Okonkwo as Epic Hero in Chinua Achebes Things Fall Apart Essay

Okonkwo as Epic Hero in Things Fall Apart      Ã‚  Ã‚   Achebe’s work, Things Fall Apart, is an epic; it resembles stories about heroes found in many cultures. In these stories, the heroes are extraordinary individuals, whose careers and destinies are not theirs alone, but are bound with the fortunes and destinies of their society. They become heroes by accomplishing great things for themselves and their communities, winning much fame as a result.    Okonkwo fits this pattern. The first paragraph of Things Fall Apart is notable in this respect, for it describes Okonkwo as follows:    Okonkwo was well known throughout the nine villages and even beyond. His fame rested on solid personal achievements. As a young man of eighteen he had brought honour to his village by throwing Amalinze the Cat. Amalinze was the great wrestler who for seven years was unbeaten, from Umuofia to Mbaino. He was called the Cat because his back would never touch the earth. It was this man that Okonkwo threw in a fight which the old man agreed was one of the fiercest since the founder of their town engaged a spirit of the wild for seven days and seven nights. (3)    In an epic story, the hero undergoes many tests, which we can see as rites of passage. In Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo undergoes such tests, including the wrestling match with Amalinze the Cat, his struggle with the negative legacy of his father, and the struggle to succeed on his own.    Praising heroes is a basic function of epics. As ... ... Hopes and Impediments. New York: Doubleday, 1989. Innes, C.L. Chinua Achebe. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1990. Nnolim, Charles E. "Achebe's Things Fall Apart: An Igbo National Epic" Modern Black Literature. ed. Okechukwu Mezu New York: Black Academy Press, 1971, 55-60. Obiechina, Emmanuel. "Narrative Proverbs in the African Novel," Research in African Literatures, 24, 4 (1993), 123-140. Okafor, Chinyere Grace. "From the Heart of Masculinity: Ogbodo-Uke Women's Masking." Research in African Literatures, 25, 3 (1994), 7-17. Traore, Ousseynou. "Matrical Approach to Things Fall Apart; A Poetics of Epic and Mythic Paradigms." Approaches to Teaching Achebe's Things Fall Apart. ed. Bernth Lindfors. New York: MLA, 1991, 65-73.

