The Wasp Factory and American Psycho Protagonist Comparison

â€Å"The authors of ‘American Psycho' and ‘The Wasp Factory' present their protagonists Patrick Bateman and Frank Cauldhame to have very similar personalities. † How far do you agree? ‘American Psycho’ and ‘The Wasp Factory’ are two controversial dark novels in which the protagonist gets away with murder. They were published only seven years apart, ‘The Wasp Factory’ being the first. ‘The Wasp Factory’ was Iain Banks first published novel, and was released into the conservative United Kingdom in 1984, which would have coolly accepted it.This era of the United Kingdom did not approve of horror, especially when the protagonist remained uncaught. However, the book gained a great deal of attention and publicity via its controversy, and has maintained popularity throughout the years. ‘American Psycho’ by Bret Easton Ellis was originally published in 1991. At this time there was great controversy over its extent of gore and pornographic scenes, so much so that Ellis received numerous death threats and hate mail after its publication.Both protagonists narrate their author’s novel and each appears to mirror their author himself. However, the protagonists clash with each other when it comes to their settings, needs and reasons for behaviour. This demonstrates how the personalities of both Patrick Bateman and Frank Claudhame are presented differently by their authors. On the other hand, there are ways in which Bateman and Frank are presented to have similar personalities. For instance, they are both obsessive, misogynistic, have the desire to kill and have an abnormal mind set.These factors suggest a strong similarity between Patrick Bateman from ‘American Psycho' and Frank from ‘The Wasp Factory', even though their upbringing and personal characteristics more than often differ. Due to this, the true extent of similarity between their personalities is hard to distingui sh. Through Bateman's narration in ‘American Psycho’ the reader learns of his career on Wall Street and everyday life in great detail. For example, when describing to the reader his morning routine, the yuppie states how he uses â€Å"a deep pore cleanser lotion [†¦] a water activated gel cleanser, then a honey almond body scrub†.This shows the true extent of unnecessary detail that he will go into. As well as this, from the very start of the novel the reader is introduced to this rich and perfected lifestyle in New York of this â€Å"self-absorbed† character who thinks of himself to always â€Å"look great†, be superior to everyone else and constantly try to maintain his hierarchy within society. Ellis starts the novel with Bateman and his friends at a posh dinner party; this immediately demonstrates his wealthy lifestyle that Ellis is trying to portray.As well as this, Bateman showing off his â€Å"platinum American Express Card† demon strates his feeling of superiority. This provides the reader with a strong rather negative impression of Bateman as a rich, selfish, predatory man living in New York. This lifestyle can relate to that of Ellis himself, a man who isn’t affected by the recent recession, in his late twenties and living in the city that never sleeps. As well as this, like Ellis, Bateman’s parents are divorced. Validating this, Ellis has even admitted in an interview that â€Å"Patrick Bateman was about me†.In contrast to Bateman's lifestyle is Frank's. Frank is half-educated and lives in an isolated unnamed island off the Scottish coast. Frank is only sixteen, unemployed and greatly controlled by his father. This can be said to relate to the life of Iain Banks, who lived in a small village on the Scottish coast and moved around due to his father’s work. As well as this, Banks was sixteen when he completed his first book, indicating why he might have chosen this age for Frank. He also spends most of his time with the wildlife torturing, killing, collecting and â€Å"sacrificing† animals.In addition to this Frank entertains himself with his imagination and talks to his wasp factory. When Frank plays games such as building the dams and chooses which of the imaginary people live or die. Here the reader sees his childish and dark side as well as how there is little for him to actually do on the island. This also relates to Banks as he must have been very imaginative at Frank’s age as he was writing. In relation to this, making him seem incapable of his own choices, Angus has a huge amount of control over Frank.For example he home-schooled him, limiting his contact with society; he constantly tests him on the measurements of the furniture in their house; and uses the story of their dog, Old Saul, to cover up Frank's real identity. This shows the great contrast between Bateman's busy city life and of Frank's in the rural; as well as the contrast of their author’s lives. However, the protagonists Frank and Patrick do have things in common, such as obsessions and their love of control. Both Patrick and Frank have obsessions which are seen throughout through the novels. Ellis uses Patrick Bateman to demonstrate the obsessions which one might have.Most of Bateman's obsessions are very artificial, such as his obsessions over designer brands and technology. Patrick’s obsession to keep up to date with the latest technology, such as VCR, CD’s and Walkman’s, reflects the lifestyle of many American’s living 1980s-1990s. This demonstrates Ellis using Patrick’s obsessions to connect with the readers of his novel. Patrick also obsesses over â€Å"taking care of [himself]†; which can be shown via his â€Å"balanced diet and rigorous exercise routine† and his detailed daily movements which link to his obsession of detail and routine.His comment stating how he only uses â€Å"an afte r shave lotion with little or no alcohol, because alcohol dries your face out and makes you look older†, further validates his obsession over appearance and health. Ellis places the information of Patrick's obsessions from the very start of the novel to increase their impact upon the reader and to truly reveal their importance to Patrick. Throughout the novel, Ellis also portrays Bateman's true love and need for control. The reader sees this many times, for instance the control he can have over people's lives. He is always control of a life.Even when he â€Å"can't control [himself]†, (which often occurs when committing murder), he is still controlling the life of his victim. This idea of control is used by Ellis to demonstrate the power Bateman feels, and needs to feel, he has. Similarly to Patrick, Frank's obsessions are frequently mentioned throughout ‘The Wasp Factory’; however some of Frank's obsessions are different to Patrick's. Frank appears to have an obsession with animals and torture. Throughout the book we see how Frank is fascinated by animals and collects their remains suggesting that Frank is obsessed with animals.In addition to this, Frank is shown to be obsessed with killing and torturing. For instance, within the novel he states how he once tied wasps to the â€Å"striking-surface of each of the copper-coloured bells† on his alarm clock â€Å"where the little hammer would hit them† when the alarm went off, and that he always woke up before his alarm went off, â€Å"so [he] got to watch. † This shows Frank's dark mind consisting of thoughts about death, torture and the need for control over others, like Bateman.This shows the reader how even young minds can think this sadistically. Similarly to this, the reader learns of Frank's need for control when he is placing signs around their â€Å"private property† to warn off â€Å"intruders†. This demonstrates a way in which Frank feels ità ¢â‚¬â„¢s essential to control people and his father's property. Frank’s overly meticulous attention to detail also connects with Patrick’s obsessions. Like Bateman this can be seen in the description of his grooming routine which, like Patrick, is the same every time.These obsessions show a similarity between Patrick and Frank's personalities, demonstrating how Ellis and Banks present their protagonists in a similar manner even though they have different lifestyles. In conjunction to this, both Ellis and Banks show their protagonist’s to have misogynistic attitudes; further presenting them to have similar personalities with one another. Frank states how his â€Å"greatest enemies are Women and the sea† and that Women â€Å"are weak and stupid and live in the shadow of men and are nothing compared to them†, expressing Frank's misogynist view towards women.Showing Bateman's views on women are his comments such as â€Å"you're a fucking ugly bitchâ⠂¬  and â€Å"you piece of bitch trash†. These comments are used by Ellis to portray Bateman to have an aggressive misogynistic view. This shows a way in which the authors of ‘American Psycho' and ‘The Wasp Factory' present their protagonists to have similar personality traits as they are both sexist and have anger towards women. However, saying this both Bateman and Frank show misogynistic behaviour for different reasons. Frank's hatred towards women has stemmed from his father who independently brought Frank and his brothers up.Angus dislikes women so much so that he changes Frank's gender from female to male and leads him to state how he hates his mother â€Å"her name, the idea of her†. In contrast to this, Bateman's misogynistic behaviour is based more on the idea of dominance, lust and control. This shows a way in which Ellis and Banks portray their protagonist's to have contrasting personalities with each other, disagreeing with the statement. Altho ugh Bateman and Frank have contrasting lifestyles; a ten year age gap; different obsessions and versions of hate towards women; they both have one pastime in common: killing.Their murderous ways and attitudes towards it present Frank and Patrick to have mental disabilities like that of a sociopath and psychopath. For instance, Bateman and Frank both display symptoms of antisocial personality disorder, (which is a factor of both psychopathic and sociopathic behaviour). As well as this, they both display a high predisposition to violence, maybe Patrick more erratically, and a tendency to act impulsively when it comes to crime, which a psychopath can display. In addition to this, both protagonists find it hard to distinguish between reality and fantasy.This, and his psychopathic ways, can be shown when Frank states how he â€Å"must be lots of different people inside [his] brain†. Banks uses Frank's psychopathic and sociopathic behaviour to show the importance of parenting, stab ility and connections within society that a child needs to be able to function adequately. Patrick’s confusion with reality is also shown to the reader. For instance, as said by Andrew Jacobsen, (a literacy critic), â€Å"the supposed ‘real’ world around him becomes as one with his insane imagination world.