A Formalist Approach on A Supermarket in California by Allen Ginsberg Essay

Allen Ginsberg is considered to be one of the most influential poet of all time. He is regarded one of the most influential personalities of the beat generation during the 1950’s and 1960’s. His works became known for assaulting the prevalent conformity and materialism in the United States during his time. One of his best known work is the poem â€Å"A Supermarket in California. † It would be very interesting to approach a work of Ginsberg according to formalist standards. A formalist approach the work of Ginsberg would only reveal to us that he deliberately breaks-off from the conventions set by formalism. According to the criterion of formalism, an art work should only be judged according to the set conventions of its form. Poetry under formalism could also be considered as traditional poetry. In poetry, formalism would be more concerned with the form, rhyme scheme, and meter. Ginsberg’s â€Å"A Supermarket in California† violates many formalist standards. It would be important to note that the poem is not metered and there is no apparent end rhymes. The poem is actually written in long lines following the free-verse form. Free-verse is generally considered as an open genre of poetry wherein structure, rhyme, and meter are not prioritized (Lawlor 208). Reading orally would reveal to us that the poem is intended to be read. The poem takes on a poetic yet conversational tone. However, an interesting aspect about free-verse is that there is still some sense of control, something that holds the poem together, namely the metaphor. In this particular aspect of the poem, some sense of standard is found, therefore quasi-formalist. Ginsberg had used the supermarket as a metaphor for the society, wherein people are just produce â€Å"aisles full of husbands / wives in the avocados / babies in the tomatoes. † Ginsberg had portrayed Walt Whitman and Garcia Lorca as shoppers in â€Å"the neon fruit supermarket. It should be noted that Whitman and Lorca are regarded as two of the greatest poets in the history of literature. The metaphor is suggesting that the society is abundant with people whom poets could pick as an inspiration of their works. Another important aspect to be considered is that Allen Ginsberg is heavily associated with the beat generation, a group of writers dedicated to subvert the standards set by formalists (Lawlor 340). Without a doubt, Ginsberg’s work on â€Å"A Supermarket in California† would not pass the standards of formalist poetry. However, we must set Ginsberg’s poem within its context. The audience Ginsberg had was not entertained by formalist poetry. That is why he had written the poem in a simple and conversational manner. This is one of most admirable aspects of Allen Ginsberg’s poetry. After all, it all boils down to priority. A poet should decide which is more important, the message of the poem or the form?

Anne Sexton

1) The speaker is Anne Sexton, IMO. This poem is one of Anne Sexton's strophic poems, with a clear rhyme scheme and stanza order. The speaker is insane, yet she is able to maintain a sense of reality. She identifies with female oppression. â€Å"Her Kind† was written to lay out Sexton's despair towards the world, while coping with mental illness. 2) â€Å"I have been her kind† means that she closely identifies with each type. This, I believe, is Sexton's transference of her many selves into the poem.She was, in her mind, many different personalities. 3) In the first stanza, the figure is obviously a witch or someone who has beliefs that go against what society dictates, maybe a vixen. In the second stanza, the figure is the woman who keeps a nicely stocked home is misunderstood for reasons such as the loss of independence. The last stanza is an allusion (I believe) to Joan of Arc who was burned at the stake for trying to be more than what society deemed a woman should b e.Anne Sexton often uses references to her admired her greatly. Sexton wrote this poem in such a manner that it will continue to speak to and empower women everywhere. She is looking into a looking glass and identifying with all women and with all aspects of her own mentally ill mind. Her state of mind is one of despair, loneliness, and her feelings of being an outcast. Anne Sexton battled depression and dissatisfaction with her place in life all of her life.

Discuss Three or Four Examples of Radical Changes Brought About by Past Waves of Immigration

What do people gain when immigrating? It’s really hard to tell. However, what we do know is that immigration brings about radical changes to society. Nowadays, many countries with immigrants have great changes. For example, skillful Korean labor and Chinese immigration to the United States are the two typical examples that can illustrate that immigration has made radical changes. From the past to the present, immigration has generated great influence—not only positive influence but also negative one.Many things have been influenced by immigration including the accelerating economy, the mixing of cultures and languages, and racist sentiments, such as anti-Chinese discrimination. The biggest benefit that immigration brings about is stimulating economic growth. Take the first wave of Korean immigration to the United States started in 1903 when Korean labors came to Hawaii as an example. At that time, Hawaiian sugar plantation owners needed labor to meet the shortage of lab or resources. Labor is the key element to the development of productivity.Skillful and vigorous Korean immigrants (primarily male adults among 20 to 30) developed the Hawaiian sugar plantation and facilitated the local economic growth. (Koo, Hagen. , & Yu, Eui-Young, 1981, p 2-8) With far more labor-abundant, the United States has stimulated economic growth. Immigration has brought huge economic benefits due to the labor resources which is an important factor of economic growth. Societies include a number of cultures and languages because immigrants bring their native cultures and languages to new countries.That’s the reason why we can see many Americans enjoy eating Korean food pickles and Europeans become more familiar with Korean movies A Li Lang in the 64th Cannes film festival. Edward (1999) found â€Å"Even though the majorities speak English in United States, significant portions are other language speaking, like Korean†. As we can see, immigration facilitates t he current rise of multiculturalism, or the assimilation of a society of many different cultures and languages. Immigration not only brings about positive influence but also has negative impacts on society.In many cases, immigration causes conflicts. In 1848, the California Gold Rush attracted many Chinese immigrants to the United States. The industrious but uneducated Chinese people promoted the exploitation of gold mines. However, according to Mark (2005) â€Å"Employers desired low-wage labor, perhaps opposing exclusion because the Chinese were inexpensive, highly productive workers and their presence increased company profits and reduced the bargaining power of native worker. Therefore, many Americans attributed their unemployment to the Chinese immigrants. Because Chinese immigrants lacked an effective political voice, they encountered hostile discrimination and ultimately, legislative prohibitions on further immigration when Congress enacted the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882 (Mark, 2005, p 779). Chinese Exclusion was not the only case of how the ethnic majority mistreated the immigrants. Everything has two sides, we cannot only notice that immigration brings up some positive effects, it also causes restrictions.Diverse cultural immigration can increase the development of society and bring many other benefits (Korean labor brought promotion of economic growth and their cultures and languages), but it also causes problems (the Chinese Exclusion). In order to reduce the conflicts, the government should take actions, like modify and enact legitimate laws. From the overview of ancient and modern, immigration does bring about radical changes which promote the development of society and human beings.References Koo, Hagen. , & Yu, Eui-Young. (1981). Its demographic patterns and social implications for both societies. Korean immigration to the United States, 74, 2-8. P. Lazear, Edward, (1999). Culture and Language, Journal of Political Economy, Vol. 107, no. 6, part 2: S95-S126). Kanazawa, Mark. (2005) Immigration, Exclusion, and Taxation: Anti-Chinese Legislation in Gold Rush California. The Journal of Economic History, Vol. 65, No. 3, pp. 779-805

Germany Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 13

Germany - Essay Example Controversies also were caused because some companies doing work on the memorial colluded with the Nazi’s and other Jewish groups felt the memorial was unnecessary. Another surprising controversy was the inclusion of an underground information center. Some Jewish groups felt that the inclusion of this center was designed to make the memorial a tourist destination. They said that the memorial speaks for itself and there is no need for a special center. The underground location was praised because it did not detract from the purpose of the memorial visually, but it still created controversy. In the United States, many memorials and monuments serve a dual purpose. They try to commemorate or bring to remembrance the tragic or joyful events of a culture or civilization, while focusing on the current state of that civilization as well. There is a Jewish Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C. but no museum for American genocide because there is a National Native American Museum. The genocide is featured, but not the focus of the exhibit. Maybe Americans have a hard time facing the fact that we have made horrible mistakes in how we have behaved in the past. That is why we do not focus solely on one tragic aspect of the past when building our monuments, museums and

The SEC's Condorsement Proposal Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The SEC's Condorsement Proposal - Research Paper Example In this study, I would discuss about the IASB as well as the FASB and their relationship with each other. I would then evaluate the SEC proposal and express my opinions about the same. IASB & FASB and Their Relationship with Each Other In year 1973, the International Accounting Standards Committee (IASC) was set up for the purpose of maintaining standardization in the accounting principles all over the world. In 2001, the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) was constituted subsequent to the restructuring of the IASC. The main goal of the IASB was to prepare and issue standards to be observed in the development of financial statements and also to encourage the global recognition and adherence of those standards. The IASB had hitherto issued various standards known as the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) on different accounting subjects (Deloitte, 2011). The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) was formed in 1972, as a nominated institute in the pri vate sector for setting up standards of financial accounting as well as reporting in the USA. The local firms in the United States that are listed with the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) are required to file their financial reports exercising the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles of the United States (US GAAP) (Financial Accounting Standards Board, n.d.). The FASB and the IASB are fundamentally built under the same theoretical framework. Nevertheless, there are certain major dissimilarities between the standards issued by the IFRS and the US GAAP. The IASB standards are broader and have restricted interpretive assistance for their implementation, as compared to those of the US GAAP. The IASB does not usually issue interpretations of the IFRS, and rather lets the International Financial Reporting Interpretations Committee (IFRIC) and the individual auditors to put into practice the principles embodied in the IFRSs. While the US GAAP standards, as a result of the strong l egal and regulatory surroundings in the US, have a more prescriptive policy. Consequently, the US standards enclose the underlying principles, complete implementation direction as well as the industry interpretations (Ernst & Young, 2010). Evaluation of the SEC Condorsement Proposal The Condorsement Proposal made by the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) is a combination of the convergence approach and the endorsement approach for the amalgamation of the IFRS with the US GAAP. The condorsement framework summarized by the SEC consists of three phases of convergence and an ongoing process of endorsement where the FASB assesses the necessary and appropriate modifications in the IFRS for utilization by the US companies. The first phase of convergence consists of the completion of the projects under their Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) by 2011. In the subsequent two phases the FASB would devise arrangements to amalgamate dynamic IFRS schemes into the US GAAP and also merge all the o ther IFRSs into the US GAAP, in a period of 5-7 years (Lamoreaux, 2011). I think that the condorsement approach is significant because such an exclusive hybrid approach would probably lessen the tension on the financial reporting method. The condorsement strategy necessitates the classification of the current US GAAP standards into various

Jetblue airways corporation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Jetblue airways corporation - Research Paper Example The company core values are commitment to safety of its customers and the crewmembers, ensures respect between the passengers and crew members, achieving passion this is by striving to meet the needs of passengers and the crew members and integrity this is by honesty demonstration mutual trust and commitment to JetBlue improvement. The company is ranked tenth in the United States airline by traffic. The company top management is made up of CEO ( David Bager), Rusell Chew and President &COO, Chief Financial Officer, Executive VP and CAO( Edward Barnes), head of legal department and Ex. VP of corporate affairs( James Hnat), Sr VP of customer services(Rob Maruster). Problems/ strategic issues Labor unions contract has been the major complication that the airlines are facing. The labor unions objective is maximizing the welfare of the members thus they end up taking a long period of time negotiating for better remuneration of the members. If the results of the negotiation are below the e xpectation of the labor unions the labor union officials may result in requesting their members to participation in industrial action The cost of fuel and consumption has been rising annually this has been due to increased number of flights and increased oil prices. The level of obesity as also contributed to the high cost of fuel and consumption. ... A chart showing increase in price per gallon A table illustrating increase consumption of fuel as at 31st December 2008 2007 2006 Number of gallons consumed 453000000 444000000 377000000 Total cost of gasoline $1352000000 $929000000 $752000000 Terrorism has been a concern in air security in the United States the congress has taken charge for airlines security.in November 2002 the transportation security administration (TSA) took charge of all the airports. The (TSA) installed detectors of explosives in the airports. Almost all airlines worldwide experience delays in their flights, for one reason or the other. Some of reasons attributed to the delay include, airport congestion, flight maintenance, bad weather conditions, unsafe environment and emergencies on the tarmac. Financial analysis of the company Analysis of the company financial statement is essential in order to ascertain the financial soundness of the company. Under this section we will carry out a ratio analysis in order to analysis the financial health of JetBlue Airways Corporation. Profitability analysis Profitability analysis assist in determining whether the firm has the ability of generating profits on the funds invested. The gross profit margin for the company in April 2009 was 26.18%. This is an indication of the firm returns on costs, as compared to the industry it shows that the firm sales have the highest capability in the industry of generating sales, since the industry gross margin is 22%. Liquidity analysis The company has quick ratio of 0.82 while the recommend ratio is 1:1, therefore, this figure is shows that the company can be able to meet its current obligations as the fall due. This led the

