Modern Family Essay Example

Modern Family Essay Each and every person is born into a family. The family is an arena in which virtually the entire range of human experience can take place. Warfare, love, violence, tenderness, honesty, deceit, private property, communal sharing, power manipulation, egalitarian decision making- all can be found within the setting of a family. In society, wherever people may look, the issue of family life is always being portrayed. Most movies and television shows like the famous TV show â€Å"Seventh Heaven,† try to represent the ideal perfect family. But in reality we all know that the media family life is nothing like our own. In this essay the focus point is the way children, parents, and family life are presented within a televised family, and if they are being portrayed accurately, if social issues which affect them dealt with, and if media represents the changing face of the three. First of all, during the time children are in front of a television, one of the things children often see is a reflection of themselves. How children see people their age is important, because it helps shape how young people view themselves and their place in the world around them. Most television shows do not portray children accurately. Most children shown on television are motivated most often by peer relationships and romance, and least often by school related or religious issues. Yes, issues on romance are more entertaining than school-related issues, but romance is not the only issue that real children have to deal with in there live. Personally, more family sitcoms should have more episodes on children characters tying to get good grades and more of an education, and spend less time on romances issues. This is because if children watch more shows on children working hard to get good grades, it might motivate the young viewers to do the same. We will write a custom essay sample on Modern Family specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Modern Family specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Modern Family specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Another fact that television does not do is deal with import social issues. In today’s society many children go through a lot of different experiences while becoming a teenager. These children are presented with many issues such as substance abuse, and domestic violence that they have not ever been thought. Most children watch family sitcoms to get some advice on growing up and becoming a teenager. These children hope to relate to what the television character is going through. Some shows actually do present issues that teens go though. For example, television show Seventh Heaven had an episode of a girl being in a gang. It dealt with the issue of drugs, violence and weapons. The episode was about the girl getting in the gang. In order for the girl to be excepted in the gang the members of the group already beat her to see if she was strong enough to be a part of their violent group. This episode was very educational because it had to deal with a real issue that many teens have to go though in everyday life. Furthermore, a common myth about the American family is that the dad is the breadwinner in the house and that some of the moms are just housewives. That mom’s can have it all and everyone is just peaceful and honest. Many parents work and also have a family life also. Many television shows tend to miss that issue. On television whenever an issue comes up at work there is always a babysitter there to take care of the children. This is a problem for real people. Work and family life have a habit of intertwining. You will never see this happening on television because of the nature of the television world. The majority of the prime-time characters are male, and few of them appear to have family obligations. Parents are insufficient, and working mothers are still quite unusual. Family responsibilities rarely come up at work, and when they do, they are easily met. Television has not changed face since the old times. It has some catching up to do when it comes to the issue of gender roles, which play an important part in how work and family issues are portrayed. TV women, unlike TV men, are still mostly defined by their family relationships. When women characters do have work and family conflicts, it is usually because work is affecting their primary role at home. Lastly, the way family life is viewed in the media is the third issue that is being presented. Today, popular sitcoms of the day have became the arena for acting out the struggles, fears, aspirations and the contradiction in our lives, and above all, those of our families. But the television producers that make these sitcoms about are family lives have a hard time matching television families to normal real life families. For example, the Fox network delivered the show Married with Children. A sitcom that is suggestive of the reaction to feminism. The show features a working class, dysfunctional family who is trapped by their narrow lives, long standing complaints and by insults that leave the experiences into self-parody. Yes, many families in society are dysfunctional but not as bad as this show. Also there are no signs of affection used in any of the episodes. Obviously, the question of family life being portrayed accurately is answered. The funny thing about televised families is that it changed face but in a bad way. As time passes situations involved in the show get worse and worse. In the 1950s shows like Leave it to Beaver was on the air. This show was the type of show that we wished are family was like. It was about a family who had no problems involved in their life. Whenever there was a problem there was an answer that immediately was found. In this show the father had the final word, and whatever he agreed on went. The mother stayed home to take care of the house, while the father went to work. Television has always been a site of struggle for the family, giving us what we would like to believe but measure against lived experiences. On the Cosby Show the issue of racism was never involved. Also this show gives the example of Father knowing best. But not all-family sitcoms are dysfunctional. Sitcoms such as Seventh Heaven, and Full House produce many values of a loving family. In conclusion, this essay focused on the way children, parents and family issues are presented within a media family, and also if they are being portrayed accurately, if social issues which affect family life dealt with, and if media represents the changing face of the family. As we know TV entertains us, but it also shapes our view of the real world. Views of what are important and what needs to be changed. Showing how families cope with their own problems lets viewers knows that they are not alone in their struggles and can offer them hope for solutions.

