Discuss the Importance of Dreams Essay

‘Death of a Salesman’ was a play written by Arthur Miller in 1949. It is a story of an ordinary man and his family’s struggle for success in America, the ‘land of opportunity’. The American Dream is the concept that one can begin in life with nothing and through hard work and confidence gain power, wealth and status. There are constant references to this in the play, but it is not portrayed as a perfect system by any means. Other types of dreams too are prominent in ‘Death of a Salesman’ – the protagonist’s (Willy Loman’s) disillusion and dissatisfaction with his lifestyle lead him to indulge in unrealistic fantasies and altered memories of the past. His hopes and ambitions are almost identical to the ideals of the American Dream, as are his struggles typical of those associated with it. In this way, Willy Loman is symbolic of the common American man and this is shown through the pun on ‘Loman’ (low man). Dreams are important in the play because they are the play’s most important structuring device, and also go some way towards explaining why the characters behave in the way that they do. Flashbacks steadily reveal the reason behind Willy and Biff’s animosity, the secret that only Biff knows, and Happy’s need to prove himself. Their other effect is to make the play’s structure non-linear and more like Willy Loman’s continuous stream of consciousness in his last days of life. The other type of dreams – fantasies, hopes and ambitions allow the audience to empathise with the characters. In the play, the only dreams which we do not see are those that happen while sleeping. Willy’s dreams infiltrate his life, becoming more and more frequent. They are almost hallucinations, and later on in the play he becomes less able to discern between reality and fantasy. For example, whilst he is in a restaurant with Biff and Happy, he becomes confused between the door of the restaurant’s washroom and the door of the hotel room in which he committed adultery – â€Å"the washroom †¦ the door †¦ where’s the door? â€Å". The effect of this line on the play is to blur the line between past and present a little, letting the audience feel some of Willy’ confusion. It also creates a sense of danger as to whether his secret will be exposed. Biff and Happy do not experience the same degree of intensity in their dreams, but Happy shares the tendency to exaggerate with his father, for example when he is in the restaurant with Stanley, he tells a girl that Biff is â€Å"one of the greatest football players in the country†. The importance of dreams to the play is emphasised by stage directions and staging, and the non-linear nature of the play. The Lomans’ house has no solid walls, and the apartment buildings can be seen through the back of the house. The apartment buildings symbolise the deterioration of the quality of life that came with increasing urbanisation, and Willy complains about them close to the beginning with ‘the way they boxed us in here. Bricks and windows, windows and bricks’. The lighting around the Lomans’ house is described as an ‘angry glow of orange’ and gives it ‘an air of the dream’. I think that Miller is attempting here to make the set seem menacing and surreal, like a nightmare which steadily worsens. To further this impression, the imaginary wall lines serve as a vehicle for the characters’ (namely Willy) dreams. When the characters are in the present, they enter through the ‘doors’, but during flashbacks they step through the walls, letting the audience know that this is unreal. Other devices used to signal a flashback are the gradual fading in of voices from the past, and in the memories of happier times, the flute. The flute is an instrument symbolic of nostalgia and originates from Willy’s rural, happier childhood. As the time period of the play jumps from past to present with memories and fantasies, it gives the effect of a stream of consciousness rather than a narrative play. Consequently, ‘Death of a Salesman’ could be interpreted as Willy’s train of thoughts leading up to his death. In real time – all the parts of the play which are not dreams – the play is the last twenty four hours of Willy’s life. The flashbacks are cut against real time and the effect of them is firstly to delineate the play’s structure, and secondly to concentrate the audience’s attention on both what will happen to the characters and what did happen in the past to shape them into the way they are now. Willy is only truly happy in his memories or when, as Happy says, ‘he’s looking forward to something’, but this is only his false