Joyce Carol Oates “Golden Gloves” Story

Yu-Tzu Lin Instructor Emily Plicka English 101 6, October 2012 In Joyce Carol Oates’ story â€Å"Golden Gloves†, it is about the growth of a boy to becoming a man. This boy who was a born with deformed feet, he had couldn’t walk until 3 years old. His dad was a little shameful of him being handicapped. He didn’t like people to touch him or help him. When he was eight, he had a surgery on his feet. He suffered a lot of pains during his rehabilitation . His father took him to a boxing match and he fell in love with boxing right away.He told himself that He would box one day at the Golden Gloves tournament and people would see him standing there in that ring, not in a wheelchair. He began his training at the YMCA. He worked out every day in order to keep himself in the best shape. All he thought about was boxing. He was told that he had talent and had a future. He won many local matches. At the young age of eighteen he boxed in the semi-finals of the Golden G loves tournament, and it was the game that ended his boxing career. A few years later, he married a woman, Annemarie, who desired to have children so bad.She always wanted to have a family even after her first miscarriage; she still persisted to be pregnant again. Finally, Annemarie got pregnant again. They took natural childbirth classes together. But her husband never told Annemarie about his past—about his amateur boxing. He even wasn’t honest about his premature birth and deformed feet. It is a deep shame he struggles with. Joyce Carol Oates â€Å"Golden Gloves† story, the main character struggles with insecurity, even as an adult who eventually achieves success and happiness in his career and marriage.His insecurity haunts him his whole life through: First, insecurity as a child, he was suffering a lot of pain from his deformed feet. He was being bullied by the kids at school. He would grab them and hurt them and made them cry when he got older. Those child hood experiences built up his personality more like shy, showing none of his emotions in him, even a little bit self-abased. As a child, there was not much things that he could do about it, so he keeps his hurt and anger bottled up inside. (P. 774) Second, as a boxer, he lies awake at night worrying about the â€Å"punch out of nowhere† and worries about disappointing his dad.When he was training at YMCA, he was constantly thinking about what did other people think about him and if he challenged other boys, could he knock him out? He also practiced with boys that might be older than him. He improved himself, he knew his weaknesses. (p776) From that example shows that he was insecure that he would be fail. Although some readers might think that it showed his humility, actually here is a mixture feeling of being humble and afraid of not being the best boxer. His father made the statement: â€Å"Either you have the talent or you don’t, It can’t be fake. (p. 776) t his pointed out that he had to win to show that he had talent in boxing. Also his dad put bets on him and that gave him more pressure and worried about letting his dad down. That is probably why he would wake up in the middle of the night and confused about himself. Here, Oates wrote â€Å"His fists when he woke would be clenched so hard his fingernails would be cutting into his palms, his toes curled in tight and cramped as if still deformed, secretly deformed. † (p. 779) because character here was physically healed, he was not crippled anymore.But he still had the same reaction as when he was crippled before. Moreover, the last word, â€Å"secretly deformed†, makes readers feel like that he is still deformed in some way. Maybe he is not physically deformed; maybe in deep down his heart, he is still that crippled boy. Third, he was also insecure as an adult in his strength —admire the strength of his wife, her willingness to try again reminds him of his failure at eighteen, and his insecurity haunts him. Annemarie, his wife, was miscarriage the first pregnancy. She suffered a lot physically and mentally.Annemarie was persistent to be pregnant again but he hesitated. Annemarie’s persistence made him think of his boxing career, made him think of his failure. The main character told himself that â€Å"It’s just physical after all it doesn’t mean anything. Such failures of physical life don’t mean anything. You take the blow then get on with living isn’t that the history of the world? Of course it is. † This part showed that he was trying to comfort himself and made himself feel better about trying again. And the next he said he is an adult now, not a boy any longer. (p. 82) He compared Annemarie’s miscarriage to his failure at eighteen, and he admired the strength of his wife and persuaded himself that he can take more now. Even though when the baby due in less than a week, he was still insecu re about the punch out of nowhere. (p. 783) Maybe he was worried about that he couldn’t control what would happen next. Throughout his life, things were always happened unexpectedly. â€Å"He hadn’t been a fighter at all, merely a victim. † (P. 783) This phrase from Oate’s story pointed out that his biggest insecurity is from life, since he was a premature baby who had deformed feet.He worked so hard to be able to walk; he got bullied by other kids. When he finally became a boxer, he was worried about disappointing his dad, and failure in boxing. He still struggled with insecurity about things happened to his wife. Actually he had a good life when he grew up. But why does he continue to feel insecure in his life, in his happiness? Is it because deep down inside of him he is still that little boy with deformed feet that people pitted or made fun of? Hopefully, he would learn from strength of Annemarie. And maybe when their baby is born, he can feel more se cure in his role as a father and a husband.

