Marketing Plan For Tyrrells Potato Chips Marketing Essay

Marketing Plan For Tyrrells Potato Chips Marketing Essay The market for potato crisps in UK is a competitive market. It is very difficult to enter this market. Walkers is the biggest snack company in UK. There are also many competitors from domestic and international. For example, Pringle is a strong competitor for chips chips market. The recources, suppliers, buyers and customers were control by these big chips companies. However, the Tyrrells Potato Chips did. Since 2002, Tyrrells Potato Chips started to focus on a niche market of potato crisps; namely, the Premium Crisp market focusing on more affluent customers. The growth of the company is important for the companys owner. Tyrrells Chips is in a niche market, the chips are produce for specific group of customers. Therefore, the company need to meet these customers unique need. Firstly, customers from the higher social grades are slightly different from other general customers, they tend to spend more on better quality food. Tyrrells could use quality control to ensure their product meets a high standard and develop Tyrrells Potato Chips flavours. In addition, they need to find out more flavors of the chips, then evaluate which one can be accepted by these higher social grades customers. For example, develop the flavour of foie gras might more attractive for these customers than develop flavour of pork rind. The customers from higher social grades care about their health; especially female customers. The reason of this is ladies are more conscious of their weight and size. Customers who from higher social grades have more social events and formal meetings with people form the same grades. Tyrrells customers also need to care about their public images. That is a reason that customers from higher social grades usually do not want to try crisps. Therefore, Tyrrells Chips need to be produced by lower oiled and lower calories. The company need to develop the technique to produce a much healthier product. The Tyrrells Potato Chips customers are much more discerning buyers. Therefore, the company need to build the brand. Improve the customers loyalty of the brand. Though attract customers to join Tyrrells culture and build trust with their customers. In fact, regular customers is the most important group of people that Tyrrells should make. To Tyrrells, find out a solution that keep their customers consume Tyrrells Potato Chips regularly is more important than set a strategy that attract new customers. Branding is an important part of continued customer trust; however, the strength of retail brands is such that it is more and more difficult for newcomers to compete. Burt (2000) argues that grocers own brands are at least equal to those of manufacturers brands  [1]  . Therefore, Tyrrells needs to get their brand more recognised in order to compete in this tough market. Furthermore, these customers also need their foods have a premium price, in order to demonstrate their social grades. These customers prefer their foods are different from ordinary customers, they will not like to choose the same thing with ordinary customers, for example, Walkers crisps or Nandos Hot Peri Per. They want to choose something with premium price that can show their unique taste, even though the difference is so slightly that people can hardly recognize. Secondly, Tyrrells Potato Chips company still need to let their customers know what they really want customers know. The company should especially show their particular way to produce the chips. Including promote the advantages of Tyrrells Court Farm, which in the heart of the Herefordshire. In addition, how these advantages could influence the chips quality. Tyrrells also need to particular advertising their farm, which is local, reliable, and safe. The company also can let their customers know about their especial way of the hand-made chips, include which steps of the chips-making process are make by hand, in addition, why the company prefer hand-made rather than machine. For example, hand-made chips can ensure the chips thickness mostly the same, hand-made can also make sure the flavor is well mixed. Tyrrells could emphasis they are healthier food. They can show the science and technology research department, and assembly department though advertise. Furthermore, low fat, low oil, low calories need to be emphasised of the advertising process. The company also the feedback of the customers. Tyrrells customers usually come from higher social grades. These customers are sensitive, if these customers feel dissatisfied of the chips for several times, they might never buy Tyrrells again. The worse thing is, these customers might communicate with their social circle, it can make bad impressions for other customers. To Tyrrells, using price skimming strategy and focus on service can hold more customers from higher social grades. Finally, Tyrrells could through test the market to forecast the trend of the market. For Tyrrells, test the market seems the best way to know their new product can be accepted by their customers or not. They can test their new product in the best-selling place, for example, the test results from London Harrods, Selfridges and Fortnum Masons are more reliable than the results from Tesco Express. Task 2 To be a competitor in the chips market, Tyrrells need to seek the niche market of all the chips market. For this reason, Tyrrells Chips have to develop something that different from other competitors. Tyrrells market positioning is the particular chips for customers who from higher social grades or the discerning buyers. Thus, developing long-term relationship with these customers, improving customers loyalty and increasing the regular customers should be taken into account. As a firm that consider to construct a long-term strategy and structure, further develop long term customer relationship and equally long-term value with its customers, Tyrrells Chips might need to use marketing mix. The marketing mix is the set of controllable, tactical marketing tools that the firm blends to produce the response it wants in the target market.  [2]  Marketing mix could be suggested to Tyrrells Chips who depends on customers. Elements of the marketing mix are often categorized into Four Ps; Product, Promotion, Place and Price. Firstly, Tyrrells need to focus on their product: product is the most important thing in Tyrrells sale strategy. The firm have to control their chips quality and to invest in technology. Undoubtedly, Tyrrells customers want the chips can be the best chips in the market. They need the chips healthier. Thus, Tyrrells have to ensure their chips with much less oil, fats and calories. In addition, for Tyrrells niche market, service is another important element in product. Building closer relationship with customers can improve customers sense of regard. Tyrrells customers belong to higher social grades, these customers society are more refined and courteous. In this situation, service can be the most influential element to keep excellent customer relationship. For example, some customers might worried about the bad small with they speak after they have chips, in this situation, Tyrrells could put gum inside the chips package to solve this problem. Furthermore, Tyrrells should pay attention on packaging design. Customers who can buy Tyrrells Chips are discerning buyers, therefore, Tyrrells should use the package design to attract these customer. Classical type design should be the best choice for Tyrrells. These customers have their own standard and preference of aesthetic. Classical design might be the safest way. In the other hand, Tyrrells should extend their vision. It is beneficial for Tyrrells to develop new product, rather than only produce chips. The firm can expend their product line. Other snack foods can be developed with the same way. For example, some people might not like eat chips because the crisp sound, this sound can make other around people feel uncomfortable and disrespect. To make sure customers can taste Tyrrells anywhere, the firm can develop other puffed food with less sound. Secondly, Promotion should be taken seriously. It is necessary for Tyrrells to promotion themselves. Promotion is the effort to inform and persuade potential customers in order to accomplish the sale of the product, services, or ideas.  [3]  The core of promotion for Tyrrells is building brand awareness. Advertising might be the best and commonest way to promote Tyrrells Chips. The firm can advertise their product by TV, poster and other mediums. TV advertise might be the most widely way to promote Tyrrells Chips. However, TV advertising also have its disadvantages. Normally, luxury brands and other brands for higher social grades customers resist TV advertising. TV advertising is normally for mass market. Contrarily, Tyrrells target market is niche market. Thus, the firm should avoid using TV advertising to equate with cheap brands. Advertising with luxury or fashion magazines could be batter for Tyrrells. To link with these luxury brands inside the magazines, Tyrrells can improve their brand level. To co-operate or to sponsor relevante events is another way to promote Tyrrells Chips. Inviting customers to these events can show these customers more about Tyrrells. Tyrrells also can invite their customers have a family travel to the Tyrrells Court Farm, which in the heart of the Herefordshire countryside. Families can relax in the countryside, it is a good opportunity to promote Tyrrells culture to their customers. Firm can show how the potato have been planted, and also can show how the chips have been made by hand. This can build customers brand loyalty. Thirdly, Tyrrells Chips need to find out the place that is suitable for their market positioning. Tyrrells customers may not like to purchase chips in supermarkets like Tesco, ASDA, Morrisons. Luxury stores is more suitable for Tyrrells, for example, Selfridges, Harrods, FortnumMasons and Harvey Nichols. These luxury stores focus on the same grades of customers with Tyrrells. Therefore, customers in these luxury stores customers can be the target of Tyrrells. Another important tool that Tyrrells use is key account management. A simple definition of key account management is developing the nature of the customer relationship in order to enhance understanding and to identify the true opportunity; aligning the business resources to act on that enhanced understanding, in order to secure competitive advantage and to enhance profitability.  [4]  Using key account management to develop a closer relationship with key customers. Chips market is a market that strong dependence with big customers. Building a close relationship with these customers is very diffcult to start, however, when everthing get on the right track, it is very beneficial for Tyrrells to make a long-term strategy. Tyrrells should using this tool to build a close relationship. Tyrrells can not sell their chips in open market, or sell it by them self, they need to sell their pruducts by Harrods, Selfridges, Fortnum Masons, etc. Tyrrells should develop closer relationship with these customers with . Firstly, communcation should be emphasised. A successful communication can get information quicker and more efficient. Using new techinology to make communication more efficient is suitable for Tyrrells. For example, virtual communication tools can achieve communicate with these key customers from internal, rather than just sale department communicate with purchase department. Secondly, Tyrrells need to fulfill these customers need and response more quicker. Offer tailor-made services and products can close relationship with these big customers efficiency. Finally, feedback should not be ignored. Receiving feedback from internal of customers can detect how good that the strategy be done. When receive feedback from key accounts, can also make relationship one step forward. Tyrrells can also offer their products in transport. For example, business premier of Eurostar could be the first place to offer their chips. Tyrrells can also offer their chips in airline first-class, as a local airlines, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic can be the best choice to build partnerships. In addition, the food guide books in airplanes or trains in the first class can also promote their product as well. Finally, price might last important for Tyrrells. However, Tyrrells also need to control the price relevant with the market. Price also need to be taken seriously because price is the most intuitive factor to show Tyrrells Chips market position. Tyrrells through control the price to attract their target customers. Even though Tyrrells customers are less care about the price, Tyrrells Chips also need to connect the price with its worth, after all, price is an important factor in market economy. Task 3 Since 2002, Tyrrells Chips make a huge successful in crisps market. When Tyrrells enter crisps market, the niche market that Tyrrells need to focus on is premium crisps market. At year 2002, when Tyrrells Potato Chips enter the market, premium crisps represented about 21% of the total crisp market, but by 2007, five year later, premium crisps represented 29%  [5]  . That show the successful of Tyrrells enter the market, even it is difficult to enter, Tyrrells also take a position in the premium market. Since 2002, Tyrrells try to attracted new group of consumers. Tyrrells found out a specific way to produce and promote their chips, higher quality, and higher society grades. The eaters were changing from males to women who preferred low fat crisps.  [6]   From the year of 2002, Tyrrells enter crisps market as a fresh. The company operated very well in their target market. However, Tyrrells still weak of capital accumulation, 5 years past, Tyrrells still is a small company that offer products and services for small customers. Tyrrells did not expanse their target market, thus, it is difficult to increase their profit. Without capital accumulation, Tyrrells did not have enough budget to improve their products, services and promote. Moreover, it is very difficult to invest for the future. The firm also have no enough budget of market expansion. Inevitably, Tyrrells would be bought by investment group. Task 4 To build personal relationships with customers, Tyrrells need to focus on approach relationship marketing. relationship marketing orientation is more modern approaches relating to marketing orientation, have suggested a relationship marketing approach. this recognized the importance of retaining existing customers and developing relationships with stakeholder groups( e.g. suppliers, distributors, etc). the theory is based on the premise of building a relationship as opposed to simply generating transactions.  [7]   Relationship marketing is an approach that developed to improve transaction marketing. According the definition, the relationship marketing emphasis customers relationship and satisfaction, rather than a dominant focus on sales transactions. For Tyrrells, build personal relationship with customers need to be taken seriously. Communicating with customers is the best way to know customers needs. Further, in Tyrrells relationship marketing strategy, the firm should use bilateral communication rather than unilateral communication. It is beneficial for Tyrrells to share and communicate information with customers. In addition, Tyrrells need to co-operate with others, which can achieve win-win situation. The aims of co-operation is increase interest of every parts of chain rather than harm others interests. Tyrrells can achieve more via co-operating with others. Furthermore, emotion is another factor that influence relationship marketing. Relative to material needs, the firm also need to satisfy customers emotional needs. Tyrrells need to meet customers both material and emotional expectation in order to achieve customer satisfaction. Finally, people are different. Firm should develop a closer relationship with different personality by different solution. For example, developing closer relationship with women Tyrells. The women need to feel connected to the brand. This can be done with personalised electronic communications. It can make women feel more like a family than just transaction. However, developing closer relationship with men should communicate shortly and with points. Concise conversation can let gentlemen feel comfortable. Tyrrells also need to track customers attitude immediately. To develop immediately feedback from customers in order to control the relationship with customers. The major problem and core aim of relationship marketing is how to keep customers. Building customer loyalty is the main topic of relationship marketing. How can Tyrrells get customer loyalty in relationship marketing? Three easy step to achieve this. Firstly, seeking target customers needs. Firm need to analysis customers needs, and conclude client satisfaction. High quality of products, friendly services and comfortable shopping experience are which the factors might influence Tyrrells customers preference. Focus on customers satisfaction can bring tangible( returned customers) and intangible assets( promote firm to others). Secondly, fulfill these needs and ensure customer satisfaction. Tyrrells can achieve customers satisfaction with these ways: providing high quality and satisfactory products and services, providing additional benefits and providing efficient communication approach. For example, customers may not satisfied current little flavors, when Tyrrells got this information, then the firm need to develop more flavors. Finally, for Tyrrells niche market, the essence of market competition is how to keep the customer resources. To keep existing customers is more important than attract new customers for Tyrrells. Thus, building customers loyalty can bring lots benefits. In relationship marketing, the main problem is how to build and keep long-term and interdependent relationship with customers, suppliers or distributors. Therefore, Tyrrells need to communicate with others initiatively. This can share the information quickly, in addition, firm can provide services to their customers or solve the problems with suppliers and distributors. Finally, firm need to perform their promises and commitments. It is very difficult to build trust relationship in market behaviour, because all the firm in the market want to maximum their profits. However, Tyrrells is in a niche market which offer chips for higher society grades, these customers usually shopping with consumption inertia, thus, how to obtain customers trust is more important for Tyrrells. Usually, fulfilling commitments can achieve high degree of mutual trust. If the firm promise to their customer, therefore, no matter what happend and how hard to achieve it, Tyrrells have to perform this promise. Even though sometimes Tyrrells might get loss, as return, it can increase customers trust and loyalty. Task 5 As a rapidly developing company, Tyrrells need to invest more in promotion. To be a competitive company in this modern society, Tyrrells Potato Chips should build brand awareness. In the year 2009, a French luxury fashion design label Christian Lacroix prepare to bankruptcy. French design house Christian Lacroix has reportedly filed for voluntary bankruptcy as the label seeks to protect itself from an onslaught of creditors  [8]  At the same time, another luxury fashion design label Christian Dior still made considerable net income 796 millions Euro in 2008  [9]  . Even though people believed economic crisis is direct cause for the CL bankruptcy, however, other luxury labels like CD, Chanel, etc. still can made profits in that year. CL can design the same quality of dress with CD or Chanel, some time CLs design may more beautiful than others. However, the unsuccessful promotion is another main reason of CLs bankruptcy. Generally, promotion is communicating with the public in an attempt to influence them toward buying your products and/or services.  [10]  Shortly, the main objective of promotion is let firms target consumer know the brands which firm want consumers know. For Tyrrells, promotion can be achieved through various ways. As a famous chips manufacturer, Tyrrells should promote their chips brand in any relevant domains. For example, to be a sponsor of The Royal Welsh Show. Through sponsor for these show, Tyrrells can promote their business philosophy. healthy, premium and skilled. In addition, Tyrrells also can host society events, through communicate with consumers, to promote firms philosophy. Advertising is another communication tool that deliver messages to customers. As a main communication tool, advertise is a good way to promote the brand, also a effective way as well. Coca-Cola has long been recognized as the worlds most valuable brand. Its current value: $55 billion.  [11]  Advertising is an important factor that help Coca-Cola achieve this. In every Olympic Games, Coca-Cola will advertise their brand. In Atlanta 1996 summer Olympic, Coca-Cola advertised in any relevant area. The third quarter of 1996, Coca-Colas sale revenue increased 21%  [12]  . At the same time, as Coca-Colas biggest competitor, Pepsis profit decreased 77%  [13]  . This is a good instance for Tyrrells, Tyrrells should not content of current advertisement. Tyrrells can advertise on famous food magazine, like Restaurant Magazine. Luxury fashion magazine should be considered as well, Harpers Bazaar and Vogues could be good choices. In addition, invite gastronome and celebrity endorsements is another good way to advertise Tyrrells Chips. Even though Tyrrells do not have a big budget, they still need to highlight their advertising strategy. Omnipresent adversting is not very suitable for Tyrrells. One thing Tyrrells need to do is to aim their targets, key customers, affluent customers. It is more useful to adversting the point rather than adversting wide. Public relations is a communication tool that the firm use to building trust with public. The main mission of PR is how to maintain firms healthy image. Firstly, to be honest or at least let public think you are honest. Integrity is an important element for confidence-building. In the year 2009, Toyota was the largest car manufacturer in the world  [14]  . When customers complaints about Prius break problem and Toyota decided to repair those cars, it was already too late, Toyota lost the trust from consumers. Putting aside political factors, unresponsive public relations department might put the last straw on Toyota, to pull the firm into this passive situation. This is a bitter lesson for Toyota, however, Tyrrells can learn a lot from this case. Tyrrells should communicate with customers more efficient. Public relations department should receive the public problem Immediately. Then control and solve the problem as quickly as they can. Public trust is very easy to loss but hard to get, therefore, PR department should good at controlling the problem and make sure it will not be proliferated. Finally, Tyrrells should good at using a communication tool called internet marketing. Marketing on the internet is slightly different from real world. For Tyrrells, Marketing on the internet is promoting to young customers. Tyrrells can co-operate with social website like Facebook, Youtube or Twitter. For example, company can sponsor virtual farm on Facebook to attract young people, they can also use Twitter to push their voucher to customers. Tyrrells can collect customers email through using Tyrrells website log on system. The advantage is, Tyrrells can deliver their new message to the specific group of customers( younger, older,male, female, etc.). Disadvantage is, these emails might be marked by spams. Internet is not just promoting, customers could also shop online. Online shop can make transactions more flexible. When customers want to buy huge packages of chips, they can purchase a box of Tyrrells Chips online. It is very strange to purchase a box of chips, but when online shopping, customers do not need to worried about this. Online shopping also can make customers more flexible. For example, when customer shopping at Harrods, he want to purchase 5 packages of flavor Lightly Sea Salted, 5 packages of Sweet Chilli Red Pepper, it might very difficult to carry. However, online shopping can solve this problem. Chips are not clothes, sometimes customers do not need to fit them.

Gothic Elements in A Curtain of Green and Death of a Traveling Salesma

Gothic Elements in A Curtain of Green and Death of a Traveling Salesman In fiction, Gothicism is defined as a style that emphasizes the grotesque, mysterious, and desolate. Eudora Welty makes frequent use of the grotesque in her work, often pairing it with elements of mystery, as in "Keela, The Outcast Indian Maiden." However, she usually deals with desolation as a separate element, as in "Death of A Traveling Salesman," in which the focus is placed on the lonely, fruitless existence of R.J. Bowman. One early reviewer of A Curtain of Green, in which "Keela, The Outcast Indian Maiden" appears, wrote that Welty was "preoccupied with the demented, the deformed, the queer, [and] the highly spiced" (Vande Kieft 67). Though the presence of these elements is pronounced, the reviewer has failed to look past these devices to see Welty's purpose. Welty's focus is never centered around the grotesque itself; rather she focuses on her characters' reactions to it and the contrast it creates. "She does not try mystically to transform or anonymously to interpret," she me...

Facilitating Diffusion of E-governent Services Essay example -- Gover

1 Introduction E-government has the potential to improve greatly the delivery of public services, making them easier to access, more convenient to use, more responsive, more transparent and so on. It also has the potential to free up resources in the public sector by delivering services more efficiently. Therefore governments are keen to push their citizens to use online services to deliver public services more efficiently and faster with lower cost. For instance U.K. government, in February 2010, announced a new strategy for the public sector aimed at simplifying and standardizing ICT across the public sector to enable interoperability and data sharing while providing flexibility and efficient services that will deliver savings of over  £ 3.2 billion per year(E-Government factsheets, 2010). Although the e-government services are beneficial to the citizens but diffusing these services to citizens in an innovative format could be challenging. The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence o f electronic government in facilitating the diffusion of public services to citizens and what are the advantages and disadvantages of this transformation. To evaluate the influence of e-government in facilitating the diffusion of public services, firstly we must know what the e-government is, then, what factors are important for successfully implementing of the e-government concept, and finally, what type of benefits citizens could gain by using government’s e-services. This essay consists of 5 main sections starting with the e-government literature followed by historical view of e-government in the U.K. The next section is discussing about the influential factors of successful diffusion of e-government services followed by further discuss... ...n in the public sector: Key features influencing the development and implementation of technologically innovative public sector services in the UK, Denmark, Finland and Estonia." Information Polity: The International Journal of Government & Democracy in the Information Age 12, no. 3: 109-125. [Accessed 25th November 2010] Schipper, K. (2010). â€Å"How can we measure the costs and benefits of changes in financial reporting standards†. Accounting & Business Research, 40(3), 309-327. Teo T. S.H., Srivastava S.C., & Jiang, L. (2008) â€Å"Trust and Electronic Government Success:An Empirical Study† .Journal of Management Information Systems / Winter 2008–9, Vol. 25, No. 3, pp. 99–131. Vassilakis, C., Lepouras, G. & Halatsis, G.(2007) â€Å"A knowledge-based approach for developing multi-channel e-government services†. Electronic Commerce Research and Applications 6 (2007) 113–124 Facilitating Diffusion of E-governent Services Essay example -- Gover 1 Introduction E-government has the potential to improve greatly the delivery of public services, making them easier to access, more convenient to use, more responsive, more transparent and so on. It also has the potential to free up resources in the public sector by delivering services more efficiently. Therefore governments are keen to push their citizens to use online services to deliver public services more efficiently and faster with lower cost. For instance U.K. government, in February 2010, announced a new strategy for the public sector aimed at simplifying and standardizing ICT across the public sector to enable interoperability and data sharing while providing flexibility and efficient services that will deliver savings of over  £ 3.2 billion per year(E-Government factsheets, 2010). Although the e-government services are beneficial to the citizens but diffusing these services to citizens in an innovative format could be challenging. The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence o f electronic government in facilitating the diffusion of public services to citizens and what are the advantages and disadvantages of this transformation. To evaluate the influence of e-government in facilitating the diffusion of public services, firstly we must know what the e-government is, then, what factors are important for successfully implementing of the e-government concept, and finally, what type of benefits citizens could gain by using government’s e-services. This essay consists of 5 main sections starting with the e-government literature followed by historical view of e-government in the U.K. The next section is discussing about the influential factors of successful diffusion of e-government services followed by further discuss... ...n in the public sector: Key features influencing the development and implementation of technologically innovative public sector services in the UK, Denmark, Finland and Estonia." Information Polity: The International Journal of Government & Democracy in the Information Age 12, no. 3: 109-125. [Accessed 25th November 2010] Schipper, K. (2010). â€Å"How can we measure the costs and benefits of changes in financial reporting standards†. Accounting & Business Research, 40(3), 309-327. Teo T. S.H., Srivastava S.C., & Jiang, L. (2008) â€Å"Trust and Electronic Government Success:An Empirical Study† .Journal of Management Information Systems / Winter 2008–9, Vol. 25, No. 3, pp. 99–131. Vassilakis, C., Lepouras, G. & Halatsis, G.(2007) â€Å"A knowledge-based approach for developing multi-channel e-government services†. Electronic Commerce Research and Applications 6 (2007) 113–124

Marriage: Is It in Crisis?

