Dr Pepper Snapple Group Inc Essay Example for Free

Dr Pepper Snapple Group Inc Essay Dr Pepper Snapple group, Inc. is a major integrated brand owner, bottler, and distributer of nonalcoholic beverages in the United States. In 2007 they had net sales of $5.748 billion, 21 manufacturing facilities and approximately 200 distribution centers in the United States. They are the number one Company in carbonated soft drink products in the United States. Their business strategy is to invest most heavily in their key brands to drive profitable and sustainable growth by strengthening consumer awareness, developing innovative products, and brand extensions to take advantage of evolving consumer trends, improving distribution and increasing promotional effectiveness. Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Inc. also wants to focus on driving growth in their business with emerging categories, through brand extensions, new product launches, and selective acquisitions of brands and distribution rights. The company has a future goal of significantly increasing the number of branded coolers and other cold drink equipment over the next few years, which is expected to provide an attractive return on investment. The company also intends to leverage its integrated business model to reduce costs by strategically creating greater geographic manufacturing and distribution coverage and to be more flexible and responsive to the changing needs of large retail customers by coordinating sales, service, distribution, promotions, and product launches. A question came into play of whether or not a profitable market opportunity existed for a new energy beverage brand to be produced, marketed, and distributed by the company in 2008. With the company’s current strengths, business strategy, and positive reputation, it would seem to be a good move. But one must first consider the competition, customer, and if the company itself can successfully introduce a new product to a specific market. The company has several succinct strengths. They have a strong portfolio of leading consumer- preferred brands. This means that they have a diverse portfolio of bottlers, distributors, and retailers with a wide variety of products and provide a foundation for growth and profitability. Their Snapple brand is also a leading ready to drink tea. Overall, in 2007 more than 75 percent of Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Inc. volume was generated by brands that hold either the first or second position in their category. The strength of these key  supporting brands has served as a platform for lunching innovations and brand extensions in the past such as Accelerade RTD, a ready to drink sports drink that launched in late May 2007. The company therefore had experience in what it truly meant to create a new branded energy drink which would serve to be useful, as the strategy would be similar. Entering a new product market. A second strength the company possesses is their Integrated Business Model. This provides opportunities for net sales and profit growth through the alignment of the economic interest of its brand ownership and its bottling and distribution business. Thirdly, they have strong and long standing customer relationships. This is so important for the success of a company. They have a wide range of strong relationships from bottlers and distributors, to national retailers, large food service, and convenience store customers. They also have strong relationships with some of the most important U.S. retailers including Walmart, Safeway, Kroger, and Target. Another strength is their attractive positioning within a large, growing, and profitable market. They hold the number three position in the United St ates, Canada, and Mexico beverage market. The company has a great competitive edge, as they cater to the need for convince and the demand for product with health and wellness benefits more so than any of their competitors. Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Inc. also has a broad geographic manufacturing and distribution coverage. They have 21 manufacturing facilities and approximately 200 distribution centers in the United States. The company has strategically laced their warehouse at or near bottling pants and geographically dispersed them across sales regions to ensure company products are available to meet consumer demand. This enables them to better align their operations with customers, reduce transportation costs, and have greater control over the timing and coordination of new product launches. Another strength is their strong operating margins and significant stable cash flows. The breadth and strength of the Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Inc. product portfolio has enabled the company to generate strong operating margins, which combined with relatively modest capital expenditures, have delivered significant and stable cash flows. This in turn creates stockholder value by enabling the company to consider a var iety of alternatives, such as investing in its business, reducing debt and returning capital to its stockholders. Lastly, they have an experienced executive  management team. They all have an average of more than 20 years of experience in the food and beverage industry. The team has a broad experience in brand ownership, bottling, distribution, and enjoys strong relations both within the industry and with major customers. They also have diverse skills that support operating strategies, including driving organic growth through target and efficient marketing, reducing operating costs, enhancing distribution efficiencies, aligning manufacturing, bottling, distribution interests, and executing strategic acquisitions. Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Inc. realized they had a weakness, as they were the only major nonalcoholic beverage company with no energy drink brand of their own. They also recognized an opportunity, no company had yet positioned themselves as an adult energy drink. Going into the Energy beverage market also seemed to correlate with what their future and current goals were. Industry analysts were projecting an average annual growth rate of 10.5 percent from 2007 to 2011. Also, since their current demographic was more health conscious then the c ompetition, which gives them a competitive competency, they also had another untapped opportunity to market their energy drink by differentiation. Currently, there are five major competitors that dominate the U.S. energy beverage market: Red Bull North America, Hansen Natural Corporation, Pepsi-Cola, Rockstar Inc., and Coca-Cola. Pepsi and Coca-Cola also compete with what Dr Pepper already offers from an industry and market point of view. Sadly, when it comes to advertising funds available, Dr Pepper has some funds available, but not nearly close to what Red Bull has. With that being the case, we feel that an avoidance of the competition, by going the route of a product innovation technique by means of differentiation, would be the best route for Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Inc. to be successful. There are some warning signs in the industry. The energy beverage market has experienced product proliferation and price erosion in recent years. Proliferation resulted from line extensions new packaging and size, and market segmentation. Existing brands also typically offer regular and sugar free verities which have a sizeable share already in the market. Brand position typically emphasizes an energy boost, metal alertness, refreshment, and taste. This is why our product differentiation positioning is so important for the brand to be truly successful. Several opportunities for product differentiation exist. One of which are the ingredients. Specifically, a new brand could augment the energy and mental alertness benefits by increasing the amount of herbs, vitamins, and natural ingredients. Secondly, no brand has positioned itself as an adult energy drink. Adults between the ages of 35 to 54 consumed energy beverages at a rate that was only slightly less than consumers under 24. Thirdly, the packaging. All the energy brands on the market lacked meaningful differentiation. They all looked the same. With the product, they felt it would be smart to introduce a new drink with a re-sealable lid, something that would stand out in the crowd. The current energy beverage consumer typically consists of males between the ages of 18-24. Energy beverages are most often consumed in the afternoon, the second most popular time of day is morning consumption. Convenience stores and supermarkets are the dominant off-premise retail channels for energy beverages. In general, energy beverage manufactures with a broad product line and an extensive distribution network have had the greatest success in gaining shelf space in supermarkets and mass merchandisers for their brand. This would correlate with Dr Pepper Snapple Group Inc. strength of having great relationships with their vendors. We would recommend that they follow suit with partnerships with the dominate off-premise retail channels, but as a more health conscious beverage. The solution that we came up with for the Dr. Pepper Snapple Group was to incorporate all of these opportunities into a new product called RAM, which stands for Real Alive Micro-Nutrients. The product’s target market will be adults ages 25- 44 both males and females, who are interested in their health. In specific we are targeting the working middle class. Our average consumer would be someone working long hours that need constant energy throughout the day, even after work when they need to go home and take care of their families. They are constantly on the go and busy. When developing a new product you must implement the marketing mix. The first being the product, RAM energy drink. Our product is focused on providing the same alert and energized feeling as traditional energy drinks, without including ingredients that have harmful side effects. Other drinks such as Red Bull can lead to dangers such as cardiac arrest, headaches, insomnia, type two diabetes, and many other health issues (Top 10  Energy Drink Dangers). Our new product RAM, will be replacing ingredients that lead to these dangers with more vitamins. For example our product will not include ingredients such as Carnitine, Guarnana, Ginseng, and Ginko Biloba. All of which are commonly used in energy beverages but there presence is not clearly reflected on their labels. Inst ead they cover it up by listing them as â€Å"part of a 5000- mg energy blend† these ingredients can be extremely dangerous (Higgens). Instead, we will have ingredients such as Iron, Biotin, Zinc, Omega -3 fatty acids, antioxidants, Vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B9, B12, C, D. All of these attributes to healthy energy levels but are a more natural way of doing so. Another detail of RAM will be lower calories, right now out of the five leading companies in the energy beverage market, not including sugar free products, Monster has the lowest calories being 200 per 16oz can. We want our product RAM to be around 150 calories per bottle, with only about 25 grams of sugar. Compared to Monster, which has 54 grams of sugar. RAM will also only be made up of natural flavors with no added artificial flavors or colors added, whereas the other lead competitors all ad coloring and most admit to adding artificial flavoring when some do not list the specification, which usually means they are trying to hide something. We want our customers to know every little ingredient that makes up RAM and hopefully this will build trust and r elationships in return. Many people are just now starting to notice all of the potential dangers that energy drinks contain, which is why our product will stand out as a healthier choice that offers the same benefits. The look of our product will be completely unlike any other energy drink, which are usually un-sealable cans. RAM will be sold in a 17 ounce recyclable cardboard bottle with a re-sealable screw on