Lost Worlds Essay

Some Americans remember where they came from; others don’t. That’s the case in Daniel Chacon’s story â€Å"The Biggest City in the World†. It is a story about Harvey Gomez who is a Mexican American young man whose grandparents migrated to the Unites States from Mexico. Harvey has only been to Mexico once in his entire life and neither of his parents has ever been there before. Therefore he doesn’t know anything about his native culture or language. In this story Harvey travels deep inside of Mexico for the first time with his Mexican history Professor David P. Rogstart and gets exposed to its culture and language. On the contrary, Carolina Hospital’s poem â€Å"Finding Home† is about Mexicans who were born in Mexico and later migrated to America. When Harvey arrives in Mexico he tries to distance himself from the country’s culture. In fact, shortly after he comes out of his hotel room the first place that he goes to is La Zona Rosa because â€Å"The expensive shops, Gucci, Polo, Yves St. Laurent, relaxed him because they reminded him of Beverly Hills† (Chacon 58). Harvey is going to places in Mexico that he is familiar with back in the United States and is not trying to explore his heritage. Perhaps this is because he doesn’t feel like he is a Mexican and that he is only an American. After all, he was born and raised in the United States by parents who have never been to Mexico themselves. Harvey eventually gets exposed to ancient Aztec monuments when he runs into Professor Rogstart who is viewing stone carvings. As Harvey decides to take a closer look at the stone carvings, he is seeing history of his heritage and begins to compare it. Gomez wondered how many Aztecs were scared into believing in their gods, like his father tried to make him believe in Jesus and the Virgin Mary† (Chacon 60). He starts thinking how the Aztecs were raised up into worshiping their gods in Mexico and how his father brought him up into believing in God in America. Harvey learns about the Spanish Conquest of Mexico and begins to ask Professor Rogstart questions. He gives him honest answers â€Å"Rogstart, feeling a professorial obligation, explained to Gomez the meaning of each panel, each symbol, giving such fine details† (Chacon 61). During the explanation, Harvey feels a sense of pride in his heritage. You can tell that Harvey now wants to learn more about his past; however, he is still struggling to accept his heritage. As Harvey continues his journey in Mexico, he repeatedly distances himself from the Mexicans. Harvey is reacting this way because he is attached to money. That will soon come to an end as Harvey himself loses all of his money. â€Å"He slipped his hand into his pocket for his roll of bills† (Chacon 63). After he realizes that he is broke, he starts to panic. Harvey’s immediate reaction is to find his money no matter what it takes, but when he does not find it, Harvey starts to feel the same way the Mexicans did when they begged him for money. This is the first time that he feels this way because he was raised in America where money is a major influence in life. When it looks like it will be the end of his journey in Mexico, he discovers it is beginning. Harvey enters a taxi and tells the driver â€Å"Take me to the Zona Rosa† (Chacon 65). During the ride, Harvey is relaxed and begins to feel like a Mexican deep in his heart. When it seems that he is going to continue his denial, he tells the driver â€Å"Take me to Chapultepec Park† (Chacon 66). The cab driver is surprised and Harvey laughs telling him that he wants to explore Mexico. Harvey finally ends the denial of his Mexican heritage and goes on to explore Mexico. The poem â€Å"Finding Home† written by Carolina Hospital tells the story of how Mexicans who come to America try to find their heritage in the United States. Like many who migrate to America, the immigrants miss their country and are concerned about losing their culture. In contrast to Harvey Gomez, this poem shows that many Mexicans in America appreciate their heritage. â€Å"I have travelled north again,/to these gray skies/and empty doorways,† (Hospital 101). This shows that they miss their native country and are concerned about forgetting their heritage. Perhaps Harvey’s grandparents thought the same thing when they first came to America from Mexico. Regardless of their arrival in America, they want to return to Mexico someday. â€Å"I must travel again soon† (Hospital 102). Despite leaving their ative land they have respect for Mexico and will visit again. After the experience that Harvey had in discovering his heritage, I am sure that he will visit Mexico again. Daniel Chacon is clearly making a statement that Mexican immigrants whose kids are born and raised in America forget their own culture. In the story Harvey Gomez is denying his heritage and was embarrassed at times to admit that he is Mexican. This is because he barely knows anything about Mexico and doesn’t even speak the language. Eventually Harvey accepts who he is and discovers his heritage throughout the story. I believe that Chacon wants to demonstrate how important it is for people to know where they come from and not to forget who they are. Carolina Hospital indicates that Mexican immigrants in America continue to appreciate their heritage. In her poem the Mexicans are not embarrassed to admit where they come from. The Mexicans embrace their heritage and plan on visiting Mexico. I believe that Hospital wants to demonstrate that Mexicans immigrants do appreciate their heritage. However the fact is that no matter where people come from they must appreciate their heritage.

