Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen - Essay Example The authors could be influenced by certain current or historical events, culture of a particular time, lives of great people and many more factors to come up with those works. This influence can enable novel writers to create a more authentic or at the same time interestingly fictionalized plot as well as script for their novels. The incorporation and there resultant reflection of culture, customs, and other intricate aspects of a particular time, in a novel, which was set in that particular time, is one of the key requisites to become a â€Å"Great American Novel†. â€Å"From the late nineteenth century to World War I, and even after, there was much discussion of the great American novel. Eventually the idea died†¦But in recent years the idea, though not the phrase, has returned to life† (O’Connor 1). Thus, when a novel written by an American novelist aptly reflects and incorporates various cultural aspects and perspectives of American people of a particula r time, in which the novel is set, it can be considered for elevation as â€Å"Great American Novel†. Water for Elephants, written by Sara Gruen and set during the Depression era of 1930s, is one such novel, as it aptly reflects sizable aspects of that time, even while telling a romanticism filled human story about an individual’s want to find a place, which he can call his â€Å"home†.... In the current times, aged people are having longer life-spans because of the advancing medical treatments and with the working sons and daughters of those people unable to personally take care of them, old age nursing homes are becoming the last refuge for these old people. In the past, the family had major responsibility for taking care of its elderly, particularly the sick elderly, but that has minimized sizably in the current times. (Shanas). With the central protagonist being portrayed as a 90 years old man with no caretakers, he was placed in the nursing home. Thus, as the author ‘sets’ the older Jacob’s character at the turn of the 20th century, he has incorporated the cultural element of old age nursing homes. The way Jacob was treated by the staffs at the nursing home as an old man, who does not have an independent thinking only pushes him to go in search of a favorable ‘home’. One of the key themes of the plot, as it starts from the elderly Jacob is the conflicts that arose because one’s need for independence and self worth. As Jacob is in his nineties, and in the final lap of the death race, he feels that his old age is restricting him from doing anything independently, with the staffs taking him for granted. â€Å"Age is a terrible thief. Just when you think you're getting the hang of it, it knocks your legs out from under you and stoops your back.† (Gruen 12). He thinks because of his old age only, the staffs restrict him. Jacob gets angry as the staffs keep opening his window blinds, without ever asking him about his preference. Jacob totally opposes this way of treating him like a child, and wants his opinion to be heard and more importantly wants to go and explore various places in the outside world. As Jacob recollects the story in

Nature Of The Airline Industry Tourism Essay

Nature Of The Airline Industry Tourism Essay This report identifies the business environment and draws comparisons of the airline industry pertaining to countries, India and China. An attempt has been made to put forth the analyses of the broad macro-environment factors of the industry in terms of Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental and Legal factors (PESTEL). Apart from the above, the Five Forces analysis has been carried in order to assess the attractiveness of the industries and understand their potential for change. The Airline industry with relevance to this report comprises of air transportation which includes both scheduled and chartered flights but excludes air freight transportation. The Focus of this report is to provide an outline of the present environmental conditions in terms of the nature of the airline industry, its structure, outlining the strategies employed by the players in the airline industry to sustain in tough economic environment and make an attempt to forecast the future environmental conditions. Our prime justification to compare the industry from India and China lies in our belief that the two countries would and probably are transforming the global economy in the 21st Century. India and China have achieved growth which fared twice as much as the global economy growth. A huge and demanding consumer class is also pushing the economy northwards and it is essential for the countries to meet the aspirations of a demanding economy. Overview of the Global Airlines Industry For the past two years, 2008 and 2009, Airline Industry was negatively affected by the economic downturn and the oil price hike. Now that the global economy is showing signs of recovery, demand for air travel is increasing from the previous years depressed levels. Combating the recessionary effect has not been easy as various measures like cutting costs; slashing capacity and increasing load factor were adopted by the airline companies globally. Global Airline industry reported revenues of USD 380.5 Billion in 2009, achieving a Compounded Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 2.5% for the period 2005-2009 (Datamonitor, Global Airlines Industry). The total number of passengers in the Airline Industry for