Tuesday, October 15, 2019
Different ways to compete in the soft drink business Case Study
Different ways to compete in the soft drink business - Case Study Example Through the sales of internet routers, the company managed to raise high revenue of approximately ten billion dollars. However, this was brought to an end in the year 2008 when the demand of products from the company such as internet hardware dropped. At this point, the best action to be taken by any manager who wants to save the company from collapsing is to make adjustment on the business plan and strategies so as to fix the problem. John Chambers was very wise and keen on the issue; after realizing that the market of internet router could not raise the great profits that were required to match the standards of the company, he embarked on another business plan. The plan was to shift in to very new markets and industries. One of the strategies was to expand in a rapid way from the software business and the core internet hardware to the consumer electronic industry. His first step to implement the plan was to associate with companies that were already producing products related to th e internet. The CEO sought to get hold of the companies that dealt with internet bandwidth products so as to increase the consumer demand since this would result in to a high demand for the Cisco`s products. Through John Chambers, Cisco made an announcement in the year 2009 that it would make a payment of $590 for purchasing pure digital for making video camcorders that are more colorful and are pocket sized. This further increased the financial status of Cisco due to the fact that over two million people could access and share the video through the web (Jones & George, 263-264). If I were the manager of Cisco system, I could have done the same things he did or come up with a plan with strategy for implementation that would end up in high performance. It is always believed that better plans always reflects on a bright future for the business and that lack of a business plan results in to hesitations , mistaken business decisions and false steps. Having this in mind, I would make a p lan for a good number of reasons. It`s importance is to give the company proper direction for the right purpose since the plan contains the objectives that the organization has to achieve and the strategies to be used. I believe this would have a great impact on the company so that as soon as the demand of the Internet s products provided by the Cisco Company goes down, then the strategies of the plan would help save the company from collapsing. This could be done by linking the company to other industries that produce items that are the same as the ones produced by Cisco to come up with a better opinion to help increase the consumer demand (Covey, 162). The challenge of proper planning and formulating a proper strategy to implement it was well overcomed by the CEO of Samsung electronics, Lee Kun. In the year 2000, the company which was mainly based in Korea emerged to be in the second position in terms of profit among the companies in global technology coming just after the Microso ft. There were strategies and steps that were followed by the organization which enabled them to attain their targeted goal. Under the guidance of Lee Kun, Samsung electronics developed and built competencies as the first step in the manufacturing of low-priced products. The second step was to put all the efforts in the manufacture of R&D. At the end, the organization used those
History Paper Burial Practices Essay Example for Free
History Paper Burial Practices Essay The concept of afterlife existed among many ancient civilizations. It was met as a way of understanding the present or as a way to predict the future depending on their needs. As such, in order to explain the unknown phenomenon that impacted their daily life, early tribes saw natural events as simple as the rain and the winds or birth and death and regarded them to be controlled by supernatural powers related to the gods, demons, the moon, the sun or other external driving forces. Ancient people sought protection for survival and power to maintain order with the tribes by practicing rituals which were aimed to invoke the spirit of the deceased. However, as civilizations evolved with time, their beliefs became more complex and profound. Take ancient Romans and Egyptians for instance, they both believed in the afterlife and shared similar underlying ideas; nevertheless, their way to prepare the deceased for the next life and funeral services differed in many ways. To illustrate their practices, I have chosen two artifacts displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met): a coffin from Ancient Egypt and a cinerary urn from Ancient Romanââ¬â¢s times. Both pieces reflect different ways of treating the corpses of their deceased and prepare the dead for the journey to the afterlife which undoubtedly was a long and elaborated process. Ancient Romans and Egyptians demonstrated their firm conviction in the afterlife through solemn funeral services and burial rituals. Unlike the Egyptians who treasured the dead bodies and preserved them in sarcophagus or coffins, Romans cremated the dead bodies and kept the ashes in urns because they perceived the life in physical world to be short and temporary. When a person died, the spirit was released from the body and traveled to the afterlife. The only purpose of the physical body was to host the soul for a period long enough to prepare one to live a life free of suffering in the other world. Souls were sent to different places depending on the level of sins and crimes committed against society during the time people stayed in the mortal world. However, the suffering in the other world would end eventually. Romansââ¬â¢ funeral rituals usually included washing the corpse, laying it flat on a sofa or bed, and dressing it with the finest