Interagency Prevention and Planning Failures- Hurrican Andrew Research Paper

Interagency Prevention and Planning Failures- Hurrican Andrew - Research Paper Example With each disaster, the US government set up different agencies and bodies to provide help and succor to survivors of the aftermath. The method of providing aid and succor had clear sections of authority and a clear identification of which agency was to do what tasks (Nudell, 1988). Unfortunately, the precision with which these agencies were supposed to work did not happen. These agencies had turned into ‘stove pipes’ and did not cooperate with each other. With very little interagency cooperation, the various federal agencies that were seized with providing help were left powerless and tangled up in bureaucracy and red tape. The result was that thousands of people could not be evacuated to stations built specifically for such tasks. Billions of dollars in funds that were used for infrastructure were wasted (Herman, 2010). This report discusses and focuses on the poor interagency prevention and planning that contributed to the disaster after Hurricane Andrew struck Florida. Morton (2008) has commented on the structure and functioning of the national security and the defense forces that have ambiguous security roles and function and which serve the President of USA. These departments have strong workforce cultures and a deep seated desire to protect their turf and this created stove pies in the departments of national security. These entities tend to work in isolation and prefer to be the bearer of good or bad news. Various departments such as the Office of the Director of National Intelligence - ODNI, Department of Justice - DOJ under various acts ranging from the National Security Act 1947 to the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act, 2004 have never managed to bring the various departments to act in a cooperative manner and where a common culture exists. The various national security acts and state security at the national and state levels are uneven. A critical review of Shelby (2011) shows that at the time when

Hurricane Katrina Essay Example for Free

Hurricane Katrina Essay Whenever natural calamities occur they leave people terrifies, traumatized and to some the shock is just too much too handle. For the people who are not affected by the calamity the least one can do is to offer assistance of any kind to victims of the calamity. It is thus becomes inhuman when a person takes advantage of resources and money reserved for people who have been befallen by a calamity to benefit their self interests. When Hurricane Katrina struck millions of people lost their lives and hundreds of million others were displaced. It has been more than four years since this calamity struck. Despite the many years that have passed the effects of this hurricane is still being felt till today. Amazingly though, while some people are still grieving for the losses suffered from this calamity, some people on the other side have been taking advantage of the money raised and resources put together to help the victims of the storm. This essay looks at some of the scandals that have been unearthed since this hurricane struck (Adam. 2009). When hurricane Katrina struck Americans came out in large numbers to contribute for the victims of this calamity. At least $1. 85 billion was given as charity and this came from contributions of good Samaritans all over America. Months after these contributions were made and passed to the assumingly right channels it is now coming a shock to many a people that the money has in fact never found its way to the right place let alone benefit the victims of hurricane Katrina. There are many scandals surrounding the money that was intended the victims of the storm. Massive rip offs of money that was meant to help the helpless (Hakeem. 2006). One of the major scandals involving the money that was contributed for the survivors of this tragedy is one that involves stealing money from the Red Cross International center that was established shortly after the hurricane struck. This center was established in an attempt to aid victims of the storm by providing them with a form of identification which the victims would then use to claim some money. However this center, though established through a Red Cross initiative the whole process was delegated to another company which was expected to wok out all modalities on behalf of Red Cross. The employees of this agent company however looked at the whole process and found some loopholes through which they could somehow take advantage of this money and channel elsewhere to benefit individuals who had not been affected by hurricane Katrina and consequently living the victims of hurricane Katrina in the cold without money and a place to call home (Hakeem. 