An Analysis of Irvings Rip Van Winkle :: Rip Van Winkle Essays

An Analysis of Irving's Rip Van Winkle Rip Van Winkle had grabbed his gun and his dog, Wolf, and headed out to the woods. He rested under a tree where evening came on quickly. As Rip was getting ready to journey back home, he heard a voice calling his name. He went to see who was calling his name. He discovered an old man carrying a keg on his back. Rip and the old man walked to a ravine in the mountain. There they found a band of odd-looking people. Rip and the old man drank from the keg the man was carrying on his back. Rip feel into a deep sleep, which bring us up to his awaking. Rip Van Winkle woke up and it seemed to be the next morning. "The birds were hopping and twittering among the bushes, and the eagle was wheeling aloft, and breasting the pure mountain breeze." I think this symbolizes that the jeopardy that Rip was in the night before was over. The text said that the people in the ravine were rolling balls that echoed sounds of thunder through the ravine. That makes me picture a dark storm rolling in. This sets the scene with a little tension because Rip did not know what to make of the people in the ravine. He was a little frightened by them. So the birds singing and the sun rising the next morning seems to set the mood at ease again. Rip thinks about what went on the night before. He remembers the old man, the keg of liquor, the party, and the flagon. The flagon was the cup that Rip Van Winkle drank from the night before. Rip Van Winkle said, "Oh! That flagon! That wicked flagon!" I thought it was humors that he blamed the cup for getting him "tipsy" and causing him to sleep through the night. The first hint that is giving that Rip did a little more sleeping than he thought was the moment he reached for his gun. "He looked round for his gun, but in place of the clean, well-oiled fowling-piece he found an old firelock." It stated that the barrel was rusted and the stock was full of holes from worms eating away at it.

Mountains: A road to recreation

â€Å"Chasing angels or feeling demons, go to mountains† said by Jeffrey Rasley. The word recreation means refreshment of health or spirits by relaxation and enjoyment. In other sense refreshment of one’s mind and body. Pakistan is a God gifted land. There are many breathtaking landscapes present in it. The land of Pakistan is known as the land of adventures and nature. Beside, Murree, there are many hill stations and resorts such as in the places like Swat, Kalam , and Hunza Vellay. So, I agree with the statement that mountains are use for recreation. Firstly, for recreational purpose, mountains are use for hiking. Mountaineering was introduced in eighteen century by intellectuals such as scientists and philosophers. They climb on mountains for research purposes. At that time â€Å"Chamonix† which is located in France, became the attracting point for many hikers. Especially Mount Blanc, which had an elevation of about sixteen thousand feet. After half of the eighteen century, British hikers started to hike on Swiss mountains with their guides. These guides were from different countries such as from Switzerland, Italy, and France. After Alpes, in late nineteen century, hikers started to hike on Andes mountain ranges which are located in South America. By the advent of twentieth century, hikers came to hike Himalayas which are also located in Pakistan. In Himalayas ranges, the highest peak is K2 which has an elevation of about twenty eight thousand feet. Now in twenty first century, hiking become very common in our society. First of all, some people hike on mountain as for fun. But after words they chose mountain hiking as their profession. For instance Conrad Kein is one of them. Bachendri Pal who is first Indian women to climb on Mount Everast. She conquered Mount Everst peak on twenty third May, 1984. Secondly, for recreational purpose, people use to prefer mountainous areas for visiting. People also used to come on mountains for camping. In Pakistan, Swat valley is known as â€Å"Mini Switzerland†. Where everywhere, you will see greenry. This valley is also more fertile as compared to other northern areas of Pakistan. So, for attracting people, government has built different places for recreation, such as museum, golf course, and parks. Local people also made restaurants in hilly areas. In swat museum, you can see the things of second century BC. Especially, the crafts of Mauryan Emporer. In Murree , there is Ayubia park which is named after our first military dictator General Ayub Khan. In that park, there is chair lift, that’s why it is very famous. Thirdly, the people of plain areas used to go to mountainous areas for relaxing their selves. So, in Murree, you will hardly find any place in restaurants especially in summer vocations. In that period of three to