Institutional Discrimination

In the United States, institutionalized discrimination occurs everyday. According to Aguirre and Turner (2010) it is both subtle and complex. Because discrimination based on race is illegal, many acts of institutionalized discrimination are informal; a company, school, government, or other public institution does not formally write them in a policy. â€Å"Yet individual acts of informal discrimination are so widespread in many communities that discrimination is informally institutionalized even in the face of formal prohibitions† (Aguirre and Turner, 2010).Despite, being outlawed nationally, discrimination still exists. My first example of institutionalized discrimination exists in the public school system. There is a huge educational gap among urban public schools and suburban public schools, essentially, among white and minority students. In many states, educational systems have imposed standardized testing as a requirement for graduation from high school. I believe that the se implementations are a strategic effort to weed out minorities from achieving higher education and decrease the opportunity to move up in social class.Though state educational systems cannot formally institute discriminatory practices, they can subtly implement requirements such as these testing procedures. As a product of an inner city urban public school, I have experienced this first hand. Guiner and Torres (2009) discussed that a lack of education hinders social mobility, which essentially reinforces racial inequality. From third grade until passing the eleventh grade EXIT Level Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills exam, also known as the TAKS test, I was taught how to pass the TAKS test. I wasn’t taught the necessary skills needed to be successful in college.As a student who took all of the AP classes offered at my school, I was not taught to the level to pass these AP test to test out of college general education classes and I wasn’t taught on the college l evel, as the courses are designed for. As a result, upon entering college, although I had taken several AP courses during high school I had earned zero college credit hours. I was also not prepared for college level courses, I was not used to having homework, or test taking outside of the TAKS test, and didn’t feel that I possessed the skills necessary to be successful in college.This was true among many of my high school peers; many weren’t able to survive in college and dropped out after a year, some after a semester. As Aguirre and Turner (2010) put it â€Å"The school may not have intended his to occur—indeed, just the opposite—but the very nature of its structure and operation has worked to discourage students and, in so doing, has subtly and inadvertently discriminated against students†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (pg. 13) This contributes to racial inequality because statistically blacks are less prepared, and subsequently less successful in college than whites. A solution to this form of institutionalized discrimination in schools would be to eliminate standardized testing. Too much time is put into passing a test so that the school can have high numbers and not enough time is put into teaching students skills needed for achieving higher education. After talking to many of my white counterparts, I learned that their high schools spent little, if any time, teaching its students how to pass the TAKS test; they focused on college preparation.Standardized tests are not an accurate depiction of a school’s success; they unfairly hinder graduation rates and are sending young adults into society unprepared. In addition to eliminating standardized testing, schools should focus more on rigorous college level work and teaching time management skills. Because the differences in higher education preparedness is usually among Whites from suburban areas vs. Blacks and Hispanics from poor urban areas, these solutions would help close the gap. My se cond example of institutional discrimination is â€Å"steering. Steering occurs when realtors steer minorities to neighborhoods where the majority of residents are also minorities. Steering also occurs when realtors fail to inform customers of properties that meet the customers’ preferences or specifications. The purpose of this is to subtly segregate those of the same race in the same neighborhood. â€Å"The combination of growing urban Black populations and higher levels of segregation could only produce one possible outcome—higher levels of Black isolation† (Gallagher, 2009).As a result, racially segregated neighborhoods are either really nice, clean, suburban neighborhoods with low crime rates, good schools, grocery stores with healthy eating options, and shopping centers or dirty urban neighborhoods with high crime rates, low performing schools, grocery stores with bad produce and fast food restaurants with unhealthy eating options, and people having to go across town to go shopping for essentials. Racial steering not only reinforces racial inequality, it also hinders diversity.Racial steering must be stopped It would be very difficult to find a solution to eliminate racial steering. Housing acts already exist to eliminate housing discrimination but these laws may need to be expanded. The Fair Housing Act, a subsection of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 prohibits discrimination dealing with the sale, rental, or financing of housing based on race, sex, religion, or national origin. (Employment-discrimination. org) Real estate agencies should be required to show customers all housing options that meet their preferences.There should be a national database that provides realtors and real estate clients with all of the properties that meet preferences so that no available property is left out because the person is of a certain race. My third example of institutional discrimination is â€Å"redlining. † This is when banks deny or make it more difficult for people to get loans, health care, or insurance because they live in a certain area. The particular area is usually characterized by a specific race. Those who exercise red lining use â€Å"blacklists† to keep track of groups or certain areas to use for discriminatory practices.One of the most important solutions to redlining was the Fair Housing Act of 1968 which prohibited redlining that was based on race, sex, religion, gamily status, disability or ethnic origin (Wikipedia). To further the impact of this act, I think it would be important to require banks, insurance companies, and other institutions to keep information regarding their targeting of certain poverty stricken areas or racially dominated areas. This would be something similar to the guidelines of affirmative action, requiring firms to specifically target those of minority groups who are qualified.The qualifications would be based off of past financial credibility or government programs that assist those who can’t afford to pay on their own. All groups of people should have equal access to resources. Minorities shouldn’t have to worry about getting denied or have less access because of the color of their skin. â€Å"In the United States, civil rights laws and cultural beliefs do not condone discrimination as they once did; indeed they demand that all individuals be given equal access to schools, jobs, housing, and other important resources. The United States has been trying to eliminate discrimination for hundreds of years. However, because institutional discrimination is so subtle is difficult to do so completely. Many times institutional discrimination is exercised unconsciously due to the nature in which an institution is set up. Other times, institutional discrimination is very consciously practiced informally. Because of laws that explicitly prohibit discrimination, institutions strategically discriminate against individuals and racial groups by not giving them equal access to resources.This discrimination continues to contribute to racial inequality in education, housing, health care, employment, and other aspects of human life. Not only do basic discrimination laws need to be expanded, but affirmative actions laws need to be expanded as well. A major solution to discrimination is education. Minorities need to be educated themselves about the ways in which they are being denied to access to resources. The fight for equality is not over.