2006). Investigations carried out reveal that the employees of this agent company that was carrying out the rescue process on behalf of Red Cross called all their friends and acquaintances and gave them the funds that were originally meant to benefit the victims of the storm. Simply put, the form of identification that was meant to be given to victims of hurricane Katrina were given to people who had not in any way been affected by the storm and consequently these people got money that was meant for these victims. It was outright fraud (Adam. 2009). As investigations continue this issue continues to puzzle and draw more questions than answers. It is not yet clear how this happened without any person noticing it. Or is it that those who were expected to keep an eye and watch are the ones who were busy enriching themselves? How could such a delicate matter be handled so casually? Did Red Cross ever suspect any backstabbing by the companies it had outsourced this work to? According to U. S Attorney McGregor Scott, when the hurricane struck the number of casualties were way to many for this non governmental organization to handle. Thus in the circumstances they were not left with much of a choice but to look for help beyond their boundaries and outsourcing seemed the best of all the available options. Pressure was quickly mounting on Red Cross not to sit on the money that had been raised to help the victims but instead move expeditiously to ensure that the money had been distributed to the victims. As a result of this pressure there was not much time for Red Cross to establish protocols of good faith with the companies that had been given the contacts to give the money to the survivors. This was the biggest loophole (Robert. 2009). It has always been an issue because Americans are complaining of the money that they contributed to help the victims. It is now a big scandal and Red Cross is having trouble going around this whole situation. With the massive suffering that hurricane Katrina caused people are alarmed at these scandals. It is unbelievable just how far the brutality of human beings can go. References Adam. K. (2009). New Orleans, New York: Lonely Planet. Hakeem. et al, (2006). Absurdities, Scandals Stupidities in Politics, New York: Lulu. com. Robert. et al, (2009). Race, Place, and Environmental Justice After Hurricane Katrina: Struggles to Reclaim, Rebuild, and Revitalize New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, New York: Westview Press. .

Work Of Stanley Kubrick Film Studies Essay

Work Of Stanley Kubrick Film Studies Essay Stanley Kubrick became an amateur photographer after getting a camera as a gift. He became an associate photographer at Look Magazine after selling an photograph of a newsstand after Franklin Roosevelt. After several years as an photographer he went into moving pictures, directing and producing his first piece entitled Day of the Flight in 1950. After this he went on to create two more documentaries entitled The Flying Padre and The Seafarers . Then he started doing feature films starting with Fear and Desire, a film that he later sought out all prints of so that no one could watch them. A film is or should be more like music than like fiction. It should be a progression of moods and feelings. The theme, whats behind the emotion, the meaning, all that comes later Stanley Kubrick Some of Stanley Kubricks films use music especially classical to develop an idea. As with Richard Strausss  Also sprach Zarathustra throughout the film 2001: A Space Odyssey. Classical music dominates the film and some argue that the music tells the story not the characters dialogue. The first and last 20 minutes of the film are consumed by classical music. A Clockwork Orange also effectively uses classical music, the film focuses on Alex Delarge, portrayed by Malcolm McDowell, is a deviant who gets conditioned to become a functioning member of society. The government brainwashes Alex with the Ludovico treatment which conditions him to associate horrific crimes with his favorite symphony Beethovens Ninth until the final scene where he discovers he is no longer under the treatments effect. Sometimes Kubrick used music ironically like in A Clockwork Orange Alex sings Singing In the Rain while raping a woman in front of her husband. And  his film Dr. Strangelove ends with  images of nuclear holocaust are accompanied by Vera Lynns version of the WWII song Well Meet Again. The final scene in Full Metal Jacket has the battle hardened Marines singing the theme to The Mickey Mouse Club. One of his signature shots was The Glare a characters emotional breakdown is shown by a close-up shot of the actor with his head tilted slightly down, but with his eyes looking up usually directly into the camera. Kubrick also employed wide angle shots, character tracking shots, zoom shots, and shots down tall parallel walls. Entrapment is a theme of Kubricks films. The characters almost always succumb to their inner demons or assailants. Alex DeLarge is rehabilitated as an ultraviolent thug with the help of the government. Jack Torrance is finally conquered by the overlook hotel. The doomsday device kills everyone. Happy endings are clearly not acceptable in a Kubrickian fable. Visually, the classic corridor shot is the prime indicator of being completely overwhelmed and dwarfed by your surroundings. Its such a striking technique that communicates so much.   Man vs. Technology the ultimate battle is to prove our humanity is superior to machinery. Like with the conflict between HAL 9000 and the scientist.. the Ludivico technique in clockwork is again an effort to dehumanize alex by obliterating his primal rage through a highly scientific and experimental technique. Full Metal Jacket was Kubricks take on the military turning men into killing machines. The sergeant finds Gomer in the bathroom and screams What is your malfunction! as if he were not a human with severe emotional trauma, but a robot. Kubrick  commonly the theme of dehumanization because he was fascinated with the dark side of human nature and not because he thought all humans were basically evil.   