four months, some hotel owners are not good enough because they charge more. So, in that response Kalam Hotel Association General Sectery Rahuet Din Siddique said in a statement that â€Å" his union would take action against those hotel owners who had been fleecing visitors by demanding high prices†. But this is the dilemma of our people that we always think that how to flatter others. Fourthly, in Pakistan, there are also worth seeing places such as Kashmir which is a mountainous area and is known as â€Å"Paradise†. The Great Mughal King Shah Jahan said â€Å"If there is heaven anywhere on earth that is the Kashmir†. So, he was the first to say it as a Heaven. Concordia is known as the ‘paradise of mountaineers’ which is present in north of Pakistan and is close to China boarder. Concordia is a chain of fourteen mountains and highest mountain is K2 which has an elevation of about eighty six hundred meter and is also known as world’s second highest mountain. The locals named K2 as â€Å"Choghori†. The name Concordia derived from the Latin word which means ‘harmony with the heart’. People used to visit in these places for recreation. Due to the poor securitization of Pakistan, people are scared to visit these places. In recent incidence in which eleven mountaineers are killed by terrorist. One mountaineer was left alive in the incidence. She said that she was not scared and she is full determined for expedition of Nanga Parbat. And she said in a statement that she will come next year. In response to that statement , the ACP President Col Manzoor Hussain said â€Å" we apologize to you that our government failed to protect the lives of your team members†. Although, the indigenous of mountainous areas are known for their hospitality. Visitors are welcomed by these people open heartedly. But due to security lapse, people are scared and they want protection from government. So, government should take action against terrorists. In short, mountaineering is very famous all over the world. People use to go on mountain areas throughout the whole year. In summer season, people go on mountains for recreation in order to see the beauty and nature. This time the temperature is moderate. In winter season, people use to go on mountainous areas for skating etc. But unfortunately, people are refused to go on these areas just because of poor security. As, Pakistan is fighting war on terror, so , people are scared to go. At last, if we go through the context of Pakistan, many tourist from all over the globe attract towards the scenic beauty of these mountain. K2 is famous in this regard.

The Adventure of the Speckled Band by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and A Lamb to the Slaughter by Roald Dahl Essay Example

The Adventure of the Speckled Band by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and A Lamb to the Slaughter by Roald Dahl Essay Example The Adventure of the Speckled Band by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and A Lamb to the Slaughter by Roald Dahl Paper The Adventure of the Speckled Band by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and A Lamb to the Slaughter by Roald Dahl Paper Essay Topic: Literature The Adventure of the Speckled Band and A Lamb to the Slaughter were written in different centuries and yet both share some characteristics of murder mysteries. In this essay, I intend to compare the motives for the murders; the crime and cover-ups/ alibis; the personalities of the murderers and their victims and look at how the authors create suspense in their stories. The Adventure of the Speckled Band by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle gives a detailed account of one of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watsons most interesting cases. A young woman Miss Helen Stoner, comes to consult them about the death of her sister, Julia, two years previously, in very mysterious circumstances. Julia died alone and the coroner could not find the cause. Now Helen has begun to fear that she to is in danger and is alarmed at the violent behaviour of her step father, Dr. Grimesby Roylott. Holmes and Watson go to Stoke Moran and solve the mystery of Julias death. A lamb to the Slaughter by Roald Dahl tells the story of Mary Maloney and her tense relationship with her husband, Patrick. One evening Mary Maloney is waiting for her husband to arrive home. Once Patrick Maloney returns home and tells his wife, Mary some unpleasant news which she cant believe she is hearing. He tells her that he is leaving her for another woman. This upsets Mary Maloney and in a fit of anger she kills her husband. Now she must cover it and fool the police detectives into believing she is innocent. The motives for the murders in the stories are very different. Dr. Grimesby Roylotts motive for murdering his step daughter, Julia, and the attempted