Influence of Women in the Yoruba Culture

Influence of Women in the Yoruba Culture Free Online Research Papers Soyinka’s play, Death and the King’s Horseman, is about a man who does not fulfill a tradition that has been carried on throughout his culture. When the King’s chief horseman, Elesin, does not complete his ritual suicide so that he can accompany the dead King to the other side, he breaks a tradition that has, for years, brought together the living and the dead. The tradition of the Yoruba culture is based on the position of the King and its passing down from father to son, as well as the same with the King’s horseman. Olunde, the oldest son of Elesin, knows this tradition and as soon as the King’s death is revealed, he is aware that his father will die a month later. When this does happen, Olunde is obligated to bury his father and then take over his role as the King’s horseman. The end of the play takes a turn when Olunde dies because his father has not succeeded is this tradition; no son is left behind to carry it out. This tradition has been broken and therefore it cannot be performed anymore. Soyinka’s Death and the King’s Horseman presumably takes place in a world where males take control and women play a minor part in their central tradition. I do believe that an in-depth look at the women characters in Death and the King’s Horseman can show different ways of thinking about power, influence, and responsibility. There are many occurrences in the play in which you can tell how Elesin feels toward the women in his culture. For instance, in Act one, Elesin comes marching into the market and speaks about how all the women love him. The Praise-Singer then remembers the time Elesin was caught with his sister-in-law, ‘‘but I was only prostrating myself to her as becomes a grateful in-law† (Soyinka, pg. 14). In the same Act, Elesin becomes distracted by an object off-stage which is revealed later as a young woman who Elesin admires and must have. Another instance occurs in Act 3, when Elesin comes out of the wedding chamber with the stained sheet that shows the bride was a virgin and did not dishonor him. Lastly, in Act five, when Elesin is in the jail cell and Jane Pilkings tries to talk to Elesin about why her husband did what he did, Elesin is extremely impolite and basically shuns her from the whole thing, ‘‘That is my wife sitting down there. You notice how still a nd silent she sits? My business is with your husband† (Soyinka, pg. 54). Through these passages, we can understand that Elesin has a very important position in carrying out his tradition and he definitely does not see any influence in woman to help him. However, the women in the play seem to be in touch more with the spirit world than the men. Iyaloja, the Mother of the market, is the leader of all the women. In Death and the King’s Horseman, even Elesin shows Iyaloja her respect. Iyaloja is more insightful than Elesin. She sees the risk in Elesin’s request to marry and take the brides virginity and she warns him to be careful, â€Å"be sure the seed you leave attracts no curse† (Soyinka, pg. 18). Iyaloja also sees that the child between Elesin and the bride will be â€Å"the elusive being of passage† (Soyinka, pg. 17). However, Elesin, being the way that he is, does not listen to Iyaloja the same way that he does not want to hear Jane Pilkings. The women in this play appear to be more sensible compared to the male that they would be equal to, if rank mattered. Iyaloja is the leader of the women and is wiser than Elesin, the King’s horseman. In Act three, the women of the market make fun of Amusa and his constables, although police officers are higher in authority, â€Å"[with a sudden movement they snatch the batons of the two constables. They begin to hem them in.] ‘What next? We have your batons? What next? What are you going to do?’ [with equally swift movements they knock off their hats] ‘Move if you dare. We have your hats. What will you do about it? Didn’t the white man teach you to take off your hats before women?† (Soyinka, pgs. 29-30). The voices speaking are the characters labeled ‘girls’ therefore, the reader can presume that she is younger and still had that power to make the authority figure run off. Also, between Jane and Simon Pilkings, Jane is more alert a nd responsive to people’s feelings then her husband Simon. In Act 2, Jane and her husband are dancing around in their egungun costumes and Amusa comes in and feels awkward toward them (â€Å"the egungun costume is a long grass robe and a wooden mask representing the face or head of an animal that the re-incarnated spirits of the ancestors wear† [Soyinka, pg. 20]). Simon doesn’t really seem to care that Amusa is bothered by these costumes, but Jane senses Amusa’s distress and tries to find out more about why it bothers him. She even asks her husband to remove the clothing. Also, she understands that Simon has made fun of holy water and has offended Joseph (the houseboy). Jane does not value Roman Catholicism, but when she realizes Joseph’s angry she tells Simon to apologize because she does not want to lose her houseboy, â€Å"Calling holy water nonsense to our Joseph is really like insulting the Virgin Mary before a Roman Catholic. He’s going to hand in his notice tomorrow you mark my word† (Soyinka, pg. 24). After Jane tells Simon that he has offended the house boy, on the next page Simon apologizes for saying what he said, â€Å"[between gritted teeth] Er..forget what I said just now. The holy water is not nonsense. I was talking nonsense† (Soyinka, pg. 25). By Simon saying this through ‘gritted teeth,’ the reader can understand that he did not really want to apologize, but he did it anyway because of what his wife said. On the next page, Jane almost puts Simon in his place when he complains about what he did. Jane asks him how Amusa took the apology and Simon goes on to say, â€Å"Who the hell gives a damn? I had a sudden vision of our Reverend Macfarlane drafting another letter of complaint to the resident about my unchristian language toward his parishioners. I wanted to make sure that Joseph didn’t ‘lose’ my note on the way. He looked sufficiently full of holy crusade to do such thing.