Friday, January 31, 2020
Systems that Transformed How the Organization Operates Essay Example for Free
Systems that Transformed How the Organization Operates Essay Abstract This paper details how UPS was able to stay relevant in the shipping and distribution world by updating old practices with new and proven technology. By spending some of their profits on a newer and more efficient way of doing things, UPS was able to stay ahead of their competition while receiving great reviews and profits from their customers. Specifics of who was impacted, how they were impacted, and what results occurred have been discussed in this paper. Mainly the workers, the business leaders, and the consumers have been affected by this change. When we look back at certain advancements that companies have made, what seems to be the common factor? Technology. Anytime a company rolls out new technology it is not because they want to waste their hard earned profits on something that might make their business business more competitive or increase their profit margin. They spend the money on the new technology because they know they will be more competitive and make higher profits than had they not. In any type of industry we can see examples of this being true, from the automotive, to the postal, and even the medical industry, the use of new technology has mostly lead to benefits that make companies stand out from the rest. One of the companies that has profited the most from new technology or the advancement of technology is UPS. UPS is known in the world as one of the largest parcel and freight delivery companies. Their main competition comes from companies like FedEx, DHL, and USPS (United States Postal Service. Theà big wigs as UPS came together because they noticed customer ratings and efficiency rates were down and steadily decreasing year after year. After examining certain sectors of their business, they realized where the mistake was being made. Customer ratings were declining because of packages that were shipped to the wrong address, delivered at the wrong house, or lost in the may lay at UPSââ¬â¢s packaging warehouses and distribution centers all over the world. The way the company decided to rectify this problem was by purchasing and utilizing automated package sorters. They called it package flow technology and basically what it involves is the automatic and rapid sorting of packages to guarantee efficient and accurate shipments. The tradition of relying on human sorters to memorize hundreds of streets and back roads in particular communities leads to a small share of parcels that either are loaded on the wrong truck or misplaced among other customers packages, said Dan McMackin, a UPS spokesman in Atlanta. While the company still relies on people to load customers packages, UPS is investing heavily in technology to make the labor-intensive work more efficient. (Bennett, 2005) This change from people to machine did not sit well with employees who became laid off or switched to a different department, but after seeing the company rebound it was recognized as being the right choice and solution to their problem. The problem UPS did not recognize sooner was humans make mistakes and unfortunately too many were made and the company was placed in the public spotlight which caused this solution to come about. While it is true that often timeââ¬â¢s companies choose new technology or manual labor, the results heavi ly favor the new technology. Nobody wants people to be laid off or lose their jobs to a machine, but in this day and age companies have to spend the big dollars in order to remain relevant and successful in todayââ¬â¢s economy. The cost for this technology for UPS was not cheap by any means, in fact the upgrade from manual labor to automated machines cost an estimated six hundred million dollars. (Bennett, 2005) Besides the expense for rolling out this new system to all its distribution warehouses, UPS has the potential to still come out on top of this deal. When they devoted themselves to this newer way of doing things the results were less training time for employees and the ability to shift employees into areas that were lacking personnel or that demanded more personnel. The savings though in the year after this upgrade might even be greater than the initial cost andà put the company further ahead. UPS expects to gain immensely from the new system. Between now and 2007, when the system is fully installed , the delivery company expects to save $500 million to $600 million through a combination of less miles