murder for Helen was for the money Helens mother left for herself and Julia. When Helen and Julias mother died she left for them in her will that a certain sum would be given to each of them when they got married: each daughter gets à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½250 when they marry (page 7-8). So Dr. Roylotts motive for killing Julia and trying to kill Helen was that he would get all the money which his wife left for them. Mary Maloney, however, had a very difficult motive; she killed her husband, Patrick Maloney, because of her anger and jealously about some news he had told her. He had told her that he was leaving her for another woman: This is going to be a bit of a shock for you, Im afraid, he said. But Ive thought about it a good deal and Ive decided the only thing to do is tell you right away. I hope you wont blame me to much. And he told her. It didnt take long, four or five minutes at the most, and she sat very still through it all, watching him with a kind of dazed horror as he went further and further away from her with each word (page 16). Then once he had told her, he was leaving her, she went to the freezer and took out a leg of a lamb and was about to make dinner, then with all her might she swung the piece of frozen lambs leg onto his head which killed him. She now has to cover it up using an alibi because she does not want to go to jail especially that she is pregnant and she does not want the baby taken away from her: did they kill them mother and child? Or did they wait until the tenth month? What did they do? Mary Maloney didnt know. And she certainly wasnt prepared to take a chance (page 17). The murder weapons in both stories were very unusual but were similar to each other in a way. In The Adventure of the Speckled Band the murder weapon was a deadly snake which was called a swamp adder: I took a step forward. Suddenly this strange headband began to move, and rearing itself up from his hair was the diamond-shaped head and puffed neck of a snake! (page 13). Whereas in A Lamb to the Slaughter, the murder weapon was a leg of a lamb, which was frozen solid. The crimes themselves were different. Dr. Grimesby Roylott trained a deadly swamp adder to attack the person sleeping in Julias bedroom. His plan was well thought out and involved the bed in her room being fixed to the floor so it could not move its position. The bed was against the wall which had the vent in it. There was a false bell rope that did not work, which was above the bed. The bell rope was over the vent. Dr. Roylott trained the snake to go through the vent and slither down the bell rope to attack its victim (Dr. Roylott carried the snake to the vent by using the dog lead). Dr. Roylott trained the snake to do what he wanted it to do by using a whistle for commands and a saucer of milk for a reward. In contrast Mary Maloney did not plan ahead; she went downstairs into the cellar to get something for dinner from the freezer. When she entered the living room with a frozen piece of leg from a lamb in her hands, her husband Patrick grunted that he was going out for dinner and already told her not to make dinner. Mary then gripped the piece of meat and with all her might she swung the frozen leg and brought the frozen leg onto Patricks head: At that point, Mary Maloney simply walked up behind him and without any pause she swung the big frozen leg of lamb high in the air and brought it down as hard as she could on the back of his head (page 17). As you can see the two different weapons use have things in common such as they are both animals and would not be suspected by the police. These weapons are very strange and unusual because when we listen to the news, when someone gets murdered nine out of ten times the murder weapon is a knife of some sort and a gun. The personalities of the murderers, although different, are very similar in some ways. Dr. Grimesby Roylott seems very evil and mad and he looked like a fierce old bird of pray but he is a very clever man. He trained a deadly snake with a whistle and used a saucer of milk as its reward, to climb down the bell rope and attack the person that lay on the bed. We could tell that he was a bad tempered man, because it says so in the text, when Holmes sees the vivid bruises on Helens wrist. Helen stoner also tells Sherlock Holmes that he beat his Indian butler to death because he suspected him of theft. Roylott had planned his moves carefully and succeeded once. As the readers we see him as someone when they want something they would do anything to get it. When we see Mary Maloney, she gives us the impression of a very nice peaceful housewife, and someone that cares for her husband a lot. However, she is not what she seems when she kills her husband with a frozen leg of lamb. When she strikes Patricks head with the piece of frozen