Marriage in America Burin Bianca Ramirez October 11, 2012 Marriage: Is It In Crisis? In America, it is the traditional thing to do to get married to someone in order to spend the rest of your life with. Someone to go through the ups and downs of life with, someone to be there to support you no matter what, and even in most marriages someone to have children with and to create a family. All these are perfect examples of why people get married, so why wouldn’t you want all of these things in your life? Well society as we know it today is declining in all aspects including, economics, the work force, and even health care.It is no wonder why people have come to the realization that marriage is in crisis because of everything that is going on around us. In the articles I read, â€Å"The Marriage Crisis†, â€Å"Pimp My Bride† and â€Å"Few Good Men† there are different viewpoints and takes on my marriage is in trouble. The most important points I will be making and elaborating on in this passage about why marriage in in crisis today will be the realization people are coming to about a worthy marriage, how the media portrays marriage, and the economic and emotional state of marriage.While explaining these points we will ask ourselves, is marriage in crisis? In the earlier 1900s people were getting married for usually one reason: Stability. Times were hard back then and the only way people could make a living was if they had a â€Å"partner† to help out with a household/farm while the other spouse went out in the work force to earn a living and put food on the table. Having someone help you out with things at home makes things easier and that’s why they formed almost a business like partnership. In the article â€Å"The Marriage Crisis†, it explains the declining of marriage and the rising of cohabitation.This brings up my first point which is the realization people are coming to about a worthy marriage. In other words, people can now fend on their own, especially woman. Today, women have more rights and are able to participate in the work force just as much as men are. Woman are more independent now more than ever before and because of this they don’t need to force themselves in a marriage they don’t want to be in just so they are financially stable. This is why cohabitation exists. People want to know a person for a long time before they make any commitment and rush into a marriage without fully knowing the good and bad in a person.In addition to women’s rights, marriage is declining because women also have the power of education. Women are now getting degrees, making their own money (not having to rely on a man), and gaining a sense of personal fulfillment and to some women personal fulfillment is a lot more rewarding than fulfillment from a marriage. On the topic of marriage and society now, media comes into play. Technology has emerged excessively in the last decade, and w ith technology comes media. Of course there are many different sources of media but we’ll just focus of television.In the article â€Å"Pimp My Bride†, the author Judith Halberstam explains the world of marriage on reality television based program. She includes shows like The Bachelor, Average Joe, and Joe Millionaire. All these shows portray one message: how marriage is outside of normal society which includes financial responsibilities, children, families, work, and other outside conflicts that usually affect a normal relationship/marriage. Halberstam explains how these reality television shows are known as â€Å"survival of the cutest† where these shows are simply based on looks, although they try to mix in personality with it, it usually doesn’t work that way.Shows like The Bachelor are scripted programs that only get our hopes up and make us think that marriage is perfect and nothing gets in the way of that relationship. Well that is totally wrong. W hat they don’t show is how marriage really is outside of that program. Usually with these shows, once the couple returns back to reality and to their normal lives, the relationship rarely lasts because conflicts that normal couples go through are suddenly hitting them and they realize that the perfect relationship they had before is not going to work in reality.This is why it is important to realize that these are just shows and you need to be smarter than to believe that your relationship/marriage is going to be as perfect as the ones you see on television. Those shows are strictly for entertainment purposes. Stepping aside from reality television marriages, and their â€Å"perfect† relationships, there is a need to talk about the reality of marriage. Do people get married? Of course they do. Do people get divorced? Of course they do. Why?When you marry someone it is because at that time you can see spending the rest of your life with them, but things can change and p eople can change and if you can’t seem to accept those changes divorce is usually the answer to get away from that and that is perfectly okay. I am a firm believer that if you are not happy in your marriage you have the right to divorce. I understand the spiritual side of marriage and how that can be a process and that there needs to be an appropriate reason for an annulment but overall people still have the right to break off a marriage that isn’t happy anymore.Why spend the rest of your life with someone you can’t be fully happy with, that is just making yourself suffer and can affect you in many different ways. If you do get divorced, you can always remarry and hopefully find your soul mate. On the other hand, remarrying is not for everyone. In the article â€Å"Few Good Men†, we notice a focus on single low-income women and their views about marriage. In their eyes marriage is more of a risk than a reward because they feel that nothing is certain or p romised in a marriage.With all the hardships they already have to go through now, having a marriage in which the husband beats them, abuses their children, who is controlling, or is unfaithful is just not worth the risk, and they’d rather stay single and fend for themselves rather than depend on someone who is not suitable for them. Now, they are not saying that they wouldn’t marry a man; he just has to be the right one, and to be completely honest there aren’t a lot of those kinds of men left. Marriages in low-income couples are not likely to last because of affordability, respectability, trust and control.Low-income couples sometimes do not work out because they depend of both the husbands and wife’s income. If a husband were to lose or quit his job the amount of necessities they can afford is very little. And when you add children to a household with two parents but only one income in an already low-income marriage, there is only enough supplies to go around for the children and very little left for the one providing and the one that is jobless, in this case the husband, is the one that doesn’t get anything which leads to marriages falling apart.In communities that are low-income based you would think that people there would not take marriage seriously but that is not the case. Women in those communities think of marriage as a â€Å"sacred† thing and they take it seriously. They all want that big, huge wedding that is magical just like everyone else. So they stray away from marriage because they’d rather not have a marriage in which the partner doesn’t take it seriously enough and doesn’t meet their expectations. Trust is also a big reason why women in these communities aren’t getting married.They simply just cannot trust men enough to marry them. They explain that at the end of the day â€Å"men will be men† and engage in an outside affair with another woman, and they will not put up with someone who is unfaithful. They also cannot trust them with handling money. It is not fair to the hard working women who are trying to pay the bills when the husband is spending their money on junk when they should be saving up and keeping that money handy for their children. And lastly, women feel that they cannot trust their husbands with their children.In the communities that they live in things like drugs and narcotics are easy to get a hold of and the women fear that the husband could be exposing their children to drugs and sadly, even sexually abusing their children. These make up all of the characteristics as to why poor women don’t marry. Based upon the evidence provided by the authors and their articles, I do in a way think that marriage is in crisis. People have such high expectations in what they want their marriage to be like, and they should aim for something high. In everything that is going on in the world now, people are entitled to be in a happy marr iage.Now, I am not totally convinced that marriage is in crisis. For those that do get married usually do it for the right reason: to be with the one you love for the rest of your life. Those marriages, I feel, are not in crisis. They understand the true meaning of loving someone unconditionally and they want to be in a marriage. So I other words, those who marry and don’t take it seriously are the ones that have marriages in crisis, but those who value marriage as a scared union help me believe that a happy marriage is still out there and it can be something to look forward to.In conclusion, society view marriage is in crisis because of all the changes that are going on around us and how it affects the institution of marriage. Economics and the work force take a toll on marriage today and put a strain on some aspects of marriage. People realizing the worthiness of a good marriage and the expectations they have on marriage has affected the decline of marriage and couples foun d cohabitation as an alternative of marriage. Media has affected the institution of marriage immensely through the works of reality television and how they portray marriage in a â€Å"fantasy world† rather than the real world.And lastly, marriage in low-income based communities is declining because of characteristics such as affordability, respectability, trust and control. So in essence, is marriage in crisis? I believe there is not right answer simply because the marriages in which the couple does not take the union seriously does put the institution of marriage in crisis but the few marriages that are perfectly happy are the ones to look up to and strive towards later on in life.

