Classic gangster Essay Example for Free

Classic gangster Essay The portrait of Tom Powers is described in details because this hero of the classic gangster movie occupies an honorary place in a gallery of movie gangsters. He is the type of a ‘tough guy’ in the American sense of this definition. The issue of his toughness is explored in the episode of Putty Nose’s murder, the episode with his girlfriend Kitty and a grapefruit (he smacks it into her face), the scene where Tom shoots the horse that threw and killed his boss, Sam Nails Nathan, in a riding accident. In the end of the film, when his world is ruined – â€Å"[H]is brother hates him, his mother cannot claim him, his best friend, sticking by him, has been murdered, his ‘love’ has proven unattainable† (Shadoian 2003, p. 57) – the hero turns into an avenger. Tom bursts into the headquarters of a rival gang and kills the most of its members revenging for his friend’s death and the takeover of his empire. The same actor, James Cagney, was paired with Humphrey Bogart to play the ‘tough guys’ Eddie Bartlett and George Hally in The Roaring Twenties, the next movie under analysis. In comparison to The Public Enemy, where the accent was put on the factual details of a gangster’s career, The Roaring Twenties commemorated the portrait of the gangster as â€Å"the stuff of legend more than fact† with the â€Å"qualities, partially mourned, [being] emblematic of a period put behind† (Shadoian 2003, p. 31). Raeburn (1988 p. 53) also admitted that â€Å"the gangster hero [was] becoming a poignant reminder of a morally ambiguous but ultimately heroic past† in the present movie. Raeburn (1988, p. 53) gave a very convincing description of the main character’s â€Å"heroic efforts in the 1920s to create a business empire and to acquire a genteel woman who will top off his business success, a la Gatsby†. That the empire crumbles in the 1929 crash and the woman marries the dull district attorney only increase Eddies poignance. His dreams of success were exactly those of generations of American achievers, and if bootlegging is the only avenue for achievement open to him and the woman is bound by her class prejudice to choose the insipid Lloyd over him, then the fault lies not so much in Eddie as in the meretriciousness of a culture which could only provide such impoverished materials to a man of Eddies extraordinary abilities. The film is interesting for its juxtaposition of different asocial characters: Cagney’s hero as â€Å"the dynamic lead† and Bogart’s character as â€Å"the dishonorable villain as social pathology† (Leitch 2002, p. 30): Unlike Cagney, whose appeal was direct, physical, and extroverted, Bogart, who could suggest depths of worldly disillusionment beneath a crooked shell, was the perfect choice to play gangsters designed to explore the ambiguities of nongangster culture: a stifling societys thirst for cathartic violence; the need to blame intractable social problems on outside agents or to project them onto a comfortably remote history; the recognition that the gangsters power, like the western gunslingers, was for better or worse a reminder of a simpler time long past. Unlike these two representatives of the American classic gangster movies – Public Enemy and The Roaring Twenties – The Long Good Friday [Great Britain] portrays the criminal who is anything else but the object of nostalgia. As Guy Richie, director of Lock, Stock Two Smoking Barrels (1998) said to Tom Charity in the interview for Time Out (12-19 August 1998), â€Å"[P]art of what’s good about The Long Good Friday, you really did buy that these guys were villains† (cited Chibnall and Murphy 1999, p. 1). Harold Shand is a modern British tough criminal with his preference of â€Å"blustering and beleaguered patriarchy† (Chibnall and Murphy 1999, p. 2). The outer circumstances challenge his ability to retain power and balance of responsibilities. Shand has nothing in common with Tom Powers (The Public Enemy) or Eddie Bartlett and George Hally (The Roaring Twenties) except for the collapse pattern of the criminal career and the general structure of the criminal system. Like the bootlegger empire in The Roaring Twenties, Shand’s ‘kingdom’ is defended by his relationships with the corrupt members of the law-abiding clan (the local councillor Harris and the police officer Parky). Shand refers to himself as to â€Å"a businessman with a sense of history† (Hill 1999, p. 163). This dubious remark sends the spectator to his background of the ganglord and his future desire to legalise the criminal business. However, political affairs and his colleagues’ treachery prevent Shand from making his great plans come true. As the action evolves, Harold’s enemies are destroyed with cool blooded violence but, annoyingly, â€Å"pour back like an army of ants† (cited Hill 1999, p. 163). The main hero fails to keep the balance of powers and, thus, follows his American counterparts on the path of disillusionment and collapse. However, the British movie depicted the gangster who was not the relict of the bygone epoch but was familiar for the public of the 1980s from both mass-media and everyday life.

