A practical guide to information systems - Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss about the A practical guide to information systems. Answer: Introduction Information system and digital strategies can play a crucial role in different levels of business operations. The information system strategies refers to different strategies which can respond to the business environment changes by providing information for different activities and ensuring that there is information system for all the activities of the organization (Arvidsson, Holmstrm Lyytinen, 2014). The successful implementation of information system can increase the competitive advantage of the firm, improve efficiency, decrease mistake and reduce unnecessary cost to the organization. In the present era, with continuous changes in the internal and the external business environment, business may find difficulties in aligning the business and information system strategies. The present report examines the product, services, and the information system infrastructure of the Coles. It proposes strategy to align its Information Technology infrastructure with its business strategy. Cole s is the second largest supermarket in Australia. The company has adopted technologies to increase its efficiencies in operations. Identification and Discussion of Companys Structure, Products and Services Coles, one of the largest Australian public retail organization operates from its head office at Melbourne. The company was acquired by Wesfarmers in 2007, and it is the second largest supermarket of Australia. The company sells retail products to the customers at a low or discount price. As the company sells the products at a low cost, its primary functions are associated with the refrigeration, lighting, and the emission control. The company has been successful in controlling the emission by adopting a range of energy saving initiatives. Currently, from the past few years, the profits of the organization are not as per the expectations. As a result, the company is taking several in strategic actions to increase its competitive advantage. Coles organization was founded in 2007 when the retail stores were acquired by the Coles GRop. It provides fresh vegetables, food, general merchandize, liquor, fuel, and financial services. The company serves 21 million customers with the help of its online platform and chain of retail stores. It has a team of 102,000 employees and has more than 2400 retail stores spread throughout Australia and New Zealand. Coles is national supermarket service provider, which has 780 supermarkets spread across the globe. Coles has a rich history in Australia and aims to give different people of Australia reliable products and present a shop where they can trust, deliver high quality and high value products and services to the customers. In the recent times, it has opened an online supermarket store where the customers can log in at any given time and order food and grocery items, which they require. The food and delivery orders are delivered by the online drivers to the selected locations. Coles was acquired by Wesfarmers in 2007 and under the leadership, the company transformed its IT infrastructure and adopted new technology. The company has bought several technology changes in its operations. The organization has implemented technical changes by implementing cloud-computing technology in the organization. There are some savings in the use of external cloud environment for test and training activities. Big data can deliver business efficiencies and increase customer engagement within the organization. The company is using big data to gain consumer insight from the unstructured data. The organization has invested in increasing the reporting capabilities so that the store managers can take sound decisions. The regional store managers and leaders will have drillable reports, dashboards, and iPads through which they can access different types of information. The technology can be used in agile technology to prioritize the work within a group of stakeholders so that the best product can be provided within a limited scope and timeline, which can provide best outcomes (Reich, Benbasat, 2013). The IT infrastructure can result in real-time connectivity, which can increase the efficiency and speed of the decision-making process. Real-time connectivity is also essential in increasing the mobility of the objects within the organization. The company has also implemented a corporate BYOD program in which the employees have to bring their own device to the organization. The company has efficiently maintained thousands of device within the network and maintains the security of the device (Cameron, 2014). Information Systems Strategy and Need of such Strategy in the overall Organization strategy Recently, information systems are focusing on the concept of strategizing. It is considered as a part of dynamic and iterative process. Strategizing is the process of making sense of data obtained through both formal and informal system. The concept of information system strategy or digital business strategy reflects a fusion between IT system and business strategy. The Information System strategy can reshape the business models and change the customer interactions and experiences. The IT infrastructure has the capacity to modify the business operations and the supply chain in the Coles. Today, most of the companies have a significant share of digital in the marketing and the supply chain strategy (Peppard, Galliers Thorogood, 2014). In the present times, information system has an important role in developing the competitive strategy of the firms (Chen, Mocker, Preston Teubner, 2010). The Coles can use information systems to identify new product requirement or need and develop a niche market or it can radically change the business processes. The Coles can use the operations to expand their domestic and private business operations. Information systems can be used to establish relations with different business partners. Information system is also a crucial part of the innovation strategy of an organization. The open innovation is the process in which an organization can engage and collaborate with its partners in the innovation process. Several leading companies such as Google and Microsoft are using information system strategy to foster innovation within the organization. Information system help in group decision-making process as all the stakeholders are connected through a common platform (Cassidy, 2016). It is widely known that groups make better decisions than individuals and the information system assist in it. It is also important in imposing deadlines to task and encouraging or motivating people to work hard. Amazon is another organization has the most successful e-commerce business model. The company has developed rapid product development and market-response business model. Amazon has been successful to venture into different business areas and handle different types of customers without lowering product quality. The organization learning and knowledge management are also an important part of the IT strategy of an organization. Without effective and continuous learning, it is difficult to adapt to the market changes. Challenges in the Implementation of Information Systems Strategy There are several