When most people hear the name Benjamin Franklin they think of a kite getting struck by lightning. What they do not know is that Benjamin Franklin did a whole lot more in life other then experiment with electricity. Benjamin Franklin is historically significant because of his work as a publisher, his inventions and experiments, and his contributions to society.
Benjamin Franklin was born on January 17, 1706 to Josiah Franklin and his second wife Abiah (Lemay). Being one of seventeen children, Ben only attended elementary school for two years before he was taken out due to financial difficulties. After he was taken from school, Ben worked with his father making soap and candles.
At the young age of twelve, Ben went to work for his brother, James, a publisher, as an apprentice at the print shop where James worked. In the few years that Ben attended school he learned how to read, and he absolutely loved it. Working with his brother at the newspaper only enhanced his love fore reading and he read every issue of the paper along with any other book he could get his hands on (Jennings).
Reading so many books help Ben become a wonderful writer. He wanted nothing more than to write for his brother’s paper, but he knew no one would allow him to because he was such a young man. At around sixteen years of age he started writing under a fake name of Silence Dogood. He would take the stories he wrote and slide them under his brother’s door. The articles were printed in the paper and became quite popular (Bowen). Eventually his brother found out that it was Ben doing the writing and became very angry. Their relationship was never the same after that.
After the incident with his brother, Ben traveled some to get away from his brother and the rest of the society. He visited New York for a while then made his way to Philadelphia. He worked as a journeyman for one of Philadelphia’s two print shops. He found a place to live at a boarding house next door to the print shop. He met the owner of the boarding house’s daughter,
Deborah, and got to know her. This was the woman whom Ben would later marry. She also helped Ben get acquainted with the upper class of Pennsylvania.
A few years later, after a trip to England and various other jobs, Ben began working for one of his old bosses training new employees (Bowen). Because of Ben this print shop became very popular and was given the contract to print the first paper currency in the United States.
After leaving that print shop Ben decided, with a little help from a friend, to open his own print shop. Ben worked hard and the shop was a success. One man said, “For the industry of that Franklin is superior to anything I ever saw of the kind; I see him still at work when I go home from the club, and he is at work again before his neighbors are out of bed” (Mittendorf). He eventually got the printing rights for a newspaper and titles it the “Pennsylvania Gazette”. He made a lot of money and bought out his partner making him the sole owner of the shop.
Ben was eventually elected clerk of the Pennsylvania assemble. He printed the laws of the Pennsylvania assembly, as well as the laws of other businesses using his printing company.
He was also the postmaster of Pennsylvania “which helped him circulate his newspaper”
(“Ben Franklin Facts”)
Because he loved books and thought they were very important, Ben established the first circulation library for all of the citizens. It was called the “Library company of Philadelphia” (“Ben Franklin Facts”). This library also served as somewhat scientific museum, housing stuffed (previously alive) animals and fossils.
Ben also wrote and published Poor Richards Almanac. This was basically a normal almanac of the time predicting weather forecasts, recipes and other things, but it was published under the name Richard Saunders, who was a poor man trying to raise money for his sick wife (“A Quick Biography”).
Even though Ben was very successful at printing and publishing, he did go on to do other
things with his life. He started inventing and doing experiments.
Benjamin Franklin is greatly known for his inventions and experiments that are still used in present day America. He invented the bifocal lens, the catheter, the glass armonica, the Franklin stove, the odometer, the lightning rod, and many other things. He also did many experiments with electricity, even though, contrary to popular belief, he did not invent it.
Ben had very poor vision. He has a separate pair of glasses for nearsightedness and farsightedness. One day he got tired of switching back and forth between the two so he cut the lenses in half and fitted them into the frame of his glasses and then bifocals were invented ( “The World”). His idea has been perfected throughout the years now many people wear bifocal lenses and some even wear what is called trifocal lenses, which are based off the same idea.
Ben was also interested in human anatomy. He had an older brother named John who regularly suffered from kidney stones. Sometimes when people have kidney stones they can not urinate regularly. This was the case for Ben’s brother John so Ben created a “flexible urinary catheter” to help make his brother feel better. This was the first catheter ever to have been made in the United States (“The World”).
Ben loved music. He learned to play the violin, the harp and the guitar. His love for music inspired him to create his own glass armonica. This instrument was played by “touching the edge of the spinning glass with dampened fingers”. Mozart and Beethoven were inspired by this new instrument (“The World”).
In Ben’s day, people would warm their houses by building a fire in their fireplaces even though it was not safe because their houses were made of wood and could burn down very easily. The warmth from the fire would also most of the time go straight up the chimney therefore not heating the house efficiently. Ben remedied this by creating the Franklin stove. This stove was made out of iron which allowed people to warm their houses more efficiently with less wood and less danger of their house catching on fire. Ben had also “Established the first Fire Company and fire insurance company” (“The World”). This made people feel safer.
When Ben was the postmaster he needed to find a way to keep track of the routes that were used to deliver mail because a stamp was only good for certain number of miles. Ben found a way to measure the distance by creating an odometer and connecting it to the wheel of his carriage. Odometers are still used today in all means of transportation. ( The World)
Ben Franklin is most known in history because of his work with electricity. Ben had a theory that lightning was “an electrical current in nature” (“The World”) He tested this theory by using a kite and a key. Everyone pretty much knows what happened with this experiment. This experiment helped Ben develop some of the vocabulary that is used today when electricity is being referred to such as: “battery, conductor, condenser, charge, discharge, uncharged, negative, minus, plus, electric shock, and electrician” (“The World”).
Because he was still worried about homes catching on fire, Ben developed the Lightning rod. This was invented to divert lightning away from houses to avoid fires. The lightning rod was a metal rod with metal wire attached to it that went from the rod and buried into the ground. When the lightning struck the rod it sent the electricity down the wire and into the ground. That is where the term “grounding” came from.
Weather was another thing Ben was interested in. He studied storms and found out that “northeast storms begin in the southwest” (“The World”) and he had a theory that storm paths could be predicted so he once chased a tornado on horseback. He was right, storm courses could be plotted. Weathermen still do that today, although not on horseback.
Finally, Ben is also known throughout history because of the contributions he made to his society. Ben helped during the French and Indian war, helped write and also signed the Declaration of Independence, helped to ratify the constitution, and was against slavery.
