The House Of The Seven Gables Essay examples -- essays research papers

THE HOUSE OF THE SEVEN GABLES The story begins as Nathaniel Hawthorne lays down the setting and describes the house of the seven-gables and the story of its creation. The house is old and overrun by moss weeds and bushes, but the greatest aspect is the gigantic tree in the front of the house that seems to grow in size as it feeds off the misery of the inhabitants and the decay of the house. The very land that the house was built on was stolen from Matthew Moule. Since Colonel Pyncheon liked the location he helped accuse Matthew Moule of witchcraft and had him hung from the gallows pole. At his death, Matthew Moule curses Colonel Pyncheon saying, 'God will give him blood to drink!" One hundred and sixty years ago, when Colonel Pyncheon opened the new seven-gabled mansion, the guests found him lying dead in his study with his face covered in blood. Now, 160 years later, the curse still haunts the household as unfortunate circumstances fall upon the Pyncheons. The claim to the vast acres in Maine still remains lost. Clifford Pyncheon was convicted for killing his uncle and is sent to prison for 30 years. The only Pyncheon left living in the house is Hepzibah, who is forced to put aside her pride and open a 1-cent shop on the first floor. The 1-cent shop in itself is a symbol if irony due to the fact that Hepzibah was once rich and now, though she is living in a mansion, she sells penny goods on the bottom floor. Townspeople come in usually just to see her work an...

Coca Cola’s New Vending Machine

1) Pros for Coca Cola Co. Technology Availability: Electronic components are becoming more and more versatile and cheaper. All that is required in order to adjust the price with the changes of the weather is a temperature sensor and a computer chip. Therefore, it can reduce the implementation costs. Increase competitiveness through price discrimination: Price discrimination is used in order to increase the economic efficiency. In principle, the temperature sensitive vending machine is no different from any other form of price discrimination. For example, airlines pair daily and hourly fluctuations in demand with fluctuations in price. Moreover, in Japan some vending machines already adjust their prices based on the temperature outside. Increase profitability: vending machines are an extremely profitable resource and channel and have the opportunity to be more profitable for Coca Cola. More profitability could be achieved through: * Having the ability to lower the price to customers who would usually not buy the product but all the same with charging a higher price to those who would. Lowering the price at off-peak buying time in order to increase the overall sales. * Providing information when a machine is out of stock. Facilitate the micro marketing: information about which drinks are selling and, at what rates in a particular location is relayed by internet, helps salespeople to figure out which drinks will sell best in which locations. Cons for Coca Cola Co. Damaging the brand image: it causes to interpret that Coca C ola is not customer-friendly Risk of price war: automatic price adjustments will provide the capability to ignite the price war e. . over a holiday weekend. Pros for consumers * Interactive experience when purchasing a soft drink could produce added value as micro marketing can be used to satisfy the demand of consumers more easily. * Enjoy more promotion and pay less when the product is less demanded. Cons for consumers * Product is more expensive when it is more needed. This might seem unfair to a thirsty person. Considering that, the purpose of a coke is always to quench the thirst, people should not pay different prices for the same good. Exploit the consumers who live in warm climates. * Exploit the faithful customers who are loyal to Coca Cola brand. 2) Where? * In hot climates: the value of coke to customers is higher because a cold drink is needed more to quench their thirst. Therefore, this technology will increase the price of coke in warm climates and destroy the value of coke to brand switchers who will find an alternative. * In colder climates: the value of coke to customers is lower because they do not desire cold drinks. Therefore, the price will be lower and this will make coke have a higher value for customers in colder climates. Who? * Brand switchers: this type of consumers will not have loyalty to Coca Cola and therefore switch brands based on the related price. Therefore, it may create value to brand switchers in colder climates and decrease value in hotter climates, as they find a cheaper alternative. Overall, brand switchers will benefit the most from this technology. * Habitual buyers: this type of consumers does not prefer the brand but switching costs are too high. Therefore, they stay with the same brand and if the price of coke becomes lower than competing brands it will add value of coke to these consumers. * Brand loyal consumers: these customers will suffer the most because they will want to buy Coca Cola whether the weather is cold or hot. Therefore, it will only add value to this product for them when it is cold. 3) Price Wars: the ability to discount prices so easily could cause competitors to lower prices, specifically on holidays. Price discrimination: those consumers that drink on hot days will be worse off since they must pay a higher price, while some consumers that drink Coke on cold days will be better off since they receive a lower price. Consequently, sales in warmer countries could decrease as a result of charging high prices. It will only be a success if the difference between prices is not explicitly known. Otherwise, price discrimination could harm Coca Cola’s brand image. In addition, setting the price lower in cold climates might cause some profit losses and change the reference point, and destroy the brand image either. ) * Coca Cola should not have publicized the new technology while it was still being researched. Instead, they should have waited until they knew exactly what they wanted to achieve through this technology. Furthermore, they should not have publicized new technology in a way that vending machines would change prices according to the weather temperature. Because, this create s controversy that made them look not customer-friendly but profit hungry. This might damage the brand image. * Their response to the announcement of New York Times was the right action. Because, it cleared the intention of Coca Cola that was to improve product availability and promotion activity rather than to raise prices of soft drinks in hot weather. * Another point they did right is that they carried out thorough product testing of this new technology to enable them to identify how successfully it could increase their vending machine profitability. * I would recommend that if Coca Cola decided to use the technology they might first implement it in colder countries and promote the new technology as a way for consumers to save money and increase their utilities. After the adoption of this new technology, they should introduce it into warmer countries but without the emphasizing on the price, with more emphasizing on the attributes of the vending machine such as refrigerated display case, cooler, the ability of accepting credit cards and debit cards, better availability of products through better stock control. 5) I think the comments of Mr. Ivester were naive and not well planned. He should not say that it is fair to raise prices in a championship event in a hot summer day. Therefore, according to the passage the Ivester’s answer created the flap, seeming to cast the company as one that was not customer-friendly. Instead, he should say that Coca Cola is not introducing vending machines that raise the price of soft drinks in hot weather, just exploring innovative technology that can improve product availability, promotion activity. Just like the comments of Pepsi spokesman, Jeff Brown, â€Å"At Pepsi we are focused on innovations that make it easier for consumers to buy a soft drink, not harder. † Based on Ivester’s comments, the image of Coca Cola’s brand eroded.