Discuss and Evaluate the Importance of the fight scene in Romeo and Juliet Essays

Discuss and Evaluate the Importance of the fight scene in Romeo and Juliet Essays Discuss and Evaluate the Importance of the fight scene in Romeo and Juliet Paper Discuss and Evaluate the Importance of the fight scene in Romeo and Juliet Paper The fight scene in Romeo and Juliet is a very important set piece. This scene is very much used be William Shakespeare as a way to connect to the reader viewing it. He tries to allow the reader to have mixed emotions. Some of the emotions the fight set piece is trying to display are Hate, Horror, Excitement, fear and tension. The reason why the reader feels these emotions are because there are many points in the fight scenes where the main character could have and almost does get killed.The context of this set piece is very much heading towards the dramatic time in which William Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet (1595). This is because the why that all the characters would carry swords around with them and it was seen as the norm. There are many things that make us accept this. One is the way that Mercutio calls his sword a Fiddlestick.The main reasons which make us anticipate the fight between Tybalt and Romeo; one thing is that Mercutio shouts before he die s:A plague on both your houses.Three times and this really changes the mood of the scene. Also Tybalt returns and taunts Romeo about Mercutios death.2William Shakespeare sets this scene at the beginning to really make the reader sense that there is going to be s fight of some sort between the Montague and Capulet. He does this by having the characters saying things like:And if we meet, we shall not scape a brawlFor now, these hot days, is the mad blood stirringThis concludes to us that Benvolio is anticipating a fight. But Mercutio seems to ignore this with witty puns and play on words.Thou! Why,Thou wilt quarrel with a man that hath a hair moreOr a hair less in his beard than thou hastAnd this means that Mercutio is saying to Benvolio that, he will fight with anything or anyone about anything. By this time the reader is sure about the fight, because Romeo has just got married to Juliet and is yet to tell Tybalt.3The two characters Mercutio and Tybalt have very different personaliti es and also act in very different ways.The two are very good swordsmen and are considered Duellists.One the one hand Mercutio is a witty person who puns a lot and the people around him enjoy his company but may not understand what he is feeling. Mercutio is one of the most unique characters in Shakespeares Romeo Juliet. His language is always powerful and imaginative. He represents many different things in the story and holds an important role. Where as Tybalt, will find it a rare occasion that he tells a witty joke of any sort and often seems very serious. His appearance also seems to show off a strong and bigger body that Mercutios. He is also a very willing duellist. Yet before their all important fight scene they act different to each other yet stereotypical of their personalities. First of all when Tybalt arrives on the scene he acts like he just wants to lash out on someone and as Mercutio is the there he start to pick on him.On reason for this would be that the name Mercutio comes from the word Mercury. So this could mean that Mercutio has a temper that rises quickly, just like Mercury rises when it is hot and it just so happens to be very hot that day.But before Tybalt approaches Mercutio and Benvolio, Benvolio notices them coming and says to Mercutio and tells him that they should leave. But Mercutio simply responds by saying:By my heel, I care notBut when Tybalt comes over Mercutio still seems not to care. Even when Tybalt is over (A strong and powerful man) and yet still seems to joke about Tybalt and in front of his fellow Capulets and friends. Tybalt seems to have the lower status in this conversation because things like this happen:TybaltMercutio, thou consorts with Romeo-MercutioConsort! What, dost thou make is minstrels? AndThou make minstrels of us, look to here nothing butdiscords. Here my fiddle-stick;Tybalt after this forgets about Mercutio as soon as Romeo enters and says:Well, peace be with you, sir. Here comes my man.The reason why Tyba lt says this is because earlier on in the story he saysWhat, drawn, and talk of peace! I hate the word,As I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee:Have at thee, coward!So when Romeo arrives on the scene of course Tybalt is going to change his attention towards Romeo. Also we find out that Tybalt sends Romeo a Challenge, This challenge is to a Duel.When Romeo confronts Tybalt, he is trying to tell him that he cannot fight it him because he is now part of the same family. But strangely Romeo seems to try and tell Tybalt in some sort of code. Tybalt really doesnt pick up on this code and sees it as Romeo is insulting him and shows even more hatred towards him. Seeing this Mercutio stands up for Romeo, yet he may not be a Capulet but he is still very loyal to Romeo and will always defend him no matter what. The way that Mercutio stands up for Romeo is very much the style that you would expect him to, he really uses his wittiness to make fun and make a fool of Tybalt and knowing Tybalt, he g ets outraged at this and this is how the whole fight between him and Mercutio starts.4When the story of Romeo and Juliet is staged the directors of the productions dont always stick to the script when staging the fight between Mercutio and Tybalt. I personally would stage the fight as an honourable one. In which the fight have their honour at stake. Both fighters will be using the Duel as a way to show off to their friends. So they will be showing off and using all their skill to make themselves look good. During the fight they should be showing sportsmanship towards the competitor. The two duellers will be laughing and seeing the whole thing as a chance to express themselves.This fight however would stick very close to the rules of fencing. In which the winner would be the first on to hold the opponent to the ground. When fighting the two fight would not intend to hurt each other in anyway apart from their morals and credibility. We can understand this at one point when Tybalt thro ws back Mercutio sword.I feel that the song should really go on for too long before Romeo steps in and causes the fight to change path. When Tybalt stabs Mercutio, I think that this should be an accident and not deliberate