Some prime examples of his trend are The Shining, and Full Metal Jacket.   These films explored dark side of the human psyche and the violent nature of human beings. The Shining is about a family that stays at a hotel during the off season to take care of the place.   Jack Nicholson plays the father, Jack.   Staying with Jack at the hotel is his wife and son.   Their son, Danny, has a special psychic abilities which he calls shining.  Ã‚  Jack eventually starts to go insane after spending a few months stuck inside a hotel with his family.   As the film progresses we see Jack continually break down mentally until he finally snaps and tries to kill his family.   The hotel where they stay is haunted and Jack begins to see things and people who arent supposed to be there.   These supernatural entities a re the ones that push Jack over the edge.  Ã‚  He was already disturbed before he saw any ghosts but it was the ghosts that influenced him to kill his family.   The isolation that Jack felt made him paranoid and he believed he had to kill his family because they  were trying to interfere with him and his job as the caretaker of the hotel.  Ã‚  One camera shot in particular displayed Jacks descent into madness.   It is the glare shot which is a common shot in Kubrick films which tend to show a characters emotional meltdown by showing a close up of the actor with their head tilted down slightly and their eyes looking up straight into the camera.   In the Shining, the glare shot occurs when Jack is staring out a window and viewing a snow covered ground.   The camera slowly zooms in on Jack who has demented look on his face. In the first half of Full Metal Jacket, the sergeant, played by R. Lee Ermey, is brutal to the trainees.  One trainee in particular gets the brunt of the drill sergeants punishments.   Nicked named Private Gomer Pyle, who is played by Vincent DOnofrio, is overweight and slow which makes him a target of the drill  instructor.   The whole point of the drill  instructor is to make the trainees capable of killing.  Ã‚  The drill instructor pushes Pyle so hard that Pyle begins to go insane and eventually he shoots the drill  instructor and then  puts the gun to his head.   The film shows how Private Pyle is systematically conditioned to become a killer.   He loses the innocence that he had before arrived at training camp  and becomes a psychotic killer who kills himself. The second half of the film jumps abruptly to Vietnam, following Joker played by Matthew Modinet. The film climaxes in a battle between Jokers platoon and a sniper hiding in the rubble, who is reveal ed to be a young girl. She almost kills Joker until his reporter partner shoots and severely injures her. Joker then kills her to put her out of her misery. This film was seen by some as a sad example of dehumanization in film. Many of Stanley Kubricks films were nominated for Academy Awards in various categories, including Best Picture for  Dr. Strangelove,  A Clockwork Orange, and  Barry Lyndon, and Best Director for  2001: A Space Odyssey,  Dr. Strangelove,  A Clockwork Orange, and  Barry Lyndon (seven overall nominations), and 2001: A Space Odyssey  received numerous technical awards. He would be the first director to use the now oft used Steadicam .He would endlessly researching his topics, and going on to produce documentary style films that were shockingly real and acknowledged by the people who were there, especially with Full Metal Jacket, in which Lee Armey a distinguished military veteran served as technical advisor. Kubrick was notorious for his attention to detail. Reportedly, when working on The Shining he would sometimes film a scene a hundred times. His desire for perfection lead to the delay of some films and others were never made. Like the Napoleon film or the delays in filming Full Metal Jacket. The only film that Kubrick didnt have full auteur control over was Spartacus Kubrick , Stanley Full Metal Jacket , 1987 , Warner Bros. Pictures à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. 2001 A Space Odyessey 1968, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ The Shining, 1980, Warner Bros. Pictures à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ A Clockwork Orange, 1972 Warner Bros. Pictures à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Dr. Strangelove, 1965 Columbia Pictures à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. Barry Lyndon 1975, Warner Bros. Pictures Ronson, Jon Stanley Kubricks Boxes, 2008 , World of Wonder Pipolo, Tony. The Modernist the Misanthrope: The Cinema of Stanley Kubrick..  Cineaste  Spring 2002: 4-49. Patterson, David W.. American Music, Fall2004, Vol. 22 Issue 3, p444-474 Ronson, Jon. The Guardian Newspaper Saturday 27 March 2004 Perel, Zivah. Literature Film Quarterly, 2008, Vol. 36 Issue 3, p223-232 Galenson, David W.; Kotin, Joshua. Historical Methods, Winter2010, Vol. 43 Issue 1, p29-44

Strategic management and organisational change

