Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Tenars Psychic Growth Essays - Analytical Psychology, Earthsea

Tenars Psychic Growth Essays - Analytical Psychology, Earthsea Tenar's Psychic Growth ?For most people the years of youth are characterized by a state of gradual awakening in which the individual slowly becomes aware of the world and of him or herself,? states Carl Jung in Man and his Symbols (pg. 168). This is usually accomplished through dreams or real events that foresees the future in a symbolic form. Tenar, later named Arha, was a little girl when she was taken to Atuan to become the new High Priestess. There she was taught the ways of the High Priestess, as she was to become one when she grows older. In Atuan, young Arha journeys through her mind and progresses through her psychic growth in order to leave her childhood. Along this road she encounters many characters that guide and mislead her as she grows. As one reads Tombs of Atuan, one may recognize that the story of Arha and her passage from darkness of her childhood world to the light of her mature world is structured around Carl Jung?s dream theories. When Tenar became the ?Chosen One? for the High Priestess in Atuan, she was compelled to adjust to this new life and new surrounding. She was brought up in the Kargish lands with her family of many siblings and a mother and a father, but Atuan was a whole new place with mostly women training to be priestesses. As Jung puts it, ?When a child reaches school age, the phase of building up the ego and of adapting to the outer world begin.? (pg. 168). As Tenar was to become the next High Priestess she was led to live in loneliness as she was different from the rest of the priestesses in Atuan. She was made to live in her own dwelling, the Small House where no one else was to sleep in. Jung describes this phase of the building up of the ego, as the time when children feel different from their contemporaries, and this feeling of uniqueness brings sadness, that is part of the loneliness of children. During Tenar?s first years in Atuan she wanted to discover herself by contradicting the rules of becoming a High Priestess. Tenar and her counterpart, Penthe, decided to evade their chores of weaving in the Big House and slipped out to the outer walls of Atuan, but their attempts to have fun were foiled by the High Priestess of the Twin Brothers, Kossil. Arha desired to figure out why she was there, and what her purpose was in Atuan. This process of self realization or coming to terms with one?s inner self is known as individuation, which begins with a wounding of the personality and suffering (pg 189). This wounding of the personality is caused by something external, and thus the ego, being obstructed from its growing, denounces God or someone of authoritative figure, and in Tenar?s case it would be Kossil. Tenar suffered a personality shock when Thar says, ?It is not fitting that you are seen climbing and running with other girls. You are Arha.? Implying that Tenar is not to associ ate with the other girls of Atuan. She is supposed to stay in solitude. Jung describes this as a time when everything is all right, but underneath the surface [Tenar] is suffering from boredom that makes everything seem meaningless and useless. What was all this teaching for? Why did Arha, or Tenar, undergo something that seemed so endless and meaningless. It wasn?t until Arha was introduced to the ?Ring of Keys? that things changed. Arha was acquainted with something new from her personality that she didn?t know was part of the High Priestess?s duty. Le Guin correlates this part to Jung?s idea that: ?Through dreams one becomes acquainted with aspects of one?s own personality that one has preferred not to look at too closely.? This was his idea of the ?realization of the shadow?. Arha never looked into the idea that she would actually be able to have the keys to the Undertomb which would later lead to the Labyrinth. These keys unlocked the entrance to the shadow, the Labyrinth, surrounding her young, small ego. The Labyrinth exemplified her shadow, the unconscious and unknown personal attributes of oneself. As soon