leg, we think that she is out of control and unstable: The violence of the crash, the noise, the small table overturning, helped her out of the shock. She came out slowly, feeling cold and surprised, as she stood for a while blinking at the body, still holding the ridiculous piece of meat tight with both hands. (page 17). However both of them are very intelligent, sly and cunning in the way they cover up the murders and provide themselves with alibis. In The Adventure of the Speckles Band, Dr. Roylott can prove he was nowhere near Julia Stoner when she was murdered. Dr. Roylott was in his room at the time of the murder. Dr. Roylott also had an alibi who was Helen. This is because she could prove that Dr, Roylott was in his room at the time and could not have murdered Julia or gained access to her room because the rooms were locked at night because the wild animals that lived there, were allowed loose in the ground: The door had been locked from inside and the windows were blocked by shutters with broad iron bars (page 6). He planned his moves very carefully by using a way to kill Julia without him touching her or being in her room. He used a poisonous snake to kill Julia. This was not any snake how ever, it was a snake from India, so the poison at that time was not known in England so he knew that he could get away with the crime he committed. Because the poison was not known at that time, they could not find any cause for Julias murder. And the same would have happened to Helen if she did not go to consult Sherlock Holmes. In A Lamb to the Slaughter, Mary Maloney also arranges a perfect alibi; after she has killed her husband she stands in front of a mirror rehearsing her lines: Hullo Sam, she said brightly, aloud. The voice sounded peculiar too. I want some potatoes please, Sam. Yes, and I think a can of peas. That was better. Both the smile and the voice were coming out better now. She rehearsed it several times more. Then she ran downstairs, took her coat, went out the back door, down the garden, into the street (page 18). She then goes to the grocers where she asks Sam, the grocer for some potatoes and peas and then comes home. Her alibi was that when she came home from the grocers she found her husband dead lying on the floor. She then phones the police screaming someones killed her husband. The police then come over and she is acting very upset about what had just happened. For some one to do an alibi like this is very clever and cunning. The police check her alibi but Sam backs her up and so they do not suspect her: Which grocer? one of the detectives asked. She told him, and he turned and whispered something to the other detective who immediately went outside into the street. In fifteen minutes he returned with a page of notes, and there was more whispering, and through her sobbing she heard more whispering phrases . . . acted quite normal . . . very cheerful . . . wanted to give him a good super . . . peas . . . cheesecake . . . impossible that she . . . (page 20). Both of them hide the murder weapons very cleverly; Dr. Grimesby Roylott hides his snake in a metal safe and Mary Maloney gets rid of the leg of lamb by cooking it in the oven and feeding it to the policemen who are colleagues of Patrick. Although they are both very clever the major difference is the endings to the stories. At the end of The Adventure of the Speckled Band, Dr. Grimesby Roylott gets caught by Sherlock Holmes and dies by his own weapon (the snake) however Mary Maloney does not get caught and gets away with it completely as the police eats the evidence. The victims in the story are different. This is because in The Adventure of the Speckled Band, Helen is an innocent victim and Roylott wants her money which her mother left in her will (basically for greed and selfishness) but in A Lamb to the Slaughter, the victim, Patrick, was murdered by chance not design. The only reason Mary Maloney murdered him is because of anger and shock. The two authors create suspense in different ways; Arthur Conan Doyle builds up the tension gradually by using powerful adjectives such as; strange, fear, terror. Whereas Roald Dahl builds up suspense and tension when Mary Maloney, a pregnant woman who is peaceful and loves her husband, murders him with a frozen leg of lamb by bringing it down on his head. Also the alibi that was included raises tension as well because the reader doesnt know if the police will fall for it. Some things I liked about The Adventure of the Speckled Band was that there was a lot of tension and strange things involved, such as the unique murder weapon and the investigation which I thought was very interesting. What I liked about A Lamb to the Slaughter is how she got rid of the evidence. She got the police to eat it. Not only that but the alibi she used to get away with the crime was very clever.