as showed in some versions of the story display. The stabbing should happen when Romeo moves to the side and Tybalt lunges towards him, in a sportsmanship manner and accidentally stabs him.This is very much like Zeffrelli version of Romeo and Juliet. However this varies from the Baz Lurman version of it. When the fight is very intense and Mercutio falls onto the blade of glass.5When Romeo arrives on scene the audience feel relived because they think that Romeo has come to sort every thing out between the two families.During the fight between Mercutio and Tybalt. Things get a bit heavy hand between the two Duellers. So Romeo steps in too stop Mercutio, he does this by standing between the two fighters facing Mercutio. But while this is happening Mercutio is trying to get past, and Tybalt keeps lunging towards Mercutio. But after a while Romeo notices this and moves to one side and Tybalt stabs Mercutio. The audiences reaction to this is that Tybalt has stabbed Mercutio and gone against the fencing rules. However after we see Tybalt face and he looks at the end of his sword and sees the amount of blood, and you can tell that, that wasnt necessarily meant to happen. So the audience feel that something quite tragic has just happened and will effect the whole story and characters.The reason why the audience feels this is because when the sword is removed from Mercutio the facial expressions on all of the characters change to concern.After Mercutio is stabbed he plays the game a bit by sayingAy, ay, a scratch, a scratch; marry, tis enough.Where is my page? Go, villain, fetch a surgeon.The people around think that he his alright but when he actually does die; this causes Romeo to change his behavior in an angered human-being who is raring to hunt d own and destroy Tybalt. But once Romeo does get to Tybalt and kill him this starts a revelation in the story. First of all Romeo gets banished and cant see Juliet anymore. This totally changes Romeo and Juliets outlooks to life.6It is a very crucial point in the story when Romeo cries outI am fortunes foolWhen considering the destruction of Romeo and Juliet the most significant fact you must think about is fate. Fate, above all, destroyed Romeo and Juliet. Many instances in the play reveal that the love of Romeo and Juliet would end in death. Pair of star-crossed lovers take their life. From the very beginning it is evident that they were destined by the stars to bad fortune. Some people may think that there is no way to control fate or change what is in the stars. It could be that the love of Romeo and Juliet was destined for death so that their parents feud would be over. Also, in the prologue it states that the dreadful course of their love was destined for death. The fearful pas sage of their death marked love. Both of these quotes show us that the love of these two was destined to end tragically. The masquerade party was above all the most important aspect of fate. The fact that Romeo was wearing a mask and his face was hidden allowed Juliet to fall in love with him before she saw who it was. If Juliet had known who Romeo was she would probably have not fallen in love with him. Fate could not have been changed whatever was meant to be would happen and no one could change that.7There are many reasons why William Shakespeare places the fighting set piece in the middle of Romeo and Juliet and all of them are very important.One of the reasons is that the story Romeo and Juliet is a love story and most love stories have plot twists. Now this scene is a major plot twist because two of the co-main characters are killed off. Having this scene is very, very important because it affects pretty much the rest of the story.First of all with the death of Tybalt, Romeo g ets banished and is not allowed to see Juliet and with this Juliet fakes her own death and then sends Romeo a letter telling him about how she isnt really. But Romeo doesnt get the not in time and finds out from his friend that Juliet is dead. So kills himself just as Juliet wakes up. So she kills herself, and all of this happens because of Tybalts death. If that wasnt Romeo also losses his best friend Mercutio.Not only that but Juliet also losses her cousin Tybalt which causes even more heartache.8ConclusionIn conclusion this scene is important really because of the way it was designed by William Shakespeare.A lot can be said about the dramatic effect this scene has on both the story and the reader. First of all the scene shows the hatred of the feud between the Montague and the Capulet really well, with both families fighting for what they believe in and as you see they fight till the death. This is very dramatic and changes the mood of all the remaining characters.This scene effe cts the audience a lot because the see Mercutio a very unique and likable character meet his death. This can really upset the reader. Not only has this but we see Romeo change his attitude towards fighting and take on Tybalt. The reader may not like this Romeo a lot and may well find it very dramatic.When the story first starts to unfold we discover that the two people Romeo and Juliet are in love and it leaves the audience feeling that in the end it will all end in happiness or as the saying goes Happy Ever After and then all of a sudden, this terrorizing and tragic fight scene comes along and totally changes the plot in almost every single way possible. This scene on its own is a major plot twist.When William Shakespeare wrote this play you can see that he wanted to create a real big feeling of tension between all the characters featured in the fight scene and suspense is used a lot in this scene to create atmosphere. However the tension in the scene is very good at illustrating t he Conflict between the two families, in how when the arguing is going on the stand on their own side never, near the others.The main themes that can be used to describe are Terror, Tragedy and action with excitement. Mainly because of all the fighting and killing which all adds you to what the scene represents.After the moment when Romeo kills Tybalt the reader braces themselves for what is going to happen after. At the time the reader is most likely to believe that Romeo will be executed because of the fighting. Because earlier on in the story the prince saysIf you ever disturb our streets again,Your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace,But never the less the prince decides not to punish Romeo by death but banish him so the reader does feel relived at this.