Supersize Me Summary

Several legal suits have been brought against McDonald's Restaurants that they are knowingly selling food that is unhealthy. Some of the court decisions have stated that the plaintiffs would have a claim if they could prove that eating the food every day for every meal is dangerous. As such, documentarian Morgan Spurlock conducts an unscientific experiment using himself as the guinea pig: eat only McDonald's for thirty days, three meals a day. If he is asked by the clerk if he would like the meal super sized, he has to say yes. And by the end of the thirty days, he will have had to have eaten every single menu item at least once.Before starting the experiment, he is tested by three doctors – a general practitioner, a cardiologist and a gastroenterologist – who pronounce his general health to be outstanding. They will also monitor him over the thirty days to ensure that he is not placing his health into irreparable damage. He also consults with a dietitian/nutritionist a nd an exercise physiologist, the latter who also deems him to be above average fitness. As it mimics the lifestyle of those who eat fast food, he will also do no exercise for the thirty days, limiting himself to under 5,000 steps per day (the approximate equivalent of 2? iles). These health and medical experts have some predictions about his general health and wellness by the end of the experiment. His vegan chef girlfriend also has some predictions about how this experiment will affect his mood and therefore their relationship. As he goes through the experiment, he speaks to a number of people – many experts in their respective fields – on the pros and cons of the fast food lifestyle. Just over halfway through the experiment, it is evident that even the experts can be wrong, and not in a good way.

Likely Impact of MIS on the Global Glass Industry

Likely Future Impacts of MIS on the Glass Industry China looks set to dominate various markets in the near future (Hughes, M (2011) Week 3 â€Å"IS in a Changing World†, MS102, National University of Ireland Galway, unpublished) The glass industry should be a target for them. China is the best in the world for glass production and consumption. China’s flat glass production accounts for 40 per cent of the world today, which is about 38 million tons per year, and the processed glass industry is improving quickly. (Wenyi, M. O Professor of the Chinese Ceramic Society, â€Å"Review and Prospect of the Glass Industry in China†)According to incomplete statistics from 2004, the production scale of insulated glass reached 130 million square metres, and production amounted to 45 million square metres. China’s glass machinery sector has become a new boom industry, and although the Chinese glass industry has made great steps, there is still a large gap between China and advanced countries abroad. China’s flat glass industry consumes more natural resources, energy costs are higher, technology and equipment levels are relatively low, product mix is not feasible, and the processed glass ratio is low.There are lots of manufacturers, but the production scale is small, industry concentration is low, and research and development capitalization is weak. (Wenyi, M. O Professor of the Chinese Ceramic Society, â€Å"Review and Prospect of the Glass Industry in China†). Innovations in future technology within the glass industry are going to be vital for firms within the industry to utilize if they are going to stay competitive taking into consideration the probable advancement of the Chinese Industry. The US glass industry alone spends 1. billion a year on energy and (energy costs) accounts for 14% of the cost of production (Ernest Worrel et al 2008). This leaves huge scope for firms to enable energy saving and thus cost saving technology. A report entitled â€Å"Energy Efficiency Improvement and Cost Saving Opportunities for the Glass Industry† an Energy Star Guide for Energy and Plant Managers by Ernst Worrell, Christina Galitsky, Eric Masanet, and Wina Graus we can clearly see that these cost saving technologies are either there to be utilized by firms within the industry or are very near to that stage.Oscillating combustion is currently being tested by the Gas Technology Institute (GTI). This technology forces the oscillation of the burner fuel to create successive, fuel-rich and fuel-lean zones within the flame. It also reduces NOx emissions. Reported fuels savings are 2 to 5% and reduced NOx emissions 30 to 50%. The Segmented Melter works as the batch is melted in an electric melter, after which the cullet is added in a separate oxy-fuel fired melter. Although on the plus side emissions will be lowered maintenance to the seg-melter is high as it only has a useful life of 15 years and requires repairs at lea st once every 3 years.However, there is interest in future improvements of the seg-melter to develop a more energy-efficient glass melting process (TNO, The Netherlands; Alfred University, New York). Under development by Tamglass, Finland, a new HSCâ„ ¢ high-speed convection heater transfers more of the heat by convection (over 50%) using a lengthwise system of heating elements in the furnace. Tamglass claims production increases of as much as 40%, lower energy costs, and increased process reliability (Tamglass 2003). Limited steam use in the glass production process limits the use of cogeneration or combined heat and power generation in the glass industry.An alternative may be the use of an air-bottoming cycle. The average energy savings were estimated at 10% with an estimated payback periods of 3 to 4 years (at price conditions in The Netherlands). The recycling of in-house glass waste is challenging as impurities in the waste material often leads to a high rate of filament bre akage in fiber forming processes. It has been estimated that around 260,000 tons of glass waste are generated each year in US. and that in-house recycling of this waste would save the US glass industry over $7 million per year in avoided nergy and waste disposal costs (ANL 2003). Argonne National Laboratory has developed a glass fiber recycling process based on thermal treatment that is estimated to have a potential payback period of 2 years. One method that firms within the glass industry could do to increase productivity, efficiency and increased profits is to employ improved Information Systems by bringing in Siemens or other specialists to review their processes in the near future as Siemens offer services that will improve IS and reduce energy costs.As a reduction in energy usage and improved production processes will reduce the cost of production firms can benefit in not only the long run but the short to medium term as well. Practically the likes of Waterford Wedgewood and Ga lway Crystal have been in the business of glass production for centuries and therefore may be unlikely/unwilling to let in outsiders to review their processes new firms in the industry may see it as an ideal way to increase their competitiveness in the market reasonably quickly.For it’s customers in the glass industry, Siemens offers a package of services to analyze and optimize energy consumption of plant. They will bring in specialists to examine the production lines for weak points, develop suitable counter measures and, where necessary, also supply the appropriate financing concepts. In many cases, just improving the exploitation of existing equipment will lead to considerable savings. Siemens also offers services that will achieve projected ongoing energy savings of three to five percent per year over the next five to six years. (Optimum use Energy solutions for the glass industry from Siemens)

Fasting, Feasting Style Essay