During the French and Indian war England was afraid for its colonies so England called for all colonies north of Virginia to send a representative for a meeting in New York. Ben went to this meeting and had many plans, but everyone else thought that were too “visionary”. Ben ended up helping General Braddock of the British military by giving him advice and getting him supplies. After his time with the General was over, Ben was put in charge of defending the northwestern frontier. His son William helped him as an officer in the military. They made a fort out of wood and Ben commanded one of the volunteer militias. Before he was able to finish his term as commander, Ben was sent away to London to do some negotiating. (Mittendorf)
Ben was a member of the Second Continental Congress. He was appointed to Postmaster General, the first one in the colonies. He was also the chairman of the Committee of Safety. The purpose of the Committee of Safety was to protect all of the colonists. He trained a militia to defend the colonies against the British. Ben also tried to bring all of the colonist together under a union, but they weren’t ready for his type of government. (Mittendorf)
As a member of the Second Continental congress, Ben, along with Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, began drafting the Declaration of Independence. Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence then Franklin and Adams proofread and changed a few things. The Declaration was adopted on July fourth 1776 by the continental congress. Ben signed it along with the others.(Mittendorf)
In 1787, although he did not agree with all of it, Ben was a supporter for the ratification of the Constitution. He was part of the Constitutional Convention whose hope was to design a better, more balanced government. One of the reasons that the Constitution was ratified was because Ben supported it. The people trusted him completely. As he was leaving Independence hall a lady asked him, “"Dr. Franklin, what kind of government did you give us?" she asked. “A monarchy or a republic?” Franklin’s witty reply: "A republic, if you can keep it!" ” (Mittendorf)
When Ben was an old man, a month before he dies actually, he decided to take a stand against slavery. Even though he had bought and sold slaves, he realized it was wrong. He then wrote an article about how American slavery was as cruel as slavery thousands of years ago. Ben was an abolitionist. (Mittendorf)
Ben died on April 17, 1790. He passes quietly with only his family with him. Twenty thousand people gathered for his funeral on April 21. He was buried next to his wife Deborah. By order of his will the tombstone only said, “Benjamin and Deborah Franklin 1790”. ( Mittendorf) He wanted a simple tombstone because he thought of himself as just a regular guy.
Benjamin Franklin was very significant to our history today. He wrote books and invented things that people still use today, and will keep on using probably forever. He was also one of our founding fathers. Ben contributed a lot to our society.
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Friday, February 27, 2009
Polaroid Corporation
My assumption is that Polaroid’s growth strategy was based solely on the technology involved and development of its Polarizing process. They remained driven by this process and attempted to stay one step ahead of the competition prior to the 1970's.
Based on the development strategy that Polaroid employed in the early years, there are many factors one can blame, the environment, the customer, the competition, but the responsibility lay with the upper management of the company. They should have been focusing in on changing the foresight of its vision to adapt to the changing marketplace. This could have been achieved by vigilant monitoring of what the competition was doing and specifically what the customer wants. The Company made to attempt to adapt to the Technological changes that was rapidly gaining ground around their business with the aim of keeping competitive.
To summarize, the human resource plan in the 1950's, 1960's and 1970's was to grow its employee base sufficiently enough to deal with the increasing attractiveness of its breakthrough product, they also harnessed skilled employees that could helped the organization develop innovative products and by extension grow the organization, their was no strategic plan for the future. This compared to the plan for the 1980's and 1990's which was to develop new innovative products aligned with technological changes in the industry and to train and re-train the staff to adapt to the advances in technology to better prepare its human resources for the possibility of job loss as the company downsized.
Cutbacks and retrenchment had a profound effect on the company’s human resource plan during the declining years, because employees were going to be sent home. In 1988 Polaroid went through a major downsizing, eliminating 8,500 jobs, a further 5% cut was announced in 1995 to further destabilize the company. We feel that the fall in employment at Polaroid was really a product of lack of foresight, willingness to adapt to changing markets, and the inability to adequately identify their target market.
The Human resource plan for the 80’s and 90’s shifted towards preparation for layoff and certain downsizing and leaned more towards training and development. The company’s human resource plans together with the overall business plan would have had to deal with the reactions of its main suppliers, loyal customers and entrenched employees. We believe that cutback could be have been avoided, this with a enhanced growth strategy plan in place, employees who were doing what would be considered duplicate jobs could have been retrained and sent to other departments. Employees who had valuable skills that are sought in the work environment, but would be harmful if no longer available to the company could have been contracted out to other companies who are having a hard time filling jobs of a technical nature. Polaroid should have developed their workforce sufficiently so they could have moved them around when certain positions become obsolete.
Many companies in the United States have either folded or are struggling due to lack of vision or competitiveness. A good example of this would be Kmart loss of ground to Wal-Mart.
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Based on the development strategy that Polaroid employed in the early years, there are many factors one can blame, the environment, the customer, the competition, but the responsibility lay with the upper management of the company. They should have been focusing in on changing the foresight of its vision to adapt to the changing marketplace. This could have been achieved by vigilant monitoring of what the competition was doing and specifically what the customer wants. The Company made to attempt to adapt to the Technological changes that was rapidly gaining ground around their business with the aim of keeping competitive.
To summarize, the human resource plan in the 1950's, 1960's and 1970's was to grow its employee base sufficiently enough to deal with the increasing attractiveness of its breakthrough product, they also harnessed skilled employees that could helped the organization develop innovative products and by extension grow the organization, their was no strategic plan for the future. This compared to the plan for the 1980's and 1990's which was to develop new innovative products aligned with technological changes in the industry and to train and re-train the staff to adapt to the advances in technology to better prepare its human resources for the possibility of job loss as the company downsized.
Cutbacks and retrenchment had a profound effect on the company’s human resource plan during the declining years, because employees were going to be sent home. In 1988 Polaroid went through a major downsizing, eliminating 8,500 jobs, a further 5% cut was announced in 1995 to further destabilize the company. We feel that the fall in employment at Polaroid was really a product of lack of foresight, willingness to adapt to changing markets, and the inability to adequately identify their target market.
The Human resource plan for the 80’s and 90’s shifted towards preparation for layoff and certain downsizing and leaned more towards training and development. The company’s human resource plans together with the overall business plan would have had to deal with the reactions of its main suppliers, loyal customers and entrenched employees. We believe that cutback could be have been avoided, this with a enhanced growth strategy plan in place, employees who were doing what would be considered duplicate jobs could have been retrained and sent to other departments. Employees who had valuable skills that are sought in the work environment, but would be harmful if no longer available to the company could have been contracted out to other companies who are having a hard time filling jobs of a technical nature. Polaroid should have developed their workforce sufficiently so they could have moved them around when certain positions become obsolete.
Many companies in the United States have either folded or are struggling due to lack of vision or competitiveness. A good example of this would be Kmart loss of ground to Wal-Mart.
You can order a high-quality custom essay, term paper, research paper, thesis, dissertation, speech, book report or book review from our professional custom writing service. We have employed more than 500 highly qualified Ph.D. and Master's academic writers to provide students with professional academic writing help. Feel free to contact our company right now!
Polaroid Corporation
My assumption is that Polaroid’s growth strategy was based solely on the technology involved and development of its Polarizing process. They remained driven by this process and attempted to stay one step ahead of the competition prior to the 1970's.
Based on the development strategy that Polaroid employed in the early years, there are many factors one can blame, the environment, the customer, the competition, but the responsibility lay with the upper management of the company. They should have been focusing in on changing the foresight of its vision to adapt to the changing marketplace. This could have been achieved by vigilant monitoring of what the competition was doing and specifically what the customer wants. The Company made to attempt to adapt to the Technological changes that was rapidly gaining ground around their business with the aim of keeping competitive.
