Tuesday, May 19, 2020

Film Analysis Of All The Presidents Men - 1270 Words

Analysis of All the President s Men All the President s Men, the 1976 film directed by Alan J. Pakula, is a detective thriller that portrays the story behind the Washington Post reporter s Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein s Pulitzer Prize winning relentless pursuit of the Watergate conspiracy. It initially started as a local burglary story and eventually led to the resignation of President Nixon. Over 40 years after Nixon s resignation, the Academy Award winning film was shown on July 14, 2017, at the Paramount Theater s Screening Series in Oakland, California. This film has current significance as the current US president is in the middle of a special investigation for possible obstruction of justice. All the President s Men stands†¦show more content†¦After a short news clip, the film begins with a flashback. There are a few seconds where the screen is completely black. Then, a small flashlight slowly scans a dark alley, looking for anything unusual. This light led to uncovering the break in at the Democratic National Committee office at Watergate. This slow paced event is elevated in importance by the lack of any dialogue or music, creating a tense mysterious mood. There is nothing to distract the viewer from following the light. The film frequently cuts between dark night shots and the brightly lit Washington Post s newsroom. The lack of shadows represents that the goal of the newsroom was to find the truth. Many newsroom shots are close ups of mismatched reporters: new reporter Woodward and veteran reporter Bernstein revising stories. These scenes could have slowed the pace of the film down, but instead, we get to see into the thinking and motives of the characters. In a key scene in the film, the camera focuses on a TV set showing Richard Nixon’s second inauguration. Off to the side in the newsroom, we see Woodward and Bernstein working on the story that would bring Nixon down. The wide angle shots of the nearly empty newsroom show that Woodward and Bernstein were working around the clock to uncover the truth. News stories come together out of scraps of information under the bright lights in the newsroom. In the newsroom, Woodward and Bernstein had theShow MoreRelatedFilm Critique of All the Presidents Men1541 Words   |  7 PagesI. Summary Opening in theaters around the United States in April of 1976, All the Presidents Men paints quite an accurate account of American journalism yet at the same time is a suspenseful adventure that manages to entertain and inform its viewers. Vincent Canby, a reviewer for the New York Times called the movie, an unequivocal smash-hitÂâ€"the thinking mans Jaws. Because the film is written from the perspective of Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, the movie works as a blockbuster, and notRead More Film Critique of All the Presidents Men Essay1497 Words   |  6 Pagesnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Summary Opening in theaters around the United States in April of 1976, All the President’s Men paints quite an accurate account of American journalism yet at the same time is a suspenseful adventure that manages to entertain and inform its viewers. Vincent Canby, a reviewer for the New York Times called the movie, â€Å"an unequivocal smash-hit—the thinking man’s Jaws.† Because the film is written from the perspective of Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, the movie works as a blockbusterRead MoreConspiracy Theory of John F. Kennedy ´s Assassination1945 Words   |  8 Pagesof people lining the streets hoping to get a glimpse of the President. At 12:30 in the afternoon, the President’s car made the last, fatal turn. As the car turned left onto Elm Street, past the Texas School Block Depository and headed down the slope that leads through Dealey Plaza, Governor Connally’s wife said, â€Å"Mr. President, You can’t say that Dallas doesn’t love you† (Report of the Presidents Commission on the Assassination of President Ke nnedy 48). Immediately after that, John Fitzgerald KennedyRead More Analysis of Thirteen Days Directed by Robert Donaldson Essay1563 Words   |  7 PagesAnalysis of Thirteen Days Directed by Robert Donaldson â€Å"Good evening my fellow citizens†¦This Government, as promised, has maintained the closest surveillance of the Soviet Military buildup on the island of Cuba. Within the past week, unmistakable evidence has established the fact that a series of offensive missile sites is now in preparation on that imprisoned island. The purpose of these bases can be none other than to provide a nuclear strike capability against the Western Hemisphere.† TheseRead MoreThe Assassination of President Kennedy Essay2450 Words   |  10 PagesThe Assassination of President Kennedy The assassination of President Kennedy in 1963 was a conspiracy against the government, for the government, and by the government. We, Americans, all have to sit back and wonder if an elected official or a Godfather of the Mafia is running our country. Who really has more power? With the assassination of President Kennedy we may have found our dreaded answer, and realized what our nation has become. The assassination of President Kennedy was one of massRead MoreUnderstanding the Convergence of Media Systems and Political Communication in the U.S. and Western Europe1054 Words   |  5 Pages The idea that media system change can be understood as a process of Americanization is still very much alive, and there is obviously much truth to it. American programming still dominates many media markets, in some industries--film for example--perhaps as much now as ever before. And at a deeper level, moreover, in terms of the kinds of media structures and practices that are emerging and the direction of change in the relation of media to other social institutionsRead MoreInterpretation Of Interpretation1431 Words   |  6 Pagesinterpretation containing a single, write answer. In contrast, the Anything Goes† is the desire for the conviction that all explanations are equally acceptable. What more, we were suggested to do an exercise that interpreting our sources by claiming â€Å"seems to be about X, but could also ( or is â€Å"really†) about Y. ,which I think is the most helpful strategy for us to unfold our analysis on our sources. It not only brings tension to our paper, but also help us broaden our mind and let us be able to comeRead MoreThe War After The Japanese Attack On Pearl Harbor1469 Words   |  6 Pagesencouraging people to do their part for the nation by signing up for drafts and paying taxes. The government partnered up with animation companies like Disney to persuade audiences to invest in the war and bring victory to democracy. Disney produced fi lms like Scrap Happy Daffy to persuade people to donate scrap metal, Food Will