Role of Religion in Early American Literature Essay Example

Role of Religion in Early American Literature Essay Role of Religion in Early American Literature American Literature, especially of the early settler and colonial period is marked by a deep sense of religion and a stress upon writing about matters related to religion. The development of early American literature thus can be seen to be a reflection of the religious ideals followed by the early settlers and colonists and it became a means of promoting a moral and ethical way of life. Early American literature is filled with an obvious expression of religion and its redeeming power as well as an acknowledgment of its strength to help human beings bear adversity and triumph in difficult situations. The power of religion, as expressed in early American literature deals more with a sense of gratefulness to God for giving courage to the new settlers and this is seen in the works of Mary Rowlandson, who, in writing of her long captivity by the natives expressed continuously her gratefulness to God for giving her courage in those difficult times. The profound role of religion in early American literature is also understood in the context of the religious nature of the earliest settlers in America, the Puritans. The reason the Puritans had made the voyage across the Atlantic and to America was for reasons of practicing their faith and writing provided a means to lay down their expectations from their new life and the hard work needed to sustain life was enhanced by stories of fortitude and courage. The religious component of American literature can also be understood in relation to the strong influence exerted by the Puritans in the early years of settlement. We will write a custom essay sample on Role of Religion in Early American Literature specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Role of Religion in Early American Literature specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Role of Religion in Early American Literature specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer An inherently religious group, the writings of the Puritans consisted mainly of sermons, hymns and poetry and journals of their lives. These journals, being a record of their daily lives were imbued with religious ideas because of the important role played by religion in the daily lives of the people and the stress upon hard work as one of the ways to serve God. The role of religion in early American literature can also be traced to the importance placed on learning and education among the Puritans. While the Puritans are generally perceived as hard working and God fearing people, they were also a highly educated people and their education found its expression in their writings. Their writings reflected their engrained beliefs, especially religion which was integral to their existence and hence early American literature is infused with religiosity. The role of religion in the literature of this period can also be attributed to the journals kept by the early settlers who recorded their daily life with precision. Religion became central to their journals because Puritanism called for reflection on the spiritual and this was expressed in their writings, which became records of their religious experiences and thus filled with religious ideas. The period when America saw the influx of British settlers in its lands was also the time when the Bible was put in the hands of the common man and greater number of people had access to religious writing. The settlers carried the holy book with them, which was a source of inspiration and sustenance for them in their trying times. The simplicity of the early American literature can be traced to the simple writing style characterized by the Bible and its religious message. The role of religion in early American literature is extremely pervasive and it forms the obvious theme for most written work composed during the period. The highly religious nature of the early settlers and their deep seated belief in God and his mercy is shown in these writings, giving it a distinctly religious tone.

