Thoreau Walden Analysis - 1615 Words

Schulz clearly states her belief that Thoreau was not only â€Å"narcissistic, and fanatical about self control,† but a hypocrite. She relies on common cliches of the â€Å"mile† walk back to Concord where Thoreau would feast on his mom’s homemade â€Å"cookies.† Contradictions that Thoreau himself commented on in Walden. Thoreau mentions in the book’s first sentence that he is but â€Å"a mile† from the village of Concord, the author seemingly self aware of his situation. Schultz criticism is overly literal, arguing that â€Å"Thoreau’s retreat at Walden was a desperate compromise.† The problem is that Walden is not a desperate attempt by a narcissistic misanthrope to distance himself from society, but rather an attempt by Thoreau to balance his own†¦show more content†¦As Jeffrey S. Kramer relays in his article In Praise of Pond Scum, Walden is â€Å"not a book about a man living in the woods, but simply about a man living.† Furthermore, Schultz actively criticizes Thoreau the man in an attempt to defame his literary persona. In defense of Thoreau, Kramer states about historical figures that â€Å"we like to make them out of stone, not clay.† As Kramer puts it, Thoreau was â€Å"the vegetarian who ate meat, the conversationalist who surveyed the woodlots, the pacifist who endorsed violence, the hermit who loved gossip.† So did Thoreau actively practice all that he wrote about? The answer is no. Thoreau questioned the very concepts that he often wrote about and have become associated with his name. In fact, Thoreau blurs the lines between his personal story and his literary persona to question and examine how every person lives their lives. If Schultz took into account human complexities such as doubt and contradiction, she would realize that Thoreau was not a hypocrite, but a man questioned life and relayed it to his audience. Moreover, Schultz continues to complain that â⠂¬Å"he preached at others to live as he did not, while berating them for their own compromises.† It is true that was often condescending and insufferable, even advising his readers to eat one meal a day: â€Å"The fruits eaten temporarily need not make us ashamed of our appetites.† He suggests that peoples appetites were otherwise disgraceful, and that food,Show MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Thoreau s Walden s Walden 931 Words   |  4 Pageswithin one’s self. Thoreau describes the ability to find the true sense and meaning of happiness without all of the materialistic barriers that seem to serve as its guidelines. In Thoreau’s Walden, people are proclaimed for not living life to its full ability by impassively going through everyday routines, mistakable importance of necessities, and the idea of individual purpose. First, Thoreau believes that as oneRead MoreCritical Analysis Of Walden By Henry David Thoreau1300 Words   |  6 PagesCritical Analysis of â€Å"Walden† The autobiography â€Å"Walden† by Henry David Thoreau is a first-person narrative explaining what Thoreau personally experienced from his experiment after two years of living at Walden Pond, encompassed by nature. Thoreau isolates himself from society and martial earnings to gain a higher understanding of what it means to have freedom as an individual. He simplifies his life to get closer to nature to learn more about himself and society. If we focus too much on obtainingRead MoreAnalysis Of David Thoreau s Walden 1507 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"Walden† Bullhead City The Alaska Interior Chris McCandless admired Henry David Thoreau, author of â€Å"Walden,† and adopted many of his ideals as his own. McCandless sought for simplicity and desired to stray from social norms and clichà © material goods. Although Thoreau’s book was found in Chris’ trailer, he did not live step by step how Thoreau did. He ventured beyond these transcendentalist ideals, taking them to unheard of heights. While Thoreau sought a life in the wilderness to ponder both natureRead MoreAnalysis Of Walden By Henry David Thoreau1088 Words   |  5 PagesThe excerpt Walden, by Henry David Thoreau, is a piece that explores the purpose of life, especially if it isn t lived to the fullest. Thoreau starts by sharing the meaning and value of life. His idea of his personal achievement was to live life and die with a sense of peace and knowledge that he did not waste a single moment. He wanted to live life while being true to himself regardless of whether he would find life to be cruel or a wonderful place, and this was a risk he was willing to take. InRead MoreAnalysis Of Walden By Henry David Thoreau997 Words   |  4 PagesWalden, a series of 18 essays by Henry David Thoreau published in 1854, is a record of Thoreau’s experiment in simple living on the northern shore of Walden Pond, Massachusetts. Industrial progress is a theme that Thoreau