Saturday, November 23, 2019

The Hundred Years War History and Summary

The Hundred Years War History and Summary The Hundred Years War was a series of connected conflicts between England, the Valois kings of France, factions of French nobles and other allies over both claims to the French throne and control of land in France. It ran from 1337 to 1453; you’ve not misread that, it is actually longer than a hundred years; the name derived from nineteenth-century historians and has stuck. Context of the Hundred Years War: English Land in France Tensions between the English and French thrones over continental land dated to 1066 when William, Duke of Normandy, conquered England. His descendants in England had gained further lands in France by the reign of Henry II, who inherited the County of Anjou from his father and control of the Dukedom of Aquitaine through his wife. Tensions simmered between the growing power of the French kings and the great power of their most powerful, and in some eyes equal, English royal vassal, occasionally leading to armed conflict. King John of England lost Normandy, Anjou, and other lands in France in 1204, and his son was forced to sign the Treaty of Paris ceding this land. In return, he received Aquitaine and other territories to be held as a vassal of France. This was one king bowing to another, and there were further wars in 1294 and 1324 when Aquitaine was confiscated by France and won back by the English crown. As the profits from Aquitaine alone rivaled those of England, the region was important  and retained many differences from the rest of France. Origins of the Hundred Years War When Edward III of England came to blows with David Bruce of Scotland in the first half of the fourteenth century, France supported Bruce, raising tensions. These rose further as both Edward and Philip prepared for war, and Philip confiscated the Duchy of Aquitaine in May 1337 in order to try and reassert his control. This was the direct start of the Hundred Years War. But what changed this conflict from the disputes over French land earlier was Edward III’s reaction: in 1340 he claimed the throne of France for himself. He had a legitimate right claim- when Charles IV of France had died in 1328 he was childless, and the 15-year-old Edward was a potential heir through his mother’s side, but a French Assembly chose Philip of Valois- but historians don’t know whether he really meant to try for the throne or was just using it as a bargaining chip to either gain land or divide the French nobility. Probably the latter but, either way, he called himself the King of France. Alternate Views As well as a conflict between England and France, the Hundred Years War can also be viewed as a struggle in France between the crown and major nobles for control of key ports and trading areas and equally a struggle between the centralizing authority of the French crown and local laws and independencies. Both are another stage in the development of the collapsing feudal/tenurial relationship between the King-Duke of England and the French King, and the growing power of the French crown/tenurial relationship between the King-Duke of England and the French King, and the growing power of the French crown. Edward III, the Black Prince and English Victories Edward III pursued a twofold attack on France. He worked to gain allies among disaffected French nobles, causing them to break with the Valois kings, or supported these nobles against their rivals. In addition, Edward, his nobles, and later his son- dubbed The Black Prince- led several great armed raids aimed at plundering, terrorizing and destroying French land, in order to enrich themselves and undermine the Valois king. These raids were called chevauchà ©es. French raids on the British coast were dealt a blow by the English naval victory at Sluys. Although the French and English armies often kept their distance, there were set-piece battles, and England won two famous victories at Crecy (1346) and Poitiers (1356), the second capturing the Valois French King John. England had suddenly won a reputation for military success, and France was shocked. With France leaderless, with large parts in rebellion and the rest plagued by mercenary armies, Edward attempted to seize Paris and Rheims, perhaps for a royal coronation. He took neither  but brought the Dauphin- the name for the French heir to the throne - to the negotiating table. The Treaty of Brà ©tigny was signed in 1360 after further invasions: in return for dropping his claim on the throne. Edward won a large and independent Aquitaine, other land and a substantial sum of money. But complications in the text of this agreement allowed both sides to renew their claims later on. French Ascendance and a Pause Tensions rose again as England and France patronized opposing sides in a war for the Castilian crown. Debt from the conflict caused Britain to squeeze Aquitaine, whose nobles turned to France, who in turn confiscated Aquitaine again, and war erupted once more in 1369. The new Valois King of France, the intellectual Charles V, aided by an able guerrilla leader called Bertrand du Guesclin, reconquered much of the English gains while avoiding any large pitch battles with the attacking English forces. The Black Prince died in 1376, and Edward III in 1377, although the latter had been ineffectual in his last years. Even so, the English forces had managed to check the French gains and neither side sought a pitched battle; stalemate was reached. By 1380, the year both Charles V and du Guesclin died, both sides were growing tired of the conflict, and there were only sporadic raids interspersed by truces. England and France were both ruled by minors, and when Richard II of England came of age he reasserted himself over pro-war nobles (and a pro-war nation), suing for peace. Charles VI and his advisors also sought peace, and some went on crusade. Richard then became too tyrannical for his subjects and was deposed, while Charles went insane. French Division and Henry V In the early decades of the fifteenth-century tensions rose again, but this time between two noble houses in France - Burgundy and Orlà ©ans - over the right to govern on behalf of the mad king. This division led to civil war in 1407 after the head of Orlà ©ans was assassinated; the Orlà ©ans side became known as the Armagnacs after their new leader. After a misstep where a treaty was signed between the rebels and England, only for peace to break out in France when the English attacked, in 1415 a new English king seized the opportunity to intervene. This was Henry V, and his first campaign culminated in the most famous battle in English history: Agincourt. Critics might attack Henry for poor decisions which forced him to fight a larger pursing French force, but he won the battle. While this had little immediate effect on his plans for conquering France, the massive boost to his reputation allowed Henry to raise further funds for the war and made him a legend in British history. Henry returned again to France, this time aiming to take and hold land instead of carrying out chevauchà ©es; he soon had Normandy back under control. The Treaty of Troyes and an English King of France The struggles between the houses of Burgundy and Orlà ©ans continued, and even when a meeting was agreed to decide upon anti-English action, they fell out once more. This time John, Duke of Burgundy, was assassinated by one of the Dauphin’s party, and his heir allied with Henry, coming to terms in the Treaty of Troyes in 1420. Henry V of England would marry the daughter of the Valois King, become his heir and act as his regent. In return, England would continue the war against Orlà ©ans and their allies, which included the Dauphin. Decades later, a monk commenting upon the skull of Duke John said: â€Å"This is the hole through which the English entered France.† The Treaty was accepted in English and Burgundian held lands- largely the north of France- but not in the south, where the Valois heir to France was allied with the Orlà ©ans faction. However, in August 1422 Henry died, and the mad French King Charles VI followed soon after. Consequently, Henry’s nine-month-old son became king of both England and France, albeit with recognition largely in the north. Joan of Arc Henry VI’s regents won several victories as they readied for a push into the Orlà ©ans heartland, although their relationship with the Burgundians had grown fractious. By September 1428 they were besieging the town of Orlà ©ans itself, but they suffered a setback when the commanding Earl of Salisbury was killed observing the city. Then a new personality emerged: Joan of Arc. This peasant girl arrived at the Dauphin’s court claiming mystic voices had told her she was on a mission to free France from English forces. Her impact revitalized the moribund opposition, and they broke the siege around Orlà ©ans, defeated the English several times and were able to crown the Dauphin in Rheims cathedral. Joan was captured and executed by her enemies, but opposition in France now had a new king to rally around. After a few years of stalemate, they rallied around the new king when the Duke of Burgundy broke with the English in 1435. After the Congress of Arras, they recognized Charles VII as king. Many believe the Duke had decided England could never truly win France. French and Valois Victory The unification of Orlà ©ans and Burgundy under the Valois crown made an English victory all but impossible, but the war continued. The fighting was halted temporarily in 1444 with a truce and a marriage between Henry VI of England and a French princess. This, and the English government ceding Maine to achieve the truce caused an outcry in England. War soon began again when the English broke the truce. Charles VII had used the peace to reform the French army, and this new model made great advances against English lands on the continent and won the Battle of Formigny in 1450. By the end of 1453, after all, English land bar Calais had been retaken and feared English commander John Talbot had been killed at the Battle of Castillon, the war was effectively over.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

English CASE 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

English CASE 4 - Essay Example Her husband being a highly repute physician by profession, constantly ignores her and never believes that she is sick (Jeffrey, 1985, p.64). He calls it a "temporary nervous  depression† and explained that it is a kind of mild hysteria that she was going through. He communicates the same thing to all their relatives and friends and Gilman’s brother himself was a renowned physician who agrees with his brother-in-law. Thus everyone believed that she is fine and doesn’t require any further treatment. She used to lead a confined life. She was never allowed to work until she gets well again. She spent her days in the company of the tonics, exercise, and journeys. She wished to take up some work and firmly believed that if a work gives pleasure and satisfaction to a person then it also aids in the fast recovery process of the person. But Gilman was not allowed to work. The narrator further mentioned that she didn’t like her room which had a single window rather she liked a room downstairs, but her husband paid no attention to her. Gilman started to feel obsessed with the yellow wall paper in her room. The wall paper made her depressed and she was gradually drifting into psychosis. It was evident from her words where she says, â€Å"Sometimes I think there are a great many women behind, and sometimes only one, and she crawls around fast, and her crawling shakes it all over†. Her thoughts connected her to the wall paper in a strange way. She hated the patterns of the wallpaper but still she felt attracted towards it. She even mentions in her journal her child’s nanny Mary who took perfect care of their baby. The narrator’s obsession regarding the wall paper grows and at a certain point of time she starts discovering faint and creeping structure behind the wallpaper’s pattern. During the night she could clearly see a lady behind the bars within the patterns of the wallpaper. She didn’t inform anyone about t hose images and structures she could see. She had become paranoid and believed that neither her husband John nor his sister Jennie would be able to find out the images which she can see as they are not deeply interested in the wall paper as she herself is. Her hallucinations made her think that the woman behind the bars is shaking those bars strongly to get rid of the obstacle. She started seeing several other women behind the pattern of the wallpaper. These images made her to strip down the wallpapers. Gradually at the end of the story we can find that the narrator turns into an obsessed person affected by psychosis. She refused to recognize her husband even and crept all over the ground (Stetson, 1892). The entire story is a tragic narration of events experienced by a confined woman. From the standpoint of a woman it can be stated that the entire journal is an outcry of Gilman where she constantly strives to be free and to go outside of the boundaries. In other words, Gilmanâ€⠄¢s journal represents the American society of those days which considered women as an object which has got no wishes, desires or ambitions. Women were treated during those days as a showpiece to be presented in front of the outsiders and then again to decorate her and place her within the showcase. The statement â€Å"