†As well as this the mystery of the bodies at the end of the novel can be said to demonstrate Bateman’s misperception of reality. Due to this, Ellis and Banks can be seen to portray their protagonist’s to have similar personalities. This is because they are presented to be mentally ill and confused with reality. In connection to this, both protagonists show a lack of empathy towards their victims, and are able to commit a crime and act as though it's the norm and not really a crime at all. For example in ‘The Wasp Factory' Frank states how he killed Esmerelda because she was â€Å"simply the easiest and most obvious target†.Thi s simple view and minimal motive for murder displays Frank’s lack of empathy, and expresses his absence of perception that murder is abnormal or morally wrong. Iain Banks presents Frank in this way to illustrate how cold, cruel and absent-minded humans can be, even the young. In relation to this, Bateman sleeping with and killing girls whilst in a relationship with Evelyn as well as the homeless and young shows his lack of moral rights and care towards others. Furthermore, Patrick crimes are opportunistic with little or no motive, normally due to urges, lust or as a means of superiority.Bateman commits these crimes without hesitation, suggesting that to him it is just the norm. Also demonstrating Patrick’s dark personality, lack of empathy and morals he jokingly says how he is â€Å"into, uh, well, murders and executions, mostly†. This comment and others similar to it demonstrate to the reader Patrick’s sinister view on his murders; thus, they are used by Ellis to cause the reader to despise Patrick yet be slightly amused by his satirical sense of humour. These similarities suggest that the personalities of the protagonist’s from ‘American Psycho’ and ‘The Wasp Factory’ are presented in the same way.To conclude, I believe that the authors of ‘American Psycho’ and ‘The Wasp Factory’ present their protagonists to have personalities which are similar with each other as well as dissimilar. Aspects such as their lifestyles; having different obsessions; and reasons for being misogynistic present a complete contrast between Patrick’s and Frank’s life, and their personalities. This is because their lifestyles can lead them to desiring different effects. This links to obsessions, as for example, Frank obsesses over animals but Patrick doesn’t, as there are a lot less in the city.Also, Bateman, who unlike Frank has frequent contact with people, obsesses more over appearance and health. As well as this, there reasons for being misogynistic are due to their upbringing and the environment surrounding them. This shows how lifestyle and upbringing can affect ones personality traits such as their obsessions. Therefore, this demonstrates how lifestyle is a key subject which has been used by Ellis and Banks to present their protagonist’s personalities in different ways, which also results in other personality traits being different too.However, both the protagonists have similar obsessions with one another; have a desire to kill; personality traits suggesting they have mental issues; and misogynistic views resulting in them having similar personalities with each other. These are very strong personality traits which all connect Frank and Patrick closely together, even though there are some ways in which they are dissimilar. Therefore, I believe to a great extent that â€Å"the authors of ‘American Psycho’ and ‘The Wasp Fact ory’ present their protagonist’s Patrick Bateman and Frank Claudhame to have very similar personalities†. The Wasp Factory And American Psycho Protagonist Comparison â€Å"The authors of ‘American Psycho' and ‘The Wasp Factory' present their protagonists Patrick Bateman and Frank Cauldhame to have very similar personalities. † How far do you agree? ‘American Psycho’ and ‘The Wasp Factory’ are two controversial dark novels in which the protagonist gets away with murder. They were published only seven years apart, ‘The Wasp Factory’ being the first. ‘The Wasp Factory’ was Iain Banks first published novel, and was released into the conservative United Kingdom in 1984, which would have coolly accepted it.This era of the United Kingdom did not approve of horror, especially when the protagonist remained uncaught. However, the book gained a great deal of attention and publicity via its controversy, and has maintained popularity throughout the years. ‘American Psycho’ by Bret Easton Ellis was originally published in 1991. At this time there was great controversy over its extent of gore and pornographic scenes, so much so that Ellis received numerous death threats and hate mail after its publication.Both protagonists narrate their author’s novel and each appears to mirror their author himself. However, the protagonists clash with each other when it comes to their settings, needs and reasons for behaviour. This demonstrates how the personalities of both Patrick Bateman and Frank Claudhame are presented differently by their authors. On the other hand, there are ways in which Bateman and Frank are presented to have similar personalities. For instance, they are both obsessive, misogynistic, have the desire to kill and have an abnormal mind set.These factors suggest a strong similarity between Patrick Bateman from ‘American Psycho' and Frank from ‘The Wasp Factory', even though their upbringing and personal characteristics more than often differ. Due to this, the true extent of similarity between their personalities is hard to distingui sh. Through Bateman's narration in ‘American Psycho’ the reader learns of his career on Wall Street and everyday life in great detail. For example, when describing to the reader his morning routine, the yuppie states how he uses â€Å"a deep pore cleanser lotion [†¦] a water activated gel cleanser, then a honey almond body scrub†.This shows the true extent of unnecessary detail that he will go into. As well as this, from the very start of the novel the reader is introduced to this rich and perfected lifestyle in New York of this â€Å"self-absorbed† character who thinks of himself to always â€Å"look great†, be superior to everyone else and constantly try to maintain his hierarchy within society. Ellis starts the novel with Bateman and his friends at a posh dinner party; this immediately demonstrates his wealthy lifestyle that Ellis is trying to portray.As well as this, Bateman showing off his â€Å"platinum American Express Card† demon strates his feeling of superiority. This provides the reader with a strong rather negative impression of Bateman as a rich, selfish, predatory man living in New York. This lifestyle can relate to that of Ellis himself, a man who isn’t affected by the recent recession, in his late twenties and living in the city that never sleeps. As well as this, like Ellis, Bateman’s parents are divorced. Validating this, Ellis has even admitted in an interview that â€Å"Patrick Bateman was about me†.In contrast to Bateman's lifestyle is Frank's. Frank is half-educated and lives in an isolated unnamed island off the Scottish coast. Frank is only sixteen, unemployed and greatly controlled by his father. This can be said to relate to the life of Iain Banks, who lived in a small village on the Scottish coast and moved around due to his father’s work. As well as this, Banks was sixteen when he completed his first book, indicating why he might have chosen this age for Frank. He also spends most of his time with the wildlife torturing, killing, collecting and â€Å"sacrificing† animals.In addition to this Frank entertains himself with his imagination and talks to his wasp factory. When Frank plays games such as building the dams and chooses which of the imaginary people live or die. Here the reader sees his childish and dark side as well as how there is little for him to actually do on the island. This also relates to Banks as he must have been very imaginative at Frank’s age as he was writing. In relation to this, making him seem incapable of his own choices, Angus has a huge amount of control over Frank.For example he home-schooled him, limiting his contact with society; he constantly tests him on the measurements of the furniture in their house; and uses the story of their dog, Old Saul, to cover up Frank's real identity. This shows the great contrast between Bateman's busy city life and of Frank's in the rural; as well as the