experiences while at Walden Pond. Even though T horeau makes some elaborate claims as to why industrial progress is destructive, the exact opposite is true; as such advancement does much to benefit the relationships, economy and safety of any society. Thoreau’s overall philosophyRead MoreAnalysis Of Thoreau s Walden s The Woods1153 Words   |  5 Pagesindividuals lack self determination and the ability to possess their own values. Henry David Thoreau, one of the major transcendentalist composed a philosophical autobiography,Walden that captures his life experience in the wood. During his time in the woods, Thoreau finds himself embracing the simplicity of nature and shows distaste in the society that forces conformity and lack of individuality. Thoreau’s Walden reflects society’s corruption of an individual s inherent goodness through criticism ofRead MoreAnalysis Of Henry David Thoreau s Walden861 Words   |  4 Pagesdie tomorrow would you live differently? Henry David Thoreau in an excerpt of his book Walden addresses complex philosophical ideas including death, simplifying everyday life and religion using: carefully chosen, meditative word choice, comparisons and other philosophies and stories intended for the audience of Concord during the 1800’s. Death is uncertain; no one survives to tell of the other side, yet it perpetuates life into existence. Thoreau compares living life to sculpting and that to â€Å"carve†Read MoreAnalysis Of Henry David Thoreau s Walden 1183 Words   |  5 PagesHenry David Thoreau will go down in history as one of the greatest influential writer’s and philosophers in American history. Not only was he a smart and intelligent man, but he had such wisdom and determination when he looked at every aspect of life. Thoreau was just an ordinary individual from Concord, which helped the readers relate to him on a more personal level when they read his work. In Thoreau’s Walden, he wanted the reader to understand that you should live life more simple, connect withRead MoreTranscendentalism: Henry David Thoreau Essay1096 Words   |  5 PagesHenry David Thoreau was born on July 12, 1817 in Concord, Massachusetts. Thoreau grew up in poverty; his dad was unsuccessful and had trouble mai ntaining a steady job. Thoreau followed in his father’s footsteps, ultimately bouncing from job to job, scorned by society for his unconventional way of living and lack of income (Henry David Thoreau, Discovering Biography). Thoreau began to write with the guidance of Ralph Waldo Emerson who became one of the most important influences in his life. LivingRead MoreEgoitarianism In Henry David Thoreau1662 Words   |  7 Pagesidolized Henry David Thoreau for his transcendental ideologies seen throughout many of his works, such as â€Å"Walden†. However is this respect deserved? Thoreau critics describe him as a very conceited, hypocritical, and egotistical individual who had little respect or empathy for humanity. On the other hand, those in praise of Thoreau describe his writing as unparalleled in terms of detailed descriptions, observations, and understanding and explanation of deeper meanings. Through analysis of his writings

Tech Prep Essay - 1704 Words

Tech Prep Although the development and implementation of tech prep education programs have been in process since the initiation of the Carl D. Perkins Act Amendments of 1990, misconceptions about tech prep education still exist. As defined in provisions authorizing Perkins funds for tech prep, a tech prep education program is a combined secondary and postsecondary program that- leads to an associate degree or two-year certificate; provides technical preparation in at least one field of engineering technology; applied science, mechanical, industrial, or practical art or trade; or agriculture, health or business; builds student competence in mathematics, science, and communications (including applied academics) through a†¦show more content†¦Although the integration of academic and vocational education offers one strategy for developing the academic and technical competence of students, it does not constitute tech prep. Tech prep requires not only new courses and a sequenced core curriculum, but courses that take into account the learning styles of the majority of students, incorporating concepts like that of contextual learning. According to Hull (1993), contextual learning occurs only when students process new information or knowledge in such a way that it makes sense to them in their frame of reference (their own inner world of memory, experience, and response) (p. 41). Thus, the applied academics approach to learning, which involves the teaching of solid academic content by means of hands-on and vocational applications, follows the contextual learning concept in that it provides for learning in the context of life experiences-building on what the students already know and applying learning in the context of how the knowledge/information can be used in the context of exploration, discovery, and invention (ibid.). One of the goals of applied academic curriculum is that it should enable students to transfer knowledge from academic content to vocational applications and from school to the workplace. To ensure a curriculum that will prepare students with the knowledge, skills, and competencies necessary for work in a technologicallyShow MoreRelatedEssay On GPA1259 Words   |  6 Pages22 (Naviance). Along with the average test scores, â€Å"your overall academic record is the most important part of [the] application.