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Week three Assignment 1 KJ Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Week three 1 KJ - Assignment Example I would like to point that that the following are the leading SCR companies in USA: i. Nokia Corporations- As the leading telecommunications company, Nokia Inc h positively impacted on the lives of many people. A part from offering education services on health and agriculture, it ensures that all its products are free of harmful toxicities like chlorine and bromine. ii. Adidas- Adidas has been very much concerned about sustainable environmental conservation. In fact, it was one of the few organizations which sent their climate declarations to the Congress. Besides, most of its products are made up of between 50 and 100% recycled materials. iii. Cisco Systems Incorporations-sit has demonstrated its commitments towards CSR by reaching out to the people who might not be exposed to the internet. It collaborated with other like minded entities to establish Community Knowledge Centers in many countries in the Sub-Saharan Africa so as to provide them with internet connectivity. Besides, it’s very much concerned about environmental

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Analysis of Ryanair Essay Example for Free

Analysis of Ryanair Essay Ryanair established in 1985 carrying more than 5,000 passengers between its route Waterford Airport in Ireland to London Gatwick during its first year. The company expanded by 1989 had 350 employees, 14 aircraft and carrying more than 600,000 passengers a year. In 1997 there were dramatic changes in the European airline industry with deregulation of European Union air transportation allowed airlines to open new routes into Europe. The European Low fares association reported that low fares airlines are carrying more passengers than before with an increasing number of destinations in Europe set to increase from 38% to 53% in European travel (elfaa. com, 2011). Ryanair took advantage from the deregulation with routes from London Stansted to Stockholm, Oslo and Paris. By 2001 Ryanair launched its own travel website and within 3 months received 50,000 bookings (Ryanair.com, 2011). The report will focus on the low cost industry environment by identifying the opportunities and threats as well as five forces of the external environment. The report will also identify the strengths and weaknesses of Ryanair. Part 1: Low cost Airline industry The low cost airline industry has become the most profitable with all segments in the market with low prices and high load factors. This strategy has been challenged since the 1990s with the liberalization of services allowing new entrants to compete for business (Economist.com, 2011). The low cost airline industry operates all activities by reducing costs in order to gain strategic success and competitive advantage. This approach has a lot of opportunities as well as threats. Political Governments in the UK have the highest tax compared to Germany with a $1.3bn departure tax and Austria’s similar $119m duty tax (Independent.co.uk, 2011). The threat of passengers paying higher prices as a result of increased tax for their airline tickets can lower profits for airlines. This can affect low cost airlines such as Ryanair and Easyjet as the higher taxes cut profits for the company for example Easyjet stated they had lost  £21m of its  £153m in 2011 (IATA.com, 2011). Acts of terrorism can also be a major threat to the airline industry. Initiating further routes is an opportunity for low cost airlines to other destinations in Europe with its growing economy and additional 15 EU countries that joined in 2004 such as Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Latvia can offer new opportunities for new routes to increase the number of passengers(Delfmann, 2005). There has also been a threat with the plans to sell Stansted airport, the main location for low budget airlines after the Competition Commission to reduce its dominance in the market. This will bring greater competition to low cost airlines and benefit passengers with more low fare airlines from regional airports such as Gatwick and Stansted competing more (Telegraph.co.uk/travel, 2011). Economic The threat of rising oil prices caused global airlines to lose $16 billion in profits which did rebound in 2010 with higher traffic. The threat continues with oil prices averaging $110 a barrel and estimated to further increases in the industry’s fuel bill which will rise from $10 billion to $176 billion (Bangkokpost.com, 2011). This threat has also been warned by Willie Walsh, the chief executive of British Airways and Iberia who cautioned that European carriers have to bear the impact of the high fuel costs with some operators having to go out of business (Guardian.co.uk, 2011). The recession in 2008 resulted in travelers seeking cheaper fares and led to growth in sales for budget airlines. This opportunity during recession allows budget airlines to take advantage and of more travelers seeking low fares with budget airlines rather than more expensive airline tickets. With the higher oil prices, natural disasters in Japan, discontent in the Middle East, North Africa and can force competitors in the airline industry to increase prices and fuel surcharges which pose major threats to airlines profits and survival of airlines. Social The growth in demand for passengers seeking low cost airlines for cheaper fares is an opportunity for budget airlines. People are living a better standard of life with declining inequality of incomes made up mostly of middle class income people. People are also more well-travelled, experienced and seek new destinations with the growth of vacation property (Goeldner and Ritchie, 2009). This is an opportunity as budget airlines frequently service short haul destinations for short trips or weekend trips for leisure or business purposes offering more destinations and new experiences to people with low fares. Migration has also made commuting a factor with people seeking employment opportunities and education as a motive for travelling as well as the rising quality standards has shown to expect growth for low cost airlines (Gross and Schrà ¶der, 2007). There are significant opportunities for low cost airlines that can benefit from the demand of increasing passenger from various destinations and purposes. Many people also seeking new destinations is a good opportunity for budget airlines to increase passenger numbers and revenue by providing different destinations of regional airports. Technological The increasing popularity of information technology is an opportunity for low budget airlines as they don’t use travel agents to sell tickets and allows consumers to be informed about schedules, compare prices and itineraries as well as flights with other airlines (Pease etl al., 2007). The new ‘saddle seat’ which is designed to allow 23 inches of legroom compared to 30 inches on a normal seat space and shaped to sit at an angle increase the number of seat for an airline (Telegraph.co.uk/travel, 2011). The seats offer an opportunity for low budget airlines such as Ryanair and Easyjet to allow more storage space and more passengers in a plane which can increase revenues. The opportunities in technology allows airlines to take advantage of potential revenues with the internet offering direct marketing for customers and value added service by bringing offers to the customers directly. The opportunities for of the new seats can offer planes to fit more passengers and is a further potential a growth in revenue for budget airlines. Legal The airline industry has considerable regulations with issues concerning legislation and guidelines. For example low cost airlines have aggressive advertising campaigns to emphasize low fares which have become an issue with consumer protection legislation. Separate details of surcharges such as government tax, airport tax and fuel surcharge have to be included so that it does not consumers are not misinterpreted and misunderstood when buying a ticket. This is a threat to low cost airlines as it disregards the concept of low fares with all the taxes passed on by governments and aviation authorities. Low cost airlines can be substantially threatened with EU regulations and laws which can lower profits and damage the