A Soldier Essays

A Soldier Essays A Soldier Essay A Soldier Essay John Carduff October 4, 2010 Eng 101 There are very few material things in this world that I consider important to me but the few that are tell a story about my life. I have been awarded several medals from the United States Army; though all are important to me the one medal of seven that bears the most significance is the Army Achievement Medal for my service on funeral detail. I was put on funeral detail at the end of my contract with the US Army. At the very beginning I felt as though it was more of a burden that I would carry instead of the honor it holds. I have seen many great men put in the ground six feet under and watched as their families wept. This tradition of honoring fallen soldiers will never be lost. The sound of â€Å"Taps† being played on the bugle, the sound of the rifles firing in the air and the soldiers that stand tall in front and fold the flag into a neatly folded triangle. We as a brotherhood must honor these men and women. We as an Army family must lift up those near and dear to the departed. I played a substantial role on the funeral detail. I was given the honor to not only salute those who have died but to present the American flag to their husband or wife, mother or father and even the small children that are left behind. I have seen all their faces and heard them all cry out; though I must maintain my military barring never flinching. I bend down on one knee and tell each of them the same thing every time but it never gets old, â€Å"On behalf of the President of the United States and the US Army it was an honor to serve with†¦Ã¢â‚¬  That is when you mention their name. I have never presented the American Flag to a family member with a dry eye. Though I do not personally know these soldiers I feel a bond that is incomprehensible if you have never served. There is no greater honor in our military today than to honor our fallen soldiers and to show their families just how much their lives meant to the Army as a whole. I am proud to say that I had a part in honoring our soldiers and will always hold that experience close to my heart.

How Football Rules Should Be Improved Assignment

How Football Rules Should Be Improved - Assignment Example The fans enjoy the performance of such players as if their abilities and talents are tethered in their souls (Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Culture, Media, and Sports Committee 28). The overwhelming worldwide support accorded to the sport does not imply of its sense of perfection. Apparently, the fans remain principle victims of irregularities and flaws associated with the sport due to their passionate commitment. They are compelled to adhere to the misdeed due to their limited options of address. However, the sport still remains oriented to benefit from numerous opportunities of adjustment and perfection. Embracing few changes in some critical areas of concern may allow for the bettering of the sport, hence making it enjoyable for the fans. Additionally, the perception of the sport being global implies that its rules should be applied and interpreted with an absolute sense of consistency across all regions. As a global football governing body, FIFA needs to develop better policies towards the training of its referees. Such policies should aim at ensuring a sense of improvement in the officiating standards that are engaged in the sport. The game has grown from the ages of zero substitutions and disciplinary cards to the introduction of various rules, including the goal-line technology. Such allows a reflection on the versatility that may be embraced by the sport. However, the game is still in need of the embracing of various adjustments in its officiating. Therefore, suggestions aimed at making changes to the game range from scrapping the penalty shootout to sin bins. There are also suggestions to scrap the penalty shootout in the determination of the victorious team. It is of merit to acknowledge that not all not all the suggestions would be beneficial to the game. However, such should not limit the possibility of their consideration.

Enterprise in action Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Enterprise in action - Essay Example The specific process needs to be developed in a series of phases, aiming to limit the chances of failures. However, in extremely turbulent market conditions, like the current ones, it is quite difficult for business opportunities to be identified and developed. The use of the effectual approach in the decision making process could help to manage such projects more effectively. Current paper presents the phases of the identification and the development of a business opportunity. Suggestions are made regarding the processes through which a business opportunity can be identified and developed. Appropriately literature has been also used for explaining the requirements and the challenges of the particular process. It is concluded that the use of appropriate techniques for identifying and developing the particular business opportunity can reduce the risks involved. However, it is necessary that all phases of the process are continuously monitored so that the chances for major losses to be eliminated. 2. Describing and processing the opportunity In order to identify and develop a business opportunity it is necessary to follow certain processes. These processes are analytically described below. At a first level, it is necessary to choose the approach on which the processes will be based. The effectual approach of decision-making has been chosen under the terms that the future conditions of the market involved cannot be precisely defined in advance – taking into consideration the strong market turbulences because of the global recession. Each of the phases of the processes is justified using relevant literature; additional literature is analytically presented in a separate section. 2.1 Effectual approach The effectual approach of the decision making process is based on the proposition that since certain elements of the future are known, there are measures that can be taken for controlling it, even if its precise characteristics are not known. In the terms of the business environment, the above approach means that the future performance of business plans can be guaranteed – at an important level - by taking measures which are appropriate in terms of the common market conditions. The above approach is not based on the perspective that the exact future conditions of the market can be known, a perspective accepted in the causal approach of decision making. For this reason, the effectual approach has been chosen as most appropriate for checking a business opportunity, since this approach has the following benefits: a) it does not require accurate decisions but just effective plans; emphasis is given on the construction of the business projects and not on the development of a series of decisions; this fact can help to save time in realizing the projects, b) it does not require precise goals or stable market environment; this fact is an advantage of the effectual approach taking into consideration the turbulences in the global market, c) i t does not require extensive market research, a fact that could also save time/ resources in the completion of the business project involved(Doke et al. 2007). The principles and the rules of the effectual approach have been critically examined in order to decide on their use in the identification/ development of a business opportunity. The effectual principles that have been proved more effective in the identific