Story Writing 101

Story Writing 101 Story Writing 101 Story Writing 101 By Ali Hale Since prehistoric times, when tales were told around fires and painted on cave walls, stories have been an essential part of our human experience. But what exactly is a story – and how can you write a great one? A story is simply a tale of events that are linked by cause and effect. It can be true or it can be a work of fiction. We expect stories to have a beginning, middle and end; they involve at least two characters, and some events take place. In this article, I’ll take you through three major contemporary types of written story: The short story The novel The life story (biography or autobiography) For each, I’ll explain what it is, and how to write it successfully. I’ll end with tips about story writing which will help you improve your writing, whether you’re a beginner or a published author. Three Types of Story 1. Short Stories A short story is a piece of fiction under 20,000 words. More typically, a short story will be 1,000 – 5,000 words. (Pieces under 1,000 words are â€Å"short short stories† or â€Å"flash fiction†, over 20,000 and they’re novellas.) Short stories are published in magazines, newspapers and book anthologies. Short stories need: A small cast of characters, with one main character A compact time frame, with the story taking place over the course of a few days or weeks A single plot without subplots, though longer short stories may have a subplot The majority of writing competitions are for complete short stories, rather than novels or novel excerpts. If you do enter competitions, don’t be put off writing if you don’t win – judges have different likes and dislikes. How to Write a Great Short Story Like any story, your short story needs to have a beginning, middle and end: The beginning is where we’re introduced to the characters, especially the main character and his/her problem The middle is where the action and plot develops. The main character will face difficulties such as opposition from other people or a challenging environment. The end is where the main character triumphs over his/her biggest challenge (or fails, in the case of a tragedy). The resolution should be satisfying and conclusive for the reader. Even in literary and experimental short stories, it’s important that something should happen. Much of the action might take place inside the characters’ heads, but there should be a real change as a result. By the end of your short story, your main character should have experienced an internal change. This means that they’ve grown and developed as a person – perhaps overcoming a fear, or recognizing an unacknowledged truth about himself or herself. 2. Novels A novel is a piece of fiction that’s 60,000 words or longer (shorter books are novellas). The typical novel is around 80,000 – 150,000 words, depending on genre. Novels and short stories share similar structural features, but novels give the author a much wider scope. A novel might have: More than one main character (though attempt this with caution!) A large cast of characters A long time frame – potentially covering several centuries and several generations Multiple subplots Novels tend to be much more popular than short stories with the reading public, and almost all full-time authors are novelists rather than short story writers. How To Write A Novel A novel is a much bigger undertaking than a short story. Even if you are able to write short stories without much planning, you’ll need to plan out your novel in advance. There are a number of ways to do this, but whichever you choose, ensure: You have enough plot to meet your word count target Your main character (protagonist) is sympathetic – readers of short stories will put up with a dull or unlikeable character, but novel readers are stuck with the character’s viewpoint for much longer. As the writer, you’ll need to be able to become your characters. You have an escalation of events throughout the plot. Things need to get worse and worse for your characters, until they finally overcome their problems or enemies. 3. Life Stories A life story is a true story – though it shares features with fictional stories. Life stories are either â€Å"biography† (when you write about someone else) or â€Å"autobiography† (when you write about yourself). Most biographies and autobiographies are book length, similar to a novel. Many writers draw on their own life experiences for newspaper columns and magazine articles, though. There is also a market for â€Å"true life† stories in magazines, which are told in a story-like way: writing about your own life is a simple way to write about what you know. How To Write A Life Story A life story needs to be engaging and interesting for the reader. Don’t include boring details just because they’re â€Å"true† – the reader doesn’t need to know everything that happened. In many cases, details of childhood or dull years can be summarized – or told through a few vividly-drawn incidents. You