Win The War to promote aiding troops by growing food in victory gardens (vegetable, fruit, and herb gardens planted at private residences and public parks, also called food/warRead MoreComedy : Blood Demons Will Come And Take Our Children1026 Words   |  5 Pagescomedy is due to the political and social climate of the United States, this is how comedian Patton Oswalt chose to respond. Although not serious in nature, his response perfectly encapsulates how serious issues can be tackled in comedic ways. In this analysis, I will consider The Comedians of Comedy (Michael Blieden, 2005) and argue that through the recording of events as they occur, interviews, and problem solving, the documentary uses humor to promote liberal politics while identifying social problemsRead MoreThe Plight of The African Slave Essay1558 Words   |  7 Pageshomelands in Africa to life in the plantation society of the American c olonies. In this essay, I will attempt to show how the enslaved Africans’ authentic culture was immensely disrupted by using the â€Å"Culture Conflict Model† as a guide. To aid in my analysis, I will be drawing upon the works of Olaudah Equiano, Venture Smith, Frederick Douglas, Harriet Jacobs, Frances E.W. Harper and William Wells Brown from The Norton Anthology of African American Literature, as well as from the movie NightJohn. Family

Reading Comprehension Questions

Teachers have a tough job. Not only do they need to teach their core content areas, but they must also help their students master reading comprehension, too! Sometimes, its hard to do it all in context when you need to focus on the skills. Below, please find free reading comprehension worksheets complete with multiple choice questions and some essay questions, too. Each worksheet can be completed online, or you can print the attached pdf file for ease of classroom use.   The worksheets will help your students prepare for a reading comprehension test,  or even the critical reading section of any standardized test like the SAT, PSAT, GRE and more! Bonus? You can have them on hand for easy substitute lesson plans if you have to be out. Thats just a win-win! Nonfiction Reading Comprehension Questions This link will take you to a slew of reading comprehension worksheets based on nonfiction passages. The passage word counts range from 500 to over 2,000, and the content varies from famous speeches to biographies to art. Use the worksheets and accompanying multiple choice questions to test your students mastery of finding the main idea, assessing authors purpose, making inferences, understanding vocabulary in context, and more! Fiction Reading Comprehension Questions Here, find a range of reading comprehension worksheets based on fictional passages. The passage word counts range from the 800s up to 3,000. The settings range from a modern day  kitchen to 19th century  Parisian reform school. And like the nonfiction reading comprehension questions above, these focus on skills like main idea, inferences, vocab in context and more, too. Main Idea Worksheets While the nonfiction and fiction worksheets above offer varied questions, these worksheets focus only on finding the main idea. Here, youll find a worksheet of separate paragraphs followed by either multiple choice questions where students will have to get rid of distractors to find the correct main idea (getting rid of choices too narrow, too broad, partially correct, etc.), or open-ended questions where students will need to compose the main idea whether its stated or implied.   Vocabulary in Context Worksheets Each of the worksheets in this link focuses on a snippet from a story or nonfiction article and is followed by multiple choice questions asking students to determine the meaning of the vocabulary word based on the context. Words range in difficulty, although context is incredibly important in each selection in determining the meaning.   Inference Worksheets The first three worksheets come with pdfs for printing and included both open-ended and multiple choice questions. The last three are meant to be completed online. Students will look at pictures, and based on the photos or cartoons, make an inference backed up by the evidence displayed on the screen. Authors Purpose Worksheets These worksheets offer a variety of paragraphs, followed by an authors purpose question similar to those on standardized tests. For each paragraph, the students will need to select the choice that best represents the authors purpose for writing the passage. This is a very different concept from discovering the main idea or determining the authors tone.    Authors Purpose Worksheet 1  Authors Purpose Worksheet 2   Authors Tone Worksheets This skill set is currently being built up! But currently, you can find one authors tone worksheet with more to come very soon. Authors Tone Worksheet 1

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Paper on Aristotle and Relationships at Work - 2275 Words

Name: Yuanwen Yang Instructor: Marvin Brown Course: Ethics: Business issues Date: 09/20/2012 Paper on Aristotle and Relationships at Work Aristotle is known as one of outstanding thinkers revealing the ideas of eternal wisdom to humanity. No wonder that his ethical ideas on civic relationships still find their reflection in modern-day conceptions of successful life. In the following paper, Aristotle’s ethical findings on the best way of living described in his work â€Å"Nicomachean Ethics† will be compared to the findings by modern-day ethical specialists. Overall, evaluating Aristotle’s ethical postulates and the concepts of the best places to work by the Best Places to Work Institute, it appears that there are a lot in common in†¦show more content†¦The Best Places to Work Modern day concepts on civic relationships have a lot in common with the ideas described by Aristotle in Nicomachean Ethics even though this important work was written long ago (before 300 B.C.). Despite ethics as science has made a great progress after more than 2000 years that passed since Aristotle wrote his famous Nicomachean Ethics, basic ethical norms are still very similar to those described by the great thinker. One of the examples of this phenomenon is business ethics developed by the Best Places to Work Institute that helps understand the main features of the best place to work for people to be contended with their work choice. Below, the main traits of such places will be addressed on the basis of the information taken from the site of the Best Places to Work Institute. According to the Best Places to Work Institute, the main trait of the best place to work is positive atmosphere at an enterprise that makes excellent day-to-day relationships between employees and managers (â€Å"What is a Great Workplace?