driven, less fuel consumption and less delivery miscues (Bennett, 2005) The people who were greatly affected by this change in procedure were the UPS drivers. Instead of going through their trucks looking for packages, the packages are loaded into specific areas of the truck and that information is transferred to the handheld scan tools the drivers use. The drivers seem impressed with the new technology and somewhat relieved that they can do their job no without the added stress of locating mislabeled or lost packages buried in their trucks. The future for this technology is not well known because it has seemed to rectify and solve all the problems that existed before. After all machines can do one thing that humans cannot, and that is do what it is programmed and instructed to do. The fact that a company is willing to spend this kind of money to hone their craft should speak volumes. At the beginning people were pessimistic but as the numbers started turning around and customer ratings increase, the company knew they made a wise choice. This was a turni ng point for UPS and the only thing they became concerned about was why they did not make the switch earlier. References Bennett, D. (2005). Package-flow technology delivers results for UPS. Crains Cleveland Business, 26(29), 8. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/198625167?accountid=458
Thursday, January 23, 2020
Shakespeares Tempest :: essays research papers
I love the way Prospero speaks! Although I hate his character, his way of speaking is eloquently bitingââ¬âwhether he is speaking lovingly to his daughter or abusively to Caliban, he gets his point across beautifully. I tried with all my might to decide whether I like Prosperoâ⬠¦ but to no avail. I had a bad taste in my mouth from the get-go because I remembered a comment about the ambiguity of the Caliban situationââ¬âhow maybe he did try to rape Miranda, but maybe he didnââ¬â¢t, so maybe Prospero was noble by enslaving Calibanâ⬠¦ but maybe he was tyrannical. Prospero definitely reminded me of The Duke (Measure for Measure). Both played God-like roles, deceiving for a good cause yet deceiving nonetheless. I also love how Ferdinand sees Miranda, walks up to her, and says, ââ¬Å"Hey baby, you single? A virgin? Attached? Wanna be a queen?â⬠and thatââ¬â¢s all he has to do. Besides Prosperoââ¬â¢s fake-objections and all the wood-hauling, Miranda is as good as won. They have some really great lines between themââ¬âitââ¬â¢s one of my favorite love-dialogues. It probably helped that he thought he was gonna die and she had only seen two other men in her entire life. But loveââ¬â¢s love. My favorite part was how he, a prince, stooped to a ââ¬Å"patient log-manâ⬠level to prove his love for her, and how she offered to help while he rested! When Ferdinand first sees Miranda and promptly begins wooing, Prospero accuses him of attempted usurpation. I thought this was ironicâ⬠¦ and then realized that usurpation may be a theme that runs through the course of the play. Which it is. I think. Because Antonio usurped Prospero (right?), Prospero usurped Caliban, Sebastian is thinking about usurping Alonso, and Caliban is lookin to usurp Prospero. Maybe ââ¬Ëusurpââ¬â¢ isnââ¬â¢t the right word for all of these casesââ¬âmaybe ââ¬Ëkillââ¬â¢ would suffice. Iââ¬â¢m not sure of the exact definition of usurp, but Iââ¬â¢m pretty sure a transfer of power via overthrow or murder plays a part. Onward to conventions! I saw lots of dark/light imagery, storms (of course), magic (also of courseââ¬âthere was a magic cloak, after all), nature vs.
Wednesday, January 15, 2020
My First Helicopter Ride
As I stood gazing at the monstrous contraption, I shivered as though ice had replaced my spine. The cold air that blew into my face engulfed my entire body. The multiple layers of clothing could not protect me against the swish of frosty air. The walkway leading up to the helipad was newly paved; I could still feel the soles of my shoes sink into the cement just a little as I walked up the path. Itââ¬â¢s ironic how my heart did the exact same thing. It now felt like it was forcibly pressing against my lungs as I struggled to breathe; asphyxiated by terror. Weeds, dandelions and wild flowers were being blown helplessly about by the gargantuan blades. I knew how they felt. I was a small 7 year-old and this helicopter made me feel like a bug on a windscreen, hanging on for dear life. My mother must have been squeezing my hand too hard because I yanked it away from her as the pain finally registered in my central nervous