challenges, which are needed to be addressed during the implementation of Information System in Coles. The information system has to identify all the needs and issues in information management. It is essential to persuade the top management, the importance of information system. Once the plan is developed, the top management must approve of the suggested system. The executives should plan the system thoroughly by determining the time and the time and budget required by the system. Another challenge is to align the information strategy with the business strategy (Galliers, Leidner, 2014). There are several challenges such as internal communication channels, weak management at the top most level and the relation with the senior executives, which can be categorized as managerial challenges in the system implementation. The human resource issue is a primary challenge to the business organizations. There is a challenge to engage the workforce with the user-education with the new technology. The organizations also find it difficult to recruit appropriate staff members, employ experts who can accomplish the information technology activities. The experts must be able to identify the ways, which can address the user needs and demands. The older employees show lack of interest and unwillingness to learn new technologies (Pearlson, Saunders Galletta, 2016). Apart from it, technical challenges are critical in the software and hardware aspects of Information Technology infrastructure implementation. There are certain telecommunication issues also which might be perceived as a barrier. In big companies, the migration from old software to new software or upgrading the previous ones is also an issue. Information System Failures and Recommendations Currently, a large number of companies fail to implement a successful Information System. The major reason of the failure is that the organization exceeds its budget or time window. Therefore, in order to conduct a successful implementation, the organization should understand the nature of the strategic change required, which can be identified with the help of success or failure model. The failure of the system is marked by the constant frustration of the users with the system. The user resistance also hinders the acceptance of the system by the potential users (Jarzabkowski Paul Spee, 2009). There is possibility that the users might constantly attack the system marking it as unusable or ineffective with the purpose of the system. Coles can follow following strategies to align its information system strategies with the goals of the organization. The inadequate management can prevent the alignment of the information system goals with those of the organization. There are some factors, which can assist the management in overcoming the management obstacles (Whittington, 2014). The organization can invest in developing robust relationships between top management and the staff. There should be constant communication, which highlights the importance of Information system implementation and its importance in solving the problems of weak management. Another challenge is the poor coordination and responsibility sharing between the employees of the organization. The participation of the employees can be enhanced by proper coordination and sharing different responsibilities (Peppard Ward, 2016). Coles can make a relation between employees and information specialists and increase the participation between the team members. Improving the design of the office infrastructure can also increase the interaction between the employees and the senior managers. The management should also strengthen the communication between the staff members through organizing social events and informal discussions. It will motivate the staff members to actively participate and contribute to the growth of the organization and the culture. In the above section, one of the major challenge found was the lack of commitment of senior management towards the strategy implementation. The top management should be given the responsibility to implement suitable business strategies, which can support the organization functions (Almalki, Al-fleit Zafar, 2017). Conclusion The present report highlights the importance of information technology strategy with the business strategy of the organization. The information technology strategy is the process of aligning the information technology infrastructure with the business strategy of the organization. Coles is a retail supermarket and second largest in Australia. It has adopted several technologies to assist its employees and increase their efficiency. However, it is important to align the It infrastructure with thee business strategies of the organization. The report has highlighted different challenges in the alignment of business and IT strategy of the organization. The participation of the management and the motivation of thee human resources are the biggest challenge in the IT strategy implementation. The management should understand the need or the requirement of IT infrastructure implementation. The management should also be able to communicate the need of IT infrastructure to the lower and middle- level employees. The report has presented some recommendations to successfully implement IT strategy in the organization. References Almalki, M., Al-fleit, S., Zafar, A. (2017). Challenges in Implementation of Information System Strategies in Saudi Business Environment: A Case Study of a Bank. International Journal of Computer Trends and Technology (IJCTT), 43(1). Arvidsson, V., Holmstrm, J., Lyytinen, K. (2014). Information systems use as strategy practice: A multi-dimensional view of strategic information system implementation and use.The Journal of Strategic Information Systems,23(1), 45-61. Cameron, N. (2014). Inside Coles technology transformation. https://www.cio.com.au/article/549604/inside_coles_technology_transformation/ Cassidy, A. (2016).A practical guide to information systems strategic planning. CRC press. Chen, D. Q., Mocker, M., Preston, D. S., Teubner, A. (2010). Information systems strategy: reconceptualization, measurement, and implications.MIS quarterly,34(2), 233-259. Galliers, R. D., Leidner, D. E. (Eds.). (2014).Strategic information management: challenges and strategies in managing information systems. Routledge. Jarzabkowski, P., Paul Spee, A. (2009). Strategy?as?practice: A review and future directions for the field.International Journal of Management Reviews,11(1), 69-95. Pearlson, K. E., Saunders, C. S., Galletta, D. F. (2016).Managing and Using Information Systems, Binder Ready Version: A Strategic Approach. John Wiley Sons. Peppard, J., Ward, J. (2016).The strategic management of information systems: Building a digital strategy. John Wiley Sons. Peppard, J., Galliers, R.D., Thorogood, A. (2014). Information systems strategy as practice: Micro strategy and strategizing for IS. Journal of Strategic Information Systems. https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/7b51/cb1d72e61b6c251fd8d381f097fdb971d90d.pdf Reich, B. H., Benbasat, I. (2013). 10 Measuring the Information SystemsBusiness Strategy Relationship.Strategic Information Management, 265. Whittington, R. (2014). Information systems strategy and strategy-as-practice: a joint agenda.The Journal of Strategic Information Systems,23(1), 87-91.