Strategic management and organisational change Introduction IMAX operated at three different industries, and it had done successful in some part of its business, while there were also some weakness for its development. This assignment is going to assess the current situation of IMAX, including analysing the nature and source of its competitive advantage, its sustainable competitive advantage, and future development. The first section will seek to present the nature and source of IMAX s competitive advantage by using appropriate strategy, and the next section will introduce its sustainable competitive advantage. In the final section, some key issues of IMAX s future development will be discussed, and some recommendations will be given as well, which may help IMAX to grow its business in the near future. The Nature And Source Of IMAX s Competitive Advantages Selecting Appropriate Theoretical Frameworks To begin with, there are two primary issues to be discussed. First one is which level of strategy should be used in this case. Basically, a company has two levels of strategies, which are business level strategy and corporate level strategy. Business level strategy concerns how to create competitive advantage in each of the business in which a company competes, whilst corporate level strategy concerns what business the corporation should in and how the corporate office should manage the array of business units. The main difference between these two is that corporate level strategy is what makes the corporate whole add up to more than the sum of its business units (Porter, 1996). IMAX has three different business units, therefore, it could be easily considered that the case more concerns with corporate level strategy. The next issue to be considered is which strategy should be selected to analyse the case based on corporate level strategy. There are two strategies which can be selected, the RBV (resource-based view) and the Positioning School. The RBV is more emphasis on the resources and capabilities controlled by a company as sources of competitive advantage, while the Positioning School is more focus on externally orientated and market driven (Barney, 2008). This case mentions a little about IMAX s market driven, thus there is not enough evidence to use the positioning school strategy for analysing its competitive advantage. In contrast, the case introduce IMAX s hardware, software, financial power, technologies and other special sources, which are helpful for using the RBV to analyse IMAX s competitive advantage. The Nature And Source Of Competitive Advantages Competitive advantage emerges from distinctive resources or capabilities that firms control, that is, something that firms do particularly well in comparison with their competitors (Peteraf, 1993). IMAX has its technology resource, brand image and organizational resource better than other film companies, which can conclude its core competence, therefore it is easy to get IMAX s competitive advantages from its core competence. Technology Resource IMAX has the technological capability to do RD on both hardware and software rather than its competitors in the film industry, thereby its technological capability can be regarded as its core competence. IMAX was founded as the only company in the world that was involved in all aspects of large format films, and its unique technological capability can lead to its first-mover advantage. It used its technique know-how to produce projectors with special features, to design large format films, to develop lightweight 3D camera and 3D directional sound technology, etc, and all the unique technology differentiate IMAX from other conventional movie technologies. IMAX could make its audiences enjoy its special IMAX experience which can not be replicated through DVDs or in conventional theatres, because of the unprecedented shock of the visual and auditory. Its advanced technology held 46 patents and had 7 patents pending in the U.S., also its technological prowess was the 1997 Oscar Award which received for Scientific and Technical Achievement. As the first-mover advantage, IMAX achieved the most advanced level of film technology, which can be considered as the competitive advantage so that I MAX can attract more audiences to have different experiences from conventional movies, to keep its market presence. IMAX kept innovation on its technology in order to maintain its growth. IMAX spent almost five per cent of its sales revenue on RD in 2007, and about $12.6 million in RD was spent in the last three years. MPX technology was developed to allow IMAX and theatre-owners to convert existing multiplexes screens to IMAX format, and a patented digital re-mastering (DMR) technology was designed to convert traditional 35 mm films into the large-screen format and even develop 3D versions. Those two technologies could help IMAX to launch more IMAX films, to expand the core audience and to make the box office revenue. Besides this, IMAX had solved the teething problems with DMR technology and the costs of conversion of Hollywood movies into IMAX format had come down. As a result, they led IMAX to have cost advantage. Brand Image IMAX had the capability to use its band image, which could be considered as its core competence and add more economic value to its corporation, and as a result, it could lead to brand effect within the film industry. Since the first multi-screen theater system launched in 1967 and the first IMAX film premiered in 1970, as the first-mover advantage, IMAX had made a good reputation and also had its loyal