† par. 2). People may be sure that their working place is the best if 1) they trust their employers, 2) are proud of what they do, and 3) enjoy cooperating with their co-workers. â€Å"Trust is the defining principle of great workpl aces — created throughShow MoreRelatedFriendship Between Aristotle And Nietzsche1461 Words   |  6 Pagesand love whether it was a positive or negative experience. Aristotle and Nietzsche both have views on love and friendship, but have some very clear differences. This paper will show what consists of friendship to Aristotle, a rebuttal from Nietzsche, and how Aristotle’s beliefs can show and prove otherwise. Both philosophers believe that friendship is necessary in human life but both break down into completely different structures. Aristotle has three different views of friendship. The first is aRead MoreTaking a Look at Nicomachean Ethics957 Words   |  4 PagesNicomachean Ethics I chose to write about Aristotle and his beliefs about how the virtuous human being needs friends from Book VIII from Nicomachean Ethics. In this essay I will talk about the three different kinds of friendship that (Utility, Pleasure, and Goodness) that Aristotle claims exist. I will also discuss later in my paper why Aristotle believes that Goodness is the best type of friendship over Utility or Pleasure. In addition to that I will also talk about the similarities and differencesRead MoreEssay on Aristotles Notion on Eudaimonia and Virtue 1550 Words   |  7 Pageshappiness . In the paper I will argue that it is really in a person’s best interest to be virtuous . I will do this by first describing Aristotle’s notion on both eudaimonia and virtue , as well as highlighting the intimate relationship between the two . Secondly I will talk about the human role in society. Thirdly I will describe the intrinsic tie between human actions . Finally I will share the importanc e of performing activities virtuously . The central notion of Aristotle is eudaimonia or â€Å"happiness†Read MorePositve Psychology and Aristotles Virtue Ethics Converge Essay1569 Words   |  7 PagesPositive psychology and Aristotle: A convergence of ideas The field of positive psychology, founded by Martin Seligman (1998), seeks to influence individuals whose lives are â€Å"neutral† and increase their psychological well-being. Positive psychology offers a unique perspective on mental health through focusing on individual strengths rather than dysfunction, pathology, and mental illness (Seligman Csikszentmihalyi, 2000). The goal of positive psychology is to assist individuals in creating meaningfulRead MoreAristotle s Theory Of Friendship1415 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"No one would choose a friendless existence on condition of having all the other things in the world (Aristotle).† Humans are social beings, social beyond any other creature in the world. Human interaction is a must for survival. It is in our nature. Aristotle understood this, he even had his own analysis of friendship. In the Nicomachean Ethics written by Aristotle, books VIII and IX are based off of friendship. Today, the definition of a friend is, â⠂¬Å"A person with whom one has a bond of mutual affectionRead MoreAristotle, Joseph Schumpeter, Milton Friedman, And John Rawls1230 Words   |  5 Pagesdistribution of some â€Å"thing† in a specific domain. For this paper, equality will be narrowed down to the domains of economic and political. It is essential to note that distinct types of equality can become conditions for equality in a different domain. In this case, economic equality will be analyzed as a condition for political equality. How is it exactly that economic equality can undermine political equality? By answering this question, this paper will prove that economic equality is a necessary pre-conditionRead More Aristotle and the Doctrine of the Mean Essay1436 Words   |  6 PagesAristotle and the Doctrine of the Mean Aristotle seeks flourishing happiness in life. He believes that this can be achieved for each individual through the embracement of virtues. Aristotle believes that virtues are the mean of two vices. This is the basis of the Aristotelian â€Å"Doctrine of the Mean†. This paper will explore the basis of the Doctrine of the Mean, its connections to Eudaimonia, and its success or lack thereof. Eudaimonia is a Greek word whose meaningRead MoreAristotle Essay1238 Words   |  5 PagesAristotle The primary concern of political theorists is to determine by what form of constitution the state will most likely succeed. According to Aristotle the definition of political success means the general happiness of the citizenry. Both Aristotle and James Q. Wilson share the belief that molding excellent character within the citizenry is the first and most important step towards solidifying the happiness of the state as a whole. The basic structure of Aristotle’s philosophiesRead MoreThe Four Foundations Of Human Excellence1704 Words   |  7 PagesThe Four Foundations of Human Excellence In the quest to find answers to questions, the Philosopher and author Tom Morris, in his book, If Aristotle Ran General Motors, captures readers with a broader interpretation of how to manage business, work, life, and relationships. He collects ideas and viewpoints of ancient great Greek Philosophers as Plato and Aristotle. He also introduces fours foundations: truth, beauty, goodness, and unity, which are believed to bring the greatness in humans in a moreRead MoreThe Purpose Of Friendship1304 Words   |  6 PagesPurpose of Friendship We all have friends that we enjoy spending time with, but we do not seem to think heavily as to why we have these friends. These relationships are not necessary to survival; all that is needed for our physical body to survive is food and water, yet people want to create long-lasting friendships with people they cherish. In his work, Lysis, Plato says that that friendship is the least of natural loves, ones which we do not need to reproduce. C.S. Lewis complements this by describing

Social Aspect Of An Adolescent - 1105 Words