system; I looked down at my hand just in time to see the blood rush back down my veins. Red roses grew wildly in thick batches by the entrance to the show grounds; the place where I was going to have one of the most memorable experiences of my life. The moonlight cast a ghoulish glow on the surrounding landscape, and the screeching of nearby cars pulling away to the highway made me realize how alone our family was; after all, we were the last people to go in the helicopter that day. The big metal structure shone a bright white under the moonlight, and the splotches of rusted metal hinted at the machines maturity, which wasnââ¬â¢t comforting at all. The spinning of the blades was deafening as we hurried towards the little ââ¬Å"hobbitâ⬠door to enter the craft. The first thing I felt when I was hauled up into the craft was the constriction of my pupils, and then my eyelids wired shut. It was very bright in there. As soon as I regained visibility, I looked around and saw all these lights that were sourced by many buttons, switches and levers. The dashboard smelt of black coffee and cigarettes, and the floor of the helicopter was littered with cigarette-buds. I turned my head to look at my mother. I could see that somebody had made an attempt to scrub out a vomit stain on her seat. The earthy colours were at sharp contrast with the charcoal seats, and a thin layer of bleach had been used to try and remove it; like a criminal trying to remove blood splatter at a crime scene. Was it an omen, perhaps? My mother reached over and tightened my seatbelt, uncomfortably tight. However, with the sounds from the pilotââ¬â¢s radio headset combined with the humming and buzzing of all the small machines in the chopper, I was too frightened to care about the seat belt. All that was going through my mind was how my life was now in the hands of rows upon rows of illuminated buttons and do-hickeys. It was probably two minutes after buckling up that the craft began its slow ascent into the cold and seemingly insidious night. I could feel all my organs getting pulled down by gravity. In that moment, I became completely oblivious to the sound of the rotation of the massive blades above me, and only heard the ââ¬Ëââ¬â¢lob-dupââ¬â¢Ã¢â¬â¢ of my heart. The light had been so bright as to temporarily blind me. The warmth of my motherââ¬â¢s reassuring smile contrasted the coldness of the night outside. As I peered through the window, I could see my father and little brother about to board the second helicopter. Their clothing was fighting violently against their bodies as the wind from the rotors blew over their heads. Slowly they started for the craft, with their mouths covered, as if walking into a big sandstorm. I could see them take very short, reluctant steps towards the door of their helicopter; as though they were trying to delay the jaw-dropping experience that was to follow. We started rising and rising until I caught a glimpse of the starry cosmos, and at that very moment, I was lost in my very first helicopter ride.
Tuesday, January 7, 2020
Bless Me Ultima The Growing Up Of A Young Boy - 680 Words
Bless me Ultima: The Growing up of a Young Boy Throughout the book Bless me Ultima, Tony, the young main character in the story, lost his innocence when exposed to the harsh world since he learned what life is really like. Ultima is a good witch who tries to guide Tony by teaching him morals and lessons. Narsico is percieved as the town drunk, but is a good person. Tenorio is the demon in this story, as he wants to destroy Ultima. This book is about Tonys experience in adjusting to the rough world at a relatively young age. Narsicos death with Tenorios desire to kill Tony made him realize his limitations and acknowledge the reality. Before these incidents, Tony imagined he could control incidents that happenedâ⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦Before, Tonys parents, especially his mother, forced the religion of Christianity upon him. Tony believed it, since his parents did and he thought they were always right. Tonys parents did not him to question Catholisicm, but Florence made him realize you must question all beliefs at all angles. I personally think Tony will still believe in Catholisicm, but this event made him realize you must listen to all beliefs and question. Ultima told Tony he had to live to understand, since some questions are not answerable, and are only answerable through experience. Also, Tony learned from Ultima that recognition of your childhood is part of your future, and you must face the