The Clask Between the FBI and the Branch Davidian Cult Research Paper

The Clask Between the FBI and the Branch Davidian Cult - Research Paper Example This concluded with an initiative from the FBI which involved gas grenades being thrown into the structure. At least 75 members of the cult died in the resulting fire. This essay considers the role which the FBI played in this confrontation, whether the results needed to occur the way they did, whether there was bias involved and who is to blame for the deaths. It is proposed that the FBI acted in a more violent manner than was needed and did not consider alternative options. As a consequence, the tragedy that occurred may have been avertable. History The Branch Davidians are a religious group that grew from the Seventh-day Adventist church. The cult was founded by Victor Houteff in 1930 following being exiled from the Seventh-day Adventists. Houteffin took the passage in revelation which reveals that 144,000 will be saved. The term Davidian came from Houteffin’s belief that he would establish a new kingdom in the manner to that of King David in the Old Testament, and that he himself was similar to David. This group existed as the Davidian Seventh-day Adventist Association until 1960. At this point in time Houteffin had been dead for five years and his wife had taken control of the association. She prophesied that the 22nd of April, 1959 was a day that was marked in revelation, which could possibly represent the return of Christ, the beginning of judgments on the world, and the beginning of the Davidic kingdom. The day passed without incident and this resulted in disillusionment by many of the followers, eventually resulting in the total collapse of the cult. Following the dissolution of the cult, Benjamin Roden built a faction claiming that the sign that was meant to occur on the April 22 was his arrival. He named this the Branch Davidians, and led the group until his death in 1978. Following this leadership passed to his wife, and then to their son, George, on her death. George considered himself to be divinely appointed, and eventually considered hims elf to be the messiah. Like Houteffin, Vernon Howell (also known as David Koresh) was originally from a Seventh-day Adventist Church. He entered the compound of the Branch Davidians in 1981, clashing consistently with Roden. The tension between the two eventually led to Koresh leaving the compound, and subsequently joined by other members of the group. The conflict did not cease, and in 1987 it culminated in a night raid by Koresh and seven followers of the Roden compound. Roden claimed that Koresh was attempting to murder him, yet despite this claim, Koresh and his men were not sentenced, while Roden was incarcerated for six months.This incarceration gave Koresh the chance to assume leadership of the compound. It was at this compound, in 1993 that a violent and bloody clash occurred between the Branch Davidians and the FBI. The Conflict On April 19, 1993 a confrontation took place between members of the Branch Davidian cult and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (BATF) at the Waco, Texas Branch Davidian compound. The aim of the raid was to look for evidence of child abuse by David Koresh, and to search for illegal weapons which were suspected to be on the premises. The raid resulted in violence and exchange of gunfire where six cult members and four agents were killed. This prompted a 51 day standoff between the cult members and the BATF, who were quickly replaced with the FBI. This stalemate was ended with a second raid, which resulted in the compound being burnt and at least 75 members of the cult were killed a third of which were children under the age of 15. Koresh was also killed in the fire .The outcome of the raid prompted many different responses, with some people blaming the FBI for the death of the cult members, while others considered that the Branch

This paper aims to define a class of consumers and to cater to their Essay

This paper aims to define a class of consumers and to cater to their wants and needs - Essay Example How to define a class of consumers' How to cater to their wants and needs' For an effective and efficient Marketing strategy, segmentation is an important tool, but segmentation research data precedes selection and segmentation methods models and procedures are based on customer profiles. Profiling requires certain pre-conditions and they are that a group of customers need specific products and there is nominal variance in their expectations. This will result in effective and profitable Targeting. There is the ultra-conservative type. This segment is highly consistent with their way of doing things. In their case any deviation might alienate them therefore it is very important to cater to them repeatedly in the same form and manner as the last time. Once established they seldom change preferences. They become wary if discounts are offered or premium charged as for them it translates into loss of consistency. Cost effectiveness is acceptable if it does not disturb the status quo and bulk offerings are acceptable on similar conditions. They are very negative towards complex offerings. Then there are the conservative ones who will veer towards the new or unknown only if it involves low risk and competitive pricing. They are neutral to complex offerings and prefer to stay within a wide band of preferences, making few experiments. Lastly the Liberals who would like to try anything new and w... They are neutral to complex offerings and prefer to stay within a wide band of preferences, making few experiments. Lastly the Liberals who would like to try anything new and willing to take up a challenging offer. For them the price is secondary and the end result is foremost. They are the daring types who will experiment with new offerings. The fundamental factors for an organization deciding on segmentation can be explained as: Similarity of customer needs and wants and the customers are willing to pay premium for the products. Customers cluster into groups by need (viz., Religion, Ethnicity, Race) Cost of serving may be higher but is lower than the customer expectations and thereby a premium price can cover that escalation Purchase Decisions Four different reasons influence a buyers' decision. They are also known as 7Ps as described by Kotler and Armstrong (1994) and Booms and Bitner (1981). This needs careful study to understand customer behaviour. 1 Product. The buyer is greatly influence if the product or service is perceived as useful for him. Sometimes it may not be of immediate use but its uniqueness is the attraction. Future valuation is also a decision making factor. 2 Price. The price is not usually a stand-alone factor. It has to be comparable with other products or services but with weight given to factors like quality and after sale service. It is often the case that the customer perceives the middle price to be the best for him/her as it is neither too outlandish nor too low to belie quality. There is also a play on the mind of the buyer that the product or service should not be mediocre and the price is usually the barometer of quality.

Theories of Movement Control Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Theories of Movement Control - Essay Example According to Schmidt and Wrisberg, there are at least two ways of conceptualizing the term 'motor skill' which can be construed as a talk or an act, where motor skills can be distinguishable along a number of aspects or on the basis of a variety of high-flying characteristics (Schmidt and Wrisberg, 2008). The second way construes to the conceptualization of motor skill in terms of the ability a person delineates while performing a movement. Utley and Astill, in their book, have stated that the motor skills can efficiently be implemented in the brain and nervous system as well and also that they can be improvised (Utley and Astill, 2008). The development in motor skills defines the field of measurement as well as movement, thereby, learning the ways to control movement as a whole. This paper delineates the contrasting nature of both the theories of motor control, i.e. the open-loop and the closed-loop theory, thereby, stating examples which demonstrate the different explanations of hu man coincidence-anticipation performance. In open loop controll... en loop system, the controller output indication is settled on by the input signal from the computer or any other non-essential device. In response to incorrect calculation of the system response, or the affect of some other occurrence in the output signal, the system might turn aside from the desired path. As a result, it is necessary for the controller to assume that each part of the system is at its absolute position and has moved there at the correct pace. No feedback is conceived from the system, which would enable the controller to weigh against the actual position to the programmed position. In such a case, it is not possible for the controller to check and correct himself. Under this kind of a system, it is feasible to incline against the designated positions and paces, and not be able to correct the difficulties. This theory is significant for well-defined systems where the relationship between input and the resultant state can be modeled by a mathematical formula. For example, determining the voltage to be supplied to an electric motor which drives a consistent load, so as to acquire a desired pace can be considered as an appreciable implementation of open-loop control system. However, on the other hand, if the load were not predictable, the motor's pace might vary as an operation of the load as well as of the voltage. As a result, the open-loop controller would not be satisfactory enough to ensure the repeatable control of the speed. To comprehend the open-loop control system, an example of a

Microsoft in Japan Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Microsoft in Japan - Term Paper Example This paper illustrates that Bill Gates and Paul Allen founded Microsoft Company in 1975. The company’s headquarters is in the US and they develop, sell, support, manufacture, as well as license computer soft wares. The company has over one hundred thousand employees and the computer soft wares they sell include the Microsoft office, windows operating software and internet explorer browser. The multinational company also sells hardwares such as phones, tablets, and the X-box games console. The company estimated its revenue to be around $77b by 2013. The Knowledge Assessment method is used to analyze challenges and opportunities that the company encounters following investment in a foreign company. Like in the case of a clothing line company that expanded its market globally, it faced many challenges. Being a small business, it should have first invested in its educating the employees on possible challenges and how to deal with them. The government policies were very different f rom their home country, and they had difficulties adjusting to the forms of taxes as well as importation policies. The company was also not aware of taxes and quotas that the foreign government had imposed on the sale of imported clothes and they ended up making a loss instead of expected profits. In analyzing the industry, organization, as well as investment analysis in Japan, the costs of starting a business in Japan have reduced drastically since the domestic recession and resulting price deflation of the past 8 - 10 years. Office rents and the values of land have also declined since the bursting of Japans property bubble toward the end of the 1980s. After the domestic recession, many companies in Japan reduced the summer and winter bonuses that they had traditionally paid to their employees.

Primordial Sound Meditation Essay Example for Free

Primordial Sound Meditation Essay Donna Miesbach opens the lecture asking if anyone participates in meditation. Her knowledge begins for her at the age of 17. The passion she emits when teaching primordial sound meditation is evident with the discussion she leads. Informative about Dr. Deepka Chopa making the Vedic tradition of India available and able to read to many people. Bringing meditation back into society. Meditation can be described as entering a state of complete awareness. Meditation is about oneself; you with your mind. A place you can fulfill your purpose, get in tune with your soul, no stress, anxiety or fear. Meditation relieves stress and helps to remember self wholeness. It rejuvenates the cells to wake up, relaxes the physical, mental and energy body, introduces serenity, bliss and clarity all while bringing balance to every area of life. Meditation is stated as a three step process. The basis starts with our state of mind.; many thoughts stimulate and stress our emotional, mental, energy and physical bodies. The meditation station describes the normal state of mind of not being normal but abnormal with effects of receiving sensory stimuli that react in uncontrolled ways. Also that our thoughts can be opposing of each other, thoughts that bring warm, cuddly, relaxed emotions can also initiate fear, anxiety and paranoia. A tool used to transition thru meditation is Mantra, defined as man=mind and tra=instrument so as a whole Instrument of the mind The first step of meditation is gaining control over our mind, to concentrate. All effects are directly or indirectly in all areas of the body and mind. Concentration derived from the Latin words To Center or fixed center point offers mental influence and mental imaging, looking at the word as a whole can be further defined as bring to a common point. and the act or state of bringing to a fixed point or focus. With concentration you are bringing the highest forms of energy, power and forces to a focus point , keeping it from dissolving over multiple areas. Focused concentration can be difficult to achieve with current lifestyle, duties of family, work, school, schedules, appointments all correlate to keep the mind restless. With the obstacles of swirling thoughts, applying the control of voluntary attention and exercising self will are key to facilitate ones control of attention and will . Practicing paying attention to concentration, you gain the experience to exercise your will to just be witness to any distracting thoughts that populate; instead of using imagination or daydreams in lieu of concentrating on the object of your meditation. So primarily the goal in the first area of meditation is to concentrate, provide un forced attention and focus on one object whether its a personalized mantra, a saying, chant or actual object. The next step instructed is mind and body connection and silencing of the mind best known as Meditation. In meditation the attention is unbroken, effortless, a steady flow of concentration. The focused attention is also applied to the object of meditation and the state of meditation that initiates deeper and deeper concentration which then proclaims true knowledge, universal awareness and can begin to restore balance. You become connected to feelings, sensations and everything connected to that object. Best quoted is Albert Einstein Everything in the universe is relative to everything else This deep concentration and connection ultimately brings your meditation to connect you to everything; uniting your object and your mind. The final step of meditation occurs in the state of contemplation and ultimate consciousness. The experience of not being conscious of just our body and thoughts but being part of the universe and cosmos. Some imply it is a birthright and destiny to attune to this state of realization, truth, consciousness and bliss. You become connected to the universe as it is connected to you in a simple, spontaneous action. Nothing is forced, what happens is what is supposed to happen. Meditation takes practice. Overall patience and understanding to accomplish the deepest form of meditation requires you to have the abilities of focusing on an object, reject unwanted/unwarranted thoughts not related to the object, promoting the power to controlled thoughts, the capacity to stop them, comprehension to separate ones self from thoughts, and all is done to master and achieve a silent mind. This deep state of meditation refers to the silent mind as a powerful experience. A silent mind is related to being alert and sensitive to surroundings, compassionate towards others, removing harmful notions from the mind, judgments, rejection, hatred, anger, jealousy and any thought process that is implying one of being wrapped in ones own confusions. Primordial sound mediation is best explained as a healing practice. Experience inner peace and it reminds oneself of our essence, improves inspiration, compassion, love, health, enthusiasm and creativity in daily living and relations. Primordial sounds consist of basic, essential sounds and vibrations from nature. Mantras are primordial sounds that are depicted from the Vedic mathematics, which determine the exact sound or vibrations developed using the date, time and location of a persons birth. If used correctly to influence the quieting of the mind, you can fall into meditation easier and faster. The mantra guides you from levels of clustered thought activities, to complete silence. You are no longer affected by internal commotion and are able to in-tune to true, and peaceful awareness of the universe. This allows the mind, physical body and energy network that supports and sustains the physical body ability to function at maximum effectiveness. Mantra deepens meditation, it blesses our lives with the universe ,provides true knowledgeable wealth of the soul, gives a roadmap to heightened awareness and clears, relaxes, and rejuvenates the body.. There are many types, forms and ways of meditation. All meditation types possess the ability to restore physical, mental and emotional self well being. The fact that we use roughly 5% of our minds substantiates the importance of relaxing beyond the busyness and ciaos. Other meditation can include walking, simple, mindfulness, journey, vibrational and central channel meditation, all techniques allow anyone to incorporate and fit into their lifestyle. The tasks of the present day insist that people are more human doings with the constant feeling of needing to be doing something or going somewhere, always doing. We need to be referring to ourselves as human beings so it incorporates the importance of attention, concentration, self peace and we are just beings; here to be!