contrast of their author’s lives. However, the protagonists Frank and Patrick do have things in common, such as obsessions and their love of control. Both Patrick and Frank have obsessions which are seen throughout through the novels. Ellis uses Patrick Bateman to demonstrate the obsessions which one might have.Most of Bateman's obsessions are very artificial, such as his obsessions over designer brands and technology. Patrick’s obsession to keep up to date with the latest technology, such as VCR, CD’s and Walkman’s, reflects the lifestyle of many American’s living 1980s-1990s. This demonstrates Ellis using Patrick’s obsessions to connect with the readers of his novel. Patrick also obsesses over â€Å"taking care of [himself]†; which can be shown via his â€Å"balanced diet and rigorous exercise routine† and his detailed daily movements which link to his obsession of detail and routine.His comment stating how he only uses â€Å"an afte r shave lotion with little or no alcohol, because alcohol dries your face out and makes you look older†, further validates his obsession over appearance and health. Ellis places the information of Patrick's obsessions from the very start of the novel to increase their impact upon the reader and to truly reveal their importance to Patrick. Throughout the novel, Ellis also portrays Bateman's true love and need for control. The reader sees this many times, for instance the control he can have over people's lives. He is always control of a life.Even when he â€Å"can't control [himself]†, (which often occurs when committing murder), he is still controlling the life of his victim. This idea of control is used by Ellis to demonstrate the power Bateman feels, and needs to feel, he has. Similarly to Patrick, Frank's obsessions are frequently mentioned throughout ‘The Wasp Factory’; however some of Frank's obsessions are different to Patrick's. Frank appears to have an obsession with animals and torture. Throughout the book we see how Frank is fascinated by animals and collects their remains suggesting that Frank is obsessed with animals.In addition to this, Frank is shown to be obsessed with killing and torturing. For instance, within the novel he states how he once tied wasps to the â€Å"striking-surface of each of the copper-coloured bells† on his alarm clock â€Å"where the little hammer would hit them† when the alarm went off, and that he always woke up before his alarm went off, â€Å"so [he] got to watch. † This shows Frank's dark mind consisting of thoughts about death, torture and the need for control over others, like Bateman.This shows the reader how even young minds can think this sadistically. Similarly to this, the reader learns of Frank's need for control when he is placing signs around their â€Å"private property† to warn off â€Å"intruders†. This demonstrates a way in which Frank feels ità ¢â‚¬â„¢s essential to control people and his father's property. Frank’s overly meticulous attention to detail also connects with Patrick’s obsessions. Like Bateman this can be seen in the description of his grooming routine which, like Patrick, is the same every time.These obsessions show a similarity between Patrick and Frank's personalities, demonstrating how Ellis and Banks present their protagonists in a similar manner even though they have different lifestyles. In conjunction to this, both Ellis and Banks show their protagonist’s to have misogynistic attitudes; further presenting them to have similar personalities with one another. Frank states how his â€Å"greatest enemies are Women and the sea† and that Women â€Å"are weak and stupid and live in the shadow of men and are nothing compared to them†, expressing Frank's misogynist view towards women.Showing Bateman's views on women are his comments such as â€Å"you're a fucking ugly bitchâ⠂¬  and â€Å"you piece of bitch trash†. These comments are used by Ellis to portray Bateman to have an aggressive misogynistic view. This shows a way in which the authors of ‘American Psycho' and ‘The Wasp Factory' present their protagonists to have similar personality traits as they are both sexist and have anger towards women. However, saying this both Bateman and Frank show misogynistic behaviour for different reasons. Frank's hatred towards women has stemmed from his father who independently brought Frank and his brothers up.Angus dislikes women so much so that he changes Frank's gender from female to male and leads him to state how he hates his mother â€Å"her name, the idea of her†. In contrast to this, Bateman's misogynistic behaviour is based more on the idea of dominance, lust and control. This shows a way in which Ellis and Banks portray their protagonist's to have contrasting personalities with each other, disagreeing with the statement. Altho ugh Bateman and Frank have contrasting lifestyles; a ten year age gap; different obsessions and versions of hate towards women; they both have one pastime in common: killing.Their murderous ways and attitudes towards it present Frank and Patrick to have mental disabilities like that of a sociopath and psychopath. For instance, Bateman and Frank both display symptoms of antisocial personality disorder, (which is a factor of both psychopathic and sociopathic behaviour). As well as this, they both display a high predisposition to violence, maybe Patrick more erratically, and a tendency to act impulsively when it comes to crime, which a psychopath can display. In addition to this, both protagonists find it hard to distinguish between reality and fantasy.This, and his psychopathic ways, can be shown when Frank states how he â€Å"must be lots of different people inside [his] brain†. Banks uses Frank's psychopathic and sociopathic behaviour to show the importance of parenting, stab ility and connections within society that a child needs to be able to function adequately. Patrick’s confusion with reality is also shown to the reader. For instance, as said by Andrew Jacobsen, (a literacy critic), â€Å"the supposed ‘real’ world around him becomes as one with his insane imagination world.†As well as this the mystery of the bodies at the end of the novel can be said to demonstrate Bateman’s misperception of reality. Due to this, Ellis and Banks can be seen to portray their protagonist’s to have similar personalities. This is because they are presented to be mentally ill and confused with reality. In connection to this, both protagonists show a lack of empathy towards their victims, and are able to commit a crime and act as though it's the norm and not really a crime at all. For example in ‘The Wasp Factory' Frank states how he killed Esmerelda because she was â€Å"simply the easiest and most obvious target†.Thi s simple view and minimal motive for murder displays Frank’s lack of empathy, and expresses his absence of perception that murder is abnormal or morally wrong. Iain Banks presents Frank in this way to illustrate how cold, cruel and absent-minded humans can be, even the young. In relation to this, Bateman sleeping with and killing girls whilst in a relationship with Evelyn as well as the homeless and young shows his lack of moral rights and care towards others. Furthermore, Patrick crimes are opportunistic with little or no motive, normally due to urges, lust or as a means of superiority.Bateman commits these crimes without hesitation, suggesting that to him it is just the norm. Also demonstrating Patrick’s dark personality, lack of empathy and morals he jokingly says how he is â€Å"into, uh, well, murders and executions, mostly†. This comment and others similar to it demonstrate to the reader Patrick’s sinister view on his murders; thus, they are used by Ellis to cause the reader to despise Patrick yet be slightly amused by his satirical sense of humour. These similarities suggest that the personalities of the protagonist’s from ‘American Psycho’ and ‘The Wasp Factory’ are presented in the same way.To conclude, I believe that the authors of ‘American Psycho’ and ‘The Wasp Factory’ present their protagonists to have personalities which are similar with each other as well as dissimilar. Aspects such as their lifestyles; having different obsessions; and reasons for being misogynistic present a complete contrast between Patrick’s and Frank’s life, and their personalities. This is because their lifestyles can lead them to desiring different effects. This links to obsessions, as for example, Frank obsesses over animals but Patrick doesn’t, as there are a lot less in the city.Also, Bateman, who unlike Frank has frequent contact with people, obsesses more over appearance and health. As well as this, there reasons for being misogynistic are due to their upbringing and the environment surrounding them. This shows how lifestyle and upbringing can affect ones personality traits such as their obsessions. Therefore, this demonstrates how lifestyle is a key subject which has been used by Ellis and Banks to present their protagonist’s personalities in different ways, which also results in other personality traits being different too.However, both the protagonists have similar obsessions with one another; have a desire to kill; personality traits suggesting they have mental issues; and misogynistic views resulting in them having similar personalities with each other. These are very strong personality traits which all connect Frank and Patrick closely together, even though there are some ways in which they are dissimilar. Therefore, I believe to a great extent that â€Å"the authors of ‘American Psycho’ and ‘The Wasp Fact ory’ present their protagonist’s Patrick Bateman and Frank Claudhame to have very similar personalities†.