The ways in which Shakespeare portrays the themes of love in Twelfth Night

Twelfth Night is a comedy set in ‘Illyria,' a Mediterranean country. However, amongst the well-timed comical scenes, Shakespeare has other emotional predicaments intertwined with a variety of characters. Such predicaments are due to misleading identities and different love themes throughout the play; including love between grieving siblings, and the counts and countess' of Illyria. The main plot of the Twelfth Night revolves round the three main characters, Viola, Orsino and Olivia who speak in rhyming couplets. Each of the main characters form a ‘love triangle' which expresses the main love themes in the play including Elizabethan courtly love, real selfless love and overwhelming love. The love between each character that form the love triangle is such that the love and affection is directed one way around the triangle; Viola loves Orsino who believes he loves Olivia who also impetuously believes she loves Viola. Outside the love triangle are the minor characters who speak in pros and show a further variety of different love themes but expressed in a light-heartened manner. These include self love and love based on a mutual agreement. All the characters in the play are all connected through different love themes. Orsino's love for Olivia is also known as ‘Elizabethan courtly love' familiar to Shakespeare at the time the play was written. This type of love is described as a man of a high status courting an unattainable woman to be rejected, so the man can therefore wallow in self-pity and act melodramatic. Orsino explains the different ‘symptoms' of his infatuation for Olivia to Viola, explaining how a typical lover should behave and giving advice about love even though, ironically, he has had little success. Viola recognises Orsino's infatuation for Olivia and questions his love for her. Viola is correct to questions Orsino's obsession to be in love as he has little interaction with Olivia until the final scene, but still believes he loves her. Orsino show's fickle mood changes believed to be experienced when in love, which Feste describes clearly.Love Poem â€Å"I have unclasped to thee the book even of my secret soul.† â€Å"O, then unfold the passion of my love†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"†¦ for thy mind is a very opal.† True, selfless devotion is another ‘side' to the love triangle in Twelfth Night. Viola expresses pure love and tremendous loyalty to Orsino, sacrificing her own happiness for Orsino's. Viola conveys her love with intense speaking and use of dramatic irony. Shakespeare allows the audience to witness Viola's distress so the play becomes more and more intense with the Viola and Orsino scenes. Viola tells Orsino of her love for him in an ambiguous manner, so he never suspects her feelings for him. â€Å"My father had a daughter loved a man, as it might be perhaps, were I woman, I should your lordship.† â€Å"I am all the daughters of my father's house, and all the brothers too†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"A little, by your favour†¦ Of your complexion†¦ About your years, my lord.† Sebastian and Olivia both show impetuous emotions through the play. Olivia immediately falls in love with Viola, who is the identical twin to Sebastian. Once Sebastian enters the play he is mistaken for Viola which further shows evidence that both Sebastian and Olivia have impulsive emotions as Olivia still accepts she loves Sebastian although he is not Viola and Sebastian falls immediately falls in love with Olivia, which may be seen as blind love. Olivia's impulsive nature is not just expressed with her love for both Viola and Sebastian but also when she announces her seven-year morning for her brother. The audience sympathises with Olivia's painful rejection by Viola, and her difficulty to tell Viola her true feelings. It is also clear of Olivia's unfamiliarity with rejection as she desperately tells Viola she may change her feelings for Orsino if Viola returns. â€Å"I love thee so that, maugre all thy pride†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Love between siblings is also apparent in the play. Once Viola is rescued from drowning she immediately feels she has lost her brother, Sebastian. Her impulsive manner towards the sea captain, shows the strong bond her and her brother have. Shakespeare uses a dreamy, pensive quality when describing Viola's distress for her loss, and for her new independence and helplessness, which the audience can try and relate to. â€Å"For saying so, there's gold.