To summarize, the human resource plan in the 1950's, 1960's and 1970's was to grow its employee base sufficiently enough to deal with the increasing attractiveness of its breakthrough product, they also harnessed skilled employees that could helped the organization develop innovative products and by extension grow the organization, their was no strategic plan for the future. This compared to the plan for the 1980's and 1990's which was to develop new innovative products aligned with technological changes in the industry and to train and re-train the staff to adapt to the advances in technology to better prepare its human resources for the possibility of job loss as the company downsized.
Cutbacks and retrenchment had a profound effect on the company’s human resource plan during the declining years, because employees were going to be sent home. In 1988 Polaroid went through a major downsizing, eliminating 8,500 jobs, a further 5% cut was announced in 1995 to further destabilize the company. We feel that the fall in employment at Polaroid was really a product of lack of foresight, willingness to adapt to changing markets, and the inability to adequately identify their target market.
The Human resource plan for the 80’s and 90’s shifted towards preparation for layoff and certain downsizing and leaned more towards training and development. The company’s human resource plans together with the overall business plan would have had to deal with the reactions of its main suppliers, loyal customers and entrenched employees. We believe that cutback could be have been avoided, this with a enhanced growth strategy plan in place, employees who were doing what would be considered duplicate jobs could have been retrained and sent to other departments. Employees who had valuable skills that are sought in the work environment, but would be harmful if no longer available to the company could have been contracted out to other companies who are having a hard time filling jobs of a technical nature. Polaroid should have developed their workforce sufficiently so they could have moved them around when certain positions become obsolete.
Many companies in the United States have either folded or are struggling due to lack of vision or competitiveness. A good example of this would be Kmart loss of ground to Wal-Mart.
You can order a high-quality custom essay, term paper, research paper, thesis, dissertation, speech, book report or book review from our professional custom writing service. We have employed more than 500 highly qualified Ph.D. and Master's academic writers to provide students with professional academic writing help. Feel free to contact our company right now!
Based on the development strategy that Polaroid employed in the early years, there are many factors one can blame, the environment, the customer, the competition, but the responsibility lay with the upper management of the company. They should have been focusing in on changing the foresight of its vision to adapt to the changing marketplace. This could have been achieved by vigilant monitoring of what the competition was doing and specifically what the customer wants. The Company made to attempt to adapt to the Technological changes that was rapidly gaining ground around their business with the aim of keeping competitive.
To summarize, the human resource plan in the 1950's, 1960's and 1970's was to grow its employee base sufficiently enough to deal with the increasing attractiveness of its breakthrough product, they also harnessed skilled employees that could helped the organization develop innovative products and by extension grow the organization, their was no strategic plan for the future. This compared to the plan for the 1980's and 1990's which was to develop new innovative products aligned with technological changes in the industry and to train and re-train the staff to adapt to the advances in technology to better prepare its human resources for the possibility of job loss as the company downsized.
Cutbacks and retrenchment had a profound effect on the company’s human resource plan during the declining years, because employees were going to be sent home. In 1988 Polaroid went through a major downsizing, eliminating 8,500 jobs, a further 5% cut was announced in 1995 to further destabilize the company. We feel that the fall in employment at Polaroid was really a product of lack of foresight, willingness to adapt to changing markets, and the inability to adequately identify their target market.
The Human resource plan for the 80’s and 90’s shifted towards preparation for layoff and certain downsizing and leaned more towards training and development. The company’s human resource plans together with the overall business plan would have had to deal with the reactions of its main suppliers, loyal customers and entrenched employees. We believe that cutback could be have been avoided, this with a enhanced growth strategy plan in place, employees who were doing what would be considered duplicate jobs could have been retrained and sent to other departments. Employees who had valuable skills that are sought in the work environment, but would be harmful if no longer available to the company could have been contracted out to other companies who are having a hard time filling jobs of a technical nature. Polaroid should have developed their workforce sufficiently so they could have moved them around when certain positions become obsolete.
Many companies in the United States have either folded or are struggling due to lack of vision or competitiveness. A good example of this would be Kmart loss of ground to Wal-Mart.
You can order a high-quality custom essay, term paper, research paper, thesis, dissertation, speech, book report or book review from our professional custom writing service. We have employed more than 500 highly qualified Ph.D. and Master's academic writers to provide students with professional academic writing help. Feel free to contact our company right now!
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Self-Managed Work Teams
In the article titled Self-Managed work Teams there were several points and examples on how self-managed work teams are formed and operate. The principle behind this article spanned several questions about the operation and success of the idea of self-managed teams. This example from Chevron’s Western Production Business unit, demonstrates the benefits of maximizing human resources mixed with technology and other resources.
Chevron initially formed this type of a team in order to foster teamwork, increase the involvement of their employees, and cultivate the empowerment of their employees. In order to accomplish this task, team members must possess several skills. The perfect mix of technical skills, flexibility and cooperation makes a team. Not only that, the success of these types of work teams such as in the case of Chevron depends on the performance of what they accomplish throughout their task. Self-managed work teams helped cultivate the success of some of the largest companies in corporate America today by improving the level of turnover and abseentisim. By streamlining job classifications and improving the relationships with unions these self-managed work teams were more than an improvement, they were a revolution.
Initially Chevron experimented on the idea of these self-managed work teams to improve the cooperation between teams but also to utilize their resources in the most efficient manner. “The small asset team structure ownership at the micro level instead of at the macro level, resulting in duplication of work processes and poor utilization of resources.” (Attaran,3). According to the article at the level where there are several smaller teams within Chevron’s structure the teams operated at the micro level which introduced the concept of lost or wasted resources. Without seeing the big picture at the macro level the teams were operating at different levels of their own goals. This however was inefficient because they did not realize that if this process was streamlined into a larger global self-managed team the big picture would have been then realized. Chevron realized that the synergy of the individuals composing the group would be much more beneficial, which it has been.
“An important lesson learned from the previous organizational structure was that operating costs were greatly reduced when teams focused on work process.”(Attaran,3).
When the team as a whole realized that the big picture or work process was the goal, operating costs plummeted and productivity rose. After the process was realized the team continued to define the responsibilities of the team members clearly, with well defined boundaries. Chevron took the initiative to demonstrate the benefits of compiling the perfect mix of technical ability and social leadership and communications in their 11 self-managed work teams formed by 5 to 8 members each.
These teams with a perfect blend of technical abilities and social abilities were the core of the organizational structure that started to see the big picture which would later lead to their continued success. To Chevron’s Western Business unit the success of the task relied completely not only on the cooperation of the teams but synergy. A team can be a group but not every group can be a team. With that being said, each group member had to contribute equally within their defined process or goal in order to benefit the goal of the teams. Each team member’s personal goals came second to that of the goal of the team or the big picture. This wonderful process did not happen over night, the team members had to be educated. All of the team members received training in such things as problem solving, communication and conflict resolution which was essential to the stability and productivity of the team. This process was continuous and ever-changing in its nature.
