F. Scott Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby :: essays research papers

The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Great Gatsby is a symbolic novel of the disintegration of the American dream in an era of extraordinary prosperity and material excess. On the surface, we see that it is a story about the love between a man and a woman but the overall theme is the collapse of the American dream in society. We find that every character in their own way is searching for their American dream but as a result, their desire for wealth and pleasure, caused them to find themselves lost in the corruption of the aristocrat society.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Daisy is one of the characters that is trying to search for her American dream but the readers don’t really notice this because it seems that Daisy has everything already – wealth, a husband, love and family. It is everything she could possibly want but as we get to know Daisy, the reader sees that there is something else Daisy desires besides wealth and luxurious material. â€Å"I’m glad it’s a girl. And I hope she’ll be a fool – that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.† - Pg 21. Daisy’s America dream is to be this â€Å"beautiful little fool† she envisions. Daisy is beautiful and it is told through the characters that she is charming and beautiful but they could see right through her. They knew what she wanted in life and the fact that she was void of any loyalty or care. Daisy sought after this image of being this â€Å"beautiful little fool† so that she could hide her selfish ways and put on this fake faà §ade so the other characters would see she is innocent.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Throughout the novel, Daisy acts snooty and stuck-up around the other characters as if she is better then them. She also acts very child-like when she cries over â€Å"beautiful shirts.† â€Å"They’re such beautiful shirts,† she sobbed, her voice muffled in the thick folds. â€Å"It makes me sad because I’ve never seen such – such beautiful shirts before.† – Pg 98. From this it shows that she only cares about luxurious material. Through her actions, we see that Daisy is not this girl that we should sympathize or look up to as â€Å"great† compared to Gatsby. â€Å"Even if we are cousins. You didn’t come to my wedding. I wasn’t back from the war. That’s true. She hesitated. Well, I’ve had a very bad time, Nick, and I’m pretty cynical about everything.

