Adidass Strategy

Adidass Strategy Free Online Research Papers What is adidass corporate strategy? â€Å"To lead the sporting goods industry with brands built on a passion for sports and a sporting lifestyle. To provide athletes with the best possible equipment to optimize their performance. Leveraging opportunities across their brand portfolio 1.Market penetration – gaining market share across all markets in which they compete 2.Market development – expanding into new markets and addressing new consumer segments To have a leading market positions in all regions where we compete. Leading though innovation and design Customizing distribution 1.Mono-branded stores run by retail partners 2.Shop-in-shops that Adidas establish with their key accounts 3.Joint ventures with their retail partners 4.Co-branded stores with sports organizations or other brands Creating shareholder value† Was there a common strategic approach used in managing the companys lineup of sporting goods businesses prior to its 2005–2006 restructuring? No, Adidas was trying to regain the number one position within the sporting goods industry by investing in many different areas of sporting goods. â€Å"Adidas’s 1998 acquisition of Salomon had several businesses that adidas’s management viewed as attractive-its Salomon ski division was the leading producer of ski equipment: TaylorMade Golf was the second-largest seller of golf equipment; and Mavic was the leading producer of high-performance bicycle wheels and rims.† Adidas was not focused on athletic footwear and started selling bike wheels and rims that had nothing in common with their main business of athletes’ footwear. Also the ski division was out of line with their many main business goals and strategies. Has the corporate strategy changed with restructuring? Yes, Adidas sold the divisions that were not inline with their main strategy or didn’t have noting in common with their main business. â€Å"Adidas announced near the end of its second quarter 2005 that it would divest its winter sports brands and Mavic bicycle components before the end of the year.† Adidas started focusing on its main business strategies and divisions that were in common with the strategies. â€Å"Adidas’s October 2005 announcement that it would acquire Reebok International Ltd for three point eight billion was the final component of a restructuring initiative that would focus the company’s business lineup primarily on athletic footwear and apparel and golf equipment by 2006.† With the restructuring and acquisition of Reebok the company strategy has changed. The new Adidas will start focusing on their core business strengths in the athletic footwear and apparel business. The combined companies will offer the spectrum of their product mix to gain a greater combined market share. â€Å"The brand adidas will continue to have a clear focus on sport performance and will highlight team sports, while brand Reebok will be positioned as a fitness oriented, sports-lifestyle brand with the focus on individual performance. The positioning will also be reflected in the distinct brand communication to reach different consumers.† What is your evaluation of adidass 1998 acquisition of Salomon SA? Adidas should have not acquired Salomon SA since they did not have the knowledge to run the division and it made adidas to diverse. â€Å"A Merrill Lynch analyst suggested that the Salomon acquisition might prove troublesome for adidas since other athletic shoe companies had dabbled in the hard goods segment, but they have been unsuccessful to date in making inroads.† By adidas becoming too diverse, they were unable to capitalize on any value chains and unable to cross promote their products. The acquisition did give adidas more market share â€Å"Adidas’s 1.5 billion acquisition of Salomon allowed it to surpass Reebok to become the world’s second-largest sporting goods company† This was not a good business decision because adidas already owned Reebok and just because they gain market share showed that the end result would not be profitable (bigger is not always better). Did the acquisition achieve the Robert Louis-Dreyfuss objective of putting together the best portfolio of sports brands in the world? NO. Louis-Dreyfus used 100 percent debt financing to create adidas-Salomon thinking that the new business units would boost adidas’s pretax profit by 20-25 percent, however, Louis-Dreyfus’s projections never materialized. In 2000 Louis-Dreyfus resigned since his objective failed. What does a 9-cell industry attractiveness/business strength matrix displaying adidas-Salomons business units look like? A 9-cell industry attractiveness/business strength matrix for the time would have showed that the combination of adidas and Salomon AS would not be a good fit. Adidas brought to the deal a company that had underestimated the competitor (Nike), falling to the eighth position of athletic footwear market within the United States. Their was no competitive advantage for adidas within an maturing industry. Both adidas and Salomon had challenges within their industries that were not fix or address before or during the merger. Did adidass business lineup prior to the divestiture of Salomon and Mavic exhibit good strategic fit? No, at first it looks like a very good fit since both companies are in the sporting goods industry and having well known brand names. Both of them have strong apparel lines and having presence in similar geographical regions. However, it’s obvious that the hard-goods categories of Salomon and Mavic would not create synergies with the apparel and footwear industries of adidas. Skill transfers between the businesses would