the year numbered 2002.7 million and the numbers are expected to grow at a CAGR of 5% to 2551.5 million passengers by end of 2014. Strong rivalry and supplier power characterizes the global airlines industry. Even though there are large number of buyers, Product differentiation is minimal and involves negligible switching costs. It also leaves the carrier vulnerable to reduction in demand in the industry which is sensitive to the wider economy. Supplier power in the global airlines industry is strong as reliability and safety of the flights are critical. Entrances to the airlines industry are restricted due to economic barriers. The up-front costs are huge and substantial financial backing is required to cover the initial costs and ex penses henceforth from there. Airline companies today are forming alliance with other companies with the intention to achieve diversified network of operations, scale economies in terms of purchase of fuel, and even sharing of aircraft to reduce the power of the supplier. Code sharing has risen as a phenomenon catching up in the Asia Pacific region of the world where companies are forming alliances with other carriers around the world. Consolidation is a major opportunity for the players in the airline industry to increase their revenues, cost savings and enhance competitive position. The global airlines industry is projected to benefit the service providers as there is a new customer base in the present arising from the emerging economies which will fuel the growth of the industry and would see emergence of new players giving more competition to the existing ones. With continued and sustainable demand for air travel, Airline companies would see opportunities which would be coherent with the rising aspirations of people. The Indian Aviation Story In the year 2003, the whole world celebrated the centenary year of the powered flight. Indians had to wait for more than a decade to see the first aircraft airborne from the Indian soil. In the early December of the year 1910, a group of people from Belgium and England came to India with several airplanes. The idea was to showcase the marvel of a flying object and to explore business opportunities from it. Planes were showcased after assembling its parts. The groups were able to have a successful trip as their products were well received and were brought in by the royalties in India. It was December 15th 1932 when the first flight in India taken off under the name of Tata Aviation, which later went on to become Air India. Tata Aviation was started by JRD Tata after much protracted negotiations with the government of India. Eventually, during 1953, an act of nationalizing all the airlines was passed in the parliament and Tata Aviation went on to become Air India which then served the international traffic. The Indian Airline industry has come a long way today. In the year 2009, Indian Airline industry grew by 9% to reach the value of USD 7 billion. It grew by 35.5% to reach a volume of 73.8 million passengers. By 2014, it is forecasted to have a value of USD 17.9 billion and volumes of 156.2 million passengers. The Indian Airline industry experience growth even after seeing a period of decline in 2008. While the growth rate of Indian Airlines industry was far better than that of China, The airline industry in India could achieve merely one thirds of revenue when compared to the Chinese Airline industry. Like the global airlines industry, Indian airlines industry is characterized by strong rivalry and supply power, the buyers being leisure travelers and business travelers while fuel suppliers, aircraft manufacturers and skilled employees as the key suppliers. High Price sensitivity due to product differentiation being minimal strengthens the power of the buyers. Supplier power is strong as airlines enter into contracts with the suppliers and the industry lacks alternatives or substitutes. Price sensitivity is high and availability of alternative strengthens the buyer power. The entrance into the market poses economic barriers as there needs to be solid financial back up to enter into this industry. Distributions and establishing networks and booking presence regionally are of critical importance for the success of a company. Rivalry in the Indian Airline industry is strong and has increased since the presence of the low cost carriers. Costs are the determining factor for airlines as the Indian consumer today is more price conscious than ever. Over the past two decades, the Indian Airline industry has experienced both stagnation and unprecedented growth. The potential for growth in the Indian Airline industry remains strong as with massive population with growing incomes only adds to the fact that the Airline Industry has a long way to go. Currently, only 2% of the Indian population prefers to fly by air. Between the year 2003 and 2006, Indian Airlines industrys open sky policy opened the floodgates for the arrival of new start up carriers which changed the face of the industry beyond recognition. Liberalization in terms of allowing the domestic carriers to go international and allowing the international carriers greater access to the domestic market spurned the industry to achieve double digit growth. However, the increase in traffic increased the top line of the players in the industry, but due to low margins, lower yields, inadequate airport infrastructure and lack of trained pilots and engineers saw many of the compani es bleeding with negative