Monday, August 12, 2019
Marketing Report Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words
Marketing Report - Research Paper Example This implies that in production, a company needs to have a clear understanding of its customers in relation to the things they need and an analysis of the most preferred size of the commodity. A good product that is acceptable in the market is able to win the confidence of customers and they are easily going to buy it from the market. Production and sale of Dove Soap Bar is one of its kinds because it has put into consideration the needs of the customers and this has made it very competitive in the market and has led many customers to neglect other brands of bar soaps to adopt it. Table of Contents Executive summaryâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦2 Table of contentâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦ â⬠¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦..3 Introductionâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦.4 Supply Side Analysisâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦..â⬠¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦.â⬠¦Ã¢â¬ ¦4 Demand Analysisâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦.â⬠¦5 Segmentation and Targetingâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦.......6 Comp etitor Identification and Analysisâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦......7 Competitive Advantage of Dove Soap Bar â⬠¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦.8 Referencesâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦.â⬠¦Ã¢â¬ ¦.10 Introduction Dove Soap Bar contains some ingredients that make it good for bathing for people of different ages and sexes, who value skin protection. This is because in production of the bar soap, the producer focuses on giving people a quality product that has most of the things they like and need in a soap. The soap has different qualities that are physical and chemica l, which add value to it as soap sold in a market that has other varieties. Dove Soap Bar is produced with some diversity so that it can capture different people in the market and have them buy it according to their preferences dictated by their health and socialization (Raju, 1995, p53). Dove Soap Bar appears in the market with different qualities that make it preferable among other soaps in the market. The physical qualities of the soap is that it has sweet blue fig and orange blossom scent which makes it to attract people because it is friendly to them. It also appears in different colors, which include; blue, white, orange and pink, to attract different class of people to whom colors are important in determining the choices they make for products. In this respect, people choose the Dove Soap Bar according to these physical qualities, which manifest without a need for detailed evaluation on its properties. Dove Soap Bar has different properties that make the customers to prefer i t as compared to others that serve similar purposes to the people. For example, the property that it moisturizes after taking a bath with it and leaves the skin feeling soft and smooth makes it a preferable product for different people in the market (Parker, 2006, p57). Supply Side Analysis The supply of the Dove Soap Bar happens from an industry that produces it and presents the orders to customers make from the company. In the US, customers who come from within the industry have ease of access from the shops in the area and different retail opening in the area which supply consumer products in small quantities (Jacoby, 2010, p31). The supply of Dove Soap Bar is established in that it has two main channels i.e. from the industry to consumers and from the industry
Sunday, August 11, 2019
INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL REPORTING Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words
INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL REPORTING - Essay Example However, adopting IFRS itself may not always result in increasing the quality of financial information. In addition to adopting IFRS several relevant changes in the overall economic and institutional framework need to be implemented to achieve the enhanced quality financial reporting. Further, before implementing IFRS fully to all countries, an international consensus taking into account of the country specificities needs to be obtained regarding the treatment of various financial instruments and various accounting procedures .This is needed to implement IFRS without affecting the information provided by the financial statements of enterprises Financial Statements of an enterprise are intended to give valuable information about the financial health of the company to its owner investors and lenders (Tracy, 2004).In other words, they are supposed to give information about the financial position, performance and changes in financial position of the enterprise. These are a major source of financial information that helps the users in making decisions about economic activities. Thus according to IASC(1989,paragraph 12), ââ¬Å"The objective of financial statements is to provide information about the financial position, performance and changes in financial position of an enterprise that is useful to a wide range of users in making economic decisions.â⬠On the other hand, it is argued that the preparers of the financial statements can manipulate the financial statements by the transformation of financial accounting figures from what they actually are to what preparers desire by taking advantage of the existing rules and/or ignoring some or all of them (Nasar, 1993:2). It may not be illegal in all cases but they are considered as unethical (Amt et al, 1999). This process is called creative accounting. The inappropriate use of creative accounting has resulted into financial statement frauds in many cases, which has been an issue of
Saturday, August 10, 2019