Iron Crowned Chapter 26

â€Å"So, let me make sure I'm following this correctly.† I sighed and shifted on the bed, knowing Dorian was repeating this conversation mostly because he liked seeing my discomfort. â€Å"Your ‘technology' can tell you you're having a boy and a girl, when they're due, and allow you to hear their heartbeats,† he continued. â€Å"But some medicine inexplicably totally counteracted the other one you take to prevent pregnancy.† â€Å"Took,† I muttered. â€Å"Seeing as it's kind of pointless now.† Dorian leaned back in a plush armchair, face expressing overly dramatic pondering. After fainting, I'd been given a guest room befitting my status, a good sign since â€Å"hospitality† simply meant protection and in no way related to one's accommodations. It wasn't quite as nice as Dorian's room, of course, but the mattress was thick and fluffy, and the green velvet canopy coordinated with the heavy brocaded bedding. As sick as I'd felt, I honestly would have been content to curl up on the floor somewhere. I'd been awake for about an hour now, alone in the vast room save for Dorian. â€Å"What a fascinatingly bizarre turn of events,† he mused, stroking his chin. â€Å"If you thought the Iron Crown scared people, just wait until this news spreads. Which, of course, it already has.† I draped a hand over my forehead. â€Å"Isn't it bad enough that I'm carrying a world-conquering prophecy child? Why all the political fallout?† â€Å"Because you're carrying a world-conquering prophecy child,† he responded. â€Å"It's the type of thing people tend to have strong feelings about.† â€Å"I thought almost everyone wanted to conquer the human world.† â€Å"Most,† he agreed. â€Å"But not all. Especially those who – after observing your record thus far – might fear you'll conquer this world first.† I rolled over to my side, giving me a better view of him. Since the earlier spectacle, Dorian had masked whatever personal feelings he had about my pregnancy, switching into cunning ruler mode. â€Å"But not you,† I said. â€Å"You've always been in favor of this – fulfilling the prophecy.† â€Å"I've never made a secret of that,† he agreed. â€Å"From the moment we met.† That was true, at least. He'd sat on that desire while we were involved, but I'd always known it lurked. â€Å"You've just kept other secrets instead,† I blurted out. He didn't answer me right away, but those green-gold eyes weighed me thoughtfully. â€Å"Yes. Yes, I have. Secrets I now regret.† That silenced me for several moments. I hadn't expected any kind of apology. Something in me softened toward him. â€Å"Really?† â€Å"If I hadn't deceived you about the Iron Crown,† he explained, â€Å"we would still be together.† I could only stare. The piece of me that had never stopped loving him tentatively reared its head. It was hard to believe he was here confessing his feelings, admitting that what we'd had had been more important than his scheming. It gave me a new insight into him, one that astonished †¦ yet pleased me. â€Å"And if we'd stayed together,† he continued, â€Å"I would have been the lucky beneficiary of this medicinal slip.† So much for new insight. I groaned and turned away. â€Å"Of course. Of course that's the real source of your regret. You don't get to lead the revolution.† I heard him get up and sit on the bed beside me. A few seconds later, he actually had the audacity to lie down. I wiggled over to make room. â€Å"It's more than revolution,† he said. â€Å"I also told you the first time we met that I'd have a child with you, regardless of any prophecy.† â€Å"I'm not convinced that the ‘with me' part was so relevant.† Dorian touched my cheek and turned my face toward his. â€Å"Do you really believe that? Do you really believe my feelings for you were so small that your being the mother of my child wouldn't have meant the world to me?† I started to snarkily correct him with worlds, but it seemed petty. â€Å"I don't know what I believe,† I said honestly. â€Å"I don't even know if I have the energy or motivation to analyze our relationship when I have this going on.† I rested my hand on my stomach. Dorian's eyes followed that motion, utterly captivated. â€Å"Despite your foolish fathering choices, this †¦Ã¢â‚¬  He reached toward my stomach as well, then pulled back. â€Å"This is a miracle. This is a prophecy fulfilled. This is life. And really, Kiyo is no longer relevant. He's given up any claims to these children. They are yours and yours alone now.† My fingers tightened on my stomach, not painfully, but more in a possessive type of way. My gaze grew unfocused. â€Å"I still can't believe that. I can't believe that he'd dismiss his own children so easily. That he'd dismiss me so easily †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I doubt it was easy. You aren't that easy to get over.