† (Soyinka, pg. 26). And then Jane come s right back at him saying, â€Å"If you’ve finished exaggerating, come and have something to eat† (Soyinka, pg. 26). Simon might be the Colonial District Officer and makes decisions that are important for his town, but through these passages, the reader can infer that Jane has a slight power over her husband that he cannot control. Also, Jane appears to be easier to talk to, according to Olunde. â€Å"I need your help Mrs. Pilkings. I’ve always found you somewhat more understanding than your husband† (Soyinka, pg. 42). Reading on in Act four, the audience understands that Jane does not understand Olunde’s reaction to his father’s death when she yells and calls him vulgar names. Unlike Simon, who does not care to learn anymore about the Yoruba culture because they are under his administration, Jane asks Olunde to explain what is going on. ‘‘Your calm acceptance for instance, can you explain that? It was so unnatural. I donâ€℠¢t understand it at all. I feel a need to understand all I can. I feel it has to do with the many things we don’t really grasp about your people† (Soyinka, pg 46). Jane wants to learn more about this tradition so she can understand why they do it. Aside from Elesin having the responsibility of continuing out the tradition of following the King, Iyaloja has to make a sacrifice of her own, but she has no problem completing it, unlike Elesin. This shows Iyaloja’s loyalty and her responsibility in her culture. Iyaloja’s son is to marry the bride that Elesin has chosen (the object off-stage). She let’s this happen so that Elesin can have his request for his last day. When this first happens, Iyaloja is very upset with this decision, but she does not want to speak up because Elesin is supposed to make a sacrifice for her so she feels she should make the same for him. She does not want to â€Å"burden him with knowledge that will sour his wish and lay regrets on the last moments of his mind† (Soyinka, pg. 16). The importances of these sacrifices are of the same significance and there is proof in the play that tells us so. In the beginning, the Praise-singer is commending Elesin for the way he is following through with his duty and the tradition, telling him, â€Å"Our world was never wrenched from its true course,† and â€Å"the world was never tilted from its groove, it shall not be in yours† (Soyinka, pg. 6). The Praise-singer is basically telling Elesin that this tradition has lived on for generations and if he breaks this tradition that he is of extreme failure to the culture. When Iyaloja has to make her decision of letting her son’s bride marry Elesin, the other women try to make her refuse Elesin’s request and Iyaloja states â€Å"don’t set this world adrift of your own time; would you rather it was my hand sacrilege wrenched it loose?† (Soyinka, pg. 16). The wrong action on Elesin or Iyaloja’s part will have an extreme consequence. The young bride that Elesin chooses also has an important task to fulfill and she also completes it, unlike Elesin. Throughout the play, the bride keeps to herself and does not speak. Her thoughts are never considered and we have no way of knowing how she feels about being with Elesin or how she truly feels about the man that she was supposed to marry (Iyaloja’s son). When the women return with the bride after getting her ready in the chamber, Elesin’s face â€Å"[glows with pleasure]† (Soyinka, pg. 18), but it is never mention how the bride feels or what her face looks like. Is she glowing with pleasure? Or is she miserable and wants to be with the one she really loves? Regardless of this, the bride marries Elesin and lets him taker her virginity. After, the bride comes out of the wedding chamber and is standing â€Å"[shyly by her husband’s side]† (Soyinka, pg. 32). When Elesin is imprisoned, his bride is â€Å"[seated on the ground to one side, her eyes perpetually bent to the ground]† (Soyinka, pg. 50). When Elesin speaks to his wife about how she took away his duty, she does not interfere or say anything back to him. Also, when Jane tries to speak to Elesin, he tells her that his bride knows not to interfere with the man’s problems. This is almost like the bride is a prisoner too, but when Elesin dies, the bride â€Å"walks calmly into the cell and closes Elesin’s eyes. She then pours some earth over each eyelid and comes out again† (Soyinka, pg. 63). The bride, throughout the play, does not show any feeling or emotion to what is happening. She knows that she has a duty and she takes full responsibility for it. Without speaking or showing this emotion, she just performs her duty. The women in Soyinka’s Death and the King’s Horseman are passive when it comes to the men, but they have proven to be responsible, strong, and will carry out the future in the play. At the end, Elesin and his son Olunde are dead, and Simon will have to take the blame for it when everyone finds out what happened. The men have caused all the big problems in this play. The beginning of the play is all about the power a man has, Elesin flaunting through the market. At the end of the play, the women (Iyaloja and the bride) are focused on the future, what it holds, and how to carry out their culture. â€Å"Now forget the dead, forget even the living. Turn your mind only to the unborn.