Organizational Development Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Organizational Development - Research Paper Example Table of Contents Overview of the Case 2 Diagnosis of the Ben & Jerryââ¬â¢s Organisation 4 Determination of the Business- Under Organised or Over Organised 5 Approaches to Launch for OD Effort 5 Further Logical Steps for the Organisation 6 Bibliography 8 Diagnosis of the Ben & Jerryââ¬â¢s Organisation Diagnosis is a phenomenon that is essential in finding the reason of anything that is happening. In Ben & Jerryââ¬â¢s organisation, the root causes of the problem are inefficient leadership style of the managers in the top level and the breakdown in the ethical work climate. The leadership style has been mentioned ineffective on the grounds that clear and significant goals are missing in the organisation. There is evidence of situations when the goals seemed ambiguous and thus misleading for the team members in the organisation. Managers are inefficient in becoming leaders as they are unable to incorporate the feeling of oneness among the team members in the organisation. As a result of this failure on the part of the style of leadership, there aroused lack in the perception of common goals and missions and this factor initiated the problem. The other cause of the problem that represents the ethical work culture within the organisation has also resulted due to the failure of the management to resolve problems. The unclear set of goals and objectives in front of the team members initiated problem in the ethical perspective of the job. The political concern in the organisational objective even initiated failure in maintaining the cohesive work climate within the organisation. The issues that hampered the ethical working culture are the ambiguous line of responsibility and authority along with the lack of control in the operations. Determination of the Business- Under Organised or Over Organised The diagnosis of the causes of the problems states that the business at Ben & Jerryââ¬â¢s is under-organised. The concerns depict that the organisation was unable to handle the challenges in the dynamic market place and also within the workforce. The workforce in the organisation was of the view that the organisational goals and objectives misled them and they were incapable of setting their individual priorities for fulfilling the ultimate objective of the organisation. The tasks in the organisation were charged to be ââ¬Ëhalf-finishedââ¬â¢ by the members. With the ongoing process of the task, the organisation took another task and in this course the former task remained unfinished forever. There was even lack of time to be allocated to a particular task to get it completed within stipulated time. From the point of view of the interviewees of the organisation, the general members and the founders are both the strength and weakness of the company. One of the founders would go for betterment of the quality with development of flavour and funkier promotions of the products. On the other hand, one general manager would strive to initiate certain other aspects that in turn increase the organisationââ¬â¢s expenses. The factor of organising the entire structure of the business was the primary requirement in the organisation for certain point of time. Weakness in the internal base of the organisation has been due to the under organised form. Approaches to Launch for OD Effort The approach that was followed to handle situation in Ben & Jerryââ¬â¢s organisation had a valid reason to be incorporated. The
Friday, August 9, 2019
CIPD Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 2
CIPD - Essay Example Some internal and external factors are discussed below to realize their impact on the employment relationship. Discipline and grievances are the guidelines that are incorporated in the companyââ¬â¢s policy and have a great significance in shaping the behavior of employees in the company. These guidelines are the rules that teach the individual about the companyââ¬â¢s culture or way of conducting operations. These guidelines play a very important role in employment relationship. Ethics in the company also derives from these guidelines and every employee in the organization is liable to follow it. Policies design the structure and that structure shapes the behavior of individuals in the company. (CIPD, 2013a). In the employment law equal pay refers to the equal pay should be given to both men and women for the same job. None of the employer is allowed make biasness in giving equal salary or wages to men and women. The measuring standards for equal pay should be the productivity or other majors that does not consider any kind of discrimination among them. Women and men should be equally treated at the workplace and their rights should be protected completely. Gender discrimination is the only factor that is considered in equal pay law. Another perspective to analyze the injustice in equal pay is the comparison of pay with the market wage rate. If the company is paying low wage rate then it will negatively affect the employment relationship. (CIPD, 2013d). In the employment clause, religious discrimination is properly mentioned. In many countries like UAE and US there are huge number of people does not belong to the religion of most of the US and UAE people but still they are living with their own identity. Government has the responsibility to incorporate in the employment law regarding visas, work permits and emiratisation without any biasness in the processes. The work permits should be given to the deserving candidates by
Thursday, August 8, 2019
The Work of Michel Foucault in Contemporary Criminology Research Paper
The Work of Michel Foucault in Contemporary Criminology - Research Paper Example The works of Michel Foucault, who is considered to be an influential thinker during the 20th century, have proved to be relevant in contemporary criminology. The field of criminology is based on two clear approaches. The first approach mainly focuses on what causes crimes, singles out criminogenic social conditions and examines criminals. The second approach, which is current, deals with analyzing forms of penalty and checking for any faults so as to observe the degree of state encroachment on personal rights and liberty. One of Foucaultââ¬â¢s works, Discipline and Punish, which was a book he wrote in 1975, examines punishment in its social context. It changed the way people viewed the prison system. The book clearly reveals how he came about with his main theme of power and domination. In his book, he talks about how prisons came about and clearly reveals its history. He also points out the growing number of prisons despite the fact of them not being successful. The rise in the n umber of prisons and criminals in the US and Britain proves his point. The book reveals his thoughts on how elite people in the society have power and control over everyone. According to Foucault, prisons subjected people to live their lives according to the disciplines that were imposed by the government. He adds on that there have been no improvements in the society since Renaissance and that the only thing that has developed is the technology that has been employed to enslave the spirits of people in our societies.