clothes that individual had ever possessed. A coin would then be placed under the tongue or on the eyes so that he could pay the ââ¬Å"ferryman Charonâ⬠for rowing im to the land of the dead. The marble urn I observed at the Met dated from mid 1st ââ¬â 2nd century A. D. was used to place the ashes of the deceased after the body was cremated. As time went by, they came to understand that the dissolution of the body was inevitable and the physical body was only a temporary host of the soul. This piece of artifact provided evidence that in ancient Romansââ¬â¢ point of view, the remains of the physical body had to be disintegrate d in order for the soul to begin a new life. It is reasonable to conclude that Romans regarded cremating the body of the dead as a naturally faster way to begin the life in the other world than slow disintegration of the corpse. On the other hand, Egyptians believed that the personââ¬â¢s physical body was more than a temporary host and it had to remain intact, a condition necessary to attain the afterlife. Moreover, they contemplated the idea that a person was the combination of several elements such as, the ââ¬Å"baâ⬠, which was the non physical part of the individual and the ââ¬Å"kaâ⬠which was a universal force shared by all. Furthermore, in order to preserve the bodies, Egyptians developed a long and arduous process called mummification. This practice requires several steps such as the removal of the brain and internal organs and the cleaning of the bodyââ¬â¢s cavities with different oils and solutions. Once done, the body was laid to dry for more than a month. Although these steps were crucial for the preservation of the body, it was also believed that the transition process to the afterlife continues with the weighing of the heart. Egyptians believed that in order to gain their way to eternity oneââ¬â¢s heart must be as light as a feather. This organ was not removed from the body and was left to be weighted by Anubis, the funeral god and Thoth, the god of knowledge. As such, it is believed that oneââ¬â¢s heart is placed on a scale and weigh against a feather. If the scale is balanced, the deceased is deemed to have done good deeds in the present life and the gods would grant them immortality. When the mummification process is finished the preserved body is placed in a coffin as the one displayed at the Met, Gallery 112. This coffin, from Egypt Middle Kingdom time was made for a well respected and wealthy individual. The sophisticated decoration reflects the hierarchical social distinction in this particular society. In conclusion, though both ancient Romans and Egyptians believed in afterlife, they treated the corpses and practiced funeral rituals differently. These mainly resulted from their respective perception of how the mortal life was related to the afterlife as well as the importance to the physical body. By observing the two artifacts displayed at the Met, Iââ¬â¢ve found that Egyptians placed more emphasis on the social class of the deceased by putting on splendid decorations on the coffins and sarcophagus than the Romans did on their urns. This difference reflects the core of Romanââ¬â¢s ancient culture which coincided with Greekââ¬â¢s idea of democracy by promoting a society structure with a less rigid hierarchy.
Monday, October 14, 2019
Telstra Is The Australias Largest Telecommunications Companies Marketing Essay
Telstra Is The Australias Largest Telecommunications Companies Marketing Essay Abstract Telstra is the Australias largest telecommunications companies. it is the state-owned enterprises in Australia . Telstra is the one of the worlds best telecommunications company, and it is the Australias leading full-service telecommunications operator, it also set up a special department responsible for the development of data, internet and e-commerce business to promote the development of value-added services. Telstras marketing strategy is very successful, so the report firstly introduces the background of the Telstra. and secondly , it use market tool SWOT to analysis the Telstra ,from opportunities ,threats, strengths, weaknesses, and then analysis the Telstra s strategy. Finally, it gives a short conclusion. 1. Introduction Network modernization not only helps improve the traditional telecommunications services, but also to promote mobile services, internet and data services, and helps develop the business market. In the past three years, TELSTRA development in general rises. From the revenue growth, Total operating income growth, but the growth rate has decreased mobile, data and internet revenue growth fast, while the local, national and international long-distance revenue growth was flat, and some negative growth. 2. The background of the Telstra Telstra is Australias largest telecommunications and information services company, is the largest mobile operators and internet service providers. In 1997, the Australian Government sell 49.9percant of the shares to the institutional investors and individual investors to stake in the companys partial privatization, the government still holds 50.1percent of the shares. Its GSM network covers 94 percent of the countrys regions and population, and may be roaming in 65 countries; the second data network services have been opened based on CDMA technology. At present, Telstras internet users have more than 400,000, to promote the development of value-added business; it established a special department responsible for the development of data, internet and e-commerce business. (http://www.telstra.com.au/) 3. SWOT analysis 3.1 Strengths Telstra is the first operator which leads Australia into mobile broadband, since then, it had the advantage of maintaining network performance, Bandwidth upgrade to 21MBps. High bandwidth with free movement, the capabilities of accessing at anytime and anywhere, which makes 3G networks become increasingly attractive to users. Telstra