† A small note of bitterness there. â€Å"But his opposition to the prophecy was too great. Just as my support is great enough to take you in – despite your betrayal – and embark in the madness to come.† Betrayal? I started to tell him he was the last one who should accuse anyone of that – but held back. â€Å"Will people think you're crazy to do it?† â€Å"Hardly,† he snorted. â€Å"Most will think they're my children anyway, ironically enough.† No one except Jasmine had heard my brief paternity exchange with Dorian in the hall. I frowned. â€Å"I think sometimes Kiyo does too.† â€Å"They can be.† My first reaction was that this was some sort of joke of his, but all humor had disappeared from his face. â€Å"I don't think you fully understand genetics.† â€Å"I understand that parenting is more than just blood,† he said, still deadly earnest. â€Å"And as I said: he's relinquished any claims. You are in control, and if even he and others question the children's parentage, then so much the better. Simply declare me the father. Have it recorded, and by our laws, the children will be mine for all intents and purposes.† Something about that set off my alarms. â€Å"What do you mean ‘intents and purposes'?† He shrugged – a bit too casually. â€Å"Titles. Prestige. Protection. Inheritance – if either is strong enough to hold my kingdom. Which, according to the prophecy, your son should be.† â€Å"I don't know,† I said. There might be some safety benefits to this sort of gentry â€Å"adoption,† but I had a feeling that Dorian wasn't telling me all of them – particularly things that benefited him alone. He was still upset with me. He didn't like Kiyo. There was no reason that I could see for this. â€Å"I have to think about it.† â€Å"Think fast,† Dorian said. â€Å"Things will be in motion soon, particularly once we get you back to your own lands.† â€Å"Why?† I asked. â€Å"Why would you want to claim someone else's children? I mean, I get your wanting to see the prophecy come true, but you don't have to take that extra step.† â€Å"Maybe someone else's children are better than no children at all,† he said. It was another odd statement from him, a surprising one. Both philosophical and touching. Yet, I still believed there was a deception here. This wasn't out of love for me. Not anymore. His hand moved toward my stomach again and he didn't pull it away this time, though he made sure to keep away from my hand. â€Å"Let me ask you a question,† he said when I made no response. â€Å"Why did you choose to keep these children? Do you fear the unholy procedure your people use to end life? Were you unable to live with your daughter's blood on your hands?† My mind rewound back to that day at the doctor's. That day? Hell. It had only been earlier today. So much had happened since then that weeks might have gone by. My horrible ordeal with Kiyo had blurred the memories, but now, the ultrasound came back to me, the sights and sounds as real and vivid as though I were experiencing them all over again. â€Å"I heard their heartbeats,† I said at last. â€Å"And I saw them.† Well, kind of. Those blurs still didn't look like much to me, but the point was irrelevant. â€Å"And when I did †¦Ã¢â‚¬  I groped to explain my feelings. â€Å"I just †¦ I just wanted them. Both of them. None of the rest mattered.† A slow, strange smile spread across Dorian's face. â€Å"That,† he declared, â€Å"is the most gentry thing I've ever heard you say.† Normally, I would have mocked him for using â€Å"gentry† instead of â€Å"shining ones.† It was a slip he sometimes made around me. His words' content, however, was of more importance. â€Å"That's ridiculous.† â€Å"Not so. Humans overthink things. They throw away life heedlessly. Honestly, after all this time, I was beginning to think you were more human than shining one.† â€Å"I hate to tell you, but I am,† I said. Dorian made himself more comfortable, and the hand on my stomach moved so that his arm lay over me, almost – but not quite – an embrace. It was possessive, like I was a prize that had fallen into his lap. â€Å"Are you, my dear? You're expressing philosophies very like my own. You're carrying a child that will allegedly conquer the human world – a world you can't go back to for a while, seeing as it would give the kitsune an edge. You're safer here in this world where, I'd like to add, you rule not one but two kingdoms. That,† he declared triumphantly, â€Å"makes you, by my reckoning, more like a gentry than a human.† I looked away, not meeting his eyes – because I had a crazy feeling he was right.