have been a problem to because each business was so different. What value-chain match ups existed? Adida’s knowledge in the apparel and footwear industries were a good match up for running TaylorMade, Salomon, etc. footwear and apparel lines. What opportunities for skills transfer, cost sharing, or brand sharing were evident? Adidas should have gain more bargaining power that should have resulted in cost savings for all the companies. Advertising cost could have been shared since all the companies are in the sporting goods industry. TaylorMade can use adidas’s apparel and footwear manufacturing strengths to its advantage to come up with more apparel and footwear products to increase its market share. Cost reduction learned from adidas could be used at TaylorMade to save money. What strategic fits will be possible once Reebok International is acquired? Reebok will give adidas’s company the ability to position adidas as a technologically superior shoe designed for athletes and adidas can then focus on the high-end of the markets. Reebok would be positioned as leisure shoes that would sell at middle price points. Adidas can keep endorsement contracts with respected athletes and Reebok’s endorsements would be from more edgy celebrities. This is a great strategic fit since both companies are in the same line of business, but in different segments of the market and so they compliment each other. Another great fits is that Reebok would keep its CEO to lead Reebok after the acquisition so both companies will have the management that knows how to run their part of the business. Did adidass business lineup exhibit good resource fit between 1998 and 2004? No, because the businesses were too different in order to gain any economies of scale from combined production. Management skills and employee skills could not be moved from one company to the other without retraining. What were the financial characteristics of each of three major segments? Exhibit 5 Adidas 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 Net Sales 80% 79% 78% 79% 80% 83% 85% Gross profit 75% 71% 71% 71% 75% 82% 86% Operating profit 88% 78% 75% 74% 79% 87% 94% Salomon 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 Net Sales 10% 10% 10% 12% 12% 11% 10% Gross profit 8.47% 9% 10% 12% 12% 10% 9% Operating profit 2% 7% 9% 13% 12% 6% 1% TaylorMade 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 Net Sales 10% 10% 11% 9% 8% 6% 5% Gross profit 9.74% 10% 12% 11% 4% 7% 6% Operating profit 10% 14% 16% 13% 9% 6% 5% Salomon was far behind Adidas and TaylorMade with operating profit declining from 2002. As of 2004 Salomon is getting to the point where it is just able to cover expenses. Which businesses might have been considered cash hogs and cash cows? Adidas is the cash cow with 75% gross profit. Solomon is the cash hog with only 9% operating profits then TaylorMade is the second cash hog How did adidas-Salomons performance vary by geographic region? On average from 1998 2004 Europe with 51% of adidas’s sales Asian with 16% of adidas’s sales Latin American with 3% of adidas’s sales Based on your analysis of adidas-Salomon businesses, did the 2005 restructuring make sense? Yes It allowed adidas to focus back on its core business of athletic footwear and apparel. At also allowed adidas to get rid of businesses that it was unable to manage. Does it appear the acquisition of Reebok International will produce positive results for shareholders? Yes, since adidas sales has gained more market share in china, overtaking Nike within that business region. What strategic actions should adidas CEO Herbert Hainer initiate to improve the companys financial and market performance now that the restructuring is nearing completion? Grow in other location out side of Europe. Adidas must increase market share in North America. Either sell or get the Salomon’s division more profitable. Focus on getting more business within the basketball area’s were Nike is slam dunking them at the hoops. Work Cited adidas-group.com/en/investor/strategy/default.asp Crafting and Executing Strategy: The Quest for Competitive Advantage- Concepts and Cases, 15th ed., by Arthur A. Thompson Jr, A. J. Strickland III, and John E. Gamble (New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 2007). Crafting and Executing Strategy: The Quest for Competitive Advantage- Concepts and Cases, 15th ed., by Arthur A. Thompson Jr, A. J. Strickland III, and John E. Gamble (New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 2007). Crafting and Executing Strategy: The Quest for Competitive Advantage- Concepts and Cases, 15th ed., by Arthur A. Thompson Jr, A. J. Strickland III, and John E. Gamble (New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 2007). businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/aug2005/nf2005088_0844_db008.htm Crafting and Executing Strategy: The Quest for Competitive Advantage- Concepts and Cases, 15th ed., by Arthur A. Thompson Jr, A. J. Strickland III, and John E. Gamble (New York: Mc Graw-Hill/Irwin, 2007). Crafting and Executing Strategy: The Quest for Competitive Advantage- Concepts and Cases, 15th ed., by Arthur A. Thompson Jr, A. J. Strickland III, and John E. Gamble (New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 2007). Research Papers on Adidas's StrategyAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductOpen Architechture a white paperDefinition of Export QuotasBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfPETSTEL analysis of IndiaIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalThe Project Managment Office SystemTwilight of the UAWRelationship between Media Coverage and Social and