Free Essays on Vampires And Vampirism - Myth Explained

Vampires – Explanation of the Myth The World Book encyclopedia defines a vampire as "a corpse that supposedly returns to life at night to suck people's blood". The powers associated to vampires include turning into mist and shape- shifting, invisibility, mesmerism, superhuman strength, immortality and, of course, a murderous blood thirst. Many questions have been asked about the origin and the definition of the vampire. Doctors and scientists have even discussed actual medical conditions that may have lead to the belief in vampires. Among all the creatures and monsters in literature and folklore, the vampire seems to be the most mysterious. It has evolved in folklore during its journey through time. During the 20th century people have become fascinated with the idea of vampires. Throughout history the legend of the vampire has been used to "explain" other natural phenomena that primitive people who lacked scientific knowledge could not otherwise explain. Possibly the most astonishing belief which people associated vampires with was the Black Death during the Middle Ages in Europe. The Black Death was actually Bubonic plague spread by fleas and rats. The plague may have killed as much as a third of the population of Europe in the 1300s. Some people of the day, however, associated the multitude of deaths with vampires. Somehow they believed that the deaths were the workings of these monsters. Corpses were sometimes buried facedown. If the corpse became a vampire it would actually dig deeper into the ground in an attempt to escape the grave, if it was facing the wrong direction or so it was thought. Wooden stakes were sometimes planted in the ground above the grave, so if the body raised it would stab itself on the stake hopefully through the heart. The natural process of bodily decomposition after death sometimes convinced people that corpses were actually transforming into vampires: the hair and nails co... Free Essays on Vampires And Vampirism - Myth Explained Free Essays on Vampires And Vampirism - Myth Explained Vampires – Explanation of the Myth The World Book encyclopedia defines a vampire as "a corpse that supposedly returns to life at night to suck people's blood". The powers associated to vampires include turning into mist and shape- shifting, invisibility, mesmerism, superhuman strength, immortality and, of course, a murderous blood thirst. Many questions have been asked about the origin and the definition of the vampire. Doctors and scientists have even discussed actual medical conditions that may have lead to the belief in vampires. Among all the creatures and monsters in literature and folklore, the vampire seems to be the most mysterious. It has evolved in folklore during its journey through time. During the 20th century people have become fascinated with the idea of vampires. Throughout history the legend of the vampire has been used to "explain" other natural phenomena that primitive people who lacked scientific knowledge could not otherwise explain. Possibly the most astonishing belief which people associated vampires with was the Black Death during the Middle Ages in Europe. The Black Death was actually Bubonic plague spread by fleas and rats. The plague may have killed as much as a third of the population of Europe in the 1300s. Some people of the day, however, associated the multitude of deaths with vampires. Somehow they believed that the deaths were the workings of these monsters. Corpses were sometimes buried facedown. If the corpse became a vampire it would actually dig deeper into the ground in an attempt to escape the grave, if it was facing the wrong direction or so it was thought. Wooden stakes were sometimes planted in the ground above the grave, so if the body raised it would stab itself on the stake hopefully through the heart. The natural process of bodily decomposition after death sometimes convinced people that corpses were actually transforming into vampires: the hair and nails co...

The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby Abstract The great Gatsby is one of the oldest novels having been written in 1925. From the novel, it is evident that it was written in the days when the society was by far patriarchal. By exploring how much men had dominated the society which led to women discrimination; the novel will help us understand the concept of feminist critique.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Great Gatsby specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Introduction Feminist critique is an aspect that seeks to explore the extent of men domination in the social, economic, and political sectors. It seeks to expose how much women have been discriminated in the society through study of literature. This essay will apply the concept of feminist critique with reference to the Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald to expose some of the aspects of patriarchal society as revealed in the novel. The Great Gatsby The Great Gatsby starts by bringing in a male charact er, Nick Carraway, as the narrator. First, the narrator is just from the First World War and seeks to settle and takes a job in New York. In search for wealth and happiness, he rents a bungalow in West Egg next to a generous and mysterious bachelor Jay Gatsby, who owned a mansion. Nick describes the mansion as â€Å"a colossal affair by any standard- it is an imitation of some hotel de villa in Normandy, with a tower on one side, spanking new under a thin beard of raw ivy, and a marble swimming pool, and more than forty acres of lawn and garden† (Fitzgerald 1). The introduction brings out an aspect of male occupying the greater portion of wealth. These two men were relatively young and yet so rich to own such property at their age. The mentioned women, Daisy, Jordan and Myrtle are just an attachment to the men in the society since they all at some level depict an aspect of lack of independence since men dominate their every aspect of life. Socially, men seem to dominate in th e relationships. Tom’s financial power sets him way ahead that he can afford to have an affair outside marriage. This he does openly as he invites Nick, Daisy’s cousin to meet his mistress Myrtle Wilson. Nick’s