Wednesday, August 7, 2019
The Current State of Economy in The Division of Labor Essay
The Current State of Economy in The Division of Labor - Essay Example There are three circumstances involved in this belief: increase the dexterity of every worker, time-saving mechanism, and utilization of machines that increase efficiency. Hence, a worker must have enough skill to perform his job and familiarize himself in operating a machine to produce maximum output. Smith cited the case of a pin maker who would likely produce only one pin a day without the two factors mentioned. However, if the concept of division of labor is applied, laborers could specialize in one task alone, which can result in greater productivity. Smith himself has witnessed workers who were inadequately skilled at making pins yet because of the specialized tasks assigned to them, ten workers can produce 48,000 pins in a day. In the end, Smith popularized this principle, which shows that lack of skill nor machines is not really obstacles to productivity. Ever since this has changed the landscape of manufacturing industries as early as the Industrial Revolution. This work by Adam Smith did have a lot of practical value because capitalists made a profit by applying the principle in their businesses.
Tuesday, August 6, 2019
The Victorian era Essay Example for Free
The Victorian era Essay The Victorian era which lasted sixty-four years has been one of the most influential periods of history. Today, more than a century later, it is still one of the most unforgettable pasts that has left its imprints everywhere in the world. The controversial issue on gender roles, particularly of women, allegedly began to surface and to be seriously dealt with during that very colorful past age. Women repression, which seems to have taken root and heightened somewhere around this era, was also greatly criticized by the major reformist thinkers of those days. As a result, womenââ¬â¢s rights were upgraded and women began to participate in areas they could never have put a finger on before. The Victorian culture, which dominated the world in the seventeenth to the eighteenth century, has been a world power that brought its influence to cultures remotely infiltrated by the British empire. For its influence all over the world, it may arguably be partly blamed for the on-going repression of women in different parts of the world. Up to this point, there is still very weak showing that this social problem of gender inequality has been completely resolved, despite the evident strong participation of a good number of women in different fields of endeavor such as commerce, politics, and industry. There is not still a definite conclusion that equality of the sexes has been established; nor is there a clear-cut definition of the unique gender roles of men and women in the democratic world. Today, women all over the earth are still struggling to shell out its ââ¬Å"weaker sexâ⬠reputation in the hearts and minds of their male counterparts. The New Lexicon Websterââ¬â¢s Dictionary of the English Language defines culture as the training and development of the mind; the refinement of taste and manners acquired by such training; the social and religious structures, and intellectual and artistic manifestation that characterize a society. Everyone who is part of any community may most readily agree that the culture of any society is the hardest thing to eradicate. General psychology tells us that this culture creates social attitudes, beliefs, feelings and tendencies in people (Gaerlan, Limpingco, Tria Birion, 152). These attitudes or concepts teach us to classify people in many ways, such as age or, most frequently, sex. There is no explanation where a certain culture originates. It comes naturally as a product of years; a sum-total of experiences that produce generalities about life. Culture, somehow, solidifies society. It is the collective integrity and identity of a certain group of people. Nevertheless, its unifying force for many may be the same force that brings about the ââ¬Å"repellantsâ⬠of society. In a certain degree, human beingsââ¬â¢ innate uniqueness has caused them to struggle with the norms of culture which they have to comply with. The most safe and convenient way is to achieve peace and balance by conformance. But there are also those who take up the challenge to challenge whatever wrong they find. They speak out in the hope of making a difference; despite the risk of clashing against the established advocates of the time-honored culture of the land. The Victorian culture, though superior and imposing to the rest of the world, was one that never escaped this challenge. Its rise raised up independent brilliant thinkers who thought, read, spoke and wrote, and catalyzed its downfall. This ironic truth brings about much attention and attraction to this bygone age. The famous Victorian culture came to be called Victorianism. Javines (246) explained that it is a word referring to a conservative system of values. It connotes a keen concern and preoccupation with propriety, rigorous correctness and conformity to certain Puritanical standards of behavior. Although Queen Victoriaââ¬â¢s monarchy itself was a model of uprightness, conservatism and domestic virtues (McDonnell, Nakadate, Pfordresher Shoemate 360), Javines said that the reign of Queen Victoria had little to do with the ââ¬Å"phenomenon of Victorianismâ⬠. He added that it is in fact a result of the ascendancy of the puritan middle-class during that era. McDonnell et al. (360) confirmed that this class was made up of self-made men and women who dominated England commercially. They were strictly disciplined and intensely