will need to be careful when writing a biography or autobiography to: Structure your piece as a story, focusing on interesting events and incidents. Show the personality of the subject (yourself or the person you’re writing about), and making sure the reader will find them at least partly likeable. Be conscious of the other people involved – try to be sensitive to how they might feel (and avoid getting sued for libel – make sure you’re certain of your facts). There is often a fine line between life writing and fiction. If you are writing the story of your life, you will need to make decisions about whether you will alter or make up lines of dialogue, for instance. General Story Writing Tips Whatever type of story or stories you’re writing, and however experienced you are, there’s always room for improvement Share Your Story Writing Efforts It’s hard to write in isolation, and sharing your work with other writers is a great way to get feedback and suggestions. Look for a local writers’ circle, or join an online forum. You want to find somewhere that’s supportive but where people aren’t afraid to offer advice about things that aren’t working in your story. Keep Learning Writing is a craft that you can learn, like any other. There are hundreds of books on all aspects of writing, from the nuts and bolts of grammar and punctuation to writing in specific genres. You can also find free advice on the Internet (on blogs like this one). You can even take a degree or post-graduate course in creative writing. Keep Practicing As well as learning about writing, you need to practice. That means writing regularly – ideally daily. As you write more, your stories will get better – your characters are more â€Å"real†, your plots are convincing, and your endings are deeply satisfying to readers. You’ll also find that writing itself becomes easier: you’ll spend less time struggling to find the right words, and more time enjoying seeing the story spill from your fingers. Always Revise All authors need to revise their work. Your first draft might have a lot of problems – inconsistent characterization, scenes which don’t really fit, holes in the plot, incorrect pacing or tension. Don’t worry if this is the case: most published authors have to extensively rewrite their first drafts too. Always allow time to revise your story, and if possible, do several rewrites. Most authors recommend letting your story sit unread for a few days or weeks when you complete a draft, so that you can come to it with fresh eyes. Good luck with your story writing! Check Out Other Articles from The Writing 101 Series: The Writing Process Creative Writing 101 Story Writing 101 Letter Writing 101 Business Writing 101 Freelance Writing 101 Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Fiction Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:How to Structure A Story: The Eight-Point ArcWork of Art TitlesSentence Adverbs

Entrepreneurship and Innovation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Entrepreneurship and Innovation - Research Paper Example There is no fast forward way of attaining innovation in any process or technology. Rather the journey is strewn with intermittent success and failures and long periods of stagnation. Innovation has occurred in all spheres of activity starting from the development of products to the development of services. In the last 70 or 80 years the Information Technology industry witnessed the highest degree of innovation. The innovation of the Information Technology industry and the electronics hardware industry were followed with equivalent degree of innovation in the telecommunication industry (Achrol, 2011). The process of innovation of Omantel is discussed in this research study. For a better comprehension of the research methodology, the whole research is divided into 4 parts. In the first part of the discussion the process and technique of innovation is assessed and analysed. The strategy followed for managing the innovation of Omantel is discussed. The latter parts of the discussion are about the company establishes an innovative environment within its organisation and the strategic implications for Omantel based in Oman. Assessment and reflection on the process and techniques of innovation Schumpeter’s Theories of Innovation is discussed in this section along with other related theories. ... In order to bring innovation the entrepreneurs need to access capital and resources. Innovation and price competition are sides of two different coins, where one negates the other. If firms compete on the basis of price then only price classification occurs with no or little innovation. In order to make sure that the correct path is taken which will lead to innovation, it is absolute necessary to control the process applied. Whereas, if only inputs are considered as the most important entity rather than the process of innovation itself, then more time is wasted before innovation is finally achieved. Innovations as well