is the Australias dominant carrier, which can be deemed as the national telecommunications operator to have the most extensive coverage of business. Propaganda in the market, Telstra has always emphasized that it has advantages of the largest covers, a wide speed and high capacity, which allows it to charge a price above the competitive service 3.2 weaknesses The wireless network was operated by the company -3GIS which is a joint venture between Telstra and HH. This strategy made Telstra to have the opportunity to quickly introduce 3G services in the 2100 MHz , then the bands end product was supported which has been published. However, Telstra has three different mobile networks, the features, pricing and coverage vary of each network were different. This situation is very complex to the end user, which is the high cost for Telstra. In addition, the 2G network traffic continues to increase, but the 2G core network already close to the end of its useful life 3.3 opportunities In order to provide support for more efficient business for mobile voice, Telstra introduced a new generation of mobile networks to exchange server. Before the implementation of this reform, all of these servers will be replaced by a new generation of servers, which formed four MSC Server Blade Cluster nodes in the two regions the of the four sites With the introduction of the new node and updating the management system, and, Telstra also expected to further reduce operating costs after the operation was improved (Muirhead, Hawkins, 1996). The feature of 3G Direct Tunnel allows Telstra to increase the launch of its mobile packet core network capacity for data services. It just needs a software upgrade of existing networks without purchasing additional hardware. In order to increase network capacity for demand, and reduce the cost was increased through the network capacity. The development of new technologies brought a tremendous room for growth and market opportunities to Telstra 3.4 threat Australias smaller fixed-line telecom operators will invest 4.1 billion Australian dollars (three billion U.S. dollars) to build high-speed broadband network. 9 major fixed telecom competitors of Telstras proposes to build a shared network, and may be associated with private equity or other financial investors. Telstra own broadband initiatives were under threat, because the move might hurt small-scale fixed-line operator Telstraà ¢Ã ¢Ã¢â¬Å¡Ã ¬Ã ¢Ã¢â¬Å¾Ã ¢s rivals Vodafone and Optus / SingTel are operating GSM networks, but coverage is less than Telstra. There are other related organizations selling these network-based mobile services, for example, Virgin Mobile resell network business on Optus / SingTel (Shields , Harvey,2010ÃÆ'à ¯Ã ¼Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã °. 4. Telstra Marketing Strategy 4.1The Strategy of customer Segmentation Consumer culture has its own variety of usage patterns with different age and different sex; different cultural patterns determine the extent of the use of new business(Banuargo ,2008). Australian operator Telstra launched customized services for young people in June 2002.It Targeted young people under the age of 25 markets. Which introduced the brand Communic8 business according to the habits and expenditure constraints of young people using text messaging services . In line with the new SMS program, Communie8 also organized SMS promotional activities in cooperation with Sony Ericsson to find the fastest users to send text messages. The analysis also shows that, Communic8 users continue to increase SMS usage to chat and organize their social activities. 4.2 Customer-focused marketing strategy As the quality service business enterprises, their customer loyalty scores were higher, but customer high loyalty is closely related with sustainable growth of enterprises. These enterprises invested human and financial resources to understand customer needs, then develop innovative strategies and improve service based on customer needs. As a leader in the telecommunications industry in Australia, Australian telecommunications company (Telstra) is very clear to know what enterprise customers need. Customers want Australian telecommunications companys technical staff to visit them and solve various problems in front of their face (Rogers, 2004). Therefore, the Australian telecommunications company redesigned the profit sharing and incentive systems, which aims to improve service quality while increasing productivity. Under the new incentive system, each technical staff in the Australian telecommunications company has known tasks and objectives of their every day work. 4.3Value differentiation strategy The value of differentiation strategy has a great impact on the current economic of Telstra environment has little effect on the Telstra business. In fact, it is in this economic environment, wireless applications has become more highlighted, because these businesses can reduce resource occupation, reduce traffic, and improve efficiency (Ross, Bamber ,1998). Telstra and handset manufacturers maintain a close co-operation to market a wide variety of equipment and unique creative business. From the business point of view, Telstra huge range and fast speed can meet the bandwidth requirements of our customers who have the highest demand for wireless broadband. As Australias dominant carrier, Telstra can be deemed to have the most extensive coverage of business. 5. Conclusion As a called the worlds most profitable carriers, Telstra proved the effectiveness of its network strategy. Telstra has the worlds most advanced mobile core network for the foundation of business success. It provide a more clear direction on analysis for Telstras strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, it should give full play to their strengths and avoid their weaknesses. It provided the advice to Telstras marketing strategy through the analysis of Telstra.