Communication skills Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Communication skills - Research Paper Example The media like television and newspaper has the ability to reach the public in a strong way and communication is the foundation to it. Good communicators are not born but they are made with the help of proper training and knowledge. It is not just easy to thrive in today’s a competitive and demanding world and communication is one factor which is under our control. If one can be best at its communication skill, then he can make things work at his will and favor. The importance of communication in this business world is so great that the success of a company and employee solely depend on it. To become a successful employee in any field, apt communication skill is of utmost importance. Good communication skill is immensely important to work jointly with employees of an organization. To be a good communicator one need to also be a good listener. In his books (Guffey,23)â€Å"Communication does not take place unless the sender encode meaningful message that can be decoded and und erstood by the receivers†. The Importance of Communication Skills The importance of communication skill is highest when it comes to any sphere of human life. When it comes to career, communication stands as a key factor in employee’s job placement, career advancement, performance and organizational success. In hiring a candidate, communication skill is considered as the most needed competency. ... It is very important for people to understand the skills and techniques required to communicate effectively to each other. According to (Wilhelm)â€Å"Communication has two parts. The first is the communicator and how effectively she can convey her message to the listener. The second is how well the listener of the communication receives the message. If there is misunderstanding, misinterpretation or confusion – then the communication is not successful†. The success can be achieved by the communicator only if he is well versed with communication skills and techniques. Communication skill is completely beneficial as it creates effective flow of thoughts and information from one party to another as well as minimizes the chances of confusion and misunderstanding. If a person lack in communication skill, then he cannot promote himself and also the organization he is working for. In communication there is exchange of information, thoughts and ideas with the help of dialogues and conversation. It is always a two way process which included gesticulation and vocalization. The importance and value of communication skill never can be disregarded. In all walks of life, good communication skill is extremely important. A poor communication skill can have a negative effect on both the professional and personal life of a person. A good communication skill is very essential in fields like medicine, teaching and media where in the main focus is on the understanding of patients, students and the mass population respectively. Even for a salesperson, communication is of key importance as his profession is entirely depended on his verbal skills. In the same way verbal communication is vital,