Ancient civilization comparative essay Essay Example

Ancient civilization comparative essay Essay Example Ancient civilization comparative essay Essay Ancient civilization comparative essay Essay Ancient Civilization Comparative Essay Without any form of rapid long distance communication as we have today, Egypt and Mesopotamia built their civilizations with inadvertent similarities and differences between their political and social structures. Given the facts that Egypt was unified and Mesopotamia was a collection of city states, both had common writing forms amongst them, but not all were literate due to the sharply contrasting social hierarchy. Even though Egypt believed in a fulfilling after life, Mesopotamia did not; owever, both had polytheism religions. Known as one civilization but actually a collection of city-states, Mesopotamia, unlike Egypt, was not politically unified. However, Egypt was politically unified under one ruler, the pharaoh. Political unity allowed for a stable government and economy. Therefore, more people were able to study other pursuits. As a result of this, the two civilizations developed respective forms of writing. Usually used to record religious rituals, hieroglyphics were used as a form of writing and art; but it wasnt only used for religion. Hieroglyphics were also used for writing poems, myths, medical recipes and records of battle, legal documents, trade transactions and even magic spells. Scribes, wrote with hieroglyphics on walls of temples but mostly papyrus, an early form paper. Mesopotamian scribes, instead of writing on papyrus wrote on clay tablets. Mesopotamians are credited with inventing the earliest form of writing, Cuneiform. With the use of reed styluses, they carved pictographs into clay tablets and left the tablets to dry. Even though both civilizations had a writing form, not all ould read or write due to the massive inequality between the elites the laymen. Only the elites could read and write because only they could afford to go to school. In each of these civilizations, women were not permitted to attend school. However, women in Egypt had rights to an extent. For example, in the absence of her husband and sons women would manage the family farms or businesses. Women could even initiate a lawsuit to get a divorce. But those rights came with a price, under the law women in Egypt were treated equally even more so cruel than men. To a degree women in Egypt had freedom of expression while women in Mesopotamia could not due to the fact that they were completely downgraded and did not have any rights unlike Egyptian women. Under one leader, Egypt was unified; ancient Egyptians believed that their leaders, or Pharos, were part god, a god of their many gods. In fact, it was believed that Egypt had over 2000 gods, Just short of Mesopotamias 3000. There is no doubt that they were both polytheistic, but their beliefs of the after life differed. The gloomy outlook of Mesopotamian religion was to go to the land of no return after life on earth. On the other hand, Egyptian religion believed that ones after life is where one finds content; as a matter of fact it was believed that kings ruled in the after life as well, therefore they were part god. In order for them to rule in the after life, they had to undergo a proper burial. Therefore in their life on Earth, it was ordered that a proper mesopotamians also built a pyramid like structure, but it was used for religion and ot as a burial site, the ziggurat. Although Egypt was unified under one ruler and Mesopotamia was various city states, their social structures were homogeneous in parts yet also heterogenous in others. However, because of the social hierarchy not all were educated and could write; both had common writing forms among them. Even though both believed in an after life, their outcomes were not the same. The early civilizations of Egypt and Mesopotamia had distinguishable similarities but also very distinct differences.

Human Capital Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Human Capital - Essay Example This is a case analysis of the Riordan Manufacturing, a global plastics producer employing 550 people with projected annual earnings of $46 million. The company is wholly owned by Riordan Industries, a Fortune 1000 enterprise with revenues in excess of $1 billion. Production is divided among three plants: plastic beverage containers in Albany, Georgia; custom plastic parts in Pontiac, Michigan; and plastic fan parts in Hangzhou, China. Research and Development is conducted at corporate headquarters in San Jose, California. Riordans major customers are automotive parts manufacturers, aircraft manufacturers, the Department of Defense, beverage makers and bottlers, and appliance manufacturers. The cause of the problem that Riordan Manufacturing is facing is rooted from several strategic changes in the way it manufactures and markets its products. The declining sales and uneven profits over the past two years not only forced the company to change its sales processes, but prompted them to adopt a customer-relationship management (CRM) system. So now customers are serviced primarily by sales teams rather than single salespeople, with each team focusing on a particular customer segment. Teams typically include a sales person, product engineering specialist and customer service representatives. The company is hoping that the team approach will improve sales. With some work being redirected to a new manufacturing facility in China, and plants have been restructured into self-directed work teams, the changes implemented have caused the employee retention numbers to decline. An employee survey showed a decrease in overall job satisfaction, particularly in the areas of compensatio n and benefits. Riordan’s employees comprise three major demographic groups. Baby boomers make up the bulk of the managerial and about half of the manufacturing

Strategic Hospitality Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Strategic Hospitality Management - Essay Example Planning, leading, directing, supervising and regulating of activities related to the strategy are essential parts of strategic management process. Planning is the most important phenomenon in strategic management that maintains the foremost significance in respect of presenting the outline of the strategy. Hence, selection of corporate scheme, establishment of goals and objectives, identification of strategic options, planning and allocation of resources, organizational structure and design, managing structure change, and in-depth analyses of corporate environment are included in strategic management process. Both external and internal analyses play imperative part in strategic management process. Internal influences include strengths and weakness of a firm, while external influences include opportunities a corporate firm enjoys as well as the threats and challenges it undergoes from its competitors during the exercise of its strategic scheme. Every organization, whether large or small, or local or international, devises strategy keeping in view the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. For instance, the unabated popularity, wide range of consumers, universality and unique brand serve as the strength of the Coca-Cola Company (TCCC). Similarly, Red Hat’s work force, innovative ideas and extraordinary technical skills include among its strengths. On the other hand, health damages, high price and banishment of tobacco consumption include the weaknesses of international brand Marlboro. In the same way, fulfillment of the demands of wide range of consumer in all parts of th e world along with unique products, swift changes according to the latest challenges and production of new technological equipments are the opportunities before world famous brand Microsoft Corporation. In addition, ban of the products of Danish commodities in Muslim countries are the threats faced by the north European countries while entering the global markets. It is therefore