Datril Case Essay

My recommendation to Marvin Koslow is to follow the first approach of pricing Datril at par with Tylenol ($2.85 retail price, $1.69 trade cost), leveraging Bristol-Myers’ brand name, and positioning Datril as an analgesic with similar relief effects to the those of the already successful, aspirin-based Bufferin and Excedin, but more gentle on the stomach, and without the side effects of aspirin. By doing so, Datril will primarily target aspirin users, specifically those from Bufferin’s and Excedin’s current consumer base, who suffer from upset stomach. I explain my rationale below. According to the case, when Datril was introduced to test markets per the strategy I recommended, it failed to achieve the projected sales figures within the first month. Although I have no access to those sales projections, I could argue that the may have been overoptimistic. The reason is that Tylenol was well established (8% market share) in the analgesic market which has traditiona lly been dominated by aspirin-based products. Therefore, directly competing against Tylenol at the same price is unlikely to result in quick market share and monetary gains within a month. Koslow should have allowed more time, say a medium run of 6 months to match duration of the marketing expenses to be committed, before thinking about switching to the other strategy. In addition, it can also be argued that the early success of Datril in the test market with the lower selling price may not be representative of its true performance over the medium to long run. Before defending my recommendation in detail, I would like to highlight the most prominent risk of introducing Datril as a cheaper alternative to Tylenol: not accounting for the competitor’s repositioning or defensive marketing strategies. Those could include the following: o One of the quickest responses that McNeil Labs could come up with is to reduce the price to trade, and subsequently the selling price, of Tylenol to match that of Datril. Doing so could result is public accusations of false advertising, thereby reversing the quick gains that Datril could make, and potentially wasting the $6 million on inaccurate communication of information to the public, which could potentially result in insulted, angry and dissatisfied customers due the feeling that they have been deceived. Bristol-Myers will have to incur the cost of pulling all current advertisements, and an additional cost of having to launch another advertising campaign. o McNeil could also respond by changing its currently conservative advertising approach (i.e. focusing on physicians and trade) by aggressively advertising Tylenol to the public, exploiting the fact that its current advertising expenditure is less than $2 million a year and possibly even utilizing the power and expertise of the mother company, Johnson & Johnson. This could potentially solidify the sales and market share of Tylenol, making it an even tougher competition to Datril. Given Tylenol’s market share, the speed of executing either one of the above strategies, or both together, could heavily minimize Datril’s penetration of the market. Furthermore, per Exhibit A, Datril will need to sell 13.3 million bottles (at a trade cost of $1.05) or 60 million (at a trade cost of 70 cents) just to break-even. This is highly inefficient, in terms of both numbers contribution margin, compared to Tylenol. Moreover, given the actual quantities of Tylenol sold in 1974 (around 19.1 million bottles per Exhibit B), Datril’s achievement of break-even quantities seems even more doubtful, given the risks highlighted above. Quality cannot be a differentiation because both products are virtually identical as pain relievers; therefore the best strategy is to combine the well-established reputation of Bristol-Myers, the well-known effectiveness of Bufferin and Excedin, with the value or differentiation being the gentleness of the product on upset stomach. Furthermore, Bristol-Myers possesses a large consumer base for its aspirin-based products, a base that is larger than that of McNeil Labs’ Tylenol users. This is Bristol-Myers’ main competitive advantage; its own consumers who may suffer from the typical side effects of aspirin. Targeting those specific customers and communicating to them the value of eliminated side effects should be Datril’s positioning and differentiating strategy. Cannibalization from Bufferin and Excedin, should it happen, should not necessarily be viewed negatively, since my recommended selling price of $2.85 is double that of these aspirin products. Exhibit A – Break-Even Analysis for Tylenol and the different pricing scenarios for Datril (per bottle of 100 pills) Breakeven Analysis for Product Tylenol Approach 1 – Same price as Tylenol Approach 2a – Cheaper than Tylenol Approach 2b – Cheaper w/lowered trade cost $ $ $ $ Unit Cost (Variable Cost) 0.60 0.60 0.60 0.60 Trade Cost (Selling Price to Retailers) $ 1.69 $ 1.69 $ 1.05 $ 0.70 Fixed Cost (Advertising) 2,000,000 6,000,000 6,000,000 6,000,000 Break-Even Quantity [Fixed Cost/(Trade Cost-Unit Cost)] 1,834,862 5,504,587 13,333,333 60,000,000 Contribution Margin (Unit) 64% 64% 43% 14%

The Impact of the Internet on Fashion Journalism Essay

The Impact of the Internet on Fashion Journalism - Essay Example The paper "The Impact of the Internet on Fashion Journalism" discovers the influence of the internet on the fashion journalism. The writings that can be found through the internet have turned the fashion world into a more accessible and more clearly interpreted field of personal expression. The history of fashion journalism began in the middle of the 19th century when the income of the middle class became distinctly higher and disposable income allowed for more attention to fashion trend issues beyond the practicality of garments. Since that time, however, controversy has been a constant companion to the fashion industry. The growth of the internet has now created a new phase in the creation of fashion commentary. The identity of the fashion industry has shifted with the instantaneous creation of communications about the events in fashion that happen around the world. Adding a new dimension to this level of communication is that of the fashion bloggers who report from a non-financial ly founded principle who can comment without bias on the trends that come out of the fashion industry. McRobbie quotes Bourdieu in saying that it is implied that â€Å"if it can be shown that there is really nothing special about fashion, and that more or less anybody can do it, then it ceases to occupy that special, sacred place in the public’s estimation, and thus in a sense it ceases to exist, as it is this system of belief which creates the thing†. The existence of a thriving fashion industry is balanced upon.