cap, similar to those that Vita Coco coconut water uses. This type of bottling will fit better with the target market’s lifestyle because the container will be easier to bring on the go with no spills or messes. They are also able to drink some now and easily save the rest for later. When designing the prototype of the bottle we choose the colors dark blue and black so that they would be gender neutral and attract the more mature market. The label is also clear and easy to read. We suggest that RAM only starts off introducing two flavors and see how they perform and introducing a new flavor wi thin the next 8 months of the campaign. The two flavors to start  with might be RAM berry and citrus, because they are common and consumers might be more willing to try. From there they can extend the product line even further by offering a sugar-free option and even being sold in packs of four or large cases. The next aspect of the marketing mix to look at with RAM is pricing. We think that it is best to price themselves competitively at about $2.15 a bottle. Which is only a few cents cheaper than drinks such as Monster and Amp depending on the location. The third part of the marketing mix is place. Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Inc. has a wide range of strong relationships from bottlers and distributors, to national retailers, large food service, and convenience stores, such as 7-11, and their customers. They also have strong relationships with some of the most important U.S. retailers including Walmart, Safeway, Kroger, and Target. Building on their current strength of market channels, we felt that off premise retailers wo uld represent the best choice for the product to be carried. Lastly, we have to figure out the promotion that will be used for RAM. Since our funds are low compared to competitors, and we are going to avoid any conflict, we will be focusing on giving out samples while the product is being first introduced. We recommend the company hires sales reps to go to local grocery stores, with whom they already are doing business with, to give out samples to customers for them to try the new drink. It would also be a good idea to promote the new brand at events such races, athletic games, and concerts that our target market would be attending. This can be as simple as setting up a tent offering free samples and coupons. We also recommend using social media as a platform because it is extremely cost efficient and we can easily select our target. By means of analyzing the company’s strengths, tactics, opportunities, weaknesses, and threats, we were able to come up with a product that would be successful. Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Inc. vision statement says, â€Å"It is our vision to be the best beverage business in the Americas. Our brands have been synonymous with refreshment, fun, and flavor for generations, and our sales are poised to keep growing into the future.† We feel that by building on their current strengths and marketing a product by means of differentiation through its ingredients, demographic, unisex packaging, and partnerships with loyal vendors, we will have a success with RAM. Real, Alive, Micro-nutrients. Works Cited Higgens, John. Energy Beverage: Content and Safety. (2011). Print. Top 10 Energy Drink Dangers. Caffeine Informer. 24 Apr. 2012. Web.

Cooking Green Beans with Salt Essay Example for Free

Cooking Green Beans with Salt Essay Introduction An experiment was conducted where two sets of green beans where cooked. One set had salt and the other one didn’t. One person who did not know which set of green beans had salt and which one didn’t got to taste and judge both of the sets on taste, texture and color. Chef Heston Blumenthal once asked ‘Why do cooks add salt (sodium chloride) when cooking vegetables, for example green beans? ’ Other chefs answered with these possible answers: * | * It keeps the beans green| * | * It raises the boiling point of water so the beans cook faster| * | * It prevents the beans going soggy|. * | * It improves the flavor. However, a scientist also replied saying these statements were untrue because: * | * Only the acidity and calcium content of the water affect the color of the beans| * | * Adding salt increases the boiling point of water but by such a small amount that it will make no difference to cooking times| * | * Vegetables will go soggy if cooked for too long whether salt is added or not| * | * Little salt is actually absorbed onto the surface of a bean during cooking – typically 1/10 000 g of salt per bean which is too little to be tasted by most people. The aim to this experiment was to prove or disprove these points. Materials:Listed below are the materials used for this experiment: * One bag of green beans containing about 250g * Two pans * Two bowls * One stopwatch * One strainer * A cutting board * A knife * A thermometer * SaltProcedure:First, the bag of green beans were washed and cut up. Then, they were evenly divided into two bowls; bowl A and bowl B. Bowl A had no salt in it and was then put into a pan and observed. The time it took to reach its boiling point and the temperature at boiling point were then noted. After that, the beans were places into a strainer and dried. This was also done with bowl B, except salt was added. DataAfter conducting the experiment, this is the data that was obtained:| | | | | With salt| Without salt| Taste| Tasteful| Dull, boring| Texture| Soft| Crunchy| Flavor| -| -|. As you can see, the only thing that didn’t change about the beans with salt was the flavor, which stayed the same for both experiments. Conclusion: Clearly, after this experiment, we proved the chefs right. Both the texture and taste where better with the salty beans. Some of the limitations where that we only tried this experiment once, therefore it is not 100% correct. We could have also had more people testing it, instead of just one person because there are some factors that could influence the opinion.

What Is Electronic Communication?

