Introduction to Tesco Essay Example

Introduction to Tesco   Essay Tesco is Britains leading food retailer employing 160 000 people in the U K throughout its 702 stores. Over the past five years Tesco has expanded from a traditional U K based supermarket into new countries, products and services including a major non food business, personal finance and internet shopping. Tesco has progressed into a truly international retailer employing a further 140 000 people throughout 214 stores in nine markets worldwide. The increasing scale and internationalization of Tescos sales and purchasing operations contributes to a significant increase in efficiency and profitability. In this assignment I will be examining Tescos position in the economy, explaining the role of economies of scale within Tesco and drawing up a detailed swot analysis of the organisation. I will also be examining the role of production within the firm. Tescos position in the economy Tesco is a public limited company (plc). Public limited companies are businesses with share price on the stock exchange. To become a public limited company, a business must have an issued share capital of at least à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½50 000. The company must have reissued at least 25% of the nominal value of the shares. Tesco can raise significant sums of capital by selling shares to the general public. Shares are bought and sold on the stock market. We will write a custom essay sample on Introduction to Tesco   specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Introduction to Tesco   specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Introduction to Tesco   specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Management of Tesco is in the hands of the board of directors who are appointed by the major shareholders at the annual general meeting (AGM). Tesco has approximately 100 000 active shareholders within the company. Tescos share holders do not have any say in the day to day running of the company. There is a distinct division between ownership and control within Plc companies. This is unlike sole traders, partnerships and some private limited companies, where owners usually take on management duties. Being a plc Tesco benefits from limited liability this will limit financial risk. In the unlikely case of Tesco going bankrupt and falling into debt shareholders can only lose the value of their fully paid shares at worst. Their personal property is immune. This is not the case for sole traders and partnerships as unlimited liability is present. Therefore the owners will be fully liable for all of their debts. Plcs have become the dominant type of business organisation in the private sector. Tesco will experience fewer difficulties in raising capital than most other types of business. Not only can they raise capital, but their high public profile also makes it easy to arrange loans from financial institutions giving it the resources to trade throughout the world and compete in the toughest markets overseas. Tescos legal obligations: * Memorandum of Association This is a statement of the name of the company, the address of the companies registered office, a statement of the companies aims. * Articles of association This is a set of rules by which the company is governed. The articles are a contract between the company and its shareholders. The document must provide details of. : 1. The firms nominal capital. 2. When shareholders meetings are to be held and how they are to be conducted. 3. The voting rights of shareholders. 4. How profits and losses are to be distributed. 5. Names of directors. 6. How directors are appointed and the nature of their authority. Tescos business objectives Business objectives are medium to long-term goals or targets that provide a sense of direction to the business. These usually have a stated time scale. For instance, Tesco might have an objective to boost market share from 27% to 30% over the next four years. Tesco owes its success to fulfilling their major business objectives and meeting consumer needs. These are as follows: * Making a profit * Increasing sales and market share * Providing services to the community * Producing high quality products and offering high quality services * Developing a skilled workforce * Expanding into overseas markets * Fulfilling charitable or non-profit objectives Tescos Market share Market share is the term used to describe the proportion of total sales in a particular market for which one or more firms are responsible. This is usually expressed as a percentage. The supermarket sector has always been highly competitive. Tesco is the leading company in the sector with a huge 27% market share. Tesco is under much increased competition for market share and sales with the rise of Asda Walmart, sainsburys and the takeover of Safeway by Morrisons. Tescos dominant market share is put down to their policy of cheaper prices, offering better choice and convenience for their customers and its emphasis on meeting changing consumer needs through service and innovation, while maintaining its commitment to value and quality. In June 2003 the third largest supermarket was created. This came about by the takeover of Safeway by Morrisons. According to BBC news a deal worth à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½2.9bn was agreed by the two supermarket chains. The combined firm, with 598 stores, a turnover of à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½12.6bn and a market share of 16%, aims to compete with Tesco, Sainsburys and Asda- the giants of the U K supermarket sector. This was a massive boost for Morrisons which prior to the takeover was a fast growing but medium sized supermarket chain based in the north of England. The take over has opened up the South of England to Morrisons where Safeway was predominantly located. The well documented takeover of Safeway by Morrisons was proposed by all of the supermarket giants including Tesco. Tesco showed a great deal of interest in the takeover but their bid was blocked by the competition commission. The office of fair trading decided to block Tescos bid stating that it would give Tesco increased buying power over manufacturers and suppliers resulting in a push up of prices. The office of fair trading also had concern for small stores and its negative effect on local communities. Financial Information In April 2003 Tesco announced a 14.7% rise in annual profits. This rise in profits has been put down to increased emphasis on non-food products and its expanding overseas operations. Tesco announced pre-tax profits of 1.4bn for the year to February 22nd. These profits exceeded forecasts of 1.3bn. Tesco decided six years ago to focus on expansion into higher margin non-food products such as clothing, healthcare and retail services such as banking, as well as expanding overseas. Tescos International sales rose 31.2% to à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½5.2bn in the year to February 22nd. Meanwhile in the U K sales grew 7.9% to à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½23.4bn.