Uncontrolled Ambition in Macbeth

It’s good to have ambition, as it’s the foundation of a successful life. Ambition means to have strong desire towards achieving something. Because of this, it’s true that one without ambition will struggle, however sometimes, our own ambitions and desires can change us for the negative. Ambition in its nature can tempt obsessive behaviour, which has a destructive nature of its own. When an ambition purely of passion turns into obsession, it ultimately forces one to only focus on that and do anything to achieve that goal.Shakespeare’s Macbeth is the perfect example of where the theme of obsessive ambition is prevalent. Shakespeare through the protagonist Macbeth conveys how our own desires, if obsessive has a both corrupting and blinding power of its own, ultimately changing things for the worse and destroying everything. Macbeth, as a result of his obsessive quest for power, corrupts his own judgement and motivates him towards immoral actions. It also blin ds him because he becomes very self-centered and begins to ignore Lady Macbeth, destroying his own marriage.Macbeth follows the tragic life of a soldier who is very dedicated and loyal, but does the wrong things when he meets 3 witches that prophesize that he will become a powerful king one day. Macbeth in the play kills so many people because his obsessive ambitions is so corruptive, it takes control of his actions, fueling his many immoral actions. To begin with, when Macbeth hears the prophecies, he is introduced to the idea that he will become king one day. Stunned and baffled, he tells his wife about the prophecy. She tells Macbeth that in order for this prophecy to come true, Duncan, the king must be killed.Initially, Macbeth is very reluctant and hesitant to consider because he isn’t inclined to committing immoral deeds and being violent for a selfish reason. In his mind, he is thinking, I have no spur, to prick the sides of my intent, but only vaulting ambition, which overleaps itself. He explains how it’s just his own ambition that makes him want to do this, but that isn’t a reason to commit treason and defy. Despite this belief, Macbeth ends up agreeing to kill Duncan. From the following, we learn that Macbeth himself strongly desires power on the border of the obsessive as it impairs his own judgement and corrupts it.It essentially motivates him to towards something immoral and treasonous, taking control of his own actions. After the killing of Duncan, he stews in paranoia and lives in constant fear because of his defiance, proving that it does not offer anything pleasantry. Next, after the murder of Duncan, Macbeth realizes that Banquo is a possible threat and contemplates killing because he wants to stay in power. He thinks to himself, But to be safely thus: our fears in Banquo, Stick deep; and in his royalty of nature, Reigns that which would be feared. Whose being I do fear, and under him, my genius is rebuked.Macbeth fears Banquo’s honesty and if Banquo suspects him, he will have to surrender everything. From the following, we learn that Macbeth will go to any limit if it means sacrificing him being in power and eliminating his own doubts and fears, even if it requires deceiving his innocent friend. He now is so powerfully corrupted, he does not realize he has turned into a tyrant who seeks nothing but violence for his own satisfaction, showing how it has taken over him. Afterwards, he wallows in so much guilt for his deception, he has nothing to feel accomplished for.In conclusion, his obsessive ambition drives him to such terrible atrocities that ultimately does not gain him anything. Near the end, he descends into a kind of frantic, boastful madness as a result of this, changing his life for the worse. Macbeth however also ruins his own marriage in his ultimate quest for power. When Macbeth rises in power, Lady Macbeth descends in importance. His quest for power corrupts him so much, he beco mes very self-centered and loses his feelings for his wife. To begin with, Macbeth is unable to give importance to his wife because he obsesses over his enemies and thinks they are out to get him: .Ere we will eat our meal in fear, and sleep In the affliction of these terrible dreams That shake us nightly. Better be with the dead, Whom we, to gain our peace, have sent to peace From this, Macbeth explains that he cannot sleep and has nightmares of people turning against him. He says he feels endless mental torture and cannot live in peace. He has so many fearful thoughts of people plotting against him, he cannot concentrate on Lady Macbeth. His wife descends in importance and all the martial affection and emotional bonding is lost.In fact, Lady Macbeth feels, â€Å"naught's had, all's spent when our desire is got without content. † This proves how she feels ignored and how him being king doesn’t truly benefit their marriage and slowly begins to destroy it. .In conclusio n, Shakespeare’s Macbeth suggests that when our own ambitions go out of control, it has a corrupting power of its own and can change things for the negative, ultimately destroying everything. Man should always strive with ambition, but not to the obsessive where one becomes overambitious. (Elaborate further)

International Culture and Communication Assignment

International Culture and Communication - Assignment Example Be it a major MNC for small-scale business people use the Internet and communicate with various suppliers and customers across the globe to create a wider market for their business. It is evident that the work force in all officer is becoming multicultural and more diverse than ever. The HR department dealing directly with the manpower in every organization should have enough knowledge about the cross cultural factors that might affect the concerned businesses The organization should take enough measures to provide proper training regarding cross-cultural communication to their HR department. The HR department should in turn use their training to impart cultural tolerance among all the employees working in the organization. There is a very close relationship between the HR department and the culture prevalent in the organization. If the HR department adapts a culture friendly outlook, the whole organization will reflect the same mentality. Therefore it is important to encourage such a practice in all HR activities which deals directly with the employees of the organization (Jackson, 2002). The impacts of cross-cultural conflicts will usually be overcome easily or excluded if the organization encourages their workforce to get together on the basis of their personal interests and various other fun activities. The HR department should come up with such activities to promote cross-cultural communication and solve problems through a common understanding. Consider an HR department is selecting a group of people to send overseas for training or auditing. They need to ensure the people sent abroad are given enough briefing about the different culture prevalent in that particular country. Shaking hands or greeting a lady through a hug or a slight kiss is common in the Western countries. But such an act would create great misunderstanding and anger among the

The effects of garbage in the enviroment Annotated Bibliography

The effects of garbage in the enviroment - Annotated Bibliography Example The authors of the piece therefore discuss and analyze the ways in which current and proposed future measures can effect such a goal. This article discusses the way in which under-developed nations take upon themselves a large amount of discarded electronic equipment as a means of reclaiming the nearly 300 tons of gold that are placed into such instruments each and every year. Although this is a lucrative way for developing nations to seek to enhance their own local economies, it has a very high health and safety cost and is only engaged by those least The two approaches that the authors put forward have to do with increasing efficiency of production and seeking to find alternative uses for the waste that is generated. As a means of integrating this idea into the essay, this student will seek not to take one approach over another but rather to seek to include both approaches as a means of reducing the seemingly ever increasing size and heft of waste that the current global system generates. This particular article discusses the ways in which technology offers an ever increasing array of solutions for the levels and toxicity of the waste that the current system produces. Rather than finding ways to reduce the waste per se, the authors hold out something of a modernist approach that claims that the increases in technology that are taking place so rapidly in the world around us will be able to ameliorate many of the issues with waste as they exist within the current system. This article engages the reader with an understanding of how unethical and ultimately unfair the toxic waste trade is. Rather than the industrialized nations seeking to deal with the toxic waste that they generate, it is oftentimes pawned off to poorer countries that are desperate for the influx of FDI that large multinational firms can provide. In this way, a type of econ-slavery

The theory, and methods used in the application of 'Crime pPrevention Research Paper

The theory, and methods used in the application of 'Crime pPrevention through Environmental Design principles' (CPTED) - Research Paper Example Canada, Australia, US, UK and their states2 etc. have made effective and efficient endeavors for preventing the crimes. Queensland, too, introduced guidelines for adopting such an approach for preventing crimes namely, 'Crime Prevention through Environmental Design' (CPTED, also pronounced as sep-ted) Guidelines3 on November 27, 2007. CPTED is a set of design principles or approach to discourage crimes4 (Deutsch, 2011). Its basic, underlying, thought of action is to anticipate the thought process of potential criminals or offenders5 (Wortley, 1998, pp. 173-88). Its aim is to create such an environment such that every possible criminal doesn’t even think of pursuing crimes or in other words doesn’t get a chance to make a crime. The society has to play a vital role in CPTED to come realized and to be really fruitful in action. This is to reiterate that its aim is not to punish or taking lawful actions against criminals after pursuing crimes, but to prevent the ‘poss ible’ crimes prior to its ‘likely’ happening. Theory CPTED is a scientific approach6 (Clarke & Felson, eds., 2004, pp. 329-30). Jeffery7 (1971) have contributed a lot in the theoretical field of CPTED alongwith coining this term for the first time.

My thoghts about Was Democracy Just a Moment article Essay

My thoghts about Was Democracy Just a Moment article - Essay Example His arguments go back and forth into time with the objective of providing a resourceful historical analysis of the manifestation of democracy throughout the evolution of government. The inaugural speech by President George W. Bush espouses some of the ideals some of the American ideals that attend to the question of democracy and America’s approaches in spreading the ideology beyond its borders. Basically, the remarks made by President Bush might be considered as representative of the dominant American thought on the question of democracy within and without its borders. The speech is informed by multiple nuances and subtle warnings that give meaning to past, present and future American approaches, methods and intention on the subject of democracy. There are mild threats and incentives throughout the speech, which are meant to highlight America’s intended objective of impressing democratic values in all areas it can spread its influence. One of the weighty assertions mad e by Kaplan in his essay is that the collapse of communism would not necessarily lead to the thriving of Western democracy (Kaplan 1). This assertion is consistent with most of the central themes that are explored in the entire article. In this article, Kaplan provides several examples to build his argument against the place, relevance, and suitability of democracy in the modern world. His central argument is that unexamined application of democratic processes might lead to the same, or even more, disastrous ends than authoritarian regimes. On the other hand, the speech by former President Bush makes the point that the survival of liberty in the United States depends on the success of liberty in other lands (Bush 1). This assertion may appear straight and plain but it condenses America’s foreign policy and its approach and application on the question of democracy. It is important to consider some of the challenges of democracy in light of the assertions made by the two partie s. There seems to be an obvious point of demarcation in the positions adopted by Kaplan and Bush. The tone in Kaplan’s article is essentially critical of the ideals of democracy. Much of the argument is informed by examples and illustrations of the failings of democracy. Kaplan argues how once stable political institutions were wrecked after the imposition of democratic processes. He cites cases in Latin America where seemingly dictatorial or authoritarian regimes appear to be more stable than those that uphold the principles and practices of democracy. An important statement that lies between the lines of Kaplan’s argument is that most of the democratic processes are essentially governed by the other cultural and historical factors. For this reason, Kaplan argues that it would not be very prudent to impose democratic systems of government to countries whose histories and cultures do not resemble those of the west. Kaplan observes that the kind of challenges and histor ical processes that have taken place in the west are conducive for the thriving of democratic processes. Kaplan’s assertion could be examined in light of the difficulties experienced in imposing democratic processes on institutions that are essentially divided along ethnic lines. This assertion fits into the concern of applying democratic processes to sharply divided societies. The consequence as illustrated by various examples in Kaplan’s argument would be the entrenching of divisions and creating of conflicts. The massacres in Sudan and