as developments are non exogenous in nature. This means that innovation can occur, by simply using the internal factors present in the economic system. Fig 1: Cycle of innovation Source: (Andrews and Smith, 1996) Some of the most important factors that lead to the excellent growth of innovation are entrepreneurship and in-house capability to conduct the research and de velopments. Entrepreneurship still remains to be the most important factor among all the other factors. Instead of going for a competitive pricing strategy, a simple method of pricing is followed (Bajaj, 2001). The base price is fixed by taking into consideration the high quality of the integrated components. For example, the organisations which decided to simply add features to their previous models of products or services were outsold by those organisations that considered innovation rather than mere up gradations. Organisations like Nokia focused on innovation, while Sony and Motorola focused on up gradation only. As a result Nokia outperformed and outsmarted the other two organisations significantly which focused more on pricing strategy (Benner and Sandstrom, 2012). Those products

Short story using LITERARY DEVICES Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Short story using LITERARY DEVICES - Essay Example I felt as if I had been given the world’s entire supply of ice cream! It was that big! After I had made my choice, I wondered if I would even be able to finish it before it melted away in the hot blazing sun. Just as I was about to take my first bite, whoosh! A taxi had sped past and its force had knocked my triple scoop ice cream completely out of my hands! I was devastated, but I could at least take comfort from the fact that I had tasted a single scoop before my dreams were shattered into a thousand pieces. I noticed the name of the taxi company emblazoned on the side of the taxi: â€Å"Taking Taxis.† I thought how fitting it was that the taxi that ruined my day was from that particular company, because it just took my one desire away from me. My ice cream was gone! I could almost scream! I was like a fish out of water—I didn’t know how to control myself. I consoled myself with the knowledge that I had two whole tubs of ice cream in my freezer back home . I sped like the wind to get home as fast as I could. That’s when I realized that I had finished all of my ice cream the previous night. My heart sank once

Mildred Pierce Summary, Character Analysis, and Opinion :: essays research papers

Summary: Mildred Pierce, by James M. Cain, begins in pre-Depression California, and ends during World War II times, also in California. The main character, Mildred Pierce, is a very attractive housewife of 29, raising two daughters, Ray and Veda. Although Mildred loves both her daughters, Veda is a particular obsession with Mildred. She constantly slaves away throughout the novel to do whatever she can to make Veda happy, despite the constant abuse and deception Veda inflicts upon Mildred. After a divorce from her first husband, Bert, in the opening pages of the novel, Mildred is forced to sacrifice her pride and become a waitress in order to support her family. If Veda were ever to find out, she would be appalled; a constantly recurring theme throughout this story is Veda’s pride and arrogance, and her condemnation of jobs she deems to be menial. Mildred’s main goal is to nurture Veda’s musical talents, and manages to pay for expensive music lessons from her meager salar ies as a waitress and pie baker. However, Mildred’s luck is soon to change, as she takes up with an attorney and former partner of Bert, Wally. Mildred is able to use Wally’s business and real estate savvy to build a restaurant out of a deserted model home, and from there create a thriving chain of three food businesses. After becoming bored with Wally, however, Mildred craves a relationship with another man, a prestigious local man named Monty. Veda highly approves of her mother’s choice, as this makes her feel as if she too were more prestigious and affluent, despite having misgivings about her mother still being so low as to have an average, pedestrian job. All seems to be going well; even through Veda’s constant demands and tantrums, she still gets everything she wants, and Mildred and Monty are happy. Monty, however, falls on hard times with the coming of the Great Depression, and he constantly mooches off of Mildred’s affluence, making it a s truggle for Mildred to cater to Veda’s every whim. Mildred soon dumps Monty to focus on making Veda a musical prodigy; this fails, however, when Veda is told that her piano is not up to par from a local famous music teacher. After Veda recovers from this shock, she explores the opportunities offered by an acting career, and begins to spin more webs of deception and selfishness. After Veda forces money out of a local rich family, lying and claiming their son got her pregnant, Mildred and Veda have a major argument, and Veda disowns her mother.