The interviewee is a 55-year-old African-American woman. She is married, but she is separated from her husband. Currently, she lives with her daughter, who is a young adult. Also, she is a non-denominational Christian. Overall, she is well groomed and seems to take value in her appearance, and she seems happy. During most of the interview, she was very open and passionate about each of the questions. However, she was not as interested in other questions. To begin, we discussed her cognitive development, starting in adolescence. We talked about how and why she thought as an adolescent, and how her ways of thinking have changed. Next, we talked about how her physical capabilities and activities have changed over the years, and what lead her to these decisions. Third, we discussed her personality as a teenager and what led her to act the way she did. In addition, we talked about the experiences that led to some changes in her personality. Lastly, we talked about the social aspect of her life, and how this affected other areas of her life, such as, how having a child had an affect on her. To continue, when the interviewee started to drive, she would speed and drive recklessly. As a teenager, she believed she would not get injured, and did take into consideration the consequences of dangerous driving. Also, she sped in order to gain social acceptance. At this stage, adolescents are extremely concerned with social rejection, and their prefrontal cortex is still developing.Show MoreRelatedSocial Aspect Of An Adolescent1087 Words   |  5 PagesWe talked about how and why she thought as an adolescent, and how her ways of thinking have changed. Next, we talked about how her physical capabilities and activities have changed over the years, and what lead her to these decisions. Third we discussed her personality as a teenager and what led her to act the way she did. In addition we talked about the experiences that led her personality change significantly. Lastly, we talked about the social aspect of her life, and how this affected other areasRead MoreUnderstanding Human Beh avior Is Filled With Information Based On Social Development776 Words   |  4 PagesChapter Eight of our textbook, Understanding Human Behavior was filled with information based on â€Å"Social Development in Adolescence†. In this chapter I found it entirely fascinating, in addition to being full of multiple fragments of the social transformations and obstacles that an adolescent faces. Adolescences go through a lot of changes, not only physically, but also psychologically, and socially. These changes are never experienced the same from one person to another, but there can be commonRead MoreSocial Media And Its Effect On Society1648 Words   |  7 Pagesback over the past few decades, social media has started to evolve more quickly while pulling in people from all different age groups. Even older adults are joining in on Facebook and Instagram to try and fit in with the new norm social media has created. In a world that is so fast paced, it is difficult to not be pulled i nto the newest trends, as they are advertised almost everywhere. There are even ways to find a romantic partner with apps and websites. The power social media has can be observed allRead MoreEssay about Cultural Influences on Identity Development1502 Words   |  7 Pagesare answering is, how does culture influence identity development? By the end of this paper you would be able to conclude that no matter what the surroundings of an individual is it will have some sort of an effect on either the physical or mental aspects of an individual. In order to answer this question we must understand how identity is developed, what culture consists of and concluding how culture influences identity development. First and Foremost in order to know what motivates identity developmentRead MoreAdolescence : Literature Review1463 Words   |  6 Pagesthey age. Adolescents are going through puberty, hormonal changes and experimenting with different social groups within their society. The culture and the social aspects of a society can shape an adolescent into an adult, whether it is to set the adolescent up to succeed or fail. Everyone has their own life path and changes can occur that affect the biological, cognitive, developmental and social aspects of a person. Keywords: adolescence, biological, cognitive, developmental, social aspects Read MoreAlcohol And Drug Addiction Among People Of Different Ages861 Words   |  4 Pagesregarding the main points, roots and underlying reasons of alcohol and drug addiction mostly in adolescents, and it also provides prevention, solutions, and recommendations to these issues in the society. Many different researches approve the fact that psychological, sociological, and biological factors are related to each other in many different ways. All these aspects are very sensitive to environmental and social factors; they also affect one another directly or indirectly. Perceptual concepts, thoughtRead MoreThe Impact of Social Media on Children Essay917 Words   |  4 PagesSocial media is quickly evolving in front of our eyes and it is almost impossible to reject and hide from this new form of media. Not only is it an important part of socialization within peer groups but now it is used to market and motivate people to become a part of a larger community. It is undeniably changing the way one communicates and how one finds and shares information. Most websites offer communication through the use of Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn and many various blog formatsRead MoreSocial Development And Piaget s Theory Of Cognitive Development1519 Words   |  7 Pagesintellectual, social and psychological changes occur. This essay will discuss about some transition on socio-cultural and cognitive aspects as well as two normative and a non-normative events occurring during this stage. Erikson’s theory of social development and Piaget’s theory of cognitive development has been used in this essay to discuss the transitional aspects of the adolescence. This essay further discusses about self identity and self esteem and their impact and various aspects contributingRead MoreResilience1499 Words   |  6 PagesQuestion: Discuss the impact of chronic medical conditions on adolescents and identify ways of promoting resilience or positive development. Chronic medical conditions can have significant consequences in various aspects among adolescents. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), chronic conditions are diseases that progress over a slow period of time and remain for a long duration of an individual’s life. Adolescence, as defined by WHO, is the period of life from 10-19 years of age.Read MoreThe Effects Of Social Media On Society1359 Words   |  6 PagesIn a broad sense, Social media refers to elements such as websites, television, blogs, IM, and other applications that enable users to create and share various forms of content such as messages, pictures, and information, or to be able to participate in social networking. Social media depends on web-based applications, which allow a high level of virtual interaction on various levels such as social, professional, and educational levels. Social media has had various contributions to the development

The Book Thief free essay sample