Sustainability Supply Management Framework â€Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Sustainability Supply Management Framework? Answer: Introducation The outcomes of the campaign regarding Say no to plastics in different places such as outside the parliament and at local schools and the television advertisement to phase the usage of plastic bags had huge influence on the general individuals and all over the world as well. There have been different positive outcomes on the entire mass in Australia that are discussed as follows: The retailers and super marketing in different areas started using bags in their shops and provided their customers with such bags as this helped them in reducing the expenditure that they used to incur previously while using the polythene bags (Hrisch, Freeman and Schaltegger 2014). The reduction in usage of such bags also helped in reduction in pollution in the environment and this created a huge positive influence on the general individuals (Hesselbarth and Schaltegger 2014). The campaign had positive impact on the environment along with the individuals in the entire world. The campaign helped in reducing the detrimental effects of the plastic bags from the environment and it helped in changing the opinions of the public as well in reducing or stopping the entire usage of plastic bags in day to day life and for their different activities as well. However, the campaign has positive impacts on the management along with the individuals, there are different negative impacts on different individuals of the society as well as there are individuals who are working with the production of polythene bags and they can incur great losses in their business. The employees working in the factories will be facing unemployment as well that has been discussed as follows There has been negative outcomes in the campaign that has been conducted in Australia as the individuals who are in the field of manufacturing plastic or polythene bags are incurring losses as the demand for the polythene bags has lessened to a great extent. However, the usage of plastic bags is an excellent campaign in order to provide the individuals a pollution free environment, but the individuals manufacturing plastic bags are in great loss (Seuring and Gold 2013). The employees who are employed in the polythene making factory are facing negative impact from the campaign say no to plastic bags as they are becoming unemployed as the factory owners are facing tremendous losses and this is effecting the job security of the employees working there as well. The campaign that has been conducted in Australia has helped in creating pollution free environment but it is affecting thousands of lives of the employees as well (Schaltegger and Burritt 2014). Conclusions Therefore, it can be concluded that the campaign that has been conducted in Australia named say no to plastic bags has both positive and negative influence on the individuals as well as on the society. It can be inferred that the respective campaign has positive influence on the entire society; however, there are ill effects on the individuals who are employed in the production of polythene bags. It is desirable that the usage of plastic bags has to be banned by the government of Australia as well as in all over the world as this will help in providing pollution free as well as safe environment to the individuals in the entire society. Lastly, it can be seen that the outcome of the campaign relating to say no to plastic bags helped in influencing the people in the society on the usage of such polythene bags and it helped in creating awareness among the public in the society with proper advertisements on television and other campaign activities as well. References Hesselbarth, C. and Schaltegger, S., 2014. Educating change agents for sustainabilitylearnings from the first sustainability management master of business administration.Journal of cleaner production,62, pp.24-36. Hrisch, J., Freeman, R.E. and Schaltegger, S., 2014. Applying stakeholder theory in sustainability management: Links, similarities, dissimilarities, and a conceptual framework.Organization Environment,27(4), pp.328-346. Schaltegger, S. and Burritt, R., 2014. Measuring and managing sustainability performance of supply chains: Review and sustainability supply chain management framework.Supply Chain Management: An International Journal,19(3), pp.232-241. Seuring, S. and Gold, S., 2013. Sustainability management beyond corporate boundaries: from stakeholders to performance.Journal of Cleaner Production, psychology, pp.1-6.

Lessons Learned About Essay Topics

Lessons Learned About Essay TopicsAfter you graduate from college or university and begin working, the last thing you need to worry about is coming up with essay topics. Many students, upon completing their studies find they have very little time available for essay writing. In fact, they may not even have the time or energy to write a page of an essay on their own. In this case, they may choose to ask the help of a friend or acquaintance.Writing an essay is a lot more than just completing a page. It is a lot of work. It requires good research, organization, critical thinking, and writing ability. An essay will not be successful if the writer does not read and understand what they are writing about.When students choose to hire a writing tutor, they may choose to have a variety of different aspects taught to them. Some students choose to learn about grammar, style, and structure. Others want to learn about vocabulary and other reading and writing skills. Still others want to learn abo ut the psychological effects that writing can have on the reader.When students do not have time to devote to writing, the most efficient way to use their time is to turn in a homework assignment. However, an essay may only be approved if it is primarily composed of researched information.All of these elements contribute to a writer's ability to convey important information. Some writers are better at one or two of these areas, while others have all three. Most successful writers are able to use each of the areas effectively and to write essays which are also interesting and informative. By understanding and applying these lessons learned, the student should become a successful essay writer.The best place to look for essay topics is in your school or university library. If there is no location for this, you may check with a campus newspaper, a bookstore, or your home. There are plenty of topics out there, but you may have to do some searching to find one that fits your personal inter ests.One of the lesson learned when learning to write essays is to make sure that you always start from the beginning. You must be able to know what the topic is before you begin writing. For example, if you are writing an essay about history, you will need to know more about that subject than if you were writing about a sports team. Reading about a specific event or researching what has happened historically, will help you become familiar with the topic.Using resources outside of the classroom will also help in your development of a written essay. The Internet is a great resource for researching topics and other ideas. Reading magazines or newspapers are also good sources of information. By using a combination of the above, you will be well on your way to becoming a successful essay writer.