What Is Electronic Communication? Compared with the old days, the seventies and eighties, when communication between people was done either face to face, by hand written letter, or by telephone, the modern world is full of electronic communication devices which allow mankind to communicate with one another instantaneously. Today, many people wonder how on earth they, or their predecessors, ever coped without instant communication. This report will help to show the various types of electronic communication methods, why they are used and by whom, and the pros and cons of having and using electronic communication. Electronic Communication allows a person to combine many types of media such as graphics, text, video, and voice into one single message. It is also specific to the person or persons that you are communicating with. Electronic communication is a two-way 3 method of communicating, where the person that one is communicating with receives the message immediately and has the opportunity to reply to the message and the message sender immediately as well. Electronic Communication can be broken down into three categories, each with its own three subcategories What is Electronic Communication? A definition of Electronic Communication Types of Electronic Communication The Electronic Privacy Act Why use Electronic Communication? How it can help you. How it helps the environment Who uses electronic communication? The Pros and Cons of using Electronic Communication Electronic Communication Etiquette The risks of using Electronic Communication The benefits of using Electronic Communication What is Electronic Communication? Definitions. There are many definitions on the Web: communication by computer wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn 4 Telecommunication is the transmission of signals over a distance for the purpose of communication. In earlier times, this may have involved the use of smoke signals, drums, semaphore, flags or heliograph. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_communication communication which is transferred electronically en.wiktionary.org/wiki/electronic_communication has the meaning given by the Electronic Transactions Act 1999 . austlii.law.uts.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_act/hefa1988221/s3.html Types of Electronic Communication. There are many different types of electronic communication devices. They include: cell phones, fax machines, pagers to receive phone numbers, citizens band radio used by farmers to receive weather reports, computers (desktop and laptop), and hand-held PDAs to write down information for later retrieval. Within some of these devices, such as cell phones and computers, there are communication devices which people use to communicate back and forth with business and social contacts across the world. These are the Internet, e-mail services, chat rooms, electronic billboards such as those in Times Square New 5 York, instant messaging devices such as Facebook chat and Instant Messenger, and business and social chat areas such as Facebook, Twitter, My Space and My Business space, and a video communication and conference system named Skype where people can see each other on the screen while they talk. You can hold inexpensive video conferences or press conferences from your desk, or conference with people at several desks located across the world. Why Use Electronic Communications? Potomac Knowledgeway. http://www.knowledgeway.org/living/communications/homepage.html The Electronics Communications Privacy Act This is a law, enacted in 1986, which sets out the provisions for access, use, disclosure, interception and privacy protections of electronic communications. It covers various forms of electronic and wire communications and it prohibits unlawful access and certain disclosures of communications contents. It comes under Title 18 of the U.S. Code. AOL Legal Department. http://legal.web.aol.com/resources/legislation/ecpa.html 6 Why use Electronic Communication? How it can help you? Electronic communication is not just new tools for communication but also new ways to communicate. Electronic communication is interactive so you can engage with your audience much better. This is achieved through using pictures, sounds, graphics, videos, and all of these can be combined into one single message. Also, the communication is often immediate (texts, chats, instant messaging, Skype video) and it is two-way i.e. there is a back and forth conversation. Fax machines allow one to send and receive printed matter almost immediately. The most important thing is that these electronic communication devices allow you to communicate immediately with anyone across the whole world. How it helps the environment. Electronic communication has cut down on the excessive use of paper products (fax machines being the only exception), thereby reducing the number of trees needing to be cut down and also reducing the amount of paper being burnt into the atmosphere. Many of these devices also take pictures which can be put on a disk, thereby reducing the chemical usage from picture development. The Internet stores huge amounts of information so fewer books and newspapers are being produced. This also cuts down on paper, ink and chemicals that are used, so less waste product is going into the ground. 7 This in turn cuts down on the huge landfills that are needed to hold all the waste that was generated from paper products. Another thing is that one doesnt need lead or ink to write down the information it is done by pressing a button. There is less chance of lead products making people sick or inks making a mess. Teachers and students also dont have to purchase pens and pencils which then need to be disposed of which is a biological hazard and harmful to the environment. Who uses electronic communication? Electronic communication is expanding throughout the world. From young school age children through Grandparents, almost anyone you speak with has an electronic communication device of some sort. Large business have the most types since they rely on these communication devices to conduct business and communicate with their contacts. But the average American family will have at least a cell phone or a computer in their home. Poorer families and third world countries might not have these devices but the opportunity to own them or have access to them is increasing. For example Internet Cafes which offer paid usage of their computers. 