The Latifundia System in Rome

The latifunda system, which established first in ancient Rome around 2nd century BC, were large farms which were owned by the wealthy classes. The latifundia became common in the Roman Empire as a result of the decline of Roman moral values and the political corruption that resulted from the acquisition of wealth and power that the Empire brought. With the breakdown of the Pax Romana and the inability of Roman law to provide security, small landowners increasingly turned to larger, more powerful estates for security.Peasants turned over their land to the latifundia and formed a new class called the slaves. Slaves from conquered territory were bought and forced to manage and work. The abundant supply of slaves led to increase in worse labor condition and decrease in free laborers on these large estates. These estates turned plantation systems included a lot of working slaves, known as Latifundias, became popular and spread throughout many regions in the Roman. In my opinion, it is not ignorable that the latifundia led to huge increase in production and trade, so more profit and wealth. But these gains served only the wealthy landowners.Latifundia benefited the elite class greatly, because it provided freedom as merchant traders and they used cheap slave labour force to gain more agricultural or animal product. With the latifundia, instead of previous demands to grow grain, a new age of farming was introduced, producing olive oil and wine, and herding sheep and cattle for trade. In my opinion the increasing gap between lords and slaves was a negative effect of latifunda that lead to some social problems. For instance, only the wealthy could afford to lease this land they eventually began treating it as if it were their own and not the states.The small farmers and slaves became to depend on the wealthy class and lose their freedom. Sometimes there are several protests were all in attempt to lessen the power gap between the wealthy and poor, but, as the protests ke pt being overturned. However tension between the wealthy and peasants continued to increase. One of the important negative effects of latifundia system is â€Å"Over-farming†. As independent farmers were replaced by large slave-farmed estates the basis of farming became short-term profit; so there was little done in terms of conservation or properly fertilizing crops, so fertility  decreased quickly in these agricultural areas. Large areas of southern Italy became literal dust bowls, as they remain today.As a result, Italy could no longer feed itself. In sum, although the latifunda system raised the production and trade, it lead to negative social and environmental condition which would cause bigger problem in future in Rome.

amylase essays

amylase essays The enzyme amylase will catalyze the hydrolysis of starch to maltose when the pH is near 7.0. But when the HCl is added to the solution the amylase will be denatured which results in the enzyme being deactivated. The iodine serves as an indicator for the presence of starch. Iodine (I2) will reach with iodide ion to produce the I3- ion. This ion will form a dark blue complex with the Like most chemical reactions, the rate of an enzyme-catalyzed reaction increases as the temperature is raised. A ten degree Centigrade rise in temperature will increase the activity of most enzymes by 50 to 100%. Variations in reaction temperature as small as 1 or 2 degrees may introduce changes of 10 to 20% in the results. In the case of enzymatic reactions, this is complicated by the fact that many enzymes are adversely affected by high temperatures. As shown in Figure 13, the reaction rate increases with temperature to a maximum level, then abruptly declines with further increase of temperature. Because most animal enzymes rapidly become denatured at temperatures above 40C, most enzyme determinations are carried out somewhat Over a period of time, enzymes will be deactivated at even moderate temperatures. Storage of enzymes at 5C or below is generally the most suitable. Some enzymes lose their activity when . As amylase breaks down starch, less and less starch will be present and the color of the solution (if iodine is added) will become lighter and lighter. Enzymes are biological molecules that catalyze many different chemical reactions. With few exceptions, all enzymes are proteins and each enzyme is specific to a certain chemical reaction. Enzymes must maintain a specific three dimensional structure in order to function properly. If an enzyme's structure is altered (by heat or harsh chemicals) it may not function at all. This ...