CHANEL IN CHINA Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

CHANEL IN CHINA - Research Paper Example As economy in China is rapidly growing, the Chinese who can afford luxury also increases. The country is considered as the third largest luxury market in the world, after the United States and Japan. This is the prime reason multinational companies of luxury goods extend presence of their products in the country. China is one of the most economically developed countries in the world. It has gained its momentum since the Chinese embraced economic transformation in the late 1970s. China has opened its market to foreign investors which attracted many multinational corporations (MNCs) to come and do business. The MNCs then become the engine of the country in its rapid economic growth that helped increase its participation in the international market. Due to global competition, many MNCs established themselves in the Chinese market mainly to seek for cost-reduction and new market. China became a favorite destination of foreign investors or MNCs because of fast investment return. The rapid economic growth opens more market opportunities but still provides cheaper but high quality resources and huge supply of inexpensive labor. This entices the idea of foreign investors to enter in the emerging market. ... One of the luxury companies that established a branch in China is the Chanel. Chanel with Mandarin name Xiang Nai Er, which means little more than fragrant is an international luxury goods company with over 200 boutiques worldwide. It is founded in 1909 by Gabrielle â€Å"Coco† Chanel, a famous haute couture which revolutionized women’s fashion and introduced timeless elegance and fashion. The mother branch is in Neuilly sur Seine, France. The company is one of the world’s preeminent fashions of the present genre. It offers a broad range of luxury products such as ready-to-wear clothes, make-up, fragrances, skincare, leather goods, fine jewelry and accessories. This paper will try to identify Chanel’s development of global strategic alliances, inter-company collaboration, and positioning for greater global competitiveness. Though MNCs such as Chanel have several strengths which include strong brand image, high quality products, and excellent management, th ey still need strategies to be able to compete in the market due to increasing number of luxury brands competing. Discussion Various business strategies are employed by companies especially MNCs in order to maintain presence, establish presence in new markets, and compete in their market segment against same products. In the case of luxury brand Chanel, its advantage may be its global presence for more than a century now, but this does not mean challenges are few. First off, Chanel like any other MNC that is new to China, needed strategic global alliance that will harmonize the market entry as well as reduce all possible risks that a foreign investor will go through. 1. Development of global strategic alliances Knoke (2009)