8 The Pros and cons of using Electronic Communication Electronic Communication Etiquette. There are several points to consider when using electronic communication. These include: speed of generation, transmission and response to messages; the permanence of messages they can be deleted or stored for years; the cost of distribution: messages can go to many people or just one at the same cost; accessibility there is a problem with sending too much correspondence; security and privacy: messages usually get to the right recipient but they can be intercepted due to incorrect addressing and/or perusal by unauthorized people; sender authenticity: people can alter whom the message comes from; using the appropriate degree of formality when writing so that it doesnt embarrass you later; summarizing what you are responding to and sing quotes when possible; keep messages short and to the point; formatting messages so that they can be read easily; be careful when using sarcasm and humor and be careful with anger; be careful what you say about others; be aware that not all devices are the same and other peoples machines may not operate the same way; respect copyright and license agreements; be responsible for what you post. The risks of using electronic communication By using electronic mail, USENET news groups, electronic bulletin board systems, irc, chat, and so forth, you can make a fool of yourself to many strangers rapidly. 9 Sending an electronic message is a lot more permanent than saying something; long after your feelings change, the words are still there. The Risks of electronic Communication by Tom Van Vleck http://www.multicians.org/thvv/emailbad.html Much of what I discussed in the topic above can be said here. The bottom line is that writing/posting/texting words when you are angry, drunk, upset, being personal or plain stupid can backfire and be used against you. Another risk is that one tends to lose the opportunity for face to face communication, and electronic communication does not allow the recipient to see the senders body language or intonation of the message. The skill of letter writing has also gone away. Also, as we become more and more computerized, we are spending more and more time on our electronic gadgets and answering the flood of electronic communication and less time having conversations with one another or reading a book. Also, the art of being able to spell is going away. Text language and short versions of words are taking over (brb for example or lol) and some students have lost the skill of writing a sentence or even an essay. This is not a good thing. Also, business people have two sets of communication devices one for the office and business contacts and another for friends and family. There is a cost to all of this too. Although cell phones and fax machines are getting cheaper, there is still a monthly maintenance cost and the cost of replacement and upgrades to consider. My family spends over $400 per month on cell phones and wireless air cards!! 10 The benefits of using electronic communication. When used sensibly and for the purpose intended, electronic communication can serve many purposes. Obviously the ability to instantly communicate is at the top of the list since many of us like an answer immediately. A second benefit is the cost, in that you can reach many people at once with the same message. No more paper, stamps and a trip to the post office. World-wide instant communication and the ability to have business conferences and talks is probably at the top of the list for companies wishing to do well in the world economic market. Another benefit is one of being able to reach people (our kids for one) wherever they may be. There are safety features attached to this too because one can dial 911 and get help right away. There are, however, still some places in the world that are unreachable by electronic communication devices. Another benefit is that we can now multitask. For example, while instant messaging on facebook, a stockbroker can watch the market on-line and buy and sell shares. Conclusion In conclusion, our world has come a very long way since the days of the telegraph and the rotary dial phone these can now only be found in museums!! Cell phones on kids, teens, adults and the elderly are almost commonplace. Many families also have home computers, students have laptops for college and some homes have fax machines and 2-way radios. The age of instant communication is here, and only our grandparents and our parents can remember life before cell phones and computers. The only way that I communicate with my friends, aside 11 from when I see them face to face, is by cell phone or e-mail or Facebook. I hardly ever write a letter (except as a thank-you note!) Having studied this topic in more depth, I have come to realize that we are all now very reliant on this instant communication. There are certainly many benefits to it all, such as speed and ease of communication, cost ( usage) and the ability to reach contacts across the world as well as download information. But there are also some risks t00- cost of purchase and maintenance for one, as well as the opportunity for misuse and abuse, and also the increased amount of time being spent communicating when one could be having a family conversation or reading a book or writing a letter. Hopefully, based upon this report, people will see that even though electronic communication has helped improve communication speed, the art of face to face conversation and the ability to write and spell are still important skills that we need to maintain in our society. .

Demolition Derby :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

Demolition Derby      Ã‚  Ã‚   Demolition derbies have made their way through history as races that only involve crashes. There is more to a demolition derby than just crashes. Demolition derbies are more complex than what is seen from the stands because of the long hard work it takes to get a car ready, and the actual competition of the derby.    There are three stories about where the first demolition derby was held. Islip Raceway (Long Island, NY), Hales Corner Raceway (Hales Corner, WI), and an unknown town in Ohio. The first and only story with creditable proof is that Larry Mendelson, a 28 year stock car racer noticed that the most cheering and excitement happened when cars crashed. He held the first demolition derby in 1958 at Islip Raceway. Another story is that Hales Corner Raceway had held a demo years previous to Islip. According to legend, 'Crazy Jim' Groh had a few too many cars on his dealership lot. So he got a few people to drive them as a promotion. The only other proof to back this story are the Happy Days episodes 64, 64, 66 'Fonzie loves Pinkie part1, 2, 3' shows demolition derbies. This show was based in Milwaukee during the 50's. These episodes featured Fonzie battling it out with the Mallachi brothers. The last account is that an un-named town in Ohio was a scene of road rage gone wild in th e mid- 50's. Two cars collided at a busy intersection and both continued to battle it out drawing a large crowd to the scene. This story fails to name a town or date, and only gets some credit ability because Ohio is a mecca for demolition derbies (geocities.com par. 2-5).       When credit needs to be given to the inventor of demolition derbies it goes to Larry Mendelson and Islip Raceway because they were the first to officially organize a derby.    There are many modifications that need to be done to a car before it is ready to go to the demolition derby.   A car cannot be bought demolition derby ready. There are many rules to take into consideration and many alterations that need to be done to car when getting the car ready for a demolition derby.