“Immediately after the transition to the new structure, frustrations and problems began to appear.”(Attaran, 4). These problems were not unusual because the problems themselves could have been because of lack of communication or unfamiliarity with the day to day job function. “Simply cooperating with peers and attending team meetings was no longer enough.”(Attaran, 5). As stated earlier a team is much more than cooperation and all team members must contribute to the process. Team members not only have to put aside their differences but they must also make their decision in order to positively affect the outcome of the work process.
The idea of self managed teams relate to everyone at one point in time. The statement made in the article is true, simply cooperating is not enough. In my profession cooperation is only one piece of the puzzle. Each team member is a one man self-managed team that also supports and trains the other team members. Although cooperation is the key, the main purpose of the team was to achieve the goal or task that was prescribed. Personal differences are detrimental to the process if they are not put aside. In my profession however, personal differences are essential to the diverse thinking and creativity within the group.
The perfect mix of technical and social skills and the right management makes all the difference. Teams must be formed on a solid foundation in order to accomplish the task. In the example of Chevron’s Western Business unit one has to consider many things if success is to come out of the structure. If synergy is to be established, but differences are put aside then do you really have the team members true input? If you do not have the team members true input, might there be a higher level of success with that opinion?
You can order a high-quality custom essay, term paper, research paper, thesis, dissertation, speech, book report or book review from our professional custom writing service. We have employed more than 500 highly qualified Ph.D. and Master's academic writers to provide students with professional academic writing help. Feel free to contact our company right now!
Chevron initially formed this type of a team in order to foster teamwork, increase the involvement of their employees, and cultivate the empowerment of their employees. In order to accomplish this task, team members must possess several skills. The perfect mix of technical skills, flexibility and cooperation makes a team. Not only that, the success of these types of work teams such as in the case of Chevron depends on the performance of what they accomplish throughout their task. Self-managed work teams helped cultivate the success of some of the largest companies in corporate America today by improving the level of turnover and abseentisim. By streamlining job classifications and improving the relationships with unions these self-managed work teams were more than an improvement, they were a revolution.
Initially Chevron experimented on the idea of these self-managed work teams to improve the cooperation between teams but also to utilize their resources in the most efficient manner. “The small asset team structure ownership at the micro level instead of at the macro level, resulting in duplication of work processes and poor utilization of resources.” (Attaran,3). According to the article at the level where there are several smaller teams within Chevron’s structure the teams operated at the micro level which introduced the concept of lost or wasted resources. Without seeing the big picture at the macro level the teams were operating at different levels of their own goals. This however was inefficient because they did not realize that if this process was streamlined into a larger global self-managed team the big picture would have been then realized. Chevron realized that the synergy of the individuals composing the group would be much more beneficial, which it has been.
“An important lesson learned from the previous organizational structure was that operating costs were greatly reduced when teams focused on work process.”(Attaran,3).
When the team as a whole realized that the big picture or work process was the goal, operating costs plummeted and productivity rose. After the process was realized the team continued to define the responsibilities of the team members clearly, with well defined boundaries. Chevron took the initiative to demonstrate the benefits of compiling the perfect mix of technical ability and social leadership and communications in their 11 self-managed work teams formed by 5 to 8 members each.
These teams with a perfect blend of technical abilities and social abilities were the core of the organizational structure that started to see the big picture which would later lead to their continued success. To Chevron’s Western Business unit the success of the task relied completely not only on the cooperation of the teams but synergy. A team can be a group but not every group can be a team. With that being said, each group member had to contribute equally within their defined process or goal in order to benefit the goal of the teams. Each team member’s personal goals came second to that of the goal of the team or the big picture. This wonderful process did not happen over night, the team members had to be educated. All of the team members received training in such things as problem solving, communication and conflict resolution which was essential to the stability and productivity of the team. This process was continuous and ever-changing in its nature.
“Immediately after the transition to the new structure, frustrations and problems began to appear.”(Attaran, 4). These problems were not unusual because the problems themselves could have been because of lack of communication or unfamiliarity with the day to day job function. “Simply cooperating with peers and attending team meetings was no longer enough.”(Attaran, 5). As stated earlier a team is much more than cooperation and all team members must contribute to the process. Team members not only have to put aside their differences but they must also make their decision in order to positively affect the outcome of the work process.
The idea of self managed teams relate to everyone at one point in time. The statement made in the article is true, simply cooperating is not enough. In my profession cooperation is only one piece of the puzzle. Each team member is a one man self-managed team that also supports and trains the other team members. Although cooperation is the key, the main purpose of the team was to achieve the goal or task that was prescribed. Personal differences are detrimental to the process if they are not put aside. In my profession however, personal differences are essential to the diverse thinking and creativity within the group.
The perfect mix of technical and social skills and the right management makes all the difference. Teams must be formed on a solid foundation in order to accomplish the task. In the example of Chevron’s Western Business unit one has to consider many things if success is to come out of the structure. If synergy is to be established, but differences are put aside then do you really have the team members true input? If you do not have the team members true input, might there be a higher level of success with that opinion?
You can order a high-quality custom essay, term paper, research paper, thesis, dissertation, speech, book report or book review from our professional custom writing service. We have employed more than 500 highly qualified Ph.D. and Master's academic writers to provide students with professional academic writing help. Feel free to contact our company right now!
Self-Assessment
There comes a time where everyone needs to evaluate their skills and abilities. Finding out more about ones self helps a person better understand their strong points and their weaknesses. The main purpose of evaluating ourselves is to improve in what ever skills we are lacking in order to succeed. Success is not only necessary on the job, but it is essential for a day to day basis. In the self-assessment exercises we did in class I found out about my abilities, my competencies, my personality and the requirements for my success in the near future. Not only I got a glimpse of myself, but it was also very useful seeing what these personality traits were good for. I believe that a self-assessment is necessary for everyone no matter what is their occupation or age. It is useful in a way that it confirms what you already know about yourself.
This self-assessment helped me in a way that it confirmed already what I knew about myself. It was really functional and reliable, because it made sense.
Personality traits
I was satisfied with most of my results. I took the time to go through every exercise carefully. Starting with the first exercise I scored high on agreeableness, which is pretty good, because I tend to cooperate with others, analyze a situation or a problem and then give my opinion. This leaves room for everyone to give their opinion and share their concerns. I find this trait very helpful in situations where you have to work in a team.
My extraversion score was also high. I believe I’m a sociable, talkative and an assertive person. As for conscientiousness it described me as responsible, dependable, persistent and achievement oriented. I sometimes tend to assume too much responsibility!
I could describe my personality type as warm, sensitive, artistic, emotional, etc. Although I can’t say that I was always warm with everyone like I am today, I guess it is something that maturity brought with itself. I always saw myself as someone with multiple talents or at least I like to think of myself as multitalented. I tend to engage myself in many things, because of my interests. I’m a curious person and I like to explore, taste and try new things, even though it is sometimes frustrating finding the time to devote myself to the things that I really love.