reputation of an airline with a negative image. Environmental Natural disasters such as the 2010 Iceland Volcano which caused 14,000 Ryanair flights cancelled. Costs of the 2010 Iceland disruption to the global airline industry soared to  £1.1bn according to estimates from the International Air Transport Association (Iata) (Guardian.co.uk, 2010). This threat to the airline industry faced by natural disasters such as the Iceland volcano can occur at any time and stop people from travelling costing airlines major disruptions with delays or cancellations. Emissions used by the airline industry have been increasingly growing rapidly over recent years, increasing 98% between 1990 and 2006 with predications of further increases to another 88% by 2050. This threat to the aviation industry enforcing airlines to pay for carbon dioxide and lower profits (Ftadviser.com, 2011). Porter’s five forces Porter points out the five forces which consist of bargaining power of suppliers, buyers, threat of potential new entrants and threat of substitutes to the industry. A company can adapt to the forces in order to increase chances of gaining sustainable competitive advantage and profitability. In understanding the strategic decisions a company has to make, it can be useful to look at the five forces of rivalry amongst the firm, substitution, new entry, the power of customers and the power of suppliers. Figure 1.1: Porters five forces Source: (Fouris and Oswald, 2006) Barriers of entry: to obtain aircrafts is extremely expensive and acquiring a basis at airports is also difficult (Gross and Schrà ¶der, 2007). With the success of Southwest airlines and deregulation and liberalization of the airline industry has allowed 40 budget airlines in the airline such as Easy Jet. This level is high as a result of these factors. Substitution- for the short haul flights, the substitute products include car, train and boat services. Travelling by train is clearly a substitute choice for travellers as it is high speed or travelling by car with the many motorway links available can have an impact. Technology can also be a substitute, for example business travellers may choose to conference skype calls over the internet. This level is moderate as flying is the main method of travelling long distances at a shorter time. Bargaining power of buyers: consumers can now purchase their own tickets from low cost airlines and can choose airlines with for higher level of quality, better service and lower price. Customers have the power to easily switch to another product that have lower prices with the ease of the internet (Hitt, et al, 2008). This popularity of comparison internet sites allows passengers to compare flight prices and choose the lowest cost airline of their choice. Therefore to survive with these intense factors airlines have to provide lowest fares to attract customers which is important for budget airlines and as a result the power of buyers is high as they consumers choose lowest fares causing risk of survival to an airline. Bargaining power of suppliers: Airlines rely heavily on the inputs for the company to survive which would be fuel, materials for the planes, services and manpower. Airlines either use Boeing or Airbus together with high maintenance fees, training staff. Additionally with the increase of cost for fuel to $50bn in 2011 resulted in travelers paying higher prices for tickets (Reuters.com, 2011). Therefore these inputs have high bargaining power over airlines as it can affect profits of an airline substantially. Competitor rivalry: may occur from price competition, product differentiation, advertising against other competitors is likely to affect the business (Bowhill, 2008). The intense rivalry occurs between low fares carriers are Ryanair, Easyjet and the carriers that provide ‘frills’ service with lower fares are British Midland Airways. Rivals also have to invest high capital investment and have a unique selling point to attract a large majority of customers and offer significant discounts and special offers. According the annual reports of Ryanair and Easy Jet, in 2010 Ryanair carried over 66 million passengers in comparison to Easy Jet carrying just 34 million. Therefore the airline’s low cost model delivers increased revenue and passenger growth as customers seek cheaper flights and benefit from price wars between airline fares. However budget airlines are still affected by rivalry with Ryanair and Easy Jet competing for customers flying with no frills airlines and the level of competitor rivalry is moderate. Conclusion Finally the analysis has demonstrated the attractiveness for the budget airline based on the ease of entry regulations and with the low expenditure costs lower than charter airlines that provide more service. The unstable environment has led to an increase in fuel costs with airlines paying heavily for their supply and in contrast the unpredictable economic environment has caused consumers to spend less and look for cheaper travel and prefer budget airlines such as Ryanair. Even though there is intense rivalry between airlines, budget airlines have an attractive strategy with more airlines using the low cost model to compete for passengers. Part 2: Internal analysis The internal factors of Ryanair’s concerns strengths and weaknesses to assess the extent to which the strategies for the airline in order to be successful, these summarizes the internal business environment and the capabilities (Johnson et al., 2002). The strengths of Ryanair are: The company has a successful low cost model benefitting from low expenses by using staff to clean the plane, passengers have to pay to print boarding pass reducing the need for staff at check in desks and take advantage of the internet to sell tickets. Ryanair’s low fares are aimed at encouraging demand especially with price sensitive leisure and business travellers that might choose alternative forms of transport method. Ryanair have set fares on the basis of demand on particular flights with higher fares on flights that have the highest demand for bookings booked nearer to the date of departure. Ryanairs competitors also do not operate on comparison sites and save commission or fees to other comparison websites. The company loses fewer bags and with 88% punctual flights compared to competitor’s ant explains why the company is a favorite airline for customers with over 73 million passengers in 2010 (Ryanair.com, Annual report 2010). Flights to secondary airports: the company offers point to point service on short haul flights to secondary and regional airports around the major hub centers and cities. The point to point routes rather than hub airports allow the company to provide direct nonstop flights and avoid the costs of providing services through connecting passengers, baggage transfers and transit passenger assistant costs. By choosing secondary locations allows convenience for a large majority of the population and is generally less crowded than in major airports. This has also resulted in on time flights, faster turnaround times, less terminal delays as well as more competitive airport access and handling costs or operating restrictions that can reduce expenses (Ryanair Annual Report, 2010). Low operating costs: Ryanair maintain low operating costs as a low budget airline company and aims to reduce costs in main areas which include: aircraft equipment, personnel productivity, customer service costs and airport access and handling costs. Weaknesses Ryanair have been negatively perceived as arrogant as the company does not take into consideration the competition by putting other low fares airlines out of business creating a bad image with negative media. Ryanair is viewed as not caring too much about customer needs or problems which reflect O’Leary’s opinion that customers pay low prices and get a good deal therefore should expect low standards. There have also been complaints for the extra payments for fees and taxes as well as paying higher prices for stowing luggage and onboard food and beverage. The company has also come across as having a negative reputation by having underpaid staff that are disciplined for any mistakes, work long hours and unhappy staff with staff (itfglobal.org, 2011). The company also charges  £5 for every purchase using bank card,  £40 for printing a boarding