Blindness and Sight - Lack of Vision in Oedipus The King Essay

Blindness in Oedipus The King (Rex) What is sight? Is it just the ability to recognize one’s surroundings or is there more? Is it knowledge? Is it understanding? Can a blind man see? Can the sighted be blind? And beyond, when the truth is too terrible, do we choose not to see? The phrase "too see" has so very many connotations. One meaning is to know or to understand and the other is based on the physical aspects of things. As humans, we are distracted by the physical world, which causes us to be blinded by the most obvious of truths. Oedipus, the main character in Sophocles’ play Oedipus Rex, could not see the truth, but the blind man, Teiresias, "saw" it plainly. Sophocles’ uses blindness as a motif in the play Oedipus Rex. Oedipus, known for his intelligence, is ignorant and therefore blind, to the truth about himself and his past. Yet, when Teiresias exposes the truth he is shunned. It is left to Oedipus to overcome his "blindness," rea... ...s the sight of Oedipus , it is by his own will. The blind man seer, Teiresias, could always "see" because he did not fear the truth, nor did he have reason to. Oedipus blind to the truth, brought darkness on his eyes when the truth is found. How ironic it seems, yet still the question lies unanswered, did Oedipus fear the horrible truth so much that he chose not to see it? Or was he really so oblivious, that the truth was revealed to him near the plays end for the first time? Blindness and Sight - Lack of Vision in Oedipus The King Essay Blindness in Oedipus The King (Rex) What is sight? Is it just the ability to recognize one’s surroundings or is there more? Is it knowledge? Is it understanding? Can a blind man see? Can the sighted be blind? And beyond, when the truth is too terrible, do we choose not to see? The phrase "too see" has so very many connotations. One meaning is to know or to understand and the other is based on the physical aspects of things. As humans, we are distracted by the physical world, which causes us to be blinded by the most obvious of truths. Oedipus, the main character in Sophocles’ play Oedipus Rex, could not see the truth, but the blind man, Teiresias, "saw" it plainly. Sophocles’ uses blindness as a motif in the play Oedipus Rex. Oedipus, known for his intelligence, is ignorant and therefore blind, to the truth about himself and his past. Yet, when Teiresias exposes the truth he is shunned. It is left to Oedipus to overcome his "blindness," rea... ...s the sight of Oedipus , it is by his own will. The blind man seer, Teiresias, could always "see" because he did not fear the truth, nor did he have reason to. Oedipus blind to the truth, brought darkness on his eyes when the truth is found. How ironic it seems, yet still the question lies unanswered, did Oedipus fear the horrible truth so much that he chose not to see it? Or was he really so oblivious, that the truth was revealed to him near the plays end for the first time?

the truth :: essays research papers

Shona is an agglutinative language, employing both prefixes and suffixes. Nouns, verbs, and adjectives are all identifiable, as well as personal pronouns, demonstratives, positional prefixes, and various types of agreement markers. All agreement morphology in Shona is prefixal. Nouns are divisible into a number of classes, based both on the agreement morphology in the verb and on the morphology of the noun itself. Verbs: Finite Verbs The order of elements in the Shona finite verb is shown in (1). (1) (NEG)-SUBJ-(TMA)*-(OBJ)-Ãâ€"-(DERIV. SUFF.)*-(PASS.)-FV-(OBJ2) The asterisk is a convention adopted from syntactic phrase structure rules; however, whereas there it is used to indicate that an element may appear an indefinite number of times, we use it here to indicate that we are unsure of the maximum number of TMA elements and derivational suffixes allowed in a single verb. We are also unsure how stringently the TMA elements and derivational suffixes are ordered. "FV" is a convention borrowed from Bantuist notation. It stands for "final vowel". This vowel is /a/ in the positive indicative for almost all verbs. A few verbs (/ri/ "be", /si/ "not be", /ti/ "say") appear to have an intrinsic final /i/, while some others (/NÆ’ge/~/NÆ’gi/~/NÆ’ga/ [an auxiliary (perhaps a sort of copula)], /ne/~/na/ "have", /Ve/~/Va/ "be") alternate between /e/ and /a/ (and sometimes /i/) in ways we do not yet understand. In the negative indicative, the final vowel for all verbs except those just mentioned is /a/, except in the present habitual, where the final vowel is /e/~/i/ (our consultant indicated that these are in free variation). See the section on the imperative for more about the final vowel. The Shona personal agreement morphemes for the subject are given in Table 1. Person Singular Plural 1p nÆ’d"$- t"$Ãâ€" 2p u$- mu$- 3p a@- ~ wa@- Va@- Table 1: Personal subject prefixes Our consultant indicated that /waÃâ€"/ for the third-person singular conveys slightly more respect than /aÃâ€"/. Respect may also be shown by using second- and third-person plural forms for singular referents. First- and second-person subject prefixes appear to have low