Sunday, October 13, 2019
The Insanity Defense :: A Crime Of Insanity
When someone commits a crime, he or she may use mental illness as a defense. This is called an insanity plea or insanity defense. What the insanity defense does is try to give the alleged perpetrator a fair trial. At least in extreme cases, society agrees with this principle. The problem is where do we draw the line. Under what circumstances is a person considered insane, and when are they not? The trouble with the insanity defense in recent years is the assumption that virtually all criminals have some sort of mental problem. One important point is that the crime itself, no matter how appalling, does not demonstrate insanity. Today, the insanity defense has become a major issue within the legal system. If the defendant is clearly out of touch with reality, the police and district attorney ordinarily agree to bypass the trial and let the defendant enter a mental hospital. On the other hand, if the defendant has no serious signs of mental illness, the defense attorneys will not attempt an insanity defense. This is because they know that juries are reluctant to accept it. Basically, the only way for a lawyer to prove his clientââ¬â¢s insanity is to try to project what his client was thinking (or not thinking) at the time that the crime was committed. This is usually done by enlisting the testimonies of a psychologists or psychiatrists, who are known as ââ¬Å"expert witnesses.â⬠Both legal and mental health professionals have long struggled to establish a clear and acceptable definition of insanity. Insanity is a legal term, not a psychological or medical one. The Sarasons prefer to use the term ââ¬Å"maladaptive behaviorâ⬠instead of insane or insanity. Maladaptive behavior is, ââ¬Å"behavior that deals inadequately with a situation, especially one that is stressfulâ⬠(5). Adaptation is the way people balance what they do and want to do, and what the environment/community requires of them. Successful adaptation depends on a personââ¬â¢s stress (situations that impose demands on him or her), vulnerability (likelihood of a maladaptive response), and coping skills (techniques that help him or her deal with difficulties/stress) (5). Consider the recent school shootings as an example. Students who are teased and bullied are experiencing stress. Some students have low vulnerability and choose to talk about the situation with a parent or teacher, which is a good coping strategy.
Saturday, October 12, 2019
Precarious Assumptions :: Research Essays Term Papers
Precarious Assumptions It is easy to look back on an event and judge people's motives and consequential actions, deciding or at least speculating about whether or not they acted reasonably. But, few people can step back and examine their impulse while making a decision. On January 13, 1898, French writer Emile Zola attempted this when he interrupted the cry "Death to the Jews!" sounding from mobs of Frenchmen, and wrote the famous expository article, "J'Accuse" (Burns 104). The letter addressed to the President of the French Republic, foretold that a scandal the government left unsettled, The Alfred Dreyfus Affair, would haunt France as one of the most shameful events in its history. His motivation, he wrote, had "but one goal: that light be shed, in the name of mankind which has suffered so much as has the right to happiness" (Burns 102). The outright accusations Zola publicized assured him a cell in jail, but only for a short time for his candor also exposed the fiasco to the previously naÃÆ'Ã ¯ve publ ic. Despite his immediate influence on the events of the republic, it was not until 1998, that a French president formally acknowledged Zola's courage and insight. On the centenary of "J'Accuse," President Jacques Chirac wrote his own letter thanking the man who "rose up against the lie, the baseness, and the cowardice. Shocked at the injustice against Captain Dreyfus, whose only crime was to be Jewish, [he] launched his famous cry. . .that. . . struck like lightning and, in a few hours, changed the destiny of the Affair. Truth was on the march" (Burns 191). Even the words of the trusted French author Emile Zola obliged a century of reflection before inspiring the adulation of President Jacques Chirac. Had Zola remained indifferent, another Frenchman may have taken up Dreyfus' cause. But if not, could France have remained shrouded by an injurious lie? What historical price do we pay when fear and prejudice mingle? My heart sank when I received an Instant Message three nights before Halloween from a high school friend who now attends Columbia University: Two Arab men were apprehended yesterday at a Costco in New Jersey after a suspicious employee phoned the police on the men who were attempting to buy $5,000 worth of candy. One of the men escaped, but the one detained was found to be in the country illegally. Josh and I agreed that if it were true, the incident would make it on the news, actually, that a reporter would most likely have made it to the New Jersey Costco before the Police.