Point of View The novel is written in the third person limited point of view. This means that the author tells the story from an objective position, as if viewing the story’s events without benefit of any thoughts or feelings coming directly from the individual characters. The author presents the chain of events in the story and then interjects what the characters may be thinking or experiencing based on their reactions, facial expression, and tone of voice. This point of view is especially pertinent for the content of the novel, which revolves around the issue of repression, especially for the female characters. The women are not allowed authentic voices in their homes or their societies. So the author restricts what the reader can know to mimic the repression experienced by the characters. Genre A speedy, intense narrative switching point of view and tense as needed. There are many unheralded transitions from scene to scene and flashback (15-63) is used to excellent effect. Threads of the story are left unfinished only to be taken up again later in the novel and given a deeper significance (see Anamika’s or Aruna’s story). General Vision or Viewpoint Think well about this question from a couple of standpoints. It might be easy to dismiss Uma’s world as oppressive to women and to the servant underclass and to decide that life could not be a fulfilled experience in such circumstances. You might think that Uma’s life is a tragic injustice; that she is used and misused by a patriarchal family and society. You might see Arun as a narrow-minded, judgemental outsider unable to adjust to a culture different to his own and whose life is quite unfulfilled. But this might be to miss the humour and love that is invested in daily living. In India people have a warmth and a variety to their lives that is enviable. 1. Read these notes taken from different sources on the web. Do you agree with what they say? Does the point of view used by Desai make you sympathise with a certain character? Explain the use of point of view and provide quotations to support your ideas. Themes Family Life Although the novel has action in two separate countries and has many characters, there is the central theme of family life that unites them all. In India, the immediate family has great importance; but the extended family also has an impact on the characters’ lives. This is evidenced by the coming together of family members for securing bridegrooms and making wedding arrangements for Uma and Aruna. There is also huge family support and involvement related to times of sorrow, such as the coming together after the death of Anamika. The rituals for both these happy and sad occasions are marked with tradition and purpose. These elements seem to be sorely lacking in the Patton household in America. It is understood that the time period of Arun’s stay with the Pattons encompasses only three months and does not represent a comprehensive look at the Patton family. Themes and issues Suffering Human suffering is depicted frequently in both parts of the novel. Uma is made to suffer by her parents and men who take advantage of her. The unusual thing about her is her response to this suffering. She seems to maintain optimism throughout her ordeals. Anamika’s terrible life and the abuse she suffers may illuminate your discussion of suffering as would the plight of Melanie who suffers mental illness and bulimia and is a sad example of American youth. Loneliness The plight of Arun in America will yield many examples of loneliness as will Uma herself who despite her large extended family keeping her busy she seems quite isolated. Loyalty/Betrayal  You might advance the notion that Uma and Anamika are betrayed by their parents in that they treat them very badly when it comes to marriage and relationships. Both girls are seen as burdens to be disposed of and you could say they were betrayed. Similarly, Melanie’s plight is so ignored by her mother that the word betrayal might not be too strong. 2. Can you think of other themes in the novel? Themes are the fundamental and often universal ideas explored in a literary work. Provide quotations to justify your choice. 3Example of an analysis of passages Do you agree with him? Can you find more examples of how Desai uses X to  create Y ? Now analyse the following passage. 4 Questions 5. Poetry Pied Beauty Gerard Manley Hopkins Follow this link: http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/gerard-manley-hopkins 1. Listen to the poem and read it at least twice. Hopkins was born in 1844, and died just 45 years later, in 1889, but in this relatively short life he wrote some of the most startling and original poetry of the whole 19th Century. He was a deeply intellectual and religious man, and became a Jesuit priest in 1877, the same year in which he wrote ‘Pied Beauty’. Throughout his life Hopkins was deeply fond of the countryside and its beauty, in which he could see the work and power of God. In ‘Pied Beauty’ he expresses his delight and astonishment at the sheer diversity of nature. What do the things Hopkins describes have in common? How does Hopkins celebrate diversity? How does the image of the chestnut link the physical with the spiritual world? How is the human world linked to the physical world in the poem? How are both the physical and the human world linked to God? Comment on the following compound nouns /verbs: ‘couple-colour’, ‘fresh-firecoal’, fathers-forth’. Comment on the use of sound in the poem and the effect it creates. Comment on the rhythm (metre) of the poem N.B. it is irregular). How does it contribute to its meaning? Annotate the rhyme scheme. What comments can you make on its effect? The poem begins and ends in a symmetrical way. Why? What is the effect of the short final line? In what way are the first and second parts of the poem the reverse of each other? What is the effect of delaying the verb ‘fathers-forth’ to the beginning of the penultimate line? Examination Question: How does this poem seek to convey the ‘glory’ and grandeur of God for Hopkins? After reading the poem, write in paragraphs a summary of what you think the poem is about and your analysis of it. You can work in groups (not more than four in each group) and hand in your work to Carolina, please. What does Curnow’s reading of his poem adds to your appreciation of it? 2. Read the following which will help you to analyse the poem. Entrapments at Home and Abroad in Anita Desai’s Fasting, Feasting T. Ravichandran Assistant Professor of English, Department of Humanities & Social Sciences, IIT Kanpur Anita Desai’s Fasting, Feasting, as it is implied in the title itself, is a novel of contrast between two cultures, the one, Indian, known for its pious and longstanding customs representing ‘fasting,’ and the other, American, a country of opulence and sumptuousness epitomising ‘feasting.’ The plot unveils through the perceptions of Uma, in India, and of Arun, in America. Both of them are entrapped, irrespective of the culture and enveloping milieu, by oppressive bonds exercised by their own parents, MamaPapa. They are just MamaPapa or PapaMama but remain nameless throughout the novel. Yet, this namelessness does not indicate their anonymity but signifies their universality. They are the prototypical parents found everywhere in the middle-class families of India, who discuss, plan, plot, control, govern the activities of their children, be it marriage or going abroad for studies. And in their over-domineering concern, they tend to ignore the inadverte nt possibility of entrapping their own offspring. Thus, they do not give contingency to the fact that perhaps their children too can have a life to call their own. May be even their own preoccupations, their own priorities, maybe an agenda for themselves that goes beyond what they actually want for their children. The novel beings with a snapshot of MamaPapa in a contemplative mood: â€Å"The parents sit, rhythmically swinging, back and forth. They could be asleep, dozing—their eyes are hooded—but sometimes they speak.† That is when a sudden deluge of ideas hit them and they order their eldest daughter, Uma, to carry out them without delay. Uma is asked first to inform the cook to prepare sweets for her father, with neglectful impatience she states that she has been already asked to pack a parcel to be sent to her brother, Arun, in America. While she comes literally running on her toes, she is entrusted with an additional job of writing a letter to their son. Somewhere in the middle of the novel, the reader understands that it is the usual scene that goes on in the household of MamaPapa. â€Å"All morning MamaPapa have found things for Uma to do. It is as if Papa’s retirement is to be spent in this manner—sitting on the red swing in the veranda with Mama, rocking, and finding ways to keep Uma occupied. As long as they can do that, they themselves feel busy and occupied† (133). In th is manner, living under the demanding rule of MamaPapa, Uma is repressed, suppressed and is imprisoned at home. The first part of the novel tells us in a flashback how she became a reluctant victim of entrapment at home. The second part of the novel shows how her brother Arun, who leaves his home for higher studies feels trapped by the very education that is meant to liberate him. Usually, at home, it would be an oppressive atmosphere even if one of the parents is overpowering. With regard to Uma, both of her parents appear to have merged into a single identity MamaPapa/PapaMama, as if they have a â€Å"Siamese twin existence†(6). Hence, whenever MamaPapa say something, and whoever says it, it comes with double the intensity and power that it cannot be defied at all. â€Å"Having fused into one, they had gained so much in substance, in stature, in authority, that they loomed large enough as it was; they did not need separate histories and backgrounds to make them even more immense†(6). Despite a slight variation in the roles they have chosen to play, Papa’s of â€Å"scowling† and â€Å"Mama’s scolding†(10), in terms of opinion, they never differed from each other. Therefore, if one refused there would not be any â€Å"point in appealing to the other parent for a different verdict: none was expected, or