No Child Left Behind is the Way to Get Ahead Essay -- Education Politi

No Child Left Behind is the Way to Get Ahead There are many students in America today that are struggling to make the grade. These students have not been given all opportunities and chances that they should have been given to be able to reach a higher level of education. Now children have a way to be able to get to the academic level that they rightfully deserve. President George W. Bush has created a plan for the future and a way to get all of our countries students to thrive in the education system and in life. With this initiative, America will be able to close the achievement gap between the Caucasian higher income students, and the lower income minority students. No Child Left Behind is the only way that lower income minority students will be able to succeed, and get the well deserved attention that they need in the form of assessment tests, and higher quality teachers. In 2001, President George W. Bush proposed a plan to close the gap between students in the United States education system. The act was then redefined and passed in 2002, and was fully put into effect. President Bush knew that the education system in this country was in trouble and faced the problems head on, addressing them and proposing solutions in this act. To make sure that students would raise the bar, a system of assessment tests were put into order, and will create a monitoring system with the students progress (Fact Sheet). Students will now have a record of test scores in mathematics and in reading. These scores will ensure that the students will make progress. The scores will also be accessible to parents so that they can check students progress (Fact Sheet). With these scores which the parents will be able to check, they can ... ...ference. The merit of teachers needs to increase, done. There is a need for more funds for educational programs, no problem. The knowledge of the minority students in the public school system needs to be elevated, it’s met. With this act all of the academic problems that American students face will be eliminated in the course of time. No child will have the fear that they will not meet the standards of our nation, or that they will fall behind any other student. America needs help, and America needs the No Child Left behind Act for the future of our country. Works Cited Delisio, Ellen R. â€Å"No Child Left Behind: What it Means to You.† Education World 2002. . â€Å"Fact Sheet: No Child Left Behind Act.† Whitehouse.gov January 2002. . â€Å"Reaching Out†¦ Raising Achievement.† Ed.gov 2004. .