From then on death narrates the story of a girl who moves into a foster home where she develops relationships between her new Papa and Mama, her best friend Rudy, her secret friend Max, but most importantly we witness her relationship with books and words that take her on a journey though life. Using your prescribed text, examine what the composer of this text reveals about Changing Perspectives and how they convey these ideas (750 words). It is expected that you will identify and analyse at least 2 techniques /forms /features. Use the PETAL structure to help you remain analytical. Mark Zusak reveals the concept of Changing Perspectives in his book ‘The Book Thief’ through how he has personi? ed Death as the narrator. He does this in such a way that causes the reader to reconsider their thoughts on ‘what’ death is, and to then ask themselves about ‘who’ death is. The idea of who death is, is challenged when Zusak writes, â€Å"Yes, I know it. We will write a custom essay sample on The Book Thief or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In the darkness of my dark-beating heart, I know. He’d have loved it all right. You see? Even death has a heart. (p262) Truncated sentences are used here to help quickly convey to the audience the new aspect of who death as a personi? ed character is. Emotive language used by death in this quote allows the audience to see a compassionate side of death that is not normally explored in other texts. Death also states in this quote about how he has a heart which also makes the audience reconsider and change their perspectives of death as they now view death as a being that feels things and has a mind like a human. â€Å"Im always ? ding humans at their best and worst. Still, they have one thing I envy. Humans, If nothing else, have the good sense to die. (p522) Lexical choice is used by Zusak to show the feelings of Death as the narrator. By death saying he envy’s humans ‘good sense to die’ it makes that audience think about death as a character and how death is jealous of humans. This is a concept not seen by most people so the fact that it is brought up in this quote makes the reader challenge what they think of death and consider whether death is a ? ure to be feared of, or a ? gure to be empathetic to. In ‘The Book Thief’ by Mark Zusak, the concept of Changing Perspectives is revealed through how he makes the audience reconsider the character of Death as a personi? ed being that is compassionate towards and also is jealous of humans. Changing Perspectives is revealed in ‘The Book Thief’ through how Zusak accepts the idea that change is inevitable and impacts the course of ones life and then how he portrays this idea through the path s in which he sets his characters on. Zusak shows an example of this in the chapter ‘A Short History of the Jewish Fist-Fighter’ (p202-212) Analepsis is used throughout this chapter as it tells a story of the live of Max before he was being hunted for being of Jewish blood. By reading this chapter the audience begin to understand who Max was before the war, so that by the end of the book you can have a full understanding of the changes that Max went through as a person, and how the change that was brought upon him, signi? cantly changed the course of his life. By using analepsis here to show the transition Max went through due to Hitlers rein, the reader sees the past and present of Max’s life which causes them to change their perspectives of who Max is. Zusak reinforces the idea of that change is inevitable and will change the course of ones life, where he writes, â€Å"If nothing else, the old man would die like a human. Or at least with the thought that he was a human. † (p422) Repetition of the word ‘human’ emphasises the fact that due to Hans giving bread him bread, the Jewish man has now started to view himself as a human once more. This also shows the reader that by Hans recognising the old jewish man as human, the life of the Jewish man is signi? cantly impacted as he now feels something of worth and can die now knowing he is a human. This act of giving bread also impacts the life of Hans, as Hans is made to join the army in the most dangerous class of work as he is now seen as a ‘Jew Lover’. Through this quote the audience can see that change is inevitable and impacts the course of ones life, as through one act of kindness, two mens lives are signi? cantly impacted. Zusak explores the concept of changing erspectives through how he incorporates the idea that change is inevitable and impacts the course of ones life, into the roles of his characters in his book ‘The Book Thief’. 2) Related Text a. Locate a related text that includes and explores the concept of Changing Perspectives. Compose a summary/synopsis of the text (plot/themes/ characters/key concerns). (100 words only) Changes Tupac Shakur Changes by Tupac, is a song about the struggles and racial issues of African American people living in the poverty stricken areas or ‘Ghetto’s’ of America. Tupac sings about the injustices for his people living in poverty and how people need to stand up and make a change for the better, as the way things are going are not helping to produce a better future for the people growing up in these areas. Tupac targets young people through his songs and this song is an example of how he is trying to in? uence the young people to be the beginning of a change. b. Using your chosen related text, examine what the composer of this text reveals about Changing Perspectives and how they convey these ideas (750 words). It is expected that you will identify and analyse 2 techniques/ forms/features. Use the PETAL structure to help you remain analytical. ‘Changes’ by Tupac explores the idea of Changing perspectives through how the songs lyrics are used to target young people with a message of making a difference to end the poverty and injustices for African American people. This can be seen where Tupac writes â€Å"We gotta make a change Its time for us as a people to start makin some changes. Inclusive pronouns such as ‘We’ and ‘us’ are used here to engage the young listeners with the song as it makes the them feel as if the artist is talking directly to them and including them in the ? ght for justice and ? ght against poverty, which is message that Tupac is conveying. The use of these inclusive pronouns also makes the listeners think about, accept and agree with the message that composer is targeting them with throughout the song, which in turn changes their perspectives on the issue. This is reinforced in the text where Tupac sings â€Å"Lets change the way we eat, lets change the way we live and lets hange the way we treat each other. † Repetition of the ‘let’s change’ is used by the composer here to reinforce this idea of change for the better that is seen throughout the lyrics of the song, and in this way challenges the perspectives of the young readers and persuades them to get on side with message that is repeatedly being pushed by the artist. Again, the fact the the composer has used repetition with the word ‘let’s’ also directly engages the listener again and again through the uses of this inclusive pronoun which helps the composer get the listeners on side with his message. Changing Perspectives can be seen in Tupac’s song ‘Changes’ through the way in which he composes his lyrics to connect with the target audience and in turn gets them to challenge and change their perspectives on the struggles and racial issues of African American people living in poverty. The concept of Changing perspectives is revealed by Tupac through how he writes the lyrics in a way that makes him as the artist sound as if he is talking to and questioning the listener about the struggles that African American communities are facing. Tupac reveals this concept through the lyrics, â€Å"Is life worth living? Should I blast myself? † Rhetorical questions are used here to get the listener into the mind of someone going through these hardships and contemplating these thoughts. These lyrics show the extent of how bad things can get of people in these situations and how there is a prominent feeling of hopelessness for these people, so much that they feel as if suicide is the only way to get out of his endless struggle. By doing this, the composer is causing the listeners to reevaluate their perspectives on the issues that face African American people in poverty stricken areas. The idea of Changing Perspectives can be seen again through the line, â€Å"I see no changes. All I see is racist faces. † Imagery in ‘All I see is racist faces. ’ creates a picture inside the minds of the audience, making them think about who these people are and the injustice that they are bringing to the african american community through this racism. Also, the phrase ‘I see no changes. ’ can be seen repeated throughout the text, reinforcing the ideas of nothing changing with the poverty and struggles of disadvantaged african american communities. The use of these two phases next to each other causes the audience to think about the ongoing struggle with racism for these people and in doing so, challenges and changes the perspectives on these issues. Changing Perspectives is revealed by Tupac in his song lyrics through how he engages the audience with his message by using techniques that challenge the minds of the listeners and challenge their preconceived ideas of how these struggles impact the african american community. 3) Re? ection Statement a. Thinking about the concept of Changing Perspectives, and what you have learnt in class and from your own research, de? ne and brie? y discuss what the concept Changing Perspectives now means to you (200 words). Through my extensive research on the concept of Changing Perspective both in the prescribed text of ‘The Book Thief’ by Mark Zusak, and my related text ‘Changes’ by Tupac Shakur, I have established an understanding of what this idea means to me and how it can be used to in? uence the audiences perspectives. Changing perspectives is the moving from one point of view to another point of view due on an altering circumstance. To me, Changing Perspectives is an inevitable part of life that will always cause an impact on the course of ones life. This concept to me is a major part of life as it de? nes who people are and can be altered by the slightest of changes that one might come across. Also, you can use this concept to change the perspectives of others through questioning preconceived ideas in ones mind and then opposing or adding to those ideas, therefore causing the person to reconsider their own thoughts on a subject. The Book Thief free essay sample Throughout Lies Men-lingers life she learned many important and long lasting lessons. Death states how he wishes that he could tell the book thief about beauty and brutality, both of which Lies has experienced numerous times throughout the course of her long life. The life of the book thief perfectly represents the concept of beauty In the wake of brutality. Less went through many heart-breaking events throughout her life. From losing her brother to the death of her beloved foster parents, Less stood strong through it all. When It looked like things would never get better, she stood tall. The book thief saw beauty In everything and tried to look at the glass as being half full. Sometimes she questioned things, but she never broke down and saw the world as being completely brutal. When she lost her best friend In the world, Rudy, Less and the audience finally see how much she loves him. We will write a custom essay sample on The Book Thief or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Less took this opportunity to see the true beauty of Rudy and to seize the moment. Death finds that he needs to show Lies the life lessons of beauty and brutality.Lies lived to be a very old woman, and saw each of these things many times wrought her lifetime. Some of the most brutal things that the book thief had to face were the loss of her brother, the loss of Hans and Rosa Hibernia, and the loss of her very best friend Rudy. Unlike most people who would completely break down, Lies showed the courage to stay strong throughout it all. Brutality played a major part in the life of the book thief, but the brutal moments taught her to see things differently and too look at life in a more beautiful, positive way. Many moments of Lisles life were happy and enjoyable.When she was given the opportunity to make a happy memory, she took it. From learning to read to becoming friends with Max, the book thief had some very good moments through her lifetime. When Death says that he wants to show Lies beauty, he must not realize that she has seen beauty almost everyday of her life. Lies was a happy girl and she was pleased by the simple things in life. Each thing in the book thiefs life was a small piece of beauty and when the whole puzzle was put together the life of Lies Melange was a perfect picture of beauty within times of brutality. Like most people, Lies always looked on the bright side of situations. Even though she went through lots of hard times, she held her head high. The book thief was a young girl who never failed to see the beauty within the wake of brutality. Throughout Lies Messengers life she learned many important and long lasting beauty in the wake of brutality. Lies went through many heart-breaking events throughout her life. From losing her brother to the death of her beloved foster parents, Lies stood strong through it all. When it looked like things would never get better, she stood tall.The book thief saw beauty in everything and tried to look at the glass as being half full. Sometimes completely brutal. When she lost her best friend in the world, Rudy, Lies and the audience finally see how much she loves him. Lies took this opportunity to see the of her very best friend Rudy. Unlike most people who would completely break down, pleased by the simple things in life. Each thing in the book thiefs life was a small Impinge was a perfect picture of beauty within times of brutality. Unlike most people, Lies always looked on the bright side of situations.