hope showing through. He spends so much time absorbed in his memories because in the present he is a failure – it isn’t satisfactory. Additionally, we cannot even be sure that the past happened like that as what we are seeing is Willy’s memory, which may well be distorted to fit with his perfect image of the past. This is likely, because even in his memories Willy lies to Linda about his income – â€Å"Well, I – I did – about a hundred and eighty gross in Providence. Well, no – it came to – roughly two hundred gross on the whole trip† Linda knows he exaggerates, and later on she even reveals she knows that he borrows money from Charley so it looks like his salary, but she never questions him because she believes it would insult him. The effect of this maintained secrecy is firstly to show how fragile Willy’s mental state is, and secondly the plight of Linda, who also suffers silently, we find later on, with the knowledge of Willy’s suicide plans. She is keeping up the facade for the sake of her family and perhaps she thinks she can fool herself into believing everything is all right. Although unspoken for much of the play, this is Linda’s way of creating a fantasy as opposed to her unsatisfactory life. The importance of the American Dream in ‘Death of a Salesman’ is very significant. The Lomans are each affected in their own way by the pressures placed upon them by the society they live in. Willy is not ruthless enough to be able to really make it in the business world, but distorts reality to convince himself that all is well. Biff is pressured by Willy’s high expectations of him and his insistence that Biff has ‘greatness’, yet he says himself that â€Å"I don’t fit in business† and all he really wants to do is work in the country ‘with your shirt off’. It is ironic that, in the ‘land of opportunity’, citizens are restricted from attaining their true ambitions (Biff’s idyllic dream) by the pressures placed on them to become wealthy, successful and popular. Happy has a relatively steady job unlike his father and brother, but it lacks status. He is one of two assistants to the assistant buyer, and so feels the need to lie and exaggerate about business, women, his family and so on. Linda is not directly pressured by the American Dream, but suffers because her family are all affected, particularly Willy who she remains loyal to throughout. Biff is the only character who ever questions the American Dream and rejects Willy’s ambition. He is at first deluded by Willy’s insistence that â€Å"Biff, you’ve got greatness in you† but comes to realise that he is nothing special. At Willy’s funeral, he condemns Willy’s ambition with â€Å"he had the wrong dreams. All, all wrong†. Exasperatingly, Happy still hasn’t given up, and vows to achieve the success Willy couldn’t – â€Å"He fought it out here, and this is where I’m gonna win it for him†. This shows the vicious circle of disappointment and frustration – and a parallel between this and recurring nightmares – that can be created by the ‘dark side’ of capitalism and of the American Dream. Capitalism and consumerism are massive parts of the American Dream. The capitalist system of business means that when people are no longer useful they are fired, which is exactly what happens to Willy. Howard, his boss, symbolises the ruthless businessman who does well in capitalism. He is similar to Ben, Willy’s successful brother who will step over anyone to get what he wants. Ben’s ruthless nature is shown when he trips Biff in a play fight – â€Å"suddenly comes in, trips BIFF, and stands over him, the point of his umbrella poised over BIFF’S eye†. The prominence of consumerism is shown in the goods that Willy buys, only to have break down shortly afterwards, and in the importance of advertising to Willy – ‘Whoever heard of a Hastings refrigerator? Once in my life I would like to own something outright before it’s broken! I’m always in a race with the junkyard! I just finished paying for the car and it’s on its last legs! The refrigerator consumes belts like a goddam maniac. They time those things. They time them so when you finally pay for them, they’re used up. † Willy here expresses his dissatisfaction with capitalist culture – connected with the American Dream – and how products are designed (in his view) to bleed as much money from the consumer as possible. The complaint has an air of unfamiliarity with the culture – Willy is idealistic and has a running fantasy that people are far less ruthless than they really are, and that they should make an exception for him due to his ‘popularity’ and his well-connected father.