reflection on the relationship between Tom and Daisy, Tom and Myrtle show a break of social norms. Tom’s relationship with the two women is abusive and of so much control. He abuses Myrtle publicly in the name of making her straight by even beating her. Tom comes out as a man who has so much power to bully everybody, including Myrtle’s husband Wilson, he also has so much control in Daisy his wife.Advertising Looking for essay on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Normally, one will expect that Nick being a cousin to Daisy will resist seeing their close relatives get involved in extra-marital affairs. Nick being a man supports other men, Tom and Gatsby in the ir moves. After knowing that Gatsby had been in love with Daisy before she got married, he allows a reconnection to happen in his own house despite the fact that Gatsby’s credibility was still in question to him. His admiration of Gatsby in having â€Å"an extra ordinary gift for hope, a romantic readiness he had never found in any other person and which it was not likely he could ever find again† (Fitzgerald 1) overpowered his questions on Gatsby’s character and that of his company. This shows that men dominance was key since women were to follow what the men wanted them to, not their choices. The novel was written in a time when men could batter women if dissatisfied by their actions. In the meeting with Myrtle, when an argument ensued between Tom and the mistress, Tom broke her nose in the name of shutting her up. The whole thing looks normal and even when George complains to him, he is not moved by his cry. Tom is the dominant character in the novel. He hara sses people starting with his wife, his mistress, George and even Gatsby. Tom is seen doing the same thing Gatsby does; dating a married woman, but he has the guts to confront him on his affair with Daisy. When Myrtle died, he fires a battle between Gatsby and George by convincing him that Gatsby had an affair with Myrtle. George kills Gatsby before killing himself as a sign of revenge. The revenge was purely egotistic to reclaim his position as Myrtle’s husband since his status as a man on top of the relationship had been invalid. This leaves a mark in moral decadency, which only happens in a patriarchal society that cannot be controlled by any other voice than the male voice. The novel has so much influence geographically and culturally due to the approach used and the structure itself. Tom Buchanan’s treatment of his wife and mistress and Gatsby manipulation of Daisy, Tom’s wife brings out the aspect of male domination. The male has a dominant part in the exp loitation of power in the relationships, and marital status is nothing of a worry when one wants to pursue their mistresses. Men in the text have idolized women, and they justify their reasons for exploitation of women.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Great Gatsby specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More For example, Gatsby’s life is made true by the fact that he managed to have a relationship with a lady he had loved before. He does everything to get her, which include him â€Å"buying a house in West Egg just so that Daisy would be just across the bay† (Fitzgerald 1). This was a key sport in being strategic in his plans. Tom, on the other hand, uses his physical and financial powers to prove that he is in control. He and Gatsby set social structures that attract women to them. However, Nick the narrator was not able to relate with the unpredictable and manipulative Jordan Baker. Jordan Baker’s cha racter of believing that she could do as much as a man could do, scared him away. She is unlike Daisy, who chose to stay with Tom, despite the fact that she was in the relationship for financial gains. She is described by Gatsby as one with â€Å"voice is full of money† (Fitzgerald 1). For Jordan’s belief in herself, Nick later blames his failure to cope with her on her partying, smoking and drinking character without really revealing that he had the same character of being pragmatic. Women in those days had been accustomed to so much submission; an example is in Daisy’s character. She has a complacent kind of a character that makes it difficult to make her own individual decisions. She exhibits incapacity to have an independent sense of self-will that Gatsby takes advantage of to win her by flattering her with words like â€Å"You always have a green light that burns all night at the end of your dock† (Fitzgerald 1). The fact that she had a relationship before with Gatsby was enough to lead her in deciding to have an affair with him. Myrtle also falls in the same category as Daisy as she engages in a relationship with another woman’s husband just because they met and liked each other. This aspect manages to bring out a clear definition of gender roles and identity in the earlier days when the novel was written. Men ask, and women respond without looking at what could be affected in their decisions. Conclusion The novel brings out an aspect of both genders reclaiming their positions in the society in terms of gender relations. Though the male has dominated, and the female has proven to be dependent on men, they both have a need within themselves to redefine themselves having become victims of social norms.Advertising Looking for essay on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The male gender has dominated in economic and social part of the society making sure that women are subjects to the male exercise of power. This has been shown clearly by women getting trapped in the manipulation set by men hence making it hard for them to stand by their choices. Their gender nature dictates the character choice in the male-dominated world. The male exercise their power over female by ensuring that they remain the sole financial sources, and the women exercise their dependence by remaining in their marriages despite their involvement in affairs outside marriage. Though there are men like George, who have lost their position, they still exhibit their ego through defending their marriages. Work Cited Fitzgerald, Scott. The Great Gatsby. University of Adelaide, 2005. Web. https://ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/f/fitzgerald/f_scott/gatsby/index.html.