Human Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 10

Human Resource Management - Essay Example Similarly the work life balance in the organizations will also be affected in the future such that the employee’s attitudes towards work and also leisure could also change. On the other hand there would also be more flexible obligations in balancing the demands of the employees in the organizations. Another sociological aspect that would affect the organizations in the near future is in the distribution of income whereby the organizations managements will want more people to highly invest in their organizations. On the other hand the consumerisms will also affect the organizations in the sociological aspect such that there will be more competition between the various organizations for more consumers. The market lace will also become more competitive since the levels of education for the consumers will be higher. The consumers will therefore be able to make more informed choices in their consumer choices and behavior. The organizations will also be affected by the sociological factors in such a way that they will invest more in the people who are in their organizations and equip them with adequate skills which will make them more competent in the organizations market place. The technological factors which are likely to affect the organizations in the near future could be classified in terms of the emerging new technology. In the near future the technological innovations will be very high and also very innovative. For instance the organizations will be affected by the new communication models which include the telecommunications and transportation of goods and services from one place to another. Similarly technologically the governments will spend more on research programs so as to ensure that the consumers are provided with the best quality of goods and services. The governments will also tend to focus more on the technological effort. The

Financial Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 7

Financial Management - Essay Example If the current ratio is below 1, the company is said to be unable to meet its liabilities. In the M. D. Ryngaert & Co, the profitability may have contributed to the increase in the current ration and making the turnover ratio to remain constant. The profits got from the daily operations in the company are used to expand the operations thereby leading to the changes in the current ratio. This includes the gross and the net profit after the daily expenses are deducted from the revenues got. The gross profit is used to determine the margins the company is getting. In the same way, it can be a measure of the efficiency of the company in carrying out its operations (Milkovinch, 2010). On the other hand the net profitability depends on the daily expenses in the company. The higher the expenses the lower the net profit and this will affect the company’s running. This may result to the company selling some of its current assets in order to meet the liabilities. Many scholars have advanced in the analyzing on the reasons that would lead to an increase in the current ratio while the turnover ratio remains constant. The major explanation given to this would be the improved liquidity in the company. According to Thomas (2003), liquidity is the capital already available in a firm. In a deeper explanation, a company’s liquidity is the amount of cash or capita which is available for use or spending. In the M.D Ryngaert & Co. the rise in the current ratio while the turnover ratio remains constant can be attributed to several reasons. The company may have seen an improvement in the liquidity due to some reasons. In the M. D. Ryngaert & Co, the external cash flow may have been directed to acquiring new products or the getting more employees. All this may have contributed to the rising of the increased current ratio while the turnover ratio remained constant. In cases where the current ratio of a company falls below 1, the company is unable to meet its

