Raisin in the Sun Essay A Dream Deferred - 1327 Words

Dream Deferred in A Raisin in the Sun What happens to a dream deferred? (l. 1) Langston Hughes asks in his 1959 poem Dream Deferred. He suggests that it might dry up like a raisin in the sun (ll. 2-3) or stink like rotten meat (l. 6); however, at the end of the poem, Hughes offers another alternative by asking, Or does it explode? (l. 11). This is the view Lorraine Hansberry supports in her 1959 play A Raisin in the Sun. The drama opens with Walter reading, Set off another bomb yesterday (1831), from the front page of the morning newspaper; however, he is unaware that bombs will soon detonate inside his own house. These bombs are explosions of emotion caused by frustration among members of Walters family who are†¦show more content†¦I drive a man around in his limousine and I say, Yes, sir; no, sir; very good, sir; shall I take the Drive, sir? Mama, that aint no kind of job . . . that aint nothing at all (1855). Once the check arrives, Walter can think only of investing the money, which to him is life (1856); co nsequently, he does not give Ruth a chance to tell him she is pregnant and has decided to abort their baby. Mama interrupts Walter to encourage him to listen to his wife; however, this causes a detonation of Walters anger when he yells, WILL SOMEBODY PLEASE LISTEN TO ME TODAY! (1854). Ruth has made a habit out of not listening to Walter: rather than exploding in a fit of rage, the timid Ruth releases her frustration by nagging and ignoring her husband, but at times she explodes with joy. Ruth is tired and worn out like her house in the ghetto, and nagging Walter has become part of her daily routine; for instance, each morning Ruth complains, Why you always got to smoke before you eat in the morning? (1832). When Walter says he wants his eggs Not scrambled (1831), Ruth ignores him and automatically begins to scramble his eggs. She gives similar treatment to Walters sister: Ruth pesters Beneatha about cleaning her room and makes fun of her experimentation with different forms of expression (1843) by reminding Beneatha of her fifty-five-dollar riding habit thats been hanging in the closet (1842). Because she is afraid ofShow MoreRelatedA Raisin In The Sun: A Dream Deferred Essay1609 Words   |  7 Pages â€Å"What happens to a dream deferred?† (Hughes l . 1) Langston Hughes asks in his 1959 poem â€Å"Dream Deferred.† He suggests that it might â€Å"dry up like a raisin in the sun† (Hughes ll. 2-3) or â€Å"stink like rotten meat† (Hughes l. 6); however, at the end of the poem, Hughes offers another alternative by asking, â€Å"Or does it explode?† (Hughes l. 11) This is the view Lorraine Hansberry supports in her 1959 play A Raisin in the Sun, in witch she examines an African-American’s family’s struggle to breakRead MoreEssay on Dream Deferred in A Raisin in the Sun1050 Words   |  5 PagesWhat Happens to a Dream Deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? Or fester like a sore– And then run? (Langston Hughes). It is important to never lose sight of one’s dream. Dreams are what keep people moving in life, but if they are ignored, they may morph and lose their prevailing form. This is evident in Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun, as Walter’s, Beneatha’s, and Mama’s dreams become delayed, distorted, and blurred. Walter has long dreamed of making his family’sRead More A Raisin in the Sun Essay: Importance of Deferred Dreams734 Words   |  3 PagesImportance of Deferred Dreams in A Raisin in the Sun      Ã‚   A dream is a hope, a wish, and an aspiration. Young people have dreams about what they want to be when they grow up. Parents have dreams for their childrens future. Not all of these dreams come true at the desired moment - these dreams are postponed or deferred. A deferred dream is put on the back burner of life(Jemie 219), and it matures to its full potential, and is waiting when you are ready to pursue it(Jemie 219). It isRead MoreEssay on Dreams Deferred in Lorraine Hansberrys A Raisin in the Sun915 Words   |  4 Pages  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Lorraine Hansberry, the author of A Raisin in the Sun, supports the theme of her play from a montage of, A Dream Deferred, by Langston Hughes. Hughes asks, â€Å"What happens to a dream deferred?† He suggests many alternatives to answering the question. That it might â€Å"dry up like a raisin in the sun,† or â€Å"fester like a sore.† Yet the play maybe more closely related to Hughes final question of the poem, à ¢â‚¬Å"Or does it explode?† The play is full of bombs that are explosions of emotion set off by the frustrationRead MoreAnalysis Of A Raisin In The Sun1185 Words   |  5 PagesWilliams-Smart English 1B Professor Quinn Final Essay The epigraph to A Raisin in the Sun is Langston Hughes poem called A Dream Deferred which was written as an example of life in harlem. The lines are a introduction to the white societys actions to take away equal opportunity from black citizens. Hughes main point is that there could be consequences when peoples frustrations build up or accumulate to the point where they have to either surrender their dreams or allow strenuous circumstances toRead More Power of Langston Hughes Harlem (A Dream Deferred) Essay674 Words   |  3 PagesPower of Langston Hughes Harlem (A Dream Deferred) In our journey through life, we all have certain expectations of how we would like our lives to be. All of us strive to reach a certain level of self-actulization and acceptance. It could thus be said that all of us live a dream. Some of these individual dreams inevitably become the collective dream of many people. In Harlem (A Dream Deferred), Langston Hughes makes use of symbolism as well as powerful sensory imagery to show us the emotionsRead More A Comparison of the Dream Deferred in A Raisin in the Sun and Harlem1407 Words   |  6 PagesA Dream Deferred in A Raisin in the Sun and Harlem In Lorraine Hansberrys play A Raisin in the Sun, the author reveals a hard-working, honest African-American family struggling to make their dreams come true. Langston Hughes poem, Harlem, illustrates what could happen if those dreams never came to fruition. Together, both Hansberry and Hughes show the effects on human beings when a long-awaited dream is thwarted by economic and social hardships. Each of the characters in A RaisinRead MoreThe American Nightmare: Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun1011 Words   |  5 PagesIn Lorraine Hansberry’s â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun†, she uses the African American Younger family as a representation of the entire race’s struggle for the American Dream. America has always had slogans such as â€Å"the land of the free† and â€Å"liberty and justice for all†. The Younger family is finding out, like generations before them, the American Dream isn’t at all what it seems if you’re black. The family eagerly awaits the insurance check from the death of their father, while living a life of constantRead MoreThe Dream Deferred By Langston Hughes1020 Words   |  5 Pages â€Å"Dream Deferred,† is a poem written by Langston Hughes discussing what may become of a dream that is put off, delayed, or postponed by external influences. Throughout the poem, Hughes uses questions about concrete things in everyday life and compares them to the ignored dreams. Langston Hughes isn’t referring to the dreams we have when we go to sleep at night, he’s referring to an aspiration or a desire. â€Å"Does it dry up Like a raisin in the sun?† (Hughes 970) The vision of his dream is vanishingRead MoreA Dream Deferred - a Literary Comparison1878 Words   |  8 PagesThe Dream Deferred – A Comparison Kristy Andrews Axia College of University of Phoenix In Lorraine Hansberrys play A Raisin in the Sun, the author reveals a hard-working, honest African-American family struggling to make their dreams come true. Langston Hughes poem, Harlem, illustrates what could happen if those dreams never came to fruition. Together, both Hansberry and Hughes show the effects on human beings when a long-awaited dream is thwarted by economic and social hardships. Each of

Analysis of A People’s History of the United States by...