History Isu: Juno Beach Essay

Some of the greatest battles in Canadian history took place during the course of World War II. Most would argue it to have been Stalingrad, The Battle of the Atlantic, or even the Battle of Scheldt. The Battle at Juno Beach was a defining moment in Canadian history that led to the rise of a great nation. On June 6, 1944, after having prepared for more than four years, Canadian troops in Britain took place in an invasion that would become the greatest turning point in Canadian history. â€Å"†¦ early in the morning of June 6th, 1944 under cover of a massive air and naval bombardment, ships started ferrying 150 000 American, British, and Canadian troops across the channel of Normandy.† After courageous fighting and tremendous struggles, the Canadian, American, and British troops managed to get the farthest inland to secure a position against allied invaders. â€Å"†¦the German defences at Juno Beach had been shattered and Canada had established the beachhead.† Because Canadian troops were able to secure the beach, â€Å"Operation Overlord† led to great victories amongst the Allied Troops. Juno was the largest amphibious battle to have taken place in history. â€Å"155,000 soldiers, 5,000 ships and landing craft, 50,000 vehicles and 11,000 planes were massed for the greatest seaborne invasion in history.† Canadian troops, being the only commonwealth nation, were assigned 1 out of the 5 beaches at Normandy to secure. First, Canada was to create a beachhead on Juno beach. The American, Canadian and British troops task was to capture and seize all sea towns ashore of the beach and get further inland after breaking through enemy lines. Also, their objective was to secure the Carpiquet airport and create a link that would be able to attach the British beachheads on the other two beaches, Sword and Gold beach, and also to secure the Caen-Bayeux highway. â€Å"The challenge facing the Canadians was to overcome the coastal defences and capture ground positions that could be defended against German counter attacks.† The task the Canadians were given was one that would take a lot of courage and self-determination to push through. â€Å"†¦ Germans had turned the coastline into a continuous fortress of guns, pillboxes, wire, mines and beach obstacles.† Although the Germans had displayed strong thresholds, the allied troops managed to keep pushing their way through German defences. With the lead of Major General R.F.L Keller, the 3rd Canadian Infantry along with many men, tanks, and vehicles helped to secure and take over Juno Beach. â€Å"The 3rd Canadian Infantry Division supported by the 2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade would land on Juno beach in brigade groups. Two brigades would land in the initial assault followed later by the reserve brigade which would pass through the lead brigades on to the divisional objectives . More than 20,000 men, 200 tanks and hundreds of other vehicles were under the command of Major-General Keller.† The allied troops were successful in securing the position on Juno beach. â€Å"†¦in the face of heavy shelling and deadly machine gun fire, the Canadians fought their way past the German defences.† The troops were able to penetrate farther inland then all other allied forces could. Securing Juno beach was a huge success and as a result, has helped Canada to become a greater nation. Since Juno Beach, the troops that were involved with the invasion are greatly recognized and forever appreciated. Securing Juno Beach may have been one of the best things to have happened. After having done so, many great victories came along. They extended their beachhead further inland, and continued to move northwestward. They were able to liberate several French channel ports, which included Dieppe, which was a great success, because a number of Canadians had lost their lives at such place two years back. Also, because of such a great achievement at Juno Beach, the liberation of Europe took place, along with the defeat of Nazi-Germany, which lead up to the end of World War 2. The defeat of Nazi-Germany became a very proud accomplishment for many. â€Å"Allied to serve the common cause of freedom and democracy, Canada, Great Britain, the United States, the countries of the British Commonwealth and free nations suffering under Nazi occupation counter-attacked.† Due to Canada being able to accomplish many victories, they proved that coming together as a nation could lead to great victories and successes. Also, it helped make and build the independence of Canada. It showed that Canada is a powerful country, and doesn’t need to hold hands with Britain per se, but still work together. â€Å"So many different roads to Victory, conquered through determination and courage and at the price of many human lives.