audience base. Moreover, choosing prestigious venues to locate IMAX had created a unique brand image, which would result in its brand effect within the industry. Organisational Resource Lado and Wilson (1994) proposed a widely accepted definition of organisational capabilities: managerial, input-based, transformational, output-based. IMAX used its unique organisational resorces to achieve the operational process effectively. IMAX maintained long-term relationships with the vendors who supplied the components, produced movies and systems, and then distributed them to the theaters. IMAX also had its wholly-owned subsidiary, in which IMAX had 51 per cent ownership, and its subsidiary could help IMAX perform the post-production work. The talent organizational capability which was well used in the organization made its production, post-production, distribution link well and led to its operation efficiency. IMAX s Sustainable Competitive Advantage s Sources There is competition from Pixar/Disney which have the same target customers with IMAX, the only rival within the large format film segment, and the potential new independent firms to enter the industry with the increasingly development of new technology. On the other hand, many alternative sources of entertainment such as live plays, TV programs, the Internet, sport events attract viewers as well. Therefore, there is no doubt that IMAX has increasingly pressure come from the competitors within the industry. The resource-based view (RBV) of the firm holds that certain assets with certain characteristics will lead to sustainable competitive advantage (Black, 1994). The sources of IMAX s competitive advantages are going to analysed using the VRIO framework, sequentially to evaluate which one is sustainable. VRIO Analysis It is necessary to make the assumption that the firm resources may be heterogeneous and immobile in order to know the sources of sustainable competitive advantage, and a firm source must have four attributes to hold the potential of sustained competitive advantages, that the firm source must be valuable, rare, imperfectly imitable and substitutable (Barney, 1991). Appendix shows whether IMAX s competitive advantages sources are sustainable using the VRIO framework. The sources of competitive advantages of IMAX could add value. Economic value could be added to a corporation through either increasing its total revenue, or lowering its costs. Innovating through its high level of technology resource allowed the conversion costs down and saved the costs, and developing MPX technology and DMR technology would expand the core audience and increase the box office revenue, both of them added more economic value to IMAX.. Most sources of the competitive advantages of IMAX were rare in the film industry. IMAX mastered a high level of technology resources in the film industry, and it only had one rival within the large format film segment. Besides, IMAX hold its unqiue brand image and also operated at a unique business model by using its organisational resources, which was also rare in the film industry. The particular capabilities were not controlled by numerous competitors, therefore IMAX s competitive advantages were likely to be rare. â€Å"Competitive advantage is more likely to be created and sustained if the organisation has distinctive or unique capabilities that competitors cannot imitate.†( Johnson, 2005) Most resources of IMAX s competitive advantages are difficult for its competitors to imitate. The conversion technology such as MPX technology and DMR technology and its designed projectors are hard for competitors to copy, because IMAX invested a large amount of money and time and also hire the talent employee on RD, innovation, marketing, which would be considered as sunk costs within the film industry. Besides this, IMAX technology held 46 patents and had 7 patents pending in the U.S., therefore IMAX s high level of technological breakthroughs which were carefully patented could be considered the unique capability in the film industry. In addition, IMAX made a good reputation and had its loyal audience base through the years, therefore it had its own brand image, which could make barriers for entr ants to copy. The competitive advantages of IMAX were explored by organisation. IMAX had fully explored and used of its technology resources, organisational resources and unique brand image, then organised and took full advantages of its sources and capabilities. Given the VRIO framework analysis, it is not difficult to conclude that most sources of IMAX s competitive advantages are sustainable, as they are based on the core competences of IMAX. Recommendations For IMAX s Future Development As the competitors are increasingly strong and the movie technology and film industry are changing everyday, IMAX may face some unprecedented challenges in the future. Based on the RBV and VRIO analysis, IMAX should sustain its competitive advantages and also gain some new competitive advantages to respond in the future. Two Larger Issues To Be Discussed IMAX faced two critical issues, which were whether or not to exhibit too many Hollywood movies, and whether or not sold itself to a larger studio such as Sony, Disney or Time-Warner. The two problems will be addressed firstly, and then some certain recommendations will be provided. Traditional IMAX films were often