Marketing environment free essay sample

Analyze the marketing environment and the forces shaping eBay’s business over the years. What conclusions can you draw? The market eBay takes place in is primarily the Internet market. Around 1995 the Internet market was just beginning. â€Å"there will be more than 500 million users by 2003 and a rapid increase in e- commerce turnover, rising from US$500 billion worldwide in 2001 to more than US$3 trillion in 2004† (Fichter, 2003) EBay was a pioneer in Internet market until competitors such as Amazon and Wal-Mart began to sell products online as well. â€Å"Online marketing is now the fastest-growing form of marketing† (Armstrong, 2013). The difference between eBay and its competitors was that eBay allowed consumers to bid on items while the competitors allowed for consumers to buy products at barging prices and no shipping fee. The buying trend of the consumers was leaving the bidding arena and entering the traditional buy now at a bargain price type of consumerism. We will write a custom essay sample on Marketing environment or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This is when eBay decided a change is necessary to continue to strive but they did not just want to strive they wanted to soar so they began to innovate and jump into the creation of mobile apps for their company. EBay did what was necessary to be a â€Å"big dog† competitor in their marketing niche, if they continue to be innovative and continue to succeed in being one step ahead of competitors, I have no doubt they will accomplish being the number one ecommerce company. 2. How was the change in the nature of eBay sellers affected the creation of value for buyers? EBay began its business as an auction company. Therefore they grew selling peoples possessions at low moderation volume. But as time pass and consume behavior changed and new competitors entered the market eBay noticed that their competitors were receiving their goods from whole sellers in bulk. â€Å"E-commerce causes structural change of the economy and affects lifestyles and consumption patterns† (Fichter, 2003) and they were also receiving what the consumer was buying. Therefore eBay starts to get sellers that also sell in bulk instead of at low volume. This created an environment where consumers were receiving what they desired and also at higher volume creating profits. â€Å" Donahoe- â€Å"We have to create a marketplace where we’re helping our sellers give our buyers what they want†Ã¢â‚¬  (Armstrong, 2013). Giving the customers what they desire created profit and growth for eBay. 3. Do you agree or disagree with CEO Donahoe that eBay’s turnaround strategy is the best way to go? Yes I agree with Donahoe’s decision on his turnaround strategy. Change can be difficult but adapting and innovation is the key to success. â€Å" The â€Å"power of mass procurement† can be utilized to ensure that only those systems that meet the defined criteria for sustainability are considered for purchase† (Fichter, 2003). Change is something all companies have to go through and the ones that make the transitions the most smooth are the ones that excel. † Given that expert projections suggest that mobile commerce will top $119 billion by 2015, being on top of this trend s a great place to be† (Armstrong, 2013). This is exactly what eBay did, they found a new leader and he lead them through new changes and it is paying off. Yes at first there was â€Å"growing pains† but their profits are increasing in areas do to their innovation and changes they had to make. † We have gone from turnaround to offensive† (Armstrong, 2013) 4. Based on eBay’s current developments with PayPal and mobile apps, what do you predict the outcome for the company will be in five years? PayPal and mobile apps are both booming now and are only going to get bigger. PayPal creates a secure network for wireless transactions between bank accounts and with ecommerce on a rise with no sign of decline, PayPal is a â€Å"Star† â€Å"Stars are high–growth, high-share businesses or products. Mobile apps in general are definitely sky rocketing as well, depending on the individual apps convenience and attributes determines if the actual app will be a hit or miss. â€Å"the number of users worldwide with mobile Internet access is projected to rise from 16 million in 2001 to almost 500 million in 2005† (Fichter, 2003). Based on how this case explained eBay’s new app it sounds like it will be a hit for those who shop online, due to its convenience and suave. With these two things helping push eBay upward I can only predict in five years positive things for eBay to come.  But the way business goes its always a gamble, there may be a product, company, or app more desirable than the one eBay produces and this is just the way business occurs. Marketing Environment free essay sample Before we start with marketing environment it is important to know what a market is and how can marketing be defined as. A market is any structure that allows buyers and sellers to exchange any type of goods, services and information. †¢The market facilitates trade and enables the distribution and allocation of resources in a society. †¢Markets allow any tradable item to be evaluated and priced. A market emerges more or less spontaneously or is constructed deliberately by human interaction in order. †¢Marketing can basically be looked upon as the interaction between marketing mix variables and environmental variables. †¢It is only with the help of marketing variables, that the market managers tackle the environmental variables. †¢Marketing is an ongoing process of planning and executing the marketing mix for products, services or ideas to create exchange between individuals and organizations. According to Kotler â€Å"Marketing is a social and managerial process by which individuals and groups obtains what they need and want through creating, offering and exchanging products of value with others†. We will write a custom essay sample on Marketing Environment or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The American Marketing Association defines marketing as:- â€Å"The performance of business activities that direct the flow of goods and services from producers to consumers or users†. †¢Marketing tends to be seen as a creative industry, which includes advertising, distribution and selling. †¢ It is also concerned