The ideal teacher Essay Example for Free

The ideal teacher Essay What characteristics should a teacher possess? What Makes a Good Teacher? Video – Effective Teacher †¢ An effective teacher can be seen in the following video: Introduction What does being a teacher mean? †¢ Having a vocation for the teaching profession. †¢ Being dedicated. †¢ Being surrounded by a large number of diverse students, each with their own baggage and unique character. Knowledge 1st Characteristic of an effective teacher †¢ Should be transmitted in a unique and fun manner. †¢ One should move from the known to the unknown. †¢ It is not how much one knows, but how much one can deliver. Knowledge Observation 1 †¢ At a particular Boys’ Area Secondary School, it was noticed that the boys had a low IQ. †¢ A highly motivated Maltese teacher used a practical example to help them learn. †¢ He compared the Maltese language to a cocktail. – The different drinks symbolized Italian, Arabic and English. †¢ As a result the children remembered the example more. Adaptation 2nd Characteristic of an effective teacher †¢ One should get to know one’s students to cater for them accordingly. †¢ Scaffolding activities accordingly, ensures maximum learning. â€Å"The wise adapt themselves to circumstances, as water  moulds itself to the pitcher† – Chinese Proverb Environment 3rd Characteristic of an effective teacher †¢ Creates a non-threatening and welcoming environment. Environment – Observation 1 †¢ A Maths lesson in a Boys’ Area Secondary School – The teacher greeted the students by the words ‘hurry up because you are wasting precious time’. – The students were not very friendly towards her and imitated her. – Whilst going out for recreation these students were heard echoing the teacher’s words to their peers who dawdled on their way out. Theory of Observational Learning †¢ The students’ picked up the  teacher’s habit and used it to their advantage. †¢ This can be applied to Albert Bandura’s theory of observational learning. Theory of Observational Learning †¢ Bandura established 4 steps – Attention – characteristics instilled within a person that will affect the way in which he is influenced. – Retention – the ability to remember what one sees and transforms it into visualizations or verbal expressions. – Reproduction – the ability to transform what one has retained into definite behaviour. – Motivation – one has to be given a reason or incentive to reproduce what he has observed and retained. Organisation Good Organisation 4th Characteristic of being an effective teacher †¢ Having good organisational skills. †¢ In order to keep the students focused, the explanation should be sequential to avoid confusion. †¢ The teacher should always follow a lesson plan. Bloom’s Taxonomy for Learning Domain †¢ The last two domains – Synthesis – Evaluation focus on the importance of having a lesson plan as a guidance for the lesson. Importance of a Lesson Plan †¢ A lesson plan is important – to make the lesson sequential. – to ensure the objectives devised were reached. – to assess whether students understood  or not. Conducting a Lesson †¢ The teacher starts off the lesson by correcting the home work, – the students participate and say their answers. †¢ Introduces the topic that will be tackled. †¢ The teacher may write down some notes on the whiteboard. †¢ Class work is given so as to make sure that the students understood the topic. Organisation – Observation 1 †¢ A particular maths teacher at a girl’s school, applied very good organisational skills in her lesson. †¢ She stated the aims of the lesson at the beginning of the lesson in a very clear way. †¢ She managed to do all the things she had  planned. †¢ On repeated observations, it was noted that she always had a well-planned lesson. †¢ Students were always motivated to learn. Organisation – Observation 2 †¢ Another class that was observed in the same school was a Maltese literacy class. – It aids students who find it difficult when it comes to reading and writing. †¢ She involved the students by asking them to continue reading from where she stopped and corrected them wherever they made a mistake. †¢ At the end, she gave them some pages to read at home. Classroom Layout 1 †¢ In the previous incidents mentioned, the desks were  neatly placed and organised in twos. – Students can help each other with any difficulties they might have. †¢ The teacher’s desk was facing the student’s desks. †¢ On some occasions, the teacher may still need to separate desks to avoid misbehaviour and interruptions before starting the lesson. Classroom Environment †¢ When students are already inside the classroom, the teacher should make his / her presence felt. †¢ On the contrary, when students change class, the teacher can alter the classroom layout to suit his/her approach to teaching. Disorganisation †¢ When the teacher is disorganized he/she will  not be able to deliver a well-balanced lesson. – This was noticed in an observation where the class only managed to read a small paragraph from a textbook throughout two whole double lessons. – The rest was random, out of point discussions. †¢ There was poor classroom management together with