† The minimum GPA is a 3.2 for admissions requirements and if lower, you’ll have to make a better grade on your SAT. The Prep Scholar states that â€Å"if you’re currently a junior or senior, your GPA is hard to change in time for college applications.† In addition to looking at numbers, Texas State also has a required curriculum to be completed. Applicants are required to haveRead MoreEssay on Dropouts and CTE2335 Words   |  10 Pagescompletion, but all 45 agreed that there was not reliable information on achievement, attendance, or completion rates. Another statewide study (Brown 2000) noted that state systems for collecting and repo rting Tech Prep outcomes were poorly developed, perhaps because they were not required in the Tech Prep Education Act (Title III-E of Perkins II). So it would seem that the question remains: Is CTE one solution to the dropout problem or not? Early Statistics on the Effectiveness of CTE In fact, forRead MoreCommunity, School, And Classroom Factors Essay1049 Words   |  5 Pagesof staff carry advanced degrees. The school follows a 4 x4 block/semester scheduling format and incorporates the research-based instruction and Blending Learning model in classrooms according to Myrtle Beach High School s website. The Seahawk New Tech Academy serves 9th through 12th grades providing innovative project based learning opportunities to students. Students have the opportunity to take Advanced Placement course work. The school increased AP courses including the AP Art/2D-Design classRead MoreHistory And Evolution Of Vocational Education846 Words   |  4 Pagesacross so many areas that the unity of vocational education as a discipline was in question.† I agree with that statement. â€Å"Current priority topics where little research was being conducted include collaborative relations development (including tech prep initiatives). Future research will be characterized by mo re use of qualitative methods and an examination of the interaction of vocational education with the total education picture.† The traditional focus of vocational education is giving way toRead MoreGoals in Life Essay1249 Words   |  5 Pageshigh school. Referring back to what my engineering teacher told our class, your grades need to be phenomenal and you need to have some engineering experience. Right now I am in the engineering tech prep program at my high school. Also at our school we have to take the right classes to be in a tech prep class so I am obviously on the right path for graduation and college. As of right now I don’t belong to any organizations for engineering but I would love an opportunity to get involved with a organizationRead More Technology and Language in Education: The Effect of New Technology on Teaching Languages1539 Words   |  7 Pagesthey speak English or not. The website for the University of California Davis Department of Information and Educational Technology reported on the University of California’s College Prep (UCCP) initiative to provide Advanced Placement level courses underprivileged high school students without access to college prep measures. UCCP and Mediaworks developed two multimedia-based AP Spanish courses, language and literature, designed to be equivalent of a third-year college language course. High schoolRead MorePersonal Narration Of A State Championship1381 Words   |  6 PagesThe rest of that season leading up to the Class MM State Championship and the State Open Championship went very smoothly. Confidence-wise, this team was unlike any other Tech School team that I had dealt with. They were, as I referred to them, ‘a blue-color team’ and openly welcomed competition. Because, they were so tough, both mentally as well as physically, I felt I could put them through a workout two weeks before th e Championship race that would hopefully give them the added self-confidenceRead MoreTechnical Education Vs. Vocational Education1649 Words   |  7 PagesPerkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006. The new amendments to the act included three major revisions. These three revisions were; replacing the label â€Å"vocational education† instead with â€Å"career and technical education†; maintaining the tech