with anticipating the customers future needs and wants, which are often discovered through market research. †¢Essentially, marketing is the process of creating or directing an organization to be successful in selling a product or service that people not only desire, but are willing to buy. In the words of Stanton â€Å" Marketing is a total system of interacting business activities designed to plan ,price, promote and distribute want satisfying products and services to present and potential customers†. Therefore good marketing must be able to create a proposition or set of benefits for the end customer that delivers value through products or services. Government agencies, political parties, pressure groups and laws create tremendous pressure and constraints for marketing management. †¢Laws affect product design, pricing and promotion. Irrespective of the political ideologies, intervention in the marketing process has become common in every nation. †¢The legal environment is also referred to as public policy environment. The vast government network of laws and regulation, policy decisions, government bureaucracy and the legislative processes have varied impact on marketing strategies. †¢Multinationals like Coca Cola and IBM had to flee India during 1977 due to a hostile political environment. The positive political situation has permitted these corporations to again operate in the country. The impact of political and legal forces may be summarized as under: ? Substantial amount of legislation regulating business exists to protect consumers from unfair business practices, to avoid unfair competition, to safeguard small firms and to conserve foreign exchange. ?Marketing managers are required to get full knowledge and understanding of political and legal forces for achieving their goals. Political factors include government regulations and legal issues and define both the formal and informal rules under which the firm must operate. For example †¢Tax policy †¢Employment laws †¢Environmental regulations †¢Trade restrictions and tariffs †¢Political stability †¢Study and knowledge of economic forces is essential to preparing effective marketing plans. †¢Anticipation of future economic conditions will enable the firm to devise appropriate marketing strategies. Under economic environment, a marketing manager generally studies the following factors and trends: †¢Trends in cross national product and real income growth †¢Pattern of income distribution †¢Variations in geographical income distribution and trends †¢Expenditure patterns and trends Trends of consumer savings and how consumers like to hold their savings †¢Borrowing pattern, trends and governmental and legal restrictions †¢Major economic variables Economic factors affect the purchasing power of potential customers and the firms cost of capital. For example †¢Economic growth †¢Interest r ate †¢Exchange rates †¢Inflation rates †¢Economic conditions affect marketing directly because such organizations are themselves a part of the market place. For instance, the costs of all inputs positively respond to upward swing of economic condition. †¢This will affect the output price and consequentially affect the sales. Marketing Environment free essay sample The Marketing Environment Learning Objectives 1. Describe the environmental forces that affect the company’s ability to serve its customers. 2. Explain how changes in the demographic and economic environments affect marketing decisions. 3. Identify the major trends in the firm’s natural and technological environments. 4. Explain the key changes in the political and cultural environments. 5. Discuss how companies can react to the marketing environment. Chapter Overview In order to correctly identify opportunities and monitor threats, the company must begin with a thorough understanding of the marketing environment in which the firm operates. The marketing environment consists of all the factors and forces outside marketing that affect the marketing management’s ability to develop and maintain successful relation ¬ships with its target customers. Though these factors and forces may vary depending on the specific company and industrial group, they can generally be divided into broad microenvironmental and macroenvironmental components. For most companies, the microenvironmental components are: the company, suppliers, marketing channel firms (intermediaries), customer markets, competitors, and publics. We will write a custom essay sample on Marketing Environment or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The macroenvironmental components are thought to be: demographic, economic, natural, technological, political, and cultural forces. The wise marketing manager knows that he or she cannot always affect environmental forces. Smart managers can take a proactive, rather than reactive, approach to the marketing environment. As a company’s marketing management collects and processes data on these environ-ments, it must be ever vigilant in its efforts to apply what it learns to developing opportunities and dealing with threats. Studies have shown that excellent companies not only have a keen sense of customer but an appreciation of the environmental forces swirling around them. By constantly looking at the dynamic changes that are occurring in the aforementioned environments, companies are better prepared to adapt to change, prepare long-range strategy, meet the needs of today’s and tomorrow’s customers, and compete with the intense competition present in the global marketplace. Chapter Outline 1. The Company’s Microenvironment The Company a. In designing marketing plans, marketing management takes other company groups into account. These interrelated groups form the internal environment. b. Marketing managers must work closely with other company departments. Suppliers c. Suppliers form an important link in the company’s overall customer value delivery system. d. Marketing managers must watch supply availability. They also monitor the price trends of their key inputs. e. Most marketers today treat their suppliers as partners in creating and delivering customer value. Marketing Intermediaries f. Marketing intermediaries help the company to promote, sell, and distribute its goods to final buyers. i. Resellers are distribution channel firms that help the company find customers or make sales to them. ii.