a lack of discipline. Observation Disorganisation †¢ During a Home-Economics practical session a disorganised teacher was observed. †¢ The teacher did not guide and assess the students. †¢ They ended up asking each other what to do next and did not learn any skills. Discipline Behaviourism †¢ Constant motivation is  compared to behaviourism – researched by B. F. Skinner. †¢ He called his research ‘The Operant Conditioning Theory’. †¢ Theory states that a particular behaviour can be increased by positive / negative reinforcements (praise / punishments). Bad Discipline Observation Ineffective Teacher †¢ Observation A particular teacher, instead of correcting the students in a gentle manner and explaining what was wrong, the teacher sent the students out of class together with their desk and chair. †¢ It was observed that most of the teachers reprimanded the students whenever they got something wrong. †¢ Students are demoralized and in consequence show no interest in learning. Albert Bandura †¢ Throughout our observations, one thing was particularly noticed. †¢ When a teacher scolds students, their actions turn out to be counterproductive as that same action is repeated by the students. †¢ This is backed up by the Social Cognitive Theory researched by Albert Bandura. †¢ The Bobo-Doll experiment – Children imitated what was seen both verbally and physically. Influential Teachers †¢ A teacher’s behaviour contributes to classroom management . Henry Adams once stated: â€Å"A teacher affects eternity; one can never tell  were the influence stops. † Good Discipline Observation – Effective Teacher 5th characteristic of being an effective teacher †¢ Keeps the same discipline methods with all students regardless of their gender, race, ability or religion. †¢ Positive reinforcement: praises students and corrects their mistakes. †¢ Greets the students. †¢ Prepares the things needed for the lesson beforehand and waits for the students to settle down. †¢ Goes around the students to check whether everyone is paying attention. †¢ Removes distracting materials such as any irrelevant writing on the board will be rubbed off. Communication of Ideas 6th Characteristic of being an effective teacher †¢ Ability to communicate ideas effectively. †¢ This is done through the use of a variety of resources. †¢ This is explained in Benjamin Bloom’s book – Taxonomy of Learning Domains. Resources Motivation †¢ A teacher should always motivate students in a fun way – that is what keeps them going; Albert Einstein once said: â€Å"It is the supreme art of a teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge. † Observation †¢ During a science lesson, one of us observed one such characteristic, †¢ The science teacher used a variety of interesting  resources such as: – – – – PowerPoint presentations Worksheets Information handouts Textbooks †¢ These resources enabled students to be enthusiastic and motivated. Importance of Resources Something commonly observed: †¢ Very few teachers made use of resources, †¢ Most of them used the traditional resources; white board and textbooks, †¢ Students ended up bored and disinterested throughout the lesson. Edgar Dale †¢ In the 1960’s he put forward the theory: †¢ Students retain more information by what they â€Å"do† as opposed to what they â€Å"hear†, â€Å"see† or â€Å"observe†. †¢ He devised the ‘Cone of Experience. ’ †¢ â€Å"Learning by doing† is nowadays known as â€Å"experiential learning†. Cone of Experience Ineffective Resource 1 Textbooks †¢ By time, textbooks become outdated. This means that more money has to be forked out by the school and parents to update them. †¢ Textbooks should be used as a reference for studying, revising or even further notes. Ineffective Resource 2 Whiteboard †¢ Teachers still rely on such a sole type of pedagogy application, †¢ Disadvantage: The teacher may not write clear and big enough for the students to read, †¢ There can be cases of impairment; eyesight problems. Positive Environment  7th Characteristic of being an effective teacher †¢ The ability to create a positive classroom environment. †¢ A positive classroom environment is boosted further by using: – the appropriate type of humour – at the appropriate time. Humour †¢ Teachers should foster the praxis of using humour as it is an effective technique. – This removes any tension in the relationship between the teacher and the student. – This leads to a better performance in the students’ academic life. Negative Attitude †¢ Students will learn less if the teacher uses a negative attitude towards them. †¢ This includes factors such as  sarcasm. Sarcasm †¢ Sometimes teachers confuse good humor with sarcasm. – The use of sarcasm may harm the teacherstudent relationship since what some think as funny others may find to be offensive. – Sarcasm is humiliating for students. What makes a bad teacher? Video – Ineffective Teacher †¢ An ineffective teacher can be seen in the following video: Conclusion †¢ A teacher should be a life-long learner which is committed to the teaching profession striving to reach and teach’ students. Plato claimed that â€Å" The direction in which education starts a man will determine his future life†.