† (Soyinka, pg. 63). Soyina, Wole.Death and the King’s Horseman.New York, NY:W.W. Norton and Company, 2003. 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Character Development How to Write Great Characters [Worksheet]

Character Development How to Write Great Characters [Worksheet] Character Development: How to Write Great Characters [Worksheet] The character development in your story is vital for its selling.After all, people love and rave about books not always because of the story itselfBut because of the characters they fell in love with.In fact, it’s specifically because someone fell in love with the characters and care so much about them and their journey that theyre willing to follow them through the entirety of it.That is why you need to put an emphasis on the character development in the book you’re writing- or preparing to write.Here is your 12 step guide for good character development:Create a background for your characterGive your character strengths and weaknessesCreate nervous ticks for your characterAvoid making a perfect characterGive your character realistic motivesGive them a unique featureDevelop a wide variety of character personalitiesCreate an impact of your characters pastMake secondary characters foil typesGive each character a unique voiceCreate a diverse character castAvoid character s tereotypesStick with us through this post and you’ll learn exactly how to accomplish character development in a way that will make readers think about your characters as if they were real people.Once you nail all of these, you’ll be writing strong characters in no time.Get Your Character Development SheetSometimes its worth it to have a character development sheet to keep track of your characters. Not only will you be able to keep track, but you can zoom out and better see if youre creating two character archetypes who are too much alike.Are you ready to get started right now? Download your free character development sheet to keep track of each character you write. Download your FREE character development worksheet!Talk to an Expert to Discuss Your Character DevelopmentDid you know we have our experts on hand to help you with your books- for free!It’s true.Just book a call for a FREE 20-minute coaching call and our experts can help you gain clarity on what youre struggling with and how you can work through it to finish your book!BOOK A FREE COACHING CALL!Talk with one of our experts by clicking the button below and scheduling your free coaching call.Click Here to Book a CallWhat is Character Development?Character development is the process and execution of creating a fully rounded, complex, and lifelike character within your fictional writing with the purpose of making readers invested in them and their life or journey.Think of character development like the paper of your book. Without it, you simply dont have a book at all- you just have a mess of ink smeared between two cover.But before we get into the extensive details, I’m go ing to cover what constitutes a well-developed character as well as the different types of character development you may consider.What is a Well Developed Character?A well-developed character needs a full backstory, personality traits reflective of it, realistic actions and emotions, along with being highly relatable to the average reader and as complex as a real person.If you cant imagine your characters as a real-life person, theyre not quite complex enough to be well developed. The key with character development is crafting your characters to feel as if theyre people you know who just live far away.Get comfortable with thinking of them as real and you almost always will have a well-developed character.Types of Character DevelopmentWhen it comes to learning how to write characters and write them well you have to understand which type of character youre dealing with.These are the different types of characters to write:ProtagonistAntagonistSecondaryStaticFoilStockDynamic/RoundDonà ¢â‚¬â„¢t be alarmed if you think this is a lot of different types of characters. After all, we all have people in our real lives who would fill these character â€Å"types† and that’s why it’s important for your book to include them.Without them, you can’t go through with character development and expect a captivating cast.But let’s help you understand what each type of character brings to the story.With this information, you can better understand which character development to focus on with each of the fictional people you create.12 Actionable Character Development TipsNow that you know which type of character you’re focusing on here when writing your book, let’s dive deeper into the character development methods you can use and exercises to help you get it right. #1 