Review of Amelie

ReThe fabulous destiny of Amelie Poulain is a French film written and directed by Jean Pierre Jeunette and set in Montmartre. It is a whimsical description of contemporary Parisian life. This romantic comedy met with critical acclaim and was a box-office success. Amelie, aged 23, finds behind a loosen tile of her bathroom an old metal box of childhood memorabilia hidden by a boy who lived in her apartment decades earlier.Fascinated by this find, she resolves to track down the now adult man who placed it there and return it to him, making a promise to herself in the process: if she finds him and it makes him happy, she will devote her life to bringing happiness to others. What she could not imagine is that while doing this she would meet a really special person, Nino, played Mathew Kassovitz. What makes this film totally different from the rest of romantic comedies, apart from Amelie’s eccentric attitude to life, is that it is set in an ideal Montmartre where certain colors pre dominate depending on how Amelie feels and.That creates a really special environment, making the spectator get deeply involved in the story. This fast-moving film has so many details that I would dare to say that it is almost impossible to get them all but this way, watched carefully, there’s always something new to find out about it. Not only is this an absolutely gripping film but also so moving that all lovers of romantic stories won’t help being touched by the charming Amelie Poulain.

British Gas HRM Case Study Essay

The UK enjoys a wealth of indigenous energy resources and has the technical expertise and experience to exploit them. Much of this expertise is being utilized in gainful commercial ventures overseas. In its position as one of the most energy-rich countries in Europe, the UK is uniquely placed to profit from a strong energy market. Expenditure on energy amounted to  £99.87bn in 2008. UK householders spent  £40.67bn on energy products, representing 5.2% of total consumer expenditure. Privatization has provided the impetus for competition, resulting in a major restructuring of the energy industries and the companies involved. Restructuring commenced in the late 1980s with the privatization of the gas sector, closely followed by similar moves in the electricity, coal and nuclear sectors. Oil resources had always been in private hands. Full liberalization was achieved in May 1999, with the completion of the opening up of the electricity market. All consumers, both domestic and business, are now free to choose their supplier of gas or electricity. A succession of bids, notably in the electricity sector where many of the regional electricity companies (RECs) are under new ownership, has changed the nature and structure of the energy industry. Thus, public electricity suppliers have evolved since privatization into complex structures embracing diverse businesses. Most have extended their interests into generation or are part of wider groups with major interests in generation. . Acquisitions by foreign concerns, notably from the US and from Europe, have created a much more international industry. The  £10bn take-over of Powered PLC by E.ON of Germany remains on track for completion in 2002. However, the  cost of acquiring energy customers has become too high for some US energy groups. The collapse of Enron Corp., the energy trading group, in November 2001, was threatening to destabilize energy markets in the US and Europe. 1.1 BRITISH GAS British Gas is Britain’s favorite domestic energy supplier. As well as providing gas and electricity, they also install and maintain central heating and gas appliances in millions of homes throughout the country. Part of the energy group Centrica, British Gas provides gas, electricity and home repair services to eight million home and business customers in England, Scotland and Wales. It is the UK’s largest operator in the installation and maintenance of domestic central heating and gas appliances, serving 16.6 million customers. In addition, their customers turn to them to provide expert, hassle-free care that takes care of their kitchen appliances, home electrics and plumbing and drains. Everything they do is driven by their desire to deliver high quality products and services. They operate in England and Wales under the British Gas brand name and as Scottish Gas in Scotland. Among a total workforce of 28,000, British Gas employs more than 9,000 trained engineers who carry out servicing and break-down calls. In 2008, 2.2% of its engineering workforce was female and 4.6% were from an ethnic minority background. Against the background of a highly competitive energy market, they continue to be the first choice gas supplier for millions of customers. What’s more, since the residential electricity market opened to competition in 1998, they’ve grown to become the largest supplier of electricity to residential customers in Britain. 2.0 Challenges faces by HR managers at British Gas Over the last 20 years, the workplace has changed in more ways than one could have ever imagined, resulting from the increase in technology, innovation and globalization, new employment legislations, different attitude in society, economic recession and ethnic diversification. The next decade will bring even greater change, impacting all facets of the workplace, including major changes for the HR department and HR managers. In order to respond to the demands of globalization, HR managers at British gas will require new  skills and competencies relating to language and culture, technology capabilities, methods to measure and quantify effectiveness and evaluate strategies and return on investment. Evidently, these skills and competencies will result in an emerging new role for HR managers, requiring them to be strategic business partner, supportive of the overall corporate strategy. The role of HR managers has changed from a less administrative role to more of a strategic role. HR managers will continually be required to prove their effectiveness and their existence. They will be expected to understand strategic business practices and promote cultural diversity within the organization. They will need to understand the core business of the organization and become partners with line managers. They will need to prove that their initiatives and programs are result-oriented, providing specific measurable results in terms of business competitiveness that contribute positively to the bottom-line of the organization. They will be required to stay current with leading edge as more and more organization is faced with the demands of globalization and strategic alliances with other competitive organizations in the energy sector in UK. Whilst the current economic climate is clearly influencing the agenda for HR leaders, the challenges of retaining, motivating and aligning em ployees remain a priority. The results show that more than ever there is pressure on HR to deliver real business impact, and to do so with HR costs constrained. (The green village, 2009) Intuitive talent management systems, designed for the business as well as HR, can play a critical part in ensuring the organizational adoption of any talent strategy. The number of respondents prioritizing the need for performance management, succession and career planning systems shows that HR managers realize the importance of enabling technology in executing talent management programs. Workplace flexibility is expected to be on the rise as the future workplace, the ‘virtual office’ is characterized by creative and flexible work arrangements. As more employees work off-site-up to two thirds of an organization in the 21st century – there will be an increase in emphasis on performance and results as opposed to the number of hours worked. In addition, off-site employees can expect to attend fewer meetings. Specified work will become much more collaborative and management will spend nearly all its time managing cross-functional work teams who enjoy a lot of autonomy. In essence, there will be a movement, a  trend towards a decentralized model of HR. HR managers will have to accommodate employees in their virtual work locations and find ways to manage corporate culture, socialization and employee orientation. In order to obtain and maintain a competent workforce, they must act as organizational performance experts and shape employees behavior without face to face meetings.( Research and markets, 2009) Globalization will impact HR managers by requiring new skills such as language capabilities. For e.g., in order to recruit employees from other cultures, HR managers will either have to learn new languages or else they will certainly have to have foreign speakers on staff. But in order to facilitate communication among p eople coming from a wide range of language backgrounds in UK. Organization must take into account cultural differences that shape managerial attitudes, when developing multinational management programs. For e.g., British managers value individual achievement and autonomy, whereas French managers appreciate competent supervision, fringe benefits, security and comfortable conditions, while Indian managers gives more importance of their culture and tradition. HR managers in British gas must therefore be familiar with and understand other cultural norms to promote organization diversity. An organization that recognizes and promotes cultural diversity will benefit because it will be employing the market that it serves. With increasing globalization and competition within the market, a diverse workforce is conducive to attracting and retaining a strong client base. While competing in an international market, employees from diverse national backgrounds provide language skills and understanding of other cultures. HR professionals will also be responsible for providing cultural sensitivity training for the organizations employees and for managers throughout the entire organization. (Czebter, Anamaria, 2002) HR professionals play a critical role in the globalization process by helping companies evaluate the human resource prospects and possibilities involved in moving to different regions of the world (Marsnik and Luthans, 1997). As the global economic crisis continues to impact businesses, employee retention is seen as the greatest challenge overall. This reflects the need for organizations to identify and retain top talent during a period when internal mobility is essential to retain a competitive edge and ensure  company survival as the UK economy slows. Since 2006, the ‘HR Challenges’ research has found that employee retention is the biggest concern for HR managers. In an unstable economy, employee engagement tools such as effective goal alignment, internal mobility, career planning and succession programs are essential for motivating the workforce. According to reports, almost half of HR managers named ‘a system to improve performance management, succession and career planning’ as the one thing that would help them do their jobs better in 2009. Whilst the current economic climate is clearly influencing the agenda for HR leaders, the challenges of retaining, motivating and aligning employees remain a priority. 3.0 HRM Models 3.1 Guest’s model of HRM David Guest’s (1989, 1997) model of HRM has 6 dimensions of analysis: * HRM strategy * HRM practices * HRM outcomes * Behavior outcomes * Performance outcomes * Financial outcomes The model is prescriptive in the sense that it is based on the assumption that HRM is distinctively different from traditional personnel management .It is idealistic, implicitly embodying the belief that fundamental elements of the HRM approach (essentially those of the Harvard map) such as commitment have a direct relationship with valued business consequences. However, Guest has acknowledged that the concept of commitment is ‘messy’ and that the relationship between commitment and high performance is (or, perhaps, was – given the age of this material) difficult to establish. It also employs a ‘flow’ approach, seeing strategy underpinning practice, leading to a variety of desired outcomes. Like its American predecessors, this UK model is unitarist (tying employee behavior and commitment into the goals of strategic management) and lukewarm on the value of trade unions. The employee relationship is viewed as one between the individual and the organizat ion. 3.2 The Harvard Model of HRM This map is based on an analytical approach and provides a broad causal depiction of the ‘determinants and consequences of HRM policies.’ It shows human resource policies to be influenced by two significant considerations: * Situational factors in the outside business environment or within the firm such as laws and societal values, labor market conditions, unions, work-force characteristics, business strategies, management philosophy, and task technology. According to Beer et al these factors may constrain the formation of HRM policies but (to varying degrees) they may also be influenced by human resource policies. * Stakeholder interests, including those of shareholders, management employees, unions, community, and government. Beer et al argue that human resource policies SHOULD be influenced by ALL stakeholders. If not, ‘the enterprise will fail to meet the needs of these stakeholders in the long run and it will fail as an institution.’ The authors also contend that human resource policies have both immediate organizational outcomes and long-term consequences. Managers can affect a number of factors by means of the policy choices they make, including: – The overall competence of employees, – the commitment of employees, – the degree of congruence between employees’ own goals and those of the organization, and – the overall cost effectiveness of HRM practices. 3.3 HR Activities of British Gas British Gas ran a number of diversity workshops, primarily for its senior and middle managers, to engage them and help them understand what the organization was trying to achieve and why it was trying to achieve it, and show them what a diverse workforce would look like ‘on their patch’. Meanwhile, all managers who are either involved in recruiting and/or managing staff and all recruitment specialists have undergone equality and diversity training to again ensure they fully understand what British Gas is trying to achieve and why, and are able to make decisions free from bias. When recruiting British gas use technical skills to undertake the work to the required standard to having the people skills to deliver excellent  customer services. As a result, recruitment and selection of apprentices and trainees is increasingly focusing on recruiting for attitude. Examples of attributes and competencies that British Gas looks for are listed on the Recruitment website and inclu de: ââ€"  Good communication, organizational and problem-solving skills ââ€"  Aptitude for team work ââ€"  Careful, accurate and methodical approach ââ€"  Polite, tactful, friendly, professional, with a pleasant manner for dealing with customers. With the change in emphasis away from pure technical skills to behaviors and attributes, there were initial concerns that the quality of the intake or the pass rates could drop within the Academy. Carole Willsher says: ‘We were a little worried that we would get apprentices and trainees with great people and communication skills, but who were technically not very good. But that’s not been borne out at all. The pass marks remain very high. It shows that if you’ve got the attitude to want to learn and get on, you can do really well All the recruitment policies, practices and literature have been reviewed to remove any gender or race bias. In addition, a thorough audit of policies and practices to remove any age bias was carried out at group level by parent company Centrica ahead of the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations in 2006. It brought to light the need to make a number of changes, the most significant of which was the removal of upper age limits for entrance to the British Gas apprenticeship scheme (Previously, the scheme was targeted at young adults in the 17–23 age range). British Gas is focusing this year on developing partnerships with organizations that have already built strong links with its target audiences, including Job centre Plus; the London Development Agency; housing associations and specialist groups including the Windsor Fellowship, a charity that offers educational and leadership programs to develop diverse young talent; Women and Manual Trades; and YWCA, a charity working with disadvantaged women in England and Wales. 