Progress of Technology essays

Progress of Technology essays Personal computers were officially introduced just around 15 years ago and already changed our lives dramatically. People that were born around that time rely on computers a lot more than older generations. We use computers for just about everything like instant messaging, games, homework, music and e-mail; just to name a few. I think that advances in technology and, therefore, computers have mostly a positive effect on humans. They replace peoples jobs and do them millions of times faster. We wouldnt be able to launch any spaceships if it wasnt for the computer helping humans control it. Homework and research would take hours to complete because you would have to look for different sources everywhere and now you just log onto the internet and all known encyclopedias are at your fingertips. Computers these days can be found everywhere from being the brain of new cars and helping you drive without getting lost to just sitting on your arm and telling you the correct time. A computer isn't just the thing that sits on your desk to be used for word processing. They are amazing machines able to do things some people don't even think possible. Computers are helping humans live. They take off many responsibilities so people just watch the numbers on the screen and not worry about anything else as the computer does the rest. Computers also save lives. SWAT teams use them inside radio controlled robots that can disarm all sorts of bombs or even serve as a camera to go through small spaces that people can't get through. A computer is something not to be underestimated. Computers are not only becoming faster every day but they are also becoming smaller. Around 40 years ago, computers were as big as several rooms and needed thousands of times more power than a personal computer today. All they could do was simple arithmetic operations that nowadays can be performed on any tiny hand-held calculator. Soon people will carry their...

Toyota Motor Corporation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Toyota Motor Corporation - Essay Example Toyota started announcing recalls of 8 – 9 millions after reports of 2000 fatal accidents and 19 deaths from its defective vehicles with accelerator and brake pedal issues. By February 2010 (just before ending of fiscal year on March 31), Toyota had recalled nearly 2 million vehicles from its main markets that also reflected in Income Statement, Cash Flows and Balance Sheet. In fact, the assets and liabilities / debts section were greatly affected from that recall because sales declined and products recalled simultaneously. Toyota Corporation estimated that recall would cost, at least, $2 billion in 2010 – 2011, which may increase in near future if suppliers would increase raw-material / inputs prices followed by high labour expenditures. It is worth mentioning that Toyota's sales in North America reduced by 16% alone in February 2010 in comparison to February 2009 just after the recall. On the other hand, the competitors operational in American markets were among the a ctual beneficiaries, since ‘General Motors recorded sales increase of 15%, Ford observed a growth of 24%, Nissan recorded the growth of 15%, and   Hyundai observed a phenomenal 24% growth in USA. Indeed, the recall enabled Ford Corporation to become second largest automobile seller across North America after General Motors. The recall sabotaged Toyota’s strategic and financial position because customers started switching to other brands, which later resulted in decline in market share. This just happened when Toyota had certain plans / aspirations to benefit from improvements in global economic outlook. Without any doubt, the company in the short - run has been unable to win trust of potential customers and maximise its monetary gains because of additional repair and delivery costs to be incurred from this recall. In addition, the loss of goodwill and reputation alone could prove quite devastating for company in near future when it will launch newly developed products. For instance, potential customers and industry analysts may raise questions about safety, security and reliability of Toyota’s vehicles. In a nut shell, it is justified to argue that Toyota’s balance sheet figures (assets and liabilities) position will deteriorate in fiscal year of 2011 because of mixed consumer confi dence on Toyota’s market offerings.  

Internet commerce Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Internet commerce - Essay Example The orders are taken in seconds and customers want the overnight fulfilment of the order. The new concept of just-in-time ordering impacts the whole supply chain starting with the end customer through the manufactures and suppliers. Because the number of orders varies every day, there is an opportunity that one supplier might wrongly predict the demand and run out of one of the components. The lack of some part leads to the break down of the whole system. Unfortunately, most of the companies heavily advertise their products and do not realize that the component shortage leads to the loss of existing and potential customers because they are not able to satisfy the demand they had stoked. The shortage issue is especially critical for the popular products. Taking into account the example of PlayStation2 many of the potential customers were willing to buy the product but could not find it. As the result, they have switched to other brands. As the study has proved, one week delay in delivery leads to 5 percent probability of order cancellation. It is especially important for the large companies to retain customers because the struggle for market share is very intense. ... Importance of manufacturer/supplier communication In order to solve the above problems it is vital to get wired tightly with the suppliers, thus the suppliers should at least know what the manufacturer knows. For example, if the demand in the last two days has increased significantly, it is a good idea to contact the supplier and share this information. If such communication and information sharing occurs regularly, the suppliers are able to get ready for unexpected demand growth better. The close communication helps to deal with the demand decreases as well. Sometimes the surplus of product leads to even greater loss of income become these products have to be kept somewhere. Fortunately, most of the products sold through internet do not spoil over time and have extended warehouse holding. For example, if there is the surplus of MP3 players, the warehousing costs will be significantly lower compared to the holding of TV sets. At the moment, the communication between manufactures and suppliers is quite limited and suppliers are not able to handle the huge unpredictable number of orders from manufactures selling via internet. Partially, this shortage of products is the result of the poor communication - the suppliers do not get enough information from manufactures. It is easy to take a lot of orders, however, the manufacturers are slow to deal with the supply. For some reason companies are not willing to adopt new methods of managing supply and continue forecasting based on the historical principles and the judgment of the sales people. Nevertheless, the monthly planning is not useful any more and causes