Policies Government can use to close Deflationary Gap Essay

Policies Government can use to close Deflationary Gap - Essay Example Beyond this point deflation sets in; national output exceeds the expenditures on consumption, investment and that of government as well as ability to finance export. The difference between the national output given by Y and that of expenditure E is termed deflationary gap. Any gap that exists before the equilibrium level is called the inflationary gap. The existence of this disequilibrium means an excess saving over investment or more withdrawals than injections because economic participants actually spend less than the amount of income they earned hence, accumulation of inventories. This unwanted accumulation of inventories implies that firms will cut back on production, lay off workers, and income falls. Because income and consumption fall, and firms cut production whereby the actual inventories will be equal to planned inventories and planned spending equal to income at Equi. level"3 Basically, there are two main policies that can be used to close deflationary gap. They are monetary policy and fiscal policy. Monetary policy is used to influence interest rates, inflation and credit availability through changes money supply in the economy. There are three tools through which this policy can be implemented: reserve requirement, open market operations and discount rate.4 On the other hand, fiscal policy involves the use of government expenditure and taxation to influence national output and expenditure. In this section, discussion will be centered on deflationary gap experience of Japan and United States, and Ethiopia. In the late 1990s, Japanese economy underwent a severe deflation resulting in weak demand, high unemployment rate, and steady reduction in the general price level. The country experienced steady reduction in both nominal and real GDP growth in fiscal 1923 after the Great Kanto Earthquake and in fiscal 1998, after the year in which Yamaichi Securities and Hokkaido Takushoku Bank collapsed.5 There is a belief that shifts from profit maximization to strengthening balance sheet which disrupts normal working of the economy perhaps the corporate sector stop borrowing the funds the household saved even with very low interest6. (Nakahara) says that the application of monetary policy brought about considerable improvement in the economy. Bank of Japan adopted the Zero Interest Rate Policy from February 1999 to August 2000 when the industrial sector grew considerably well; corporate profits were recovering, business fixed investment and private consumption were on the rise7. In addition, the B ank of Japan introduced open market operations with overall objective of tackling reducing interest rate. The bank planned more liquidity to be made available in the money market by maintaining the outstanding balance of current accounts at the bank at over 6 trillion yen and targeting interest rate below 0.01 percent. In the diagram below, the effect of changes in interest rate is employed by Bank of Japan in order to tackle deflation. At point E the economy is at equilibrium national product which is less than full employment. Point B represents the national output the economy produces where equilibrium exists at point E intersection of initial aggregate demand AD1 and national product NP while point F is the anticipated full employment output the

Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Movie Review Example Anderson bizarrely presents this against the framework of an abrupt and histrionically fluctuating realm in Zubrowka. The film presents intriguing tales that entreats history under the main story, which guarantee that the audience is obstinately entertained. The main character, Ralph Fiennes, presents an incandescent authenticity to a character who can abruptly change from charming to somewhat despicable at an instance. The mythological caretaker at the Budapest, Monsieur Gustave, is a master in obsequiousness and seduction. This is especially evident in his elderly female guests who find his charisma outright tantalizing. Gustave and Zero Mustafa’s (Tony Revolori) journey to pay tribute a guest’s commemoration introduce the mysteries in the movie, including the jailbreak and a dizzying ski-and-sled pursuit from a hilltop cloister. Such antique creations highlight the specialism of Anderson’s work in terms of inventiveness. The narration spans three divergent areas in a succession of recollections. Remarkably, the film has a colour-set for all these separate scenes that characterize Anderson’s now-inimitable mark of custom-made, impenitent dedication to underhandedly ordered attractiveness. Most of the characters have an appealing personality that makes the film nerve-wracking and watchable. The step sequence of these characters is that of a specialist. It magnificently creates a courteous, pleasing travesty of Nazi-era concerns. Perceptibly, the ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ was inspired by Stefan Zweig, an Austrian playwright who abandoned Germany during Hitler’s term. However, this film confirms that attention to detail can be both valuable and detrimental. While the elaborate production scheme in the film such as cut-away sets portray a well turned-out film, it may lose its characterization, feeling and plot owing to the crowded

Analysis of The Brief Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao Essay - 1

Analysis of The Brief Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao - Essay Example Until he met a lady in Santo Domingo, that alters his destination. To trace back the origin of Oscar, his mother migrated to America to escape from the painful memories of the past. The fuku haunts every family member, which leads to the death of Oscar Wao. This paper aims to analyse the connection of Caribbean history and Dominican identity with the character of Oscar as a nigger. The history of Caribbean is a mixture of different culture that is rooted from the era of colonialism. The first settlers are the native Indians called Taino. Diaz (2007) mentions that Spaniards execute genocide, or the killing of race in the Dominican Republic (p. 212). Taino’s population decreases after the European navigator -- Christopher Columbus, discovered the West Indies when he mistakenly assumed that he reached the west part of Asia. In search for gold, the European occupied the place and abused the naivety of native people. After the reduction of Taino’s population, Spaniards gathered Africans from South Africa to become their slave on the mining industry. The Spaniards shifted to sugar cane plantation due to the obliteration of the gold’s supply. Moreover, the women suffered from sexual assault that results to mestizo children. The culture of Dominican changed after the Spaniards surrendered them to France, which occupied Haiti, but Spain recovered i ts sovereignty to Dominicans in 1861. Fortunately, the Dominican gained its freedom from the Spaniard but later occupied by the United States (Shifflette, 2010, pp. 4-7). Diaz’s novel highlights the reign of Trujillo in the Dominican Republic. Trujillo uses the military forces to coerce the Dominicans to vote him. He became the President that marked the Trujillo era. Although the root of Trujillo came from the Black African, his mindset is similar with the United States and Spain. He ordered for the elimination of black people to whiten the Dominican Republic. Shifflette