Hearing Life in a Deaf World.

Hearing Life in a Deaf World. "Was it weird growing up having deaf parents?" "Why aren't you deaf?" "How did you learn how to talk?" "Can your parents talk?" "Is it quiet in you house?" "How do they use the phone?" When most people find that my parents are both hearing impaired, their first reaction is to automatically have sympathy for me due to this perceived disadvantage. Although I have come across the inventible obstacles, I don't view the situation as a problem, only as an opportunity that God has placed in my life for a purpose.At an early age I learned what it meant to appreciate all that was given to me. Gifts which many take for granted I cherish. From all of the so-called "hardships" that I have endured, somehow I have developed not only an open mind, but also an open heart. Exposure to dealing with this professed disability has given me the ability to see beyond that which the populace generally sees.090720-1100314"Perfect" people who lead "perfect" lives often make judgments on others. I consider tha t a more critical disability than countless physical impairments. Becoming conscious of how people react to my parents has enabled me to distinguish how much of a deficit first impressions can be. Not only has this bestowed a unique opportunity to have a lucid, understanding perspective of the lives and community of the deaf, but it has also made me become a compassionate, empathic person towards everyone. Although I am by no means perfect, this experience has helped shed light on the world in general.No, it wasn't weird growing up having deaf parents, and still isn't. Hearing impairment is not always genetic. My parents taught me how to speak. Yes, my parents are able to speak, just not very clearly. My household is actually...