The Cock and the Fox Essay Example for Free

The Cock and the Fox Essay The Cock and the Fox is one of the fables of Aesop, a learned slave in the mid-6th century BC in ancient Greece. The various collections that go under the title Aesops Fables have been enjoyed for centuries for their clever portrayal of animals in various situations speaking as humans, and for the moral lessons implicit in those tales. In the 17th century, the most famous French fabulist Jean de La Fontaine put many of Aesop’s stories to verse in his collection of Fables. This story of Chantecler and the Fox celebrates the astuteness of the cock, which gets the better of the fox in a game of wits. Its lesson seems most appropriate for our times, with its mania for ecumenism and achieving a utopist world peace. Ecumenism and the new world order plan are also traps to lure naà ¯ve Catholics from their secure traditional position and â€Å"be eaten† by the shrewd foxes – Progressivism and Freemasonry. Here is his story: A cock, perched among the branches of a lofty tree, crowed loudly. The shrillness of his voice echoed through the woods, and the well-known sound brought a fox, who was prowling in quest of prey, to the spot. The fox tries to lure Chantecler to the ground with talk of universal brotherhood| Seeing the cock at a great height in the tree above him, the fox set his wits to work to find some way of bringing him down. He greeted the bird in his gentlest voice and said, â€Å"Have you not heard, dear cousin, of the proclamation of universal peace and harmony among all the different beasts and birds? We are no longer to prey upon and devour one another, but love and friendship are to be the order of the day. Do come down, and we will talk over this great news at our leisure.† The cock, who suspected that the fox was only up to his old tricks, pretended to be watching something in the distance. The fox asked him what it was he looked at so earnestly. â€Å"Why,† said the cock, â€Å"I think I see a pack of hounds yonder.† â€Å"Oh, then,† said the fox, â€Å"I must be gone.† â€Å"Why, dear cousin,† said the cock, â€Å"pray do not go. I am just coming down. You are surely not afraid of dogs in these peaceable times.† â€Å"No, no,† said the fox. â€Å"But they may not have heard of the proclamation yet!† And off he ran in fright, frustrated. Now the English add a moral to their version: Beware sudden offers of friendship. But the incomparable La Fontaine ends his verse with this: And our cock laughed to himself at the fox’s fear, Because the pleasure is doubled when the cheater is cheated!†