educational and entertaining, and involved documentaries of natural and scientific wonders which were mostly located in museums, aquariums, zoos and other institutions, and IMAX had engaged in alliances with commercial movie theatre owners. However, IMAX could not escape the crisis that hit the theatre industry in the late 1990s, and it began to have financial problems. IMAX had long-term debt through the years, and both its net income and cash flows were negative in 2006 and 2007. In order to solve the financial problem and survive in the future, IMAX has to change its strategy to maintain its growth. At that time, acquisition by a larger studio such as Sony, Disney or Time-Warner is a good idea and developing trend for IMAX in the future. Two firms which both had trustworthy brand effect combined will be greater than their economic value as separate entities. Through acquisition, large studio can not only address IMAX s financial problem and help IMAX to pay off its debt, but also can get more economic returns and add more value through IMAX. Besides, IMAX can ensure its survival and make more business opportunities in the future. After acquisition, the studio can install more IMAX digital theatres systems, and invested more money on marketing, to attract more audiences to watch its IMAX films and increase its box office revenue. Furthermore, the studio can convert its own films into IMAX large format films with lower costs or create new films combined with both studio and IMAX s brand, hence it will expand their core audience, therefore it will create more economic value to both studio and IMAX. On the other hand, to solve the same problem facing to IMAX, exhibiting Hollywood movies is a good idea for IMAX to increase its box office revenue. IMAX can sustain its competitive advantages, use its strong RD team developing DMR technology that allows converting traditional 35 mm films into the large-screen format Hollywood films. It keeps innovation and worked out the teething problems, as a result the costs of conversion had come down, consequently more IMAX screens will be open to launch Hollywood films. The IMAX strategy of moving into Hollywood films will increase its box office revenue and expand the core audience. IMAX can continue making educational films for families, students and tourists, while Hollywood films can also be launched during the evening. This will not make IMAX lose its differentiation, in contrast, it will create more IMAX s brand effect, because most of which come from the entertainment experiences. Other Recommendations Compete Among Rivals Some studios such as Pixar/Disney produced the films for the same targeted group, and within the large format film segment, IMAX faced only rival Iwerks, which was merged with SimEx, a ride simulation and animation production company. One possible solution to compete this rival is that IMAX is acquired by a larger studio, therefore overcomes its financial problems and also has the equivalent strengths to compete with it. There was also another film, Pollavison, which was engaged in consulting services for large format film theatres. IMAX could develop its technology and hold its core innovation capability to keep its leadership. Technology Development â€Å"Edutainment† Market Internationalisation Although IMAX did have marketing staff at its office in Canada, the United States, Europe, Japan and China to market its theatre systems and IMAX movies were showed in 40 countries, almost 60 per cent of the theatres were in North America. The film industry is now increasingly becoming international, and Asia-Pacific market is becoming the largest part of the global market, therefore IMAX can expand its market internationally and attract more international audiences instead of American audiences. IMAX can install a large number of its theatre systems annually across different countries especially Asia-Pacific market, and also market and advertise its film to help maximise its theatre attendance and increase its box office revenue. Conclusion Based on the RBV, it is clear that IMAX has its high technology, unique organizational methods and human resource better than other film companies, which can be treated as its competitive advantages. Using the RVIO model, it is not difficult to conclude that most of its competitive advantages are sustainable. However, as the movie technology and film industry are developing everyday, IMAX may face some unprecedented challenges. Therefore, IMAX should develop its sustainable competitive advantages and also †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ to address the problems in the future. References Peteraf, M.A. (1993) ‘The Cornerstone of the Competitive Advantage: A Resource-based View, Strategic Management Journal, 14: 179-91. Porter, M. (1996). From competitive advantage to corporate strategy. In M. Goold K. Luchs. Managing the multibusiness company: strategic issues for diversified groups, Lado, A. and Wilson, M. (1994) ‘Human Resource System and Sustained Competitive Advantage: Competency-based Perspective, Academy of Management Review, 19: 699-727. Black, J. A. Strategic resources: traits, configurations and paths to sustainable competitive advantage. Strategic Management Journal 15(1994):131. Barney, J. B. 1991. Firm resources and sustainable competitive advantage. Journal of Management 17 (1): 99.