tone underlyingly, while third-person subject prefixes have underlying high tone. Subject agreement appears to be absolutely obligatory for all Shona verbs. The personal agreement morphemes for the object are given in Table 2. Person Singular Plural 1p -nÆ’di- -ti- 2p -ku- -ku-†¦-i 3p -mu- -Va- Table 2: Personal object prefixes. Note that the first-person singular and plural and the third-person plural are identical to the subject prefixes, while the rest differ. The second-person plural object marker consists of two parts, /ku/ immediately before the root and /i/ at the end of the verb, after the final vowel. the truth :: essays research papers Shona is an agglutinative language, employing both prefixes and suffixes. Nouns, verbs, and adjectives are all identifiable, as well as personal pronouns, demonstratives, positional prefixes, and various types of agreement markers. All agreement morphology in Shona is prefixal. Nouns are divisible into a number of classes, based both on the agreement morphology in the verb and on the morphology of the noun itself. Verbs: Finite Verbs The order of elements in the Shona finite verb is shown in (1). (1) (NEG)-SUBJ-(TMA)*-(OBJ)-Ãâ€"-(DERIV. SUFF.)*-(PASS.)-FV-(OBJ2) The asterisk is a convention adopted from syntactic phrase structure rules; however, whereas there it is used to indicate that an element may appear an indefinite number of times, we use it here to indicate that we are unsure of the maximum number of TMA elements and derivational suffixes allowed in a single verb. We are also unsure how stringently the TMA elements and derivational suffixes are ordered. "FV" is a convention borrowed from Bantuist notation. It stands for "final vowel". This vowel is /a/ in the positive indicative for almost all verbs. A few verbs (/ri/ "be", /si/ "not be", /ti/ "say") appear to have an intrinsic final /i/, while some others (/NÆ’ge/~/NÆ’gi/~/NÆ’ga/ [an auxiliary (perhaps a sort of copula)], /ne/~/na/ "have", /Ve/~/Va/ "be") alternate between /e/ and /a/ (and sometimes /i/) in ways we do not yet understand. In the negative indicative, the final vowel for all verbs except those just mentioned is /a/, except in the present habitual, where the final vowel is /e/~/i/ (our consultant indicated that these are in free variation). See the section on the imperative for more about the final vowel. The Shona personal agreement morphemes for the subject are given in Table 1. Person Singular Plural 1p nÆ’d"$- t"$Ãâ€" 2p u$- mu$- 3p a@- ~ wa@- Va@- Table 1: Personal subject prefixes Our consultant indicated that /waÃâ€"/ for the third-person singular conveys slightly more respect than /aÃâ€"/. Respect may also be shown by using second- and third-person plural forms for singular referents. First- and second-person subject prefixes appear to have low tone underlyingly, while third-person subject prefixes have underlying high tone. Subject agreement appears to be absolutely obligatory for all Shona verbs. The personal agreement morphemes for the object are given in Table 2. Person Singular Plural 1p -nÆ’di- -ti- 2p -ku- -ku-†¦-i 3p -mu- -Va- Table 2: Personal object prefixes. Note that the first-person singular and plural and the third-person plural are identical to the subject prefixes, while the rest differ. The second-person plural object marker consists of two parts, /ku/ immediately before the root and /i/ at the end of the verb, after the final vowel.

Is Thomas Hardy Obsessed with the Past? Essay

Many of Thomas Hardy’s poems are centered on the feelings summoned up when reminiscing about the past. On the surface, it seems as though Hardy is ‘obsessed with the past’ as many poems are laced with memories which conjure up feelings of nostalgia. It is important to consider, however, that this doesn’t necessarily mean that he is infatuated with bygones. It may also be the case that Hardy’s poetry is a means for him to comprehend and come to terms with the present. Hardy tries to reclaim the past in his poem, ‘Under the Waterfall’. Fundamentally, the narrator – thought to be Emma – experiences a Proustian moment as she plunges her arm into a basin of water. This stimulation brings on an avalanche of memories, which are ‘fetched back from its thickening shroud of gray’ – symbolizing Hardy trying to rescue memories from the shroud of time. Emma feels anew the romantic feelings she felt on the day she dropped a drinking glass into the water, when she and her lover where having a picnic by a waterfall. Hardy utilizes a metaphor effectively, by referring to the day as being ‘fugitive’, which suggests that it is ephemeral and can be lost any moment. This particular memory of the past is a seemingly pleasant one as is suggested by the use of sibilance (ll 13-16). The repetition of the soft hissing sounds in ‘scoop of the self-same block’, ‘ceases’ and ‘peaces’ suggests a dreamy and idealistic setting. Hardy refers to the drinking-glass as being opalized; once more indicating to how long it has been since this even took place. He gives this drinking-glass almost religious significance by sanctifying it and calling it a ‘chalice’. The chalice symbolized unity between Hardy and Emma, which still lies under the