1984 And Brave New World Essay -- essays research papers

Brave New World and 1984  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As I read Brave New World and 1984, I noticed how some of Aldous Huxley and George Orwell’s prophecies are becoming true. As science and technology progresses, we have the opportunity to alter few aspects of our lives, even though our freedom and privacy may be in jeopardy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Brave New World, science allows babies to be artificially produced in a laboratory. Nowadays, parents who cannot conceive children are also able to artificially produce their children with the help of science and the genes of both parents. As science advances, the parents may even be able to reform the genes of their baby in order to have that perfect child. In addition, through the Bokanovsky’s Process, ninety-six identical twins can be produced with one bokansovskified egg. Recently, cloning has allowed us to produce identical mammals. If cloning is possible, it will not be surprising when we produce ninety-six identical twins with one egg, like in Brave New World, in the future.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The â€Å"Brave New Worlders† take soma whenever they feel troublesome, depressed or angry. The soma makes them feel pleasant and comfortable. Nowadays when one is having a bad day or does not feel good, he may result to something much like soma such as alcohol or drugs to produce that same pleasant feeling.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The government of the World Stat...

Chiaroscuro in The Scarlet Letter and “The Fall of the House of Usher” Essay

Mother, said little Pearl, the sunshine does not love you. It runs away and hides itself, because it is afraid of something on your bosom. In Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne has committed the sin of adultery and wears a scarlet A on her chest to condemn her. Hawthorne develops the personalities of Hester Prynne, Pearl, and Arthur Dimmesdale by using the function of light and dark images in his writing. In Edgar Allan Poes The Fall of The House of Usher, the House of Usher is presented in the eyes of the narrator as a dark, foreboding house, and in an effort to reason in order to see things in a brighter light, looks into a mirror, but looking back at him are the eye-like windows of that dark and gloomy house. Poe uses chiaroscuro to express light images of the subject and then turn them into dark parallels. Throughout The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne uses the literary device of Chiaroscuro to represent the development of his characters while similarly Poe uses the technique in The Fall of the House of Usher to develop his gloomy themes and somber settings. Hawthorne uses chiaroscuro to show Hester Prynne as a woman whose sin has overtaken her, and made her impure. One example of this is: The mothersmedium through which were transmitted to the unborn infant the rays of its moral life; and however white and clear originally, they had taken the deep stains of crimson and gold, the fiery luster, the black shadow, and the untempered light, of the intervening substance. This quote shows that Hesters sin was so powerful, that it had absorbed into Pearl even before she was born. Another quote that shows the depth of Hesters sin is: The light lingered about the lonely child, as if glad of such a playmate, until her mother had drawn most nigh enough to step into the magic circle toothe sunshine vanished. The quote shows that even the sunshine discriminates and knows Hesters impurity. Hawthorne brings out Hesters strength by having to deal with the shame and weight of her sin. Hawthorne illustrates Pearl as gorgeous and radiant using chiaroscuro. Pearls own proper beauty, shining through the gorgeous robes which might have extinguished a paler loveliness, that there was an absolute circle of radiance around her, on the darksome cottage-floor. This suggests that Pearls radiance was so great that it lit up the things around her. Another  example of her beauty shown through chiaroscuro is: Pearl stood, looking so stedfastly at them through the dim medium of the forest-gloom, herself, meanwhile, all glorified with a ray of sunshine. This portrays that even though the forest and people around her appear gloomy, she remains luminescent. In addition, The light lingered about the lonely child, as if glad of such a playmate, until her mother had drawn most nigh