This book has proven to be an enlightening read. It both teaches and inspires. Howard Zinn has offered us a perspective of the real story of American history heretofore unavailable to us – history from the perspective of real people – immigrant laborers, American women, the working poor, factory workers, African and Native Americans. A Peoples History of the United States, originally published in 1980, as a work of non-fiction by the political scientist and American historian, Howard Zinn. Zinn seeks to show us American history through the eyes of common, everyday people rather the views of biased historians. A Peoples History is included in high school and college curriculum across the United States and is a favorite of American†¦show more content†¦The explorers were men, the landholders and merchants, the political leader’s men, the military figures men. The very invisibility of women, the overlooking of women, is a sign of their submerged status.† In Chapter 6 of his book, Zinn casts his view onto the new United States embroiled in facing the changing role of women. While women of the outer classes - blacks, Indians and immigrants - most directly faced oppression, women of the moneyed and upper classes also began to organize for political rights. Zinn goes on to look at the post-Reconstruction period utilizing letters and journals of those who lived through this time. The issue of black civil rights, abandoned by the North, left the southern states free to establish racial segregation without social resistance. This policy would continue the legacy of racial discrimination in the South for nearly another century. Terror groups such as the Ku Klux Klan formed to enforce segregation. In looking at more contemporary issues, Zinn utilizes interview records and other hard documentation to show us the real stories. For example, the government moved slowly to end segregation, fearful of a change of the face of American power. We see how two of America’s favorite presidents, Eisenhower and Kennedy, did little to change the system during their administrations. Lyndon Johnson pushed for passage of the Civil Rights Bill of 1964. This was viewedShow MoreRelatedThe Patriot s History Of The United States1589 Words   |  7 PagesAfter the Civil War, the United State began to experience an industrial growth that was unparalleled to any nation. There were new advancements among America’s transportation, manufacturing and agriculture industries. While an economic growth was occurring in the nation, the national government was inactive, almost forgotten between all the new innovations achieved during the late 19th century. Looking back at the Industrial Revolutio n, there are many perspectives of the events that occurred duringRead MoreHistorical Contridictions in Slavery1494 Words   |  6 PagesThe history of American Slavery has been recounted by many scholars, taking into account different perspectives. During the 1850’s an abolitionist movement began, gaining momentum to pass anti-slavery legislation. Slave owners concerned about the growing movement, decided to take the matter into their own hands and fight for their property rights. Now as historians look back and analyse slavery, many different ideologies are constituted. While the depiction of philosophy in history is a way to analyzingRead MoreThe Other Civil War of a Peoples History of The United States1454 Words   |  6 PagesIn chapter â€Å"The Other Civil War† of A People’s History of the United States, Howard Zinn described the underlying class tensions caused by industrialization during the nineteenth century. He claimed that these tensions would have led to radical labor reforms if the working class’s anger had not been directed towards other issues. Zinn used The Age of Enterprise by Thomas C. Cochran and William Miller to show the upper class’s indifference towards the problems of the lower class and to prove thatRead MoreThe American Revolution : A Heroic School By Robert Brown1201 Words   |  5 PagesThe American Revolution was a war that happened between 1775-1783 where the 13 colonies in America gained independence from Great Britain and became the United States of America. Over time there have been several different historical interpretations about the causes of the American Revolution. Many of these interpretations lack evidence or provide a very one sided claim. The best explanation for the causes of the American Revolution out of the 5 passages provided is â€Å"A Democratic Movement† writtenRead MoreAnalysis Of Howard Zinn s Indians History Of The Us And Larry Schweikart s, Patriots1516 Words   |  7 PagesHistory 2112 Critical Analysis Paper #1 Dr. Pitts James Hamby Monday-Wednesday 8:30pm Patriot’s vs. People’s Howard Zinn’s, Peoples’ History of the US and Larry Schweikart’s, Patriots’ History of the US are two analytical views on history that most people would consider politically conflicting. Zinn’s Marxist book was widely praised by liberal activist and Schweikart’s book is greatly publicized by conservatives like Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck. These two widely known historians turned theirRead MoreA Peoples History of the United States vs the Enduring Vision.1917 Words   |  8 PagesUS History I A People’s History of the United States Vs. The Enduring Vision How complete are our textbooks these days? Yes, they may cover Christopher Columbus’s all the way to today’s current events. But just how complete are they? Often books tend to lean a certain direction, and offer perspective from only one point of view; most commonly the views of the victors, dominant country or possibly stories of heroes. What about the other side? Far too often the lesser of the two is left out ofRead MoreAnalysis Of Paul Johnson And Howard Zinn829 Words   |  4 PagesIn unit 2, unity and division is the major topic of discussion. Through the readings of Paul Johnson (A History of the American People) and Howard Zinn’s (A Peoples History of the United States), major themes were studies. In this paper, two of these themes will be applied; politics and government and inequality. An analysis of the works by these two authors has been made, in a bid to bring out the differences in the information they present. Through the identification and discussion of these differencesRead MoreA People s History Of The Us1758 Words   |  8 Pageslearned that investigating the past, through the histories that many historians have written and left us as a legacy, is where we can find the causes of many events that occur in our present. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the different perspectives on Christopher Columbus of historian Howard Zinn, as well as the impacts created by the arrival of Columbus to â€Å"The New World† in the history of the United States. Zinn’s book, A People’s History of the US, reveals to us the truth about ColumbusRead MoreThe European Domination Of Native Americans3308 Words   |  14 Pages Many prominent historians argue a clash between culture and religious philosophy was the primary cause of conflict between European settlers in North America and Native Americans. However, a closer analysis of American history suggests otherwise. While a clash in cultures and religious differences did exist, the European domination of Native Americans was primarily fueled by European economic motivations, a desire for valuable natural resources and a craving to expand the American colonial systemRead MoreA View from the Bridge: Story of a Brooklyn Longshoreman6101 Words   |  25 Pagesan act of generosity – as in Cuba† (Zinn 301). The Spanish-American War was sold to the people as liberating Cuban rebels fighting for their freedom from Spanish conquerors. Ultimately, the U.S. became the conquerors - economic conquerors in Cuba, and outright annexations of Puerto Rico, the Hawaiian Islands, Guam and the Philippines. A highly effective formula had been developed. Distrac t the labor unions and slow the social movements by appealing to the people’s sense of solidarity with the Cuban