4.0 Recruitment and selection The overall aim of the recruitment and selection process should be to obtain at minimum cost the number and quality of employees required to satisfy the human resource needs of the company. The three stages of recruitment and selection dealt with are 1. Defining requirements – Preparing job descriptions and specifications; deciding terms and conditions of employment; 2. Attracting candidates – reviewing and evaluating alternative sources of applicants; inside and outside the company, advertising, using agencies and consultants; 3. Selecting candidates –sifting applications, interviewing, testing, assessing candidates, assessment centers, offering employment, obtaining references; preparing contract of employment. (Armstrong, 2007) 4.1 British Gas Recruitment and Selection Process The greater focus on customer service skills and personal attributes is reflected throughout the recruitment process itself. The initial application form must now be completed online. Basic biographical information is requested, and applicants are required to complete basic Maths, English and logic tests. However, the key part of the application is a personality/work style questionnaire, which is used to assess an applicant’s suitability. Applicants must respond to a series of questions designed to assess their attitude to work and people. The questionnaire is lengthy, as similar questions are asked in a number of different ways to ensure consistency of responses. Applicants who score highly after this initial screening then have a telephone interview to confirm essential information – for example, to be eligible for the apprentice technical engineer program, applicants must be aged at least 17, must have four GCSEs at grade C or above, and must hold a full or provision al UK driver’s license. Those who pass this stage are then invited to an assessment centre. There are three elements to the assessment day – an interview, a role play exercise and a manual dexterity test. The interview is largely based around questions relating to the candidate’s completed online questionnaire to further assess their personal  attributes and competencies. Similarly, the role play is also used to assess a candidate’s attitude and whether they are able to understand and assimilate information, but more importantly, to see how they deal with customers. The test involves a practical assessment, but no gas-related knowledge is required – it is simply designed to assess whether the candidate is able to follow step-by-step instructions and handle small components. The recruitment process is lengthy but thorough and a big investment in terms of time and resources for British Gas, admits Carole Willsher. ‘But it’s been designed that way to ensure that we ge t the right people with the right skills who will fit into our organization and help us move closer to where we want to be in terms of having a diverse engineering workforce.’ Recruiting is an uncertain game, even at the best of times. On the other hand the larger your pool of candidates, the greater your chance of finding someone who is just right for you. However, this possibility has to be balanced again the fact that you can’t interview hundreds of candidates for every available post. So you need to develop the expertise of defining your job requirements, while ensuring that these requirements are presented to the widest possible field of candidates in the given context. (Pettinger and Allen, 2007) British Gas ran a number of diversity workshops, primarily for its senior and middle managers, to engage them and help them understand what the organization was trying to achieve and why it was trying to achieve it, and show them what a diverse workforce would look like ‘on their patch’. Meanwhile, all managers who are either involved in recruiting and/or managing staff and all recruitment specialists have undergone equality and diversity training to again ensure they fully understand what British Gas is trying to achieve and why, and are able to make decisions free from bias. Selection involves a number of costs; the cost of the selection process itself including the use of various instruments, the future costs of inducting and training new staff and the cost of labor turnover if selected staff is not retained. (Bratton and Gold, 2000) 4.2 British Gas Targeted advertising British Gas uses a variety of ways and media to appeal to its target audiences, including: ââ€"  advertising in magazines like ‘Bliss’ and ‘Sugar’ which are aimed at teenage girls, careers-type websites like Voice and The Asian News, and the gay media ââ€"  redesigning its recruitment advertisements in terms of both images and language to reach Out to people from more diverse backgrounds ââ€"  ensuring that marketing materials such as recruitment brochures and its dedicated recruitment website (www.britishgasacademy.co.uk) portray a diverse range of individuals to help challenge stereotypical attitudes and project an inclusive image – for example, the website contains a number of real apprentice and trainee profiles including Kirk (a BME apprentice technical engineer) and Maria (a female BME trainee electrical field engineer) ââ€"  producing DVDs for schools and partner organizations One of the key objectives of the diversity team is to increase the number of applications from under-represented groups. To attract as wide a range of talent as possible, the team has introduced changes to all areas of the recruitment and selection process, including developing partnerships with organizations that have already established relationships with their target audiences; reviewing all its policies and practices to remove any gender, race or age bias; and changing the emphasis from recruiting for technical ability to recruiting for attitude. 4.3 Outreach The diversity team adopts a number of positive action strategies to raise awareness of the different opportunities available at British Gas among under-represented groups including running taster days and building partnerships with organizations that already work with people who are among their target audience 4.4 Partnership working Recognizing that there are difficulties gaining access to under-represented groups, British Gas is focusing this year on developing partnerships with organizations that have already built strong links with its target audiences, including Job centre Plus; the London Development Agency; housing associations and specialist groups including the Windsor Fellowship, a charity that offers educational and leadership programs to develop diverse young talent; Women and Manual Trades; and YWCA, a charity working with disadvantaged women in England and Wales. Another way that British Gas is developing partnerships is by working with other large employers, particularly those that experience similar issues in the recruitment of a diverse workforce, such as the London Fire Brigade and BT Open reach. The aim of these relationships is to share best practice and data for benchmarking purposes. 4.5 Taster days British Gas regularly runs women-only and BME taster days, with the specific aim of attracting women and ethnic minorities into engineering and apprenticeships. The day is designed to give participants a clearer understanding of the engineering opportunities at British Gas. Attendees are given a presentation on the career paths available, an opportunity to meet engineers to find out what the job is really about, and a chance to question a panel of recruitment and training experts from the Academy. Taster days are usually planned to coincide with the availability of apprentice or trainee positions in a particular area, so that if people are interested by what they find out, they can apply while they are still keen. 4.6 Ambassadors British Gas has developed a network of engineering ‘ambassadors’ from its workforce – apprentices, trainees and qualified engineers – who provide support to the diversity team in recruitment and awareness-raising activities including school visits, careers events and taster days. They are  able to promote a positive side to engineering and their ability to tell people firsthand what they do on a day-to-day basis and what it is really like to work for the organization is a powerful tool in changing perceptions and in motivating young people, women and those from a BME background to consider a ‘non-traditional’ career in engineering. The ambassadors are also used as role models in promotional materials such as DVDs, recruitment brochures and the Academy’s dedicated website, and in media campaigns. 5.0 Training and Development Training enables people to perform better in their jobs, when they perform better they feel pride and fulfillment. (Allen, 1996) To attempt to identify the dynamics in an organization which demonstrate that development of self and others is being taken seriously at all levels and that such investment is having a positive impact on individual and corporate performance. Such a quest begs all sorts of questions, Does strategic training only incorporate that which has a quantifiable effect on business objectives.( Mabey and Salaman ,1999) 5.1 British Gas Training & Development At British Gas take training and development very seriously, beginning with an induction program that will give all the skills need to succeed. They want people training to be a rewarding and enjoyable experience, so have made sure that trainees are involved all the way through from day one until graduation. And trainees will find that the more they put in, the more they’ll get out, with the ultimate goal to be ready for a role within one of our existing British Gas Energy Sales teams. Trainees will learn not only about the history of British Gas, but also brand and what it means. Naturally this will include their fantastic products and services, so trainees’ have the confidence to talk to people about all their energy and home services needs. Company’ll also look at the important sales side of the role, helping trainees refine their existing skills, or develop new ones if they don’t come from a sales background. Once completed training, they’ll be supported through their first few weeks by an experienced buddy who will  be on hand to offer guidance and develop skills further. In addition manager will also regularly review progress and answer any queries so trainee won’t be left feeling on their own. In short, company has an excellent training package waiting for recruits. Training that will give them the skills and knowledge which, in addition to natural enthusiasm, will help take advantage of company position as the largest energy supplier in the UK when speaking with prospective and existing customers. Recruit’ll also be rewarded for efforts with continued development opportunities. 5.2 British Gas AcademyBBBBB Energy Academy Box 2: The British Gas Energy Academy Established in 2003, the British Gas Energy Academy (the ‘Academy’) was set up to address a severe shortage of qualified gas engineers. This was caused largely by the privatization of the gas industry in 1986, which led to major fragmentation of the industry – large organizations were broken up while new players entered the market, and the number of qualified engineers in the UK failed to keep up with demand. With a plan to recruit an additional 5,000 new engineers by 2007/08 to address this skills shortage, and recognizing the significant financial investment this would involve, British Gas created the Academy, bringing together existing internal training centers, the recruitment function and the management of third-party training. This facility enabled British Gas to recruit and train large groups of suitable individuals to become fully competent engineers. The Academy runs two types of training programs for those who choose a career as an engineer: it offers apprenticeships for individuals wishing to become technical engineers responsible for central heating system maintenance and installation, and traineeships, primarily for people looking for a career change, so they become qualified engineers responsible for maintaining electrical and gas appliances. In addition to training new recruits, the training centers are used for mandatory competency training and three-yearly assessments of trained engineers to ensure they maintain their skills and keep up to date with new information and technologies. Today: ââ€"  the remit of the Academy has since been expanded to handle all volume recruitment for British Gas, including call centre and sales staff as well as induction and skills training for call centre and operational agents and team leaders ââ€"  all  recruitment is channeled through a dedicated website, www.britishgasacademy.co.uk, which has around 38,000 visitors a month ââ€"  the Academy invests around  £30 million each year recruiting and training staff ââ€"  training is delivered at a number of purpose-built facilities across the UK, stretching from Hamilton in Scotland to hatcham in Berkshire. 6.0 Performance Management Performance management is a process on performance measurement approaches, such as the balanced scorecard. While the balanced scorecard offers a framework for the collection of strategic information, performance management ensures that results are used to influence the selection of planned actions and to foster the renewal of dynamic, competitive strategy. Unlike most tools and techniques, performance management is a continuous, enterprise-wide process, rather than a one-time, isolated event. Six Performance Management imperatives are Compliance Management, Profitability Management, Cost Management, Performance Improvement, and Business Innovation 6.1 British Gas Performance Management British Gas performance appraisals Serve as an objective basis for communicating about performance and Enable the employee to differentiate between unacceptable and acceptable results. Increasing job, inform new expectations about job performance and encouraging the open and trusting relationship with employees. Performance expectations are the foundation for appraising employee performance. Standards recognize is a baseline for measuring performance. From performance standards, supervisors can provide specific feedback relating the gap between expected and actual performance. 6.2 British Gas use following steps to review employee performances Ask the employee to meet for the review; have the employee estimate progress-to-date. Begin meeting by asking employee to estimate progress-to-date toward each goal. Listen to employee’s comments and take notes. Discuss progress and praise employee, Manager and employee need to engage in fact-finding and determining progress-to-date. It is vital that  regardless of how far away employee is from meeting the goal, manager praise him/her for his/her progress-to-date. Re-negotiate goals and/or resources where deviation is significant, If the deviation is downward, manager and his employee should discuss causes and solutions to agree on appropriate actions. Appropriate actions may include increasing available resources, agreeing on activities which will enable employee to meet goals or adjust the goals downward. If, on the other hand, employee is exceeding goals, manager should discuss how added effort and/or resources may be utilized to further exceed the goal. Manager and his employee may decide to add additional goals at this time as well. Write down new agreements and set a follow-up date, Take notes during the discussion. These should be used as a summary of the agreements so that both manager and his employee can review them. A new follow-up session should be scheduled at a time when the data will be available to evaluate progress toward the goal(s). Thank employee, But what if the performance has been below agreed targets; the appraiser must be able to review and set objectives which will improve performance. Performances discussions are monitored externally to ensure consistency .Staff are introduced to a series of mutual benefits. For the individual it stressed clarity of expectations, strengths, feedback on results and the improvement in motivation and ability to independently gain recognition. For the organization it stresses performance, team sprit, accountability, reduced errors and flexibility. Performance appraisals looks forward to agree standards, targets and training that will help improve performance and achieve company business objectives. 7.0 References Armstrong,M.(2007)A hand book of human resource management practice ,10th ed†¦,London: Kogan Page Hendry,C.(1995) Human resource management a strategic approach to employment , 1st ed†¦, Oxford: Butterworth – Heinemann Marbey,C and Salaman,G. (1998) Human resource management a strategic introduction ,2nd ed†¦, Oxford: Blackwell Publishers Bratton,J and Gold,j.(2000) Human resource management theory and practice ,2nd ed†¦,London: MACMILLAN press Schuler,R and Jackson,S (1999) Strategic human resource management , 1st ed†¦, Oxford: Blackwell Publishers Allen,J.(1996) Motivating people , 1st ed†¦, London: Kogan Page Forsyth,P.(2001) Developing your staff, 2nd ed†¦, London: Kogan Page Pettinger,R and Allen,K.(2007) Weekend MBA , 1st ed†¦, West Sussex: John Willy & Sons British Gas (2009)’Valuing Employees’, web page accessed on 19/12/2009 from http;//www.britishgas.co.uk Total Success (2009) ‘Performance Appraisals’, web page accessed on 13/12/2009 from http;//www.totalsuccess.co.uk Guardian (2009) ‘ British energy industry’, web page accessed on 10/12/2009 from http;// www.guardian.co.uk British Gas (2009)’British gas academy’, web page accessed on 17/12/2009 from http;//www.britishgas.co.uk British Gas (2009)’Our business’, web page accessed on 08/12/2009 from http;//www.britishgas.co.uk British Gas (2009)’Career influencers’, web page accessed on 15/12/2009 from http;//www.britishgas.co.uk British Gas (2009)’Resources’, web page accessed on 18/12/2009 from http;//www.britishgas.co.uk British Gas (2009)’how we’ve structured’, web page accessed on 19/12/2009 from http;//www.britishgas.co.uk British Gas (2009)’Training and development’, web page accessed on 19/12/2009 from http;//www.britishgasjobs.co.uk