Elliot Company Essay Example for Free

Elliot Company Essay The Elliot Company was established in the early 1950’s and has been a profitable greeting card company. It had always been a pioneer in developing creative means to attract its target group, in spite of which the group’s market share has been limited to merely 4% in the industry. Industry leader Hallmark has the lion’s share of about 41%, American Greetings about 30%, followed by over 300 companies, including   Elliot Company that account for the remaining share. Technological advancements in the telephone industry and the advent of the internet have pushed most greeting card companies against a wall, with flat sales, diminishing margins and a threat of decimation. The way forward is to identify means of generating sales by entering newer markets and the company has identified two markets that remain unexplored for Elliot Company American Hispanic market Overseas English speaking market Problem Statement Elliot Company had never ventured into unchartered territories, and finds both these markets intricate. The American Hispanic market is unique and has different sensitivities than the dominant white and black market that Elliot Company has been catering to. Meeting the needs of the overseas market is even more complicated as the company would need to study several cultures and meet their respective needs. Marketing the product to both these unique markets is the challenge that Elliot Company faces, for which a solution is required. The company cannot enter both the markets at once, and hence an ideal market should be identified that would suit the interests of the company. There are about 30 million Hispanics in America, who predominantly come from Mexico, Cuba and other Spanish dominated countries. The interesting facts about this population are: The Hispanic population has the highest growing population in the country with almost 40% of population growth between the years 1985 to 2010, coming from this community. The Hispanic population can be broadly divided into three groups, the native Spanish people who speak and follow Spanish culture alone; the assimilated Spanish, who cannot be distinguished from the Americans; and the Accultured Spanish, who are about 57% of the Hispanic population. (Arjona, Shah, Tinivelli Weiss, 1998) The Hispanic community prefer significant influence of their culture in the marketing process, even if the communication occurred in English. Price conscious audience that chooses price over value Just like the Hispanic community, the overseas market has different sensitivities that make it an equally tough opportunity to expand into. Also, there are certain problems the company faces when entering these markets, which are listed below. Existence of multiple cultures in each country Semantic barriers that can prevent communication as anticipated Cultural perceptions about greeting cards, as customers in some countries prefer customized and hand written communication to pre-printed cards. Huge costs of research development, product and distribution.   List of Critical factors The management if Elliot Company is apprehensive with both the solutions provided by the consultants, as each of them has their own concerns, which are listed above. A study shows that more than eighty percent of greeting cards customers, the world over are women. Hence, whichever strategy adopted by Elliot Company, would need to target the women predominantly. Which group of women, overseas women or Hispanic American women, can be targeted easily is one critical factor of success.   While venturing into foreign markets like UK, Australia, Canada and New Zealand would be good option for the penetration of the company into newer markets, it would expose the company to the competition of each market. While Canada is a market that Elliot Company should find easy to understand with its proximity to the American culture, each of the other markets is complex in their own ways. Hallmark has already made preparations to launch Spanish greeting cards by including several Spanglish messages (The Washington Times, 2002), and would aggressively market its brand when compared to Elliot Company. Hence, which market is less competitive and can easily be penetrated becomes the second critical factor. The third critical factor is the consumer’s buying behavior in both these markets. Hispanic customers have a buying behavior that is strongly influenced by culture and cultural cues, which include importance for family, formality and status. (Haegele, 2000 in Lynn Brandon, Judith C. Forney, 2002) The above three factors can contribute greatly to the success of Elliot greeting cards in this target group, the company can focus the marketing strategy on how to express emotions to its family, how to upkeep formalities and use greeting cards as a status symbol for greeting someone. On the contrary, some of the overseas markets are less liberal and more demanding. The culture of Australia and New Zealand is strongly influenced from the English, and the English culture finds it more appropriate to send a personalized letter than a pre-designed and pre-printed greeting card. The success of the company is dependent on how well it breaks this cultural barrier. Recommended Solution In spite of the advantages of a larger market that the company can cater to when it reaches out to the overseas market, it is recommended that Elliot Company focus on reaching out to the Hispanic American community, by offering customized greeting cards. Justification The biggest factor that justifies the above recommendation is the huge costs involved in establishing a brand and a business overseas, in multiple markets. To reach out to the overseas English market also would require significant investments in research about respective cultures, making the cost of research irrelevant for the decision making process for either decisions. A third of the Hispanic community would identify themselves with the rest of the Americans, and no special campaigns need to be done for them. However, the accultured Hispanics and the native Spanish speakers prefer a brand that they can identify with their ethnic group, to a business that seems very un-ethnic. (Dyer Ross, 2000) Elliot Company should reach to the Hispanic community with a brand that they can identify with, design greeting cards based on their preferences and deliver the same as per their needs. Mere translations from the exhaustive designs that Elliot owns might not be as helpful, as designing cards that meet the needs of the Hispanic customers. References Luis D. Arjona, Rajesh Shah, Alejandro Tinivelli Adam Weiss (1998) Marketing to the Hispanic Consumer,   Journal Title: The McKinsey Quarterly. Volume: 1. Issue: 3. Publication Year: 1998. Page Number: 106+ Lynn Brandon, Judith C. Forney (2002), Influences on Female Purchase Motivations and Product Satisfaction: a Comparison of Casual and Formal Lifestyles and Anglo and Hispanic Ethnicity, Journal Title: Journal of Family and Consumer Sciences. Volume: 94. Issue: 1. Publication Year: 2002. Page Number: 54+ Linda M. Dyer, Christopher A. Ross (2000), Ethnic Enterprises and Their Clientele, Journal Title: Journal of Small Business Management. Volume: 38. Issue: 2, Page Number: 48 Spanglish Speakers Mix Home Languages; Popular Trend Seen as Obstacle. Newspaper Title: The Washington Times. Publication Date: November 21, 2002. Page Number: A01