The Vampire Diaries The Awakening Chapter Four Free Essays

string(34) " smile that crinkled up his eyes\." By the time Elena reached her locker, the numbness was wearing off and the lump in her throat was trying to dissolve into tears. But she wouldn’t cry at school, she told herself, shewouldn’t . After closing her locker, she made for the main exit. We will write a custom essay sample on The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening Chapter Four or any similar topic only for you Order Now For the second day in a row, she was coming home from school right after the last bell, and alone. Aunt Judith wouldn’t be able to cope. But when Elena reached her house, Aunt Judith’s car was not in the driveway; she and Margaret must have gone out to the market. The house was still and peaceful as Elena let herself in. She was glad for that stillness; she wanted to be alone right now. But, on the other hand, she didn’t exactly know what to do with herself. Now that she finallycould cry, she found that tears wouldn’t come. She let her backpack sag to the floor in the front hall and walked slowly into the living room. It was a handsome, impressive room, the only part of the house besides Elena’s bedroom that belonged to the original structure. That first house had been built before 1861, and had been almost completely burned in the Civil War. All that could be saved was this room, with its elaborate fireplace framed by scrolled molding, and the big bedroom above. Elena’s father’s greatgrandfather had built a new house, and Gilberts had lived in it ever since. Elena turned to look out of one of the ceiling-to-floor windows. The glass was so old that it was thick and wavery, and everything outside was distorted, looking slightly tipsy. She remembered the first time her father had showed her that wavery old glass, when she had been younger than Margaret was now. The fullness in her throat was back, but still no tears would come. Everything inside her was contradictory. She didn’t want company, and yet she was achingly lonely. Shedid want to think, but now that she was trying to, her thoughts eluded her like mice running from a white owl. White owl†¦ hunting bird†¦ flesh eater†¦ crow, she thought. â€Å"Biggest crow I’ve ever seen,† Matt had said. Her eyes stung again. Poor Matt. She’d hurt him, but he’d been so nice about it. He’d even been nice to Stefan. Stefan . Her heart thudded once, hard, squeezing two hot tears out of her eyes. There, she was crying at last. She was crying with anger and humiliation and frustration-and what else? What had she really lost today? What did she really feel for this stranger, this Stefan Salvatore? He was a challenge, yes, and that made him different, interesting. Stefan was exotic†¦ exciting. Funny, that was what guys had sometimes told Elena she was. And later she heard from them, or from their friends or sisters, how nervous they were before going out with her, how their palms got sweaty and their stomachs were full of butterflies. Elena had always found such stories amusing. No boy she’d ever met in her life had made her nervous. But when she’d spoken to Stefan today, her pulse had been racing, her knees weak. Her palms had been wet. And there hadn’t been butterflies in her stomach-there had been bats. She was interested in the guy because he made her feel nervous? Not a very good reason, Elena, she told herself. In fact, a very bad reason. But there was also that mouth. That sculpted mouth that made her knees weak with something entirely different than nervousness. And that night-dark hair-her fingers itched to weave themselves into its softness. That lithe, flat-muscled body, those long legs†¦ and thatvoice . It was his voice that had decided her yesterday, making her absolutely determined to have him. His voice had been cool and disdainful when talking to Mr. Tanner, but strangely compelling for all that. She wondered if it could turn night-dark as well, and how it would sound saying her name, whispering her name†¦ â€Å"Elena!† Elena jumped, her reverie shattered. But it wasn’t Stefan Salvatore calling her, it was Aunt Judith rattling the front door open. â€Å"Elena? Elena!† And that was Margaret, her voice shrill and piping. â€Å"Are you home?† Misery welled up in Elena again, and she glanced around the kitchen. She couldn’t face her aunt’s worried questions or Margaret’s innocent cheerfulness right now. Not with her eyelashes wet and new tears threatening any minute. She made a lightning decision and quietly slipped out the back door as the front door banged shut. Once off the back porch and into the yard, she hesitated. She didn’t want to run into anyone she knew. But where could she go to be alone? The answer came almost instantly. Of course. She’d go see Mom and Dad. It was a fairly long walk, almost to the edge of town, but over the last three years it had become familiar to Elena. She crossed over Wickery Bridge and climbed up the hill, past the ruined church, then down into the little valley below. This part of the cemetery was well-kept; it was the old section that was allowed to run slightly wild. Here, the grass was neatly trimmed, and bouquets of flowers made splashes of bright color. Elena sat down by the big marble headstone with â€Å"Gilbert† carved into the front. â€Å"Hi, Mom. Hi, Dad,† she whispered. She leaned over to place a purple impatiens blossom she’d picked along the way in front of the marker. Then she curled her legs under her and just sat. She’d come here often after the accident. Margaret had been only one at the time of the car crash; she didn’t really remember them. But Elena did. Now she let her mind leaf back through memories, and the lump in her throat swelled, and the tears came easier. She missed them so much, still. Mother, so young and beautiful, and Father, with a smile that crinkled up his eyes. You read "The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening Chapter Four" in category "Essay examples" She was lucky to have Aunt Judith, of course. It wasn’t every aunt who would quit her job and move back into a little town to take care of two orphaned nieces. And Robert, Aunt Judith’s fianc ¦, was more like a stepfather to Margaret than an uncle-to-be by marriage. But Elena remembered her parents. Sometimes, right after the funeral, she had come out here to rage at them, angry with them for being so stupid as to get themselves killed. That was when she hadn’t known Aunt Judith very well, and had felt there was nowhere on earth she belonged anymore. Where did she belong now? she wondered. The easy answer was, here, in Fell’s Church, where she’d lived all her life. But lately the easy answer seemed wrong. Lately she felt there must be something else out there for her, some place she would recognize at once and call home. A shadow fell over her, and she looked up, startled. For an instant, the two figures standing over her were alien, unfamiliar, vaguely menacing. She stared, frozen. â€Å"Elena,† said the smaller figure fussily, hands on hips, â€Å"sometimes I worry about you, I really do.† Elena blinked and then laughed shortly. It was Bonnie and Meredith. â€Å"What does a person have to do to get a little privacy around here?† she said as they sat down. â€Å"Tell us to go away,† suggested Meredith, but Elena just shrugged. Meredith and Bonnie had often come out here to find her in the months after the accident. Suddenly, she felt glad about that, and grateful to them both. If nowhere else, she belonged with the friends who cared about her. She didn’t mind if they knew she had been crying, and she accepted the crumpled tissue Bonnie offered her and wiped her eyes. The three of them sat together in silence for a little while, watching the wind ruffle the stand of oak trees at the edge of the cemetery. â€Å"I’m sorry about what happened,† Bonnie said at last, in a soft voice. â€Å"That was really terrible.† â€Å"And your middle name is ‘Tact,’ † said Meredith. â€Å"It couldn’t have been that bad, Elena.† â€Å"You weren’t there.† Elena felt herself go hot all over again at the memory. â€Å"Itwas terrible. But I don’t care anymore,† she added flatly, defiantly. â€Å"I’m finished with him. I don’t want him anyway.† â€Å"Elena!† â€Å"I don’t, Bonnie. He obviously thinks he’s too good for-for Americans. So he can just take those designer sunglasses and†¦Ã¢â‚¬  There were snorts of laughter from the other girls. Elena wiped her nose and shook her head. â€Å"So,† she said to Bonnie, determinedly changing the subject, â€Å"at least Tanner seemed in a better mood today.† Bonnie looked martyred. â€Å"Do you know that he made me sign up to be the very first one to give my oral report? I don’t care, though; I’m going to do mine on the druids, and-† â€Å"On the what?† â€Å"Droo-ids. The weird old guys who built Stonehenge and did magic and stuff in ancient England. I’m descended from them, and that’s why I’m psychic.† Meredith snorted, but Elena frowned at the blade of grass she was twirling between her fingers. â€Å"Bonnie, did you really see something yesterday in my palm?† she asked abruptly. Bonnie hesitated. â€Å"I don’t know,† she said at last. â€Å"I-Ithought I did then. But sometimes my imagination runs away with me.† â€Å"She knew you were here,† said Meredith unexpectedly. â€Å"I thought of looking at the coffee shop, but Bonnie said, ‘She’s at the cemetery.’ † â€Å"Did I?† Bonnie looked faintly surprised but impressed. â€Å"Well, there you see. My grandmother in Edinburgh has the second sight and so do I. It always skips a generation.† â€Å"And you’re descended from the druids,† Meredith said solemnly. â€Å"Well, it’s true! In Scotland they keep up the old traditions. You wouldn’t believe some of the things my grandmother does. She has a way to find out who you’re going to marry and when you’re going to die. She told me I’m going to die early.† â€Å"Bonnie!† â€Å"She did. I’m going to be young and beautiful in my coffin. Don’t you think that’s romantic?† â€Å"No, I don’t. I think it’s disgusting,† said Elena. The shadows were getting longer, and the wind had a chill to it now. â€Å"So who are you going to marry, Bonnie?† Meredith put in deftly. â€Å"I don’t know. My grandmother told me the ritual for finding out, but I never tried it. Of course†-Bonnie struck a sophisticated pose-â€Å"he has to be outrageously rich and totally gorgeous. Like our mysterious dark stranger, for example. Particularly if nobody else wants him.† She cast a wicked glance at Elena. Elena refused the bait. â€Å"What about Tyler Smallwood?† she murmured innocently. â€Å"His father’s certainly rich enough.† â€Å"And he’s not bad-looking,† agreed Meredith solemnly. â€Å"That is, of course, if you’re an animal lover. All those big white teeth.† The girls looked at each other and then simultaneously burst into laughter. Bonnie threw a handful of grass at Meredith, who brushed it off and threw a dandelion back at her. Somewhere in the middle of it, Elena realized that she was going to be all right. She was herself again, not lost, not a stranger, but Elena Gilbert, the queen of Robert E. Lee. She pulled the apricot ribbon out of her hair and shook the hair free about her face. â€Å"I’ve decided what to domy oral report on,† she said, watching with narrow eyes as Bonnie finger-combed grass out of her curls. â€Å"What?† said Meredith. Elena tilted her chin up to gaze at the red and purple sky above the hill. She took a thoughtful breath and let the suspense build for a moment. Then she said coolly, â€Å"The Italian Renaissance.† Bonnie and Meredith stared at her, then looked at each other and burst into whoops of laughter again. â€Å"Aha,† said Meredith when they recovered. â€Å"So the tiger returneth.† Elena gave her a feral grin. Her shaken confidence had returned to her. And though she didn’t understand it herself, she knew one thing: she wasn’t going to let Stefan Salvatore get away alive. â€Å"All right,† she said briskly. â€Å"Now, listen, you two. Nobody else can know about this, or I’ll be the laughingstock of the school. And Caroline would just love any excuse to make me look ridiculous. But I do still want him, and I’m going to have him. I don’t know how yet, but I am. Until I come up with a plan, though, we’re going to give him the cold shoulder.† â€Å"Oh,we are?† â€Å"Yes,we are. You can’t have him, Bonnie; he’s mine. And I have to be able to trust you completely.† â€Å"Wait a minute,† said Meredith, a glint in her eye. She unclasped the cloisonne pin from her blouse, then, holding up her thumb, made a quick jab. â€Å"Bonnie, give me your hand.† â€Å"Why?† said Bonnie, eyeing the pin suspiciously. â€Å"Because I want to marry you. Why do you think, idiot?† â€Å"But-but-Oh, all right. Ow!† â€Å"Now you, Elena.† Meredith pricked Elena’s thumb efficiently, and then squeezed it to get a drop of blood. â€Å"Now,† she continued, looking at the other two with sparkling dark eyes, â€Å"we all press our thumbs together and swear. Especially you, Bonnie. Swear to keep this secret and to do whatever Elena asks in relation to Stefan.† â€Å"Look, swearing with blood is dangerous,† Bonnie protested seriously. â€Å"It means you have to stick to your oath no matter what happens, no matterwhat , Meredith.† â€Å"I know,† said Meredith grimly. â€Å"That’s why I’m telling you to do it. I remember what happened with Michael Martin.† Bonnie made a face. â€Å"That was years ago, and we broke up right away anyway and-Oh, all right. I’ll swear.† Closing her eyes, she said, â€Å"I swear to keep this a secret and to do anything Elena asks about Stefan.† Meredith repeated the oath. And Elena, staring at the pale shadows of their thumbs joined together in the gathering dusk, took a long breath and said softly, â€Å"And I swear not to rest until he belongs to me.† A gust of cold wind blew through the cemetery, fanning the girls’ hair out and sending dry leaves fluttering on the ground. Bonnie gasped and pulled back, and they all looked around, then giggled nervously. â€Å"It’s dark,† said Elena, surprised. â€Å"We’d better get started home,† Meredith said, refastening her pin as she stood up. Bonnie stood, too, putting the tip of her thumb into her mouth. â€Å"Good-bye,† said Elena softly, facing the headstone. The purple blossom was a blur on the ground. She picked up the apricot ribbon that lay next to it, turned, and nodded to Bonnie and Meredith. â€Å"Let’s go.† Silently, they headed up the hill toward the ruined church. The oath sworn in blood had given them all a solemn feeling, and as they passed the ruined church Bonnie shivered. With the sun down, the temperature had dropped abruptly, and the wind was rising. Each gust sent whispers through the grass and made the ancient oak trees rattle their dangling leaves. â€Å"I’m freezing,† Elena said, pausing for a moment by the black hole that had once been the church door and looking down at the landscape below. The moon had not yet risen, and she could just make out the old graveyard and Wickery Bridge beyond it. The old graveyard dated from Civil War days, and many of the headstones bore the names of soldiers. It had a wild look to it; brambles and tall weeds grew on the graves, and ivy vines swarmed over crumbling granite. Elena had never liked it. â€Å"It looks different, doesn’t it? In the dark, I mean,† she said unsteadily. She didn’t know how to say what she really meant, that it was not a place for the living. â€Å"We could go the long way,† said Meredith. â€Å"But that would mean another twenty minutes of walking.† â€Å"I don’t mind going this way,† said Bonnie, swallowing hard. â€Å"I always said I wanted to be buried down there in the old one.† â€Å"Will you stop talking about being buried!† Elena snapped, and she started down the hill. But the farther down the narrow path she got, the more uncomfortable she felt. She slowed until Bonnie and Meredith caught up with her. As they neared the first headstone, her heart began beating fast. She tried to ignore it, but her whole skin was tingling with awareness and the fine hairs on her arms were standing up. Between the gusts of wind, every sound seemed horribly magnified; the crunching of their feet on the leaf-strewn path was deafening. The ruined church was a black silhouette behind them now. The narrow path led between the lichen-encrusted headstones, many of which stood taller than Meredith. Big enough for something to hide behind, thought Elena uneasily. Some of the tombstones themselves were unnerving, like the one with the cherub that looked like a real baby, except that its head had fallen off and had been carefully placed by its body. The wide granite eyes of the head were blank. Elena couldn’t look away from it, and her heart began to pound. â€Å"Why are we stopping?† said Meredith. â€Å"I just†¦ I’m sorry,† Elena murmured, but when she forced herself to turn she immediately stiffened. â€Å"Bonnie?† she said. â€Å"Bonnie, what’s wrong?† Bonnie was staring straight out into the graveyard, her lips parted, her eyes as wide and blank as the stone cherub’s. Fear washed through Elena’s stomach. â€Å"Bonnie, stop it. Stop it! It’s not funny.† Bonnie made no reply. â€Å"Bonnie!† said Meredith. She and Elena looked at each other, and suddenly Elena knew she had to get away. She whirled to start down the path, but a strange voice spoke behind her, and she jerked around. â€Å"Elena,† the voice said. It wasn’t Bonnie’s voice, but it came from Bonnie’s mouth. Pale in the darkness, Bonnie was still staring out into the graveyard. There was no expression on her face at all. â€Å"Elena,† the voice said again, and added, as Bonnie’s head turned toward her, â€Å"there’s someone waiting out there for you.† Elena never quite knew what happened in the next few minutes. Something seemed to move out among the dark humped shapes of the headstones, shifting and rising between them. Elena screamed and Meredith cried out, and then they were both running, and Bonnie was running with them, screaming, too. Elena pounded down the narrow path, stumbling on rocks and clumps of grass root. Bonnie was sobbing for breath behind her, and Meredith, calm and cynical Meredith, was panting wildly. There was a sudden thrashing and a shriek in an oak tree above them, and Elena found that she could run faster. â€Å"There’s something behind us,† cried Bonnie shrilly. â€Å"Oh, God, what’s happening?† â€Å"Get to the bridge,† gasped Elena through the fire in her lungs. She didn’t know why, but she felt they had to make it there. â€Å"Don’t stop, Bonnie! Don’t look behind you!† She grabbed the other girl’s sleeve and pulled her around. â€Å"I can’t make it,† Bonnie sobbed, clutching her side, her pace faltering. â€Å"Yes, you can,† snarled Elena, grabbing Bonnie’s sleeve again and forcing her to keep moving. â€Å"Come on.Come on!† She saw the silver gleam of water before them. And there was the clearing between the oak trees, and the bridge just beyond. Elena’s legs were wobbling and her breath was whistling in her throat, but she wouldn’t let herself lag behind. Now she could see the wooden planks of the footbridge. The bridge was twenty feet away from them, ten feet away, five. â€Å"We made it,† panted Meredith, feet thundering on the wood. â€Å"Don’t stop! Get to the other side!† The bridge creaked as they ran staggering across it, their steps echoing across the water. When she jumped onto packed dirt on the far shore, Elena let go of Bonnie’s sleeve at last, and allowed her legs to stumble to a halt. Meredith was bent over, hands on thighs, deep-breathing. Bonnie was crying. â€Å"What was it? Oh, what was it?† she said. â€Å"Is it still coming?† â€Å"I thought you were the expert,† Meredith said unsteadily. â€Å"For God’s sake, Elena, let’s get out of here.† â€Å"No, it’s all right now,† Elena whispered. There were tears in her own eyes and she was shaking all over, but the hot breath at the back of her neck had gone. The river stretched between her and it, the waters a dark tumult. â€Å"It can’t follow us here,† she said. Meredith stared at her, then at the other shore with its clustered oak trees, then at Bonnie. She wet her lips and laughed shortly. â€Å"Sure. It can’t follow us. But let’s go home anyway, all right? Unless you feel like spending the night out here.† Some unnameable feeling shuddered through Elena. â€Å"Not tonight, thanks,† she said. She put an arm around Bonnie, who was still sniffling. â€Å"It’s okay, Bonnie. We’re safe now. Come on.† Meredith was looking across the river again. â€Å"You know, I don’t see a thing back there,† she said, her voice calmer. â€Å"Maybe there wasn’t anything behind us at all; maybe we just panicked and scared ourselves. With a little help from the druid priestess here.† Elena said nothing as they started walking, keeping very close together on the dirt path. But she wondered. She wondered very much. How to cite The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening Chapter Four, Essay examples