Back in Shakespeare Essay Example for Free

Back in Shakespeare Essay Romeo and Juliet (446) , Capulet (321) , Montague (266) , Tybalt (192) , Benvolio (113) company About StudyMoose Contact Careers Help Center Donate a Paper Legal Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy Complaints Back in Shakespeare’s days courtly love was a fashionable tradition. What happened was the men saw the women as Goddesses but their love was more often unrequited. But the men would send them love letters in the form of sonnets in order to win the woman’s love, however it usually failed leaving the man feeling melancholic. This is the position Romeo found himself in as he was in love with a girl called Rosaline. Montague and Benvolio notice a change in Romeo’s behaviour due to this and Montague explains how he â€Å"shuts up his windows† and â€Å"locks fair daylight out† this shows that Romeo attempts to isolate himself from the outside world and really is depressed. As Romeo enters the scene the audience can see for themselves his state of mind during his conversation with Benvolio. His replies to Benvolio’s comments are short and subdued and he explains, â€Å"sad hours seem long†. We can work out from this that Romeo is not having a good time so our sympathy wins him over and we hope for his luck to change. As we move onto scene 2, we meet Paris, who is a man hoping to marry Juliet and is trying to convince Capulet to allow him to, however Capulet seems to think Juliet is too young for marriage as â€Å"She hath not seen the change of fourteen years†. The possible marriage between Paris and Juliet is exciting for the audience yet it is an obstacle between the forthcoming relationship between Romeo and Juliet. The scene then cuts back to Romeo and his problems with courtly love. Benvolio who is aware of Romeo’s problem tries to be a useful friend by giving him advice. His advice is â€Å"one fire burns out another’s burning†, this is a metaphorical way of putting; you should find someone else and forget about Rosaline. Then as ‘Clown’ from the Capulet family is struggling to read a party invitation he asks Romeo and Benvolio to read the list out for him. Romeo notices that Rosalie’s name is on this list and the pair therefore decide to find a way of going to the ‘masqued ball’ to give Romeo a chance of fore filling his dream of meeting Rosaline. The fact it’s a masqued ball means they can get in whilst in disguise and probably get away with it and this thought enters Benvolio’s head. In scene 3 we meet the Nurse. A nurse is the Elizabethan equivalent to a child minder, however in these days they were hired out commonly by wealthy upper class families and were pretty much part of the family, they would raise the children and even breast feed them when they are babies. This particular Nurse raised Juliet and the two of them are very close. She is a bubbly character who often tells sexual jokes or sexual innuendo’s and tells Juliet stories about when she was younger usually embarrassing her. From seeing the play myself I remember the nurse being an entertaining character and was an audience favourite which was most noticeable by the applause she got at the end. Her sexual humour is shown where she says, â€Å"dost thou fall upon thy face? Thou wilt fall backward when thou hast more wit, wilt thou not, Jule?† This is a crude joke of falling onto her back for sex and most fourteen year olds would find an adult talking to them like this terribly embarrassing yet the audience find it comical and entertaining. Soon after; Juliet discovers Paris’s desire to marry her and to the nurses delight Juliet replies â€Å"It is an honour that I dream not of†. Again the audience are excited by what is now a probable marriage yet it also questions the possibility of Romeo and Juliet getting together. Whilst on their way to the Capulet masqued ball Romeo predicts the future when saying â€Å"for my mind misgreaves some consequence, yet hanging in the stars†, similarly to what it says in the prologue; Romeo is saying he fears an unfortunate accident. The audience therefore semi-expect this to ironically happen. This is meant to create tension especially when he says about an â€Å"untimely death†, which along with the prologue suggests young death. Scene 5 is set in the Capulet household as it is the location of their ‘masqued ball’. A ‘masqued ball’ was a fashionable party to have in Elizabethan times where everyone went disguised in a mask. It was the equivalent to what a fancy dress party is today and this is why the Montague’s were able to get in with little suspicion from the Capulet’s. Party’s are always a popularity and so Shakespeare made this scene a key one in the play for the entertainment of the audience. From what the audience have seen so far, Romeo is a melodramatic isolated character. He has won over our sympathy and as he is one of the main characters we all want to see things turn around for him. The reason Shakespeare presents him as a melancholic lover is to emphasise the artificial nature of his love for Rosaline in comparison to the genuine emotion he feels for Juliet. We witness the two types of love juxtaposed and recognise that his love for Juliet is positive, energising and less of a ‘pose’. But by presenting him in love with someone else initially, it creates romantic suspense for the audience. When Romeo first sees Juliet, it is described as ‘love at first sight’, this really helps to emphasise how he feels about her. From the audiences point of view, Romeo appears to be shocked by how much Juliet stands out by the way he says â€Å"O she doth teach torches to burn bright†, the reason he says ‘O’ at the start of his speech is purely to emphasise his emotion. The speech as a whole is a type of light imagery and explains how her beauty stands out so much to Romeo. He then goes on to say â€Å"†¦she hangs upon the cheek of night / As a rich jewel in an Ethiops ear†, this is a metaphorical way of saying that she is beautiful, precious and rare to him as is â€Å"Beauty too rich for use†. These are both examples of wealth imagery. The majority of his speech in this part of the scene is imagery and metaphorical to help stress his feelings for Juliet, he also claims she â€Å"Shows a snowy dove trooping with crows†. This is in the category of bird and colour imagery and helps to stand out the point that she really does stand out from the crowd. As explained by courtly love, it was a common thing for men to respect women like they are goddesses, and Romeo uses this kind of ‘holy imagery’ when he says â€Å"†¦touching hers, make blessed my rude hand†. Overall the speech shows strong romantic inte rest due to how Romeo is so intense, passionate and genuine. This is one of the most loving parts of the story; however it is interrupted as the fiery character of Tybalt notices that a Montague is present. He clearly shows his anger by referring Romeo as a â€Å"slave†, which is saying that Romeo is like his inferior. As Capulet enters the scene; Tybalt threatens to â€Å"strike him dead†, however, Capulet bears in mind what the Prince said, in that any more fighting would mean their â€Å"lives would pay the forfeit† and as he wants no violence at the party, he aggressively prevents Tybalt from making any wrong moves. The hatred is then interrupted by the love of Romeo and Juliet as they meet and talk for the first time. Their conversation is set out in the style of a sonnet as of course; these were popular in the Elizabethan and Medieval times. It is very poetic, passionate and filled with religious imagery. The language is intense, memorable and uses rhyming couplets at the end of every other line to help it to sound better and stand out. Juliet is very responsive to Romeo’s requests and appears to want Romeo to kiss her, which was a rarity in the courtly love tradition. Romeo flirtatiously refers to Juliet as a ‘Pilgrim’; this shows how he respects her like a Goddess and this is the start of a large amount of religious imagery. In addition to that, Juliet answers back with her own religious metaphors like â€Å"And palm to palm is holy palmers kiss† this also contains some alliteration due to the repetitive use of words containing ‘palm’. The speech overall is a pattern of Romeo flirting to Juliet and Juliet flirting back, this keeps the flow of the conversation going and on a couple of occasions we witness a kiss. All this comes to a sudden end as the Nurse enters the scene and they discover each others identity. The nurse calls Juliet to go to her mother and when she is gone explains to Romeo â€Å"Her mother is the lady of the house† and of course Romeo realises this is the Capulet house. Benvolio calls Romeo away from the scene explaining â€Å"The sport is at the best† which informs that he knows the best part of the night is over and their identity has been discovered. This means that the Montague’s have to make a swift exit effectively making Romeo and Juliet’s ‘moment’ short with a sudden end. This leaves the nurse and Juliet alone together. Juliet finds out from the Nurse that Romeo is in fact a Montague and is clearly devastated by this when she says â€Å"My grave is like to be my wedding bed† and â€Å"My only love sprung from my only hate. All the way throughout this scene; Shakespeare juxtaposes love and hate. The first sight of love is at Romeo’s first glimpse of Juliet and the whole ‘love at first sight’ event, this is interrupted by Tybalt noticing Romeo and wanting to cause a violent act but he is stopped by Capulet. This allows Romeo and Juliet to have their first speech in the form of the love sonnet although when the two realise each other’s identity, the hate between the two families takes over leaving the audience wondering if the power of their love is strong enough to overcome the hate. In conclusion to the opening act of the play; Shakespeare creates many ‘untied’ ends to the story. This makes the audience want to carry on watching to get an answer to their questions; questions such as will Tybalt fore fill his threat towards Romeo? Are Romeo and Juliet going to die and if so how? Will Paris marry Juliet? And will there be any more fighting? The only possible way for the audience to find an answer to these questions is to carry on watching the play. This was Shakespeare’s objective for the opening act and he has therefore successfully completed it. Back in Shakespeare. (2017, Aug 22). We have essays on the following topics that may be of interest to you

Brand building for facilitating the launch of Dogerita mineral water Essay

Brand building for facilitating the launch of Dogerita mineral water - Essay Example People are bombarded with advertisements and a wide variety of brands to choose from. As competition is fierce in an age where there is plenty to choose from, companies need to find ways to create a niche and to improve its brand in the market. It is no longer sufficient to just provide a product. The German Share Company must find ways to stand above the rest in a global business environment that fights for the consumers' money and loyalty. In order to do this, it must develop a brand and a brand strategy. a brand is also considered to be a trademark or a product line. It is a distinctive name which addresses, or identifies, a product, service, or a manufacturer. People purchase a certain brand in order to acquire a distinctive category and to show ownership of the brand that they favour. The name of the organization can also serve as a brand. As stated earlier, the value of a certain brand is determined by how it is perceived by the target audience and the marketplace. After defining the brand, the company must develop a strategy of branding, or a brand strategy. This process consists of coming up with a foundation (a basis) in which to work from. It is a guideline and a system of measuring all marketing strategies and resources/materials. It is a way to deliver the brand strategy, or promise to the target audience.

Chinua Achebe's Things fall apart Research Paper

Chinua Achebe's Things fall apart - Research Paper Example Culture may mean a set of shared paradigms that reflect the values, attitudes and beliefs of a person, together with the tools and artifacts that make life possible for a unit of individuals. Future generations inherit the norms and beliefs, leading to further acquisition of culture. Culture usually consists of values and norms that guide the behavior of those who share in it, thereby, it is synonymous to tradition. Cultural differences are as a result of many factors, but most importantly, geographical locations. It is also common to find a minor culture within a major one, that is to say, cultures and sub cultures. For example, many people would be aware of the African culture that emphasizes unity and brotherliness. However, within the African culture, there are subcultures defined by the location of each country. Even further, there are subcultures within a country. In reference to the definition of a culture, it is clear that a culture is present everywhere; within a society, an organization, a family or among friends. However, this paper will emphasize on societal culture with emphasis on conflicts caused by culture and its aspects such as sexuality, culture change and language. The paper gives reference to Things fall apart, a book by Chinua Achebe. Chinua Achebe narrates the consequences and struggles that accompany cultural change, and how it affects the people of a rural village, Umuofia. Before the arrival of missionaries, the people in Umuofia village had a patterned culture, which defined their traditions. They worshiped gods, offered sacrifices and lived communally. Additionally, leadership and war determined a man’s worth to the society. Achebe uses Okonkwo as an example of what the village expects of a man (Achebe 35). Achebe develops conflict in the eyes of a clash between change and culture. The arrival of missionaries threatens the stability of this culture, bringing with it unexpected change. Whenever there is an anticipated change in culture and tradition, conflict usually arises. Conflict refers to a state of competition between groups or people with goals that are incompatible, struggle for power, or struggle for scarce resources. Conflict is an essential aspect of human relationships, and so people always devise appropriate ways to resolve conflicts whenever they occur. For the people of Umuofia, villager elders resolved conflicts between people or groups within the village. People conceive conflicts differently, and this determines the ways they devise to deal with conflicts. Some people conceive conflict as a result of a struggle for resources necessary for people to reach their goals. Others perceive it differently, with no connection to material acquisition. They see it as a result of divergent perceptions about issues, situations or beliefs. These conceptions reflect the complexity of social behavior and perceptions. Understanding conflicts requires insight that most conflicts include mixed motives that include cooperation and competition. One must also understand that the parties conflicting believe that their respective divergent goals are responsible for the conflicts. This is important because the people involved will ultimately act on their perceptions and beliefs. The conception that conflict is as a result of the struggle for scarce resources is referred to as â€Å"realism†

Mentos and a Full Moon Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Mentos and a Full Moon - Essay Example The contact with the solution happens only when the string is introduced into the top of the bottle. The reaction can be repeated. One must take into account the underlying chemistry and physics. Physics is more dominant. Temperature and pressure must be considered. In addition the surface are and time will have an impact. This means the doubling or halving of the material will be directly proportional to the intensity of the reaction. Any similar cola will produce similar results. If there is or is not has not been established clearly. When we consider humans we must realize that there is more than the physical side. There is the will and the emotion. And then there is the spiritual. These all taken together make up the person of the human. This makes the human a very complex being. This reality gives a uniqueness of humans as a specie. It is possible to deduce that the physical aspect of humans is affected by the moon phase. It is not wise to say that man is helpless in the influence. We must recognize that man has a will. This will of man can overcome many influences. A scientific approach generally fits the grid. The grid has four components. They are observation, hypothesis, prediction and test. The challenge is in the observation test phase. People have to decide what is important and how to measure. This is a particular problem of the social sciences.. Different people will have different emphases. Both articles have a scientific approach. There is a more historical emphasis. This is evidenced by the following statement. That was all the Congress needed to kill the project and suppress the report. (Townley, J. (1997). The other source uses a more scientific approach considering the grid. Tropical astrology is the most popular form and it assigns its readings based on the time of the year (Carroll, R. 2006). This is one of many points that show an attempt consider many different aspects objectively in coming to a