Existential Lit Final Paper Essay Example for Free

Existential Lit Final Paper Essay Part I 1. In Thomas Nagels â€Å"The Absurd† (1971), he begins by addressing the standard arguments for declaring life to be absurd. The first argument he points out is the idea that nothing humans doing in the present will matter in the distant future, or as Nagel says, â€Å"in a million years† (Nagel 716). People believe that what they do now wont matter at all in a million years, and that they are just one person living in the now that will soon be gone and will therefore not matter and dont matter. Humans see this not mattering as a reason why life is absurd, since if nothing matters then the point of life is questioned. The second standard argument Nagel looks at is the idea that humans â€Å"are tiny specks in the infinite vastness of the universe† (Nagel 717). This idea focuses around space and time, and how individual humans only live for an extremely short amount of time in a tremendously vast universe. People see this as a reason why life is absurd, looking at their lives as such short increments of time, especially on the large scale of the universe. Since humans are so small and take up such little time with their lives, this is seen as a reason life is absurd. The third argument Nagel looks at is about not being able to justifying all of lifes activities, since humans could die at any moment and will eventually. People go through sequences in life, one thing leading to the next, to accomplish something each step of the way, and therefore it is justified. However, eventually, life must end, and the chain of sequences will be cut off in the midst of one of the activities, and therefore will end without justification. â€Å"All of it is an elaborate journey leading to nowhere† (Nagel 717). These are the three standard arguments for explaining why life is absurd that Nagel discusses. Nagel, however, disagrees with these arguments and finds each invalid for specific reasons. When looking at the idea that nothing humans do now will matter in a million years, Nagel objects this with the realization that it doesnt matter now whether or not what we do now in a million years will matter or not. Whether what humans do now will matter in a million years or not is not important, because either way it wouldnt change how people feel now. â€Å"If their mattering now is not enough to accomplish that, how would it help if they mattered a million years from now? † (Nagel 716). If now doesnt matter in the future, than the future must not matter now, and therefore this explanation of why life is absurd is invalid. The second idea, focusing on life being absurd because of how small and short lived humans lives are, is contradicted by Nagels idea that if humans were larger presents in the universe theyre lives would still be just as absurd and that if humans lived for longer, or forever, there lives would just be absurd for that much longer, or even infinitely absurd. This thought of humans as living for such a short amount of time and being so tiny in the universe is clearly not what makes life absurd, even if life is absurd. These facts, if anything, would make humans lives more absurd, if they were larger presents in the universe or lived forever then the absurd would be even larger or last for eternity. Therefore, this is not a valid argument in saying that life is absurd. Looking at the third argument, which focuses on death preventing the justification of human lives and its many sequences, Nagel shows that this idea is actually false as life does not consist of these sequences that all have purposes and continuous justification. â€Å"Chains of justification come repeatedly to an end within life, and whether the process as a whole can be justified has no bearing on the finality of these end-points† (Nagel 717). Many things we do in our daily lives are already reasonable and do not need further justification, such as taking aspirin for a headache, Nagel points out. However, even if someone wanted to further justify any of lifes activities, this further justification would also have to end somewhere, as all things must. â€Å"If nothing can justify unless it is justified in terms of something outside itself, which is also justified, then an infinite regress results, and no chain of justification can be complete† (Nagel 717). All reasoning must end at some point and must be accepted as it is instead of looking at it as incomplete, because if it is looked at as incomplete then reasoning is impossible. With Nagels profound contradictions to these three arguments, he shows that these are not valid reasons to say that life is absurd. 2. Though Nagel discards the standard arguments for stating that life is absurd, he nonetheless says that life can be seen as absurd, just for different reasons than the previous ones discussed. He states that life is absurd because of the clash between humans tendency to take their lives so seriously and the ability of humans to doubt these things which they take so seriously or view them as arbitrary. Humans take their lives seriously, as seen through the idea that many things are necessities for living and that humans actions, such as making choices, are very important. However, humans also are capable of seeing things outside of their lives, which then creates doubt about the things that are taken so seriously. This idea that humans cannot live their live without this seriousness, yet can have a point of view outside of their lives that makes this seriousness doubtful, is why life is absurd. â€Å"It is absurd because we ignore the doubts that we know cannot be settled, continuing to live with nearing undiminished seriousness in spite of them† (Nagel 719). There is a clash between what people think is happening in life and what is truly happening, and because humans are able to have a point of view outside of their own life, they can see what is truly happening and therefore become doubtful of what they think is happening. However, they continue on with what they think is happening, or with this seriousness of life, even with the doubts from seeing what is truly happening. These two viewpoints, one within our own lives and one outside our lives, are both unavoidable yet clash with one another, and this, according to Nagel, is why life is absurd. Nagel states that humans take their lives seriously whether they live in a serious manor or not, and regardless of what their primary concerns in life are. â€Å"Human life is full of effort, plans, calculation, success and failure: we pursue our lives, with varying degrees of sloth and energy† (Nagel 719). Humans can reflect, make choices, question things, and decide what to peruse and what to avoid and who they want to be or become. This alone is signified, but when it clashes with humans ability to think outside themselves and survey this seriousness, it creates absurdity. â€Å"Yet humans have the special capacity to step back and survey themselves, and the lives to which they are committed, with that detached amazement which comes from watching an ant struggle up a head of sand† (Nagel 720). This ability to step back creates these doubts and questions about this seriousness life is taken with, doubts and questions about things that seem so sure before stepping back. Nagel explains: We step back to find that the whole system of justification and criticism, which controls our choices and supports our claims to rationality, rests on response and habits that we never question, that we should not know how to defend without circularity, and to which we shall continue to adhere even after they are called into question† (Nagel 720). According to Nagel, life is absurd not because humans are capable of this stepping back and reflecting on the seriousness of life, but because they then continue with their lives and taking them so serious even after doubts about the seriousness have been identified. 