Beliefs of Malcolm X

Beliefs of Malcolm X Cheyanne Ratliff 1. When Malcolm X believes when he receives an â€Å"X† is that it is an ex form of himself. He elaborated by saying that it is supposed to â€Å"[replace] the white slave master name of â€Å"little† which some blue-eyed devil named Little had imposed on my paternal forebears,† (MX, 229). His statement is correct because many of the African Americans in America were brought over from Africa by Europeans. This means that it was not the identity of his oppressor, but of the black man himself. Although they used this excuse, there was a bit of a social privilege to not being truly African. On page 4, Malcolm X states that â€Å"[m]ost Negro parents in those days would almost instinctively treat any lighter children better than they did the darker ones. It came directly from the slavery tradition that the â€Å"mulatto,† because he was visibly nearer to white, was therefore â€Å"better†,† (MX, 4-5). What this suggests is t he impact the white slave owners have had on the ancestors of blacks and how they have been raised to think like that. It means that those who are lighter tend to have a higher social privilege because of how slave owners implied that if you were lighter, you were whiter. 2. Malcolm describes how the black people are tired of the treatment of colored men and women by the police, also known as police brutality. In MX, he states that â€Å"[i]t is a miracle that 22 million black people have not risen up against their oppressors-in which they would have been justified by all moral criteria, and even by the democratic tradition,† (MX, 251). This states that Malcolm is surprised about how the black Americans have not risen up yet against their oppressors the police. Although it seems as if the police have been nothing but brutal towards black Americans, that does not always seem to be the case. In the chapter â€Å"Black Muslims†, Malcolm states that â€Å"[l]aw agencies once had scoffed at our nation as â€Å"black crackpots†; now they took special pains to safeguard against some â€Å"white crackpots† causing any â€Å"incidents† or accidents,† (MX, 252). This supports the rebuttal because it shows how although the police always seemed more hostile and aggressive towards the black people of that time, they eventually managed to see that black people needed protection too, just as the white man needed. 3. What Malcolm X is doing is he is finding the differences between segregation and separation. On page 250 of MX, he describes segregation as â€Å"when your life and liberty are controlled, regulated, by someone else,† (MX, 251) and separation as â€Å"that which is done voluntarily, by two equals- for the good of both,† (MX, 251). The difference that Malcolm X is pointing out is that with segregation, you are regulated by somebody else, compared to separation, which is when you are regulated by yourself. This conveys the wishes that many black Americans have because many of them wish to not be controlled by the white man. Although they were segregated, they still had control over their own lives. Theoretically, they let the white man back them into a corner, which then calls for them to attack and lash back in order to protect themselves and/or their community. In the book â€Å"Things Fall Apart†, Okonkwo let the white Christian missionaries back him into a corner, which then caused him to lash out and kill himself in order to protect himself and his community. Theoretically, if they had refused the push of the white man towards that corner, they could have easily been on a faster track to equality. 4. This statement is valid because it shows how the black Americans have never been free to actually act for themselves in the sense of controlling their own communities. Similar to the last question, they have been backed into a corner. He states that separation is when †Å"†that which is done voluntarily, by two equals- for the good of both,† (MX, 251). Because the blacks are not able to completely separate from the white people, they cannot reach their full potential and power. This relates to when a dog is abused by its â€Å"owner†, then they can never really function by their own means. 5. Malcom X is describing how the black hustler in the â€Å"ghetto jungles† has to survive. By saying the ghetto hustler is the â€Å"most dangerous black man in America† (MX, 318), he is talking from experience AND what he has observed. On page 173, Malcolm X describes his observations as scary because â€Å"it had taught [him] in a very few minutes to have a whole lot of respect for the human combustion that is packed among the hustlers and their young admirers who live in the ghettoes where the Northern white man has sealed-off the Negro-away from whites-for a hundred years,† (MX, 318-319). What quotation suggests is that these young people who admire the hustlers, those who are considered the â€Å"most dangerous black [men] in America† (MX, 318) are considered that because they have the most influence upon the youth, which is the next generation. This means that because the black hustlers depend on the youth, this is how they survive and keep that â€Å"black hustler legacy† going. Although this may suggest that this is where all of their power comes from in order to survive, it is not. Earlier in the book, Malcom X describes his own accord of how it works; † I was a true hustler-uneducated, unskilled at anything honorable, and I considered myself nervy and cunning enough to live by my own wits, exploiting any prey that presented itself,† (MX, 111). This quote from himself suggests that he lived by his own wits because he thought he was all that, and he became very popular among the ranks. What this quote makes people realize is that power comes from within, and that when you create an image of yourself, that power inside of you is what causes that image to come true. 6. What Malcolm X is differentiating between is the stereotype of how a white man acts like, and what a black man acts like. What this suggests is that black people, in order to be accepted, they depend upon the stereotype of the white man and decide to try and follow that to be accepted. An example of this is when Malcolm X states that â€Å"[t]he only difference was that the ones in Boston had been brainwashed even more thoroughly. They prided themselves on being incomparably more â€Å"cultured,† â€Å"cultivated,† â€Å"dignified,† â€Å"and better off than their black brethren down in the ghetto, which was no further away than you could throw a rock. Under pitiful misapprehension that it would make then â€Å"better,† these Hill Negroes were breaking their backs trying to imitate white people,† (MX, 42). This suggests that black people wil l try to imitate white people in order to seem more appealing to them. The quotation describes how societal pressures were even more severe than they are today. Before coming to a conclusion though, we must consider how the white man did not always intentionally discriminate. On page 174 of MX, he describes the cause of the black man’s condition was because of the â€Å"white man’s society [being] responsible for the black man’s condition in this wilderness of North America.