Advise Rodney on course of action Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Advise Rodney on course of action - Essay Example Rodney can go to a court ÃŽ ¿f law against Derek. An example ÃŽ ¿f a case concerning a true offer is that ÃŽ ¿f Carlill v Carbolic Ball Co (1893). The company was so sure ÃŽ ¿f its smoke balls that they placed advertisements in newspapers stating that it would pay anyone who caught flu  £100 after using its smoke balls as directed. Mrs Carlill bought one ÃŽ ¿f the smoke balls, used it as directed but still caught flu. She claimed the  £100 reward but was refused, so she sued the company in contract. The court held that in this kind ÃŽ ¿f contract, which is known as a unilateral contract, acceptance consists ÃŽ ¿f performing the requested act and notification ÃŽ ¿f acceptance is not necessary. The court concluded that Mrs Carlill was entitled to recover the  £100 reward. An invitation to treat this is were a person holds himself out as ready to receive offers, which he may then either accept or reject, an invitation to treat is not legally binding where as an offer is. For example if a shop displays goods with a price tag attached, this is not an offer to sell but an invitation for customers to make an offer to buy. The Fisher v Bell (1960) case were a shop keeper displayed a flick knife in his shop window. He was charged with offering for sale an offensive weapon contrary to the provisions ÃŽ ¿f the Restriction ÃŽ ¿f Offensive Weapons Act 1959. His conviction was quashed on appeal. The Divisional Court ÃŽ ¿f the Queens Bench Division held that the display ÃŽ ¿f goods with a price ticket attached in a shop window is an invitation to treat and not an offer to sell. This case outlines the difference between an offer and an invitation to treat. In the case ÃŽ ¿f business and commercial agreements, it is automatically presumed that the parties intended to make a legally enforceable contract. It is possible, however, to remove the intention by the inclusion ÃŽ ¿f an express statement to that effect in the agreement. An example ÃŽ ¿f this can be seen in the

Facebook and Human Resource Management Research Paper - 1

Facebook and Human Resource Management - Research Paper Example It is important to highlight that Facebook is a social networking website. Simply put, it is an online or digital community wherein its users can socialize virtually: meet, interact, share photos, videos, news, among other information. It is a network of close to a billion users, connecting friends, families, strangers, coworkers, and so forth, regardless of location and time. The framework is simple and appealing: Profile pages are created so that individuals can post and share information about themselves. Gunter (2010) explained that such architecture creates an environment that encourages members to log in regularly in order to keep track of what friends and colleagues are doing, sharing their own activities, interact about interests and hobbies, send messages, and join groups and networks, among other things (p. 1). These characteristics and capabilities underscore why Facebook can impact human resources management. They reveal how majority of the workforce logs in to the websit e daily. In the United States, there are close to 100 million Facebook users. A Pew Research Center study found that of those who use social networking sites, 92 percent use Facebook, followed by MySpace with a meager 29 percent (Hampton et al., 2011). The bulk of Facebook users are dominated by 18-44 year olds, able-bodied people that constitute the workforce or at least could qualify as workers (Statista, 2012). These user demographics access their Facebook account at least a month through different devices such as computers and mobile phones.

Education Values in Little Men by Louisa May ALcott Essay - 2

Education Values in Little Men by Louisa May ALcott - Essay Example So, Christian morality and worldly wisdom are put side by side in this novel. In the nineteenth century, there was a gender differentiation in the children literature and books were written separately for boys and girls presenting them in their own spheres and inspiring their young readers to cross the hurdles with strength, courage and bravery and take a positive part in the development of a society. Many books and magazines got published which aimed boys and girls separately in order to educate them. The books and magazine meant for boys presented the adventurous stories and sport activities to motivate the boys to learn skills and to attain a healthy life, i.e. ‘Treasure Island’ and the books and magazines meant for girls presented domestic matters and imaginative stories to teach the girls to take active part in the household and proved their importance in emotional relationships, i.e. ‘Little Women’. In 1879, ‘The Boy’s Own Paper’, a well-known magazine, was published by the Religious Tract Society and it pre sented the adventurous stories of sports, schools and explorations and emphasised the manliness and naturalness in order to motivate its readers. In 1880, its companion magazine ‘The Girls’ Own Paper’ was published to amuse and instruct girls through the pleasurable articles that presented the household matters. These magazines were claimed to be full of educational material and ethical requirements (Holland 8-9). Alcott has written her novel ‘Little Women’ for girls with a didactic purpose as she shows the struggle of the girls to do all the household and living a personal life of imagination and spirituality. She also shows that dullness and laziness cannot bring respect, prosperity or happiness in life. She does not show a conventional woman of the nineteenth century who could not actively participate in the society and stay at home to do the chores rather she inspires her readers by the

Introduction to Marketing Essay Example for Free

Introduction to Marketing Essay You have been employed as a marketing intern with one of the UK’s largest marketing agencies and have been set various assignments to complete during your one-year internship. You will be required to demonstrate your research skills on various projects related to marketing, research and planning, marketing mix and online marketing. Task 1 P1 Describe how marketing techniques are used to market products in two organisations Due date: Refer to front sheet for date  M1 Compare marketing techniques used in marketing products in two organisations You are helping the marketing manager organise a ‘Marketing in Business’ conference. Your manager wants you to find out how other organisations use marketing techniques and has asked you to prepare a 10 minute presentation that you will deliver at the conference. You have been  asked to produce a leaflet to support the presentation, comparing the organisation. You have also been asked to produce speaker notes, which will be handed out at the conference. What to include in your presentation: Introduce your two organisations, their business and marketing objectives Describe what marketing is and why organisations use various techniques Describe clearly the marketing techniques they use to market a particular product/service or product range What to include in the leaflet: Compare the similarities and differences between the use of marketing techniques in your two organisations Growth Strategies (Ansoff’s Matrix) Survival Strategies Branding and Brand positioning Relationship marketing Due date: Refer to front sheet for date Task 2 Following your presentation about marketing techniques, you discovered that marketing activity is regulated and monitored by various bodies, codes of practice and laws. Using the 2 scenarios below, investigate and respond by letter to both: P2 Describe the limitation and constraints of marketing on the business. Suggested letter content: Introduce yourself and the department you work for.  Describe why abiding by marketing rules and regulations is necessary Identify the legal rules that apply to the case  Identify the voluntary factors that would apply to the case.  Stress the consequences of failing to comply with the legal and voluntary constraints. Due date: Refer to front sheet for date Scenario 1 A business organisation named â€Å"Fantasy† has recently spent 10 million pounds launching a new perfume. Fantasy has advertised on television as well as on YouTube. The advertisement is proving to be an international success and has raised a lot of interest from the young audience it is hoping to attract. Most importantly sales of the perfume have doubled over the last few months.  However, there have been a number of complaints regarding the content of the advertisement. For instance there are concerns with regards to nudity, language and the suitability of the advertisement for a younger audience. Of particular concern are the number of complaints that Fantasy use extreme methods when testing their products on animals. A number of pressure groups have campaigned for the ban of this advertisement from TV screens. Your task You have been asked to write a formal letter to Fantasy Head Office, Customer Complaints Division, identifying the limitations and constraints of marketing activities especially those that are relevant to the above scenario. Scenario 2 You have recently purchased a new mobile phone on arriving home you realise that the phone is unable to carry out the functions that you were promised. The phone was considerably expensive and you saved up for months in order to be able to buy it. However, when visiting the store you were offered the opportunity to purchase the product on credit. The store has also advised you it would be more efficient if you went on to their website and brought the product online and they have offered you a further discount for doing so. Two weeks later you are still waiting for your mobile phone to arrive. To make matters worse once you signed up for this product you have been bombarded with cold calls from other mobile phone companies, you fear that your personal details have been given out to other organisations without your consent. Your task How are you protected as a consumer? You must write a formal letter to the Office of Fair Trading expressing your concerns. You must identify the relevant Acts and regulations that protect you as a consumer. Due date: Refer to front sheet for date Task 3 P3 Describe how a selected organisation uses marketing research to contribute to the development of its marketing plans P4 Use marketing research for marketing planning  You have been approached by a new company that is interested in finding out  whether they should invest heavily in market research. Your first task is to produce a poster presentation on marketing research and planning, that you will deliver to the Board of Directors. Your suggested presentation content: Choose an organisation and agree choice with your teacher (www.thetimes100.co.uk case studies is a useful resource to use) Describe marketing research and marketing planning.  Describe the marketing research that is used by your organisation Describe how the marketing research collected is used by the organisation in their marketing planning Now you need to carry out marketing planning using marketing research Select an existing product/service or potential product/service for your organisation. Conduct primary and secondary research into customer perceptions and market analysis for the product/service and make proposals on how the organisation’s marketing planning can be developed. This should include a PESTLE/SWOT analysis, which shows the research you have conducted into your product. Your marketing plan should include the following: 1. Set clear SMART objectives regarding what you want your product or service to achieve 2. Conduct primary and secondary research on your product or service. 3. Conduct a SWOT analysis highlighting the strengths, weaknesses, threats and opportunities of your product or service. 4. Conduct a PESTLE analysis, analysing the external environment and the impact this may have on your product or service. 5. Write a brief summary with regards to your findings. Due date: Refer to front sheet for date M2 Explain the limitations of marketing research used to contribute to the development of a selected organisation’s marketing plans D2 Make justified recommendations for improving the validity of the marketing research used to contribute to the development of a selected organisation’s marketing plans. Considering limitations of market research Your task is to identify and explain the limitations of the market research methods used by your organisation. You will need to submit a formal report  of the limitations that you have spoken about, for the directors. You have been asked to write a formal report to the Head of Market Research at Hammersmith and Fulham. You have to make recommendations on how they can improve the validity of marketing research used for marketing planning. Introduce yourself, your role and who you work for Explain why you are writing to the organisation. Make at least 3 recommendations for improving the validity of market research used by your organisation Provide a justification for each recommendation you make. End your report with an offer to help if they require more information. Due date: Refer to front sheet for date Task 4 P5 Explain how and why groups of customers are targeted for selected products You have been asked to develop a visual poster to explain how and why groups of customers are targeted for products. You should: Explain what is meant by market segmentation and DMU’s Explain the difference between customers, consumers and buyers Select 6 different target groups (this should include both B2C and B2B) and give examples of products that are aimed at them and why). Due date: Refer to front sheet for date Task 5 A dynamic new company have approached your marketing agency and want you to help come up with an exciting new marketing campaign. You will produce a 10 minute presentation on the marketing mix. Propose a marketing mix based on your research to a clearly defined group of potential customers. P6 Develop a coherent marketing mix for a new product or service M3 Develop a coherent marketing mix that is targeted at a defined group of potential customers. Using the research from your previous task you will now give a presentation of the new marketing mix you propose. Suggested presentation content: You will need to think about how you are going to present the marketing mix for the company (Product, Price, Promotion and Place). The product or service  that you choose does not have to be entirely new, it could be an established product or service introduced to a new market The marketing mix must be clearly targeted to a defined group of potential customers and needs to be detailed and clear so that all the 4P’s meet the exact needs and aspirations of the target group of customers. Due date: Refer to front sheet for date