3. Nagel focuses on the idea that humans live absurd lives because of their self-consciousness, and therefore their ability to see themselves as humans and create this clash between seriousness and reality. With this, it can be said that God, all-knowing and self-aware, also lives an absurd life. The mouse Nagel refers to cannot have an absurd life because he is not self-aware, so he does not know he is a mouse and does not have the ability to reflect on this and create doubts about it. God, however, knows he is God and therefore has the ability to step back and have doubts. Being self-aware means that you doubt, and that every justification is doubted. This means that God, self-aware, doubts justifications, just like humans, and has an absurd life with the clash between these. When Nagel describes how the mouses life would be if he was self-aware, he says, â€Å" he would have to return to his meagre yet frantic life, full of doubts that he was unable to answer, but also full of purposes that he was unable to abandon† (Nagel 725). This sentence is applicable to Gods life being absurd, as God has a life full of doubts without answers due to his self-consciousness, but also has great purposes that he is unable to abandon, since he is the higher power that humans rely on. Also, like humans, God cannot refuse this consciousness, because to refuse it would mean he is aware of it, and it therefore he would already be self-aware. Since God cannot escape this self-consciousness, he is trapped, like humans, in this clash between his self-awareness and the seriousness that is taken with it and the doubt that comes with self-awareness where he reflects and doubts all justifications. This makes Gods life absurd, just like humans lives, as he too experiences the clash between self and reality. 4. Nagel stresses that absurdity is one of the most significant things that makes humans humans, and that it is essentially incurable. With this idea in mind, it can be seen that religion cannot cure the feeling of absurdity, and religious people live absurd lives just as all humans do. Humans lives are absurd because they have life goals and strive for things, which is the aspect of taking life seriously, but they also can step back and reflect on things and this causes doubts, which happens regardless of religion. â€Å"What makes doubt inescapable with regard to the limited aims of individual life also makes it inescapable with regard to any larger purpose that encourages the sense that life is meaningful† (Nagel 721). Believing in something larger does not allow escaping to occur, as it can be doubted in the same way that individual life can be. People use a higher being for comfort and to give their lives meaning and justification, however, as pointed out before, justifications end and humans no longer look any further. Moreover, religious people still have the humanistic qualities that all humans do that eventually lead to reflection and doubt. Another way of portraying religious peoples life as absurd just as nonreligious lives is to look at the idea of being self-conscious leading to absurdity and that this is a natural part of being human. â€Å"The only way to avoid the relevant self-consciousness would be either never to attain it or to forget it—neither of which can be achieved by the will† (Nagel 725). Religion does not change this unavoidable self-consciousness, and therefore life it still absurd with religion. The idea of religion is to provide meaning to life, however, if all humans are prone to this inevitable doubt, than this meaning will be doubted in the same way that life without meaning is doubted, or may even be doubted even more and therefore this creates a more significant contradiction, and may mean that religion makes life even more absurd. The gap between seriousness and reality is even larger in a life with religion because life is taken more serious, as there is this idea of more meaning, but still has the contradiction with reflection and doubt, hence a life with religion abets absurdity. Nagels main focus about religion is that it does not cure the feelings of absurdity because, regardless of being religious or not, humans cannot avoid this inevitable doubt of their seriousness, and therefore creating this clash which makes life absurd. â€Å"There does not appear to be any conceivable world (containing us) about which unsettlable doubts could not arise† (Nagel 722). Nagels idea about facing this absurdity is, rather than believing in something higher that gives life a certain meaning that does nothing but encourage absurdity, view life as ironic. He says to â€Å"approach our absurd lives with irony instead of heroism or despair† (Nagel 727). Heroism, as seen in religion, means to value life too much, whereas despair, seen in the depressed or suicidal, means to not value life enough or at all. However, to look at the absurdity of life with irony allows humans to live this contradicting life, aware of this contradiction, but continue to live it without denial, torment, or resentment. In Samuel Becketts Waiting for Godot (1953), this concept of absurdity seen from continuing seriousness even after doubting it is portrayed. Vladimir and Estragon have chosen enslavement to an authoritative figure, Godot, and though they have yet to see Godot or even get confirmation that he will eventually come, they still continue to wait for him. This is the same idea that religion brings to humans, as they can live their lives without signs from God or true meaning from religion, yet they still believe because it gives them a sense of purpose. However, this creates absurdity because, for religious people, they also doubt all of this purpose and meaning they are waiting for, and for Vladimir and Estragon, they doubt Godot will ever come. Towards the end of the play, it is clear that Vladimir has doubt about Godot and has a realization that he has been waiting for a long time and will continue to wait, possibly for eternity. He has this realization and doubt about his seriousness for waiting, yet continues to wait. This clash is what makes Vladimir and Estragons lives absurd, and is the same clash that is seen in religious lives as well. 5. According to Nagel, atheistic existentialists, such as Sartre and Camus, dwell on and blame the fact that God doesnt exist as the reason life is absurd. They believe that without God, our lives lack the meaning which they demand, and without this meaning our lives are meaningless, and therefore absurd. However, Nagel has already pointed out that this is not why life is absurd and that whether our lives have meaning or not does not change this clash between the seriousness which we take our lives and the reality that causes us to doubt the seriousness that is the true creator of absurdity. These