Friday, October 11, 2019
Motivation Proposal Essay
Five students need to work together to prepare and present a paper for Finance class. All students will receive the same grade, regardless on how much effort and input they have put into the project. Two of the students are not pulling their weight. The first student only attends half of the time and does not have much to contribute, if anything. The second student seems uninterested and would rather tell jokes to pass the time since she does not need the grade to graduate. Question: How to get the two students more motivated and involved in the project? Resolution Recommendations: ââ¬Å"Unfortunately, there is no single magical formula for motivating students. Many factors affect a given studentââ¬â¢s motivation to work and to learn (qtd. in Davis, Barbara): interest in the subject matter, perception of its usefulness, general desire to achieve, self-confidence and self-esteem, as well as patience and persistence. And, of course, not all students are motivated by the same values, needs, desires, or wants. Some of your students will be motivated by the approval of others, some by overcoming challengesâ⬠(Davis, Barbara). Both students appear to be uninterested in their grades or participation. As suggested by the Expectancy Theory in Contemporary Management by G. R. Jones and J. M. George, ââ¬Å"workers do not believe that performance and rewards are closely linked. â⬠Furthermore, ââ¬Å"workers do not value the rewards offered for performance. â⬠Both students see a lack of value for their participation. Suggestions: Student #1: This student shows up only about half the time and does not participate. Could be that he/she does not feel that they have any real input that would be worthy enough for consideration. They are withdrawn and unresponsive. Encouraging this student not only to participate, but also offering positive reinforcement in the way of compliments and showing sincere interest in their input, no matter how small, will help to build their esteem and confidence, effectively drawing them into to becoming a better contributor to the group. This kind of reinforcement is also mentioned in Alderferââ¬â¢s ERG Theory stating that ââ¬Å"relatednessâ⬠is one of a personââ¬â¢s highest needs which are encouraged through ââ¬Å"good relations [and] accurate feedbacksâ⬠(Contemporary Management). Student #2: This student simply has no interest in the project or the needs of the other students because she has already earned her reward ââ¬â graduation. The final outcome, the grade, has no bearing on her and she is only half-heartedly attending and buying time until the class is over. Because this student feels that there is no gain or reward for her performance, it is suggested that the other students should try to approach the situation to meet her ââ¬Å"relatednessâ⬠needs, that of ââ¬Å"interpersonal relations [and] feelingsâ⬠(Contemporary Management). Encourage this student to be part of the group on the academic level, suggesting that their thoughts and input are helpful and needed. Also congratulate and praise the student for already having met the needs for graduation and how her knowledge would greatly benefit the group. This will help stroke her ego and since of worth while also helping to meet another of her ââ¬Ëhigher needsââ¬â¢, that of ââ¬Å"self-development [and] creative workâ⬠(Contemporary Management). Conclusion: For both students to become more active and greater contributors to the project, the individual needs of each must be discovered and met accordingly. As it appears that neither student is too concerned about their grades, the next step is to decipher what does appeal to them and how to meet those needs. The first student could be classified as an introvert, not comfortable being part of a group and not comfortable enough with their thoughts to share them with others. By encouraging him/her, asking questions, and giving appropriate praise when participation is given, this builds confidence and comfort and allows for the individual to become more active in the project. The second student does not feel the ââ¬Ëneedââ¬â¢ to participate because all of her requirements are met. She is merely going through the motions, waiting out her time until the class is finished. Encouraging her to become active because her opinions and input are valuable will help give her self worth and a sense of being needed, giving her a ââ¬Ëreasonââ¬â¢ to have a more active role in the project. Works Cited Davis, Barbara Gross. ââ¬Å"Motivating Students. â⬠Tools for Teaching. 26, March 2010. http://honolulu. hawaii. edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip/motiv. htm. Jones, G. R. & George, J. M. Contemporary Management. 5th Edition. ISBN 978007353022.