The Role of the Watch in William Faulkners A Rose for Emily Essay

The Role of the Watch in William Faulkner's A Rose for Emily Even the casual reader of William Faulkner will recognize the element of time as a crucial one in much of the writer's work, and the critical attention given to the subject of time in Faulkner most certainly fills many pages of criticism. A goodly number of those pages of criticism deal with the well-known short story, "A Rose for Emily." Several scholars, most notably Paul McGlynn, have worked to untangle the confusing chronology of this work (461-62). Others have given a variety of symbolic and psychological reasons for Emily Grierson's inability (or refusal) to acknowledge the passage of time. Yet in all of this careful literary analysis, no one has discussed one troubling and therefore highly significant detail. When we first meet Miss Emily, she carries in a pocket somewhere within her clothing an "invisible watch ticking at the end of [a] gold chain" (Faulkner 121). What would a woman like Emily Grierson, who seems to us fixed in the past and oblivious to any passing of time, n eed with a watch? An awareness of the significance of this watch, however, is crucial for a clear understanding of Miss Emily herself. The watch's placement in her pocket, its unusually loud ticking, and the chain to which it is attached illustrate both her attempts to control the passage of the years and the consequences of such an ultimately futile effort. The idiom of having something or someone "in one's pocket," that is, under one's personal control, is important here, for by wearing the watch in her pocket rather than, say, pinned to her bodice, Emily demonstrates her effort to subjugat e the clock to her own will. In staring down the aldermen who have come about the taxes, ... ...for what is new to us, we soon learn, is not new to Miss Emily. Repeatedly, she has attempted to control time, to fix people and events in the past, and the stru cture of the story mirrors this. Also, since the story begins and ends, more or less, with Emily's funeral (the events of her life being presented to us in a series of flashbacks), very little actual time passes in the course of the narrativ e. By telling her story after her death, Faulkner shows that, in the only way possible, time now stands still for her. Thus this one small detail, the hidden yet constantly ticking watch, becomes a symbol for the horror and futility that are Emily Grierson. WORKS CITED Faulkner, William. "A Rose for Emily." Collected Stories. New York: Vintage, 1977. 119-30. McGlynn, Paul. "The Chronology of `A Rose for Emily.'" Studies in Short Fiction, 6 (1969): 461-62.