Create a background for each characterOur realities are shaped by where we’ve been, where we are, and where we want to go.That being said, the one with the most influence on our lives is where we’ve been our past.The same is likely true for your character. Based on what their life was like prior to the start of your novel, they’ll have different interests, quirks, fears, and more.Your job is to fill out what their life has looked like up until the beginning of your book. Character Development ExerciseFill out a character development sheet so you can understand your characters as full-fleshed people instead of just two-dimensional beings you created. Cover these main ideas when crafting your character’s background: Their childhood (good, bad, poverty-stricken, spoiled, etc.) Their parents (divorced, never married, one missing, both missing) Their friendships Their hobbies and interests as a kid versus now Their motivations for feeling the way they do about any given situation Their personality type and how it affects their actions These are some basic elements you should understand about your character in order to shape their personality, opinions, and actions that appropriately fit their background.#2 Know your characters’ strengths and weaknessesOne of the biggest means of influence over your characters will be their strengths or weaknesses.We, as humans, constantly face our strengths and weaknesses on a daily basis, even in the smallest of forms.What your characters are good at and what they’re not great at will affect how they perceive different events, what actions they choose to take, and can affect their overall character arc (which we’ll touch on later).If your character’s strength is talking to strangers and gaining their trust, this might be an asset for them throughout their journey. However, if that is your character’s weakness and they’re forced to do so, it can cause conflict for them.These strengths and weaknesses will shape your character arc and the plot as a whole, so know them well before writing. Character Development ExerciseCre ate a list of 3 strengths and 3 weaknesses for your characters. Make sure these play into the plot in order to cause conflict and gain sympathy from readers who can relate.#3 Create nervous ticks or habitsIf you’ve paid attention to humans for long enough, you’re aware that we all have certain habits we don’t even realize we’re doing when we’re nervous.Me? I pick at the skin around my nails. It’s a pain (literally) and I never notice I’m doing it until later.This can be a key characteristic that will make your characters feel more real and help make them more relatable to your readers, which will make them want to give you those 5-star reviews. Character Development ExerciseMake a small list for each of your characters. Write down 2 odd habits for each of them and decide which is their go-to (the one they do without even thinking about it) and which is made worse through nerves or anxiety.#4 No character can be perfectIt can be real ly hard to write your favorite fictional person as having flaws. After all, we want people to love them, right?But a â€Å"perfect† character is not lovable they’re hateable because it’s not realistic.The more you try to make your character â€Å"flawless,† the less readers can relate and therefore, they’ll like them less. You have to build flaws into your character just like we all have drawbacks in real like. Character Development ExerciseList 3 major flaws your character has that can actually become problems within your plot. Think about any bad habits they have, situations they dislike, or even personality traits that aren’t seen as â€Å"good† in order to craft these flaws in a realistic fashion.#5 All characters need realistic motivesNo matter which character they or what they want in your story, they need to have a real and valid reason for feeling this way.Take He Who Shall Not Be Named from Harry Potter for example.Voldemor t (woops!) wants to kill Harry. That much we should all know even if you’ve never read or seen the movies. But if he was just trying to kill Harry Potter for the sake of murdering a child, it wouldnt’ make sense.Yes, he’s evil, but he also has a valid reason for wanting him dead, right?He has to kill Harry Potter because he’s the only person who was able to defeat him before and because the prophecy says so.If your characters no matter how minor they are don’t have a motive that makes sense, readers will be pulled out of the story and end up questioning what’s happening, and not in a good way.This is largely how plot holes arise so in order to avoid them, stick to this character development method. Character Development ExerciseWhen coming up with your antagonist’s motives, list at least 2 ways in which they’re valid. For Voldemort, it would be the fact that Harry can kill him and that he wants to rule the wizarding world. Your bad character has to have at least 2 strong reasons for opposing your protagonist and they should make sense given their history.