Accommodation Management of Macquarie Hotel-Samples for Students

Questions: 1.The new owner is excited about new and modern systems that are available within the industry and has requested you to highlight new systems that will enhance the customers experience, provide organisational efficiency from a staff and systems perspective and improve profitability. 2.Will be to evaluate a number of new customer sectors (e.g families, corporate clients, leisure guests, international tourists etc.) and identify what provisions within the accommodation facilities and services would need to be provided to each sector. Answers: Introduction Accommodation management is the most important section of a hospitality sector as this section is important for the customer satisfaction and influence better need for new systems. In case new planning and the new administration, engagement of new customers is the concern issue for the development of the hotel. In this report, Macquarie has decided to change their owners and the person has implemented some new innovations and determines some new ideas so that dynamic changes in customer maintenance can be sustained (Macquarie-hotel.com.au 2017). 1.Implementation of Modern systems The new management has decided to change some existing system and try to implement something new. The advanced computerized system of door locking and data maintenance has been implemented by the hotel authority. As soon as the customer locks the door the system automatically locked the door from its own, and when the client wants to reopen the door there is a special code that has to be provided by the management, would unlock again. This innovative process is the best security policy that provided by the hotel authority and customers are quite happy to access this opportunity (Ho 2017). The new data maintenance system showcases the entire billing of the customer in their room. The process can be calculated as soon as the client check in the room their monetary calculation is in under process and the client can see the amount in the speculated room as a computerized screen is attached within the room and all the food, laundry, and transport system that used by the customers will enh ance the monetary amount as the customer can see this amount on his own (Macquarie-hotel.com.au 2017). Management is so transparent in that case and customers have not to ask for the total amount of the authority as the amount has already sum up and stated the figure as soon as the customer checked out. Along with this two facilities the room management, report management, analyze the customer feedbacks are the key issues that need to be concern from the organization perspective (Rahimi and Kozak 2017). There is an online room booking system that needs to introduce by the hotel management team to make sure about the progression of technological facilities in business. Better Customer Experience Customers are impressed by the hotel review system so better customer handling is the key aspect that needs to be maintained by the hotel management. Thus good review enhances the revenue generation of the hotel as more people accumulate there and enjoy the facility provided by the hotel. For the better customer experience, Macquarie has to provide some selected package for the customers and these packages allow some discounts rates that attract customers for accommodating the place. There are lots of payment options also available for the customers so that they have not to get harassed in any kind of situation (Srinivasan and Karmakar 2014). Customers will get their full payment at the time of cancellation. This will enhance the better customer experience as the new innovative measures can reflect the customer satisfaction rate. A legitimate website has to maintain the organization and there a good amount of information has to be given. For the better customer experience phone booki ng, night booking facility and transparent cancellation policies are needed to be amended so that customers can get more effective facility by the organization (Nieves and Segarra-Ciprs 2015). 2.Different customer sectors Customer sectors can be segregated into four types where the need of each customer is different and that showcase the urgency of the customer as well. Corporate clients are one of those customers who need a hotel room for any kind of meeting so a comparatively less noise floor is being given to the client so that no disturbance is placed during the meeting. As the meeting is a formal way of presentation thus drinks and beverages can be delivered so that client can enjoy the meeting and also understand the quality of the hotel and their segregation identities (Flores 2014). There are some families those spend their holidays in the hotel and they have children who love to play in ground or love to swim, thus for them, family rooms rather big rooms are provided, where grounds, swimming pools are available for peoples. Most of the cases, a proper dinner with lots of deserts are provided to them as most children like this. On the other hand, if international clients checked in the hotel t hen the management must try to know the origin of these people and try to deliver those kinds of food, they are accustomed to. Their culture and tradition maintenance is the most important aspect of the organization and for that reason, the treatment also gets differ for both the cases. Their food culture is completely different from the host nation so international food items must be delivering to those clients and that showcase the better reputation of the hotel (Dzhandzhugazova et al. 2015). In case of leisure guests, the organization policy must be different as the hotel has to understand necessitate of those clients and deliver as they expect from the Macquarie. The business positioning must be determined by the effective changes that have been made by the organization and if Macquarie has segmented their customer segmentation then customers get much satisfaction by the service and more revenue can be generated. Accommodation facilities In case of accommodation, the prior things that can enhance the organizational reputation are tax mastering, floor management, room standard, housekeeping, large space in rooms, air availability, cleaning and trustworthiness of the hotel, food and the functional activity (Ivanova, Ivanov and Magnini 2016). These are concern aspects to be a best hotel in business market. In case of accommodation there are some seasonal shopping card delivered at the time of booking where clients can a get a good amount of discount in shopping (Nimri, Patiar and Kensbock 2017). There are business boost packages are needed to be available for the business clients they can use the promotional code for the better packaging. In case of innovative accommodation, Macquarie can organize a vacation planning segment where people come to enjoy the hotel for one week at a low rated price and these customers also get good facilities from Macquarie (Macquarie-hotel.com.au 2017). There must be a special accommodatio n process for the senior members, where they have to be allocated at the ground floor so that they have not put their effort to get up and down. Their food taste must be different from them and the hotel has to maintain that for them. Thus, all the accommodating processes are concerned and the benefits for the customers (Ivanov, 2014). Macquarie has to implement all the possible aspects to change the dimension of the hotel and accumulate more customers to get more revenue in their business. Conclusion Therefore it can be concluded that customer facility is the major concern for Macquarie and the new management takes this challenge to improve customer satisfaction and provide the best service to their customers. Thus Macquarie has to impose some innovative manners in the hotel by which people have got attracted by the facility and that provide the improvement in their level of revenue generation. References Dzhandzhugazova, E.A., Zaitseva, N.A., Larionova, A.A., Petrovskaya, M.V. and Chaplyuk, V.Z., 2015. Methodological aspects of strategic management of financial risks during construction of hotel business objects.Asian Social Science,11(20), p.229. Flores, M., 2014. Optimization of hotel reception and accommodation service management for guests with disabilities.Review of Disability Studies: An International Journal,2(2). Ho, V., 2017. Giving offense and making amends: How hotel management attempts to manage rapport with dissatisfied customers.Journal of Pragmatics,109, pp.1-11. Ivanov, S.H., 2014. Hotel revenue management: From theory to practice.Browser Download This Paper. Ivanova, M., Ivanov, S. and Magnini, V.P. eds., 2016.The Routledge handbook of hotel chain management. Routledge. Macquarie-hotel.com.au 2017 Macquarie Hotel retrieved from: https://www.macquarie-hotel.com.au/ [Accessed on 30th November 2017] Nieves, J. and Segarra-Ciprs, M., 2015. Management innovation in the hotel industry.Tourism Management,46, pp.51-58. Nimri, R., Patiar, A. and Kensbock, S., 2017. A green step forward: Eliciting consumers' purchasing decisions regarding green hotel accommodation in Australia.Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management,33, pp.43-50. Rahimi, R. and Kozak, M., 2017. Impact of customer relationship management on customer satisfaction: The case of a budget hotel chain.Journal of Travel Tourism Marketing,34(1), pp.40-51. Srinivasan, S. and Karmakar, A., 2014. Changing perception of students towards hotel management course while pursuing the course.International Journal of Informative Futuristic Research,1(9), pp.101-114.

