Five Forces Model of Competition free essay sample

Five Forces Model of CompetitionApple The Analysis of Apples position against its competitors using Porters five forces, supplier power, barriers to entry, threat of substitutes, buyer power, and the degree of rivalry is listed below. Threat of New Entrants: The threat of new entrants is low. The start costs are extremely high. It is in the range of $5-10M. Companies will not want to invest this money especially if the ROI is going to take long and the market competition from clones is strong. The existing companies have capitalized on the distribution channels and have created strong branding awareness. The probability of success is so low that competitors pursue niche markets rather than trying to compete with the bigger companies. Companies like Apple together with Dell, HP, and Gateway have created a name for themselves with consumers which is hard to supersede. Bargaining Power of Suppliers: The market is flooded with computer component suppliers especially in China and Taiwan. We will write a custom essay sample on Five Forces Model of Competition or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page They need to be competitive to ensure they can retain the business with the large computer companies. The only area that has a limited manufacturing base is the computer processing chips. These are manufactured by Intel, AMD and a few other companies. Given the above, larger companies can readily switch to another supplier without any major repercussions. Suppliers can adjust pricing and quality to make their products more attractive so competition is high leaving them in a low supplier power position. Bargaining Power of Buyers: All of Apples customers have a variety of computer companies from which to chose when it comes to purchasing hardware, software, or peripherals. Switching costs are low. The buyer has the ability to switch when quality, service or price offered elsewhere is better or cheaper. This situation places the buyer power in a strong position that can only be countered by companies with strong product differentiation that would increase the switching costs. Threat of Substitute Products: Substitute products are readily available so this threat is very high. Competitors work to convince their customers that their product is superior to its competitors. The more differentiation of product the less likely the switch to a substitute will occur. If prices are higher, then the company with the higher price has to provide justification for the increase. Apples operating system differentiation can command higher pricing when it is presented to the creative designer community, but not to the individual computer buyer unless they are specifically looking for such enhanced graphic capabilities. Rivalry among competing Firms: Apple has many competitors that have the advantage of possessing the larger portion of market share. Apple competes against companies like IBM, Hewlett-Packard, and Dell. Even a smaller company like Gateway poses a threat. Competition is fierce in the computer hardware industry and switching costs are low.

Stem cell ethical dilemma Essays

Stem cell ethical dilemma Essays Stem cell ethical dilemma Essay Stem cell ethical dilemma Essay Essay Topic: Emma Rebuttal The employment of cloning and human embryonic stem cells is of the most significant innovations in medicine (Wobus and Boheler, 2005).   The discovery of the ability to manipulate embryonic stem cells has created the fields of regenerative medicine and cellular therapy, which aim to treat debilitating and/or fatal conditions that were earlier acknowledged to be incurable (Taupin, 1996).   Unfortunately, this breakthrough has brought forth issues regarding the value of life.   Technically, cloning of embryonic stem cells involve collection of embryos that are ethically regarded at the earliest stages of human life (Brown, 2006).   Ethical arguments have arisen, questioning whether it is right to improve life by destroying another human life in the form of an embryo.   This paper will describe the technique of therapeutic cloning as well as enumerate ethical arguments that renounce the use of the cloning technology and the use of spare embryos for biom edical research and therapeutics.One major ethical issue regarding the use of â€Å"spare† embryos is the lack of respect for the embryo.   The concern is associated to the possible future demand for embryos once this cellular technology is determined to be successfully therapeutic.   Embryos might later be treated as therapeutic materials or commodities instead of living beings at their initial stages.   There is also a risk for a devaluation of embryos, wherein the loss of human life may later in time be tolerated instead of prevented (Bobrow, 2005).   In addition, the acceptance of destruction of embryos may serve as a precedent for implementation of other controversial biomedical acts such as creation of embryo â€Å"factories†, cloned babies and mass production of â€Å"spare parts† from fetuses (Hug, 2005, 2006).   There is claim for the scientific community that employment of spare embryos may not automatically mean any disrespect towards embryo s because the destruction of embryos in order to collect stem cells results in the provision of new therapeutics for specific medical disorders.   Certain scientists have actually claimed that it is more immoral to destroy embryos during in vitro fertilization because those embryos are not implanted or donated for further use but are actually discarded, unlike embryos that are destroyed for stem cell research which are cautiously propagated and ultimately designed to replace defective tissues and cells for medical therapeutics.   