given†(14 ). Furthermore, the women are not allowed for outings usually, but when Papa feels that the women laze around the house too much, then they would be taken to the park for walk. On one such occasion, Uma gets easily distracted and fails to keep pace with her Papa. Though Papa is far away, and she is left in the company of Mama, she would not dare attempt  to buy some eatables on her wish though it is highly tempting: â€Å"Uma finds saliva gathering at the corners of her mouth at the smell of the spiced, roasted gram but decides to say nothing† (12-13). In the end, Uma is blamed for being â€Å"slow† when all the while Uma could not reconcile herself as why they are hurrying just to go back home. Likewise, the children are not allowed to have any sense of privacy even when they have grown-up. They are not allowed to shut any doors in the household. For this meant secrets, especially nasty secrets, which are impermissible: â€Å"It meant authority would come stalking in and make a search to seize upon the nastiness, the unclean blot†(15). MamaPapa also decide which of their children should have education and how much of it. As far as Uma is concerned, a pleasant escape from her claustrophobic conditions at home is her school-going. The convent school for her is â€Å"streaked with golden promise†(20). Hence, she always goes early to the school and later finds some excuse to linger there for longer time. Conversely, she feels deprived during dull weekends when she is left at home: â€Å"There were the wretched weekends when she was plucked back into the trivialities of her home, which seemed a denial, a negation of life as it ought to be, somber and splendid, and then the endless summer vacation when the heat reduced even that pointless existence to further vacuity†(21). Regardless of Uma’s verve for convent education, she is forced to stop going to school when Mama gives birth to the third baby, Arun. Even as Uma shows disagreement, she is coaxed, cajoled and finally threatened to accept her Mamaà ¢â‚¬â„¢s decision: ‘But ayah can do this—ayah can do that—’ Uma tried to protest when the orders began to come thick and fast. This made Mama look stern again. ‘You know we can’t leave the baby to the servant,’ she said severely. ‘He needs proper attention.’ When Uma pointed out that ayah had looked after her and Aruna as babies, Mama’s expression made it clear it was quite a different matter now, and she repeated threateningly: ‘Proper attention’ (31). Later, Uma looks forward towards her marriage to give her the much-needed relief, yet, unfortunately, she returns home frustrated after a deceitful marriage and subsequent divorce. Back at home, she gets a rare, job offer  through Dr. Dutt, but MamaPapa refuse to send her. When Dr. Dutt persists on taking Uma for the job, Mama lies of an illness for which she needs Uma to nurse her. In like manner, when Uma receives an invitation for a coffee party from Mrs. O’Henry, MamaPapa refuse to send her to the party because of the apprehension that Mrs. O’Henry might ensnare her and convert her into a Christian nun. Reduced thus to a baby-sitter at her earlier days and an unpaid servant for her self-centred parents for the rest of her life, Uma finds no escape from her entrapment. Uma experiences, however, a brief repose of happiness and freedom once when she is allowed to accompany her ailing aunt, Mira-Masi, on her pilgrimage. During her stay at night in an ashram, Uma finds a strange link of her life with the barks and howls of the dogs: At night she lay quietly on her mat, listening to the ashram dog bark. Then other dogs in distant villages, out along the river bed and over in the pampas grass, or in wayside shacks and hovels by the highway—barked back. They howled long messages to each other. Their messages traveled back and forth through the night darkness which was total, absolute. Gradually the barks sank into it and drowned. Then it was silent. That was what Uma felt her own life to have been—full of barks, howls, messages, and now—silence (61). At this juncture, one is reminded of Anita Desai’s characteristic way of making her internally turbulent protagonists find expression by association with external surroundings. Thus, for instance, in Cry, the Peacock, Maya’s feelings of isolation and longings are coupled with those of the crying of the peacocks. Still, one locates a kind of sublimity in the agonised inner cry of Maya when it is likened with peacocks. When Uma’s pain is related to the barks and howls of dogs, the poetry of Maya’s anguish is to be seen in sharp contrast to that of the excruciating poverty of Uma’s entrapment. Catering to the whims and fancies of MamaPapa, but keeping her remorse selfcontained, at one point of the novel, Uma feels utterly friendless and alone, even when she is at home and surrounded by her MamaPapa. In desperation, she thinks of writing a letter to a friend to share her grief but it only ends up with the realisation that she has none to confide with: She could write a letter to a friend—a private message of despair, dissatisfaction, yearning; she has a packet of notepaper, pale violet with a pink rose embossed in the corner—but who is the friend? Mrs. Joshi? But since she lives next door, she would be surprised. Aruna? But Aruna would pay no attention, she is too busy. Cousin Ramu? Where was he? Had his farm swallowed him up? And Anamika—had marriage devoured her? (134). However, it would be wrong to presuppose that Anita Desai shows Uma’s unattractiveness, clumsiness and dullness of mind as causes for her entrapment. Uma’s polar opposite, her graceful, beautiful and brilliant cousin, Anamika’s confinement is more poignant. While Uma’s failure in her school exams pressurises her to stay at home, Anamika does so excellently in her final school exams, that she wins a scholarship to Oxford. Yet, Anamika lives in a patriarchal society that considers higher education to be the prerogative of males, and marriage as the major preoccupation of females. The scholarship obtained is used only as a means to win her a husband who is considered an equal to the family’s prestige. Anamika’s parents are unperturbed by the fact that he is so much older than her, so grim-faced and conscious of his own superiority, and is â€Å"totally impervious to Anamika’s beauty and grace and distinction† (70). But it is Anamik a, who starts another life of entrapment the moment she enters her in-laws’ house. Anamika’s husband is a typical ‘Mama’s boy’ to the extent he could be a silent witness to his mother’s beating of his wife regularly. Anamika, who won a scholarship to Oxford, spends her entire time in the kitchen cooking for a very large family that eats in shifts—â€Å"first the men, then the children, finally the women† (70). After a miscarriage, which followed a brutal beating, and the belief that she could not bear more children, finally, the family ties her up in a nylon saree, pours the kerosene over her, and burns her to death. Here again Desai is not implying that the un-burnt brides and the well-settled ones may live a content life. In this regard, she portrays the story of Aruna, Uma’s smart and pretty younger sister who makes a discreet choice and marries â€Å"the wisest, †¦ the handsomest, the richest, the most exciting of the suitors who presented themselves†(101). Aruna’s marriage to Arvind who has a job in Bombay and a flat in a housing block in Juhu, facing the beach is just a like a  dream-come-true. Yet to live that dream-life fully she transforms hersel f and desperately seeks to introduce change in the lives of others. She cuts her hair, takes her make-up kit wherever she goes, and calls her sister and mother as ‘villagers’ once they refuse to accept her sophisticated and flashy style of life. For that reason, she avoids visiting her parents’ home and the rare occasions of her short visits are spent in blaming the untidiness of the surrounding and the inhabitants. Even she goes to the extent of scolding her husband when he splits tea in his saucer, or wears a shirt, which does not match, with his trousers. In this way, Aruna’s entrapment is different from the rest. She has liberated herself from the customs and dominating home rules that bind the rest of the characters like Uma and Anamika. Yet, in negating those codes, she ensnares herself in her mad pursuit towards a vision of perfection. And in order to reach that perfection she needs to constantly uncover and rectify the flaws of her own family as well as of Arvind’s. When none other than Uma sees through the entrapment of Aruna, she feels pity for her: Seeing Aruna vexed to the point of tears because the cook’s pudding had sunk and spread instead of remaining upright and solid, or because Arvind had come to dinner in his bedroom slippers, or Papa was wearing a t-shirt with a hole under one arm, Uma felt pity for her: was this the realm of ease and comfort for which Ar una had always pined and that some might say she had