Computer Crime Essays (815 words) - Hacker Culture,

Computer Crime Sforza-1 John Sforza Miss. Hilleman English 10R December 7, 1999 Computer Crime Computer crime is defined as a criminal act that has been committed With a computer as the principle tool(Judson, 30). These computer criminals are people with advanced knowledge of operating systems, phone systems, and other computer related devices. Some computer criminals break into other peoples computers, and steal data, these criminals are known as hackers. Yet others might make a phone call without even paying for it, or receive phone services that they did not pay for, these people are known as phreakers. And yet there are other computer criminals that illegally copy software, these criminals are known as Software Pirates. Although authorities try to combat the doings of these criminals, Computer Crime is still a huge market for criminals of all kinds. The first part of this paper is going to be dedicated to hackers. Hackers are the robbers of cyberspace. They are able to gain access to Sforza-II peoples computers using special tools, methods and programs. Some of these are backdoors, viruses, and port scanners. The most popular form of virus, is known as the Trojan horse, named after the Greek Trojan Horse. This virus is implanted in a computer, then it lets someone from another computer have access to all the computers information, including passwords and any other personal data that might be present. Hackers do not just invade personal computers, they also invade corporate and government computers. The Pentagon has recently come under a fire from hackers. After these hackers penetrate the Pentagons defenses, they begin to raid unclassified documents. Some of these hackers have stolen data pertaining to the Energy Department Nuclear Weapons and Research Facility. They have also gathered information that was used by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Although the FBI has used all resources available to them, they still have been unable to identify these hackers. The only thing that they know is these hackers are based in a place 20 miles outside of Moscow. Since these attacks happen during the day, 5am-8pm Moscow time, the FBI believes these individuals are working out of an office. Many believe that these hackers are working for the Russian Government, and are using espionage to gain access to sensitive information. Sforza-III Although these hackers motives were to sabotage and destroy, not all hackers are like this. Most are just after information, they might make a mistake now and then but most do not cause damage. Enclosed in this paper is Mentor's Last Words. Something that Mentor wrote because he felt people should hear it. He was tired of people mislabeling and mis-judging his kind. He wanted to show the world that the newspapers, magazines, and radio stations were not right. Hacker was a term originally given to those who went in search of knowledge inside other peoples computers. They did not cause any damage, they just wished to learn more.( A Phreaker is a person that has extensive knowledge of the phone system. These people spend hours reading text documents and browsing around phone companys computers. Most phreakers will say that what they do is for the pursuit of knowledge, which is true, but there are always those people that take advantage of things. Some things that phreakers can do are, make free calls from payphones, enable call waiting, caller id, call conferencing, and receive no phone bills. They also know how to make phone calls using other peoples telephone lines, charging them instead of themselves. Sforza-IV The last group of computer criminals, and probably the easiest to identify are the Software Pirates. These are the people that make copies of software, and either register the program illegally, or sell the software to another party. Any pirated software is known as warez. Warez is divided into sub categories, these are the following; Applications of any sort are known as Appz, Computer games are changed into image files known as ISOs, and full-length movies are known as VCDs. Software pirates usually have a high-speed connection, such as T1, T3, Cable Modem, DSL, ADSL, HDSL, or VDSL. Almost all software pirates have CD recordable drives, to make copies of their material. Many attempts have been made to stop software piracy, the most popular

Student Ph and Ph Meter Essay

Student Ph and Ph Meter Essay Student: Ph and Ph Meter Essay UNIT 4 scientific practical techniques 1 .PH Probe A PH probe also known as a PH meter is an electronic device used for measuring the pH (acidity or alkalinity) of a liquid (though special probes are sometimes used to measure the pH of semi-solid substances). A typical pH meter consists of a special measuring probe (a glass electrode) connected to an electronic meter that measures and displays a digital pH reading The glass electrodes must be calibrated using a two point method with the appropriate buffer standard. To perform a two point calibration two buffer solutions are required. These buffers should be based upon the normal measurement range that probe operates in. A probe used for measuring the pH of alkali solutions should use pH buffers 7.0 and 10.0. Likewise, a pH probe in an acidic solution should be calibrated with a 2.0 (or 4.0) and a 7.0 buffer solution. Why this instrument was selected? The pH probe was selected for analysis because it provides accurate (post calibration) pH readings that are digitally taken to 2dp’s, and as we were dealing with solutions of an unknown pH, it is important to know precisely what the pH of each was, as they may have been used in other experiments needing a specific Ph. The use of this respective piece of equipment allowed us to ensure our reading of the pH of 3 unknown solutions was accurate to 2 decimal places, The alternative method would be use of PH litmus papers Litmus papers Litmus is a water-soluble mixture of different dyes extracted from lichens, especially Roccella tinctoria. It is often absorbed onto filter paper to produce one of the oldest forms of pH indicator, used to test materials for acidity. How they are use: Blue litmus paper turns red under acidic conditions and red litmus paper turns blue under basic (i.e. alkaline) conditions, Evaluating and comparing the accuracy of the procedures Advantage of using a PH meter over Litmus papers The PH meter provides a digital reading to 2 decimal places while as the litmus paper gives a rough estimate whether the solution is acidic or alkaline not giving a specific value of levels of the acidity or alkalinity . Disadvantages of using a PH meter over litmus papers For very precise and accurate results the pH meter must be calibrated before each measurement which means the accuracy of the results may be depend on

In what specific ways, if any, have key education structures and Essay

In what specific ways, if any, have key education structures and policies in the UK and elsewhere been affected by globalization trends - Essay Example International investment and trade mainly drives in the process of globalization aided by its most important tool the ‘information technology†. It is a process in which the ‘environment’, ‘culture’, ‘the political system’, ‘the economic development’ and ‘prosperity’, ‘the human physical well being in societies’ and the other sector of an economy undergoes a continuous transformation which includes the education sector of the economy as well. (Duan, 2002, p.1) The ‘worldwide’ discussion, ‘process’ and ‘institutions’, which affect the local educational policies and practices of a nation, are referred to as the ‘globalization of education’. It is considered to be â€Å"an intertwined set of global process affecting education, such as worldwide discourses on human capital, economic development, and multiculturalism; intergovernmental organizations ; information and communication technology; non-government organization; and multinational corporations† (Spring, 2008, p.1) The process of globalization is a continuous dynamic transformation involving the exchange of ideas between the global ideas of schooling practices and the local schooling systems. Nations do continue to have an independent control on their schooling system but still the ‘super structure of Global Educational processes’ influences them The global institutes that affect the educational system throughout the world are ‘World Bank’, ‘Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)’, the ‘World Trade Organization’ and its General Agreement on Trade in services (GATS), The ‘United Nations’, ‘UNESCO’ and ‘intergovernmental organizations (IGO)’ and the ‘nongovernment Organization(NGOs)’. These international organizations influence the national sc hooling system either directly or indirectly. In the last decades, owing to the globalization, most of the nations have gone for educational reforms, which became a priority for both the developed and developing countries. According to some reputed educationalists, the pre- requisite of a better standard of living in a nation lies in improving its education system. (Carnoy, 2005, pp.2-3, Zadja, 2010, p.49). Despite all the disadvantage globalization of education has in terms of commercializing and marketing of education, it has to be noted that quality education is the key word for economic growth of a nation, which requires the intervention of both the public sector and private sector In the global economy, the presence of competition among countries always exists for acquiring ‘markets’, getting ‘foreign investments’, ‘technological developments’, and for ‘hosting of Multinationals’ hence education and training are imparted in a manner that it caters to the growing need of quality education. The country with the most educated workforce is expected to have an edge over the others. ‘High quality education’ has become synonymous with ‘self sustained domestic development’ and hence the need of Educational policy restructuring. UK is of the opinion that the content and quality of the curricula and teaching has to be monitored for which national endeavor is required and hence responding to the change in the global village due to the introduction of ICT (Information and Communication technology) as a medium or source of imparting education has introduced the â€Å"personalize† learning system which will enable the student take the test when s/he is fully prepared. The nation has also introduced a â€Å"national level and school level aspirational target focused on â€Å"raising the rate of progress between the different stages of education†. (Change on way in tests and tabl es, 2007; Your child’

I do not know by Elia Abu Madi Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

I do not know by Elia Abu Madi - Essay Example Common knowledge dictates that the more educated a person becomes, the more effectively they can discern reality and determine which approach, worldview, or decision might be the best. However, as Elia Abu Madi illustrates within his poem, and ultimate level of uncertainty surrounds each and every aspect of life. Whether or not an individual is born to fulfill a specific destiny, whether or not there is any legitimate purpose to life, whether or not love, hate, fear, or even uncertainty helped to constrain and define the purpose of being is duly represented within this particular point. In such a manner, the reader can come to the understanding of the fact that even though Elia Abu Madi was well-traveled, well-educated, and exposed to a litany of different cultures and societies, an understanding of a purpose and meaning for life continued to evade him. Madi, Elia  A. "I do not know by Elia Abu Madi."  PoemHunter.Com - Thousands of poems and poets. Poetry Search Engine. N.p., n.d. Web. 6  Nov.  2013.

American Slavery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

American Slavery - Essay Example In fact, slavery was for economic factors since the English settler required slaves to provide labor in their huge farms. The colonialists continually lured the many laborers to provide labor and sometimes, were forced to compel them to work forcefully (Morgan, 149). For some reasons, many believed that the decreasing populace and the need for a labor force compelled the white people to believe that African slaves were the most effective in provision of labor force. During the 1680s through to the 17th century, the population of the indentured servants declined and the need for more labor force was required for the huge tobacco plantations. To the farmers or tobacco planters, slavery was the ideal labor because it was cheap was of solving the shortage of labor. Planters had an abundance of land while suffered losses because they lacked laborers. Nonetheless, the status of the slave was predetermined by the material conditions of the slave life. During the early colonial period, both indentured servants and slaves got better treatments than the black slaves. The also belonged to the poorest ranks in the society, thus; they barely enjoyed greater freedoms. As any of the aspects of the history regarding slavery, the dynamics of urban existence for the enslaved went from one region to another between historical periods. Many colonies such as the Northern colony and low country such as Carolinas began moving from cities to the countryside, thus; focusing more on agricultural production, in the lower valley of Mississippi. For example in the 1763, a quarter of the black populace of Louisiana resided on small tracks in distinct near the city of New Orleans. Nonetheless, the circumstances were to be altered in subsequent periods. In the late 1700 and 1800, the slavery was beginning its state of decay as some of its founders had hoped. This is justified by the fact that in 1860, roughly 140,000 slaves had