Such rebuttal from the scientific community is not good enough because they actually approach the issue of choosing between the lesser evil option.Another major issue that is being publicly scrutinized is whether the creation of embryos for research purposes is morally worse than using â€Å"spare† embryos from IVF cases for experiments.   Such issue reflects the intention of each act, and the idea of using leftover embryos from in vitro fertil ization protocols is much more tolerable to society than the simple creation of research-oriented embryos because there is less guilt involved in using extra or spare embryos from IVF cases than creating embryos that could have been another human being but their chance to live has been taken away.   The scientific community has tried to explain that production and destruction of spare embryos is a normal physiological event during pregnancy, which enables a sibling embryo to complete the entire gestational range (Borge and Evers, 2003).   They claim that this kind of sacrifice is also necessary to promote life for the sibling embryo.The controversy regarding the ethical issues of embryonic stem cell research impacts the entire human population.   Each individual in the society has a susceptibility to contract a disease that might possibly need the use of stem cells that can replace defective ones in the body.   We have heard of a number of public figures that have suffered f rom diseases that could have been resolved through the use of embryonic stem cells.   The late former President Ronal Reagan suffered from Alzheimer’s disease and the late actor Christopher Reeve experienced spinal cord injury.   Both of these individuals are prime examples of people who could have benefited from the results of embryonic stem cell research.   Stem cells may be cultured and manipulated to differentiate into specific types of cells such as astrocytes or brain cells for Alzheimer’s patients, and neural cells for patients with spinal cord injury (Snow, 2003).   However, nothing has been done since 2001 because the federal government has put a hold on any research activities that involves stem cell manipulation and experimentation.A solution to current debate on the ethical issues associated with embryonic stem cell research is the comprehensive explanation of the definition of embryonic stem cells.   It is imperative that the non-scientific publi c understand the principles and techniques behind the generation of embryonic stem cells.   It is also important that the public know that harvesting embryonic stem cells is not much different from abortion.   It is also essential to understand that the body of a human female biologically destroys or discards hundred of eggs cells through the natural course.   The scientific group, in turn, should be patient enough to explain the area of embryonic stem cell research.   I think that the ethical debate on the use of embryonic stem cells for research originates mainly from the miscommunication, misunderstanding and misrepresentation of the concept of embryonic stem cells.   In addition, the public only relies on the information that is released by senators and stem cell research activists, who have actually distorted the concept of stem cell research.   Should the scientific world be humble enough to example the basics of stem cell research, including the misnomers and bene fits of the research, the ethical debate on this issue would decrease and might even vanish.The debate on the ethical issues of stem cell research is just one of several topics that have been under intense scrutiny by the public eye.   Other issues of human concern include the employment of genetically modified organisms (GMO), organic foods, genetic engineering and biotechnology.   It should be known that these technological innovations were basically created to improve the quality of life and not to destroy existing life forms.   Everything that interacts with human beings has its benefits and disadvantages, yet these biomedical breakthroughs are the usual focus of attention of the public.   However, if we weigh the benefits and risks of stem cell research, we will realize that the benefits of stem cell research far outweighs the disadvantages that may result from the use of this technology.   We should always remember that decades ago, so many lives were lost from bacte rial infection because antibiotics were not discovered yet.   Today, antibiotics are a common treatment regime for bacterial infections, which is a huge benefit to human health, but it also has resulting in the creation of drug-resistant strains of bacteria.   The same setting may also be observed in terms of stem cell research, but we should intelligently consider both sides of the technology.After describing the pros and cons of two major ethical issues, I personally believe that the utilization of cloning techniques is unacceptable.   I think that the ethical questions raised against the technique shows that there is an urgent need to review and prevent the employment of such revolutionary technology, as well as promote the importance of human life and respect.   More effort should be given by both scientific and legislative communities to understand and disseminate any human rights that are violated by this technology, so that they would give more respect to life as all the rest of the society has shown over the last centuries.