Analysis Of Small Enterprise: Jones Electrical Distribution

Analysis Of Small Enterprise: Jones Electrical Distribution Mr. Jones is having business in a large, fragmented and highly competitive environment. Profitability of his business depends heavily on sales volumes and costs. The sales are growing at around 18% per annum. However, the profit margin is not maintained at a constant level in terms of sales growth. Exhibit I shows that even though the sales growth was achieved in FY 2005-2006, the firm could not have higher operating profits. The sales revenue was nullified by huge rise in operating expenses. A close look at the profit and loss account reveals that the operating expenses are mainly consists of salaries and wages. It seems that in order to keep the fixed costs in control, the compensation of sales executives is quite high because of link to sales volumes. The sales growth has helped the employees to earn more than to the organization. Secondly, Mr. Jones is working with more than 100 suppliers. For such a small volume of business, 100 suppliers are in excess. This huge number of suppliers may create problems in tracking on accounts payable. The company is also having average days payable at 22.8 days in FY 2006, as compared to 9.8 days in FY 2005. During the last two years, Mr. Jones has not been able to take advantage of trade discounts. Mr. Jones is also making payments of $ 2000 per month to Mr. Verden, along with interest payment of 8% per annum. The face amount ($250000) can be considered as a long term loan for Mr. Jones. However, it is not evident from the P L account, that the interest paid on the loan taken from Mr. Verden is accounted for income statement. Mr. Jones is also building up fixed assets over a period of time; however, these assets were financed through his short term financing. It can be assumed that the short term finance was available readily for the operations, has been diverted to create long term assets and liquidating long term debts. These facts and assumptions imply the Mr. Jones is having a relatively aggressive approach in working capital financing of the firm. Main issue for Mr. Jones is to find a financing option for the firm. As the market is very dynamic and there is economy downturn, he is not able to forecast demand for his products for more than one year. Although, the following year looks quite promising and a good sale is forecasted, Mr. Jones is facing issue of liquidity. Mr. Jones is of opinion that the liquidity problem is causing the irregular cash flows and hence he need to borrow more money for daily operations. However the forecasted cash flow (Exhibit III) can show that there is no severe cash flow problem. A focused approach to accounts payable and accounts receivables will help Mr. Jones to overcome the liquidity problems. Around the main issue of arranging finance for the business, Mr. Jones has the additional issues of growing sales, reducing tension between the firm and suppliers, moderating salary for the sales staff and creating a strong relationship with the bankers. Looking at the financial statements (Exhibit I, II, III) we can say that the financial condition of Jones Electrical Distribution are satisfactory. The company is having steady growth in sales. The operating margins are also kept at optimal levels. However the company is facing problems managing their cash operations. A feel of cash crunch is guiding the firm to store more inventories, and as a result of that, the inventory levels have increased. The firm is also investing in fixed assets on regular basis. The firm is able to maintain the cost of goods sold to an optimal level since last few years. This has been the result of maintaining cordial relations with the suppliers. The firm is maintaining healthy liquidity ratios and growth ratios. However, the increase in days payable and inventory turnover is a bit of concern. Even if the cash conversion cycle is reducing, we can observe that days payable has exceeded the limit of 30 days. It means that if the relationship between the firm and supplier is not maintained, the firm can face the interest expenses for not managing their current assets. The firm is working on very thin operating margin. The increase in TIE (Times interest earned) over the years measurers that the operation income is declining and soon the firm will not be able to meet their annual interest costs. suggest of increasing sales volume on immediate basis to maintain profitability. The firm is also able to maintain retention rate of 100% after providing for the proprietorà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s salary. This made sure that the firm will take minimal finances from outside sources. The major problem for Jones Electric Distribution Company is to manage cash for the new financial year 2007. And this problem looks like a temporary problem. The firm is having stored huge inventories in expectation of sales growth for the New Year. The forecasted analysis shows that a onetime credit enhancement from bank will help the firm to manage their finances better. A higher credit will help the firm procure inventory and use them in business. With improved collections and cash at hand, the firm can now manage for trade discounts and save money. Secondly, the firm will be able to retain a huge sum of $201,000 at the end of FY 2007. These funds can be used to retire their personal loan with Mr. Varden. Retirement of this loan will help the firm to improve on its profitability and the bank finance will be easier. It is also observed that additional finance from bank is helping the firm to avail trade discounts. The nominal cost of not taking the discount when credit terms are 2/10, net 30 is 37.24 % [( 2/98)*(365/30-10)], which is much higher than the 8% interest charged by the bank. Hence, it is advisable for Mr. Jones to go for a bank finance and use the money for availing trade discounts. Even if Mr. Jones adopt a slow growth strategy (to grow at the rate of 8-10%), and can manage with the existing facility of USD 250000/-, he can avail trade discounts and increase his earnings. However, one time use of bank finance will make sure that in coming years, Mr. Jones can be debt free and his firmà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s financial performance will improve. Looking at the market growth and the risk appetite for Mr. Jones, we can advice him for taking an aggressive route and avail higher finances from Southern Bank and Trust. The financial projections are given below for various options. Following are the options available to Mr. Jones. Take Trade Discount and avail USD 350000/- Take Trade Discount and avail USD 250000/- Forgo Trade Discount and avail USD 350000/- Forgo Trade Discount and No Additional Financing We already seen that forgoing trade discount is a costly affair for the firm and hence cannot be used. So first two options are available for making a profitable decision. As Mr. Jones is forecasting the market as growing, he can use this opportunity to avail bank finance at USD 350000/-. This facility can be availed in two parts, Long Term and Short Term. Long term funds of USD 100000/- can be used with the cash received from business to retire the personal loan. Remaining USD 250000/- can be used for normal business transactions and avail trade discounts. These operations will make sure that Mr. Jones is having stable business operations in under one year. While going for financial restructuring, Mr. Jones can also look forward to change the salary structure of Sales Personnel. FRICTO Analysis. Flexibility : An additional finance of US $ 100000/- will help Mr. Jones to manage his future cash flows. Mr. Jones is already maintaining a healthy RR of 100%. This helps the firm to keep the Debt/Equity ratio in control. The continuous operations will make sure that Mr. Jones can avail more finance as and when required. Risk : Mr. Jones required reducing his number of suppliers and focusing on few major ones. With reduction of suppliers, it will be easier for him to manage accounts payable and he can demand better credit terms. Income : Cost reduction will be the focus area for Mr. Jones, in an attempt to increase profits for the firm. As the firm is working on very thin margins, any excess spending will hamper the profitability of the firm. Mr. Jones needs to give closer look on operating expenses, which are increasing ahead of sales growth. Control : Mr. Jones can decide on which option to choose for the betterment of the firm in long term. Timing : As the business is in growing stage, Mr. Jones is able to take risks, depending on his relations with supplier and buyers. It is also beneficial to avail additional finance when business is growing. Others : The risk appetite of Mr. Jones, his relation with the suppliers and an in depth knowledge of the industry is the key success factor for the firm. The success of the firm depends heavily on Mr. Jonesà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ insights. Exhibit I Exhibit II Exhibit III Exhibit IV