Different Raster Systems With Resolutions

Different Raster Systems With Resolutions Consider three different raster systems with resolutiuns of 640 by 480, 1280 by 1024, and 2560 by 2048. What size frame buffer in bytes is needed for each of these systems to store 12 bits per pixel? How, much storage: is required for each system if 24 bits per pixel are to be stored? Solution:- For 12 bits per pixel:- Frame buffer size=640* 480*12=3686400/8=460800bytes Frame buffer size=1280*1024*12=15728640/8=1966080 bytes Frame buffer size=2560*2048*12=62914560/8=7864320 bytes For 24 bits per pixel:- Frame buffer size=640*480*24=7372800/8 =921600bytes Frame buffer size=1280*1024*24=31457280bits=3932160 bytes Frame buffer size=2560*2048*24=125829120 bits=15728640 bytes Suppose an RGB raster system is to be designed using an 8-inch by 10-inch screen with a resolution of 100 pixels per inch in each direction. If we want to store 6 bits per pixel in the frame buffer, how much storage ( in bytes ) do we need for the frame buffer? Storage to store 6 bits per pixels=8*10*100*6=6000bytes How long would it take to load a 640 by 480 frame buffer with 12 bits per pixel, if lo5 bits can be transferred per second! How long would it take to load a 24-bit per pixel frame buffer with a resolution of 1280 by 1024 using this same transfer rate? For 12 bits per pixel:- Time taken=640*480*12=(3686400)/10^5=36.864 second For 24 bits per pixel:- Time taken=(1280*1024*24)/10^5=314.57second Consider two raster systems with resolutions of 640 by 480 and 1280 by 1024. How many pixels could be accessed per second in each of these systems by a display controller that refreshes the screen at a rate of 60 frames per second? What is the access time per pixel in each system? For resolution 640 by 480 Total pixels=640*480*60=18432000 pixels Time taken=1/18432000=5.425*10^-8 seconds For resolution 1280 by 1024 Total pixels =1280*1024*60=78643200 pixels Time taken =1/78643200=1.27*10^-8 seconds How much time is spent scanning across each row of pixels during screen refresh on a raster system with a resolution of 1280 by 1024 and refresh rate of 60 frames per second? 1024*60=61440rows Time taken =1/61440=1.628^-5seconds Section B Wide-Screen displays Widescreen usually refers to the aspect ratio of an image. In general terms, most images are considered to be in widescreen format when they have an aspect ratio larger than 4:3. When talking about widescreen, generally, most people are referring to the aspect ratio or shape of their TV set, monitor or digital image. One of the best ways to understand widescreen is to compare it with the most common type of aspect ratio, 4:3 which is the aspect ratio or shape of a standard TV set. A standard TV set is pretty much boxy in shape. The aspect ratio is 4:3, this means that the TV screen is 4 times wide by three times high. Because this ratio is almost equal to each other, it is considered similar to a box or square. A perfect square would be 4:4, which is really a ratio that is to 1:1. So now that we know that a standard TV is boxy or squares in shape having an aspect ratio of 4:3, widescreen formats usually have 16:9, a much more rectangular shape. A rectangular is a much more natural looking image. When the human eye sees the world, it does not see a box, but mainly a panorama image. We might focus our attention on a square shape in front of us, but there is a lot more visual information that our peripheral vision picks up. 16:9 aspect ratio is considered widescreen format and is much more natural to view. Most cinematic films are an aspect ratio of 16:9, so they can be viewed easily on a widescreen TV or monitor. You might not have realized that when you watch a movie on your standard TV that has an aspect ratio of 4:3, part of the sides of the movie are cut off or cropped. When you watch a movie on a widescreen, you are able to see the entire picture without any cropping. Sometimes widescreen is referred to by the term letterbox meaning a rectangular shape. Wide screen TV:- When television was introduced and for many years since then the aspect ratio was 4:3. The original standard aspect ratio for films was 4:3 , the adoption of the Academy ratio 1932 brought a slight change to a 1.37 aspect ratio. Material which was originally widescreen (e.g., Cinemascope films) were often transmitted with the sides truncated, using a technique called pan and scan. The introduction of a wider television format was met with some resistance within the film industry, but eventually became the norm. In Europe the PAL TV format, with its higher number of visible screen lines means that the low horizontal resolution associated with showing un cropped widescreen movies on TV is not as bad There is even an extension to PAL, called PAL plus, which allows specially equipped receivers to receive a PAL picture as true 16:9 with full 576 lines of vertical resolution, provided the stations employ the same system. Standard PAL receivers will receive such a broadcast as a 16:9 image letterboxed to 4:3, with a small amount of color noise in the black bars; this noise is actually the additional lines which are hidden inside the color signal. This system has no equivalent in analog NTSC broadcasting. Despite the existence of PALplus and support for widescreen in the DVB-based digital satellite, terrestrial and cable broadcasts in use across Europe, only Belgium, Ireland, the Netherlands, Austria, Germany, Scandinavia and the UK have taken up widescreen at any great rate, with over half of all widescreen channels available by satellite in Europe targeting those areas. 16:9 TV displays have come into wide use. They are typically used in conjunction with Digital, High-Definition Television (HDTV) receivers, or Standard-Definition DVD players and other digital television sources. Digital material is provided to widescreen TVs either in high-definition format, which is natively 16:9 , or as an anamorphically-compressedstandard-definition picture. Typically, devices decoding Digital Standard-Definition pictures can be programmed to provide anamorphic widescreen formatting, for 16:9 sets, and formatting for 4:3 sets. Pan-and-scan mode can be used on 4:3 if the producers of the material have included the necessary panning data; if this data is absent, letterboxing or centre cut-out is used. HD DVD and Blu-ray disc players were introduced in 2006. Toshiba ceased production of HD DVD players in early 2008 after key defections from the HD DVD camp damaged the viability of the format. As of 2010 it still remains to be seen whether Blu-ray will stimulate the sales of HD pre-recorded films on disc, and more HD monitors and tuners. Consumer camcorders are also available in HD-video format at fairly low prices. These developments will result in more options for viewing widescreen images on television monitors. Widescreen Computer Displays Computer displays with aspect ratios wider than 4:3 are also called widescreen. Widescreen computer displays are mainly intended for computers used, at least sometimes, to display entertainment; data processing tends to use 4:3. Widescreen computer displays are typically of the 1.6 (8:5, typically written as 16:10) aspect ratio. True widescreen (16:9) monitors can be found in resolutions of 1024576, 1152648, 1280720, 1600900, and 19201080. Apples 27 iMac introduced a new 16:9 resolution: 25601440 in late 2009. By 2010 many manufacturers had practically abandoned the older 4:3 format, instead opting to manufacture 16:10 models, and lately, even shorter 16:9 displays. Suitability for applications Since many modern DVDs and some TV shows are in a widescreen format, widescreen displays are optimal for their playback on a computer. 16:9 material on a 16:10 display will be letterboxed, but only slightly. However, when screen width is not an issue, as in data processing or viewing 4:3 entertainment material such as older films and digitalphotographs, the sides of the widescreen image may be wasted, although it can be useful to display two or more windows side-by-side.. Most non-linear digital video editing software benefits more from horizontal space than from vertical space. However, for data processing many computer programs often have many toolbars and other information such as status bars, headers, and tabs, which require vertical space. In such cases the additional width is unwanted; on a computer used only for data-processing the additional screen area is better dedicated to a larger 4:3 screen. When displaying a document or ebook, two pages can be displayed side by side on a wide screen, or two documents compared. If a desktop monitor supports it, a whole single page of a book or document can be displayed on a rotated portrait-oriented screen. A very few computer games, including the first few Command Conquer games, run at a native 640400 resolution, making them exceptionally well-suited to 8:5 monitors. A slightly larger number, including Doom 3, can be set to either widescreen or full screen (4:3), with the widescreen options offering wider horizontal fields of view without sacrificing vertical FOV. However, most computer games are not designed for optimum effect on a widescreen display, being stretched unnaturally, not filling the screen, or letterboxed. Older laptop computers with a pointing device that did not take up space such as a pointing stick (Trackpoint) or trackball attached to the side of the machine could accommodate a keyboard which matched a 16:9 screen well. The use of touchpads, which require a lot of space below the keyboard, and the removal of keys such as the Numeric keypad more accurately