atheistic existentialists view absurdity of humans lives as a problem, as something that needs a solution or to be fixed. Camus advice on dealing with this â€Å"problem† of absurdity is defiance. Nagel looks at Camus proposal, and says, â€Å"We can salvage our dignity, he appears to believe, by shaking a fist at the world which is deaf to our please, and continuing to live in spite of it† (Nagel 726). This, of course, will not rid our lives of absurdity, as this is not possible as long as we are self-aware and able to reflect, but Camus believes it will give humans at least a more fulfilled life. Nagel disagrees with these ideas, and says that the absurdity of human lives isnt even a problem at all. He falls back on his idea that absurdity is one of the most significant things that makes us human, and humans lives are only absurd because they posses the ability of a kind of insight that other species do not. â€Å"If a sense of the absurd is a way of perceiving our true situation (even though the situation is not absurd until the perception arises) then what reason can we have to resent or escape it? † (Nagel, 727). Nagel says that it is important that humans are aware of this absurdity, yet do not try to avoid it as it is not possible to do such a thing and one will only dwell on this attempt their entire life. Instead, as mentioned before, Nagel suggests the only way going about absurdity is to approach it with irony. It is important to not let this absurdity become torturous, but is also crucial to not allow it to force an avoidance or attempt to surpass the absurdity. The acknowledgment of the clash between seriousness and reality is important in acceptance and living life in between heroism and despair. If humans can look at their absurd lives with irony, the absurdity will be acknowledged, but will not effect their lives as to cause anything actually problematic from happening. Nagel also states that this absurdity is important because it exposes our human limitations and allows humans to understand these, so there is no reason to try to escape this. Nagels argument helps make sense of these atheistic existentialists works. For example, in Camus The Stranger (1942), the ending is very clear because Camus didnt believe in the idea of approaching absurdity with irony, so he did not end his book like this, and instead ended it with Maurseult approaching the absurdity with the dramatic feeling that Nagel discourages. Maurseult is unable to find irony in his absurd life, and blames Gods nonexistence for his inability to justify morals. It is clear that this happens because these are Camus beliefs, and Nagel portrays these as making a problem out of absurdity that shouldnt be a problem at all. Jean-Paul Sartre, also an atheistic existentialist according to Nagel, falls back on the idea that existence proceeds essence, and in that way humans achieve absolute freedom. However, this idea is contradicted by Nagel when he says that humans are born into absurdity and there is no escaping it, as it would have to have been never attained or forgotten, which is impossible to do if its part of humans from the start. Nagels ideas about absurdity, such that it is unavoidable yet not necessarily a problem, contradict these atheistic existentialists ideas, and he ends with he belief that contrary to what these existentialists say, humans must approach their absurd lives with irony, because if nothing matters, than it wouldnt matter to do anything other than this. Part II a. â€Å"Existentialism Is a Humanism†, by Jean-Paul Sartre (1946), focuses on freedom as the bases of morality. Sartre defends existentialism as being a moral philosophy by contradicting arguments against this idea with his own thoughts. The first idea that Sartre rejects is that which claims existentialism allows people to â€Å"dwell in the quietism of despair† (Sartre 1). In his argument against this he focuses on the concept that existence proceeds essence, where humans first exist before anything else, such as defining themselves. â€Å"Man simply is. Not that he is simply what he conceives himself to be, but he is what he wills, and as he conceives himself after already existing—as he wills to be after that leap towards existence† (Sartre 2). This is what Sartre refers to as the first principle of existentialism. The next idea Sartre argues against is that existentialism is a pessimistic view, however, he says that existentialism actually reflects severe optimism. He gives the example of the way an existentialist looks at a coward and sees him as personally responsible for being a coward, as something he chooses and commits to, which is an optimist way of looking at such a thing. Sartre then looks at the idea of subjectivity, which is argued as a negative aspect of existentialism as it is seen as living a solitude and therefore selfish or egotistical life, and conveys two meanings for â€Å"subjectivism†. One meaning he points out is the freedom of an individual, and the other meaning refers to man unable to further himself beyond human subjectivity. This is a further look at existence proceeding essence, as it shows that humans do not choose being human but they do choose their actions after becoming humans, and by choosing for ones self, one chooses for all humans. This shows, therefore, that existentialists view humans as not individuals whom are selfish, but rather that their actions speak for all humans. The last argument Sartre rejects is that existentialism denies reality and the seriousness of humanity. However, according to Sartre, existentialism is humanist when looking at a fundamental definition of the word. â€Å"Man is all the time outside of himself: it is in projecting and losing himself beyond himself that he makes man to exist; and, on the other hand, it is by pursuing transcendent aims that he himself is able to exist† (Sartre 13). Existentialists believe that there is no human action that doesnt have an explanation, and if an action has an explanation it is human. These ideas portray Sartes position that existentialism is a moral philosophy and that it is a humanism. However, his ideas are not enough to make this statement. He focuses deeply on the idea of freedom and that because humans are free as seen by existentialists, existentialism is a moral philosophy. For existentialism to be completely moral, however, it would have to compliment Sartes idea of freedom with other values, such as charity, kindness, and serving our duty to the world and others, as this is what is truly moral and humanitarian. Complimenting freedom with something else though would take some freedom away and therefore his idea of the moral system being based on freedom is invalid. One example Sartre provides to express this idea of freedom being the basis for existentialism, and the reason it is moral, is about a man facing a moral dilemma. He must choose between either staying with his mother, whom has been abandoned by everyone else in her life and only has this one son left, or leaving her, alone and empty, to go join the Free French Forces. He looks at this as a moral dilemma, however, this is not a moral dilemma because both choices are good. A moral dilemma is one where an individual is faced with two options and picks the one which is good and leaves the other which is not good. However, whether this man