† Although â€Å"Operation Overlord† took the lives of many brave soldiers, it was one step closer to the complete defeat of Nazi-Germany. With great success comes a price, and although the capture of Juno Beach was accomplished, many soldiers were wounded, killed, or captured. â€Å"Fourteen thousand Canadians landed in Normandy on D-Day and to ensure the victory 340 Canadians had given their lives. Another 574 had been wounded and 47 taken prisoner. The casualties were less than expected, but heavy nonetheless.† Despite the many loses Canada suffered, soldiers were still encouraged to move forward and keep on fighting. The Canadian troops relied heavily on goods and services that were being shipped to them. The government greatly supported the troops, providing them with the many necessities needed to be successful. â€Å"Canadian troops relied on a tight organization and on a wide range of services that provided food, shelter, medical care, intelligence, communications and more. They also relied on ships, aircrafts, tanks and weapons needed to face the enemy.† Funding for the invasion was very costly, but in conclusion, led to great victory for the allied troops. Canada at the Battle of Normandy had a great impact on war. It changed the way many thought of the word â€Å"impossible.† After what was done, and how much was conquered, anything is possible. Being able to get further inland than any other before and securing a position that later on led to the liberation of Europe and the defeat of Nazi-Germany isn’t just a small accomplishment, it’s something that has changed the way war is seen and the way troops continue to fight. Without the necessary goods and services being sent over to the allied troops, not much would have been possible. Many brave troops stood against German defences and took their lives so the rest of their brothers could continue on and make Canada proud. â€Å"Many would die there but, for the Canadian forces, D-Day was a triumph that is still honoured at home and on the beach they called Juno.† It is with great success that Canada as a nation, is able to say proudly that they fought strongly to secure Juno beach on June 6, 1944, and because such a great event took place, the rise of a nation began. ——————————————– [ 1 ]. Jill Coyler, Jack Cecillon, Graham Draper and Margaret Hoogeveen, Creating Canada A History- 1914 to present ( McGraw-Hill Ryerson, 2010) , 239 [ 2 ]. CBC News, D-Day: The allied invasion of Normandy, 1944, http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2009/06/02/f-dday-history.html, June 5, 2009 [ 3 ]. CBC News, D-Day: The allied invasion of Normandy, 1944, http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2009/06/02/f-dday-history.html, June 5, 2009 [ 4 ]. Lane, D.W. â€Å"Juno Beach – The Canadians On D-Day†1944, http://members.shaw.ca/junobeach/juno-2.htm, Operation Overlord – Plans and Preparation [ 5 ]. Lane, D.W. â€Å"Juno Beach – The Canadians On D-Day†1944, http://members.shaw.ca/junobeach/juno-2.htm, Operation Overlord – Plans and Preparation [ 6 ]. Lane, D.W. â€Å"Juno Beach – The Canadians On D-Day†1944, http://members.shaw.ca/junobeach/juno-2.htm, Operation Overlord – Plans and Preparation [ 7 ]. Jill Coyler, Jack Cecillon, Graham Draper and Margaret Hoogeveen, Creating Canada A History- 1914 to present ( McGraw-Hill Ryerson, 2010) , 239 [ 8 ]. Juno Beach Centre, â€Å"Canada in WWII†, http://www.junobeach.org/e/2/can-eve-rod-e.htm, Roads to Victory [ 9 ]. Juno Beach Centre, â€Å"Canada in WWII†, http://www.junobeach.org/e/2/can-eve-rod-e.htm, Roads to Victory [ 10 ]. Lane, D.W. â€Å"Juno Beach – The Canadians On D-Day†1944, http://members.shaw.ca/junobeach/juno-2.htm, Operation Overlord – Conclusion [ 11 ]. Juno Beach Centre, â€Å"Canada in WWII† http://www.junobeach.o rg/e/4/can-tac-e.htm Arms & Weapons [ 12 ]. CBC News, D-day: Canadians Target Juno Beach 1944, http://archives.cbc.ca/war_conflict/second_world_war/topics/1317/ 2003

Volver Conjugation

Volver Conjugation Volver is a common Spanish verb that usually means to return, to come back or something similar; in the reflexive form, volverse, it also can mean to become. Volver is a stem-changing verb; to conjugate volver, change the -o- to -ue- when stressed. Volver also has an irregular past participle. Irregular forms are shown below in boldface. Translations are given as a guide and in real life may vary with context. Verbs that follow the conjugation pattern of volver include absolver, devolver, disolver, desenvolver, resolver and revolver. Infinitive of Volver volver (to return) Gerund of Volver volviendo (returning) Participle of Volver vuelto (returned) Present Indicative of Volver yo vuelvo, tà º vuelves, usted/à ©l/ella vuelve, nosotros/as volvemos, vosotros/as volvà ©is, ustedes/ellos/ellas vuelven (I return, you return, he returns, etc.) Preterite of Volver yo volvà ­, tà º volviste, usted/à ©l/ella volvià ³, nosotros/as volvimos, vosotros/as volvisteis, ustedes/ellos/ellas volvieron (I returned, you returned, she returned, etc.) Imperfect Indicative of Volver yo volvà ­a, tà º volvà ­as, usted/à ©l/ella volvà ­a, nosotros/as volvà ­amos, vosotros/as volvà ­ais, ustedes/ellos/ellas volvà ­an (I used to return, you used to return, he