Strategy Formulation

Yeo’s compete directly with one another at what is called the business level of strategic management. Competitors may be individual business units of a larger corporation or they may be stand- alone businesses. Because competition takes place at the business level, strategic management here is crucial to the overall success for Yeo’s . Accordingly, the concept of competitive advantage is both the focus of the three subsequent on strategy formulation. There is three parts that reflect the three major considerations in formulating a business- level strategy.The first part is to discuss alternative competitive advantages (Overall cost leadership, differentiation and focus group) and the strength and limitation of each. Yeo’s company has competitive advantage whenever it can attract customers and defend against competitive force better than its rivals. Successful competitive strategies usually involve building uniquely strong or distinctive edge over rivals. Some exa mple of distinctive competencies are superior technology and product features, better manufacturing technology and skills, superior sales and distribution capabilities and better customer service and convenience.Competitive strategy is about being different. It means deliberately choosing to perform activities differently or to perform different activities than rivals to deliver an unique mix of value. (Michael E. Porter). The essence of strategy lies in creating tomorrow competitive advantages faster than competitor mimic the one you possess today. (Gary Hamel & C. K. Prahalad). Overall cost leadership strategy The classic cost leadership strategy involves offering a no-frills product aimed at the most typical customer in a large target market.Anything to do with cost which related to money example raw material is cheap, workers salary is low facilities that Yeo’s can bite with the competitor. Because cost can usually be lowered as a product become more standardized, low-cos t manufacturing strive for long production runs and low- cost uniform packages. By targeting broadly defined markets with standard products, production technique can be used to create the greatest possible benefits from economies of scale and experience curve effect. Such as price sensitive customer do not mind about the price but customer care about the taste and uality like Maggie and Kraft. In this case Yeo’s should apply leadership strategy low- cost producers are protected from customer pressure to lower prices. Competitors cannot consistently price below what is known as their survival price, that which allow profit margins just adequate to maintain a business. The low- cost leader has a lower survival price than other competitor does, so customer will not be able to play one competing supplier against another to force prices below a level at which the cost leader can still make profit.Yeo’s would force less efficient suppliers out business, leaving the low-cost supplier with a monopoly. New entrants competing on the basic of price must face the low-cost leader without having the experience necessary to become efficient. Yeo’s company cumulative volume of production increase and the company gains experience in providing a particular good or service, production costs tend to decrease the experience curve effect. To the extent that experience affects costs in a particular industry, the low-cost leader is likely to have already moved far down its experience curve.New entrants lacking this experience will not enjoy a comparable cost reduction benefit and may be forced to enter market using some of the competitive advantages not related to low pricing. Holding the low-cost position may convince rivals not to enter a price war. Price wars can be ruinous to all competitor involved. Customer do not mind of the price whether is cheap or expensive, they only care about good quality and good taste which they trust on Yeo’s product. Diffe rentiation Differentiation strategies can help the company to differentiation their products offering by customizing product to suit consumer specific requirements.Appealing to broad cross- section of the market through offering differentiating features that make customer willing to pay premium price. Example quality, prestige, special features, service and convenience. Success with this type of strategy requires differentiation features that are hard or expensive for competitor to duplicate. Sustainable differentiation usually comes from advantages in core competencies, unique company resources or capabilities and superior management of value chain activities. Some condition that tend to favor differentiation strategies by Yeo’s company: * There are multiple ways to differentiate the product and ervice that buyers think have substantial value. * Buyers have different need or uses of the product and service * Product innovations and technological change are rapid and competit ion emphases the latest product features. Corporate Level Strategy In this aspect of strategy, we are concerned with broad decision about the total organization scope and direction. Basically, we consider what changes should be made in growth objective and strategy for achieving it, the lines of business we are in, and how these lines of business fit together.It is useful to think of three components of corporate strategy a) growth strategy b) portfolio strategy and c) parenting strategy. Growth strategy All growth strategies can be classified into one of two fundamental categories: concentration within existing industries or diversification into other line of business. When Yeo’s company current industries are attractive, have a good growth potential and do not face with serious threats, concentrating resources in the existing industries make good sense.Diversification tends to have a greater risk but is an appropriate option when a company current industries have little gro wth potential or are unattractive in other way. When an industry consolidates and becomes mature, unless there are other markets to seek, a company may have no choice for growth but diversification. Portfolio Analysis The experience curve is based on the concept that costs are a direct function of accumulated market share. Market share equates to profitability and cash flow.Market share equates to profitability and cash flow. Yeo’s company that successful in sub business unit and product lines will generate large cash flow as the sub business or products move toward maturity as contrasted to large cash requirement of sub business units and product lines in Yeo’s growth and development stages. As sub business units and products lines decline, cash flow will diminish and fade away. Effective utilization of cash flows and the nurturing of the most productive units requires management constant surveillance.The diversified company with multiple product lines has the opportu nity to balance cash flows and channel investment into the most promising areas of its portfolio. Diversified portfolio enables a company to control its internal allocation of resources. The ability to utilize tax losses from one units as an offset against a profitable one is an important advantages. Investing funds from a profitable maturing unit and product into the growing and cash- demanding part of Yeo’s, which show a tax loss, effectively lower the cost of the capital and provides an avenue for future growth through internally generated funds.The basis for portfolio analysis and the channeling of available investment funds into the most promising and productive units of the firms is based on the structure and philosophy of management. Its approach to control sub business unit and product lines, its attitude toward risk and growth and its interpretation of its life- cycle position are factors which have an impact on the effective use of portfolio management.Yeo’s which structure its diversified units into separate independent profit center entities with each area depending on its own resource may factors out the flexibility and advantages inherent in its diversification. Concentration on short-run profit and ignoring the potential growth sectors of the portfolio because of the initial lack of cash flow and profitability can lead to cash-draining in the defensive stage of the company Yeo’s life cycle and eventual movement into the decline. International strategy Mergers The threat of takeover was management of companies targeted for acquisition.The threat of takeover was more likely for companies which had low price and earnings ratios. The relatively low prices of the stock of Yeo’s company in relation to earning was attractive to aggressive expanding enterprises, particular the conglomerates. These predicated Yeo’s growth mainly on effecting financial synergy by trading the stock, which had high multiple of price to ear nings, for the stock of Yeo’s company with significantly lower price. Many effective strategies were developed by vulnerable companies to prevent unwanted takeover.Compatible mergers in such instances may provide an increase in the economies of scale and an increase in market share for the combined unit without the fear of cutthroat competition. The nature of the industry is an important factor determining the likelihood of acquisition and mergers. The mature industries which are generally dominated by large companies are less likely to have industry acquisitions and mergers. The new industries, which still lack dominant size in individual companies and are technologically oriented and most likely to have industry acquisitions and mergers.