Nonprofit-Business Partnerships as a Means of Implementing CSR Essay

Nonprofit-Business Partnerships as a Means of Implementing CSR - Essay Example As a result, there is always the danger that an organization’s CSR model might either focus too profoundly on one cause or interest group while alienating another. It therefore follows that organizations are actively looking for alternative methods of implementing CSR into their business plans. Partnerships between business firms and non-profit organizations is one method of implementing CSR with little difficulty and without the problems associated with the cost and challenges implicit in implementing CSR so that it is integrated into existing business plans. Partnerships between business firms and non-profit organizations or causes are increasingly becoming methods by which business entities are implementing CSR (Seitanidi & Crane, 2009). This paper explores and analyses the nature of nonprofit business partnerships and explains why it can be a successful and effective method for businesses to implement CSR. The first part of this paper examines and analyses traditional CRS models within the corporate governance constructs of a company. The second part of this paper analyses the conceptual basis of nonprofit business partnerships and demonstrated how it can be used to successfully use by a company to discharge its CSR agenda and thus represent the successful implementation of CSR. Traditional CSR as a Part of Corporate Governance Shareholder maximisation theory dictates that business organizations exist for the mere purpose of maximising profits for the benefit of their shareholders. However, corporate scandals and collapses have turned attention toward the issue of satisfactory corporate governance, accountability, transparency and trust. Although maximising shareholder value remains a significant objective for businesses worldwide, an intensification of social activism and renewed expectations have turned attention toward the manner in which corporations conduct their respective businesses (Jamali, Safieddine & Rabbath, 2008). Stakeholder theory has been making gains in corporate governance reflecting the perception that corporations are no longer viewed solely as â€Å"mere contributors to the global economy†, instead, corporations are expected to: Reconcile and skilfully balance multiple bottom lines and manage the interests of multiple stakeholders (Jamali, Safieddine & Rabbath, 2008, p. 444). Increasingly, corporations are compelled to adopt corporate governance strategies that implement accountability, ethics, fairness and transparency in all of their business operations. While implementing CSR in corporate governance strategies, corporations are expected to generate profits (Jamali et. al., 2008). Freeman (1984) argued that corporations and all business entities regardless of size and value are required to ensure that business decisions are consistent with the interests of various stakeholders both inside the business and outside of the business. Thus stakeholder theory of corporate governance is just as relevant, if not more so, than shareholder value maximization theory. The emphasis on stakeholder theory marks a dramatic shift in corporate governance models. Previously, corporate governance was viewed as a technique utilized for specifying the regulations of a corporation’s business decisions relative to how the internal organs of the business operatio

Review of Three Ethical Theories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Review of Three Ethical Theories - Essay Example According to this theory, individuals are seen as rational and utility maximizing entities. Several business decisions today are based on this principle; that is, the correct business decision is one that maximizes the net benefit to the society. Thus, the decision which is in the best interests of the society is one that maximizes the net benefit to the society. The founder of traditional Utilitarianism, Jeremy Bentham, argued that best and most valuable judgments are those that are based on objective considerations (Scarre, 1996). Thus, the benefits and costs of each public policy should be weighed and then the policy should be executed only if the benefits outweigh the costs. The theory inherently assumes that the costs and benefits can be measured (Scarre, 1996). Thus, the value of the costs can be subtracted from the value of benefits. The theory does not aim at maximizing an individual’s utility. It aims at maximizing the net benefits to the society. The provision of pub lic and merit goods is based on this theory. It is consistent with morality since it takes into account ‘everyone’s’ interests in equal amount. ... According to him, each individual have a moral right to this and that this moral right of individuals translates into duties for other individuals. The first foundation of this imperative is based on the principles of universibility and reversibility (Butler, 2008). Thus, individuals must ask themselves how they would feel if other treated them the same way and how would they feel if everyone did the same. Thus, according to Kant, the immoral decisions and actions were those that one wouldn’t want for oneself (Butler, 2008). The second imperative states that individuals ought not to be treated merely as means; that is, their capacity to choose freely for themselves must also be developed. This clearly demonstrates that while the Utilitarians imply an ‘economically rational’ justification for actions, Rights Ethics correctly captures the human values and goes beyond the traditional cost-benefit analysis. Thus, according to Utilitarians, individuals could be deprive d of their right to liberty simply because the net benefit isn’t maximized (Jeurissen, 2007). Hence, Rights Ethics takes a step forward by respecting not only the positive but also the negative rights of individuals ( that is, the freedom from coercion). Thus, the Rights Ethics many of the flaws associated with the Utilitarian view. Firstly, the utilitarian view simplistically assumes that all the consequences of an action can be quantitatively measured (Smart & Williams, 1973). This is not always the case. For instance, how could one assign a value to one’s life? Secondly, it deals insufficiently with rights, morals and justice (Smart & Williams, 1973). As outlined in the following