waterfall and ‘its presence adds to the rhyme of love persistently sung by the fall above’. Hardy uses rhyming couplets which give the poem a childish and youthful feel. This rhyming alludes to his youth being the ‘prime’ or best time of his life, and by summoning the past he can bring back the feelings of youth. Revival of the past is a recurring theme in many of Hardy’s poems. Similarly to ‘Under the Waterfall’, ‘At Castle Boterel’ also involves Hardy remembering a specific incident that took place between him and Emma. Emma is now dead, but in Hardy’s recollection her ‘phantom figure’ remains on the hillside. The poem is a powerful effort in consciousness to defeat the processes of time by reclaiming the past, as is shown in ‘Under the Waterfall’ also. On the other hand, the two settings have a stark contrast. Hardy drives to the junction of a line and highway with ‘drizzle bedrenching’; this suggests the somber and unhappy quality of the present. He looks behind at the byway, which is ‘fading’. This suggests increasing distance and decreasing significance of present reality as he delves into his past with Emma. There is use of enjambment in the between the first two stanzas, providing a sense of transition between Hardy’s present and past, and also his two states of mind. He speaks of how they walked along the road and creates a warm atmosphere in ‘dry March weather’. It is evident that the happy moments of the poem reflect Hardy’s love and what it used to be in the past. The last stanza consists of sharp words, completely unlike the melodious ones in ‘Under the Waterfall’. ‘My sand is sinking’, is a euphemism of Hardy’s approaching death. The sand conjures up the imagery of an hour-glass, once again referring to time passing relentlessly. In many of his poems, Hardy finds solace in the timelessness of many landscapes and tales. This suggests that Hardy has an inclination towards the past, because of the invariable constancy that it provides, regardless of passing time. For example, in the fifth stanza of ‘At Castle Boterel’, Hardy refers to the ‘Primaeval rocks’ in order to emphasise the great age and permanence of the hill by reflecting of how much transition they must have observed. Hardy asks if ever there was a ‘time of such quality’ in ‘that hill’s story’ and states that he believes there never were. This is, in a sense a defiance of time, as even time cannot alter the value of that one moment. The defiance of time is continued in the sixth stanza, as Hardy’s memory allows him to see ‘one phantom figure’ – Emma – even though ‘time’s unflinching rigour’ has killed the actual person. The idea of memory being eternal is once again portrayed in the poem ‘I Found Her Out There’. Hardy remembers Emma in Cornwall, and how she would sigh at the tale of ‘sunk Lyonnesse’, her hair beating against her face in the wind while she would listen to the ‘murmuring miles’. Hardy uses a technical aspect – synaesthesia – in order to combine two senses; this has a very powerful effect on the audience, giving the scene a sense of agelessness. The Arthurian tales also offer a link: As the myths of Lyonnesse belong to a fabled past, so too does the love story of Emma and Thomas Hardy. Additionally, this theme also echoes in ‘Under the Waterfall’, as Hardy refers to the ‘purl of a runlet that never ceases’ be it ‘in wars, in peaces’. Onomatopoeic diction in these lines is sounds like a flowing waterfall and represents the fact that it remains unchanged for a long period, unaffected by time. Hardy often uses the past objectively, in order to comfort him and assist him in dealing with his grief. ‘I Found Her Out There’ is a poem in which Hardy begins to dissociate himself from the anguish and guilt that consumed him after Emma’s death. This dissociation can be seen as he refers to Emma’s ‘shade’ as ‘it’ instead of ‘her’. He is beginning to come to acceptance of her death, as is shown by the controlled form of the poem. There are five uniform octaves, all following the rhyme scheme of ABBACDCD. Hardy ends the first stanza with the line, ‘The solid land’. This brings everything to a sudden, thumping halt and there is no mellifluous poetic beauty, as one would find in the poem, ‘Under the Waterfall’. Hardy is also conscious enough to effectively use contrasts of time in ‘I Found Her Out There’. He describes Emma in her youth, with the setting sun illuminating her face ‘fire-red’ against Emma as a corpse, never to be stirred in her ‘loamy cell’. This poem is less of a lament over the lost past, and more about capturing the essence of Emma. This is not always the case, however. In ‘Under the Waterfall’, Hardy finds it difficult to emotionally detach himself from the memory of the past. This is reflected in the structure, which can be jarring. The length of lines is not uniform, and this may suggest that Hardy’s mind wasn’t in a neutral state. He also asks many questions, such as ‘And why does plunging your arm in a bowl full of spring water, bring throbs to your soul?’ This portrays his internal turmoil. In conclusion, I believe that although Hardy had an inclination with the past, one cannot so far as to say that he was obsessed with it.