Individual Reflective Report Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Individual Reflective Report - Term Paper Example The merits of the proposal can be attributed to the thorough research that was done about coming up with the topic and engaging the team members with it. The idea screening and market research questionnaire were well thought out. The questions addressed the key points around the Clarks footwear; its demand, market niche, target audience, and pricing. In the market niche and target audience, I think we should have included examples of advertising fashion magazines like ELLE, Glamour, and Cosmopolitan as a marketing strategy for the company. This is because the age of the target audience is 18-35 and people in this age bracket read these magazines. Furthermore, celebrities who wear these shoes, for example, Nicki Minaj, Taylor Swift and Rihanna are a great pull to the social and electronic media marketing strategies. We should have mentioned the social media sites that have been integrated with Clarks for marketing purposes. For example, Clarks is associated with Facebook and Twitter w hich has been incorporated into their proprietary website to promote the brand (Clarks.co.uk, 2014). The SWOT analysis was well done with the main points about the business coming out clearly. However, we could have expounded on the threats column by mentioning the rival companies and then comparing the prices of their products. Under Strengths, we should have included the reason why the shoes are of high quality that is having them made in Vietnam. The other strength we should have incorporated is that the product has increased the number of their Directly Operated Stores that is a defensive strategy by taking the volume share control in the market. In the weakness section I believe most of the facts were left out, For example, we left out that a big chunk of income has always been got from retailers who have a tendency to give the same experience to consumers without showing the dissimilarities between the brands they sell. Also, Clarks have margins that are squeezed, as the selle rs often tend to move the low price pressure onto Clarks (Cps.gov.uk, 2014).

Gertrude and Helen: Wantonness in the Trojan War and Shakespeares Hamlet :: Shakespeare Hamlet

Gertrude and Helen: Wantonness in the Trojan War and Hamlet      Ã‚  Ã‚   Hamlet is the melancholy Dane; Claudius, the smiling villain. Polonius is the oily courtier; Horatio, the loyal friend. Most of the characters in Hamlet are well defined and unambiguous; the character of Gertrude, however, presents us with many ambiguities and difficulties. Some critics see her as "well-meaning but shallow and feminine, in the pejorative sense of the word: incapable of any sustained rational process, superficial and flighty" (Heilbrun 10), while others see her as a stronger character, cool and calculating. The play presents many aspects of Gertrude's character ambiguously. Janet Adelman writes,    Given her centrality in the play, it is striking how little we know about Gertrude; even the extent of her involvement in the murder of her first husband is left unclear....The ghost accuses her at least indirectly of adultery and incest...but he never accuses her of nor exonerates her from the murder. For the ghost, as for Hamlet, her chief crime is her uncontrolled sexuality; that is the object of their moral revulsion, a revulsion as intense as anything directed toward the murderer Claudius. But the Gertrude we see is not quite the Gertrude they see. And when we see her in herself, apart from their characterizations of her, we tend to see a woman more muddled than actively wicked; even her famous sensuality is less apparent than her conflicted solicitude both for her new husband and for her son....Even her death is not quite her own to define. Is it a suicide designed to keep Hamlet from danger by dying in his place?...Muddled, fallible, fully human, she seems ultimately to make t he choice that Hamlet would have her make. But even here she does not speak clearly; her character remains relatively closed to us (Adelman 15-16).    In spite of the many ambiguities of Gertrude's character, one of her chief characteristics is wantonness, and like Helen of Troy, Gertrude's wantonness led to tragedy. Wantonness-a word that is little in use nowadays-suggests three characteristics: luxuriously rank extravagance, lack of discipline, and lustfulness. The treatment of Gertrude's character in Hamlet supports the argument that her chief fault is wantonness, for these three characteristics can be seen in her character.    The first characteristic, luxuriousness or extravagance, is not directly stated in the play but can be inferred from the actions of Gertrude. One possible reason for her remarriage after King Hamlet's death is a desire to maintain her position as queen, with all its luxury and comfort.