#6 Give each character a unique featureThis is particularly for those of you writing Game of Thrones-esque novels with a large number of characters, but it’s important for others as well.When writing a book, you want your readers to easily visualize and differentiate the cast. You want each character to stand out as individuals.A perfect way to do this is to give each person an identifiable feature.For example, let’s use Harry Potter again because you probably know what the main characters look like.Harry has glasses. Hermione has buck teeth (up until she has them shortened a bit too much and this is only in the books for those of you about to argue), and Ron has flaming red hair.These are very distinct features that can help you picture them as wildly different characters.Now, you don’t have to give each and every character som e crazy hair color or style, but try not to have your entire cast look the same.If you have a main character with brown wavy hair, have the next with blonde curly hair, etc.Keep in mind that siblings can certainly look similar! Character Development ExerciseCreate a spreadsheet or other document that lists all your characters and document their features. If you have two characters who spend a lot of time together in your book and you see they look similar, alter their appearance until they’re differentiable.Take my own spreadsheet for my work in progress below as an example.#7 Develop a wide variety of personality typesMeaning, don’t create all of your characters to be the â€Å"dark and sarcastic† type or the â€Å"tough guy† type.You have to have a wide variety of personalities just like in the real world.You can even back up their personality with real-life psychology. As an example, I have two characters who both have a tragic background.However, th ey don’t process that trauma in the same way. One character takes on a very withdrawn approach while the other hides his pain with humor. This gives them very different personalities despite having similar histories. Character Development ExerciseReference your character’s backstories and do a little research into possible coping mechanisms and how that can affect their personality. Develop it from there in order to have realistic personalities that differ.#8 Match your character’s history with the effects of itThis is when some research will come into play, which should be required anyway. Looking into some psychological effects of trauma can help you accurately and realistically dive into character development.Now, not all characters go through trauma, but there are other big life events that can shape how they behave.If you have a character whose parents were very strict growing up, they may be a bit of a rebel and lack the decision making abilities others h ave mostly because they never learned how since their parents made those choices for them. Character Development ExerciseSince you know your character’s backstory, do a little research into how those specific struggles or realities can shape a person’s psyche in order to accurately and realistically craft their behavior.#9 Make secondary characters foil typesThis is largely to help with personality contract within your novel. Most of the time, this will happen naturally if you’re giving each character a unique personality but it’s great to keep in mind anyway.If you have secondary characters (characters who get a decent amount of page time but are not main characters), craft their personality types to show the opposite of the main characters’.Why? Because you want to firstly create more diversity and secondly, create some non-plot-specific conflict. Character Development ExercisePinpoint your secondary characters and development them in a way tha t makes them clash or oppose your main characters in certain ways. Think about what could annoy your main character the most and give your secondary characters some of those habits or personality traits.#10 Give each character a distinct voiceWe all speak differently and that means your characters should too. Depending on where they’re from, they could have different accents, slang, and even phrases they tend to use regularly.Think of a friend of yours for a minute. What are some specific phrases they use a lot?It’s likely you were able to think of something in just a few seconds because it’s so unique to them and something they say a lot.Your characters should be developed in the same way.If you write two characters from very different areas of the world and they have the same style of speaking, your audience will be pulled out of the story because it’s not realistic. Their voices have to be consistent and not the same. Character Development ExerciseThe se tips can ensure your characters speak differently: Choose a slang word each character likes to use Use different wording for the same meaning like â€Å"apologies† versus â€Å"I’m sorry† or â€Å"my bad† Use unique sentence structures to give each character a unique speaking rhythm Make sure your more educated characters speak like it and your less educated use simpler words and phrases Create phrases similar to â€Å"knee-high to a grasshopper† with unique meanings for your characters’ specific regions Read their dialogue out loud in the voice you image they have and make changes if necessary The point of giving your characters unique voices is to ensure your readers imagine them as real people instead of two-dimensional beings living in paper.