Crisis Management: Preparedness for Tsunami

Crisis Management: Preparedness for Tsunami Implications of wave behaviour for everyday life How would a tsunami affect Christchurch? The effects of a tsunami on Christchurch and the surrounding areas would be devastating. Depending on where the tsunami is generated the damage will vary. The risks of a tsunami occurring in Christchurch are relatively low, but there is still a small risk. The highest risk of a tsunami is generated off the coasts of South America, caused by the Nazca plate colliding with the South American plate. These two plates have caused many large earthquakes and tsunamis. Chile’s 2010 8.8 magnitude earthquake caused a 2.3 – 2.6 meter tsunami to hit the coast of Chile and Peru. This tsunami travelled across the pacific ocean and reached New Zealand. Authorities stated they did not expect the tsunami to reach New Zealand but later issued a warning stating that waves of up to 1 meter could hit the coasts. Waves were recorded above 0.5 meters in some areas. The Heathcote and Avon estuary in Christchurch received waves of up to 0.50 meters and surges past 1 meter. Lyttleton which is no t far from Christchurch experienced surges over 2 meters, luckily it was low tide and the water didn’t break its banks. The effects of a tsunami on Christchurch can range from unnoticeable to devastating. The effects of a tsunami depend on the characteristics of theseismic eventthat generated the tsunami, the distance from its point of origin, magnitude and, at last, the depth of the ocean. Small tsunamis, non-destructive and are undetectable without specialized equipment, happen almost every day as a result of minorearthquakesand other events. They are very often too far away from land or they are too small to have any effect when they hit the shore. When a small tsunami comes to the shoreline it is often seen as a strong and fast-moving tide. Tsunamis have long periods and can overcome obstacles such as gulfs, bays and islands. These tsunamis make landfall usually in the form of suddenly decreasing and then rapidly increasing water levels, a combination of several large waves in session. Generally tsunamis arrive, not as giant breaking waves, but as a forceful rapid increase in water levels that result in violent flooding. However, when tsunami waves become extremely large in height, they savagely attack coastlines, causing devastating property damage and loss of life. A small wave only 30 centimetres high in the deep ocean may grow into a monster wave 30m high as it sweeps over the shore. The effects can be further amplified by bays, and harbours acting as a funnel for the waves to move inland. Large tsunamis have been known to rise to over 50 meters, although this clearly never occurred in New Zealand. The initial wave of a huge tsunami is extremely tall, however, most damage is not sustained by this wave. Most of the damage is caused by the huge mass of water behind the initial wave front, as the height of the sea keeps rising fast and floods powerfully into the coastal area. It is the power behind the waves, the endless rushing water that causes devastation and loss of life. When the giant breaking waves of a tsunami batter the shoreline, they can destroy everything in their path. Destruction is caused by two mechanisms: the smashing force of a wall of water traveling at high speed, and the destructive power of a large volume of water draining off the land and carrying all with it, even if the wave did not look large. The energy tsunamis carry with them is massive. People living near coastal areas are advised to have an evacuation plan in place. If a local tsunami was to occur there would only be a few minutes to escape to higher ground. The violent force of the tsunami results in instant death, most commonly by drowning. Buildings collapsing, and electrocution, also floating debris is another cause of death. What evacuation plans are in place for Christchurch? The Christchurch City Council and NZ Police have evacuation plans in place for regional tsunamis. The NZ Police and Christchurch City Council have identified 19 at-risk sectorswithin the Christchurch coastal zone which will be the focus of any evacuation activity. About 23,000 people in 8570 households will be involved in a total evacuation of the zone. Official warnings will be announced via TV and radio. The following are official radio stations that the warning will be issued on: Classic Hits (97.7FM) National Radio (101.7FM or 675AM) Newstalk ZB (1098AM) More FM (92.1FM) Radio Live (99.3FM or 738 AM) The Breeze (94.5FM) NZ Police, Fire Service, Christchurch City Council Park Rangers and Response Team personnel, and Canterbury Civil Defence Emergency Management Group Response Team personnel would start to evacuate residents from identified risk sectors. Evacuation personal will deliver messages to each of the residents of the risk sectors. Twenty-two sirens have been installed from Waimairi beach to Sumner beach. The warning system has been installed and working since July 1st 2012. These sirens will only be used for regional tsunamis that take 2 or more hours to reach the coasts of Christchurch. For a local tsunami the council and police have plans in place. The Christchurch city council highly suggest you have your own personal evacuation plan in place, especially if you are disabled or caring for someone with disabilities. It is advised to get at least 15 meters above sea level, travelling a few blocks inland or getting on top of a cliff, try and take shelter in a two story building if you do not have enough time to go inland or get to higher ground. Tsunami waves can travel twice their height up a wall or cliff, this is why it is advised to be at least 15 meters above sea level. Are the sirens loud enough and is there enough warning systems? Twenty-two sirens have been installed from Waimairi beach to Sumner beach. Some Christchurch residents are calling the citys new tsunami warning system a dud. The $550,000 sirens had been installed on the coastline between Waimari Beach and Sumner. Residents along the coast reported that the system sounded faint. However, Civil defence and emergency management manager Murray Sinclair said the sirens were only meant to be heard up to 600 metres away from the coast, and were not designed to penetrate walls. The sirens are set at 85 decibels, which was the balance between having as many people hear it as possible and preventing anyone nearby from suffering hearing damage. Although many people had to block their ears when standing outside as it was too loud. The reason for the sirens only operating at 85 decibels as any louder and peoples hearing will be damaged. Sound is measured in units called decibels. Sounds louder than 80 decibel will cause hearing damage. 75 db will not cause hear ing damage, even after a long time exposed to it; it is unlikely to cause hearing loss. Repeated sounds above 80 decibels for long periods of time will cause hearing loss. The higher the decibel, the less time it will take for hearing loss to occur. Hearing loss happens when you are over exposed to loud sounds. Sounds over 110 decibels will cause immediate damage to your ears. Inside the ear there are microscopic hair cells found in the cochlea. When exposed to loud sounds these hairs become damaged. These cells respond to sound vibrations by sending a chemical signal to the auditory nerve. The reason being that you lose higher frequencies first is because these groups of cells are more sensitive to louder sounds and therefor are damaged more easily. The human ear can hear sounds in the range of 20Hz to 20,000 Hz. With age and time, the cell’s stereocilia become damaged and broken. Hearing loss results when the hairs become damaged. Once these cells are damaged they cannot gr ow back, that is why it is important to protect your hearing. Here are the average decibel ratings of some familiar sounds in general life: The humming of a refrigerator: 45 decibels, Normal conversation: 60 decibels, Noise from heavy city traffic: 85 decibels, Motorcycles: 95 decibels, An MP3 player at maximum volume: 105 decibels, ambulance Sirens: 120 decibels, Firecrackers and firearms: 150 decibels The 85 Decibel sirens are designed to be heard up to 600 metres away. By moving away, the decibel level of a sound will decrease by 6dB every time you double the distance from the sound. The Inverse Square Law has taught us that for every doubling of the distance between a sound source and the recipient, the sound drops by 6db. At 1 metre is 85db then at 2 metres the sound will be 79db, 4 metres will be 73db, 8 metres will be 67db, and so on. That would mean at 600 metres the sound would be 30db, this is without considering the factors of weather, humidity, and temperature. Wind would also affect how far sound could travel. Wind currents can alter or distort the sound waves, which travel by compressing and decompressing the air particles. Winds and other airflows can disrupt that action and distort the sound, either by altering its volume so it will sound louder or nearly non-existent, changing its direction slightly, or even altering its frequency. Christchurch residents complain that in the case of a local tsunamis there is no warning system in place. The 22 sirens will only be used for tsunamis that will take 3 hours or more to arrive. Residents along the coast say that we need a warning system in place in case of a local tsunami. Christchurch city council states that they do not have the resources for a warning system for a local tsunami. The risk of a local tsunami happening in Christchurch is very low, there is only a few faults in the banks peninsula area that are capable of producing tsunamis with a max wave height of 1.5 – 2 meters. Therefor CCC has ruled that a warning system for local tsunamis would be unneeded. CCC says if you feel the ground shake and find it hard to stand up for 3 minutes or more you should evacuate the area and move to higher ground. Also during a regional tsunami evacuating groups will evacuate coastal areas. Conclusion Are the sirens loud enough? The majority of residents along the coast complain that the sirens are not loud enough. Obviously 85 decibel is not loud enough. CCC will not increase the sound as it will cause slight hearing damage. People complain that during a local tsunami that there should be a warning system in place, currently there is no systems in place for local tsunamis. People have to rely on natural signs. CCC will not install any siren systems as the risk for a local tsunami is not high enough. Are there enough warning systems in place? For a local tsunami the residents complain there isn’t, but for a regional tsunami there are the warning sirens and evacuation crews in place, also radio and TV will have official warnings in place. References: http://www.ccc.govt.nz/homeliving/civildefence/informationondisastershazards/tsunami.aspx#jumplink8 http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/canterbury/9227634/Review-of-Canterbury-tsunami-impact http://ecan.govt.nz/advice/emergencies-and-hazard/tsunami/pages/tsunami.aspx#what http://resources.ccc.govt.nz/files/CCCTsunamiBrochure-informationondisastershazards.pdf http://ecan.govt.nz/advice/emergencies-and-hazard/tsunami/pages/gns-tsunami-report-canterbury.aspx http://www.ccc.govt.nz/homeliving/civildefence/informationondisastershazards/tsunami.aspx http://www.ccc.govt.nz/homeliving/civildefence/informationondisastershazards/tsunamiwarningsystem.aspx Analysis of Globalization Theory: Hybridization Analysis of Globalization Theory: Hybridization On a Monday morning, I set out to carry out my ethnographic study at the city centre in Bradford. The city centre, a large surrounding filled with tall buildings with various concrete partitions. The sloping walking hill corner of the city centre witnesses most stores, shops and shopping plaza having their last floor with glass display or walling for product displays with attractive inscription of sales, price slashes and percentage reductions to attract passersby to their outlets. In trying to observe, I discovered loads of people encompassing various demography of gender and age description trooping in and out of the stores, shops and supermarkets with different bags and shopping packages. The people appeared focused inwards and determined to get to where they wanted to be; most people just seemed to be on the way without personal concerns. Everybody seemed to be walking in a rushed manner, like clockwork figures or programmed robots. The flower sellers and a man at the bakery stan d at the middle of the walking arena at the city centre seemed to be the only ones who were looking into the faces of people, trying to get them to stop and purchase their products. They were quite vocal with their sales chant. I also observed an old woman on a small mechanized wheel chair; she looked sober, tired and weary. As she drove past, I saw she had different packages from different stores on her machine tray. Many visible diverse nationalities (assumed based on various perception of sight) walking around were observed to have similar outfits. There were people in jean, jackets, boots, caftans, turbans, hijabs etc. the jacket being the most common and which was a result of the weather conditions and the adaptation of human culture through globalization. Apart from male police officers and one female officer taking a patrol with their hefty wear attached with various mechanical gadgets around them looking ready for crime mongers/war. Most observed