Thursday, October 10, 2019
Discuss the Use of Mendacity in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Essay
Discuss Williamsââ¬â¢ treatment of mendacity in Act I and Act II ââ¬Å"Mendacity is the system in which men liveâ⬠ââ¬â Brick to Big Daddy Mendacity is a key theme in the play ââ¬Å"Cat on a Hot Tin Roofâ⬠and the lies that the characters in the play keep from each other is a technique Williams uses to create suspense and scandal. The secrets that eventually surface are what Williams dubs the ââ¬Å"inadmissible thingsâ⬠that are repressed at all costs. The two main subjects of repression are Bricks concealed homosexuality and Big Daddyââ¬â¢s imminent death, which the family are all aware of except Big Daddy himself, and Big Mama. Big Mama desperately invests all her future hopes in the dream of Brick becoming a family man after the men are forced to confront these secrets. She is under the false belief that the responsibility of fatherhood will put an end to his alcoholism, and that their estate could go to the rightful heir. Big Mama believes that the pre servation of the family line runs through Brick, and he will represent Daddyââ¬â¢s immortality. The idyllic fantasy of Brick and Maggieââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"familyâ⬠, however, is yet another of the playââ¬â¢s lies. The relationship between Brick and Maggie in ââ¬Å"Cat on a hot tin roofâ⬠represents repression of both the truth and sexual desires. Maggie continuously refers to herself as a ââ¬Å"catâ⬠which is a method used by Williams to represent how through how her husbandââ¬â¢s neglect she has been forced into a constant state of anxiety and bitterness and is frantically desiring Bricks affection. Brick is cold towards Maggie from the beginning of the play which insinuates that perhaps an incident had happened previously in their marriage that caused Maggie to become frantic and Brick to resort to liquor in an attempt to ââ¬Å"put up a screen himself and the real worldâ⬠namely his relationship with his wife. Maggie possesses a constant burning desire to have a child with Brick, not only because she loves him, but as she believes it will help them ga in a larger share of Big Daddyââ¬â¢s fortune when he dies from cancer. As Maggie is fully aware of the fact that Big Daddyââ¬â¢s death is imminent she resorts to bringing up the subject of Brickââ¬â¢s late friend Skipper in an attempt to relate with the cold, emotionless Brick; something we learn Brick made her promise not to do on the grounds that theyââ¬â¢ll stay together. The mendacity in Brick and Maggieââ¬â¢s marriage begins to surface at the end of Act I when Maggie suggest that the feelings that Skipper had for Brick werenââ¬â¢t ââ¬Å"pureâ⬠and implies that Skipper had homosexual desires for Brick. Brick becomes angered by the fact that Maggie wasà insinuating that Skipper was gay, he tells her sheââ¬â¢s naming their friendship ââ¬Å"dirtyâ⬠to which she exclaims ââ¬Å"Iââ¬â¢m naming it so damn clean that it killed Skipper!â⬠. Williams uses Skipperââ¬â¢s suicide to create a reason for Brick to turn to alcohol. In Act II Brick reveals to Big Daddy that mendacity is the reason that he drinks, and he drin ks to escape reality and so things, in his own head, become ââ¬Å"peacefulâ⬠. Williams uses the unrequited love felt for Brick by many of the characters to create a sense of responsibility to which Brick is in no fit state to live up too. This is physically represented by the way Brick repeatedly tries to flee from having an important conversation with Big Daddy in Act II. Both the characters of Big Daddy and Brick display disgust with mendacity. Big Daddy represents this with his outbursts at his own family such as when he confronts Mae for eavesdropping and says ââ¬Å"I canââ¬â¢t stand sneakinââ¬â¢ and spyinââ¬â¢ in makes me pukeâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ Big Daddy also reveals to Brick at how he canââ¬â¢t stand Big Mamma, and continuously refers to her as ââ¬Å"fat anââ¬â¢ uglyâ⬠and confessing how he ââ¬Å"never should have wasted so much time with herâ⬠. Big Daddy and Brick are both hypocritical in the sense that they openly share their hatred of the mendacity that surrounds them, when in fact it is the lies and secrets they keep to themse lves that they kept from each other that are the true causes for their unhappiness. Big Daddy confronts this issue when he suggests Brick take responsibility for Skippers death , he tells Brick; ââ¬Å"You been passing the buck. This disgust with mendacity is disgust with yourself. You!