matches the 4:3 ratio of a screen found on smaller net books and laptops. Widescreen Notebook Displays The earliest instance of the widescreen display being installed inside a notebook computer can be traced back to the Sony C1 which displayed a resolution of just 800 x 480. Widescreens made their official entrance in PC notebooks in 2003, although Apple preceded this by offering the 15 widescreen Power Mac. In 2005, the popularity of widescreen notebooks reached a new high with the unveiling of the Thinkpad widescreen Z60 series notebooks. Sonys pioneering widescreen VAIO C1 notebook The question is: Is the widescreen format for everybody? A big part of the answer will depend on what a widescreen notebook or monitor is used to do. Here are some considerations that might help with your decision: 1. Widescreen Notebooks The length and width of a widescreen notebooks screen set it apart from the standard notebook. The average notebook uses an aspect ratio of 4:3 and a resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels. The widescreen notebook breaks with tradition and increases screen size 25% lengthwise for proportions equal to that of the cinema screen or a widescreen LCD TV. 2. Widescreen Display Sizes The Sony C1 may have started it all, but it is by now considered only as a small-sized widescreen notebook, which is anything below 12.1. Currently on offer are 8.9, 10.6, 11.1, 12.1, 13.3, 14, 15.4, and 17 display sizes, with 19 products reportedly in the pipeline. 3. Widescreen Resolutions and their Corresponding Aspect Ratios Here are the common resolutions found in widescreen displays: 800 x 480 Representing an aspect ratio of 10:6, it was seen first in the Sony C1 notebook computer. Although this resolution is very low by todays standards, it was still quite acceptable compared to the 800 x 600 (4:3) resolutions of the time. Although the C1s screen measured only 8.9, it came as a part of the C1s delightfully tight packaging and superb portability. Currently, displays of this resolution are rarely available. 1024 x 600 Also having an aspect ratio of 10:6, it is meant to challenge the mainstream screen with 1024 x 768 resolution. 1280x 768 1280800 The 1280 x 768 resolution representing an aspect ratio of 16:9.5 and the 1280 x 800 resolution representing 16:10 respectively; these are the two most common resolutions used in contemporary 10.6, 12.1, 13.3, 14, 15.4 widescreen displays and can be considered entry-level for widescreen notebook computers. They provide about a 25% increase in onscreen content compared to screens displaying resolutions of 1024 x 768. 1280 x 854 This resolution (16:10.5) was used first in the 15.4 Power Mac notebook computer and adopted later by a limited number of other PC notebooks (mostly sized 154). This resolution has fallen out of favor in recent times. 1366 x 768 This resolution provides a perfect 16:9 aspect ratio and a perfect home for DVD movies and no more annoying black bands above and below the picture. It is currently available in the 11.1 VAIO Type TX widescreen notebook. 1440 x 900 This resolution (16:10) is found in 17 notebooks only, and is positioned as entry level in 17 widescreen notebooks. 1680 x 1050 This is currently the mainstream resolution (also 16:10) for 17 widescreen notebook computer displays. Users will experience a 35% increase in onscreen content compared to the normal 17 screen displaying a resolution of 1280 x 1024. 1920 x 1200 This is the pinnacle for current 17 widescreen notebook displays, and provides a 75% increase in onscreen content when compared to a normal 17 screen of 1280 x 1024 resolution. The resolution is a perfect fit for 1080p and 1080i (1920 x 1080 16:9) HDTV. 4. Benefits of the Widescreen When used for entertainment, a widescreen display is in its element when showing widescreen DVD movies in their intended 16:9 aspect ratio. This means a bigger picture more comfort and less wasted space (less or no black bands on either side of the picture). The widescreen display also makes it easier to edit and view panoramic images and may eliminate troublesome horizontal scrolling altogether. Comparison of different resolutions Another benefit of the widescreen display is evident when it comes to serious work the ability to display two windows side by side and to drag and drop (or copy n paste) data without having to switch between them is priceless. 5. Is the Widescreen Display Perfect? Weve covered a lot of the widescreen displays positive points, but that doesnt mean that there are no drawbacks. Here are some of them: a. The first and most obvious drawback is price, with the widescreen display being quite a bit pricier than the corresponding 4:3 display This is also the reason why widescreen displays are so ubiquitously absent at the entry level price points, though the gap is getting closer. b. The next problem is an issue of mobility, although this really points to notebook sizes 15 and above. It does depend, however, on the design philosophy of the manufacturer some use the desktop replacement mentality and cause their products to be quite large in size and therefore heavier as well. c. Compatibility with applications especially games may be an issue as many games are programmed to be displayed in 4:3 aspect ratio. Depending on your settings, you will experience black bands to the sides of the image, or you may try and stretch the image, which will look uncomfortable in any case. Certainly more and more, if not all, games today are compatible with widescreen display Latest development in widescreen display: Widescreen LCD displays: Barcos LC series of High-Resolution LCD displays has been specifically designed for use in a wide variety of professional applications. The LC family presents crisp, clear and color-accurate images on 42, 47 and 56 screen sizes. Dedicated versions with HD-SDI inputs are available. Featuring some of the most advanced LCD technology available today, Barcos LC series stands for the ultimate in detail. The LC series consists of a 42 and 47 display in native full high definition (19201080 pixels) and a 56 display in quad full high definition (38402160 pixels). Benefits: High brightness High contrast, even in high ambient light environments High resolution and pixel density Frame lock and gunlock functionality Low power consumption Long lifetime Technology used: Plasma screen technology LED technology CRT (cathode ray tube) LCD Plasma screen technology: Flat panel plasma display is the latest display technology and the best way to achieve displays with excellent image quality and large, flat screen sizes that are easily viewable in any environment. Plasma panels are an array of cells, known as pixels, which are composed of three sub pixels, corresponding to the colors red, green, and blue. Gas in the plasma state is used to react with phosphors in each sub pixel to produce colored light (red, green, or blue). These phosphors are the same types used in cathode ray tube (CRT) devices such as televisions and standard computer monitors. You get the rich dynamic colors that you expect. Each sub pixel is individually controlled by advanced electronics to produce over 16 million different colors. All of this means that you get perfect images that are easily viewable in a display that is less than six inches thick. LED technology : There are many consumer advantages to LEDs over incandescent or fluorescent light bulbs. LED lights consume much less energy. They are 300 percent more efficient than a compact fluorescent light (CFL), and 1,000 percent more efficient than an incandescent bulb. They have a very long life, about 50,000 hours of use at 70 percent of their original power. (LEDs dont burn out or flicker, they simply fade.) This works out to eight hours a day for 13 years at 70 percent power. A typical 60-watt incandescent bulb may last about 1,000 hours. LED lighting contains no mercury or other toxins. LEDs emit no ultra violet (UV) light, so they dont attract bugs. They dont generate heat, so they are cool to the touch. They dont generate radio frequency waves, so they dont interfere with radios or television broadcasts. They also are resistant to vibrations and shocks. CRT (cathode ray tube): The Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) is a vacuum tube containing an electron gun (a source of electrons) and a fluorescent screen, with internal or external means to accelerate and deflect the electron beam, used to create images in the form of light emitted from the fluorescent screen. The image may represent electrical waveforms (oscilloscope), pictures (television, computer monitor), radar targets and others.The CRT uses an evacuated glass envelope which is large, deep, heavy, and relatively fragile. LCD (Liquid-crystal display): Liquid-crystal display televisions (LCD TV) are television sets that use LCD technology to produce images. LCD televisions are thinner and lighter than CRTs of similar display size, and are available in much larger sizes. This combination of features made LCDs more practical than CRTs for many roles, and as manufacturing costs fell, their eventual dominance of the television market was all but guaranteed. In 2007, LCD televisions surpassed sales of CRT-based televisions worldwide for the first time, and their sales figures relative to other technologies are accelerating. LCD TVs are quickly displacing the only major competitors in the large-screen market, the plasma display panel and rear-projection television. LCDs are, by far, the most widely produced and sold television technology today, pushing all other technologies into niche roles .