Master of my faith
I believe that my outcome and my future are all in my hands, because of free will, and liberty to live my life as it pleases me. I believe that every action has a consequence. Our bad decisions can harm us in the future just like our wise decisions will help us in the future. Every person is born with a conscience given by God, but it is up to each person to listen to his or her conscience. I do not believe in luck or things happening by chance. I believe that everything that happens; happens for a reason and that God in his heavenly wisdom does things in order to protect us from harmful situations that we cannot foretell or prevent ourselves.
Strong points
I got a moderate score on my self-monitoring exercise, which relates to the cues and hints people often give you with their facial expressions and body language. My adaptability to different situations is flexible and my behavior can change depending on the situation. I tend to be proactive, initiative and I take action where it needs to be taken. I identify opportunities, but I sometimes tend to take them lightly. I like to show initiative in order to demonstrate me seriousness to others. If things don’t work for me I tend to find ways to make them work, but it is hard to find a solution for every problem. I think sometimes I stress too much on little things that have to changed, but sometimes it tends to create more problems.
I believe I’m suited to operate my own business, but it has to be something I enjoy so I would work hard at it and something I would be an expert. I could give people advice and be sure about myself and the advice I will be giving.
I believe I’m a creative person and I enjoy artistic work. I know that I can be a leader in an organization or work place, because people tend to perceive me as a trustworthy person. I can tell that once people get to know me they tend to have confidence in me and rely on me. At times I feel this pressure on my shoulders, because people tend to be very demanding. I tend to exercise a certain level of influence on people and I see myself as an innovator, because I’m open to new ideas and I do not like to follow others. I like to do things my way and understand things or analyze situations by taking my time and contemplate on them.
I like to achieve, set goals for myself and push myself to stay true to my commitments. Sometime they do burn me and push me to think about my activities, therefore I reflect on these situations, but I believe we can do everything moderately. Having goals are important for me, but achieving them while paying close attention to other things in my life is more important to me.
Ideal Job
The ideal job I envision for my future would be in a clean work place, where I would have contact with people. A job where I wake up and look forward to going to, something I could manage and give orders, have control and make all decisions. If ever I decide to operate my own business. I would like it to be something that would help out people, help the community and be friendly to the environment. Since I tend to be talkative and sociable I would like all my workers or co-workers to be comfortable with me and be happy with the services I provide. I believe in treating people with respect and being patient towards them. It is also important to give people a chance to prove themselves.
Weak Points
The first thing that comes to my mind is my anxiety. I’m always trying to do a lot in little time. This is very bad, because you loose track of time and it is frustrating when you don’t get everything done. I feel rushed and people around me complain that I don’t give them enough time. I often feel that I should be doing something and I believe it is a serious problem. I need to sit back and relax more often.
I tend to engage myself in my things at once, but deep down I know that if I decrease my activities and activities I would be able to concentrate more on each activity.
How I perceive people
I usually tend to be open with people and treat everyone equally, but there are exceptions. I perceive people as good natured and I’m willing to make an effort to get to know them and get along with them.
Final words
This exercise helped me confirm the things I already knew about myself, showed me new traits about my character and abilities, and elevated my confidence by assuring me that the Business Administration program is right for me.
I was satisfied with my results and I believe that I will continue to make an effort to succeed. I believe in myself and I know that I have a big task ahead of me. It all depends on the time and effort I put into achieving my goals. I also believe I’m not alone in this, but the Lord is constantly helping me.
You can order a high-quality custom essay, term paper, research paper, thesis, dissertation, speech, book report or book review from our professional custom writing service. We have employed more than 500 highly qualified Ph.D. and Master's academic writers to provide students with professional academic writing help. Feel free to contact our company right now!
This self-assessment helped me in a way that it confirmed already what I knew about myself. It was really functional and reliable, because it made sense.
Personality traits
I was satisfied with most of my results. I took the time to go through every exercise carefully. Starting with the first exercise I scored high on agreeableness, which is pretty good, because I tend to cooperate with others, analyze a situation or a problem and then give my opinion. This leaves room for everyone to give their opinion and share their concerns. I find this trait very helpful in situations where you have to work in a team.
My extraversion score was also high. I believe I’m a sociable, talkative and an assertive person. As for conscientiousness it described me as responsible, dependable, persistent and achievement oriented. I sometimes tend to assume too much responsibility!
I could describe my personality type as warm, sensitive, artistic, emotional, etc. Although I can’t say that I was always warm with everyone like I am today, I guess it is something that maturity brought with itself. I always saw myself as someone with multiple talents or at least I like to think of myself as multitalented. I tend to engage myself in many things, because of my interests. I’m a curious person and I like to explore, taste and try new things, even though it is sometimes frustrating finding the time to devote myself to the things that I really love.
Master of my faith
I believe that my outcome and my future are all in my hands, because of free will, and liberty to live my life as it pleases me. I believe that every action has a consequence. Our bad decisions can harm us in the future just like our wise decisions will help us in the future. Every person is born with a conscience given by God, but it is up to each person to listen to his or her conscience. I do not believe in luck or things happening by chance. I believe that everything that happens; happens for a reason and that God in his heavenly wisdom does things in order to protect us from harmful situations that we cannot foretell or prevent ourselves.
Strong points
I got a moderate score on my self-monitoring exercise, which relates to the cues and hints people often give you with their facial expressions and body language. My adaptability to different situations is flexible and my behavior can change depending on the situation. I tend to be proactive, initiative and I take action where it needs to be taken. I identify opportunities, but I sometimes tend to take them lightly. I like to show initiative in order to demonstrate me seriousness to others. If things don’t work for me I tend to find ways to make them work, but it is hard to find a solution for every problem. I think sometimes I stress too much on little things that have to changed, but sometimes it tends to create more problems.
I believe I’m suited to operate my own business, but it has to be something I enjoy so I would work hard at it and something I would be an expert. I could give people advice and be sure about myself and the advice I will be giving.
I believe I’m a creative person and I enjoy artistic work. I know that I can be a leader in an organization or work place, because people tend to perceive me as a trustworthy person. I can tell that once people get to know me they tend to have confidence in me and rely on me. At times I feel this pressure on my shoulders, because people tend to be very demanding. I tend to exercise a certain level of influence on people and I see myself as an innovator, because I’m open to new ideas and I do not like to follow others. I like to do things my way and understand things or analyze situations by taking my time and contemplate on them.
I like to achieve, set goals for myself and push myself to stay true to my commitments. Sometime they do burn me and push me to think about my activities, therefore I reflect on these situations, but I believe we can do everything moderately. Having goals are important for me, but achieving them while paying close attention to other things in my life is more important to me.
Ideal Job
The ideal job I envision for my future would be in a clean work place, where I would have contact with people. A job where I wake up and look forward to going to, something I could manage and give orders, have control and make all decisions. If ever I decide to operate my own business. I would like it to be something that would help out people, help the community and be friendly to the environment. Since I tend to be talkative and sociable I would like all my workers or co-workers to be comfortable with me and be happy with the services I provide. I believe in treating people with respect and being patient towards them. It is also important to give people a chance to prove themselves.
Weak Points
The first thing that comes to my mind is my anxiety. I’m always trying to do a lot in little time. This is very bad, because you loose track of time and it is frustrating when you don’t get everything done. I feel rushed and people around me complain that I don’t give them enough time. I often feel that I should be doing something and I believe it is a serious problem. I need to sit back and relax more often.