ââ¬âyou dug the grave of your friend and kicked him in it!ââ¬âbefore youââ¬â¢d face the truth with him!â⬠Daddy delivers his ultimate diagnosis of Brick toward the end of Act II. Brick is disgusted with his own mendacity before the homosexual desire in his friendship with Skipper. He metaphorically dug his friendââ¬â¢s grave for him rather than face the truth that they possibly shared more than a close friendship. Thus Daddy calls his son to judgment: ââ¬Å"You!â⬠he cries accusingly. While Daddyââ¬â¢s diagnosis rings true, it is suspiciously familiar. Indeed, it repeats Daddyââ¬â¢s own remark to himself in Act II, in which he exclaims in disgust over the mendacity in his staying with Big Mama for forty years. Brick himself has echoed Daddyââ¬â¢s outburst on mendacity as a feint, as another way of ââ¬Å"passing the buckâ⬠. Daddy has interpreted its hidden truth. It also seems, however, t hat he has perhaps projected his own disgust with mendacity onto Brick, highlighting the narcissistic nature of the relationship they share. Williams created theà relationship between Brick and Big Daddy to represent a degree of honesty in a play that is saturated in lies and secrets. Although they are not entirely open with each other, they share a mutual respect which means they are truthful and Williams uses them to bring to the surface Big Daddyââ¬â¢s true opinions on his family and their attitudes towards him, and the inheritance they so desperately desire. Another technique Williams uses to highlight mendacity in the family is through the way the characters of Mae and Gooper are portrayed. Supposedly the example of an ideal family with five ââ¬Å"no-neck monstersâ⬠they call children, Mae, Gooper and their children appear grotesque and irritating to both the audience and Big Daddy. They personify the human nature of greed and are known to be manipulative by constantly ââ¬Å"sneakinââ¬â¢ and spyinââ¬â¢Ã¢â¬ on Brick and Maggie and reporting to Big Mamma the many problems they have within their marriage, including how they donââ¬â¢t sleep together. Williams uses comparison between the ugly yet child-bearing Mae and Gooper and the beautiful childless couple Maggie and Brick to highlight how greed and the desire to inherit Big Daddyââ¬â¢s fortune is the only reason they spawned their ââ¬Å"five same little monkeysâ⬠. At the end of Act II when Brick confesses to Big Daddy that he is in fact dying, he loses his temper branding his family bar Brick ââ¬Å"LYING SONS OF ââ¬â LYING BITCHESâ⬠. Williams uses Big Daddyââ¬â¢s description to Brick of the relief he felt on hearing he was supposedly all clear of cancer to build up tension in the scene. Brick, although almost completely void of emotion in other scenarios, feels guilt upon hearing Big Daddyââ¬â¢s plans when he though he had his life back. Williams continuously uses the word ââ¬Å"rotâ⬠in Big Daddyââ¬â¢s dialogue; for example when he says ââ¬Å"Why should I do that? ââ¬â Subsidize worthless behaviour? Rot? Corruption?â⬠By doing this he is subliminally making the character of Big Daddy make unknowing references to his cancer, which symbolises the way that the family knows about his illness, but Big Daddy himself is unaware. The whole time Williams is building up drama for the climax of the scene when Brick accidentally tells Big Daddy that he is, in fact, dying. In conclusion mendacity is a tool used by Williams to build up tension in the play. Williams uses the character of Big Daddy and his naivety towards his terminal illness to highlight the extent of the lies and secrets his own family were keeping from him. The way in which the scenes flow is also another method the playwright uses to create suspense and dramatic tension;à although the dialogue is fast paced the conversations between characters, particularly Brick and Big Daddy, are gradually built up to a climactic state until an interruption of some sort, which slows the pace of the dialogue back down. The time period in which the book is set, in Mississippi in the mid 1950ââ¬â¢s, contributes to the use of mendacity in the play. Williams understood the gossiping nature of the communities on the deep south of America and uses what would have been the pressure to be well presented to your peers to explain why Brick and Maggie had stayed together when Maggieââ¬â¢s love is unrequited.
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