Pepsico Swot Analysis Essay

When making any investment decision, it is important for a potential investor to gain insight into the company. An evaluation of the company’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats will help the investor determine if the venture is worth going into (Nickels, McHugh & McHugh, 2010). It also provides details about the internal status of the business and the future growth to expect in the future. SWOT Analysis Conducting a SWOT analysis of PepsiCo will help the company determine where change is possible. If the company is at a turning point, an inventory of its strengths and weaknesses can reveal possibilities. The identified strengths can be built on and used to their full potential and makes can be made to reduce the weaknesses. Potential problems that need to be addressed or at least recognized are identified. It will help PepsiCo discover what it does well, could improve, whether they are making the most of the opportunities around them, and whether there are any changes in the market that may require changes in the business (Nickels et al., 2010). Strengths PepsiCo has a diverse product portfolio that includes foods, snacks, and beverages with annual revenue of over $66 billion. The PepsiCo brands such as Pepsi, Gatorade, Tropicana, Mountain Dew, Lay’s, Aquafina, Sierra Mist, Fritos, and Quaker stand for quality and are well recognized household names. These brands generate over $1 billion each in annual global sales revenue which gives PepsiCo an advantage over its competition that have limited product line (â€Å"Brands,† 2012). Lower sales in one product line because of unforeseeable circumstances can be offset with promoting sales from another product line. PepsiCo’s geographical footprint is another strength of the organization. It currently operates in more than 200 countries worldwide which provides PepsiCo with diverse income sources. In 2011, only 50% of the company’s revenue came from the United States but this did not impact PepsiCo’s overall revenue growth because of the company’s increasing revenue from other parts of the world like Asia, Russia, Europe, and Latin America (â€Å"The Power of PepsiCo,† 2012). Weaknesses With the diverse portfolio of PepsiCo, not all products produced by this  company bear it name and its holdings are still seen by the public as separate entities, not as parts of PepsiCo. Its branding is not obvious and not easily recognized and this is hurting the image of the company. One of its most popular brands, Gatorade, recently changed its name to multiple sub-brands such as â€Å"G Prime 01,† and â€Å"G Series Pro 03 Recover† (Edwards, 2011). PepsiCo is gradually losing its credibility because of its lack of stability in management. The company has a high turnover rate and in the last four years, 26 senior marketing managers have resigned and those that are still with PepsiCo have been moved from one brand to another or from one division to another (Edwards, 2012). The revenue of PepsiCo is over dependent on sales to Wal-Mart. In 2011, approximately 18% of PepsiCo’s North American net revenue was from sales to Wal-Mart (including Sam’s Club). As a result PepsiCo is highly influenced with the business strategies of Wal-Mart (â€Å"The Power of PepsiCo,† 2011). Opportunities PepsiCo is investing its resources by expanding its operation in emerging foreign markets like China and Russia and developing continents like Africa. With the company’s recent purchase of Wimm-Bill-Dann, a Russian food and beverage company with huge market shares in dairy and juice products, PepsiCo will expand greatly its presence in Eastern Europe and Central Asia and is expected to increase its annual sales revenue by $5 billion (â€Å"Pepsi Absorbs Wimm,† 2011). PepsiCo recently signed a partnership agreement with Theo Muller, a German dairy company to sell its dairy products in the US starting with yogurt. PepsiCo will also invest in research to create new dairy products for the US market. This is a great opportunity for PepsiCo to increase its future revenue because it is predicted that annual revenue of $9 billion will be generated by 2016 with nearly 100 million American households expected to buy yogurt products (Steinberg, 2012). Threats PepsiCo faces a strong competition from The Coca-Cola Company, its primary competitor in the carbonated beverage category. These two companies have  had a long history of rivalry since the 1800s with Coca-Cola has a leader for most of the period. PepsiCo recently lost its five-year partnership deal with Dunkin’ Brands to Coca-Cola. Coca-Cola products will now be offered in 7,000 Dunkin’ brands outlets instead of PepsiCo products. In January 2012, Dunkin’ Brands announced the plan to double their outlet stores to 14,000 over the next 20 years. This is a huge revenue loss for PepsiCo (Fisher, 2012). Also in 2010, Diet Coke overtook Pepsi to become the second largest soda brand in the Unites States behind Coke, moving Pepsi to third (Theodore, 2012). There has been a steady decline in carbonated drink sales for the past seven years in the US with total sales dropping one percent in 2011. Americans are now turning to healthier food and drinks like bottled waters to avoid the high sugar contents in soda (â€Å"Soda Sales Fall,† 2012). Even with the diverse portfolio of PepsiCo, this decline in sales of carbonated soda drinks will have a negative impact on its total revenue. United States federal, State, and local laws and other regulatory authority in foreign countries could have a negative impact on the sales and profitability of PepsiCo. PepsiCo’s marketing, manufacturing, and distribution of its products can be affected as a result of what the government dictates. Also Governmental agencies that exist where PepsiCo operates can impose