stays with his mother or goes to fight for a cause, he is choosing between two goods and therefore is not making a moral decision. Sartre also looks at the idea that existentialism leaves you uncertain and that all moral decisions operate with a degree of uncertainty. This, to an extent, is true, and it is not wise to base decisions on certainty of the future. However, there are actions that are possible, and should be, taken based on their consequences. For example, the question of whether one should push another individual off an enormous cliff seems very certain. It is true that life is uncertain, but there is quite a high chance that that individual, if pushed off the cliff, will fall and die. The immediate and certain consequences seen in life are not mentioned and are ignored in Sartres moral system of existentialism, and therefore is not enough to make this claim. Sartre focuses on this idea that freedom is what makes existentialism a moral philosophy, however, true morality limits freedom, and there is so much more to morality than what Sartre mentions. b. Ivan Ilytch and Meursault both experience an epiphany at the end of their lives, and therefore die as happy men. Both men lived selfish lives, unaware of what life truly was about. They both lived under an idea of what they thought was the right way to live, with Ivan attempting to live a normal life, fitting into society, and Meursault living a life in effort to embody the universe. Both of these life styles were structured and allowed the men to just follow guidelines which they believed was the right thing to do. However, this was selfish as it led to them ignoring the rest of the world, such as their families and other aspects of true happiness. Meursault went through life seeing it as meaningless and therefore claims he believes in nothing. However, the fact that he in so deeply devoted to this meaningless shows that he believes in this meaninglessness. This becomes clear when Meursault is talking to the priest and realizes that his uncertainty was just as strong as the priests certainty about everything, and when he says that the priest was living like a dead man he realizes that it was really him who was doing such a thing. Meursault comes to terms with the fact the he so deeply believes that nothing matters and life is meaningless, and in doing so he looses his temper and becomes emotional and passionate about something for once in his life. This same insight about realizing that life is not so structured and that it is about existing and having fulfillment is seen in Ivan when, as he is laying on his death bed, he becomes aware that there is no goal in life. He spent his whole life chasing something, but finally realizes that this is not what life is about, as he already had things in his life that could have given him fulfillment, such as his family. As he looks at his son and is overcome by this realization, he is finally happy. Meursault also was pursing something in life, that of embodying the universe, but he too sees that this is not what life is about. Soon before he dies, he really sees the world for the first time in his life, the smells and sounds that it holds, and is happy. He even thinks about his mother and shows a side, lacking selfishness, that he had never shown before. With this thoughtfulness, as well as recognizing that nothing matters and there is no meaning, he finally gives himself the fulfillment that life is truly about and feels happiness. c. In Samuel Becketts Waiting for Godot (1953), two men wait for an authoritative figure to appear and convey a message, telling them what to do and what to live for. This is a constant part of society, where humans continue â€Å"waiting† and spend their entire lives hoping the universe will tell them something. The play symbolizes this human waiting and longing for something more in many ways throughout it. Estragon cannot take his shoes off, symbolizing that he is stuck on earth and nothing can be done as he cannot escape. Vladimir looks at his hat, as if to find something in it that tells him something or gives some sort of sign, but finds nothing and continues to gaze at the horizon, which holds hope and something more than this life theyre stuck in. However, as trapped and unhappy as they are, as they even considered suicide, they do not give up hope. In fact, they decide against suicide because they must wait for Godot to come and see what he offers, and then they will decide what to do from there. Vladimir and Estragon cannot stop their wanting to live as they want to live for something, so they are hoping that Godot will give them something to live for, even though he already is just from the hope that he might come. They have lost track of time and are unsure of whether they were here yesterday, as waiting tends to make people lose track of time since it is just what humans do and is inherent in our human condition. In metaphysical time, it is always just now, and waiting is eternal. When two new characters enter the scene, Pozzo and Lucky, the main characters become puzzled. Lucky, who is seemingly not so lucky, carries Pozzos bags for him, but he never puts them down, and he obeys Pozzos every command. Vladimir and Estragon wonder why this is, and why Lucky even puts up with Pozzo. Lucky, however, is not much different from Vladimir and Estragon, as he just seeks authority. He wants this enslavement, where he is told what to do and think and how to live. Vladimir and Estragon have their own symbolic bags that they too refuse to put down, as seen through their choice to continue to wait for Godot, with no one telling them they must wait but it being their own decision to do so and continue to do so. When Vladimir and Estragon find themselves worried that Pozzo wants to get rid of Lucky and leave him behind, it symbolizes that they too are worried of being left behind by Godot. This constant desire for authority is something seen in this play as well as in society, as humans are very frightful of being alone or without someone to tell them what to do or how to live. Though Vladimir and Estragons decision to wait is questionable, it does however give them something to do and comes from a command from authority. As mentioned before, though Godot isnt there, Godot is still ruling over them and gives them the authority that is so desperately sought for. This enslavement to Godot seen in Vladimir and Estragon is actually rather admirable, as it shows their devotion and commitment. The patience seen in their servitude conveys their faith and religious spirit. It brings them hope and a sort of comfort to continue this faith and commitment. When the boy comes the second time to deliver Godots message, Vladimir seems to know that the same thing happened yesterday, and that it will continue to happen, but he still continues to wait. The boy does not tell Vladimir that he will convey his message to Godot and does not give Vladimir his desired recognition that this is real, and Godot has not shown up, yet Vladimir and Estragon still continues to wait and do not lose hope. This idea that they are not just existing as humans but are devoting themselves to this higher authority shows that their existential journey leads beyond existentialism, as they continue to wait by choice but are being controlled by the idea of something more.