High proven Diet Food Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

High proven Diet Food - Assignment Example There have been differences in consideration of what is high protein diet. Diets that have 30% proteins have been mostly considered as just reasonable amounts of proteins. The ones that have 50% or more are the ones that are actually considered as the ones with high protein diets. The doctors also point out the fact that diets that are high in protein and are moderate in carbs are mostly considered by experts to be able to help people reduce their blood fats. The high protein foods also assist in the maintenance of lean tissue while still burning the body fats for fuel (Bailey, 1991). Study carried out left researchers wondering how the protein works towards reducing appetite. Some think that this may be made possible by the fact that the proteins enable the brain to acquire very minimal levels of hormones that stimulate appetite. This is the main reason brought to the frontline in this discussion. Though the findings still remain inconclusive and the doubt still lingers on the mind of the researchers. The jury is still out on the other findings that arose from the research carried out to determine how the protein intake can work towards the reduction of appetite among the people who maintain protein intake. The study further tends to explain the fact that small amounts of insulin are possibly influenced to facilitate less sugar level fluctuations that in effect lead to fewer instances of cravings. The result may be arrived at by eating fewer carbs, or even when individual proteins facilitate brain chemistry to control hunger hormones (Katan, 1997). Further research done by scientific researchers point out that people should boost levels of protein in diet. New research hints at the possibility that protein has the ability to satisfy hunger, better more as compared to carbohydrates or even fats. During the duration of study, individuals were taken through a sort of diet whereby fat intake was reduced while protein levels increased. The same diet had 50% carbs. It was later discovered that these individuals were more satisfied, had lost weight and were less hungry. On further field, a similar study carried out on the effect of such high levels of proteins mixed with exercise. The people who participated in this study had lost much weight and had raised levels of blood fat (Bailey, 1991). The essential explanation given that makes proteins necessary elements for the body is that protein is good for growth. It is necessary in all stages of life as it constitutes the major elements of the cells such as bone and muscles. Proteins are needed for development, growth as well as the immunity needed to assist in fighting off diseases and for the protection of the body. Patients who want to stay healthy enough to enable them fight diseases as well as to assist in controlling the body size (Katan, 1997). Recommendations from DRI, which deals majorly with dietary information, state that a wide range of protein intake should be implemented. The recomme nded range should be between 10% and 35% of all the calories for the normal adult. This means that that on a diet of 1800 calories, it is safe to consume between 45 and 218 grams daily of protein. Further recommendations state that men should have an average intake of 56 grams in a day while women should strive to have an average intake of 46 grams so as to enjoy the benefits. There is no confirmed danger that can arise

The Appreciation Of Film Art Film Studies Essay

The Appreciation Of Film Art Film Studies Essay The analysis of film enables viewers to truly appreciate the work as a form of art. It explains all of the working parts, thusly encouraging a more complete understanding of the whole. This in turn deepens the characters, conflicts, and theme of film making it more real or significant to the viewer. While initially developing and implementing skills of analytical viewing are difficult. With practice one will be able to analyze an entire move and describe how viewers find meaning in a film. Also, one can develop their own personal criteria for analyzing film. After reaching these goals the viewer will not only be able to enjoy the film emotionally but also intellectually. Effectively analyzing a film is complex in that film is not static. In literature and screenplays one is able to read and re-read the information because it remains motionless on the page. In film, however the viewer must be able to process the non-verbal, and other visual ques. During critical analysis of a film the critic must be able to view all of the elements separately but also understand their relationship to the whole. The viewer must ask several questions prior to the analysis of the film. Does the film have a unified plot? Is the story and characters credible? Is the film interesting? Does the director create a simplistic yet complex film? Does the film handle emotion with restraint (Boggs, 1996, pg. 6)? A film with a unified plot enables the viewers to follow a stream of consciousness when viewing the movie. Â  It has a beginning, middle, and an end. In literary terms, a unified plot includes an exposition, a rising action, a climax, and a denouement. The characters, theme, and plot are developed as the film progresses. A logical sequence of events maintains a constant theme and the conflict are resolved by elements or characters that have been introduced in the film. The events bear a resemblance to cause and effect; this forces the actions to move the story along (Boggs, 2008, pg. 41). During analysis one must decide if the film is credible. To accomplish