Luxury Good and Gucci Essay Example for Free

Luxury Good and Gucci Essay Gucci‘s overall strategy was to vertically integrate to strengthen its overall brand image. After vertically integrating they acquired other luxury retailers to continue to grow horizontally and to increase economies of scope. The economics of the luxury goods industry changed forcing Gucci to modify its strategy. Consumers demand shifted from classic style buyers to style conscious buyers. Gucci not only had to change due to the economics of the industry but they also had several problems with their existing structure. Hence Gucci made the following moves to reposition it to compete in the new economics of the luxury goods industry. Gucci The partnership between DeSole and Ford addresses the company’s inability to have streamlined decision making and consistent branding throughout the company. By partnering product design and strategy, Gucci can now make product and business decisions that deliver a consistent message externally. All products and communications will support the brand image of a luxury goods retailer that Gucci wants to deliver to the marketplace. The cost cutting and targeted layoffs address Gucci’s poor cost structure. While profit margins were healthy, the extravagant spending by the former CEO was reducing profitability. The company had excess headcount in some areas and less in others. The layoffs improved Gucci’s cost structure and streamline the organization. Secondly, Gucci lacked the management talent to run a high end luxury company. By laying off underperforming managers and hiring experienced business executives, Gucci significantly improved the quality of its management team. The cash investment by PPR protects Gucci from hostile takeovers by competitors. The improvement in Gucci’s capital structure enables Gucci to move from an acquisition target to a potential acquirer of substitutes and new entrants. This is critical because in the fashion industry, new brands are always emerging in the market. The $3 billion dollar cash investment enables Gucci to protect its core market better. Additionally, the acquisition of YSL through the merger diversifies Gucci’s product portfolio and creates high barriers to entry. Buyers Due to changing consumer demands, Gucci started to focus on fashion in particular the â€Å"glamorous edge. † Since switching cost for consumers are low and consumers are now demanding new fashions every season focusing on seasonal trends competitively positioned Gucci against its rivals and impeded consumers from finding substitutes. Gucci changed its target consumer from an older more conservative buyer to a modern, youthful, fashion conscious one. Since all of Gucci’s competitors had the same target (30-50 year affluent women) going after a modern, youthful spirited consumer allows Gucci to focus on a different segment of the luxury market, capturing a different slice of the pie. To create loyalty, give consumers options, and to prevent consumers from switching and buying a substitute product Gucci decided to revolutionize their product assortments to correspond with the seasonal trends. In addition they increased the quality of their products comparable to Hermes and offered these products at a value to meet the consumer’s needs. Furthermore, Gucci tailored their product assortment in each DOS to local customers to attract more consumers in the local markets. To better forecast product demand for seasonal goods and to keep inventory costs down Gucci added customer intelligence to the decision making process to better understanding consumers buying behavior. In order to obtain higher profit margins and offer a comprehensive line of products it was necessary for Gucci to diversify its portfolio. Hence Gucci introduced items from scarves to fur coats. To remain focused and maintain its â€Å"luxury status†, Gucci did not introduce diffusion product lines. Gucci had initially set its prices too high hence reducing their retail prices by 30% was necessary to attract and maintain customer loyalty. In order to generate demand for the product Gucci doubled their advertising and turned Tom Ford into a celebrity hoping to attract media and attention from around the world. To restore Gucci’s image as a high end luxury goods retailer they renovated all of their stores to support this new image. In addition all internal and external communications had the same look and feel to convey a consistent brand identity. Furthermore, they reduced distribution through retail stores that didn’t support the new brand image regardless of sales. Gucci launched an official web site to create awareness and exhibit new product lines and to position themselves against their competitors. Suppliers Suppliers are a key driver of profitability—a key competitive force. Suppliers are responsible for delivering a premium product that satisfies the company’s standards in quality and that reflects Tom Ford’s creative vision. Without fast turnover to meet fashion forward trend demands and a quality product, the repositioning of the Gucci brand could not have taken place. To fulfill this vision Gucci created an incentive program to keep suppliers loyal to ensure a quality product was manufactured, on time delivery, and it would prevent the suppliers from forging relationships with Gucci’s competitors. In addition, Gucci made suppliers more efficient through technology and logistics investments, provided training for suppliers and built an EDI network allowing Gucci to efficiently communicate with partner suppliers through the production process. As more fashion products will be produced every season along with the classic products, delivery and meeting demand could become an issue if production processes are not efficient. Investing in suppliers ensures that supplier threat, which is high, is controlled and suppliers have incentives to stay with Gucci. Supplier threat is high because of there is an absence of substitutes suppliers. Switching costs are high for Gucci other suppliers may be producing for their rivals. Other suppliers may not deliver the quality and craftsmanship Gucci is expecting. In addition, other suppliers do not have experience in producing Gucci products (current suppliers have been with Gucci for long time). Hence they will have a longer learning curve slowing down the production process. There are few suppliers in specific regions: Gucci suppliers had production capacity to meet Gucci’s growth (20-30% a year). However, finding new suppliers would be going into Prada’s territory. With more growth, suppliers gained bargaining power with sub-suppliers and with Gucci. Initially, Gucci had power because suppliers worried that Gucci would go overseas for suppliers. Complementors Complementors are a not a high threat to Gucci because there only a few of them, media and advertising. Competition There are many firms in this industry because profit margins are high. However with the number and volume of MA activity on the rise, consolidation is imminent with a few big players left in the market. Consolidation among competition has given competitors lower cost structure resulting in a competitive advantage such as ad purchasing discounts and supplier negotiating power. The competitors have a diversified product portfolio to target multiple segments of the market. They dominate in particular segments, for example Hermes and leather bags. Since there is slow industry growth precipitating fights for market share is certain to occur. This may result in a high threat from competitors such as LVMH and Prada. Threat of Entry The threat of entry is low because brand identity and product differentiation has been well established in this industry. In addition, access to distribution channels is limited and the new entrant would be competing with already established channels of distribution for Gucci and others firms. Gucci and other competitors have substantial resources to fight back because they of their monetary resources and could obstruct the new entrant or buy them out.