bottom lines. As rising oil prices in the year 2008 hurt airlines all over the world, Indian tax systems made the matters even worse as it added 60% of total costs. Carriers were left with no other alternative but to pass on the burden to the customers who in turn chose alternative forms of transportation leading to 10-12 percent drop in traffic. A more positive environment is starting to emerge as the Centre for Asia pacific Aviation (CAPA) report suggests. According to CAPA, the airline industry is India is on the path of recovery as figures from the mid year 2010 have suggested. Better operating environment, with gradual upgrade of airspace and ground access development, would only help carriers achieve faster turnaround and higher aircraft utilization. The potential lies in the Indian Airlines Industry with CAPA predicting the industry having 1000 planes from 400 in the present and 4 times increase in traffic from the current trends. The performance of the industry is forecasted to accelerate and drive the industry to create positive value for the service providers as well as the customers. Environmental Analysis An assessment of external macro environment can be carried out by analyzing the Political, Economic, Social Technological factors. These factors are beyond a company or an industrys controls and sometimes can pose as threats. Following are the PEST analysis for the Indian Airline Industry. Political Factor In India, Political interference has effects of all the major industries. The airline industry in general is very susceptible to the political environment of a country. A country with unstable political environment can cause doubts in the minds of the traveler to travel to that particular country. India in particular has had to go through a lot in the recent years with mounting tensions with its western neighbours. The 26/11 terrorist attack on the financial capital of India has a profound impact on the airlines industry. Another example of political factor causing problems for the Airlines Industry in India lies in the corrupt state of affairs that lies in the administration. Bribes have to be paid to obtain licenses and permits. Even recently, one of the most respectable businessmen in the world, Mr. Ratan Tata complained about the corruption problem which discouraged him to start his own Airline Company. It was alleged that the civil aviation minister had asked Mr. Tata a sum of I NR 1.5 million as a bribe to give permit to start air services. State owned airline companies suffer the most because of this problem as due to political pressure, the government companies have to give special consideration with respect to route selection, offering free seats to the ministers etc. The state owned airline companies cannot stand up to the archaic laws, regulations and trade unions which in past have held the state owned enterprises on ransom. Currently, In terms of Investment FDI of 100% is allowed in the Airline Sector under the automatic route for Greenfield projects. Economic Factors Airline Industry is greatly impacted by the business cycles. It is considered a luxury to fly during the recession which then leads to cuts in spending eventually leading to reduction in the air fares. During prosperity, People spend more and that leads to increase in air fares. Recent global recession has had a deep impact on all the major industries in the world. Aviation Industry too had its own share of set backs. Corporate travelers were cutting back on travel which would save costs and leisure travelers had deferred their travel plans. Even a company like Citibank in India had to cut down its costs to increase its profits for which even the top managers were allowed only to travel by train. The loss of income due to economic factors forced the airline companies to execute the corporate restructuring program which resulted in several employees being laid off. Turnaround time, maintenance costs, jet fuels costs, staff costs, benefits costs etc. are some of the expenses which the airline companies have to take into consideration while pricing their air tickets. Anything below these costs the company losses which makes the company unsustainable in the industry/ Social Factors India, being a diverse country has people coming from different parts of the country with different culture, language, food and preferences. Airline industry need to understand this along with the fact that there are people with varied income group and their needs should be served accordingly. India is a land of extremes with people coming from different walks of life. For example, a person subscribing to Jain religion needs to be served a special Jain food and it could be kept in mind that the person sitting next to him can be a vegetarian. One of the finer examples can be drawn from South West Airlines which is a low frills airlines which has created a niche for itself in that segment. It has also successfully augmented its marketing mix strategy which has done wonders for it. Technological Factors Internet has opened avenues for the airlines industry in a way which could never have been comprehended. For Example, Jet Lite has introduced a service on its website where it auctions few unreserved seat on the flight one week prior to the departure date. Almost all airline companies offer their services through the internet. Right from booking the ticket to choosing the seat where one would prefer to sit on the flight. Apart from this, choosing the food from the