Consumer Influences and Behaviour: UK Banking

Consumer Influences and Behaviour: UK Banking Chapter 1 (Intro) 1.1 Introduction To become the leading international bank HSBC has combined the emerging markets through international connectivity and scale yet maintaining the strategy unchanged. To comply with the recent economic turmoil HSBCs strategy is apparently most appropriate one as the projected the return of total shareholders equity remains achievable over full business cycle. Reinvestment of the capital allowed the company to maintain flexibility of direction in accordance with financial and regulatory environment. This can help the company to make the long term decisions supporting the brand values and the customer relationship and the growth to be consistent with the strategy. The ‘Managing for growth a diverse evolutionary strategy ranging from 2003 to 2008 for HSBCs growth and development across the globe addressing the areas where desirable and attainable improvement can be made; was an ultimate success. Unlike competitors, the consistent approach to grow within the emerging markets HSBC did not have to dispose any stakes in strategic investments to generate capitals. Depending on the customer demand and maintaining the strategic line while reviewing the emerging new opportunities, HSBC has successfully survived in the period of uncertainty. The company has increased the number of HSBC Premier Customers to 2.9 million, and the customer volume is increasing highly in the emerging market. During financial crisis and economic recession the global financial markets have suffered a serious impact. Very few banks have escaped unharmed by adjusting to shifts in the global financial and economic environment. Market entry timing decisions are inherently difficult. A firms managers need to consider the influence of so many factors both internal and external to the firm in deciding when to enter a market with a new product (Lieberman and Montgomery, 1991). Firms face a particularly difficult decision of planning when it is best to enter a market with a new product in response to a market introduction of a pioneering new product by a major competitor. Given that pioneering is no longer an option, is it better for the firm to enter the market quickly with a competitive new product or is it better for the firm to delay market entry for strategic reasons. When the competitive stakes are high, it is clearly in a firms best interest for its management to plan carefully such a market entry timing decision by giving careful consideration to a broad array of information including information on the competitor, the competitors product offering, the market, and the firms internal resources and product offerings. Considerable academic research has been conducted that suggests the desirability of certain market entry timing strategies for a wide array of conditions in the competitive environment (cf. Bowman and Gatignon, 1995; Brown and Lattin, 1994; Green et al., 1995). The business world composed of organization and work becoming more demanding and wild. Facing organizations are now facing so many challenges. Among them globalization, customer awareness, higher revenue with minimizing the operational cost, strengthening the organizational capacity, renovation and change, technological implementation, maintaining diverse human capital, and confirming essential and constant change. Fortunately the degree of competition among industry rivals has significantly increased. Now most of the organizations can easily duplicate technology, industrial methods, production, and even strategy. To gain the competitive advantage in the long run, business houses need to establish their own organizational capability (Burke Cooper 2004). 1.2 Background of The Study HSBC is a prominent name in the global banking industry. This bank has been operating successfully all around the world as a local bank with its efficiency and effectiveness. The integrated strategy of HSBC and on time decision made it becoming a threat for other long lived bank in the industry. The strategy the bank had followed make it to cope up with all sorts of cultural barriers and to be along within the society and create the better brand value compare to the other rivals in the banking industry. The reason behind the on-going prospect of this bank is due to a reason which made is to gain the competitive advantage in the global money and investment market. Lately the economic crisis hit the global money market and retail banking industry injuring the performance of all the major players in the industry as the confidence and the trust of the customers were gone. 1.3 Rationale This study is a requirement for the course I am enrolled in. This study will help me to utilize the acquired knowledge/theories and relate them to the applied business. The title was chosen as banking industry is one of the diverse industries and UK is one of the most competitive markets where the industry rivals constantly changing their strategies to adopt with the change and HSBC is one of the best performing banks in it. With the establishment of the purpose given, this study may be of importance to the purpose that have been discussed by fulfilling the objectives, the study will be helpful for researchers focusing on different strategies and innovative techniques with regards to the method of gathering the information. The findings of the research will be helpful for researchers in creating their own means of conducting their study. The significance of this study is the option that it may contribute the findings for the other studies that wish to examine factors for the success or failure of a study. Another importance of the report is to serve as a director for researches that emphasis on defining the effects of an integrated marketing strategy which made HSBC successful in the UK banking industry as well as globally. 1.4 Aim and Objective of the Study The aim of the research to find the answer to the research question â€Å"How can HSBC Continue to Maintain Its Competitive marketing advantage in the UK market?† The objective of this study is to identify the reason behind the success of HSBC and the challenges the company may face in future and the potential strategy the company may follow so that it can maintain its leading position in the UK retail banking industry. So, the prime objectives of the study are as follows: To identify how HSBC operates and what made it unique besides others To identify the attitudes of the UK customers towards HSBC. To identify the attitudes of the company staffs towards existing marketing system. To identify the shortcomings (if existed) of the Strategy being adopted by HSBC To identify the most effective strategy appropriate for HSBC in response to the current financial crisis in UK. 1.5 The Organization of the paper: Unlike the conventional approach this paper is furnished with the industry analysis focusing on the UK banking industry in term of its performance, effective factors leading HSBC to become more successful, the changing switching tendencies of the customers, role of the SMEs in the industry and an overview on the investment criteria in the money market. The study will initially gather information that will serve as introductory part of the study. The study will then gather related literature to prove the need for conducting the study. The literature review can help in determining what are the studies already done, what study needs to be corrected. The study will then determine the methods and means for data to be gathered and analyzed. In this part the data is being readied to be gathered and analyzed but the method to gather it will first be determined. The next part of the study is gathering, presenting and interpreting the data. In this part the validity of the hypothesis and ideas about the study will be proven. The last part of the study will be the part where conclusions and recommendations will be stated. In this part final statement about the study will be done. The study will be organized in accordance with the following order Chapter 2(Literature Review) According to Porter (1985) it is the value chain through which a company can create and offer value to its customers by efficiently utilizing costs and effectively offering the product or services through a lower cost or a higher differentiation. Again Rajnandan (2007) said value chain not only seeks to do away with the activities that do not add value, but establishes the importance of other support activities, including infrastructure, technology, and so on, that play a vital role in providing the foundation for competitive advantage. The value chain also is useful in outsourcing decisions. Understanding the linkages between activities can lead to more optimal make-or-buy decisions that can result in either a cost advantage or a differentiation advantage. (Graeme J. Buckley, 2006) After defining the discrete activities marketers need to identify the linkages between activities. The relationship survives if the performance or cost of one activity affects that of another. Competitive advantage may be obtained by optimizing and coordinating linked activities. (Porter, 1985) The developed opponents expected strategy, where it participates in the marketplace, how it competes, and what it tries to achieve, should be distinct from any strategy pursued by any rival. Those executives charged with visualizing the developed rivals strategy should also be encouraged to go beyond the likely strategies of announced. It is necessary to communicate the competitive variables to the target market as that will force the buyers to prefer the products. Where marketing communications carries the meaning of the companys product attributes, aiding customers reach their goals and moving the company closer to its own goals. (Lancaster, 2002) Marketing efficiency depends on communications effectiveness. The market is activated through information flows. The way a potential buyer perceives the sellers market offering is heavily influenced by the amount and kind of information he or she has about the product offering, and the reaction to that information. Marketing, therefore, relies heavily upon information flows between the seller and the prospective buyer. (Thomas A. Staudt, Donald Arthur Taylor, 1976) The firms value chain links to the value chains of upstream suppliers and downstream buyers. The result is a larger stream of activities known as the value system. The development of a competitive advantage depends not only on the firm-specific value chain, but also on the value system of which the firm is a part. (Kiichiro Fukasaku, 2007) Dramatic changes due to globalization, deregulation, and technology have redefined the nature of business by increasing competition. Significant increases in the speed of competitive response and the number of competitive actions and price cuts have also resulted. Those indicators highlight the intensity of competition. (Gr, Cu, Le, Hu, Ken G, 2005) Unlike the classical concepts, the marketing concept states that the nature of the marketing orientated organisation, whether product or service based, profit or non profit based, is the identification and genuine satisfaction of customers needs and wants, more effectively and efficiently than the competition. The marketing concept has been defined as ‘the key to achieving organisational goals and the marketing concept rests on ‘market focus, customer orientation, co-ordinated marketing and profitability. (Le, Ru, Lancaster, 2002). ‘Marketing Research is a systematic problem analysis, model-building and fact-finding for the purpose of improved decision-making and control in the marketing of goods and services (Kotler, 1999) Strategic capabilities that companies can use to support the strategy they have chosen to pursue. A strategic capability offers a company a sustained competitive advantage when substantial time and effort is required for competitors to develop the same capability. (Susman, 1992) Game theory more specifically, non-cooperative game theory can be a useful tool for investigating a comprehensive model of competitive advantage in that it demonstrates the linkages between resources, competitive moves and responses, and advantage. (Gr, Cu, Le, Hu, Ken G, 2005) The ability and speed with which a company can learn from experience is another strategic capability. The ability to learn is dependent, in part, on how the company captures and accesses information. Companies can simplify this process by minimizing the amount and complexity of information they have to process. (Susman, 1992) Only by gaining a deep and comprehensive understanding of buyer behaviour can marketings goals be realised. Such an understanding of buyer behaviour works to the mutual advantage of the consumer and marketer, allowing the marketer to become better equipped to satisfy the consumers needs efficiently and establish a loyal group of customers with positive attitudes towards the companys products. (Lancaster, 2002) Competitive advantage is a way of firms gained advantage over its rivals. Competitive Advantage introduces a whole new way of understanding what a firm does. Competitive Advantage takes strategy from broad vision to an internally consistent configuration of activities. Its powerful framework provides the tools to understand the drivers of cost and a companys relative cost position. Competitive Advantage also provides for the first time the tools to strategically segment an industry and rigorously assess the competitive logic of diversification. (Porter, 1998) The design stage determines the way in which a firm intends to differentiate its good or service from rivals. In this stage a firm makes choices to gain a competitive advantage over rivals. (William, 2004) For a single product or narrow group of products, a firms competitive strategy refers to the weighted mix of price, product qualities and features, and service that differentiates its product from those of rivals. (William, 2004) The Competitive Advantage model of Porter learns that competitive strategy is about taking offensive or defensive action to create a defendable position in an industry, in order to cope successfully with competitive forces and generate a superior return on investment. According to Michael Porter, the basis of above-average performance within an industry is sustainable competitive advantage. There are 2 basics types of CA: Cost Leadership (low cost) and Differentiation. The Delta Model contains the following elements: Strategic Triangle: used for defining strategic positions that reflect fundamentally new sources of profitability (three strategic options: best product, customer solutions, and system lock-in), Aligning these strategic options with a firms activities and provides congruency between strategic direction and execution (three fundamental processes are always present and are the repository of key strategic tasks: operational effectiveness, customer targeting, and innovation), and Adaptive processes: core processes of the company must be aligned to the chosen strategy in order to make progress against the strategic agenda and avoid a commodity-like outcome. 2.1 The Trends (Customer Focused) E-trading and online customer services are becoming the key differentiators in every industry. The banking industry in the midst of a shift assisted and backed by the rapid technological advancement, internet and globalization. The transition is not an incremental one through which organizations, processes, and technologies evolve in linear fashion into more advanced, but still familiar models which is distinct from the earlier industry change. Industry observers anticipate that this transition will be much more radical and constitute a complete metamorphosis of bankings entire business model, realigning everything from its strategic business orientation to its technology architecture to its value proposition to its customers. (Balthasar, 2010) 2009 is a significant year forcing many private banking experts to remember. Privet funds failed to generate revenue as clients withdrew assets from private banks. The global financial crisis has fundamentally changed the investment pattern of the High Net Worth Investors and their wealth management business itself. Growing Market ‘Many â€Å"new money† acquire their wealth through IPO. Brazil and China accounted for two-thirds of global capital raised in Q2 2009 (Ernst Young, 2009) showing that there is a growing demand for private banking and wealth management service in the region as the economy is rapidly growing. Chinas growth will outstrip US which is a good news for private banks who have a strong APAC presence, wealth management professionals should understand that the Chinese market is not easy to penetrate. First of all, client advisors need to be fluent in Mandarin and have local connections. Secondly, guanxi (relationships) still plays an extremely important role in the modern Chinese business community, private bankers without access to key relationship brokers as references will find it very difficult to convince Chinese HNWIs to open accounts. Private banks that hire locals will have a definite advantage over expats trying to cover Chinese clients. (Warren Buffet, 2009) Responsible lending Affordability assessment approaches vary across the industry. Responsible lending decisions require checks to be made concerning income and outgoings (typically using a combination of income multiples and affordability models) when assessing ability to repay now and into the future. Also the type of lending undertaken and the type of borrower (for example, applicants with impaired or low credit ratings) may require more detailed assessments to be carried out. Other (unregulated) lending Mortgage lending is only part of the affordability picture. Under the auspices of Treating Customers Fairly (TCF), affordability assessments are equally relevant to other borrowing, including personal loans and credit cards, and a number of lenders are looking at how their affordability assessment processes may need to be strengthened for these types of credit. In an effort to strengthen existing rules, new Banking Code guidance concerning assessing affordability in relation to unsecured loans (overdrafts and other borrowing) was issued by the Banking Code Standards Board in April 2006. Any assessment should now include at least two of the following: Income and financial commitments Repayment history Credit reference agency information and past repayment history Credit scoring. It is also worth noting that the Office of Fair Tradings recent guidance (‘the OFT Guidance) reinforces the need for firms to have regard to its earlier guidance on non-status lending and confirms its intention to consider further specific guidance with regard to irresponsible lending and what this may mean in different market sectors and circumstances. Responding to the concerns The FSA has indicated that as part of its retail agenda it will continue to focus on quality of advice processes in the mortgage market. In responding to these concerns, firms will wish to consider how the results of the FSAs findings impact each of their lending businesses: How extensive is the affordability process; does the advice process include an assessment of income and identifiable expenditure; anticipated changes in personal circumstances (income/expenditure composition); impact of interest rate changes and possible future increases in interest rates? How can the consumer deal with mortgages extending into retirement? What steps are taken to ensure that underwriting processes (including income multiples and affordability models) reflect the different characteristics and risk profiles of customers in different market sectors (for example, sub-prime; non-conforming)? Is the recent assessment carried out to identify the affordability (including affordability decisioning models) to meet the regulatory as well as commercial drivers impacting the business? What steps are taken concerning the assessment of the customers ability to repay where ‘enhanced income multiples are used (and where the firm may have insufficient, or outdated, data to measure the potential impact/risks of default)? What MI does the consumer have to facilitate the identification of affordability issues on a timely basis (for example, the performance of loans where ‘enhanced multiples have been applied; at the end of any discount period; the level of arrears and repossessions; lending introduced by intermediaries)? Even for long-established product offerings, it is clear that nothing stays still. Aside from regulation by the FSA, the market still needs to respond to the challenges of competition investigation into the PPI market. Household Leverage: In the years leading up to the crisis, a combination of factors, including low interest rates, lax lending standards, a proliferation of exotic mortgage products, and the growth of a global market for securitized loans fueled a rapid increase in household borrowing. (Shedlock, 2010) ‘The recent financial crisis contributed to the longest and most severe economic contraction since the Great Depression. The rapid expansion in the use of borrowed money, or leverage, by households in recent years, is one factor that may help account for the virulence of the downturn. (Shedlock, 2010) ‘The common patterns observed across countries suggest that, the unwinding of excess household leverage via increased saving or increased default rates could be a significant drag on consumption and bank lending going forward, possibly muting the vigor of the economic recovery. (Shedlock, 2010) 2.2 Changing Nature of Consumer Behaviour (Higher Expectation) ‘Customers take control. Customers will be smart, informed and savvy users of financial services. They will only be interested in service providers that can meet their very specific individual needs. (CMA Management, 2006) Global banking leader for the Institute for Business Value, each bank must decide on a strategy that fits its customers needs. Banks will need special strategies to cater to a far more discerningand controllingcustomer. Innovative approaches to business design, customer service, workforce management and IT will be critical to banks future success. (Sunny Banerjea, 2009) Banking customers will demand more advocacy, personal security and control in their banking relationships Banks will source products and services from many specialized and best-in-class service providers, including independents and other banks providing white-label products and services. Innovation in products, processes, relationships and business models will be the primary path to sustainable growth. Furthermore, the modern banking industry has brought greater business diversification. Some banks in the industrialized world are entering into investments, underwriting of securities, portfolio management and the insurance businesses. Taken together, these changes have made banks an even more important entity in the global business community. 2.3 Globalization (Intense Competition) ‘By 2015, we will live in an intensely customer-centric market that is dominated by global mega banks and densely populated by specialist financial services providers. Fierce competition, global regulation and technology will reshape bank and non-bank structures. (Rusty Wiley, 2009) Banking is moving incrementally but unmistakably away from a model based on products, transactions, touch points, and internal departments toward one based on customers, processes, integrated experiences, and the enterprise-wide value of information. The new strategic centre is not an institutions asset size, market share, revenue growth, or operating efficiency, but the â€Å"customer experience† the institution provides to consumers. Whether a seismic departure in focus or simply a more pronounced emphasis on an existing strategy, many banks have decided this is their destination. Many countries are now more alert after so many scams including The Bernard Madoff $65 billion Ponzi scheme exposed in 2009. To minimise and control the false trading activities and tax evasions, governments worldwide demand more oversight of banking operations influencing not only the investment banking business but also the private banking side. The account opening process, KYC and offshore banking activities are under tighter scrutiny than ever before. As a direct result, banks have to spend more money on compliance and risk management. (Investment Research, 2010) Banks no longer think in terms of selling products and making transactions, but rather in terms of acquiring, satisfying, and retaining customers. They are realigning their system architectures to recognize, integrate, and monitor business processes that span departmental boundaries and consider customers from a company-wide perspective. The resulting systems provide customers with tools to conduct their own banking business on their own terms, in their own time, and through whatever channel they happen to access. (Balthasar, 2010) This shift in strategic focus has already had a profound impact on the way that bankings role and value to its customers have evolved, leading to the second feature of the industrys transformation, which is that banking is no longer seen as purely a financial transaction, but rather in a broader and more significant way as a financial information business. This distinction may sound like splitting hairs, but the eventual effect on the banking industry will be nothing short of transformative. To better adapt and accommodate this shift successfully, banks will have to recon and upgrade their entire IT infrastructures. The excellent international reputation and the $300 billion private banking assets the region currently manages, the Singaporean government is aggressive in making the country more attractive to private banks and HNWIs worldwide. Singapore officials are planning to amend the Income Tax Act, which is likely to help the country to make Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Developments â€Å"white list†, further establishing itself as Asias private banking stronghold. (Wall Street Arrow: Market Insights, 2009) The competitive pressures that have squeezed the banking industry for the past decade show no sign of letting up, principally due to the banking industrys continuing consolidation. (Balthasar, 2009) Many industry analysts are expecting another round of large bank merger announcements, with the additional element of international banks involved in cross-border mergers. We have seen the beginnings of that trend already in Europe, with the acquisition of Abbey National (U.K.) by Santander (Spain) and the protracted dispute between Dutch bank ABN AMRO and another Spanish bank over two Italian banks. One important ramification of the continued growth of leading banks will be their ability, based on their sheer size and higher efficiencies, to invest in world-class data storage, management, and analytical capabilities, thereby extending their dominance by the development of innovative revenue-generating products and services. The transition to banks as primarily an information source has helped lower the barriers to entry in the financial services industry, opening the banking arena to a host of new, non-bank players. The current alarm among banks and their regulators about Wal-Marts efforts to obtain an industrial loan company (ILC) license in Utah is the most visible manifestation of that trend. 2.4 Technology (Customised Service) Sharply focused technology. The enabler of all this change will be technology that supports rapid, accurate decision making and greater operational flexibility and efficiency. The successful specialists will be those who can track and analyze specific customer needs and speedily meet them with profitable, reliable products. (CMA Management, 2006) The global trend of deregulation has opened up many new businesses to the banking industry. Coupling that with technological developments like internet banking and ATMs, the banking industry is obviously trying its hardest to shed its lackluster image. (Investopedia, 2010) The major force driving banking transformation stems from the increasing commoditization of financial transactions. Banks can no longer distinguish themselves on the basis of product set functionality or operational excellence. Commercially available systems have perfected virtually all the important functions in basic transactions, including payments, deposits, funds transfers, and account reporting. The maturity of technology in these areas has made both functionality and pricing nearly uniform among leading vendors. The sheer volume and scope of regulatory requirements has imposed on banks an unprecedented need to develop transparent systems and processes, along with more effective and reliable means for collecting, storing, and manipulating information. Going forward, banks will need to develop an approach to their IT infrastructure that places a premium on flexibility, adaptability to rapidly changing market circumstances, and the ability to integrate information from multiple sources currently isolated from each other. The competitive landscape has also shrunk considerably. In June 2008, there were 46 lenders offering unsecured personal loans, down from 58 in June 2007, however, by June 2009 this number had dropped further to just 37. The real value proposition that banks offer now is in the information they can provide about financial services and transactions, from a perspective of accessibility, speed, convenience, granularity, analysis, and so forth. In other words, the important question to ask banks now is â€Å"how quickly, accurately, deeply, efficiently, transparently, and finitely can they capture, parse, store, identify, access, retrieve, sort, match, analyze, aggregate, present, share, distribute, and protect data?† Therefore, leading banks are basing new technology strategies on transforming and enhancing their command of information. Although they already sit atop vast amounts of data about their customers, banks in many respects are unable to identify and/or retrieve it with any degree of precision. With bankings future growth and profitability dependent on the ability to aggregate information across systems and reorient it by customer instead of product, technology spending decisions will he nceforth be guided by how well a proposed solution furthers a banks command of information. (Balthasar, 2009) Data management The command of information should be incorporated it into technology development by the vendors allowing them to capture (automatically as much as possible) descriptive and associative information about customers, transactions, and workflow circumstances as distinct data fields; to identify, access, associate, aggregate, sort, and display data from disparate sources; to exchange, transfer, compound, and deconstruct data freely across system boundaries; to normalize, integrate, and analyze that data for a specific purpose and for a specifically designated market segment; to drill down and parse data into ever more discrete units that can be segregated and analyzed; and to manage all of the above in near-real time through centralized database management and automated business processes with rules-based workflow and exception management. Initiatives and architectures not built on a sophisticated data management core will provide only limited benefit, since sooner or later they will be unable to integrate fully into

The Flogging Of Jesus :: essays research papers

John 18:39- but it is your custom for me to release to you one prisoner at the time of the Passover. Do you want me to release `the king of the Jews'?"King of Jews- He's not the king of the Jews, He's slapping them in the face.The same thing Jesus was being accused of Barnabbas did.JN 19:1 Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. [2] The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe [3] and went up to him again and again, saying, "Hail, king of the Jews!" And they struck him in the face.Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged.This is your Messiah people, this is not VBS, or bible study, this is the Messiah that is in love with you.MT 27:27 Then the governor's soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. [28] They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, [29] and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand and knelt in front of him and mocked him. "Hail, king of the Jews!" they said. [30] They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. [31] After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.Flogging- basically they tied his hands and tied him against a pole. And his buttocks were shown to the audience. He is completely and totally naked. They have the whip of the 'cat of nine tails'. It has bones and steel balls in it. The bones are put in so that, when he is whipped the bones will stay in his body. And they will rip it back and rip his skin apart. He's been awake for over 24 hours. And now he's standing there, as the steel balls hit him and start hammering away at his bones. And as they rip it back there is blood and skin flying all over his body. His bones start sticking out of his chest and his back. As they continue to hit him†¦ 1, 2, 3,†¦ 35, 36, 37, 38, 39 times. Each time they hit Him and bring it back the bones from the whip continue to rip His skin apart.