religious, and believed their success was a result of Godââ¬â¢s favor. Rising to power gave these middle-classes a share in governance, where they were able to advance the tested principles which they believed would stabilize society. These principles, considered as Victorianism, were made up of moral and cultural values that were appropriate to their aspirations, and were basically puritan ideals. But this was only the onset of a trend that was assimilated into the culture of the era and had taken many twists and turns beyond expectations. Somehow, along the way, Victorianism became a culture that took a toll on the role and rights of women in society. An offshoot of this culture was a law that trespassed on the woman as a person. Thomas (1) researched and described for us the place of women in the Victorian society: A womanââ¬â¢s place was in the home; marriage was the only respectable career they could go for. In the hope of a man who would either fall in love with her or would be gracious enough to ask for her hand in marriage, every girl was groomed to be the ideal wife and mother of a preferably large and comfortable household. Aside from skills in home economics, the talents she was expected to have were singing, playing an instrument, and speaking a little French and Italian. Whether married or single all Victorian women were expected to be weak and helpless, a fragile delicate flower incapable of making decisions beyond selecting the menu and ensuring her many children were taught moral values. She was to be a gentlewoman who ensured that the home was a place of comfort for her husband and family from the stresses of Industrial Britain. She was not expected to have political opinions; rather she was to be skillful in household affairs saving her husband from worrying over domestic concerns. He was to assume that his house was being run smoothly so that he could go on making money. She was to be biddable, virtuous, innocent, dutiful, and able to teach moral values to her children. A wealthy wifeââ¬â¢s daily duties usually consisted of spending time reading, sewing, receiving guests, going visiting, letter writing, seeing to the servants and dressing for the part as her husbands social representative. She was expected to be faithful to her husband, though the latter may have his mistress. If he did, it was no shock to the public. Any unmarried woman could become a mistress to any man and it was acceptable to society. It was a flaunting of masculinity. A woman, however, with an adulterous affair was cut off from humanity as immoral. Moreover, a divorced woman had no chance of acceptance from society again; and rights of access to her children were removed. This type of cultural milieu triggered many, especially writers, to revolt through their writings and brand this period as the ââ¬Å"hypocritical periodâ⬠. To name a few, Ruskin, Arnold, Butler, Dickens, and Kipling, were some of the writers who never ceased to din into the ears of their fellow citizens that there was something deeply wrong in their civilization. Adjectives like ââ¬Å"barbarian,â⬠ââ¬Å"Philistine,â⬠and ââ¬Å"ignorantâ⬠were designated to the British aristocracy, the middle class, and the working class, respectively (Javines 247). In his essay ââ¬Å"The Subjection of Womenâ⬠(as featured in England in Literature, 436-438), John Stuart Mill bashed on the prevailing social relations between the two sexesââ¬âthe legal subordination of one sex over the other. He pointed out that this inequality had no sensible grounds, owing to the fact that womenââ¬â¢s muscular inferiority to men was idiotically converted into a legal right in favor of men. He compared it to the relations between a slave and a master; women were entirely at the mercy of men. All the moralities tell them that it is the duty of womenâ⬠¦it is their nature to live for others; to make complete abnegation of themselves, and to have no life but in their affectionsâ⬠¦those the men with whom they are connected, or to the children who constitute an additional and indefeasible tie between them and a manâ⬠¦every privilege or pleasure she has being either his gift, or depending entirely on his willâ⬠¦that the principal object of human pursuit, consideration, and all objects of social ambition, can in general be sought or obtained by her only through him. Stuart called this condition an artificial thing, a forced repression and an unnatural stimulation made for the pleasure of their masters. Charlotte Bronte, one of the leading novelists of the day, created a tragic heroine that embodied this picture given by this essay. The novel Villete which was written in 1853 tells about Lucy Snowe, a woman who aspires for freedom and happiness in the only way she knowsââ¬âthe love of a man. In the final part of the novel, her affections for a schoolmaster bid her to wait upon his arrival, their reunion, where she expects to finally give her hand in marriage. However, a storm interrupts this gap of waiting, and ends the narration. We, the readers, are left to decide whether she ends up happy or grieving over his death. Beyond the romance, Bronte drew for us a reality that leaves us thinking. There could have been so many women in those days as intelligent and promising as Lucy Snowe, yet their future had to wholly reside upon the love of a man because there was neither other greener pasture nor honor left for a woman. The uncanny way of leaving the ending to hands of the readers as ââ¬Å"fate-directorsâ⬠creates a tragic effect on Lucy Snoweââ¬â¢s plight. No matter how much she was worth as a good governess and schoolmaster, everything she held on to in life, both romantically and socially, was fully dependent