Essay --

The Girl in the Tangerine Scarf The Girl in the Tangerine Scarf is written by Mohja Kahf and is a coming of age story as the main character, Khadra tries to find her true identity. Khadra Shamy is the daughter of Syrian immigrants who moved to Indianapolis. Khadra grew up in a strict Muslim community and both of her parents were very involved with the Da’wah Center. In the strict Muslim community that Khadra was raised in, all children were brought up believing in one definition of Islam and rejecting all other definitions and practices. Throughout the book we learn how Khadra’s parents lied to her about some of the Islamic teachings she thought to be true during her childhood, which interferes with her search for her identity. There are several examples of social pressures and realities throughout the book that help shape Khadra’s identity, many of which girls of any religion or culture would struggle with in their own way, making this novel relatable across different cultures. The first life-changing event that Khadra encounters is the rape and death of her close friend Zuhura. Zuhura represented a hybridization, in the sense that she was a strong muslim woman, but also wasn’t afraid to interact with Americans, unlike most of the community. Zuhura was like a sister to Khadra as well as a mentor. Upon the rape and death of Zuhura, Khadra tightened her grip on her religion. She saw Zuhura’s death as what could happen if you try to interact with Americans and don’t abide by the community’s strict Islamic teachings. Khadra gets married to Jumu’ah al-Tashkenti upon returning from her trip to Saudia Arabia for the Hajj. Khadra marries him because she thinks he is an ideal, strong Muslim man, and that is what she thinks that she ... ... of a different religious background. She depicts Khadra’s journey not as her breaking free from the strict rules of the Muslim community she was raised in, but rather focused on situational experiences that Khadra had to overcome to find her religious identity. It is in a sense a coming of age story in which the Khadra experiences things that are realistic and relatable because they can happen on a daily basis to anyone. The novel depicts that how you react to the social pressures defines you as well, which is a concept that is often lost, yet Mohja Kahf depicts this clearly. The Girl in the Tangerine Scarf shows how social pressures and obstacles shape your identity and without them, you could be stuck just adopting the same identity as your parents. Ashley Fleetwood Word Count: 1,040 Kahf, Mohja. â€Å"The Girl in the Tangerine Scarf†. Public Affairs. New York. 2006.