menu can also be selected through the internet. Another good example of the impact of technology would be that of the Airport Authority of India, which with the help of technology was able to lease out its obsolete and unused hangers to international airlines thereby making huge profits out of the same. Technology development helps reduce costs, saves time and enhances service performance which is critical in a competitive industry like the Airlines industry. Porters Five Forces Michael Porter introduced a framework that models a sector or an industry as being influenced by five forces. This analysis has five-core element. These are 1. Bargaining Power of Suppliers 2. New Entrants 3. Threat of Substitutes 4. Competitive Rivalry 5. Bargaining Power of Customers Bargaining Power of Suppliers Suppliers for the Indian Airlines industry like other locations around the world as far as flight manufacturers are concerned are very limited. Globally, Airbus and Boeing are the only suppliers of aircraft which suit the industry requirements. There is limited bargaining opportunity for the Airline Industry in India hence is a threat for the industry. New Entrants It was difficult for a new player to enter the Airline Industry in India. There were lots of barriers to entry. Capital Investment to enter this industry is very high but banks have increased the possibilities to avail short term or long term loans with less interest rate thereby increasing the threat of new entrants in the present markets. Threat of Substitutes International routes do not have any threats as there is hardly any other form of feasible transportation available. However, Domestic travel can be competitive as high airfares encourage customers to look for alternatives ways to get to their destinations. Rail Road are probably the only feasible option available as they are only economical for shorter distances. A customer would prefer to travel long distance via road or rail only if the time factor allows the customer to take the alternative options. Competition Rivalry Rivalry within the industry is pretty intense at the moment as all the airlines are vying for attract customer by offering lower fares, membership privileges, free meals on board and other additional benefits to grab the customer from the competitors. Bargaining Power of Customer Indian travelers are highly price sensitive. With availability of many airlines to choose, cheaper price difference might just switch the customer to choose from one airline to another. Customers have some chance of bargaining in the domestic market as competition is intense in it whereas International routes gives less operations to bargain.

underground railroad Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Underground Railroad, the pathway to freedom which led a numerous amount of African Americans to escape beginning as early as the 1700‘s, it still remains a mystery to many as to exactly when it started and why. (Carrasco). The Underground Railroad is known by many as one of the earliest parts of the antislavery movement. Although the system was neither underground nor a railroad, it was a huge success that will never be forgotten.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I chose to research the Underground Railroad because I have heard so much about it, but my knowledge about the subject was very minimal. I found the Underground Railroad very interesting at first. The more I learned about this movement, the more interested I became.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When I chose this topic, I was interested in learning about the entire movement in general. I wanted to learn more about the locations of the slave hideouts, and who was involved. I wanted to find what led to the start of this movement, and when it started. I was successful with my research, and learned about all the things I was hoping to find. The Underground Railroad was a remarkable pathway to freedom which freed many from slave states and left behind an incredible story to show the importance of this event to history today. Body   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First of all, the impact of the Underground Railroad has helped form America’s legacy like no other event in our nation’s former times. (Dewine par. 4). No one knows exactly when it started, but there were definitely advanced cases of help given to runaways as early as the 1700’s. (Carrasco). Slaves had more than one reason for turning to freedom. Most were scared of being parted from friends and family, but some just wanted to live a normal life. Some slaves had it so bad that they had to escape just to stay alive.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are several different myths as to where this legendary path to freedom got its name. Some say the name probably originated from the popularity of the new railroads. (Carrasco). Other people say it was called the Underground Railroad because of the swift, secret way in which slaves escaped. (Donald par. 1).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Underground Railroad began in the 1700’s under Quaker sup... ...pation Proclamation by Lincoln, ending all slavery in our now free country, forever. (Buckmaster 171).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  While doing this research paper, I have learned so much more information about this movement than I ever expected to learn. Before I had researched this project, I assumed the Underground Railroad was an actual railroad. I never realized how drastic this movement was, nor the amount of courage the men and woman had to have to participate in the act. I had never realized how callous the slave owners acted toward their slaves, or how emotionally strong the slaves had to be to put up with the abuse. I was extremely fortunate while writing this paper. I found all the information I had been looking for, although it wasn’t quite what I had expected. The outcome of this event was so much worse than I had ever imagined it to be. I feel that the Underground Railroad was an incredible movement and if this act had never started, I believe that the many escapees would not have made it out alive.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Major Factors for a Successful Exhibition Essay