Six Sigma Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Six Sigma - Essay Example This is done by distinguishing and correcting faults that occur in the organizational processes and products. In other words, six sigma is a management concept formulated by Motorola in 1986 which aims are defining high goals, data collection and carrying out the analysis of results to a fine degree so as to cut down the defects that appear in tangible products and services. Therefore, we can say that six sigma is focused on improving the quality of business processes and end products (Peter S Pande, Robert P. Neuman, Roland E. Cavanagh, 2000). The core aim of six sigma is to give businesses an error free performance. The philosophy of six sigma is that if an organization is able to measure the number of faults in its business processes, then it can systematically eradicate them and achieve close to perfection operations. The Greek alphabet Sigma is used to represent a deviation or variation from a defined standard. Organizations use sigma as a scale to measure their performance. The value of sigma is indirectly proportional to the number of defects. This means that smaller value of sigma will show less deviation from the norm that is less faults. For instance, two sigma covers ninety five percent of the bell curve whereas six sigma reaches to a point where there is absolutely no chance of defect. Simply put, six sigma is basically a standard for quality which aims at producing no more than 3.4 defects per million units or procedures. The goal however, is difficult to attain yet a number of manufacturing companies such as General Electric, Martin Dow, Johnson & Johnson, Nokia and many others have realized heavy savings with the application of six sigma. Service sector such as healthcare and financial institutions have also started benefitting from six sigma (Praveen Gupta, 2004). History: Whenever the origin of six sigma is talked about, the first name that strikes our mind is: Motorola. It is usually believed that the concept of six sigma was introduced by the employees of Motorola. A deep look into the history will show that the development of the concept began when Carl Frederick Gauss introduced major statistical element of bell curve called normal curve. In 1920’s Walter Shewhart analyzed the normal curve thoroughly and came up with his proposal that any business process or product may require rectification when the variation from mean is three sigma. After the second world war, Japan’s economy was poorly slashed down. However, with optimal utilization of natural resources and leadership, Japan became world leader in terms of quality. Noticing this sudden progress, U.S companies realized how important the role of quality in gaining profits and customer satisfaction is. The automobile industry of U.S was suffering to a great extent because Japanese had grabbed major share of its imports. In 1986, the engineers at Motorola implemented the concept of six sigma in their manufacturing processes. Bill Smith and team members d ecided to replace the measurement of defects in thousands by millions in order to make more sense out of the concept. Guidelines for addressing problems with six sigma were established and it was also suggested that projects in which six sigma is applied should always give positive outcomes. Therefore, six sigma is officially associated with Motorola. Observing Motorola’s increased efficiency, Allied Signal began implementing six sigma in its operations.

A 300 words evaluation of the recommendations for American airlines Essay

A 300 words evaluation of the recommendations for American airlines - Essay Example We have found that acquiring Jet Blue is a good strategic option for American Airlines because cost of the project is $787 whereas; discounted cash flow is $848. The payback period is only 2.76 years and after this period; American Airlines will cover its costs and will incur positive cash flows. Moreover, ROCE is 0.3830 which means that after acquiring Jet Blue, the company may earn significant return on its total capital employed. Second, American Airlines should give more focus on hedging fuel prices because if fuel prices increase, it will incur a profit of $836 million and if fuel prices decline then it may incur a loss of $836 million. However, in consideration to previous fuel prices trend, a 10 percent increase in fuel prices is expected. Third, hiring a training company is a very good recommendation because company may improve its teamwork performance, crew coordinator, customer services and ultimately the revenues. Acquiring Jet Blue should be the first, hedging of fuel prices should be second and hiring a consultant should be third on priority list because company is already hedging prices and it needs to be get more aggressive in it and hiring a consultant does not incur that much efforts therefore, they are on second and third. We have assumed that Net worth of JetBlue is 12 percent3 of its assets which means that if its assets in 2009 were $6554 million then its net worth is $787 million. This will be the cost of the project for American Airlines. To project the net revenue, the growth rate of 1.68 has been used. It has been calculated by subtracting the net revenue of 2008 from net revenue of 2009 and dividing it by the net revenue of 2008. I have assumed that average revenue generate per year will be about $285 million, which has been calculated by (155+416)/2. In 2008 and 2009 the cost of fuel has increased by 10 percent. The current hedging fuel price of American Airlines is $2.48 per gallon