I tend to engage myself in my things at once, but deep down I know that if I decrease my activities and activities I would be able to concentrate more on each activity.
How I perceive people
I usually tend to be open with people and treat everyone equally, but there are exceptions. I perceive people as good natured and I’m willing to make an effort to get to know them and get along with them.
Final words
This exercise helped me confirm the things I already knew about myself, showed me new traits about my character and abilities, and elevated my confidence by assuring me that the Business Administration program is right for me.
I was satisfied with my results and I believe that I will continue to make an effort to succeed. I believe in myself and I know that I have a big task ahead of me. It all depends on the time and effort I put into achieving my goals. I also believe I’m not alone in this, but the Lord is constantly helping me.
You can order a high-quality custom essay, term paper, research paper, thesis, dissertation, speech, book report or book review from our professional custom writing service. We have employed more than 500 highly qualified Ph.D. and Master's academic writers to provide students with professional academic writing help. Feel free to contact our company right now!
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
A View from the Bridge
A View from the Bridge was written by Arthur Miller from new york, before a view from the bridge Arthur miller wrote many other plays which were also success storys but some weren’t “a death of a salesman,” which didn’t have a narrator in it so the audience didn’t immediately understand the meaning of the play when it was first performed on stage. A view from the bridge used Alfieri as the narrator so the audience understood the play with alfieri and the message of the play which was to compromise in life which Eddie failed to do and the message was more clear.some of Millers plays such as “the man who had all the luck” weren’t successes.
Many of hundreds of years ago, the ancient greeks produced Greek trajedy.alfieri is connected to Greek tragedy because in a view from the bridge Arthur Miller uses a narrator which in Greek culture is a chorus which is the role of alfieri.a view from the bridge ends in a tragic ending where rodolpho stabs eddiethe main hero in the play.trajedy is a type of drama composed in the Athens in the 6th century.
A view from the bridge uses Alfieri as the narrator who tells the story to the audience.althought he is a narrator he doesn’t just tell the story and the meaning of the play but he also tells the audience of the time and place of every event that takes place. “On December 27th I saw him,” Alfieri talks about Eddie when he comes to see him. By talking to the audience he makes it more clear of what is happening and makes the meaning of the play more explicit. He also comments on the action in a previous scene and gives hints as to what is happening next.
Alfieri is a lawyer as well as a narrator at the same time. In a view from the bridge alfieri is a wise and intelligent character, unlike Eddie who thinks that being manly is very important and Eddie even tries to challenge rodolpho, when rodolpho asks Eddie to hold a chair up from it’s leg but Eddie cant and rodolpho manages to.alfieri doesn’t need manliness he has inner strength because he is very wise and strong minded. “Eddie im a lawyer’” alfieri hears both sides of the story.e.g when Marco falls in love with Catherine and he wants to marry her but eddy is very against it, and asks alfieri for legal advice about it. but alfieri just says that there is nothing wrong about a marrying a immigrant.
Alfieri’s character is to work out what is right and wrong, and as a lawyer he is there to make peace. In a view from the bridge Alfieri tries to sort out eddy problems. Eddie is a very much against Marco marrying Catherine and goes to alfieri for help.alfieri helps people by compromising and hearing both sides of the story.alfieri is a smart man with a intelligent mind.alfieri compared to other characters in the a view from the bridge speaks proper English because he is well educated. “Yes we eat very good on the boats,”Marco says this quote. “Wait a minute….which is….i mean its allright….i mean you know what I mean? This is eddies quote. “Im inclined to notice the ruins in things,”compared to Marco and Eddie, Alfieri is much more articulate.
A view from the bridge is a play with an audience, alfieri is a bridge between the audience and the characters, because for the characters he is a lawyer and for the audience he is a lawyer and a narrator.alfieri also helps the characters make the right decision and points them to the right direction that is what his role as a lawyer is.alfieri has the perspective of knowing everything.alfieris theme is to make the mood of the play moving.alfieri hears both sides of the story. In the community Alfieri is a most respected.
Arthur Miller put Alfieri into this play as a lawyer because a lawyer can talk to the characters and give them advice.alfieris feelings towards Eddie are sympathetic. Eddie confides in Alfieri and asks him what he should do; Alfieri wants Eddie to let Catherine marry Marco. the audience must be thinking that Eddie isn’t compromising and being very selfish.alfieri tries to make Eddie compromise, and reveals eddies feelings, and inner most thoughts through their conversations.alfieri tries to make Eddie see sense. “She can’t marry you, can she?”He also sees eddies feelings for catherince, and Alfieri sees that Eddie is a desperate man, so desperate, hell do anything. Its the point where Eddie realises that the only way he can stop the marriage is by calling the immigration officers and he does and Marco and rodolpho are taken by the immigration.at the speech Alfieri says “he allowed himself to be wholly known and for that I will love him more than my sensible clients. he means that even though Eddie was wrong he still believed in himself and if he wanted something he would go for it.
You can order a high-quality custom essay, term paper, research paper, thesis, dissertation, speech, book report or book review from our professional custom writing service. We have employed more than 500 highly qualified Ph.D. and Master's academic writers to provide students with professional academic writing help. Feel free to contact our company right now!
Many of hundreds of years ago, the ancient greeks produced Greek trajedy.alfieri is connected to Greek tragedy because in a view from the bridge Arthur Miller uses a narrator which in Greek culture is a chorus which is the role of alfieri.a view from the bridge ends in a tragic ending where rodolpho stabs eddiethe main hero in the play.trajedy is a type of drama composed in the Athens in the 6th century.
A view from the bridge uses Alfieri as the narrator who tells the story to the audience.althought he is a narrator he doesn’t just tell the story and the meaning of the play but he also tells the audience of the time and place of every event that takes place. “On December 27th I saw him,” Alfieri talks about Eddie when he comes to see him. By talking to the audience he makes it more clear of what is happening and makes the meaning of the play more explicit. He also comments on the action in a previous scene and gives hints as to what is happening next.
Alfieri is a lawyer as well as a narrator at the same time. In a view from the bridge alfieri is a wise and intelligent character, unlike Eddie who thinks that being manly is very important and Eddie even tries to challenge rodolpho, when rodolpho asks Eddie to hold a chair up from it’s leg but Eddie cant and rodolpho manages to.alfieri doesn’t need manliness he has inner strength because he is very wise and strong minded. “Eddie im a lawyer’” alfieri hears both sides of the story.e.g when Marco falls in love with Catherine and he wants to marry her but eddy is very against it, and asks alfieri for legal advice about it. but alfieri just says that there is nothing wrong about a marrying a immigrant.