people seem to know how and where to shop, there seem to be no description as to where to go and how to go about it but just mere advertisement in the front of every main door step with products of sales. However, a young man and woman were observed to be paying for a Chinese meal in a Chinese restaurant through the Debit Card point service and an attractive TV displaying Chinese movie was also seen from the outer view of the restaurant through its transparent glass partitioning. Looking behind, I saw a group of people discussing in English language and interchanging it with some Chinese language at intervals in a loud manner; while another group adjacent to them even though diverse, appeared to be speaking English but in a quiet mode. A further stroll, noticed the sight of a group of old men seen playing guitar by the road side singing (numerous cultural and globalized music spanning from Westernized to European and even Jamaican) and receiving accolades from a group of people comprising both genders but diff erent nationalities; assumed Pakistan and some European young blokes and ladies. Globalization thesis Hybridization theory Theoretically, Culture and globalization are two diverse concepts involved in this study. Globalization involves a process of local and regional adaptations in many areas of human life under emerging global situation (Mondal, 2010). This elucidates that Globalization creates a double challenge for all of concerns: that of trying to examine and understand these progressions, and their long-term implication, but also that of deciding how human beings act in response to them. Globalization, hence, poses normative preference as much as strained analytic comprehensions (Halliday 2000). It is described as a general currency only in the past decade and include many diverse and often vague meanings, spanning from the elimination of barriers between societies, political and economic systems and the significant enlarged volume of exchange, in terms of finance, trade, ideas or people, amid them (Halliday 2000). Braibant (2002) supported the definition of Halliday (2000) in a way but concluded b y stating that globalization also comes with various infections, diseases and pollution. Hofstede (1980) asserts that Cultures and nations mostly function through essential structures such as the family, local groups, societies and circumscribed traditions, etc. In effect, organizational structures and its functioning are impacted by unique cultural traditions. In combining these two concepts discussed above, Rankin (2009) opines that Cultural globalization is regularly understood to mean the expanded movement of images, goods, technology, people and ideas around the world resulting from processes of economic globalization ever since the 1970s. It has been the theme of sizeable moral angst in academic and popular venues alike, as observers diversely lament the cultural destructions or celebrate the cultural mixings that are regularly understood to go with globalizing processes. In addition, Mondal (2010) described cultural globalization as a process which creates global culture; arguing that globalization intends to expand a world view to support multicultural society and intercultural exchange with relevant respect of regional and local cultures. A range of cultural issues and consequence have been associated with globalization and these can be examined in relation to three foremost theses, which includes; polarization, homogenization and hybridization (Chris 2006). The polarization thesis claims that global interdependence and interconnection do not compulsorily mean cultural accord, as culture is stronger to standardize than economic society and technology; while the homogenization thesis advocates that global culture is becoming uniformed and standardized around an American or Westernized model. The hybridization thesis finally argues that local cultures borrow and integrate elements from each other, creating syncretic, or hybrid, forms. This can be evidenced from daily life activities such as popular religious and music life (Holton 2000). However, this study intends to engage the HYBRIDIZATION THEORY by Pierterse (1994) for the purpose of analyzing the perceptions and observation from the ethnography study. Pierterse (1994) refers globalization as a Hybridization process that results in global mà ©lange overtime. He argues that globalization is a multidimensional process that unfolds in numerous realms of existence concurrently, like all important social processes. Holton (2000) however, refers the hybridization thesis has a focus on the intercultural exchange and the incorporation of cultural elements from a variety of sources within particular cultural practices. Hybridization can be described as the chips among polar perspectives, its existence is assumed to be derived from the paradigm of polarization and the paradigm of homogenization, with derived significance in relation to them (Pierterse, 1995). World culture theorists have claimed that world culture exist, but to a large extent less homogeneous than claimed by the world polity theorists (Bryan 2001). Rather, globalization is better characterized by processes, alternatively described as hybridization (Pieterse, 1995), glocalization (Kraidy, 1999), or creolization (Hannerz, 2000/01) where different cultural elements are connected in new and at times unexpected ways as they make contact with each other as a product of different cultural flows (Bryan H, 2001). Pierterse (1995) observed that most interpretation refers globalization as a homogenization process that stems from the perception that the world is becoming more standard and uniform, through cultural, commercial and technological synchronization emerging from the west; and an assumption that modernity is often tied up to Globalization. He however argued that the assumption that modernity often equates globalization and westernization is critical, ambiguous, historically narrow and shallow. Pieterse (1995) advocates that globalization does not compulsorily portray declining of nation-states has frequently been referred. He argues that globalization can be reinforced together with localism as in Think globally, act locally. He opines that increase in politics of ethnic identity and neo-traditional religious actions can also be perceived in the light of globalization even as identity blueprint are emerging to be complex and local loyalties are asserted by people, who however want to share in global lifestyles and values. Globalization is perceived as a process of open-ended interconnection of influence on culture (western as well as eastern). The rapid awareness of cultural difference is interdependent with globalization and there exist both strive for acknowledgment and cultural difference on a global scale. The strive for acknowledgment entails a claim to equal rights, equality and sameness of interest which results generally as a universe with common difference. Pierte se (1994) refers culture as learned and shared beliefs and behavior; making emphasis to the term Learned not instinctual and shared not individual. This leads the argument that there exist no boundaries to culture, as cultures are always open. Nonetheless, Tomlinson (2003) argue that past scholars view globalization of culture in a pessimistic light as associated with the demolition of cultural uniqueness, and also victims of accelerated encroachment of westernized and homogenized consumer culture. He emphasized that the globalization depredation has put identification of culture at risk everywhere, particularly the developing world. His contradictory argument is that globalization is also a significant force for proliferating and creating cultural identity. Analysis of the Ethnographic study and Globalization theory (Hybridization) Glocalization, a concept of globalization that pierces through the heart of cultural hybridization (Kraidy, 1999). The glocalization concept can be viewed from the ethnography study stemming from the outer view of a young man who was using his Debit card to pay for his meal in a Chinese restaurant. This portrays a view of organizations using a global means (use of Debit card Internet banking) to satisfy local customers, and still retaining local culture of its Chinese meal and movie. This shows that globalization is out of the local or global context in which it has been perceived, as people from various nationalities of the world move around taking their country meals in other countries and making payments using a globalized advantage. The view of Piertese (1995), that globalization can be reinforced together with localism as in Think globally, act locally is emphasized. Another perception of the globalization process in relation to the ethnography study is the old man seen playing a guitar by the road side singing and receiving accolades from a group of people comprising both genders but different nationalities; assumed Pakistan and some European young blokes and ladies. The old man seems to entice people with various types of music stemming from European to westernized and also Jamaican musics. This shows the proposition by Holton (2000), that various elements of local cultures are been borrowed and integrated from each other, which in turn creates a syncretic, or hybrid, form. The groups of people viewed at the city centre are also another perception of the globalization process in relation to the ethnography study. The communication methods seem diverse and integrating. A mix of people perceived not to be from the same nationality speaking English and communicating fluently; while the some other set of people seem to be speaking some Chinese language. This elucidates Holton (2000) argument that the intercultural exchange and the integration of cultural elements from a range of sources within particular cultural practices results in Hybridization. The adaption of human nature is also an aspect of emphasis. Most people were viewed to be costumed with jean and jackets, however, some people were seen to be putting on caftans and hijabs; but a constant wear amid all is the jacket. This is as a result of the weather conditions with the most people seem adapted to irrespective of their nationalities or cultural values. Even the people putting on the caftans and hijabs were seen to be putting on the Jackets. This supports the hybridization thesis of individuals and local groups having great power to adapt with in a glocalized world. Local individuals and groups are important and creative agents. The impact of globalization on culture stems from ones thought about how his local culture should be protected from external influence, or how one thinks the cultural creativity results from communication and integration of ideas from diverse cultures (Rothenberg 2003). This was observed in the language, restaurant and musical analysis of the ethnography study carried out. People get integrated and form a cartel of globalised material in the world but however protect their local customs i.e. food, music and language evidenced by the ethnography study at the city centre. Granell (2000) argued that cultural issues are increasingly becoming an important source of strategic advantage, as part of the rising and ongoing globalization process. Although globalization is perceived by developing countries as a threat and an undesirable but nevertheless an inevitable process. He further argued that attributes of globalization does not include eradicating differences, mimicking others, or permitting more developed nations to force their models but rather incorporating differences, combination of strengths, restructuring differences and establishing efforts for a win-win process. He however, concluded by regarding Globalization is a worldwide pressure for change. Conclusion The importance of culture integration cannot be over-emphasized due to migration of various individuals and organizations to diverse nationalities. It is important to be conversant with different culture for enormous reasons; business, personal, social and governmental reasons. The knowledge of various cultures gives us an innovative idea for creating industrious inventions; while also creating better understanding amongst people in a simple way. The knowledge of diverse culture does not necessarily eliminate the cultural beliefs and values of an individual or a nation as posed by various theorists. It is not feasible to expect that the emerging global culture will substitute national cultures. Nevertheless, it is feasible to conclude that national cultures must be flexible and able to emphasize the charisma of their core essentials if they wish to remain significant in some viable style (Bird and Stevens, 2003). Globalization helps us to understand the world we live in and sometimes expands our ways of life. In the globalised times when our lives are rapidly closely tied to events and actions on the other side of the planet, culture that cross national boundaries are needed. Or else we have slight hope of making sense of happening around us. Globalization of culture can help populace embrace and come to terms with several dissimilar identities, without eliminating its own local identity. Globalization around the world those not change a persons perceptive from his local meals, language, music and religion. A globalized culture does increases knowledge of citizens in global world and does not stop them from having a feed day with their localized content, which is in support of the Hybridization theory by pieterse (1994).