With respect to the 4th ammendment, briefly explain the following Essay

With respect to the 4th ammendment, briefly explain the following concepts, in doing so be sure to present the respective cases - Essay Example In the landmark case of Silverthorne Lumber Co. v. United States [1920], Federal agents that illegally seized tax books of a suspect and made copies as records of tax evasion. The Court held that such illegal seizure circumvented the Fourth Amendment, and that the records made are fruits from the poisonous tree (illegal seizure of tax books), hence may not be considered in court. However, under the independent source doctrine evidence that is obtained based upon information unrelated to an unlawful search is not fruit of the poisonous tree. In the case of Segura v. United States (1984), law enforcers entered the private premises of the suspect and remained in there until the search warrant arrived. The Supreme Court admitted the evidence found after the search warrant arrived but excluded all others as upon entry without the warrant. The Court held that the question on the legality of entry was irrelevant to challenge the admissibility of evidence due to the independent source of the warrant. In the case of United States v. Leon (1984), a police officer that relied on a defective search warrant with no knowledge of the validity of the basis for how it was obtained was said to have acted in good faith, and the evidence obtained from such defective search warrant was allowed in Court.

Legal Based Analysis of The Leveson Inquiry Essay

Legal Based Analysis of The Leveson Inquiry - Essay Example By extension, this inquiry serves as the starting point within which a framework for regulating the media can be based and then modalities developed to handle any malpractices within the press. Although the inquiry started with a narrow area of scope, it soon snowballed into an enigma revolving around media ethics or its absence within journalism. Journalism and press are synonymous with each given their close association. It follows then that when either of them is brought into disrepute, then automatically the other one is also adversely affected. In the case of Lord Justice Leveson inquiry, a lot of dirt was dug out with regards to the rot within the British press. This rot was evidently brought by tabloid journalist s hungry for recognition at the expense of high ethical standards that have existed within British Press. On the sides, the police and the politicians turned a deaf ear to the declining ethical standards all the while assuming casual demeanour. A close scrutiny of Lor d Leveson’s inquiry1 reveals a tinge of mediocre and serious issues that affect the society at large. In large parts of the report, the matters being focussed are less serious like tabloid journalism. However, this does not in any way let the mainstream press of the hook since the rulings and recommendations will affect all forms of press across the board. One of the concerns about the report is that, it tries to compare and handle journalism like other professions like medicine or engineering. This is partly because every profession has got different ethical standards to observe and these standards are not directly transferable to other professions. To say the least, there is very little articulation about the new technologies of communication which is very similar to journalism. Take for instance someone who is blogging or posting information on the internet is more or less a reporter. There appears to be thin line between mainstream journalism and tabloids which is the foc al point of the report. First off, the mess and decline of the ethical standards within the British Press have been largely caused by tabloids and exacerbated by both politicians and police. The latter two have failed to act swift and nip the problem at the bud which has led to them being caught up and entangled within this elaborate web of decay. As a way of affirming the guilty of the tabloids and their insensibility to the reality of the matter, both the politicians and police have been apt in siding and backing up the findings of the report. However, their swift move does not exonerate them from their shortcomings and failure which they have propagated within the past couple of years. It would seem seldom sensible to act fast to mop up the rot since much of the ethical practices carried by the parties adversely mentioned in the inquiry are outlawed within the law. Some of these unlawful undertakings include; phone tapping, harassment among other equally heinous acts within the p ublic domain. Of interest in all these subtle crimes within the press and reporting sphere is the fact that despite the existence of legislations outlawing such activities, they happen unabated by the law. One of the most astounding recommendations of by the report is to replace the

The Gospels--Mark Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Gospels--Mark - Essay Example ct in public was to earn respect and high esteem while deep inside they did not exercise what they preached like love, especially for God plus people. The disciples were trying all in their might to remove demon from a young boy but scribes’ taunting kept the crowd mocking them since they were unable. Then Jesus rebukes it and tells that the demon of that nature needs praying coupled with fasting. Initially, the disciples argued who was great, but Christ stated that the key to greatness is evident in the service of others. This involves respecting children whom the Christ points as the best example on how Christian conduct must be if they desire to be in heaven. Jesus declares tough ruling punishable by being thrown in hell if any person offends any child who treasures His teachings through actions. â€Å"Hell† is place far from both the company and grace of God meant for Satan and its angels to be tortured forever (Revelation