Censorship in 1984 by George Orwell - 1321 Words

Censorship It was terribly dangerous to let your thoughts wander when you were in any public place or within range of a telescreen. The smallest thing could give you away. A nervous tic, an unconscious look of anxiety, a habit of muttering to yourself--anything that carried with it the suggestion of abnormality, of having something to hide. In any case, to wear an improper expression on your face...; was itself a punishable offense. There was even a word for it in Newspeak: face crime... Thoughtcrime does not entail death; thoughtcrime is death. Never again will you be capable of ordinary human feeling. Everything will be dead inside you. Never again will you be capable of love, or friendship, or joy of living, or laughter,†¦show more content†¦In Nineteen Eighty-Four the memory hole is a small chute leading to a large incinerator used for censorship In the walls of the cubicle there were three orifices. To the right of the speak write, a small pneumatic tube for written messages, to the left, a larger one for newspapers; and in the side wall, within easy reach of Winstons arm, a large oblong slit protected by a wire grating. This last was for the disposal of waste paper. Similar slits existed in thousands or tens of thousands throughout the building, not only in every room but at short intervals in every corridor. For some reason they were nicknamed memory holes. When one knew that any document was due for destruction, or even when one saw a scrap of waste paper lying about, it was an automatic action to lift the flap of the nearest memory hole and drop it in, whereupon it would be whirled away on a current of warm air to the enormous furnaces which were hidden somewhere in the recesses of the building. In the novel, the memory hole is a slot into which government officials deposit politically inconvenient documents and records to be destroyed. Nineteen Eighty-Fours protagonist Winston Smith, who works in the Ministry of Truth, is routinely assigned the task of revising old newspaper articles in order to serve the propaganda interests of the government. For example, if the government had pledged that the chocolate ration would not fall below the current 30 grams per week, but in fact the rationShow MoreRelatedCensorship In 1984 By George Orwell717 Words   |  3 PagesThesis Statement: 1984 is a well-written cautionary tale that is perfectly applicable to today’s political climate and other current events. This is shown through George Orwell’s intuitive predictions of the use of censorship, his discussion of the perception and nature of reality, and his timeless depiction of a too-real society. 1984 contains an intuitive look at the role censorship plays in the lives of human beings. One way this plays a main part in his novel is through government use of technologyRead MoreFreedom of Media: Big Brother and 1984 Essay898 Words   |  4 PagesIn 1949, George Orwell wrote one of the most influential and relevant scientific fiction books of modern time. The book critiques the rule of totalitarian governments using subtle and not so subtle satire. The book reveals the dangers of a government gaining too much power over its citizens. The government can abuse its abundance of authority by controlling all of the media available to the citizens. In 1984, Orwell fears government control of media because it helped brainwash and control the citizensRead More1984 and Nazism1401 Words   |  6 PagesNobody can disagree with the fact that George Orwell’s vision, in his book 1984, didn’t come true. 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Orwell, in 1984, fabricates the â€Å"Party† as a communisti c, autocratic bureaucracy that ensures their control over their populace through unscrupulous manipulation of history and ubiquitous espionage that gives them complete control over every individual’s thoughts and feelings. Huxley, in Brave New World, establishes a governmentRead MoreThe Problem Of Self-Expression In 1984 By George Orwell848 Words   |  4 Pagesconscious (Orwell70). In George Orwells 1984 he shows the authority a government can have on ones life even when all they want is self-expression. Many are too frightened to rebel, yet when one does it impacts his life forever. Even though the society of 1984 by George Orwell claims to be complete and total censorship, the problem of wanting more self-expression is still evident which is shown through indirect characterization, symbolism, and themes. George Orwell 1984 utilizes components of indirect