Symbolism in Kiss of the Spiderwoman and No One Writes

â€Å"It’s a sin to take the food out of our mouths to give it to a rooster† (Garcia Marquez 31). This essay portrays the different types of symbolism throughout the novels Kiss of the Spiderwoman by Manuel Puig and No One Writes to the Colonel by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. The fighting cock is the dominant symbol in the former, representing both positive and negative matters; such is the case of hope in bringing some improvement to the Colonel’s living conditions while for his wife, being a reminder of their son’s death along with the repression they live in due to political corruption. In the novel Kiss of the Spider Woman, symbols such as the films, the food and most importantly, the Spider Woman, represent the characters’ peculiar relationship transitioning from a neutral one to a sexual and affectionate one. Both these novels are linked by the political corruption in their environment while the emotional atmosphere revealed by the symbols make them complementary to each other. In No One Writes to the Colonel, the linking of symbols and images represent the inner tensions of the characters throughout the novel. The main symbol, the fighting cock, is an interesting one in its ability to depict contrasting sentiments as one being. The first one is the hope the Colonel attains from it because of the value it possesses for the town. If the cock wins in the cock fights, the poverty they find themselves struggling with would have a chance to improve. This gives the cock a special treatment where ironically, it will be put first than them. â€Å"When the corn is gone we’ll have to feed him on our own livers. (Garcia Marquez 11) Evidently, the Colonel and his wife are eating insufficiently, unable to afford more corn for the cock, let alone food for themselves. The Colonel however maintains a positive attitude towards the cock, faithful that it will in the end lead to helping their harsh conditions. Not only for him but for the people of the town too, the rooster will come to hold a great value representing collective hope for the town as a whole. We can see this when the Colonel talks to a group of young men who were his son Agustin’s friends and after his death, always helped maintain the cock healthy not only with hope, but with the belief that it will win all of the bets and as a result, win a lot of money for them. The Colonel asks about how much he owes them for repairing his clock and they assure him the cock will reward it. â€Å"Don’t worry about it, Colonel. In January, the rooster will pay for it† (Garcia Marquez 34). It seems that there is an assurance of what the symbol of the rooster signifies and is valued for in the town. This is where the main conflict comes in between him and his wife, in which the cock’s symbolism of hope will turn into one of hatred and resentment. â€Å"It’s because the situation we’re in,† she said. â€Å"It’s a sin to take the food out of our mouths to give it to a rooster† (Garcia Marquez 31). For her, the rooster will represent something quite the contrary; where rather than it symbolizing hope for an improvement to their living conditions, it will symbolize the misery they are in, especially by being the source of their son’s death. She cannot relate with neither her husband’s wish to maintain Agustin’s aspirations for the cock alive nor the town’s value and belief for it as a symbol of opposition continuing even after the death of its owner. The cock, as a legacy of Agustin, is a symbol of collective hope for the town symbolizing resistance for opposition to authority. He and his rooster were the part of the family who possessed the highest appreciation and value from the people of the town. When he is killed, the survival of the cock is what gives his parents any respect from the people. Later on, the Colonel considers selling it since his wife constantly puts pressure on him to do so because she believes that it is only putting their own lives at risk. â€Å"Get rid of that rooster right now† (Garcia Marquez 30). However, he finally realizes as he sees and lives through the excitement of a cock fight that the cock is more meaningful than just the money it can bring. He thinks that by selling the cock, it would not only mean a glimpse of help to their situation but also a betrayal to the people of the town, â€Å"They said the rooster didn’t belong to us but to the whole town† (Garcia Marquez 56); and the problem of hunger they find themselves struggling with would still not be solved. The political standpoint in which this symbol stands is conflictive no matter what decision he makes. There is always a constant shift in which the symbolism of the cock varies from a positive tone of hope and value to a more negative one of misery and death. The rooster in itself is not suggested just as a representation of the repression the couple lived in but is truly signified as Agustin, the son who was killed as a form of punishment for selling clandestine information that the political figures of authority did not want for the public, in other words, not allowing freedom of expression. For Kiss of the Spider Woman, the symbols are portrayed by a more consistent representation of love and care between Molina and Valentino, a peculiar relationship where a homosexual man, Molina, will trap the heterosexual man, Valentino, into a â€Å"trap of webs† through seduction and a much needed care for him in times of sickness. First of all, the symbol of the films that Molina shares with him as a way of entertainment in the jail cell have stories that represent how he is feeling along with his fantasies about love. An essential film Molina told Valentino about was the last one he told before he was held free from jail, the story of a romantic tragedy. â€Å"And then suddenly you see a giant giant close-up of just her face, with her eyes flooded with tears, but with a smile on her lips†¦ And well†¦ that’s all†¦ folks†¦ -†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Puig 259) The telling of this film represented the setting of a melancholic atmosphere since after growing such a strong bond, it was now time for them to part. What these films as symbols also emphasize is the entirely different points of views that these two men attain. – It’s a question of learning to accept things as they come, and to appreciate the good that happens to you, even if it doesn’t last. Because nothing is forever. –Yes, it’s easy to say. But feeling it is something else. † (Puig 259) Molina sees himself as a female figure rather than a male one with the fantasy of finding love wi th a wonderful man, with this; he is more led by his emotions rather than reason. Valentin, on the other hand, thinks in the opposite way being led more by reason. He rejects Molina’s idea of a forever lasting love and sees personal relationships as secondary to the cause of justice. These films are constantly triggering their discussions about their opposite points of views. Valentin criticizes Molina for his desire to escape into a world of fantasy but ironically, he denies that his own expectancy for a revolution is also virtually a fantasy. We can then call upon the symbols of food in the novel representing the love, care and affection that in the end Molina has won from Valentin, a man who tends to avoid this sort of attachment with someone else. When Valentin is sick from food poisoning in the cell, Molina finds a way to treat him with delicious food that makes him feel much better after being sick from poisonous food from the jail. As their time to depart arrives, Valentin makes reference to some of the food as his way of telling him he loves him and will actually miss him, â€Å"Every time I see a piece of glazed fruit, I’m going to remember you† (Par. 5, Pg. 259). The glazed fruit will be a symbol of caring and nurturing that Molina gave to Valentin. He also mentions the chicken spit, one of the other foods he brought him that will remind him of Molina. And every time I see a chicken on a spit, turning in a deli oven† (Puig Pg. 260). The symbol of the chicken spit turning in an oven will represent two vital things: one being the foreshadowing of Valentino and the burns he will suffer later as punishment from the authority for not giving out information they asked of him and the other is how along with this physical pain, he will also live with the pain of knowing that Molina died not long before he got parole because he got involved in Valentino’s political affairs as a favor to him. And finally most importantly, we see the symbol of the spider woman representing Molina’s character, the consuming female who relishes her predator after a sexual encounter yet also the mother who nurtures. â€Å"- You, you’re the spider woman, that traps men in her web. † (Par. 5, Pg. 260). Molina is symbolized as the spider woman since in his relationship with Valentin; he was not a man but a feminine figure who won Valentin’s trust and affection through his profound care of him. In conclusion, the role of symbolism in these two pieces of literature will play a significant role in representing important aspects of the themes, the atmosphere, the social relationships, the emotions, etc. In No One Writes to the Colonel, we see that the cock will be a symbol of two main different things: the optimism in the hope for the town and the Colonel and a more negative note for the Colonel’s wife who sees it as the repression and death of their son. In Kiss of the Spider Woman, the symbols of the film stories, the food and the spider woman will also reveal how the relationship between Molina and Valentin is grandly valued despite their sexuality differences. For both of these novels, we are able to see the symbols all of hope, love, affection and misery; all vital in expressing what is needed and putting together two classical pieces of literature.