Organizational Review Of Plant Automation Group :: essays research papers

Organizational Review of Plant Automation Group It is intended that this organizational review, will provide the Districts with a better understanding of the changing process computer hardware and software support needs. Also to review the department location for the Plant Automation Group (Group), and develop recommendations on the proposed reporting relationships.  ¨ Review the background information.  ¨ Identify the primary and secondary functions of the Plant Automation Group  ¨ Review possible location of the Plant Automation Group.  ¨ Identify and review reporting relationships options DEFINITIONS Definitions used within this organizational review. SCADA Supervisory and Data Acquisition System PLC Programmable Logic Controller HMI Human Machine Interface ITD Information Technology Department PAG Plant Automation Group GM General Manager BACKGROUND When the Districts first began consideration to form a focal group with responsibility for Plant Automation, a task force was formed to make recommendations. The one recommendation this task was unable to come to agreement on was the location of this new Plant Automation Group (PAG). An executive decision was made by the General Manager to center the PAG in the Information Technology Department (ITD). In September 1994, the Joint Board contracted with Ernst & Young to produce a "Management Review of the Proposed Plant Automation Group for the Sanitation Districts of Orange County". Their report recommended the location be with ITD but noted that for the duration of the J-31 project, some engineering-related activities would be involved and require close coordination with the Engineering Department. As late as July 1995 when Ernst & Young performed the Finance Function Review (which included the Information Services Division), they echoed their previous recommendation but provided a timeline of approximately two years to revisit the issue of PAG's location. However, this was not a firm recommendation. Over the past several months, a number of problems have made it clear that the two year time frame identified in the Ernst & Young report may have been optimistic. The problems of budget management, close coordination and communication have placed a strain on the existing management of the ITD, creating frustration and numerous problems throughout many parts of the organization. Primary Functions The charter of the Plant Automation focuses on:  ¨ Support of the Operations Division  ¨ Providing engineering integration assistance through software and hardware analysis and the setting of standards  ¨ Support of the Maintenance Division regarding system and software modifications and changes  ¨ Assisting in the roll-out of the J-31 contract so that a transfer of knowledge between CH2M Hill and the Districts occurs  ¨ Analyzing and the recommendation of system and network architecture, system design, and integration proposals. The Plant Automation Group is made up of a number of disciplines. Process control programming is very different from the type of programming which

John Brown’s Body: An American Reggae Band Digging Roots in Farm Country :: Essays Papers

John Brown’s Body: An American Reggae Band Digging Roots in Farm Country The surrounding landscape yields rolling hills, beautiful gorges with waterfalls that leave your mouth gaping in awe, some of the world’s finest wineries, and farmland as far as the eye can see. Rooted in Ithaca, a small artsy community in upstate New York’s Finger Lakes region, comes a sound so cultural, so mystical, and so natural. Amongst a slew of great local musicians comes John Brown’s Body, a roots reggae sound that captivates audiences, and spills the universal message of thanks and praises. Before we can truly understand the roots of an American-based reggae band that carries a Jamaican sound and universal philosophy, we must first get to the roots of reggae music in United States from the beginning. The origins of roots sounds in the U.S. came primarily from Jamaican communities that were set up in major cities such as New York, Washington D.C., and Miami. New York City was home of the first reggae centered recording studio was established. The credit for such a landmark establishment would have to go to Lloyd ‘Bullwackie’ Barnes, a singer who recorded with Prince Buster in the early 1960’s. The recording business started out as a partnership with ‘Munchie’ Jackson. Its location was at 4731 White Plains Road in the Bronx. By the mid 1970’s, Barnes was running the studio alone, using his own session band, Reckless Breed. He was also recording Jamaican singers that were local to the area, including names like Wayne Jarrett. Barnes also produced recordings of Jamaican singers visiting the states, including such artists as Sugar Minott and Horace Andy. During this same time period, Barnes was also able to record a string of dub albums as well. Bullwackie was the only U.S. studio to put out significant reggae sound prior to the 1980’s (Barrow 1997). HC & F Studios was opened up in the 1980’s on Long Island and was run solely by Phillip Smart who had worked in Jamaica with the great King Tubby. Smart was able to record in his studio, sounds that would eventually make it into the dancehalls of Jamaica. Dirtsman’s "Hot This Year" is an example of the recording that gave its origin to Smart’s studio on Long Island. Today, HC & F Studio is the leading reggae-recording studio in the states (Barrow 1997). More and more reggae-recording studios began to pop up including Jah Life, also making its home in the Big Apple, owned and operated by Hyman Wright and Percy Chin.