pass at the airport and  £100 for changing the name on the booking. Therefore customers often have to pay a lot more than they expected which makes Ryanair’s image appear dishonest (Ryanair.com, 2011). Porters value chain The generic strategies are concerned with the strategies of the company and at the micro level by exploring Porters model of the value chain. The value chain classifies the activities of the company and divided into primary and support activities used to identify the cost leadership strategy as illustrated in appendices b. The core competencies of Ryanair consist of maximizing revenues whilst providing a no frills low cost strategy and keeping logistics simple. This is maintained by Ryanair’s capability to lower operating costs such as aggressive online booking reducing the cost of staff and operate in secondary airports using Boeing 737-800. Through simple services and investing less on employees, Ryanair core competencies provide effective and efficient resource management. The primary activities involved in the inbound logistics of Ryanair consist of its 272 Boeing 737-800 planes that can carry 189 people and agreements to secondary airports. Ryanair have contract agreements with these large aircrafts with the ability to fly long hours and do not charge fuel surcharge (Ryanair.co.uk, 2010). Operations: Ryanair have lower unit costs as part of its operation and save costs through lower handling fees, landing fees in secondary airports and fast turnaround times with the capacity to utilize the aircraft at a shorter time. Ryanair operate in 1,110 routes and 1,400 flights a day from 44 bases. The efficiency of its operation supports the low cost strategy position with fast turnaround times, no meals on board and improved employee productivity (Ryanair.com, 2010). Financial analysis The strengths of Ryanair are quite clear. The company has been profitable with an increase in profits of 26% to â‚ ¬401m and operating profit increase by 28% to â‚ ¬516.2m in 2011. The figure below illustrates how the company increased passengers by 8% and revenue 16% by 2010. Figure 2.1: Summary Table of results (IFRS) in Euro Source: (Ryanair.com, 2011) Figure 2.2: Summary table for EasyJet Source: (Easyjet.com, 2011) As seen from the tables above it can be clear to differentiate the profit revenues. Profit after tax for Ryanair in 2010 was â‚ ¬138 million and for Easyjet was just  £121 million. Revenue for Easyjet in 2010 was  £2, 973 million in 2010 and  £2, 66 million in 2009 compared to Ryanair’s revenue in 2010  £18 million and  £16 million in 2009. According to Ryanair’s annual reports, revenues rose by 16% to â‚ ¬896.8m due to an 8% rise in traffic and a 5% increase in average fares in 2010. Ryanair has been able to gain a growth in revenue even during the financial recession which had a significant effect on other major airlines resulting in bankruptcy and closure. Due to its cost efficient methods through increased passenger traffic with its new routes and low prices Ryanair has been able to uphold its place as the number one low cost carrier. This difference also shows in Ryanair’s current ratio at 1.79 in 2010 compared to Easy jet only gaining 1.33. Conclusion From the internal analysis it is clear to see Ryanair’s low costs strategy means it is less affected than its competitors with its cost leadership. This has required the company to gain a large market share whereby it has purchased large quantities of planes and low cost operations has made shown that cost leadership is the only way to work for the future and globally. Ryanair has built a low cost culture however still needs to pay close attention to the external environmental factors including governmental policies and increased cost of fuel. The core cost savings mentioned has made the company highly successful with its short haul routes with standardized no frills services, higher seating density and its ticketless reservation system. Ryanair have succeeded by becoming a successful airline in Europe with the Southwest airline model and managed to grow its market segment of price sensitive customers through its no frills service. Bibliography Afuah, A. (2009) Strategic Innovation: New Game Strategies for Competitive Advantage. New York: Routledge. Beech, J. and Chadwick, S. (2006) The business of tourism management. Harlow: Pearson Education Limited. Bangkokpost.com (2011) Oil spike to push up airline losses. [Online]. Available at: http://www.bangkokpost.com/business/aviation/241328/oil-spike-likely-to-push- up-airline-losses. [Accessed on: 05 March 2011]. Betz, F. (2002) Executive Strategy: Strategic Management and Information Technology. New York: John Wiley and Sons. Bowhill, B. (2008) Business Planning and Control: Integrating Accounting, Strategy, and People. Hoboken: John Wiley and Sons. Centreforinformation.com (2011) Jaw-dropping airline market capitalization. [Online]. Available at: http://www.centreforaviation.com/news/2011/03/10/jaw-dropping-airline-market-capitalisation-facts-part-3/page1 [Accessed on: 05 March 2011]. Cherunilam, F. (2007) International business: text and cases. 4th Ed. New Delhi: Prentice Hall. Delfmann, W. (2005) Strategic management in the aviation industry. Ashgate: Ashgate Publishing Limited. Easyjet.com (2011) Annual Reports and Accounts. [Online]. Available at: http://corporate.easyjet.com/~/media/Files/E/easyJet/pdf/investors/result-center/easyJet_AR10_18_1_2011.pdf? [Accessed on: 05 March 2011]. Economist.com (2011) Aviation: Climbing through the clo uds: Airlines and the aircraft industry are belatedly being buffeted by globalization. [Online]. Available at: http://www.economist.com/node/18926285?story_id=18926285fsrc=rss [Accessed on: 05 March 2011]. Elfaa.com (2011) Press Release: Report shows low fares airlines are the future of air travel in Europe. http://www.elfaa.com/110418_ELFAA_PressRelease_LFAs_Market_Share_YorkAviation.pdf Ftadviser.com, (2011) Come fly with me. [Online]. Available at: http://www.ftadviser.com/FinancialAdviser/Investments/Sector/EthicalAndSRI/Features/article/20110519/da237554-59f2-11e0-8113-00144f2af8e8/Come-fly-with-me.jsp [Accessed on: 05 March 2011]. FT.com (2011) EasyJet Plc. [Online]. Available at: http://markets.ft.com/tearsheets/financialsSummary.asp?s=uk:EZJ.[Accessed on: 03 July 2011]. FT.com (2011) Ryanair Holdings. [Online]. Available at: http://markets.ft.com/tearsheets/financialsSummary.asp?s=ie:RY4B.[Accessed on: 03 July 2011]. Goeldner, C.R. and Ritchie, B.J.R. (2009) Tourism: Princip les, Practices, Philosophies. 11th Ed. London: John Wiley and Sons. Guardian.co.uk (2011) Airline Industry profit slump oil. [Online]. Available at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2011/jun/06/airline-industry-profit-slump-oil. [Accessed on: 12 June 2011]. Guardian.co.uk (2010) Airline industry takes $1.7bn hit from volcanic ash disruption. [Online]. Available at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/apr/21/airline-industry-cost-volcanic-ash. [Accessed on: 05 May 2011]. Guardian.co.uk (2011) Airlines to spend estimated â‚ ¬1.4bn on carbon permits in 2012. [Online]. Available at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/blog/2011/mar/08/carbon-emissions-climate-change. [Accessed on: 12 June 2011]. Gross, S. and Schroeder, A. (2007) Handbook of low cost airlines: strategies, business processes and market environment. Berlin: Hurbert and Co. Hitt, M.A., Ireland, R.D. and Hoskisson, R.E. (2009) Strategic management: competitiveness and globalization: concepts cases. 8th Ed. Mason: Southwestern Cengage Learning. IATA.com (2011) Airline Industry 2011 Profit Outlook Slashed to $4 Billion. [Online]. Available at: http://www.iata.org/pressroom/pr/pages/2011-06-06-01.aspx. [Accessed on: 12 June 2011]. Independent.co.uk (2011) Chief of airline industry attacks tax bandit UK. [Online]. Available at http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/chief -of-airline-industry-attacks-tax-bandit-uk-2293964.html. [Accessed on: 20 June 2011]. Independent.co.uk (2009) Ryanair it’s cheap not cheerful. [Online]. Available at:http://www.independent.co.uk/money/spend-save/consuming-issues-ryanair-its-cheap-not-cheerful-1781973.html. [Accessed on: 25 June 2011]. Itfglobal.org (2011) Campaigns. [Online]. 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Friday, November 15, 2019