truth no matter how much agony you can suffer. When Tony was on his Uncles farm one summer, his Uncle told him to overlook differences, and evil is not evil, it is what you percieve of it. He also said people are not evil, they just have bad influences. If someone influential has a persuasive argument that seems to have a logical solution, people are influenced in a negative way since they do not know the whole story. In ways, Tony wishes Florence was with him, but he knows he can not look back on his life. He knows he must remember Florence, but if he kept dwelling on mourning for him, he would never be able to get on with his life. Yet, this made Tony realize he must wade through life, and you must not ever let evilShow MoreRelatedThematic Analysis Of Bless Me, Ultima1447 Words à |à 6 PagesThematic Analysis of Bless Me, Ultima Bless me, Ultima is a book taking place in the 1940ââ¬â¢s during world war ll in New Mexico, it is about a young boy named Antonio who is being torn this way and that by his mother, a Luna who wants solely for her son to become a man of knowledge and a priest. His father a Marez vaquero (cowboy) who wants him to be free like all the Marez men before him. Both parents are polar opposites from each other the Lunaââ¬â¢s who represent the moon are quite, religious farmersRead MoreThe Struggles of Antonio826 Words à |à 3 PagesBless Me, Ultima Essay The Struggles of Antonio In the beginning, Antonio is only six years old. He is at the center of a conflict between the Mà ¡rez values of his father and the Luna beliefs of his mother. His father would love for him to become a cowboy, but his mother desperately wants him to become a priest. ââ¬Å" Once I had told my mother about my dreams, and she said they were visions from God and she was happy, because her own dream was that I should grow up an become a priest.â⬠(4) All throughoutRead MoreEssay on Finding Ones Self879 Words à |à 4 Pagesnovel, Bless Me, Ultima, Anaya presents the reader with the complications and difficulty of cultural identity and in the end suggests that a person can draw from several cultural traditions instead of just one in particular. The main character, Antonio, is the guide to Anayas lesson. Antonios parents, Ultima, and even his town present him with different situations and ideas that contributes to his identity. In the first chapter we are introduced to Antonio and his family. Antonio is a young six-year-oldRead MoreBless Me Ultima Reflection Essay1395 Words à |à 6 Pagesabout everything that surrounds your life. These experiences can be so powerful that you question your entire existence. In Bless Me Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya, Antonio Mà ¡rez goes through many hardships that he endures throughout the plot which sparks many questions upon to himself. Being at a young age and coming up against such horrific experiences there is no doubt a young mind would have the need to seek answers as to why something like this would occur. Due to facing harsh realities, Antonio isRead MoreExamples Of Bless Me Ultima1246 Words à |à 5 Pages Bless Me Ultima Topic 1 Amari Spleen Mr.Amoroso Pd.3 Spleen Page Two We wake up to the chirping of the birds and the annoying sound of our alarm clocks reminding us of the responsibilities that come about as the sun rises.After all the morningââ¬â¢s withdrawalsRead MoreEssay about Spirituality and Finding Ones Path in Life950 Words à |à 4 Pagesconcerned with religion or religious mattersâ⬠. In the book Bless Me Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya the themes of spirituality and independence are exactly what young Antonio is trying to find. This book portrays the struggles and positive experiences of a young boy on his route to finding his own identity. Finding your spirituality and your path in life is not easy for anyone and was proven very difficult for Antonio Marez. Antonio Marez grew up in a devout Catholic family where a solid sense of faith keptRead MoreTransformation In Bless Me Ultima1980 Words à |à 8 PagesBless Me, Ultima is a transformative novel truly represented by the series of events that Antonio experienced. Throughout the story, Antonio was forced to transform from a boy to a man after the severity of tensions of opposites in his life caused him to question everything he had ever known. Antonio reflected upon battles of opinions in his own household, religious differences, and stepping outside of his cultural upbringing for the first time. When Antonio witnessed an extreme amount of death,Read More Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya Essay1652 Words à |à 7 PagesBless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya Children believe what their parents tell them but as they get older they start to question that which used to be unquestionable. Bless Me, Ultima is a novel by Rudolfo Anaya about a young Chicano boy, Antonio Juan Marez y Luna, who is growing up and seeing the world for how cruel it really is. A wise old curandera, or faith healer, Ultima, arrives just before Tony receives his first glimpse into the world of men. Ultima gives Tony spiritual healing throughoutRead MoreBless Me, Ultima By Rudolfo Anaya1002 Words à |à 5 PagesIn the novel Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya, Antonio matures a great deal for his age due to the violent actions he is surrounded by. à à à In the beginning of the novel the main character Antonio Marez, who was just six years old at the time, lives in a small town located in New Mexico. He lives with his parents, Maria and Gabriel, and two sisters, Deborah and Theresa. Tony also has three older brothers, but they are off fighting at War. During this t ime an older women by the name of La GrandeRead MoreBless Me Ultima Essay1362 Words à |à 6 PagesBless Me Ultima LAP Topic 2 ââ¬â¹Ã¢â¬â¹Ã¢â¬â¹Ã¢â¬â¹ Brian Sandoval ââ¬â¹Ã¢â¬â¹Ã¢â¬â¹Ã¢â¬â¹Mr. Amoroso ââ¬â¹Ã¢â¬â¹Ã¢â¬â¹Ã¢â¬â¹AP Literature Period 1 Brian Sandovalââ¬â¹Ã¢â¬â¹Ã¢â¬â¹Ã¢â¬â¹Ã¢â¬â¹Ã¢â¬â¹Ã¢â¬â¹Ã¢â¬â¹9/20/17 Mr. Amorosoââ¬â¹Ã¢â¬â¹Ã¢â¬â¹Ã¢â¬â¹Ã¢â¬â¹Ã¢â¬â¹Ã¢â¬â¹Ã¢â¬â¹Ã¢â¬â¹AP Literature Bless Me Ultima Topic 2 ââ¬â¹The demons that haunt one by day do not go away by night; they merely lie in wait until one is sound asleep, ready to strike once more. Dreams are manifestations of oneââ¬â¢s inner thoughts, both pleasurable and frightening. It is the brainââ¬â¢s way of working through the problems that plague the mind, serving as a warning
Monday, December 30, 2019
Stalin Was More Effective Than Any Other Ruler of Russia...
Stalin was more effective than any other ruler of Russia in the period 1855 ââ¬â 1964 in dealing with opposition. How far do you agree? During the second half of the 1920s, Joseph Stalin set the stage for gaining absolute power by employing police repression against opposition elements within the Communist Party. The machinery of coercion had previously been used only against opponents of Bolshevism, not against party members themselves. The first victims were Politburo members Leon Trotskii, Grigorii Zinovev, and Lev Kamenev, who were defeated and expelled from the party in late 1927. Stalin then turned against Nikolai Bukharin, who was denounced as a right opposition, for opposing his policy of forced collectivization and rapidâ⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦Often situated in cold and remote regions, they housed millions of prisoners, especially in the late 1930s. Conditions were inhumane and death rates were high for the prisoners. They were still heavily used after 1945 though fell into disuse after Stalinââ¬â¢s death. Narodniks were socially conscious members of the middle class who aimed to achieve better conditions for the working classes. They tried to convert the people to socialism however this failed as they were persecuted by the state and quickly decimated. Land and Liberty relied on terrorism and murder. They evolved into the Peopleââ¬â¢s Will group which assassinated Alexander II in 1881. Started around Lavroks ideals and frustration around the failure of the Narodniks. The state then exiled, killed and imprisoned them. Perhaps one of the biggest challenges facing Alexander III was political violence. Not only his predecessor, Alexander II, but also other leading political figures across Russia during the 1870s had been assassinated. Peopleââ¬â¢s Will was a terrorist organisation that hoped to bring political change to Russia through revolutionary violence. They attacked leading members of local and national government. The assassination of Alexander II was merely the culmination of a nationwide campaign of violence. The immediate cause of revolution was the demonstration in St Petersburg in January
Saturday, December 21, 2019
Television Show Aspect Of The Media - 1926 Words