on a man, her redeemer. Mill called this inhuman because it brought women to a much lower position compared to men. To agree with Mill, one mysterious thing is how this woman repression came to be such a powerful force and how the supposedly sacred love between a man and a woman bonded by marriage become so artificial and tainted. Though many rationalize it as a puritan or Biblical discipline, this may well be called pure heresy. Though the Bible strongly commands the leadership of men over the home, it never teaches to place women in the level of a material possession or a housemaid. This may be proved in the following Biblical lines: Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her (New International Version, Eph 5:25,)â⬠¦Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the [physically] weaker partner (NIV 1 Pe 3:7)â⬠¦For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and will be united to his wife, and they will be one flesh (NIV Gen2:24). Biblically, men ought to treat women as they treat their own body. Moreover, Jesus Christ, the God of Christianity, in several occasions went out of his way to rescue some women (Mary Magdalene before the crowd of stoners) and have conversations with them (the Samaritan woman at Jacobââ¬â¢s well). It is common knowledge that the Bible recounts about Christââ¬â¢s friendship with women like Mary and Martha of Bethany, Mary his mother, etc. Recognizing this, Mill posited in his essay that the unjust perception towards women in those days were ungrounded; and, to this critic, un-puritan and certainly un-Christlike. He also added that in truth the differences in the roles of men and women are very difficult to identify. Spending so much effort as trying to differentiate every genderââ¬â¢s responsibility would be like slicing a strand of hair into twoâ⬠¦ This is, an analytic study of the most important department of psychology, the laws of the influence of circumstance on character. This is a very cunning line that implies there may really be no differences between men and women; circumstances are what make human beings who they are. Mill furthered that even if medical practitioners can ascertain the differences in the bodily constitutions of men and women, medical practitioners are not psychologists who can tell the mental characteristics of women. Psychologists themselves, however, have never made any reliable observations in this area. If they do, the branch and essence of psychology itself would prevent us from making any conclusions; psychology is made up of endless, theoretical and inconclusive studies of the human mind. This must be because it is very hard to make generalizations about any human being and what he/she is capable of. This leaves everyone no excuse to repress, manipulate, or control or place prejudices on anyone regardless of gender. The endless possibilities about the womanââ¬â¢s psyche were given life in the many celebrated women characters created by the authors of the most powerful genre of literature in the Victorian era, the novel. Taking advantage of peopleââ¬â¢s addiction to reading novels, our great Victorian novelists endeavored to pen stories that tell of charismatic unconventional women, to revolt against women-subjugation. Two of these powerful fictional personas are Lucy Snowe, the pitiful and tragic woman in Charlotte Bronteââ¬â¢s Villete; and Sue Bridehead, the illicit and incestuous lover of Jude in Thomas Hardyââ¬â¢s Jude the Obscure (1895). These were women plagued by two different predicaments yet both showed a strong-willed passion to have what they wanted. While Lucy Snowe was the typical Victorian woman who loved and wanted to marry a man, Sue was the rebellious type who struggled to break away from her marriage bonds with a husband she never loved, to consummate an illicit and incestuous love affair with her cousin, Jude Fawley. Together they have two children with another young boy from Judeââ¬â¢s last marriage. We see the eager determination of a mother and a lover in Sue as she follows her heart despite the harms posted by an intensely religious and moralistic society. What words could describe the pitiful existence of these women? Perhaps Jude Fawleyââ¬â¢s words in the final chapter of part sixth of the novel which were also borrowed from the litany of Job can best suffice description: Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night in which it was said, There is a man-child conceivedâ⬠¦ Why died I not from the womb? Why did I not give up the ghost when I came out of the belly? For now should I have lain stillâ⬠¦ It must have been as if all the meaning of life is purged out from within you simply because of the inhumane precepts that society incongruously called ââ¬Å"lawâ⬠. Yet in these words of Jude, we find that not only women had to suffer from the cruelties of Victorian culture. Men who did not embrace the conventions of the time doubly struggled in their existence. Hardy gives us a closer look into the life of men who had to respond to the high callings of a gentleman: a steady household, a dignified reputation, and a good financial standing. Jude was one of those we can brand as self-made man who strove with all his strength to do well, yet to no avail. From the onset of the novel, we see him as a boy, teachable and ambitious. Yet, being exposed to the kind of world he was in led him to confront the bitter contradictions of life. Today in an advancing humanistic society, a man of this account will most likely elicit an element of attraction and exaltation. Jude, however, lived in a time and place where men of his caste fell into obscurity.
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