#11 Create a diverse cast in every wayI’ll be honest, there is a very real problem in literature when it comes to diversity.You can debate this all you want, but coming from someone who reads many books, it’s a very real issue that only you and other writers going forward can correct.Your book should be just as diverse as the real world.If you don’t have characters with varying skin, hair, or eye colors along with varying body types, disabilities, and even mental illnesses, your characters are not diverse enough.You do not have to write a book about these things in order for you to include them in your novel.For example, one of my main characters has high levels of anxiety. His storyline does not revolve around this mental illness, but it is there, seen, and can affect his plot. Character Development ExerciseLook through your characters and their appearances as well as their personalities. If there isn’t clear diversity amongst them, create it. You want to make sure you are allowing diverse readers to feel included, heard, and represented.#12 Avoid stereotypes This is really a â€Å"do not do† tip versus a â€Å"must do† tip . The reason for this is because so many writers feel as though they need a â€Å"side character† (or even a main character) but is too lazy to do the real work.Which means they create a stereotype of a specific type of person that can oftentimes be harmful without the author even knowing.A great way to ensure you never have offensive stereotyped characters is to use a sensitivity reader or make sure you have a diverse group of beta readers who can speak on behalf of the characters you’ve developed. What is a Character Arc?A character arc is used to describe the inner and even outer journey, which can be physical, mental, emotional, or otherwise that a character experiences throughout the duration of the story or plot.You thought you were done learning about character development, didn’t you?You’re not! In addition to crafting well-rounded characters, you also have to think about including arcs for them.How to Create a Character ArcAt the very least, your protagonist, or main character, requires an arc for their storyline and journey to be captivating and satisfying for readers.As an example, I’m going to use Harry Potter from that series simply because it’s widely known and his character arc even within the first novel is distinct.Harry Potter starts the novel as an 11-year-old kid suffering from emotionally abusive relatives who care for him due to his parents passing away.But by the end of the movie, Harry has discovered he’s a wizard, learned of his prominence in the wizarding world, and even taken on Voldemort himself (well, sort of).This character arc is distinct in that his mental and emotional journey from start to finish is wildly different. Harry Potter is not the same at the end as he was in the beginning and this remains true throughout each book in the series.When your character comes out at the end of the book as a transformed person in certain senses, it’s a character arc.Above is an examp le of what a character arc looks like on paper and how you can utilize plot elements in order to further your character’s development.Character development questionsIf youre looking for a way to further develop your characters in order to create lifelike and realistic personalities, we have a way to help.Here are 50 character development questions to ask:What is their full name?Why did their parents choose that name?What are their parents like?Do they have siblings?What are their siblings like?Were they bullied by their siblings?What order are they in their family (first born, middle, etc.)?What do they look like (full appearance)?Do they have any quirks or nervous habits?What do they do when they get mad?What do they do when theyre happy?Do they have close friends?What are their friends like?Whats their worst habit?Whats their best habit?Whats their biggest weakness?Whats their biggest strength?What is something they want to improve upon?Whats something they excel in?Did the y go to school or an equivalent?What were they like in school?Do they like to learn?Are they a rebel?Are they an obliger (people-pleaser)?Are they internally motivated?Do they look to others for help in times of stress?What is their stress response?Do they think logically or emotionally to make decisions?Are they able to make decisions clearly when emotional?What are their beliefs on religion?Do they have a strong moral compass?What do they value most in life (money, happiness, etc.?)What is something that would trigger irrational behavior?Are they introverted or extroverted?Are they a troublemaker or do they play by the rules?Whats something that fulfills them?Do they know their lifes purpose?Whos someone causing emotional struggles in their life?Who do they go to when theyre upset?What type of weather do they enjoy most?What are their sleeping habits like?What are their eating habits like?Whats something they could change about their world if they could?Are they someone who speaks up for themselves?Are they a passive person?What are they like at their very worst?What are they like at their very best?What do they envision their life to be 10 years from now?What do they want for their life when theyre old and gray?What does the perfect life look like in their eyes?Your Next Steps But Only if You’re a Serious WriterIt’s time to get serious about your book. If you’re here, it means you want to learn how to write your book to the best of your ability.That’s exactly what we can help with.We put together this FREE training for you to understand what it takes to write and publish a book.Make sure to watch this because you can create incredible characters all you want, but they’ll never see the light of day without publishing.