Kite Runner

The kite runner: Literacy Essay A single event can shape the rest of a lifetime. Redemption is a way that makes up for the cause of the guilt. The Kite Runner  is very much a â€Å"novel of redemption. † The main character, Amir, has to find a way to redeem himself after having betrayed Hassan. Sanaubar, likewise, must find redemption. Baba resolves his past guilty by doing good deeds First, Amir redeems himself by steps into courage and rescues the son of his brother Hassan Redemption is the act of saying or being saved from sin, error or evil, which the main character Amir seems to need the most.Amir lives with the guilt he has built up over the years because of one incident from his childhood. Amir's father’s words still echo through his head  Ã¢â‚¬Å"A boy who won't stand up for himself becomes a man who can't stand up to anything. † Pg (24). Although Amir destroyed the lives of many people, and he has had more than one opportunity to redeem himself of his guilt, he is not the selfish little boy he once was. Before Amir can go on the road to redemption, Amir must realize that he can't go back and change what he has done as a child, and he must find inner peace.Although if it was not for Amir's actions as a child, Sohrab never would have needed to be saved in the first place but by saving Sohrab, the last piece of Hassan's life, does make a difference. From the moment he chose to turn his back on Hassan, there were many chances where  Ã¢â‚¬Å"There's a way to be good again† (238). For all his wrongdoings, but he chose not to take any of these. Sohrab was his last and only chance for redemption. â€Å"I have a wife in America, a home, a career and a family†.But how could I pack up and go back home when my actions may have cost Hassan a chance at those very same things? And what Rahim Khan revealed to me changed things. Made me see how my entire life, long before the winter of 1975, dating back to when that singing Hazara w oman was still nursing me, had been a cycle of lies betrayals and secrets† (238). Amir finally became the man who stood up for himself and his sins. Throughout his childhood, Amir looked for his father's affection and he never could get it. His father had said  Ã¢â‚¬Å"I'm telling you, Rahim, there is something missing in that boy (24).Amir's father would have been proud of him at this very moment because that was all he had wanted from him. The guilt that was built over the years was finally put to rest at the safety of Sohrab. In Afghanistan when Amir stood up for Sohrab and Assef aggressively beat him up, Amir had said  Ã¢â‚¬Å"My body was broken just how badly I wouldn't find out until later but I felt healed. Healed at last. I laughed. † (289) which showed Amir had come to terms with what he had done as a child and was finally felt relieved.Although he was getting beat up, it did not matter anymore, he just wished he had stood up to Assef years ago, and maybe he w ould have earned his redemption in that alley. Second,  In the novel Baba Seeks redemption by treating Hassan well and always remembering his birthday. Amir and Baba were planting tulips, when Amir had asked Baba if he'd ever consider getting new servants And Baba said ‘’Hassan's not going anywhere, he'd barked. He’s staying right here with us, where he belongs. This is his home and we're his family. He had wept, wept, when Ali announced he and Hassan were leaving us. † (237) Kite Runner Human beings are morally ambiguous people. We are neither purely evil nor purely good, but often a mix. And maybe that’s why many of us are attracted to literature works with morally ambiguous characters such as The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. The Kite Runner was set in Kabul, Afghanistan, proceeds to United States during the Soviet Union invasion, and then the setting goes back to Kabul when the Taliban rises in power. In this novel, Amir, to whom the whole story of the book is centered around, is a morally ambiguous character.Amir is a Pashtun boy; he betrays his friendship with Hassan, a Hazara son of Amir’s father’s servant. Guilt haunts Amir for years even after he had left Kabul and moved to United States. Amir is a morally ambiguous character because he’s a coward, he’s selfish, he betrays his friend and lies, but he also finds courage to face what he had done wrong and finds salvation. The first part of the book The Kite Runner proves ho w Amir is not a purely good character.Amir often hangs out with the Hazara boy, Hassan and would tell Hassan that they are friends, but he still feels he’s above Hassan because Amir is Pashtun and Hazara people are considered below the Pashtun people. Amir wouldn’t hang out with Hassan when other Pashtun boys are with him, he also mocks the fact that Hassan can’t read, not considering the fact that Hassan doesn’t have the opportunity to get an education. Amir couldn’t stand Hassan’s intelligence: Amir had written a story about how a man’s tears turn into pearls when they fall into this magic cup, and the story ended with man’s wife dead in his arms on a mountain pile of pearls.When Hassan heard the story, he had enjoyed it, but he also raised a few questions that angered Amir, â€Å"Why did the man kill his wife? In fact, why did he ever have to be sad to shed tears? Couldn’t he have just smelled an onion? † (p. 3 4). Amir was angry because a mere Hazara boy who couldn’t read had taught Amir something he, an educated boy, didn’t figure out. These few examples that show how Amir is mean and arrogant are nothing compared to what he does to Hassan later on.Assef is a Pashtun boy that truly hates Hazaras and believes that Hazaras should all disappear. When Amir catches Assef raping Hassan, instead of stepping in, Amir runs away and pretends nothing had happened. When guilt started eating Amir up and he couldn’t stand facing Hassan because Hassan reminds him of his cowardly action, he pinned a crime of thievery on Hassan in order to have Hassan evicted from his house. The second part of the book shows that Amir isn’t purely evil despite what he has done.For a while, Amir’s life is filled with the guilt of not saving Hassan from the rape and it kept Amir from being completely happy, even though he found the love of his life in America and got married. Then one day , Amir’s father’s friend, Rhahim, called him to give him a chance to redeem himself. â€Å"There’s a way to be good again† (p. 226). Amir did find a way to be good again. Amir went back to Afghan to find Hassan’s son, Sohrab, to take him with Amir because Hassan and his wife had been shot to death on the street by the Taliban.Amir finds Sohrab with Assef and ends up getting into a physical fight with Assef. Amir basically lets Assef beat him up and while being beat up, Amir feels relieved. â€Å"My body was broken – just how badly I wouldn’t find out until later – but I felt healed. Healed at last† (p. 289). Amir felt that he was being healed from the guilt that has been crawling beneath his skin every single day. He had betrayed his one and only friend, Hassan, lied, and destroyed a chance where Hassan might have left to United States with him and would still be alive.Amir felt that he finally got what he deserved and h e felt much better, he had found salvation. And he had afterwards taken in Sohrab as his own son. Amir had been a coward; he had made selfish decisions and ruined Hassan’s live, but if he had been purely evil then he would not have felt guilt, nor would he have risked his life to bring back a mere Hazara’s son. But he had been filled with guilt and he had gone to find Sohrab and redeemed himself. And thus, Amir is a perfect example of a morally ambiguous character. Kite Runner In â€Å"The Kite Runner,† written by Khaled Hosseini, tells a vivid story that demonstrates the political and religious discrimination in Afghan society. Concerns about discrimination are reminded to the reader as one reads about the story of two Afghan boys. A major struggle is evident between the two groups in Afghanistan, the Pashtuns, and the Hazaras. Discrimination sets into place as we learn about the history between the two family lines. On page 9, Amir read from a book that says â€Å"Pashtuns had persecuted and oppressed the Hazaras †¦ the reason was that Pashtuns were Sunni Muslims, while Hazaras were Shi’a.This sets in the idea that the Pashtuns killed the Hazaras simply because they were not Sunni Muslims, resulting in the discrimination in society against the Hazaras. Throughout the novel, there were many scenes of discrimination such as how Hassan was never invited to Amir’s birthday parties, Assef constantly picking on Ali and Hassan as they are from a different class, and especially when Assef was raping Hassan. Assef believed that it was his right to rape Hassan because in his eyes, he was only a Hazara, an object which he can own and control.The Author Khaled Hosseini also used many literary devices to emphasize the effects of discrimination in society. This is shown on page 298 when Assef says â€Å"Afghanistan is like a beautiful mansion littered with garbage, and someone has to take out the garbage. † This is a metaphoric device where Khaled Hosseini had Assef regard the garbage as the Hazaras. He also clearly portrayed Assef in terms of being Hitler by having the same ethnic and political views.Another technique the author used to show discrimination was on page 380 when General Taheri says â€Å"they will want to know why there is a Hazara boy living with my daughter. † This is when the General begins to question Amir’s actions. This shows that even a likeable character like the General, ha s a nastier side and that even he would show discrimination. More importantly, this depicts the common prejudice in society. Discrimination, racism, prejudice, these are themes that people tend to avoid discussing about.Discrimination is everywhere; everybody knows about it as it is happening, yet nobody says anything to stop it. This reminds me of a book I once read called â€Å"How To Kill A Mockingbird. † To sum it all up, a black man was accused of raping a white daughter, and although the man was clearly innocent, the jury ultimately decided to convict the man, because he was an African American descent. This illustrates how discrimination is like a poison gas; it is easily contagious and affects everybody in the community, clouding our judgments.In the novel, I read a passage that I found very bizarre. It was on page 27 when Amir says â€Å"the curious thing was, I never thought of Hassan and me as friends either†¦ but we were kids who had learned to crawl togethe r, and no history, ethnicity, society, or religion was going to change that either. † I found this to be strange because Amir seems to be contradicting himself, making this a paradox because no amount of history, ethnicity, or society, can change the fact that Amir and Hassan practically spent all their childhood moments together, making them friends, if not, best friends.Another powerful passage in the novel was on page 169 when Baba says â€Å"we may be hardheaded and I know we’re far too proud, but, in the hour of need, believe me that there’s no one you’d rather have at your side than a Pashtun. † This perplexing reference makes me wonder if even Baba represents prejudice in civilization. This also makes me think that Baba believes you want a Pashtun at your side only if you’re a Pashtun and likewise to Hazaras. This shows the segregation and ethnic problems that constantly crawl its way up to the surface.Year after year, discrimination o nce again sets foot into society. We’ve all believed discrimination would disappear after Martin Luther King’s speech, but unmistakably, discrimination is like a spark of flame that refuses to go out. In the novel The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini used many tactics to show that every character discriminates against others, representing society. This is evident on page 27 when Amir says â€Å"in the end, I was a Pashtun and he was a Hazara.I was Sunni, and he was a Shi’a, and nothing was going to change that. † This shows that despite the fact that Amir and Hassan are really close, social prejudice sets foot once again, demonstrating that it can even influence children. I wonder why society discriminates against other cultures. Is it because it makes them feel that their culture is superior? Or perhaps it satisfies people by seeing others in emotional pain. From this point forward, I understand that the world is filled with discrimination, which must now be stopped.People have believed that as long as there are people of different background and culture, discrimination would live on. I believe that discrimination only lives because we want it to. People are afraid of others from different cultures simply because they might not share the same customs, which scares some of us. However, if people can look past the differences disconnecting us all, then civilization would be able to coexist harmoniously with others from a different race, thus, ending this long lasting chain of discrimination. Kite Runner In â€Å"The Kite Runner,† written by Khaled Hosseini, tells a vivid story that demonstrates the political and religious discrimination in Afghan society. Concerns about discrimination are reminded to the reader as one reads about the story of two Afghan boys. A major struggle is evident between the two groups in Afghanistan, the Pashtuns, and the Hazaras. Discrimination sets into place as we learn about the history between the two family lines. On page 9, Amir read from a book that says â€Å"Pashtuns had persecuted and oppressed the Hazaras †¦ the reason was that Pashtuns were Sunni Muslims, while Hazaras were Shi’a.This sets in the idea that the Pashtuns killed the Hazaras simply because they were not Sunni Muslims, resulting in the discrimination in society against the Hazaras. Throughout the novel, there were many scenes of discrimination such as how Hassan was never invited to Amir’s birthday parties, Assef constantly picking on Ali and Hassan as they are from a different class, and especially when Assef was raping Hassan. Assef believed that it was his right to rape Hassan because in his eyes, he was only a Hazara, an object which he can own and control.The Author Khaled Hosseini also used many literary devices to emphasize the effects of discrimination in society. This is shown on page 298 when Assef says â€Å"Afghanistan is like a beautiful mansion littered with garbage, and someone has to take out the garbage. † This is a metaphoric device where Khaled Hosseini had Assef regard the garbage as the Hazaras. He also clearly portrayed Assef in terms of being Hitler by having the same ethnic and political views.Another technique the author used to show discrimination was on page 380 when General Taheri says â€Å"they will want to know why there is a Hazara boy living with my daughter. † This is when the General begins to question Amir’s actions. This shows that even a likeable character like the General, ha s a nastier side and that even he would show discrimination. More importantly, this depicts the common prejudice in society. Discrimination, racism, prejudice, these are themes that people tend to avoid discussing about.Discrimination is everywhere; everybody knows about it as it is happening, yet nobody says anything to stop it. This reminds me of a book I once read called â€Å"How To Kill A Mockingbird. † To sum it all up, a black man was accused of raping a white daughter, and although the man was clearly innocent, the jury ultimately decided to convict the man, because he was an African American descent. This illustrates how discrimination is like a poison gas; it is easily contagious and affects everybody in the community, clouding our judgments.In the novel, I read a passage that I found very bizarre. It was on page 27 when Amir says â€Å"the curious thing was, I never thought of Hassan and me as friends either†¦ but we were kids who had learned to crawl togethe r, and no history, ethnicity, society, or religion was going to change that either. † I found this to be strange because Amir seems to be contradicting himself, making this a paradox because no amount of history, ethnicity, or society, can change the fact that Amir and Hassan practically spent all their childhood moments together, making them friends, if not, best friends.Another powerful passage in the novel was on page 169 when Baba says â€Å"we may be hardheaded and I know we’re far too proud, but, in the hour of need, believe me that there’s no one you’d rather have at your side than a Pashtun. † This perplexing reference makes me wonder if even Baba represents prejudice in civilization. This also makes me think that Baba believes you want a Pashtun at your side only if you’re a Pashtun and likewise to Hazaras. This shows the segregation and ethnic problems that constantly crawl its way up to the surface.Year after year, discrimination o nce again sets foot into society. We’ve all believed discrimination would disappear after Martin Luther King’s speech, but unmistakably, discrimination is like a spark of flame that refuses to go out. In the novel The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini used many tactics to show that every character discriminates against others, representing society. This is evident on page 27 when Amir says â€Å"in the end, I was a Pashtun and he was a Hazara.I was Sunni, and he was a Shi’a, and nothing was going to change that. † This shows that despite the fact that Amir and Hassan are really close, social prejudice sets foot once again, demonstrating that it can even influence children. I wonder why society discriminates against other cultures. Is it because it makes them feel that their culture is superior? Or perhaps it satisfies people by seeing others in emotional pain. From this point forward, I understand that the world is filled with discrimination, which must now be stopped.People have believed that as long as there are people of different background and culture, discrimination would live on. I believe that discrimination only lives because we want it to. People are afraid of others from different cultures simply because they might not share the same customs, which scares some of us. However, if people can look past the differences disconnecting us all, then civilization would be able to coexist harmoniously with others from a different race, thus, ending this long lasting chain of discrimination. Kite Runner Friendship Sometimes, up in those trees, I talked Hassan into firing walnuts with his slingshot at the neighbor's one-eyed German shepherd. Hassan never wanted to, but if I asked, really asked, he wouldn't deny me. Hassan never denied me anything. And he was