Coppolas Interpretation of Dracula as a Love Story Essay -- Movie Fil

Coppola's Interpretation of Dracula as a Love Story      Ã‚  Ã‚   The protagonist and story of Bram Stoker's novel Dracula have been widely interpreted and adapted in films throughout many years. Despite almost a century of time since the initial publication, Dracula has maintained its ability to frighten and mesmerize readers. Francis Ford Coppola's Bram Stoker's Dracula; however, utilizes the erotic romance of the original novel in order to depict a tragic love story. The film accurately follows the general plot of the novel, yet presents the characters in a unique manner that provides for a different appreciation of the characters.    Francis Ford Coppola's adaptation of Stoker's novel begins with the presentation of how Dracula became an immortal creature doomed to thirst for the blood of living animals. This story is essential to the interpretation of Dracula in Coppola's film. Dracula was a knight in the sacred army of the church, who left his wife in order fight against an invading Turkish army. He was successful in preventing the invasion of the Turks, yet they retaliated by sending his wife, Elizobeta, a letter that falsely reported his death in the battle. Upon hearing this tragic news, Elizobeta committed suicide by jumping into a river. When Dracula returns from the battle he discovers that his beloved wife is dead, and when the church tells him that her soul cannot be saved because she had taken her own life, he turns against the church and renounces God for betraying him. Dracula strikes the stone crucifix behind the altar in the church, which causes blood to gush from the stone. Dracula drinks the bloo d and vows to oppose God for eternity, whereby causing himself to become eternally damned as a vampire. The mos... ...by comparing Bram Stoker's original novel, Dracula, to the film adaptation by director Francis Ford Coppola, the main theme of the movie is discovered to be that Dracula sacrificed himself for his true love. James Craig Holte agrees in his statement that parallels the conclusion of this paper "In Coppola's vampire world, the world of contemporary gothic fiction and film, the moral universe has changed: good and evil are no longer opposites, and actions no longer expected consequences, since love conquers all" (Holte 87).    Works Cited Holte, James Craig. Dracula in the Dark: The Dracula Film Adaptations. Westport: Greenwood Press, 1997. Stoker, Bram. Dracula. New York: Signet, 1992. Bram Stoker's Dracula. Screenplay by James V. Hart. Dir. Francis Ford Coppola. Perf. Gary Oldman, Winona Ryder, Anthony Hopkin, Keanu Reeves. Columbia Tristar, 1992.

Gene Therapy Essay -- Biology Science Genetics Technology Essays

Gene Therapy Imagine yourself being a parent of a young child suffering from a horrible disease in which you now know to be genetically inherited. This disease is caused from the genes that you and your partner passed on to your child. Now lets say, you can treat this disease or may even be able to cure your child of this disease by altering, modifying, or replacing the genes that cause this disease through a process called gene therapy. Would you do it? I think most of us would answer yes. The option of being able to help our child several years ago may not have seemed possible. Genetic research has made giant leaps over the past decade and now the idea of gene therapy is reality. Through gene therapy it is possible to treat and elevate genetic diseases and mutations. We now have the knowledge and the technology to treat ourselves , our children, and the future generations. In order to make an educated decision, one must be aware of gene therapy itself. When making such a decision of whether to use gene therapy or not it would be beneficial to understand the technical aspects of gene therapy. It is also important to understand how gene therapy treats an individual, what it can be used to treat, and the previous trials and successes of the use of gene therapy. Or a person may find it worthwhile to know how the public perceives gene therapy and the overall consensus on its usage. After obtaining all of this knowledge, the decision of whether or not to use gene therapy should be able to be made confidently. Gene Therapy and the Technical Aspects Gene therapy is a means of treating diseases based on modifying the expression of a person's genes towards the therapeutic goal. Gene therapy could be used in treating letha... ... and thus will make the difference in life and death of our loved ones and ourselves. References Biotech Applied. Gene Therapy- An Overview. Biotechnology Industry Organization, 1990. Obtained from the WWW 9/3/98: http://www.gene. com/AE/AB/IWT/Gene_Therapy_Overview.html Bruce, Donald M.. Moral and Ethical Issues in Gene Therapy. Society, Religion and Technology Project(Church of Scotland), 1996. Obtained from the WWW 9/18/98: http://webzone1.co.uk/w ww/srtproject/genthpy1.htm Grace, Eric S.. Better Health Through Gene Therapy. The Futurist Jan- Feb 1998, v32, n1, p39(4). Obtained through Pals. Rifkin, Jeremy. The Ultimate Therapy. Tikkun May-June 1998, v1, n3, p33(7) Obtained from WebPals on 10/6/98. Wilson, Jim. Institute for Human Gene Therapy. Last modified: 10/20/97.Obtained form the WWW 9/3/98:http://www.med.upenn.edu /ihgt/info/whatisgt.html