returned, etc.) Future Indicative of Volver yo volverà ©, tà º volvers, usted/à ©l/ella volver, nosotros/as volveremos, vosotros/as volverà ©is, ustedes/ellos/ellas volvern (I will return, you will return, he will return, etc.) Conditional of Volver yo volverà ­a, tà º volverà ­as, usted/à ©l/ella volverà ­a, nosotros/as volverà ­amos, vosotros/as volverà ­ais, ustedes/ellos/ellas volverà ­an (I would return, you would return, she would return, etc.) Present Subjunctive of Volver que yo vuelva, que tà º vuelvas, que usted/à ©l/ella vuelva, que nosotros/as volvamos, que vosotros/as volvis, que ustedes/ellos/ellas vuelvan (that I return, that you return, that she return, etc.) Imperfect Subjunctive of Volver que yo volviera (volviese), que tà º volvieras (volvieses), que usted/à ©l/ella volviera (volviese), que nosotros/as volvià ©ramos (volvià ©semos), que vosotros/as volvierais (volvieseis), que ustedes/ellos/ellas volvieran (volviesen) (that I return, that you return, that he return, etc.) Imperative of Volver vuelve (tà º), no vuelvas (tà º), vuelva (usted), volvamos (nosotros/as), volved (vosotros/as), no volvis (vosotros/as), vuelvan (ustedes) (return, dont return, return, lets return, etc.) Compound Tenses of Volver The perfect tenses are made by using the appropriate form of haber and the past participle, vuelto. The progressive tenses use estar with the gerund, volviendo. Sample Sentences Showing Conjugation of Volver and Similarly Conjugated Verbs Hay cosas que nunca no van a volver. (There are things that are never coming back. Infinitive.) Se ha resuelto el problema. (The problem has resolved itself. Present perfect.) El viento vuelve a complicar los aterrizajes en el aeropuerto. (The wind is complicating landings at the airport again. Present indicative.) Se prepara una solucià ³n de bromuro de sodio disolviendo 4 gramos de la sal en 50 gramos de agua. (A solution of sodium bromide is prepared by dissolving 4 grams of the salt in 50 grams of water. Gerund.) Revolvià ³ en su mente todo lo que sabà ­a. (Everything he knew stirred around in his mind. Preterite.) Algunas veces volvà ­an a ponerse las mismas ropas sin lavarlas. (Sometimes they would put on the same clothes again without washing them. Imperfect.) Sà © que volvers muy pronto. (I know you are coming back very soon. Future.) Mi amiga me dijo que le devolverà ­a el dinero a Harry. (My friend told me she would return the money to Harry. Conditional.) La comisià ³n pidià ³ hoy la intervencià ³n del Ministerio de Trabajo para que resuelva el conflicto laboral. (The commission today asked for the intervention of the Labor Department in order to resolve the labor conflict. Present subjunctive.) Mi presencia era suficiente para que me absolviera de los cargos. (My presence was enough for me to be absolved of the charges. Imperfect subjunctive.) No vuelvas nunca ms. (Dont ever come back again. Imperative.)

Analysis And Strategies Of The Company Ikea Marketing Essay

Analysis And Strategies Of The Company Ikea Marketing Essay Ikea’s mission is simple, ‘keep making furniture less expensive without making it cheap† (www.Ikea.com) .Because IKEA concentrated on standardizing their products and operations throughout the world, their operating costs were reduced. However, they learnt quickly enough that if they wanted to penetrate the United States (US} market they had to change their operations and adapt to meet the needs of the local market. This resulted in increased cost but it was necessary in order to encourage sales. Today the US Market is ranked in the top five (5) sales countries in the sales area. Sustainability report 2010 STRATEGIES Ikea’s four additional countries to move to thirty- eight. Their stores are strategically located and conducive for family outing with places available for children to be pre-occupied. For a holistic shopping experience their outlets are equipped with reasonable price restaurants and cafes. Promotion – The IKEA Catalogue is a vital part of its existence with a wide reach. It assists consumers find the right product at the right time. In 2010 the catalogue was printed in 198 million copies in 27 languages and 56 editions .A new more resource efficient format was introduced in 2009? (Sustainability report 2009). The second feature of IKEA’s promotion is the standardized theme. Their logo can be spotted at a distance. The following are examples of some of the strategic analysis that may have been considered by Ikea: SWOT ANALYSIS In order compete effectively as they have been doing. Ikea would have had to perform a (SWOT) analysis to assist in obtaining their objectives. This analysis is a strategic planning tool that looks at the strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of any business undertaking. Strengths Looking at the table above it is clear to surmise that Ikea has ridden the waves fairly well and is a profitable company, earning 23.8(Eur. billion) in sales in 2010. Ikea has brand appeal. Because of their modern style and attractive