Television show is one of the popular ways to pass time and is also acknowledged as social communication facilitator. Since Game of Thrones is one of the nations most popular show, the program has accumulated varieties of fans and interests. Game of Thrones like other popular and successful media such as Hunger games series, Harry Potter etc. has both the print version and television show segments. When it comes to my focus, I am focusing on the television show aspect of the media. According to my interviewees, the media phenomenal had garner both nation and worldwide attention because the TV doesn t fall into the typically clichà © category of TV shows and media that the public are exposed to in our current media. My interviewees said that they are ââ¬Å"attracted to the extreme drama and unrealistic nature of the showâ⬠and also attracted to the fact that ââ¬Å"Game of thrones is the opposite from every clichà © book/TV show. It s fun of suspense, action, violence and plot twists.â⬠Game of Thrones is a fictional TV shows that revolves around family power, beliefs, politics, magic and public discourse in general. The show is centered around Seven Kingdom with mostly five families out of eleven fighting and scheming to get control of power and with the pursuit of power and respect comes death, betrayals, fights, rape, cultural differences, religion and loyalty amongst other things being tested and highlighted in the show. Although Game of Thrones doesn t feel relatable, most of theShow MoreRelatedAdvertising Medi An Important Aspect966 Words à |à 4 PagesWhen it comes to advertising, the advertising media is an important aspect. Advertising media ââ¬Å"are the various means by which the message is communicated to the target marketâ⬠(Perrault, Cannon, McCarthy, 2013). There are several aspects that an advertiser must consider when choosing the best advertising medium to use, which can change depending on the situation. One way that advertisers can ensure effectiveness in terms of their advertising media is to make sure that they give careful considerationRead More Media Essay1506 Words à |à 7 Pages Violence in the Media Violence in the media has been a growing problem ever since the emergence of mass media. One wonders however, how violence has become so prominent in our culture, more so than other countries. More minors are being involved in heinous crimes such as murders and armed robberies. Even play on the school ground is getting rougher. There are many factors that play into the increasing violence, such as over population, religious struggles, and race. One factor thatRead MoreThe World Of The Age Of Medi Entertainment And Relevancy985 Words à |à 4 PagesLiving in the Age of Media: Entertainment and Relevancy The significant presence of electronic media has gradually become a crisis of societyââ¬â¢s problems. Though it seems to go unnoticed by most, the obtainment of our information that we are receiving is a mere means of entertainment thanks to the universalization of media and television. Postman discusses the consequences of living in a technologically advanced age by discussing four aspects of society that are most affected: the news, religionRead MoreThe Cultural Phenomenon Of Reality Television1741 Words à |à 7 Pagesââ¬ËReality Television (TV)ââ¬â¢ has become an increasingly popular genre of television since its paroxysm onto the airwaves in 1945. The term ââ¬ËReality Televisionââ¬â¢ can be defined as the genre of entertainment that documents the lives of ââ¬Ëordinaryââ¬â¢ individuals through the exhibition of allegedly unscripted real-life scenarios, despite inquisitive inquiries disclosing Reality TV to entail facets of script. The primary objective of Reality TV is purely to entertain the audience. This genre of television is appealingRead MoreDevelopments in the Last Century1046 Words à |à 5 PagesLast Century Brenda Steger Hum/186 Media Influences On American Culture June 8, 2013 Dr. Victoria Yancey Developments In The Last Century In detail this paper will show how the media played an important role in the culture today. It will answer the questions What were the major developments in the evolution of mass media in the last century? It will also ask How did each development influence American culture? And What is ment by the term media convergence and how it affected everydayRead MoreThe Representation Of Gender And Media978 Words à |à 4 PagesNowadays the representation of gender in media has become very common. It is all about the representation of phenomenally rapid change: changeââ¬â¢s in gender relation transformations in media technologies, regulatory frameworks, content ownership and theoretical revolutions in the approaches used to make sense of gender representations. Gender and media aims to freeze the frame, press the pause button, or hit the refresh key to construct that how media shows social stereotypes. There are many advertisementsRead