Standing Ground by Ursula Le Guin Essay Example

Standing Ground by Ursula Le Guin Essay Example Standing Ground by Ursula Le Guin Essay Standing Ground by Ursula Le Guin Essay Essay Topic: In the Waiting Room Sula Gun bases most of her stories and novels on her beliefs and disbelief. She is an atheist and relies more on philosophy than religion. Perhaps that Is why Standing Ground, a story that deals with abortion, was written with no objectivity. Lee Gull had no religious beliefs Interfering with her Intended theme. Many of her stories are based on Taoism, where there Is good In every evil and evil In every good. In her writings, Lee Gull addresses enduring human problems. She also likes to write about children and their search for identity. Lee Gun lives that to become an adult, an individual must find ways of realizing the great potential in the unknown (Heeler 1451). Standing Ground is about a girl who has been thrust into the unknown world of adulthood. She encounters many obstacles but tries to find the good in them. Therefore, by Lee Guns standards, this girl is not a girl at all; she is a woman. Thus the story suggest that maturity does not always come with age; sometimes a child is forced to be an adult and serve as the only source of loving care and support. The plot of this story Is about one girls struggle to overcome the categorization of Ewing young, while at the same time helping her brain damaged mother get an abortion. The story opens mid-afternoon, as the two mall characters, Delaware and Share,approach an abortion clinic. Standing outside the clinic are Mary and Norman, two profile demonstrators who assume that Delaware, because of her age, is having the abortion. In the midst of their chanting and sign waving Norman grazes Delaware should with his sign; this is an invasion of privacy that Delaware battles throughout the story. Once inside the clinic, the receptionist, as well as two nurses, also assumes that Delaware is the one who is pregnant and talk to her as if she were a child. Sere begins to day dream in the waiting room. At this point, the reader find out that Delaware is Shares daughter, that Share is brain damaged, and that Share is pregnant due to date rape. After battling many age related assumptions and obstacles, Delaware helps her mother through the abortion only to have her mother refer to her as a baby. Outside, Mary and Norman share their views on abortion. They later have a child like argument which proves them to be Immature. As an adolescent, Delaware has been forced to mature at an early age. She has faced many common problems of growing up. On a daily basis Delaware has to fight to be taken seriously as an adult. This is shown throughout the story as the employees in the clinic talk to her in a child like tone. Through all of this, Delaware must also try and make plans to attend college. During a conversation in the waiting room, the nurse asks Delaware if she plans on attending college. After a thoughtful pause, Delaware admits to the nurse that she would like to. However, in the back of re mind Delaware knows that she will probably never go to college because she must stay take care of her mother. It is the constant care of her mother that causes Delaware to face a slew of adult problems as well. It was Delaware who made all of the necessary appointments for Share to get her abortion. During the ordeal of the abortion, she had to deal with Insurance and finance, as well as translating the doctors technical talk about the procedure into terms that Share could understand. Delaware Is not nappy Walt near Tie, out NAS Tuna somewhat AT a Dalliance AT ten g and bad that she faces and accepts it. Clue notes that Just as in Lee Guns other writings, this is the sign of true maturity (572). Other than recognizing the balance between what she wants and what she has, Delaware also exhibits many other common characteristics of a grown adult. While dealing with Share, Delaware has what seems to be infinite patience. For example, the clinic workers repeatedly mistake Delaware for the patient. Every time Delaware calmly states otherwise. Any other adolescent would have raised their voice, but Delaware remained patient throughout. She also exhibits an amazing sense of understanding when De inning with Share. Delaware feels strange and sad about her mother and her lack of seriousness for the situation (71). It is extremely hard for Delaware to remain ready to handle the situation when Share, do to her brain damage, is always in somewhat of a playful mood. Heeler has noticed that Lee Gun often uses the protagonists conscience to help guide them through hard times (1451). Perhaps it is Delaware conscience which guides her and gives her this uncanny sense of understanding. Lastly, Delaware is mature enough to recognize her limits. When the doctor asks Delaware to allow him perform the tuba legation, he realizes that this decision is much to important to make on her own. Heeler has also written of Lee Guns belief that both the pop dive and negative choices must be maintained to suspend an identity (1451). At her young age, Delaware is somehow aware of this and is able to make what the doctor views as a negative decision with no remorse. All of these traits help reinforce the controlling idea that Delaware is remarkably mature regardless of her age. Delaware faces two main antagonist while helping her mother. One of which is the pair of closed minded profile demonstrators. Mary and Norman are extremely radar antagonist to overcome because they feel that they are inalienably right. Mary even goes as far as saying this is a war and we are the army of right (67). Their presence alone causes Delaware a great deal of stress. With their wild chanting and sign swinging, Mary and Norman make a difficult situation even harder for Delaware. The contact that Normals sign makes with her shoulder haunts Delaware the entire story. It did not