to allow the snake to get to Helen. Such clues were intended to intrigue the reader and hint to the reader, giving them a chance to work the mystery out for themselves. These clues are typical of the mystery genre. There are also several red herrings in the story, for example, the gypsies living in the grounds: â€Å"It must have been those wretched gypsies in the plantation†. These points are irrelevant but raise questions in the mind of the reader, making them want to read on. Conan-Doyle also uses tension to keep the reader interested. When Holmes and Watson are waiting for the snake to arrive in Helen’s room, they are in darkness and speak in whispers. Holmes makes it clear to Watson that they are in considerable danger and must not get caught. Conan-Doyle also uses language techniques such as shorter sentences to achieve this tension. At the end of the story, as was common in stories of this genre, Holmes gives an explanation of the crime for the benefit of the reader. ‘The Devil’s Foot’ is similar to ‘The Speckled Band’ in that from the start there is a character that we have reason to suspect: Mortimer. At first, Mortimer does not seem to be as vicious an enemy as Roylott, as was common in the time the story was written, but several clues unearthed by Holmes point the finger at him. The murder in this case is also similar to the murder in ‘The Speckled Band’. It is a very horrific and mysterious murder that some in the story believe to be of a supernatural nature. Murders like this were often present in stories of this time and genre and were designed to fascinate and shock the reader. Holmes, however, says: â€Å"if it is beyond this world then it is certainly beyond me†. This makes the reader believe that there must be a logical or scientific explanation. The crime is again solved by Holmes, who solves the mystery by noticing small clues and gathering information, in this case, noticing the link of combustible powder between the two rooms in which the murders took place. To support his idea of this powder being the cause of the deaths, Holmes puts his life on the line and tries it on himself. This eccentricity and willingness to go so far to solve a crime makes Holmes all the more interesting and unusual to the reader.
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