† â€Å"And what should I do in Illyria? My brother he is in Elysium.† Antonio, who rescued Sebastian from drowning, develops a protective love for Sebastian, which could be interpreted as homosexual. Antonio expresses great respect, loyalty and selflessness when trying to help Sebastian. He offers his purse to Sebastian, which also shows great trust and friendship. â€Å"My kind Antonio, I can no other answer make but thanks†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Haply your eye shall light upon some toy†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"With viewing of the town; there shall you have me.† Another bond through friendships, apart from Feste, Maria, Fabian and Sir Toby who are all work colleagues, is between Viola and Orsino who are also work colleagues, but develop an trusting relationship. Viola is Orsino's confidant and this reveals his personality to her, only further enhancing her love for him. Sir Toby and Maria show flirtatious behaviour throughout the play, as well as playful behaviour at Malvolio and Sir Andrew's expense. It is clear they both enjoy each other's company and share the same sense of humour and feelings towards other characters. The love between these two characters maybe described as practical love for a mutual benefit. If Sir Toby were to marry Maria he would have a companion who looks after him and Maria would have a higher status, marrying a knight. The audience understands the relationship between these characters and accepts them as a couple. â€Å"MARIA: My name is Mary, sir. â€Å"SIR ANDREW: Good mistress Mary Accost- â€Å"SIR TOBY: You mistake, Knight: ‘accost' is front her, board her, woo her, assail her.† Malvolio, Olivia's servant, believes it is entirely possible for a countess to love a steward, so doesn't doubt the phoney letter conveniently placed in front of him by his vengeful work colleagues, who believe he has abused his power over them. In fact, the major reason Malvolio can so easily believe Olivia would and could love him is due to his obsession for power and to exercise that power over the other characters such as Sir Toby. He is described as having self-love by Olivia, which again allows him to so easily believe the letter is genuinely from Olivia although it instructs him to wear â€Å"yellow stockings† and â€Å"cross-gartered.† The letter refers to four letters â€Å"M, O, A, I† which Malvolio instinctively believes are reference to his name. â€Å"†¦ in yellow stockings, and cross-gartered†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"O, you are sick of self-love, Malvolio†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"†¦ and perchance wind up my watch, or play with my – some rich jewel. Toby approaches; courtesies there to me-† Sir Andrew has the audience's pity and sympathy throughout the play due to his naive and innocent nature. Sir Andrew is encouraged by Sir Toby to be optimistic about Olivia's feelings towards him. Sir Andrew's hopeless love for Olivia is futile and at the end of the play he is still alone, which Shakespeare has used to further enhance the sympathetic attitude of the audience. â€Å"I was adored once too.† Shakespeare interconnects all the minor and major characters through misleading identities and a variety of love themes, which I have tried to outline. The major characters speak in rhyming couplets whereas the minor characters speak in pros, making a clear distinction between the two types of characters as well as the different range of love themes expressed by the different characters. â€Å"I music be the food of love, play on†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Come, sir, you peevishly threw it to her†¦Ã¢â‚¬ 