Audrey and John from The Hollow :: Drama

Discuss in detail, how you would play either Audrey or John in the selected scene. You will need to refer to voice, movement, gesture and facial expression, as well as to how your chosen character responds to others on stage. Scene sixteen, "The Hollow." This scene is set in a natural grassy scooped out hollow in the midst of the trees. The five children have plunged for safety because Raymond thought he heard something. He thinks it may have been the mysterious "him" but is not sure. This play is set in the 1940's, and this was when the country was at war, so they would have been scared that the Ities would capture them. The scene includes six characters: John, Angela, Willie, Audrey, Raymond and Peter. Angela is described as being pretty, with ringlet curls in blue ribbons. Audrey is said to be short, with straight hair and "cheap owl-like metal framed glasses" These descriptions suggest that Angela has more authority, or a higher status throughout the play. Angela is described to be everything that Audrey isn't, but she really wants to be just like Angela. In this scene, the five are very scared, and are huddling up to each other. If I were Audrey, I would be trying not to show I was scared, because she is more of a boy than Angela and does not care for dolls, or prams. I would be trying to show that I was brave. Audrey is trying to take interest in what the guards will do to the mysterious "him" if they catch him. If I was playing her, I would be very close to the boys, as if to be more on their side and more brave and boyish than Angela. Audrey is described as saying "never mind the pram," belligerently. This means that she is getting fed up with Angela because they have more important things to worry about. If I were Audrey, I would wave my hand at Angela as if to tell her to shut up, and get out the way. Audrey I trying to get in with the boys and the least she needs is Angela worrying about her stupid baby. When Audrey told Angela to literally shut up, this showed that she had the higher status. She resents the fact that Angela is always attracting attention from the boys, and this time, she has stuck up to her and the boys are on her side. She likes this. When John is told to go and have a look over the top, it is obvious that he doesn't want to, but he has taken on the sort of leader in the

Child Labor-Research Paper Essay

Children are the most important people in this world. Not only are they innocent and premature, but they also provide the future for this world. Every great leader or world changing man or women was once a bay. That baby grew up and became something great. Because that bay was raised the right way they were able to achieve men’s greatest achievements. If people like George Washington were raised differently then where would America be? We could still be under British Rule. We could be one of the governments that keep getting into civil wars because they have no strong leaders to lead them in the right direction. One child can rearrange how the world is today. Children are like a ball of clay. Children must be cared for in order to be shaped into a beautiful masterpiece. What masterpiece can you make with cracked clay? Ask any artist or sculptor you can’t work with cracked clay. It crumbles and falls apart in your hand. How can we make this world a masterpiece if the structure isn’t supportive? Child labor is the harsh dry climate that can dry and crack the future masterpiece that is our world. We need educated, healthy, and able children to run our future world and make it the utopia we wish it could be. Putting Child Labor on the front of Time Magazine can really help with this problem. Having this topic on the front of such a popular magazine can really help with the publicity this topic needs. There can be a lot more done to help this on going problem. We need to educate the world on what is happening to these poor children that this has to happen too. Child labor is a very important problem and needs to be stopped as soon as possible. Child Labor should be on the cover of Time Magazine because it is a growing problem, it can destroy countries, and children are the future for this world. Keeping in mind all this aspects I believe that child labor is completely cowardly act of the cruel people and should be banned. The history of child labor is very extensive. Not only has it been around since the beginning of time it’s also been a technique used in every single country in the world. As a matter of fact Child labor is still around today. It may not be as extensively used as it used to be but it is still around. During the 1700’s child labor was a big part of the industrial revolution. Kids were hired to do tasks that required their attributes. They were ordered to crawl under working machines and check things out. Surprisingly Children were given the most dangerous jobs. Many children died, lost limbs, or were seriously injured. As the problem grew it was introduced to more immature countries. These countries used children for many things including work. They would have them work on farms, factories, or other laboring jobs. Rebel armies in 3rd world countries are especially big fans of Child Labor. They use children for everything for the fact that they are easy to brainwash. They use children to distribute guns, as soldiers, or as servants. The main use of Child Labor now is mostly 3rd world countries. These countries have been depending on these children for many things. They need these children so much because they are very new countries. These countries might have become independent not very long ago and struggle very much to remain stable†(Galbi Douglas). Because these countries are so young thy are way to busy trying to figure out problems like who is in charge and dealing with rebel armies that this problem is almost nothing to them. Believe or not some governments use child labor. These 3rd world countries believe that putting a child to work is fine. As I said before the history of Child Labor is very extensive and there is probably some things that experts don’t even know about this topic. Child Labor has been a growing problem ever since the beginning of time. According to the history of Child Labor not very much has been done to prevent Child Labor. Certain countries have created laws preventing Child Labor but most of the world still has Children working. Most of these countries are 3rd world countries. There are many reasons why 3rd world countries have Child Labor. It provides family’s with one more paycheck to help with bills. You may notice the many 3rd world families have a lot of members. That is because if you have more children you have more paychecks coming in. Another reason is because people believe it might balance out there economy. Politics in these countries might believe that increasing the working class will increase the amount of products able to export therefore increasing trade and wealth. Also the main purpose that countries have Child Labor because it is the cheapest form of labor. Kids are able to work relatively cheap because there are easy to manipulate and convince that certain things are fair. This is an easy way to increase the work effort and increase profit too. These countries believe that Child Labor is a good way to increase their wealth and hopefully get them out of the economic slump they are in. Because these countries are very young they don’t see this as being wrong. Also they don’t see that Child Labor is actually destroying them also. Child Labor does the exact opposite of help. That’s why it is such an important growing problem. We have to figure out some how to convince