furnishings they are able to attracts consumers of different origins and cultures with their same range of functional and well-designed products and quality across borders which can play a vital part in Ikea being able to keep its’ customers The company has a strong international presence. Ikea’s store was visited 699,000,000 compared to 404,000,000 in 2004 worldwide (ikea .com). They are unique in that customers are allowed to be part of the value chain by playing a direct role in the selection, assembly and transportation of their furniture. It’s also all inclusive to allow families to come in and sit and enjoy with their playgrounds and food courts. Weakness One of Ikea’s weaknesses could be the location areas of their stores which are located outside of city centres and may not be accessible to pedestrians. The ‘do it yourself’ motto may not appeal to everyone and some may even feel intimidated by the wide range and lack of assistance. Opportunities Sourcing from China is seen as an opportunity to lower cost and by extension increase market share. Today Ikea has over 120 suppliers in 54 countries (Ikea sustainability report 2009)They have taken advantage of technology by introducing its online catalogue as a means of generating more sales, because of e-commerce, a lot more people shop online an. Statistic shows that more people are viewing the catalogues because circulation have increased from 131,500,00 in 2003 to 198,000,000 in 2010.

Should overweight passengers be charged for two seats when flying Essay

Should overweight passengers be charged for two seats when flying - Essay Example This is already happening in the United States. The argument is raised since this is discrimination against passengers with obesity. To be charged by the kilo is quite embarrassing for somebody with twenty kilograms above the limit. If an individual is 20kg above the limit and is a regular flyer, they will actually suffer both emotionally and financially. Having to meet the fat tax expenses will be rather embarrassing (Sullivan 6). The majority of obesity and health organizations are supporting this suggestion claiming that it is only fair since the airline will need to carry extra weight. A number of airlines as an alternative make passengers who can not fit into one seat pay for two seats, for twice the cost of the journey (Appleton). Those who require extra seatbelt extension will have to buy a new an update or purchase an extra seat. America has for a long time taxed and charged to discourage some manners. Taxes in cigarettes are increasing, taxes in liquor are rising in various states, seatbelts are now mandatory by law and some particular areas are currently charging obese workers more for health insurance. For better or worse, the tendency to transform behavior through economics is upon us. As medical expenses rises the debate over charging for obesity is indeed only going to grow. Airlines are too increasingly subject to customer grievances and even losing court cases over travelers being injured by fellow obese passengers. Using two seats uses twice the fuel. This actually sounds nice even though this may not be true. The space which a passenger takes does not affect the amount of fuel used but the weight may affect (Appleton). It sounds good even if it is not actually true. The space you take does not impact on fuel, the weight does. The question arises as to whether a weight lifter weighing more and has more mass of muscles must also be charged more. This could be just a technique used by the airlines to get more money from the passengers. There are writings seen in one of the American airlines. It said something to the effect that if you can not fit into the seat, you will have to pay for a second seat and that if the seats are not fully occupied; you will only pay a child's fare on the second seat (Kate) There are some necessities regarding the seat being a window seat or something of that sort. The airlines prerequisite is that if an individual can not fit in the seat without hanging over the arm rest then he will be charged twice and it sounded like a fair rule. The airline companies should come up with a practical means of determining who is overweight and who is not. It is even better to argue that an individual is overweight due to medical reasons other than the notion that one is lazy and overweight. The airlines must not be forced to give an individual a free extra seat since he or she can not fit in one. The person has to pay for his or her seat, likewise to overweight individuals. That is prejudice and another effort by the airlines to make more money. The airline seats are actually too small period. Tall individuals, overweight individuals and skinny individuals are all not comfortable in a flight. The airlines in their effort once more to make more money squeezed in as many seats as possible at the expense of comfort of passengers. People complain that they don not want to sit next to an overweight passenger as a trick to get bumped