Food And Beverage Analysis Marketing Essay

Food And Beverage Analysis Marketing Essay Urbanization, globalisation and agro-industrialization put increasing demands on the organization of food and beverage chains and networks. Food and beverage supply chains and networks once characterized by independence and autonomy of performers are now quickly moving in the direction of globally interrelated systems with a large diversity of difficult relationships. This is also touching the ways food is processed, produced and delivered at the market (Reardon and Barrett 2000; Van der Laan et al. 1999). Perishable food products can at the moment be shipped from halfway around the world at justly competitive prices. The market exerts a dual pressure on agro-food chains, constraining towards continuous agency coordination and innovation. Traditional price and quality issues are more significant than ever, since consumers can choose from a cumulative amount of products offered by challenging chains. Patterns of food production and consumption are at the core of all human ecology (Dietz et al.1996:181). The food production and dietary habits procedures that support them obviously have consequently affected the global environment and economy (Goodland 1997). Nearly 37% of the land surface of the Earth is used for agricultural production, including both cropland and grazing land (Harrison and Pearce 2000). Because of the environmental effects of food operation, development, production and consumption, it is important to understand both the factors that influence the human diet and the aspects of food production that are most harmful to the environment. Here we mainly focus on food and beverages operational and development issues, social and cultural factors that influence the production and consumption of food as well as how those issues influence on the production and consumption of food. Food and Beverages operational and development issues Food and beverages chains are seriously affected by consumers apprehensions regarding the quality, the safety and the sustainability of handling methods and food production. Public concerns regarding GMOs, environmental impact and chemical residues have to be met in an increasingly, competitive global environment. Greater consumer demands regarding the traceability, quality, and environmental friendliness of products and processes call for fundamentally new ways of producing, developing, and marketing products (Humphrey and Oetero 2000; Omta et al. 2001). This activates the growth of grades, agreements and standards regarding management practices and good production, over and above suitable monitoring systems to promise rapid responses and quality compliance. Supply-chain analysis is becoming an interdisciplinary activity. Distribution and production processes involve a mixture of PESTL (politic, socioeconomic, technological, legal and standards that are highly balancing in explainin g overall food and beverages chain performance (see Figure 1 below). Figure 1. Analytical perspectives on food chains Integrated logistics, production, innovation and information systems become of serious prominence for sustaining a competitive market position. In order to attain international collaboration between farmers, retail companies and agro-industries, cross-cultural alignment and strategic, compliance to national and relational trust and international regulations have become key issues. Reciprocal learning techniques and feed-back mechanisms are important to assure such global alliances. Although, in recent decades, the world has seen a cumulative integration of developing-country firms into geographically spread commodity chains or supply networks. These chains connect together traders, producers and processors from developing countries with consumers and retailers in urban centres and in the developed countries (Gereffi and Korzeniewitz 1994). Companies and firms involved in global food and beverages chains networks are facing rapid changes in the business environment, to which they must respond over continuous innovation. Practices and new procedures for organizing food supply networks with direct ties between primary producers, processors and retailers emerged to cope with health demands and food safety. Improving the specific stages in a chain typically results in sub-optimal total chain performance. Meant for this reason, agro-food companies attempt to implement regulations to all actors in the chain that become part of the global market and institutional env ironment (Jongen 2000; Van der Laan et al. 1999). Firms in developing countries face, however, particular restraints linked to limited access to (market and technical) information and reduced borrowing opportunities (Harris-White 1999). Chain integration can formerly be helpful to expand forecasts for sustainable resource management based on more stable access to information and markets that allow further investment in food quality management (Kuyvenhoven and Bigman 2001). Current studies concerning development and trade focus responsiveness on evolving barriers to agricultural exports from developing countries due to rigorous sanitary and phytosanitary necessities (Henson and Loader 2001; Otsuki et al. 2001). Liberalization of global trade is gradually accompanied by technical measures that enforce quality standards regarding residues, additives and microbiological contamination. Moreover, fast attentiveness takes place in the retail sectors for food products both in less-developed and developed countries where US- or EUowned supermarket chains such as (e.g., Royal Ahold, Carrefour, Tesco, Sainsburys, WalMart etcà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) control an increasing share of food supply to urban consumers. Retailers are also dedicating more shelf space to suitable high-quality fresh products (selfservice) that are critical to retain middle-class and attract customers (Fearne and Hughes 1998; Marsden and Wrigley 1996). This poses further demands on processors and producers to satisfy uniform, high quality standards and recurrent delivery requirements (Reardon et al. 1999). International sourcing of perishable products to secure year-around supply (under private label) can be assured over long-term contracts and partnerships. Presence of smallholders from developing countries into global supply chains that satisfy these conditions used to be based on processes for sub-contracting and outsourcing under strict investigation with frequent audit of local practices and facilities (Dolan et al. 1999). However, in practice a cumulative degree of vertical integration within food, beverages and agribusiness networks can be noticed, based on complex predetermined measures for monitoring process standards and product quality. Consequently, producers can only maintain their market position if credible measures are taken to enhance product quality and safety. The complex connections between the before-mentioned processes of market globalization and integration, complemented by tendencies of changing consumption patterns and growing urbanization, bring about a number of essential changes in the organization of agro-food chains and networks. The rapid growth of supermarkets in both developing countries and developed (See appendix 1:25) extremely transforms the institutional landscape of exchange and agro-food production systems. Main tests as how to assure the participation of smallholder producers in these more and new demanding sourcing networks need to be addressed. Thoughtfulness should also be given to the institutional necessities that empower smallholders to meet the more rigorous quality regulations and food safety. International competition is increasingly taking place around the implementation of (private and public) regimes of standards an d grades. Positioning the values of chain reversal in practice implies that innovative methods are required that address the required conditions for equitable integration and successful of developing countries producers into sustainable agro-food chains and networks that are capable to satisfy these changing consumer demands. Supermarket procurement regimes for sourcing of vegetables, fruits, meat and dairy intensely impact the organization of the supply chain. The market requires continuous deliveries, product homogeneity, stable shelf life and quality upgrading. Procurement dependence on wholesale markets is quickly substituted by specialized wholesales, subcontracting with preferred consolidated and suppliers purchase in regional warehouses. Supermarkets therefore increasingly control downstream segments of the private standards, chain through contracts and sourcing networks. A typical example can be seen on particular food and beverage such as fast moving consumer goods where its not surprising that this industry cite a long list of high-priority concerns for their supply chains. Reducing logistics costs is the recurrent number one goal across all industries in the Annual 3PL Study, nonetheless additional main concern speak to the particular challenges of the fast-moving consumer goods category, including perfect order completion quickly identifying and reacting to changes in consumer demand and shortening new product time to- market and supply chain integration. British foods retailer manufacturer Tesco, for example, delivers direct-to-consumer within 24 hours of when the order is placed; in some markets that means delivery to one home on behalf of a number of customers or home delivery, while other markets kindness pickup at a kiosk or service centre. Thats challenging the food production manufacturer to upturn order accuracy and work to avoid out-of-stocks while managing with the costs incurred by operating so many delivery models. Fast-moving consumer goods manufacturers are acting on growing global awareness of the need to mitigate the environmental impact of manufacturing and logistics processes, by placing first priority on structure sustainability into the supply chain. Green is no longer leading edge or pioneering; it is now a normal part of a companys operations, driving the need for manufacturers and others to develop cohesive and comprehensive earth-friendly sourcing strategies. Improving shipment density and load utilization is one of these strategies, enabling manufacturers to maximize use of shipment capacity to reduce emissions, wasted capacity and potentially costs as well. Limited Brands Logistics Services, for example, continues to work on new configurations of its carton proportions to fit as much merchandise into containers as possible. Sustainability is a mandate to do a better job in the logistics area, says one FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods) executive, whose company has been testing hybr id electric delivery trucks and working to comply with emerging sustainability. Shippers want 3PLs (Third Party Logistics) to help improve shipment density/load utilization, reduce logistics costs and establish a supply chain disruption/mitigation strategy, but they consider them less often for goals such as shortening new product time-to-market and supply chain integration. Shippers are also involving 3PLs in cost-reduction strategies less often than one might expect, with the biggest gaps in improved forecasting and inventory capabilities, rationalizing SKUs and redesigning the supply chain network. 3PLs see their role as much larger in these and other services. The trust issues that have consistently slowed the evolution of shipper-3PL relationships may be a factor in these gaps. Some shippers have tested sharing warehousing and transportation as a green and cost reduction strategy, with most reporting savings of less than 5%. Nevertheless, superiority in Operations remains an illusion for most food and beverage companies. This will be lasting as long as they stay limited within the mindsets associated and the organizational structures with todays vertically combined business model. According to a McKinsey report based on problems and opportunities relating to operational excellence, the study comes out with the following findings: 1. Operations issues get deserted from top-management two main business processes of consumer management and customer management. It suggests that operations issues get a lot less than 20% of the Executive Committees agenda time. To multifaceted the problem, only around 10% of top executives in food and beverage companies have straight personal experience in operations. It is barely surprising; however, that the promise to drive radical change may not be as resilient in operations as it is in the other two business processes. 2. Around 10% of FMCG companies have a global operations director with full responsibility for both operational development and strategic resource allocation. 3. Most of the top quartile talent is tapped for handling marketing or finance functions. Operations functions are short of management talent. High potential generalists often find food and beverage operations too internally focused and too technical. At the other end of the scale, senior operations experts are often attracted to other industries such as electronics, automotive or engineering where operations is both more highly rewarded and more highly regarded. These difficulties are not new. What is new is that a possible solution the mixture of organizational separation and value chain de-verticalisation. Deverticalisation International food and beverages companies that are able to attain organizational functionally and separation organized national companies This efficiently means outsourcing your supply chain actions to a third party. Naturally this will involve selling the existing activities and operations assets, as well as manufacturing, procurement, process RD and primary distribution, a third party manufacturer, financial buyer or a joint venture with other food and beverage companies. In essence, this leaves an asset light food and beverage company and an asset heavy supply company. How will it create value? From the perception of the food and beverage Company, the supply company of its will now be in a position to address the above-mentioned operational issues. A strongly incentivized management team frequently directly responsible to the capital markets. Although it will be better able to motivate and attract talented operations managers, emphasis 100% of its attention on operational skills and operations issues. However, operational distinction will translate directly into bottom-line impact. Accordingly deverticalisation allows the management of the food and beverages company to emphasis completely on consumer and customer management the key engines of growth though sharing in progressive operations cost developments over either an equity stake or open book supply contracts. From the financial outlook this would also help the food and beverage Company get a significant bound in return on capital employed. Social and cultural factors that influence the consumption of foods Influences on Food Choices There are many factors that determine what foods a person eats. In addition to personal preferences, there are cultural, social, religious, economic, environmental, and even political factors. Cultural influences A cultural group provides guidelines regarding acceptable foods, food combinations, eating patterns, and eating behaviors. Compliance with these guidelines creates a sense of identity and belonging for the individual Kittler (1998). Within large cultural groups, subgroups exist that may practice variations of the groups eating behaviors, though they are still considered part of the larger group (Haviland, William A. 1990). For example, a hamburger, French fries, and a soda are considered a typical American meal. Schlosser, Eric (2001). Someone who is repeatedly exposed to certain foods is less hesitant to eat them. For example, lobster traditionally was only available on the coasts, and is much more likely to be accepted as food by coastal dwellers. States, however, eat veggie-burgers made from mashed beans, pureed vegetables, or soy, and people on diets may eat a burger made from lean turkey. In the United States these are appropriate cultural substitutions, but a burger made from h orsemeat would be unacceptable (Klimis-Zacas et al: 2001). Religious proscriptions choice from a few to many, from relaxed to highly restrictive. This will affect a supporters food selections and behaviors. For example, in some religions specific foods are prohibited, such as pork among Jewish and Muslim adherents. Within Christianity, the Seventh-day Adventists dispirit stimulating beverages such as alcohol, which is not prohibited among Catholics. Social influences Members of a social group depend on each other, share a common culture, and influence each others behaviors and values. A persons membership in particular peer, work, or community groups impacts food behaviors. For example, a young person at a basketball game may eat certain foods when accompanied by friends and other foods when accompanied by his or her teacher. The Social Significance of Meat Consumption While vegetarianism is on the increase in Western societies (Amato and Partridge (1989); Beardsworth and Keil (1997); Dietz et al. (1995)), meat consumption is still a central part of the Western societies diet (Beardsworth and Keil (1997)). So far there is considerable indication that meat is not only unnecessary for a healthy diet, it is a leading contributor to many health problems (Amato and Partridge (1989); Lappà © (1991); Marcus (1998); Melina et al. (1995); Robbins (1987)). Given that general meat-eating behaviour in prosperous societies cannot be readily explained by biological necessity, other factors must play a major role in defining individual dietary habits. A critical macro-level approach suggests that the production of meat cannot simply be explained as a direct response to consumer demand, since production is affected by government subventions and industry groups, such as the pork and beef councils. Political economists argue that the economic elite control consumer preferences through means of social, psychological, and cultural manipulation for example, by the use of advertising (Schnaiberg (1980); Schnaiberg and Gould (1994)). Therefore, production may generate consumption because processors, producers, and marketers have cultural hegemony, that is, control over the beliefs and values of a culture. Consequently, from this perspective, the operational power of the meat industry is expected to be a major element of stages of meat consumption. Cronons (1991) analysis of how the U.S. meat industry grew throughout the 19th Century by transforming American agriculture provides clear support for the argument that consumer habits are greatly influenced by powerful corporate interests. However, although this viewpoint may explain aggregate levels of production and consumption in a society, it does not explain variation of consumer behaviour among individuals within a shared political economic context. However, a micro-level approach to understanding consumer patterns focuses on the social psychological factors that lead to food consumption. Dietz et al. (1995) and Kalof et al. (1999) argue that social psychological factors, such as beliefs and values, have a significant influence on consumer demand for various food types. The results of their analyses suggest that values and beliefs have a greater influence on the choice of a vegetarian diet than do demographic factors. Reliable with these results, other researchers have found that social psychological factors have a more effect on consumer request than do demographic and economic factors (Breidenstein (1988); Guseman et al. (1987); Sapp and Harrod (1989)). However, social structural factors form the context in which psychological factors operate. Social structural position such as (gender, race and class) probable plays an important role in determining each individuals life experiences, socialization, and psychological attributes . Distinguishing the intertwined reputation of psychology and social structure is necessary to appreciate behaviour. Both the critical the social psychological perspective and macro -level perspective have made significant contributions to our understanding of food and beverage in general and meat consumptions. The environmental literature recognizes industrial meat production as a prominent source of many environmental problems (Durning and Brough 1991; Ehrlich, Ehrlich and Daily 1995; Goodland 1997; Pimentel and Pimentel 1996; Rifkin 1992; Subak 1999). Nowadays, intensive meat production places a problem on ecosystems as it necessitates the usage of large quantities of natural resources mostly energy, land, and water used to produce feed grain (Durning and Brough 1991; Dutilh and Kramer 2000; Fiddes 1991). Comparative to the production of other vegetables and grain, problem for human consumption, the production of meat is tremendously resource ineffective several times more people can subsist on a vegetarian diet than can on a meat centered diet (Durning and Brough 1991; Dutilh and Kramer 2000; Ehrlich, Ehrlich and Daily 1995; Lappà © 1991; Rifkin 1992). Beef production is mostly supply intensive, having an even bigger impact on the environment than is recommended by the amount of grai n and the resources that goes into generating grain that it needs (Subak 1999). Beef grazing contributes to many environmental problems including desertification, soil erosion, loss of biological diversity and water pollution, (Durning and Brough 1991; Ehrlich, Ehrlich and Daily 1995; Pimentel and Pimentel 1996; Rifkin 1992). For example, millions of acres of tropical forest in Latin America have been empty for cattle grazing (Durning and Brough 1991; Harrison and Pearce 2000; Myers 1981). Moreover, due to their digestive physiology, cattle also emit a large quantity of a greenhouse gas, a methane, and their manure expels gaseous ammonia into the air, contributing to acid rain (Durning and Brough 1991; Harrison and Pearce 2000; Subak 1999). Changing Profile and Mind Set of Consumer People are becoming aware about hygienic and health. There is a transformation in the mind-set of the Consumer and now looking at Money for Value rather than Value for Money. We have seen inclination in consumers to move to advanced products/ brands, because of shifting lifestyles, growing disposable income etc. Consumers are switching from economy to premium product even we have witnessed a sharp increase in the sales of packaged water and water purifier. Porters five forces analysis of the food and beverage Source: Valuenotes.com, (2010) The intensity of rivalry is very high among the competitor of food and beverages Industry. There is a threat for new entrants as well as for substitute. Even there is high bargaining power for Suppliers as well as for Buyers. Rivalry among Competing Firms In the food and beverages industry, rivalry between competitors is very fierce. There are uncommon customers because the industry is highly saturated and the competitors try to seize their share of market. Market Players use all sorts of activities and tactics from intensive advertisement campaigns to price wars and promotional stuff etc. Therefore the intensity of rivalry is very high. Potential Entry of New Competitors Food and beverages industry does not have any methods which can control the entry of new firms. The conflict is very low and the structure of the industry is so multifaceted that new firms can easily enter and also offer tough competition due to cost effectiveness. Therefore prospective entry of new firms is extremely viable. Potential Development of Substitute Products There are never ending and complex consumer needs and no firm can satisfy all sorts of needs alone. There are adequately of substitute goods available in the market that can be re-placed if consumers are not satisfied with one. The varied range of needs and choices give an appropriate room for new product development that can substitute current goods. Every other day there is some short of new product, design and variants. This leads to higher consumers expectation. Bargaining Power of Suppliers The bargaining power of suppliers of intermediate goods and raw materials is not very high. There is ample number of substitute suppliers available and the raw materials are also willingly accessible and most of the raw materials are homogeneous. There is no monopoly situation in the supplier side as the suppliers are also challenging among themselves. Bargaining Power of Consumers Bargaining power of consumers is also very high. This is because in food and beverages industry the substituting costs of most of the goods is very low and there is no threat of buying one product over other. Customers are never unwilling to buy or attempt new things off the shelf. SWOT Analysis Strengths: Presence of well-known distribution networks in both urban and rural areas Low Operational Costs Occurrence of well-known brands in food and beverages sector Accessibility of raw materials Weaknesses: Me-too products which unlawfully mimic the brands and labels of the recognized brands Lower scope of investing in technology and achieving economies of scale, especially in small sectors Low exports levels Opportunities: Large domestic market over a billion populations Unexploited countryside market Increasing income levels, i.e. increase in purchasing power of consumers Trade potential and tax duty benefits for implementing exports units Threats: Regulatory and tax structure Exclusion of import restrictions ensuing in replacing of domestic brands Temporary Slowdown in Economy can have an impact on food and beverages industry Source: Valuenotes.com (2011) Conclusions With low margins and large volumes, food and beverages companies must react fast to deliver in-demand, on-trend products to shoppers where and when they want them, to avoid getting held with unwanted merchandise. The increasing integration of local and cross-border agro-food chains can be considered both a threat and a challenge for rural development. Poor farmers in developing countries who have limited resources and scarce access to markets and a more cautious, less faithful customer has arisen in the global recession, stimulating consumer goods manufacturers and their supplier and retailer partners to develop more responsive and demand-driven. A value-conscious customer is particularly challenging for producers of food and beverages.