Alfieri’s character is to work out what is right and wrong, and as a lawyer he is there to make peace. In a view from the bridge Alfieri tries to sort out eddy problems. Eddie is a very much against Marco marrying Catherine and goes to alfieri for help.alfieri helps people by compromising and hearing both sides of the story.alfieri is a smart man with a intelligent mind.alfieri compared to other characters in the a view from the bridge speaks proper English because he is well educated. “Yes we eat very good on the boats,”Marco says this quote. “Wait a minute….which is….i mean its allright….i mean you know what I mean? This is eddies quote. “Im inclined to notice the ruins in things,”compared to Marco and Eddie, Alfieri is much more articulate.
A view from the bridge is a play with an audience, alfieri is a bridge between the audience and the characters, because for the characters he is a lawyer and for the audience he is a lawyer and a narrator.alfieri also helps the characters make the right decision and points them to the right direction that is what his role as a lawyer is.alfieri has the perspective of knowing everything.alfieris theme is to make the mood of the play moving.alfieri hears both sides of the story. In the community Alfieri is a most respected.
Arthur Miller put Alfieri into this play as a lawyer because a lawyer can talk to the characters and give them advice.alfieris feelings towards Eddie are sympathetic. Eddie confides in Alfieri and asks him what he should do; Alfieri wants Eddie to let Catherine marry Marco. the audience must be thinking that Eddie isn’t compromising and being very selfish.alfieri tries to make Eddie compromise, and reveals eddies feelings, and inner most thoughts through their conversations.alfieri tries to make Eddie see sense. “She can’t marry you, can she?”He also sees eddies feelings for catherince, and Alfieri sees that Eddie is a desperate man, so desperate, hell do anything. Its the point where Eddie realises that the only way he can stop the marriage is by calling the immigration officers and he does and Marco and rodolpho are taken by the immigration.at the speech Alfieri says “he allowed himself to be wholly known and for that I will love him more than my sensible clients. he means that even though Eddie was wrong he still believed in himself and if he wanted something he would go for it.
You can order a high-quality custom essay, term paper, research paper, thesis, dissertation, speech, book report or book review from our professional custom writing service. We have employed more than 500 highly qualified Ph.D. and Master's academic writers to provide students with professional academic writing help. Feel free to contact our company right now!
A Streetcar Named Desire
A Streetcar Named Desire is a play written by Tennessee Williams and is about the two basic humans drives; which are death and desire. The two main drives could be representative of the state of America after WW1 a country wavering between a dying past and the adolescent new world. The reader/viewer of the play will experience these two basic drives through the characters culture, background, imagery, music and symbols. For the characters to have the direct effect of representing the textТs underlying values and attitudes the main characters of the play are constructed in a particular way.
This is a play of Culture Vs Brutality, Illusion Vs Reality, Civilization, Culture and Tradition Vs Natural, Passionate and Primitive.
The culture of the characters is an integral part of identifying the issues that the playwright is trying to Address, For example in two of Williams plays he has a southern gentile woman as the main character (the Glass menagerie and a streetcar named desire) who's world is shattered by the harsh treatment of the changed modern world.
Where as with the stronger character of Stanley is a new world, working class, animalistic brute is more adapted to the harsh world, Williams shows this is one of the issues of the play through the various scenes of disaster and dislike between the refined and cultured past and the uncouth, working class, un traditional future.
Other issues or themes of the play is the nationality association; It is assumed the Du Bois is an aristocratic surname and this is proven later on in the play, It can also be assumed the Kowalski is a foreign name (which is turns out to be) and the foreign people in those times were highly likely to be those of working class.
This is represented through the speech of the two characters e.g.; Stanley speaks loudly and speech to Stanley is getting across what he wants, likes, dislikes and so on where as Blanche speaks more flittingly, on a higher level. Speech to Blanche is a searching for values and her speech reflects her education.
Another issue that comes into play in A Streetcar named Desire is Williams exposure of the inadequacies and hypocrisies of American mythologies, by this I am referring to the myth of an unfallen Eden (Blanche) whom is a representative of chivalrous and civilized men and gentile sensitive women, For example a very similar character to Blanche is that of Daisy from "Schindlers list".
It has also been stated that a theme prevalent in A Streetcar named Desire is that of homosexuality, it is said that Williams is representing a suppressed interest or attraction with homosexuals through the characterization of Blanches young husband, whoТs death drover her to insanity.
Background is also an important part of the characters representing the issues and values that Williams created them to convey, for example the first setting is New Orleans a rough tough new world city filled with liquor, card games and adultery.
The new world is presented as a sexually laden and sensual world.
This is represented by the characters living in the area, there interaction with the area and mainly blanches unsavory reaction to the setting. Elysian fields is an ironic and amusing name for the sector in which Stanley and Stella live, This is because in mythology Elysian fields was the name of the so-called heaven for the gods but elysian fields is the complete opposite for blanche as it is the setting in which she is eventually driven mad by herself.
Imagery is another factor that is used through the characterization of the main characters to represent themes and issues, For example there is the imagery of Stanley whom is always in bright colors e.g.; silk pajamas, bowling shirt, watermelon, cards and the meat Stanley brings from the butcher are all bright noticeable colors, which are like Stanley in a way because they cannot be ignored.
Blanche is represented by pastel shades and whites, like a moth she is delicate and frail so the pastel colors of a gentile woman or creature are used to represent her and create more characterization.
There is also imagery that connects Stanley and Stella to animalistic, modern, flesh over love and desire over love ideals.
For example the movements and brutality of Stanley have an animalistic feeling as does his behavior towards Stella in scene three. Stanley could be easily identified with an ape or another similar animal because of his primitive behaviors, his feelings of territory invasion and the way Blanche finds fault with his behaviors and manners.
The varsouviana and the jungle music (which are all parts of blanches characterization) can only be heard in her head and represent imagery of her young husbands affair, the torment it has caused blanche and her descent into insanity.
Music and sound is an important part of brining character linked issues and themes to the surface, for example when ever the varsouviana is heard it is heard only in blanches head and is usually linked to some feeling that blanche is having for the time.
The music represents her frailty towards her husband's death and towards the new world that she sees's as alien.
The jungle music is important in developing the animalistic tendencies of Stanley and when the jungle music is heard it is usually at the time Stanley is being most uncouth.
The cries of streetwalkers, the Mexican woman and the street vendors are all part of the cultural fabric in the experience of Elysian Fields, New Orleans.
There is much use of symbols in juxtaposition of the new and old worlds and the representatives of each world, e.g.; Stanley and Blanche. The most prevalent use of symbolism is that of the title, and its reference to the two streetcars; desire and cemeteries Blanche takes to Elysian fields e.g.; Heaven. This is representing Blanches journey to New Orleans and her journey through desire to insanity to death and eventually heaven. This is also made obvious by the character change of Blanche who starts out as someone looking for love and understanding but there is always the fear of death and destruction nearing her.
"Death- I used to sit here and she used to sit over there and death was as close as you are"- Blanche.
Elysian fields have a strong symbolic significance in A Streetcar named Desire, This is the place in which the main characters live and is a reference to Greek mythology and it means "Paradise".
Paradise was originally created for two and the intrusion of the new world territory by an old world gentile female has caused sin and despair, Elysian fields is Stanley and Stella's paradise but Blanches Hell.