new labeling, accounting standards, product requirement, marketing practices, and taxation requirement. In California, PepsiCo is required to post a warning label on any product sold that contains a substance that the state has found to cause cancer or birth defect. If this type of law is enacted in other states or foreign countries, it would affect the sales of PepsiCo products (â€Å"The Power of PepsiCo,† 2011). Investor Analysis As a result of the SWOT analysis, investing in PepsiCo would yield a positive return on investment. The analysis shows a strong company with increase in earnings for the past five years. PepsiCo’s increasing presence in developing countries is most relevant in the decision to invest. With nearly 72% of the world’s processed food consumption in 2050 predicted to be  happening in developing countries because of increase in population, this will give PepsiCo a competitive edge. Internal and External Stakeholders The success or failure of PepsiCo is determined by how the wants and needs of its internal and external stakeholders are met. The internal stakeholders of PepsiCo are associates, shareholders, and board of directors. The external stakeholders of PepsiCo are consumers, local and foreign communities, retail and food service customers, partners, suppliers, and competitors. PepsiCo meets the needs of its associates by providing a supportive and empowering workplace. The company helps its employees to succeed by helping them develop the skills needed to increase the growth of the company (â€Å"Talent Sustainability,† 2012). The need of the shareholders of PepsiCo is met by striving to deliver top of the line financial performance and providing a high return on their investment (â€Å"Performance,† 2012). In 2011, the dividends paid to PepsiCo’s shareholders was six percent higher than 2010 ((â€Å"The Power of PepsiCo,† 2011). PepsiCo provides its consumers with a diverse list of products that delivers affordability and great taste. The company has recently begun offering consumers a wide range of healthy foods and beverages. Current products are constantly been improved and new products created to meet the changing needs of consumers (â€Å"Stakeholders Engagement,† 2012). Local jobs are created in the developing countries that PepsiCo operates in. PepsiCo provides support for education through PepsiCo Foundation grants. The company is working to protect the water resources they have used in India and working with nonprofit organizations to promote sustainable agricultural practices (â€Å"Stakeholders Engagement’† 2012). Products are delivered directly to retail and food service customers such as grocery stores, gas stations, restaurants, and vending machines. PepsiCo  also assist these stakeholders with marketing services that contributes to the customers’ growth and profit (â€Å"Stakeholders Engagement,† 2012). Conclusion A company’s strength, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats must be analyzed to determine the potential of the return on investment. Even with its weaknesses, PepsiCo is a strong company with earnings growth over the past five years, and has enough cash on hand to maintain its operation. With the new initiatives that PepsiCo is working on, such as expanding its market into developing countries and providing healthier options to its consumers, the company will be able to meet the needs of its stakeholders. References Brands. (2012) Retrieved from http://www.pepsico.com/Brands.html Diet Mountain Dew, Brisk and Starbucks Ready-T0-Drink Beverages Grow to the Billion-Dollar Brands for PepsiCo. (2012, January 26) Retrieved from http://seekingalpha.com/news-article/2139612-diet-mountain-dew-brisk-and-starbucks-ready-to-drink-beverages-grow-to-be-billion-dollar-brands-for-pepsico Edwards, J. (2011, June 22). Pepsi Just Can’t Stop Pulling the Tab After Shaking Up Management. Retrieved from http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505123_162-42749107/pepsi-just-cant-stop-pulling-the-tab-after-shaking-up-management/ Edwards, J. (2012, May 10). How Pepsi Management Shuffles Led To Sales Collapse. Retrieved from http://www.businessinsider.com/how-pepsis-management-shuffles-led-to-sales-collapse-2012-5?op=1 Fisher, B. (2012, June 12). Pepsi loses Dunkin, Eyes Emerging Markets. Retrieved from http://beta.fool.com/bobbyfisher/2012/06/12/pepsi-loses-dunkin-eyes-emerging-markets/5599/?logvisit=y&source=eptcnnlnk0000001 Nickels, W. G., McHugh, J. M., & McHugh, S. M. (2010). Understanding Business (9th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Pepsi Absorbs Wimm-Bill-Dann. (2011) Retrieved from http://rt.com/business/news/pepsi-absorbs-wimm-bill-dann-333/ Performance. (2012) Retrieved from http://www.pepsico.com/Purpose/Performance-with-Purpose.html Stakeholder Engagement. (2012) Retrieved from http://www.pepsico.com/Purpose/Overview/Stakeholder-Engagement.html Steinberg, J. (2012, July 11). PepsiCo Expanding Its American Portfolio With Dairy Products. Retrieved from http://seekingalpha.com/article/714491-pepsico-expanding-its-american-portfolio-with-dairy-products Talent Sustainability. (2012) Retrieved from http://www.pepsico.com/Purpose/Talent-Sustainability.html The Power of PepsiCo – 2011 Annual Report. (2011) Retrieved from http://www.pepsico.com/annual11/downloads/pep_ar11_2011_annual_report.pdf Theodore, S. (2012, August 13). Diet Coke Enters A New Decade: The Carbonated Soft Drink Brand Has Come A Long Way. Retrieved from http://www.mintel.com/blog/diet-coke-enters-new-decade-carbonated-soft-drink-brand-has-come-long-way Tomlinson, S. (2012, March 3). Soda Sales Fall Faster As Americans Turn To Healthier Options. Retrieved from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2118291/Soda-sales-fall-faster-Americans-turn-healthier-options.html