attained? Certainly it brought her no pleasure: there was always a crease of discontent between her eyebrows and an agitation that made her eyelids flutter, disturbing Uma who noticed it (109). While Uma, Anamika, Aruna present the female versions of entrapment in Fasting, Feasting, Arun pictures the male version of it. Unlike his sisters, right from his birth, Arun desists eating the food of his family which is symbolic of its values. Much to the dismay of his father, he shows his preference for vegetarian food. Simply because it revolutionised the life-style of his father, Arun can not be forced to eat non-vegetarian food. This, of course, is a cause of disappointment for Papa: Papa was always scornful of those of their relatives who came to visit and insisted on clinging to their cereal-and vegetable-eating ways, shying away from the meat dishes Papa insisted on having cooked for dinner. Now his own son, his  one son, displayed this completely baffling desire to return to the ways of his forefathers, meek and puny men who had got nowhere in life. Papa was deeply vexed (32- 33). Nonetheless, Arun cannot fully come out of the clutches of Papa, especially, in terms of his education. And ironic enough, it is education, which instead of offering the desired autonomy, paves way for Arun’s entrapment. Papa, in order to give â€Å"the best, the most, the highest† (119) education for his son, takes charge of Arun’s life from his childhood. Although Arun’s school examinations are over, Papa cannot allow him to go to his sister’s house in Bombay during holidays, since he has planned that time for taking up entrance examinations and preparation for sending applications to go abroad for ‘higher studies’. However, in the eyes of Aruna, her father’s manic determination to get a foreign scholarship for Arun, is actually on account of his unfulfilled dreams, which he tries to impose on his son. That is why, when the letter of acceptance from Massachusetts finally arrives, it stirs no emotions in Arun: Uma watched Arun too, when he read the fateful letter. She watched and searched for an expression, of relief, of joy, doubt, fear, anything at all. But there was none†¦. There was nothing else—not the hint of a smile, frown, laugh or anything: these had been ground down till they had disappeared. This blank face now stared at the letter and faced another phase of his existence arranged for him by Papa (121). As a reviewer rightly observes, â€Å"With a deft touch, Desai shows us that MamaPapa’s ambitions for Arun are as stifling as their lack of ambition for Uma, †¦.† From America, Arun’s letters come just to indicate his endurance and survival. His messages are diluted, and are devoid of any emotion and substance. â€Å"The most personal note he struck was a poignant, frequently repeated complaint: ‘The food is not very good’† (123). The ties, though invisible, are so overwhelming that even in a country that feasts on individuality, Arun fails to manifest his identity as an individual. Caught in the prison house of his own family’s food habits, he can neither nourish the alien food nor develop a sense of belonging with Patton’s family that  shelters him during his vacation. The smell of the raw meat being charred over the fire by Mr. Patton for steak or hamburger is loathsome for Arun. Conversely, Mr. Patton fails to understa nd why Arun really refuses to eat a good piece of meat. While Mrs. Patton symphathises with Arun, and gives him the vegetarian food items, particularly tomato slices and lettuce on bread, Arun finds them detestable too. Because he thinks that â€Å"in his time in America he has developed a hearty abhorrence for the raw foods everyone here thinks the natural diet of a vegetarian† (167). Hence when Mrs. Patton, quite satisfied with her job of a host, watches him eating with pride and complicity, Arun ate with an expression of woe and a sense of mistreatment. How was he to tell Mrs. Patton that these were not the foods that figured in his culture? That his digestive system did not know how to turn them into nourishment? (184-185). Where Mrs. Patton’s daughter, Melanie, bluntly says she finds the food revolting, and refuses to taste it, Arun has to helplessly eat it. Melanie, however, suffers from bulimia—a disorder in which overeating alternates with self-induced vomiting, fasting, etc. Her bulimia, along with her mother ’s frenzy for buying food items to fill the freezer, signifies the consumerist society that she hails from, where excess becomes the malady. This seen in contrast to Rod, the fitness fanatic, who spends all his time and energy in jogging, baffles Arun who wonders that â€Å"one can’t tell what is more dangerous in this country, the pursuit of health or of sickness†(204-205). He apprehends that like Melanie, who eats, vomits and lies on her vomit most of the time, the people of her country too, go through an inexplicable pain and a real hunger. Yet he cannot reconcile his mind to the unanswerable question: â€Å"But what hunger a person so sated can feel?†(224). Anita Desai, in portraying the stories of entrapment in Fasting, Feasting, presents one version after another; each contributing together to a master version, and each simultaneously subverting the other towards an open and contingent version. Accordingly, in the story of Uma, we find her unattractiveness leading to her eventual entrapment. Yet, if we pass a final verdict on this account, we would be proved erroneous since Desai presents the versions of Aruna and Anamika, Uma’s appealing sister and charming cousin, respectively. Beauty cannot offer them escape from entrapments; in truth, it is rather their good looks that victimise them. Further, if we think again that it is Uma†™s lack of  education that has led to her entrapped situation, Desai presents us the subversion of Anamika, where foreign scholarship fetches her an equal match but fails to provide her the required escape, it suffocates and kills her literally. In like manner, if as Uma thinks, â€Å"A CAREER. Leaving home. Living alone† (130) would bring in the necessary freedom from entrapment, Desai presents us the story of Arun, who leaves home, lives alone for a career but feels the pangs of entrapment despite it. Also, in providing a male version through the story of Arun’s entrapment, Desai negates any feministic verdict based on the other female versions of entrapment that is likely to put the blame on the patriarchal, male-centred society. Thus, Anita Desai, often described as one of the finest writers of this country, has moved from her earlier, typical way of sympathising with her characters, females especially, to a different level of sensibility now. Where it would be easy to presuppose her overt feministic concerns in a novel like Cry, the Peacock, it would be unwise to approach her Fasting, Feasting with any such preconceived notions. Desai herself speaks out in a recent interview that she has been deliberately shifting her focus from female characters to male characters. She rather feels she needs to address and voice out themes which concern males too. She says: â€Å"Specially in my earlier work I found myself addressing the same things over and over again: very much about the life of women, specially those women who are confined to home and family, also the solitude from which a person can suffer even if living within a big family or surrounded by crowds. But after several years and several books I began to feel suffocated myself by the confinement of these subjects. I felt I was limiting the territory to such an extent that it created a kind of suffocation even for me. So I deliberately opened the doors, to widen the canvas, and started writing more about male characters and their lives, because I felt they had a wider experience of the world, and I could address a greater variety of experiences.† Finally, if we consider the male version represented by Arun and the female versions constituted by Uma, Anamika and Aruna as Indian versions, Desai offers American versions to counter them. The story, thus dangling between two countries and cultures shows to prove through the characters of Uma and Arun, and their counterparts Melanie and Rod, that attempts of escape from entrapments can only be temporary, illusory and self-destructively futile since entrapments through familial knots are ubiquitous, all encompassing and universal. And perhaps the salvation comes when one accepts entrapment of one kind or another envisioned as an inescapable fact of life. References 1Anita Desai, Fasting, Feasting (London: Vintage, 1999) 3. All subsequent page references are to this edition. 2Sylvia Brownrigg, â€Å"Fasting, Feasting† by Anita Desai. http://archive.salon.com/books/review/2000/02/17/desai/print.html. [9/15/2002]. Magda Costa, â€Å"Interview with Anita Desai, Lateral (March 2001). http://www.umiacs.umd.edu/users/sawweb/sawnet/books/desai_interview.html. [9/15/2002]. http://www.sawnet.org/books/writing/desai_interview.html