prep programs as a separate entity with federal funding within the legislation; maintaining state administrative funding at 5 percent’s of the state’s allocation. The Perkins Act provided roughly $1.3 billion annually to career and technical educationRead MoreCareer And Technical Education Program1499 Words   |  6 Pagesincrease the quality of technical education in the United States. The Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act Amendments of 1990 (Perkins II, P.L. 101-392) made several revisions to the 1984 Act. Nota bly, the act created the tech-prep program designed to coordinate secondary and postsecondary vocational education activities into a coherent sequence of courses. Programs to eliminate sex bias were designed to prepare students for nontraditional training and employment (e.g., trainingRead MoreA Musical Presentation Of The Carroll Theatre Department1329 Words   |  6 Pagesshow based on if it is appropriate for our school to do and if it is a popular show that people will want to come see and will get the most ticket sales. Furthermore, after a show is picked we have auditions. The week before auditions we have audition prep week where we learn the music and dances from the show to audition with. For auditions we sing a sixteen bar cut of a song of our choice that shows off our voice individually. Additionally, they will ask us to sing a song that a certain character sings

Cola Wars Continue Coke and Pepsi in 2006 Free Essays

Spenser Garrison Strategic Management 3/17/10 Case 1: Cola Wars Continue: Coke and Pepsi in 2006 The soft drink industry is very competitive for all companies involved. Recently the competition between established firms has only increased with the market nearing its saturation point. All companies in the industry, especially those thinking about entering, have to think about Porter’s 5-Forces model and the pressures it outlines; rivalry among establish firms, risk of entry by potential competitors, substitute products, suppliers, and buyers. We will write a custom essay sample on Cola Wars Continue: Coke and Pepsi in 2006 or any similar topic only for you Order Now When talking about market share, PepsiCo and Coca-Cola have the lions share. They have dominated the industry over the past 40 years with Coca-Cola leading in the category in 2004 (C256). With little resistance from Cadbury Schweppes, the distant third largest company in the industry, the two companies’ main focus was to increase market demand by outdoing each other in promotions, advertisements, and corporate acquisitions. Rivalry and power struggle have defined the existence of PepsiCo and Coca-Cola, looking for a competitive advantage to gain an edge on the competition. This rivalry has been to the benefit to the companies, the industry, and its consumers as a whole. Both have learned to not only stay afloat, but flourish in an industry that has constantly grown since Coca-Cola began advertising in 1891 (C258). They did this by increasing the demand in their products, and gaining brand loyalty by their consumers. In some instances, they were selling cases of Dasani (Coca-Cola) and Aquafina (PepsiCo) for less than the cost of bottling it (C267). The risk of entry by potential competitors isn’t a strong competitive pressure in the industry. PepsiCo and Coca-Cola dominate the industry with their brand name and distribution channels, which makes it difficult for new entrants to compete with these existing firms. High fixed costs of production facilities, logistics, and economies of scale also deter entry. It’s difficult for a new firm with a small production capacity, and a high cost structure to compete when, as soon as their product is introduced to the market, the two leading firms drop prices below your cost structure. Pepsi and Coke’s economies of scale allows them to do this since it costs so much less for them to produce their products than it would a new company. Substitute products come from competitors outside of the soft drink industry. These include: coffee, sports drinks, bottled water, tea, and juices. This is an increasingly growing force since consumers are becoming more health conscious in society. Most people are thinking about what carbonated soft drinks do to their bodies and replace them with sports drinks which appear to be healthier. These drinks also allow for a larger variety of flavors the appeal to different consumers (C263). Coffee and tea may also be substitutes for the consumer who drinks soda for the caffeine they contain. Consumers can switch to coffee to decrease the amount of sugar and carbonation. These also come in a larger variety of flavors provided companies, such as Starbucks, that have become extremely popular over the past 20 years. These substitutes are a large and powerful force in the industry, especially since the switching costs (the cost to switch from one product to the next) are essentially zero. Supplies to the industry don’t hold much competitive pressure. Bottling and packaging of the product don’t hold much of a bargaining position in the industry. Coca-Cola’s CEO Roberto Goizueta looked to consolidate a large number of bottlers in 1986, creating an independent bottling subsidiary called Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE), went public and sold 51% of its shares while retaining the remaining which enables Coke to have separate financial statements from CCE (C261). This vertical integration essentially made Coke its own bottler, which almost cut out suppliers entirely. PepsiCo soon followed suit in the late 1980s with the Pepsi Bottling Group (PBG) and went public in 1999, retaining 35% of its shares (C261). By 2004 Coca-Cola had CCE bottling 80% of its North American bottle and can volume, while PepsiCo had PBG bottling 57% of their beverages in the region (C261). These consolidations took away much of suppliers’ bargaining power. The buyers of soft drinks range from Supermarkets, to mass retailers and supercenters, to gas stations. Soft drinks are sold to these stores which are, in turn, resold to customers. Buyer power in the industry is very strong. Larger stores purchase soft drink in large volumes allowing them to buy at low prices. Gas stations have less bargaining power since they buy smaller quantities. Although soft drink demand is beginning to plateau which could cause a shift in bargaining power to the buyer because of decreasing demands in both Pepsi and Coke. Porter’s 5-Forces model completely encompasses all factors of the soft drink industry. It has shown that industry has been very profitable in earlier years, especially to Pepsi and Coke. Demand for soft drinks is beginning to level off because of a new health conscious trend by the consumer which will inevitably affect profits. The industry has also been defined by intense rivalry by the two largest firms which leave little room for new entrants. The soft drink industry has reached its peak in society and will soon begin to decline soon because of the consumers decrease in demand for the product and increased demand in other healthier products. For both companies to stay profitable, they will have to curtail their products to the new health conscious trend of the consumer. The value created by the soft drink industry is apparent and distributed across the industry in a variety of ways. Pepsi and Coke at first only produced their cola products, two companies each with one product line. The success of both companies led them to diversify their production capabilities and produce different flavors of soda; Fanta, Sprite, and Tab (1960-63) from Coke, and Teem, Mountain Dew, and Diet Pepsi (1960-64) from Pepsi (C259). These expanded product lines proved to be highly profitable and were continued and expanded on in the years to come. By the late 1980s Coke and Pepsi each offered more than 10 major brands of soda in 17 or more sizes (C261). This product proliferationincreased profitability, rivalry, and barriers to entry. Soon both companies would break into markets other than carbonated soft drinks. Sports drinks such as Gatorade and Powerade, juices and juice drinks, energy drinks, tea based drinks, and bottled water. These new product lines all had substitute products from the other company to battle with. Pepsi and Coke had a vast understanding on game theory and demonstrated it with their sequential and simultaneous move games. This led to an enormous selection for the consumer, whose only problem was choosing a flavor. Both Pepsi and Coke both have secret recipes to their flagship cola. Coke was the first to be imitated in its early years. The company constantly fought trademark infringements in court. There were as many as 153 barred imitation of Coca-Cola in 1916 alone (C259). When Pepsi proved to be a viable competitor to Coke, the company filed a suit against Pepsi claiming it was an infringement on the Coca-Cola Trademark. From that point on the two companies engaged in competitive marketing campaigns to gain market share. In 1950, Coke controlled 47% of the US market, while Pepsi’s was only 10%. Coke and Pepsi are two gigantic companies that have flourished throughout their existence. They can be described as the definition of rivalry and competition in the modern business world. They are exact substitutes of each other and have battled to control the carbonated soft drink industry for over a century. From the 1950s-present, the carbonated soft drink industry has steadily increased in terms of consumption by person in the US (C251). Both companies have spent billions in marketing, research, acquisitions, and promotions to meticulously exchange percentage points in the $66 billion a year industry that they have