MoreThe Effects Of Mental Illnesses On Children s Media1371 Words à |à 6 Pagesthroughout todayââ¬â¢s media. Even with recent research, media chooses to only give information about the negative events mentally ill patients are associated in. Todayââ¬â¢s media mocks mental illnesses in childrenââ¬â¢s television shows and it has negative effects on the children who are exposed to this. Psychologists and other doctors are making an effort to change the views the media portrays to the public. These efforts are being fought against because ââ¬Å"Hollywoodâ⬠and other large media industries make theirRead MoreCanada s Influence On The Canadian Culture1093 Words à |à 5 PagesCanadaââ¬â¢s media industries have played a huge role in the Canadian culture. The Canadian culture has integrated with other countries forming a successful globalization. Many countries including the United States have contributed to the success in Canadaââ¬â¢s media industries. The success of globalization between all of the countries was predicted by Marshall McLuhan and ever since his prediction, the world can be depicted as a global village. The global village can be viewed as a tool, a tool that isRead MoreWatching the World through Television1186 Words à |à 5 PagesMost of the world can be viewed through the television. Educational programs are aired. News from all over the world is broadcasted. Anything from sports to music is displayed on the television. While there are many positive aspects of mass media, to the contrary, there are also violent programs portrayed. Violence in all aspects of the media has drawn public attention with practically every novel type of media entertainment (Slotsve et al., 2008). With children being the main audience, thisRead MoreHow Do Media Effects Help One Understand The Complexity Of Media Power?1193 Words à |à 5 PagesHow do ââ¬Ëmedia effectsââ¬â¢ help one understand the complexity of media power? If a man is tall enough to be a basketball player, he can be described as robust. But until he helps his basketball team win the game, he will not have any effect. That represents the difference between ââ¬Ëpowerââ¬â¢ and ââ¬Ëeffectsââ¬â¢. However, there are a number of ways to shoot a ball, and it does not mean winning every time. The complexity of ââ¬Ëeffectsââ¬â¢ depends on the undetermined ââ¬Ëpowerââ¬â¢. And ââ¬Ëthe concept of power in human affairs
Friday, December 13, 2019
The Snows of Kilimanjaro Free Essays
This paper analyzes three short stories of Hemingway- The Snows of Kilimanjaro, Hills Like White Elephants, and Indian Camp by reading them against the grain. The aim of this paper is to study the stories by re-reading them and using approaches that will give greater insights and reveal new meanings. The Snows of Kilimanjaro (Marxism) Marxism believes ââ¬Å"the real forces that create human experience [are] the economic systems that structure human societiesâ⬠(Tyson 53). We will write a custom essay sample on The Snows of Kilimanjaro or any similar topic only for you Order Now Marxist criticism chooses to focus more broadly on the cultures ââ¬Å"economics [as] the base on which the superstructure of pocial/political/ideological realities is builtâ⬠(Tyson 54). When we speak of ideology from a Marxist perspective we mean a belief system created by cultural conditioning (Tyson 56). It is these underlying, pervasive, and sometimes disguised economic ideologies that shape our culture which in turn shapes each of us as individuals through cultural conditioning. Thus, it is the ââ¬Å"differences in socioeconomic class [which] divide people in ways that are much more significant than differences in religion, race, ethnicity, or genderâ⬠(Tyson 54). When we speak of socioeconomic class we mean differences in economic, social, and political power between people. Marxism gives us the terms bourgeoisie and proletariat, which in simple terms refer to the rich and the poor, respectively. But Tyson says there are essentially five different socioeconomic classes in America: the underclass, lower class, middle class, upper class, and ââ¬Å"aristocracyâ⬠(55). And people are always fighting and struggling to climb the socioeconomic ladder as part of their cultural conditioning. ââ¬Å"For Marxism, getting and keeping economic power is the motive behind all social and political activities, including education, philosophy, religion, government, the arts, science, technology, the media, and so onâ⬠(Tyson 53). When looking at ââ¬Å"The Snows of Kilimanjaroâ⬠from a Marxist perspective, it is important to note the time period