Lord Of The Flies :: essays research papers

Lord of flies Essay   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the “Lord of Flies'; William Golding does tell us a story about a group of English boys stranded on a Pacific Island, in the literal level but in a more allegorical level he tells a story about corruption of innocence, brutality/savagery and victimisation/prejudice through the characters of Ralph, Jack, Piggy and Simon. Interesting stylistic features such as symbolism and omnipotent narrator make this story more than just a simple story.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ralph can be seen as a fair head boy, tall, well built and the major character of the novel. In a deeper sense Ralph represents Law, order and authority but not in a tyrannic way, he also represents democracy and justice. It is also through his eyes we see loss of innocence. “…Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man’s heart…'; In the above quote Ralph cries after piggy is killed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Jack can be seen as a cruel, ugly, skinny, and the leader of choir at first then the leader of hunters. In a deeper sense Jack represents dictatorship and a primitive hunter. His leadership depends on in the ability to threaten and frighten those under him. His victory over piggy represents the triumph of violence over intellect, his knife represents death and destruction. It is through jack we see Brutality and savagery.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Piggy is a typical obese young boy with brains, but in more he can be seen as a boy with civilised and scientific mind. His scientific mind can be seen when he talks about the beast: “ I know there isn’t not beast- not with claws and all that…'; It is through Piggy we see victimisation/prejudice. “Shut up fatty!';(Jack) “ You let me speak I got the conch…'; In the above quote we see piggy being the victim because of his low class.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Simon is a sensitive, epileptic and religious boy who is wiling to work and is brave in the face of physical danger. He is right about “beast'; but is wrong in underestimating the power of this evil. He discovers in the conversation with lord of flies the even he contains the evil within and it cannot be destroyed physically. Simon the Saint was the only hope for the new society but unfortunately he is mistaken for the beast and killed by the savages including Piggy and Ralph. ‘What I mean is... Maybe it’s only us.’ In this quote Simon shows us his common sense and reasoning.