created (C250). Unfortunately times are changing, and the superiority that the carbonated soft drink industry once held among beverages is slowly fading. Schools are banning sodas from being sold in them, claiming they are unhealthy for children (C263). People in today’s society are more health conscious than they were in prior years. This is why you see a health clubs left and right, and â€Å"0g Trans Fat† labeled on snack foods. A majority of the US population is very health conscious, which leaves little room for the sugary carbonated soft drinks that used to dominated beverage consumption. The stability of the Soft drink Industry as a whole is in jeopardy. Coke and Pepsi will have to find alternatives to increase market share, or break into new markets, if they want sales to keep increasing like they have in the past. Non-carbonated beverages, such as juices, sports drinks, and energy drinks, are beginning to grow more rapidly than when they first were introduced, while carbonated beverages are leveling off. This health conscious shift will lead Coca-Cola and Pepsi executives to focus in these once thought auxiliary components of their business to pick up the slack that the carbonated industry is leaving behind. Coke and Pepsi will not be able to repeat their success with carbonated beverages in the water segment. Water can’t differ like soft drinks can. There are simply too many similar substitutes for customers to turn to, and the brand loyalty diminishes. A mere 10% of consumers say they choose a brand of water because â€Å"it’s my favorite brand† when compared to the 37% of carbonated beverage consumers (C267). To compete in this new market, Coke and Pepsi will need a new competitive dynamic to stay profitable, one that won’t end in price wars. Fortunately for the market it is much cheaper to bottle and sell water than it is carbonated soft drinks, so competitive advantage will need to inevitably be realized in other parts of the business. How to cite Cola Wars Continue: Coke and Pepsi in 2006, Essays

Americans visit the movies everyday in search of a Essay Example For Students

Americans visit the movies everyday in search of a Essay couple hours filled with mind blowing entertainment. Is it the digitally re-mastered sound, the out-of-this-world special effects, or tear jerker dramas? New movies are released every week, but what movies are the top grossing movies of all time? What is it that got these movies to the top twenty? The following is a list of the top twenty grossing movies of all time: Movie Year Total Gross (Millions) 1. Titanic 1997 $601 2. Star Wars 1977 $461 3. Star Wars: Episode I 1999 $431 4. E.T. 1982 $400 5. Jurassic Park 1993 $357 6. Forest Gump 1994 $329 7. Lion King, The 1994 $313 8. Star Wars: Episode VI 1983 $309 9. Independence Day 1996 $305 10. Sixth Sense, The 1999 $294 11. Star Wars: Episode V 1980 $290 12. Home Alone 1990 $286 13. Jaws 1975 $260 14. Batman 1989 $251 15. Men In Black 1997 $250 16. Toy Story 2 1999 $246 17. Raiders of the Lost Ark 1981 $242 18. Twister 1996 $240 19. Ghostbusters 1984 $239 20. Beverly Hills Cop 1984 $235 As more and more movies release, what type of movies make it to the top twenty? Judging from the top twenty list, about 60% of the top twenty can be considered Action movies. A majority of the movies in the top twenty are Action/Adventure/Sci-Fi. 40% can be considered Horror/Thriller movies, and only a mere four movies out of twenty can be considered a Comedy. Americans would find more enjoyment from an Action packed Sci-Fi Thriller than a family fun Comedy. The Top Twenty Grossing Movie list is made by highest grossing point, which means total money made. Each decade more and more movies reach the top twenty. In the top twenty, 2 movies released in the 70s, 7 from the 80s, and 11 from the 90s. A major factor that caused this is inflation. The #1 Top Grossing Movie, Titanic, topped off at $601 million, each movie ticket for Titanic was around $5-$8 per ticket. Lets say that Gone With the Wind, #31 on the Top Grossing Movie List, was released at the same time Titanic was, instead of 1939. The total gross sales for Gone With the Wind would top the charts destroying Titanic. Inflation has such an impact on the list , maybe the list should be based on an equal inflation. Not many sequels ever make it to the top twenty. One set of sequels in particular had all of its sequels in the top twenty list. All of Star Wars sequels have made it to the top twenty, and two of the movies take #2 and #3 on the list. The only Sequels to make it to the top twenty, besides Star Wars, is Toy Story 2. Americans do not seem to be attracted to sequels as much as an original movie. Many factors, such as types of movies, story line, and sequels, go into the Top 20 All-Time Grossing Films list , but none effect it clearly as much as inflation. .