Hamlet Revenge, Uncertainty, And Madness - 1252 Words

Hamlet is one of William Shakespeare’s tragedy play surrounded with three major themes: Revenge, Uncertainty, and Madness. Throughout the play, the theme Madness is surrounding the protagonist, Hamlet. Although, nowadays, Hamlet’s madness is still an enigma to the readers. His words and actions are highly debated whether he is deeply submerged in the sea of madness or he is merely acting. According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary, madness is â€Å"the state of having serious mental sickness, or showing foolish actions and completely unrestrained by reason and judgment.† Based on this definition, Hamlet could be seen as truly sane through his intellectual, calculating mind and other characters’ viewpoint on his action. In the beginning of the†¦show more content†¦Another time, Hamlet shows how upset and betrayed he is, â€Å"You would pluck out the hear of my mystery†, â€Å"Call me what instrument you will, though you can fret me, you ca nnot play upon me† (II.II.373-380) or calling Polonius as a â€Å"fishmonger†. His act of lunacy gives a sense of distrust and elucidates Hamlet cleverness through his sarcastic riddles, wittiness, in the guise of madness to insult, criticize and ridicule without anyone suspicious. Also, he can gain information by observing Claudius and his henchmen’s moves to generate a new plan that leads to his motive of killing Claudius. No mad man would be able to construct such plans and thoughts. His crazy talk has a reason and the reader can easily notice the implication in it, how he astutely uses the act not only to mock but also to monitor their plans closely while they are not guarded. In contrast, unlike an insane man, Hamlet displays his intellectuality at times where it is not necessary to act mad. When Hamlet tells Horatio about the play â€Å"Observe my uncle. If his occulted guilt does not itself unkennel in one speech.† (III.II.82) or when he is directin g the players â€Å"Suit the action to the word, the word to the action† (III.II.18) these are not how a mad man can talk, these shows how Hamlet is rather calculating and perfecting his plan than being truly mad. Hamlet’s sanity can also be proven through other characters’Show MoreRelatedWilliam Shakespeare s Hamlet And Hamlet1442 Words   |  6 Pagesmultifaceted nature of revenge. Furthermore, the ability of a text to have different interpretations and discussions about these varying interpretations contributes to the textual integrity of a text. Madness and its portrayal throughout Hamlet and Hamlet’s ruminations endows audiences thoughts into the complex nature of revenge. 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