Structure and Function Essay -- Medical Research

First labelled an oncogene upon its discovery in 1979, p53 (or TP53 in humans), was correctly re-labelled a tumour suppressor a decade later following the discovery that the gene previously being studied was, ironically, a mutant. Now realised as the most common mutated gene, found in a staggering 50% of cancers, p53 is a keystone in the face of cancer. Its structure and functions continue to be delved into. Amino acids, genome stability, tumour suppression, iPS? Gene Structure 53 kilo-Daltons in size, 11 exons and 10 introns, p53 gene is located on chromosome 17. Using a clone isolated from a cDNA library of simian virus 40- transformed human fibroblasts, Mcbride et al. (1985), identified the location of p53 gene. Using karyotypic analysis and Southern analyses, they narrowed down the exact position of the p53 gene to the most distal band on the short arm of chromosome 17- the telomeric band 17p13. Structurally abundant in domains, p53 has three main functional domains and 393 amino acids in total. The first domain, the N-terminal (NH2 terminal) houses amino acids that are important in transactivation. In vivo, p53 requires amino acids F19, L22, and W23 found in the N-terminal for transcriptional activation (Lin et al., 1995). Present also, are the amino acid residues 22 and 23, although positive- regulators of transcriptional activity, are later to play a role in the negative-regulation of p53. In highlighting similarities between p53 protein-DNA interactions to other protein-DNA complexes, Cho et al. (1994), point out that p53 uses a loop packing at the NH2-terminal part of the alpha helix to make extra connections to the bases in the major groove of DNA. The C-terminal (carboxyl terminal) —61 important amino aci... ...anaka, S., 2009. Suppression of induced pluripotent stem cell generation by the p53-p21 pathway. Nature 460, 1132-1135. Lee, S., Elenbaas, B., Levine, A.J, and Griffith, J., 1995. p53 and its 14 kDa C-terminal domain recognize primary DNA damage in the form of insertion/deletion mismatches. Cell 81, 1013-1020. Levine, A.J., 1997. p53, the cellular gatekeeper for growth and division. Cell. 88, 323-331. Lin, J., Wu, X., Chen, J., Chang, A., and Levine, A.J., 1995. Functions of the the p53 protein growth regulation and tumour suppression. Cold Springs Harbour Symposia on Quantitative Biology LIX, 215-223. McBride, O.W., Merry, D.E., Oren, M., and Givol, D., 1985. The gene for human p53 cellular tumor antigen is located on chromosome 17 short arm (17p13). Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. 83, 130-134.

Comparing the Cultural and Social Critiques of Notes from Underground a

Cultural and Social Critiques of Notes from Underground and Invisible Man It is understanding oneself and the power structures of society that helps one gain authenticity, and ultimately†¦.. power. Notes from Underground and Invisible Man offer a wide variety of social critiques. While some critiques are explicit within the plot, others are implicit in statements of characters and the relations between two or more characters. Many of the ideas of social critique in Notes from Underground have direct parallels or antitheses in Invisible Man. Most--if not all--of the critiques transcend the time, location, and historical context in which they occur. The greatest value that the critiques in the two texts have to offer is that they deal with the unalterable human condition. Notes from Underground and Invisible Man offer a variety social critiques, most prominently in nationalism and cultural pride, an exclusive community versus an inclusive community, and the power structures within society. Nationalism is one of the main targets of the critique in Notes from Underground. The underground man's highly self-centered personality has a direct parallel in the ideas he has about his country. He says, "We, in Russia, have no fools; that is well known. That is what distinguishes us from foreign lands" (Dostoevsky 40). Such nationalistic propaganda was intended for all Russians to consider and evaluate. At the time the novel was written, Western civilization seemed to be extending its influence everywhere. As Dr. Lutomski pointed out in lecture, this caused many to adopt an isolationist philosophy, believing that the only way a country can be pure to its own citizens is to cut itself off from the outside world. Dostoevsky is presenti... ...s within a society must be able to channel that diversity into a feeling of unity that makes all of the individuals in all of the cultures feel like they belong to the indivisible whole. When one has found an entire group of people to identify with, one can transcend to a new level of self-understanding. And it is understanding oneself and the power structures of society that helps one gain authenticity, and ultimately power. Works Cited Bakhtin, Mikhail. Problems of Dostoevsky's Poetics. Ed. and trans. Caryl Emerson. Introd. by Wayne C. Booth. Theory and History of Literature. Minneapolis: U. of Minnesota Pr., 1984. Ellison, Ralph. Invisible Man. (Library Ed.). New York: Random House, Inc. 1994 Dostoevsky, Fyodor. Notes from Underground: A New Translation, Backgrounds and Sources, Responses, Criticism. Norton Critical Edition. New York: Norton, 1989.

Trapped Characters

The main characters in this play are trapped by either design or circumstance in a situation. This means that away from the story line each character is trying to escape from their own little entrapment brought on from either another or that character itself. Little Voice is the most trapped. Mari, Ray say and Mr Boo trap her all in their own special ways. The only times in the play when she has escaped, is when her Dad visits her in her dreams, when she listens to her records and at the end of the play when Billy comes to rescue Little Voice from the fire. The structure of this play goes as follows†¦. Introduction, leading on to the big scene, major scene, The die down where everything starts to go wrong and then the last scene where everybody leaves their past roots and starts up a new life this is also known as escaping from the old and going to the new. The scene where Little Voice escapes, I think, is shown in two places, where Little Voice and Mari are having an argument and Mari is trying to force Little Voice in staying with her†¦. â€Å"Mari: LV†Ã¢â‚¬  I beseech you. I beseech you, LV.† â€Å"I beseech you! I beseech you!†Ã¢â‚¬  LV:† Ma names Laura. And then Laura leaves Mari by herself, and they are both alone now. These few lines are showing Mari begging for LV's forgiveness. The other showing of escape with LV is when she goes to see Billy right at the end of the play, to exercise his birds and she lets the dove go free, which can also symbolise freedom. I think that the only person in this drama that doesn't escape was Sadie. I think this because, She was actually always trapped by Mari, She was just tagging along all of he time, towards the end Mari told her to go away by saying, â€Å"Your too quiet to be my friend you, Fuck off† But then at the end of the play when Ray leaves Mari she goes running back to Sadie. As you can see Sadie just goes along with whatever Mari says because she would never be able to get a word in edge ways. I think that this is why at the end of the play LV escapes and says what she has to say. These few lines show how LV and Mari are totally different. Jim Cartwright shows great structure in this play by wrapping each scene around the man character for that scene. This works very well because it shows each character in detail, for example their highlights or their downside to them. Each character has its own different function†¦. LV: She is the structure of what the play goes around. She starts off as a quiet little nothing that is always getting in the way of Mari and Ray, She is also at the beginning of the play a ‘silent' character, as she never says anything, it s almost like she is either autistic or as if she has just recovered from traumatic experience. But by the end of the play she has come alive, as now she has overcome her fears of other people tormenting her. I found that each character had another character that was similar to the other in some way, Mari and Ray Say, they were both loud, argumentative, they both only loved Little Voice for her money, and they both had a poor ending when LV said that she didn't want to do another show because neither of them never listened to what she had to say, so by the end of the film there was nowhere for them to go so they would have to start a new life with nothing. The next two characters that resembled one another in some way were Sadie and George. Most people see these two as background characters as they hardly ever speak and they are only in that scene so that another one of the characters can speak. I feel that these two people get pushed out of the play a lot. Billy pushes out George and Mari and Ray Say elbow Sadie out. Finally you can guess who is coming next, yes, Little Voice and Billy, They both start off as somewhat quiet characters as when they first meet it seems like neither of them have a tongue, But by the end of the play they have gradually worked themselves up to be the bravest and the most powerful characters as they both have each other and they haven't lost anything (that they wanted!) through this whole situation. This likeness of characters and consequences is called echoing. There are lot of key lines in this play that represent what will/can happen in the future of the play, for example, Mari: And looky here, LV. Prink prink. As we leave, star spangling down the club, the artiste, the minder and the Mum. This is important in the play as Mari is thinks that everything is going to be great in the future but doesn't realise that Little Voice only said that she wanted to do the performance once, and the audience realise this, so they know that everything is going to go wrong towards the end, as well you see her dad wave goodbye at the end of her performance (only in the play) which could mean that she isn't going to sing in front of an audience as she will only perform when her dad is watching. Another key line could be†¦. Ray: For god sake, wise up and fuck off. This is a key line because, Ray is trying to tell Mari that all he wants is Little Voice for the money, but he is trying to tell her in a blunt kind of way so that (as he thinks) he will not hurt her feelings as much as he would of if he had just walked out, and as well he is just arguing with her to try and blame her but really it is his fault because he just used Mari to get to Little Voice. The most useful/ base of the play moment is when Ray Say and Mr Boo hear Little Voice for the first time outside her bedroom. This is important because straight after that clip Cartwright shows to the audience that Ray is using Mari, he displays this by†¦. They were all (Ray, Mr Boo & Mari) going down to the pub, and Mari calls him along and he says that he wants to stay and listen to her, which makes Mari realise that maybe he is using her as the day before he said to Mr Boo that she's the one, and Mari thought that he was talking about herself. I fell that this play was set in the end of the 1990's by reason of that mobile phones were not invented, The BT van was quite modern and that the costume and staging was of modern times. The language too was very modern and simple; you could tell that the characters were of a lower class just by looking at the scenery, housing and language used, for example there is a lot of slang going on especially between Mari and Ray when they are mucking around, i.e. Mari: See 'em all standin' up then? In some cases this could show that they are both quite common, which could prove my point of them being lower class and quite poor. My favourite part in this play is at the end where Ray thinks that LV has gone mad on him because she starts acting like here heroes, (Judy Garland, Marilyn Monroe and Shirley Bassey), to try and scare him away to get him to leave her alone, besides that it is quite a shock as you are not expecting her to act like this which is good because it shows that Herman (director) has done this purposely to fool the audience.