Shep Huntleigh is the representation of the perfect generous, chivalrous southern gentleman (Blanches perfect man) and also a representation of Blanches impending insanity.
There is also a lot of reference to light, as it is used as a symbol. For example blanche is always in flattering light such as candlelight and she puts lanterns over the naked light bulbs, which could be a comparison to the saying "pulling the wool over someone's eyes". The references to light are representative of Blanches illusionary tactics and how she doesn't break the truth she merely distorts it to be more favorable.
The characters in A Streetcar named Desire are representative of themes and issued related to the change of American society during that time, the issues of homosexuality and the issues of the new modern, fleshy and animalistic world and the old charming, gentile and traditional world of the past and it's one of it's deacaying last remnants of a southern gentile woman and her descent into insanity caused by the death of her husband, the harshness of the new world, the forced changes in her character and the way she has been made redundant for the new world. For if the society in Blanche was once accepted decays and she doesn't change with the times she becomes unimportant to those whom have changed.
You can order a high-quality custom essay, term paper, research paper, thesis, dissertation, speech, book report or book review from our professional custom writing service. We have employed more than 500 highly qualified Ph.D. and Master's academic writers to provide students with professional academic writing help. Feel free to contact our company right now!
This is a play of Culture Vs Brutality, Illusion Vs Reality, Civilization, Culture and Tradition Vs Natural, Passionate and Primitive.
The culture of the characters is an integral part of identifying the issues that the playwright is trying to Address, For example in two of Williams plays he has a southern gentile woman as the main character (the Glass menagerie and a streetcar named desire) who's world is shattered by the harsh treatment of the changed modern world.
Where as with the stronger character of Stanley is a new world, working class, animalistic brute is more adapted to the harsh world, Williams shows this is one of the issues of the play through the various scenes of disaster and dislike between the refined and cultured past and the uncouth, working class, un traditional future.
Other issues or themes of the play is the nationality association; It is assumed the Du Bois is an aristocratic surname and this is proven later on in the play, It can also be assumed the Kowalski is a foreign name (which is turns out to be) and the foreign people in those times were highly likely to be those of working class.
This is represented through the speech of the two characters e.g.; Stanley speaks loudly and speech to Stanley is getting across what he wants, likes, dislikes and so on where as Blanche speaks more flittingly, on a higher level. Speech to Blanche is a searching for values and her speech reflects her education.
Another issue that comes into play in A Streetcar named Desire is Williams exposure of the inadequacies and hypocrisies of American mythologies, by this I am referring to the myth of an unfallen Eden (Blanche) whom is a representative of chivalrous and civilized men and gentile sensitive women, For example a very similar character to Blanche is that of Daisy from "Schindlers list".
It has also been stated that a theme prevalent in A Streetcar named Desire is that of homosexuality, it is said that Williams is representing a suppressed interest or attraction with homosexuals through the characterization of Blanches young husband, whoТs death drover her to insanity.
Background is also an important part of the characters representing the issues and values that Williams created them to convey, for example the first setting is New Orleans a rough tough new world city filled with liquor, card games and adultery.
The new world is presented as a sexually laden and sensual world.
This is represented by the characters living in the area, there interaction with the area and mainly blanches unsavory reaction to the setting. Elysian fields is an ironic and amusing name for the sector in which Stanley and Stella live, This is because in mythology Elysian fields was the name of the so-called heaven for the gods but elysian fields is the complete opposite for blanche as it is the setting in which she is eventually driven mad by herself.
Imagery is another factor that is used through the characterization of the main characters to represent themes and issues, For example there is the imagery of Stanley whom is always in bright colors e.g.; silk pajamas, bowling shirt, watermelon, cards and the meat Stanley brings from the butcher are all bright noticeable colors, which are like Stanley in a way because they cannot be ignored.
Blanche is represented by pastel shades and whites, like a moth she is delicate and frail so the pastel colors of a gentile woman or creature are used to represent her and create more characterization.
There is also imagery that connects Stanley and Stella to animalistic, modern, flesh over love and desire over love ideals.
For example the movements and brutality of Stanley have an animalistic feeling as does his behavior towards Stella in scene three. Stanley could be easily identified with an ape or another similar animal because of his primitive behaviors, his feelings of territory invasion and the way Blanche finds fault with his behaviors and manners.
The varsouviana and the jungle music (which are all parts of blanches characterization) can only be heard in her head and represent imagery of her young husbands affair, the torment it has caused blanche and her descent into insanity.
Music and sound is an important part of brining character linked issues and themes to the surface, for example when ever the varsouviana is heard it is heard only in blanches head and is usually linked to some feeling that blanche is having for the time.
The music represents her frailty towards her husband's death and towards the new world that she sees's as alien.
The jungle music is important in developing the animalistic tendencies of Stanley and when the jungle music is heard it is usually at the time Stanley is being most uncouth.
The cries of streetwalkers, the Mexican woman and the street vendors are all part of the cultural fabric in the experience of Elysian Fields, New Orleans.
There is much use of symbols in juxtaposition of the new and old worlds and the representatives of each world, e.g.; Stanley and Blanche. The most prevalent use of symbolism is that of the title, and its reference to the two streetcars; desire and cemeteries Blanche takes to Elysian fields e.g.; Heaven. This is representing Blanches journey to New Orleans and her journey through desire to insanity to death and eventually heaven. This is also made obvious by the character change of Blanche who starts out as someone looking for love and understanding but there is always the fear of death and destruction nearing her.
"Death- I used to sit here and she used to sit over there and death was as close as you are"- Blanche.
Elysian fields have a strong symbolic significance in A Streetcar named Desire, This is the place in which the main characters live and is a reference to Greek mythology and it means "Paradise".
Paradise was originally created for two and the intrusion of the new world territory by an old world gentile female has caused sin and despair, Elysian fields is Stanley and Stella's paradise but Blanches Hell.
Shep Huntleigh is the representation of the perfect generous, chivalrous southern gentleman (Blanches perfect man) and also a representation of Blanches impending insanity.
There is also a lot of reference to light, as it is used as a symbol. For example blanche is always in flattering light such as candlelight and she puts lanterns over the naked light bulbs, which could be a comparison to the saying "pulling the wool over someone's eyes". The references to light are representative of Blanches illusionary tactics and how she doesn't break the truth she merely distorts it to be more favorable.
The characters in A Streetcar named Desire are representative of themes and issued related to the change of American society during that time, the issues of homosexuality and the issues of the new modern, fleshy and animalistic world and the old charming, gentile and traditional world of the past and it's one of it's deacaying last remnants of a southern gentile woman and her descent into insanity caused by the death of her husband, the harshness of the new world, the forced changes in her character and the way she has been made redundant for the new world. For if the society in Blanche was once accepted decays and she doesn't change with the times she becomes unimportant to those whom have changed.
You can order a high-quality custom essay, term paper, research paper, thesis, dissertation, speech, book report or book review from our professional custom writing service. We have employed more than 500 highly qualified Ph.D. and Master's academic writers to provide students with professional academic writing help. Feel free to contact our company right now!
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