do any great physical damage to her, but caused her serious mental anguish. Delaware puts up a strong facade to help her believe that she is not weak. On the inside, she is scared of all that is happening. In Delaware world, her conscience and privacy are all that she has left to hold onto. When Normals sign grazed her shoulder, he invaded her privacy and therefore caused Delaware to feel as if he had left scratch on her soul. According to Boiler, Lee Gun believes that sometimes when we seek to improve the world, we do more harm than good (1064). Norman and Mary are a perfect example of this. Blinded by their ambitions to improve the world, they do not stop to think about the possibility that they are arming an innocent girl. Another antagonist that Delaware has to overcome is her young age. Although her age is never stated, it is said that Delaware is still in high school. Most students of the high school age are irresponsible and reckless. They feel that they are super m an and that nothing can hurt them. This is the preconceived notion that the demonstrators and the clinic workers have about Delaware. Every adult that Delaware Interacts Witt In ten story assumes Tanat seen was Irresponsible, mace a reckless decision w h a boy, and is now pregnant. These assumptions not only anger Delaware, but hurt her as well. Little do these adults realize that she is here to support her mother, nor do they bother to find out before assuming. Delaware true strength and mature y shines through every time she calmly lets others know that it is Share who is pregnant. After finding out that they were mistaken, not a single adult is mature enough to apologize. Furthermore, they continue to talk to Delaware as if she is a chi . Heeler notes on Lee Gun that in order to become an adult, one must find ways of realizing the potential of the unknown (1451). Neither he demonstrators nor the clinic workers took into consideration the unknown possibly that Delaware was there for reasons other than a bad decision. Delaware faces the unknown on a daily basis while caring for Share; thus by Lee Guns standards, she is the only true adult in the story, and therefore stronger that any antagonist that she faces. There are two key scenes which help the reader to fully understand two of the main characters and how they each affect Delaware. The first is the scene in which Norman vividly describes what he believes takes place during an abortion. He thinks hat e girls are strapped down and gassed. He pictures that the doctors spread her legs and pry and pull until the fetus, or he, finally comes out. Norman also believes that the doctors poke at him with sharp tools. They cause the woman to bleed and non and grit her teeth. They use their knives to pull him out, lifeless, limp, and dead. (69) This description gives the reader an idea how truly close minded Norman is. He has dedicated his life to the fight against abortion and yet he knows onto g about it. Norman has created a primal and annalistic myth about abortion which alps him to hate those who are involved. Norman is a perfect example of Lee Guns belief that an insecure being will manifest primal myths to compensate for reality (Sc tiger 355). He is a close minded old man who believes in nothing except for the fact that he is inherently right in his fight for life. According to Lee Gun, one becomes an adult when they stop projecting evil images upon others (Heeler 1451). This s en shows that Norman, a man in his fifties, projects evil on anyone who has to do with abortion. By Lee Guns standards, Norman is nothing more than a child. This ascription of the butcher shop shows that Norman, even though extremely immature, is difficult character for Delaware to overcome. The second key scene is Shares day dream. In the day dream, the reader gains an insight into Shares mind; furthermore, they gain an insight to what Delaware must put up with on a daily basis. From the start of this scene, it is immediately vivo that Share has the mind set of a child. First, she explains her feelings about Delaware. She talks of how sometimes Delaware acts like the momma and thinks she knows everything. She also says despite that, Share loves her deeply. Through such d corruption in the scene the reader becomes aware of the unbreakable bond that Share and Delaware have. This bond Justifies any questions of why Delaware has given up a normal life to care for her mother; for the first time, Delaware reasoning for her sections is made clear. During the scene, Share also states that she is brain damaged. She describes her special class and how her teacher talks to her. Even though Share is unaware, the teachers tone is amiable and child like. The reader now NAS n Idea AT now snare must De treated Ana want Delaware NAS to endure while caring for her mother. Both of these scenes help to further understand Share and Norman, two of the main characters that Delaware interacts with. There are two separate climaxes in this story. The first, is the final argument between Mary and Norman. Throughout the story, they have both kept their thoughts about each other to themselves. Each has their own reasons for protesting, however they o not feel that the other has the merit to be there. In this final argument, they take turns screaming at one another. Mary tries to scare Norman away by threatening to tell the director of the organization on him. Norman spends by standing in the y of Mars path. In the beginning of the story, they both were portrayed as adults. In the final argument, they are reduced to smelling little children arguing over a piece of candy. At the climax, Norman and Mary find themselves exactly where they Egan; they have found no resolution, and are fighting once again with their eyes shut for a cause that they know little about. The second climax is when Delaware comes to see her mother after the abortion. Although she looked like a child tucked into