† This quotation says that although there is social pressures from the white man, his society implements even more social pressures than the white man does himself. It suggests that the black community itself is more socially pressuring than the white man’s community is at times. A connection to this is from the book The Pearl by John Steinbeck, when the richer society who lived inside the gate had societal pressures pushed upon those who live outside the wall, those who lived outside of the wall developed even stronger, negative societal pressure that basically said ‘if you don’t live inside the wall you’re unsuccessful’. This eventually pushed Kino to go crazy, just because he wanted money to get into the inside of the wall. Those snooty black brethren who stuck their noses up at their brothers and sisters in the ghettoes were like Kino, and they drove themselves crazy trying to fit into an ideal placed in their heads by themselves and those around them. 7. To begin with, Hajj means pilgrimage. In order for Malcolm X and all separationists (in MX’s eyes) to achieve their goal, they must remain united. In the book, Malcolm X says that â€Å"for the black man in America the only solution is complete separation from the white man,† (MX, 250) and that â€Å"Islam is the hope for justice and equality in the world we must build tomorrow,† (MX, 241). Malcolm X here basically says that we must separate from the white men and all join Islam in order to complete their destined pilgrimage. Although this seems like the perfect solution, this is far from it. This was similar to when Hitler believed that there was only one pure race and that they should all be â€Å"separated† to be perfect, just as Malcolm X believed that there was only one way that black people could be perfect, and that was separated under the state of Islam. This is a â€Å"one right way† mindset that could potentially be dangerous if it is not handled properly. 8. America is seem as a major place full of discrimination in all parts of the world. To support this, Malcolm X states that they called them â€Å"[h]ate teachers† â€Å"violence seekers†Ã¢â‚¬ Ã¢â‚¬ black racists† â€Å"black fascists† â€Å"anti-Christian† â€Å"possibly communist inspired†,† (MX, 243). This all started because of a few racist whites had collected footage and lied about the intention s of Malcolm X and Mr. Muhammad. This is a prime example of how the Americans perceived them beause they were not only black, but also Muslim. Although this produced hate and more discrimination, it made black Muslims stronger and more powerful. This is similar to how people saw the Baton Rouge bus boycott of 1953 as a bad thing, but really it made those boycotting even stronger and more powerful. It did that because it eventually made people realize â€Å"hey maybe this is wrong.† Although this is not the case in MX, the amount of attention is similar to the amount pf attention that the bus boycott got in 1953. 9. When Malcolm X suggests when he says â€Å"thinking internally† is that the American power structure does not want them to realize how powerful they could be. Malcolm X describes this behavior as selfish when he says â€Å"he loves himself so much that he is startled if he discovers that his victims don’t share his vainglorious self-opinion,† (MX 243). What this means is that if the white man pressures black people into believing one thing about themselves, and the black people do not agree, then the white man would lash out, almost like an angry toddler. A connection to this is similar to when Donald Trump tries to convince people of one thing, and when they don’t believe it, he turns into a ‘crybaby’. But, this is not always the case. On page 318, MX describes the ghettoes, and how the people within them are preconditioned to think that they must â€Å"fight to survive†. What this suggests is that the white man’s tactics had been successful and basically â€Å"cornered† them into believing this is where they belong. This is a similar example to when you keep telling a dog that it is a bad dog. It is eventually going to believe that and not try to change that mindset. 10. When Malcolm X writes that â€Å"the seeds of racism are so deeply rooted many whites are even unaware of their own racism†( MX, 369-370) , he is basically saying that the hate of blacks has been passed on for so long, it has practically become tradition. And with tradition, there is always a wish for change, so blacks were always pushed to become lighter or to act more ‘white’. In The Autobiography of Malcolm X , Malcolm X says â€Å"I remember that I thought that it looked as if my father’s strong black face had been dusted with flour, and I wished they hadn’t put on such a lot of it† (MX, 11). What MX is saying by this is that he wished that they wouldn’t have tried to have his father look lighter because it strayed the thought of his strong, deep ebony father he had etched into his mind. This could be related to how when certain family members die, their kids do not want certain things done to those family members because it takes away from the thought of them they already have in their heads. But, sometimes the families will go again st embracing their loved ones wishes. For example, on page 8 of The Autobiography of Malcolm X, MX talks about how his ) mom would make him go outside to â€Å"[l]et the sun shine on [him] so [he] can get some color.† (MX, 8). What this suggests is that even though MX was okay with his skin color and the lightness/darkness of it, his mother still pressured him to get MORE color because that was her tradition, or hoe she was raised. This is similar to how President Obama had to think about his traditions and values before he made any decisions, like all presidents have done/ will do. 11. MX is basically suggesting that this mass genocide had welcomed them into the system, and now they needed to be accepted. The best way to be accepted though, in MX’s eyes, was to revolt. On page 375 he praises the revolt saying that â€Å"the negroes so-called â€Å"revolt† is merely an asking to be accepted into the existing system!† (MX, 375). This suggests that the bl ack people believe that they have to fight their way to earn recognition and respect within the system, like they grew up believing. This is similar to how many of the young hustlers grew up seeing pimps and hustlers fighting in the streets to survive, learning from them how they need to fight to survive like that too. But, even though they needed to fight to get into the system, there were many placed throughout the U.S that had accepted the black people into their systems. This proved good, but few people saw it. 12. MX is basically calling to arms for the black people to â€Å"take no shit†. He believes, through the massive rallies that â€Å"were [an] astounding success† he had helped raise awareness, and now they needed to do whatever possible to keep that awareness up and continue with pursuing equal rights. Even though there isn’t really a rebuttal for this, I feel as if MX had to convince himself of that too, considering when the press came at him afte r the film â€Å"The Hate That Hate Produced† aired, he had to consult Mr. Muhammad on what to do because he hadn’t stayed confident enough in himself OR his followers to believe that they were strong enough to keep earning those rights. This is similar to when he believed that things would not get better for him in jail, so he had to depend on his God for help and guidance. 13. What Malcom X is saying is that the white man has preconditioned the black man for a life of crime and discrimination! To support this, he states on page 248 that many black men were converted to the white man’s way of thinking because of money or promises of a better life, so they became â€Å"black bodies with white heads† (MX 248). This means that they would give up anything for a better life, because they knew that the one that they were living at that moment wouldn’t’ve gotten them anywhere in life, so they became one with the enemy. Although this was the case , many black people had switched sides due to all of the negativity towards MX and Elijah Muhammad and their teachings due to â€Å"The Hate That Hate Produced†. This is similar to when you are in a car crash and hurt your neck, so if you try to move it or anything, you will just hurt it more because of the problems that are already there. Reflection 1. The most novel claim was that traditions could be pressured onto other people who weren’t associated with those people to begin with. It was novel because it was true, otherwise racism and discrimination would not have occurred. 2. page 243 and 251 (Questions 9+2) 3. Danya’s explaination of how the blacks were preconditioned to live and think a certain way, and Liz’s which piggybacked upon that. 4. This is similar to when you are in a car crash and hurt your neck, so if you try to move it or anything, you will just hurt it more because of the problems that are already there. 5. Question two bec ause it provided a lot of discussion. 6. Question twelve because I went so in depth with it because it interested me.

Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 16

Marketing - Essay Example Nevertheless, the company has built a reputation with teenagers and young adults who generally flock their stores to purchase fashionable clothes of their choice. As such, these clothing apparels, which are produced and marketed internationally requires strategic decision making. For A&F to make good judgements regarding its operations, the company must primarily perceive the external factors that may affect the company’s operation that are out of its direct control (CIPD, 2008). Understanding the macro-environment aids both in the detection of possible opportunities and financial threats for and to the business respectively. In order to perceive a better view of the environment where Abercrombie and Fitch operates in, the PESTLE analysis should be used to identify risks, growth and decline, proper market positioning and possible direction for the overall improvement of the company’s product and organizational management (CIPD, 2008). PESTLE stands for Political, Economic, Sociological, Technological, Legal and Environmental (CIPD, 2008). Taking into consideration the individual elements of PESTLE as previously mentioned the Abercrombie and Fitch Management should decisively analyze the following: 1. Political – as a retail clothes company that manages outlets internationally, management at A&F must de aware of the different government regulations regarding trading policies with regards to trade restrictions and tariffs that may apply. It should also be updated with political trends, international pressure groups and inter-country relationships. 2. Economic encompasses the overseas economic trends. Taxation changes specific to product/service. The company must also be aware of interest and exchange rates on international trade and monetary issues. A study of credit availability, cost of living, economic growth and wage rates among others must be done on a