this, the plot and the characters will fall into one of three categories. What is understood to be true, what could be true, or what is convincingly created as a reality. Harsh realities often fall into what is understood to be true. The audience knows that the protagonist will not always win and couples do not always stay together. On the other hand, human emotions dictate a desire to experience happy endings. In these films, Romeo would have received his letter from Juliet. Lastly, a production team will create a world of science fiction or fantasy. The objective viewer must decide whether this is done skillfully. The audiences response to the film is directly correlated to the credibility of the fantasy characters and the world of which they live. While all of these aspects can be found in a majority of film, the critical viewer will understand that one follows closest to the theme (Boggs, 2008, pg. 42). The most evident aspect to a reviewer and the audience is the movies ability to captivate. How do the filmmakers make the movie interesting? While to the audience this can be dependent on personal preference, the reviewer must remain objective to make this conclusion. Directors and writers will create suspense throughout the movie to create the desire to keep watching. They will usually provide the audience with clues hinting to possible outcomes. Another aspect of how interesting the movie is the action. Whether it be external, or physical action or it is internal or psychological action. As easily as the reviewer can see a duel or crash landing, they will be able to see external action. Now, when the action takes place in the mind or emotionally for the characters it is internal. They both however create movement that is essential to maintain the audiences interest in the film (Boggs, 2008, pg. 46). The complexity of the film should be taken into consideration during analysis. While it is possible to over-simplify the theme, characters, or the plot of a film it is also possible to make it too complex. Movies are essential created for consumption and as with all things consumed, consumers have different opinions on what pleases them. So, it is possible for many people who enjoy the complexity of a serious, thought-provoking film. On the other hand, it is just as simple to find those who would rather be entertained and do not desire to be challenged during a film. Either way as a critical reviewer, one should be able to recognize how well the film-maker combines these to ideas. How well they are able to present complex ideas in a simple manner without taking away from the meaning, and vice-versa (Boggs, 2008, pg. 48). A final aspect in critical review of film to consider is its ability to present emotional material with restraint. Normally the director will intend for the film to be reciprocated with a certain emotional response from the audience. However, if the audience feels as though it is being forced or coaxed to feeling a certain way it may have the opposite effect. As the objective viewer, one will notice that emotional content can be presented in plot structure, characters dialogue, musical score, and even visual cues. When analyzing the film, it is important to look at all of these aspects to understand the effect that they have on the whole. To understand how the emotional content is presented to add value to the film (Boggs, 2008, pg. 51). People from across every economic, social, gender, cultural, and all other stratifications that can be thought of watch movies. Knowing that people are innately different from one another leads one to the conclusion, that there exist hundreds of different ways that individuals use to find meaning in film. Meaning in cinema can be found and interpreted exclusively at face value. This method of course does not fully value the vision of the filmmakers and does not allow for the viewer to receive the complete experience that critical receptiveness would attain. When a critical viewer attempts to find meaning in a film there are several different areas in which they can search. The meaning of film can be found in its allegories, symbolism, metaphors, and ironies (Boggs, 2008, pg. 55). In cinema and literature, allegories create an additional meaning for what is being portrayed on the screen. The characters normally cannot adopt distinctive personalities because their primary role is to accurately portray something already in existence. In the film, Animal Farm, the audience understands the different roles that each animal plays and their association to the actual events that occurred in the early 1900s (Boggs, 2008, pg. 70). Films often use symbolism to help the audience discover meaning beyond what is being shown. Filmmakers will introduce a symbol that will arouse certain emotions, feelings, thoughts, and connotations within the viewer. This skillful application of symbols can be done with the use of natural or universally accepted signs or through by the director placing emphasis on the symbols throughout the film. Because different natural or universally accepted symbols have different meanings to different people there is some ambiguity in their meanings. For example, a common association of bats in Western society is to demons or spirits, association of the night. While in the East bats are a symbol of good fortune. When filmmakers want to apply meaning to symbols that occur in the film they utilize methods, such as, repetition, value added by characters, and context. When the director places emphasis on an object that otherwise would seem insignificant by showing it to the audience. When the chara cters place emphasis on objects or identify themselves through something, the audience understands that by considering the objects meaning and its associations they will be able to better understand the character. In context, the director will use a symbol to suggest a meaning to the audience through combining scenes, juxtaposition, or relating the object to other images in the scene. In Batman, when