Retail manaement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Retail manaement - Essay Example The proposed complex will have one department store and 40 other spaces of which many will be for office buildings. The boutique will encounter low competition which is a very positive factor. The Downtown Arcade also has its downside. The developers are placing an 8% corporate tax levy on all sales after $225,000. These types of taxes are common occurrences at malls, but it is a bit high and the $225,000 application tax point is too low. This area has been a business ghost town for over 50 years. There is a lot of uncertainly if the area can be transformed into a high level business activity area. The second potential location is called Tenderloin village. The place is an urban area in which there is business activity. The location has a lot benefits. The space is available for $1250 a month for a 900 square area lot. The contract is a short two year contract which gives the business owner flexibility. There are not extra charges related to large complex buildings. The landlord is a person Stephanie knows and trusts. The location has its disadvantages as well. There are three other small clothing stores in the area, so there is competition. The store is located in the basement of a home, thus the location has visibility issues and limited parking. The levels of walking traffic for this location are possibly low. The third location is called Appletree Mall which is an established mall with 8 years of existence. This location provides benefits for Stephanie’s boutique. The mall has lots of clientele and plenty of visitors. The sales of the mall went up by 12% last year. The space available is larger than the other lots with an overall space of 1200 square feet. The boutique would receive a large amount of walk-by traffic to the store which generates lots of sales. The mall is located just off an interstate highway which brings additional customers which are not necessarily residents of the region. The Appletree Mall also has its

Why is strategy important to business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Why is strategy important to business - Essay Example ment with the knowledge of the way individual activities and organizational personnel are interlinked and connected to obtain the business objectives. The strategy sets the direction for business depending upon the threats and opportunities of the macro environment as well as the micro environment. The needs of a business change in reaction to the changes of the environment. There are numerous entities that bring a change in the environment. Such entities include but are not limited to the competitors, customers, stakeholders, rules, legislations, and political, technological and socioeconomic factors. With an increase in the change of the environment, there occurs an increase in the number of opportunities and threats for the business. Business does not only need to have a strategy in case of a change. Even with a stable environment, the stakeholders’ activities and intentions alter, thus causing a need for the business to review the current events and gauge the efforts to cr eate value for the consumers. The most fundamental element of strategy in the business is planning. Planning is an outcome of estimation. Estimation and assessment form the basic level of the strategic management process. First of all, the manager studies the scope of the product or service in the area that is intended to be produced from the business. Assessment of the buyer behavior aids the development of successful strategy (Pearce, 2008, p. 119). After this, the past, present and future trends in the design are reviewed with an aim to develop an innovative design that provides the customer with a product or service previously unseen or unused. The development of design and the product involve prudent planning and scheduling and usability of the resources. Once the product or service has been developed, no more than 50 per cent of the work is done. The rest of the 50 per cent is about the advertisement of the product or service. This is the most crucial step in the process of strategic

Mandatory Military Service Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Mandatory Military Service - Essay Example The researcher states that then thought of every able bodied person serving in the military elicits mixed reaction in different societies and other quarters, where some are for while others are against it. Engaging in military service for able bodied raises debates world over, which makes it crucial to assess the options between service or lack of it, whether mandatory service is more beneficial as compared to lack thereof. Mandatory military service should be recommended for every nation and state for different reasons that are only for the benefit of its people and the enlisting individuals, as a whole. One of the main reasons is that taking part in military service is an act of loyalty, and the right thing to do for everyone as a citizen. This is a duty in which every citizen should participate rather than wait for other members of the society to step forward risking their lives to protect those of others. This service ensures ignorance is eliminated from all members of society, a s they all know their responsibilities and what the military goes through. This is before they get to criticize the works of the military prior to understanding the implications of handling conflict, both armed and unarmed. In such cases, responsibilities of protecting the nation should be shouldered by all able bodied persons as without the mandatory system, the entire military would be a professional one. This is where the cost becomes overwhelming since the military wants to retain as many personnel as possible, which is not the case with mandatory service. Mandatory service ensures that the military is always ready with personnel and trains reserves since those that leave the military become reservists. These reservists are equipped with skills that benefit all members of the society regardless of conflicts as the same skills can be applied in life situations. Moreover, mandatory military service for every able bodied citizen is crucial to creating a patriotic nation and instill ing a sense of nationhood amongst the people (Imran). Serving in the military serves as an opportunity to inculcate a sense of pride in serving their country thus allowing them to fight for it and guard it under all circumstances. Although there are many other options from which one can choose to instill patriotism, mandatory military service instills pride and should, therefore, be practiced. It