Free Handmaids Tale Essays: The Oppression of Women :: Handmaids Tale Essays

The Oppression of Women in Handmaids Tale  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Within freedom should come security. Within security should come freedom. But in Handmaids Tale by Margaret Atwood, it seems as though there is no in between. Atwood searches throughout the novel for a medium between the two, but in my eyes fails to give justice to a woman’s body image. Today's society has created a fear of beauty and sexuality in this image. It is as though a beautiful woman can be just that, but if at the same time, if she is intelligent and motivated within acting as a sexual being, she is thought of as exploiting herself and her body. Atwood looks for a solution to this problem, but in my eyes fails to do so. In the Handmaid's Tale women are supposed to be more secure then they have ever been. Their bodies and their ability to reproduce are worshiped by society. Crimes against women have been erased. There is no longer rape, or domestic physical and mental violence against women. There is also no abortion. For women to exist in a space like this, one would think that they had the freedom to be powerful, strong women. Yet they are enslaved to this idea of being "protected." Atwood tries to define a woman’s security as being powerful, but really she just contributes to the idea that women are incapable of taking care of and protecting themselves. The novel also portrays a space where a woman’s body is something to fear and hide. "My nakedness is strange to me already. My body seems outdated. Did I really wear bathing suits at the beach? I did, without thought, amoung men, without caring that my legs, my arms, my thighs and back were on display, could be seen. Shameful, immodest. I avoid looking at my body, not so much because it's shamefull or immodest but because I don't want to see it. I don't want to look at something that determines me so completely."(P.63) Women fear their own bodies, they don't love themselves. Which is unfortunate because having love for your body can create a very powerful space for a woman. When women learn to love themselves and their bodies and not fear what they can do with them, they gain self-esteem and confidence to do whatever it is they want to do. A society such as this, defined as having a basis on women, truely, does not.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

How Attitude Shapes Our Life Essay

We have very often heard people saying that Attitude is how one shapes his or her life. Now what exactly is Attitude? Attitude is basically how one assesses on factors like people, objects, issues or events. They could either be positive or negative, that depends on how one views the situation. Based on researches, it has been understood that there are several components that makes up a persons attitude. The components could be like for example, an emotional component where based on your emotions is how a situation or person is being valued. Another component is the cognitive component where in it is based n your thoughts and believes of the subject. And the last component is the behavioral component and this is one important component as it influences our behaviour. Attitudes that influence or behaviors could also include the explicit and implicit. Explicit attitude are those that e are constantly aware and influence our thoughts and believes. The Implicit attitude is something that is unconscious, but it could also influence your behavior. Attitudes get formed from experience. They are formed over the years either from observation or from experience. They can be learned in a variety of ways. Even a simple dvertisement could influence you and may even have a change on your thoughts about a particular product. This kind of attitude formation is known as classical conditioning. Another kind of conditioning is the Operant Conditioning where the attitude develops from other people’s thinking. Sometimes people around us could make an impact on our behavior and change ourselves. And finally attitudes could be developed by observing people around us. A simple example of this kind of attitude development is, kids trying to be what their parents are. This is just observation and imitation, that develops into an ttitude later. Attitude does influence ones behavior. Studies have shown that people behave according to their attitude under certain conditions. Condition like when expecting a favorable outcome, due to personal experience are some of the examples. Attitudes could be changed. Attitudes do impact our behavior, but they are not imposed on stone within us. They could be changed for betterment. Attitudes could be changed in two ways. Either they get motivated or they get influenced. In both the ways they do think about the messages that they have observed and this could mark a difference in their way of hinking. Scenarios in life could be made good or worse, based on ones attitude to the situation. Even if you are in a very bad situation, and you hold a positive attitude, you may come out, however even if you are in a moderate situation and you hold a negative attitude, you could worsen the situation and create discomfort not only for you, but for people around you. In short, Attitude is like magnet. Possessing good Attitude attracts all positives in your life and Bad Attitude attracts all negatives in your life. It is you who decides what you want and could change accordingly. After all, attitude Matters!