Bruce Waynes mother was shot the audience is shown her pearl necklace being broken and falling to the ground an example of juxtaposition (Boggs, 2008, pg. 71). Often in cinema different metaphors are used to represent actions. Normally metaphors are figures of speech that denote an object or idea to suggest likeness or analogies between them. There exist two methods in creating metaphors in film, extrinsic and intrinsic metaphors. Extrinsic metaphors a normally very similar to symbolism in film in that they are achieved by juxtaposition or showing scenes simultaneously. In a romance the director could show a man and woman making love and then show a bee pollinating a flower to show the miracle of life. The intrinsic metaphors occur more naturally, the metaphor can now replace action. The director can simply show the two people entering a room and then show the bees and the audience will understand what is happening. Of course, the metaphor for the actions depicted is the birds and the bees and many people grow up knowing and understanding its connotation (Boggs, 2008, pg. 80). Quite the opposite of metaphors and similes is irony. Irony creates association through differences; through the differences the audiences can draw similarities. There are many different types of irony: dramatic, situational, characters, setting, tone, and cosmic. Audiences draw meaning through irony by understanding the contradictions that exist in the film. In an example of irony of character in Sling Blade, the audience sees that the formally institutionalized for murder, Karl Childers, as a positive role model and even a father figure for Frank Wheatley. This portrays to the audience a caring, loving side of Karl but also shows the hopelessness of Franks situation (Boggs, 2008, pg. 88). Although viewers can find meaning through these devices, the most common methods are through analyzing the plot and characters of a film. The audience is able to automatically identify with these aspects and parallel personal experiences to find a meaning in a film. The conflict which is central to the plot a film is what moves the movie along. Conflict centers on man versus self, nature, society, or man. The characters portrayed in a film can be identified by the conflicts that they will face and the audience will be able to deepen their understanding of characters through the conflicts that they face. Firstly, the audience will see what actions lead to the conflict. Secondly, the audience will see how the character copes with the situation, whether he will rise to meet the challenge, remain static, or fail to act. Finally, the audience will be shown how the character reaches a resolution adding depth to the character. The type of conflict and the personality character who is facing it often develops the theme of a film. Once the nature of the characters is establishes the viewers can find meaning in them. Is the protagonist a strong minded, witty character who always is quick to act, like James Bond? The directors intention in films like these is to glorify traits of heroism and fearlessness. Similarly, Jason Bourne portrays many of the same traits but with distinct differences. Bourne is a neurotic and is on the run seeking vengeance from the government who betrayed him while lacking the suave style normally associated with Bond. While Bond classically a misogynist, Bourne is in love only with one woman. Audiences find interpret these characters differently and value them in different ways whether they like the values that the characters portray or not (Boggs, 2008, pg. 133). Criteria for effectively analyzing a film will vary from person to person. The most important objective is to establish a pattern, a system, or to evaluate films in way to ensure one covers every aspect. Personally I have developed a system that allows me to enjoy a film on an emotional level and then take a critical look at the different elements work together to create the whole. I do this by: locating a film, ensuring I have a clear open mind, watching the film first to determine interest and initial impressions. Then I will watch the film again to carefully analyze literary elements, such as, setting, plot, characters, and symbols. After the film is completed it is important to reflect on several questions. What is the theme of the movie? I consider if the movie effectively communicates a theme to viewers. How did the storyline move? Does the plot flow easily but remains complex drawing the audience in. Does the dialogue work? Will viewers of the film find the dialogue credible and natural? Do the set, lighting, score, and special effects add to the movie? If not properly utilized these effects can overwhelm the senses and detract from the film. How does the film represent its topic? How well is the film edited? If there are unnecessary scenes that do not add to the movie they should be cut out. Also, do scenes effectively transition or has too much been re moved making the film hard to follow. How effectively does the director use symbolism or metaphors? Does the director add depth to the characters or objects through association (Boggs, 2008, pg. 8)? After deliberate review of all of these questions I am able to fully appreciate the value of the effort put into, or lack thereof, filmmakers have put into their work. While at the same time it allows me to enjoy the film on a platonic level prior to analysis. Film is unique because it is an art form but it also an industry. Audiences are willing to sacrifice money and time to take part in the magic of the silver screen. Their love for this art form has created the need to better understand the films, to create a deeper meaning than what is first visible. With practice audiences can analyze an entire move and describe how they find meaning in a film. Also, they can develop their own personal criteria for analyzing film. Techniques employed by filmmakers at first may be difficult to comprehend, but once understood they will add significant value to the film.