deadly with his slingshot. Hassan's father, Ali, used to catch us and get mad, or as mad as someone as gentle as Ali could ever get. He would wag his finger and wave us down from the tree. He would take the mirror and tell us what his mother had told him, that the devil shone mirrors too, shone them to distract Muslims during prayer. And he laughs while he does it,† he always added, scowling at his son. â€Å"Yes, Father,† Hassan would mumble, looking down at his feet. But he never told on me. Never told that the mirror, like shooting walnuts at the neighbor's dog, was always my idea. But we were kids who had learned to crawl together, and no history, ethnicity, society, or religion was going to change that either. I spent most of the first twelve years of my life playing with Hassan.Sometimes, my entire childhood seems like one long lazy summer day with Hassan, chasing each other between tangles of trees in my father's yard, playing hide-and-seek, cops and robbers, cowboys and Indians, insect torture – with our crowning achievement undeniably the time we plucked the stinger off a bee and tied a string around the poor thing to yank it back every time it took flight â€Å"Think of something good,† Baba said in my ear. â€Å"Something happy. † Something good. Something happy. I let my mind wander. I let it come: Friday afternoon in Paghman.An open field of grass speckled with mulberry trees in blossom. Hassan and I stand ankle-deep in untamed grass, I am tugging on the line, the spool spinning in Hassan's calloused hands, our eyes turned up to the kite in the sky. Not a word passes between us, not because we have nothing to say, but because we don't have to say anything †“ that's how it is between people who are each other's first memories, people who have fed from the same breast. A breeze stirs the grass and Hassan lets the spool roll. The kite spins, dips, steadies. Our twin shadows dance on the rippling grass.From somewhere over the low brick wall at the other end of the field, we hear chatter and laughter and the chirping of a water fountain. And music, some thing old and familiar, I think it's Ya Mowlah on rubab strings. Someone calls our names over the wall, says it's time for tea and cake Next to me, Sohrab was breathing rapidly through his nose. The spool rolled in his palms, the tendons in his scarred wrists like rubab strings. Then I blinked and, for just a moment, the hands holding the spool were the chipped-nailed, calloused hands of a harelipped boy.I heard a crow cawing somewhere and I looked up. The park shimmered with snow so fresh, so dazzling white, it burned my eyes. It sprinkled soundlessly from the branches of white-clad tree s. I smelled turnip qurma now. Dried mulberries. Sour oranges. Sawdust and walnuts. The muffled quiet, snow-quiet, was deafening. Then far away, across the stillness, a voice calling us home, the voice of a man who dragged his right leg Quote #1Sometimes, up in those trees, I talked Hassan into firing walnuts with his slingshot at the neighbour’s one-eyed German shepherd.Hassan never wanted to, but if I asked, really asked, he wouldn't deny me. Hassan never denied me anything. And he was deadly with his slingshot. Hassan's father, Ali, used to catch us and get mad, or as mad as someone as gentle as Ali could ever get. He would wag his finger and wave us down from the tree. He would take the mirror and tell us what his mother had told him, that the devil shone mirrors too, shone them to distract Muslims during prayer. â€Å"And he laughs while he does it,† he always added, scowling at his son. â€Å"Yes, Father,† Hassan would mumble, looking down at his feet.But he never told on me. Never told that the mirror, like shooting walnuts at the neighbor's dog, was always my idea. (2. 2-3)| This passage shows up early in the novel and really tells us quite a bit about Amir and Hassan's friendship. Hassan protects and defends Amir and, foreshadowing later events in the novel, refuses to tell on Amir. (Hassan will later take the blame for the wad of cash and the watch. ) We should also note that Amir seems like the gang leader in this passage, getting the two boys into trouble. Does Amir control the relationship? Is this why Hassan often takes the blame for things?Does Amir ever take responsibility for anything in the novel? Quote #2Then he [Ali] would remind us that there was a brotherhood between people who had fled from the same breast, a kinship that not even time could break. Hassan and I fed from the same breasts. We took our first steps on the same lawn in the same yard. And, under the same roof, we spoke our first words. Mine was Baba. His w as Amir. My name. | There's a primal closeness between Amir and Hassan. Later, we'll find out the two boys have the same father, but notice how Hosseini is laying the groundwork for that revelation.The two boys might as well be brothers: they learn to walk together, they learn to speak together, and they feed from the same breast. Which brings up an interesting question: What does Rahim Khan's revelation – that Amir and Hassan are half-brothers – really change? Aren't the two already brothers in everything? Or does â€Å"blood† fundamentally change Amir's relationship with Hassan? Quote #3Ali and Baba grew up together as childhood playmates – at least until polio crippled Ali's leg – just like Hassan and I grew up a generation later.Baba was always telling us about the mischief he and Ali used to cause, and Ali would shake his head and say, â€Å"But, Agha sahib, tell them who was the architect of the mischief and who the poor laborer? † Bab a would laugh and throw his arm around Ali. But in none of his stories did Baba ever refer to Ali as his friend. (4. 2-3)| Baba and Ali's friendship parallels Amir and Hassan's on a number of levels. First, as this passage indicates, there's a similar pattern of leadership (and power): both Baba and Amir have dominant roles in each friendship.And, lest you forget, Baba betrays Ali much like Amir betrays Hassan. As they say, two peas in a pod. Or, maybe it would be four peas in a pod. We're not sure. Anyways, after Amir learns that Baba lied to him for years, he says: â€Å"Baba and I were more alike than I'd ever known. We had both betrayed the people who would have given their lives for us† (18. 7). Four peas in a pod. Quote #4But we were kids who had learned to crawl together, and no history, ethnicity, society, or religion was going to change that either. I spent most of the first twelve years of my life playing with Hassan.Sometimes, my entire childhood seems like one lon g lazy summer day with Hassan, chasing each other between tangles of trees in my father's yard, playing hide-and-seek, cops and robbers, cowboys and Indians, insect torture – with our crowning achievement undeniably the time we plucked the stinger off a bee and tied a string around the poor thing to yank it back every time it took flight. (4. 6)| Amir lays out the opposing argument just prior to this paragraph. In it, he says ethnicity will always define a relationship.We believe Hosseini really wants us to grapple with Amir's contradictory stances: Does Amir's friendship with Hassan ever get past history, ethnicity, society, and religion? Later, Amir will justify his cowardice in the alleyway by asking himself if he really has to defend Hassan (since Hassan is a Hazara). Does Amir ever get past his prejudices? We're really not sure about this one. Hosseini devotes the entire novel to this question. Quote 5†³I know,† he said, breaking our embrace. â€Å"Inshallah, we'll celebrate later. Right now, I'm going to run that blue kite for you,† he said.He dropped the spool and took off running, the hem of his green chapan dragging in the snow behind him. â€Å"Hassan! † I called. â€Å"Come back with it! † He was already turning the street corner, his rubber boots kicking up snow. He stopped, turned. He cupped his hands around his mouth. â€Å"For you a thousand times over! † he said. Then he smiled his Hassan smile and disappeared around the corner. The next time I saw him smile unabashedly like that was twenty-six years later, in a faded Polaroid photograph. (7. 52-54)| Yet again, Hassan demonstrates his loyalty and devotion to Amir.If we were to judge Amir and Hassan's friendship by actions and not simply expressions of loyalty, the score would be pretty lopsided. (Of course, Amir saves Hassan's son at the end of the book from a pathological pedophile so that counts for something. ) We also want to point out the irony in Hassan's reply: â€Å"For you a thousand times over! † Amir will develop a pretty nasty case of insomnia as the guilt piles up inside him. Really, Amir returns to the alleyway thousands of times in his memory before he comes to peace with his cowardice.And so the phrase â€Å"a thousand times over† is colored with some pretty devastating irony. Yes, Hosseini is using irony again. Quote #6[Assef:] â€Å"But before you sacrifice yourself for him, think about this: Would he do the same for you? Have you ever wondered why he never includes you in games when he has guests? Why he only plays with you when no one else is around? I'll tell you why, Hazara. Because to him, you're nothing but an ugly pet. Something he can play with when he's bored, something he can kick when he's angry. Don't ever fool yourself and think you're something more. † Amir agha and I are friends,† Hassan said. He looked flushed. â€Å"Friends? † Assef said, laughing. â€Å"You pathetic fool! Someday you'll wake up from your little fantasy and learn just how good of a friend he is. Now, bas! Enough of this. Give us that kite. † (7. 106-108)| This is a fairly complex scene. Assef, before he assaults and rapes Hassan, asks Hassan whether he really wants to sacrifice himself for Amir. We know Amir is listening in – and watching – this exchange between Assef and Hassan. In a way, Assef's speech is not prophetic but descriptive: Amir is abandoning Hassan right now.However, we wonder if Assef's description is inaccurate. Is Assef describing his own relationship with Hazaras or Amir's with Hassan? Sure, sometimes Amir does cruel things to Hassan, but he also reads to Hassan and spends almost all his free time with Hassan. Amir may hesitate to call Hassan his friend, but perhaps that's because neither â€Å"friend† nor â€Å"servant† really describes Hassan. â€Å"Brother† might do the trick, but Amir has no idea at this p oint. Quote #7†³Think of something good,† Baba said in my ear. â€Å"Something happy. † Something good. Something happy.I let my mind wander. I let it come: Friday afternoon in Paghman. An open field of grass speckled with mulberry trees in blossom. Hassan and I stand ankle-deep in untamed grass, I am tugging on the line, the spool spinning in Hassan's calloused hands, our eyes turned up to the kite in the sky. Not a word passes between us, not because we have nothing to say, but because we don't have to say anything – that's how it is between people who are each other's first memories, people who have fed from the same breast. A breeze stirs the grass and Hassan lets the spool roll.The kite spins, dips, steadies. Our twin shadows dance on the rippling grass. From somewhere over the low brick wall at the other end of the field, we hear chatter and laughter and the chirping of a water fountain. And music, some thing old and familiar, I think it's Ya Mowlah on rubab strings. Someone calls our names over the wall, says it's time for tea and cake. (10. 73-75)| You need some context for this quote. Baba and Amir are on their way to Pakistan, but they're not traveling by taxi or bus. They're in the belly of an oil tanker along with dozens of other Afghans.Baba tells Amir to think of something â€Å"good,† something â€Å"happy. † So what does Amir think of? His childhood with Hassan. We believe this passage proves Amir's (brotherly) love for Hassan. Notice that Amir doesn't recall a special moment with Baba, or even his books or poetry. He thinks of Hassan. Quote #8Lying awake in bed that night, I thought of Soraya Taheri's sickle-shaped birthmark, her gently hooked nose, and the way her luminous eyes had fleetingly held mine. My heart stuttered at the thought of her. (11. 104)| Soraya doesn't sound that hot here.From Hosseini's description, we picture the witch in â€Å"Sleeping Beauty†: her nose is hooked like a scythe , and her eyes are glowing in a potion-induced mania. However, we do think Soraya's sickle-shaped birthmark should remind you of someone else in the book. Give up? That's right: Hassan. (Hassan has a harelip. ) Why do you think Hosseini compare these two characters through their physical features? What else do they have in common? Quote #9When we got to Kabul, I [Rahim Khan] discovered that Hassan had no intention of moving into the house. â€Å"But all these rooms are mpty, Hassan jan. No one is going to live in them,† I said. But he would not. He said it was a matter of ihtiram, a matter of respect. He and Farzana moved their things into the hut in the backyard, where he was born. I pleaded for them to move into one of the guest bedrooms upstairs, but Hassan would hear nothing of it. â€Å"What will Amir agha think? † he said to me. â€Å"What will he think when he comes back to Kabul after the war and finds that I have assumed his place in the house? † Then, in mourning for your father, Hassan wore black for the next forty days. (16. 4-25)| You may be confused by the voice here. It's actually not Amir – Rahim Khan gets one chapter in the book. Rahim Khan recounts his trip to Hazarajat to find Hassan and bring him back to the house in Kabul. When Hassan does move back to the house with Rahim Khan, he refuses to live where Baba and Amir lived. Does Hassan's refusal suggest that Hassan is only Amir's servant and the two never achieved an equal friendship? (Side question: Does Hassan sense – on some unconscious level – Baba's true relationship to him? Is that why he mourns Baba for forty days? )Quote #10Next to me, Sohrab was breathing rapidly through his nose. The spool rolled in his palms, the tendons in his scarred wrists like rubab strings. Then I blinked and, for just a moment, the hands holding the spool were the chipped-nailed, calloused hands of a harelipped boy. I heard a crow cawing somewhere and I looked up. The park shimmered with snow so fresh, so dazzling white, it burned my eyes. It sprinkled soundlessly from the branches of white-clad trees. I smelled turnip qurma now. Dried mulberries. Sour oranges. Sawdust and walnuts. The muffled quiet, snow-quiet, was deafening.Then far away, across the stillness, a voice calling us home, the voice of a man who dragged his right leg. (25. 150)| We think this is one of the most beautiful passages in the book. Hosseini moves effortlessly between the past and present. Sohrab becomes Hassan, and the park in Fremont, California becomes a snow-quiet Kabul. The smells of Kabul mix with the smells of the New Year celebration in the park. Perhaps, at least in the space of this passage, Amir does find peace. America allowed Amir to escape his past for so many years; but, in this moment, the two homelands merge.Ali calls Amir home, and Amir doesn't seem to mind. ROAD TO AMIR'S REDEMPTION† – THE KITE RUNNER REVISION ———â⠂¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€- Top of Form zainboThreads: 1 Posts: 3 Author: Zain Mehdi | Edited by: zainbo Mar 11, 2012, 12:58pm #1| The topic of the Essay is â€Å"After reading the novel The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, do you think Amir has found redemption in things he's done. If so, please explain how† I wrote this essay based on the events that took place in the novel. Each paragraph must have a quote from the book and I've included that.I just need to see if my essay is well written, correct grammar and other little mistakes. Please and thank you. â€Å"ROAD TO AMIR'S REDEMPTION In a lifetime, everyone will face personal battles and guilt, some large and some small. Such as guilt over sneaking out, not doing homework, or telling your parents a little white lie. People find peace of mind through redeeming themselves, in other words, we do something that makes up for the cause of guilt. Khaled H osseini's novel The Kite Runner revolves around betrayal and redemption.Redemption is the act of saying or being saved from sin, error or evil, which the main character Amir seems to need the most. Amir lives with the guilt he has built up over the years because of one incident from his childhood. Amir's fathers words still echo through his head â€Å"A boy who won't stand up for himself becomes a man who can't stand up to anything. † ? pg. 24 Although Amir destroyed the lives of many people, and he has had more than one opportunity to redeem himself of his guilt, he is not the selfish little boy he once was. How often does one stop and think, â€Å"How will this affect everyone else in my life? Amir had a chance in the alley, to put Hassan first and change the path of both their lives, but he made the decision to turn around and run because it was what he thought was best for him: â€Å"I had one last chance to make a decision. One final opportunity to decide who I was goi ng to be. I could step into that alley, stand up for Hassan ? the way he'd stood up for me all those times in the past ? and accept whatever would happen to me. Or I could run. In the end, I ran. I ran because I was a coward. I was afraid of Assef and what he would do to me.I was afraid of getting hurt. That's what I told myself as I turned my back to the alley, to Hassan. That's what I made myself believe. I actually aspired to cowardice, because the alternative, the real reason I was running, was that Assef was right: Nothing was free in this world. Maybe Hassan was the price I had to pay, the lamb I had to slay, to win Baba. † ? pg. 77 Amir's selfish ways were a result of the lack of his father's affection in his life. As a young boy, he was forced to deal with his father's disinterest in him, which made him incredibly jealous of Hassan.Amir could not understand at the time, why his father adored his servant's son more than his own son. As the tension increases between Amir and Hassan, Amir can no longer stand to see Hassan everyday because of what Amir had not stopped and he could not bare seeing his father showing Hassan love and not him. Hassan and his father are forced to leave their home after Amir places his watch under Hassan's pillow and accuses him of stealing it. Hassan did not even deny the accusations because he had figured out what Amir was doing. â€Å"Hassan knew.He knew I had betrayed him and yet he was rescuing me once again, maybe for the last time. † ? pg. 111 Even after the alleged theft of the watch, Amir's father is willing to forgive Hassan, which stunned