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Internalization of Values Socialization of the Baraka

Internalization of Values Socialization of the Baraka and Keiski Aubrey Love English Comp 3 Dr. Popham 3/21/2012 The people who inhabit a community and their interactions with one another comprise a society. These repeated interactions allow people to internalize or, hold true, what society portrays as everyday norms and values. These norms and values are instilled during childhood through the time he or she becomes an adult. Amiri Baraka’s autobiography â€Å"School† and Lisa Keiski’s essay â€Å"Suicide’s Forgotten Victims,† makes this evident.In both â€Å"School† and â€Å"Suicide’s Forgotten Victims,† Baraka’s and Keiski’s daily interactions with their peers, authority figures, and society contribute to the formulation of important life lessons. Through the daily interactions with his peers in his educational setting, Baraka internalizes concepts pivotal to real world situations. School provided Baraka with an environment to social with students that have common interests and goals: â€Å"The games and sports of the playground and streets was one registration carried with us as long as we live† (260). Friends compose the next primary socializing agent outside the family.It allows Baraka to see beyond his small world at home and introduces him to new experiences. Physical and recreational activities are important components in childhood development. Interactions with his peers provided Baraka with his first experience of equal status relationships. When Baraka played around with his friends, he made a distinction between himself and the others around him. The games shared between his friends shows that Baraka began learning to understand the idea of multiple roles; the duties and behaviors expected of someone who holds a particular status.Baraka took the values he learned from playing with his friends and certified them, implementing them in his everyday actions for the rest of his life. Baraka’s peers allowed him to internalize a vital life lesson necessary for the real world. Like Baraka, the daily interactions of Keiski with her roommate and friends in college allow her to experience a form of socialization necessary for reality. College not only provides a rigorous coursework, it offers Keiski and her peers a place to learn and grow from each other. I went to a mutual friend who was going to stay with her that night†¦ he had been around Sue too and said that she’d be all right†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (95). When faced with a scenario that Keishi is unsure about, she seeks refuge and clarification from a friend, hoping he can provide her with insight and wisdom about her situation. Although he tried to affirm Sue’s safety, deep in Keiski’s heart, she knew Sue faced trials and tribulations. From her interaction with her mutual friend, Keiski learns that she cannot depend on others to understand or take care of a situation for her.Keisk i had some kind of understanding of Sue’s hint for help, while her mutual friend did not sense suicidal signs from Sue and thus remained clueless the underlying pain. Keiski internalizes the life lesson that not everyone will understand a particular situation and if he or she does not understand, he or she will not have the answer to fix the situation; not all daily interactions lead to a positive end, a harsh but evident value in society. Similarly to the peers in Baraka’s â€Å"School,† authority figures contribute to Baraka’s socialization by exemplifying values and norms in their day-to-day actions.In this case, authority figures take the form of Baraka’s teacher, Mrs. Powell. â€Å"The only black teacher in the school at the time†¦, beat me damn near to death in full view of her and my 7B class†¦ (which apparently was sanctioned by my mother†¦)† (258). Baraka exerted the wrong class attitude by playing around while the te acher taught her class. Mrs. Powell uses Baraka as a demonstration for the class on what appropriate behavior in the classroom is. Mrs. Powell provides Baraka with an experience of the hierarchal system between adults and children.Baraka’s mother’s approval of physical discipline shows Baraka that certain behavior in a given situation will not be tolerated. The authority figures intend to instill the value they believe prove useful in society; values such as respecting authority figures or not talking over someone in a conversation. Through his experience with Mrs. Powell, Baraka internalizes the importance of recognizing people in positions of power and how to interact with them; a life lesson needed in almost every situation: family, friends, or the workplace.By the same token, authority figures in â€Å"Suicide’s Forgotten Victim† help the socialization of Keiski by allowing her to view the world in terms of how it affected her well-being. She says, â €Å"My own therapy has been immensely helpful, perhaps lifesaving† (96). Keiski’s repressed feelings grew stronger eating away at her conscious. She condemned herself for not having done anything to help prevent Sue from committing harm to herself. Keiski sought help from a psychiatrist whom gave her the support she needed, gingerly and sympathetically listening to Keiski’s issues.The therapeutic treatment of positive discussion allowed Keiski to think about herself and how she continuously handled the situation instead of worrying about her roommate and feeling guilty for not taking action to prevent such a travesty from occurring. It was helpful to Keiski in that she began to understand her why she was feeling the way she was. It can be argued that without having the support of the psychiatrist Keiski could have succumbed the pressure and guilt she felt and like Sue, have tried to end her life. That emotional outlet ultimately saved Keiski from herself and the personal guilt within her that built up.The authority figure, the psychiatrist, taught Keiski that she has to remember to consider herself and her own emotions when dealing with hardships in order to maintain good mental health. Not only do the peers and authority figures contribute to Baraka learning life lessons, society as a whole holds the many values and norms that vary from culture to culture. Baraka narrates a moment in time where he was on trial for supposedly cussing out a cop and making remarks about the cop’s father in a bank. Baraka countered stating African Americans focus on joking about mothers and the case was dismissed.From these societal experiences Baraka states, â€Å"I learned that you could keep people off you if you were mouth-dangerous as well as physically capable† (263). Away from the school or home setting, Baraka becomes exposed to values of society that may not have been so evident, such as racism. In society, it is important to be verball y educated. Not everything in life requires physical strength to overcome an obstacle. Baraka learned that words are just as powerful as physical abilities. He can get what he wants by persuading another by manipulating words and sentence structure.Language is used to convey rules, norms, and values amongst a group. It is main form of communication that exists. Baraka learns that life is based off previous statements about how to live, whether they are true or not. Without language, these ideals would not be able to be shared. Just like Baraka, society in Keiski’s â€Å"Suicide’s Forgotten History† society teaches life lessons on how to deal with the pressures of day-to-day interactions. The nature of society blames and points fingers when something goes wrong: â€Å"We, as a society, need to stop stigmatizing the friends and relatives of a suicide victim and start helping them† (94).The societal stigma that followed casted blame on Keiski for Sue’ s suicidal attempt, subjecting her to isolation. This stigma only promotes more grief, increases the recovery time, and discourages individuals from seeking help. Keiski argues that society needs to change its approach in deailing with suicide and suicide’s victim. Instead of pointing fingers and having scapegoats, society needs to give support and sympathy to families that have lost a love one to suicide. Keiski wants society to focus on prevention and intervention to allow families and friends to cope with their trama.Although â€Å"School† and â€Å"Suicide’s Forgotten Victim† tell the story of two distinctive individuals growing up, both account for strong life lessons learned in the process. Peers provide environments for individual to interaction and learn from one another. Authority figures give insight to the world at large through the experiences of their socialized minds. Society is the daily interaction of citizens in any environment exposing p eople to all the aspects that make up society. These are key agents in the development of norms and values in children throughout their growing period.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Moving Towards Independance essays