enough to step into the magic circle toothe sunshine vanished. The sunshine discriminates against Pearls mother and others because they are impure and not worthy of its light. Minister Dimmesdale is portrayed as a feeble man through Hawthornes use of chiaroscuro. Both Arthur and Hester must carry their guilt, and never get over the weight of the sin; however, The Minister is not as strong of a person as Hester and physically emaciates. The shadow of Dimmesdales figure which the sunlight cast upon the floor, was tremulous with the vehemence of his appeal. With that, Hawthorne shows that the sin is so merciless that it literally destroys him. Throughout the novel, Hawthorne shows Arthurs health declining, as his guilt steadily increases. Poes The Fall of The House of Usher begins on one â€Å"†¦dull, dark, and soundless day in the autumn of the year†¦.† From the very beginning, the reader, as a result of Poe’s imagery, is aware of a sense of death and decay. Even the narrator describes â€Å"a sense of insufferable gloom pervaded his spirit† as he approached the House of Usher. The term â€Å"House of Usher† refers not only to the crumbling mansion but also to the remaining family members who live within. The narrator begins his description of the room with images of glowing light and Feeble gleams of encrimsoned light made their way through the trellised panes, and served to render sufficiently distinct the more prominent objects around; the eye. Then this light vanishes and darkness appears when the light struggled in vain to reach the remoter angles of the chamber, or the recesses of the vaulted and fretted ceiling. Dark draperies hung upon the walls. Clearly here is a transition present from light to dark. The narrator reasons that if he could look at things differently or in a brighter light, he might be able to change it, but when he looks into the lake he sees, with even more fear before, a mirror image of the house in all its darkness. In The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne effectively uses contrasts light and dark images to develop the personalities of Hester, Pearl, and Dimmesdale. Hawthorne uses chiaroscuro to show the depth of Hesters guilt and strength of bearing her sin and Arthurs secret. Pearl is characterized as radiant through Hawthornes vibrant descriptions of her beauty. He uses the sun to depict the purity of Pearl. Hawthorne uses shadows to depict how Arthur is a meager man compared to Hester, also bearing the sin. Hawthorne portrays Arthur deteriorating from his guilt, while Hester pushes herself to live on and try to overcome it, still always bearing its weight and pain. Poe uses images of light turning into dark to present his gloomy settings and themes. The House of Usher as first being described in light converts to dark images. Chiaroscuro is effectively used by Hawthorne to develop the personalities of his characters and by Poe to clearly present his dark settings and themes.

`` Disgrace Byj.m Coetzee `` Sexuality And Gender Essay

Sexuality and Gender People around the world tend to say that this is a man’s world, and in the novel Disgrace by J.M Coetzee, the author demonstrates how men are more â€Å"powerful† than woman through the way the characters use women for sex and the experience each women in the novel goes through. The three main female characters that demonstrate the different experience of women and sex are; Melanie, Lucy, and Bev. Melanie is a young, ex-student of Professor Lurie, who is beautiful enough to seduce a men but also vulnerable enough to be taken advantage by them. On the other hand, Lucy is neither old nor young; she does not care about her image and is a country woman, which makes her characteristics be less sophisticated. Lucy is an important character for sexuality, since she is a lesbian, giving her somewhat male characteristics also. Bev is an older, more experienced woman, with country characteristics as well. Each woman has different characteristics but all thre e of them contribute to the terms of sexuality and gender differences. The novel is opened through a sex scene, showing how Lurie, the anti-hero of the novel, is using Soraya, a prostitute, to fulfill his needs and complete his Thursday sex routine. After he is done with his affair with Soraya, he moves on to Melanie; a 22 year old women who is not only thirty years younger than him, but also his student. Melanie is an awkward character. She says she does not want professor Lurie but yet takes all the sex