Amir, and made him see that the love his father has for Hassan is greater than he imagined. Amir did not just ruin Hassan's life; he also ruined the lives of many people with his decisions after the incident in the alley. Baba lost a chance to watch his son, Hassan, grow up and also lost the chance to bring him to America so he could start a new life.Sohrab lost both his parents to war because they were still living in Afghanistan, lost his childhood to war, and tried to commit suicide as a result of Amir going back on his promise to keep him safe from orphanages. Soraya lost her right to the truth when Amir kept his past a secret even though she opened up to him about hers. It is one thing to destroy your own life with guilt, but it is a completely different issue when you destroy the lives of others. Before Amir can go on the road to redemption, Amir must realize that he can't go back and change what he has done as a child, and he must find inner peace.Although if it was not for Amir's actions as a child, Sohrab never would have needed to be saved in the first place but by saving Sohrab, the last piece of Hassan's life, does make a difference. From the moment he chose to turn his back on Hassan, there were many chances where â€Å"There's a way to be good again† ? pg. 238 for all his wrongdoings, but he chose not to take any of these. Sohr ab was his last and only chance for redemption. â€Å"I have a wife in America, a home, a career and a family†. But how could I pack up and go back home when my actions may have cost Hassan a chance at those very same things?And what Rahim Khan revealed to me changed things. Made me see how my entire life, long before the winter of 1975, dating back to when that singing Hazara woman was still nursing me, had been a cycle of lies betrayals and secrets. † ? pg. 238 Amir admits that he cost Hassan a chance at a good life and that he had many opportunities to change the outcome of Hassan's life. But at this moment he realized he could lose everything he has built in America, but for the first time in his life, Amir did not care about only himself, he came to terms with what he had done, and he was ready to redeem himself at any cost.Amir finally became the man who stood up for himself and his sins. Throughout his childhood, Amir looked for his father's affection and he neve r could get it. His father had said â€Å"I'm telling you, Rahim, there is something missing in that boy. † ? pg. 24 Amir's father would have been proud of him at this very moment because that was all he had wanted from him. The guilt that was built over the years was finally put to rest at the safety of Sohrab. In Afghanistan when Amir stood up for Sohrab and Assef aggressively beat him up, Amir had said â€Å"My body was broken? ust how badly I wouldn't find out until later? but I felt healed. Healed at last. I laughed. † ? pg. 289 which showed Amir had come to terms with what he had done as a child and was finally felt relieved. Although he was getting beat up, it did not matter anymore, he just wished he had stood up to Assef years ago, and maybe he would have earned his redemption in that alley. | | Jennyflower81Threads: – Posts: 884 Author: Jennifer Reeves 85 | Mar 11, 2012, 02:17pm #2| Such as guilt over sneaking out, not doing homework, or telling your p arents a little white lie. Not a full sentence.You could start this sentence with: â€Å"Guilt can stem from†¦ † People find peace of mind when they redeem themselves, in other words, they do something that makes up for the cause of their guilt. Amir had a chance in the alley, to put Hassan first and change the path of both their lives, but he made the decision to turn around and run because it was what he thought was best for him: I would break up this sentence into 2 sentences, because it is a bit too long, it would be easier to read if it was in 2 shorter sentences. Amir's selfish ways resulted from the lack of his father's affection in his life.At the time, Amir could not understand why his father adored his servant's son more than his own son. As the tension increases between Amir and Hassan, Amir can no longer stand to see Hassan everyday because of what Amir had not stopped and he could not bare seeing his father showing Hassan love and not him. Right here, you be gin writing in present tense, when the beginning of the essay is written in past tense, be sure to stay consistent with this, it makes your paper easier to read that way. | | zainboThreads: 1 Posts: 3 Author: Zain Mehdi | | Thank you, any more updates? | Jennyflower81Threads: – Posts: 884 Author: Jennifer Reeves 85 | Mar 11, 2012, 05:04pm #4| Amir did not just ruin Hassan's life; he also ruined the lives of many people with his decisions after the incident in the alley Can you be more specific about how exactly did he ruin Hassan's life? This is kinda vague. Another example of a life ruined is that of Soraya- you say: Soraya lost her right to the truth when Amir kept his past a secret even though she opened up to him about hers I don't know if this is her life being ruined, although she was wronged.How did this ruin her life? Clarify this. †¦ but it is a completely different problem when you destroy the lives of others. Although if it was not for Amir's actions as a chil d, Sohrab never would have needed to be saved in the first place but by saving Sohrab, the last piece of Hassan's life, does make a difference. This sentence is long and confusing, I would make it into 2 shorter sentences. Amir admits that he cost Hassan the chance at a good life and that he had many opportunities to change the outcome of Hassan's life.At this moment, he realizes he could lose everything he has built in America, but for the first time in his life, Amir did not only care about himself, he came to terms with what he had done, and he was ready to redeem himself at any cost. | | chalumeau | | ROAD TO AMIR'S REDEMPTION? â€Å"During their lifetime, most people face guilt: some appropriate some inappropriate. Redemption is a way that makes up for the cause of the guilt. In Khaled Hosseini's novel, The Kite Runner, the theme revolves around betrayal and redemption. † I looked up the word â€Å"redemption† in The Kite Runner: p. 5, â€Å"All I saw was the blu e kite. All I smelled was victory. Salvation. Redemption. If Baba was wrong and there was a God like they said in school, then He'd let me win. I didn't know what the other guy was playing for, maybe just bragging rights. † Important quote. p 231, â€Å"And from this one last chance at redemption. † What is going on here? â€Å"My body was broken? just how badly I wouldn't find out until later? but I felt healed. Healed at last. I laughed. † ? pg. 289 Good quote you found. Salvation is when God saves you. Redemption may be part of salvation, but redemption also has a place separate from the Divine.After doing a wrong, a person may be redeemed by performing some act, or saying something, or fighting for (or against) someone. You know how they say, â€Å"beauty is in the eye of the beholder? † Redemption is in the eye of the wronged party. It's why you hear phrases such as, â€Å"redeemed in her eyes. † You can't be redeemed without permission. Hopefu lly, the wronged party accuses the right person, and the right person knows what wrong was committed. Otherwise, you have a very confusing situation for all parties. One that cannot be redeemed. Ever. Try writing your essay again with the theme of redemption as the main focus.Try to answer these questions: 1) What wrongs were committed? Pick the best 3 wrongs he committed. You partially explained these. 2) What does Amir think about redemption? Why does he seek it? Usually a person feels badly about something, or the other party is making his life miserable enough to cause him to cry,† ___! † 3) What action or words support him receiving redemption? 4) What action or words deny him redemption? 5) At the end is he redeemed? In the eyes of the wronged party? Did the wronged party (parties) know the truth that the reader knows? Does he feel redeemed?Did he know the same truth as everyone else? For the record, I've never read The Kite Runner. I don't have a copy of the novel either. I wanted to try to help you focus and organize your essay. I've written many A-essays over the years. | | zainboThreads: 1 Posts: 3 Author: Zain Mehdi | Mar 12, 2012, 08:37pm #6| thanks, ill try to work on it| | Essay Forum / Literature Review /| Unanswered [this forum] / Featured / Similar| Bottom of Form Similar discussions: * Michigan Supplement. Kite Runner * The Kite Runner: A Marxist Perspective * The Kite Runner Thesis Statement * HELP! Kite Runner Essay on Father/Son relationship * Persuasive essay on The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini + The Devil in the White City * The redemption of Sydney Carton in A Tale of Two Cities * Run after the kite –common app essay * UC Essay — I am a runner, track and cross-country * Developing Runner's Mindset — Common App Essay for Stanford * Morality and Responsibility essay (connection between Frankenstein and Blade runner) Random: MSW Essay on Parent Advocacy- Child Protective Services The discrimination theme in The Kite Runner helps explain? DiscriminationThe Kite Runner tackles the issue of ethnic discrimination in Afghanistan with an example of the relationship between Pashtuns and Hazaras. Baba's father sets an example for him of being kind to Hazara people, even though they are historically demeaned and persecuted. He could have easily sent Ali to an orphanage after his parents' death, but chose to raise him in his household. Baba does the same with Hassan, although this is complicated by the fact that Hassan is actually his son. Even in Baba's house, the house of best intentions, the class barrier between the Pashtuns and Hazaras endures.Ali is as dear to Baba as a brother; he calls him â€Å"family. † But Ali still lives in a hut and sleeps on a mattress on the floor. He tends the garden, cooks, and cleans up after Baba, and raises Hassan to do the same. So strong is Hassan's identity as a servant that even as an adult, when Baba is gone, he has no sense of entitlement. He insists on staying in the hut and doing housework. When Hassan dies defending Baba's house, he does so not because he feels it belongs to him, but because he is being loyal to Baba and Amir.In Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, discrimination is everywhere and nowhere at the same time. On the one hand, the Taliban do not seem to care whom they are beating, torturing, or executing. Children like Sohrab and grandmothers like Sanaubar are all susceptible to the Taliban's cruelty. In this way, the Talibs discriminate against everyone but themselves. As Amir notices, Assef forces Sohrab to dance to music for his enjoyment dancing and listening to music have long been banned. Amir thinks, â€Å"I guessed music wasn't sinful as long as it played to Taliban ears. On another level, the Taliban discriminate specifically against the Hazara people. They massacre the Hazaras not only in Mazar-i-Sharif, but in the region of Hazarajat and nearly anywhere else they can find them. Assef and his fellow s do not see the Hazaras' lives as worthwhile; they barely see them as human. Assef tells Amir, â€Å"Afghanistan is like a beautiful mansion littered with garbage, and someone has to take out the garbage. † Like his idol, Hitler, he feels entitled to killing those he deems unworthy of living in his land.He even relishes the term â€Å"ethnic cleansing† because it goes so well with his garbage metaphor. Hosseini has mentioned in interviews that his focus on discrimination in The Kite Runner angers some Afghans, who feel it is inappropriate. Like Baba, many people do not mention the Hazaras' history of persecution. Perhaps these people are so uncomfortable with this topic because by having Assef appear in pre-Taliban times and emerge as a leading Talib, Hosseini shows that the Taliban's persecution of the Hazaras and other Shiites is not new, but a greatly intensified outgrowth of long-held discrimination.In The Kite Runner friendship is a recurring theme, particularly in terms of how friendship is experienced between different social classes and castes. This is explored in the relationships between Baba and Amir who are Pashtun and Ali and Hassan who are Hazara. A central issue in the novel is how friendship is experienced, understood and expressed between social unequals when they have been pushed together by circumstances (Baba’s father’s adoption of Ali meant he and Baba grew up from boyhood together, followed by Amir and Hassan sharing their entire childhoods in the same house, despite their very different status within the household. Amir constantly reflects on the question of friendship: ‘But in none of his stories did Baba ever refer to Ali as his friend. The curious thing was, I never thought of Hassan and me as friends either. Not in the usual sense anyhow†¦Because history isn’t easy to overcome. Neither is religion. In the end, I was a Pashtun and he was a Hazara, I was Sunni and he was Shi’a and n othing was ever going to change that. Nothing. ’ When questioned by Assef about his friendship with a Hazara Amir admits: â€Å"But he’s not my friend! † I almost blurted. â€Å"He’s my servant! Had I really thought that? Of course I hadn’t. I hadn’t. I treated Hassan well, just like a friend, better even, more like a brother. ’ Hassan regards Amir as his friend and shows it by his unfailing loyalty which is indicative of his awareness of the unequal power in the relationship. Amir is bothered by Hassan’s unfailing loyalty and self denial on his behalf. ‘For you a thousand times over’ is the repeated phrase expressive of this loyalty – and we note how it is this phrase which finally comes from Amir himself at the end of the novel.Hassan’s loyalty is brought out by Assef’s remarks before he assaults him: ‘Before you sacrifice yourself for him, think about this: Would he do the same for yo u? †¦ to him, you’re nothing more but an ugly pet. Something he can play with when he’s bored, something he can kick when he’s angry†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Hassan then says that he and Amir are friends, a remark which is again cynically rebuffed. The retrieved kite symbolises the strength of Hassan’s loyalty; this is in sharp contrast to the cowardice and disloyalty that Amir is about to show. However, Hassan never ceases to regard Amir as his friend as his letter confirms. Kite Runner Human beings are morally ambiguous people. We are neither purely evil nor purely good, but often a mix. And maybe that’s why many of us are attracted to literature works with morally ambiguous characters such as The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. The Kite Runner was set in Kabul, Afghanistan, proceeds to United States during the Soviet Union invasion, and then the setting goes back to Kabul when the Taliban rises in power. In this novel, Amir, to whom the whole story of the book is centered around, is a morally ambiguous character.Amir is a Pashtun boy; he betrays his friendship with Hassan, a Hazara son of Amir’s father’s servant. Guilt haunts Amir for years even after he had left Kabul and moved to United States. Amir is a morally ambiguous character because he’s a coward, he’s selfish, he betrays his friend and lies, but he also finds courage to face what he had done wrong and finds salvation. The first part of the book The Kite Runner proves ho w Amir is not a purely good character.Amir often hangs out with the Hazara boy, Hassan and would tell Hassan that they are friends, but he still feels he’s above Hassan because Amir is Pashtun and Hazara people are considered below the Pashtun people. Amir wouldn’t hang out with Hassan when other Pashtun boys are with him, he also mocks the fact that Hassan can’t read, not considering the fact that Hassan doesn’t have the opportunity to get an education. Amir couldn’t stand Hassan’s intelligence: Amir had written a story about how a man’s tears turn into pearls when they fall into this magic cup, and the story ended with man’s wife dead in his arms on a mountain pile of pearls.When Hassan heard the story, he had enjoyed it, but he also raised a few questions that angered Amir, â€Å"Why did the man kill his wife? In fact, why did he ever have to be sad to shed tears? Couldn’t he have just smelled an onion? † (p. 3 4). Amir was angry because a mere Hazara boy who couldn’t read had taught Amir something he, an educated boy, didn’t figure out. These few examples that show how Amir is mean and arrogant are nothing compared to what he does to Hassan later on.Assef is a Pashtun boy that truly hates Hazaras and believes that Hazaras should all disappear. When Amir catches Assef raping Hassan, instead of stepping in, Amir runs away and pretends nothing had happened. When guilt started eating Amir up and he couldn’t stand facing Hassan because Hassan reminds him of his cowardly action, he pinned a crime of thievery on Hassan in order to have Hassan evicted from his house. The second part of the book shows that Amir isn’t purely evil despite what he has done.For a while, Amir’s life is filled with the guilt of not saving Hassan from the rape and it kept Amir from being completely happy, even though he found the love of his life in America and got married. Then one day , Amir’s father’s friend, Rhahim, called him to give him a chance to redeem himself. â€Å"There’s a way to be good again† (p. 226). Amir did find a way to be good again. Amir went back to Afghan to find Hassan’s son, Sohrab, to take him with Amir because Hassan and his wife had been shot to death on the street by the Taliban.Amir finds Sohrab with Assef and ends up getting into a physical fight with Assef. Amir basically lets Assef beat him up and while being beat up, Amir feels relieved. â€Å"My body was broken – just how badly I wouldn’t find out until later – but I felt healed. Healed at last† (p. 289). Amir felt that he was being healed from the guilt that has been crawling beneath his skin every single day. He had betrayed his one and only friend, Hassan, lied, and destroyed a chance where Hassan might have left to United States with him and would still be alive.Amir felt that he finally got what he deserved and h e felt much better, he had found salvation. And he had afterwards taken in Sohrab as his own son. Amir had been a coward; he had made selfish decisions and ruined Hassan’s live, but if he had been purely evil then he would not have felt guilt, nor would he have risked his life to bring back a mere Hazara’s son. But he had been filled with guilt and he had gone to find Sohrab and redeemed himself. And thus, Amir is a perfect example of a morally ambiguous character.