California Wetlands and The Batiquitos Lagoon :: Environment Ecology Ecological Essays

California Wetlands and The Batiquitos Lagoon As the importance of wetland property has been brought to light by ecologists it is a wonder why so much of it is still being destroyed. In California there are development trade- off's that are made that will destroy one wetland while saving another. This will be seen using the Batiquitos Lagoon in Carlsbad, California as an example. In 1987 an agreement was signed with the Port of Los Angeles and the state of California. This agreement allowed part of the Port of Los Angeles to be filled in for commercial development, if the Batiquitos Lagoon was restored. The Port of LA traded their funds to restore the Carlsbad Lagoon for the ability to fill in part of the LA harbor. This fill in project was to kill a large marine life, and to compensate for this the Port of Los Angeles was to forever protect the wildlife (mostly bird species) of the Batiquitos Lagoon. The restoration of the Batiquitos Lagoon would include reintroducing tidal flow to the lagoon. After several years of commercial development and abusive farming on the shore of the Lagoon the tidal port had become blocked with sediment. However, during the years of blockage the Lagoon had converted from a saline environment to a freshwater one. The restoration of tidal flows to the Lagoon would alter the ecosystem to the Lagoon. With the filling of the 383 acres of the Port of Los Angeles certain safe guards to the agreement had to be complied to. Since the filling of the Port and the killing of the marine life was a permanent process so must the restoration of the Lagoon be permanent. The key element of the agreement were as follows: . The Port of Los Angeles would be allowed to fill 383 acres of deep water habitat in the Outer Los Angeles Harbor . All existing habitat of the Lagoon must be protected . The restoration of coastal and tidally influenced species must be established. . The Restoration Project is Forever . The Lagoon will be preserved as an Ecological Reserve by the State of California . The Lagoon must be maintained with a fund set up by the Port of LA and done by the California Department of Fish and Game.