Exhibitors expect to meet visitors so they can do business with. Organizers need visitors to visit their exhibitions’ so they can encourage exhibitors to join their exhibitions, therefore making positive financial returns. On the 28-31 October this year, the HKTDC will organize an international furniture fair at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition centre. The most successful companies in this exhibition will be the ones that take advantage of the knowledge the event organizers have to offer, and then successfully communicate that knowledge to the project team that will design all the elements that will be present within the display booth. Other factors for a successful exhibition in the eyes of the exhibitor include but not limited to the following †¢Establish meaningfully goals, and come up with a strong and reliable strategy that will achieve your goals. †¢Put into practice powerful and unforgettable marketing initiatives before, during, and after the exhibition. Choose the best type of exhibit display booth that meets your goals and promotional needs as well as your budgetary requirements. †¢Effectively make use of display accessories, banners, graphics, lighting, booth design, and materials to heighten visibility and drive sales. †¢Hand out Promotional products that complement your company image. †¢Ensure those working the show are well trained to fully represent your company, generate leads, and secure sales. Through the eyes of the organizer the key factors of a successful exhibition is when all the exhibition goals have been achieved or completed. Some of those goals I have listed below †¢Pre-promotional strategy as meet it objectives by providing enough interest in the exhibition †¢All the allocated floor space as been taken up by exhibitors †¢Visitors count by surpassed the expected amount †¢Feedback from exhibitors is good and bookings are taken for the following year †¢Nothing unexpected happens †¢When organizers receive recognition for their exhibition A well organized event will enhance awareness, help to capture new business leads and advance customer relationships

Mental Disorder and Mental Health Problems Essay

This unit aims to provide the learner with knowledge of the main forms of mental health problems according to the psychiatric classification system. Learners also consider the strengths and limitations of this model and look at alternative frameworks for understanding mental distress. The focus of the unit is on understanding the different ways in which mental health problems impact on the individual and others in their social network. It also considers the benefits of early intervention in promoting mental health and well-being. Credit Level 3 3 Assessment criteria The learner can: 1.1 Describe the main types of mental ill health according to the psychiatric (DSM/ICD) classification system: mood disorders, personality disorders, anxiety disorders, psychotic disorders, substance-related disorders, eating disorders, cognitive disorders 1.2 Explain the key strengths and limitations of the psychiatric classification system see more:psychiatric (dsm/icd) classification system 1.3 Explain two alternative frameworks for understanding mental distress 1.4 Explain how mental ill health may be indicated through an individual’s emotions, thinking and behaviour 2. Know the impact of mental ill health on individuals and others in their social network 2.1 Explain how individuals experience discrimination due to misinformation, assumptions and stereotypes about mental ill health 2.2 Explain how mental ill health may have an impact on the individual including: a. psychological and emotional b. practical and financial c. the impact of using services d. social exclusion e. positive impacts Learning outcomes The learner will: 1. Know the main forms of mental ill health 2.3 Explain how mental ill health may have an impact on those in the individual’s familial, social or work network including: a. psychological and emotional b. practical and financial c. the impact of using services d. social exclusion e. positive impacts 2.4 Explain the benefits of early intervention in promoting an individual’s mental health and well-being Notes for Guidance In learning outcome 1, assessment criterion 1, learners are asked to describe ‘the main types of mental ill health according to the psychiatric (DSM/ICD) classification system’. Learners should demonstrate knowledge of how types of mental health are categorised by their main signs and symptoms and how the system attempts to draw a line between mental health and mental disorder. Learners do not need to demonstrate detailed knowledge of each form of disorder within each category.