Moving Towards Independance essays 1) The Treaty of Paris ended the French and Indian War but not the issues that caused it: specifically, ownership of land. The only difference was the enemy that remained after the war ended. After the French had been removed from the picture, the British turned their attention to fighting the Indians for their lands. The Indians fought back, but faced almost certain defeat because of their limited supplies, manpower, and the general lack of cohesion between Indian tribes. The French and Indian War failed to solve another important problem: the growing differences between England and its colonies. It was the hope of many that fighting a common enemy would pull England and its colonies together. But it did just the opposite. Living in close quarters with the British the colonials became even more aggravated at the British. After the war, the heavy taxes Britain levied on the colonies to pay for the war only made the colonials angrier. The colonists had expected to return to a period of salutary neglect, a time when, with the exception of the Navigation Acts to control trade, Parliament had made few laws that affected the colonies. Now that Britain was faced with many war debts, they needed the help of the colonists. The French and Indian War led to more wars, resulting with the American Revolution. 2) British economic and political actions began to create a radical minority in the American colonies. After the French and Indian War, Britain began to impose taxes and a number of acts to confirm control on its colonies. One such act, was the Quartering Act. This act required colonists to provide housing and some provisions for British troops. By putting British troops in the colonies it belittled the colonists. In some ways, the colonists felt like they were being baby-sat. Their freedom was being eaten away at right in front of them. Also, many colonists began to realize that the taxes that the ...

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Converting Yards to Meters - Example Problem

Converting Yards to Meters Problem This example problem demonstrates how to convert 100 yards to meters. Both yards and meters are common units of length, so the conversion is simple: Yards to Meter Conversion Problem   An American football field has 100 yards of playing field. How far is this in meters?SolutionStart out with a conversion factor: 1 yard 0.9144 metersSet up the conversion so that the desired unit will be canceled out. In this case, we want m to be the remaining unit.distance in m (distance in yard) x (0.9144 m/1 yd)distance in m (100 x 0.9144) mdistance in m 91.44 mAnswer100 yards is equal to 91.44 meters.Many conversion factors  are difficult to remember. Feet to meters would fall into this category. An alternate method to perform this conversion is to use multiple easily remembered steps.1 yard 3 feet1 foot 12 inches1 inch 2.54 centimeters100 centimeters 1 meter Using these steps we can express a distance in meters from yards as:distance in m (distance in yd) x (3 ft/1 yd) (12 in/1 ft) x (2.54 cm/1 in) x (1 m/100 cm)distance in m (distance in yd) x 0.9144 m/ydNote this gives the same conversion factor as above. The only thing to watch out for is for the intermediate units to cancel out.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Ebook-Importance of technology in Retailing Assignment

Ebook-Importance of technology in Retailing - Assignment Example In the modern society and in the field of retail business, technology has taken a very significant role in the success of retail ventures (Jha, 2009). These different facets of technology include information systems like inventory control systems, customer record systems and business intelligence tracking (Jha, 2009, pp. 153). Due to the foreseen importance of technology in the working of modern retail business, this paper will explore the impact of technology on global retailing and also explore its impact on retail marketing in the UK. Further, the paper will explore the STP of retail marketing in the UK and also study the field of e-commerce. Advances in technology have led to an overlap in the traditional and the digital channels of retail marketing, which is evident from the dominant role of competitive intelligence and constant monitoring (Motorola Solutions, 2014). The trends that demonstrate the impact of technology in the global retail marketing field include that there has been a huge growth in the collection of customer-centric data. This information is used to offer indicators about the changes in the buying behaviours of customers (Deloitte). In the light of these modern global trends, visionary retailers have employed the technologies that personalize the shopping experiences of their customers; the implementation of these technologies has afforded better information and interconnectedness to customers (Motorola Solutions, 2014). The power of predictive data analytics has continued to offer retailers more access to structured and unstructured data; this change has enabled retailers to develop better insights about consumption trends and the behaviours of shoppers (Siegel, 2013). Forward-looking retailers are using different channels to do their retail marketing. The omnichannel outlook offers retailers, the opportunity to guarantee their

Friday, November 1, 2019

Chinense arts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Chinense arts - Essay Example The line patterns on unearthed pottery and bronze ware resemble ripples, fishing nets, teeth or frogs. The animal and human figures, succinct and vivid, are proofs to the innate sensitivity of the ancient artists and nature.† The early Chinese artists were fascinated by the beauty of Nature. They held the various agents of Nature like mountains, rivers etc. in reverence and awe. The proof for this can be found in the steep cliffs in Sichuan, Guizhou in Southwes China and Yunnan. More ancient engravings and paintings can be found in Altai, and Heihe. The paintings are related to the tough living conditions of the people in those hilly tracts. Scenes of sacrificial rites, production activities and so forth can be seen. In northern China, the themes of paintings were entirely different. They mostly relate to animal grazing, hunting, wars and dancing. Paper was invented much later and the artists used silk for their paintings. The earliest silk painting was excavated from the Mawangdui Tomb which relates to Warring States Period (476-221 BC). Buddhism came from India in the 1st century and one can see carvings on grottoes and temple buildings. The religious murals came to the fore. Chinese artists were exposed to vagaries of Nature and territorial aggrandizement of different dynasties and the unity of China as one country was put to severe test. Wars between the dynasties were the common feature during the third to sixth centuries. These developments set the Chinese artists thinking and varied themes emerged from their creative strokes. â€Å"Grotto murals, wall murals in tomb chambers, stone carvings, brick carvings and lacquer paintings flourished in a period deemed very important to the development of traditional Chinese painting The Tang Dynasty (618-907) witnessed the prosperity of figure painting, where the most outstanding painters were