Disney Case Study free essay sample

In July 1923, Walt Disney and his brother Roy started their film business but they got their first real break in 1928. Walt produced Steamboat Willie, the first cartoon with sound and also introduced a new star Mickey Mouse. In the decades it followed, Walt became an extraordinary filmmaker, a motion picture innovator and pioneer. The name â€Å"Walt Disney† became universally known as the symbol of the finest family entertainment. The business activities of the company are in four segments: (1) theme parks, (2) films, (3) consumer products and (4) real estate development. The theme parks segment caused Disney not to grow. Disney’s attendance growth had been low or zero over the preceding decade, though as recently as 1978 the entertainment and recreation segment had shown a pretax return on assets of 15. 7 percent. With 25 major theme parks in competition for an aging population, demand thoroughly saturated and park attendance grew no more than 5% per year, which was one third the rate of 1970s. We will write a custom essay sample on Disney Case Study or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The Walt Disney Companys objective is to be one of the worlds leading producers and providers of entertainment and information, using its portfolio of brands to differentiate its content, services and consumer products. The companys primary financial goals are to maximize earnings and cash flow, and to allocate capital profitability toward growth initiatives that will drive long-term shareholder value. The Walt Disney Company is the world’s largest media and entertainment conglomerate with assets encompassing media networks, theme parks and resorts, consumer products and real estate development. The Walt Disney Company’s film library is consisted of 25 full length animated features in color, 123 full lengths live action features, 8 true life adventure films and over 500 short films. The film Snow White was proved to be an enduring source of cash. Annual revenue for Snow White is as under (in millions). Year| Revenue| 1937| $10. 00| 1944| 4. 0| 1952| 5. 0| 1958| 6. 5| 1965| 13. 0| 1967| 23. 0| 1983| 28. 5| Theme parks and resorts include the operations of the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, Disneyland Park, the Disneyland Hotel and the Disneyland Pacific Hotel in California. Consumer products segment includes its animated characters, literary properties, songs and music to manufacturers, publishers and retailers. In 1978, this segment gave a pretax return on assets of 179 percent. Real estate includes Arvida Corporation, acquired on June 6, 1984. Arvida controlled the development of 17,334 acres of land in Florida, Georgia and California. In 1983, Ron Miller became the CEO. After just a month, Miller gave up his post to Ray Watson (a close friend and his right hand man in the company). These constant changes in leadership led to a steep fall in the companys share price. The share price fell sharply from $84 in 1983 to $45 in 1984. The lowered share price and the lack of stability in the top management resulted in a number of corporate houses attempting to take over Disney in the early-1980s. Saul Steinberg started making serious bids to acquire Disney stock. By April 1984 he had acquired 6. 3% of the stock and announced his intention to acquire 25 percent of the company before long. Recognizing the threat, Disney management started making defensive moves. It announced its decision to buy back shares at a premium. Roy and Gold played a very important role at this stage and helped muster shareholder support to prevent Disney from being taken over. They enlisted the support of the Bass family, who were the largest shareholders in Disney, to regain a majority. Steinberg finally agreed to re-sell his stock to the company at a premium of $32 million and an additional $28 million for his expenses. All this added to the huge debt of the company. By the mid-1980s, what was needed was a change in leadership to bring about a turnaround. Corporate level strategy: Disney’s corporate level strategy is based on a horizontal, decentralized and informal management approach. Ideas are born from within the departments and are worked up throughout the relatively low hierarchy, where the final decision is made. Another interesting approach is the emphasis on expansion of the business. Again the corporate policy is to grow slowly and not to impress anyone. Recent trend towards rapid increase in costs in the movie industry have a direct effect on the profitability of the company. By cutting on costs involved in making and marketing Disney films, less expensive and more profitable movies can be produced. In addition, the corporate strategy is clearly focusing on diversifying its product and service mix has created an umbrella effect. Thus risk has been minimized. If one product line fails, other product line will cover up for its losses. The leverage ratio of total debt to total assets is 0. 80 in 1977-1980 and after that it decreased to 0. 59 in 1983. A total debt to total assets ratio higher than 50% is usually considered to be safe in stable industries. For Disney case, it is too high, so because of financial risk the ratio should be lowered to 50% or below. Business level strategy: Entertainment and recreation segment generates most the income for Disney. Entertainment and Motion Pictures would be the best product mix for Disney. (Refer the table below for 1983 data) Segment| Revenue| Entertainment and recreation| $1,031,202| Theme park| $32,692| Motion Pictures| $165,458| Consumer products and others| $110,697| Disney should sell more to existing customers, expand market place, should give promotions and always track the business. Greenmail is one of an array of strategies, ranging from changing corporate bylaws to acquiring debt that makes the corporation a less attractive target, used to deter raiders. It is an expensive alternative, as was illustrated when investor Saul Steinberg attempted to take over the Disney Corporation in 1984. Steinberg was known for his concerted efforts in the takeover field, having previously targeted Chemical Bank and Quaker State. In March 1984, his purchase of 6. 3 percent of Disneys stock triggered concern at the corporation that a takeover was in progress. Disney management quickly announced an approximately $390 million acquisition of its own that would make the company less attractive. After this maneuver failed, Disneys directors ultimately bought Steinbergs stock to stop the takeover. Steinberg earned a profit of about $60 million. Strengths: â€Å"I knew if this business was ever to get anywhere, if this business was ever to grow, it could never do it by having to answer to someone unsympathetic to its possibilities, by having to answer to someone with only one thought or interest, namely profits. For my idea of how to make profits has differed greatly from those who generally control businesses such as ours. I have blind faith in the policy that quality, tempered with good judgment and showmanship, will win against all odds. †Ã¢â‚¬â€Walt Disney When the Walt Disney Company initially began, it was under the control of Walt himself. Throughout his reign, he developed a culture to create experiences and â€Å"magical moments† for all his â€Å"guests† this philosophy from the beginning has created a long-lasting brand name known for producing a quality product or experience. This Disney culture has succeeded through tight control over how the brand and image is perceived. Disney has become one of the most recognized and renowned brand names throughout all industries. In addition to its well-known brand name, Disney has developed famous characters to add to its image (ex. Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald, Pluto, etc. ). These characters have aided in Walt Disney’s ability to capitalize and have a definitive grasp upon their target consumers of children. However, Disney’s largest asset is their ability to stay diversified. Disney is a well-established conglomerate firm with a solid domination within the theme park and entertainment industry. Disney already operates through four different business segments which include media networks, parks and resorts, studio entertainment, and consumer products. Disney’s monumental deal with Apple creating a partnership between Disney and iTunes should provide an excellent resource to further push the brand and provide a reputable channel to push product distribution. Overall, Disney’s desire to strive for excellence, ability to adapt to change, and continuing to keep the consumers as the driving force behind the enterprise make Disney an empire within the media industry. Weaknesses: Being a conglomerate of this capacity, the Walt Disney Company holds exceptionally high sunk costs which could hinder Disney’s future financial abilities. In addition to sunk costs, there is the continual cost of updating all the parks, resorts, hotels, cruise ships, etc. Disney’s brand of â€Å"quality† must be maintained nonetheless it continues to escalate the costs. Although merchandise aimed at the children segment is a huge market, such a public image can have a â€Å"kiddie-stigma† attached to the Disney brand name which could deter the young adult segment. Opportunities: Disney has many opportunities to continue the firm’s growth within the industry. Currently the markets are much more versatile to outsourcing and globalization. The Walt Disney Company is working towards this global localization through expansion into Europe and Asia. Approximately twenty-five percent of Disney’s operating income comes from outside the United States and Canada, making continued growth internationally a major competitive advantage. Disney has invested tremendously in their Research and Development department, which projects progressive new attractions to pull in consumers. Disney’s ability to re-invent 5 and create limited edition products allows multiple opportunities for sales with new or improved merchandise. Threats: Disney has multiple threats that could negatively impact its profitability in the future. Disney’s major threat comes from its competitors on national, regional, and global platforms. The high competition and growth of other industry giants pose multiple problems to Disney’s ability to sustain as a leader within the industry. With the recent acquisition threat by Steinberg, Disney’s hasty acquisitions could post low or unprofitable sales, resulting in not only a loss, but a negative impact for the conglomerate’s brand name. Another threat is Disney’s high pressure and demand in terms of sales, creativity, and innovation while maintaining its quality status. Finally, due to the recent economic state, employee retention can pose a threat if employees are let go and work for competitors within the industry. SWOT (External Environment): Strength: * Strong financial background: First, Disney store has a very strong financial back up by Disney. It is very important for Disney Store to have market development and store improvement. * Exclusive for Disney’s products: Second, Disney Store is an exclusive agency for selling Disney’s products: Toys, clothing, stationary and gift items etc. It provides many choices for the customers and satisfies their needs. Customers might think of Disney Store immediately when they want to buy Disney’s items. *   Well-known brand: â€Å"Disney† is a well-known brand all over the world. The image of Disney is very healthy and positive. It is welcomed easily accepted by its target segments. Weaknesses: * Unchanged visual merchandising: One of the weaknesses is that the visual merchandising is not changed regularly; the window display is the same for many years. In this way, customers will feel boring because no stimulation and attraction for them. Stores are lack of theme decoration: Monotonous decoration in every Disney store fails to attract customers. Because there is no excitement, customers tend to stay in the store for short time. * Passive staff’s attitude: Staff are seldom greet and farewell customers. Although they answer enquires from customers, few of them introduce products and new information to customers proactively. Therefore, they fail to identify customers’ needs. Opportunities * Solo Tour: The practice of Solo Tour has brought a significant economic benefit to retail industry in Hong Kong. more provinces will be listed on Solo Tour. It is estimated to generate 43 million of traffic flows and every visitor would spend around HK 5,600 in Hong Kong. The benefit to Disney store is that more visitors will familiar with the Disney products and generate sales. Increasing awareness of Mainland people towards Disney stores in Hong Kong may be the opportunity for Disney to further develop the China Market. Threats * Competition with the Disney Store in the theme park: After the establishment of theme park, the competitive force of Disney store might not as large as the stores in the park. Customers might prefer to buy souvenirs in the park rather than the outlets. * Decreasing birth rate: The trends of late marriage and family planning result in shrinking the market size of Disney store, and gradually lower the demand for Disney products. Free Cash Flow (For 1983) = Operating cash flow – capital expenditure = $337,356 $291,202 = $46,154 Recommendations: Shareholder’s rights plan is one of the takeover defensive strategy which activates at the moment a potential acquirer announces its intentions. Under this plan, Disney could have purchased additional company stocks at an attractively discounted price, making it far more difficult for Steinberg to take control. A staggered board of directors, in which groups of directors are elected at different times for multiyear teams, could have challenged the raider. Increasing debt as a defensive strategy has been deployed in the past. By increasing debt significantly, companies hope to deter raiders concerned about repayment after the acquisition. However, adding a large debt obligation to a companys  balance sheet  can significantly erode  stock  prices. Perhaps a better strategy for target shareholders is for the company to make an acquisition, preferably through stock swaps or a combination of stock and debt. This has the effect of diluting the raiders ownership percentage and makes the takeover significantly more expensive. Ironically, a takeover defense that has been successful in the past, is to turn the tables on the acquirer and mount a bid to take over the raider. This requires resources and shareholder support, and it removes the possibility of activating the other defensive strategies. This strategy, called the  Pac-Man defense, after Bendix Corporations attempted to acquire Martin Marietta in 1982, very rarely benefits the shareholders. Martin Marietta defended itself by purchasing Bendix stock and sought a white knight in Allied Corporation. Extra Credit Question (Give Extra credit to lowest scored exam) What was the enabling factor of acquisition? Disney was an attractive target for Steinberg for a takeover because it was really worth more in pieces than as a whole operation and it appeared to be Steinberg’s intention to reap his profit by breaking up this operation and sell off the pieces. Actually it is more complex. Moreover, in 1983, Ron Miller became the CEO. After just a month, Miller gave up his post to Ray Watson (a close friend and his right hand man in the company). These constant changes in leadership led to a steep fall in the companys share price. The share price fell sharply from $84 in 1983 to $45 in 1984. The lowered share price and the lack of stability in the top management resulted in a number of corporate houses attempting to take over Disney in the early-1980s.