Robert E. Lee Essay -- Army American History Mexican War Essays

Robert E. Lee In 1861, on the eve of civil war, President Abraham Lincoln tapped I, Robert E. Lee to take command of the United States Army. being The fifty-five year old silver-haired veteran that had graduated second in my class at West Point, served valiantly during the Mexican War under General Winfield Scott, and had, with his forces, put down the insurrection at Harper’s Ferry, capturing abolitionist John Brown. By all accounts, i was the man to lead the Army, as renowned for his gentlemanly character as for his military skill and sense of duty. It came as no surprise however, that following the secession of his home state, Virginia, Lee declined the Appointment and resigned. He had written to his family, .With all my devotion to the Union and the feeling of loyalty and duty of an American citizen; I have not been able to make up my mind to raise my hand against my relatives, my children, my home... Although opposed to secession, he would .return to [his] native state and shares the miseries of [his] people, and saves in defense. Draw [his] sword on none. His home, his relatives, and his children, all were rooted in a Virginia that had grown strong from the seeds planted by the American Revolution. Two of his ancestors had signed the Declaration of Independence. His father had eulogized George Washington as .first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen... (The actions of both men left indelible marks on Lee’s character. His debtor Father embodied the traits he would shun; Washington. Duty bound, disciplined, and humble.he sought to imitate.) On April 9, 1865, Lee and his men faced certain defeat in the misty dawn at Appomattox Courthouse, Virginia. He had commanded the Army of Northern Virginia since the beginning of the war. He had been appointed General in Chief of the Confederate States Army in February. His ragtag veterans, depleted corps once 70,000 strong, had tenaciously held. And at points, advanced. The line for four years against Union forces. Lee refused a persistently defensive posture. They had waged a bold, scrappy, underdog war, exacting victories at Seven Days, Chancellors Ville, Fredericksburg, and Cold Harbor. There had been staggering losses on both sides. Gettysburg handed them their most devastating defeat. (.It was my Fault, Lee humbly declared in the aftermath.) Now, they were hunkered down an... ...red rations. It was a generous and gentlemanly agreement, one that would allow agnation ravaged by war to begin to bind up its wounds. Lee stayed in Appomattox for the laying down of arms. He stayed long enough to commend his army’s unsurpassed courage and fortitude, and explain his desire to .avoid the useless sacrifice. Of more confederate lives. He bid an .affectionate farewell... With great weariness and sadness he was escorted part of the way back to Richmond. He received a hero’s welcome along the way. Later indicted for treason (a charge that was never pursued), and passed over for a pardon during his lifetime, Lee nevertheless remained a great man in the eyes of both the North and South. By deciding to surrender the Army of Northern Virginia, Robert E. Lee had single-handedly set in motion the events that would signal the end of the war, the end of his military career, and the beginning of peace andreunification.Many years later, Woodrow Wilson voiced the widely-held view: .We use the word .great. Indiscriminately. But we reserve the word .noble. Carefully for those whose greatness is not spent in their own interest. That was the characteristic of General Lee’s life...