is also one of the ways through which one can serve his or her country; before going into the world to serve one’s own needs and interests. As such, it creates a sense of identity with the men and women fighting for the country by connecting with them. This connection is because the citizens know what it takes to be in the military, and how patriotic it is of them to serve in it. Serving in the military, therefore, should be enforced for every able bodied person for a defined period in which one evaluates his or her loyalties. However, mandatory military service should not be practic ed for clearly visible reasons that decapitate the values of the society, any society that is. This is provided the society in question follows a democratic view that should allow its people to make their own choices by joining the military. Furthermore, it ruins the social system by having the military leaders and other leaders with the power to influence the military have their own way. Hence, mandatory military service ensures that there are no reforms in the military, a heavy consequence for the people and the nation as a whole. This is because this service leaves people who are exempt from the service as lesser members of the society as compared to those who are enlisted. Therefore, they are discriminated against and used to achieve the means of recruiting and assigning officers (Connolly). Those that do not enlist in the military are required to serve mandatory community service that involves the providing cheap labor for other members of the society, as is the case of Germany . It is for this reason that every able bodied

Cubism period Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cubism period - Essay Example The ‘three musicians’ by Picasso was made of intensely colored, flat and abstract geometry in a superficial boxlike enclosure. A clarinet player can be seen on the left, a guitar player in the middle and on the right hand side there is a singer with sheets of music in his hands. They are all dressed similarly. Pierrot with a white suit and blue suit, Harlequin in a costume that has diamond patterns, and on the right there is a friar wearing a black robe. At the faà §ade of the Pierrot, there is a table on it a pipe and a number of things too, while under him is a dog whose tail is peeping out at the back of the musician’s legs. All aspects of this painting comprise of flat shapes and geometry. The painting is characterized by the use diverse textures, planes, collage rudiments, papier Mache. It was a pioneer of collage elements to be implemented as key components of a work of art. After World War I, Pablo Picasso painted one of his renowned and popular paintings of all time called â€Å"Bombing of Guernica†. This was a painting to interpret what the war was really like, because it was about how an innocent family was brutally caught in the heart of the war. One could look at this painting and perceive different meanings each time. It was a painting of accepted size on canvas of about eleven feet. This movement appeals because it was a rebellion of the contemporary artistic methods of painting. These contemporary methods followed stiff rules and regulations tying the imaginative nature of an artist.

Case study review Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Case study review - Coursework Example However, one weakness reflected is that of high operating expenses. This is because the revenue is in â€Å"billions† whereby the net profit is only amounting to a few â€Å"millions†, thereby reflecting high expenses. High expenses could lead to operational inefficiency as well as higher prices for customers; therefore, they need to be controlled. On the other hand, the company has the opportunity to grow as it is currently only medium sized. By employing more people and increasing operations it can take advantage of economies of scale and lower prices for customers. Finally, it is likely that the company is facing the threat of high expenses owing to factors beyond its control such as rising labor costs and interest rates. 2. Fitness First Group Ltd Fitness Ltd’s strength lies in its geographic diversification as it is â€Å"international† in nature and has operations in 15 countries. Therefore, it can take advantage of lower costs in other countries as well as reduce legal and regulatory risks by operating in different countries. However, it may potentially possess weakness in the form of mismanagement of multi-cultural international markets. Furthermore, since the company is large in size and scale, HR conflicts and conflict between the strategies for home country versus host country is likely to be inherent. The company faces the opportunity of further expanding its geographic base and expanding into other countries, such as emerging BRIC economies, to take advantage of the rising health issues and increased demand for fitness by consumers in these countries. Furthermore, it can â€Å"go public† rather than remaining a private limited company as doing so will give it access to greater amount of finances and capital to run the business. This is particularly relevant because the company has international operations which may require share capital to sustain them. Finally, the company faces the threat of intense competition owing to its international operations. It is worth noting that the company may have to compete with already established players in countries other than its home country which would entail a potential risk of failing in those countries altogether. Furthermore, customers’ preferences, habits and lifestyle may be different in these countries and this is particularly relevant since the company is offering lifestyle-based service- fitness. 3. Oxford BioMedica plc The company’s strength lies in its association with an already established brand- â€Å"Oxford University† which shall give it enhanced reputation compared to its competitors. However, its weakness is that the company may require greater funds for further research and development as scientific research is typically cost. An amount of ?130mn may, therefore, be insufficient for this purpose. As far as opportunity is concerned, the company may have access to greater funding owing to funds provided by health and scientific organizations that generally have huge budgets for research and development. This funding can be used to develop innovative medicines as is the core mission of the company. However, the threats are also likely to be high owing to the controversy surrounding â€Å"gene-based† medicines. This means that lack of political will and regulatory compliance may delay patent protection which could ultimately put the large