countries that Child Labor isn’t good. Countries don’t believe anything is wrong because we keep on buying their products. There are several large companies that use Child Labor as a form of cheap labor so they are able to make much more profit. One of these big name product that use Child Labor in their factories is Nike. Nike is one of the biggest companies around in the U. S and they use Children in their factories. This shows how much it actually is around us. It is because of companies like this that are the reason the Child labor is still around. (Why children work) Child Labor is a main reason why 3rd world countries are the way they are today. Child labor devastates countries and families all around the world. Not only does Child Labor include the labor of several children but it also is a main topic in the tragedy of child trafficking. Children are sold as slaves to several people that are involved in Child trafficking. These Children are forced to work and do certain jobs fir no pay and little food. This also usually happens in 3rd world countries. These children are usually kidnapped of the streets then sold. Another reason why Child labor is destroying countries is because these 3rd world countries that need a strong leader now have no educated children that can soon be their leader. To have a good leader he must be well educated. All of the great leaders of the world were once young children. As children they were pushed to get the best education they possibly can get. Now they were able to change the world into a better place. Without educated children, who will be the future leaders of these 3rd world countries? It is because there are no children that are educated that these countries are in such a slump. (Child Labor) Children are the future larders of this world. Name any person that has accomplished so many great things for this world and no matter what that person would always have a child hood. Our President for example, he was once a child. He used to play with toys and play tag. What he had different then Children in labor are the opportunity. That is what we need to provide for these children. We have to give these children an opportunity to help their country, to help their families, to help the world. If we are able to give these children opportunity they can help these countries. They can bring these countries out of the slumps they are in. They can even fix many of our problems that we have today. We should fight to end this struggle. We should fight to win this war against Child Labor. Many people think that child labor only existed in the early twentieth century but that is wrong. Child labor still exists in our world today and even though we do not hear or read about it, it is still prominent in the world today. Many companies based in the United States are also involved in child labor. Many of the companies that are involved in child labor are not involved directly. Just because child labor has a negative connotation does not mean that all the results of child labor are negative. There are many negative outcomes of child labor and people should not encourage child labor but it is still very much alive in our world today. Many people wonder what child labor is, or how many children are actually affected by it, or even where it take place. To define child labor, someone could say it is any work that could harm, abuse, or misuse children. It is also important to know that child labor is a major problem throughout the world. Just about two hundred and fifty million children around the world are considered child laborers. Child laborers are found all over the world. Child labor is not just limited to one or two regions in the world, it is a global problem that must be controlled. Many studies have been conducted in recent times to further understand how prevalent child labor is in our world today. It is known around the world that child laborers are mainly recruited from poor or undeveloped countries. Many child laborers are promised money, a better life style, housing and all the amenities they would ever need, but it is a lie. Employers tell these lies to the parents of children. The parents are hoping that the employer would give a better type of life for their child than they would if they stayed with them. In addition to child labor not being limited to one region of the world not only one age group is limited to being taken as child laborers. Some kids are taken from their homes to become child laborers at the age of four. Many of the children that are taken to be child laborers are tricked and scammed into becoming child laborers. A recent study on child labor showed the Asian continent possessed the most child laborers. The study showed that of all the children laborers in the world Asia had just above sixty percent of all the children laborers. Following Asia with the second most child laborers was the continent of Africa with just above thirty percent of world’s children laborers. Latin America held just below ten percent of the world’s children laborers. The rest of the children laborers are found in the United States, Canada, or prospering nations on the European continent. About one fifth of all the workers in Asia are children. Also in Latin America just about one fifth of all the workers are children. A study conducted by the UNICEF organization concluded that about thirty-three percent of children in Africa were working. The same study showed that twenty percent of children in Latin America were at work. â€Å"Out of the two hundred and fifty million child laborers in the world about eight and a half million child laborers are forced to work in conditions that sexually exploit them or in conditions that force them to use weapons†(Yuban Hilda). Many people also wonder can child labor really exist in the United States of America today. It may be hard to believe but child labor does occur in the United States of America today. In the year 1996 a study showed that just fewer than two hundred thousand child laborers were in the United States of America. In the same study about sixty thousand of the two hundred thousand child laborers in America were under the age of fourteen. With all this knowledge many people wonder what is being done, and what can be done in the future. The government of the United States of America has passed many laws and restrictions to fight child labor but it has not been enforced to a great extent. It is evident that child labor is widely impacting our world; destroying our countries and preventing the children that are the future for this world to do great things. Looking at all of these aspects, it shows how big of a problem this issue is, and putting it on the cover of time magazine would help inform people on such large levels. The only way that people will know about how serious the conditions are for these children is if the word is spread, and Time Magazine will show everyone that they must help. Imagine if the United States provided these types of conditions to our children. Is that the type of society that you would want your children, your children’s children, and the future generations to live in? With that being said, how could the people in countries like America not do anything to help? We must help. We can no longer allow this issue to spread in third world countries. If we want these countries to strive and become stable countries, it must start with the children; they need help and they shouldn’t have to deal with these types of conditions any longer. Child labor should be on the cover of time magazine because it is a rapidly growing problem, is will leave countries in ruins, and children are the future of this planet.