in which the story was written and published. Even though the story takes place in Africa it is predominantly influenced by the charactersââ¬â¢ experiences in American (and European) culture. Harry and Helen are (presumably) American citizens and therefore their behaviour has been shaped by the predominant American ideologies of the mid 1930s, which include: classism, consumerism, rugged individualism, and the American dream. In ââ¬Å"The Snows of Kilimanjaroâ⬠Harry can be seen as a patriot, he fought in the war; as a rugged individualist, Helen ââ¬Å"thought he did exactly what he wanted toâ⬠(Hemingway 46); as a man living the American dream, climbing the social ladder, always improving his social standing in life by moving on to women with more money than the last, and enjoying the ââ¬Å"acquiescence in this life of pleasant surrenderâ⬠(47) and comfort; and as classist, although Harry shares his wifeââ¬â¢s money he still felt like ââ¬Å"a spy in [the] countryâ⬠¦[of] the very richâ⬠(44). Harry embodies all of these American ideologies and they shape his identity as an individual, even though at their root the ideologies are a result of the underlying capitalist American economic system. We can also learn a lot about the prevailing ideologies from the narrative itself. Throughout the story Harry and Helen both shout orders to their camp and hunting support staff. Although the support staff is presumably being paid but it is worth pointing out that there is a class division between the privileged couple and the workers whose job is to make their experience enjoyable. Also there are numerous references to money throughout the text. Harry says to Helen itââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"[y]our bloody moneyâ⬠(Hemingway 41), and ââ¬Å"[y]our damned money was my armour,â⬠and ââ¬Å"[y]ou rich bitchâ⬠(43). Harry also thinks about how he ââ¬Å"had his life and it was over and then he went on living it again with different people and more money, with the best of the same places, and some new ones,â⬠and of the ââ¬Å"very richâ⬠¦which he despisedâ⬠(Hemingway 44); and ââ¬Å"this rich bitch,â⬠and ââ¬Å"[Helen] who had the most money of all, who had all the money there wasâ⬠(45); and ââ¬Å"because she was richerâ⬠(46); and ââ¬Å"[t]he rich were dull and they drank too much, or they played too much backgammon. They were dull and they were repetitiousâ⬠(53). Harry also recalls a story in which a guy named Julian says ââ¬Å"The very rich are different from you and meâ⬠and someone responds to Julian by saying ââ¬Å"Yes, they have more money,â⬠but this crushed him because Julian ââ¬Å"thought they were a special glamorous raceâ⬠(Hemingway 53). These textual references deal with the subject of money, of economics, of ideology, and classism. But there is still more textual evidence of the capitalist American ideologies present in the story. Another example of classist ideology includes Harryââ¬â¢s statement to Helen ââ¬Å"your own people, your goddamned Old Westbury, Saratoga, Palm Beach peopleâ⬠(Hemingway 41). And examples of consumerist ideology can be seen as Helen ââ¬Å"had to make another lifeâ⬠so ââ¬Å"she acquired him (Harry)â⬠and ââ¬Å"built herself a new lifeâ⬠(Hemingway 46). All of the above textual references are proof of the underlying economic ideologies that shape the characters in ââ¬Å"The Snows of Kilimanjaroâ⬠and illustrate the ways in which Harry and Helen value their commodities for their exchange value and sign-exchange value. ââ¬Å"For Marxism, a commodityââ¬â¢s value lies not in what it can do (use value) but in the money or other commodities for which it can be traded (exchange value) or in the social status it confers on its owner (sign-exchange value)â⬠(Tyson 62). Viewed from this perspective Harry and Helen are using each otherââ¬â¢s sign-exchange value in their relationship, in other words, they are showing off their possession of one another to society in a process called commodification. Commodification, or the use of sign-exchange value, is exactly what it means when Harry describes himself ââ¬Å"as a companion and as a proud possession [of Helenââ¬â¢s]â⬠(Hemingway 45). As we have seen there are many references in the narrative of ââ¬Å"The Snows of Kilimanjaroâ⬠that shed light on the relevant ideologies as applicable to Marxist criticism. The ideologies of classism, patriotism, rugged individualism, consumerism, and the American dream are as predominant today as they were in the 1930ââ¬â¢s. How to cite The Snows of Kilimanjaro, Papers
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)