The Great Influenza Essay

The Great Influenza is an account of the 1918 flu epidemic written by John M. Barry. Barry writes about scientists and their research of the great epidemic that killed thousands of people. John M. Barry uses many rhetorical strategies in his story to characterize scientific research. He also uses descriptive words to help the reader envision the story. Barry uses repetition to convey his point across to the reader about scientific research.Barry talks about the certainty and uncertainty in the field of science throughout his accounts, â€Å"Certainty creates strength. Certainty gives one something upon which to lean†. By using repetition, Barry is able to instill the ideas he has about the field of science to the reader over and over again. Not only does he talk about the certainties in life, but the uncertainties as well, â€Å"Uncertainty creates weakness.Uncertainty makes one tentative if not fearful, and tentative steps, even when in the right direction, may not overcome significant obstacles†. By using the strategy of repetition, the reader gets a real sense of how the author feels about certain subjects. Barry’s use of descriptive words allows the audience to further understand his purpose of the challenges of experiments and the qualities that come from it. In describing the decisions that scientists must make, Barry describes work as â€Å"grunt† and â€Å"tedious. Through these words the reader realizes that a scientist does experience a complicated workload. He also uses words such as â€Å"strength† and â€Å"courage† in order to describe the characteristics that are needed to overcome the uncertainty that is so common in science. While describing a scientist’s journey into the â€Å"unknown,† Barry uses words such as â€Å"wilderness† and â€Å"frontier† which further illustrate the uncertainties mentioned. Barry also describes a researcher as someone who paves ways for everyone else.Research is so much more, it leaves roads for so many other things; that’s why is has to be so precise and accurate. â€Å"A single step can also take one off a cliff. † Barry says this in the passage to show the preciseness of science. One mistake can lead to so many problems for everything else, but it can also lead to something new. John M. Barry uses many rhetorical strategies to portray his views of scientific research. He explains the certainty and uncertainty of a scientist to overcome the hardship of their work.

The eNotes Blog New to eNotes AnnotatedeTexts!

New to AnnotatedeTexts! For a long time at , weve displayed eTexts on the siteentire works that anyone can access for free. But recently weve worked to make them even better. Welcome to our all new Annotated eTexts! Whats an Annotated eText? Have you ever underlined words or made notes in the margins of your books while reading them? These notes help to re-familiarize you with a passage of text when you flip back through it, or draw out evidence that points to a novels main themes. Well, now those notes are made for you, and by the very same teachers who expertly answer your questions in Homework Help. With real teachers and professors helping you with your homework, how can you go wrong? How do I find them? All of eTexts can be accessed by clicking the eText header link via any page of the site: Pick a work from over 120 Annotated eTexts on this list. A full list of all of our eTexts can be found here. Both lists are alphabetical. While reading an Annotated eText, hover over the portions of text highlighted in yellow to bring up an annotation, like this: Annotated eTexts cover novels, poems, plays, and more! Ready to have a look? Here are some of our most popular titles: Macbeth by William Shakespeare Apology by Plato Oedipus Rex by Sophocles Beowulf by Anonymous Hamlet by William Shakespeare Frankenstein by Mary Shelley Plus, many more from Poe, Shakespeare, Dickens, and more to come soon! Explore them all here.

Indie Authors Guide to the Top 10 Self-Publishing Companies for 2019

Indie Authors Guide to the Top 10 Self-Publishing Companies for 2019 If youre a writer who wants to become a published author, chances are, youve done some research on the topic. Or, perhaps youre a seasoned pro at the writing and querying process. If thats the case, youve more than likely met that terrible foe all authors hate: rejection.Rejection is a part of life in general, and, unfortunately, a big part of the publishing world. Authors have described amassing hundreds of rejection letters from agents and publishers alike. Famously, Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling was rejected (a mere) twelve times before finding mind-blowing success with her series.J.K. Rowlings first Harry Potter novel was rejected twelve times before finding mind-blowing success with her series. Photo by Rae Tian on Unsplash.Writers once sought traditional publishing for the hopes of big advances, wide distribution, and generous marketing dollars. And while a number of writers have had tremendous success in this arena, many going on to become household names and best-sellers t ens of times over, many other writers find themselves facing rejection over and over, until giving up on the book theyre querying becomes the next step.However, what many writers dont realize is that rejection oftentimes has little to do with the quality of the authors work. Rejection can happen simply because the project is no longer a hot trend, or its not yet a trend. Additionally, agents may reject a project they might have otherwise accepted simply because theyve already signed a similar book. After so many rejection letters and emails, its often advised the writer move onto a different project.But Instead of tucking away those hard-wrought stories, these days, authors are finding ways to bring them to light by self-publishing. Self-publishing is a fantastic avenue for writers who are natural entrepreneurs and/or want to retain sole control over their projects. At traditional houses, authors may be asked to make significant changes to their work. They receive little say in the cover, and can often be asked to change the title to suit marketing trends. On top of that, only a select few authors receive generous marketing budgets. Most traditionally published authors are still expected to the heavy lifting where marketing is concerned, exactly as self-published, or indie, authors do.Writers may have many different reasons for wanting to self-publish, but it all comes down to this: self-publishing is for everyone! And those authors who are particularly savvy can find great success with self-publishing and turn them into extremely lucrative careers.Whether you want to be in control of your book from inception to publication, or you simply want to gift the world with a story the traditional publishing world rejected, consider self-publishing as a viable path for your dreams.Here, weve detailed ten of the best self-publishing companies for you to research and choose from as you take the next step in your writing career.Happy writing!AmazonLets start with the kin g of self-publishing companies. Amazons platform, Kindle Direct Publishing, or KDP, is the worlds largest seller of eBooks. In 2015, around 74% of of all eBooks purchased in the U.S. were from Amazon, with an estimated 3.4 million books available. Its only increased since then. Authors can create digital books (eBooks) as well as paperbacks, and its free to upload. The royalty percentages depend on the books pricing, but if an eBook is priced at $2.99 or above, the author receives a 70% royalty (it goes down to 35% if the book is priced under $2.99). The royalty split is different for paperbacks. There are also a number of user-friendly how-to guides on the KDP site itself. Once learned, the process is quick and easy.Barnes Noble PressLongtime brick-and-mortar bookstore chain Barnes and Noble jumped on the digital bandwagon, and created its own indie publishing platform, Barnes Noble Press (formerly known as NOOK Press). Like Amazon, it is free to upload, and offers many of the sa me features. The royalty split is, also like Amazon, based on book pricing. For an eBook with a price of $2.99 and up, the royalty is 65%. For eBooks below $2.99, the royalty is 40%.IngramSparkWhile KDP is the titan of eBook/digital book publishing, IngramSpark, owned by Ingram Book Group, is the largest book distributor and wholesaler in the United States. It distributes digital books and hardcopy books to Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes Nobel, Follett, and Booktopia, to name just a few. However, while publishers like KDP and BN Press are free to upload, there is a cost associated with IngramSpark- $49 to set up, $25 to make changes to an already published book, and then authors have to purchase an ISBN if they wish to make print copies. The upside? IngramSpark distributes to libraries, and you have the option to make a supercool hardcover book, something KDP does not offer at this time.Apple BooksIt seems like Apple is everywhere, and most people own at least one Apple product, from iPhones to iTunes. It makes sense it founded a self-publishing platform called iBooks back in 2010. While it has remained eclipsed by Amazon giant KDP, Apple books still get hundreds of millions of downloads per year.Kobo BooksKobo, a Canadian company owned by Rakuten, sells digital books, audiobooks, and e-readers. Its self-publishing platform, Kobo Writing Life, launched in July of 2012. Due to its Canadian headquarters and affiliation with the Japan-based Rakuten, Kobo has a major international audience. Similar to the above/under $2.99 eBook price point of other self-publishing companies, Kobo offers royalties of 70% and 45%, which are better than KDP and BN Press.Draft2DigitalFor authors who are only focused in self-publishing digital books, Draft2Digital is a powerhouse. This platform is considered an aggregator, meaning it pushes your book to multiple retailers, rather than you having to upload it to multiple places and keep track of multiple reports. All your information is one place. Additionally, the royalty is a whopping 90% of your books retail price, so no worries about managing your royalty percentage if you decide to put your book on sale, or take it off sale. D2D retains just 10% of each copy sold.SmashwordsSmashwords is another aggregator, like Draft2Digital. The major thing to note about Smashwords is that it does not distribute to Amazon. So if you decide to use Smashwords but also want your book sold on Amazon, you will have to also upload it to KDP. That said, Smashwords does have an even large distribution pool than Draft2Digital. Smashwords retains 15% of the retail price of your book on its own platform, and then takes 10% on other platforms, per copy sold. Stuck between Smashwords and Draft2Digital? Check out this article that discusses the differences between the two aggregators to better help your decision.StreetLibBased in Italy, StreetLib is the only aggregator with a multi-language dashboard, including English, Italian, Hindi, and Spanish- to name a few! It distributes to all major Western stores, and has a strong presence in European stores, which include Amazon, Google Play, iBooks, Barnes Noble, Kobo, Scribd, Baker Taylor, Indigo, and many, many more. The pricing structure is such that StreetLib retains 10% of your books retail price per copy sold. Interested in publishing a print edition of your book? Theres an up-front cost of $49 and you get a free ISBN.BookBabySimilar to IngramSpark, BookBaby is a print-on-demand self-publishing company thats excellent for first-time self-publishers, because its a full-service, one-stop shop that offers editing services, cover design, book formatting for digital and print books, and marketing plans to help indie authors be as successful as possible. Prices vary depending on the services the author is looking for, but their most popular package, The Complete Self-Publishing Package, costs $1,699, which includes cover design and formatting, eBook conversion, 25 print books, international distribution, a Facebook ad campaign, and several other things (note: it does not include editing services).PublishDriveA relatively new aggregator, PublishDrive is on the rise, distributing to over 400 stores and 240,000 digital libraries, offering four tiered subscription pricing options to fit authors and publishers at every level. Their plans range from free (with limited distribution) to $99.99 a month (for the priced options available). They also offer a full distribution package but authors must submit a more detailed inquiry for pricing.Screenshot of PublishDrive, one of the newer self-publishing websites now available for indie authors.If youre a newer author, or new to the indie world, self-publishing can seem like an insurmountable beast. But there are so many resources available to help you through the process of uploading your book, and many self-publishing companies who serve as one-stop shops, like BookBaby, where you can get editing, formatting, and cover design services all in one place. Theres a lot to learn about indie publishing, but getting your story out there is the most important first step! And remember, even though traditional publishers might have passed on your work, that in no way determines its quality. The world needs your story. So use our guide today to get started!