bed, Share looks at Delaware and says the last line of the story: Hi baby (79). After all that Delaware has struggled thru GHz to help Share, she is still referred to as a child. This is a dramatic ending considering that now Delaware has been referred to as a child by every adult she has interacted with including Share. Delaware now realizes that despite all that she as files to care for Share, the world will forever view her as a child until she is older. The experience at the clinic has not affected Share a great deal, but it will take Delaware time to mentally conquer all that she faced during that day. There I no resolution for Delaware. She knows that the next day will be the same. She will still have to be a mother to her mother. Heeler notes that Lee Guns protagonist often must face many perennial human problems until they find happiness (1450). As e story ends, Delaware is fully aware that she will have to face many more such enduring problems before society will consider her an adult. Lee Gun incorporates a variety of literary devices into this story. She foreshadows the mistake that will commonly be made when early in the story, Mary insinuates that Delaware is the one having the baby. Mary does so in such a dramatic mannerism the it is obvious the mistake will be made again. Lee Gun also utilizes sensory imagery when Share is comparing the two pregnancies. She describes Delaware as something soft inside of me that I knew was mine(72). The reader can almost feel what it is eke to be pregnant. There is also some light comedic relief in this otherwise serious story. A somewhat comical scene occurs when Share reminds Delaware dont curse; for a split second, the roles are reversed and Share is once again the mother. Other comical scene is when Share, while sitting in the waiting room, begins a discussion with herself about what kind of ice-cream she likes the best. It is through these devices that Lee Gun makes the story more tangible for the reader. Delaware never chose to be put into her situation with Share. She did not volunteer. She faces the unknown everyday while taking care of her mother. Not by choice, but by a mandate from life. Delaware has been given circumstances to live with. SSH has done so and made the best of it. This is the sign off true adult. As Delaware has shown throughout the story, maturity does not always come with age; sometimes a canon Is Trace to De an adult Ana serve as and support. ten only source AT loving care

Explain what critical analysis is and use this to evaluate 2 theories Essay

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Marlowe comprehends the fallacy of racism - Essay Example It is evident that Marlow witnesses inhuman slavery exercised by the whites that comprehensively alters his ideologies and beliefs within the society. He states â€Å"A slight clinking behind me made me turn my head. Six black men advanced in a file, toiling up the path. They walked erect and slow balancing small baskets full of earth on their heads. I could see every rib, the joints of their limbs were like knots in a rope; each had an iron collar on their neck and al; were connected together with a chain.† (Conrad 38) Consequently, he says that slaves are identical to animals. This implies that he dislikes Africans regardless of their worth that may be highlighted using diverse approaches. It is evident from the excerpt that slaves are comparable to animals as apparent in the words describing them. It is true that Africans suffer from dehumanization under the control of Europeans leading to de-motivation. The description of this inequality is apparent in striking facial expr essions. This implies that Europeans have conditioned the Africans to disregard the situation. An instance that shows cruelty among Africans is apparent when Marlow meets a neatly dressed accountant. However, his outlook contrasts with Africans surrounding him because they appear frail. Marlow tries to befriend the accountant by spending a significant proportion of time conversing with him on how Africans are inferior. One day while Marlow was conversing with the accountant, a helpless African moaned in pain, an act that agitated Marlow and the accountant. The accountant claims, â€Å"When one has got to make correct entries, one comes to hate those savages to death† (Marlow 48). Surprisingly, Marlow agrees with the accountant’s remarks highlighting his negative attitude towards Africans. Moreover, Marlow and the accountant were unconscious of the horrific situation surrounding them. These persons exhibited immoral tendencies as apparent in their attitude towards Afric ans around them because they believed that such persons were interfering with their culture. This example reveals the indifference amongst whites with regard to the suffering of Africans. This indifference means that the European’s motivation to colonize Africa was not only to gain power and improving culture, but also making money at the expense of Africans. Apparently, the whites forgot their human morals and driven by greed, they treated Africans as animals (Conrad, 87). This novel strongly reveals the malice that Africans experienced under the control of whites. Readers begin comprehending the behavior of whites that appears insensitive especially in Marlow’s encounter with the doctor prior to his expedition in Africa. The doctor wanted to examine Marlow’s skull and inquire fundamental aspects regarding previous mental illness within the family. He seems insensitive regarding Africans and continues to tell Marlow that only an insane individual would desire t o visit Africa, highlighting the extent of disregard for the stature of Africans within the society. The main intention of measuring Marlow’s skull is to notice if there would be any notable difference upon return. It is apparent from such a proclamation that the doctor undermines Africans life when he tells Marlow that the Europeans